Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

J.K's Scrumpy. The stuff is outstanding.

Google Docs here, too. I share one with ~20 friends, and while only a handful of us actually add to or edit it, everybody else appreciates having access to our recipes.

I almost universally prefer to cook for two reasons:

First, taking care of people is just in my blood. I like being able to provide a service, and I know that cooking will always be appreciated. It also gives me something to do. I can only spit up so much idle banter, and extended time around the dinner table usually consumes the bulk of it. If I'm in a larger group of people, cooking helps excuse me from the pre-meal shenanigans without looking like an anti-social schmuck. The end result is that, even when I'm a guest, I'm usually trying to weasel my way into the kitchen.

Second, I'm just not good at not critiquing things. This goes for food, movies, books, music, whatever. I can't consume anything without trying to pick it apart and figure out why I responded the way I did. I don't do it out loud, but I still feel like a jerk sitting and thinking about how something somebody else made for me would be better if only they'd done x or y differently. When I'm the cook, I don't need to feel bad about it.

Simple is best. Blend 1/2 lb tomatillos, 1/4 cup cilantro, 1 jalapeno, 2 cloves garlic, salt, and a little bit of water. Stir in finely chopped white onion to desired proportions. By far my favorite salsa to serve with pork or chicken, though I'll usually roast the tomatillos and garlic if serving with chicken. Sometimes I'll just slow cook a pork roast right in it.

Congratulations. I bought myself a nice Whustof chef's knife as a graduation present last year, and I couldn't stop smiling the first time it just slid straight through a tomato with just the slightest pressure. Oh, and congrats on the wedding, too. :)

Behold, the world's most perfect oatmeal cookie, taken from my great grandmother's recipe (which may well have its source elsewhere).

Cream 1 cup butter with 1 cup brown sugar. Beat in 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla.

Separately combine 2 cups flour, 2 cups old-fashioned oats, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1/4 tsp salt.

Thoroughly incorporate dry ingredients into wet in parts.

Fold in 5 tsp milk and 1 cup raisins or dark chocolate chips.

Bake in batches at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

It's certainly not something I'd undertake if I was doing on my own or if I was in a situation where failure would bankrupt me. That said, I've talked somewhat seriously with a number of friends about slowly setting aside money over the next 20-25 years and "retiring" in our mid-to-late 40's to try and open a brewpub if enough of us have the stability to do so. A low-key spot with good beer and food that's simple and affordable but slightly more interesting than normal bar fare.

Koala's March always bring me to a happy place. My aunt used to buy them from someplace when I was really little, and when I went to Japan in high school, my host family sent me back with two gigantic boxes of them.

If you're really worried about the guys, I'd suggest Long Island Iced Teas. To paraphrase a friend, "It's the girliest thing you can drink without looking immasculine". That said, I'd agree with seriousb. The guys aren't going to care what you're drinking, and if they're worried about it for themselves, you can always suggest they supply some beer. Irish Car Bombs (effectively a shalleleigh dropped into Guinness) are fun but dangerous.

Would these work out in soup if I added them for a couple of minutes just before serving?

Can't go to Minneapolis and not check out brunch spots. Sunnyside Up and The Egg and I (both on Lyndale near Uptown in Minneapolis) are family favorites, and the Pizza Luce and St. Louis Park (just outside of Minneapolis proper) has a surprisingly excellent brunch menu, too.

Unsurprisingly, Pizza Luce also serves up a solid slice at any of its locations during the day and evening, though I'd second the suggestion of Punch's if you want a traditional, Neapolitan style pie.

If you're looking for low key, I discovered over the summer that you can find the Minneapolis equivalent of street food by looking up a few stories and wandering the Skyway. Fellow SEers guided me well by steering me towards Zen Box and Turtle Bread, but I also had excellent burgers and tamales up there, I only wish I could remember the names.

The Torta Cubana I had at Taqueria Los Ocampo in the Midtown Global Market ranks among the best two sandwiches I've ever had (half hot when I ordered it, half cold the next day), and I hear that the rest of the menu is also very solid.

Have fun. You're heading out at a great time of year.

Things like this make me even more sad that I never seem to be in Chicago on days when Xoco is open. :(