07.28.09
Dish it Out has moved!
The Gazette’s food blog, Dish it Out, has moved to GazetteOnline. Please go to: http://gazetteonline.com/blogs/dish-it-out/
07.24.09
Eastern Iowa Wine Club attracts tasters at Benton County Fair
Angela Holmes/The Gazette A member of the Eastern Iowa Wine Club pours a sample of homemade wine at a wine tasting July 23 at the Benton County Fair in Vinton, Iowa.
VINTON – Ah, county fairs. Time for sheep shows, carnvial rides, tractor pulls and wine tasting. Huh?
For the second year, the Eastern Iowa Wine Club held an amateur wine competition at the Benton County Fair. Judging was held Thursday at the fairgrounds. Best of show was awarded to Matt Haas of Dubuque for his La Crescent in the Sweet White (Native/Hybrid) category. For a complete list of winners, click here.
Angela Holmes/The Gazette A member of the Eastern Iowa Wine Club pours a glass of homemade wine at a wine tasting July 23 at the Benton County Fair in Vinton, Iowa.
After the judging, a tasting of the 114 bottles of homemade wine was opened to the public. The wines ranged from very dry to very sweet and included lime, orange blossom mead, blueberry blosson, peach and orange chocolate port.
The Sweet Spiced Apple made by Brett Schminke of Vinton won the People’s Choice Award.
To see a slide show of the wine tasting event, click here.
07.23.09
Mr. Beans is back downtown
Mr. Beans employee Stephanie Arndt talks to Jim Hines as he orders sandwiches for his coworkers at Alliant Energy.
CEDAR RAPIDS - Mr. Beans has returned downtown in the Alliant Tower, at the corner of Third Avenue and First Street SE.
After losing everything at their Town Centre location in the June 2008 flood, Curt and Amy Bean made the decision to come back downtown.
The breakfast pizza at Mr. Beans was piping hot this morning.
They continued to operate their location at 1080 East Post Rd. in Marion after the flood and many of their customers asked when they would reopen downtown.
“It was a difficult business decision to make,” Amy Bean said.
But downtown is their home base and as difficult as the decision was, Amy said she always knew they would return.
Curt Bean wasn’t so sure they would return downtown, but he was “asked so many times if we were coming back. So here we are. It’s nice to be wanted.”
The new space at Alliant Tower is larger than the Town Centre location and is all on one level. They also have a conference area for meetings at the Alliant Tower.
The coffee is freshly brewed at Mr. Beans' new downtown Cedar Rapids location, 200 First St. SE.
They still have their breakfast specialties, sandwiches, salads and baked goods that have made them so popular. And, oh yes, there’s still plenty of coffee.
Mr. Beans is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. To place an order, call (319) 363-2998.
Mr. Beans carries its signature cookies and baked goods at its new downtown location.
07.22.09
The Food Fest of the Great Jones County Fair
Angela Holmes/The Gazette There are a variety of food vendors at the Great Jones County Fair and Food Fest in Monticello. The fair continues through July 26.
MONTICELLO – The Great Jones County Fair and Food Fest is underway with exhibits, animal shows, carnival rides and great concerts coming up, including the Steve Miller Band and David Cook.
Angela Holmes/The Gazette This Indian taco and cherry limeade made a filling dinner at the Great Jones County Fair in Monticello.
But a fair is not a fair without all the food. The Great Jones County Fair has “Food Fest” at the end of its name for a reason. Food row(s) at the fairgrounds has all the favorites, plus more. Corn dogs, funnel cakes, fried food on a stick, tenderloins, smoothies – y0u name it, it’s there.
The fair continues through Sunday. It costs $10 to get into the fair so be prepared to spend some dough for your favorite fair foods.
Here’s a slide show of the foods available at the fair.
07.20.09
Enjoy a getaway at an Iowa winery
IowaWines.org announces a new opportunity for a quick getaway without the time, expense, and planning associated with a formal vacation. The company is now organizing small group tours to Iowa’s native wineries.
“Our sagging economy has been tough on a lot of Iowans and their vacation schedules,” states Dennis Ver Mulm of IowaWines.org. “That’s contributed to the popularity of shorter “stay-cations” where people can get away for a shorter period of time a little closer to home. Iowa’s native wineries make perfect destinations for these trips. Best of all, we eliminate all the planning headaches and the concerns associated with sampling wine and driving. All people have to do is show up and have a good time,” explains Ver Mulm.
Just because the trip is shorter and closer to home doesn’t mean that it can’t be fun and relaxing. “We want people to feel like they’ve taken part in something special,” says Rich Collins of IowaWines.org. “That’s why we plan on keeping the group size small – around 20 people or less. With that size group, people can get to know each other during a day-trip, and it’s easier for the wineries to exceed everyone’s expectations and show everyone a good time.”
IowaWines.org has another goal, too – connecting Iowans with something that is uniquely Iowa. “We want these trips to contribute to Iowan’s understanding of our state’s wine industry and its historical connection with Iowa’s past,” says Collins. “Each of our tours will be escorted by a concierge.”
This person is there to answer questions about Iowa grape growing, winemaking, and the wineries to be visited, and has some other important duties, too. “After visiting wineries all day, the concierge needs to make sure we arrive back home with the same people we had when we started,” quips Ver Mulm.
Tours are available in a variety of formats and will initially concentrate on Saturday and Sunday trips in the central Iowa area. “We can comfortably visit three wineries in day,” states Collins. “We also have an itinerary that’s designed for people wanting to gain good fundamental knowledge about Iowa’s wine industry. That tour will visit only one winery but will include extensive tours of both the vineyard and the winery with a lot of time to ask questions.” All tours include lunch and wine tasting. The company also has a two day overnight trip in the planning stage. That trip will include lunch each day, overnight lodging, and visits to six wineries.
Tours may be booked on-line at www.iowawines.org. A credit card is required for the transaction.
07.18.09
What’s the beef of Solon Beef Days?
The annual Solon Beef Days event is underway in this Johnson County town.
For some, Beef Days will forever be connected with that radio jingle: ”Solon, Solon, Solon: It’s Beef Days in Solon..” For others, it is a time to gather with family and friends for good entertainment and good eats.
So why is the event called Beef Days? According to the Web site, http://beefdays.com/:
The Solon Beef Days event grew out of a 1971 celebration planned and put on by four civic groups in Solon trying to revitalize an “Old Time Celebration”. Back in the 1940’s Solon used to have two community celebrations, the June Jubilee Days celebration and Homecoming celebration in October of each year. The four groups that started Beef Days were the Solon Optimist Club, Solon Fire Department, Solon American Legion and the Solon Jaycees. It is named after Beef, as the Johnson County Cattlemen’s Association came in and cooked the steaks served at the event the first few years. When searching for an appropriate name for an annual Celebration, Beef seemed a good choice and stuck.
Ribeye steak dinners will be served until 9:30 p.m. today. Other food vendors throughout town include steak sandwiches, pork burgers, hot dogs, hamburgers, funnel cakes and more.
07.14.09
Sunkist charity program searches for creative lemonade stands
SHERMAN OAKS, Calif. – This year, in a “twist” to their annual Sunkist Take a Stand®program, Sunkist is issuing a creative challenge for America’s kids to express themselves and their desire to raise money for their favorite charity, in the very fundraising tool itself – the lemonade stand.
By posting their designs on Sunkist’s Facebook page, with their parents’ help, children can not only display their creativity, but also enter for the chance to increase their donations and win cash prizes.
Now in its sixth year, the award-winning cause-marketing program encourages young people across the country to give back to their community by donating their earnings from a good old-fashioned lemonade sale.
“Take a Stand introduces kids to the world of philanthropy and what it means to give back,” said Claire Smith, director of corporate communications for Sunkist Growers. “This year, we are encouraging kids to be even more involved and creative by decorating their stands to suit their charities and their personalities. Not only does the stand become personal, but it becomes a fun activity that parents and children can work on together.”
Parents have always been a big part of the Take a Stand program by helping their children raise money for a charity close to their hearts. With their parent’s help, kids can now build a stand entirely from their imagination, by repurposing old boxes and painting pictures of themselves on their stands.
Parents of kids ages 5-12 looking to join the Sunkist Take a Stand program and raise money for a good cause can go to Sunkist’s fan page on www.facebook.comto submit a lemonade stand design and their pledge. With help from their parents, kids can recycle by repurposing boxes and materials from home and then let their creativity loose! Kids can draw or paint pictures of themselves, their community and illustrate why the 501(c)(3) charitable causes they’ve chosen are near and dear to their hearts. When ready, parents or legal guardians with memberships to the social networking Web site can upload pictures of their child’s stand for the opportunity to win prizes.
For more information on the Sunkist Take a Stand Design Contest and to review rules and regulations for participation, visit www.sunkist.com/takeastand
07.13.09
Need $25,000? Enter French’s Cook-Off
PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Do you have a secret family recipe stashed away? How about an old family favorite you make again and again? Start the summer season by entering your family’s favorite recipe to French’s first-ever LIVE National Cook-Off, a contest designed to celebrate home chefs who bring smiles to their families with time-saving, great tasting recipes. Submit a recipe featuring at least one French’s product from among the company’s iconic brands that include French’s® Mustard, French’s® French Fried Onions and French’s® Worcestershire Sauce and discover $25,000 hidden inside your recipe box!
“Summer is the perfect time to try out some new recipe ideas while enjoying the slower pace of the season,” said Barbara Yaros, Director of Marketing Services. “With schedules a bit more relaxed, why not try creating some new family favorites with your kids and for your kids? As an iconic brand for generations, we wanted to reward Mom for her culinary creativity while allowing her to share her prize-worthy efforts with other busy families.”
How It Works
Submit an original, easy-to-make recipe that brings a smile to your family’s meals. Entering is easy to do and you can also engage the support of friends and family by encouraging them to vote for your recipe submission online.
In addition to the grand prize of $25,000, four runners up will each receive a Cuisinart 7-quart Stand Mixer, and weekly prizes will be awarded based on the number of popular votes a recipe receives. Recipe submissions can be accompanied by an optional photo or video. All recipes must be original and be prepared and cooked in less than one hour. They will be judged on the following criteria: taste, appearance, creativity and family appeal, with equal weight given to each. Recipes must be received by Oct. 31 for consideration.
All recipes must meet the following requirements:
1. Include at least one French’s product- limited to any variety of French’s Mustard, French’s French Fried Onions or French’s Worcestershire Sauce
2. Include no more than 8 ingredients (with the exception of salt, pepper and water)
3. Be able to be prepared and ready to serve in no more than 1hour
4. Must be original and be created by the submitter
For entry details and official rules, log onto www.frenchsfoods.com. No purchase necessary to enter or win. Contest open to legal US residents at least 18 years of age as of June 1, 2009. Contest runs through Oct. 31. Void where prohibited.
07.10.09
Food sightings at the fair
Funnel cakes, corn dogs and lemonade are among the favorites at the Linn County Fair.
CENTRAL CITY – Fair season is well underway in Eastern Iowa. And that means stands featuring funnel cakes, kettle corn, candy apples, corn dogs and slushies are popping up all over.
This escaped chicken was spotted near the poultry barn.
The Hillbilly Homebrew stand offers a variety of flavors.
The Linn County Fair in Central City has its share of food stands near the carnival rides. If you’re having a craving for something that is wickedly full of sugar, the fair runs through Sunday.
Any other fair food sightings in Eastern Iowa? Send photos to angie.holmes@gazcomm.com
07.09.09
Panchero’s gives out free burritos
Paul McCarthy of Pancheros gives out one of 175 burritos Thursday morning at the corner of Second Street and Third Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids.
CEDAR RAPIDS – The corner of Second Street and Third Avenue SE was buzzing around 11:45 this morning as Panchero’s gave out 175 free burritos.
Paul McCarthy, Panchero’s’ Iowa district manager, said the Coralville-based business does this every week to give back to those who follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
Cecelia Hanley, features product editor at The Gazette, enjoys a chicken burrito from Panchero's.
The Pancheros van stops at a different location each week. They make the announcement Fridays on Twitter.
McCarthy says there is no plan to open a Panchero’s in downtown Cedar Rapids, but one should open in October at the corner of Blairs Ferry and Edgewood roads.
Check out Panchero’s on Twitter at @pancheros and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pancheros-Mexican-Grill/31472752551
