Capsaicinoid Cookery (Hot Food!)

Capsaicinoid Cookery (Hot Food!) - Dara & Co. - December 2010 - Minnesota

Sure warm libations do the trick when winter is nipping at your nose, but sometimes booze isn’t enough. There's food to consider as well; it’s the food that comforts and sustains us when the cold comes creeping under the door.

Comfort food like stews, chowders, and pot roasts often work, but if I’m really interested in something that will practically burn my soul, then I’m looking for food laden with heat, specifically chili peppers. Chilis come in lots of forms—from jalapeño to scotch bonnets—and each contain the magical capsaicinoids responsible for sending a message to your brain along the lines of “this food is HOT!”

There's no shortage of spots to find truly hot and spicy food in the Twin Cities, but today, I’ll pick some of my favorite capsaicinoid cookery to highlight, and I hope you’ll do the same. All of these restaurants are committed to sustainable practices, freshness, good service, and big-time flavor, which is why their spicy dish ranks highly with me:

• Chicken Paalak at Gorhka Palace: Comfort in a bowl—tender, boneless chunks of chicken and chopped spinach cooked with garlic and ginger in tomato-based sauce. Order the dish hot with a cup of their Masala chai tea to warm your fingers.

• Phở at Ngon Vietnamese Bistro (pictured): A big bowl of traditional Vietnamese noodle soup made with oxtail and beef bone broth, served with basil, lime, bean sprouts, and sliced jalapeño peppers on the side.

• Garlic Ginger Chicken at ChinDian: These tender nuggets of breaded chicken with onions and a tomato-garlic-ginger sauce are better than any boneless “wings” I’ve tried. Order the dish hot with extra ginger and a cup of their ginger tea to warm your fingers. If you want to balance it out with some veggies, try the green beans.

• Som Tum at Sen Yai Sen Lek: A cold, tart green papaya salad with beans, garlic, Thai chilies, tomatoes, and tiny dried shrimp served with a lime dressing. Want extra spice? Just ask.

What are some of your favorite spicy dishes in the Twin Cities, and what makes them so darn good?

Blues and Brews - Dara & Co. - December 2010 - Minnesota

Blues and Brews - Dara & Co. - December 2010 - Minnesota

Consider this: Stephen Fry once said, “It is a cliché that most clichés are true, but then like most clichés, that cliché is untrue.”

Yes, it is a cliché that a gal from Wisconsin, like me, would like both beer and cheese. So to that extent, perhaps I’m a walking, talking cliché. I’ll say this much though, after eating Faribault Dairy’s Oktoberfest Blau on several occasions this fall, I was more interested than ever in beer and cheese.

Here in Minnesota, Faribault Dairy took it upon themselves to bathe St. Pete’s Select blue cheese in Summit Brewing’s Company’s OktoberFest Beer. Beer bathing in caves might sound a bit strange, but it’s not much of a stretch, considering the sandstone caves at Faribault were used as beer cellars once upon a time.

The washed rind does impart a stronger aroma than Faribault’s other blue cheeses, so it’s best to let it come to room temperature under glass, but even the wine-toting mamas in my monthly book club made short work of this creamy, pungent, beer-bathed blue.

Last time I looked, Oktoberfest Blau was still available at Lund’s at University and Central in Minneapolis. But if you can’t find it, look for other “Blues and Brews” blue cheese projects between Fairbault and Summit. Others in the series have incorporated Summit’s Winter Ale (Winter Blues) and Scandia Ale (Summer Blue).

[where: Sustainable Food, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, Minnesota]

Living Green Expo Call for Exhibitors

The Minnesota Environmental Partnership is now accepting exhibitor applications for the 2011 10th Anniversary Living Green Expo. Visit our website at www.livinggreenexpo.mn to apply. Applications will be accepted online only.

All exhibitor applications will go through a careful review process to ensure that the Living Green Expo’s standards for sustainability are met. A PDF copy of the full application is available on the website for reference purposes.

The 10th Anniversary Living Green Expo takes place May 7-8, 2011, and will feature many new and exciting events including a Green Wedding and a Complete Street in Action. With expected attendance of 25,000 people, you’ll want to take advantage of this excellent opprtunity to get your business or organization in front of a large, diverse audience!

For questions, contact Tammy Truong at tammytruong@mepartnership.org.

[where: Sustainable Food, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, Minnesota]