Don't Miss the Magic Bus

A “Magic Chili Dog” and a “Mexicali
Blues Dog” from the Magic Bus.

The 2011 Street Food & Chef Truck season has been a hit so far with so many solid options, even though, as fans know, the lines at our favorite trucks can be a bit arduous. It was later than I thought when I spotted just two people waiting in line for the Magic Bus Cafe at the Midtown Farmer’s market last Saturday. My hungry gal pal and I took one look at one another and made a beeline for the bus.

You can’t miss the Magic Bus. It’s a big, purple 1978 Chevy school bus decorated with flowers, doodles, peace signs, and blue stripes. There’s seating inside the bus, where you can eat your dog and catch a glimpse of photographs of the owners posing with celebs such as Bonnie Raitt, but they also sell dogs through a window for walk-up service. As for the music-loving owners, chef Chris Lockyear, who worked for years at Bobino and D’Amico Cucina, runs and owns Magic Bus with his wife, Cathy, a former assistant deli manager at The Wedge, and her twin sister, Chrissy Russell.

When you’re ready to order, you start by selecting your dog. You can order a grass-fed Thousand Hills Cattle Company hot dog, an all beef natural casing Boar’s Head frankfurter, or a Smart Pup tofu dog—something to make us all feel happy. They split and fry the dogs on a griddle, and then top the dogs with several combinations that run the gambit, from a simple “Plain Jane Dog” to a “Meet Me in the Morning Dog,” which is topped with scrambled, organic eggs, bacon, and shredded cheese.

My gal pal and I grabbed a couple of dogs. She ordered the tofu “Mexicali Blues Dog” topped with spicy relish, sliced jalapeno, refried beans, and shredded cheese. I ordered a grass-fed beef “Magic Chili Dog” with shredded Colby-Jack cheese, bean chili, and chopped onion. The spicy relish on the Mexicali Blues Dog was tangy and slightly fiery. The grass-fed beef dog’s casing was snappy, and the split, fried beef was juicy, salty, and slightly caramelized. The chili was somewhat lacking, so I added mustard to mine, but even with the mustard, chili, cheese, and onions the flavor of the split, fried beef hot dog kept on shining.

If you’re thinking “I want it, I want it, I want it, I want it,” upcoming stops are posted on their website. This week you can catch them in the following locations, weather permitting:

• 7/21, 4-9 p.m., Park B4 Dark, Como Ave., St. Paul
• 7/23, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., Midtown Farmers Market, Minneapolis

Crosspost from: Don't Miss the Magic Bus - Dara & Co. - July 2011 - Minnesota

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

Renewing the Countryside and Sustainable Farming Association Fundraiser

Renewing the Countryside and the Sustainable Farming Association of MN will be hosting a spectacular evening fundraiser at Alexis Bailly Vineyards in Hastings in celebration of sustainable family farmers and rural communities.

Enjoy a pairing of local foods grown by sustainable farms in Minnesota and the wonderful wines of Alexis Bailly. Music by I Like You of Minneapolis will serenade the party, and hors d'oeurves will be prepared by some Twin Cities' restaurants, including Birchwood Cafe.

Two price levels are available for the event - A supporter level of $50 will get access to all activities, music, food, and wine; while a sustainer level attendees for $100 will also receive a private tasting and winery tour plus a swag bag of local and organic goodies.

CLICK HERE to register.

Good Food Fundraiser
July 31st, 2011
5:30-9:00pm
Alexis Bailly Vineyards
Hastings, MN

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

Wonder Yogurt From Traders Point Creamery

What do Jamie Lee Curtis, my refrigerator, and tzatziki all have in common? They all contain yogurt. Rich in protein, calcium, riboflavin, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12, yogurt has been a dietary mainstay for centuries, worldwide. From Siggi’s thick, Icelandic-style yogurt to Caprine Supreme’s drinkable goat milk yogurt, I’ve tried just about every yogurt offering at markets and co-ops in the Twin Cities and beyond.

In my quest to try as many yogurts as possible, the one that keeps coming back to me, the one that was the most interesting and memorable in the past year, was Traders Point Creamery’s yogurt. Located in Zionsville, IN, Traders Point Creamery is a family owned, organic, grassfed dairy farm. Their yogurt comes in flavors including plain, raspberry, banana mango, low fat vanilla, and wildberry. It’s packaged in a glass bottle, and appears relatively thin, and slightly separated. Now if words like thin, drinkable, and slightly separated don’t appeal to you when it comes to yogurt, I understand. I was skeptical when I made my purchase at Seward Co-op. Then I reminded myself that it won National Cheese Society awards for yogurt in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008, and I left the bottle in my shopping cart.

When I got home, I shook the bottle, popped open the cap, and peered inside. The non-homogenized yogurt had separated into thin, milky yogurt with thicker spots of cream. I recapped it and shook it up some more. Finally, I gave the bottle the old Heinz 57 whack, and it eventually “poured” into a bowl. Feeling a bit anxious, I dipped my spoon in for a small bite, and…I smiled. Bite after bite, I smiled more. Because of the separation from being non-homogenized, every spoonful of yogurt was a bit different—some bites burst with rich creaminess, while others were lighter and tangy.

That darn yogurt was so interesting that I didn’t realize the bowl was almost empty until I came to my last bite. “How am I ever going to wait until tomorrow to try some more?” I thought. When my husband asked me if I liked it, I had to admit that despite my reservations, it was satisfying, it was fascinating, and I wanted to try more as soon as my bowl was empty.

Wonder Yogurt From Traders Point Creamery - Dara & Co. - June 2011 - Minnesota

[where: Minnesota, Food, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, 55418]