Road Trip! Pt. 2

We had an awesome time at the fair. As a family, we experienced great triumph (Liz defeated the ropes course!), terrible fear (Adrian lost his glasses!), extreme exhaustion (Holy crap! How many people are they going to let in here?). And that weird, woozy feeling when your mouth is full of spit and you're pretty sure your going to get to taste your breakfast one more time.

Not that the cinnamon roll was bad. It was delicious. But I am officially retired from roller coasters.* I would rather drink beer.

Despite the near-vomit experience, my mom and I survived each other's company for a full 6.5 hours. And that's after a 5 hour car ride the day before. I'm going to give credit to the St. Paul Hamills, although it probably helped that the Exiled King of the Cheeseheads (my brother Barry) stayed home.

But enough of the family stuff. What about the food?

In an extremely unscientific study, here are the Top 5.

5. Blue Cheese and Corn Fritz from The Blue Barn

If it were up to me, these would be #1. Sweet corn, tangy bleu cheese and deep fried? What's not to love?

Perhaps my family needs to work on their collective palate. Most either didn't understand or couldn't taste the bleu cheese. I could, especially when I added the chimichurri sauce. But then again, I am a delicate and sensitive flower.

4. Caribbean Lobster Roll from Café Caribe

I've been on a lobster roll kick all summer, and this one topped them all for me, even if Adrian decided he didn't like lobster. I don't think he and I are related.

Seriously, look at that claw!

The lobster roll could maybe have been higher on the list, but it suffered from being the second to last snack of the day. However, Sue pointed out that this is a really flexible sandwich. New England plays anybody, and I'm buying lobster!

3. Chocolate Chip Cookies from Sweet Martha's Cookie Jar

I'm going to catch hell for not putting the Sweet Martha's cookies at number one. People love them. They are ooey gooey bites of sweetness and joy that take me back to my mom's kitchen.

Yes, they are fantastic. But wait. There is more deliciousness to come.

2. Pizza Tots from The Green Mill

Tots. Stuffed with pizza. Does anything else need to be said?

1. Korean BBQ Pork Collar with Kimchi Pickles from Famous Dave's

 We hit the trifecta!

The pork collar. which was tender enough to cut with a plastic fork, was smothered in a garlicky-ginger BBQ sauce. The pickles were surprisingly sweet but still had the spicy sour flavor you expect from kimchi. I loved them, Sue loved them, even Adrian wanted more. BBQ has to be on the list for the Sunday Night Game.

Now I just have to learn how to make barbeque...

Thanks to Mom, Sue, Adrian, and Liz for going to the fair with me. I had a great time - despite my face in this picture...

VA


*I am only semi-retired. I'll officially retire after Friday night at Great America! Do they have good food?

Road Trip!

No football? No problem. That just means I have time for a little road trip to St. Paul, MN.

So perhaps you're wondering,"why St. Paul?" Good question. Because it's time for the Great Minnesota Get-Together, also known as the Minnesota State Fair.

Truthfully, the state fair was only part of the draw. I'm really visiting my brother and his family. My sister-in-law Sue decided the trip should be all about research. Into food. You know, so I could get ideas for the Sunday Night Game.

Brilliant!

I was surprised at how great the food at the fair was, but that's a post for another day. Right now, I need to place a photo of the Best Gas Station Hot Dog Ever. (It's really a thing. I promise.)

How awesome is that?  This one is my mom's.

Totally not as good, right?*

Mom and I always stop in Tomah, WI for hot dogs from the Kwik Trip. Yes, hot dogs are the lowest level of grilled foods, but these seriously rock. And that's despite having sat on the roller-heater thing for, I don't, days? Weeks? I try not to think about it. They set out all kinds of toppings - onions, sauerkraut, pickles AND relish, plus honey mustard, yellow mustard, and horseradish Dijon! They do offer ketchup, but that doesn't sit well with either of us. What can you do? They probably get a lot of kids.

Two and a half  hours later, 1 Dave Brubeck CD and a lot of show tunes, we made it to St. Paul for sirloin steak, corn on the cob, brussels sprouts, and pasta. And wine. Lots and lots of wine.

Oh, and one eggplant that looks like Bob Hope.

Tomorrow: Korean BBQ pork collar and Caribbean lobster rolls. 

And beer. Lots and lots of beer.

Later,
VA


*My mom wants me to mention that the reason her hot dog is so sad is because she dropped it and had to smoosh it all back together. I'm not buying it.

Getting Ready for Week 1

The first Sunday Night Game is three weeks away, but it's a tough one. I'm going to need advice.

Denver has a lot of possibilities - Colorado lamb, Denver omelette. According to Wikipedia, the city is "famous for its dedication to New Mexican cuisine and the Chile."

Yes!

What really caught my eye, however, came next: the Colorado burrito. Never heard of it, but look at this recipe. Just a couple of ingredients and in the crock pot? Sold!

But how am I going to get Indianapolis in there? When I googled "foods Indianapolis is known for," I got pork tenderloin sandwiches, corn, and sugar pie. I guess corn could go in the Colorado burrito, and I could serve the whole thing with Tiberian Inquisitor from 3 Floyds. Kinda seems like cheating, doesn't it?

How about pierogi stuffed with Colorado burrito filling? (Pierogi totally count.* There's a festival) Or a pork tenderloin sandwich topped with it?

Do you see why I started three weeks in advance?

VA





*Rob has already pooh-poohed the pierogi idea. That makes me sad, but I probably couldn't make pierogi from scratch.

Welcome to The Sunday Night Game

When I was a teacher, I spent my Sundays grading papers, watching football, and making dinner. You know how Sunday dinners are, right? Big meals of comfort food that take all day. The whole house smells of yumminess. Add football and beer, and grading doesn't totally suck.

I don't teach anymore - go figure - but I still like to cook a big meal on Sunday nights. But last year, I started having a hard time coming up with original ideas. Then one day I decided to make a meal that represented the teams playing the late game*. I wish I could remember who was playing, but I have no idea. Doesn't really matter. It was a challenge, and it was fun. I was hooked. 

I posted some of my results to Facebook, and people started sending suggestions. Periodically, friends would mention that they liked the idea or that they tried the recipes. Then my friend Anne suggested that I turn the FB posts into a blog.

What the heck? Everyone and their mother has a blog. Why not me? 

So if you want to play, here are the rules: 

• Find out who is playing.
• Research the food from that area.
• Make a meal. 

That's it. As long as you can justify the connection between the food and the team, it works. You may have to go a pretty long way to make that connection, but so what? That's the challenge.

I'm going to try to make something new every week, but I am not a great cook. Please share advice, recipes, ideas, etc. And if you make something really good, make sure to post that info, too. 

Thanks for playing,

VA

*Rob, my boyfriend, insists this whole thing was his idea. I think I came up with it. He's the better cook, but I'm the writer and that means I get to record the history. Winner!