Good Friday. Very Good Friday.

Good Friday.
It all started with some cod fish, and some fresh asparagus on sale. The frozen cod package has a suggested recipe on the back: "Cod Herb de Provence". Unfortunately, I do not the "Herb de Provence", so I substitute with a mix of basil, parsley, thyme and even some chopped green onions. And I called that "herb de Friday" :) Very simple and quick recipe. But I found it very plane to not sautee the vegetables, so I put them back on a skillet after the baking to finish them up.

Cod in Herb de "Friday"
12 oz Cod Fillet, around 2-3 fillets
5-6 stocks of asparagus, sliced thin
1 tomato, diced
1/2 onion
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 cup mushrooms
1 tsp butter
1/4 cup white wine

Herb de Friday: basil, parsley, thyme, mixed for 1/2 tsp. Throw in a green onion, finely chopped.

Heat the oven to 425 degF. Cut the parchment paper into around 18 inch long. Place each of the thawed cod fillet into the center of the parchment paper. Divide the vegetables and the herb into equal portions, and place them on the fillets and top with around 1/2 tsp of butter. Fold the parchment paper so to create an envelope, and fold over the edges to seal the pouch. Place the pouches onto a glass baking pan, splash with the white wine and bake for 15-20 minutes. Test to see if the vegetables are done and the fillets are flaky.
My vegetables were thoroughly cooked after the 20 minutes time, yet the fillet was quite done. So I took out the fillets and returned all the juice/soup and vegetables into a skillet for a quick heat. This actually add a bit of sautee taste to it than the otherwise-baked-vegetables.



A good dinner was followed by good desserts. Or more like, good party. It was my good friend's birthday that night, and a very very extremely talented girl made this cake for the party.

Angry Birds!

 This is really something. And we didn't even get to eat it. I mean, who could be so cruel to kill those birds and pigs?

It was such a good night. A very Good Friday. Too bad the weekend is over now.

Persillesovs is Parsley Sauce

Don't ask me how to pronounce it. Persillesovs. Persillesovs. It's Parsley Sauce in Danish.
I know I love cooking Asian food. I love eating French cuisine. And yet, I have no idea what Danish cuisine consists of.

My first attempt on Danish food: Persillesovs. It's a sauce generally used on boiled potatoes. More commonly served with fried thick bacon, and called Stegt flæsk med persille sovs 
Another word I would not attempt to pronounce. Browsing through all the recipes and thinking of incorporating my day-to-day Rosemary Garlic Pork Loin with a little Danish infusion, I found this Persillesovs recipe to go with the boiled potatoes. Never know what do they eat anyway. Why not give it a try?

Persillesovs (Parsley Sauce)

2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1/2 tbsp salt (or to taste)
1 1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped parsley

Melt butter in a sauce pot (look how cute my petite sauce pot is!! *cough, sorry. I got  a little carried away.).  Add in flour. Remove it from heat and stir in milk slowly. Stir constantly and keep adding milk till the desired consistency has reached. Add in salt to taste. Finally, add in the chopped parsley. Serve over hot boiled potatoes.

Sorry. It's that easy and uninteresting. After melting the butter and adding in the flour, I got a little confused. I had no idea what the "desired consistency" was supposed to be?! Flour and butter just clumped together, and it kept soaking in the milk! I finally transferred it to a small bowl to allow the mixture to cool off before adding in more milk, and it did reached a light creamy (almost like chowder soup) consistency.
This is not only a great sauce for simple potatoes, but also pairs pretty well with the roasted pork loin. Light parsley flavored creamy sauce over the rosemary garlic pork loin, it definitely was a pleasant surprise from the Danish.

Taste of Nation Tickets here!!!!

Dear all my invisible readers,

Thanks for your support all this time. You, one of those that could be RSS-ing my blog, google-reading my blog or favorited my blog on your toolbar. Thank you all for your transparentency and gentle comments. So transparent and gentle that I can hardly see them. My google comment box/button has been so relaxed all this time, without you stressfully clicking on it to leave a comment. Thank you!

However, this should change a little bit now. Your silence has been well appreciated, but NOW ITS THE TIME to speak up! Becasue, I HAVE TASTE OF NATION TICKETS FOR FREE!!!

Taste of Nation Minneapolis

Thursday, June 24, 2010

6:00 - 11:00 p.m.

The Guthrie Theater

818 South 2nd Street

Minneapolis, MN 55415

 

"Since 1988, Share our Strength has been putting on Taste of the Nation events that raise critical funds for the most effective nonprofit organizations working to end childhood hunger. The Taste of the Nation Minneapolis' HOTlist event has been one of the 40 by premier culinary events across the United States and Canada supporting Share Our Strength's efforts by ensuring 100% of event ticket sales go toward ending childhood hunger in and around the Twin Cities."

You might have already be donating or doing your part for different charities, but now, we get to celebrate with a room full of people who share the same mission or goal with you: help childhood hunger. We are lucky to have experienced all these amazing cuisine around the world. Let's not forget the children we left behind.


Of course, it's not entirely free. I have to thank FoodBuzz and Taste of Nation for giving me this chance to go to the event to cover and spread the words for them. Big Thank-you to them.

So, here's the trick. My beloved invisible readers. Please be visible now! (or whatever that equivalent to Harry Potter's magic spell) Comment on this post, reply to my questions, and I will randomly pick a reader and you could be attending this event for free! Meet the people who share the same taste in food, have the same desire for a better world and the love for the children.

Please comment! It'd be great to finally meet my readers! Thanks! (for real this time)

Question: Since I mostly do restaurant reviews, it would only be strange if I don't ask my readers what their favorite restaurants are. So, What is your favorite restaurant in the Twin Cities?

I'm a Michigan Wolverine!

Time flies. It has been two years since I graduated from college, and a year since I last visited. I'm lucky to be able to go back twice since I graduated, but this probably is the last time I'd ever go. I miss school, I miss my friends and I miss my youth. But I'm still happy to be where I am right now. Nothing beats making money and not living on college budget anymore...

When I said I wanted to eat Korean food, I meant it. There's practically no Korean food existed in Minneapolis/St. Paul. The only one I found was in Columbia Heights and close at 8pm everyday... My first food craving wasn't Zingerman, but Seoul Garden.

Grilled/BBQ meat wrapped with fresh leaf green and green onion salad.

Spicy pork, Korean Kal Bi beef, and marinated chicken. Yummm! So full and the only thing I dislike about Korean bbq is the smoky smell at the end of the meal.... Desperately needed to shower.

But instead of heading back to shower. We went around the Central campus and just had to stop by Stucchi's Ice Cream. 

White Russian, Strawberry Cheesecake and Chocolate Mint Chips flavors, with gummy bears  and raspberry toppings. Yea, you heard it right. Gummy bears and raspberry.... Not a good combo. As adventurous as I am, gummy bears with ice cream just doesn't seem right...

I thought the Pizza House would be jammed packed during the graduation weekend brunch. Surprisingly it was casually empty. It had been a long exhausting day attending the graduation ceremony with President Obama speaking. Greasy yummy food seems to be the only comfort we could find ourselves in.

Beer battered portobello mushrooms and zucchinis. 

Southern BBQ Chicken pizza.

A super packed and exhausting weekend. Long driving, eternal waiting at the airports, and 200 pictures taking... Missing every single bits of this. 

April showers bring Grilled Calamari

Maybe it was the wind, maybe it was the thunder storm, or maybe it was just my stomach growling like the thunder storm... I was craving for grilled calamari. Really, nothing was ever mentioned, but somehow I had this urge to chew some calamari and taste that tart and lemony dressing. So, I went and bought some calamari at Whole Foods. I assume people can usually buy them frozen at any grocery stores. And I would assume the "fresh" ones I bought at Whole Foods were probably frozen at some point. But it just looks nicer when it's all cleaned and thawed, slimy and fishy.

The last good grilled calamari I had was in Cyprus. That place would forever be engraved in my heart... But the Mediterranean seafood Meze really was something. You can't complain about the real "fresh" seafood and the variety. Just look at the squid below, so thick and fat! And even thought I already tried to buy the nicer kind from Whole Foods, it was no where close to that thickness...

I don't know if I was inspired by this Cyprus Meze or not. But looking at this picture right now, I just realized I stole their idea in pairing the dish with asparagus. Their asparagus was a lightly egg battered/ sauteed, while mine is sauteed with leeks, onions and mixed in with some pine nuts. Em, same thing.

Grilled Calamari with Sauteed Asparagus and Leeks

4 or ~1/2 lb Calamari (fresh or frozen) with tentacles 

1 tsp Thyme

1/2 tsp Oregano 

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp Olive Oil 

1/2 lb Leeks

5-6 thin Asparagus

1/2 Onion

2 cloves Garlic

1 tbsp Pine Nuts

1 tbsp Butter

Salt and Pepper

Rinse the pre-washed and cleaned calamari. Slide open the tubes and gently score over the back of the calamari. This will help marinate the calamari and also create pattern when it is getting cooked and curled. Marinate the calamari in a bowl mixed with the thyme, oregano, lemon juice and salt. Keep it refrigerated for 20 min. Use this time to prepare for the asparagus and leeks.

I used the Griddle at 350 degF, but this varies with what grills you have at home. You can definitely take this out on your Green Egg or Weber. I just don't have the luxury to do so... Oil a medium sauce pan at high heat. Sear the calamari with the olive oil first, then place them on the grill.  Grill for 5-8 minute (depending on how thick the squid is), until it turns opaque. 

Slice and chop the leeks, asparagus and onions. Butter a medium sauce pan at medium heat. Sauté the onions and garlic quickly. Add in the pine nuts and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add in the leeks and asparagus. Cook for 5 minutes till the asparagus turns soft but still crispy.

Plate the sauteed vegetables along side with the grilled calamari. Drizzle a little olive oil and parsley over the calamari. Squeeze in some lemon juice to serve. 

April showers bring me a good appetite! 

Easter Brunch: Strawberry Risotto, Rack of Lamb, Coconut Cake and Salty Caramel Icecream

This maybe the longest blog title I have had in a long time. There are just too many good dishes I want to feature in the title, and I couldn't fit them all. Thanks to Arlin and Meredith for their amazing Easter brunch. I have more and more reasons to look forward to Spring and Summer now. With all the grill-out, cool drinks, and fresh fruit, I am really excited for my second Summer in Minnesota. :)

Fresh fruit calls for creative recipes. To be honest here, I'm no amazing creative original cook. I am extremely interested in trying new recipes, and I could say I'm a good "follower" of recipes. My friend found this recipe a while back, and highly recommended it. At first, when he first mentioned Strawberry Risotto, I could guess you all are wondering about the same thing as I did, "What? Strawberry Risotto?". It sounded bizarre, but just give it a try. It's definitely a pleasant surprise.

Strawberry Risotto: Onion, Parmesan cheese, and puree strawberries mixed into this rice of love. Perfect summer recipe for your appetizer or first course or side dish. A little tart, hint of strawberry flavor, savory to taste and a whole lot of love and preparation.

Asparagus with Lemon Mustard Dressing:

Freshly steamed asparagus, drizzled with zesty dressing made with fresh squeezed lemon, light mustard, garlic and parsley. The already tender and juicy asparagus all of a sudden became more crisp and refreshing. Lemon zesty mustard dressing is the trick.

What can look more summer than this? Green and yellow have become my new favorite colors!

Meredith's Rack of Lamb. Now, please don't sing the song. I don't need to know I just ate Mary's little lamb. Lame! They taste so good! Medium with enough pink and all moisture sealed. With or without salt and pepper sprinkled to taste. I really had to resist from picking up the ribs and chewing all the meat left. But I did manage to take in all the charred lamb fat on the meat. So flavorful.

So much good food: Strawberry Risotto, Roasted Potato with Rosemary, Asparagus, Taiwanese Chow Fun, and Lamb. Oh Spring!

The only thing that could top off this amazing brunch entrees is dessert. And I kid you not, this homemade ice cream can really change your life. Yes, it's that good. Granted that my life can be very easily influenced and changed, but this ice cream? It really spun my little world around and made me dizzy.

Caramel Ice Cream with Salty Caramel Brittles: rich, I mean, extremely rich and creamy caramel ice cream base embedded with crunch little caramel brittles. The salty caramel brittles add just the perfect balance to the rich ice cream base. Just a little more sugar, it could be too sweet and too overwhelmingly-caramel. But this just has to have the perfect combination of sugar, sea salt, buttermilk and caramel. Can I just sing "You spin my world right around right around...."

And to top it off, Coconut Easter Cake: yellow cake base, layered with lemon jam, and top with our forever favorite cream cheese frosting and coconut flakes. And her yellow cardigan. The perfect Spring is calling.

I was so greedy. I told everyone that I would for sure get a second. I wanted another slice of the cake and another scope of the ice cream. I would for sure finish my plate and lick all the frosting, and might even drink the melted ice cream. But I'm sorry, as much as I love love love the desserts, I couldn't. I was too full... Was that the revenge of Mary's little lamb? Because I ate two ribs of it, and now I just couldn't pack more cake and ice cream in? Sigh, Karma.

Strawberry Risotto

2 tbsp butter
1 small onion cut into tiny cubes
1 cup risotto rice (unwashed)
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups of hot broth
6 medium size strawberries, to make around 1 cup of puree
100 g Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp butter cut into cubes to mix

Wash and stem your strawberries. Save the pretty ones for decoration. Puree them to make around 1 cup of puree. Bring the broth to a simmering boil and keep it right next to your risotto skillet. You would need to constantly add the simmering broth to the risotto. No cold water, no broth cubes, but piping hot broth. If you have to, you can also mix 2 cups of boiling water with 2 cups of broth etc to dilute it. The broth just has to be hot hot hot.
Fry the butter and onion in a medium size saucepan over medium high heat. Fry the onion just enough to soften and let  all the water evaporates, don't let it turn brown or burn. Pour in the dry risotto rice into the onions and butter. Mix well for 1-2 minutes so that each grain is covered with butter. Pour in the white wine and let it boil and reduce. Mix well so that no rice sticks to the bottom.
Put two ladle-fuls, or approximately 1 cup if you don't have a ladle, of the hot broth into the rice. Keep mixing so that the rice won't stick and burn. Mix till the rice and broth mixture turns dry. There should be no liquid left visible in the mixture. Add another two ladle-fuls of broth into the rice.
Keep adding the remaining of the broth until the rice is cooked but still crunchy. The risotto rice will continue to soften and cook after your turn off the heat. That's why you don't want to over-cook it too much on the stove.
Turn off the heat and add in the strawberry puree. Mix well and let it cool for a couple minute. Add in to cubed butter for that extra buttery taste. Finally, add in to Parmesan cheese and mix well.

Decorate and serve with strawberries on top. Now, just wait for the eyes to roll, and the silent murmur, and then comes the "hmmm... it's pretty good!" or the "Wow, not what I expected!" or simply "Yummy!"

Happy Easter!

Start with Beef Rib Roast and end with Crispin Cider Float

It rhythms! Beef Rib Roast and Crispin Cider Float. TGIF,  this Friday is a very legit Thank God It's Friday. Finally a vacation day with good food, good friends, and a Big Green Egg.

The Big Green Egg, allegedly the best outdoor smoker/grill/cooker/patio-decoration in the 20th century. It's ceramic-Kamado style cooking helps lock in motion of the food, and give it a smoky flavor that your backyard trophy Weber can never compete with. But don't worry, just go to Kitchen Window in Uptown. It's about time to get one and prep your backyard for some award ceremony moment. And don't forget to give me a Holla while you are in Uptown!

Beef rib roast and mushroom cheese dip all in The Egg. You can literally fit your appetizer, your main dish, and your baked dessert all in the egg. As long as you don't forget it, the Egg can really save you insane amount of time!

The result!

And how could a Spring grill out be complete without some hard cider? I always get accused of taking pictures of "finished" food, such as this one, a "finished" bottle of Crispin. But hey, I need time to get my camera out of my big purse, turn it on, adjust the setting, and by the time I zoom in on the food/cider, it's GONE! How can that be my fault? Blame it on the Al-al-al-alcohol~

After some tender and juicy beef rib roast, few bottles of good wine, some crazy conversations, it's finally dessert time. Crazy convo leads to interesting dessert innovation: Crispin Cider Float


Artisanal Reserves: Crispin Honey Crisp
"New Crispin Honey Crisp Artisanal Reserve™ is a small batch, hand crafted, super-premium hard apple cider smoothed with real organic honey for a rich, creamy, full-bodied crisp taste. Smooth over ice." 
Smooth over ice, and even smoother over ice cream. Hint of honey sweetness pair with rich and creamy Haagen-das vanilla ice cream. If Match.com produce happy couples, Crispin and Haagen-das should be having  grandkids now. 

Give it a upside down twirl, let the apple wine sediments suspend through the whole bottle and into each glass of fresh and pure enjoyment.

To make life even more unfair than it is for most of our readers, we also got a hold of The Saint.

Artisanal Reserves: Crispin The Saint:

"A small batch, hand-crafted, super-premium hard apple cider, The Saint is smoothed with pure organic maple syrup for a silky, sustained mouth-feel that develops complexity on the palate."

I was so tempted to just drizzle more maple syrup and crumble some cookies over this float to make it the dessert of the year. Crispin may be launched over night in the attic, but tonight, Crispin Cider Float was launched over the dinner table. BAM! just like that.

Look at that foam. I can't wait for summer to come. Well, I think I'll be good when April 15th comes around. That will officially mark the end of my Detox month. I can now finally have some hard cider float, wine, dessert, coffee.... yummmmm. But till then, I'll be the DD and the only sober one listening to all the gibberish coming out of the mouths of our drunk wine heads. It really is a different kind of fun.

Bradstreet Craftshouse @601 Graves Hotel

I am having a hard time pronouncing this hotel's name. 601 Graves, as in tombs? or Ga-raffes as in like Paul Graves, the photographer? I am leaning more towards the Ga-raffes pronunciation. Who would like to be asked "where did you go?", and you have to answer "I just came back from the graves..." wooo... creepy. And if it is really called graves, as in tombs, then you shouldn't expect to see any Asians there. We are very superstitious when it comes to this kind of things...

And speaking of Asians, my group of friends probably was the only Asians there. And I was the only Chinese there for sure. Nonetheless, very comtemporary style hotel and design. I have never stayed at the graves, but friends who have stayed all said very nice things about it. Especially, the alleged Hermes toiletry. And I had to ask him, "Did you secretly put them away each morning so they can fill in with new ones for the house-keeping?" Oh yea.

Bradstreet Craftshouse was inspired by John Scott Bradstreet, who started his own entertainment business, including bars and clubs, in the early 1910s. Bradstreet lived a high life, and also died the same way. He allegedly died in a car accident, and became the first person in Minnesota to die in an automobile crash. What a life.

The specialties are definitely their mixed drinks. I was recommended to the Bradstreet because of the Violent Hour in Chicago. Violent Hour's partner invested in Bradstreet, and has brought over the drink menu for the crowd in Minneapolis. Maybe if I do make it to the Violent Hour next time in Chicago, I'll be able to tell you more about the two. But V-H is one of those places that doesn't take any reservations, and you would have to spend an hour waiting in line before getting your first drink. With that being said, I actually would just stay in Minneapolis. At least Bradstreet is quite, nice and doesn't require you to stand in the line.

Juliet and Romeo: Plymouth, Gin, Mint, Cucumber, Lime and Rose Water. Very refreshing drink. Definitely a must try if you are a fan of gin. Or you should still try even if you are not a fan of gin. It's very smooth and just simply refreshing!
Other drinks I'd recommend: Fresh Fruit Gimlet, Vodka Cobbler, cause I like it fruity :)

Not much a dining menu, but very elegantly prepared appetizer menu.

Quesadilla: Duck confit, racelet cheese and apple kimchi. Stuffed and served with the thin, crispy, grilled flour tortilla. It was just a very neat concept to put duck and kimchi (marinated cabbage or apple, in this case) into a tortilla. An interesting, surprising yet so balanced mix of flavors, textures and cuisines. Very well done.

Crab cake: Not much to explain. Lumps of snow crab meat (lumps, not minced), served with cream and poblano coulis. A different kind of crab cake, a more pleasing type of crab cake.

And of course, hanging with Ratree, we must have scallops. No matter if it's scallops at a sushi restaurant, scallops at Chino Latino, or here, Grilled Scallops at Bradstreet.

Other food also sampled: Thai Chicken Satay and Calamari La Plancha. The chicken satay maybe soso, but the calamari was worth mentioning. Not battered or fried, but simply cooked with light mushroom and lemon sauce. Very appealing, fresh taste of the calamari without the batter, yet the lemon sauce was just right to kick out the fishy taste.

Forgot to take pictures of those two dishes, and all the other numerous drinks we tried that night. I guess that glass of tequila El Diablo was really kicking in before I knew it. Definitely a very fun night. The atmosphere in Bradstreet might be a little bit more uptight and the crowd might be just a little bit too serious for us, but we sure knew how to have fun.


Folks, I'm going on a de-tox program right now. No coffee, no alcohol and no processed food till April 15th. I just had been exploiting my body so much for the last couple months and I am starting to feel sick, and also, fat... I will not be going to fancy restaurants, but I'll for sure update some health food or what not. I also have visited plenty of restaurants from the past, and maybe can still post those reviews as updates. Either way, wish me luck on my detox weeks. I'm gonna feel like a million buck soon!!

Oh! And I also recently got my new camera!!! Canon S90. The best thing ever! Now you won't be looking at my yellow-ish warm fuzzy food pictures. The S90 would give much more vibrant colors, sharper focus, better white balance and most importantly, low light capability!! I tested it and it is absolutely amazing! So, this maybe the last post to see those bad pictures! Only if I remember to bring my S90 to restaurants though. :p

Stand Up for Heidi's and Blackbird: Fork the Fire

It was so unfortunate that Heidi's and Blackbird had to go down in flames, literally... I have yet got to try the two restaurants. (Probably yet to try Blackbird, since I don't know when would I be able to afford Heidi's menu...) Just so unfortunate...

Fork the Fire: An event to help fundraise for Heidi's and Blackbird
“Fork the Fire” will allow diners to contribute in several ways. Dozens of local restaurants will offer specials that day at brunch, lunch and/or dinner — the program is different at each location, so call ahead to verify — with proceeds benefitting the two restaurants.

Details: click on the Fork the Fire link above.

Next Sunday, March 14th, time to hang out at your favorite restaurants, and donate to help bring these two TC favorites back to life.

Special featuring: Mission American Kitchen @ IDS center. With dishes prepared by chefs from our favorites, Heidi's, Saffron, Vincent et al.

Hail to Heidi's and Blackbird! I vow that I'll visit you before you get burnt down again! Another proof of Life is Short!

kisskissangela: The Valentine's Day Edition

Not everyone is as talented as Bakerella. Adorable and sweet home-made cakes and sweets; fun decorating ideas that would WOW everyone; No, unfortunately, not all of us are so talented...
But fortunately, there is still Hallmark. Valentine's day, isn't it Hallmark's idea anyway? I mean, didn't poor St. Valentine die on that day or buried on that day or something? I don't even know the origins of Valentine's Day. And the worst thing is, Wikipedia doesn't even know. And if Wiki doesn't know it, then it shouldn't even exist...


Okay, enough B*tching about this Hallmark-ized Valentine's day, aka Single Awareness Day (SAD). As tough as love finding is, I still wish all the lovebirds out there a Happy Valentine's Day. And for those poor fellas who doesn't have a single idea on what to do for your special girl. Here I am. Your last minute resource to this big day... A day so big that it could determine your fate and your happiness for the rest of your life...


Here are some of my thoughts: So, what could lovebirds do in Minneapolis? Where is a guarantee romantic success spot? What is a good V'day budget? I mean, you want to be smart to stay in budget, so you can get that girl a big ring someday right? So... here's the list. From the thriftiest to the most extravagant dinner, all in the beloved and romantically inspired Twin Cities.




#1. White Castle

- Yes, you heard it right. White Castle is hosting a special Valentine's Day dinner on the 14th. It's not just a suitcase of 30 sliders to-go with a coke. It's a DINNER!

Wow your special someone with tableside service, flowers and candlelight, in a place made famous for late night cravings.

This is really hard to bet huh? A waiter, a reserved dinner, flowers, candlelight and a suitcase of sliders?! As long as you spin it right, this could really be a memory of a lifetime. And of course, you better be getting her some big diamonds later on with this huge savings on dinner... Unless, this is your plan on ditching her... Let's hope she won't be calling you again...
Gifts-wise: you really have to be creative here. If you are funny enough to take her to White Castle for the laugh, you shouldn't be boring by giving her a gift card. A handcrafted home-made box of chocolate will definitely surprise this down-to-earth girl. A special 5th grader hand written special love card and a home-mad ugly but sweet box of chocolate covered strawberries. You may be able to seal the deal.


#2. D'amico & Sons

- Special V'day three-course menu for two. Wood fire oven pizza, Italian sandwiches, fresh pasta and entrees. Many many to choose from, without the commercialized fancy schmuncy people pressurizing you to pick an expensive wine. At this local favorite chain deli, just do whatever you want. Maybe you guys are just starting to hang out, and you don't want her to take it the wrong way or to think too much too early on. Hey, this seems to be sensible choice. Or, you will come out like a Jerk at the end of the night if she can't handle the rejection. I would suggest at least going to the D'amico in Edina/50th & France area. Even if you couldn't afford a fancy dinner, you can still afford a fancy atmosphere offered by the lights and boutiques from the 50th & France area right?




#3. Cafe Lurcat

- Ok, another D'amico's creation. Cafe Lurcat, gotta love the decor. I especially love the vintage style. Wooden furniture, chandeliers, brick walls... oh my. I just absolutely adore the decor. Fine dining services with accessible and easy to understand menu. Yes, easy to understand menu; as in Crab Cake is Crab Cake, not gâteau de crabe  or something in foreign language. It has a upscale bar. And did I mention the beautiful chandeliers? 
Roses, flowers, or for me, Lilies please. A semi-fancy upscale dinner has to pair with a nice bouquet of flowers right? Since you are already kind of splurging on the dinner, a nice bouquet of flowers should be able to do it. Or if you really like her, a nice pair of earrings, a beautiful necklace. V'day is not about practical gifts, it's all about "awwww" and "You're so sweeeeet" type of gifts. Plus, after a couple glasses of wine, she has to be totally in love with you. wink*


#4. Vincent's

- Speaking of gâteau de crabe   , how could a romantic dinner be romantic if there's no French components involved? Sorry to say, I'm a big French snob. I wish I'm living in Paris, eating macaroons and sipping Cafe au Lait. Reality kicks in, it's more practical to live in the US than the dreamy yet expensive and dirty Paris. Still, my French snob side still needs to breathe once a while. And there's Vincent's. Special V'day a la carte or tasting menu, pair with wine flight, for an $100+ per person dinner.  It's pricy, but it's French. I guess I could recommend La Belle Vie, another upscale French restaurant. But I personally think La Belle Vie's decor is too old-school and doesn't really have any romantic elements in it. It's just bunch of segregated dining rooms with horrible lighting and no decor at all. Vincent's should be a much comfy and cosy place. You want to be able to sit close and stare into each other's eyes anyway right?
Gifts... Mmmmm. I supposed if you can afford this dinner, you should be able to get her a gift card to a spa treatment or facial treatment or something in those salons right? I highly recommend the Spalon in Edina. Very very well decoration and extremely skilled staff. It's time for my mani and pedi, Honey!


#5. Sea Change Restaurant

 - Oh my. One of my top restaurants to go. I love seafood, and this Tim McKee restaurant's newest addition is all about seafood. And not just any seafood, but Sustainable Seafood. You know how they say Tunas are dying too fast because we are eating too much of them. This didn't come out as sophisticated or serious as I intended, but you get the idea. Sustainable growing/farming of seafood maybe the way to go to balance our ecosystem. Unfortunately, I have never been to the Sea Change. But the photo gallery definitely makes me dream about going there. Plus, this one is a easy one. You should have a pair of tickets to the Guthrie theater, which is where Sea Change is located. Nice, extravagant dinner with high class theater entertainment. Man, you've got it!

Sunday, roasty Sunday

Sunday is always great. Wake up naturally; make up a good cup of coffee/latte; do some laundry and watch some TV...

We went to Yangtze Restaurant over at St. Louis Park. This restaurant is really hidden in the city center of SLP. I for sure have never heard of this restaurant. They could be just another McChina restaurant in this neighborhood. The one thing that makes this place special and more attractive is the DimSum they offer.  I only know two other places in Minneapolis that carry DimSum. Wait, maybe four... mm... only if you call those DimSum...

So, I'm very surprised to find them offering DimSum here in Yangtze. The variety isn't too bad. Gives you the usual fried dishes and the steam dishes.

The clear skin of the shrimp dumplings aren't as well done as Mandarin Kitchen. A little too stiff. Restaurant is packed with local Asians seeking a taste of home. Like I said before, seeing Asians in an Asian restaurant is always a good sign.

Oh, a side note: Yangtze... Supposedly it's the river that runs through China. Only in China we called it, ChangJiang. So, I don't know where Yangtze came from. Must be some old tradition that they just kept the name even after the PinYin system?! I have no idea. ChangJiang=Yangtze?!

Another Sunday project:

Honey Glazed Roasted Vegetables

Eggplant, red peppers, zucchini, red potatoes, sweet potatoes  x your choice and make it up to 4-6 cups
Honey x 1/4 cup
Olive Oil x 1/4 cup
Salt, pepper, thyme x to taste
Garlic x 4 cloves
Balsamic Vinegar x 3 tbsp

Dice and cut all the vegetables. Place them on a roasting pan. Drizzle honey, olive oil and vinegar over. Add salt, pepper and thyme to taste. Mix well and put them in the oven at 400F. Bake for 1 hour. Easy, healthy and sweet Sunday.