Cheese Tested, Blogger Approved!

Cheese Tested, Blogger Approved! - Dara & Co. - January 2011 - Minnesota

The golden hue of PastureLand’s Summer Gold™ butter is well known in the Twin Cities, as it offers an incomparable sweet flavor imparted from the wildflowers and grasses of the pasture. PastureLand produces its butter and cheese with milk from their 100% grass-fed cows raised in Millville, Mantorville, Goodhue, and New Prague, MN, and each of the farms are double certified for both organic and sustainable practices.

PastureLand’s Summer Gold butter is cultured using a fermentation process, just like the butter my dad used to eat when he was a kid. That fermentation process used produces the aroma compounds that I like in good butter. I use Pastureland Butter in my kitchen, because I appreciate the extra effort they devote to making their practices more sustainable—and I like the complex flavor, aroma, higher burn point, greater plasticity, and the brilliant golden color.

Yes, I like the butter, but what about PastureLand’s cheese? In the spirit of National Cheese Day (tomorrow!), I purchased a couple of chunks of Pastureland’s cheese at Surdyk’s earlier this week, and I was pleased that it was on par with their butter in terms of quality and flavor.

Farmdog Raw Milk Blue (Above)
PastureLand’s Farmdog Raw Milk Blue is aged for 75 days in the caves in Faribault, WI. It’s pungent, slightly yellow, creamy, and chock full of blue veining. I let the Farmdog warm to room temperature, and it became smooth and easy to spread on a piece of fresh baguette with a dollop of honey. Pair it with a glass of Riesling for an after-dinner treat.

Meadowlark Clothbound Cheddar (below)
PastureLand’s Meadowlark Cheddar is unpasteurized and also aged in the caves at Faribault. The fact that it’s clothbound means the cheese releases more moisture and develops a different concentration of flavor than other cheddars wrapped in wax or plastic. It’s slightly sweet, a bit tangy, and has an earthiness to it. It’s dense and fares well on a cheese board with crisp apple slices.

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

Yakity Yak. Let’s Talk Yak.

Yakity Yak. Let’s Talk Yak. - Dara & Co. - January 2011 - Minnesota

A couple of years ago, I was dining at the Himalayan in South Minneapolis, and I asked about some traditional yak momos that were on the appetizer menu. The server explained to me that the momo was a type of dumpling that originated in Tibet. Dumplings are my favorite savory food group, so I couldn’t pass them up, and I was glad I didn’t. They were great. Then, about three weeks ago, I stumbled upon yak momos again at Gorkha Palace in NE Minneapolis. Once again, delicious.

In both cases, I asked the servers where they sourced their yak meat, and both indicated that they got them from “the Yak man” in St. Cloud. Yaks? In St. Cloud? Yep.

Hooper’s Yak and Christmas tree farm in St Cloud, MN boasts about 60 head of yak, which turns out to be the largest herd in the Eastern half of North America. And it turns out, the animal is not only tasty, but also more efficient than cattle. You can raise three to four times as many yak per acre as you could beef cattle. Additionally, there are some serious health advantages to Yak. Hooper’s yaks are grazers, raised free from hormones and steroids, and with no antibiotics in their feed. Plus, yak is naturally low in fat and cholesterol. Check out the nutritional analysis* below:

4 Oz. Meat	Yak	Beef	Buffalo	Pork	Chicken
Calories	154	300.71	212.53	195.58	220.09
Cholesterol	49mg	89.31mg	65.57mg	89.31mg	93.84mg
Fats	6.1g	19.42g	7.14g	6.84g	8.69g
Protein	24.7g	29.3g	34.6g	31.4g	33.2g

Yak meat is red meat, but it’s more delicate than beef or buffalo, and slightly sweeter. It’s not gamey, but it’s lean, so cooking it requires a bit more care than beef.

Ready to give yak a taste? I’ve seen it on menus at The Himalayan, Gorkha Palace, and Everest On Grand. The Himalayan also recently opened a second location called Himalayan Restaurant II in Fridley.

* Yak nutrition analysis provided by Midwest Laboratories, Inc., a USDA-Accredited Lab.

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]

Cookies!!! Umm-num-num-num-num!

Cookies!!! Umm-num-num-num-num! - Dara & Co. - November 2010 - Minnesota

November 10 is a day that changed my life forever. Why? On November 10, 1969, the beloved television program Sesame Street was first aired. Now, I’m not saying I was alive in 1969, but Sesame Street was a staple of my childhood, and continues to be popular today. Did they know in 1969 that Kermit and Big Bird would become international stars and heroes? Did they know that so many of us would share a kinship with a monster who ate cookies?

So, in honor of Sesame Street’s 41st Anniversary, today’s blog will be devoted to one of my favorite monsters and his favorite treat: cookies. The cookies I’ve highlighted here are whipped up in Twin Cities bakeries, where traditional cookie flavors are combined with sustainable practices for a tasty result.

• Iced Ginger Cookie at the French Meadow: Yes, they have chocolate chip for Cookie Monster as well, but I like their frosted ginger cookie, big enough to share.

• Short bread at Salty Tart: While Cookie Monster would probably prefer their heaping platters of Double Chocolate Chunk cookies at Salty Tart, I go for the simple shortbread cookies when they’re available.

• Molasses Cookies at Trotters: A classic, spiced cookie, great with a glass of chilled milk or a hot cup of Peace coffee.

Have you got a favorite cookie spot in the Twin Cities? Please share! And in the meantime, now that we’re all thinking about cookies, anyone want to sing a song with me?

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

Celebrating National Sandwich Day in the Twin Cities

Celebrating National Sandwich Day - Dara & Co. - November 2010 - Minnesota

It’s National Sandwich Day! I’m glad that back in the 18th Century John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, ordered his meat served between two slices of bread. The preparation may have made playing cards easier for him, but it has made many meals tastier and many stomachs happier.

There are bountiful bundles of beautiful burgers, heaping handfuls of humbling hoagies, and sundries of sumptuous submarines available throughout the Twin Cities, so to pick a favorite would be impossible.

So today, I’ll pick of few of my favorites local sandwiches to highlight, and I hope you’ll do the same. Sourcing local ingredients, all of these restaurants are committed to sustainable practices, freshness, and big-time flavor, which is why their sandwiches rank highly with me:

• The Bánh Mì at Ngon Vietnamese Bistro—a grilled Duroc natural pork loin topped with pickled vegetables and cilantro, on a baguette, served with house cut sweet potato fries.

• The Citizen Joe at Citizen Café—savory ground beef wrapped in delicate pastry dough baked until gooey, wrapped in wax paper, and served with their house-made chips or fresh fruit. Similar to a pasty in construction, and a sloppy joe in flavor.

• The Black Bean Quinoa Burger at the Birchwood—a quinoa burger topped with smoked capriko cheese, sautéed cabbage and apples, Surly Furious mustard, and greens, on a toasted multi-grain bun.

• The Oyster Po’boy at Sea Salt Eatery—cornmeal-coated oysters fried and topped with tartar sauce, Tobasco, lettuce, and sliced tomatoes, on a seasoned hoagie roll.

• Grass Fed Beef Burger at Café Twenty Eight—a grass-fed beef burger topped with Fischer Family Farms bacon and sharp cheddar cheese, on a burger bun, served with a side of crispy French fries.

• The Smoked Lake Superior Trout Melt at Bryant Lake Bowl—smoked trout topped with white cheddar, on pumpernickel bread.

• The Wild Rice Brat at the Strip Club—a juicy wild rice bratwurst topped with kimchee and scallions, on a brat bun.

And a poll! Which sandwich is best for celebrating National Sandwich Day? Vote here, or leave your local fave in the comments below.

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