What's for Dinner?

Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Peanut Sauce

If you can boil water and chop vegetables, you can cook this delicious, colorful, healthy dinner in no time. I put this together for a late dinner for me and Mr. C last night (we have a peanut allergy in the family so this one is an adults only meal) and it was so easy and totally delicious. Adapted from Katie Brown's cookbook, Weekends- Making the Most of Your Two Treasured Days, this was a winner, even if it wasn't really the weekend.

We won't tell Katie.

Ingredients

2 lbs. leftover roast chicken

(I made the kids chicken tenders earlier in the evening for dinner which were simple chicken breast cutlets with sea salt and olive oil. Two hours later I shredded up their leftovers to use in this recipe)

1/2 pound angel hair pasta

1 head of Boston lettuce, washed and dried

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and julienned

2 large carrots, peeled, and julienned

1 whole red bell pepper, julienned

For the Peanut Sauce

juice of 1 lime

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

4 teaspoons brown sugar

1 clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons grated ginger

Here's What You Do

1. Shred the chicken

2. Prepare the pasta

3.In a blender combine all ingredients for the sauce

4. For each wrap, top a lettuce leaf with noodles, chicken, and vegetables. Drizzle the peanut sauce over the ingredients, fold and enjoy!

We savored our meal with a bottle of Dal Masa Gamballara Classico 2009, a minerally, yet full bodied white wine from the Veneto region in Italy. It perfectly enhanced the ginger in the peanut sauce and was a great choice as it was neither too light nor too steely, but perfectly rounded out with zesty, floral notes.

About $9.99 at France 44.

20 Questions

With Amanda Rose of Ladyslipper Boutique

"Imagine your dream shoe and accessory closet...antique chandeliers, zebra rugs, pink velvet ottomans...shelves filled with stylish shoes, chic sunglasses, fabulous handbags, amazing jewelry and statement accessories.....that is Ladyslipper Boutique."

Co-owned by one of the most fashionable gals in town, Amanda Rose, Ladyslipper Boutique offers a personal shopping experience like none other- you truly feel as if you have been invited into your girlfriend's fabulous closet to try on all her baubles and fantastic flats, boots, and pumps. Ladyslipper is affordable, stylish, and unique- and you can be rest assured that you won't show up at the same party wearing the same shoes as anyone else in town because Amanda knows her stuff! This girl knows her shoes AND who's wearing em'!

1. Where did your obsession with fashion begin?

My great grandmother, Doris. She had an outfit for every occasion and that outfit always included matching shoes and beads. Her attic was one giant cedar closet filled with brocade pumps, chic sheath dresses, hats, and clip earrings. My kind of playground!

2. What is your favorite local place to shop? Dine?

Aside from Ladyslipper for shoes and accessories, I love Bluebird Boutique, Bumbershute, and Fashion Avenue for some amazing consignment finds. To eat, I am a bar eater. I love to sit at the bar and share. Lucia's Wine Bar, Cafe Maude, La Grassa and Cafe Lurcat are my faves.

3. If you could take off for any destination for a romantic weekend, where would it be?

San Francisco or New York.

4. Coffee or tea?

Coffee and tea!!

5. Cats or dogs?

Cats- two Tonkinese cats.

6. If you could speak a second language fluently, what would it be and why?

Italian, why?? FOOD and VINO!

7.Favorite hotel?

New York Palace.

8. What beauty product can you absolutely not live without?

Kiehl's Creme de Corps.

9. You can bring three items to a deserted island...what would they be?

Prairie Vodka, soda & lime. If you can count these as a package deal I would also bring my yoga mat and my Tweezerman Tweezers.

10. Fur or faux?

Both!

11. The best shoes ever?
Christian Louboutin...and Trove TKEES nude flip flops- at Ladyslipper, of course!

12. Best movie of all time?

Goodfellas

13. Favorite restaurant on earth?
La Grenouille, NYC- an amazing classic. And Bergdorf Goodman Bar, NYC.

14. Why the shoe business?
I am obsessed with them! No better way to change up your look. You can wear the same outfit everyday if you change it up with shoes, bag, and jewels.

15. What's next for you in the fashion business?
I think I should have a location on Fillmore Street in Pacific Heights in San Francisco.

16. Red or white wine?
Rose

17. Best hangover cure?
Gatorade or Emergen-C.

18. What is the one meal you can cook really well?
Roasted lemon chicken with croutons.

19. Favorite flower?
Tulip.

20. Fill in the blank. "I really, really, really, LOVE..."
Tom Rose, my children, Yoga, and Chanel.

Thanks Amanda!

Check out Ladyslipper Boutique at 4940 France Avenue in Edina. 952.224.1900.

Restaurant Round-Up

Testing the margaritas...

When the temperature dips below zero and the snow has turned to black sludge, what sounds better than a margarita? Let's just say, not much.


So finally...the long awaited Cocino del Barrio opens up smack in the middle of the 'burbs and is serving up just what the long, freezing winter ordered!


The new Edina location of Barrio at 50th and France rivals its downtown and St. Paul big brothers with such volume you might think you actually were DOWNTOWN, except for all of the familiar faces that keep coming through the door. Barrio enthusiastically serves up guacamole so delicious and so enormous that the average patron will likely be stuffed by the time the entrees arrive, but who cares because you seriously need to shovel it in before you go back to the bar for a second round of tequila infused specialities. Which brings me to those margaritas... let's just say they are serious business and don't hold back their south of the border sizzle when being poured for suburbanites. I believe it was Minneapolis/ St. Paul Magazine that said they were downsizing the bar area in comparison to the downtown location because "who really wants to see a bunch of drunk soccer moms anyway".

Hmmm....somebody forgot to tell the bartenders this.

In the few weeks since this place opened I have witnessed, experienced, and heard of countless Soccer Mom's being over served. And we are not talking five or six margaritas, we are talking TWO. So, word to the wise- have one margarita and either stop or switch. Trust me....on our big night out not everyone actually took my word for it, and lived to regret it the next day.

So, definitely hit Barrio (but if you want a table get a reservation!!!!) for great atmosphere, a fun local gathering spot, delicious food, and killer margaritas, literally. This place is a winner.

Viva Barrio!

Angels Among Us...

My aunt, Margie Sborov is a real life angel.

In 2001, Margie founded Angel Foundation to assist cancer patients with non medical needs. Out of work due to chemo and need money or assistance in buying groceries? Has your mortgage lapsed because you have been too sick? Need to find counseling for the kids because they are so devastated with the prognosis that has been handed to you by this horrific disease?

Enter Angel Foundation.


Margie Sborov, founder of Angel Foundation


This year Angel Foundation celebrates 10 years of helping cancer patients and their families, and Margie has certainly earned her wings. As a teenager, Margie lost her boyfriend to leukemia and knew she would never be the same again. "It is in my soul to help these people", she says as she works tirelessly to help ease the pain of these patients and their families.

Mr. C and I also lost a dear friend to leukemia in 2000. It is difficult to comprehend what this disease does not only do to the body, but the spirit, until you are forced to witness it first hand. Complete devastation, not only to the patient, but those around them does not even begin to describe what cancer is capable of. Christian was a young man with an extremely small family, he was not married and did not have children. I often think about how his disease would have affected a wife, small children, his ability to provide for a family emotionally and financially and how an organization such as Angel Foundation could have benefited him. This disease is all consuming and evil at every stage, and unfortunately in many cases, unforgiving. After being in and out of hospitals for the better part of a year, our friend Christian could not function, let alone work. His final stay at the Stanford hospital was four months long, and he never returned home to put his affairs in order. He passed away on May 29th, 2000. Each year we make a donation in his name to Angel Foundation, and this year we will again attend the Angel Awards to honor those that fight for cancer patients and their families.

Everyone knows someone that has passed away or is living with cancer right now. Honor that person and those that have fought to help them Saturday, January 22nd, at the The Angel Awards at the Minneapolis Hilton.

Christian Dehon

March 26th, 1970- May 29th, 2000

Crock Tales

Holy shit I bought a Crock Pot.

Why does this act call for such a caustic exclamation? Well, you see...I was the one that said I would never, ever eat from, or purchase a Crock Pot. I know this sounds terribly snooty, and maybe it is, and at the risk of offending the masses here, there is something about the whole deal that just gives me the skeeves big time. I can't identify where this Crock Pot stigma originated from exactly, all I know is that I moved to Minnesota with a serious slow cooker phobia.

Since returning to the Midwest nearly four years ago, I was somehow under the impression that all this Crock Pot business was simply for the pot luck dinners in church basements. Truthfully, I think I was just fearful that if I embraced the art of Crock Pot cooking all my Bay Area friends would say I was truly adapting to life back in "The Heartland". Well, my savvy Minnesota pals have turned that notion on it's backside by showing me some seriously good meals from a slow cooking pot.

My first encounter with The Crock (you see, everyone knows what you're talking about here if you just sound cool and casually throw out that you are "making some chili in The Crock") came from my friend Mark. At first, I was slightly insulted that every time we went to his house he was making us dinner from a stinkin' Crock Pot! For goodness sake, couldn't he at least pull out a good old fashioned pan every now and then? But as time went on, I found his White Bean Chicken Chili that had been simmering on the counter all day seriously tasty. And then came the short ribs that were so tender and melt off the bone delicious. Oh, and we can't forget that amazing but terribly fattening retro queso dip with Velveeta and Rotel tomatoes- yeah, the one your Mom used to make. Another Midwestern appetizer rediscovered!

Last year we were skiing in Beaver Creek and you guessed it- the condo had a Crock Pot! Game night at a friends- The Crock is cookin' up delicious meat for a taco bar! Who knew?!

AND THEN THE UNTHINKABLE.

My foodie sister in The Bay Area revealed she had not one, but TWO Crock Pots!!! She even offered to give me one, but I was not quite ready to take the leap. And then the final straw- we were staying at an ultra swanky condo while skiing in Steamboat Springs over the holiday. I'm talkin' five flat screen TV's, pool table, hot tub, Viking stove, and sure enough, you guessed it-a friggin' Crock Pot right there on the counter! And next thing I know there is Jessica Seinfeld dishing up lasagna from a Crock Pot on OPRAH! JESSICA SEINFELD?? Really?

What is going on here??

So I needed to see for myself what all the hoopla was about. I have yet to actually use the cute little red Crock Pot I picked up the other day- I am still in the process of trying to plan out five hours in advance what my family is going to eat for dinner that night so that I can get it all in the pot to cook for the necessary amount of simmering time. And the recipes, they seem to be endless...you can find cookbooks, blogs, entire websites, You Tube videos, all devoted to nothing but Crock cooking. Since 1971 millions of Crock Pot devotees can't be wrong, right? After all, this contraption was originally called "The Beanery", which for some reason I find slightly amusing. I can hardly imagine Jerry Seinfeld's wife cooking on national television with a contraption called, "The Beanery".

The Crock Pot certainly seems to be coming back into vogue- it's literally everywhere, or maybe perhaps, it was never out? Maybe I just never noticed. So to all my Crock Pot loving friends- I am paying attention. You have spoken. You have impressed me with your slow cooking ingenuity.

I am listening, and I am excited to get acquainted with my new little red pot.
I am proud to be the owner of a slow cooker (even if it is still in the box in my car) and I don't care who knows it.

Pass It On...

It all began with the carrots. The gorgeous "Rainbow Bunch Carrots" I spotted as I was walking through Linden Hills Co-op. I wasn't exactly there to grocery shop, but to merely pick up a few oddball items (probiotics, bovine colostrum, and chlorophyll to be exact) for my kittens that have nasty colds (which is another blog post entirely) and I pass through the produce aisle on my way to the vitamin section. I was stopped dead in my tracks by this stunning array of purple, deep orange, and pale yellow carrots. Yes. Carrots. I paused and thought that they would be perfect with the chicken I was planning to prepare that night, so into the basket they went, making perfect company with the bright green serum and cow breast milk I just happened to be picking up.

Next on my agenda was a quick trip to Barnes and Noble in search of a new something something to read. Fresh out of novels, magazines, and design books after vacation I was not sure what I was searching for. Maybe a detox manual? Something about squirrely seven year old boys? Typical me...I find myself roaming about in the cookbook aisle. Immediately I spot Jamie Oliver's (The Naked Chef on the Food Network) new book- Jamie's Food Revolution. Last year Jamie did a television special about revolutionizing school lunch. I loved his idea, his conviction, and his tenacity to take on the fattest city in America and it's nasty lunch ladies, but mostly I admired his deep desire to change how our kids eat. I was so inspired that after watching his show I was ready to pull a Jamie and march right into our Principal's office and demand they overhaul our school lunch program. Well....I haven't quite gotten that far yet, but I am fighting hard for it in my own home. My children are three very different eaters. My oldest wants to be a chef himself and is experimental, adventurous, and has a great palate. My middle son wants nothing but pasta. The youngest, well, let's just say we call him "The Elf". He pretty much lives on a diet of candy canes, candy corns, syrup and chocolate. No joke. It's amazing he has grown as tall as he has. Given the circumstances, I am constantly searching for recipes that will satisfy all my little eaters.

Jamie Oliver's new book is not just full of fabulous (and super easy) recipes that you can feed your family, but it truly is about a revolution. He asks one small, simple favor of his readers- to please pass on the recipes. Remember when our grandmothers and mothers used to exchange recipe cards and store them in the funny little box that sat on the kitchen counter? You remember the ones that said, From Judy's Kitchen and had funny little pictures of a baking housewife up in the corner? Some were so frequently used in meal rotations that you almost couldn't read the neat handwriting or block type from a typewriter. Often if a neighbor or relative were making one cornflake casserole, they would pop another one in the oven and it would end up on your dinner table that evening. Food was used to connect, and often comfort. Today, it seems we are shoveling chicken nuggets, french fries, and Lunchables down our kids throats in the car on the way to some sort of lesson, practice, or play date. I can safely say I have never purchased Lunchables, and I seem to always be on the defensive side of the organic food debate, but I am also realistic in that we can't always feed our kids "perfectly".

But sensibly and reasonably is another story.

Jamie's request is that you pledge to learn one meal really WELL from each chapter. This week I chose Jamie's Asian Chicken Noodle Broth recipe. A combination soup/stir fry sort of concoction, it seems to have flavors and textures that both kids and adults can enjoy. SO...I am pledging to Pass It On. My little errand looking for kitty cold remedies and a new read turned into a renewed food commitment to myself, my family, and to Jamie.


Cook. Eat. Enjoy. And please, Pass It On.