One
summer afternoon when I was a teenager my dad took our family on a car trip in
the country west of the Twin Cities. About half way to our destination we
started following a Green Giant truck filled with just harvested sweet corn. The
huge mound of big, plump ears of corn in their bright green leafy husks jostled
as the truck rolled along and every time it hit a bump in the road a cob or two
of corn would fall off onto the road in front of us. My dad, being an old Iowa
farmer and former restaurant owner, could not pass up free food and would stop
to send one of us kids out to pick up the fallen corn. By the time we got to
our destination we had several dozen ears and they were the best tasting corn I
ever had! Or, so I remember.
Maybe
it is that memory that had made it so difficult to find corn as sweet and juicy
as those Green Giant castoffs. So when I buy fresh corn at the farmers’ market
and it turns out to be less than perfect, it is disappointing. Fortunately, I
found a wonderful vendor at the Northeast Farmers’ Market on University Avenue
in Minneapolis and have enjoyed sweet, tender homegrown corn for several
summers. Usually I just boil the shucked corn in water with a little milk and
sugar and eat it with nothing else. Why spoil perfection?! I make sure there
are leftovers that I put in a plastic bag and store in the freezer for mid-winter
dining.
Since
the corn harvest begins this month here’s a corn recipe from “Asian Flavors…Changing
the Tastes of Minnesota since 1875.”Its
flavors are from India but the corn is strictly Minnesota.
For
four ears of corn, remove the silk and husks from the corn, rinse and soak in
cold water for 20 minutes. Remove corn from water and dry off with paper
towels. Place the corn directly on a medium hot charcoal-grill about 4 inches
above the heat. Cook uncovered for 15 – 20 minutes turning occasionally until
the corn is tender and shows browned kernels among the gold.
Mix
together –
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
½
teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt
½
teaspoon ground red pepper
2
tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
2
tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves.
Cut
a lime into 4 wedges and dip each wedge into the spice mixture then rub it over
each cooked ear of corn. Serve hot.
Check
the Minnesota Grown Directory www.minnesotagrown.com
for corn growers near you. There is nothing better than freshly picked sweet
and tender corn on the cob! Happy summer dining!!!
__________________________________________
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.
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:
We
live in a wonderland filled with so many delicious resources, choosing just a
few becomes more and more difficult. The new Minnesota Grown Directory for 2016
does not make the job any easier with more than 1,000 food and product resources
in the state. But the directory is free and all you have to do is ask for one
sent to your door.
Start
with the state’s award-winning wines. Since 1973 when David Bailly established Minnesota’s
first vineyard Alexis Bailly Vineyard near Hastings to the more than 600
vineyards and 40 wineries in operation today, there is one near you. Many offer
wine tastings, vineyard tours, grape stomping in the fall, picnic areas
overlooking scenic valleys and special events. Cannon River Winery in Cannon
Falls is a good example. About an hour drive south of the Twin Cities the
winery is in an historic building in the middle of town with the vineyard a
short distance away. On weekends the wine master may be on hand to explain the
wine process and you can taste the results. Light food is also available at
reasonable prices and the winery presents a variety of entertainers throughout
the year. Go to cannonriverwinery.com . Or for wine and beer lovers, head to Waconia and
the Schram Vineyards Winery and Brewery with many weekend events. schramvineyards.com
.
On
July 30 and 31 plan to attend the Waconia Wine Festival featuring tours and
tastings at the Parley Lake Winery, Sovereign Estate and Schram Vineyards and
Brewery. The Festival includes outdoor activities plus food and craft vendors.
Tickets are $25 and available online at waconiawinecountry.com/event/waconia-wine-festival-weekend .
Then
there are the 176 Farmers’ Markets around the state. All are open this month
through October with a bounty of freshly grown and picked produce, locally
raised meat and fish, baked goods and so much more. One of my favorites is the
Mill City Farmers’ Market in Minneapolis on the banks of the Mississippi River
between the Guthrie Theater and the Mill City Museum. Every Saturday morning
there is musical entertainment, a variety of food vendors, local growers with
freshly picked produce and meat and fish farmers along with honey, jam, jelly,
pickles, baked goods and so much more. And there is often a cooking
demonstration. Gorkha Palace has long had a booth at the market featuring their
food from Nepal, India and Tibet including popular momos. On June 4 there will
be special features focusing on urban farming and on June 11 the market will
highlight immigrant farmers. The second Saturday of each month features the
mini farm with live sheep and hens. After the market, visit the Mill City
Museum for an unusual look at Minnesota’s important flour history.
Not
enough for you? How about pick-your-own farms where you and the family can save
money by going into the fields and picking your own strawberries, raspberries,
green beans, pumpkins, apples and so much more throughout the season.
But
the directory does not stop at every variety of food. It also lists alpaca
fiber products, beeswax products, Christmas trees, elk antlers, leather goods,
lumber, petting zoos, soap, wreaths and yarn to name a few. Get your free copy
at www.minnesotagrown.com or search
through their web directory for sources near you. It can add a whole new
dimension to your summer.
__________________________________________
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.
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:
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 25th 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!
__________________________________________
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.
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:
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.
__________________________________________
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.
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:
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!
__________________________________________
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.
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:
