dsmWeekly - May 8, 2024

Cake, ravioli and lamb chops starred in chef Saralyn Smith's farm-to-table dinner Tuesday night at the Wallace House. (Photo: Michael Morain)

FOOD & DINING

New chef at Wallace Centers serves up fresh plates and plans

By Michael Morain

Let’s start with dessert: a slice of vanilla chiffon cake topped with a swirl of pink rhubarb mousse. Could anything taste more like spring?

The cake capped off a farm-to-table dinner Tuesday night at the Wallace House in Sherman Hill, where the new chef, Saralyn Smith, had a chance to introduce — through brief remarks and five thoughtful seasonal courses, including ricotta ravioli with spring veggies, chicken in a berry prosecco sauce, and a tender lamb chop with fresh asparagus. (Full disclosure: I was a guest of the Wallace Centers of Iowa and sat at a table reserved for media folks.)

Smith explained where many of the ingredients came from — nine local producers, plus the Wallace Farm an hour west in Orient — and outlined some of her plans to amplify the Wallace Centers’ mission to “connect Iowa’s food, land and people.”

She previewed the “Hearts & Homes Luncheons” inspired by recipes Nancy Cantwell Wallace tucked into her “women’s column” for Wallace’s Farmer around the turn of the 20th century, plus various meals where guests can meet the farmers and producers that supplied the ingredients. She also talked up dinners that focus on single ingredients from the Wallace Farm, like rhubarb (June 5), tomatoes (Sept. 18) and garlic (Oct. 19). There’s a whole slate of new options in Orient, too, where you can enjoy wood-fired pizza topped with local meats and straight-from-the-garden produce.

Smith was the first Iowa chef to be accepted into the James Beard Foundation Boot Camp for Policy and Change, in 2019. Her big-picture thinking about sustainable food and agriculture is informed by her previous stints at the Convivium Urban Farmstead in Dubuque, where she led a zero-waste initiative, and Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, where she taught baking classes. She was also a pastry chef at the University of Iowa.

The new role “really matches where my heart is in terms of cooking and making connections with people and farmers and producers,” she said. “I’m excited to have a creative outlet to help folks make some real progress.”

I don’t know what the Wallace family would have eaten on an ordinary Tuesday night when they lived in their old house, but I have a hunch Smith has raised the bar.

Joseph Giunta leads the Des Moines Symphony through its 86th season finale this weekend. (Photo: DMSO)

BEST BET

Party like it’s 1824 with Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”

How do you breathe new life into a 200-year-old masterpiece? Start with a lot of lungs. More than 100 local voices, including the Des Moines Vocal Arts Ensemble, will join the Des Moines Symphony to revive Beethoven’s groundbreaking Ninth Symphony on its 200th anniversary. (At the end of its premiere, in Vienna, the audience waved their hats and handkerchiefs in the air so Beethoven could see, if not hear, their five standing ovations. By then he’d lost most of his hearing.)

The Ninth, with its famous “Ode to Joy,” caps off the symphony’s indoor season at the Des Moines Civic Center, in a program with Franz von Suppe’s overture to the 1864 operetta “Pique Dame (The Queen of Spades)” and contemporary composer Valerie Coleman’s “Umoja: Anthem of Unity.”

Before you go to the concerts, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, tune in to the “DMSO Remix” podcast, featuring insights about the program from Eric McIntyre, who teaches music at Grinnell College.

The Week Ahead

State Mixology Competition (6 p.m. Thursday): Iowa’s best mixologists compete for this year’s state title in cocktail crafting. Spectators can enjoy samples and vote for their People’s Choice favorites.

Jasper Winery's Summer Concert Series (6-9 p.m. Thursdays through Aug. 1): The winery’s popular free series kicks off this week with the Americana band Brother Trucker. Remember to bring your lawn chair!

Alyssa Allgood (7 p.m. Friday): The jazz singer and bandleader swings in from Chicago to release a new album at Noce.

Cake (8 p.m. Saturday): The free-wheeling party band launches this summer’s Field Daze series at the Lauridsen Amphitheater at Water Works Park.

Des Moines Community Orchestra (2 p.m. Sunday): The musicians present a free, all-Spanish program with help from the Heart of Iowa Classical Guitar Society at Drake University’s Harmon Fine Arts Center.

Brick Convention: A Lego Fan Event (10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday): If you’re looking for a “hands-on, minds-on” activity for all ages, head to the MidAmerican Energy RecPlex in West Des Moines.

Cristina Mittermeier (7:30 p.m. Monday): The conservation photographer and 2018 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year takes a turn in Des Moines Performing Arts’ Explorer Series at the Des Moines Civic Center. She founded the nonprofit SeaLegacy to document ocean life and champion environmental causes around the world.

“Chicago,” (7:30 p.m. Tuesday): The national tour of the musical about a murder and its sensational media aftermath brings the old razzle-dazzle to Stephens Auditorium in Ames.

Nothing says "I love you, Mom" quite like letting her win at bowling or mini golf at Putts & Pins. (Photo: Duane Tinkey)

COMMUNITY

Don’t forget: Mother’s Day is Sunday

Looking for a gift for the woman who can do it all? We asked our friends on social media to share their go-to gift ideas and their favorite local stores to find presents. We published all of their suggestions in a recent print edition of dsm, but here are a few of their best:

Grazing Table Charcuterie. This online retailer creates custom-made charcuterie boards piled high with fruits, nuts, meats and cheeses, and the curated sizes make them a perfect gift to accompany a picnic or home movie night.

Des Moines Mercantile. This modern general store in Highland Park sources tons of boutique products from handmade dishware and decor, to self-care and wellness products. Why not get creative and gather up a personalized care package for Mom?

Putts & Pins. Give the gift of quality time (and friendly competition) and spend the day playing neon-lit mini golf or duckpin bowling at this new upscale barcade in West Des Moines.

A cleaning service. Let’s be real: Mom probably needs a break. Hire out the weekly chores and take a load off her shoulders. She’ll appreciate having some free time back, and it’s a great way to support small businesses. The metro has several locally owned laundry services, house cleaners and child care services.