The Hungry Hoosier

Two Cookin' (Evil Genius?) Sisters

Kim and Kristi (The Two Cookin' Sisters) just might be a pair of DNA-sharing evil geniuses. Beneath their Brookston storefront I'm sure they have a secret test-kitchen lair where they concoct their diabolically delicious products. Once these salsas, jams, jellies, and other delights are consumed by the unsuspecting public, the masses become hopelessly addicted and can't go more than a few hours without a fix.

I recently found myself in possession of one of their newer products - Carrot Cake Jam. What impressed me first about this product, as with all their products, is the list of ingredients. This the CCJ here is the inventory - sugar, carrots, pears, pineapple, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and pectin. That's it. This would certainly meet the Michal Pollan test (everything in this would be recognized as food by your grandmother).

Another thing I love about this product is the Ball jar it comes in. A sort of gentle nostalgic breeze blows over me each time I open a Ball jar for the first time - unscrewing the outer ring, reaching for a knife to gently prying up the metal disk that tops the jar, that little pop, and then the unfettered goodness inside.

I opened the CCJ jar this morning and had some of it on whole wheat toast. I also used it to top the boy's waffles. By gum, this stuff really does taste like carrot cake - fruity, a bit crunchy, infused with warm spices. As delicious as it was on my lightly-buttered toast, I'm betting it would be even better on a bagel with cream cheese. As for my progeny, they loved it as well. The oldest is not a fan of carrots but ate this right up.

It has been awhile since we last checked in with the sisters and much has changed. Along with an expansion of their product line, they've taken over the space next door to their storefront. At the Prairie Street Market you can find things like local (in-season) produce, eggs, cheese, and a bunch of other good stuff. The main store, along with the new market, make this definitely worth the trip to Brookston. If you can't get by, order some Two Cookin' Sisters products from the website.

Big Sister Salsa, Brookston

"It's Loud and Bossy" is the tag line for Big Sister Salsa made by Two Cookin' Sisters in Brookston, Indiana. As the younger brother to six big sisters, several of which are loud and bossy, I could not pass up giving this salsa a try. I was pleasantly surprised to find it uniquely delicious. Consulting the list of ingredients you will notice that peppers are the first ingredient meaning that there are more peppers than anything else. Nearly every other salsa you will encounter counts tomatoes as its primary ingredient. Tomatoes are number two in Big Sister, but with peppers in the lead role, this stuff tastes very different than most other salsas. Both sweet and spicy peppers co-mingle to deliver a complex blast to the palate. Loud and Bossy? Yes, but in an endearing way, much like my loud and bossy sisters.

This salsa is available at several Indiana retailer and restaurant locations and at the sister's Brookston shop at 210 South Prairie Street. The store also features other Indiana food products and small arts and crafts items.   

Klein Brot Haus

Last week's travels also took me through Brookston, Indiana where I stopped at Klein Brot Haus. This is a great little place in a tiny little town. It's most unusual feature is their lunch bar. Each day at lunch they feature a couple of soups, homemade bread, and a bar with all kinds of made-from-scratch spreads. They also have a large selection of baked goods to go. I picked up cherry and peach pies to help feed company coming in for the weekend. They have a website here but it looks like it is in progress. A menu is available here with location and hours of operation.