Thursday update and Fig to Fork

Things are hopping right along over here in blog land. Today I've got a Called to Table column up with a recipe for Kimchee on Rye, a.k.a. Kimchee Pizza. We made it last week at the American Swedish Institute in my Swedish Pizza the Sequel class, and the combination of Italian, Swedish, and Korean flavors kept my taste buds happy for the entire week. I found Ashley Bode's kimchee recipe on Marcus Samuelsson's blog and added orange and caraway to bring the flavors of the rye pizza crust into the toppings. Make this easy and quick kimchee or use store bought if you are in a hurry.

Also today at the StarTribune I've got a piece about my friend Paurvi and her family's roti recipe. Last year at our annual lefse making party Paurvi noted how similar our lefse was to her mother's roti, an Indian flatbread. Her mother and aunt generously invited me and a few friends over to learn the art of roti. Afterwards they served us a meal that I am still thinking about: several dishes of stews and curry, breads, and sweets. It was an evening of laughter and good food, a definite highlight of last summer.

Finally, T and I continue to enjoy weekly deliveries from Fig to Fork, and I am saving tons of grocery money. Best, I am adding new ingredients and recipes to our regular old repertoire and having a blast in the kitchen. Who would ever believe I would willingly eat kale? Or polenta? Each box comes with recipe suggestions from local chefs. While I typically use those recipes as a loose guide. Although Chef Alan Berg's (of St. Paul's Salt Cellar) wild shrimp cakes were so delicate and brilliant that I'll be riffing off his recipe forever. A few examples of recent boxes and dinners are below. Meals (and recipes) included pan-fried pork chops with tomatillo slaw, curry chicken with coconut rice, and shrimp with cheddar grits.