Grandma Jean and I worked together years ago at the same restaurant.  I boldly told her that I was going to marry one of her sons, and years later, even I was surprized, that this fore-telling came to be.  D’s family is even more enormous than my own.  Whereas we are very concentrated in North-East Winnipeg and at the same cottage area, they are spread between TO to the east, Calgary to the west and Phoenix to the south.  This is why Christmas and reunion weekends are so important in their clan.

D’s cousins, Aunt & Uncle who live in and around the lake area of Minnesota, invited us  (and extended family) for the August long weekend, so we Canadians would have some extra time to travel.

We arrived late on Friday evening and assembled in the Pavilion for hugs and hellos (D had not seen one first cousin since they were both 6)!  After a relatively early night, our cottage full assembled for coffee and breakfast together and then we headed to the host cabin for the rest of the day.

There were no arranged activities for the morning so we assembled in little groups to catch up and reminisce.  For those that required a quiet spot, there were many available for blissful times spent gazing at the vistas.

Lunch for 40 was a significant fete.  A variety of cooking stations were set up.  Cousin Danny had one of those propane turkey fryers that was filled with water and was able to accommodate a number of cobs at once.

A crock pot full of melted butter was set beside for dipping the cobs into.  I honestly do not need any other addition to Minnesota corn.  The ears had just been picked and then husked that morning and the sweetness was astounding.  Some family members had three cobs!

Bratwurst were being grilled slowly at another station.  This practical live coal barbeque was fired up.  The wood is lit in the small chamber to the side and then when at the optimum temperature, the smoke and heat enters the large chamber where the grills are placed.  As a result Darnelle (the cousin with the tongs) is not actually working over an open flame, which means that many sausages can be cooked at one time without worrying about flame ups or hot spots.

Lucky for us char lovers, she cooked some extra well.  These were served with mustard and sauerkraut just like at a Vikings game.

Big wedges of watermelon were out (my meager contribution) and what for dessert?  Well apple pie of course (and pecan to be accurate).

Grandma Jean had baked these in her country kitchen in rural MB and transported them safely across the border.  Grandma Jeans pies were one of the many reasons for my early matrimonial declaration.

The fun and eating continues in Part 2.

Kath’s quote: The pie should be eaten “while it is yet florescent, white or creamy yellow, with the merest drip of candied juice along the edges, (as if the flavor were so good to itself that its own lips watered!) of a mild and modest warmth, the sugar suggesting jelly, yet not jellied, the morsels of apple neither dissolved nor yet in original substance, but hanging as it were in a trance between the spirit and the flesh of applehood…then, O blessed man, favored by all the divinities! eat, give thanks, and go forth, ‘in apple-pie order!'”-Rev. Henry Ward Beecher

Love -that is all.

J1 is so crazy about meatballs, he thinks that someone should open a restaurant totally devoted to them.  In the mean time, I recently gifted him with a meatball cookbook.  I know that he will want to add these to his repertoire.  Every forkful brings a variety of tastes.  I served them as an entree with a side of quinoa and some steamed veggies but just think what they would be like on top of spaghetti (all covered with cheese).

How to stuff.

How to wrap.

There is still lots of time left in barbeque season, but if you are running out of ideas, check out Schneider’s Facebook page to inspire you anew.

Kath’s quote: “Summer cooking implies a sense of immediacy, a capacity to capture the essence of the fleeting moment.”-Elizabeth David

Whiteys Cafe has a rich history in Grand Forks and yet the funny thing for me is that I had never heard of it until recently and I have been traveling to GF for decades.  I suppose it is a local phenomena like Sals in Winnipeg.

We were surprized upon arrival that it was not busier but then again when I was served my salad without utensils and could not catch anyone’s eye to accommodate me, I guess we weren’t so surprized. But D and I are very understanding diners, having been in the business ourselves.  We often think when we see tempers flare by disgruntled guests that they should don an apron and see just how complicated the job can be.

D chose the Caprese Sandwich in an attempt to eat a little lighter after consuming many of his fav American treats-Salted Nut Rolls.  We both love Caprese salads and he thought that this sandwich rendition was a delicious choice.

This is my salad mentioned above.  i suppose I could have picked up and dipped the old school ingredients into the ranch dressing but I opted for utensils.  American cooks sure know how to make a good buttermilk ranch dressing.

I had not been indulging in American sweets so that I could savour a hearty lunch and my meatloaf sandwich was a great choice.  The grain and texture of beef in the US seems different than Canada or perhaps the loaf was a mix of beef, pork and perhaps even ground chicken because it retained a lightness that did not taste like home.  Meatloaf sandwiches are a favourite treat for me and this one was exceptional.

We still had more shopping to accomplish and so we did not linger long.  Whiteys is a great stop to grab a mid day meal.

Kath’s quote: “If we aren’t supposed to eat animals, then why are they made out of meat?”-Jo Brand

Love-that is all.

When we travel to Grand Forks, we are inclined to stay and dine (and shop) in the south of the city.  The last time the 3 Sisters were there (with 2 honourary sisters) we ventured further a field and discovered how quaint downtown Grand Forks is.  Perched on the east side of the Red River is a two story row of restaurants that offers a beautiful view of the river, especially at sunset when we were dining.

I was happy to have remembered The Blue Moose as it was one of many suggestions that I listed as options for D.  He had something specific in mind but just could not put his finger on it.  Turns out what he was craving, was exactly what The Blue Moose had to offer.

There are over 40 beers on tap and this made for a tough decision on D’s part.  In the end, he opted for a Smithwicks which was his favourite ale when we traveled to Ireland this spring.  My decision was easier as they had a number of merlots by the 1/4 (more than a glass but less than a bottle).

The Blue Moose is also featuring a new dining style to Grand Forks, that being tapas (our favourite way to dine).  D selected the Head Lettuce Roll and Black & Bleu Balls and I, the Walleye Fingers and Coffee Rub Flat Iron Steak.  We were really impressed when soon after, two tiered towers of small plates arrived at our table.

We thought that the lettuce wraps were a little light on ingredients other than meat but the ground chicken was deliciously seasoned and when coupled with plenty of cold and crispy lettuce cups, made for a refreshing start.

On the other hand the Black & Bleu Balls were sensational!  There were three peppery meatballs smothered in a bleu cheese/Cajun cream sauce-simple yet inventive.

I slathered some of the excess sauce onto a crostini to taste my selection of the coffee rubbed steak.  The steak was tender and a perfect medium rare but the sauce that I added over powered the coffee flavour.  So I had the next bite naked (the steak, not me) and it was lovely.  The plan now is to recreate both dishes on our upcoming time at the beach house.

Speaking of the lake, the pickerel have been biting like crazy this summer and we are looking forward to a feed of our favourite fish.  In the mean time, the Walleye (what they call pickerel on the US side) Fingers dusted in herb flour and Parmesan cheese was a nice twist. But I am a purist with my pickerel and love a simple dusting of flour and a toss in the pan with butter.  That too is on our summer menu plan.

We know that Americans love their sweets and that dessert would be an enormous portion.  Luckily The Blue Moose also features Bite Delights which was the perfect mini size.  The brownie taste was served with two mini scoops of ice cream.

So the next time you are in Grand Forks, head downtown and just over the river.  Good things await.

Kath’s quote: “Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.”-Mae West

Love-that is all.

D knew that I had endured a stressful day and suggested that we find a neighbourhood spot to have some supper.  This did not take much convincing on my part.  Bonfire Bistro was filled with other River Heights folk, but it is so good that it has an avid following from all over the city.  Somehow though, they manage to retain a neighbourhood feel.

D was interested in one of the many wood fired pizzas and opted for the special of chorizo, buffalo cheese, chanterelle mushrooms, roasted tomatoes and arugula.  The taste that he shared with me was yummy-charcoaly from the open flame, peppery fro the arugula, acidic from the tomatoes and spicy from the sausage; all offset by the earthy mushrooms and creamy cheese.

Sister #3 always teases me that my life is a quest for the perfect bite.  I am not inclined to separate my food and consume it one at a time, but love to have a blend of different tastes with every forkful.  But, this is not always easy to achieve.  Sometimes there is too much sauce and not enough pasta, other times, it is the other way around.  Perfection was achieved at Bonfire Bistro.  My choice of linguine was chock full of spicy marinated eggplant, wilted field greens, roasted red peppers, marinated artichokes, kalamata olives, tomatoes, green onions and feta cheese in an aglio e olio sauce.  Yippee-marinated eggplant and artichokes in the same dish!  As D commented -that dish has Kath written all often it.    With every twist and spear of the fork I was able to combine the perfect amount of pasta with one of my favourite salty tastes and then a nugget of feta-oh my!  I tried to stop when my tummy was satisfied and save a portion for left-over lunch but my fork kept digging in and I finished my plate.  I will just have to go back for lunch, sometime very soon.

Kath’s quote:  “The strands of spaghetti were vital, almost alive in my mouth, and the olive oil was singing with flavor. It was hard to imagine that four simple ingredients [olive oil, pasta, garlic and cheese] could marry so perfectly.”Ruth Reichl

Love-that is all.