Bliss Granola: Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth and Keep Your Resolution Intact

Bliss Granola: Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth and Keep Your Resolution Intact - Dara & Co. - January 2012 - Minnesota

Cross-post from Minnesota Monthly.

Film-loving candyphiles will certainly remember Willy Wonka, and his famous quote: “Invention, my dear friends, is 93% perspiration, 6% electricity, 4% evaporation, and 2% butterscotch ripple.” Butterscotch. Just the thought of it evokes memories of gooey blondie bars, creamy sundaes, and decadent puddings. The sweet and salty combination of brown sugar and butter makes butterscotch sundaes spectacular, and butterscotch chip cookies give chocolate chip cookies a run for their money. But how can I reconcile my enthusiasm for butterscotch with my New Year’s resolution to eat healthier? I found one answer at Golden Fig: Bliss Gourmet’s Butterscotch Pecan granola.

Bliss Gourmet Food’s granola is based on the muesli recipe that Australian-born Leslie Powers served at her restaurant in Australia, The Metro. Now living in St Paul with her husband, a St Paul native, and her family, Powers is making small batches of granola once per week in her incubator kitchen in St. Paul.

Powers uses organic whole grain oats, and many of her ingredients are sourced locally. She wants her granola to be “as Minnesotan as possible,” so she gets her grains and seeds from Whole Grain Milling Company in Welcome, MN, honey from Ames in Watertown, MN and Black Bear Honey in North Oaks, MN, and her maple syrup from Northern Lakes—tapped and processed in Minnesota.

Along with seasonal flavors such as pumpkin spice in the fall and pecan cinnamon in the winter, she makes a slightly sweeter “Sweet & Salty” line of granola, which includes butterscotch pecan and chocolate hazelnut. Among other ingredients, the oats, sunflower seeds, pecans, butterscotch chips, and sea salt give Bliss Gourmet’s Butterscotch Pecan granola a crunchy texture and sweet and salty flavor. With your first bite, you immediately taste the sweetness of the butterscotch, brown sugar, and Minnesota maple syrup, but by the end of the bite, the sea salt becomes more detectable, balancing the sweetness. As a bonus for those with gluten sensitivity, all of her flavors are available in certified, gluten-free versions as well.

Bliss Granola is available at the Mill City Market, Cooks of Crocus Hill, Kopplin’s, bibelot, Guse Green Grocer, Grassroots Gourmet at Midtown Global Market, and the Golden Fig in the Twin Cities. Bliss out your diet some by sprinkling it on your morning yogurt and fruit for a bit of crunch, or whipping up a deft dessert by topping some baked apples with it. Your sweet tooth will thank you.

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

FanFrikkinTastic Pulled Pork? Yes, Please.

FanFrikkinTastic Pulled Pork? Yes, Please. - Dara & Co. - January 2012 - Minnesota

Cross-post from Minnesota Monthly.

During a recent trip to the Seward Co-op, I sent the following text to some pals: “Pulled pork at our place tonight?” Their response: “Yes, please.” I had the pork covered—literally; aPastures A Plenty pork shoulder roast had been in the slow cooker all day, and would be falling off the bone by 6 p.m. I had all the fixins for red cabbage slaw at home. But I did not have time to get home and make my own BBQ sauce. I made a beeline for the condiments section, hoping to find a barbecue sauce that would work for a saucy, slaw-topped, pulled pork sandwich.

I spotted a new sauce bottle with a catchy name:FanFrikkinTastic Original Style Barbecue. The label told me it was sweet and spicy, all natural, made without preservatives, and gluten and dairy free. It also said it was made in Minneapolis. The sauce looked right in the bottle—not too thick, not too thin, and similar to a Piedmont or North Carolina barbecue sauce in appearance.

At home, I tasted the sauce. It was thin, tangy, slightly sweet, and just a bit spicy—a good match for the rich pulled pork. I pulled the pork and mixed in about 2/3 of the bottle of sauce, and I set aside the other 1/3 for serving with the pork. I served the pulled pork on toasted Minnesota-made Solomon Breads potato rosemary rolls, and topped the sandwiches with some spicy, creamy slaw that I made with red cabbage. The sandwiches were a hit. And the leftovers were even better, since the pulled pork had a chance to marinate in the sauce overnight.

Marie’s Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Serves 8-10

1 (~2 lbs.) pork shoulder roast
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bottle of sauce
4 tbsp. of your favorite rub seasoning

Trim the roast. In a hot pan, brown the roast on all sides. Remove the roast from the pan and set aside.

Using good broth (or beer), deglaze the pan. Rub the roast all over with your favorite rub seasoning. Place the onions and garlic in the bottom of your slow cooker. Pour the pan sauce over the onions and garlic. Place the rubbed roast on top of the onions. Cook on high for 5 hours. Turn down to low and cook for another 3 hours.

After letting it cool slightly, pull the bones out of the pork. They should simply slip out. Remove the roast from the slow cooker. In a bowl, pull the tender pork apart, incorporating about 1 cup of sauce and the onions and garlic from the bottom of the slow cooker. Serve on buns with cole slaw. Serve more sauce on the side.

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

The Chocolate Holiday

The Chocolate Holiday - Dara & Co. - February 2012

Cross-post from Minnesota Monthly.

Valentine’s Day—it’s the one day out of the year when red pumps, red roses, and everything heart-shaped goes out for a night on the town, and—of course—chocolate can’t be left behind.

I’ve shared my Valentine’s Day Legacy Truffles thrills before, and we can’t get enough of Mademoiselle Miel, BT McElrath, and Sweet Jules, but today I wanted to give a Valentine’s Day shout-out to Wisconsin-made Gail Ambrosius truffles.

Gail Ambrosius grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. After some traveling and eventual training in France with Valrhona and Cluizel in 2004, she began producing beautiful, decadent truffles in Madison, Wisc. An enthusiast of single origin, dark chocolate, Ambrosius sources chocolate from around the world—Hawaii, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela. Single origin chocolate means the beans are all from the same growing region, sometimes an extremely specific one, and each has subtle differences. Ambrosius works with farmers and importers who understand her passion for single source chocolate and share her values of biodiversity and sustainable agricultural practices. She says, “that sense of mindfulness and respect, learned on my parents’ farm, is something I try to bring to my business every day.”

As for the truffles, whether it’s the classic raspberry truffle (pictured here) made with mouthwatering raspberry puree and crunchy cocoa nibs, or a more exotic lemongrass with ginger truffle that infuses dried organic lemongrass into coconut puree, you’re bound to find something that satisfies. Her “Beerific Taster’s Box” comes with seven truffles and six beer pairing suggestions. Her single-origin collections of truffles and bars offer a petite tour of single source chocolate from around the world, and for those sweethearts out there, a sweetly wrapped “Lover’s Box” includes a heart-shaped caramel, a brandied cherry cordial, and one each of the passionfruit, Lucille's vanilla, cinnamon/cayenne, and rose truffles.

Surdyk's started carrying Gail Ambrosius products last fall, and they’ve got the Lover’s Box, along with a small assortment of truffles, bars, and chocolate “tumbled” dried cherries on their shelves this week. For a bigger selection, shop online and have them shipped directly.

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

Watch TEDxManhattan “Changing the Way We Eat” 2012

A viewing party for the TEDx "Changing the Way we Eat" event will be taking place Saturday, Jan 21, 9am, at the Minnesota History Center, St Paul, MN. Join the Minnesota Food Bloggers for a webcast viewing of the morning session, live from New York City, followed by a discussion and reception. It's free to attend, but you can reserve your seat now. Contact Stephanie A. Meyer (meyer.stephanie.a@gmail.com) for more info.

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In February of 2011, over 14,000 computers tuned in from locations all over the globe to watch the live simulcast of the first TEDxManhattan “Changing the Way We Eat.”

On Saturday, January 21, 2012, the second TEDxManhattan “Changing the Way We Eat” – an independently organized event, licensed by TED – will be held at the Times Center in New York City. TEDxManhattan will explore the issues, the impacts and the innovations happening as we shift to a more sustainable way of eating and farming and help to create connections and unite different areas of the food movement. And while not everyone may be able to attend the local event, anyone around the world can share in this exciting day by watching the live webcast at www.livestream.com/tedx from 10:30am – 5:15pm est on Saturday, January 21st.

WHY watch? This is a wonderful opportunity for people around the world to connect online with each other and the sustainable food movement. While the talks revolve around the speakers in NYC, individuals watching the webcast can join us on January 21^st:

• Facebook – www.Facebook.com/TEDxManhattan
• Livestream chat – www.livestream.com/tedx
• Follow the Twitter feed at www.Twitter.com/TEDxManhattan (@TEDxManhattan #TEDxMan).

There’s a world-class line-up of speakers that is sure to inspire you, including [for a complete list, visit the TEDxManhattan website]:

• Laurie David (Host), Environmental Activist, Producer, Author
• Fred Kirschenmann, Farmer, Distinguished Fellow at the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University, and President of the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in NY
• Mitchell Davis, Executive Vice President, the James Beard Foundation, cookbook author and food journalist
• Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of Food & Water Watch
• Gary Oppenheimer, Founder/Executive Director of AmpleHarvest.org, CNN Hero, Master Gardener, Huffington Post 2011 Game Changer, winner of the 2011 Glynwood Wave of the Future Harvest Award
• Dr. Robert S. Lawrence, Center for a Livable Future/Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
• Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States
• Dr. David Wallinga, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
• Urvashi Rangan, Consumer Reports

About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like* experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. *TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. For more information about TED and TEDx, please visit www.ted.com.

About TED TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California 25 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with multiple initiatives. The annual TED Conference invites the world’s leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes. Their talks are then made available, free, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Follow TED on Twitter at twitter.com/TEDTalks, or on Facebook at facebook.com/TED.

The Glynwood Institute for Sustainable Food and Farming is the lead sponsor for TEDxManhattan 2012.

For more information about TEDxManhattan, visit www.tedxmanhattan.org; media can contact geralyn@resourcescommunications.com, telephone 281.980.6643.

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

Pizzeria Lola: A Resolution B’eggin to be Broken!

When I finally give in to my 2012 pizza craving, I know the extra time on the treadmill will be worth it.

It’s the New Year, and I’m doing my best to stick to yet another resolution of healthful eating and treadmill butt-kicking. So what, you may ask, is the one dish that is stalking my daydreams and tempting me more than any other? It is not my favorite food, whipped cream. It’s not linguini with clam sauce, crispy fried perch from a supper club in Wisconsin, chocolate croissants, or charcuterie. It’s a dish at a restaurant here in Minneapolis—the Sunnyside pizza at Pizzeria Lola. There’s a lot of good pizza in town, and I food crush on the #5 at Black Sheep and the Mimi at Punch, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the Sunnyside pizza at Lola is going to be the first pizza I gobble up in 2012.

Pizzeria Lola is relatively new to the Twin Cities, but it’s been around long enough that many have read a few reviews and stopped in for a pie or some of their noteworthy Brussels sprouts. Located in South Minneapolis, they became many pizza lovers’ favorite early on with their wood-fired pizzas, and many appreciate their commitment to sustainability and sourcing of quality, local ingredients such as La Quercia guincale and Larry Schultz eggs.

Lola’s Sunnyside pizza is reminiscent of a Sunday brunch with crunchy toast, salty bacon, and sunny-side up eggs. The crunchy, chewy, wood-fired crust of the Sunnyside is baked with folds of La Quercia guanciale (unsmoked Italian bacon), slivers of melted pecorino, a splash of cream, buttery leeks, and framed in the middle, is a just-set egg. An egg on a pizza might sound a bit bizarre, but it works. Eggs have a tradition of gracing the top of pizzas from southern Tuscany to Hoboken, especially on the Pizza alla Bismark.

When I finally give in to my 2012 pizza craving and the Sunnyside is placed before me, I’ll immediately tear off a hunk of crust with a bit of prosciutto attached and dip it in the yolk. And I’ll smile as I take my first bite, knowing a few extra hours on the treadmill will be worth it.

Pizzeria Lola
5557 Xerxes Avenue, Mpls.
612-424-8338

Crosspost from: Minnesota Monthly


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

"Bryan's Garden" Movie Premiere to Take Place at The Mill in NE Minneapolis

BRYAN'S GARDEN
This revealing short documentary about Bryan Morcom and his urban garden in Northeast Minneapolis continues the frank discussion about how our culture approaches food and what it means to truly have a local meal. If you haven't grown, harvested, killed, and prepared anything recently, then you'll want to see this! This event is open to the public. The documentary is about 25 minutes in long.

www.browntowndesign.com/bryansgarden


THE MILL
The Mill is a NEW educational industrial arts/maker space in Minneapolis, Minnesota that celebrates the do-it-yourself culture and creative communities by providing members with access to tools, equipment and instruction.

The mission of the Mill is to serve as an incubator of ideas; to foster a collaborative community where members utilize industrial arts concepts, cutting edge technology and time tested fabrication equipment to create innovative solutions to technical issues in fabrication and making. Through classes, group interaction, and an inclusive environment, the Mill is a space where innovation and creativity can be fostered for novice and expert alike. In the spirit of disclosure, my husband, gerg, is an employee of The Mill.

www.mnmill.org

Movie Premiere : Saturday, Dec. 17 2011
Doors Open : 6:00 pm
Show Time : 6:30 pm

Showing at :

The MILL
2300 Kennedy Street NE
Suite #130
Minneapolis, MN 55413
(location map: http://g.co/maps/hb97c)


A Special Thanks to Sponsors: The MILL & Restaurant ALMA & Browntown_Design

www.browntowndesign.com
www.restaurantalma.com
www.mnmill.org


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

Simple Shortbread Cookies for Big-Time Events

Simple Shortbread Cookies for Big-Time Events - Dara & Co. - December 2011 - Minnesota

Every year, a few pals of mine gather together, sip hot cocoa, and sample each other’s homemade holiday cookies, taking home each other’s leftovers. I find myself being invited to participate in these cookie events with increasing frequency, and this year I needed a recipe that would be manageable when scaling up to make 10 dozen cookies.

I found the perfectly scalable recipe with shortbread cookies.

Shortbread is a simple, buttery, unleavened cookie which is traditionally made from butter, sugar, and flour. It has so few ingredients, and mixes up with such ease, that it’s perfect for your big cookie events. You can roll out the dough and cut in into shapes, or you can ball the dough and make dome-shaped cookies. The ingredients are simple, and the dough is extremely versatile, but the best part is how much folks will enjoy them—sweet, buttery, and slightly crisp, they’re always a hit. I use Hope Creamery butter and Dakota Maid flour to make shortbread that’s unique to our region.

Shortbread Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen cut-outs or 5 dozen dome-shaped cookies

3 ½ cups flour
1 lb. butter
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. corn starch
Sprinkles for decorating (optional)
Crushed pecans (optional)

In a bowl, whisk the flour with the salt and corn starch. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract and the crushed pecans. Gently stir in the flour mixture until incorporated—don’t mix it any longer than necessary to incorporate the flour. I use my stand mixer, but you could use a handheld mixer as well.

Once the flour is mixed in, divide the dough into four even parts. Flatten the dough into disk shapes, seal them in a bowl or with plastic wrap and let the dough chill until firm (about an hour).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the middle of the oven.

For cut-outs: On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle. I like to mix a bit of powdered sugar in with my rolling-out flour for extra sweetness. Trim the edges of the dough.

For simple shapes, cut into squares, triangles, or parallelograms using a pizza cutter. You can also use cookie cutters to cut shapes.

For dome-shaped: Use a tablespoon to form round dough balls and place them on the cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.

Place cookies on baking sheets and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. (This will firm up the dough so the cookies will maintain their shape when baked.)

You can sprinkle with decorative sugar before baking, or dust with powdered sugar after baking. You can also dip these bad boys in chocolate after baking.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until cookies are very lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

If cooking the dough as balls, toss them in powdered sugar while they’re still warm so it sticks.

Shortbread cookies will keep in an airtight container for about a week, or they can be frozen.

It seems the variations are endless with this versatile dough. Have a shortbread variation that you love? Please share it!

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