Real food from farm to table with “The Birchwood Café Cookbook”… a delicious and informative journey!

Phyllis Louise Harris

May 2016

How “real” is the food you are eating? Owner Tracy Singleton and Chef Marshall Paulsen of the Birchwood Café in Minneapolis are among a growing number of “real food” restaurateurs who believe everything we eat should be what nature intended. No chemicals, no genetic alterations, no flavor substitutes. Just real farm-fresh, organically grown and carefully prepared to bring out all of the natural flavors. It is the basis of their restaurant, their food philosophy and their new cookbook. It has also been the basic food philosophy and practice of Asian cultures for centuries.

Several years ago I conducted a series of classes in Asian cooking for a group of food scientists at a major food company. The purpose of the project was to acquaint them with a variety of Asian flavors that they would go on to replicate chemically. How sad it is when natural flavors have to be created from test tubes so that processed food can be made shelf stable for worldwide distribution.

But, at Birchwood the flavors are from ingredients that are certified organic, mostly from local producers and are farm-fresh. “The Birchwood Café Cookbook” puts as much emphasis on the creation of the ingredients as on their preparation and includes dozens of photos and stories about local farmers. With Farmers’ Markets opening for the season, it is a good time to take a closer look at what you are eating and where it comes from. Many local food producers welcome visitors and some have special events. Check for websites for more information.

One example is DragSmith Farms of Barron, Wisconsin, owned and run by Gail and Maurice Smith. Despite our cold winters, the Smiths grow micro greens and lettuces all year ‘round in their vast hoop houses providing Birchwood with a wide array of fresh greens no matter what the weather. Most surprisingly DragSmith also grows artichokes, a thistle vegetable that normally requires a warmer climate.

Another local supplier mentioned in the book is Bullfrog Fish Farm of Menomonie, Wisconsin, that markets and processes 14,000 pounds of Rainbow Trout every year. In 1987, founder Herby Radmann had a vision of turning a pure water resource hidden just below the surface of a sandy farm field into a thriving business supplying fresh, chemical free fish to local users.

Woods Maple Orchard in Elmwood, Wisconsin, was founded in 1840 and is still family run by Steven and Dawn Wood along with their son Jason and other family members. One of the largest maple syrup producers in the region, Woods has its own sugar shack right in the middle of its beautiful maple woods taking the sap directly from the trees straight to processing. Last year Woods Maple Syrup was named best in show by the North American Maple Syrup Council and International Maple Syrup Institute beating out entries from all over the United States and Canada. The firm also won the award in 2007.

So how does Birchwood use all of these local products? In some very interesting ways. Recipes in the book include Surly Maple Braised Pork Belly Benedict where pork is slowly cooked in maple syrup and beer. Smoked Trout Quiche uses the local fish to brighten an otherwise bland dish. Apple and Alemar Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette combines a number of local ingredients including Bent River cheese. And Indonesian Chicken Stew is a take off on the classic opor ayam with more than a dozen flavors that blend beautifully.

“The Birchwood Café Cookbook” was published by the University of Minnesota Press in 2015 and is available through Amazon and local bookstores or at the café, 3311 East 25^th Street, Minneapolis. Local food writer Beth Dooley and photographer Mette Nielsen added their talents to help make this a readable, colorful book. The photos alone will make you want to start cooking and the recipes will give you a new appreciation for Good Real Food. Pick up a copy soon!

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Read more about Asian food in Minnesota and try more than 160 recipes in Asian Flavors: Changing the Tastes of Minnesota since 1875, in bookstores and on amazon.com.

Buy online:  Asian Flavors: Changing the Tastes of Minnesota since 1875 

Watch the EMMY® award winning “Asian Flavors” television show based on the book on tpt MN. Check local TV listings for broadcast times or view the show streaming online at:

http://www.mnvideovault.org/mvvPlayer/customPlaylist2.php?id=24552&select_index=0&popup=yes#0
               
 

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Korean Donuts? You betcha!

Phyllis Louise Harris

April 2016

Mention Korean food and I immediately think of barbecued ribs and kimchi. But, Korean donuts? They are not part of my tasting memory.

There is so much to learn about Asian cooking that researching, testing and tasting have been a big part of my life for more than 40 years. When I was researching Korean food for the book Asian Flavors: Changing the Tastes of Minnesota since 1875, I turned to the co-founder and managing editor of Korean Quarterly Martha Vickery for guidance. While I had eaten Korean food in the Twin Cities and in San Francisco and had interviewed a number of Korean chefs, my knowledge was limited. Martha took me on a culinary tour and introduced me to her food writer, Mary Lee Vance, PhD. What a wonderful journey to take; one that you, too, can experience.

Each issue of Korean Quarterly offers a wide variety of Korean news, views, reviews, entertainment and food information. In the Winter 2016 issue, Mary Lee offered some insight about a food that is found in nearly every cuisine – fried bread. Donuts, crullers, beignets, klejner, sai yong or whatever name they are called appear all over the world. Basically, they are all fried bread. In Korea there are several including kkwabaegi that is like a twisted donut or cruller or hotteok, more like a pancake.

According to her recent column, when Mary Lee gets a craving for donuts, she turns to refrigerated biscuits or frozen bread dough and sometimes makes hotteok, a popular “Korean street food that is a kind of pancake, but thicker and doughier, usually with a filling featuring crushed peanuts. Hotteok mix is sold in Korean stores, but with a little ingenuity one can make a very reasonable facsimile with something like frozen bread dough.” Just shape it into rolls and fill them with brown sugar, crushed peanuts and a touch of cinnamon before frying.

Her article includes a recipe for kkwabaegi from the website of  “ Maangechi, a chef who has been teaching the basics of Korean cooking on the Web for years.” Basically it is yeast dough that is shaped into twists and coated with sugar and cinnamon. The finished kkwabaegi can be frozen and thawed to enjoy later as well.

For more information about Korean Quarterly go to http://www.koreanquarterly.org/Home.html.  KQ has received more than 20 awards of excellence from the MN Newspaper Association, was nominated for a national award for Ethnic Issues in 2002, received several awards from Korean organizations and is a member of the Korean American Journalists Association. For the complete recipe for kkwabaegi go to http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/kkwabaegi . And check out her other recipes. They are a great way to start that journey through Korean cuisine. Also visit your local Korean restaurants and markets to taste the wonderful flavors of Korea.



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Read more about Asian food in Minnesota and try more than 160 recipes in Asian Flavors: Changing the Tastes of Minnesota since 1875, in bookstores and on amazon.com.

Buy online:  Asian Flavors: Changing the Tastes of Minnesota since 1875 

Watch the EMMY® award winning “Asian Flavors” television show based on the book on tpt MN. Check local TV listings for broadcast times or view the show streaming online at:

http://www.mnvideovault.org/mvvPlayer/customPlaylist2.php?id=24552&select_index=0&popup=yes#0
               
 

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Thank you Florence Lin!

Phyllis Louise Harris

March 2016

She was born in China during the era of women’s bound feet and male dominated households, but went on to become one of the greatest influences in the understanding and appreciation of Chinese cooking in the United States. She also changed my life.

It was 1974 and I had just moved to New York City where I now had the time and resources to explore whatever peaked my interest. I had long been a fan of Chinese food and looked for classes in cooking this classic cuisine. I found one in the basement of a pasta store in my neighborhood and was soon learning the wonders of stir-frying. The teacher, Millie Chan, was a delight and extremely patient with some of the “students” who used the time to chat with each other in their native language. Turns out they were gathering recipes to give to their cooks at home to replicate. They had no intention of cooking it themselves. But, Millie could see I was serious about learning and after the sessions ended suggested I continue classes at the China Institute in America where her teacher and mentor was teaching.

The first day in class about 20 of us sat on folding chairs at long tables in the Institute’s teaching kitchen and heard Florence Lin say, “When you finish this class, you will be able to make Chinese dishes out of whatever is in your refrigerator.” I thought about the odd variety of things in my refrigerator and very much doubted her promise. Now, 42 years later I know she was right!

For the next 14 years I made Chinese dumplings, noodles, sir-fries, deep-fries, sauces, salads and whatever else she was teaching. Today, I still have my recipes and class notes – about 300 of them. We cooked everything! Even things I did not know were edible. Pigs’ ears, chicken feet, broccoli stems, pig snouts - all were made very tasty and while I may not have liked some of them, they were certainly edible. When my daughter and I travelled through China with Florence, we had the privilege of taking classes with master chefs and to taste hundreds of Chinese dishes that are not served in the U.S. My love of Chinese food and Florence’s training led me to create a company dedicated to Asian food, to becoming food editor of Asian Pages for 20 years writing more than 500 columns, to writing a history of Asian food in Minnesota published by the Minnesota Historical Society Press, and to create an EMMY® award-winning television show that tpt produced and still broadcasts today. None of this would have happened without Florence Lin.

Florence is one of those exceptional teachers who really likes what she does and understands the subject completely. Initially she learned to cook by following her family’s chef around the kitchen and then learned more from her aunt and grandmothers. She learned even more when she went with her father on his silk merchant business trips throughout China, something unheard of in the 1930s pre-war China when daughters were never involved in the family business. At each stop she could sample local cuisine and expand her knowledge of Chinese food. Combined with her own creative skills Florence Lin’s Chinese cooking is like none other.

When Florence came to America in 1949 to marry her fiancé K.Y. she did not speak English. While she had a college education, without the language skills she could not get work. While K.Y. pursued his career in finance and she raised their two children, Florence concentrated on her mastery of English and went on to become one of the most influential cookbook authors and food writers in the U.S. Julia Child and James Beard were among her friends and students. Paul Newman was a fan of her cooking. National food companies consulted her on Chinese culinary issues. She taught cooking classes in New York, Washington, D.C., Connecticut, New Jersey, Georgia, and throughout the country. She taught at the China Institute for more than 25 years and in 2014 was given a lifetime achievement award by the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

But that is only part of Florence’s story. As a teenager she joined Chiang Kai-shek’s Youth Army to fight the Japanese invasion of China where she taught new recruits how to handle their rifles. Later in life she would also fight other wars against cancer and her husband’s Parkinson’s disease. The first book she wrote was turned down by 18 publishers, but she went on to publish five cookbooks and was primary consultant and recipe creator for another. She also wrote dozens of articles for the New York Times and a variety of national publications. Current cookbook authors and celebrity chefs refer to her work as an inspiration for their own efforts.

This month Florence will be 96 years old. She is retired and lives in New York near one of her daughters whose family is delighted to have grandmother nearby to make their favorite dishes, or at least supervise their renditions. I am happy to say she is still my friend and mentor who continues to work with me even long distance on culinary issues. I wish everyone would have had the privilege of attending her classes but everyone can still learn from this great teacher through her cookbooks. While they are out of print, used copies are available on various websites. Pick up one or all and read them from cover to cover. You will begin to understand the flavors and complexity of Chinese cooking and the basics of making it properly.

Start with her first book Florence Lin’s Regional Cooking of China, published in 1975 when it was named Best Cookbook of 1975 and was a Book-of-the-Month selection. Florence Lin’s Chinese Vegetarian Cookbook followed in 1976 and makes every vegetable a treat. That was followed in 1978 with Florence Lin’s Chinese One-Dish Meals, and in 1979 with Florence Lin’s Cooking with Fire Pots. In 1984, William Morrow Publishers convinced her to write Florence Lin’s Complete Book of Chinese Noodles, Dumplings and Breads that was reprinted in several sold out editions including paperback.

By the way, while she was writing each book she tested the recipes in many of her classes and I got to be part of that process as well. Also pick up a copy of Time Life Foods of the World: The Cooking of China (1968) where you will find her first publishing effort and the first book in the U.S. to truly explore in depth the cooking of China. She tells the story of providing the editors with a recipe for Egg Foo Yung at their request. They came back to her with the complaint there was no “gravy” on the Egg Foo Yung. When she explained she created the dish as it is served in China they insisted on adding gravy for the American audience and she did.

Happy birthday Florence and thanks for so many delicious memories!

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Read more about Asian food in Minnesota and try more than 160 recipes in Asian Flavors: Changing the Tastes of Minnesota since 1875, in bookstores and on amazon.com.

Buy online:  Asian Flavors: Changing the Tastes of Minnesota since 1875 

Watch the EMMY® award winning “Asian Flavors” television show based on the book on tpt MN. Check local TV listings for broadcast times or view the show streaming online at:

http://www.mnvideovault.org/mvvPlayer/customPlaylist2.php?id=24552&select_index=0&popup=yes#0
               
 

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Jixiang Ruyi*

Phyllis Louise Harris 
February 6, 2016 

*”May good fortune be according to your wish” is a traditional Chinese New Year greeting and a great way to start the new year. February 8 marks the beginning of the year of the monkey and for the next two weeks we celebrate the beginning of spring. It is also a time to pay bills, clean the house and prepare especially lucky food. 

Whole fish including head and tail indicates abundance ahead. Oranges, representing the color of gold, promise good fortune. Noodles ensure long life. And, date cake is served to promote advancement in an upwardly mobile fashion year after year. 

It is also a time to gather with friends and relatives and enjoy the foods of the season. One of my favorites is Lian Ban Mien, Noodles with Sesame Dressing from “Asian Flavors: Changing the Taste of Minnesota since 1875.” It is based on a recipe by the Grande dame of Chinese cooking, Florence Lin, and is easy to make, store and serve. Topped with freshly cut vegetables and meat, it is also very colorful as well as delicious.

Lian Ban Mien

Page 47 – “Asian Flavors”

Serves 8 – 10

1 pound fresh egg noodles

2 tablespoons corn oil

Blend together -

¼ cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons corn oil

½ teaspoon coarse salt

4 teaspoons sugar

2 tablespoons Chinese dark soy sauce

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons cold water

2 teaspoons Szechuan or Hunan hot chili sauce

Slivered toppings**

Place the sauce in a covered container and set aside.  When you are ready to serve cook the noodles, drain and rinse with cold water. Drain again. Toss with corn oil. Noodles should be at room temperature. Serve noodles in individual rice or soup bowls with the sauce topped with slivered **radishes, scallions, cucumbers, pea pods, cooked chicken or ham, fresh bean sprouts or whatever is available to give the noodles color and texture. Have additional sauce and toppings on the table for diners to add as well. The sauce keeps for weeks in the refrigerator. Just bring to room temperature and stir before using.

How easy is that?! And, so delicious. If you want to make your own noodles, you’ll find that recipe in “Asian Flavors” as well. Gonghe Xinxi, Happy New Year!

     

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Read more about Asian food in Minnesota and try more than 160 recipes in Asian Flavors: Changing the Tastes of Minnesota since 1875, in bookstores and on amazon.com.

Buy online:  Asian Flavors: Changing the Tastes of Minnesota since 1875 

Watch the EMMY® award winning “Asian Flavors” television show based on the book on tpt MN. Check local TV listings for broadcast times or view the show streaming online at:

http://www.mnvideovault.org/mvvPlayer/customPlaylist2.php?id=24552&select_index=0&popup=yes#0
               
 

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Winter Markets Add a Taste of Summer

Phyllis Louise Harris
January 9, 2016

Farmers’ Markets are not just available in the summer. Today there are so many indoor Farmers’ Markets that we can enjoy some of the best of summer and not freeze. 

Hmongtown Marketplace

One of the area’s oldest indoor (and outdoor) Asian markets at the corner of Marion and Como Avenues in St. Paul not far from the state capitol, Hmongtown Marketplace is as much a social gathering as it is a market. Created in an old lumberyard by Hmong immigrant Toua Xiong, Hmongtown Marketplace offers a wide variety of locally grown and imported produce, meat, fish, clothing, jewelry, gadgets, cooking utensils, souvenirs, and more. It also features food booths serving Hmong and other Asian dishes. One woman told me her grandmother insists on going to the market every Sunday to meet with old friends from Laos and get caught up on the gossip. One Saturday when I was there all the public announcements were in a language I could not understand, but those around me seemed to comprehend. It is truly an international market and is open every day 8:00 am to 8:00 pm with a parking lot at the door. For more information go to www.hmongmarketplace.com. 

Hmong Village

In 2010 Yia Vang, a Hmong immigrant, opened Hmong Village at 1001 Johnson Parkway in St. Paul. Housed in a series of buildings the market features an indoor produce market complete with colorful hand painted wall murals of outdoor scenes that brighten even the darkest of winter days. Also featured are a wide variety of vendors and a food court. It is open 9:00 am to 8:00 pm every day with parking at the door. For more information go to www.hmongvillageshoppingcenter.com. 

St. Paul Winter Farmers Market

One of the area’s oldest markets stays open all year round with indoor and outdoor vendors offering locally grown food and other items. Every Saturday through early April the market is open from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm with vendors on Wall Street or inside Golden’s Deli across the street. James, jellies, pasta, strudel, honey, meats, cheeses, eggs and other locally produced items are available year ‘round. For more information go to www.stpaulfarmersmarket.com. 

Minneapolis Farmers Market

The area’s largest market offering a wide variety of locally grown and imported foods is also open year ‘round featuring non-food items in its annex. Open two Saturdays per month through April from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon check the schedule at www.minneapolisfarmersmarket.com. 

Mill City Winter Farmers Market

One of my favorite markets is at the Mill City Museum next to the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis and is open inside the museum 9:00 am to 1:00 pm the second Saturday each month through April. Created especially for local producers to sell their wares, the market is often the only place to find things such as purple potatoes, chanterelle mushrooms and Chinese spinach. In season, it also offers all the goodness of locally grown and raised produce and meat along with hand made chocolates, desserts, snacks and more. Parking is on the street or in nearby ramps. For more information on the market and special events go to www.millcitymarket.org. 

Kingfield, Linden Hills and Northeast are a few more Minneapolis winter markets. Bachman’s greenhouse at 6010 Lyndale Avenue South in Minneapolis is also the scene of Winter Farmers Markets on January 23, February 27 and March 26 from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm featuring more than 30 vendors. Parking in lots next to the building.

So now what is your excuse for staying indoors? Visit a Winter Farmers Market and enjoy all of the riches of this great land!      

     

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Read more about Asian food in Minnesota and try more than 160 recipes in Asian Flavors: Changing the Tastes of Minnesota since 1875, in bookstores and on amazon.com.

Buy online:  Asian Flavors: Changing the Tastes of Minnesota since 1875 

Watch the EMMY® award winning “Asian Flavors” television show based on the book on tpt MN. Check local TV listings for broadcast times or view the show streaming online at:

http://www.mnvideovault.org/mvvPlayer/customPlaylist2.php?id=24552&select_index=0&popup=yes#0
               

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