It's Morel Mushroom Season

Mushroom haters, look away. Things are going to get really mushroomy in a very short time. It's springtime and in most of the country, springtime means rainy cool weather mixed with a few warm days combined with woodsy landscapes and lots of decaying leaves and wood and that makes the perfect climate for fungal things to start to grow. Things like moss, mold, and mushrooms! In Iowa, as in many other states, the big prize in the woods is the morel mushroom. People will spend entire days tromping through wet and squishy wooded areas, mesh bag in hand, eagle eyes focused, hoping to find that one in a million gem- the morel. Personally, I keep my eyes focused on the ground and scan the trees for my favorite spring mushroom- the pheasantback, which is also plentiful during morel season but it often overlooked. Anyway, the morel is the big draw here and if you're not a mushroom hunter, you better know someone who is and isn't stingy because these babies will cost you a mint in the grocery stores, upwards of $30 a pound depending on the season.

I have to admit, I no longer wander around the woods looking for mushrooms. Growing up as little girls my sister and I always went mushroom hunting with our dad, and in fact the last time I did go out was also with my dad. We found nothing, not even a tick, but ended up having a nice lunch in a small town café afterwards.

This year I had all but given up on the hope of having any tasty mushrooms to eat. Someone offered to sell me some, but they would have to be mailed and honestly, for $30 I wasn't sure what condition they'd be in by the time they arrived, so I declined. Then a miracle happened. One night, and we're talking everyday average weeknight, the kind of night you might do some laundry, or catch up on your DVRd shows or lawnwork, I got a text, from my daughter, and in that text was a picture. It was captioned "Is this a morel?" Incredibly, my daughter, who lives in the city even, was mowing her yard and doing her lawn thing and she found not one, but three nice morel mushrooms growing right  in her front yard. Of course, I exclaimed YES IT IS and then promptly asked "Can I have them?" I drove right over and claimed my prize.

It's pretty unusual to find a morel mushroom growing in a city yard. That's not really the ideal climate for these guys to grow, but on a shady slope in her front yard, apparently there is a pretty significant underground body to this mushroom because it sent up several of the fruiting bodies. Besides the three she found, we saw several stumps of stems where either a keen-eyed dogwalker had spotted a couple, or maybe a squirrel or raccoon found the tasty tidbits. Regardless, I still had two pretty big and one small morels to cook. I'm happy about that!

Most people, at least most people I know, egg, coat in cracker crumbs or flour and fry them. Like a vegetarian chicken nugget in a way, but to me this seems like a boring thing to do to such a delicacy that we have available for such a short time. I decided mine were not destined for the dredging plates but instead would meet some cousins, fellow forest dwellers porcini, wood ear and cute little white mushrooms and have a party atop a sizzling ribeye. Yes, that's definitely the way to go. My recipe is sized for dinner for two, so adjust accordingly if you're cooking for a larger group.

To get the most garlic flavor, use Sinful Food garlic olive oil. It makes a big difference in flavor! You can get your big clicking HERE.

Pan Seared Ribeyes with Wild Mushrooms

2 rib eye steaks

1/2 package (about 5 or 6) smallish mushrooms

3 morel mushrooms (fresh or dried)

4 or 5 dehydrated porcini mushrooms

3 or 4 dehydrated wood ear mushrooms

2 tablespoons chopped sun dried tomatoes

6 cloves garlic, chopped

salt and pepper

Sinful Food garlic olive oil

butter

1 cup beef broth

2 tablespoons cognac or brandy

1/3 cup half and half

2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in a teaspoon of water

chopped fresh parsley for serving

Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water until soft enough to cup up. Slice the button mushrooms and place in a medium bowl. Drain and pat the other mushrooms dry. If using fresh morels be sure to soak and clean them well and inspect for insects. Cut the mushrooms into half inch pieces.

In a heavy skillet (I recommend cast iron) melt about 3 tablespoons butter and add 3 tablespoons olive oil. When sizzling hot, add the mushrooms. Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally to allow the mushrooms to brown and cook off any excess liquid. Add the garlic and the tomatoes and cook for a minute or two. Season with salt and pepper.

When mushrooms have browned, add the cognac OFF THE HEAT and the beef broth. Bring to a boil and allow to reduce slightly. Add the half and half and continue cooking until thickened, using the cornstarch slurry if needed. Remove to a bowl and keep warm.

Rinse out the skillet. Set back on the heat over medium high. Season the steaks well (I like to say season aggressively) with salt and pepper. Add a swirl of olive oil to the skillet and add the steaks, cooking to desired doneness, then remove to a plate to rest. To serve, slice each steak into strips and place on serving place, top with the mushroom sauce. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

This dish looks so impressive when plated with the morels peeking through the rich sauce. We like our steak medium rare and the perfect side for this was a simple green salad with Dijon vinaigrette and shaved Asiago cheese. Simple, delicious food.

Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a "sponsored post." As a Brand Ambassador, the company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift or something of value. Regardless,  I only recommend products or services I believe are of good quality and safe. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

My ultimate comfort food- chicken fried steak

The Chef hates making chicken fried steak. He hates cooking it. I, however LOVE the stuff, but I don't like that I have to eat out to get it. So we are going to make it, using the recipe of one of my idols- Mr. Alton Brown. Alton Brown visited Des Moines a while back and sadly, I was unable to go see him, or see him at the many local food hot spots he popped in to. This was such a source of heartbreak for me- the Ultimate Chef Groupie. So many of my girlfriends swoon over their favorite singers and actors and then there is me- the mere sight of a knifebag or chef's jacket and I'm jelly. Some of my luckier friends did get to go see Mr. Brown though, and continue to tease me with pictures of themselves and Alton. I'm so jealous !!

My good friend Paul and Alton

I've been a fan of the Food Network ever since it's been on the air. Many chefs have come and gone over the years but some leave a lasting impact. Sarah Moulton was the first Food Network chef that I seriously began to follow. She was not only a tv chef but also the Executive Chef for Gourmet Magazine. Her show, Cooking Live, had a unique format in that viewers could call in live on the air and ask questions. It was great and I learned a ton from her. Ming Tsai and his East Meets West was also a big favorite of mine. Mario Batali, Ina Garten, and before long, Alton Brown became, to me, sort of a culinary instructor. Alton's show Good Eats educated the viewers in such a fun way, always entertaining. 

But let's get back to chicken fried steak. Almost always the steak and mashed potatoes are covered with tons of white gravy. I might be a super fan of chicken fried steak, but I am not a fan of white gravy. This is where Alton Brown's version comes in. After the steaks are cooked the gravy is made in the same pan, but with chicken broth and a LITTLE milk for richness- this unique version is going to make me very happy. 

I did have to make a few adjustments to the recipe. I was not able to get 2 pounds of bottom round so I had to substitute cubed steaks, and got 4 portions. This isn't a huge deal, but it changes the recipe slightly, as Alton dredges, tenderizes, dredges again and continues. My steak is already tenderized. I also will be using turkey broth instead, because, well, I have a ton of it canned from the Thanksgiving Day turkey frame. It will be just as delicious. 

Alton Brown's Chicken Fried Steak

2 pounds beef bottom round, trimmed of excess fat

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 whole eggs, beaten

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Cut the meat with the grain into 1/2 inch thick slices. Season each piece on both sides with the salt and pepper. Place the flour into a pie pan. Place the eggs into a separate pie pan. Dredge the meat on both sides in the flour. Tenderize the meat, using a needling device, until each slice is 1/4 inch thick, Once tenderized, dredge the meat again in the flour, followed by the egg and finally in the flour again. Repeat with all the pieces of meat. Place the meat onto a plate and allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking.

Place enough of the vegetable oil to cover the bottom of a 12-inch slope-sided skillet and set over medium high heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the meat in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook each piece on both sides until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes per side. Remove the steaks to a wire rack set in a half sheet pan and place into oven. Repeat until all meat is browned.

Add the remaining vegetable oil, or at least 1 tablespoon, to the pan. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of the flour left over from the dredging. Add the chicken broth and deglaze the pan. Whisk until the gravy comes to a boil and begins to thicken. Add the milk and thyme and whisk until the gravy coats the back of a spoon, approximately 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed. Serve the gravy over the steaks.

NOTE: This recipe is property of Alton Brown and Food Network. You can see Alton's original recipe by clicking HERE.

Ok, so here is the breakdown of how I did it. As I said, I was only able to get steak that has already been through the tenderizer, so after the first dredge I just lightly finger-tapped the flour into the meat, and continuing from there.

I used the cast iron skillet to make this so I got a nice evenly hot oil.

Funny thing about cast iron on a black glass-top stove- it
looks like I'm cooking in an invisible skillet.

I swapped turkey broth for the chicken broth and it was just as delicious. Instead of whole milk I used half and half so the gravy was super luscious and rich, but nothing at all like gloppy white gravy.

I asked The Chef to give me a hand in the kitchen, since he makes awesome homemade mashed potatoes, and served good old American green beans on the side. Filling, comforting and without a doubt the BEST version of chicken fried steak I have ever had. With Alton's help I just may master gravy yet!

It's Not Asian- It's Asianish

Some days you just have to improvise. Like today. No idea what to cook for dinner, and two choices in the refrigerator- hamburger and boneless beef "ribs". I find myself in a cooking rut every now and then and need to do something to break out of it. Hamburger, hmm.... spaghetti, chili, brown gravy with macaroni. Hamburgers? Meatballs? Meatloaf even? All the same old same old. Boring. Nothing jumps out at me as exciting. 

So Plan B- the boneless beef ribs. They really aren't ribs at all, they look like strips cut from some sort of roast. Nicely marbled so they braise like a charm, but that gets back into the same old same old pattern. I need something creative. A quick foodie conference with my friend Andi and we have decided- something with an Asian twist so I can get some more kimchi on the plate. Perfect! It's not Chinese, nor Korean, nor Japanese for sure, but it is delicious, and easy and reminds me of yummy Chinese takeout. It's....... Asianish.

I like to think I keep a well-stocked pantry when it comes to the basics. I almost always have rice on hand, and soy sauce, something spicy like Sriracha, some kind of veggie to throw in a stir fry. I can do this, and I think it will turn out quite delicious. So I begin by cutting up those pieces of beef. 

If you look at them you can clearly see the grain of the meat, and which direction the fibers are going. To get nice, tender pieces of beef it's important to always cut against the grain, otherwise your bite sized pieces will be stringy and tough.

Trim off any visible fat and slice thinly across the grain. Toss them in a food-safe zip top bag and add the marinade ingredients, zip it up and toss in the fridge to marinate while you work on whatever you need to do- catch up on housework, watch some television, as long as you leave the meat to marinate for a couple of hours. When you're ready to cook, just stir fry with the vegetables of your choice and serve- super easy. Works with chicken and pork as well.

Asianish Stir Fry

1- 1 1/2 lbs boneless beef

5 cloves garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 cup soy sauce, divided

1/4 cup Sriracha sauce, divided

1/4 cup brown sugar, divided

2 tb cooking oil

small bunch scallions or small onion

1 stalk celery

1 carrot

mushrooms

other veggies you like

hot cooked rice

kimchi

Trim meat of excess fat. Cut into thin bite-sized pieces and place in zip top bag. Roughly chop the garlic and add to bag, followed by ginger, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce, 2 tablespoons brown sugar and oil. Close the bag and knead to mix marinade ingredients and cover the meat completely. Place in fridge and allow to marinate for a couple hours.

Cut the scallions into one-inch pieces or julienne the onion. Sometimes I used both so I get a Mongolian beef kind of thing going on. Slice the celery thinly, on the bias. Peel and shred the carrot (or use the peeler to make long thin strips). Slice mushrooms and any other vegetables you are adding.

Heat some additional cooking oil in a large skillet or wok. When screaming hot, add the meat and cook, stirring, until done. Remove from pan, stir fry the vegetables for about one minute, then return meat to pan along with remaining soy sauce, Sriracha and brown sugar. Toss to coat evenly and thicken slightly. Serve over hot cooked rice with a nice serving of kimchi, if desired.

While this dish claims no particular Asian origin, many of the flavors carry that Asian flair. Soy and brown sugar combine to make a delicious sweet and salty base and the Sriracha kicks it up a lot. Kimchi makes a perfect partner with its fresh and crunchy texture. So do those kooky Chinese "noodles" you see in the grocery store- chow mein noodles- or crispy fried strips of wonton wrappers. 

I happened to have half a package of wonton wrappers hanging around that needed to get used up. If you don't use these for lots of things, you are missing out- they make not only every kind of Asian dumpling I can think of but they also make a great stand in for fresh pasta when making homemade ravioli or lasagna. They fry up in just seconds to give you crispy golden "noodles" to top your dish or salad, soup- whatever you like.

Make this dish into a party by adding egg rolls, crab rangoons and any other Asian foods you like. Any kind of boneless steak works great, especially sirloin, as well as pork or chicken. Shrimp would be a great option as well, as long as you omitted the long marinating time. Remember, it's not genuine, it's "Asianish."

The Gerwegian girl's braciole

I was so surprised the other day- at the grocery store they had the BIG pieces of round steak. The big ones- like I remember as a child, my mom slicing up and making pepper steak or stroganoff, or pounding the everloving life out of and smothering with cream-of-something soup and baking for a couple hours. Not the fanciest cut by any means, but certainly one of my favorite if for nothing but the memories. Anyway, there it was in the meat department beckoning to me to cook something really good.

If it was the right time of year, pepper steak would have been my first choice but in general I avoid certain kinds of grocery store produce in the winter, like tomatoes and peppers. It's just not the same as fresh from the garden or farmers market. Mushrooms, however, are available year round and pretty consistent PLUS they had a nice basket of fresh shiitakes begging to be taken home. Inspired by the recent picture a friend had shared with me, I decided a stuffed steak was in order.

What I ended up with is my own version of Braciole- without the Italian flavor profile. Mushrooms are a natural with steak and so easy to chop up and create a stuffing with. The shiitkes are a real treat to work with- once you pinch off and throw away the inedible stem they cut up into perfect firm little cubes of delicious. I chose cremini as my other mushroom (although I bought some of every kind they had in the store that day!), a little onion, garlic, some stale bread (do YOU keep your bread butts in the freezer for things like this?) and roll it up in some pounded out steak. Here is how I did it-

Mushroom Braciole

about 2 lb round steak (or similar- flat iron, flank steak, etc)

1 small onion

4 cloves garlic

4 slices stale bread

1 tsp chopped thyme

8 oz mushrooms- I used shiitake and cremini

salt and pepper

2 cups beef stock

1 tablespoon cornstarch

olive oil

2 tb butter

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Cut or tear the bread into small pieces and spread out to let it dry as much as possible, set aside for now.

Cut the meat into 6 equal portions. Pound using a meat mallet until flattened and even in thickness. Pounding out to the right shape is a little tricky but try to get the pieces as rectangular as possible. I was so busy pounding away The Chef finally asked me if I was ever going to be done or was I building a garage.......sigh...... Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Finely chop the onion and garlic and place in bowl. Clean the mushrooms, trim off the stem ends (remove tough shiitake stems) and chop into small dice and add to bowl. 

In a medium skillet heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and butter. Add the onions, garlic, mushrooms, thyme and season with salt and pepper. Cook for several minutes until onions are softened and mushrooms begin to brown. Meanwhile, crumble the bread as much as possible in a medium bowl. Pour the mushroom onion mixture over and mix well. It might be a little dry, not like stuffing you'd serve at the holidays- that's ok, it doesn't need to be super moist.

Grab a piece of steak and place a scoop of the stuffing on it. Pat it and spread it out over the meat surface evenly, leaving a little edge uncovered. 

Roll up and secure with picks, or tie with string if you're especially handy like that. I use picks because, well..... I'm not. Continue with all pieces of steak until done. 

You might have some leftover stuffing. I did because I could only get 5 portions from my steak, and Louie enjoyed it thoroughly.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in that skillet you cooked the mushrooms in and brown the rolls on the outside; place in dutch oven or covered roaster/braiser. 

Mix the cornstarch into the beef broth while browning the meat and when done, deglaze the skillet with the broth. Whisk over medium high heat until slightly thickened and bubbly. Ladle sauce over the braciole in the pot; cover and bake for one hour and 15 minutes.

When done, remove from oven and let rest a few minutes so the stuffing will firm up just a bit. Remove picks from rolls and slice. Serve with pasta, rice or potatoes and the sauce. I have been making this dish for years and years and it's one of my favorites. Not very "gourmet" but certainly delicious and an old family favorite. Oh, I almost forgot- the Gerwegian??  German and Norwegian of course!

Taking a break from steak and potatoes

Good ol' steak and potatoes. Truly an all American, stick to your ribs, man-pleasing classic and something I get a craving for every so often. I love a good steakhouse and classic steakhouse food, but there are days when it's just "too much" and I'm looking for something a little different. I also love a good, hearty salad for dinner and with garden season in full swing, salad veggies are everywhere, fresh and plentiful. Might as well combine the best of both worlds and make it a new classic!

Steak doesn't always fit in the budget these days. Meat prices are going through the roof in many parts of the country so you really have to watch the stores and get the best steaks when they are on sale. For this recipe I chose a sirloin steak which is a fairly tender steak and not too pricey. I was able to get a nice steak that weighed in at just under a pound and was the right size for this recipe. It's boneless, not fatty and a good thickness also, which will help prevent overcooking and drying out the meat. 

For the salad I went with a mix of baby spinach and romaine lettuce. The baby spinach gives a nod to the steakhouse classic, creamed spinach, and the romaine, of course, represents Caesar salad. Dressed up with salad veggies and a creamy Dijon vinaigrette, salty bleu cheese crumbles and a crunchy topper, it really comes together perfectly for a one-dish at-home steakhouse New Classic. So let's get cooking and get this on the table.

Lake House Steak House Salad

• 1 good sized steak- I used a sirloin just under a pound
• 3 tb vegetable oil
• 2 tb soy sauce
• 1 tb balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp steak seasoning/meat rub
• 4-6 cups mixed salad greens (I used baby spinach and romaine lettuce) 
• desired salad vegetables- tomatoes, cucumber, carrot, radish, etc. Use what you have and what you like
• 3 oz. package bleu cheese, crumbled
• Dijon vinaigrette (recipe follows)
• fried onions or croutons (recipe follows)

Place the steak in a resealable plastic bag. Add oil, soy sauce, balsamic, garlic and meat rub. Seal the bag and rub the marinade into the meat. Allow to marinate at room temperature for an hour (or longer in the refrigerator).

Prepare the vinaigrette dressing and chill. Prep salad veggies and hold in fridge.

Make the fried onions or croutons, allow to drain on paper towel until time to assemble.

When ready to start dinner, preheat a grill or broiler. Remove steak from marinade and place on hot grill (I use a grill pan on my stove top). Discard the bag with marinade. Cook steak to desired doneness. Around here we like it medium rare. Remove to a plate and allow to rest for a few minutes.

In a large bowl, toss the salad vegetables. Add about half the dressing, toss. 

Add half the bleu cheese crumbles to taste and toss again. Arrange salad on plates. Using a carving knife, slice the steak into bite sized strips, arrange over salad. Sprinkle with more bleu cheese, drizzle with dressing and top with fried onions or croutons and serve!

French-style Dijon Vinaigrette

6 tb extra virgin olive oil

2 tb balsamic vinegar

2 tb Dijon mustard

salt and pepper

Combine ingredients in a jar. Cover and shake to blend and thicken. Chill until you need it, shake again before using. This is my favorite of all salad dressing recipes- so simple, classic and delicious. This is a basic recipe everyone should have in their repertoire.

French Fried Onions

thinly sliced onions

milk or buttermilk

all purpose flour

salt and pepper

Thinly slice as many onions as you need. For my salad I just need a small onion for two servings. Place in a bowl and cover with milk. Mix a cup or so of flour with salt and pepper in a bowl, stir to combine. Heat oil in a shallow pan. Remove onions from milk, dip in flour.

Fry in hot oil until golden brown and crispy. Allow to drain before serving. Pile on top of the salads.

If you don't feel like frying onions, you CAN go with croutons. If you want to make homemade croutons, click HERE for the quick directions.

Needless to say, the salad was a hit with the Chef. He cleaned his plate completely, even loved the dressing even though he says he doesn't like balsamic vinegar. This will definitely be on the menu again. Not only was it delicious but it was a great way to stretch a steak and seemed like a very decadent treat with the bleu cheese, Dijon dressing and fried onions.

Nephew Night gets hot and spicy

I am the cool aunt. Yep. The aunt that takes nephews to concerts, Zombie Burger, goes to the World Food Festival with, and cooks. And why not? It's fun and rewarding to be an aunt and play a part in someone's life, especially if I can be a positive role model. I have one nephew that shares my love for heavy metal, and another that shares my passion for cooking.

Many highway miles have been traveled by my nephew Jordan and I- to Minnesota for Black Label Society and Mudvayne, to Council Bluffs for Halestorm, Stone Sour and Avenged Sevenfold. All good times and great memories. My nephew Jeremy and I share a passion for food and cooking. We share recipes, ideas, cooking videos- you name it. We go to the World Food Festival together and try weird foods we've never heard of before. And we cook.

Today we spent the day together, talking about different things, life stuff, tv chefs and of course, food. Jeremy brought over the stuff to make his awesome Steak Rolls, which we have shared here before. We had a great time talking over pounding out steak, cutting up vegetables, weaving bacon. Some time in the course of our conversation Jeremy had a stroke of brilliance- fried pickles made out of the ghost pepper dill pickles I made.

After rounding up some ingredients from the pantry for the fried pickles, he wanted to make a dipping sauce. So we browsed through the cabinets a little more and thought- why not use some of the pepper jellies I have on hand? Of course! While the meat roasted nicely in the oven, Jeremy set to work on the best fried pickles I have ever had! So brace yourselves for this zesty, spicy treat- Honey Sesame Fried Pickles with Cranberry Ghost Chili Dipping Sauce.

You will need-

1 quart whole dill pickles-Jeremy used spicy hot pepper dills

1-2 eggs

2 tb honey

dash of soy sauce

sesame oil, if desired

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup panko

2 tb sesame seed, toasted

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

dash ground ginger

cooking oil for frying

Drain pickles and cut into quarters or halves lengthwise. Spread out on paper towels and allow to dry for an hour or so. Meanwhile, in small bowl beat together eggs, honey, soy sauce and a few drops of sesame oil, if using. In another bowl combine the dry ingredients. 

Heat oil for frying. Dip pickles in egg, then coat liberally with coating mixture, pressing to adhere well. Fry until golden brown, drain on paper towels and serve with dipping sauce.

Cranberry Pepper Jelly Dipping Sauce

1 cup cranberry ghost pepper jelly

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

Melt jelly in small saucepan with garlic added. Simmer until slightly reduced and garlic is tender. Pour into small bowl and serve with pickles.

*Note- We used cranberry ghost chili jelly that I had made, but you can use any pepper jelly you have, or you can click HERE for the cranberry ghost chili recipe.

Try these recipes the next time you are inviting guests for dinner. The steak roll is awesome served with some grilled or roasted asparagus or sliced and served like fajitas, with all the toppings and tortillas. The pickles are spicy and crispy and the dipping sauce has a VERY Asian flavor. Enjoy!

Foodie Field Trip- Minnesota

Before you even ask "how can an entire STATE be a foodie field trip" let me just say- the foodie field trip part is just a BONUS. The reason for the road trip had nothing to do with food. Or kitchen stores. Or good restaurants. It just.......happened.

It was innocent enough to begin with. Mom and daughter. Road trip to Minneapolis to see Lady Gaga. Girl time. Fun and laughs. But the the fateful words "outlet mall" were muttered. I knew........it was all about to change from there. Barely 3 hours into our day I found myself in the kitchen store at an outlet mall near Owatonna. This is a very dangerous place for a person who loves to cook, loves interesting little shops, and LOVES to buy kitchen stuff. Very dangerous. It's not hard for me to find SOMETHING to buy in a kitchen store. I don't need to spend a lot of money- I can and will find something so I can say "I bought something there!"  Yes, I am that easy to entertain. So what did I pick up this time? A new tea steeper thing (since I cannot find my steeping mug from Teavana that I love so much) and a ceramic knife. I have lusted after a ceramic knife ever since I saw my first Kyocera knife at an upscale cookware shop in Kansas City several years ago. This store did not have Kyocera knives but they did have a KitchenAid ceramic knife for an exceptional price, so I grabbed one. I can try it out and if I'm not totally in love with it, I haven't splashed out hundreds of dollars. 

An outlet store full of Wusthofs. What a cruel, cruel twist.
THIS was not in my budget!!

We arrived in the Twin Cities with hours to spare. Checked into the hotel and went exploring Eagan for a place to eat. Bypassing all the same places we can eat at in Iowa, we decided to give Houlihan's a shot. 

I normally avoid chain restaurants like the plague but we were hungry and decided to brave it. We were not disappointed at all. The decor was warm and woodsy. The staff was very friendly and proficient. We didn't wait for anything. After the drive we were HUNGRY- and the menu looked pretty promising. They had a very impressive cocktail menu, including mini martini flights, and a pretty substantial "small plates" menu. Debbee chose a pasta special- fettuccine with lemon shrimp. Her salad arrived just moments after the waitress left our table- and was so much better than the usual boring and predictable bagged salad mix with 3 croutons. Fresh corn, bacon, blue cheese and a slightly mustardy version of ranch dressing.

The pasta dish was very generous. It arrived on a huge platter, with loads of fettuccine, a creamy lemon sauce and perfectly grilled shrimp.

I went with my old standby- steak. I chose the top sirloin, which was grilled and basted with a red wine sauce, and served with asparagus and baked potato and a Parmesan garlic butter to spread on top of the steak. So delicious, and perfectly cooked. 

We left, full and happy, and made our way to the Excel Center and had an amazing evening with Lady Gaga. But the fun didn't end there- and neither did the foodie field trip. The next morning we checked out of the hotel and made a beeline for Disneyland for Grownups, also known as IKEA. I'm not even going to sugar coat it. I'm in kitchen heaven in this place. Dishes- lots of dishes, several of which made their way into my cart. I'm always looking for good food props, and IKEA is a great place to find them. Their knife selection is impressive. The cookware is awesome. I've bought many many pieces from IKEA over the years and have never been dissatisfied. 

Another HUGE weakness for me- kitchen linens. I love love love kitchen towels. I must have a hundred. I'm sure I'm not done buying linens, although this trip did not include any. I did, however, find a very cool wheeled cart for things like farmers markets and I can't wait to use it !!

The Mall of America is surprisingly a good place to find cool little foodie things. Immediately upon walking in the mall we spotted a Vom Fass store. I had never been in one before- never even heard of them- but I soon was transfixed at the wall of oils, the wall of vinegars, the wall of seasonings. 

I was a little overwhelmed really- too much, in too small of a store. Of course we spent considerable time at the seasonings/spices, smelling everything and oohing and ahhing over the amazing aromas, even trying pumpkin seed oil. I had to make a decision, couldn't take it all with me, so I grabbed a couple jars, Aglio Olio & Peperoncino seasoning and Wild Game seasoning, grabbed a catalog, and begrudgingly left the store. 

We stopped for lunch at The Cadillac Ranch, where Debbee had the Black and Bleu Salmon Salad (Black and Bleu Catfood Salad as I call it) and I had the famous Minnesota Jucy Lucy. Browsed over the Vom Fass catalog while eating.......decided it was a good thing we left that store when we did........ and continued our trip around the mall.

There are several different foodie havens in the Mall of America. Williams Sonoma (which I avoided- we have that in Iowa), all the department stores which carry all my favorites as well, Teavana, and The Pepper Palace, which as you can imagine, is a store filled with nothing but hundreds upon hundreds of hot sauces, and things like Nacho Cheese scented candles.  I'll pass on the candles but the hot sauces are always my friend. They even carry Zakk Wylde's Berserker sauces. I was in awe of all the heat in one room.

I found this ADORABLE little piggy grill!!

Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and so did my time in the Mall of America. The sad drive back to Iowa began and I always feel that longing to just stay forever in my home state. But halfway back, there was one last stop that also yields a few foodie surprises- Cabela's. Many of my friends think it's weird that I, a girl, love going to Cabela's so much. Well, it's the animal displays, the live fish in the aquariums (game fish- things I catch, clean and eat!) and the assortment of food-related items that make it a great place for people like me! They have a huge assortment of cast iron cookware, dehydrating and preserving equipment, jerky marinades, seasoning of every kind, game cookbooks- and big jugs of seasoned fish fry coating. Just what I was looking for!

And finally.........we are done. Tired. Shopped out. Headed home. Our much-needed mom and daughter trip now in the history books, back to real life, work, kids, bills, and writing blogs.......about my foodie field trip.