The Midtown Global Market

The Produce Exchange

From the hummus at Holy Land to the beef pho at Pham's Deli to the pulled steak tacos at Taqueria Los Ocampo, I found one common recipe: real ingredients, home made, and delicious.

A mere 13 minute drive from my doorstep and I am transported to another world. No, I am not talking about Epcot's World Showcase, I am talking about The Midtown Global Market, located on Lake St. & 10th Avenue in Minneapolis. The beauty of The Midtown Global Market lies in its very name. This expansive floor of various ethnic vendors is the closest thing I've experienced in the United States to the street markets of Taiwan (my Ba's home country) and yet, it encompasses an even more diverse array of food and merchandise than I could find at a street market abroad.

Upon entering and after feasting my eyes on the Scandinavian pastry case, I move along to The Produce Exchange where I spend a half an hour happily browsing. I end up with two bags full of organic blueberries, sugar snap peas, hearts of romaine, spinach, tomatoes, Greek yogurt, nectarines, and peaches. This harvest costs me under $20.00. (A word of warning: I opted to try out a package of nectarines and peaches on super sale. I wouldn't do it again. It turned out that there was mold I couldn't see on the bottom sides of the fruit. I am looking forward to buying more fresh White Nectarines, next time, though!)

The adjective "global" in Midtown Global Market really means global. The people working here, as well as the goods they sell, represent countries from all over the world. As a Chinese American, I have a tendency to stand out, but here I feel perfectly welcome. Everybody seems to work and shop in perfect harmony. It's quiet here, but not for lack of business; there are quite a lot of people milling about the stalls. I think that the peace more has to do with the mutual respect and appreciation shared by people who have found themselves in Minneapolis providing or seeking a taste of something different, yet familiar; a taste of home.

"Food is the quickest way to the heart and home is where the heart is"--Me

"So food is the quickest way home?"--Kyle

Pho from Pham's Deli

Rhubarb Custard Pie

Topping Off the Pie

I wanted to share a Rhubarb Pie recipe given to us by Laura Neary, my new mother-in-law. This recipe combines pie expertise from Laura, Patty Ebert (Laura's friend), and Julia Retherford (Kyle's great grandmom). It also has a dash of our beginner's luck and MacGyverie. By accident, Kyle and I undercooked the pie the first time we made it. Fortunately, the "undercooked" pie came out quite saucy and delicious once refrigerated. The pie crust was moist and the abundant sauce made a great dip for the pie crust. When we baked another Rhubarb Pie according to the original cooking time, it was still good, but drier. Go with either cooking times, depending on how you like your pie. I like mine sassy, I mean saucy. Also, Kyle and I haven't yet acquired all the nifty kitchen gadgets we hope to have one day, like a sifter and a rolling pin, but we think that our alternative options worked just as well. This Rhubarb Pie makes a wonderful summer dessert or picnic accompaniment. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. And, don't be afraid to make mistakes. You may just learn something new.

Rolling dough with a glass cup and wax paper prevents pastry from sticking

Hot Water Pastry  (Great Grandmom Retherford's recipe)
Makes pastry for one 8-inch double-crust pie.

Boiling water, 1/3 Cup  
Shortening, 2/3 cup  
Flour, 2 cups
Salt, 3/4 tsp  

1. Pour boiling water over shortening (in a mixing bowl), beat until creamy.  

2. Wait until diluted shortening is somewhat cooled and thickened.
3. Add flour sifted with salt to melted shortening.

4. With a fork, mix ingredients just until a soft dough is formed.

5. Wrap dough ball in waxed paper and chill thoroughly.

7. Take out the dough ball and wait about five minutes before rolling it into a big enough circle to line the pie pan.

Rhubarb Custard Pie (Patty Ebert's recipe)

Make Hot Water Pastry recipe (See above.)

Clean, skin, and dice 3 cups of rhubarb (into sugar cube sized pieces. Toss any stringy bits as you cut, as best you can.)  

Place cubed rhubarb in a mixing bowl and set aside.

In another bowl, mix together:

Eggs, 2 large
Milk, 2 tbsp
Sugar, 1 1/2 cups  
Flour, 3 tblsp 
Salt, 1/4 tsp. 
Cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. 

Combine mixture with cubed rhubarb and pour filling into a pastry-lined pie pan.         

Crumb Topping

Brown sugar, 1/2 cup  
Butter, 1/2 cup
Flour, 1 cup

1. Make a crumb topping by cutting the butter into the other ingredients. (Use a knife and fork to make the butter pieces as small as you can.  Don't melt the butter.)
2. Top off the pie with the the crumb topping.
3. Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F and bake an additional 45 minutes. (This last step is where Kyle and I mistakenly baked the pie for just the initial 15 minutes at 425 F. It came out great!)

Happy Cooks, Happy Couples

Our new friends, Abhi and Arvind

Kyle and I made our first new friends as a married couple! Abhi and Arvind are our neighbors here in Minneapolis. We were invited to a "simple Indian dinner," as Abhi put it, at their home last night. In this simplicity, I found comfort and surprise.

I had the privilege of watching Abhi and Arvind create this delicious meal together.  As Abhi toasted the methi roti on the stovetop, by her side, Arvind sauteed the potato and capsicum sauced with a tomato and cashew gravy. Their coordination in the kitchen was as effortless and poised as a ballroom dancing couple.  They didn't burn a single ingredient even with me paparazziing about with my many questions and fluttering camera shutter. I found out that the most trying obstacle Abhi and Arvind face when cooking traditional Indian food here in the United States is a lack of accessibility to certain ingredients they would have otherwise found easily in India. In fact, it was the first time in her six years of living in various regions of the United States that Abhi was able to find methi greens at a farmer's stand to mix into her roti. The farmer from whom they bought the methi was a Chinese grower from northern Wisconsin, where the climate is more suitable for the delicate, leafy crop.  

Rolling out the Methi Roti

What Abhi and Arvind found simple or common about their food, Kyle and I found new and surprising. The tomato gravy was rich and creamy and yet, had no cream in it at all; Abhi and Arvind were raised vegetarians and have not yet "crossed over," as they say, though they watch copious amounts of Anthony Bourdain whose hearty appetite for big hunks of meat defines carnivory. "How do you make the tomato gravy creamy without using any cream," I wanted to know. Answering together, Abhi and Arvind replied, "actually, the [crushed] cashew nuts give a thicker texture and lighter color" to what would have otherwise been a tomato puree.

Roti (L) and Potatoes and Capsicum in a tomato, cashew gravy (R)

Over dinner, we discussed the loss of independent craftsmanship to large corporations in the United States.  In both India and China, skilled craftsmen still exist and can turn a customer's imaginative designs for cabinetry into exquisite works of real, functional art. I thought of my friend Nicki, whose grandfather once made a living crafting signs here in the United States. Nicki inherited this same tactile, artistic talent, but is doubtful she could survive this day in age on pure talent alone. Eventually, Nicki's grandfather had to retire as he could not compete with companies whose machines could spit out signage cheaply. When did talent become unaffordable?

Arvind, Abhi, Kyle, and I are glad to see local farmers' markets thriving in Minneapolis, a city which spends most of the year blanketed in snow. A single bite of a white nectarine from The Produce Exchange at the Midtown Global Market convinced me that buying local and organic is just plain right. Like individual craftsmanship, sacrifices have been made in the food industry for the sake of "bigger," "more," and longer shelf life. A change is a-coming, though.

Thank you Abhi and Arvind for inviting us to a "simple" dinner and reminding us that simple is better.

Fresh Vegetables