Sikora's Polish Market & Deli in NE Minneapolis 1/20/2018

A little story about food...

Instead of patronizing corporate chain restaurants, I like to eat actual food (Panera Bread is now taking a cue from what I've talked about for years--they want the FDA to define 'egg'--because they, like Bruegger's and, yup, White Castle, are going to crack actual eggs. They want a leg up on all the chains serving the 17 artificial ingredient 'eggs' that are served ubiquitously across the U.S.).

But, I digress...

Sikora's is one of my places for food inspiration (& to practice reading my Polish). Today we picked up Gypsy Bacon & Ham plus sausages for grilling.  I can serve the sausages with the horseradish pickles I made on Thursday using the extra hot horseradish I bought on my last visit to

Sikora's (I made a batch for The Winkin' Rooster, too, because they were the #1 pickle I made at Marianne's. Ask Doug for some on Monday.).

For dessert, we can have some of the little pastries that Sikora's brings in or

a paczki--we're having the custard-filled today.

So we're going to have a day of food--not cancer-causing fries or a fecal beef hamburger made from chemically sanitized meat served on a bun devoid of everything except empty calories.

We started the day with an egg sandwich with tomato jam (the most overlooked product on the shelf at Marianne's & now at the Winkin' Rooster) and an egg bowl with sriracha sauce, potatoes & multi-grain bread-at MoJo Coffee and Gallery (since we were in the neighborhood).

Sikora's offers lots of traditional foods that have now found a new audience among local chefs & foodies who are addicted to eating & watching TV cooking shows.  My favorite example - juniper berry sausage. When I served anything with juniper berries at Marianne's 7 years ago, some Shoreview patrons took their 'I'm afraid of everything' one step back. Then a few brave souls took a chance & tried something unfamiliar. Guess what-- they liked it!

So, take a step out of your comfort zone--pick up one of the last jars of our tomato jam at the Winkin' Rooster & put it on a sandwich (or your darn hamburger!) or hop over to Sikora's & get a juniper berry sausage (there was only 1 left today).

Try something new, or something old that is new again & support a local business (the places that actually give you a choice instead of the 17 ingredient egg).

Enjoy some food today.