Father and daughter returned to their field to assess the tumors’ growth. The father stepped forward into the sea of shimmering florets, plucked an ear of corn from its stalk and squatted to face his daughter. Look, he said. It’s ready. The lumps had multiplied, infecting the kernels. Some had taken the shape of a […]
Recipe
Posted inFood & Drink
The ubiquitous ham balls of Iowa
It’s impossible to say when the first ham ball was formed in Iowa or who formed it. Some link ham balls to their Swedish heritage, others to their Pennsylvania Dutch ancestors, but everyone who loves this undeniably Iowa dish would agree it’s reliably present on the buffet table at most every church potluck, funeral luncheon, […]
Posted inStatewide
Recipe: Mediterranean Chicken Meatballs
These are not your average meatballs. Adding more colorful vegetables to your meals doesn’t have to be complicated. These meatballs get a veggie boost with chopped spinach, bell peppers and onions and an infusion of flavor courtesy of feta cheese, olives and Italian herbs & spices. Plus, replacing breadcrumbs with oats ups the fiber content. […]
Posted inBread & Butter Dining Guide
Recipe: Spicy peanut sweet potato stew
Sweet potatoes and peanut butter are a classic combination in African cuisine, which is the inspiration behind the recipe. Warming flavors of curry and ginger round out the flavor profile. Jalapeño gives it some heat but feel free to use half or omit, if needed. Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 30-40 minutes / Serves […]
Posted inBread & Butter Dining Guide
Recipe: Puttanesca sauce to inspire passion
You may have heard about pasta puttanesca, or “whore’s pasta,” as it is so problematically translated, with its legendary history as a bordello staple that served as both aphrodisiac and restorative. The truth is that no one knows precisely why puttanesca is so named, just like no one knows exactly how factual any folktale is. […]
Posted inBread & Butter Dining Guide
Recipe: Simple-to-make strawberry chia jam
Recipe and photo by Lindsey Frisbie, RD, LD This is the easiest jam you will ever make! It’s made with frozen berries here, but fresh fruit would work, too. It’s equally great made with blueberries, raspberries and/or cherries. A finishing touch of lemon zest at the end brightens the flavor. Cook time: 10 minutes 2 […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Celebrate National Pancake Day at these Des Moines Restaurants
It’s almost Shrove Tuesday! Or maybe you know it as Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras. Whatever you call it, you’re probably familiar. This year, I’m choosing to celebrate Shrove Tuesday’s secular cousin, National Pancake Day. (Ahh, yes. Now you’re familiar.) It’s important to mention that there are actually two National Pancake Days every year, but […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Cooking on hot coals: A recipe for fire-roasted naan, vegetables and labneh
One of the more memorable diversions from last year was socially distanced outdoor gatherings with family members and “pod” friends, hanging around the most primitive of cooking stations: a fire pit. No need to clean the house or lay out a fancy spread — it’s the pandemic after all; we’re just trying to survive. My […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Best of the CRANDIC Spotlight: Chef Katy Meyer (and her Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake Tart recipe)
“I look forward to autumn every year, one of the many reasons being it’s pumpkin season and pumpkins are a favorite food of mine,” the Best Chef in the CRANDIC, Trumpet Blossom’s Katy Meyer, said in an email. “Not only are pumpkins beautiful, interesting, and technically considered a fruit, they provide a delicious base for […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Recipe: Iowa Pork Fries
No matter what you call it (pork fries, cowboy caviar, Rocky Mountain oysters, prairie oysters), or how you prepare it (broiled, smoked, fried, accompanied with a variety of sauce options), at the end of the day, you’re eating a testicle. Rocky Mountain oysters were one of the first “exotic” foods I tried. I was 14 […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Royceann Porter’s journey, from overcoming ‘culture shock’ in rural Iowa to making Johnson County history
Four days before the Iowa Caucus, Johnson County Supervisor Royceann Porter got a phone call from Pete Buttigieg. “This was the first time I’d heard from him in the whole 14 months of the campaign,” Porter said. “He said, ‘Do you think I could persuade you to come over to my team?’”
Posted inFood & Drink
An Instant Pot recipe* so easy, even you won’t screw it up
By the Condescending Cook** This is where I tell you a personal story about my time in NOLA,*** how it profoundly changed my understanding of what living free truly meant, and where I mastered the alchemy of turning meaning and memory into nutrients and flavor.**** Now, this being an amateur***** cooking article, this second paragraph […]
