Questionable

YAY! - A blog post

I really didn't want this blog to turn into all cancer all the time, but that's apparently what happened. I just don't have the energy or creativity to write much else right now. But, I do have a few non-cancer updates.

Did you know that you if you donate "to a Minnesota political party, a candidate for state office, or candidates for the Minnesota Legislature, you are eligible to apply for a refund of a portion of your contribution(s)?" In other words, you can give up to $50 per person and get it back by filing a form found on the linked-to site. Apparently, the republicans take advantage of this far more than the democrats. So, get cracking, folks.

Every year the Strib has a holiday cookie contest and publishes the top five or six recipes in the paper. J noticed the pictures and excitedly mused that he'd like to try the double-chocolate-cherry espresso drops, the winning cookie. Cherry-chocolate-espresso is one of his favorite flavor combinations so I had already toyed with the idea of making them for him. Now, I never bake cookies. Never. I DON'T BAKE. Baking is messy and requires accuracy. But, I have free time and knew that I could keep it together long enough to make one batch of two-dozen cookies. And, J said he would help. So, last night we made the cookies. I have a really, really, really old Mixmaster that travels across the counter as it spins, so the baking event was rather humorous. I measured and mixed while he cleaned around me, prepared the baking sheets, and placed the dough balls on the parchment paper. Guess what? These are some of the best cookies I've ever had. Really. And, you could also make them with other chip flavors if you'd like to be creative. Here is the recipe:

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE-CHERRY ESPRESSO DROPS
Makes about 2 dozen.
Note: Our contest winner comes from Faith Ford in Big Lake, Minn.
• 1 tbsp. instant espresso powder
• 1 tbsp. boiling water
• 1 c. flour
• 3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 c. granulated sugar
• 1/4 c. packed dark brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 c. chopped dried cherries
• 3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• White almond bark for decoration, optional

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, mix instant espresso powder and water and reserve. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and reserve. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and granulated sugar until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add dark brown sugar and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add egg and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Add vanilla extract and reserved espresso mixture and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Stir in cherries and chocolate chips.

Using a 1-inch scoop, drop cookie dough on prepared baking sheets, spacing dough 2 inches apart. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes; because cookie is very dark, it's difficult to tell if they are overbaked. Watch center of cookies; when they lose their gooey quality, they are done. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. In a microwave oven, or using a double boiler over gently simmering water, melt almond bark and lightly drizzle over cookies, optional.

Note: We did the almond bark drizzle and think it works best with it. The hint of sweetness takes cuts the bittersweet chocolate a bit.

And, finally, Squab tagged me a few days ago. I'm finally responding:

1. Five names you go by
a) Lisa
b) leelabell
c) Lala
d) Lee
e) Lees

2. Three things you are wearing right now:
a) Head scarf
b) Slippers
c) Sweatshirt

3. Two things you want very badly at the moment:
a) To be done with chemo
b) To have no cancer reoccurance

4. Two things you did last night (Wednesday, 12/10):
a) Baked cookies
b) Fell more in love with Pushing Daisies, which is unfortunately ending in four episodes.

5. Two things you ate/drank today:
a) Pistachos
b) Apple Jacks

6. Two people you last talked to on the phone:
a) My mom
b) Jaana

7. Two things you are going to do tomorrow:
a) Two medical tests - PFTs and a MUGA
b) Maybe see a movie

8. Two longest car rides:
a) Sheboygan to Wyoming
b) Sheboygan to Colorado

9. Two of your favorite beverages:
a) Diet Coke
b) Newcastle

AND ANOTHER:

Pick a color for the things that you have done. Mine are in red letters.
I have…
1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightning at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Skied a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Ridden an elephant

FAIL!

We just got a brand new Rainbow near our house. I'm pretty excited about this grocery store because we actually don't have many decent options that are nearby. The newish Cub is dirty and gross. The Byerlys is expensive. And, the SuperTarget gives me heart palpitations. It is always so crowded and the selection is horrible. After our first visit to Rainbow last week, I'll continue to visit. The selections are generally good, the place is clean, and the prices are right. But I'll also keep my expectations low, since this is what happened when we went to the meat counter.

J: Do you have grass fed beef?
Clerk: What's that?

Lazy Linking

Just the other day, I was just thinking about the pink and white frosted animal cookies I used to love. Then, today, this horrid news:

Mother's Cookies, an Oakland institution for 92 years, has been shuttered, its owner seeking bankruptcy protection for the company.

Have you seen The Speech Accent Archive? I could spend hours weeding through the voice samples listening to the variety of English accents.

The speech accent archive uniformly presents a large set of speech samples from a variety of language backgrounds. Native and non-native speakers of English read the same paragraph and are carefully transcribed. The archive is used by people who wish to compare and analyze the accents of different English speakers.

Sexist? Hilarious? Sad? Welcome? Popular Mechanics has published a list of 100 skills every man should know. Is it okay if I know how to do some of these things? What if J doesn't? I was going to prattle on about how stupid some of them are ("Make a drum-tight bed" and "Drop and give the perfect push up" are two that come to mind), but why? I'm too tired to care.

Have you ever grocery shopped in your freezer?

After the previous night's nightmare of a meal, I was dreading grocery shopping on Sunday. Even though I write about our night's out here, we eat out only on the weekends, so we do need to grocery shop. Grocery shopping has become shocking. Each time we go, it seems it gets more and more expensive. So this past Sunday, we started cleaning out the freezer looking for things to eat. We found two pork chops and a pack of organic chicken breasts. Well, that's two meals (actually more, the chicken is going in soup) we didn't need to shop for this week. Sadly, after finding these two really good things, we don't have that much expensive stuff left in the freezer. There are vegetables, vegetarian burgers, some Lean Cuisines, and maybe some frozen soup (which I think wasn't very good, which is why it got frozen in the first place). Our cupboard has already been cleaned out. We still have pasta, cans of beans, some croûtons (which I shouldn't buy, but really love), and some other staples, but not much to make a complete meal out of.

I am dreading that I'm actually going to have to start thinking about really cooking. Right now, it is easy. We have some meat, made in the oven or now on the grill, and then eat a grain like cous-cous, and a salad or fruit or nothing. But cutting back on the meat will come soon enough and then I'll have to think about more beans and such, which I like, but require more forethought. Yes, I know we could skip one of our weekend night's out, and it may come to that, but for now, we're trying to preserve our weekends and make cuts during the week. Stupid ethanol, stupid oil companies, stupid president.

French fried

You know what I am supposed to be doing right now? Working on my dissertation. Instead, I am procrastinating while waiting anxiously for my chair to send back comments to a really rough draft of chapter four. I've even rewritten chapter three, to the degree that I can, but I am reluctant to start chapter five. If she hates four, most of the work I do on five will be for nothing. I could continue my scour of the library databases for new and exciting articles and dissertations, but instead I'm writing about my weekend. So there, stupid dissertation gods.

J is a bit of a language savant. It drives me nuts. See, I'm the one with the good memory. He, quite literally, can't find his way home sometimes. I don't get how you can speak Spanish after two weeks of lessons, but can't find the local grocery store. Anyway, French is his strongest foreign language, so I picked out a French film for us to see last Saturday night. It got good reviews and I knew he'd enjoy listening to it. Roman de Gare was a nice little mystery with compelling stories and some good scenery. Sometimes watching non-US stuff is great because of how normal the actors appear. You know, they have wrinkles around their eyes and slightly crooked teeth. And the French seem to like the really close face shots which emphasize every little pimple. Same is true for MI-5 (a series called Spooks in the UK - highly recommended for the social commentary, watching the UK's approach to dealing with terrorism, and the physically imperfect, but excellent actors). My only complaint is that the subtitlers were clearly French. Sometimes their English word choices were more hilarious than accurate.

The movie was at the Edina, so we decided it would just be easiest to eat around the corner at Salut, a pretend French brasserie brought to us by the people who also own Chino Latino, Muffuletta, Manny's, etc. This place drove me nucking futs. First, the waiter was one of those super, obnoxious, cheerful types. You know the ones, who might just sit down next to you if you give them the room. Then, when he brought out the amuse-bouche he very slowly explained to us what it was. In a manner that was so condescending, I wanted to throw the food at him. We know what an amuse-bouche is and, even if we didn't, he did not need to speak as if we were not native English speakers, in that very hesitant voice. And sadly, that little piece of cucumber with mustard and a bit of sausage was the best thing about the full meal.

I started with a frisee salad with bacon and egg. I don't like hard boiled eggs, so I gave mine (one) to J. The bacon was good, but there was very little dressing to cut the bitterness of the frisee, so I left most of that. Then, I ordered a croque monsieur. Which is basically, a hot ham sammy served on good French bread, covered with melted cheese. The bread and cheese were hits, but the ham was so salty it was inedible. I left it on the plate. J also had a salad and a sammy. They were fine. He is easier to please when it comes to "cheap" food than I am. He is pickier when he is spending really big money on a meal. My sammy came with fries, which are supposed to be the best in town, as touted by some local magazine. They're not. Really skinny is fine, but only if they're crispy. These weren't. I got a bowl full of fry mush. Mmmm. Not. We also both ordered one drink. I had a yummy grapeish martini and he had something non-alcoholic. Okay, I admit, I didn't look at the price of my martini, but when we got the bill I almost threw up. I was so disturbed, I was tempted to ask for a box for my lump of ham figuring I could put it in soup or something. MY MARTINI WAS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN MY SAMMY! WTF is that about? Yes, I know it is my fault for not being more attentive. I could have lived with it if the meal was good, but it really wasn't. We just spent way too much on a crappy meal, which was capped off by an almost-$11 martini. I'm still sick about it.

Save the Candy Raisins

Remember when I briefly mentioned Candy Raisins? They are a Wisconsin candy that I loved as a kid, but haven't had in a long time. Since I posted that I've been thinking about eating them again. Mom is on the hunt for a bag for me.

Coincidentally, guess what was just published in the Milwaukee paper? An article about how they might be discontinued. Apparently, Wisconsin candy maker, Stark, sold itself to an east coast joint. Since then, some of the Wisconsin products are being manufactured in MA (like the original candy hearts with the sayings), while others are being discontinued. The factory in WI is being shuttered at the end of May.

Of course, true Wisconsinites are up in arms over this development and have created a website to express their dismay and to collect signatures to Save the Candy Raisins. The MA factory has the capability to manufacture the candy raisins, but has, as of yet, not agreed to continue production. I signed it and recommend all you Wisconsinites who read this do the same.

P.S. Do you know how I found out about this story? My mom saw my post on my blog. When the article appeared in the Milwaukee paper a few weeks later, she cut it out. Last week she needed to return a book to me, so she sent along the article. Isn't that cute?

Restaurant Roundup

Duplex - J and I visited on a Friday night after seeing In Bruges at the Uptown. (I finally had to give in and see this excellent movie at the Uptown, as much as I hate the place, since the movie never went anywhere else. This flick should have got some traction, but didn't. I'm guessing people thought it was too dark. But I loved it.) We had been planning on visiting Duplex for a long time, but aren't generally inclined to go to Uptown restaurants.

The first floor was fairly empty when we arrived. There is also seating on the second floor, but we never got up there. Even so, we were seated in a kind of dark and boring side room without any energy. Why we weren't allowed to sit in the bring front room near the hubbub and the bar wasn't clear. But after we arrived they sat another couple right next to us, which was also weird since the front room had plenty of tables and now we had other patrons right on top of us (who had a box fan sitting under their table).

Both of us were starving, so we ordered the poutine as an appetizer. If you don't know what poutine is, you should try it once in your life. It is a combination of french fries, melted cheese curds, and brown gravy. So deliciously bad and indulgent. I have no idea how it compares to the original poutine in Canada, but if I were in ever in need of emotional support through food, I'd go back to Duplex for the poutine.

For our main courses, I ordered taquitos with tofu. I should have known better, but didn't realize they'd be fried. I know that taquitos are normally fried, but somehow had it in my head that they would be served like a taco. After the poutine, I really didn't want more fried food. I was really hoping for a fresh, light dish. To make matters worse, they were boring. Not much flavor, other than fried tortilla.

Duplex is probably better known for its main courses, but I never tried any of them. At some point we'll probably go back and order differently and with better forethought. And I know, regretfully, we won't order the poutine.

Punch Pizza - Punch is our go-to place on a weekend when we don't know what else to eat. As much as I love their pizza, I often stick with the Punch salad. Mixed greens, a bit of prosciutto , pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese covered with a great balsamic and served with a bit of baked crust is all I need to be satisfied. The small is around $4 and the large is around $7. A really good meal at a really good price.

Strippin' trip two - A few weeks ago, I wrote about the greatness that is the Strip Club. We went again, this time with other people, and had another superb meal. My brothers both ordered the NY Strip. My brother's girlfriend had a different cut of meat and J and I shared the pork for two. The pork came with Brussels sprouts (one of my favorite foods on the planet) and mashed potatoes. We had an excellent server who plied us with different mixed drinks and wine pours. We got silly and laughed heartily. The staff joined us in our revelry. I can't recommend this place enough.

Psycho Suzi's - We've been here many times, often in the summer to sit on their patio and consume tiki drinks. When my brother visited, we tried again. We didn't really eat a meal here and mostly just munched on hummus and bread or ham and pickle roll-ups (why do I like these so much?). But we did order one pizza for all us to share. It was pretty basic (cheese and sausage, I think) to accommodate my bland pizza needs. However, I have to say it was really good. Much better than expected for a place that doesn't really specialize in food.

El Patio (Downtown St. Paul Mexican) - I saw a mouse. 'Nuff said.

Red Stag - I should really write a separate post for Red Stag. If you haven't read about it, it is the first LEED-CI registered restaurant in MN. From their website, "The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings."

I've been there twice. The first time was for lunch. My companion and I split a salad and split a squash pasta dish. After that first visit, I was sort of "eh" about the whole experience. The salad, their version of the chop including mixed greens, rice, pomegranate, blood orange, cheese, and bacon-like ham hock, was incredibly small. We ordered the large (for $12 and split it), but what we got was less than a regular side salad. And I found the flavors sort of boring. We also split the butternut squash ravioli. Again, a very small dish, which again was under-seasoned. After this experience, I wasn't sure I'd be back. But J really wanted to try the place. They have lots of weird items on the menu (like roasted bone marrow) so the place is right up his alley.

Saturday night, we arrived at 10 p.m. and still had to wait to be seated. The place is extremely popular and exceedingly busy. Reservations are recommended. But once at our table, our server was friendly and efficient. One of the best perks is that diners are given the option of fizzy or still water. J loved this. He is a big La Croix drinker. Another lovely touch is the inclusion of a small bread basket with both butter and a garlic dipping sauce. The best part of the bread basket are the homemade garlicky, salty crackers that go well with either topping.

I started my meal with an order of Brussels sprouts (I told you I love them) followed by the same salad. (I know; why order the same salad again if I didn't like it the first time? Well, I decided this is the type of salad I should like, so it deserved another chance.) What a difference a second visit makes. This time it was plentiful, flavorful, and gorgeous. At dinner it is the same price as lunch, so I'm not sure why the volume changed. If I knew I'd get that salad at every visit, I'd probably never order anything else. J ordered the garlic and onion bisque followed by the elk stroganoff. Neither are things I would find interesting. However, he liked them both and especially praised the stroganoff for its originality. 

We also received a complimentary dish from our server, that neither of us would have ordered, but, for free, it was fun to try. Called the butcher plate, it came with potted duck, pig in a blanket, a scotch egg, a bunch of toast, and really good, grainy mustard. I actually didn't try either the scotch egg or the potted duck, but the pig in a blanket was a small (about two-inch) long sausage of some sort wrapped with a dough, that mixed with the mustard was a very nice little treat. J didn't like the potted duck (too rich, cooked in fat), but did find the egg good in an unusual sort of way. I can't exactly remember the details, but there was an outer deep-fried egg around another hard-boiled egg.

Red Stag also has a good beer and wine selection and a long bar where lots of people hang and eat small plates. The larger items on the menu can get expensive, but it is possible to eat cheaply if you stick with the small plates (like the Brussels sprouts).

Cadburry love?

You know how I said that I hated Cadburry Eggs? Well, here is a reason to love them. In the UK, they put out a series of egg snuff film ads that can be found here. Or on youtube here.

Here is one of the funnier ones.

Eatin' meat at the Strip Club

I have a love-hate relationship with beef. I've never, never liked steaks, but I have flirted with hamburgers. I ate them until about the time I graduated college. Then I rarely ate them because I couldn't afford to buy beef or go out to eat. After not eating beef for so long, my stomach couldn't digest it so I stopped trying. Then a few years ago, I started introducing an occasional hamburger back into my diet. Last year, I discovered organic, grass fed beef hamburgers. After my first one, I was hooked. There is something about the flavor of grass fed hamburgers that make them so much more palatable than regular ones. I've become a hamburger snob. Grass fed or nothing for me. So I've been anxiously waiting to try the Strip Club. Opened by the guys who run Town Talk (one of my fav restaurants), this Dayton's Bluff restaurant (it is right next to Metro State) focuses on locally sourced, organic meats. Because the place has been completely packed since it opened, we decided to go on a weeknight.

The dinner menu consists of a number of small plates, a few sammys, and full meals consisting of beef, pork, fish, or bird. At first, we were going to pick a few small plates, but then we each decided to order our own things. I started with beans and toast, which is exactly what you expect it to be. The white beans with sage were particularly flavorful. J had the walleye fritters which were good. My one complaint with this portion of the meal is that our appetizers came out at two different times. J was completely finished with his fritters before I even received my beans. The server said that this is just how it is done. Stuff comes out when it is done. If we ordered a bunch of small plates, I could see this happening (sort of like at a tapas restaurant). But we clearly ordered two appetizers and two main courses.

For our main course, J ordered beef ball tip steak and I ordered the hamburger. I was surprised at J's choice because I've probably seen him eat two steaks in our entire relationship. He ordered it medium rare and it came a little more rare than medium (coldish in the inside, a little hard to cut), but he enjoyed it. My hamburger was to die for. Literally. I'd have that hamburger and fries as my last meal. I particularly liked that it came perfectly medium. So often in this town, beef is overcooked. The fries were perfectly made and seasoned and came with homemade ketchup. I was worried about the ketchup. I like my Heinz. But I was pleasantly surprised. It was sweet enough, served cold (warm ketchup should be outlawed), and had a smoky flavor. My only complaint here was that I was served with the tiniest amount of ketchup and had to ask for more.

It did take a very long time between courses. I was fine to wait, but it was a school night, so we didn't want to be out too late. They may have to tighten the timing up on things if the big weekend crowds keep coming. The other problem with waiting is that we were seated upstairs with a good view of downtown St. Paul. However, it was so hot up there I could barely stand it.

At the end of our meal, the chef came up and chatted for a bit. He used to cook at Muffuletta (the restaurant in my neighborhood) and I liked his stuff there, but I much prefer the food at the Strip Club. We decided to order dessert because it was trifle. There are really only three occasions when I'll order dessert: 1) My birthday. 2) When profiteroles are on the menu. 3) When trifle is on the menu. We took our dessert at the bar because it was probably 10 degrees cooler down there. The views aren't as good, but since I was almost at passing out stage, I didn't really care. This trifle was very good, but by this time I was so full I couldn't eat much. J ate most of it. It was creamy, chocolaty, crunchy, and fruity - all things a good trifle must have.

When Town Talk opened I went on a kick of eating there all the time. I suspect the same thing will happen with the Strip Club. We are already planning on going again next Thursday when my brother (the dad) is in town for a few nights. Maybe at our next visit, J and I will try the pork for two. I'm drooling already.

Bunches of restaurants

I used to write up a weekly summary of restaurants visited the previous weekend, but I'm behind and likely not going to catch up. I should just start fresh and I will soon, but for now, here's a list of some of our recent eating adventures.

Boca Chica in S. St. Paul - Everyone loves this place but me. However, I finally found something on the menu I like.

Spill the Wine - Great bar atmosphere. Better than the dining room.

Mama's on Rice St. in St. Paul - Completely renovated. Good cheap Italian. Still haven't had the pizza.

Punch - The punch salad is one of the best salads in town and a small is only $5.