Ten Good Eats in Marshall

Marshall may as well be christened a culinary wasteland. Burger and fry joints are as high class dining as one could find here. However, there are a few gems in Marshall which may satisfy a fussy palate. Here is a list of ten good things, in no particular order, to eat and drink here in the corn field.

1. Mariachi Fiesta: Arroz con pollo (Rice with chicken)
   I have a friend who only orders this dish, and he never misses ordering anything else. Mariachi Fiesta does a fantastic job making this dish. It seems like it's never quite the same each time --my personal theory is that it depends who made it -- but that is the beauty of Arroz con pollo. It's homemade, rich red saucy goodness. The tender chicken and warming red sauce tastes great when wrapped in a steamy hot tortilla.
   
   
2. Hunan Lion: Sesame Chicken
   Something about the sesame chicken from Hunan Lion makes me jealous. I wish I could be the lucky chicken who could turn into such a great plate of food. Deep fried, bit sized pieces of chicken coated with a tangy red sauce. It's crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside. Served with steamed broccoli and hot rice, there's nothing quite as divine.
   
   
3. Landmark Bistro Happy Hour
   Cheers! If you are looking for a nice place to sit back and have a drink with some friends, the Landmark Bistro has a great happy hour. The bar is well stocked and drinks are half off from 5 - 7 most weeknights. It's a "nice" bar, fairly uncommon to this area. To sweeten the deal, there are free appetizers. So far, I have seen chicken wings, cheesy potato wedges, and chips and salsa.
   
   
4. Mariachi Fiesta: Vegetable Enchiladas
   Forget eating meat. Vegetable enchiladas from Mariachi Fiesta are equal to or better than the meat filled ones: sauteed bell peppers and onions, rich enchilada sauce wrapped in a tortilla shell. They are succulent, healthy for you, and better than watching any dirty PETA ad -- read this article for a little context.
   
   
5. Momo
   The magical momo is not quite what you may expect in the middle of rural Minnesota; however, thanks to the large body of students from Nepal at SMSU, something great has been introduced here. My Nepalese friend Sapana once told me that momo are one of the favorite foods in all of Nepal. A thin dough wrapper hides a gently seasoned meat mixture. To make it even better, a light spicy tomatoey sauce covers the top. They are simple and lovely. Here is a recipe for momo.
   
   
6. Diary Queen: Ice Cream
   Ah, sweet nostalgia. Dairy Queen gives a lot of memories to people, especially people from smaller towns. DQ has been around for a while, and it's ice cream treats can't be beat -- sorry ColdStone lovers. It's just the right consistency, temperature, and of course, customizable to your liking.
   
   
7. The Daily Grind: Turkey Pot Pie
   I've only had it once, but every time I think about it I drool a little bit. The buttery crust flakes better than the snow when you expose the juicy morsels inside - chunks of turkey and vegetables. Delicious.
   
   
8. Bagels and Brew: Grilled Turkey Panini
   All I have to say is turkey glued between bread with melted cheese. Crusty, satisfying, and not too bad for you.
   
   
9. Bagels and Brew: White Chocolate Mocha
   My best friend introduced me to the white chocolate mocha, and I have to say he has a good sense of taste. Steamed milk, espresso, and white chocolate syrup. Yum! It melts in your mouth any season and any weather. Add whipped cream for that extra special decadence you deserve.
   
   
10. Jimmy John's
    Move over Subway, Jimmy John's has you beat hands down. The bread is umptious, soft yet chewy, and, well, more like real bread. Although not as customizable as other places, these sandwiches are the real deal. They are stacked high with everything you could want, or they can be slim: just meat and some bread. Jimmy John's doesn't skip on the veggies either. They put other fast food to shame, not only for speed, but also what they dish out.
    I would highly recommend the Lulu or the Beach Club.
    

Food Stamps

I was reading this article on CCN.com. A CNN reporter, Sean Callebs, lived off of food stamps to understand how that would affect his life. It seems to have been a fairly thought provoking experiment.

This is the link to the article: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/01/30/am.callebs.foodstamps.blog/index.html

Reading his article really makes me appreciate what I have in my life that many people simply cannot afford. The luxuries we take for granted, even something as simple as being able to buy groceries or go to a fast food restaurant, are impossible for many people. There are approximately 31 million people who get food stamps in the country. It's really hard to fathom how people can make it from day to day.

The reporter makes some interesting conclusions on his latest posting from March 1.

"I think the greatest lessons I am going to take away from this project have very little to do with the actual diet. I was amazed at how the social aspect of your life is turned upside down when you can't eat out. Secondly, I constantly found myself doing math, "how much can I spend at this trip?" and "If I eat this for dinner, what will I have tomorrow night?"

It is draining. And, mind you, I only have to fend for myself. I don't have to worry about putting food on a table for an entire family. I took this effort on to try to find out how 31-million Americans live each month. That's the number of people on food stamps."

The fact that his social life is completely different is interesting. As in my earlier post, I talked about how we perceive eating alone. Part of eating out is the social experience, and he was missing out on that interaction. He could, still have social interaction with others by inviting people over to eat, but I think it's the "going out" factor that predominates why people like to eat out. You are removed from your private life -- your dwelling place -- and forced to interact with a myriad of other people in the outside world: you friends/acquaintances you are eating with, the hosts, the waiters, other patrons, and the cooks who are preparing your food inadvertently are affected by you. People and families who cannot eat out are missing out on some social interaction that is necessary and a natural human urge.

There is, however, an upside to having to cook at home and watch what you buy. He was forced to, as he puts it, "get much better acquainted with his kitchen." He developed a sense of pride in what he was cooking food for himself. He also started to notice what he was eating: what was good to buy and what was a waste of his money. His example is choosing to buy ready-made/convenience foods like boxed mashed potatoes instead of fresh fruits and vegetables. He also had to think about price and value, something that many of us do not think about when we shop for groceries.

I think from reading his article, I am learning the deeper impact of a society that has a hard time to provide basic nutrition to people. It seems that there is a deep impact on a person's social and personal lives by having to rely on food stamps. With so many people on food stamps, we should maybe be asking ourselves some tough questions. Why are so many people unable to get something like food without assistance? What do we really value as a society? How can we make a difference?