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Artichokes

Artichokes are so dramatic, in all their spiky mystery. Last summer, Saveur magazine went so far as to feature them on the cover, split in half so you could see their inner workings. There are, of course, the jarred and marinated artichoke hearts that surface in pasta salads and various chicken dishes, but that’s not what I’m referencing here. Some recipes call for frozen artichokes, which I have never found, but generally replace with canned artichokes. These flavors are familiar, but I believe a real artichoke experience can only be found by eating one whole, leaf by leaf, as a sort of vegetable adventure.

As a kid, we would occasionally have artichokes for dinner – in my memory, they would emerge from a steaming pan, sprinkled with minced garlic. We would pull off the leaves, capturing the delicious meat of each one by scraping with our teeth, and tossing the inedible parts into a central discard bowl. When you got to the center, and navigated around the prickly choke itself, you were rewarded with the heart – a dense chunk of deep but subtle flavoring; the prize inside the vegetable. There was a garlicky mayonnaise to dip everything into, and a real sense of accomplishment to be gained.

As a grown up, I’ve tried a few times to recreate this experience. I’ve known how to prep them – turned on the side, it’s easy to trim 1/4 inch off the artichoke stem and about the same off the top. Kitchen shears are handy for clipping the barbs off the remaining leaves, and with that, they’re ready to cook. I tried steaming them, stem down, and it took close to 90 minutes. I tried steaming them stem up, which was faster, but didn’t allow for any seasonings to nestle in between the leaves as I remembered. I’ve also looked up aioli recipes, and they tend to begin at the raw egg stage, where I want them to begin at the mayonnaise stage. I’ve felt each of these times that I was not quite achieving the goal.

Last weekend, with the assistance of the Moosewood cookbook I’ve had for more than 15 years, everything came together. To my surprise, it includes both “Easiest Artichokes” and “Aioli” recipes – and the suggestion that they be paired. They recommend settling the prepped artichokes, stem down, in about 4 inches of boiling water – and adding whatever seasonings you like to the water itself or sprinkled over the top. In this arrangement, a significant amount of artichoke was above water, but almost immediately, a delightfully artichoke-y steam began sneaking out from the edges of the lid. Half an hour later, they were ready!

Eating an artichoke necessarily slows down a meal and makes it an event. As you work your way through the tough outer leaves, dipping each into the aioli and only eating the edible parts, each bite gets more tender and delicious. When the leaves give way to the poky, feathery, choke at the center, try to pull it back from the edges gently. With a lot of patience and the steady pressure of a butter knife, it is possible to extract and discard the entire choke without cutting into the heart at all – think of this as a culinary challenge. The same caution should be taken when trimming away any tough bits on the stem end, as you want to salvage as much of the heart as is possible (to eat, obviously).

The aioli recipe began with a cup of mayonnaise, and the addition of a bit of garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil resulted in an intense and perfectly complementary dipping sauce for the artichokes. There was more than we needed for the meal, but the leftovers have improved our sandwiches all week.

Whole artichokes for dinner are delicious, and surprisingly easy to make. California artichokes (which you’ll find at your grocery store, probably nestled in a small basket next to the eggplants and leeks) are at their peak from March to May. Select those that are about the size of a grapefruit, and primarily pale green in color. Here are the recipes, adapted slightly from the Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home:

Easiest Artichokes

4 whole artichokes
optional, to flavor the cooking water: any combination of bay leaves, peppercorns, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, capers, or fennel seeds
optional, to drizzle over the cooked artichokes: juice of 2 lemons, and 4 tsps of olive oil

Bring 4 inches of water to a rapid boil, add whatever flavorings you choose, and trim either end of each artichoke to create a flat base and a flat top. Clip the barbed leaf tips for a nice look – though they will soften when cooked.

When the water boils, ease the trimmed artichokes, stem end down, into the pot. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 25-40 minutes, until the bottoms of the artichokes are easily pierced with a fork and the leaves are easy to pull off.

Drain the artichokes, place them upright on a serving plate, and drizzle lemon juice and olive oil over them if you like. Serve immediately (or, chill them and serve later – they’ll last for a few days in the refrigerator if stored in a tight container).

Aioli

1 cup mayonnaise
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
black pepper to taste

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerated, aioli keeps for about a week.

San Antonio, restaurant edition

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There’s a lot of good food in San Antonio, and I’ve been lucky to enjoy many meals in the company of the truly wonderful people that I have met and spent some time with here. I’ve also wandered around a bit on my own, resulting in a variety of experiences. The downtown has capitalized on some old mission irrigation systems, and a main feature of any visit should be wandering around on the resulting riverwalk. There’s a section that is densely populated with restaurants, most which present some variation on a Texas theme. They can all blur together a little bit, leading to some of the poorer choices on this list. May that be your warning, future riverwalk diners – be discerning in your selections.

Boudro’s – I can highly recommend this place, which I believe is one of the older riverwalk options. The walls are limestone, which gives the sense that you’re in a cozy cave of some kind. I’ve had both seafood and pasta that were delicious, and they do the thing where they make guacamole on a cart next to your table, which is always fun!

Cafe Ole – I have only the rain to blame for walking into the first option that I saw one evening when I got into town. The food was terrible but service was quick, and when the waiter brought me my bill he offered me delicious orange slices dipped in chili and suggested that if I wanted good Mexican food, I should probably look beyond the riverwalk.

El Mirador – The first breakfast I ever ate in San Antonio was enjoyed in a booth here, at the invitation of this very fine individual.

The Fairmount Hotel’s restaurant is being renovated but I once had a delightful birthday dinner there, hosted by the really lovely individuals from the agency that we work with in San Antonio.

Iron Cactus – Advice from the Cafe Ole guy aside, this is a really nice riverwalk spot, with excellent service and delicious food. I had excellent shrimp enchiladas here (after the waitress warned me that the brisket enchiladas were mushy).

La Gloria – Venturing away from the riverwalk to explore the Pearl Brewery area is very much worth the small effort that it takes. Once there, this chef-run celebration of Mexican street food should be your first stop!

Las Ramblas – Rain to blame again, I stopped in at this hotel restaurant for breakfast one morning without planning very well. I had not-that-great food from a buffet, surrounded by tables full of large families who appeared to be hotel guests. The website claims they have “the best food in San Antonio” but I beg to differ.

Mexican Manhattan – Their website claims they offer “the finest Mexican food,” conveniently located at a junction on the riverwalk. I have witnessed fierce debate about whether or not this is a good lunch choice, but the food I had was fine (though I will admit, not memorable).

Mi Tierra – Celebrating their 75th year of business, this bakery and restaurant is decorated with “thousands of Christmas lights” at all times of year, and has every combination of eggs and beans and tortillas that you can desire (they serve other meals, too, but I’ve only been for breakfast). I especially like the pumpkin empanadas from the bakery.

The Monterey has closed but I enjoyed a very memorable breakfast at their sunny location in Southtown, some kind of creative take on eggs benedict that was salty and delicious.

Paesano’s – If you’re on the riverwalk and Italian is your thing, this is the place. They’re famous for a pasta shrimp dish that’s quite good, and if you know the right people (as I do!) you can arrange for them to cater a guided riverboat for an evening.

Rita’s on the River – I remember thinking “how bad could it be” one evening after checking into my hotel. The food was okay, but it felt rather like a tourist assembly line. The woman at the table next to me demanded that her dinner be free of vegetables, and that a side of beans was out of the question.

Rosella Coffee Company – A reasonable stroll and a world away from the touristy riverwalk, this coffee shop is in a high-ceilinged industrial sort of space and offered a perfect spot to read and eat a sandwich one afternoon when that was just what I needed.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House – Located in the hotel where I holed up for a rainy weekend with a book, I sat at the bar here one evening just long enough to drink a glass of wine, eat an appetizer, and meet a millionaire. It’s a steak house, as promised.

Sip – This coffee shop is across the street from a Starbucks and has friendly people and good things to eat and drink. I recommend it.

Supper – This gorgeous restaurant is in a hotel so beautiful it’s as though someone’s fantastical dreams came to life. The food was incredible (brussels sprouts and salad and steak and panna cotta, relatively straightforward and totally outstanding).

Swig Martini Bar – Fun name, fun drink list – there’s a red velvet martini that I assume really tastes like chocolate cake.

Photos, mine!

San Antonio

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I like San Antonio. It is a convention city and there’s a military base nearby, so the tourism economy is strong and there are lots of options when it comes to hotels and restaurants. It’s also highly amusing to guess which individuals are convening (and for what company or association) and which young people are destined for (or on break from) basic training. The conference lanyards and the military haircuts sometimes give it away, but otherwise this activity can keep you entertained for hours.

I myself have attended a conference here, and I’ve also visited a handful of times to collaborate with a communications agency on various projects. That’s why I’m here now, prompting me to share a few observations. Firstly, the weather is great – for example, it is approximately 60 degrees warmer outside than it was when I went out for the mail this morning in Minnesota. That’s a solid vote in favor of this city. Secondly, it really is the friendliest place – the cab drivers and the restaurant employees and the people I work with here are all very chatty and informative and welcoming. Thirdly, San Antonio is a city of much pride – pride of history, pride of culture, pride of people – and so there are a lot of interesting things to see and experience. I was in town when the Spurs won an important game in 2014, and the streets were clogged with people cheering and honking their horns in celebration.

I’ve stayed at a number of hotels, which is only relevant if you’re planning a trip to San Antonio – but maybe you are, or will be – or maybe you know someone who is. Plus, there are some pretty good stories in what appear to simply be hotel reviews, below:

Grand Hyatt: this is a perfectly nice, new, clean, Grand Hyatt that is close to convention activities and has a rooftop pool, though it rained most of the March weekend that I had hoped to use it. On that same rainy weekend, a gentleman in their in-house Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse informed me that he was the anonymous winner of a $100 million lottery, and that I was the first person he had told. Something about his sorrowful look, his well-worn baseball cap, and his wedding ring made me believe him, and I suggested he call his wife.

Hotel Havana: this is far and away my favorite hotel I have stayed at, but also had the highest likelihood of actually being haunted, so it would take courage to stay there again. There was a delightful balcony off my room, and palm trees in the courtyard, and whimsical interior design that felt like I was staying at my crazy San Antonio aunt’s house. I had memorably delicious breakfast here, delivered to my room and consisting of broiled grapefruit and warm tortillas and some kind of milky coffee concoction.

Holiday Inn Riverwalk: this is a perfectly nice, new, clean, Holiday Inn that is right next to the restaurant-heavy area of the riverwalk, and surrounded by historic theaters. The windows are big in these rooms and there is nice architecture nearby to appreciate, but no sense of history or ghosts inside. This very night, Macklemore is playing at the Majestic, across the street. His show apparently requires four semis that are labeled “Truck ‘n Roll, Concert Logistiques” and my sister informs me that if Macklemore is here, so is her friend Greg, who plays trombone in his band.

Hotel Emma: I have not stayed here, but if ever my hotel budget is around $350 a night, this would be my very top choice. It just opened in the Pearl district, where they are renovating old brewery buildings into what is described as a “culinary and cultural community,” and it looks absolutely divine.

Sheraton Gunter: this hotel is conveniently located and the lobby is beautiful and historic, but when I stayed there in 2013 the whole central air system was creaky and temperamental, and the bathroom was tiny and a little on the grimy side. They claim to have recently renovated the rooms, and they’ve posted glowing reviews on their website, so this negative bias may no longer be relevant.

I’ve also eaten at a whole lot of restaurants, but I’ll save that for another post.

Photo credits: all mine!

Atlas Obscura

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There’s a website called Atlas Obscura. The people behind this fascinating spot on the internet collect images and tales of the most strange and wondrous places and happenings in the world. They distribute a newsletter packed with captivating stories, and they even host intriguing events like this lock-picking party in New York.

When I first discovered Atlas Obscura, one particular memory came crashing forward. At 15, I was very fortunate to spend a month in France. I was studying French in high school, my family was comfortable with me traveling alone, and I had relatives (the sister-in-law of my uncle’s brother-in-law, to be exact) willing to host me. We ate fresh tomatoes and apricots unlike anything I’ve tasted before or since, we sailed on the Mediterranean, and we rented bicycles to tour Porquerolles (as seen above). I have misplaced the journal that I kept during that grand adventure, but what sticks in my head as the most appropriate Atlas Obscura point of interest begins with a clear memory of a hot and sticky July afternoon in the town of my hosting family’s grandparents. We wandered down into the village to an enormous old structure that was one part sculpture and two parts crazy, sitting dustily on the side of the road. The rural area was dominated by orchards and rolling hills, and the walk home was unpleasantly steep, but this bizarre creation was not a sightseeing opportunity to be missed, and I was an out of town guest.

Sitting at a computer 18 years later, and struck with the sudden need to identify this place and flag it in my Atlas Obscura profile, I took to the internet in a passionate searching quest. However, not knowing the name of the town or the spectacle, and unsure if any English speaking source would make note of it, I was at a loss.

Family being what it is, I spent a weekend last summer with the son of the aforementioned brother-in-law of my uncle, and I asked him if he could help. He was a toddler when I visited France, but that odd place in my memory is still a real location in his grandparent’s village. He laughed and said, “Ah, the Idiot’s Palace! Yes, it is famous now, and they actually charge an entrance fee!” He looked it up on the internet right there on the lawn and sent me the link.

I am pleased to report that Postman Cheval’s Ideal Palace is listed on Atlas Obscura, and I have now flagged it as “been here!” in my profile.

Seattle, in pictures.

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My tale of our Seattle adventures got a little lengthy, so I saved some of the best pictures for a separate effort. Credit for these goes to my traveling companion. Enjoy!

Dahlia Lounge, home of the famous tomato soup:

Korean barbecue:

Mighty O donut shop:

Bloedel Reserve, part one:

Bloedel Reserve, part two:

This is still just a sampling of the beautiful and interesting things we saw! It really was a wonderful visit.

Seattle!

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We spent a delightful weekend in Seattle, visiting my sister and her husband. Our trip began with lunch at the very sophisticated Dahlia Lounge, where we ordered salads and sandwiches and tried the tomato soup. To my great surprise, we prefer my version, though it was supposedly the very same recipe. Our next stop was Kerry Park, for the postcard views of the city. After settling in a bit, we strolled around Ballard and its beautifully curated shops housed in charming old brick buildings. My favorite was The Palm Room, which is very much like a terrifically lush jungle that has just recently been swept spotless and lined with white tile. The plants – the many, many, plants – were discretely tucked into artfully placed containers.

Our destination was Shingletown, for cocktails and snacks. I had the fir-get-me-not, adorned with a sprig of Douglas Fir! We also tried the daily selection of deviled eggs (their classic picnic style and a smoked honey variety), and the brussels sprouts, which were tender and coated in a glaze that hinted at balsamic vinegar. We made a quick stop for take-away treats at Cupcake Royale, including a delicious maple sweet potato concoction, and then we were off to dinner, where I was pleased to discover that Korean barbecue is both an activity and a meal! You cook the meat and vegetables yourself, right on the grill in the center of your table!

Saturday we went to Jade Garden for dim sum, where my favorite item was either the eggplant chunk with shrimp stuck into the center, or the rice and meat rolled up in an enormous leaf. Neither was like anything I had ever eaten before, and both were delicious. Stuffed full of so many small bites of goodness, we drove through the rain and wind to the Boeing plant in Everett, destined for a tour of the facilities. The materials noted that we were in the largest building in the world, by volume. I suppose that other large buildings may be taller or wider, but not… you know, bigger. By volume. We had a friendly and informed tour guide named Marla, who was one of four separate people who declared that any and all cameras and phones would be confiscated, so you’ll just have to imagine how amazing it is to stand on an interior balcony, looking down at dozens of planes in various stages of assembly. A bus took us through the gigantic parking lot, from one end of the building to the other, and at both doors we entered long basement hallways and took freight elevators up to viewing areas. They employ 40,000 people at that Boeing campus.

On the way home we stopped at H Mart, an enormous and well stocked Asian market that reminded me that I should visit United Noodle more often. There was an entire wall of green vegetables, and seafood choices ranging from frozen tilapia to abalone and live lobster. We saw chicken feet and frog legs and dozens of some kind of eel swimming in a bucket. Conveniently, you can also buy pots and pans and kitchen gadgets there. For dinner, we returned to Ballard for sushi at Moshi Moshi, where many things tasted wonderful but the sockeye salmon sashimi absolutely stole the show. We had molten cakes and ice cream at Hot Cakes, wandered around the largest and most interesting furniture consignment store I’ve ever seen, and settled into an evening of board games.

After such a busy Saturday, you’d think we might have rested a bit on Sunday, but we didn’t even consider that possibility. We ventured into the rain for both Mighty O and Top Pot donuts, concluding in a very formal study that the Mighty O selections had a pleasingly crunchy outside and Top Pot had a denser cake. Preferences were divided, though my bias showed once it was revealed that Mighty O is a vegan bakery (the shock! the dismay!).

The real focus of our day was a trip to Bainbridge Island. The rain slowed and we meandered along the shore, looking at boats and listening to the water splash against the rocks and piers. Everything was very jungly and green, and I thought the holly trees as big as houses were pretty neat until my sister told me they are invasive. We grabbed sandwiches at the nice grocery store in town and then explored the Bloedel Reserve, an incredible public garden with crisply maintained paths winding across fields and through fern-filled woods and down to a lawn overlooking Puget Sound. The Japanese guest house on the property looks across a garden and a small pond, and even in December it was a tumble of texture and color.

We saw the most incredible rainbow on the ferry home – the entire arch was visible over the skyline, right at sunset. My brother in law posted his picture of exactly that on Reddit and has 79,000 views and climbing, but I rather like our picture of it – the tiny green dot in the bottom right is the ferris wheel!

Monday brought some sunshine, and we headed downtown to play at being tourists. Fueled by biscuits from Morsel, we saw a glass blowing demonstration and room after room of breathtaking colorful exhibits at the Chihuly museum, saw the city from above (and Bellevue in the distance) from the observation deck of the Space Needle, and walked to Pike Place Market. We had a late lunch at Lowell’s, watching tug boats guide a full container ship into port as we ate. We learned lots about Seattle history at MOHAI and stopped by the Gates Foundation, before heading home. This being our final night in Seattle, we experienced the “fancy menu” at Staple and Fancy, which means that plate after plate of delicious items are brought to the table based on the chef’s choices that evening. Fried oysters, homemade mozzarella, steak tartare, prosciutto, and seared tuna all made an appearance before the salad course: we were there for almost three hours!

Tuesday morning we enjoyed blueberry pancakes at home and stopped by Gas Works Park on the way to the airport. I feel very fortunate to have such an amazing sister, who lives in such a great city.

Photo Credits: my own!

Aster Cafe

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Saint Anthony Main is a lovely part of Minneapolis. It’s the oldest part, the brick streets and buildings surrounding the mills that first represented the city. There’s a small movie theater and a selection of restaurants, plus plenty of park area to explore along the river. If the weather is right and you are inclined to wander a bit, there’s a dramatic dam overlook and a couple of bridges to cross, all with good views. There are festivals in the summer, and decorative lights in the winter.

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My first few times to the area, I ate at Pracna on Main. Famous to some degree for being the oldest restaurant in Minneapolis, the dark space was always frigid, and the food mediocre. Being well located and having a claim on history only gets you so far, and that restaurant recently closed. It was disorienting to eat subpar sweet potato fries in a place that opened in 1890.

Just down the street – and the hallway, actually – is the Aster Cafe, a gentleman’s tavern to Pracna’s medieval pub (or so I imagine). The brick walls and exposed beams must be just as old, but the temperature is warm and the dim light is charming. The bartender when I last visited was wearing a jaunty vest, and the servers were friendly. Assorted lampshades are scattered around the room, reminding me of evenings at my grandmother’s house. I chose a cocktail 6898712208_6776fb72ff_m from their generous list of options, many of which have witty names and contain bitters or fernet. The Daylight Spender is a concoction of apple brandy and orange bitters and mint leaves, among other delights, and I would heartily recommend it. I was leaning towards the Beer Cheese Soup (a common enough offering in this part of the world, but theirs is served with Smoked Paprika Popcorn!), but I was won over by the soup of the day: the Steak Chipotle Chili was heavy on vegetables, while still true to its name.

Sometimes there’s live music, which is absolutely delightful if you like a venue that feels like a living room (it so happens that I do). There’s also a pleasant tree-filled patio, which is a truly lovely place to have lunch in warmer months. Not so many places provide equal parts cozy-fall-evening and leafy-summer-afternoon, with delicious food and clever drinks to match. Aster Cafe is one of them.

Photo Credits:

Aster cafe by Teresa Boardman (CC BY-NC-ND)

Lampshade image by Sharyn Morrow (CC BY-NC-ND)