BBQ ribs for a ‘vegan before 6’

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I’ve become a VB6er. Yup, I’m following that hip new lifestyle all the kids are talking about based on Mark Bittman’s Vegan Before 6 books. It started when I realized all of my piddly individual efforts to help save the planet from out of control global warming were not making much of a difference. There are only so many reusable bags I can store in our compact car. There are only so many plants we can stick in the yard, hoping to lure the bees to our relatively organic patches of fruits and vegetables. I felt like I needed to make more changes, thus VB6. I wrote about it last week at Called to the Table. Continue Reading

Summer kicks-off with Sweden on the road: Great Swedish-American Road Trip

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Just when we thought there was no hope of sunny warm weather ever returning to Minnesota, a bunch of Swedes drove into town and brought summer with them. Sweden on the Road is a bus tour of Swedish ambassadors seeking to promote Swedish and American collaboration, and showcase Swedish ingenuity in issues of sustainability, music, and cuisine. They began their summer tour of America in Minneapolis at the American Swedish Institute. Continue Reading

From kitchen catastrophe to grilled banh mi

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There is nothing like a kitchen catastrophe to keep a homecook humble. Occasionally I remove the shaker tops from spices in order to dip a measuring spoon into the jar. The next time I reach for that spice, having forgotten the removal of the shaker top, I might accidentally dump the entire contents into the mixing bowl. If the spice happens to be particularly aggressive, I try to remove as much of the dumped spice as possible. Continue Reading

Spring grilling: Farmers market pizza

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Don’t expect to see a lot of produce if you head to a Minnesota farmers market when spring is just budding (Unless you frequent one of those markets where vendors sell Hawaiian pineapples and South American bananas. Local? Not much.). The season and its goods trickle in to the market, and each week’s discoveries make us even more excited for our next visit. Continue Reading

Cold April showers bring May soup

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I am built for Minnesota winters. Physically, emotionally, socially: I thrive when the snow blows and temps dip below zero. I scoff at the weak who cannot tolerate endless Januaries and who complain constantly about the weather. Winter assures me that I am strong, invincible, rigorous, and healthy. Yup, I am THAT girl. I am the one you want to pelt with icicles when I skip along your frozen street whistling with joy. Continue Reading

Breaking the rules: Pizza Nicoise

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There are, in some regions, rules about what belongs on a pizza. Italian purists refuse to stray from thin tomato sauce and a scant dusting of cheese. Neapolitan pizza bakers must follow strict regulations about everything from the dough ingredients to the way the crust is formed, from the toppings to the baking temperature and the kind of wood burned in the stone oven. Continue Reading

Hotdish pizza: A Midwestern idea, minus the canned soup

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My mom’s menu rotated according to days of the week and we knew which day of the week it was by the smells coming from the kitchen. Weekends were my favorite when tacos, burgers, and pizza took turns at our table. Sundays were Mom’s night off and we kids served ourselves peanut butter toast and canned fruit cocktail before settling down with the Wonderful World of Disney. Continue Reading

Pop culture, the 80s, and shrimp toast

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I often refer to my three years living in Japan as my time in exile. It was 1985 when I arrived in Tokyo; a Madonna-wanna-be with a wardrobe of bustiers, black rubber bracelets, second-hand store mini skirts and go-go boots. We lived across from the Air Force Base where most of the military wives dressed conservatively and the female Airmen walked around in their uniforms. Continue Reading