November 2004

What's for Dinner This Holiday?

by Martina Priadka

The holidays have always had two food highlights for me. The first is the traditional family dinner made by my grandma and grandpa starting with weeks of advanced planning. I remember driving with my grandfather to Wisconsin, which seemed like another country to me at that time, just to pick up the cheese that we would use to make his amazing ravioli. The ritual of the big wooden pasta board, the never ending grating of the cheese and my job of sealing each ravioli are things that will be engraved in my mind and senses forever. Those ravioli along with the baked rigatoni, the bacalau, which is cod fish made into balls with a clove of garlic hidden in the middle, and grandmas pitzels and chocolate crinkles make for a dinner that I just can’t live without.

The second is the annual dinner with my closest friends. Everyone prepares a course for the ultimate dinner. Two people share main course, which makes for a five-course dinner that is more memorable each year. Every course has been as close to a culinary masterpiece as

non-professional cooks can get with the exception of the year I tried to duplicate the homemade raviolis of my grandfather in star and moon shapes. A much too advanced concept for my capabilities. But the lobster bisque with cream fraiche and oscetra caviar and the beef tenderloin with figs and foie gras made up for any past failures. Talking and laughing into the wee hours and waking up to all the sleepy faces and the smell of coffee made by the one or two morning people in our group make this night one I do not want to live without.

There are times, however, when we find ourselves far from the people who make these traditions so important to us. Maybe work takes them away from us during times of celebration or we don’t celebrate the same holidays as our other friends. Even a lack of interest in cooking or the dread of the major clean up can take the fun out of a dinner. That is why we have to be thankful that we live in a city with a growing number of great restaurants and chefs. There are more options now for how to have a special holiday meal even if you can’t cook. Here are some of theskini.com recommendations for holiday dining.

If you have the interest but lack the skills then a class at The Chef’s Gallery might be exactly what you are looking for. You can watch skilled chefs prepare the food, take the recipe home with you and try to duplicate what you learned in class. You even get a discount on everything in the store the night of your class in case you don’t have all the tools you need for your new hobby. Even if you cheat and just hire the chef to come to your home you can hang your new toys in the kitchen and give the appearance that you know what you are doing. Go to www.thechefsgallery.com for class listings.

For those of you who don’t have the space or desire for entertaining and would prefer to have someone else do the cooking there are a few options for holiday dinners out. For the fine dining crowd, Cosmos in the Meridien Hotel is a great choice. The menu includes many of the traditional holiday flavors with a few unique changes. http://minneapolis.lemeridien.com

Less formal but still good food in a beautiful atmosphere is the Nicollet Island Inn. They serve an a la carte menu as well as a brunch that will impress even particular guests. During the white winter freeze the view of the river is stunning. www.nicolletislandinn.com

Or if you just want to grab a meal on a day when everyone else is gathering around the Christmas tree, then head to Rainbow Chinese. The have great food and just like in Asia, they are open on all the western holidays. If you want something special ask for “Tammy Wong’s Round Table Dinner”. www.rainbowrestaurant.com

There are plenty of choices during holiday times to satisfy every desire. You could even choose to skip dinner all together and head to the movies for a large popcorn and a great flick. Whatever your choice, it is good to know the options.

...Now That's Theskini!::permalink


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