The Black Forest Inn in Minneapolis is once again offering its traditional and well-loved German delicacies by the dozen. Made only in December, these cookies and treats are the perfect way to complete your holiday celebration. This year, the collection includes:

• Lebkuchen – The original gingerbread, these spicy, honey-sweetened cookies are light and low in fat.
• Linzer – Tortes made with a buttery ground nut crust and a raspberry preserve filling.
• Pfeffernusse – German for “pepper nut,” these hard, spiced cookies are the perfect companion to a warm winter drink.
• Springerle – These pale, anise-flavored cookies are beautifully embossed with images of century-old folklore.

Other favorites include Marzipan, Stollen, pies and chocolates. Stop by the restaurant at 3 p.m. during the Christmas market December 17 and 18 for a Springerle demonstration

The Charity Meat Raffle, a popular event being held for the 6^th time, is being held on Saturday, November 12 from 2 to 4 pm and will benefit St. Paul’s Neighborhood House.

• All Meat Raffle guests will enjoy the satisfaction of helping a local charity as well as a chance to take home exceptional steaks, chops and seafood from The Grill should their raffle ticket be a winner.
• Raffle tickets for the event cost $5 per ticket and winning tickets will be drawn every 15 minutes throughout the event, with winners invited to spin a wheel to learn which cut of meat they receive as a prize.
• Emcee Jim Cunningham, announcer at the Minnesota Twins and Wild games, will preside over the event.  During the event, guests can also purchase refreshments from The Grill’s bar menu.

Neighborhood House is a local non-profit organization serving more than 14,000 St. Paul residents annually through its basic needs, education, and youth leadership programs.   Previous meat raffles have raised more than $15,000 for Neighborhood House.

Reservations for The Grill’s meat raffle can be made by calling (651) 292-9292.

Thailand is experiencing a record flooding, the worst in 50 years. 297 people died in the floods that have inundated the country for 3 months. The floods still prevail in 61 of 77 provinces, affecting about 2.5 million households and 8.6 million people. About 50 main highways in many provinces are flooded and cannot be passed.

In response to this natural disaster, the Thai Association of Minnesota and the Thai Student Association of
Minnesota are organizing a fundraising dinner on Saturday, November 5th, 2011, 6.00 – 11.00 PM, at the Northstar Ballroom, University of Minnesota, St. Paul campus (2017 Buford Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108).

You are cordially invited you to attend this event to support the flood victims. All proceeds and donation will go
directly to flood-victim assistance efforts in Thailand without any deduction for the event organizing
expenses and/or the food cost. We are fortunate to have supports from Thai restaurants in the Twin Cities.

The $25/person admission includes food and beverages. The event also features stage performances of Thai
dance, music, and other entertainment. Tickets can be purchased by contacting Vilaiwan (612) 554-9950;
Kanitta (952) 894-1662; or Parichart (612) 701-6019. In-advance purchase is strongly encouraged for our
food preparation plan.

Direct donation is also welcome and appreciably encouraged, and is tax deductible. Please send the check to
Thai Association of Minnesota, 2972 Ontario Road, Little Canada, MN 55117.

I am seriously excited about this. Cossetta’s is one of my all-time faves. Favorite pizza for sure!

What:      City officials and community leaders will celebrate the groundbreaking for Cossetta Alimentari, the new two-story restaurant and food emporium that will connect to the existing Cossetta’s restaurant.  The $12.5 million project will more than double Cossetta’s square footage, creating a premier destination for Italian food in Saint Paul.  Project completion is scheduled for summer 2012, when Cossetta’s celebrates its 25^th anniversary at its current location.

 The expansion is part of Rebuild Saint Paul, an initiative that will leverage more than $100 million in investment and create more than 3,000 jobs. 

When:        Wednesday, October 26  11 a.m.

Where:       Cossetta’s  211 West Seventh Street, Saint Paul

Robert Hall ‘Seven Course’ Wine Dinner – September 29

• $55/person
• Starting at 6:30pm, Woolley’s will begin the event with a social reception and butler passed hors d’oeuvres. Dinner will be served at 7:00pm.

2010 Viognier

Social: Butler Passed Hors d’oeuvres

2010 Chardonnay

First Course: Fresh Diver Scallops, Heirloom tomatoes, candied bacon

2009 Sauvignon Blanc

Second Course: Foie Gras, Crab Apples, Fresh and Candied Cranberry and Arugula

2008 Syrah

Third Course, Maple Glazed Quail, Pumpkin “spiced” risotto

 Sorbet: Concorde Grape

 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

Main Entrée: Certified Angus Beef Two Ways: Braised short ribs with sweet potato, Seared Tenderloin with root vegetables

2010 Orange Muscat (Margaret’s Vineyard)

Dessert: Buttermilk Pannacotta, White chocolate, blackberry

The CRAVE CARES Heart of the Event Awards will honor the founder of a non-profit and seven local volunteers who go above and beyond the call of duty. The following eight individuals exemplify what it means to be the “Heart of the Event.”
Kim Valentini, Smile Network International—In 2003, Kim Valentini left her corporate job to follow her dream of helping children around the world reconstruct their lives, one bright, smiling face at a time. She founded Smile Network International with the goal of helping impoverished children born with cleft lips, cleft palates and other conditions requiring surgical intervention. In the past eight years, Valentini has recruited hundreds of doctors and volunteers to help carry out   nearly 50 Smile Network missions by traveling to remote, poverty-stricken villages in nine countries providing more than two thousand procedures.. For her hard work and dedication to changing the lives of thousands of children, CRAVE CARES is honoring Valentini with the night’s top honor, and first-ever, “Be the Change Award.”

o   J. Marie Fieger, Bridging—J. Marie Fieger has been involved in Bridging, a non-profit organization that distributes household goods to individuals and families in transition, for the past 13 years. Fieger brought her passion and talent for cause marketing to the board of directors for many years and continues to support the Annual Subway Bedrace for Bridging and Bring a Blanket Drive.

o   Janel Goff, Hope Chest for Breast Cancer—Hope Chest for Breast Cancer is an organization focused on helping financially challenged women pay their bills so they can concentrate on healing. Goff and her husband Brian take great pride in hosting the Putt for the Pink Golf Classic, the fundraiser for Hope Chest they started seven years ago. The Goff’s Golf Classic has played a big role in raising over $1 million for Hope Chest.

o   Bruce Gunderson, Mud Run Multiple Sclerosis Twin Cities—Without Bruce Gunderson, the Twin Cities Mud Run, a major fundraiser for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Minnesota Chapter, probably would not be possible. In its first year in 2010, Gunderson fostered relationships between the National MS Society, Trollhaugen Ski & Snowboard Resort and the Minnesota 4-Wheel Drive Association. He spent two weeks camping at Trollhaugen, secured in-kind donations, recruited volunteers and even paid for radio rentals at the event. Their first year was an incredible success and raised a reported $250,000 for MS.

o   Sharon Hawkins, Twin Cities Rise!—For the past four years, Hawkins has volunteered with Twin Cities Rise!, a non-profit aimed at training under-employed and unemployed people for placement in long-term jobs where they earn at least $20,000 a year. Hawkins has donated her time to TCR! by serving on the board, working directly with those in need and co-chairing the “Music on the Mississippi” event.

o   Bess Hayers, Camp Odayin—After spending much of her childhood at Children’s Heart Clinic of Minneapolis being treated for a rare congenital heart defect, Hayers has spent the past 10 years volunteering at Camp Odayin, a camp tailored specifically for kids living with heart disease. For one week each summer, she lives with and mentors children who have “special hearts” just like hers.

o   Pam Ryder, Arc Greater Twin Cities—Arc Greater Twin Cities is a non-profit that serves the needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Ryder has worked tirelessly as the volunteer chair of the Silent Auction Committee for the Arc Gala. The live and silent auction at the 2011 Gala raised $36,000, nearly 15 percent of the Gala’s gross revenue.

o   Judy Toback Kaplan, Children’s Cancer Research Fund—Kaplan has been working as part of the events team for Macy’s Passport Presents Glamorama since it started as a simple fashion show at Dayton’s 20 years ago. The show’s “coordinator of chaos,” Kaplan does it all from seating charts for 2,000 guests to securing sponsors. Through it all, Kaplan has remained focused on the mission, and acts as a tireless advocate and primary liaison for the benefit organization.

The first annual CRAVE CARES Heart of the Event Awards will be held Sept. 20, 2011 at CRAVE’s downtown Minneapolis location, 825 Hennepin Ave. For more information about CRAVE CARES Heart of the Event Awards visit http://www.craveamerica.com/mn_cravecares.html.

About CRAVE CARES

CRAVE CARES is an ongoing initiative established in 2008 that focuses on significant efforts to support organizations in the community. CRAVE CARES supports these organizations by hosting fundraising events, creating special menus to raise funds and awareness, making donations to silent auctions and most recently, sponsoring the CRAVE CARES Heart of the Event Awards. For more information about CRAVE CARES, visit http://www.craveamerica.com/mn_cravecares.html.

Would you like for a chance to win any of the following??

•  a two-year lease on a 2012 Range Rover Evoque from Jaguar/Land Rover/Range Rover of Minneapolis.
•  “The Ultimate Wedding Package,” which features a $5,000 shopping spree at Wedding Day Diamonds and a $5,000 catered event by CRAVE Catering.
•   a Mexican getaway for two including airfare and hotel accommodations, courtesy of Sun Country Airlines.
• Weekly prizes include reVamp! Salon & Spa packages,
• month-long Lifetime Fitness memberships,
• plane tickets from Sun Country and
•  $100 CRAVE and Sopranos gift cards

As Football season is just starting,  CRAVE restaurant is launching its own food-centric spin on fantasy football: Fantasy CRAVEBall.  Each week, contestants will choose the menu item they think will be the week’s best seller in five categories: beverage, appetizer, entree, sushi and dessert. The 16-week contest launched September 5, 2011

Check out the interactive website – www.fantasycraveball.com – where participants sign up, create their teams and monitor their points to potentially win prizes for weekly giveaways, as well as three grand prizes for the top winners. The accounting powerhouse Lurie Besikof Lapidus will review the contest and certify the results.

August is going to be especially hot at Solera Cocina de Espana. The popular downtown Minneapolis Spanish restaurant announced a number of weekly and one-of-a-kind events designed to spice things up during the last month of summer.

Terrace Tuesdays,

• featuring a sampling of Spanish wines and signature tapas for $25.
  
• Weather permitting, guests will be seated on Solera’s beautiful second floor terrace.

 Movie Night Wednesdays is doubling up in August.

• For $32 per couple, guests will enjoy an entrée, a shared dessert and a bottle of wine or pitcher of sangria, before heading up to the roof for Solera’s popular outdoor movie night.

Thursday All Night Happy Hour

Friday Live Music 

Family Sunday Supper

• every week from 5 to 10 pm, where groups of four can tuck into a pair of tapas, paella, and a bottle of wine or pitcher of sangria for $69.

 On Saturday, August 27, from noon to 2 p.m., Solera Executive Chef Jorge Guzman will share his carefully-guarded gastronomical secrets at a Paella Cooking Class. For $35 per person, guests will be allowed into the inner sanctum of Solera’s tapas kitchen. There, they will learn how to prepare paella, one of the chef’s specialties, and two additional tapas recipes. The class includes a four course lunch with dessert, wine and coffee.

For more information or to make reservations, call at (612) 338-0062.

 About Solera

Solera Cocina de Espana is an authentic Spanish restaurant in the heart of the Hennepin Avenue Theater District in Minneapolis. It features a comprehensive menu authentically embracing the cuisine of Spain. While offering an unparalleled experience for social dining, Solera spaces also accommodate events for up to 1,000 guests all in a vibrant, Spanish-influenced atmosphere. In addition to spectacular dinner, dessert and late night menus, guest will enjoy an extensive Spanish wine list, expertly crafted cocktails and signature sangrias. Solera offers several inside dining spaces including a lounge area, main and private dining rooms, and a tapas bar along with outdoor patio dining on street level, a private veranda dining space on the second floor and a lively rooftop bar. Fresh menu selections, seafood, house-prepared charcuterie and Spanish cheeses are all served with exceptional, personalized service.