Month: September 2012

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Don’t fear the squash!

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Fall is a time for squash.  I have to admit; as a kid, we never ate much squash.  Now, I have seen how good they can be!  Wondering what to do with that garden’s bounty of squash?  Worry no more.  Just recently, I made a butternut squash risotto, which was quite filling and flavorful.  I’ve also used butternut squash to make some tasty from-the-oven french fries.  Chef Fabio has an additional delicious option, with a little squash 101 to start: Butternut Squash Ravioli!

(Spaghetti squash is another of my personal favorites!)

Get the recipe!

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Separating Eggs Tip

Have you struggled to separate the egg white from the egg yolk?  This handy tip provides another way to do it, without using an eggshell. (Don’t worry, you won’t need to know the language to see how it works.)

Courtesy: http://shine.yahoo.com/author-blog-posts/video-shows-simple-egg-separating-trick-using-water-211900997.html

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Prairie Bay

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This is the last (for now) of my vacation-based food reviews from Baxter, MN.  Let me start with a question.  How long do you remember what you had to eat?  Is it possible to go back… a week?  Perhaps- and maybe the memory gets fuzzy after that.  Good food should inspire a good memory- and I still remember what I had (Coconut shrimp and pasta!) when I first visited Prairie Bay, more than a year ago.  (This was a eagerly-awaited repeat trip!)

It is easy to notice the welcoming and classy ambiance right upon entering.  I visited with my wife and sister-in-law for lunch, and the restaurant was busy, but not overly noisy or cluttered.  The most difficult part was choosing what to have with expectations of such delicious food.  I eventually decided on the Chorizo Mango Cilantro Tasty O- their wood-oven take on ham and pineapple pizza.  Now, I am quite a fan of ham and pineapple, but I am also quite devoted to complex and tasty flavors.  This pizza certainly handled my pizza craving while hitting the sweet/salty notes expected from ham and pineapple, plus providing the complexity I desired.  The cilantro was the perfect flavor to complement the chorizo, which was tempered by the mango and the cheese.  The pizza crust is excellent- one of the best I have found.  My food was delivered quickly and was a generous portion, well worth the price.  We did not order dessert this time, but I recall the desserts we shared last time were sumptuous without being pricy.  They offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and my only regret is not being able to try something from each menu yet!  If you are in the area, create yourself a vivid meal memory, and eat at Prairie Bay.

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“Who gives a bean?” Pasta e Fagioli!

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There’s no doubt about it, we’re creeping closer to fall.  As Fabio points out, it’s a great time for soup- in this case, Pasta e Fagioli.  Chef Fabio gives a little bean education to help pick the perfect bean.  I like the addition of the fennel. I personally love the flavor it adds as the star in a risotto.  Give the recipe a try!

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Shine!

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Another wonderful restaurant we found on our trip to Baxter, MN was the Sunshine/Moonshine.  We visited on a recommendation and ate with my wife’s brother and his wife.  We arrived at the restaurant for lunch and were greeted and waited on quickly.  The food did not take long to arrive- I was hungry for some Pad Thai, so it was the Thai Peanut for me.  It was a generous portion of noodles and vegetables; I opted not to add chicken.  The peanut sauce was excellent- perhaps a bit spicier than I was expecting, but flavorful nonetheless.  The dish certainly satisfied my craving and was very reasonably priced for the amount of food I received.  The included egg roll was a tasty bonus.  I’d highly recommend a visit!