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Let's talk food, from restaurants and recipes to farmers markets, food issues and wine. Lee Svitak Dean, Rick Nelson, Kim Ode and Bill Ward will start the conversation.
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Announcing Taste Night at the Heights
Posted by: Rick Nelson Updated: October 15, 2012 - 5:27 PM
Join us as we celebrate Taste’s 43rd birthday with a special screening of the 1967 classic “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” at Taste Night at the Heights Theatre on Thursday, Nov. 1.
The particulars first: Tickets are $8 and are available at the door; for advance (non-refundable) tickets, go here. Showtime is at 7:30, but be sure to arrive early, because along with the movie, we’ll be featuring the song stylings of organist Harvey Gustafson at the theatre’s mighty Wulitzer. There’s also a cookbook raffle, with proceeds benefiting Second Harvest Heartland.
Here’s a quick plot synopsis: Dr. John Prentiss (Sidney Poitier) and Joey Drayton (Katharine Houghton) meet in Hawaii, quickly fall in love and decide to marry. They return to San Francisco to tell Joey’s parents, Matt and Christina Drayton (Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn). Through various convenient plot complications — it’s a kind-of romantic comedy, so they’re allowed — Prentiss’ parents (Beah Richards and Roy Glenn) fly up from Los Angeles to meet their future daughter in law (leading Hepburn to utter to Tracy, in her inimitable Connecticut accent, “Guess who’s coming to dinner?”). They gather over dinner — prepared by the Drayton’s maid, Tillie Binks — with longtime Drayton family friend Monsignor Mike Ryan (Cecil Kellaway).
The issue is that Dr. Prentiss is black, and Miss Drayton is white. “Guess” is a prime example of what Hollywood once referred to as a “message movie.” The subject of interracial marriage was a radical one for a mainstream Hollywood film in 1967, but a timely one.
“But you do know, I’m sure you know, what you’re up against,” says Tracy’s character to his daughter and her fiance. “There will be 100 million right here in this country who will be shocked and offended and appalled at the two of you.” Several weeks after filming was complete, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down bans on interracial marriage in its Loving v. Virginia ruling. The movie opened six months later.
“Guess” garnered 10 Oscar nominations (including, shockingly, for both Art Direction/Set Direction and Music; you’ll know why they rate a “shockingly” when you see the movie), and won two: William Rose, for his original screenplay, and Katharine Hepburn (pictured, above) in the Best Actress category. It was her second Academy Award (“They don’t usually give these things to the old girls, you know,” is what she wrote in a thank-you telegram to the academy); her first, for “Morning Glory,” was in 1934, and she would go on to win two more, for “The Lion in Winter” in 1968 and 1981’s “On Golden Pond."
Other nominations included Best Picture, Best Actor (Tracy), Best Supporting Actor (Kellaway), Best Supporting Actress (Richards), Directing (Stanley Kramer) and Editing (Robert C. Jones).
Entertainment value aside, “Guess” boasts a treasure trove of Hollywood history and trivia. It was Tracy’s final film; he died 17 days after filming his last scene, part of a week-long endurance race to complete his character’s climactic eight-minute monologue. Tracy’s illness made him uninsurable, and so Hepburn and Kramer placed their salaries in escrow until filming was completed. It was the ninth film that Hepburn and Tracy made together, starting with “Woman of the Year” in 1942.
The cast included two women who would later become familiar to TV audiences. In her film debut, Isabel Sanford played Tillie Binks; in 1981 she would become the first African-American woman to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy, as Louise Jefferson in “The Jeffersons.”
Virginia Christine (pictured, above), who played the bigoted Hilary St. George to perfection (the actress was a favorite of Kramer’s), was also famous for her 21-year run as Mrs. Olson in a series of commercials for Folger’s Coffee. The scene where Hepburn's character tells her off in no uncertain terms is one of the movie's highlights.
The part of Joey Drayton was played by Katharine Houghton, Hepburn’s 22-year-old niece; “Guess” was her film debut. Poitier was the No. 1 box office draw that year, thanks to “Guess” and two other hit movies that had been released in the span of six months, “In the Heat of the Night” and “To Sir, With Love.” He wasn’t much younger than the two actors playing his parents; there was a seven-year difference between Poitier and Richards, and 13 years between Poitier and Glenn.
“Guess” has plenty of food references, most notably a scene at a drive-in (pictured, above, and staged in front of one of moviedom’s cheesiest rear-projection screens), where Tracy makes a fuss over fresh Oregon boysenberry sherbet. And it ends, of course, with everyone sitting down to dinner.
Follow the State Fair fun at Startribune.com
Posted by: Rick Nelson Updated: August 22, 2012 - 12:24 PM
The Minnesota State Fair opens Thursday, and aside from the Fairgrounds, here's where you should be: Startribune.com.
That's because I'll be tweeting my way through the fair's 35-plus new foods, from bacon ice cream and Paul Bunyon Bars to walleye rolls and red velvet funnel cakes. Follow me on Twitter, or catch the feed here.
If you're visiting the fair after opening day, don't hit the Carousel Park without checking out my four-star to zero-star ratings of all the new foods. We'll post it online on Friday, and it will appear in print in Variety on Saturday.
Meanwhile, if you're on the Fairgrounds on Thursday, don't miss Taste editor Lee Svitak Dean. She'll be meeting-and-greeting at the Star Tribune booth (Carnes Av., in front of the Grandstand Ramp) from 10 to 11 a.m. (while you're there, pick up the Strib's pickle-flavored lip balm). And from 1 to 2 p.m., Lee will be in the Saint Agnes Bakery kitchen in the Creative Activities Building (Dan Patch Av. and Cosgrove St.), preparing Thin Mint Bars, which, if you're a chocolate and mint lover -- and frankly, who isn't -- will become an integral part of your baking repertoire.
Next Thursday in Taste (and Wednesday afternoon at Startribune.com/taste), we'll have my rundown on the foods all first-time Fairgoers need to eat.
Meanwhile, here's what you can find in the Strib archive: My annual new-foods-at-the-fair roundups from 2011, 2010 and 2009, along with a greatest-hits revisit of 12 years of new fair foods.
By the way, the above picture is also from the Strib archive. That's Ruth Marie Peterson of Austin, Minn., the 1955 Princess Kay of the Milky Way, milking Filco Ormsby Dainty Lady. They're in front of the all-you-can-drink milk booth. Note the price: 10 cents a glass. It's now a buck, and still one of the fair's best values.
Who is Master of the Market? Sameh Wadi wins the competition
Posted by: Lee Svitak Dean Updated: August 22, 2012 - 3:22 PM
It was a tough choice to make, to determine the best entry: a beautifully designed beer-cheese BLT soup by Jack Riebel of Butcher & the Boar, or a fragrant three-course meal of an heirloom tomato salad with charred-tomato vinaigrette, a trout and vegetable tagine, and a chilled melon soup for dessert from Sameh Wadi of Saffron. That was the decision the judges had to make Saturday during the Chef Challenge at the Minneapolis Farmers Market, an event held in multiple cities, sponsored by Country Financial and, here, the Minneapolis Farmers Market.
The chefs had 20 minutes to find their foods of choice at the market, and $50 to spend, followed with 30 minutes to prepare their dish. Jack and Sameh raced through the aisles of the very crowded market (or at least they tried to; it was tough to get customers to move out of the way), grabbing the tomatoes, cantaloupe, trout, bacon, bread and more to be used in the prep.
Jack, at right, relied on what he called "the three killer 'Bs' for his dish: beer, bacon and bread. Each chef was allowed to bring two ingredients to the event. Jack brought vinegar and beer; Sameh also turned to vinegar, as well as his own spice blend.
"This is more stressful than Iron Chef. It's Jack Riebel," said Sameh at the start of the competition. By 11 minutes from deadline, Jack noted, "Stress, stress, stress."
But neither seemed too stressed; they were calmly -- though hastily -- at work, focused on the end results.
I was one of the four judges, who included food blogger Stephanie Meyer and WCCO-TV weekend anchors Matt Brickman and Jamie Yuccas.
Take a look for yourself at the completed dishes. Jack cooked and plated a stunning soup in the very formal, elegant method of first presenting the soup ingredients without the broth, then at the table slowly pouring in the liquid. No matter how many times I've had soup presented this way, it makes me swoon. See the tomatoes, maple-glazed bacon and green onion? That's a slice of gouda atop the bacon and the mild beer-cheese broth also uses the cheese. It was a real stunner. Here's how the dish was initially served before the liquid was added, followed by a photo after the addition of the beer-cheese broth.
Deconstructed BLT Soup
Serves 4.
From Jack Riebel of Butcher & the Boar.
Serves 4.
From Jack Riebel of Butcher & the Boar.
Beer Cheese Soup:
• 2 tbsp. chopped garlic
• 1½ c. chopped onion
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 48 oz.. (6 c.) beer
• 3 c. Gouda cheese, grated
• 3 c. Havarti, grated
Tomato and bacon garnish:
• 8 slices bacon (Riebel used Thielens)
• 1 c. diced bread
• 1 lb. heirloom tomatoes, blanched and cut into large pieces
• 2 tbsp. maple syrup, divided
• 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar, divided
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp. olive oil, or to taste
• 1 sprig fresh basil
• 1 green onion, sliced thin
• 1 jalapeno sliced thin
Directions
Sweat garlic, onion, olive oil and salt over low heat just until sizzling. Add beer and simmer 10 minutes.
Pour into blender and blend until smooth. Add cheese and blend until smooth. Pass through strainer; set aside.
Pour into blender and blend until smooth. Add cheese and blend until smooth. Pass through strainer; set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan set over medium high heat, brown bacon until crisp. Remove bacon to paper towel and drain.
Reserving the fat in the pan, return pan to heat and add diced bread and cook until crisp but not burned. Add oil if necessary. Season with salt and pepper, and reserve.
Place tomatoes into a bowl ; stir in 1 tablespoon each of maple syrup and vinegar. Season with salt, pepper and olive oil to taste. Tear basil leaves and stir into tomatoes.
Place the remaining vinegar and maple syrup into the sauté pan. Return to heat. Add cooked bacon and stir, reducing liquid to a syrup. Season liberally with pepper and reserve.
To assemble: Divide tomatoes among 4 bowls. Garnish with bacon, croutons, green onions and sliced jalapenos. Pour beer-cheese soup around edges, and serve.
Sameh presented a three-course meal, starting with a salad of heirloom tomatoes with a charred-tomato vinaigrette. The fragrance was wonderful. The dressing was drizzled on the salad at the table. (Again, a swooning moment.)
Heirloom Tomato Salad With Tomato Vinaigrette
Serves 4.
• 5 heirloom tomatoes, (3 sliced thinly, plus 2 whole for vinaigrette), divided
• 1 tbsp. sherry vinegar
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 jalapeno (no seeds)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 pint (2 cups) raspberries
• A few fresh basil leaves
Directions
To make vinaigrette: Char 2 tomatoes over flame until mostly black. Do not rinse off the charred bits. In a blender, combine tomatoes with vinegar, olive oil, jalapeno, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Pour over sliced tomatoes. Garnish with fresh basil leaves, raspberries, salt and pepper.
Second course from Sameh was a seafood tagine made with rainbow trout and vegetables (zucchini, patty-pan squash and corn in the mix), mixed with North African spices, a blend called ras el hanout. The dish was originally presented in a cobalt blue tagine, then dished up individually for the judges.
Trout Tagine with Ras El Hanout and Corn Broth
Serves 3.
Note: Tagine is a type of dish found in the North African cuisines of Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, which is named after the special pot in which it is cooked. They are slow-cooked stews braised at low temperatures, resulting in tender meat with aromatic vegetables and sauce. If you don’t have a tagine pot, this recipe could also be prepared in a covered baking dish. This is one of the winning recipes in the Chef Challenge from Sameh Wadi of Saffron restaurant. The recipe calls for a Moroccan spice blend called ras el hanout, which varies considerably depending on who makes it. Wadi uses his own blend of 29 spices that he sells at Saffron and online at saffronMPLS.com/spicetrail.html. Other blends can be used and would be available at Middle Eastern stores, as well as at Kitchen Window (3001 Hennepin Av., Minneapolis, 612-824-4417). The blend typically includes cardamom, clove, cinnamon, ground chili peppers, coriander, cumin, nutmeg and turmeric. If not using Wadi’s spice mix, adjust the amount to your taste.
• 2 c. corn stock (see directions below)
• 3 ( 5-oz.) pieces rainbow trout or similar fish
• 2 tbsp. ras el hanout (a Moroccan spice blend, see Note), divided
• 4 tbsp. olive oil, divided
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
• 1 large onion, sliced thin
• 3 c. fresh corn kernels
• 6 baby zucchini, halved
• 12 baby patty-pan squash, whole
• 1 c. yellow wax beans, blanched and cut into 1-in. pieces
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Directions
To make 2 cups corn stock: Simmer several corn cobs (from the fresh kernels you will use in this dish) with water, onions, garlic and salt for 30 to 45 minutes on medium. Strain and season with a pinch of salt.
To prepare fish: Marinate fish with a pinch of ras el hanout spice and a drizzle of olive oil for 15 minutes and reserve in the refridgerator.
Heat remaining oil in tagine or large pot. Add garlic, onion and corn; cook on low heat. Add zucchini, patty-pan squash and beans. Then season with salt and remaining ras el hanout spice. Add corn stock and reduce liquid by a quarter, with pot uncovered.
Season the fish with salt and place in the tagine with the fresh cilantro. Cook for 3 minutes on high with the cover on. Add the lemon juice and serve.
Third course from Sameh was a frothy muskmelon soup, that will definitely find a place on my summer menus.
Melon Soup
Serves 4.
Note:
• 1 muskmelon, peeled and cut in chunks
• 1/4 c. ice
• 1/4 c. water
• Juice from about 1 1/2 limes
• Honey, to taste
• 1/2 pint (2 c.) raspberries
• Freshly cracked black pepper
• Few sprigs of mint
Directions
Combine muskmelon, ice, water, lime juice and a bit of honey (amount will depend on how sweet the melon is) in blender. Purée on high; add more water for desired consistency, then taste (adjusting honey, if needed) and strain.
To serve, place soup in bowls and garnish with raspberries, a sprinkling of freshly cracked black pepper and mint leaves. Serve cold.
Stephanie Meyer, Lee Svitak Dean, Jamie Yuccas and Matt Brickman, hard at work judging the contest.
State wineries make a statement
Posted by: Bill Ward Updated: August 17, 2012 - 3:51 PMThe host state in general -- and a new kid on its block in particular -- came up big at Thursday's International Cold Climate Wine Competition. Four Daughters' 2011 La Crescent captured "best in show" among white wines in the fourth annual event at the University of Minnesota.
Four Daughters Vineyard and Winery, which opened just last year in Spring Valley, Minn., also won the Minnesota's Governor's Cup trophy for top wine from the state.
For the second straight year, Vermont winery Shelburne Vineyard's Marquette (in this case a 2010 Reserve) was named best red wine. The Midnight Voyage Dessert Red Wine from Danzinger Vineyards in Alma, Wis., was deemed best specialty/fortified wine.
The Marquette and La Crescent grapes (the latter is pictured below), developed by the University of Minnesota, showed especially well in the competition. Another Minnesota winery, Hinterland of Clara City, received one of just two "double golds" (panel judges unanimously designated it gold) for its Marquette Reserve. A Marquette from Indian Island in Janesville, Minn., and a La Crescent from Wild Mountain in Taylors Falls earned gold medals.
Cannon River Winery in Cannon Falls grabbed two gold medals, for its Sogn Blush and St. Pepin. Also garnering a gold was the Frontenac Gris from Whispering Oaks in Melrose, Minn.
This year's competition included more than 325 entries from commercial wineries in 12 northern states and Canada (only grapes that can withstand harsh winters are eligible). Twenty gold, 61 silver and 79 bronze medals were awarded; for the entire medal list, go here.
Best of local fundraisers delights guests once again
Posted by: Lee Svitak Dean Updated: July 27, 2012 - 3:22 PM
A balmy temperature, light breeze, fine food, flowers and greenery as far as you could see -- all at last night's Toast & Taste fundraiser for the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. It is, hands down, the most beautiful, tranquil fundraiser in town. Where else can you meander at your leisure, sip wine or beer (or both), nibble on appetizers and have a stunning vista -- and space to yourself. No crowded windowless ballrooms here! And the food is fresh, local and green. Oh, is that a smoke bush over there? I've never seen caladium in those colors. The white phlox are as tall as I am! What's not to love about this evening?
These four lovely ladies with their garlands of greenery, were among the guests at the event (from left, Celina Kane, Carrie Guenther of Ashley Fox Designs; Jill Leenay, arboretum staff; and Ashley Fox of Ashley Fox Designs).
Best fare among the more than 40 restaurants, wineries and breweries represented:
Without a doubt, Cafe Maude's harissa-spiced lamb kebabs with yogurt mint sauce was at the top of my list with amazingly tender ground lamb that seemed to melt-in-the-mouth. Had to go back for a second sample.
For the most elaborate dish served, the Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant served up its crayfish boil, which is on its patio menu only Friday through Sunday this weekend from 4 to 9 p.m., for $15 a bucket that serves two. Such a fun -- and messy -- deal.
I loved the twist on the the more familiar cantaloupe/proscuitto appetizer that the Arboretum Catering staff had to offer. In this case it was watermelon wrapped in proscuitto with blue cheese crumbles and a drop of chive oil that was as lovely as it was tasty. I will be doing this at home.
Then there was the Minnesota walleye "ceviche" (actually smoked walleye since freshwater fish cannot be eaten raw) from Prairie Bay Grill in the Brainerd area, which was lovely, served atop a slice of cucumber. Several vendors used the cucumber slice to serve up apps, which is a terrific "holder" for summer entertaining.
Stood in line twice for my favorite dessert, ice cream from Sonnie's ice cream/Crema Cafe. Roasted banana and lemon cucumber were the taste treats I couldn't resist -- no photograph because I ate them before I remembered to take out the camera.
Throughout it all, musicians played in the Twin Cities' perfect setting. Great evening that supported the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.
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