Heavy Table Hot Five: April 14-20

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Each Friday, this list will track five of the best things Heavy Table’s writers, editors, and photographers have recently bitten or sipped. Have a suggestion for the Hot Five? Email editor@heavytable.com.

shepherd-song-banner-ad-horiz-3The Hot Five is a weekly feature created by the Heavy Table and supported by Shepherd Song Farm.

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Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table

1-new - oneBoldog Salami from Red Table Meat Co.
This seasonal, Spanish chorizo-like salami from Red Table Meats fully showcases the flavor of paprika. Red Table sources its paprika peppers locally and grinds them just before adding them to the sausage, ensuring a serious kick of spice.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Becca Dilley]

Amy Rea / Heavy Table
Amy Rea / Heavy Table

2-new - twoTurkish Coffee Toffee Ice Cream at Milkjam Creamery
Milkjam Creamery now offers Turkish Coffee Toffee, a concoction in which the bitterness of the coffee is balanced by sugar and the addition of sizable chunks of crunchy toffee. Since coffee and toffee go oh-so-well with chocolate, why not make a sundae out of it?
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Amy Rea]

Brenda Johnson / Heavy Table
Brenda Johnson / Heavy Table

3-new - threePoke Bowl at SotaRol
Not exactly what you would find in a poke (pronounced poh-kay) purchased by the pound in grocery stores or served in fast food restaurants all over Hawaii, but it’s pretty darn close. SotaRol’s Salmon Poke ($11) has its elements in correct balance — rice topped with lightly marinated fresh salmon, avocado, cucumber, shallots, and a dash of sesame oil and soy sauce, garnished with toasted sesame seeds and strips of nori (dried seaweed). We needed to add a little sriracha for some heat, but the overall flavor was classic “poke”: light, fresh, and very healthy! This meal-in-a-bowl has crossed the Pacific and is becoming popular in eateries all over the continental U.S. It will be popping up in more Minnesota restaurants as well. A poke-focused spot called The Cove is coming soon to Dinkytown.
[Last Week on the Hot Five: #3 | Submitted by Brenda Johnson]

Becca Dilley / Heavy Table
Becca Dilley / Heavy Table

4-new fourDuck Eggs from Graise Farm
At a recent Chef Camp cooking class at the Food Building, Chef Yia Vang described duck eggs as “nature’s Hollandaise,” and these super rich duck eggs prove this to be true. Poached or over easy, the yolk is a meal unto itself.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Becca Dilley]

James Norton / Heavy Table
James Norton / Heavy Table

5-new -five Pulled Pork Chili from Hi-Lo Diner
Smoky depth, the richness of large hunks of pork, big bold bits of onion and tomatoes — this is a serious chili that doesn’t have to lean on filler or mere spicy heat to fill out the bowl.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by James Norton]