New tastes, old favorites

Now that I have a minute or two to sit down, collect my breath, kick my feet up, watch some Glee with the roomie and enjoy a free bottle of Caymus, I can reflect on what I've been doing, and more importantly eating, for the last couple of weeks.  In the midst of unlimited college finals, 5 shifts a week at my new job (in the restaurant biz :) ) and trying to prepare for the holiday season and everything that comes with that, I've been able to try new foods, new places and enjoy various familiarities.  And since it's the end of the year, I feel it appropriate to make a list.  So, you ask, what have I been eating?

          1. New tastes. My roomie talked me into an impromptu lunch/late breakfast at Victor's 1959 and I was excited to try their Cuban cuisine.  Yum.  A nice twist on your normal egg/breakfast dish.  Nice kick to start the day.  If nothing else, the food is as colorful as the brightly painted and graffiti-signed walls. 

Ranchero Cubano

My roommate ordered the Ranchero Cubano because she loves anything and everything cheesy with eggs and any kind of beans.  I ordered the hash because of my love of potatoes at all times of the day and in this dish, learned my new-found love of plantains, specifically fried plantains.  Other than the questionable liquid on the plate from the beef, it was a delicious breakfast.



Cuban Hash

2. New tastes. Blackbird Cafe. So excited about this place.  Beautiful decor, and a menu that literally spoke to me and said, "What's up Lauren? Hungry?"  My mom and I found time on a busy day of Christmas shopping to stop in a new neighborhood place that is replacing its original burned down location.  Spicy peanut noodles, bahn mi and french fries at the same place?  Sold.  When the waitress told me the sous chef was Vietnamese, I decided on the bahn mi and didn't regret it.  The fries came with a delicious rosemary mayo that was really unexpected and delish.  My mom got the celery brie soup.  Surprisingly light and delicious.





3. New gifts. It was a cooking themed Christmas, just as I had hoped.  My boyfriend got me a rice cooker, a cook book and a bottle of wine; my roommate got me new wine glasses and my family gave me a new cutting board and more cookbooks.  I've got lots of reading to do.






I wanted this for obvious reasons.






Molly Wizenberg, food blogger turned Bon Appetit writer, aka who-I-want-to-be






Again, obvious reasons.






Seasonal, Minnesotan recipes from the Junior League.









My boyfriend had a cooking Christmas as well with the "beginners kit" I made him including kitchen shears, spices and a skillet.



4.  Old favorites. Grand Cafe. I've said it before and I'll say it again, one of my favorite restaurants in Minneapolis.  Warm, comforting and just my kind of food.  Minus a small mishap on my boyfriend's order, he enjoyed his Cuban-esque sandwich and I enjoyed my familiar eggs in cocotte.  His, confit pork with ham and a spicy/sweet dijon aioli.  Mine, poached eggs, truffle cream and puff pastry.  So creamy, cheesy, comforting and delicious.  I have to admit, anytime I drive down 38th I have to talk myself out of pulling over and grabbing a quick bite.






5. New tastes.  Renewing my license for my upcoming 21st birthday (!) was a good enough excuse as any for a trip to the Midtown Global Market.  While Manny's Tortas is my usual go-to, I decided to try Taqueria Los Ocampos because of all the good things I've heard.  I'm usually not a fan of corn-made products, such as corn tortillas or corn muffins, but this quesadilla sounded good.  It was so good.  They have a lot of traditional Mexican dishes (menudo, hourache, sincronizada) and of course tacos, burritos and my personal favorite, quesadillas.  I chose marinated pork and devoured every bite of this crunchy, cheesy, refreshing, warm and satisfying quesadilla.  With Spanish rice and refried beans on the side, it was the perfect lunch after waiting in line at the DMV.



 6. While I am aware a list consisting of six items is strange and makes no sense, I really want to add that throughout the past couple of months, when I have had spare time for what I like to call ReadingIdon'thavetoreadforschool, I have finished Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential.  For those of you who have read it, you know what I mean when I say this book is a must read for anyone who thinks they know anything about the restaurant industry.  My glamorous new job has kept me for numerous hours in the restaurant's coat "room" (more of a tiny, hot, smelly closet with too many innocent, yet soft animals on coat hangers.)  I had ample opportunities to read this book, which became particularly interesting as I read it while actually being in a restaurant similar to the ones Bourdain writes about.  I really enjoyed the book and Bourdain's style of writing and am hungry for more Bourdain books, but particularly, food books.







So there it is.  Six small bites of what I'm been up to for the last couple weeks.  Not to mention my numerous over-welcomed training meals at my new job.  And now, I ask you..what have you been eating?



Training meal...