Duluth food columnist finds new home at Duluth Dish
Don’t forget to eat. That’s what my mother-in-law told my wife, then a teenager, just before she was left home alone overnight for the first time.
Ha! the teen thought. As if anyone could forget to eat. But a mother knows how busy things can get. She knows we sometimes get distracted and forget to take care of ourselves. She knows that no matter where we’re from, where we are or where we’re going, we all need to eat, even though we forget to sometimes.
Born in southern Minnesota, I came of age in Minneapolis, married in St. Paul, honeymooned in Europe and started a family in Duluth. Usually, I didn’t forget to eat.
From a young age, I learned to garden and fish. I learned to raise livestock at the family farm in Morristown. In Waseca, I worked the corn pack at Birdseye and the dough machine at The Pizza Parlor. Some of it was fun, much of it was hard work, but it all sustained me and let me eat.
What I’ve eaten
Eat what? Similac formula, Gerber’s baby food, old school Velveeta mac and cheese, Cap’n Crunch, dirt-flecked garden carrots and rhubarb stalks from the back yard, Cannon River panfish, beef and pork from our family farm,
gobs of blanched sweet corn, Bridgeman’s patty melts, Mama D’s spaghetti, tomatoes and cukes I grew behind my Phillips neighborhood duplex, paella in northern Spain, tapas in Madrid, tandoori in Paris, my own made-from-scratch tofu, crock pot wild game, Mississippi River walleye, Bluff Country brown trout, St. Louis County venison, the peanut butter and cheese sandwich I made last week and Grandma Marx’s filled coffee cake I made on Wednesday. That and more.
From 1999 to 2001, I wrote stories for the Duluth News Tribune’s Taste and Home and Garden sections. Chefs and home cooks shared their creative passions with me. So did gardeners, who raved about their heirloom garlic, their berries and their hard-won northern tomatoes.
And from 2004 to 2008, I wrote a weekly dining column, “A Table for Two.” N
ot a review per se, it was a one-shot visit to a restaurant, with a guest who wrote to me and nominated a favorite menu item. I dined with close to 200 guests, whose ages ranged from 9 to 89. We feasted on bar burgers, 1-pound lobster tail, Thai tofu curry, burritos, onion rings, ribs, omelets, jerk chicken and gaucho steak, Lake Superior whitefish, old school Velveeta mac and cheese and one fabulous 79-cent raised glazed doughnut at the T. Patten Cafe in Orr.
I interviewed my guests, got their reaction to the meal before us and reported their opinion under one heading. And under my heading, “Tom’s Take,” I wrote mine. I disagreed with my guests a few times over execution and matters of personal taste, but mostly I was an easy critic, unless the food was off, overhyped or both.
Food comforts
Then on Dec. 4, I got some news. It was a family day, the seventh anniversary of our son Asher’s stillbirth. As we’d done each year since that date, we went to the Superior National Forest to cut our Chri
stmas tree. We’d brought snacks and hot chocolate and cider. On the way home, we’d stopped for Lemon Angel Pie at the Rustic Inn, up on the North Shore near Two Harbors. There, we felt compelled to buy some candy we’d never heard of before: Asher’s Chocolates, made in Pennsylvania since 1892.
Within minutes of arriving home on that beautiful day, the phone rang. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner,” my editor said. “They’re cancelling your column. I’m really sorry.” Management had downsized the Wave, the weekly arts & entertainment section where my column ran. We discussed one more column I had in the works, and a farewell column, which was later vetoed by management. “I understand,” I told her at the time. “I sort of wondered if this was coming.”
I’m not so sure I did understand. I felt more like Greg Brown in his song “Canned Goods:” “With the snow and the economy and everything/I think I’ll just go down there and eat until spring.” As a freelance writer, I couldn’t hide in Grandma’s cellar and eat, even though at times I wanted to. Over the next few months I scrambled for new work, even as I lost another writing client, which represented nearly all of my income. I became depressed and found it difficult to work. Despite other serious symptoms, though, I was always able to remember to eat, helped no doubt by my naturally high metabolism. “It takes a lot to turn off my appetite,” I told my doctor.
A renewal
Then, this spring, doing online research for another food story, I found something new popping up in my search results: DuluthDish.com. Articles like “Minnesota Steak and Why You Should Eat Intentionally” caught my eye. So did the short stories and the listings, featuring some of my favorite restaurants and food purveyors.
So I’m happy to be joining Duluth Dish, where I’ll write about restaurants, food and food people from our region and beyond. I’ll write about wild blueberries, wild rice and wild trout. I’ll tweet meals from restaurants and kitchen experiments from home. I’ll post odd quips, videos, photos and essays. I’ll draw on a background of nearly 200 “Table for Two” reviews, all the food I’ve ever eaten and most of all, my taste buds.
But it’s not all about me. It’s about you, too.
I’d love to see us build a community here and get some spirited discussions going up and down the food chain: from who has the best French fries to what Duluth needs next in its culinary evolution, from cheap eats to expensive treats — and why anyone would want to make their own tofu. I’ll do what I can to help things along.
Sign up, post comments, email, tweet, and get your own blog going here. Use Duluth Dish to connect with people who share your passion for food.
And please, no matter what else you do, don’t forget to eat.
Summer Reds
There’s a motto that everyone in the service industry knows “the customer is always right.” This is the case when it comes to selecting wines for your summer gatherings. Some people love to drink heavy Cabernets all year round. Personally, when the weather is hot; red wine just makes me hotter and sleepier. But everyone’s tastes and likes are different. I’m not writing this blog based on my personal likes and dislikes; I’m writing it to introduce people to new flavors and experiences. Drink what you like!
Nelly Boy gave some great advice on my “Beer Drinkers” blog about chillable red wines. However, there are many reds that are very enjoyable for summer time that do not need to be chilled.
A lot of people, including me, love to barbeque during the summer. In my opinion the best wine to match with BBQ is Zinfandel. Zinfandel has a big fruit flavor with notes of pepper and smoke. These characteristics make it a perfect pair to many types of BBQ. The only thing to be careful about is if you make a very spicy BBQ, the higher alcohol in many Zinfandels will create an unpleasant burning sensation. A great value is Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel which is available at Mount Royal Bottle Shop, Last Chance Liquor, Lake Aire, and Cashwise. If you are looking for something a bit higher end go for Earthquake Zinfandel by Michael David in Lodi. Earthquake is a favorite at the Kitchi Gammi Club and is available at Fitger’s Wine Cellars, Mount Royal Bottle Shop, Lake Aire, and Cashwise.
If Zinfandels have a bit too much spice for you another great BBQ chose would be Petite Sirah/Syrah. Petite Syrah is a completly different grape than Syrah or Shiraz. Petite Syrah is very fruit forward but lacks the spice of a Shiraz. Petite Syrahs are known for their flavors blueberry and plum, this makes them very drinkable with or without food. As with Zinfandels, Bogle Petite Sirah and Michael David Petite Petite are two of my favorites. Bogle is available at Fitger’s Wine Cellars, Mount Royal Bottle Shop, Kenwood Liquors, Last Chance Liquors, Lake Aire, and Cashwise. Petite Petite is available at Cashwise.
Pinot Noirs are a great choice if you are looking for something light that pairs well with many different foods. Cavit is the number one imported and selling Pinot Noir in the United States. It is available at most liquor stores in the area, or go try a glass at Olive Garden. Another great company that is know for their Pinot Noirs is Castle Rock. There are very few drinkable Pinot Noirs under $10 and Castle Rock California Cuvee is one of them. They also produce Pinot Noirs from Mendocino, Central Coast, Monterey, and Russian River. Castle Rock can be found at Mount Royal Bottle Shop, Lake Aire, Last Chance, and Cashwise.
Evoida is a new Granacha from Spain that is very light and fruit forward but still has enough complexity to keep your mouth wanting more. Evoidia is available at Mount Royal Bottle Shop, Fitger’s Wine Cellars, and Cashwise.
Winehaven which is located in Chisago Lakes area in MN. They are the most award winning winery in Minnesota and offer both grape wines and fruit wines. My personal favorite is Rhubarb Wine. Their number one seller is the Honey Wine. Be sure to look for Strawberry Rhubarb that comes out in late June and sells out with a few months.
A great sweet chillable red is Natural Sweet Red by Robertson Winery in South Africa. Robertson makes their Natural Sweets just for the United States. They are sweet but clean and very easy to drink. These wines should be chilled. Try serving them with your favorite fruits. These wines are also very inexpensive and available at Liberty Liquor, Wild West Liquor, and Cashwise.
I hope this gives you an idea for what to sip on while watching your next sailboat race!
As always if you have any specific questions let me know! I love comments and I want to know what everyone is looking for.
White Bean Salad with Barley and Wild Rice
1 cup white beans, cooked
1 cup barley, cooked
1 cup brown rice, cooked
1 cup wild rice, cooked
1 yellow squash, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts
4 scallions, finely chopped
1/3 cup olive oil (more or less to taste)
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar (more or less to taste)
1/4 cup parsley, finely minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Prepare beans, rice and barley separately, according to package directions, and cool to room temperature. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir gently to mix. Chill for 2 hours, or overnight. Serves 4.
Recipe and photo ©2009 Celeste Heiter, published with permission.
A Little Inspiration for Jaded Duluth Cooks
If you work in a kitchen but haven’t really experienced Michelin level cooking this is good learning material. It’s valuable because I’ve eaten at quite a few restaurants in Minnesota where chefs and cooks attempt to be “creative” just for the sake of being creative. It’s like Bobby flay and Jackson Pollock got together and fired up the crack pipe. There’s a lack of thought and process, two things that can take you to new heights as a cook.
Ferran Adria is widely considered the best Chef in the world right now (of haute cuisine) because he has been pioneering new techniques his entire career. He invented various kinds of “foams” and “airs” which offer a nice way to sauce and flavor lightly textured and delicate dishes. He has created Jellies that remain jelly at hot temperatures and even desserts that disappear when they hit your tongue… literally vanishing with only a trace of the flavors he intended (see video).
Even with all of this accomplishment and rock star status in Europe the guy likes simple cooking. If it doesn’t make sense and taste good he doesn’t do it. I think the old saying goes: “self-limitation is the mark of mastery”- something like that. Anyway, that saying applies here. There’s nothing he’d rather eat than peasant food from around Spain when he’s not in his kitchen or his laboratory.- Oh yeah, he has a laboratory. The restaurant El Bulli is only open 6 months of the year, not because it dies in the winter (they get 8 million reservation requests for some 8,000 seats each season) but because he spends the remainder of the year in his lab creating and perfecting new dishes and techniques.
I’ve included two videos here. One of Bourdain eating a number of the courses with Ferran at the chef’s table as well as an extensive conversation (about 1 1/2 hours). If you get time, expand the second video to full screen, grab some wine and enjoy his personality. It’s interesting if you enjoy this kind of thing.
Drink Like You Give A Damn » Etica Wine
Etica is the first “fair trade” wine importer in the United States, and they just happen to be located in Minneapolis MN! This allows us Minnesotans to take full advantage of the high quality Etica has to offer.
What is Fair Trade? (taken from Etica’s Website www.eticawines.com)
Fair Trade is in a sense the same as international and domestic trade. Products cross borders, taxes are paid and people work hard to produce the products. Fair Trade however takes traditional trade to a new level. Fair Trade guarantees what traditional trade cannot; livable wages for producers, knowledge about sustaining local environments, and equal opportunities for all workers.
Fair Trade is responsible commerce based on equal exchange and respect for all people. This unique business model brings together producers and buyers with the common goal of creating sustainable livelihoods. The end result is an exchange of ideas, development of skills and an understanding of the distinct situations in which poverty exists around the world.
Fair Trade empowers producers by guaranteeing fair and livable wages, which in turn helps develop communities. Fair Trade is not only a key solution to alleviating poverty, it also opens up dialogue between people of all races, ethnicities, and economic backgrounds in an effort to develop sustainable solutions for the problems facing the poor and marginalized.
Producers are paid an honest wage for their hard work within the context of their societies, while being offered opportunities for advancement. The goal is to uplift people out of situations where they are dependent on aid to become self-sufficient. Fair Trade helps build lives where people can feed themselves, children can go to school and new business opportunities can develop.
We often forget that every product we consume involves a multitude of people. For many people products magically appear in the store and we as consumers don’t consider how and by whom they are made. We forget that people are often sidelined for profits, human rights ignored and equality dismissed.
By creating relationships and providing markets to those most in need, Fair Trade provides consumers with an ethical choice. It gives you the consumer an opportunity to utilize your purchasing power – one of the strongest mechanisms we have today to bring about change.
Etica’s Green Policy
The choices we make at home and at work directly impact our environment. There are many things we can do as consumers and businesses to lessen our ecological footprint. As a Fair Trade business that promotes sustainable agriculture, Etica is committed to practicing environmental sustainability here at home and abroad.
In the office
Etica uses eco-friendly products and recycled materials, including:
* Energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs
* Recycled paper for marketing materials
* Eco-friendly cleaning supplies
* Biodegradable trash bags and cutlery
* Wine shippers made from recycled material
On the road
As a wine importer and distributor, Etica encompasses many modes of transportation—from cars and trucks, to trains and ships. To offset the effects of CO2 emissions, Etica:
* Contributes annually to the Carbon Fund
* Encourages distributors to turn truck engines off during loading and abide by a “no idling” policy
* Promotes alternative transportations, such as hybrid and bio-diesel vehicles
At the vineyard
Great wine starts with properly managed vineyards. The grapes used in Etica wines are either organically grown, or have been sprayed with copper sulfate—a natural pesticide—only twice per year.
In the future
Etica’s green policy is a constant work-in-progress. As individuals and as a business, we are always looking for ways to lessen our ecological footprint through improved recycling and energy efficient policies. Our goals at home include moving to a green building, owning a bio-diesel delivery truck and starting an employee incentive smart car plan. Abroad, we are committed to working with producers who promote organic and sustainable agriculture.
Soluna Premium Malbec is produced by 19 small family growers, in Mendoza Argentina, who all have less than 1 hectare of grapes. All of the Malbec vines are over 75 years old. The wine is placed into 19 tanks then blended by the wine maker. Soluna Premium Malbec is aged one year in stainless steel with French oak staves. This creates a light and balanced oak flavor. The nose is filled with fruit followed by notes of oak, vanilla, and chocolate. The taste is long and smooth with a lasting velvety finish. Available at Mount Royal Bottle Shop and Cashwise.
Soluna Limited Malbec is a blend of only four of the nineteen previously mentioned growers. Only 5000 cases produced. Soluna Limited Malbec is also aged one year in stainless steel with French oak staves. A bit more refined; it has a bright cherry flavor with well structured tannins. The taste is long with a smooth jammy finish. Available at Mount Royal Bottle Shop, Last Chance Liquor, and Cashwise.
Olifant Grove Chenin Blanc is 100% Chenin Blanc from Western Cape South Africa. Crisp and clean, slightly off dry taste. A great summer wine. Available at Fitrger’s Wine Cellars, Mount Royal Bottle Shop, Last Chance Liquor and Cashwise.
Olifant Grove Pinotage is 100% Pinotage from Western Cape South Africa. This Pinotage is one of the best I’ve ever had with full but light fruit flavors that finish with a touch of spice. Available at Fitrger’s Wine Cellars, Mount Royal Bottle Shop, Last Chance Liquor and Cashwise.
Olifant Grove Cabernet/ Merlot/ Pinotage is 60% Cab, 20% Merlot and 15% Pinotage; also from Western Cape South Africa. Aged in French and American oak for 8 months which gives it a full, tannic structure. This wine is unique in that you can taste all three grapes. The Cab gives it full tannic flavors, the Merlot gives it a lot of fruit, and the Pinotage contributes both fruit and spice. Available at Mount Royal Bottle Shop, Last Chance Liquor and Cashwise.
