Coffee Club- Store Bought Coffees

Since Jessica and I have both been down and out with a nasty case of flu, bronchitis, eye grossness and sinus misery we have been unable to visit any coffee destinations for a few weeks. We have had to feed our addictions with -gasp!- store bought coffee!! All is not lost though. We didn't hit the bottom of the barrel with Folgers or any of those brands, we still managed to find interesting coffees to make at home as we recuperate, and we are sharing with you.

From Trader Joe's - Columbia Supremo Medium Roast.

This coffee surprised me. I expected more, but maybe because I started with a small batch locally roasted coffee and almost always Trader Joe's products are top notch. This coffee was a let down. The first pot we made was a little pale, so the next time I used more ground coffee. This caused me to use up the coffee a lot faster than I should have. When I tried to use in the French press I had to grind it a little coarser, which made it even more weak. This is one coffee I won't buy again. 

From Aldi - Barrissimo Fair Trade, Single Origin, Organic medium roast Peru from the San Pablo Estate.

I am really loving the "new" Aldi with so many wonderful choices. Lots of organic products are available and I was really surprised to find this coffee! It's REALLY good and several of my friends have said they also love this coffee. It's a medium roast but it was not weak after brewing and didn't take half a basket of coffee to accomplish that.

From Starbucks - Kopelani Blend which features 10% beans from Hawaii's Kau coffee growing region. Also a medium roast.

It's no secret I am a Starbucks fan big time, so I expected to love love love this coffee, and I did. Even though it is a medium roast it brewed a beautiful rich and dark cup. Very flavorful. I tried it black and with just a little bit of half and half and it was a perfect cup. I don't know the acidity percentage on this one but it felt like it was relatively low in acid- it was very smooth. Nice oil sheen on the cup. Aroma that welcomed me right in. It's a seasonal blend so I'll have to wait til next year to get this again.

During our down time we both have been researching and making lists of interesting coffee places in Iowa to visit, and quite a few coffee roasters we want to check out, so stay tuned!! Lots more coffee adventures to come.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Nathan Night- Lobster Fried Rice

Normally on Nathan Night it's all about Nathan and Gramma doing something fun, but this time around The Chef was in on the fun. Since he was off work recuperating from his surgery he got a chance to be Grandpa for the evening and teach Nathan something new. Remember The Chef and Nathan playing guitar together on Easter Sunday? Holy buckets....... now it's DRUMS. Right smack in the middle of the dining room. I just have to shake my head and let boys be boys. It was a lot of fun watching the guys work out a couple songs. We made a couple videos for Nathan's parents to watch and I got a few pics snapped.

If only you had seen the look in Nathan's eyes sitting on the throne with those sticks in his hands. He was sooooo into it. Honestly for someone who had never ever played a drum in his life, he wasn't half bad! He listened to what Grampa Chef was telling him to do, and did his best to keep the count steady- even got the headbanging motion going on. 

All that drumming will make a guy work up quite an appetite! Nathan had wanted to learn about making Asian dumplings but he also wanted to try something new he'd never eaten before- lobster. Our budget was a little limited to we had to make something that stretched the lobster a bit, and sticking with the Asian theme, fried rice was the best option. We got our lobster at Aldi, believe it or not. 

If you haven't been in an Aldi store, you need to visit. I swear it's our new go-to grocery store. It's two blocks from home and they have a very large selection of organic produce and other foods, healthy grains, gluten free foods, imported European groceries and some of the best prices around, especially on meat and seafood. The package of lobster tails contained two good sized tails, just the perfect amount for our dinner, and a very reasonable $12.99 price tag. Here is how we made it-

Lobster Fried Rice

2 lobster tails

2 cups instant rice, uncooked

1 cup snow peas, halved

small bunch scallions, sliced

2 tablespoons soy sauce, plus more

2 eggs

oil for cooking

Thaw lobster completely, if frozen. Rinse the lobster well. 

Bring a large pot of water o a full boil. Add the lobsters and cook for 8-12 minutes until the shells turn bight red and meat is tender. Remove from boiling water and plunge into an ice bath to stop cooking. Pull the meat from the shells and chop into large chunks.

Place the instant rice in a large boil. Stir in 1 3/4 cups boiling water and the soy sauce. Cover tightly and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff, and spread out on a sheet pan, pop in fridge to cool.

When ready to cook, heat a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add a swirl of oil. Beat the eggs and add to pan. Cook the egg like scrambled eggs and remove.  Add more oil and add the vegetables. Stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and continue to stir fry until hot. Toss in the lobster and egg, heat through. Serve with additional soy sauce.

Since Nathan has been curious about his Korean heritage, even though he is pretty far removed from his Korean ancestors, he has been talking a lot about dumplings- Asian dumplings. We talked about making dumplings next time we had a weekend together and I had been setting aside recipes but in the end, Nathan wanted to try the lobster more than he wanted to try making handmade dumplings so we went with our old standby- gyoza and shu mai from Trader Joe's. They are so super easy to prepare and very authentic. Nathan was able to help with the frying and steaming and plating. As always, we had a great time and a great dinner! Now we just need to convince Mom and Dad that they need to spring for a drum set too!

Coffee Club- Corazon Coffee Roasters

Remember me talking about exploring coffee? Voila!! Welcome to Jessica and Monica's Coffee Club. After a lot of discussion, we have decided to really dig in to the locally owned coffee houses and coffee roasters here in Des Moines, and Iowa, journal our experiences, and share the adventures as we work our way around the state sipping coffee, enjoying the occasional coffee treat, and finally deciding on who our favorites are. You already know how much I love Starbucks, and Jessica does as well, we make many pit stops into Starbucks for a pick me up. Recently we have been making lists of places we want to try- started out mostly restaurants but it wasn't too long before coffee places started popping up. 

We did have our visit to Zanzibar's Coffee Adventure, and we have been brewing different coffees from Trader Joe's to try. It's interesting that as we plan our weekend adventures and Foodie Field Trips we come across interesting coffee houses quite a lot. I'm dying to learn more and Jessica is more than willing to teach me everything she knows about coffee.

The suburb of West Des Moines is home to a unique shopping district known as Valley Junction. Cute shops, fun restaurants and bars, trendy shops line the streets. The Junction hosts a big farmers market every summer with loads of vendors and live music, and it's also home to the next place on our list for a Coffee Club visit- Corazon Coffee Roasters. Located in Valley Junction, Corazon offers a large selection of fair trade coffees that are roasted in-house, teas, and coffee accessories. Their coffee is also sold and served in several Des Moines stores and restaurants, including Gateway Market and HoQ.

One of the most impressive features in the store is the roaster. I've never seen one before and it was interesting to hear how the process works, and how each type of coffee is handled differently. There is an equal part art and science in roasting coffee. I'd love to learn more!

Nate is the owner of the store and he is more than happy to fix you a cup on the spot. He also likes to talk about coffee. His coffee knowledge is impressive. He walked us through the roasting process starting with the giant bags of green coffee beans, which can be stored up to two years before roasting. We all know coffee can be acidic, and a lot of that acid content depends on the origin of the coffee beans. South American coffees tend to be the lowest in acidity of all coffees. Where the coffee comes from also helps a roaster decide how long to roast the beans. The light roasts are beans from Ethiopia. Medium roast beans are grown in Mexico, and dark roasts come from other South American countries. 

Jessica and I enjoyed a perfect cup of pourover Peru dark roast while talking with Nate in the shop, and purchased a pound to take home. This coffee is heavenly, so smooth and rich. The beans are coated in the flavorful coffee oils that roasting brings out. The aroma is amazing. Even at home in my non-fancy Mr. Coffee, this makes one of the best cups of coffee I have ever experienced. It's going to be hard to top this one!

Mothers Day Brunch with the Grudge Monster

When you think of culinary hot spots, you might automatically think of New York City, or Chicago. Portland with it's food truck scene. California for health conscious fresh fare. Texas or Kansas City for barbeque. You might not immediately think of Des Moines, but times are changing friends! We are "on the map" so to speak and it's time to give some serious cred. Des Moines is home to a number of James Beard Award winning chefs. The culinary scene has exploded with downtown, the East Village, and western suburbs taking on a Disneyland-like quality for foodies. 

We have events throughout the year that peak interest in the food scene too- the Food Truck Showdown. Winefest. World Food and Music Festival. Italian American Festival. The Taco Festival. We have Greek food fairs, Baconfest, even a cheese curd festival. There is literally something for everyone in the city. I just can't get enough either. Every week I find something interesting to attend, or taste. New restaurants pop up and it's hard to even get in the door with all the buzz. That was the case with St. Kilda. Nestled in the Harbach Lofts building on the southern edge of downtown, St. Kilda is owned by Alexander Hall, who brings his culinary vision all the way from Australia. 

My Grudge Monster knew I'd been wanting to go to St. Kilda for a long time so her Mothers Day treat for me was a beautiful brunch. I was so excited to finally get to go! The restaurant space is just gorgeous. Industrial with soaring ceilings, exposed ductwork and brick, but flooded with sunlight and sprinkled with elegant and modern seating and fixtures, the dining room pays tribute to the loft building it's situated in. The menu is so creative, and surprising. Portion sizes are perfect- just perfect for your meal, without needing a to go box. This might seem a bit "light" to some people but honestly, in the U.S. portion sizes have gotten out of control anyway. St. Kilda's philosophy is to provide you with a perfectly sized meal you will eat NOW while freshly prepared. Every dish is beautifully plated and garnished and flavors are best described as- FRESH.

We started with beverages, and they have the perfect cup of black coffee. Single origin fair trade coffee is roasted dark, and brews a beautiful strong cup with the perfect hint of oil on top. No cream or sugar added, this cup was warming and happy.

We shared a bowl of the housemade granola and yogurt. Big crunchy nuts, seeds and perfectly toasted oats filled one side of the bowl while Greek yogurt dotted with chia seed filled the other. Local honey drizzled over all, and fresh berries and peach slices were scattered on top, along with a sprinkling of beautiful microgreens. It was perfectly sweet without being overly so, and loaded with flavors and textures.

We each chose a toast for our entree. Grudgie ordered the Mushroom Toast, which was a big slab of toasted crusty sourdough, spread with a truffled cheese spread, and topped with roasted maitake, bunapi, and bunashime mushrooms, drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with microgreens. She added a perfectly poached egg. The bread is just....... yum. Crunchy crust, thickly sliced, perfectly toasted, and piled with the mushrooms, it was so savory and delicious.

I went hipster style with the Avocado Toast. This plate is a serious contender for Best Thing I Ever Ate. That same slab of wonderful sourdough is covered in fresh avocado- just smashed just enough. A dollop of salsa, fresh sliced cucumber, feta cheese, a healthy sprinkling of roasted corn and pickled red onions on top- absolute food heaven. I added a scrambled egg to mine, and I don't know HOW they did it, but somehow they managed to absolutely flawlessly duplicate my grandmother's buttery perfect scrambled eggs. Done exactly as I love them, NO brown spots, not too soft, not too overdone. I ate every kernel of corn, every pickled onion ring, every crumb of bread. 

I can't wait to go back, and you better believe I will be. St. Kilda also serves some very creative cocktails, beer and wine, a nice selection of coffee and espresso beverages, handmade bakery items and recently started serving dinner. I. Can't. Wait. To. Go. Back.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Prime Rib Dinner and More!!

Holidays are special times for most families, and mine is no exception. We have had some serious big time blowouts and elaborate celebrations over the years and we have had some fairly low key celebrations too. Easter 2018 was one of those low key holidays. My daughter Debbee and her husband Randy invited just the Chef and I over for a quiet evening dinner and it was perfect. The Chef and Nathan got to spend some quality time playing guitar and talking about music. Nathan is learning to play guitar now, and you already know the Chef is quite a skilled player, it's only natural that they would share this hobby! Since Nathan is a middle school student he is learning some actual rock songs, like Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes, and a couple Journey songs. I can't wait to see how he develops as a player especially with the Chef as his grandpa.

Both Debbee and Randy are very good cooks, and spend an equal amount of time in the kitchen preparing meals. Even Nathan, as you already know, has an interest in cooking and learning about new foods, and we always share our Nathan Night adventures. Since Debbee and Randy invited us over for Easter Dinner this year and she decided to go BIG with a beautiful prime rib roast. Although we have all eaten prime rib many times out for dinner, she had never prepared one before. She scoured around for hints and recipes and eventually found exactly what she was looking for. Fresh herbs, garlic, and butter added that extra special touch to a pricey cut of meat. Pretty daring for a first timer but she hit it out of the park with this meal.

Almost as enjoyable as the dinner, was her story about shopping for this roast. She had come across a recipe for "ribeye roast" that looked good to her so she decided to make it. She had not yet put two and two together. At the meat counter she didn't see anything marked ribeye roast so she asked the butcher and he said sure, he had some in the back, what size did she need? She told him how many servings and he came back with a good size roast, and after she and Randy approved, he put it on the scale. Just a quick flash before he whipped it off and wrapped it up, she caught the price- $81.00. She said her heart almost stopped, but she had already gone this far, no turning back now, time to make a prime rib roast. Having spent that much on just the meat, they were determined to not only have the perfect Easter dinner, but to utilize every single piece of that leftover roast the rest of the week, and boy did they ever!!

Herbed Prime Rib Roast

1 prime rib roast (Debbee had an 8 lb roast)

2 sticks butter (NOT margarine), room temperature
7 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped, plus more

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped, plus more

1 tablespoon salt 
1 teaspoon pepper

Allow the prime rib roast to stand at room temperature for about four hours. Two hours before dinner, heat the oven to 500 degrees. 

In a bowl combine the softened butter with the garlic, herbs, salt and pepper. Spread all over the top and sides of the roast, including the ends. Place roast on a rack in roasting pan and place in preheated oven. Roast at 500 degrees for 5 minutes per pound, then turn off the oven and leave the roast inside. DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR!!!! Leave the roast untouched for two hours. Meat should be 135 degrees, or rare. Remove roast to cutting board and reserve the drippings to make the gravy. Slice the roast into servings and serve with mashed potatoes, herbed gravy, and a vegetable or salad. 

Herbed Gravy

Pan drippings
2 tb flour
2 cups beef broth

Place the roasting pan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until a smooth paste forms, then whisk in the beef broth. Cook, until bubbly and thickened. Add a few pinches of reserved fresh herbs right before serving.

Since the roast they purchased was an 8 pound roast and a lot more than we would eat for dinner, Debbee was going to make sure to waste nothing from this splurge. The next day, part of the leftover beef became a beef stroganoff with creamy sauce, and tender pasta.

Debbee's Beef Stroganoff

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried sage, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
salt and pepper
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups leftover prime rib, cut into strips
fresh parsley, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally until browned. Add the shallot and garlic, cook for one minute longer until softened but not brown. Stir in the herbs and salt and pepper.

Add the butter. When melted, stir in the flour and mix in completely. Add the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce and mustard and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until thickened. Stir in the prime rib and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream.

Serve over hot cooked noodles, sprinkled with parsley.

The second day was Taco Tuesday with a clever twist on steak tacos. This recipe even used some of the leftover horseradish sauce from Sunday to create a zippy avocado sauce to add a kick.

Steak Tacos with Avocado Horseradish Sauce

olive oil
leftover prime rib roast, cut into bite size strips or chunks, about 1 pound
2 limes
2 tablespoons taco seasoning or chili powder
6 flour tortillas
shredded cheese
pico de gallo- your favorite recipe
Avocado Horseradish Sauce- recipe follows

Cut the limes in half. Cut one half into wedges and set aside for serving. Juice the remaining limes.

In a large skillet, heat a couple swirls of olive oil. Add the prime rib and sear well. Sprinkle the lime juice and taco seasoning over. Continue cooking until heated through.

Warm the tortillas. Place a small amount of cheese on the bottom, top with the meat, a little pico and the avocado sauce. Serve with lime wedges.

Avocado Horseradish Sauce

1 medium avocado, peeled and pitted
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
salt and pepper

Cut the avocado into chunks and place in food processor with remaining ingredients. Blend or pulse to desired consistency. Serve immediately.

Finally, the remaining prime rib roast was sliced into super thin slices, heated in simmering au jus, and piled onto French rolls for some easy and fast French Dip Sandwiches. You can have this meal on the table in minutes with one simple shortcut- canned au jus or au jus mix packets! So easy and so delish!

I was truly impressed not only with Easterdinner, but her creative uses for those leftover. She used up every bit of the meat too! So, tell me, if you had to recycle some leftover prime rib roast, what would YOU come up with?

Foodie Field Trip- NewBo City Market and Sykora Bakery

A couple of summers ago I belonged to a bloggers group in Iowa. The purpose of the group was to network with other bloggers, share ideas and hints, plan and attend classes and seminars and bigger conventions, and to create interest in our local areas. The other members were from all over the state and were interested in all different types of blogging subjects. One woman was a turkey farmer with her husband, another a stay home mom in Amish country, another a pig farmer, and yet another a military veteran now promoting a green lifestyle and homeschooling. This diverse group of people, both men and women, would hold a meet up a couple times a year and on one occasion, the meet up was help at a place called the NewBo City Market in Cedar Rapids. I had not heard of this market, or whatever it was, so I did a little research and it sounded exactly like something I would love. At the last minute I was unable to attend the meetup, and had to make do with every one else's pictures and stories about their experiences that day, and it made me even more sad that I'd missed out.

Fast forward about three years and here I am, with a whole Saturday of nothing to do and nowhere to be when inspiration struck and my friend Jessica and I decided to hit the highway on a little adventure. Cedar Rapids is not all that far from Des Moines so we got up early in the morning and set out to experience the market for ourselves.

You get a real big city feel when you step into the market. The building, which is a former warehouse and metalworks company, is very spacious and home to a number of local vendors offering a wide selection of food offerings, baked goods, meat products, health and beauty, coffee, and much more. Right in the heart of the New Bohemia District in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the market is open year round and is also a busy events center in addition to a cool market. This nonprofit organization prides itself on its commitment to the community, offering classes, entertainment, assistance with business startups, arts and educational opportunities.

Our visit to the market was awesome. It's so easy to get to and has loads of parking, something a lot of downtown districts in other cities can't say. When we arrived volunteers were out on the lawn setting up and Easter egg hunt for neighborhood kids. Stepping through the doors and it's almost sensory overload. Lots and lots of welcoming smells, busy sounds, laughter, happy people milling about. I was surprised at the variety of vendors in the market. The first one I saw was offering plants and interesting pottery pieces, and right next to them a vendor had a gorgeous display of botanical art- posters featuring different birds, butterflies, plants and flowers. A gourmet ice cream shop was to my right, and a steamed Asian dumpling stand was on the left. 

Essential oils, crystals and rocks, pizza, artisan breads, cheeses and meats, cakes and cupcakes, pies and plenty of food options for our lunch rounded out the market. There were food choices from the most popular cuisines- American style gourmet grilled cheese, barbeque, Mediterranean, Mexican, salads and vegetarian, and the Asian dumplings. Jessica chose a very very gooey and perfectly toasted grilled cheese with three cheeses and homemade hand cut sweet potato fries. I went for the dumplings and had Korean mandu and Chinese pork and cabbage. Everything was soooooo good. 

I snapped up some essential oils and a gorgeous loaf of crusty sourdough bread before we left the market and headed over to explore the Czech Village. It's hard to imagine that just ten years ago all of this part of the city was under ten feet or more of nasty muddy floodwater. Now it's busy and growing with all kinds of cool loft buildings and condos, shops, restaurants and interesting places to visit. 

The Czech village is literally a few blocks away from the market, on the other side of the river, and besides the lure of the antique shops, which you know, we just had to check out, offers something I plan on visiting everywhere I go- a bakery. In this case of course, it's a Czech bakery and featured cases of fruity kolache for sale, Czech cakes like the babovka and breads, a cafe that serves lunch, and Czech gift items. The bakery is named Sykora Bakery, and it's located in a building that's been around since the days of dirt roads and wooden sidewalks. Originally opened in 1903, the bakery was purchased by Joseph Sykora in 1927 and was operated by the Sykora family until 1994, when another local family purchased the bakery. Devastated by floodwaters in 2008 and it took over 300 volunteers to get things back into working order including completely gutting and rebuilding the building and replacing the eighty year old Hubbard ovens with modern equipment.

You know we grabbed some kolache to take back home, I chose cherry and apricot, one of each for The Chef and I to sample. Absolutely lovely. Flaky and tender pastry and generous amounts of the fruit filling that surely were homemade. They had big chunks of apricot and big sour cherries- these couldn't have come from a can or jar. They had many other flavors to choose from like apple, strawberry, blueberry, cheese, fig and poppyseed. That's maybe half of the flavors offered. The variety was huge! The babovka reminded me of bundt cakes and looked delicious.

The antique stores were fun to visit. They had a lot of things you see at any antique store as well at a fairly large selection of European and especially Czech, items for sale, such as artwork, books, glassware and china. The cast iron display was enormous!!!

We did a little sightseeing around Cedar Rapids before hopping back on the interstate and heading home, but in all honestly, it's not much to see. It's a very industrial city and not a lot of curb appeal for driving around, but if you seek out those little hidden gems like the market and the Czech Village, it's definitely worth a visit.