Where fruit becomes Art

Latest email blast. Same image is on the latest postcard too.

Recent work – NEW Roll

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from our house to yours.

Cranberry Apple Chutney

Image from last year's Thanksgiving fest. Why eat the stuff from the can. Fresh made cranberries relish is so good and better for you.

55 Cranberry Aplle ChutneyCranberry Aplle Chutney

Cranberry Apple Chutney

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 package (12 ounces) fresh cranberries
• 2 large tart apples, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar and water to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Carefully stir in the cranberries, apples, onion, raisins, brown sugar, vinegar, cinnamon, salt, allspice and cloves.
• Return to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until desired thickness, stirring occasionally. Just before serving, stir in walnuts. Serve warm or cold.

Brandy and Orange-Mashed Sweet Potatoes in Orange Cups

Better pictures to come - best sweet potato recipe.

Brandy and Orange-Mashed Sweet Potatoes in Orange Cups - Emeril recipe

Ingredients

7 large sweet potatoes, about 3 pounds
4 large oranges
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup brandy
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until tender, about 1 hour. Remove from
the oven and let rest until just cool enough to handle.
Lower the oven to 350 degrees F.

Make the orange cups by cutting the oranges in half from stem to bottom and scooping out the pulp, leaving only the shell. Set aside.

While still somewhat hot, peel the potatoes and place in a large bowl. Discard the
skins and tough, stringy fibers. Add the butter, and with an electric mixer, beat out
the lumps. Add the sugar, eggs, orange juice, heavy cream, and brandy, and mix until
smooth. Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and mix well. Re-season, to taste.

Spoon the sweet potato mixture into the orange cups, mounding and smoothing the top.
Bake until puffed and slightly golden, about 20 minutes.

Wild Mushrooms Stuffing

This will be the second year we have made this dish. This dish reminds me of my Grandpa JP's stuffing.


Wild Mushrooms Stuffing - Emeril's recipe

5 cups fresh white bread, crust removed and cubed

1 ½ cups milk

6 slices apple bacon, sliced into ¼-inch pieces

1 ½ onions, finely chopped

3 ribs celery, finely chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 pound assorted mushrooms, sliced, such as shiitake and oyster

1 cup Marsala wine

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

¾ cup chicken broth, or as needed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons fine dry breadcrumbs

Cooking Directions

In a bowl, soak the bread cubes in the milk.
In a saute pan, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until crisp and fat has rendered. Add the onion, celery, and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they have released their liquid and are soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the Marsala and cook until nearly evaporated. Remove from the heat and set aside until completely cooled.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and butter a 9-inch square baking dish.
Squeeze any excess milk from the bread and place the bread in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg, mushroom mixture, chopped thyme and oregano, and enough broth to moisten the stuffing. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish and then sprinkle with the breadcrumbs. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and continue to cook until lightly browned on top and heated throughout, 15 to 30 minutes longer.

Sticky and Sweet Potatoes

Sticky and Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 pounds of sweet potatoes
• 2 avocados
• 2 limes, juice and zest
• 3/4 cup lite coconut milk
• 1/4 cup honey, plus more for drizzling
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 scant tablespoon red curry paste
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup sweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped pistachios

Peel and cube sweet potatoes. Place in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil for between 15 and 18 minutes, until tender.

Preheat oven to oven to 300 degrees. Then place the coconut in a single layer on a baking sheet and stir halfway through toasting.

Drain the potatoes and place them back in the saucepan. Begin mashing in lime juice and zest, avocados and milk. Then mix in the honey, brown sugar, curry paste, salt, pepper and half of the coconut.

Place in serving dish and top liberally with the rest of the coconut, pistachios. Drizzle the finished dish with honey to top it off.

Sweet Potato Hash

picture to come

To start the Thanksgiving day out right we are starting with eggs and hash.

Sweet Potato Hash - The Neelys recipe

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1-inch cubes
• 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup green onions
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Add the potatoes to a large saucepan of salted boiling water and simmer until tender. Drain and dry completely with paper towels.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, pepper and garlic, and saute until tender and lightly golden, 5 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove to a bowl.
Add the remaining 4 tablespoons oil to the skillet, and then add the drained and dried sweet potatoes. Cook in a single layer, stirring occasionally, on medium heat until they are tender, about 6 minutes. Increase the heat to high and cook, without stirring, until the potatoes are golden and crisp, about 2 more minutes. Sprinkle with the smoked paprika and gently stir in the onion mixture and parsley.

Recent work for Itasca leathergoods

Textured placemats

Recent work for Itasca leathergoods

Keith Lunde's toys from when he was a kid.


Keith is Larry my Husband father who has kept so many of his childhood toys. We were blessed to see so many wonderful he has kept toys. Keith family owned a creamer near Mitchel, South Dakota.


The black truck was a White Company. The tank is a Louis Marx & Co World War I tank. A couple of John Deere and McCormick farm equipment was his father's toys made out of cast-iron.

postcard

Postcard in the works. At the printer now. Soon it will be printed and then posted to the blog.

Recent work - Itasca Leathergoods - Ipad case

Ipad case

Itasca Leathergoods 

 

recent work -photographing over 215 items for Itasca Leathergoods website.

Kafe 421

I found Dinkytown

Kafe 421

421 14th Ave SE
Minneapolis

Restaurant Week Lunch Tasting Menu

Kafe 421 has two tasting menus; Lunch for $10 or Dinner for $30

Wonderful deals

1/2 price wine on Monday & Wednesday

Date Night on Sunday & Tuesday
2 salads, 2 Entrees, 1 Dessert for $25

Restaurant Week Lunch Tasting Menu

Lunch tasting menu consists of an appetizer and entree.

I choose the Spanakopita Triangle, made with spinach, herbs and feta cheese wrapped in phyllo dough. For the entree I went with Pastichio, a Greek casserole. The Greek noodle used in this dish is Makaronia. As you can see in the image they lay a huge layer of these thick noodles on the bottom followed by a layer of meat, then cheese and another layer of noodles glued together by cheese and topped off with tomatoes and garnish. The dish might look Italian but the taste wasn't.

I think I found Dinkytown, I have always heard about it. Years ago we ate at a restaurant in Dinkytown and as I was looking for this restaurant across the street was Vescio. Still getting use to the big city. Kafe 421 is not far from University Ave and very easy to find. The cafe has three seating areas; the front area with a couple of tables and a bar, the hallway with a long bar, and the back room with many tables.

al Vento Restaurant

Al Vento
5001 34th Ave S
Minneapolis

Fall Restaurant Week
Dinner Menu
$15

Larry requested to join me for this restaurant tasting. We had been there before but it had been a long time. We sat just tables from were we sat the first time. Our server was very nice too. Jason told us about Date Night on Tuesday night, 2 entrees, 1 appetizer and 1 dessert for $20. They also have 1/2 price bottles of wine on Sun and 4-6pm everyday too. The busiest days are Friday, Saturday, Sunday brunch and Tuesday date night.

What we picked for our tasting menu

starters
Stuffed Mushrooms with walnuts and mother sauce

Beet Salad with frisee hazelnuts and parmesan cheese



entrees
Ravioli with butternut squash and brown butter sage

Grilled Amish Chicken Breast with roasted root vegetables and mushroom sauce



dessert
Chocolate hazelnut tart with whipped cream and caramel

Vanilla Creme Brulee




The beet salad was heaven with chunks of white beets and slices of parmesan cheese. So many places don't give you a lot of beets on a beet salad but they did. This was the best beet salad for me so far. Careful on the Chocolate hazelnut tart, the whipped cream has a little bite to it but very good. You have got to try the olive oil, it has rosemary and other spices in it. The butternut squash ravioli was full of favor and yes the best squash ravioli so far. So two dishes that have pushed the envelope was the beet salad and butternut squash ravioli. I can see coming back to the restaurant many times.

Cafe Ena

Cafe Ena
4601 Grand Ave S
Minneapolis

Lunch tasting menu during restaurant week
$10 lunch

Entrees
Chilaquiles - Shredded tortillas cooked in a tomato chipotle sauce served with a fried egg, cream, cojita cheese and pico de gallo.

Tacos de Carne Asada - Marinated skirt steak tacos topped with onions, cilantro and roasted tomato salsa served with white rice and black beans.


Dessert or Appetizer
Homemade Butternut squash soup

Homemade key line pie with mango sauce

or

Churros with cinnamon ice cream