Spending Christmas away from my family was made easier knowing that I’d be seeing my mom and one of my brothers just after the new year. My brother’s holiday trip to the midwest ended with a weekend in St Paul, which mostly consisted of eating awesome food and sampling Minnesota beers. We squeezed in some shopping, too, but most of that was when Bobby was preoccupied with old friends or on a plane back to the west coast. It was a fun weekend, and I hope we can do it again soon (in Portlandia?).
Where we ate: Cafe Lurcat, Cheeky Monkey, Bars Bakery, the kitchen table, Butcher & the Boar, Rustica, Salut
Supporting a neighborhood business and the American denim industry
Packers game + guacamole
Arroz verde from Diana Kennedy’s The Art of Mexican Cooking (similar recipe here)
Fish taco spread (clockwise from top left): corn & flour tortillas, baked catfish, cabbage slaw, pickled red onions, cotija, sour cream, Jesus candle, roasted tomato salsa, guacamole, arroz verde, black beans
- Catfish: seasoned with hot chili powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne, salt (It needed a generous squeeze of lemon juice, which we rectified in round two, below.)
- Cabbage slaw: purple and green cabbage, lemon juice, olive oil, cumin, salt
- Guacamole: avocados, white onion, jalapeños, lemon juice, salt
- Black beans: pot of 90-minute black beans warmed in their cooking liquid with a spoonful of bacon fat
My plate with a Matilda to wash it down
Bobby, me, Matt
Cold Sunday morning walk to the Capitol
Sunday brunch: spinach and cheese strata (with homemade brioche), bacon, fruit, Dogwood coffee
Our over-the-top delicious, meat-filled Sunday night feast at Butcher & the Boar included the duck carnitas salad, house pickle plate, turkey braunschweiger, wild boar hot link, Berkshire pork & cheddar sausage, blood sausage, smoked beef long rib, stuffed pig’s foot, porterhouse steak, blackened cauliflower, Red Hot brussels sprouts, Fulton beer-battered fries, gingersnap banana pudding and s’mores. Oh, and whiskey. Wow. It’s hard to choose favorites, but the duck carnitas, turkey braunschweiger, boar sausage, pork & cheddar sausage and brussels sprouts are at the top of my list for our next visit.
Monday night: revisiting fish tacos (leftovers supplemented with a freshly baked cod fillet) and football
The Jesus candle made me laugh!
I picked it up in the Hispanic foods aisle at Cub Foods, and it’s well worth the dollar that I spent.