dsm Dish - August 29, 2025

Mrs. Baxendale's old-school rolls

By Mary Jane Miller

Lunch ladies get a bad rap. On “Saturday Night Live,” Adam Sandler once sang about a lunch lady, played by Chris Farley, who fell in love with Sloppy Joe. In “The Simpsons,” lunch lady Doris isn’t exactly glamorous.

But I have a different memory of the lunch ladies at Indianola’s Emerson Elementary School in the 1970s. When I was in third grade, I had to take medicine on a full stomach, so mid-morning, the school nurse sent me to the cafeteria kitchen for a carton of milk. I clearly remember sitting on a chair by the milk cooler, sipping my milk while the lunch ladies in their white dresses and hairnets stood around a table topped by an enormous mound of dough. They laughed and gossiped while they shaped rolls. They seemed to be having a lot of fun. And everyone loved those rolls — golden brown, pillowy soft, baked fresh and served warm with real government butter.

Most of the food they served was plain — not bad, but not memorable — but the baked goods were legendary. They made cinnamon rolls and served them with chili, a tradition unique to the Midwest, and everyone loved their peanut butter bars with chocolate frosting.

Every morning, my mother would turn on KBAB radio while we ate breakfast. We all paid attention whenever we heard the voice of Mrs. Pauline Baxendale (pictured), who led the school lunch program for a dozen years and read the daily menu over the radio. Her words helped us decide whether or not to pack a lunch.

The recipe for those pillowy rolls was hers, but it was shared all over town, and I still make them every Thanksgiving for my family. She passed away in 1997, but I recently found a note she wrote in a local cookbook called “Favorites from Warren County Kitchens”: “This dough can also be used for cinnamon rolls, butterhorns, etc.”

Hmm … maybe I’ll make a pot of chili for dinner.

Find the recipe in all its glory online at dsmdish.com.

Contributing writer Mary Jane Miller of Indianola has worked as a food writer, chef, cooking teacher and food scientist for various clients, including Betty Crocker, the Food Network, Pillsbury, Target and the Minnesota Governor’s Residence.

Quick Bites

Honeycrisp apples are ripe for picking at Wilson's Orchard in Cumming and the Berry Patch in Nevada. The Berry Patch, which has new owners after a half century, happens to have some of the state’s oldest Honeycrisp trees, which were developed in the 1960s at the University of Minnesota and released to the public in the 1990s. Over the years, the patented variety known for its sweet-tart flavor and juicy crunch has made millions of dollars for the U of M.

Black Cat Ice Cream plans to open a new location at 1301 Locust St., in the space formerly occupied by Ritual Cafe. Owner Alex Carter gets the keys to new spot on Sept. 1 and plans to open it sometime this fall, according to the Des Moines Register.

AccessiBeer, a beer-tasting event with optional blindfolds, is set for Sept. 25 at Big Grove Brewery. Guests will get a chance to touch, smell and compare hop varieties with guidance from brewer Connor Heckler. Proceeds from the ticketed event benefit the Iowa Radio Reading Information Service, which provides services and support for visually impaired Iowans across the state.

Ballet Des Moines plans to host a pair of “Savor the Senses” dinners, in partnership with the Harkin Institute, the Iowa School for the Deaf, Value Inclusion and IRIS. The multisensory programs on Sept. 11 and Nov. 9 will feature three-course dinners, remarks from ballet company leaders and previews of upcoming performances of “The Nutcracker” and “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.”

Events

Sept. 5 and 7: The Plant Life Pizza Picnic offers seasonal wood-fired pizzas in the expertly grown gardens of Plant Life Designs. Chef Jacob Schroeder of Crafted Food Services will be manning the pizza oven, turning out personal pizzas all evening.

Sept. 13: Learn how to make sausage during a workshop at Whippoorwill Creek Farm. dsm went last summer and had a meaty, mighty fine time.

Sept. 14: Self-Help International’s farm-to-table dinner at Mohs Barn in Winterset features a three-course menu with sweet potatoes and corn — staple crops in Ghana and Nicaragua, where the Self-Help works to fight hunger. Proceeds from the dinner support the nonprofit’s programs in farming, women’s empowerment, clean water and education.

Sept. 21: Picnic Theater: “Agrimusic” at the Wallace Farm in Orient features a farm-fresh picnic and a concert by the local musician and Iowa historian Seth Hedquist.

Sept. 26: The Dahlias in Bloom Dinner at PepperHarrow offers five courses with wine pairings in the middle of the flower fields.

Sept. 27-28: Iowa’s Latino Heritage Festival returns to Western Gateway Park for another weekend of music, culture and food from Central and South America.

Don't sleep on these four breakfast spots

By Karla Walsh

Whether you have time just for a pit stop or want to make a day of it, there’s a breakfast boom happening in Central Iowa. Here are five restaurants to check out.

Early Bird
With pages of sweet and savory options including cinnamon roll pancakes, biscuits and gravy-inspired pot pie, and avocado toast with whipped ricotta and poached eggs, it would take dozens of visits to make your way through the menu. Classics like egg white omelets and fluffy French toast as well as over-the-top creations like bloody Mary cocktails garnished with a chicken sandwich (yes, this exists!) mean there’s something for every diet and craving.

Aim to be an early bird to beat the crowd. All three Des Moines locations can get popular on Saturday mornings. 401 E. Court Ave. in Des Moines, 9250 University Ave. in West Des Moines and 1520 S. Ankeny Blvd. in Ankeny.

5 Borough Bagels
As much as we’d love for every day to start with a sit-down breakfast, our lives don’t always allow for that, which is where this bagel shop comes in. Fast and available for pre-order, the scratch-made bagel sandwiches, biscuits, scones, breakfast wraps and coffee drinks can be enjoyed on the go.

It’s affordable, too: All menu items (including the piled-high Empire bagel sandwich with cream cheese, bacon, sausage, ham, egg and three cheeses) ring up at $9.95 or less. 13435 University Ave. in Clive, 11101 Plum Drive in Urbandale, and a bakery at 272 W. Hickman Road in Waukee.

Crêperie Viva La Crêpe
Enjoy a taste of Paris in the heart of West Des Moines at this family-friendly cafe. Showcasing an expansive mix of sweet and savory toppings, the crepes steal the show (although coffee, soups and salads are also available). For a lighter option, try one filled with fruit jam or sauteed veggies and feta. If you’ve got a larger appetite, try the quesadilla-esque steak or pork al pastor crêpeadillas.

For dessert, ask for yours adorned with Oreo cookies and ice cream or Kit Kat candy bars and cream cheese. 9250 University Ave. in West Des Moines.

The Breakfast Club
For a weekend or holiday, you can’t do much better than a long, lingering and possibly boozy meal at this Des Moines hot spot. The menu is nostalgic with a twist, featuring recipes like angel food cake French toast, a Southwestern-spiced Juan Denver omelet, and a fried pineapple and ham-crowned Hawaiian eggs Benedict. Elvis — a brioche breakfast sandwich stuffed with peanut butter, bacon, banana and honey — is even invited to the party. Pair any of the above with a mimosa flight or a classic espresso or cappuccino. 212 E. Third St. in Des Moines, 1465 S.W. Park Square Drive in Ankeny, and 5525 Mills Civic Parkway in West Des Moines.

This story has been updated from its original version published in September 2021.

If you took our recent survey about dsm Dish, thank you very much. We appreciate your feedback and are happy to announce that five lucky respondents won our drawing for $50 apiece. Congratulations to Creighton Cox, Naomi Hamlett, Sandra Jennings-Hammond, Jimmy Olsen and Jeni Sundermeyer!

But wait, there’s more: Please take a moment to complete a fresh new survey about dsm Restaurant Week, which just wrapped up last weekend. Even if you didn’t visit any of this year’s 37 participating restaurants, we still encourage you to share your 2 cents.