Thursday, December 20, 2007

Good News for Sustainable Agriculture!

Greetings!

I'm happy to pass on the message below from Margaret Krome, who coordinates the National Campaign For Sustainable Agriculture's appropriations campaign.

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"Hi friends,

I want to end 2007 by sharing the happy news of the results of your many phone calls, letters and visits on the Fiscal Year 2008 sustainable agriculture appropriations agenda. As you may have read in the paper, last night the House of Representatives signed off on a compromise omnibus appropriations bill for FY08 federal spending.

If you didn't happen to be in a state with a key agricultural appropriator, you can't imagine just hard your brethren in those states really poured on the action this year, with phone calls, letters and congressional visits. The National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture and our partner advocates want you to know that it made all the difference in the world. In a year with extremely tight budgets, several of our top priority programs got increases.

For example, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program finally got the increase that's been so long overdue, from $16.3 million in Fiscal Year 2007 to $19.0 million in FY08.

The Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) program had been wrongly treated as an earmark and slashed by 63% in FY07. For FY08 it will be funded at $2.6 million, which is a slight increase over the $2.5 million at which it had been funded for the six previous fiscal years before its funding was cut last year.

The Outreach and Technical Assistance Program for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers (the "2501" program) will be funded at $6.4 million, up from $5.9 million last year.

And the funding caps that had been placed on the Conservation Security Program for so long were removed for FY08!

You know that the federal budget is under tremendous pressure. The sustainable agriculture movement is fortunate to have superb lobbyists in Washington. But they would be the first to say that the only way we could achieve gains like these in this budget climate is thanks to your contacting key members of Congress when we ask you to.

So thank you! If you made a call or wrote a letter or signed a sign-on letter when we asked you to do so regarding FY08 appropriations, you can end your year knowing that sustainable agriculture initiatives all over the nation will be better served next year thanks to your action.

Appreciatively,

Margaret Krome, Coordinator
Sustainable Agriculture Grassroots Appropriations Campaign"

Friday, December 14, 2007

Reetsy Reviews: Ristorante Luci

St. Nick stopped by our house in early December and left some spending money for us, so gerg and I treated ourselves to a romantic night out at Ristorante Luci in St. Paul, MN.

Chef Stephen Smith has an approach to food that I haven't found in many Italian restaurant in the Twin Cities:

"We work with local farmers who organically grow fruits, vegetables, produce and meat. Our collaboration goes beyond buyer-seller; we discuss our needs with the farmers and they set out to prepare ingredients that will complement the other flavors in our kitchen.

Everything is made on-site daily at Lucis, including the pasta, bread, and pastries. We make what we need when we need it to ensure that our guests are always getting the best and freshest taste in town."

Organic, local, AND Italian??? cin cin!

We made a reservation for two on a Friday night around 8pm. When we arrived the candlelit dining room was full. This is a perfect date night place. Linens and candles and coziness.

After a brief wait, we were seated and shortly thereafter, homemade breads, Hope Creamery butter, and Col Vetoraz "Valdobbiandene" Prosecco arrived at our table. Cheers!

For an appetizer, we ordered grilled Berkshire pork over polenta with pork au jus. A simple and hearty dish, perhaps lacking in seasoning, but pure in flavor.

The insalta caesar was typcial in terms of presentation, just romaine lettuce tossed in caesar anchovy dressing with homemade croutons. But the dressing was awesome. Packed with anchovy saltiness, it is perhaps my favorite caesar dressing the the Twin Cities.

For an entree, I ordered homemade spaghetti with divers scallops and shrimp. The sauce was tangy and full of cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, and white wine. The fresh pasta was top notch.

gerg ordered the 10oz ranch steak. It was served up with a risotto of shitakke mushrooms and fontina val d'aosta. He loved it the risotto. Unlike risottos concocted with asiago or parmigiano reggiano, it wasn't salty at all. Nor was it overcooked.

I paired my meal with a glass of La Rendola Chianti. I have a thing for chianti. It's a love affair. Nuff said. And there is no shortage of chiantis at Ristorante Luci. A nice wine list is always an adventure.

Gerg ordered creme brulee for dessert. It was extremely custardy, which I like. And the sugary topping was thick and perfectly sweet.

Somethings you should know about Luci:
  • Make a reservation for weekends. People love this small and romantic dining room.
  • 2 For Tuesdays For $40.00: On Tuesdays The Four Course Tasters Dinner is Featured at $20.00 Per Person with the purchase of 2 Four Course Taster’s Dinners (2 For $40.00)
I'm thrilled to have cozy dining room in the Twin Cities serving up top notch Italian with sustainable and local offerings.

Ristorante Luci
470 Cleveland Ave S
St Paul, MN 55105
Phone: (651) 699-825

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Reetsy Reviews: The Red Stag

Pardon the lag in posts! We did a bit of traveling and I've really been enjoying home-cooking lately. I've got some clam chowder brewing in the slow cooker as I type this!

I was fortunate enough to have an invitation extended to attend the soft opening of The Red Stag Supperclub in November. And I look forward to returning the favor!

The Red Stag is seated in NE Minneapolis. There's a gigantic red deer head affixed atop the door, which makes sense. It's right next to the place where we bought our bubbler (wink), City Salvage.

And I've got to tell you, local food and sustainability lovers are in for a real treat because The Red Stag is taking it to the next level.

The Red Stag will be the first Minnesota restaurant that not only serves local foods, but is built to meet the standards of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the national standard for green building.

Their booths are constructed using high performance vinyls made from recycled tape!! You know I go wild for recycling.

ONTO THE FOOD.

Three companions and I sampled 1 appetizer, 3 small plates, 4 entrees, and 2 desserts.

Appetizer!

A daily flat bread appetizer will be featured on the menu. Ours was piled with chopped bratwurst and cheddar.

Small Plates!


The truffle seasoned macaroni and cheese was subtle, tangy, and creamy. True comfort.

The tempura vegetables were served with an out of sight plum sauce.

The Triple Cooked French fries were hearty, but not crispy. More like fork food than finger food.

Entrees!!


I ordered the cioppino. This popular italian fish stew was deeply satisfying, and the broth was a tangy taste sensation. I was bummed that it wasn't served with a soup spoon. I couldn't get the last of the broth out of the bowl!

Gerg ordered the steak. A small but flavorful morsel of 1000 Hills grass fed beef.

Deedot ordered a butternut squash ravioli with duck. I'll admit I'm not a fan of duck...YET. But the ravioli was tasty and tender. I'll add that Deedot had similar issues with the plating choice for his entree, but this is a minor wrinkle.

Dre ordered the chicken. Tender, moist, and savory. It was everything home-cooked chicken should be...except it was at a restaurant.

For dessert?

Crème brûlée and cookies, of course!

We also noticed a stroganoff served with venison rather than beef, called Red Stag Stroganoff. It's sure to be a staple.

And also, if you're a marrow lover, and I know you're out there somewhere, The Red Stag has marrow for you. Lots and lots of marrow.

Overall, we were VERY pleased with the abundance of local foods served that evening. We were also pleased with the libations menu. A sweet old fashioned graces the top of the drink menu...just another nod to our beloved Midwest.

Cheers and welcome, Red Stag!

The Red Stag
509 1st Ave Ne
Minneapolis, MN 55413
(612) 767-7766