Recent content from Nicole Hvidsten
11 food (and food-adjacent) books from Minnesota authors to scoop up
From cooking, baking and cocktails to great reads for cold winter days, consider these books from local writers.
The 5 best things our food writers ate this week
Lefse-wrapped Swedish wontons, a soothing bowl of rice porridge and a gravy-laden commercial filled our week with comfort and warmth.
Swedish meatballs are having a moment in Twin Cities restaurants
The traditional holiday mainstay is being championed and reinvented by local eateries.
5 new baking books for holiday gift giving
Great for all levels of bakers, you may want to buy one for yourself, too.
Buying eggnog? It can be a holiday kitchen helper, too
Use it for cocktails, breakfast and even in Swedish meatballs. (Trust us.)
The winning recipes for the 2024 Minnesota Star Tribune Holiday Cookie Contest
This year's winning batch is colorful, cozy, fun and, of course, delicious.
Taste this year's cookie winners today at Southdale
The Minnesota Star Tribune's Cookie Wonderland will get you excited for the holiday baking season.
Behind the scenes of the Star Tribune's cookie contest
It takes several days and a cast of elves to make the annual contest happen.
Chi-Chi's Mexican is staging a comeback after 20 years
The first locations of the Tex-Mex chain reboot will be in Minnesota.
22 Twin Cities area restaurants marking milestones this year
Celebrating classic steakhouses, pad thai, al pastor and local burger chains.
6 restaurant openings and 4 closings to know about in the Twin Cities area
In other restaurant news: Chef Gavin Kaysen makes power rankings and a local baker is on Hulu's "Cake Toppers."
The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week
Bargain happy hour sliders, empanadas that deserve your attention plus top-notch gyros, cozy chicken Parm pasta and a new breakfast spot.
Celebrate (and taste) the winners of the 2024 Star Tribune Holiday Cookie Contest
We have five winning cookies, and you can taste them before you bake them at our improved Cookie Wonderland event Dec. 5.
5 brunch recipes to have on hand for entertaining season
Fuel yourself and your guests with recipes like slow-cooker omelets, brunch burgers and a sweet take on bruschetta.
'Ultimate Minnesota Cookie Book' showcases 100 holiday contest favorites
We talk to Rick Nelson and Lee Svitak Dean about their 20 years at the helm of the Star Tribune's cookie contest.
Now it's soup weather. Try these 4 easy recipes
New cookbooks provide the inspiration we need to embrace the crisp autumn air.
The 5 best desserts our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week
In honor of National Dessert Day on Oct. 14, we went on the hunt for sweetness and found plenty of it.
Meet Minnesota's champion of Latin American culture and cuisine
Amalia Moreno-Damgaard considers herself a cultural ambassador, and she uses food to tell her story.
The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week
Sushi, burrito bowls, short stacks and more were on our minds as we ate our way through the metro.
New local cookbook alert: '100 Afternoon Sweets' is a snacking paradise
Sarah Kieffer's latest book solves the issue of the midafternoon doldrums in the sweetest way.
There's still time to enter the Minnesota Star Tribune Holiday Cookie Contest
The weather might feel like summer, but it's time to start embracing the holiday spirit.
The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week
Our favorite bites — brunch skillet, hot dogs, rice bowl fiesta, ice cream and a new cocktail — will take you from morning to late night and through all corners of the metro.
Happy fall: 41 Twin Cities-area apple orchards that are ripe for picking
From daylong adventures with entertainment to quiet moments in nature, there's an orchard that suits your fall needs.
Local chefs share fall apple recipes
From fancy pork chops to fried apple pies, there's no limit to what you can do with Minnesota apples.
TV dinners: Try these recipes from your favorite shows
Win over your boss with Ted Lasso biscuits, impress like Julia Child and whip up the omelet from "The Bear."
The 2024 Minnesota Star Tribune Holiday Cookie Contest is now open
Attention bakers: Get those creative juices flowing; this could be your year.
Get the scoop on new Minnesota ice creams
From dreamy gelatos to rich and creamy small-batch ice creams, here are the latest local labels to enter the frozen-treat world.
Hot honey is a key ingredient in this blue ribbon-winning salsa recipe
The new State Fair contest rallies around Minnesota-grown tomatoes and takes off from there.
Minnesotan shines spotlight on State Fair in popular television cooking competition
An artist and baker from Walker is the first Minnesotan to compete in "The Great American Baking Show."
What it's like to be on 'The Great American Baking Show'
Minnesota baker Nicole Aufderhar, the first Minnesotan to compete on the show, talks about life in the tent and the spotlight.
Recipe: Celebration of Fall Bundt Cake
Minnesota baker Nicole Aufderhar plans to enter a version of this cake in this year's State Fair.
The Star Tribune's lip balm flavor for this year's State Fair is ...
Pucker up for this flavor, a tribute to a quintessential Minnesota summer dessert.
The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week
The pursuit of great frickle pizza, eggs Benedict, pad Thai and more led us across the metro.
Got zucchini? Here are 4 new recipes to try
A savory zucchini bread is among the ways to enjoy this prolific garden staple.
Le Creuset is bringing secret dinner series to Minneapolis
But don't ask for details — everything, including the location, is kept under wraps until the day before.
The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week
Appetizers, pizza and an elevated daiquiri cocktail were among the stars of this week's best bites and sips.
Restaurant openings and closings in the Twin Cities
What's open, what's closed and what's still to come in the Twin Cities and beyond.
The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities this week
Checking out a hot chicken place, brewing company, Italian bistro, health-conscious eatery and a sun-filled coffee shop.
These 5 Twin Cities area spots offer gourmet delights for summer picnics
Whether a romantic outing, playdate with the kids or a grassy hang with friends, there's a basket for you.
The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities and beyond this week
A new location of a favorite restaurant, sampling at the Taste of Minnesota, crêpes for Bastille Day and pizza in Lake Country made for an eclectic – and delicious – week.
How six months in France changed this Minnesota food writer's life
In his new memoir, Steve Hoffman shares the lessons he learned about food, wine and himself while living in a small French village with his family.
The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week
The best ice cream, empanadas and croffles the Taste team ate this week.
The 5 best sandwiches our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week
Do sandwiches taste better when someone else makes them? We test that theory as we tried a fresh batch of restaurants, food trucks and farmers market stands.
Inside Hodgepodge, the new food truck at Fridley's Forgotten Star Brewing
A partnership between the food blog Fit Foodie Finds and Forgotten Star aims to change the way we eat at breweries.
3 new grilling recipes just in time for Father's Day
Shake up your backyard barbecue routine with marinated shrimp, charred bok choy salad and grilled plum dessert.
Lake Elmo Inn will open restaurant in St. Paul's Union Depot
1881 by Lake Elmo is a nod to the year both the historic restaurant and the original train station opened.
The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week
There was shrimp-stuffed bánh xèo, Italian-style brunch, pizza in a grocery store, snacks along the Mississippi and a biscuit revolution as we add food trucks and farmers markets to our weekly stops.
Did Bundt cake originate in Minnesota?
The ring-shaped desserts have been a hit with bakers since the Bundt pan's debut in the 1950s.
The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week
Among our best bites: Stumbling across a steak sandwich, a wine bar with top-notch boards, cocktails with a kick and a taste of nostalgia in the form of cardamom buns and fish and chips (but not together).
Why a rural Minnesota food blogger thinks you'll love her new 'elevated church cookbook'
Julie Evink has taken a page from her successful recipe website and wrote a cookbook that focuses on making mealtimes easier.
Meteor's star keeps rising, waffles in Bloomington and more restaurant news
Plus: More outdoor dining and celebrating cardamom buns.
The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week
Devouring the menu at a new music club, barbecue for brunch, a transportive Puerto Rican favorite, a don't-miss lunchtime sushi special and celebrating morel season made for a tasty week.
4 easy side dishes for your Mother's Day celebration
Whether your meal is egg dishes or grilled pork chops, these salads and vegetable sides add star power to the occasion.
The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week
The new sandwich game in town, pulltabs and meat-raffle pizza, a taste of vegetable heaven, getting reacquainted with a friend and visiting the Restaurant Capital of Minnesota.
Star Tribune's 'Cookie Book' gets a sequel
Plus two other local baking books coming this fall that you won't want to miss.
The 5 best things we ate in the Twin Cities area this week
A doughnut-congee double threat, housemade flatbread, cozy lakeside pasta, a new perky breakfast joint and bar bites at their best were among our favorites from a very decadent week.
6 Minnesota breweries win medals at 2024 World Beer Cup
Start mapping your brewery tour now to sip these award-winnings beers, crowned this week at the annual international competition.
3 hearty salads to kick off salad season
It's time to bring on lighter, brighter flavors and let the heavier foods hibernate.
The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week
We swung by two newcomers, revisited a still-buzzy favorite, found a classic doughnut in Shakopee and checked out a wine bar in Denver that's opening a Minneapolis outpost this summer.
The 5 best sandwiches our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week
Our latest finds for breakfast sandwiches, bánh mì and lumberjack-sized sandwiches, plus flavors of Brazil and Keefer Court.
Get a taste of the Minnesota State Fair with May event
Here's what to expect at the popular Kickoff to Summer event. Tickets go on sale April 5.
Former Minnesotan's book offers lessons in cooking, writing and adventure
"Hot Dish Confidential" chronicles an author's journey to becoming a gourmand with help of friends and poison control. He'll be in town soon.
Move over, Bloody Mary — it's time for a Bunny Mary
A Minnesota cocktail company makes a mixer that could be the new must-have brunch cocktail.
Best beer in the state? Minnesota Brewers Cup winners announced
The 2024 Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild annual conference named the top brews in 23 styles.
The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities this week
We found skyway egg sandwiches, ushered in a new chef era at a classic restaurant, sought solace in pasta, found a new standard for fries and went beyond our favorite menu items.
5 recipes to usher in spring brunch season
Rediscover your love of frittatas and tarts, make pancakes for a crowd, and raise the cute factor with scrambled egg "sundaes." It's going to be a delicious season.
All-in-one guide to Easter brunch, buffets, takeout and carrot cakes
No matter how formal or casual your Easter is, there's a chef ready to lend a hand.
Gavin Kaysen's Demi earns global recognition
The restaurant in Minneapolis' North Loop is among new members of the prestigious Relais & Châteaux hospitality association.
The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week
A seafood-free "crab boil" and a new burger both got our attention, go-to Mexican on opposite ends of the metro, and tastes of La Belle Vie brought back all the nostalgic feels.
Pi Day prep: The best places to get pie in the Twin Cities
While 3.14 is the perfect excuse to order pie, be sure to keep this delicious list on hand all year long.
The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week
We covered all the bases this week: Gluten-free treats, classic breakfast, a dream of a vegan rice bowl, brisket worth seeking out and a top-notch value meal.
21 slam-dunk downtown restaurants and bars for Big Ten fans
Breakfast, burgers, bars and big meals to satisfy the hungriest basketball fans near Target Center.
10 questions with new Star Tribune baking columnist Sarah Kieffer
From baking with a soundtrack to how her viral pan-banging technique started, we caught up with the prolific Minnesota cookbook author.
The 5 best things our food writers ate in the Twin Cities area this week
A pastry case that stopped us in our tracks, late-night eats, a new suburban pizza place, skyway sushi and a heritage pork chop with Minnesota sensibilities.
