Textiles and chefs merge in art exhibit

A new exhibition, Artists in the Kitchen, premieres this month as part of a weeks-long installation linked with the 25th anniversary of Women Chefs & Restaurateurs (WCR) national conference here in April. The project began in December when 50 all-women artist/chef-restaurateur teams were created. The idea was that the chefs inspire the artists to produce new artworks that incorporate "a textile process, material, or sensibility." The results will be displayed at the Textile Center, 3000 University Av. SE., Mpls., from March 21-May 19. A free and public opening reception is from 5:30-7 p.m. March 29.

Local restaurateur Kim Bartmann is president of WCR, whose conference, "Women Speak: Curating the Future of Food," runs April 21-23. In addition, the Textile Center will host a moderated panel of the teams from noon to 1:30 p.m. April 26. Discussing their experience will be Jenny and Rachel Breen, Mecca Bos-Williams and Carmen Gutiérrez Bolger, Lynne Rossetto Kasper and Carolyn Halliday, and Brenda Langton and Shelly Mosman. Tickets are $10 and $15 at textilecentermn.org.

Cotija makes the dictionary

Now if you want to know what aquafaba or natto mean, you can look them up on Merriam-Webster.com. They're among the new food words among 850 new words and definitions added to the online dictionary, offering a snapshot of how vocabularies evolve and expand. "In order for a word to be added to the dictionary it must have widespread, sustained and meaningful use," associate editor Emily Brewster said in a news release. A sampling of the new food words includes aquafaba, Arnold Palmer, cotija, fond, harissa, kabocha, kombucha, natto, poke, queso/chili con queso, tzatziki, unoaked and za'atar.

Sign of spring?

March 20 is the first day of spring, which means it's the day when Dairy Queen offers free small vanilla soft-serve cones, hoping that its generosity will inspire the public's as they collect donations for local Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. For more than 30 years, the Dairy Queen system of independently owned restaurants has raised more than $130 million for Children's Miracle Network Hospitals in local communities.

KIM ODE