Events Archives - Page 2 of 25

Small Business Saturday: Shop The Block Downtown Hutchinson

November 22, 2022 By Morgan

In 2010 Small Business Saturday was founded to encourage holiday shoppers to patronize brick and mortar businesses that are small and local. Since then it has grown to be a day where people get out to #shopsmall and support their favorite locally-owned businesses.

In Hutchinson, our Chamber of Commerce and Hutchinson Ambassadors groups don red elf outfits and bring joy and thanks to customers who are visiting locally-owned small businesses.

This year, they’ll be hosting a ping-pong hunt in Library Square Park, all the balls correlate to prize packs of gift cards and grand prizes from local establishments. The Hunt will take place at 10am on Saturday, November 26th. And then the elfs will go out into the community serendipitously handing out gift cards and prizes to unsuspecting shoppers.

At the Clay Coyote we will be offering 15% off our pottery (in store only).

We also hope that while you’re visiting us you stop by some of our neighbors and shop the block!

We love these small shops that are all within one block of the Clay Coyote (there is plenty of free street parking):

Quilt Haven on Main: Known as one of the 10 ten quilt shops in the USA (according to Better Homes and Garden Magazine).
Olita (gift shop): Owner Jill and her daughter design leather goods and offer many different gifts from local jewelry, drink mixes, candles, and a little kids section.
Let It Grow (plant shop): New in 2022, it’s like you stepped into the tropics or the plant shop in Little Shop of Horrors (but without Audrey 2). The team will help even the worst gardner (ah hem) find a plant to bring green joy.
BG Jewelry: A new locally owned jewlery store, ask Brian to find or create just the right peice.
Purse-a-nalities (women’s boutique): I was looking for a top recently, she talked me into three. You’ll love their scarves too!
Carly’s Shoes: I recently described this shoe shop as old fashioned like when you were a kid and got your feet measured on the silver slider tray … and I meant it in the very nicest way. I love the you can get great customer service, find the right fit, while buying quality shoes.
Crow River Floral: When I need flowers I call Jeanie and her team. Their flowers are fresh and last longer than anywhere else. They also have a ton of holiday decor and inspiration.
Hutchinson Center for the Arts: Check out their new exhbit, Inspired by Nature: Relief Prints by Glenna Olson, and their small retail gallery too. Sign up to take their Relief Printmaking Workshop in January!
Auxiliary Thrift Shop: This is a thrifter’s dream. All volunteer run, the proceeds go back into the community to the Hutchinson Health Foundation to help with improvements to Hutchinson Health.
Amazing Grace (women’s boutique): On-trend clothing and fun seasonal accessories.
By Mae (clothing and housewares): One of the only plus sized clothing boutiques in Minnesota. Shop owner Emily tells me that it’s so hard for women to find plus sized clothing online because you really need to try it on. She’s got you covered.
Main Street Antiques: Stalls and stalls and stalls of everything you’ve ever wanted. Make sure you go upstairs where the furniture is and stop into the coin shop in the back.

Need a little sustenance after all that shopping? Hutchinson is full many wonderful local places to enjoy a meal. These are all near us in Downtown:

Dunn Brother’s (coffee and light fare)
Sonora’s Mexican (lunch and dinner)
River House Kitchen & Drinks (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
Flank Steakhouse (lunch and dinner)
Main Street Sports Bar (lunch and dinner)
Muddy Cow (lunch and dinner)
DQ (ice cream and grill)

Venture out a little further to a few of our favorite local haunts:

Bobbing Bobber Brewery
Crow River Winery
Jomas Hill Winery

Holiday Cooking Showcase Events – Eat, Drink, and Be Merry!

October 20, 2022 By Morgan

Join the Clay Coyote & Compass Occasions teams at Art’s Place in Hutchinson, MN for two Holiday Cooking Showcase Events, Festive Appetizers and Winter Stews! Both events will feature tasting and cooking demonstrations, recipe cards to take away and water available. Parties are encouraged to BYOB.

Festive Appetizers

Tuesday, December 6th from 5:30-8:30pm

Menu:

– Dutch Oven Dips
– Meatballs That Wow
– Tray Arranging Ideas
– Easy Skillet Crostinis

Tickets can be found on our website here

Winter Stews

Sunday, December 11th from 11am-2pm

Menu:

– Mediterranean Lentil Soup
– Chicken Tagine
– Easy Moroccan Salad
– No-Knead Bread

Tickets can be found on our website here

More about the venue:

Art’s Place is a history rich event venue located in downtown Hutchinson. The space has 4 unique spaces that provide a palette for intimate events. Owned & managed by Compass Occasions. https://compassoccasions.com/arts-place/

Bite-Sized Breakfast Egg Cups at Farmers Market

August 31, 2022 By Morgan

Last weekend, we were invited to our local Farmers Market to do a cooking demonstration. We made bite-sized breakfast egg cups. Everyone wanted the recipe, but there really isn’t one. It’s whatever you have in the fridge plus eggs and cheese.

The Hutchinson Farmers Market is Wednesdays from 2:30-5:30p and Saturdays from 8a-12p and runs through Saturday, October 29th. To learn more visit their website.

Process:

Dice veggies, sauté over medium heat with a little oil (I used Pam spray, I find that with eggs it’s the best for nonstick outcomes, but I prefer olive oil, I have tried other brands than Pam and they just don’t perform as well).
Whisk eggs, cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper on the side (you can add milk, cream, or water to the eggs, but I did not).
Pour egg mixture over sautéd veggies, add a healthy-sized dollop of your favorite salsa, stir everything together.
Once eggs are almost done, sprinkle on cheese. Let melt.
Spoon into tortilla chip cups (we used Tostito Scoops, but there are others out there), don’t assemble too early or they’ll get soggy and cold).
If you’re not serving a crowd, you can put them into regular corn or flour tortillas for breakfast tacos. That’s what I normally do, but that is not ideal in a cooking demo.
Ideas for veggies: peppers, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, tomatoes, fresh herbs like dill and cilantro … basically anything you’d like in an omelette.

a vertically framed photograph shows a close up near overhead view of a clay coyote small skillet that is filled with diced vegetables. the skillet takes up almost the entirety of the photograph, yet the handle is still out of frame. the small skillet is sitting on a silver portable gas cooking burner. near the upper left corner of the photograph is part of a green pepper and part of a white onion. there is a part of a dark cutting cutting board and part of a large chefs knife visible. near the upper right corner is a clay coyote large tray, glazed in zappa. the tray is only partially visible with less then half of it in the photograph. the tray, the knife, the cutting board, the pepper and onion are all out of focus. the photograph is well lit with natural light

a vertically framed photograph shows a high angle, near overhead view of 3 pieces of clay coyote pottery being used to prepare an egg and diced vegetable dish. there is a clay coyote mixing bowl half full of beaten raw eggs resting on a black cutting board. the cutting knife is resting next to the mixing bowl and is also on the cutting board. the mixing bowl is near the upper left corner of the photograph. the bottom half of the photograph is taken up by the focal point of the photograph, a clay coyote small skillet filled with diced vegetables. the small skillet is resting on a silver portable cooking burner. near the upper right corner of the photograph a clay coyote large tray glazed in zappa can be partially seen. there isn't really anything in the tray, it appears to have a couple small pieces of diced vegetables in it. in between or near the mixing bowl and large tray are part of an onion, part of a green pepper, a whole green pepper and an out of focus egg carton. there are no eggs visible in the open egg carton.

a vertically framed photograph shows an overhead view of a clay coyote mixing bowl pouring raw scrambled eggs into a clay coyote small skillet that is already partially filled with finely cut up vegetables. there are red, green and yellow peppers, onions, fresh herbs and tomatoes cut to very similar sizes. the egg mixture is in process of being poured into the vegetable mixture. there is a small amount of raw scrambled egg already in the small skillet, with a majority still in the mixing bowl. there is a wooden handled, teal silicone spatula sitting in the egg mixture that is forming in the small skillet. the silicone head of the spatula has some of the vegetable mixture the mixing bowl is only partially visible in the upper left corner of the photograph, with a lot of it cut out of frame. near the top center of the photograph is a clay coyote large tray. the tray is only partially visible, with only the lower right corner and handle visible.

a vertically framed photograph shows a few clay coyote pottery pieces being used to to make and present small tortilla cups filled with a scrambled egg and diced vegetable mixture. near middle left side is a clay coyote small skillet filled with the scrambled egg and dice vegetable mixture. the small skillet is sitting on a gold and silver portable cooking burner. in the small skillet is a wooden handled silicon headed spatula, the spatula head is teal. in the lower right corner of the photograph is the sheath for a chefs knife. behind the small skillet resting on the picnic table is a clay coyote large tray glazed in zappa. the tray is filled with small tortilla chip cups filled with the egg scramble. near the upper left corner on the left side of the photograph, part of a clay coyote mixing bowl can be seen. it is less then half visible, it is resting on a dark cutting board with a chefs knife sitting nearby. the photograph is well lit by natural light.

a vertically framed photograph shows a clay coyote large tray that is being used to serve cup shaped tortilla chips filled with an scrambled egg mixture. The tray is glazed in zappa, with only one handle visible, as one end is out of frame. the scrambled egg mixture has red and green vegetables mixed into the eggs, they are small enough that they are not easily identifiable. further away from the camera is a portable cooking burner. the burner has been used with a clay coyote small skillet to make the egg and vegetable mixture that is filling all the tortilla cups. there is a good amount of the scrambled egg mixture still in the small skillet. the large tray and the burner/small skillet are all sitting on a wooden picnic style table with large planks visible making up the table top. on the very left side of the photograph, mostly cut out of frame is a small stack of white paper napkins. the very corner of a clay coyote little dipper can be seen on top of the napkin pile. only one corner of the square style little dipper can be seen, as the rest is cut out of frame like the napkin pile.

Pottery Used in This Recipe:

Flameware Skillet
Mixing Bowl with Whisk (shown in Joe’s Blues)
Standard Tray (shown in Zappa)
Card holder is our Little Dipper (Shown in Mocha Swirl, and available in the Gallery in every glaze color combo)

Meet Sylvie Bigar, Author of Cassoulet Confessions: Food, France and the Stew that saved my Soul

August 29, 2022 By Morgan

It was just about two years ago that I had the opportunity to meet Sylvie Bigar, the author of Cassoulet Confessions: Food, France and the Stew that saved my Soul published by Hardie Grant.

Together, we shared a love of food, travel, and pottery. This September, we’re launching a new take on our cassole form. It’s a nod to the vessel that Sylvie’s cassoulet master uses in the Occitanie region of Southern France.

We’ve tried the recipes included in the book and you will love them! On September 13th, you can purchase Sylvie’s new book and the cassole. Both the book and the cassole will be available in the Gallery and online.

Read more about Sylvie’s story below:

When food and travel writer Sylvie Bigar accepted an apparently anodyne assignment on cassoulet, France’s ancestral bean and meat stew, she could not have known that she was about to jump into a rabbit hole that would lead her miles away from her upper-crust childhood in Switzerland, and force her to reckon with her identity and her own dramatic family history.

Today more than ever, we recognize the magical power of taste. From Proust’s madeleine to the cozy sense of comfort yielded by a sip of chicken soup, we let emotions transport us back in time, but even orange blossoms can taste bittersweet and Sylvie’s first cassoulet bite somehow carries her to the gilded mansion of the dysfunctional childhood she’s spent decades trying to forget.

Cassoulet Confessions, a poignant gourmand memoir, traces Sylvie’s journey through the stunning French countryside near Carcassonne, as she learns the deeper meaning of authentic cassoulet from her culinary guru. As the book vacillates between generational family drama and Sylvie’s gastronomic training, the reader is engulfed in the simmering smells of the French kitchen, then suddenly thrown in the front seat of the family car, her schizophrenic sister at the wheel.

This manuscript is a sensual experience extolling the pain of hunger for home and authentic, sumptuous food along the dramatic backdrop of Sylvie’s Jewish family. Her poetic and deceptively simple prose offers an immersive experience, both delicious and terrifying at the same time.

A literary feast, you will want to place this book on your shelves right next to the beloved Language of Baklava by Diana Abu Jaber, Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, Gabrielle Hamilton’s Blood, Bones & Butter and the works of Ruth Reichl.

Award-winning food and travel writer Sylvie Bigar was born in Geneva, Switzerland, and is based in New York City. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, Food & Wine, Forbes.com, Saveur, Bon Appetit, Food Arts, Departures, Travel & Leisure, Town & Country, National Geographic Traveler, Gotham, Hamptons, Time Out New York, Air Canada, Passport Magazine, Narratives, Southampton Press, and New York Resident, for which she has also served as food editor. In French, Sylvie has contributed to Le Figaro Magazine, Histoire magazine, Le Temps and FrenchMorning.com.

In 2020, Her uncle died with the French Resistance, and she had to visit the spot for the Washington Post won a New York Press Club Journalism Award in the Travel Writing for a newspaper category. In 2018, Departures magazine’s Hunting Gooseneck Barnacles on Vancouver Island won the bronze award from the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation for Best Culinary Travel. Back in 2016, French Cassoulet, an Obsession boils over for the Washington Post won a gold Travelers’ Tales Solas Award for Best Travel Writing in the food and travel category.

Sylvie co-authored Chef Daniel Boulud’s definitive cookbook, Daniel: My French Cuisine (Grand Central, 2013) as well as Living Art: Style Your Home with Flowers with floral artist and designer Olivier Giugni (Atria, 2010). Her New York Times essay about Aimé Césaire, “Beneath Martinique’s Beauty, guided by a Poet” was published in Footsteps, a curated collection of the New York Times’ travel column.