Reetsy Reviews: Cooqi

At some point this past winter, Alton Brown (Food Network) did an episode about gluten-free baked goods.

Not having a gluten allergy myself, I've never gone out of my way to seek out the gluten-free goods. But then I heard Alton say that gluten-free brownies are possibly better than traditional flour brownies because they are gooier.

BETTER?!!?! Color me interested.














(Photo from MarysBlueBook.com)

We live a hop, skip, and a jump from Cooqi (Gluten-Free Delights) on Marshall in St Paul. The place has a eye-catching window art, and I had been curious about it for awhile. So when Alton suggested that their brownies might be better than traditional brownines, I just had to check it out.

Plus, Cooqi has a commitment to sustainable foods:
"We source local and organic ingredients, we limit the packaging we use, and we strive to minimize our use of non-renewable earth resources....We ardently support local economies, local communities, and local distances for our suppliers and customers to travel."

I sampled the Outrageous Nut Butter Brownies (Zebra Stripes)














Ingredients: Gluten-free organic dark chocolate (contains soy), sweet cream rBST-free butter, organic evaporated cane juice, gluten-free flour mix (organic brown rice flour, organic millet flour, organic sorghum flour, potato starch, tapioca starch), free-range eggs, unsweetened chocolate, organic cashew butter, organic tahini, organic sunflower butter, fair trade organic coffee, pure vanilla, gluten-free baking powder, xanthan gum, sea salt.

Single -- $2.75
½ Dozen -- $14.95
Dozen -- $29.00

The brownie was insanely gooey with stripes of cashew butter over the top. I will say this; if you like your brownies insanely gooey, you will like this brownie. If you do not, sample at your own risk.

The gluten-free granola from Cooqi is da bomb, using McCann's Irish oats as the base ingredient.
1-lb bag -- $8.95

Concocting a gluten-free baking base can be a bit complicated, so Cooqi makes it easy for you by selling pre-made gluten-free cookie dough and baking mix.

Feel like giving gluten-free products a try? Interested in an insanely gooey brownie?

Cooqi
2186 Marshall Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55104
phone (651) 645-4433

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

Finding a Good, Sustainable Eatery

Having trouble finding a local foods restaurant in Minnesota?
Want to travel to the countryside but fear not finding "green" folks?

Good news!

The folks at Renewing the Countryside have developed a pretty cool map of "green" places in Minnesota.

From the site:
The Green Routes website is an easy-to-use tool to help you find one-of-a-kind places to eat, play, shop, sleep, and learn. Use the map to find a destination, or add filters by clicking the categories above.

According to Jan Joannides, Executive Director at Renewing the Countryside, in addition to the web page, "Seven Green Routes glove-box maps, featuring 180 destinations, were developed and printed in conjunction with regional partners. Nearly 28,000 glove-box maps were distributed. In 2007, 350 people signed up to take the Green Routes challenge, committing to visiting at least five Green Routes destinations within a year. We also launched the monthly Green Routes e-newsletter in the summer of 2007..."

Unfortunately, the maps don't show places in the Twin Cities, but as far as the rest of the state goes, there's a lot to offer on the map.



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

Reetsy Reviews: Campiello

We recently had a great meal at Campiello's during restaurant week.
When I saw they were offering a 3-course meal for $30, I decided it was time to finally make a reservation and dine there.

Campiello's menus change seasonally, to reflect a commitment to fresh ingredients.

Possibly my favorite part of Campiello's was the aroma of the dining room due to the open kitchen. The dining room is wide open, full of chatter and sparkling glasses of red wine. It smelled of wood fire and prosciutto. Very appetizing indeed.

The dining room was packed on that Friday night. We were sitting at the bar waiting for our table and some girl with a bad dye job kept giving me snotty looks because she didn't have a seat at the bar, or maybe she hated my purse...Bad behavior aside, our cocktails were tasty. I enjoyed a negroni martini - equal parts Campari, Sweet Vermouth and Bombay Gin, with a twist of Orange.

After we were seated at our tiny table, we were served a simple bowl of bread with butter. The bread had sesame seeds, which was a plus for gerg - a lover of sesame seeds.

For an appetizer we ordered butternut squash and taleggio crespelle with toasted hazelnuts. The taleggio paired with the sweet squash was brilliant. We both raised our eyebrows in delight.

We also enjoyed the wood-fired margherita pizza with tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella. Aside from being a typical wood-fired pizza, the crust was dusted with Parmesan, which was crispy and salty.

Gerg's entree was easily the best part of our meal: seven-hour roasted pork shoulder “porchetta style” with root vegetables. Seasoned perfectly and cooked until velvety, the pork shoulder was delicious. It literally melted it my mouth, and inspired me to try making it at home with pork shoulder from Pastures A' Plenty. Gerg paired the pork with a glass of Rocca Della Macie Chianti.

I ordered the fusulli with seared sea scallops, pesto, and cherry tomatoes. The flavor of my dish was on point. The scallops were seared nicely. The pesto was a little disappointing in that it was so well blended that it lacked texture. I prefer my pesto mixed in a more rustic manner, and this pesto was practically frappeed. The cherry tomatoes were a delightful burst of texture and flavor, but honestly, I was far more interested in gerg's pork shoulder than my pasta. For a side, I had to try the fire roasted brussels sprouts with cubed and seared pancetta... my conclusion: possibly every vegetable should be served with bits of seared pancetta. I paired my entree with a glass of Zardetto, Veneto NV prosecco.

Dessert was a treat when we finally received it 25 minutes after our dinner plates were removed from the table. We selected two: the vin santo creme brulee and the warm apple pecan cake with with hot brandy sauce. The apple pecan cake was served as a tart with the most exquisite buttery crust. It was ridiculous and awesome. The creme brulee was acceptable.

In addition to Campiello, D'Amico and Partners also run local restaurants Cafe and Bar Lurcat, D'Amico Cucina, D'Amico and Sons, and Masa. While it's clear that they have a commitment to excellent food preparation, civic engagement, and quality ingredients, I have not been able to ascertain their commitment level to using local foods or sustainable methods.

Campiello
1320 West Lake Street
Minneapolis, MN
612.825.2222

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

Reetsy Reviews: The Birchwood's Whipped Cream

How creamy is TOO creamy?

If I had to choose a favorite food group, it would probably be dairy. Growing up in Wisconsin, and not enjoying meat much, I ate a lot of dairy, sauerkraut, and cherries. I love whipped cream more than most people. I like it better than bacon.

When I was a kid, I used to stare at this album cover in countless thrift shops envying this gal:




















The good news is that we live within screaming distance of the Birchwood Cafe, which means we stop in regularly for coffees while we're out with the dog. Sometimes we grab treats from their dessert case "to go". I never get whipped cream on my coffee drinks though...

The Birchwood offers quality, sustainable food at decent prices.

Here is just some of the sustainable/local product available at The Birchwood:
HOPE CREAMERY
PEACE COFFEE
ROOTS & FRUITS
BALDR FARMS
FORSTER'S
RIVERBEND ORGANIC FARMS
COASTAL SEAFOODS
TEA SOURCE
IZZY'S ICE CREAM
SPORTEA

Anyhoo, I want to get to the subject at hand: WHIPPED CREAM.

The Birchwood always has a dynamite selection of desserts beaming in a glass case. So while you order your turkey burger or vegan bean soup, you're eyeing up the mixed berry crisp in the case. Nestled among the desserts is a heaping bowl of home made whipped cream, and you can have said whipped cream dalloped atop your key lime pie if you're smart.

On our last visit, gerg scraped off his whipped cream from his dessert. I was shocked.

"It's too creamy," he explained. "It's like eating whipped butter."

"You're insane," I explained. "I like it thick and creamy."

Whipped cream is to be whipped for sure. I like mine to be a little thicker than your average Cool Whip...and something the consistency of Redi-whip is awfully watery to me.

The Birchwood's falls on the side of creamier than Cool Whip fo sho. Is the Birchwood Cafe's whipped cream TOO creamy?

I say no. Gerg says yes.



[where: 55406, Local Food, St. Paul, Twin Cities, Minnesota]

Reetsy Reviews: Broder's Pasta Bar

I don't think a lot needs to be said about Broder's Pasta Bar in Minneapolis. It seems everyone loves it. Everyone wants to eat there. On the off chance that you've missed Broder's, or weren't aware of their commitment to local foods, here's a little nibble for you.

To start with, you can learn about Broder's and their commitment to local foods on their web page:

"Executive Chef Michael Rostance and Broders' are project partners with City Fresh Produce, a youth program in the Phillips neighborhood, sponsored by the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and Kaleidoscope that introduces young people to organic gardening, sales, and marketing."

"Mr. Rostance has been a member of the Slow Food Society since 1999. He has combined his love for authentic Italian regional cuisine with a dedication to the use of seasonal, local and sustainably grown products. Riverbend Farms, Thousand Hills Cattle, Hill and Vale Farms and Star Prairie Trout Farm are just a few of his regular suppliers."

As for the dinner we had recently? It was awesome, as usual. And a GREAT date night deal at a mere $26.00. They've got an amazing "After 8" special at Broder's:

"After 8pm" Sundays through Thursdays

two choices of the following pasta:

• penne rosa al rosmarino
• penne puttanesca
• spaghetti carbonara
• stringozzi spoletina
• fettuccine alfredo
• tagliatelle bolognese

add: Italian sausage (hot or mild) or mixed vegetables $2.50
add: chicken $3.50
add: proscuitto di parma $4.00
add: shrimp $5.50

Olive appetizer
Seasonal Salad for two
1/2 bottle of daily selected Italian wine (red or white)

$26.00

The olive appetizer is a simple presentation of assorted olives in a bowl with assorted bread on the side.

Our salad was a delightful blend of mache and arugula with blood orange, pomegranate seeds, shaved Parmesan, and olive oil dressing.

We couldn't resist the clam appetizer (not included with the special): little neck clams soaking in a white garlic-y brine. Here's the thing about the clam sauce at Broder's: I want to eat it with a spoon. It's that good. Seriously. I enjoyed my clams with a glass of Carpene Malvolte prosecco.

I opted for the penne puttanesca with hot Italian sausage for my entree. Spicy, with salty anchovy and caper goodness, this puttanesca aims to please! *wink* It's a Neapolitan blend of macerated plum tomatoes, hot red pepper, anchovy paste, sliced kalamata olives and plump capers. And the sausage does pack a bit of heat.

Gerg ordered the fettuccine Alfredo with chicken. The surprising element to this dish was the copious amount of lemon used in the preparation. A truly surprising element in the rather traditional Alfredo.

We topped off our dinner with two small cannoli for dessert (also not included with the special): one filled with gianduia cream with hazelnuts and the other filled with sweet ricotta with pistachios.

Vive bene, Spesso L'amore, di risata molto!

Broders' Pasta Bar
5000 Penn Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55419-1035
612.925.9202

ps - no reservations. Call an hour in advance to add your name to the waiting list.

[where: 55419, Local Foods, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, Minnesota]

Reetsy Reviews: The Strip Club

St. Paul has something new to offer from the capable hands of the Town Talk Diner dandies, Tim Nivers and Aaron Johnson: The Strip Club.

Boasting "meat & fish" on the windows, you can expect the delivery of said items over and over again inside.

Nivers greeted us warmly as we made our way in from the cold, and we were pleased to see bartender Dan, previously of the Longfellow Grill, behind the bar.

As we sipped wine and waited for our table, we sized up the dinner menu (click on the menu to view a larger JPG):


























Aside from the offerings on the menu, each night features a specialty small plate and a specialty entree. The "grilled meat on a stick" changes nightly as well.

Gerg and I opted for 2 small plates, 2 entrees, tasty wine, and espresso.

The small plates:

If you know anything about gerg, you know we had to order the Ploughman’s Lunch - a good portion of port wine cheese and crackers, French olives, pickled scallions, and grapes. The highlight of this plate had to be the pickled scallions - tangy and salty with a little heat and crunch from the scallion itself. Although we skipped the brandy old fashioned, it would have been a perfect pairing with this plate.

We also ordered a fantastic fried oyster small plate, one of their nightly specials. 4 tantalizing fried oysters served on skewers over a crunchy bed of frisee and seaweed and a creamy pepper sauce. Plump and juicy, the oysters made my eyes grow wide with delight.

The entrees:

Gerg ordered the Thousand Hills Cattle Co. New York Strip with grilled lemon and carrots. For a sauce accompaniment he selected the “Bleu Movie” Northern Lights bleu cheese and scallion sauce. Are you familiar with the concept of destiny? When you think of slices of grilled steak steak nestled under a melty pile of Northern Lights bleu and scallions, think destiny. It was un-%$*#ing-believable.

Gerg paired his steak with a sensational glass of Dusted Valley “Stomp” Cabernet Sauvignon from Walla Walla, WA. Our server, Bill, explained that Aaron Johnson's brother makes this wine out in Washington. It was oaky and dry...right up gerg's alley.

I ordered the Arctic Char, a cousin of trout and salmon. A thick slab of pink fish, similar to a piece of salmon in size, but with a much more delicate flavor than salmon. In my opinion, it is preferable to salmon. The fish was served over a generous portion of lentils, cabbage, spaetzle, and mustard broth. Just the perfect amount of salty and savoury, I thought this dish was interesting. I explained to co-owner Tim Nivers that I'd never tasted anything like that before....a truly unique dish for our neck of the non-woods. He asked if that meant that I didn't like it. I explained that I did like it...that it was a totally new flavor combo to me.

As for wine, I started with the Punto Final Malbec from Argentina - full bodied, but not fruity. I paired my dinner with the fruitier Rojo Mojo Shiraz from Spain, recommended by our amazing server, Bill. When that glass was gone, Nivers brought out some Wente Merlot from Sandstone, CA. I was suspicious, but the merlot came through for me.

Plenty of on-street parking and no actual strippers makes this place appealing for a weekend date. Fortunately for us, gerg made a reservation. Nivers told us the wait could be as much as 2 hours on a Friday or Saturday night without a reservation. Fortunately, they have a bar, and in the tradition of the Town Talk Diner, the bartenders are very good at what they do. The dimly lit dining room is perfect for a date, and the second floor dining area offers an impressive view of the skyline.

Chef J.D. Fratzke, previously of Muffuletta, greeted us as we wrapped up our meal, and we had the opportunity to talk about his passion for local foods and sustainable agriculture. He's pleased that all of their beef is grass fed and hormone-free, supplied by Thousand Hills Cattle Company. Fratzke was glowing as we talked about his new gig and what a more sustainable steak offering meant for the Twin Cities.

"The day this place opened was the happiest day of my life, next to the day when my daughter was born," said Fratzke. "I'm working with people here who are like family to me."

Sparkly skyline + amazing steak + red wine + low lights + hugs from Nivers + smiling chef= dining awesomeness.

The Strip Club
378 Maria Ave
Saint Paul, MN 55106
651-793-6247

ps - the night couldn't have been complete without a nightcap at the Town Talk Diner. We stopped in to say howdy. If you haven't stopped in the Town Talk for cocktails lately, you ought to try their French mulled wine while it's still cold outside.



[where: Local Food, St. Paul, Twin Cities, Minnesota, The Strip Club]

Reetsy Reviews: Seward Co-op Hummus

Most people who know me know I love to dip. If I can dip a chip, veggie, or hunk a bread into a colorful bowl of something or other, I'm a happy gal.

Needless to say, I've tried a lot of dips, and not surprisingly, I'm a hummus lover. Relatively healthful, and definitely satisfying, hummus is great slathered on a sandwich, or perfect for a dip (especially with veggies).

What's hummus? Essentially: chickpeas or garbanzo beans, lemon juice (depending on taste), tahini (optional), salt, and olive oil all blended into a smooth spread/dip. Common flavor additions include: garlic, roasted red pepper, sun dried tomato, kalamata olive, spinach, and eggplant.

Hummus is a staple in our refrigerator. As in, you'll always find it there. And it's gotten to the point where about 100% of the time, it's Seward Co-op's hummus. We've never had a container go bad; it somehow always disappears into our tummies first.

Made on-site with all natural and organic ingredients, the Seward Co-op hummus is the epitome, the quintessence, the EMBODIMENT of the sublime dip. It is thick and creamy, but not blended to the point of puree. It lacks bitterness, a noticeable quality in lesser hummuses. Also, their flavoring is spot on, from garlic and cilantro to roasted red pepper.

Yes, I've tried many, from Holy Land's varieties, to even that Athenos stuff sold at your local supermarket, but Seward Co-op's hummus reigns supreme.

This one time, we tried to try to rip off their recipe (they list their ingredients on the packaging) in an attempt to imitate it. We made a gigantic batch, and then kind of looked at each other with the whole BUMMER expression on our faces. It just fell flat compared to the original at the Seward Co-op.

Hummus Among Us at the Seward Co-op!

Seward Co-op
2111 East Franklin Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55404
612-338-2465