The Weekly Whisk - 8/1/22
Musings from a foodie…
Tips From The Experts For Starters – Since beginning my two month mobile trip across the Upper Midwest with Suzanne, Toto and Lole it’s become clear that my culinary experiences will be “mooching” off of friends than eating out. So, I’m going to shift a bit for the most popular portion of my blog – “The Weekly Whisk” and discuss food but also other culinary findings. For starters, the James Beard Foundation recently announced their picks recently announced their picks for the 2022 James Beard Awards. Make sure you check out the listing of awards as it will serve as a guide for any culinary experiences you may want to encounter as you travel throughout the USA this coming Fall. For starters, the 2022 “Top Restaurant” of the year is Chai Pani, [* * * * * *] based in Asheville, NC. The dining experience based on everything I’ve read is outstanding along with the Indian culinary experience. I can’t wait to visit – which will be down the road. BTW – the wait list is long so if you’re headed to Asheville, plan ahead! And, the “Best New Restaurant” is Owamni in Minneapolis, MN. The approach of the restaurant is to offer up indigenous bird, fish and game culinary delights accompanied by indigenous plants, farm varieties and local produce. It’s a very unique menu that especially calls out the traditional foods of Native Americans from the Upper Midwest. I can’t wait to travel to Minneapolis and check it out.
Moochdocking and More – As noted, we’re on a mobile trip across the Upper Midwest visiting friends, family and local sites. Due to my culinary interests, everyone that we are visiting seems to be pulling out all of the stops for meals. I’m coming up with some great ideas for home cookin’. Our friends and family are really going all out. I’ll be posting recipes and so far, they’ve all been exceptionally good [* * * * and * * * * *] quality. The only problem is that most of the meals were prepared by friends and unavailable to culinary explorers. That’s why I’m attempting to post as many recipes as possible. Enjoy!! Here’s a brief overview of the culinary delights so far:
Day 1: Shrimp & Feta / Caesar Salad / Peach Tart
Day 2: Breakfast was an absolute delight with one of my favorite Greek dishes, Spanakopita. It was accompanied by Fruit Salad and an assortment of breakfast offerings. For dinner we had a traditional steak on the grill. It was accompanied by plain rice and a special Grilled Butternut Squash glazed with maple syrup. We finished off the evening with a Blueberry Cobbler made with Michigan Blues!
Day 3: The next morning we went to the Old School Café [* * * * *] and it was a fabulous bistro!!. They offered up a Salmon Benedict for me that was absolutely fabulous primarily because of the care given to the Hollandaise Sauce. However, the piece de resistance was their fresh Cinnamon Rolls. Oy Vey!! They were the best one’s I’ve had since the days of Grandma. I’d go back there in a micro-minute if I were in the area = Naples, New York – and, as we visit our friends again – I’ll make sure we stop in.
Day 4: We were on the road and took advantage of our stop-over to microwave some leftovers. A repeat of the Spanakopita (from breakfast) and Butternut Squash (from dinner) provided a great way to start the day…
Day 5: One of my weaknesses from my days in North Dakota is fresh Northern Pike Whitefish. My mentor and his Sous Chef remembered and prepared an absolutely wonderful Roasted Whitefish with Lemon, Sesame and Breadcrumbs dusted with Oregano and Thyme. The recipe calls for Za’tar as an alternative. It was completed with a Lemon Zest and accompanied by Salad & a Baked Potato. The best of the best was left to last where our friends had purchased a fresh Cherry Pie from the local market made with seasonal Michigan Cherries. I haven’t had pie like that since my days with Grandma who always based a fresh Apple and Cherry pie when we visited their home in Nebraska. These cherries were sweeter than anything Grandma ever had but – that’s those Michigan Cherries!! They are special
Day 6: We had a mixed Mushroom Lasagna, Salad and Fresh Corn on the Cob – my favorite vegetable with only butter and salt. They made extra corn just for me and my appetite!! Then, following dinner we had a delightful Biscuit Tortoni, an Italian dessert made with Ice Cream, almonds, Amaretto liqueur. If you go to the site above, you’ll find the recipe. My friends even made a second one to “share”. Boy – this Moochdocking thing is quite wonderful…
I’ll continue to monitor the culinary pleasures of moochdocking and, if I find any culinary specialties and/or restaurants you should check out while traveling the Upper Midwest – I’ll report them out. My hope is that all of my readers are having a good summer…that you’re all fully vaccinated and scheduling your boosters 😊…that Russia will finally go home…that we can get back to making health care better, more equitable and more affordable for people throughout the USA – as well as the world! Enjoy the waning days of summer…
