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Cooks of Crocus Hill merge with Bellecour Bakery
EDINA, Minn. — This week it became official. Twin Cities cooking school and culinary shop, Cooks of Crocus Hill and Gavin Kaysen’s Bellecour Bakery, have merged to form a single brand: Cooks | Bellecour.
A brand new location at 3934 Market Street just opened in Edina.
Co-owner, Karl Benson, joined KARE 11 Saturday to discuss the two brands joining forces.
Pinoli’s Lamb and Mixed Vegetable Meatballs
2 each Dried Mulato chili, toasted, remove stem and seeds and grind to powder
4 to 6 large, Mushroom, white button, washed and sliced
1 large Carrot, peeled, cut into large chunks
2 stalks Celery, cut into large chunks
1 large Onion, peeled and cut into chunks
2 Tbsp Italian Parsley, chopped
2 qts lamb, chicken or vegetable stock
1. Combine ground lamb, eggs, ground Mulato chili powder, and salt. Mix thoroughly and reserve.
2. Combine cut mushrooms, carrot, celery and onion. Place in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until vegetables are coarsely ground (you many need to do in batches if you have a smaller food processor.)
3. In a medium size saucepan add a small amount of oil and sweat vegetable mixture along with garlic for about 3 to 4 min.
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
5. Combine cooled vegetable mixture with lamb mixture and mix until well combined and becoming sticky.
6. Sear off small piece and taste – adjust seasoning as needed.
7. Scoop 2 to 2.5 oz meat balls and round, place on a sheet tray and sear off in a 450 oven for 5 to 7 min or brown.
8. For the Braising: combine all ingredients and bring liquid to a boil, turn down to a simmer then place seared meatballs in the hot braising liquid and cook for 15 min or 180 degrees internal temperature.
9. Remove from heat, allow to cool in braising liquid for one hour then refrigerate.
Asparagus and Endive Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
1 Bunch Large Asparagus, stems shaved thin with a vegetable peeler
1 Head Endive, julienne
1 Bulb Fennel, shaved thin
¼ cup Pickled shallots or red onions
For the Lemon Vinaigrette
2 each Lemon, whole – zested and juiced
2 Tbsp Champagne Vinegar
½ Cup Grapeseed or Canola oil
This salad is best done fresh just before it is served.
Asparagus, remove the woody bottoms while holding the tip use a vegetable peeler to create long thin strips.
Belgian Endive, cut a ¼ in off the bottom and separate out the outer leaves. Then cut endive in half and remove the core to further separate the leaves. Stack the leaves together and cut into thin julienne. If you need to store for a short time, cover with a damp paper towel to prevent browning.
Fennel, cut in half, remove the core and cut as thin as possible with a knife or on a mandoline.
If you want a larger heartier salad, you can add arugula or red oak lettuce.
Toss asparagus, fennel, and Belgian Endive with a hearty amount of the vinaigrette – these are very sturdy vegetables and need a lot of dressing. Season with salt and pepper, toss again and lay out on a plate or platter in a thin layer. Top with the pickled shallots and finish by grating or shaving the ricotta salata over the top.
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Minnesota voters approve extending lottery funds to environment
Voters first approved the constitutional amendment back in 1988.
ST PAUL, Minn. — Voters in Minnesota overwhelmingly said yes to a constitutional amendment that renews the use of proceeds from the Minnesota Lottery for environmental projects and causes across the state.
The Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund was up for renewal in the 2024 election. About 77.5% of constituents voted yes, renewing the source of funding until 2050 and additionally, increasing the dollars that can be spent annually from this fund, according to the Associated Press.
With 99% of the vote reported, only 16.2% of voters said no to the amendment.
Minnesota voters first approved the constitutional amendment in 1988, opting to dedicate a portion of lottery proceeds to the fund. Each year since the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources has worked to help disperse that funding for projects that reflect Minnesota’s love of the outdoors and preservation of the environment.
Those projects have included research on drinking water, wastewater and air quality. They have also helped fund new parks, trails and campsites; supported loon and bison populations; and fostered outdoor activities. Lottery proceeds have provided more than $1 billion since 1988.
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Special election gives control of Minnesota State Senate to Dems
DFL Sen. Kelly Morrison resigned her seat to run for Congress, prompting a special election.
MINNETONKA, Minn — The stakes were high in west metro suburbs going into this election. Voters in Senate District 45 had a special election to determine the balance of power in St. Paul.
Voters in the district chose DFLer Ann Johnson Stewart with 52.43%% of the vote, over Republican Kathleen Fowke, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State.
This was the only Senate District with an election Tuesday. The other 66 districts won’t be in play until 2026, because senators currently serving were elected to four-year terms back in 2022. But DFL Sen. Kelly Morrison resigned her seat to run for Congress, prompting a special election to replace Morrison in SD45 the same day as the November 5 General Election.
Morrison’s departure left the chamber deadlocked at 33 Democrats and 33 Republicans. Now, when lawmakers come back for the 2025 Session, the DFL will have a one-seat advantage.
Johnson Stewart is a civil engineer who served a two-year term in 2021-2022 Legislature. As a result of redistricting in 2022, she ended up in the same district as Morrison, who won the DFL endorsement in SD45.
She told KARE 11 in an October interview she wants to solve the water supply and wastewater treatment issues in the district, which wraps around Lake Minnetonka.
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Minnesota college students excited to vote for the first time
Steve Simon visited a polling location at the Lakeville Water Treatment Facility on Tuesday morning.
LAKEVILLE, Minn. — Leading up to Election Day, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said he’s hopeful for two things: high voter turnout and low drama. Speaking from a polling place in Lakeville Tuesday morning, Simon said that’s exactly what he’s seeing at polling locations across the state.
When polls opened at 7 a.m. on Election Day, Simon said more than 1.2 Minnesotans had already voted absentee and by mail.
“It’s a good day to be a Minnesotan,” he said. “We were number one in America for three out of the last four elections including the last presidential election, and we want to get back to number one, back to that top spot, today.”
As of Tuesday morning, the Secretary of State’s office said about 128,000 absentee ballots had not yet been returned. Simon urged anyone who has not returned their absentee ballot to deliver it in person or have someone they trust to deliver it on their behalf.
Dakota County Director of Elections Michelle Blue said roughly 40% of voters in the county voted early.
Still, the line to vote at the Lakeville Water Treatment Facility was constant and steady Tuesday morning. Despite a soggy start to Election Day, many people stepped outside to cast their ballots — some for the very first time.
“This is my first time voting, so it’s really exciting,” St. Olaf College student Rylan Nakamura said. “We have a polling place at St. Olaf College, so it made it really accessible and easy, and it was really exciting.”
St. Olaf is a campus well-known for encouraging civic engagement. On Oct. 28, the Secretary of State recognized the school for having the highest voter turnout of any college in Minnesota during the previous election.
Simon reiterated that Minnesota’s election results should be readily available by Wednesday morning. However, that is likely not the case for several other states.
“It’s no surprise that in those battleground states, they will be counting into tomorrow and the next day and maybe the next day,” Simon said. “It’s not a sign that someone did anything wrong. It’s not a sign that there’s any unlawful activity. It’s a sign that they’re following their state laws, and I just want to condition everyone and talk about that in terms of expectations.”
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