I was thinking (about food)

Where Have I Been? Writing, Thinking about Food, Just not Here

2011-08-30T20:37:00.000-07:00

I've been away for a while at school, then work. I've written sporadicly for HubPages under the avatar "Brupie". I have mixed feelings about HubPages: on the one hand, it is convenient and puts your work into a community context where writers share; on the other hand, there is a lot of low quality articles or "Hubs" and an environment obsessed with SEO and monetizing. Why don't you stop by

Looking Back on 2009 Resolutions

2009-12-27T08:24:00.000-08:00

When I made my kitchen resolutions in 2009 I had a different outlook: I was working for a large food manufacturing company; I was a part-time student crawling unenthusiastically toward an Accounting degree, and my financial situation was, if not enviable, certainly stable. As I plan for 2010, my perspective is much different: I lost my job. I've discovered there are few aspects of business I

10 Reasons I'm Letting My Subscription to Cook's Illustrated Lapse

2009-09-21T04:43:00.000-07:00

The beautiful hand drawings on the back covers of Cook's Illustrated sealed it for me. I'll miss those wonderful back cover drawings - varieties of flat breads including not just pita, naan and lavosh, but Ethiopian injera too. These were real foodies! Root vegetables on the back of another issue. Pumpkins, plain and unusual on a third. I'd gotten serious about food, and Cook's Illustrated

Challah - a first attempt

2009-09-18T16:13:00.000-07:00

Of my kitchen New Year's resolutions, I didn't set out with the goal of making challah, but I wanted to expand my range of baking beyond baguettes. So far I've made: Sandwich loaves, Italian loaves, dinner rolls, rye (not a hit in the house), potato flour hamburger buns (underbaked and too mushy to be satisfying), and now challah. The smell alone was a reward.Of the many lessons from my

More Food Fun at the Fair

2009-09-08T20:39:00.000-07:00

The Minnesota State Fair is all about food on a stick. We trekked about with a not-so-impressed guest, so I didn't get the coverage I'd hoped for, but here is a sample:

Cheese Curds

2009-08-29T07:40:00.000-07:00

I was at the fair yesterday. Keep an eye on this spot, there will be more to come.

Watch this Space

2009-08-28T14:59:00.000-07:00

You may want to turn your volume down before viewing. Blogger isn't great at that kind of control.

If You're Looking for a Potato Chip ...

2009-08-27T18:03:00.000-07:00

"If you're looking for a potato chip, you'll be disappointed by anything that isn't a potato chip."With these wise words my wife encapsulated my torturous attempts to explain why the FoodShouldTasteGood brand Potato and Chive flavored chips were so good on my first tasting, but somehow disappointing on the second. It is a matter of expectations. The bag tells you although it is a "tortilla"

St. Paul Cheese Shop

2009-08-11T12:46:00.000-07:00

Her exact words escape me, but when the sign in our neighborhood first went up for the St. Paul Cheese Shop, my daughter said something like, "God must really like you." I don't know how God feels, but the cheese shop has been opened for about two months, and I've eaten some very good cheese.Twin Citizens and residents of the Macalester-Groveland neighborhood probably know the St. Paul Cheese

Trader Joe's

2009-08-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

The wildly popular west coast chain Trader Joe's finally opened its St. Paul branch on Lexington Pkwy in June, and if my three visits are a fair representation, St. Paulites love the place. I've found a wine I love (not three buck Chuck), a couple great food buys, lots of fun store brands and a disappointment at the produce section.Friends who spent time in California rued the loss of their

Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce

2009-07-23T14:28:00.000-07:00