WINTER 2011
THE
FOOD & WINE ISSUE
SONOMA WINES
MINNESOTA ROOTS
PENINSULA CHEF CURTIS DUFFY PAGE 116 PHOTO BY ANNIE LEIBOVITZ
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Cover Image
by Annie Leibovitz A great meal starts with the right ingredients. Take these three for example: the Peninsula chefs Joelle Moles, Curtis Duffy and Terrence Crandall photographed in Chicago by Annie Leibovitz as part of “Portraits of “I love the stories behind what Peninsula”. people do, and in portraiture, you “Portraits of need to know the stories and then Peninsula,” the collaboration the image comes to life for you.“ of two legends —ANNIE LEIBOVITZ that originally debuted in October 2004 with the launch of The Peninsula Hotels’ award-winning global advertising campaign featuring the work of renowned portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz, continues in 2009 with the second collection of Leibovitz’s images commissioned by the hotel group. This time her photos showcase staff at The Peninsula hotels in Chicago and Tokyo. A collection of black-and-white images, “Portraits of Peninsula” goes to the heart of the guest experience that distinguishes Peninsula hotels as the finest in the world. With the photos, Leibovitz departs from her tradition of celebrity portraiture to focus on the people and personalities behind the Peninsula brand. While not famous, the faces of Peninsula pageboys, housekeepers and bellmen are just as compelling as those of celebrities when seen through her lens.
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from the publisher |
Nutritional Overachievers
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rtful Living arrives just in time to help lift spirits in one of the most intense Minnesota winters on record. Get ready for an experience packed full of the best in food and wine. Raise a glass to David Mahoney, who returned to California wine country once again, this time to uncover the Minnesota–Sonoma wine connection. Our other features include a look at some of the finest cuisine in the Twin Cities with local chefs and their food philosophies. The kitchen is the most important room in our homes, and we provide you with a look at the latest and best custom-designed kitchens, all found at IMS. Our friends on the North shore at Bluefin Bay resort provide a Lake Superior backdrop for “North Shore Chic,” a fashion shoot with the best of winter fashion. Our mission at Artful Living continues to be to inform, entertain and share with you outstanding homes, emerging ideas, travel destinations, the best of design, flash points and profiles of remarkable people. Our editorial content is entirely original and is created here. Don’t forget to check out the finest property listings for Sotheby’s International Realty, and on page 93, Ivy Gracie tells us about the second-home “deals” in the places Minnesotans flock to this time of year. Our departments round out this issue to observe other outlooks on food and wine, from a profile of Gavin Kaysen, a rising star on the New York City chef scene who was first discovered working at an Edina Subway, to a discussion of the raw-fare trend, to Dan Buettner telling us how happiness plays into food. Be prepared to get hungry and feel free to be a nutritional overachiever. A special thanks to our contributors, advertisers and especially the outstanding and talented team listed on our masthead. Cheers,
Frank Roffers Publisher Artful Living Magazine
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features
winter 2011
A Perfect Wine Pairing 56 California’s Sonoma County has a strong Minnesota connection.
Kitchen Couture 67
International Market Square offers customizable creations for the heart of the home.
Foodie Philosophies 73
A peek into the perspective of top Twin Cities chefs.
sonoma connection Bella Vineyards in Sonoma Valley was started by two Minnesota natives, this cave serves as a tasting room and entertainment center.
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contents WINTER 2011
spotlight 109 fashion
live artfully
The ultimate winter wardrobe combines fashion and function.
114 food+happiness
17 what to...
A thoughtful look at the connection between cuisine and contentment with author and explorer Dan Buettner.
Buy, drink, visit, collect, eat, use, attend, devote, drive, give, read, support.
116 chef
collage
Curtis Duffy dishes up delightful delectables at the Peninsula Chicago hotel.
44 raw appeal
120 lifestyle
The raw-food movement is gaining momentum in the Twin Cities.
Staying svelte is simple thanks to Steele Fitness.
44
48 chef
Wunderkind Gavin Kaysen got his start at a Subway sandwich shop.
50 artist
122 travel
Elite Destination Homes equips globetrotters with world-class accommodations.
126 finance
Charitable giving is more than writing a check.
Pamela Sukhum takes her cues from nature in creating her emotionally charged paintings.
128 beauty
Spalon Montage gives new meaning to customer service.
54 designer discoveries
130 technology
Designer Billy Beson welcomes the revival of the in-home bar.
Geek Squad founder Robert Stephens predicts the future of food.
home 81 build
TreHus Architects + Interior Designers + Builders helps create a getaway in the heart of the city.
85 real estate
Snowbirds can snag a deal in these second-home markets.
93 property gallery
Selection of properties form Sotheby’s International Realty.
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130
publisher Frank Roffers
design Art Director: Mollie Windmiller Assistant Art Director: Ryan Nelson
managing editor Hayley Dulin
copy editor Kate Nelson
business manager Naomi Johnson
marketing Heidi Libera
contributors Writers: Ashley Bergren, Billy Beson, Dan Buettner, Carolyn Crooke, Elizabeth Dehn, Hayley Dulin, Alyssa Ford, Ivy Gracie, David Mahoney, Leslee Miller, Michael Nagrant, Susan Powers, Alecia Stevens, Lori Storm, Berit Thorkelson, Mitchell Wherley, Andrew Zimmern photography: Joan Buccina, Kristi Kienholz style + product coordinator: Jill Roffers
advertising sales Ketti Histon To advertise in this publication, please call 952.237.1100
customer service
For additional information on any items in this magazine, please call: 952.230.3100 To be removed from the mailing list please e-mail “unsubscribe” in subject line to: Naomi@Artful-LivingMag.com Lakes Artful Living is published by Roffers Group, LLC, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted without permission. Roffers Group, LLC cannot be held responsible for any error or omissions. If your property is listed with a real estate broker, please disregard. It is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other real estate brokers. We are happy to work with them and cooperate fully. Each Office is Independently Owned And Operated. ®, TM and SM are licensed trademarks to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. is Owned and Operated by NRT Incorporated.
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Contributors Billy Beson is a daring, dynamic, and
dapper interior designer known for his risktaking style and extraordinary creativity in both work and life.
Leslee Miller is a certified Sommelier and
owner of Twin Cities based wine consulting firm, Amusée. Her energizing personality and passion for all things wine are both contagious and invigorating, making her your perfect ‘go to’ wine gal.
Michael Nagrant Chicago freelance food writer based in Minneapolis.
Michael Nagrant writes regularly for Newcity, CS and the Chicago Sun Times. He’s also the founder/editor of Hungry magazine hungrymag.com and a contributing author to the award-winning Alinea cookbook.
Elizabeth Dehn is the founder of BeautyBets.com, and a regular lifestyle contributor to Minnesota Monthly, Star Tribune, and Twin Cities Live television.
Susan Powers is a food and editorial photographer who brings her passion for food to the print. She is based in the Twin Cities.
Carolyn Crooke is a freelance writer
Dan Buettner is the New York Times
best-selling author of “The Blue Zones” and “Thrive -- Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way”. Buettner is an internationally recognized explorer who founded Blue Zones – a lifestyle brand that improves health, happiness and longevity.
Alyssa Ford has been covering architecture
and design scene since ‘04. She has written for Midwest Home, Minnesota Monthly, the Star Tribune, and many other publications.
Ivy Gracie writes for publications in the Twin
Lori Storm has been covering people,
places and hot trends in the Twin Cities for more than a decade. She is the former Editor/Managing Editor of Twin Cities Statement, and has background in television as a producer at KARE 11.
Cities and Chicago. Her work has appeared in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Today’s Chicago Woman, Twin Cities Business, Twin Cities Statement, and other publications. Gracie also hosts a blog called SkinnyPlus.blogspot.com.
Mitchell Wherley is the owner, CEO and driving force behind the passion, inspiration and creativity that define Spalon Montage.
David Mahoney writes about travel, wine,
Andrew Zimmern is a James Beard Award-winning TV personality, food writer, chef, teacher and is regarded as one of the most versatile and knowledgeable personalities in the food world.
and the environment for a variety of national and regional magazines. A former senior editor at Sunset and the former editor of Minnesota Monthly.
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Alecia Stevens is a freelance writer and interior designer, dividing her time between Minneapolis and New York. Her blog is www.aleciastevens.blogspot.com.
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WINTER 2011
live artfully 28
18
Buy
20Drink 30Use
24
Visit
26
36
Drive
38 32 40
Attend
34 Devote
Give
42
Read
Support
Photograph by Kristi Kienholz
Collect
Eat
artist at work Dan Raphael’s latest work a part of his recent series: Euphoralux.
What to... Artful Living | Winter 2011 17
live artfully || buy
The Spice Trade A variety of underexplored routes lead to flavorful foods. | By Lori Storm
A
pinch of this, a dash of that — you don’t need to be a seasoned chef to cook like one. Experimenting with a variety of spices and salts will add complexity, depth and flavor to even the most basic dishes. Simply substitute some of the old standbys in your pantry for bolder options. Several local shops and specialty stores — as well as the Internet — can help those looking to test out exotic spices and salts. Daniel Darvell, executive chef at Kitchen Window in Uptown Minneapolis, shares some of the biggest flavor fads.
Flavored Salts
Shake the habit of using common table salt to dress up your dishes. From smoked to herbed and even hickory bacon, flavored salts are surging in popularity. Natural and artificial flavors such as powders, liquids and oils are added to crystallized salt in its natural form to create a majority of these specialized blends. Sea salts are even showing up on dessert menus. “The great thing about salt is that
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it doesn’t go bad, so you could have 15 different flavored salts in your pantry to play around with and not feel like you’ve wasted any money,” says Darvell.
Spanish Smoked Paprika Your deviled eggs will never be the same again. Spanish smoked paprika, also known as pimentón, is considered an essential ingredient in many Mediterranean recipes, like
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paella and Spanish chorizo. The peppers are dried slowly over an oak-burning fire for several weeks, resulting in a sweet, cool, smoky flavor. Chefs say Spanish smoked paprika is significantly more flavorful than traditional Hungarian paprika and provides rich smokiness without the heat.
Ras el Hanout
The name means “top of the shop” in Arabic and refers to a mixture of the best spices a seller has to offer. The complex blend of spices consumed across North Africa typically includes cardamom, clove, cinnamon, ground chili peppers, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, peppercorn and turmeric. The ingredients are traditionally toasted and then ground together. Darvell says the flavor is complex and earthy — but not overpowering. Ras el hanout can be rubbed on meat and is a delicious addition to stews and couscous.
Peri Peri
It’s been called the African devil, so it should come as no surprise that peri peri (or piri piri) packs plenty of heat. The spice, which is made from red chili peppers originally discovered in southern Africa, is even rumored to have aphrodisiac qualities. Peri peri can be used as a rub for chicken or shrimp. The blend is also available in the form of an unforgettable spicy sauce.
Fennel Pollen
Used in medieval times to keep witches at bay, fennel pollen is now widely celebrated in the culinary world. Collected from wild fennel, it is strong, sweet and aromatic. While the spice is expensive, chefs insist a little goes a long way. Fennel pollen can be added to meats and baked dishes prior to cooking or dusted on a finished plate for more complex seasoning.
INSPIRATION AWAITS
INSPIRED DESIGN DETAILED CRAFTSMANSHIP LASTING IMPRESSIONS
651.578.0122
|
Visit www.ispiri.com
lakesAL.com Artful Living Images by Jon Huelskamp/LandMark ©2010 Ispíri LLC / MN License #20627402
| Spring 2010
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live artfully || drink
Whacked Wine One vino virtuoso searches for some truth behind those intriguing labels. | By leslee miller
Y
ou’ve likely seen them. They’ve account for the Alexander Hamilton you probably called out to you from laid down for it. (The same can be said behind the eyes of some fanciful for $100 wines and beyond.) With this frog, an overweight hippo, a guideline in mind, I set out to drink up a voluptuous blonde or a masked superhero. majority of the Twin Cities’ most wild and What are they? The whacked wines of obnoxious whacked wines to see if they are the world — loud, proud and sometimes truly worth their price. so obnoxious that they are hard to resist. I begin with Sassy Bitch. They should Arrogant Frog, Fat Bastard, Sassy Bitch — have come up with another adjective to while they might seem describe this wine fitting for the occasion as “sassy” doesn’t My mantra for wine buying or the person you’re quite live up to is this: the wine should equal the $8.99 I paid for shopping for, is the juice behind these it. One wine flaw the money you paid for it. quirky labels all it’s couldn’t possibly cracked up to be? Does the wine behind explain the Pinot Noir they call this mess. that Big Ass Cab taste worth the dollar you Another head turner: Mommy’s Time Out. paid for it? The only words I have for this are, Mommy While I am a huge proponent of getting deserves more! And, without picking on too folks to try something different — be it many more, Arrogant Frog, Big Ass Cab, the because the wine sounded interesting, Cupcake vinos and the Kitchen Sink wines it was on sale or you thought the label fell into this same category: not worth the looked cute, I sometimes wonder if these dollar paid for them. wild labels are misleading. My mantra for There is, however, a very sunny side to wine buying is this: the wine should equal this conversation because there are actually the money you paid for it. From a retail quite a few wines that delivered fairly well perspective, I strive to find the best buckfor their price points. Boarding Pass Shiraz for-buck wines on any shelf and always (Australia), Boxhead Shiraz (Australia), make sure my mouth is well-compensated Fat Bastard Pinot Noir (France), The Show for the money I’ve spent. For example, if Malbec (Argentina) and the Aussie team of you paid $10 for a wine, the taste should Some Young Punks wines (there are many)
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were all quality wines but were on the expensive end of the spectrum. I did come across some vinos that equaled in mouth exactly the dollar that was paid for them (some even exceeded my expectations!), namely: Basket Case Syrah (Washington), Toad Hollow Wines (California), Man Vintners Cabernet (South Africa) and the Inzinerator Zinfandel from Super Hero Wines (California). And while I was very happy with these valueappropriate wines, the one producer whose wines consistently exceeded their price points was Charles Smith of Washington. Kung Fu Girl Riesling, Holy Cow and Eve Chardonnays, The Velvet Devil Merlot and Boom Boom! Syrah are just a few from his portfolio — all well-made and varietally correct wines in the $10-$15 category that are well worth the buck. So there you have it — the world of whacked wine. While there are some wines that are certainly worth the buck for your next party, don’t be fooled by the pretenders that have you buying simply because the blonde on the label told you to. Sommelier Leslee Miller’s knowledge of all things wine and her engaging personality help any level of wine drinker connect to their passion. Visit amuseewine.com for more information.
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live artfully || visit
Euphoralux Twin Cities artist Dan Raphael unveils his latest collection. | by Hayley Dulin
Photography by: Kristi Kienholz
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n Oct. 12, 2010, people gathered at the Brownstones on France in Edina as artist Dan Raphael showcased his new series Euphoralux. Guests toured the elegantly appointed Brownstone units while sipping on exquisite wines and noshing on delectable hors d’oeuvres. Raphael was on site creating three works to be added to the collection. For more information about Raphael’s work, visit danraph.com.
M A K E Y O U R E X P E R IE N C E
Unexpected. Unique. Unforgettable. DINING | M E E TINGS | H A PPY H OUR | LATE NIG HT | SPE C IAL E VENT S | CATERI NG
SEVEN the event destination The STEAKHOUSE | SUSHI | ULTRALOUNGE | SKYBAR | CATERING
700 Hennepin Ave S | Minneapolis, MN 55403 | 612-802-4892 | events@7mpls.com | www.7mpls.com
live artfully || collect
The Playmaker Sotheby’s auctions off a piece of classic American memorabilia. |
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lace the tokens at the start. Collect initial money from the banker. Roll the dice. Move forward eight spaces. Pay $100 for Vermont Avenue. Strategize while you wait for your next turn. Thanks to Charles B. Darrow’s original Monopoly game board, which Sotheby’s auctioned off this past December, this routine has been experienced by tens of thousands of people alike. The game board, a primary edition handmade by Darrow, was created in Philadelphia in early 1933. Like many around him, Darrow found himself unemployed due to the Great Depression. He manifested the idea for Monopoly after finding the game Finance, which had been adapted by a woman from Indianapolis named Ruth Hoskins. Analogous land-trading games were modestly popular in the early 1900s, so Darrow decided to create and distribute Monopoly to support his family. Darrow created every board by hand — from coloring the playing surface, to typing up playing cards, to crafting the small houses and hotels out of pinewood. He made one or two sets every day, but that was hardly enough given how people began to demand a game of their own. Realizing the popularity of his creation was skyrocketing, Darrow copyrighted the game to preserve his success (a codification of rules set his game apart from others that were similar) and looked to sell his game to a large manufacturer for mass production. To his satisfaction, Parker Brothers, now a longtime, leading game manufacturer, purchased Monopoly from Darrow two years later and helped make it the cultural icon it is today. The complete, handcrafted game set up for auction included more than 200 property pieces, the manuscript playing surface on a circular piece of oilcloth and the carbontypescript rules sheet as well as deeds, playing cards, tokens and bank notes. At the time of this writing, the symbolic pastime memory was estimated to be auctioned for $60,000 to $80,000. Get more information at sothebys.com.
AUCTION RESULTS LOT 232 Auction Date: December 17, 2010 Estimated Sale Price: $60,000—$80,000 USD Lot Sold.
Hammer Price With Buyer’s Premium: $146,500 USD
game time
The original, handcrafted monopoly game board dates back to 1933.
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By Ashley Bergren
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live artfully || eat
Savory Scraps Twin Cities chefs embrace the art of charcuterie. |
by Lori Storm
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“Instead of getting a charcuterie platter that’s just sliced salami and olives, it’s really artisan, handcrafted stuff.” — erick harcey
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f you like leftovers, you’ll love one of the most popular food trends taking over the Twin Cities. Chefs everywhere are trying to one up each other in the art of charcuterie. Of course, many people can’t pronounce it — or even know what it means. Here’s some background: charcuterie is the method of cooking dedicated to preserving meats through salting, smoking and curing. It dates all the way back to the Romans, but the French truly elevated charcuterie to an art form. The chef ’s muse is typically the pig, but duck, chicken and cow have also made their way into the culinary repertoire. It’s not a new concept to the Twin Cities, so what’s behind the recent foodie fascination? “Now you can go out and instead of getting a charcuterie platter that’s just sliced salami and olives, it’s really artisan, handcrafted stuff,” says Erick Harcey, owner and executive chef of Victory 44 in north Minneapolis. “There are a select few guys in town who are doing it extremely well. They are taking the time to buy a good product and really making something superior in quality.” Using traditional methods, it can take hours, days, even months to turn obscure cuts of meat into fantastic sausages, pâtés and terrines. “I think the best thing to do with charcuterie is to stick with what has worked,” Harcey insists. “It’s one of the oldest forms of peasant food, so there’s really no reason to reinvent it.” Harcey says he’s always had a passion for charcuterie and is a longtime crusader for head-to-tail cooking — that is, utilizing all the edible parts of an animal, including the liver, intestines, even head. “In this country, everybody buys beef tenderloin and doesn’t know about all the great cuts of meat. I think it’s great that a lot of chefs are doing head-to-tail cooking.” Still, Harcey wasn’t sure if customers would share his enthusiasm. At Victory 44, he started out slowly by introducing simplistic dishes like mortadella sandwiches and chicken-liver pâté with bacon and red-onion jam. Now the restaurant serves up a full-blown charcuterie board with five to seven terrines or pâtés paired with condiments. Some days you can even find tongue on the menu. In addition to that offered at Victory 44, culinary critics have hailed charcuterie plates at The Craftsman in Minneapolis and Heartland in St. Paul. Clancy’s Meat & Fish also offers a variety of take-home options. It’s clear that charcuterie — while being deeply rooted in the past — has a future here in the Twin Cities.
collage || art + fashion
live artfully || use
Exercise Reinvented The Power Plate makes the weekly workout routine effortless | by Ashley Bergren
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he duffle bag is packed and the clubmembership card in tow, but somehow you still didn’t make it to the gym today. Acceleration Training is providing a new way to bypass the typical excuses and get what would be an intensive and lengthy workout finished in just 15 minutes — all in the comfort of your own home. The Power Plate is an innovative machine that stimulates the body’s natural response to vibration. Just step up, hold on and feel it force multiple muscle contractions throughout your body (25 to 50 times per second, to be exact). The machine’s vibrations for all three planes of the body produce an incredible improvement in both strength and power when used just 15 minutes a day, three times a week. Not only does this full-body workout machine help users improve strength, it also offers a host of other benefits: immediate improvement in flexibility and motion, enhancement in blood circulation and bone-mineral density and even decreased cellulite. Feeling the extra holiday pounds lingering? Consider a quick and easy solution to shed the pounds. 2ndwindexercise.com.
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live artfully || attend
Dark Magic The glow of the Luminary Loppet’s icy lanterns bedazzles thousands of nighttime skiers. | by David Mahoney
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B
etween all the windshield scraping, sidewalk shoveling and nose-numbing weather, winter in the land of 10,000 frozen lakes often seems anything but magical. That’s what makes Minneapolis’s Luminary Loppet such a fantastic event — literally. On one Saturday night every February, there is absolutely no better place to be than gliding along the glowing trail of ice candles on a snowcovered Lake of the Isles. Part of the City of Lakes Loppet nordic ski festival, the Luminary Loppet first brightened a winter night six years ago, inspired by a similar event that takes place on a bay of Lake Superior. From a simple 600-luminary loop circled by a few hundred skiers, it’s grown into a 1,200-luminary spectacle — complete with an ice pyramid, an “icecropolis” of ice columns, an enchanted forest and a cadre of fire throwers — that delights several thousand participants making the groomed circuit on skis, snowshoes or foot. This ring of ethereal enchantment rests on a firm foundation of technical know-how. The conjurer in chief is Hal Galvin, a nearby resident with an engineering degree. With the aid of Isles-area neighbor (and architect) David Bryan and other mechanically minded volunteers, Galvin has concocted a variety of ingenious gadgets over the past few years to streamline the luminary-making process, including the fancifully named “LSD 5000” (LSD meaning “luminary-spacing device”) and “water cow” (a multinozzled contraption for filling the 5-gallon-bucket molds). Robots are not yet part of the production process, however, so dozens of volunteers pitch in to help fill buckets and, later, “hatch” the luminaries. But on that one special night in February, none of this technical trickery or hard work is in evidence. As with all convincing magic, the only thing anyone sees is a dazzling display that, for a short time at least, makes the world seem like a mystical and wonderful place.
The 2011 Luminary Loppet is on Saturday, February 5. Registration fee includes entry to a post-event tent party with beer, brats, barbecue and a live band. To register, go to cityoflakesloppet.com.
live artfully || devote
Art Incognito A fun-filled evening brings together Twin Cities art lovers for a good cause. | by HAYLEY DULIN Photography by: Kristi Kienholz
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n Nov. 18, 2010, guests gathered at Edward Lentsch’s Artist League Studios to support Free Arts Minnesota, a nonprofit organization that serves abused, neglected and at-risk children by helping them communicate and express themselves through art. The event, dubbed “Art Incognito,” showcased works from both local and national artists. Party attendees had the opportunity to view and bid on beautiful artwork while savoring fine food and libations. All proceeds benefited Free Arts Minnesota in its mission to help children heal through the power of creative expression.
live artfully || drive
Electric Feel The Tesla Roadster gets hypercharged. | by Ashley Bergren
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n eye-popping, innovative, new sports vehicle has emerged from Tesla, and it’s a little of what we wouldn’t expect and a lot of what we love. Tesla’s electric Roadster can send you from 0 to 60 in 3.7 seconds, use system monitors to react to changing external conditions and get you 245 miles in one morning — not on a tank of gas, but from a full charge. The Roadster, which uses the industry’s best lithium-ion battery technology, is an electric sports car unparalleled by any of its kind. It offers what is considered super-car performance without the super-car emissions. This premium automobile’s battery charger is located on board, meaning the Roadster can be plugged into virtually any electrical outlet — including the one you use to charge your cell phone. Plus there’s no need to worry about clutch work: a single-speed gearbox complements the elegant motor that doesn’t need a complicated reverse gear — it simply spins in the opposite direction. Overall, Tesla’s electric Roadster is best described as fast, driver-friendly and elite. Drive a sports car, spare the environment, and look good doing it. The electric Roadster is available for $101,500. To test drive the Telsa Roadster visit Eurocars US located in Eden Prairie. Get more information at eurocarsus.com or 952.944.5252.
Great Food, Great Atmosphere and Great Service.
Chocolate Gratification
live artfully || give
I
ndulge in the affordable luxury of B.T. McElrath’s chocolatebar collection, the chocolatier’s signature blend of American, European and Colombian chocolates. Made with the finest, 100-percent natural ingredients and B.T. McElrath’s trademark commitment to flavor, the collection showcases six distinguished offerings: Salty Dog, which features butter-toffee pieces in 70-percent dark chocolate with sea salt; Prairie Dog, its 40-percent milk-chocolate companion, complete with buttertoffee pieces, toasted almonds and sea salt; passion fruit and tangerine infused in dark and white chocolate; chile-limon infused in dark and milk chocolate; 70-percent dark chocolate and 40-percent milk chocolate. Snap off a square and share — or keep it all to yourself! btmcelrath.com.
Queen of Cakes 7027 Amundson Ave. Edina, MN 55439 tele: 952-942-7628
www.Queen-of-Cakes.com
live artfully || read
The Party Planners Alecia Stevens reviews Micheal Leva and Nancy Parker’s Recipes for Parties: Menus, Flowers, Decor: Everything for perfect Entertaining
I
f you can get past the pages filled with photos of languorous women in trendy going-out-indowntown-New-York outfits and über-casual men in sneakers and unbuttoned white shirts — which will, sadly, date this book overnight — the menus and recipes make for great, easy entertaining food! Recipes for Parties was compiled by a couple in the fashion industry (aha!) who were raised by mothers with a talent for throwing parties and afternoon tea, and it is apparent that entertaining is in their blood. Ten theme-based parties are presented, including a “Moroccan buffet,” a “blissful beach picnic” and a “New York brunch,” among others. Each section includes ideas for creating “the look” and “the mood” as well as plans for scheduling preparation of the dishes. For the Moroccan buffet, they suggest low tables (because we all have a few of those around, right?), jewel-toned cushions, hurricane lamps, votives and “casual, loose clothing.” They suggest playing music with a “North-African vibe” and decorating with pink gerbera daisies. They even give pointers for sending invitations — and, thankfully, e-mail is perfectly acceptable. The book really should be called Menus Made Easy as the recipes are the most useful part of it. I am never quite sure where to start or stop with my menus for entertaining — I am always second-guessing. With this book in your kitchen, you can let go and work on your gerbera-daisy floral arrangement instead. The foods are beautifully photographed, and most are remarkably simple and healthy — perfect for entertaining. My own family and friends must have the Moroccan dinner this winter — complete with mechoui (roasted leg of lamb with cumin and salt), yam salad with golden raisins and toasted pine nuts and spiced couscous. For dessert? Well, I’ll need to get an icecream maker, but I don’t want to miss the fig-topped, cardamom ice cream. And I love that I won’t have to spend days planning the ultimate menu; I can just follow the hour-by-hour plan for preparation, casually toss about the jewel-toned cushions and welcome my guests in a caftan.
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Authors Nancy Parker and Michael Leva
Lacquer trays lined with leaves from the garden hold Fresh Fig with Parmesan and Balsamic Glaze.
Bowls of homemade fettuccine, dressed with tomato sauce.
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live artfully || support
Pretty in Pink Jaguar Land Rover Minneapolis teams up with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. | by HAYLEY DULIN
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aguar Land Rover Minneapolis hosted a benefit on Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2010, for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The event featured fine food and spirits from CRAVE, a silent auction, styling tips from the Jon Charles Salon and a chance to win a trip to an exclusive California luxury vacation. The event raised more than $15,000 for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
supporters TOP LEFT TO RIGHT Ted Terp, general manager of Jaguar/Land Rover Minneapolis with Dave Baker from Comcast; Pat Miles, a Susan G. Komen supporter; one of the items up for bid was custom-made Jaguar luggage from Neiman Marcus, another was a new Jaguar.
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collage || raw food
Raw Revolutionaries Two Twin Cities businesses are making raw cuisine accessible to the masses and appetizing to all. | by ivy gracie
T
he gastronomically underexposed might consider raw cuisine a fringe movement whose practitioners are relegated to crunching carrots and cramming kale into juicers. But true foodies know it’s taking the culinary world to a new level of creativity. More magic act than classic cookery, the über-healthy discipline enlists food processors, blenders and dehydrators to transform unprocessed, uncooked fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and herbs into deceptively delicious dishes that mimic the flavors and textures of conventionally cooked classics — while keeping fat, sugar and calories at bay. On the coasts, raw is taking up residence in high-end restaurants and grocery-store aisles; here in flyover territory, it’s creeping into our culinary consciousness. But a couple Twin Cities businesses are doing their best to speed up the process. And between the two of them, they might incite a full-on raw revolution. 1
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Rawmazing.com The brainchild of Susan Powers, a trained sommelier with an extensive culinary background, this Web site offers recipes, cooking tips, a calendar of classes and a retail selection of cookbooks, kitchen equipment and personal goods — effectively bridging the gap between raw cuisine and the real world. “My goal is to bring raw to the mainstream,” Powers declares, “because there’s so much sickness that’s directly associated with how we eat.” Powers’s own health concerns led her to raw. “I’d always been healthy, but when I developed weight issues, acid reflux and shortness of breath, it occurred to me that
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my diet got me there.” Powers experimented with a raw diet, and the results were all the convincing she needed. “I lost a ton of weight and got rid of all of my symptoms.” But it wasn’t easy. “I’m lazy in the kitchen,” Powers laughs. “I’d open up a raw-food cookbook, and there’d be 50 ingredients in one recipe!” So she began creating manageable recipes of her own. Now, rawmazing.com features more than 200 recipes for appetizers, soups, salads, entrées and desserts. “My recipes are simple,” she says, “but they’re delicious, and they look great — because we eat with our eyes first.” Powers’s recently
Artful-LivingMag.com
published cookbook, Rawmazing Desserts, illustrates that point, featuring recipes for picture-perfect raw versions of cookies, pies, cakes, ice creams and sorbets. While Powers is an enthusiastic proponent of raw cuisine, she doesn’t position it as an allor-nothing proposition. “I’m not militant about being 100-percent raw,” she explains. “It’s about incorporating more raw, fresh food into what you’re already eating. If you can do that, you’re going to benefit. And the more you benefit, the better you’ll feel.”
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SUSAN POWERS
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Mushroom Tart Red Pepper Poppers Zucchini Corn Cakes with Cilantro Cream Spinach Veggie Wraps Sweet Potato Fries with Chipotle Cream Mushroom Burger
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY RACHEL IREY
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Pad Thai Creamy Garlic Dill Pasta Pancakes Sausage Pizza Pineapple Slaw Lasagna
This Chaska establishment offers prepared raw meals, desserts, appetizers and snacks for in-store and online purchase. On site, patrons can sample items while procuring provisions, enjoy a meal and friendly conversation at the community table or take a class on raw cuisine. And at puremarketexpress.com, shoppers can order individual items or multi-meal packages for delivery anywhere in the country. For cofounder and executive chef Rebecca Irey, Pure Market Express was born out of necessity. A longtime raw practitioner, she longed for a fast-food-like raw retailer that could simplify her life. But there was a void in the market. So she and her husband, Quentin, decided to fill it. They opened Pure Market Express, positioning their raw menu as “fresh, natural and delicious.” That tag line might account for a growing clientele that cuts a wide swath across a variety of demographics. “It’s people who need gluten-free or dairy-free foods, people with food allergies and people who just want healthy options,” Quentin says. And with selections like lasagna, pad thai, tostadas and burgers, the menu appeals to palates of all persuasions. But one course sparks a special brand of enthusiasm. “Desserts are the gateway drug to raw foods,” Rebecca gushes. “So many people say, ‘I can’t have desserts,’ or ‘I’m on a diet.’ It’s so cool to be able to say, ‘You don’t have to worry — it’s just fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and herbs — there’s no sugar.’ You can see their eyes light up.” For the Ireys, success comes from making raw food accessible, easy and appealing to everyone. “We opened Pure Market Express to make healthy food convenient,” Quentin says. “And if, one family at a time, we can help people have happier, healthier lives, that’s a great thing.”
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collage || chef
“I’ve always had a dream in the back of my mind to open up a restaurant in Minneapolis because it’s my hometown.” —GAVIN KAYSEN
Kitchen Connoisseur Gavin Kaysen has cooked his way to celebrity status from a Subway shop in Edina to Cafe Boulud in NYC. | by DAVID MAHONEY
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our years ago, at the ripe old age of 27, Gavin Kaysen was selected to represent the United States in France’s prestigious Bocuse d’Or competition — the Olympics of the cooking world. The same year, he was named one of the country’s best new chefs by Food & Wine magazine. And he was hired as executive chef at Café Boulud — consistently ranked among New York City’s top restaurants — by superstar restaurateur Daniel Boulud. Since then, Kaysen has won the James Beard Foundation’s Rising Star Chef of the Year Award. He has appeared as a contestant on “The Next Iron Chef” and “Iron Chef America,” as a judge on “Top Chef” and in frequent feature spots on programs such as “Today” and “Nightline.” Just this past fall, Kaysen gave the commencement address at the Culinary Institute of America and picked vegetables with First Lady Michelle Obama in the White House garden as part of her initiative to fight childhood obesity. To think that it all started at a Subway sandwich shop in Edina. That’s where a 15-year-old Kaysen, who grew up in Bloomington, got his first food-industry job. Even then, he had an extraordinary knack for pleasing customers — an aptitude he attributes to making Norwegian Christmas cookies with his grandmother as a young boy and seeing the delight she took in giving them to her children and grandchildren. “I got to know the clientele, got to know their names, what they liked, what they didn’t like,” says Kaysen, recalling his Subway days. “It got to the point where I knew so many of them that they basically didn’t have to wait in line anymore. I’d see them in the parking lot or I’d know what time they’d usually show up, and I’d make their sandwich and have it ready for them. They’d be in and out in 15 seconds.” His budding talent was recognized by local chef George Serra, who offered Kaysen a job at his pasta restaurant next door. Kaysen still
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feels deeply grateful to Serra for guiding him on his first steps down his career path. “He taught me a lot about food; he taught me a lot about hospitality, a lot about creativity and imagination,” says Kaysen. With Serra’s encouragement, Kaysen attended the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont. School was followed by stints in the kitchens of Domaine Chandon in the Napa Valley; Auberge de Lavaux in Lausanne, Switzerland; and L’Escargot in London, under famed chef Marco Pierre White. But Kaysen really started earning recognition for his considerable culinary talent while working at El Bizcocho in San Diego. It was during that sojourn that he was chosen to represent the United States in the Bocuse d’Or. His mentor in the pursuit of that arduous goal was Daniel Boulud, who, less than a year after the competition, called Kaysen to offer him his current job. While he acknowledges that New York City is a major change of pace from sedate Minnesota and mellow San Diego, Kaysen seems to take it in stride. “I’m still the same person, with the same values that I was taught growing up in Minnesota,” he says. Whatever he’s doing, it appears to be working. Last year, when a New York Post reporter asked five of New York’s top chefs to name an up-and-coming chef most likely to join their ranks, two of them picked Kaysen. So where does a 31-year-old who’s already accomplished so much go from here? “I carry a list of goals in my wallet,” says Kaysen. “I change and update them as I go. But I firmly believe that putting a bull’seye target on those goals is what has helped me accomplish a lot of them.” One possible entry on his bucket list might get people back home salivating: “I’ve always had a dream in the back of my mind to open up a restaurant in Minneapolis because it’s my hometown,” he says. “I think that would be awesome.”
Artful-LivingMag.com
Gavin Kaysen’s Food File The top chef’s top picks What He Likes To Cook At Home: “I usually end up cooking one-pot dishes, whether it’s mussels or a roasted chicken in a pot with root vegetables. I usually do things that are pretty simple and, most importantly, don’t require washing a lot of dishes afterwards.” Where He Likes To Eat In Minneapolis: Corner Table, Vincent, 112 Eatery. Where He Likes To Eat In New York City: Michael White’s restaurants Marea and Osteria Morini for Italian fare; Pulino’s for pizza; Aldea for Spanish cuisine; and Sushi Seki for sushi “after service at midnight or 1 in the morning.”
collage || artist
The Science of Art Research-scientist-turned-painter Pamela Sukhum’s creative calling appeared out of nowhere. She’s since made a life of exploring the natural world through her art. | BY Berit Thorkelson
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he moment she dove into the brisk waters of Cedar Lake, Pamela Sukhum knew this would not be one of her regular swims. An urge to cross the lake overtook her, yet self-doubt flared with each stroke: I can’t see where I’m going. I might panic. I have no idea what lurks below. But fear had been getting the best of her lately, so Sukhum dug deep inside and summoned a different mantra — trust. Its steady rhythm filled her, and soon new emotions bubbled: Excitement. Exhilaration. Satisfaction. Before she knew it, she had swum across the lake and back and then made her way to her studio. Still glistening with lake water, Sukhum fell deep into her process, using bursts and splatters of spray paint and even her hands to commit spirit to the canvas rolled out in front of her. “It’s like a dance,” she explains. “If you stop, it stops.” When she finally stepped back, she saw the foundation of Feral, an active abstract that’s both dark and light, rough and delicate. It became the first in a series about returning to that wild place within. Such explorations of self-trust define Sukhum’s painting career. Twelve years ago, she was a research scientist harboring deep creative unrest. “I could feel something building inside me, but I didn’t know what to do about it,” she says. Woodworking, knitting, pottery — nothing took. Frustrated, Sukhum asked herself, “If I had no fear, what new thing would I do?” Painting popped into her head. The fact that she knew nothing about the art didn’t dissuade her. Finally, she sat in front of her first blank
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canvas, holding a brush dipped in bright, purple paint. “I touched it to the canvas, and something just opened up,” she says. That summer, Sukhum took as much time off work as her job would allow to spend 12, 13, 14 hours a day creating on the largest canvases that would fit through her apartment door. After two months, she reluctantly returned to research, telling no one how she’d spent her sabbatical. Clandestine lunch hours often left telltale paint streaks across her skin. “It was like I had a secret lover,” she says. Sukhum’s signature style was emerging, one inspired by the natural world. She often creates in the field during brief, emotional sessions, using palette knives, broad brushes and her hands to leave the canvas heavy in paint. She then employs her analytical nature and an ultra-fine brush to finish the piece over days, weeks, even months. The result? Dynamic, textured, often saturated works that are at once recognizable and beautifully unreal. Sukhum calls it “natural surrealism.” A dear friend’s sudden death triggered a series of self-questioning that prompted Sukhum to finally introduce her secret lover to the world. Seven years ago, she left science and started Infinite Vision Art, now based out of a show room in Minneapolis’s International Market Square. Sukhum’s paintings can be found in galleries across America and as far away as Dubai. She’s recently discovered a companion painting style, one she calls “mystical realism.” In it, Sukhum’s characteristic charged creative outpouring happens in studio, starting with bursts of spray paint, as when that lake swim led to Feral, one of the style’s first pieces. The result is a more deeply internal take on the natural world — as well as another reason for continued trust in her enduring love. “The creative act of painting is still where it’s at for me,” she says. “I can’t ever wait to get back to the canvas.”
an artist’s work Painter Pamela Sukhum creates
another evocative, engaging piece.
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MOSCOW SAO PAULO MILAN PARIS ROME NEW YORK CHICAGO MINNEAPOLIS SAN FRANCISCO LOS ANGELES TORONTO MONTREAL TOKYO BANGKOK
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collage || designer discoveries
Raising the Bar Twin Cities designer Billy Beson details the revival of the residential lounge.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRIAN DROEGE
puttin’ on the glitz The patterned stainless steel and Black Galaxy granite with its natural flecks of mica add glitz
and glam to this lower-level party palace. The soffit over the bar and the ultra-contemporary pendant lights echo the sweeping curve of the bar top. 54 Artful Living
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY Jason Dewey
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rom the speakeasy hidden bars of the roaring ’20s to the knotty-pine-paneled rec rooms of the ’50s, residential bars have made a great transformation. Today there are two schools of thought, one being “Hide the booze” and the other declaring “Mirror it, light it and live it up.” I say let’s live it up. It’s great to meet friends after work or on a Saturday night for a couple drinks and a bite to eat, but now more than ever, people are entertaining in their homes. The basic configuration of a bar encourages conversation and intimacy. Whether it’s Dad behind the bar, pushing his latest concoction, or Skip from the country club in his bow tie serving cosmos straight up, there’s no place like home. You may be asking: what about the kids? Add a malt mixer, a soda dispenser and some ice cream, and you’ve got a glorified soda fountain. The modern-day bar allows Mom and Dad to entertain like the pros. Icemakers, wine chillers, under-counter refrigerators and the like make for a festive night on the house.
Billy’s Favorite Beverage: The Classic Sidecar 1. Chill a martini glass. 2. In a shaker full of ice, combine: 1 shot high-end brandy or cognac 1 shot triple sec or Cointreau 1 oz. fresh lime juice ½ tsp. raw sugar 3. Shake it like you mean it, circle the rim with a fresh lime and coat the edge of the glass with raw sugar. Pour and enjoy!
a natural beauty Backlit slabs of root-beer-colored
onyx create warmth and drama while the handtooled leather panels reflect the Western flavor of this Beaver Creek mountain home. The mirrored back bar and hammered copper countertops add sparkle and texture to this watering hole.
feature || winery
Living in Zin Purple pride isn’t just about the grapes for Minnesotans in Sonoma’s wine country. | by DAVID MAHONEY
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he first tip-off is the purple paint covering the walls. Then there are the horned helmets and autographed footballs on the windowsill — and the Vikings mug on the desk. Anyone who has set foot in the office of Dave Ready, Jr., the winemaker for Murphy-Goode Winery, knows at least one thing about him: he’s a Minnesotan — and proud of it. Ready is one of a handful of Minnesotans who have planted the northstar state’s flag in the vine-friendly soil of California’s Sonoma County. Ready’s laid-back demeanor belies the fact that he’s now part of a vast corporate empire. Murphy-Goode was purchased in 2006 by Jackson Family Wines, one of
the biggest producers of premium wine in the world. The change of ownership has only led to more responsibility for Ready, who recently added the title of winemaker for the group’s Edmeades brand to his job description. After graduating from Edina High School in 1988, Ready followed his father, David Ready, Sr. — one of the founding partners of Murphy-Goode (who, sadly, passed away last fall) — to Healdsburg, California the epicenter of Sonoma wine country. Or, more accurately, he followed the Grateful Dead to a show at Berkeley’s Greek Theatre. “I was in Berkeley with a couple of buddies, and I said, ‘We should call my dad and at least figure out where Healdsburg is,’” says Ready. “It turned out it was relatively
high vines
close, so we drove up. I was hanging out with Dad, having a nice time, drinking some wine, and he suggested I get a job. So I ended up working that harvest.” Six years later, after putting in time on a couple more harvests in Sonoma and Australia between shows with his own jam band back in Minneapolis, Ready was convinced by his father to take on a steady job at Murphy-Goode. Over the next four years, he went from cellar master to assistant winemaker to winemaker for Murphy-Goode’s new Liar’s Dice Zinfandel (named for their Zinfandel growers’ daily breakfast ritual). “I chose Zinfandel because it was new to the winery, and it was going to be really challenging,” recalls Ready. “One of the
ABOVE With an average elevation of 1,800 feet, Gustafson Family Vineyards is the highest-elevation estate vineyard and winery in Sonoma County.
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“In Sonoma, it’s very agricultural, and the people are really grounded.” —Patti Shadick
biggest issues with Zinfandel is the uneven ripening, not only within a vineyard but within a cluster. Learning how to pick it is almost more visual than seeing what your sugar is or even tasting it — you kind of look at the vineyard, and you can see that it’s ready.” In 2001, Ready took over the head winemaking responsibility for the entire Murphy-Goode portfolio, including the Minnesota Cuvée Chardonnay, aged in Minnesota oak barrels. Between his professional responsibilities and his parental obligations — he and his wife have a 6-yearold son — Ready doesn’t have much time for jamming with buddies anymore. He’s still an avid Vikings fan, though, and he’s raising his son to be one, too.
“I tell him, ‘Who are the bad guys? The Packers,’” laughs Ready. “‘Who cheats? The Packers.’”
U
nlike its famous next-door neighbor, the topographically straightforward Napa Valley, Sonoma is a complex weave of interlacing appellations. The oncesedate-but-now-bustling town of Healdsburg marks the meeting point of three prominent winegrowing districts: Dry Creek Valley, Russian River Valley and Alexander Valley. Each has its signature varietals: Zinfandel in Dry Creek Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon in Alexander Valley and Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Russian River Valley. Dry Creek Valley’s reputation for producing first-rate Zinfandel was one of the reasons
Scott and Lynn Adams, the owners of Bella Vineyards, were drawn to the area — rather than, say, Napa Valley, where they were married in 1994. “Both Lynn and I had an affinity for Zinfandel,” says Scott, relaxing with a visitor at one of the picnic tables scattered about a lush lawn in front of the winery. “We both really enjoyed it, and it seemed like most of that grape’s success was happening over here.” Scott, a Twin Cities native who recently returned to Minneapolis for his 25-year high-school reunion, moved to San Francisco after graduating from college in Boston. Arriving as a self-described “beerdrinking college grad,” he soon caught the wine bug. In 1995, when his family decided to sell some Minnesota farms that they
purple people ABOVE Minnesotans making wine in Sonoma include left to right Dave Ready of Murphy-Goode
Winery, Scott Adams of Bella Vineyards, Dan Gustafson (shown here with winemaker Emmett Reed) of Gustafson Family Vineyards, and Alan Baker (with partner Serena Lourie) of Cartograph Wines. Artful Living | Winter 2011 57
feature || winery
owned, Scott convinced his father and brothers to invest some of the proceeds in Sonoma vineyards. They bought an existing winery at the north end of Dry Creek Valley with 80-yearold Zinfandel vines planted on a hillside above the winery, arranging to lease back the production facility to the former owners for three years. “That gave us three years to figure out the growing part and to decide if we wanted to get involved in winemaking,” explains Scott. During that time, the family partnership acquired an additional vineyard in Alexander Valley while Scott and Lynn purchased another Dry Creek vineyard where they made their home. In 1999, Scott and Lynn decided to take over the lease of the original winery and start making singlevineyard Zinfandels from their properties under the Bella label. Their efforts were
quickly rewarded: über-critic “I’ve put in some long hours, but I’ve Robert Parker gave their first wines never worked a day in my life out (as well as subsequent vintages) outstanding scores. there. It’s all fun.” —Dan Gustafson Since then, they’ve added a feature that has become one of the star attractions at the winery, For more than three decades, Tom especially on hot summer days: a cave, had made a very successful career as the blasted into the hillside below their oldheartland distributor of Wüsthof knives (or, vine Zinfandel, now shelters not only as he jokingly describes them, “overpriced, barrels filled with their aging wines but over-engineered German cutlery”). Around also their literally cool tasting room and a the time he began to contemplate retiring dining niche for entertaining. from the cutlery business, Patti happened Scott and Lynn now have complete to meet a woman from Healdsburg at a gift control of the winery and vineyards, having show in Dallas, who put her in touch with a bought out his family’s stake. Since their real-estate agent in the town. The Shadicks start as a husband-and-wife team, they’ve flew out to meet with her and looked at slowly added several employees, including several places that were for sale. a full-time winemaker. They’ve also added “We did that about three times a year for three young daughters to their team, so three years,” says Tom, noting they ultimately Scott and Lynn take turns doing duty on looked at more than 60 properties. “Every the home front (they now live about half an time we’d go, we learned more about what hour south in the Russian River Valley) and we really wanted.” at the winery. “We do a weekly director’s Although they were fairly certain that meeting to get the week off to a good start,” Sonoma was where they wanted to be, one says Scott. day Tom suggested that they at least look at Napa. “We lasted half a day,” he recalls. “The whole persona is different over there,” adds hen the Adams moved to the Patti. “In Sonoma, it’s very agricultural, and Russian River Valley in 2002, the people are really grounded.” they sold their home and the The property they ultimately bought vineyard below it to another couple from is nestled in a side canyon on the eastern Minnesota. Surprisingly enough, the buyers fringe of the Dry Creek Valley appellation. — Minneapolis residents Tom and Patti Their home is perched on a hilltop, Shadick — had no idea who the sellers were overlooking the vineyard and the mountains or that they shared a Minnesota connection.
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grape grotto ABOVE Below the old vines of the Lily Hill vineyard, Bella’s cave serves as a tasting room and entertainment center as well as a barrel cellar. 58 Artful Living
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beyond it to the north. Behind it, a beautiful garden surrounds a pool and a bocce court. Among the grape varieties growing in their vineyard are Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah. It’s the Zinfandel, though, that seems most highly prized. Both Bella and Deux Amis wineries bottle it separately; Dashe Cellars blends it into their Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel; and Jackson Family Wines just bought 10 tons for the first time last year. But beyond their grapes, the Shadicks have reaped a rich harvest of friendships, particularly among some of the older Italian families that have lived in the area for generations. Among these treasured friends are two octogenarian, bachelor brothers who live in a house next to their vineyard. “Every time we’re out there, they have a party,” Tom says, recalling that the first time they invited the Shadicks, they said lunch would be at noon, cocktails at 10:30. “We got there about 11:15, and we were the last ones there. They were all sitting around with their wine just having a whale of a time. We thought, okay, we’re in the right part of the world.”
B
uying an established vineyard gave the Shadicks a leg up as wine-grape growers. Dan Gustafson of Gustafson Family Vineyards didn’t have that luxury. “There was nothing on our property when we started,” Gustafson says. “It was just a barren piece of land — an old sheep ranch. It did have a well, but no buildings or houses.
That’s exactly what I wanted. I wanted to start from scratch and see what we could do.” The owner of a Twin Cities propertymanagement company he started in the late 1960s, Gustafson had his first toehold in Sonoma at the Sea Ranch development, where he bought a home right on the ocean in the late 1990s. “I loved it there, but after two or three days of walking the beaches and trails, I’d run out of things to do,” he says. “So that’s when I decided that perhaps I’d look into raising grapes.” One day, as he was driving from Healdsburg to the coast on a winding road over the steep hills, he saw a property for sale. “I had done enough research by that time that I could tell what kind of soils we would be looking for,” Gustafson recalls, “and I could tell that this site could be extraordinary for growing quality grapes.” Rows of grapevines now cover 20 of the nearly 250 acres that Gustafson eventually purchased. Most of the remaining acreage is forested, including a truly enormous madroña that may be the largest tree of its kind in the state. Gustafson hired Minneapolis architect Tim Bjella to design a striking stone and-stucco home with a soaring view that takes in Lake Sonoma far below and Mount St. Helena almost 30 miles to the east. The foundation of his home, which had to be dug particularly deep to reach stable rock, serves as the winery’s barrel cellar. All of the Gustafson Family wines are made
from estate-grown grapes. At an average elevation of 1,800 feet, his is the highestelevation estate vineyard and winery in the county, Gustafson claims. Some of the vines are planted on perilously steep slopes, which can make tending them a challenge. “It’s considerably more expensive to farm than the valley,” he admits. Gustafson grows Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and other grape varieties, each planted in a vineyard block specifically chosen to suit the needs of that particular variety. “Each one is a little different,” says Gustafson. “They’re like kids — they’re all part of our family, but each one has a different personality.” Although he has an on-site winemaker who oversees vineyard management and winemaking, Gustafson — who splits his time more or less evenly between Minnesota and California — takes an active role in all phases of the process. “I’ve put in some long hours,” he says, “but I’ve never worked a day in my life out there. It’s all fun.”
M
aking wine is, to say the least, an uncertain path to financial reward. Gustafson, when asked about the profitability of his winery, jokingly replied, “I haven’t quit my day job.” Alan Baker, on the other hand, did just that. A former producer at Minnesota Public Radio, he began to develop an intense curiosity about wine after having an “aha moment” while sipping an Alsatian Riesling
pinot passion TOP LEFT TO RIGHT The largest madrone tree in Sonoma spreads its ancient limbs above vines at Gustafson Family Vineyards. For its wines, Cartograph sources top-quality PInot Noir grapes from highly regarded vineyards in Sonoma and neighboring Mendocino County. Artful Living | Winter 2011 59
feature || winery
in a kayak on a north-woods lake. “I just knew that I had to follow that passion,” he says. Before long, he had sold his St. Paul house and moved to northern California’s wine country. After some backbreaking vineyard work, Baker fastened onto the idea of doing podcasts about making wine. “I produced my podcast as an excuse to get into wineries and do my own investigation,” he admits. National Public Radio ended up putting his podcasts on its Web site, where they gained a sizeable following. Baker’s podcasts about making his own Pinot Noir at an innovative, new customcrush facility in San Francisco called Crushpad led to him being hired there in 2006 to manage its Web site — a job that evolved into various other responsibilities, including helping others make their wine. One of those people was Serena Lourie, who was taking a break from her health-care career. Baker and Lourie came to realize that they shared a vision of a life that revolved around making wine. In 2009, they turned that shared vision into a reality when they moved together from San Francisco to Healdsburg, where they immediately
started making wine under the Cartograph label. Cartograph is in a sense a virtual winery, as Baker and Lourie own neither a production facility nor a vineyard. They have been fortunate, though, to find excellent sources for their small lots of Pinot Noirs and Gewürztraminer; the most important of these is the Floodgate Vineyard in the Russian River Valley, which also provides grapes to some of the most prominent Pinot Noir producers in the region. Both Baker and Lourie contribute regularly to a blog chronicling their fledgling winemaking venture. And as befits someone who got into the wine business through his podcasts, Baker says they rely heavily on social media to get the word out about their wine: “Our most loyal customers are people who we met online.” David Mahoney writes about travel, wine and the environment for a variety of national and regional magazines. A former senior editor at Sunset and the editor of Minnesota Monthly, he was also the founding editor of Drinks and Real Food magazines.
valley view
LEFT Minneapolis architect Tim Bjella designed Dan Gustafson’s ridgetop home, which literally towers over the fog-cloaked Dry Creek Valley. RIGHT Healdsburg Modern Cottages in Healdsburg, California, owned by Minnesotan’s.
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A Cottage for Rent Healdsburg, once a sleepy, little farm town, has blossomed into a tourist hot spot in recent years, yielding a bumper crop of finedining and luxury-accommodation options. One of the more distinctive places to stay in town is the Healdsburg Modern Cottages, owned by Chris Poseley — a former Minnesotan who now has homes in Healdsburg and San Francisco — and his mother, Connie Remele, who lives in Minneapolis. Tucked away on a quiet side street just a couple blocks from the central plaza, each of the four cottages is named for a modern designer — Charles (Eames), Ray (Eames), George (Nelson) and Eileen (Gray) — and features sophisticated furniture pieces reproduced from its namesake’s original designs. A swimming pool offers a cool respite after a day of winetasting. With gas fireplaces, flat-screen TVs, spa baths and wireless Internet access, the cottages combine the amenities of a hotel with the privacy of a vacation rental home. healdsburgcottages.com
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feature || winery
Wine List Below are descriptions of wines made by Minnesotans in Sonoma. Some of them are made in very limited quantities and may be difficult to find locally, but check the wineries’ websites for online ordering availability.
1. Gustafson Family Vineyards
makes all of its wines from estate-grown Dry Creek Valley grapes. Zinfandel and Petite Sirah are its flagship varietals, though Gustafson also makes a very popular Rosé of Syrah. The winery is venturing into white wines for the first time with the 2010 vintage, introducing a Sauvignon Blanc and a dry Riesling. gfvineyard.com
2. Murphy-Goode produces a broad
assortment of varietal wines from grapes grown throughout California, though it still draws heavily from its Alexander Valley roots. The lineup includes a slew of wines named for games of chance, such as Liar’s Dice Zinfandel, Dealer’s Choice Cabernet Sauvignon, and All In Claret.
murphygoodewinery.com
4. Bella Vineyards built its reputation
3. Cartograph has set its sights on making mostly top-notch Pinot Noir from select Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast vineyards, with Gewürztraminer playing a strong supporting role. cartographwines.com
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as a Zinfandel specialist with singlevineyard offerings from Dry Creek and Alexander valleys, including its Lily Hill Estate Zinfandel, made from grapes grown on nearly century-old vines. Petite Sirah and Syrah round out Bella’s roster of reds.
bellawinery.com
Artful-LivingMag.com
5. Shadick Vineyards grows
Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petite Sirah grapes on a hillside in Dry Creek Valley. Ravenswood uses the Cab in their Sonoma County bottling, the Petite Sirah is purchased by Dashe, and the Zinfandel goes into single-vineyard offerings from Bella and Deux Amis.
Rediscover the place you call home.
RAMSEY ENGLER LTD
Interior Design & Project Management 612. 339. 9494 RAMSEYENGLER.COM
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features || trends
Make it Personal Custom design brings beauty to the kitchen. |
BY LORI STORM
T
he kitchen is arguably the most important space in the entire house. Often times, it’s also the dining room, family room and home office all rolled into one. And for that reason, it’s personal. So whether you’re starting from scratch or simply changing out cabinets, International Market Square makes it easy to express yourself. We shopped the six show rooms for ways to make your kitchen unique.
Art Glass
Leave it to the Italians to turn contemporary kitchens into dramatic works of art. Cabinets, doors, tabletops — they can all be made into masterpieces with Valcucine’s Artematica Vitrum Arte line, also known as art glass. “It’s really bringing beauty into the kitchen in a bigger way than you would traditionally do,” says David Washburn, owner of Valcucine
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features || trends Couture Kitchens
“Design isn’t stagnant. Craftsmanship isn’t stagnant. There are always ways to do better.” —KEITH MORGAN
Minneapolis, located in IMS. Customers can choose from more than 100 different designs, ranging from abstract lines and graffiti to colorful cows and decorative doodles. For the ultimate in customization, clients are encouraged to submit original drawings or another artist’s work. Valcucine’s designers will even create meaningful doodles based on a customer’s personal story line. “People are really looking for something that expresses who they are and their taste ... And nobody is doing anything like this in the Twin Cities,” Washburn says. “The truth of the matter is that kitchens don’t end up being all that different. But if you have a piece of art, particularly if it’s original art, there would be no other kitchen like it.” The Artematica Vitrum Arte line is manufactured in Pordenone, Italy, and then imported to the United States. The drawings are inlaid on tempered, etched or transparent glass panels and then applied to an innovative structural frame made completely of recyclable, anodized aluminum. Washburn says the eco-friendly materials are extremely durable and resistant to damage from smoke, steam and grease.
encouraging kitchens PREVIOUS PAGE Kitchens become
works of art with Valcucine’s art glass line. CURRENT PAGE Bespoke impresses with its dynamic design in flooring/ paneling and The Regency kitchen line.
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PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY BESPOKE
Don’t expect to find any catalogs at the newly opened Bespoke showroom at IMS. That’s because every kitchen and custom furnishing designed by owner Keith Morgan and crafted at the nearby workshop in St. Paul is one of a kind. “Design isn’t stagnant. Craftsmanship isn’t stagnant. There are always ways to do better,” Morgan stresses. “Once the design is finished on paper, the design process doesn’t stop after it reaches the workshop. It continually evolves throughout the fabrication.” Bespoke features four separate kitchen lines: the Contemporary, the Classic, the Estate and the Regency. Within each line are some similarities, but again, each piece is truly custom. “We aren’t interested in making the same thing again — we already made it. That means essentially every time we do this it’s going to be a prototype,” Morgan attests.
Morgan, who spent the past 12 years developing Bespoke, sees every surface as an opportunity. Even an ordinary bread drawer is extraordinary with a series of intricate designs. “It’s just as practical and as durable as any other drawer box out there — it just has a surprise. Our customers really have an appreciation for opening up their cabinetry. It’s just like getting into their S-Class. They want their interiors to be just as beautiful as the exteriors,” he says. Bespoke sources its wood, stone and other materials from all over the globe. The company utilizes everything from walnut and figured English sycamore to East Indian rosewood. And just as you’d expect from Bespoke’s uncompromising owner, Morgan is always on the hunt for rare materials that are unique and have a story to them.
Old World Charm
It’s been called shabby chic: distressed furniture adored for its vintage look and obvious signs of wear and tear. In kitchens, it evokes the charm of European villas and the ever-popular Old World style. Belle Kitchen in Minneapolis recently worked with a Midwestern furniture company to develop its own signature Patina line. “It’s reminiscent of vintage with a cottage finish or crackle finish,” says Belle Kitchen co-owner Jean-Claude Desjardins. “We can do it on cabinets, doors, a buffet hutch — really anything. We can do a lot of different things with this new line. It’s fully custom and very affordable compared to similar furniture lines.” The distressed look is created by scraping, dragging, even punching the wood with various tools. To add more character, the furniture is then treated with glazes and different finishes. “You could do your whole kitchen, and it would look like a house in the south of France,” Desjardins explains. “But by doing a section or a piece it gives you the feeling of a family heirloom, something that’s been passed down generations.” Desjardins, who owns Belle Kitchen with Tricia Bayer, says the Patina line is perfect for those who want to redo the kitchen of an older house but want an aesthetic that fits the rest of the home. “If you do a house like the one here on Mount Curve, it’s a 1905 house. Some people don’t want it to look like a brand-new kitchen,” Desjardins says. The Patina line from Belle Kitchen is available in countless colors and isn’t just for the kitchen; clients can have custom pieces made to complete other parts of their interior design.
shabby chic Belle Kitchens unveils its own
signature Patina line for kitchens.
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IMS Serves Up Even More Kitchen Trends Racy Design
Buckle up. Premium kitchen manufacturer Poggenpohl and luxury brand Porsche Design are collaborating on a new kitchen (ABOVE) . The two companies extended their license partnership and are unveiling a more affordable luxury kitchen. With its clean, sleek lines and high-tech accoutrements, the kitchen is sure to get customers revved up. Check out Partners 4, Design to get up to speed.
Redefining the Space
Poggenpohl is pushing the boundaries of kitchen design with its new ARTESIO offering. Also available through Partners 4, Design, the line liberates the kitchen from traditional spatial barriers and integrates it into the overall structure of the home.
Bright Ideas
LED lighting is starting to shine in kitchens everywhere. Sawhill Custom Kitchens & Design says the eco-friendly lighting is ideal for both inside and underneath cabinetry. And say goodbye to that glaring blue tint commonly associated with LED; the lighting is available in warm, welcoming colors.
Laminates
Science and design have come together to create entirely new laminate surfaces. Instead of just countertops, laminates are showing up on doors and other kitchen cabinetry. Sawhill Custom Kitchens & Design points out that laminates are very affordable and are available in thousands of dynamic colors, patterns and textures.
Smokin‘
North Star Kitchens recently introduced a unique form of wood cabinetry that gives the grain a rich, dark, smoky appearance. The process is called fuming and involves pressurizing European oak logs. You won’t find this distinct look anywhere else in the market.
Another Species
Contemporary and transitional kitchens are showcasing different species of woods to help personalize spaces. North Star Kitchens is highlighting Premier Cabinetry because of its interesting textures, finishes and stylings. Larch wood and sycamore are just a few examples of the different types of woods making their way into today’s kitchens.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY SUSAN POWERS
feature || chefs
Chef Driven
Five culinary masters are molding the Twin Cities dining scene. | BY susan powers
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Vincent Francoual Vincent 1100 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis 612.630.1189 vincentarestaurant.com When French native Vincent Francoual turned 15, he was given a choice: become either a truck driver or a chef. To our delight, he chose the latter. The culinary visionary and head chef of Minneapolis restaurant Vincent, Francoual believes in the purity of ingredients; food should be enhanced, not covered up. Francoual’s contemporary French style has been well-received since he first introduced it to the Twin Cities in 2001. He believes that food is family, a reason to gather and enjoy one another — and what fabulous food he gives us to gather round.
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Lenny Russo Heartland Restaurant & Farm Direct Market 298 E. Fifth St., St. Paul 651.699.3536 heartlandrestaurant.com For more than 30 years, Lenny Russo’s knowledge of and commitment to fresh, local food has been informing our senses and exciting our palates. The latest incarnation of his restaurant Heartland, in the market district of downtown St. Paul, is a testimony to the foodie community’s overwhelmingly positive response to that commitment. Heartland’s menu changes daily, inspired by what is available from local farmers. Maintaining this evolving menu, while challenging, is central to Russo’s philosophy. And while he puts emphasis on the food itself, any Twin Citian will tell you it is the eatery’s extremely talented chef that makes Heartland the top purveyor of all things local.
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feature || chefs
Scott Pampuch Corner Table 4257 Nicollet Ave., Minneapolis 612.823.0011 cornertablerestaurant.com Food, cooking, and working the land have long been part of daily life for Scott Pampuch, who grew up in southern Minnesota. His love of the Midwest inspires the fare at his Minneapolis restaurant, Corner Table, and his firm belief that we should eat food produced where we live means patrons will never find, say, an avocado on one of his plates. With a focus on local and sustainable food and practices, Pampuch creates seasonal dishes that are widely recognized as some of the Twin Cities’ best.
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Hector Ruiz Cafe Ena 4601 Grand Ave. S., Minneapolis 612.824.4441 cafeena.com Hector Ruiz has a diverse background when it comes to food. His love was kindled as a young boy in Mexico, watching his mother cater large celebrations. All of the food was prepared “family style.� As a young man, Ruiz found himself in a Jamaican restaurant where his passion was further ignited. He then became fluent in Italian cuisine. Next was classical French, which included an internship in Paris. This amazing background all comes together at Cafe Ena, where he presents his version of Latin fusion. He considers his food to be ethnically blended. It is beautifully presented and completely irresistible. His belief that you should never rush the food and you should love it as if it were a family member is translating into great success and very happy customers.
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feature || chefs
Russell Klein Meritage 401 St. Peter St., St. Paul 651.222.5670 meritage-stpaul.com New York-born, French-trained Russell Klein has been in the culinary field for more than two decades. Those who frequent his St. Paul boîte, Meritage, have come to expect beautifully prepared food, made with exquisite attention to flavor and detail. Klein’s approach is simple: get the best possible ingredients, use the best techniques, and you can’t go wrong. And it seems his carefully crafted creations — which have made Meritage the mainstay it is today — are in high demand; the restaurant will be expanding in 2011. 78 Artful Living
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home || build
“
Country Cottage In The City A thoughtful remodel melds contemporary convenience with a connection to the past. | BY CAROLYN CROOKE
A
lot of my friends go to their cabins for the summer, but living here is like having a vacation home in the middle of a great city,” says Jeffrey Siegel of his recently remodeled Nicollet Island home. “I can go to restaurants or the Guthrie and then walk home to a Nantucket-style country cottage on a river.” The 1860s-era structure has a view of downtown skyscrapers. Museum-quality Lutron lighting illuminates serious art and whimsical flea-market finds alike. Lively juxtapositions abound, but look a little closer, and it’s a masterful blend of the old and the new, right down to the state-of-the-art wiring inside the ancient walls.
The Greek Revival–style, gable-front house began its life near the University of Minnesota. It was remodeled and added to over the years and finally slated for demolition in the 1980s, prompting its owners to donate the home to the Historic Minneapolis Foundation. Siegel purchased it, with a commitment to move it to one of five vacant lots on Nicollet Island set aside for such homes and to restore it according to historical-preservation guidelines. Siegel completed the move and preliminary remodels and then rented it out while preparing for a full-scale refurbishing. When the time came, Siegel tapped TreHus Architects + Interior Designers + Builders to spearhead the ambitious project. “The people at TreHus have the sensibilities of Old World tradesmen.
serene city living The north end of Nicollet Island is known for beautifully refurbished homes that exemplify turn-of-thecentury architectural styles. TreHus restored and matched the siding and exterior features, and modelled a white picket fence on archival photography from the area. Artful Living | Winter 2011 81
home || build
I can go to restaurants or the Guthrie and then walk home to a Nantucket-style country cottage on a river. —JEFFREY SIEGEL
The quality of their craftsmanship is absolutely first class — on everything,” notes Siegel, who owns Supply Studio, an entertainment production company. The remodel involved a range of professionals, from architects to artists to lighting consultants — as well as permits from the Minneapolis Historic Preservation Commission and the Minneapolis Park Board. Nearly every room was altered in some way; many were changed significantly. For example, the old kitchen and powder room, located at the back of the home, were gutted. TreHus put a new powder room in a different spot and designed and created a large, open kitchen. Even though the square footage was increased, the changes stayed true to the home’s petite proportions. Things tend to run three-quarters of contemporary sizes, including cabinetry, fixtures and appliances; at 24 inches, the range in the kitchen is the smallest that Viking makes. “I thought the idea of an industrial range in miniature was interesting,” says Siegel. Inset cabinetry, bead-board accents, carrera-marble countertops, an apron-front sink and tongue-and-groove boards on the walls set the Old World mood. And in an I-wish-I’d-thought-of-that move, Siegel added a living room–style seating area at one end of the kitchen, complete with couch and chairs. “After all, the kitchen is where people congregate,” he points out. Thanks to the fact that the home was moved, there’s a full basement — one of the few on the island (most of the other homes have cellars and crawl spaces). The team finished the lower-level space, adding a secondary catering kitchen just steps below the main kitchen. There’s also a guest room, small dining area, and three-quarters bath down there.
In old photographs, you can see that a summer kitchen once stood at the very rear of the house. It’s been gone for decades, but, working off these images, TreHus recreated it — in this incarnation, as a mud room. For this addition, the original siding was stripped, repaired and finished, and custom siding was milled to match the original. Craftspeople also reconditioned existing windows wherever possible, stripping
casings, refitting weights and refurbishing storms. While lower-maintenance combination storms would have met guidelines, Siegel prefers the look of the originals. As he puts it, “We avoided some of the permitted compromises.” One of the major challenges came with bringing the mechanicals up to date. Existing radiators were frozen and unusable, so TreHus scoured the area and salvaged just-
a room of one’s own A 1950s-era kitchen was gutted entirely and replaced with an open kitchen, complete with a fanciful hutch, painted and detailed to look like an original, and topped with a cypress counter. 82 Artful Living
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right radiators. For cooling, new duct work was carefully threaded through century-old framing, and existing electrical was replaced. Looking back, Siegel notes that everybody involved brought smart solutions to the project. “I knew TreHus was great at the beginning of this, but I liked them even more at the end.” The feeling is mutual. TreHus president and owner Dave Amundson admires Siegel’s strong vision. “He’s very artistic, very involved. This was a complicated project — we trusted each other, worked ethically with each other, and we collaborated to come up with absolutely excellent solutions.”
The people at TreHus have the sensibilities of Old World tradesmen. The quality of their craftsmanship is absolutely first class — on everything. —JEFFREY SIEGEL
attention to detail
Many of the changes here brought the home back to its original simplicity. Sophisticated millwork added in the 1970s was replaced with flat borders. Painted stair treads were stripped. Newels and balustrades were restored.
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home || real estate
The Getaway Plan In the current real-estate market, vacation homes are a steal. |
D
epending on the day or the news outlet, the real-estate market is recovering, stalling or somewhere in between. But while activity is uneven, one thing is certain: it’s a buyer’s market, particularly in the vacation-home arena. And while it’s hard to imagine using the phrase “screamin‘ deals” when referring to Vail, Scottsdale or Naples, those two words couldn’t be more appropriate. That’s because the deals in these three high-end havens are reaching jaw-dropping proportions. Vacation homes became bargains for one simple reason: “They’re discretionary effects,” explains Todd Gillenwater, owner of Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty in Scottsdale. “The vacation-home market was affected first and most when the market ground to a halt. And in communities that were heavily second-home-oriented, prices
dropped further than in areas that were largely primary residences.” But thanks to those plunging prices, savvy buyers are reentering the marketplace. “We have adjusted and repriced, and people are making deals,” says Craig Denton, managing broker of Ascent Sotheby’s International Realty in Vail. “Sellers are getting smarter and resetting their prices. And the buyers are smart, sophisticated and looking for deals.” But as sellers adjust their prices, buyers need to adjust their perceptions. “In ’06, the market was a feeding frenzy,” remembers Patrick O’Connor, a broker associate with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty in Naples. “More than 50 percent of the sales were speculators who were buying to flip.” But real estate is no longer an opportunity to make some fast cash; rather, it’s an investment in a lifestyle. “Plan on owning and using it for a while,” Denton advises. “If you’re
BY IVY GRACIE
talking about buying something and only being in it for a year or two, then we shouldn’t be talking.” At current prices, vacation homes have never been so tempting. “The calendar has been rolled back 10 years,” Gillenwater says. “People should take a serious look at entering the marketplace now because it’s basically a once-in-a-lifetime chance.” O’Connor echoes this sentiment. “Consider doing it now because you might miss out. The supply and demand is getting more equal. And when that happens, you won’t get the fantastic opportunities you could have gotten in the past.” Denton offers some sage advice to potential buyers: “People have made some amazing deals just because they were willing to make offers. Nobody’s going to expose themselves in public, but sellers’ belt buckles are loosened.”
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home || real estate
8199 Lowbank Drive Naples, Florida Agent: Patrick O’Connor Price: $535,000 Square Footage: 3,060 Bedrooms: 5 Bath: 3
W
ith Twin Cities favorites like Café Lurcat, Campiello and Haskell’s dotting the landscape and a good chance of bumping into a neighbor, friend or colleague on Fifth Avenue, at the Bayfront or on the links, Naples is as close to Minnesota as a getaway can get. Thank goodness there’s a place to enjoy the comforts of home while leaving the hardships of winter behind. And for those who want their own place in the sun, the current realestate market makes the dream more accessible. “Around ’05 or ’06, this home would gone for the low to mid $800,000s,” says Patrick O’Connor of his listing in North Naples. Built in 1993, the spacious home in the gated Wilshire Lakes community offers tremendous value. “The kitchen has been updated, and the master suite has a large walk-in shower, separate soaking tub and double vanities,” says O’Connor, a broker associate with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty in Naples, adding that the formal living room features a tray ceiling and both the living and dining rooms have hardwood floors. “The economic age of the property might be about 2003,” O’Connor admits, “but it’s very pleasant. It looks like it could be out of a publication like Southern Living.” At its current price, the home might not be
available for long. And, according to O’Connor, neither will the rest of the Naples market. “Once we get to the season [January to April], we’ll probably stabilize,” he projects. “In 2011 and 2012, we’ll start to see an increase in pricing.” O’Connor is enthused that the area is showing signs of recovery, like higher hotel and restaurant occupancies and a recent spike in construction. “In North Naples we have three new developments under construction “Whenever you see construction it’s a for delivery great thing because that’s going to spur in the spring of 2012,” additional growth and confidence in the he reports. marketplace.”—PATRICK O’CONNOR, REALTOR “Whenever you see construction it’s a great thing because that’s going to spur additional growth and confidence in the marketplace.” But for the moment, O’Connor encourages buyers to take advantage of deals like this home. “People have always heard that Naples is expensive. But then they see this 3,000-squarefoot, 5-bedroom house in a gated community with a pool that’s five miles to the beach — it doesn’t get any better than that.”
11586 E Desert Holly Drive Scottsdale, Arizona Agent: Cathy Doyle Price: $549,900 Square Footage: 2,710 Bedrooms: 4 Bath: 3
“People are realizing that this is the time to buy.” —CATHY DOYLE, REALTOR
S
unny, scenic Scottsdale has long lured Minnesota snowbirds with its warm winters, lush golf courses, four-star resorts and world-class shopping and dining. And when Midwestern temperatures tumble, migrating south for the season is all the more enticing, particularly when there’s a great place to land — like Dorado in Troon Village. Situated in North Scottsdale, Troon Village surrounds the Troon Country Club, boasting luxurious homes and unmatched views of the McDowell Mountain Range, Troon Mountain and the Mazatzal Mountains’ distinctive Four Peaks in the distance. And this listing takes advantage of the views from almost every room in the house. “It’s got windows all around it,” says Cathy Doyle, with Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty in Scottsdale. Built in 1997, the home’s bones are young enough to embody a modern, open floor plan. And thanks to recent updates, it feels fresh and current. The kitchen functions as the home’s hub and features double islands with granite countertops and new appliances. Other public spaces extend from the kitchen, and, according to Doyle, that’s one of the home’s best features. “It’s open,” she says. “There’s a family room, dining room, breakfast room and living room off the kitchen. So if you’re entertaining, there’s a lot of room, but everybody’s together.” The home also features an oversized master suite, a designated office, a covered patio and a pool. In fatter times, the home would have commanded upward of $700,000. “A similar home sold for $685,000 in 2005,” Doyle notes, adding that the home was not as wellequipped as her listing. But don’t expect prices to stay at bargain levels indefinitely. After bottoming out in 2007, sales in the Scottsdale area are beginning to trend upward. “From September to October we had a 32.5-percent increase in sales of homes between $500,000 and $1 million; for homes more than $1 million, it was at 33.33 percent,” Doyle reports. And with such optimistic statistics, opportunities may soon become a thing of the past. “People are realizing that this is the time to buy.”
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feature || real estate
Booth Creek Town Home Unit A3 Vail, Colorado Agent: Tye Stockton Price: $575,000 Square Footage: 1,566 Bedrooms: 3 Bath: 3
F
alling snow means different things in different locales. In the Twin Cities, it means traffic snarls, indecipherable snow-emergency rules and airport delays. But in Vail it means a day of incredible skiing and a well-deserved après-ski hot tub or hot toddy, all in a winter wonderland that rivals the most enchanting of snow globes. A fairy-tale village cradled in the bosom of the Rockies, Vail offers the best of everything: shopping, dining, entertainment and outdoor activity. And now this world-class ski destination is offering some of the best deals in real estate. And the floor plan gives the home a feeling of expanse that Just east of Vail Village, a quiet town home in the Booth belies its square footage. “The main floor has a great room Creek neighborhood boasts ample space, incredible with vaulted ceilings, a powder bath, a secondary laundry Gore Range views and a rare combination of privacy and option that’s plumbed and ready, the updated kitchen and proximity. Located in a small complex just a 10-minute a southeast-facing balcony,” Stockton explains. “On the bus ride from the ski lifts and the village hub, it’s close lower level, you have two to the action but just bedrooms with a Jack-andfar enough away to “As the buyer’s market continues to Jill bathroom and a standard capture the serenity of laundry. Then you have the mountainside life. “It’s drive Vail real estate, homes of this master suite with its own very close to the bus stop size and location will offer tremendous bathroom in the loft above so it’s easy to get to and the main floor. When you’re from the mountain,” says value to takers.”—TYE STOCKTON, REALTOR in the master suite, you get a Tye Stockton with Ascent lot of privacy from the other Sotheby’s International two levels below.” Realty in Vail. “So Stockton says that you have privacy and during the height of the real-estate market, comparable separation, but you’re close to everything.” units in the complex were selling in the low $700,000 While the complex came into being in 1973, the exterior range. But as long as the buyer’s market continues to has been completely renovated with new siding, windows drive Vail real estate, homes of this size and location will and decks. And, from a remodeling standpoint, the offer tremendous value to takers. “The generous floor unit’s interior is only two years old. “They remodeled the plan, the size, and the breakout between bedrooms and bathrooms and put in new hardwood flooring, carpet and baths — at this price point, it represents one of the best trim,” Stockton says. “The kitchen has newer appliances, deals in the area,” Stockton attests. “You’re getting a lot of cabinetry and granite countertops, and the home has bang for the buck.” upgraded doors and windows.”
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The Property Gallery presented by LAKES Sotheby’s International Realty includes a
selection of properties within the Twin Cities area, Greater Minnesota. The Sotheby’s International Realty® global network includes nearly 500 offices in 39 countries. Enjoy.
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1. David Abele
10. Kimberly Falker
19. Joanne Hitch
28. Debbie McNally
37. Todd Shipman
2. Dewey Bakken
11. Bryan Flanagan
20. Mark Hoiseth
29. Craig Mische
38. Jacob Smith
3. Sandra Burt
12. Tina Fremgord
21. Jeff Hornig
30. Jenny Nelson
39. Darren Spencer
4. Mike Buenting
13. Pam Gerberding
22. Jim Hornig
31. Seth Nelson
40. Christa Thompson
5. Matt Carlson
14. Jill Gordon
23. Olivia Hornig
32. Julie Regan
41. David Tonneson
6. Belle Davenport
15. Jim Grandbois
24. Ben Kolkman
33. Robin Roberts
42. Joe Wahl
7. Rebecca Davenport
16. Garry Haas
25. Kent Marsh
34. Frank Roffers
8. Leah Drury
17. Jack Halverson
26. Brandon Mayfield
35. Jill Roffers
9. Shelly Erving
18. Denise Hertz
27. Molly McCrea
36. Anne Shaeffer
Main Office: 952. 230. 3100 www.lakessothebysrealty.com Edina: 3217 L Galleria Wayzata: 155 East Lake Street, Suite 200
twin cities gallery
5200 France Ave S - Brownstones Edina, MN Starting at $975,000 (Shell Only)
|| edina + minneapolis
Total FSF from 3,215 to 4,465 Smith & Roffers TEL: 612.867.5667 Visit Artful-Livingmag.com for a video tour of this home.
1823 Fremont Avenue South Minneapolis, MN Offered at $885,000 Bedrooms: 7 Bathrooms: 4 Hertz & Gerberding TEL: 952.230.3173
3150 W Calhoun Pkwy #102 Minneapolis, MN Offered at 989,000 Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 3 Hertz & Gerberding TEL: 952.230.3173
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twin cities gallery
4648 Lake Harriet Pkwy W Minneapolis, MN Offered at $1,050,000 Non-MLS
|| minneapolis
Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 3 The Haas Team TEL: 952.230.3187
1721 Morgan Avenue South Minneapolis, MN Offered at $1,150,000 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 4 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790
4301 Fremont Avenue South Minneapolis, MN Offered at $1,299,000 Bedrooms: 6 Bathrooms: 7 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790
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twin cities gallery
2232 W Lake of the Isles Pkwy Minneapolis, MN Offered at $2,295,000
|| minneapolis
Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 4 Hertz & Gerberding TEL: 952.230.3173
2100 W Lake of the Isles Pkwy Minneapolis, MN Offered at $3,195,000 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 5 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790
2505 E Lake of the Isles Pkwy Minneapolis, MN Offered at $5,300,000 Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 7 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790
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twin cities gallery
2217 Hungtington Point Road East Minnetonka Beach, MN Offered at $3,295,000
Belle & Rebecca Davenport TEL: 952.230.3113
2442 Meeting Street Minnetonka, MN Offered at $2,150,000 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 5 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790
519 Ferndale Road North Orono, MN Offered at $1,750,000 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 4 Belle & Rebecca Davenport TEL: 952.230.3113
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|| minnetonka beach + minnetonka + orono
Bedrooms: 6 Bathrooms: 7
twin cities gallery
1270 French Creek Drive Orono, MN Offered at $2,475,000
|| orono + tonka bay + wayzata
Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 8 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790
90 Wildhurst Road Tonka Bay, MN Offered at $2,500,000 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 4 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790
442 Peavey Road Wayzata, MN Offered at $1,499,000 Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 5 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790
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twin cities gallery
11327 Apennine Way Inver Grove Heights Offered at $597,275
Smith & Roffers TEL: 612.867.5667
Pending
4804 Chicago Bay Road Hovland, MN Offered at $995,000 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2 Smith & Roffers TEL: 612.867.5667
40 Surfside Drive Tofte, MN Offered at $235,000 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 3 Smith & Roffers TEL: 612.867.5667 Generous sales incentives now available. Call for details.
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|| inver grove heights + hovland + tofte
Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 5
twin cities gallery
4408 Country Club Rd Edina, MN
4910 Bruce Avenue Edina, MN
4520 Laguna Drive Edina, MN
5105 Juanita Ave Edina, MN
855 Medina Road Medina, MN
2701 W 28th Street Minneapolis, MN
132 Groveland Terrace Minneapolis, MN
3660 Yuma Lane North Plymouth, MN
W1100 Long Beau Ridge Harrison Twp, WI
17251 290th Avenue Sampson Twp, WI
|| edina + medina + minneapolis + plymouth + harrison twp + sampson twp
Offered at $899,000 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 4 Anne Shaeffer TEL: 952.230.3121
Offered at $1,295,000 Bedrooms: 6 Bathrooms: 4 Grandbois/Drury TEL: 612.229.5415
Offered at $995,000 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 5 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790
Offered at $979,000 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 4 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790
Offered at $1,250,000 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 4 Todd Shipman TEL: 952.230.3117
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Offered at $999,900 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 5 Hornig & Associates TEL: 952.230.3165
Offered at $1,395,000 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 3 Anne Shaeffer TEL: 952.230.3121
Offered at $745,000 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 4 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790
Offered at $849,000 Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 4 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790
Offered at $1,800,000 Bedrooms: 6 Bathrooms: 4 Todd Shipman TEL: 952.230.3117
Sara Anderson SENIOR CLOSER At EXECUTIVE TITLE, our competitive rates and wide range of services make us a leader in the Title Services industry today. Contact SARA ANDERSON: – Over 8 years of experience closing all types of real estate transactions – Specializes in exceptional properties – Maintains a smaller client base in order to offer more personal attention to each transaction and client.
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t: 612-874-4400
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marketplace
|| cars
Artful Living Marketplace From vacation homes to remodeling to cars, Lakes Sotheby’s International Realty presents luxury products for sale or lease in Minnesota and beyond.
Artful Living | Winter 2011 103
e marketplace
a
|| northshore properties + northern hot spots + remodeling
s
p
Lakeside Odyssey Resort Townhome For Sale and Rent: Trapper’s Landing Lodge on Leech Lake
Whole Ownership $549,900 | Fractional Ownership $99,900 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 3.5
Odyssey Resorts
TEL: 218.836.2727 E-mail: Shelley@trapperslandinglodge.com Rental Information at TrappersLandingLodge.com
A N Y T H I N G
I S
P O S S I B L E .
REMODELING SEMINAR All homeowners considering a project are invited to attend. Gather valuable insight and information about the remodeling process. Get help thinking through all phases of your upcoming project. M|A|Peterson Designbuild reveals possibilities hidden inside every home. Our approach
For more information, including seminar dates visit:
emphasizes the quality of your experience as much as the quality of the final product. The result is
Blu Ice Bar and Lounge opened December 21, 2010 at the Grand Superior Lodge in Castle Danger north of Two Harbors. Everything in the bar is made of ice, right down to the shot glasses and sculptures. Visit the website for hours, specials and events.
www.grandsuperior.com/icebar
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www.mapetersonseminar.com
a home that reflects your family and allows you to truly live as you desire. Seamless integration of services and improved communication allow intuition and imagination to freely express the full potential of your home. It’s a remodeling experience that must be felt to be fully understood.
Working Together. A R C H I T E C T U R E
| INTERIORS
| LANDSCAPE
952.925.9455 | BUILD
| REMODEL
REMODELING SEMINAR Saturday, January 20 from 11:30am – 12:30pm AT THE M|A|Peterson Design Center | 6161 Wooddale Ave. | Edina, MN Learn more — or RSVP to reserve your spot, seats are LIMITED!
marketplace
|| vacation homes Artful Living | Winter 2011 105
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spotlight || fashion
North Shore Chic Staying warm this winter doesn’t mean you have to shelf your style. | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOAN BUCCINA
Artful Living | Winter 2011 109
PREVIOUS PAGE Adrienne Landau Cashmere wrap with fur trim $1,095.00 available at Neiman Marcus; Gloves $225.00 available at Neiman Marcus; Eric Javits Hat $350.00 available at Neiman Marcus; Alice + Olivia Leggings $330.00 available at Neiman Marcus; Lamb Tunic $189.00 available at Meridian
Tory Burch Cadence Dress $395.00 available at Neiman Marcus Delman “Sean� Boots $330.00 available at Pumpz & Company Feraud Paris Raccoon Dyed Blue Vest $3,000 available at Neiman Marcus
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Frye Leather Riding Boots $218.00 available at Bloomingdales 7 for All Mankind “Roxanne� skinny leg jeans $169.00 available at Bloomingdales; Roberto Cavali Green Tunic $1,695.00 available at Neiman Marcus;Diane VonFurstenberg Cropped Rabbit Fur Jacket $765.00 available at Neiman Marcus
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Bogner Jacket $1,199.00 available at Hoigaards; Bogner Ski Pants $459.00 available at Hoigaards; Atomic Cloud 9 Women’s Skis $599.00 available at Hoigaards Photographer: Joan Buccina Model: Heather Lambert Wardrobe Stylist: Molly Hagen and Jill Roffers Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist: Amy Presson Produced by: Ashley Bergren and Hayley Dulin Special Thank You to: Bluefin Bay Resort 112 Artful Living
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spotlight || food+happiness
Five Food Commandments Can food make us happy? |
O
ver the past decade, at least 50 books and thousands of academic papers have emerged illuminating happiness and how we can get more of it. The most groundbreaking work comes from a team led by a Nobel Prize-winning psychologist who developed the latest technique in measuring happiness. It involves having people keep a diary of one day’s activities and then, the following day, meticulously rate each activity. It found, not surprisingly, that our least favorite activities revolve around housework, commuting and facing our boss. Notably, the study found that mothers — despite what they may tell you — do not like taking care of children, an activity they rank below cooking and only slightly above housework. We tend to wake up grumpy, and then our mood improves throughout the day, with the occasional bout of bliss or anxiety.
Make Dinner Sacred
Establish a time of day when the whole family eats. Make it a household rule. Turn off the TV, the CD player and the radio. Research shows that families that eat together have stronger ties, eat more nutritiously and consume fewer calories. And try a trick I learned in Denmark: light candles during dinner, especially on cold nights. Danes call the mood-lifting warmth candles create “hugge.”
Cook Your Own Food
Taking the time to prepare your own meal can be a meditation of sorts, an antidote to the mindless lurch of everyday events. When you prepare your own food, you’re in charge of the ingredients; you know exactly what you’re eating. It’s an expression of care for your family or guests.
BY Dan Buettner
Indeed, our day seems to crescendo, peaking in early evening. At that time, on a good day, we engage in the greatest of quotidian joys: dinner with family or friends. (Okay, sex nudged out dinner parties for the top ranking, but we’ll leave that for another publication.) But it didn’t require Nobel Prize winner’s research to discover the role of the dinner table in our happiness. Grimod de la Reynière, an 18th century Miss Manners meets Michelin Guide for French aristocrats, hit the nail squarely: “Life is so brief,” he wrote, “that we should not glance either too far backwards or forwards ... Therefore study how to fix our happiness in our glass and in our plate.” But how does one fix our happiness on our glass and our plate in 2011? Allow me to suggest five food secrets that will stack your deck in favor of happiness.
Lunch With Coworkers The biggest determinant as to whether we like our job or not is if we have a best friend who works with us. Most of us don’t start a job with our best friend, so that leaves us with making one. The lunch hour provides both the time and the vehicle for making a new acquaintance.
Polish Off Some Plants Eating a plant-based breakfast or lunch can boost your mood for the rest of the day (whereas a meaty, fatty lunch decreases your energy). New research shows that a meal high in saturated fats reduces our arteries’ ability to carry enough blood to our brains and muscles, making us more sluggish and slowerwitted.
Dan Buettner is the New York Times best-selling author of Thrive: Happiness the Blue Zones Way and the founder of Bluezones.com, an organization that helps people live longer, better. 114 Artful Living
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Host A Dinner Party
The idea here is to create the ritual of inviting guests for a weekly meal. This needn’t be a lavish affair. In fact, potluck dinners will ratchet down the stress level and invite guest participation. The point is the gathering around the food, not so much the food itself.
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spotlight || up-and-coming
Gastro Genius A Chicago chef mentored by some of the world’s best is about to join them. | BY Michael Nagrant
dress slacks, there’s a hunger in his eyes that reminds me more of a cage fighter than a genteel chef in pursuit of perfection. Growing up, Duffy saw his family struggling. “We had very little. I knew I wanted something greater for my life,” he recalls. “When I saw food as a way out, I put the blinders on.” That kind of motivation serves him well, as a typical workday starts at 9 a.m. and often continues on until midnight. Long hours allow Duffy to create an ideal dining experience. “If you’re going to honor your values and spend a dollar more per pound for a chicken that’s humanely raised, then you absorb that cost somewhere else,” he says. Cooking wasn’t the obvious choice for a tough kid who headbanged to metal rockers Danzig and spent hours watching his dad, a freehand tattooer, to whom he credits some
T
here are fewer than 100 people in the world — likely no more than five in the Midwest — who work at his level. You’ve probably heard of some of them: Thomas Keller, Charlie Trotter, Grant Achatz. But unless you’re a super foodie, you likely don’t know Curtis Duffy, chef of Avenues restaurant in Chicago’s Peninsula Hotel. Not yet. Journalists usually avoid such bold pronouncements like the Ebola virus. But a year ago, after I’d dug my spoon into a glassy sugar tuile topped with “If you’re going to honor your values steelhead roe and calamansi-orange pudding, sending the whole thing and spend a dollar more per pound plunging into planks of king crab for a chicken that’s humanely swimming in cucumber broth, I lost all objectivity. Salty, sweet, spicy and raised, then you absorb that cost acidic flavors mingled with a cascade somewhere else.” —CURTIS DUFFY of textures: plump bursts of briny roe, crackling slivers of sugar and buttery, meaty crab. It was like chowing down on a of his artistic vision. His schooling helped fireworks grand finale. shape his path as well: “I had this home-ec Eating Duffy’s food — a 17-course teacher who recognized my passion. It was extravaganza that included a coconut-basilthe late ’80s. I was like, ‘Are you kidding me? lime bread and Thai curry encapsulated in a A boy can’t be a chef.’ But she persisted.” waffle — I knew how people must have felt Though Duffy’s worked for big names, the watching a dude name Dylan play tiny clubs guy who influenced him most was his boss in Greenwich Village in the 1960s. I was on at a private club in Columbus: John Souza. the verge of something big. “He never said no. He’d encourage you to Like most top chefs, Duffy is a relentless find a way to achieve whatever you wanted. artist and craftsman. But though he always It was the first place I learned to accept no wears a crisp chef’s coat and sharp, dark limits,” Duffy explains.
set the mood The well-appointed Avenues dining room affords beautiful views of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile and historic water tower.
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“You can’t eat technique. Every single dish needs something familiar so the diner has a connection to the plate.” —CURTIS DUFFY
The reason Duffy has the chance to be as good as — or better than — mentors like Achatz or Trotter is because his style is a synthesis of their best traits. An ingredientobsessed cook like Trotter, he serves rare vegetables from Native American foragers. Like Achatz, Duffy’s a master of modern technique, and he tempers that technical bent with an emotional angle. (One bite of Duffy’s rich, cocoa-buttercoated sudachi-lemon spheres, and I was recalling sucking on chocolate-covered oranges as a kid during Christmas.) Where Duffy departs from most is with his naturalistic plating. A log of silky cannelloni pasta stuffed with shards of Wagyu beef, girded by confit edamame and blooms of shiso and coriander looks like a fallen-tree scene. His signature crab dish could be a snapshot of an ocean inlet. Duffy’s merged the seasonal soul of Alice Waters with the scientific brain of gastro-whiz Ferran Adria. Regarding his naturalistic plates, Duffy says, “You can’t eat technique. Every single dish needs something familiar so the diner has a connection to the plate.” Though he’s not yet a household name, he’s wellrespected. The Chicago Tribune awarded him four stars. The celebrated Michelin Guide was expected to release its Chicago selections in November 2010, and by the time you read this, Duffy might have a few of Michelin’s vaunted stars under his belt and may no longer be flying below the radar. When I mentioned this speculation to Duffy, he was hopeful but made no assumptions. I asked him what he’ll do if he gets recognized. His response? “I’m going to pursue what I’ve always pursued: I’m going to keep shooting for the stars.”
duffy’s delights
A few of Curtis Duffy’s signature dishes at Avenues. Upper left Meyer lemon, brioche crumbs, eggs, pickled onion, Osetra caviar; LOWER left Bitter chocolate, floral dairy and caramelized milk; LOWER RIGHT Alaskan king crab, Steelhead roe, orange blossom pudding & tangerine lace.
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spotlight || lifestyle
BODY OF STEELE Steele Fitness takes working out to a luxurious new level. |
BY Elizabeth Dehn
I
f pumping iron with meatheads or sweating to the oldies isn’t your idea of a good time, consider the following alternative: one-on-one personaltraining sessions along with customized workout and nutrition plans in a five-star-resort-like setting. It’s all par for the course at Steele Fitness, the wildly successful group of next-generation gyms founded six years ago by sought-after Twin Cities personal trainer Steele Smiley. Steele Fitness offers an entirely individualized approach to exercise. There are no classes and no schedules — only one-on-one sessions with a dedicated trainer. “Clients work out when they want to, where they want to, how they want to,” says Smiley. To wit, a “fitness concierge” is always on hand to help Steele-goers seamlessly blend work, life and exercise. That might mean using Steele’s cutting-edge equipment — or meeting your trainer at the lake for an early-morning jog. The flexibility and accommodation are standard at Steele with the purchase of any personal-training session. In fact, trainers make house calls or meet clients on location at no additional cost (you may have seen Steele’s MINI Coopers zipping around town). It’s affordable luxury at its best, and it’s working: Steele recently opened its third and largest location in Edina. At a sprawling 10,000 square feet of dark wood, vaulted ceilings and mirrored walls, the flagship sits front and center along the boutique-laden stretch of 50th and France. That makes Steele’s retail offerings all the more fitting: in addition to a partnership with Lululemon Athletica, Steele offers a mind-blowing assortment of high-end activewear brands not available anywhere else in the Midwest, including Australia Luxe Collective shearling boots, celebrity-favored George Gina & Lucy totes and more than 200 styles of Margarita pants. Steele has created a lifestyle brand that extends down to the finest detail, including a money-is-noobject secret shopping room (just ask) and feng shui Four Seasons–inspired locker rooms. Appointed with rain showers and full-size Bliss Spa products, they’re reason enough to slip on some spandex and get to work. steelefitness.com
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health haven The spacious Steele Fitness flagship features multiple training studios, an accessories and clothing boutique and get-fit motivation galore.
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spotlight || luxury
Global Guardian Elite Destination Homes makes worldwide, luxury travel effortless. |
by andrew zimmern
I
am in Namibia, sitting around the fire with a family group of the Himba tribe, a nomadic, pastoral community in southern Africa that lives almost indistinguishably from the way their ancestors did. We had herded the animals in for the night, securing them (and us) in the kraal to keep us safe from local predators, like lions, who like to pick off the occasional goat or cow if you give them the chance. My bed was a shared piece of earth with a cluster of mud-packed twigs over it, providing little more security than the simple tribal blanket and seat at the sacred fire had afforded me. It had taken me more than four days of continuous travel to reach the Himba, one of the last truly remote and protected tribes on the planet. And as the shaman blessed our meal and we all dug into the fire, pulling out roasted chunks of meat to eat with fermented maize and milk porridge, I thought to myself, thank goodness I don’t have to work this hard to make my vacation plans when I get home! In life, it’s not what you do but whom you do it with that counts. I have been working with the superb team at Elite Destination Homes for years, and they are some of the best in the business. Trust me, I’ve been around the globe more
globetrotting gourmand
Andrew Zimmern in South Africa, the James Beard Award–winning creator and host of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern.
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ABOVE
Artful-LivingMag.com
I am a traveler, one who fervently believes that the best way to experience another place is by immersing myself in the culture, living with the people and seeing a country from the inside out. —ANDREW ZIMMERN
than a couple of times and have devoted my life to the experience of travel. When it comes to luxury home rental or ownership, there is no one I would rather work with than the folks at EDH. I am a traveler, one who fervently believes that the best way to experience another place is by immersing myself in the culture, living with the people and seeing a country from the inside out. That’s how I make my living on TV, but it’s also how I travel for business — and pleasure. My family and I prefer to rent luxury resort homes for our vacations; we rent apartments in cities around the world when we need to. And thanks to Elite Destination Homes concierge services, we don’t sacrifice any of the benefits of a premium hotel stay. EDH will even customize your vacation plans with you, providing on-the-ground expertise that is second to none. Being able to walk out my front door and dive into a city market (or a crystal-clear tropical ocean), stroll to a meeting after coffee on my balcony or entertain in style means a lot to me when I am on the road. As our lives grow, so do our travel needs, which is why EDH provides an even better option for the serious traveler. Elite Destination Homes has created a fractional-ownership model that is better than sole ownership. There is less risk and exposure for second- or third-home buyers, and all of the upside
remains intact. Do you travel to New York City regularly on business? Do you and your family absolutely adore the Caribbean or that luxury ski resort you visit every year? Do you dream of being able to visit Paris each year and stay in your own home? EDH brings together like-minded individuals to own a home together in a destination they love, allowing you to enjoy the benefits of home ownership at a fraction of the cost and with almost none of the headache — EDH manages and cares for the home so you don’t have to. For me, that’s a pretty awesome deal, but on top of that, EDH also rents the home when owners are not in residence to generate income for the ownership group. Owners can also travel to other properties around the globe, exchanging time in their home for time in any home within the Elite portfolio. You can rent your luxury property, stay in a premier vacation home or explore the benefits of fractional ownership with lots of companies, but none come close to matching the superb hands-on, one-on-one service EDH offers. Why look anywhere else? When you are trying to get some rest deep in the heart of the African wilderness, listening to the hyenas cackling in the distance, do you really want to worry about your family-vacation logistics or the light bulbs in your ski-condo hallway? I didn’t think so. Visit elitedestinationhomes.com for more information.
worldwide traveler With luxury accommodations in places like Costa Rica, Turks and Caicos Islands and the Britist West Indies, Elite Destination Homes is able to satiate the cravings of even its most well-traveled customers.
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Residences of Distinction
Rick Denman 612-889-6980 www.charlescudd.com Artful Living | Winter 2011
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spotlight || finance
Money Sense Charitable Giving – More Than Writing a Check. |
B
enefactors can realize significant tax efficiencies while simultaneously supporting their most beloved causes. Knowing how to give efficiently and with the greatest benefit for both the donor and nonprofit recipient is key to devising any planned giving strategy. Successful giving, especially in the case of wealthy donors and their often complex assets, means matching the right charitable vehicle with an appropriately valued asset, whether it’s appreciated stock, cash, real estate or elite collections of art, automobiles or other property. With a strategy that fits your individual situation, the assets you donate will not become subject to wealth-depleting tax penalties.
Who Gives?
The vast majority of American households give to charities and philanthropic causes each year. And each year, Americans typically donate more than the year before. Giving USA estimates that total contributions from individuals and corporations topped $300 billion in 2007, the first time that mark was surpassed. Overall, roughly the same percentages of wealthy, middle class and poor give to charity, and each group contributes a similar amount of household income: 1.5% to 2.5%. However, wealthy donors differ in how they give, because they simply have different types of wealth to offer that work well with different kinds of philanthropic vehicles.
Strategies for Giving
Charitable remainder trusts (CRTs), charitable lead trusts (CLTs), pooled income funds (PIFs) and charitable gift annuities (CGAs) are just some of the strategic options open to wealthy and affluent donors. Matching the right vehicle to a donor’s wealth is the key to successful giving and sound personal wealth management.
CRTs are irrevocable trusts that generate a payment stream to the donor and give the assets (e.g., financial assets,) to a charity or charities once the non-charitable interest
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By David E. Ratcliffe of Merrill Lynch
ceases. For example, a donor may stipulate that he or she receive 6% a year from the trust as long as he or she lives, and the same for his or her spouse, after which time the remaining assets are transferred to one or more charities. The donor receives current tax deductions based on an actuarial calculation of the current value of the gift to the charity, determined by the age of the donor(s), the amount of cash flow retained and current interest-rate assumptions. Since the CRT is a tax-exempt trust, the assets may be sold without realizing capital gain tax for the donor at the time of sale.
CLTs enable donors to plan for the transfer of assets as well as support the charities they value. They are especially useful when funded with assets the donor anticipates will grow over time—either because of the assets’ potential or a current value that may be considered depreciated. You can name one or more charities as income beneficiaries of your irrevocable CLT, and the trust then makes payments to the charity over a predetermined period of time. Depending on the type of CLT you create, when the trust terminates your heirs may receive the trust assets at their then–market value without further transfer tax liabilities. For example, you may decide to have the trust pay the charity 4% of its assets for the next 20 years, with the balance going to your heirs when your trust is terminated and distributed. Doing so will earn you a gift tax deduction on the value of the assets transferred to the trust. The amount of discount will depend on the term of the trust, the amount distributed to the charities and applicable federal rates. The assets in the trust will then be managed for investment return over the term of the trust. When the trust expires, its assets will be distributed to the beneficiaries at the then–market value without being subject to additional gift or estate tax.
PIFs may be ideal when a donor wishes to contribute assets to a “pooled” trust with other donors and receive an income stream without going to the expense of creating a separate charitable trust. Once the charity that offers the fund accepts the donations, the donor is now a participant in the pooled income fund.
Artful-LivingMag.com
In the event the PIF is funded with appreciated assets, the fund may sell the assets without incurring capital gains for the donor. Each year, the fund’s entire net investment income is distributed to fund participants according to their units of participation. For example, a donor who contributes $50,000 to a pooled income fund will receive income based upon that owner’s units in the pooled income fund. Income distributions are made to each participant for their lifetime; after which, the portion of the fund assets attributable to the participant is removed from the fund and used by the charity for its charitable purposes.
CGAs are contractual arrangements between a donor and a qualified 501(c)(3) charitable organization that offers a charitable gift annuity program. The donor agrees to transfer assets (cash, stocks or other assets accepted by the charity) to a charity in exchange for a guaranteed lifetime income, typically for the donor or for the donor and spouse. As in the other techniques, the transfer of appreciated assets will not result in capital gains recognition for the donor at the time of sale. The rate of the annuity payment is usually determined by suggested rates based upon the age(s) of the donor(s). CGA donors are entitled to a charitable contribution deduction for income tax purposes for the charitable gift portion of the amount transferred to the annuity. Basically, it is determined by reducing the current fair market value by the present value of the charitable interest. .An effective charitable giving program can provide not only a high level of personal satisfaction, but also some significant financial gains for the donor and his or her family. The Merrill Lynch Center for Philanthropy & Nonprofit Management, one of the leading resources in the nation for philanthropic financial planning, offers a team of philanthropic professionals who are uniquely qualified to understand and serve the needs of individual philanthropists. For more information, contact the Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor Group, The Wenham Chisena Group of the Minneapolis office at 612.349.7987 or http://fa.ml.com/ wenhamchisenagroup.
These days, having the right financial expertise in your corner is essential. Help from a one-on-one relationship with an advocate who knows you and knows where you want to go. And help from tailor-made advice for this new financial landscape from two of the leading financial companies in the world. A Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor, now with access to the resources of Bank of America, can help you plan, imagine, diversify, rebalance and believe. Learn more at ml.com/help2.
help2achieve The Wenham Chisena Group Sean P. Wenham Vice President Senior Financial Advisor Nisha B. Chisena Assistant Vice President Senior Financial Advisor (612) 349-7987 • (612) 349-7810 225 South Sixth Street, Suite 4400 Minneapolis, MN 55402
Investing involves risk. Diversification and rebalancing do not assure a profit or protect against loss in declining markets. Merrill Lynch Wealth Management makes available products and services offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (MLPF&S) and other subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation. MLPF&S is a registered broker-dealer and member SIPC. Banking products are provided by Bank of America, N.A. and affiliated banks. Member FDIC and wholly owned subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation. Investment products:
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Artful Living | Winter 2011 127
spotlight | beauty
Hair’s Looking At You After two decades, Spalon Montage is still the master of making customers happy. | by Elizabeth Dehn
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or 20 years, Spalon Montage has defined itself by its legendary customer service in the beauty industry, offering some of the most hard-to-find treatments and sought-after stylists in the Twin Cities. The award-winning salon-spa’s level of customer service and attention to detail is legendary — and that’s not by accident. When Mitchell Wherley and his mother, Shelly Engelsma, bought the thenfloundering Spalon in 1991, they developed a mission statement and have stood by it. “What has made this company successful for 20 years is our focus on customers,” says president Teresa Jackson. At Spalon, stellar customer service means more than a cup of tea and a nice haircut. The salon is often among the first to adopt cuttingedge product lines like Kevin Murphy and Sojourn. That requires stylists to constantly learn new skill sets. “We bring in legendary hairdressers and educators so that our stylists can provide not just cut and color but innovative styling techniques,” says Jackson. “No other salon provides the ongoing education that Spalon does.” As a testament to their skill level, Spalon team members are often handpicked to represent top hair-care lines around the globe.
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When senior stylist Adam Livermore was scooped up by hair celebrity extraordinaire Oribe (see J-LO’s bombshell waves), Spalon clientele mourned the loss. Happily, Livermore returns to the Edina salon every other month to share the latest trends and techniques he’s gleaned from the master. Spalon’s positive influence also extends to the community. Last year the company donated some $200,000 worth of products to local charities. Come spring, all three locations will host a “Prom Day Makeover” event, treating high-school girls with developmental disabilities to complimentary hair and makeup services. The event is so popular among staffers, who donate their services, that there are often more volunteers than students to go around. Always innovating with guests in mind, Spalon recently redesigned its spa rooms and added upscale amenities like velvet-terry robes for an even more luxurious experience. In the coming year, the salon-spa will introduce a new hair-care brand, Mitchell Charles, and embark on a partnership with Carillon Clinic to offer state-of-the-art skincare services and cosmetic procedures. “When we bought the company 20 years ago, we felt that anything was possible for Spalon. We are even more confident of that today,” says Wherley. spalon.com
Spalon’s Edina locale features posh pampering stations and luxurious lounges.
| Winter 2011
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High Quality Dentistry WITH A
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Carl E. Schneider, DDS and Steven J. Veker, DDS are dedicated to making your experience with us as welcoming and comfortable as possible.
44TH STREET DENTAL 3925 W. 44th St. Edina • 952.922.2159 www.44thstdental.com
spotlight | technology
The Futurist Robert Stephens predicts how technology will change our lives in the next 5 to 10 years. This issue: Food.
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ere’s the thing about technology: it’s a tool that lets people delve a little deeper. Passionate about something? Here, become more passionate. Which is great, really. The world needs more people who emanate enthusiasm for 1920s airplanes, Mainecoon cats or heirloom varieties of beets. It’s infectious. And when it comes to foodie culture, you ain’t seen nothin‘ yet.
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Futurist Prediction No. 1: Foodie subculture will be way more intense. We know from research
that people have the means to sustain just one or two hobbies. That won’t change. Here’s what will: the ability to become even more nuanced and complex in our hobbies. In the future, there won’t just be people who are really into artisancrafted beer. There will be people into artisan-crafted stout beer. Maybe even into artisan-crafted stout beer from a certain cross section of Virginia. Foodies will grow a little bored with cooking and begin to toy with the extraneous elements of eating — pairing certain types of music with different courses or modeling entire meals after what Julius Caesar might have eaten, right down to the hand-cultivated, ancient-Roman vegetables.
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Prediction No. 2:
Food trends will be diffuse and hyper-local. There are broad-stroke food trends now, of course; there was the truffle thing circa 2005, the acai-berry thing circa 2008. Pomegranate still seems to be
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hanging in there. But in the future, food trends will be largely local and driven by cutting-edge artisans and boutique owners. You can see little whispers of this now, like when the owners of Vinaigrette at 50th and Xerxes tweet that they have only a few bottles of macerated-fig balsamic vinegar or when the masterminds at Chef Shack post on Facebook that there’s going to be fresh hangover hash at the Kingfield Farmers Market, tomorrow only. It’s like the nightclub that’s so cool that it doesn’t even have a sign, compared with the nightclub that’s invitation only, compared with the nightclub that has super-long, roped-off lines. Just as yuppies eventually buy their condos in industrial art districts, cuttingedge food will eventually makes its way into Kowalski’s. And then new food artisans will pop up to offer the next interesting thing.
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Prediction No. 3:
Prediction No. 4:
We’ll all be picky eaters. Consumers are more exacting today than they were five years ago, and this phenomenon is only going to increase in magnitude. People will acquire single seasons of their favorite TV shows, purchase specific tracks on iTunes and select a certain type of uncured bacon from a small farm in western Wisconsin. Which means Cub and Rainbow shoppers will want an experience closer to Kowalski’s or Byerly’s, and the higher-end stores will need to work toward an even more sophisticated plateau. Entrepreneur and thinker B. Joseph Pine II opines in his book The Experience Economy: Work is Theater & Every Business a Stage that consumers want a Disney-esque experience to go with all facets of life, even the most mundane. That means an interesting ketchup, a chocolate bar with a narrative, a piece of bread with a backstory. Really.
Food apps will get really cool. I predict one of the most popular apps of the future will use facial-recognition software to identify and analyze your lunch. It will work like this: you snap a photo of your meal, and the app will be able to identify its ingredients by color and shape and provide a remarkably accurate calorie count. So handy. Another app will work like a digital version of Lynne Rosetto Kasper. Punch in your already-bought ingredients — a hunk of blue cheese, a fennel bulb, a head of red-leaf lettuce — and the app will spit out different ways to combine them for dinner. I’m also excited to see more sophisticated food calendars that help you navigate what is ripe when in your area and identify those chef stands and farmers’ markets that are getting the most buzz.
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Prediction No. 5:
Kitchens will go spare and subtly high-tech. We’ll recognize the kitchen of the future, but the trend toward material reductionism will have made its mark. Most serious cooks will have fewer gadgets and more classics: a well-loved Lodge skillet, maybe a time-honored Mauviel stockpot. But everyone will have an undercounter mounted projector so they can navigate recipes, learn a new technique on YouTube or answer a phone call with a quick wave of the hand. Why? Because nobody wants to touch a screen with raw chicken on their hands. Robert Stephens is the founder of Geek Squad, now owned by Best Buy.
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collage | last page
Food Issues One passed-down recipe just might hold the key to familial bliss. | BY AlECIA STEVENS
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his is about love, power and death. And macaroni and wine while my food cooled to a temperature that would not send me cheese. It is about food. to the trauma unit with third-degree burns. Food is never just about nutrition. It is emotional. It In terms of the timing of a meal, he was unambiguous. As a magnetizes your neuroses and unconscious patterns. farmer, born and bred, supper was at 5:30. We didn’t have dinner; It calls forth the best and the worst, our senses of we had supper. (If there was dinner, it was on Sunday at noon.) On entitlement and competition and grandiosity. It is worthy of a a special occasion, we could eat at 6 or 6:30. But that was only when therapist. And, yet, it also induces intimacy. How many of us have several of us were coming to visit on the weekend, perhaps. We were been lured to love over a glass of wine and a plateful of pasta? chastised on many occasions for arriving at 5:35 after a long day of How many women have enticed a lover in the kitchen with roasted work. Not only did we need to be prepared to eat sharply at 5:30, it chicken and garlic mashed potatoes for dinner with the intention was also clearly his preference that there were no appetizers. (This of meeting them in the bedroom for dessert? How many men bring habit of eating before supper was surely introduced by the lazy chocolates and champagne to their beloved? upper classes and would spoil one’s appetite. If my father went to I recently discovered that my the trouble of cooking supper, he wanted father, 81, is dying of lymphoma us to eat it, goddammit.) of the bone marrow, and I have a His specialty was macaroni and burgeoning sympathy with the complex cheese, following his own mother, How many of us have been lured intermingling of food and psyche. Myrtle Krebs’s recipe, which wasn’t a Cooking became his hobby when he recipe at all but just a way of making the to love over a glass of wine and retired at 65. For the past 15 years, delectable dish that she figured out at a plateful of pasta? when I head to my parents’ home in some point in the 1940s on an Iowa farm. Northfield, Minnesota it has been about It is transcendent. It is not runny. It is the food. It has been the calling card for not sloppy. It is the ideal combination my children, Alexander and Isabelle. of pasta, chunks of cheese, and saltine “Is Grandpa making macaroni and cheese?” Izzy would ask as we cracker topping. I have never had better. There is no other dish drove south on the highway. on the planet that my own two grown children prefer over their “Probably. He always does when we come,” I would reply. grandpa’s macaroni and cheese. My father has a couple sensitive points around food, which might But its days are numbered unless we learn to make it. So Isabelle has be called neurotic by a good Freudian. It had to be served hot. It had taken it on as a personal mission to hang with her grandpa to get this to be served at a specific time. And there had to be enough of it. To recipe down — just the right crush on the saltines, the right size chunks these points, he heated our coffee mugs in the microwave and our of cheddar and Colby cheeses, the right amount of milk and butter plates in the oven. I can’t tell you how many times I have burned and the right amount of love poured into feeding one’s wife, children myself picking up my plate or touching my lips to my coffee cup. I and grandchildren. She will be the carrier of the torch and the stories. prefer the continental style — lukewarm food — so this was never Because that’s what food is — a caldron of a complex stew of nutrition, a match made in heaven. It simply meant I had more time to drink emotion, neuroses, preferences, lust, and love.
the family connection
Howard and Neidra Krebs with daughter, Alecia, January 1954.
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“There is no other dish on the planet that my own two grown children prefer over their grandpa’s macaroni and cheese.”
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