Articles
Doeden: Spoonriver owner’s passion inspires tasty rhubarb treat
When you’re on the phone with Brenda Langton, owner of Spoonriver restaurant in Minneapolis, you can hear the smile in her voice, you can sense the sparkle in her eyes and feel the passion in her words.
RELATED CONTENTDoeden: Get creative with hummus
On our way to Hackensack, Minn., to do some last-minute shopping for bee supplies a couple of weeks ago, my beekeeping buddy, Bobbie, and I made a stop at Green Scene in Walker.
RELATED CONTENTDoeden: Edible chia seeds give pudding a powerful nutritional punch
When a friend of mine told me her husband was at the grocery store picking up some chia seeds, I did what anyone who watched television in the 1980s would do. I sang. “You mean, ch-ch-ch-chia?” The catchy tune of the singing chia pet commercial popped right out of my mouth.
RELATED CONTENTDoeden: Luscious soup a second chance for celery
Any other time, I wouldn’t give a second glance to a recipe for celery soup. I use celery when I make a pot of stock, and sometimes I add it to salads and slaws. It goes into mirepoix to use as a flavorful base for sauces, soups and stews. But unless its ribs are filled with peanut butter and dotted with soft raisins, I ignore celery.
RELATED CONTENTDoeden: Gentle hand, good recipe secrets to great Strawberry-Rhubarb Scones
I watched intently as Katie Novotny, owner of St. Paul Classic Cookie Co., dumped dry ingredients into a large metal mixing bowl. She used a knife to slash chunks of chilled butter into the same bowl. It seemed making perfect scones would be quite simple.
RELATED CONTENTDoeden: Early asparagus a treat
Raw or cooked, vegetable from lily family provides a first taste of spring
When the guy at the checkout asked me if asparagus could hold up to freezing temperatures, I thought he was referring to a malfunctioning refrigerator.
Avocado smoothie gets day started with healthy boost
I recently attended the annual conference for the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP), held in New York this year. Breakfast was included on a few of the days. Throughout the large eighth-floor gathering room of the Broadway Millennium hotel, long tables were arranged with a display of help-yourself fresh fruit, small cartons of yogurt and plates of fancy rich pastries, puffy New York bagels and muffins.
RELATED CONTENTKick up your kiwi in this savory salsa
I watched with intrigue as a young woman at the next table picked up her teaspoon and expertly slid the edge of it between the emerald green flesh and thin brown skin of half a fuzzy kiwi she held in her other hand.
RELATED CONTENTSpring rolls to savor: Fresh vegetables, dipping sauce make delicious dish
Four adults lined both sides of the island in my kitchen on a recent Sunday afternoon. Picking and choosing from an array of brightly colored fresh vegetables to include in roll-ups, we looked like young children involved in a pre-school food project, tasting, laughing and chatting as we worked. Or played.
RELATED CONTENTSue Doeden: A flatbread that rises to the occasion
First there was fire. Then there was flatbread. The first hard mixture of hand-ground flour and water was baked in hot ashes or on a stone over flames more than 6,000 years ago. Since then, flatbread has gone global.
RELATED CONTENTColumns
Doeden: Honey from local producers creates delicious cake
It was one ambrosial taste of local honey that began my obsession with what some culinary experts refer to as liquid gold.
RELATED CONTENTDoeden: Un-stuffed Pepper Casserole unforgettable
Skip the meat, load up paprika for taste of Hungarian classic
This time of year, the fragrance of sweet peppers and paprika swirl through my kitchen.
It’s a Hungarian tradition in my family to take some of the first ripe, green bell peppers picked from the garden and stuff them with ground meat, onions, rice and lots of paprika.
Doeden: Sourdough starter makes delicious breads, cakes
If you recall the 1980s, you’ll remember Herman, a sweet, cream-colored goop that got passed around from one friend to another along with a loaf of freshly baked quick bread.
RELATED CONTENTDoeden: Bread baked in skillet a delicious snack
I watched with anticipation as the hostess of an al fresco dinner party I was attending used a pizza cutter to slice a dark, thin round of baked dough into small squares. She told me it was called farinata.
RELATED CONTENTDoeden: Cream cheese spread adds sunshine to packed lunches
While I was waiting in line at the grocery story checkout the other day, I couldn’t help overhearing a conversation between two young mothers. “Are you guys ready for school?” asked a slender young woman wearing short-shorts and a sleeveless top. She was sporting the kind of tan mothers get when they spend the summer at ball parks watching little league games.
RELATED CONTENTDoeden: Skillet supper is quick and delicious
I’ve gained a renewed appreciation for quick suppers from a skillet. As a young mother, that sometimes meant the meal began in a box packaged with everything needed except the meat. These days, I pay much closer attention to every single ingredient that goes into the meals I prepare, and prefer to use fresh ingredients while adding my own seasonings.
RELATED CONTENTDoeden: Almond Peach Cakes with Raspberry-Basil Sauce
I had been working on Almond Peach Cakes for a week, and was sure the recipe was perfect when I mixed up my last batch. I spooned the sweet, peachy batter into a generously buttered muffin tin. I slid the pan into the oven and closed the door.
RELATED CONTENTDoeden: Can’t beet these greens as rich and tasty source of nutrients
I came home from the farmers market the other day with a large round loaf of sourdough bread, tiny potatoes, a few onions and a bulb of fresh garlic. Oh, and a big bag of beet greens.
RELATED CONTENTDoeden: Marinate chicken breasts with pickle juice
Many summers ago, while living in our first house on an all-American kind of street, it was not uncommon for neighbors to gather for an evening meal. Children would play as their dads took charge of a grill filled with chubby bratwurst and Polish sausage.
RELATED CONTENTDoeden: Pre-made dough cuts out cookie mess, time
It was one of those rare times in my days as a young mother when I had a little time to bake. My infant son was finally taking one of his quick catnaps at the same time his big brother, the kindergartener, was playing by himself, pretending to be a sportscaster announcing a basketball game.
RELATED CONTENT
RSS Feeds