20 years of swishing and spitting
Hard to believe 20 years have slipped, or sipped by. But the Minnesota Monthly Food and Wine Experience notes its 20th anniversary March 1-2 with almost 200 food exhibitors, more than 350 wines and lots of specialty beers in the Metropolitan and Legends clubs of Target Field, with views of the ball diamond and the Minneapolis skyline. There will be wine seminars, chefs, brewers and more, plus a special Grand Red Tasting on Feb. 28 at the W Minneapolis. For details of both events and to order tickets ($75 in advance), visit www.foodwineshow.com. All proceeds benefit Minnesota Public Radio.
Chipotle and Oscar, to go
With apologies to a 1963 film comedy, it's a media, media, media, media world. Consider that Chipotle Mexican Grill is launching "Farmed and Dangerous," billed as "an original comedy series that satirically explores the world of industrial agriculture in America." The first of four weekly episodes debuts Feb. 17 on Hulu and Hulu Plus. Chipotle already has made two short films about agriculture and industrial food production, apparently finding that they can make their point better with humor than preaching — and without explicit Chipotle branding on screen. According to a release, "Farmed and Dangerous" satirizes "the lengths to which corporate agribusiness and its image-makers go to create a positive image of industrial agriculture. The first season focuses on the introduction of PetroPellet, a new petroleum-based animal feed created by fictional industrial giant Animoil." To say anything more than this may require a spoiler alert. To see the trailer, visit http://farmedanddangerous.com.
How we'll eat this year
Late last year, Cub Foods asked locals in the food business to predict 2014 trends on the Minnesota food scene. Now the results are in and kale shows no signs of going away. In no particular order: More farm-to-table and organic foods with a growing demand for gluten-free; handheld foods that travel well; purple vegetables such as green beans and carrots; ancient grains; single product artisans (think cheese or vodka); brew-it-yourself projects; smaller servings and snacks-as-meals; more pickling, canning and smoking to preserve foods; Latin and Spanish cuisine, and breakfast-as-dinner with more eggs under our belts. Have at it!
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