January 2012 | Simple, Good and Tasty

Fermentation: Living With Wild Things

Posted in Health, Recipes on Tue, 01/31/2012 - 7:00am by Bernadette Miller -

The airport security worker eyed my three-once bottles with suspicion. I feigned indifference and fought off the urge to speak. A jar of home-made nut butter had been confiscated from me after I had explained what it was. So I thought it best not to expound upon fermentation and the revitalization of local food traditions. Instead I simply prayed that the sourdough starter might pass for shampoo. What the blood-red beverage of fermented beets might be taken for I dared not imagine.

The Latin Tongue: El Taco Riendo

Posted in Mexican Restaurant Reviews, Out & About on Mon, 01/30/2012 - 7:00am by Lawrence -

Why are we doing this? Read our intro article.

Up to this point, we have been rather amazed at our luck in choosing Latin eateries. We started with a Mexican restaurant in Minneapolis that was heavy on the seafood. Then over to St. Paul for a long established Mexican restaurant that blended in some American ways. Third was an Ecuadorian restaurant. When would our luck run out and we either find terrible food or become redundant?

Twelve Bags for Soup? Recipe: Thai coconut soup.

Posted in Environment, Recipes on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 7:00am by Lawrence -

Anyone who knows me or read my article challenging consumers to be more conscious about packaging knows that I am always trying to use less and less. I suppose until I see more people hauling around coffee mugs and saying no to unnecessary bags, I will always be encouraging more thoughtfulness. I was thinking along these lines the other day as Kadin (my 6 year old son) and I were riding the bus and had to stop at the grocery store.

Eat for Equity Goes Rural

Posted in Out & About on Thu, 01/26/2012 - 3:00pm by Kitty Baker -

Eat For Equity goes Rural!

Ace and Other Magnificent (Fainting) Goats. Recipe: Goat Tagine.

Posted in Farms & Gardens, Recipes on Thu, 01/26/2012 - 7:00am by Robin Trott -

Ace was magnificent. His thick, cocoa colored fur rose to a spikey crest down his backbone and his curved horns were ridged, thick and powerful. Although he resembled a thug, equipped with Mohawk and weapons, he had a gentle disposition and would tip over when startled, just like the rest of the herd: Ace was a Tennessee Fainting Goat.

Eat for Equity: A Fundraiser for the People

Posted in News & Views, Out & About on Tue, 01/24/2012 - 7:00am by Lizzie Holzapfel -

On an evening in mid October we pulled our car into a neighborhood in Northeast Minneapolis. As we stepped out into one of the first really crisp fall nights of the season we followed a crowd of people walking from parked cars and bikes to a well lit house. Brazenly parked in front of the house was a school bus with the words "Sister Camelot" painted on the side. Inside the bus was a fully equipped kitchen where a feast was being prepared. Though I was tempted to stay outside and investigate, it was quite chilly so I made my way through the gathering of people into the house where the Eat For Equity(E4E) event was being held.

The Latin Tongue: El Guayaquil

Posted in Mexican Restaurant Reviews, Out & About on Mon, 01/23/2012 - 7:00am by Lawrence -

Read why we are doing this in our intro article.

This week, we made a big mistake. Charles and I met at the corner of Lake St and Bloomington Ave without a plan. "Let's just walk around and pick a spot to eat," we told each other. Anyone who has spent even a little time at this intersection knows how preposterous this is. There are three Mexican super mercados and no less than 12 latin eateries within three city blocks. How we decided upon El Guayaquil is still a mystery. After wandering through the Mercado Central and then peering in each and every window of the places on Lake Street, we found ourselves standing in front of El Guayaquil and feeling so hungry that we simply did not care. The one decision we did make was that we would be coming back to Lake and Bloomington soon.

A Tropical Staycation: Blackened Grilled Walleye & Pineapple-Ginger Juice

Posted in Family & Home, Out & About, Recipes on Fri, 01/20/2012 - 7:00am by Rachel Huntzicker -

When it's cold outside, I like to find retreat in my kitchen. The warmth of the oven, from spices and from just simply moving in the cuisine-creating space can really feel like a loving hug when I need one. Just this past November, I went on a yoga workshop week in Belize, it was fantastic (shocker I'm sure). Finding myself in mid-month January in Minnesota, although we have had a mild winter thus far, I think to myself that perhaps I jumped the gun on my tropical getaway. As I reminisce of the fresh catch-of-the-day crisp and warm off the grill and the warm sun on my skin as I lay in a hammock on the beach, I realize that a tropical fix may not be as far away as it may seem.

Too Clean? Dealing With Our New Dietary Diseases.

Posted in Health on Thu, 01/19/2012 - 7:00am by Leigh Ahmad -

Over the last few years, my family’s pantry has transformed from looking like the cereal and dinner-in-a-box aisle to looking more like the lentils, grains and nuts in-a-bin aisle. While we have scraped the high-fructose syrup residue from our tongue and weaned ourselves from most highly processed foods, we admit to an occasional craving for comfort foods from our past. Pizza is on the top of the, “I know I really shouldn’t have it, but I really want it!” cravings list.

Globally Aware: Learning About Food Issues From Another Hemisphere, Part 2

Posted in Health, News & Views on Tue, 01/17/2012 - 7:00am by Jenny Breen -

If you haven't yet, check out part 1 of my exploration of food issues from Argentina.

As I have attempted to continue writing about the food traditions, habits and beliefs of my acquaintances in Argentina, all seems to turn to the topic of the social life here. While food rituals are shared by families and include specific familiar dishes and routines, the social culture, and its rules and expectations dominate most interactions, and thus, any shared experiences of eating.