Some cases of E. Coli illness have appeared in southern Minnesota
this week, related to the Taco John's chain of fast food restaurants.
This follows a rather severe outbreak in the eastern part of the US,
involving Taco Bell restaurants.
The source of the E. Coli bacteria is still not known. Reports that
the bacteria were found in green onions in the earlier Taco Bell
outbreak turn out to be mistaken, so the source is still not known.
What do do about this? I don't know. In the past, these infections
have come from meat, spinach, and many other sources. Restaurant-based
food infections are not all that uncommon, really, yet they are rare,
given the number of people who eat fast food every day.
Both Taco Bell and, now, Taco John's have a difficult time facing
them. When these stories turn up, people avoid the restaurants en
masse, but that's not a reasonable reaction, once the outbreak is
over. The next outbreak could come from Wendy's, Burger King, or any
other chain of restaurants.
I don't eat a lot at fast food emporia, but I wouldn't let this
outbreak stop me from eating at any restaurant. The key seems to be to
choose menu items that do not include any raw ingredients, and to make
sure that cooked ingredients are fully cooked. That's what I do.
12/12/06
Comments? Email Me!
Sometimes, a guy just gets a hankering for some raw fish on rice.
Now, I know that a lot of Minnesotans consider sushi and sashimi (heck,
any raw fish) to be little more than bait. But, even in the land of the
walleye sandwich, sushi has make some inroads on the local restaurant
scene. Cosmopolitan Minnesotans can be found scarfing up sushi in
several restaurants in the area.
Coming from California, as I do, sushi is just a natural thing to
eat, along with avocados, kiwis, and the like. But, now I'm here, and I
don't have to miss any of my favorite fare. I used to disdain sushi
served any further than 5 miles from a coastline, but I've had to give
up that coastal prejudice, like so many other prejudices, to survive
here in Minnesota. As with most of my prejudices, I was wrong to think I
couldn't get good sushi in the heart of the Midwest.
Miss sushi? Wanna try it for the first time? Have friends you need to
impress coming from a snobby coastal area for a visit? Click
Here for a list of sushi sources in the Twin Cities.
6/18/06
Comments? Email Me!
Many Minnesotans seem to have tender palates, for the most part.
Offer them something very spicy or with a lot of heat, and they say,
"Uffda" and head for the
milder fare. So, I came up with this recipe. It has all the flavor, but
not so much of the bite of typical chili. I served it up at a family
gathering made up mostly of lutefisk-eating folks. They looked skeptical,
but tried it, since they were being "nice" to me, a recent
arrival. It got raves. Regular folks like this recipe, too, and you can
add hot sauce to your own bowl if you need to "feel the heat."
Try it!
George's Chili for 20 (makes 10-12 quarts)
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 4 hours
Ingredients:
1.5 lb. Fresh bulk pork sausage
1.5 lb. Bulk Chorizo sausage (available at most grocery stores)
2 lb. Low-fat ground beef
3 Large yellow onions
6 Cloves of garlic (or equivalent)
3 Large green bell peppers
3 Large cans (28 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 Can (15-16 oz.) enchilada sauce (mild)
2 Cans Black beans
2 Cans Red Kidney Beans
2 Cans Chili Beans
2 Cans Pinto Beans
1 Tablespoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon coarse ground pepper
1 Teaspoon chili powder
1 Teaspoon Chipotle chili powder
(Note: If Chipotle chili powder not available, double regular chili powder.)
1 Tablespoon ground Cumin (comino) (Look for bags of this in Mexican food section...it's cheaper)
Other Ingredients at serving time:
2 Medium white onions
1 lb. grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1 Bottle hot sauce (Tabasco™ or other)
Salt
Pepper
Directions:
You'll need a very large pot or an electric roaster oven (recommended) for this. It makes about 3 gallons, so plan ahead. Begin cooking at least 4 hours before you plan to serve the chili. You can't do it too early. Allow about an hour for chopping ingredients and cooking the meat.
Start by coarsely chopping the yellow onions and the bell peppers (1/2" pieces). Crush and finely chop the garlic. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
Sauté the onions, garlic and peppers until the onions are transparent.
While cooking the onions, pour all the canned ingredients into your pot or roaster oven. Be sure to add any fluids in the cans as well. Turn on burner or roaster oven
(350 degrees). Add the salt, pepper, chili powders, and cumin and stir well to distribute seasonings.
In the same pan used to sauté the onions, etc. start cooking the meat, one variety at a time. Use a spatula or other utensil to break up the ground ingredients into chunks about 1/2" in size. Take your time with this, and don't be tempted to reduce the meat to smaller sizes. Brown the meat on all sides, but don't worry about cooking them through. Dump the contents of the pan into the pot or roaster oven, then repeat with the other meats.
Stir the meat in the pot to thoroughly distribute it, then put a lid on the pot and continue cooking at a low to medium heat for at least 4 hours. If you use a roaster oven,
reduce the temperature to 300 degrees after an hour or so. On the stove, adjust the heat after half an hour to keep the chili simmering. That's it. Go and enjoy your company, if they've arrived. Come back about half an hour before serving, stir and taste, adjusting seasonings as needed. Also, a half an hour before serving, finely chop the white onions and put in a bowl and cover. Grate the sharp Cheddar cheese and place in a covered bowl.
At serving time, stir the finished chili thoroughly and use a ladle to dish it into bowls. Stir as needed to keep the chili ingredients well-distributed. Allow guests to spoon the white onions and cheddar onto the chili as desired. For more heat, the extra hot sauce will serve. Guests can also add their own salt and pepper.
6/9/06
Comments? Email
Me!
What to say about Mickey's Diner? If you live here, you know about
it. It sits on the corner of West 7th St. and St. Peter smack dab in the
middle of downtown Saint Paul. It's on the National Register of Historic
places, and there's even free parking. It's a real railroad dining car,
complete with neon. It's pure kitsch, and also pure class!
The food? It's not bad at all. Their chili is good, as are their
fries, and you have a really extensive menu for such a small place. You
needn't worry about going hungry, either...portions are enormous. But,
that's not why you go there. I go there because it's a last holdout of a
long tradition. It backs up against a very tall building, and it's
surrounded by other very tall buildings. Yet, there it sits, neon and
all. Free parking lot and all.
It's a tradition. If you live here, you stop in once or twice a year.
You take visitors to the area to the diner for lunch or breakfast. If
you're visiting Saint Paul, you must have a meal at Mickey's, or you
haven't visited Saint Paul.
Tips: Go late for breakfast or lunch. If you eat supper there, well,
you can go anytime. Don't plan on lingering over your meal. The waitress
will toss you after about 30 minutes, and if you give her any lip, maybe
even before that.
Enjoy!
6/1/06
Comments? Email
Me!
Walleye is the state food of Minnesota. It's the state Fish, too.
Everyone in Minnesota eats walleye at least once a day...I have that on
good authority. But where to eat your obligatory meal of walleye is not
a difficult question at all. Tavern
on Grand, located at 656 Grand Avenue, very close to downtown Saint
Paul, is, by law, the place to go for your walleye meal.
Have it fried. Have it grilled (my favorite). Have a whole meal, or
just have the Walleye Basket, like Gorbachev did when he visited Saint
Paul (there's a photo on the wall). Their walleye sandwich is also an
excellent choice. Hate fish? They have burgers and the like, as well, as
well as great beer, and a full bar, but what a waste!.
The atmosphere is rustic, with lots of sports memorabilia, and lots
of walleye photography. The service is fast and friendly. The prices are
more than reasonable for a city restaurant. If you don't stop in while
you're visiting Saint Paul, you're missing a bet. If you're a Saint
Paulite, you've already been there.
6/1/06
Comments? Email
Me!
Sometimes, a guy's gotta eat, and he's gotta eat now.. You'd be hard
pressed to find a better spot to grab a bite, listen to some music, and
meet some good folks that Mayslack's. Located at 1428 4th St. NE, it's
been around since 1955, and has that down-home ambiance and charm that's
getting harder and harder to find.
You won't go broke, either, dining at Mayslack's. The most expensive
entree on the menu is Marinated Top Sirloin, at $13.99. But...you'll
want to eat their famous Roast Beef Sandwich, especially if you're a
garlic aficionado, and aren't we all? It's outrageously good, and washed
down with one of the many beer varieties available...well, it's a pretty
good deal, then.
But food's not the only attraction. There's live music,
and even a walleye fishing outing sponsored by Mayslack's. You'll find
flyers for upcoming events, a menu, plus a lot more at the
establishment's website. Just Click
Here! Need help finding it? Click
Here for a map.
5/19/06
Comments? Email
Me!
