The Twin Cities restaurant community has given me so much over the past several years, professionally and personally. At this unprecedentedly difficult time, I want to use my small platform to support this creative, generous, and hardworking group of people as much as I can.

There are certain recipes that I am fairly confident in at first glance: they contain a favorite ingredient (portobello mushrooms, asparagus, chocolate) or riff on a classic flavor combination (olive oil, rosemary, and garlic). But my favorite new recipes are the unexpected wild cards.

Lately, I've turned towards entertainment that transports me to somewhere (anywhere) away from the current stressful reality. During the Depression, people found respite in frothy Technicolor musicals; my escape is Netflix reality shows and Agatha Christie. If you're of a similar escapist mindset (and share my penchant for mysteries and melancholy folk rock) here's a list of what I've been watching, listening to, and reading.

Mike and I planned to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary with a trip to Ireland—but COVID intervened and travel plans are on hold until next year. We still wanted to do something special, so we booked a room at Celeste of St. Paul, a boutique hotel housed in a former convent and music and arts conservatory.

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time or if you follow me on Instagram, you know that cocktails are my drink of choice. I've also enjoyed some truly lovely wine and food pairings...

This fall, most of my baking has been for my cottage bakery. But there's been one notable exception: pumpkin muffins. Minnesota's rules for cottage food producers are quite specific, requiring that...