jd fratzke

As the coordinator for the Minnesota Cooks™ program at the Minnesota State Fair, I'm writing today's post to give you a preview of this event, which features Minnesota chefs and cooks, local farmers, and consumers with a full day of cooking demonstrations, discussions, and sampling of delicious cuisine.

The big day begins at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, August 31, (with samples of scones and French toast!) and will continue with eight hourly presentations, featuring 16 restaurants and 16 farms. The Minnesota Cooks Stage proudly sits in Carousel Park, just south of the Grandstand, and is the place to be on the Tuesday of the Great Minnesota Get Together for one of Minnesota’s most admired and longstanding sustainable foods events.

Dean Phillips and his cornWas it just two short years ago that Phillips Distilling Company, the fifth-generation, family-owned Minnesota beverage company, launched Prairie Organic Vodka? It seems like years since I first noticed the gorgeous, slender bottle, remarking to my friends that Phillips had finally created something as beautiful as it was tasty.

I didn't know what to expect at the Minnesota Cooks stage, located outdoors at the Minnesota State Fair's Carousel Park, but I was pleasantly surprised at every turn.

Last week, I blogged about the exquisite Simple, Good and Tasty local food dinner at The Strip Club in St. Paul. Today, I'll let the beautiful images, taken by Kate Sommers from Les Petites Images, speak for themselves.

Chef JD Fratzke, Todd Lein (from Thousand Hills Cattle Company) and I kicked things off by talking a bit about what we do and why. Here's a picture of JD holding court.

Tonight's the night for the August Simple, Good, and Tasty dinner at the Strip Club, sure to be another terrific local food experience with friends. For the 50 of us lucky enough to have signed up first, Here are the details:

Just before embarking on my week-long stay at a cabin with my in-laws and friends, I posted to Twitter and Facebook, hoping to find a local cocktail that would impress the crowd. My friends chimed in helpfully, offering suggestions such as "gin and lake water" (thanks Graeme!) and "lemonade with Shaker vodka, muddled local raspberries or Door County cherries, and mint (thanks nearly everyene else?)."

I'm very glad to let you know that we've locked in a date, time, and location for our August Simple, Good, and Tasty local food meal. Here are the details:

• When: August 19, 8:00 pm
• Where: The Strip Club, 378 Maria Ave, St. Paul, MN 55106
• Cost: $35 for 3 course meal, not including tax, tip, or booze
• Contact: 651-793-6247 (restaurant), lee@simplegoodandtasty.com (me)

The Strip Club is a cleverly named steakhouse, widely loved since it opened last year in St. Paul. It's in a beautiful space, and I've talked with Executive Chef JD Fratzke several times - he's not only a great chef, but also a superstar of a guy.