dsmWeekly: April 13, 2021

Enjoy a high-end charcuterie board with sides, dessert and sparkling wine from Hy-Vee at our next dsm Dinner Party at 7 p.m. on April 29.

GRAB A DEAL FOR OUR NEXT DINNER PARTY

Truly, it's an offer you can't refuse: Spend just $40 and get $110 worth of top-end food and drinks—including two Riedel wine glasses—for our next dsm virtual dinner party, which will be April 29 at 7 p.m. to unveil the May/June issue.

Specifically, the deal includes a high-end charcuterie board created by sponsor Hy-Vee. It will feature Columbus hot soppressata cheese, Columbus Italian dry salami, Stonewall Kitchen traditional pub-style mustard, Safie's dill pickled beans and BellaVitano Gold hard cheese. Top things off with gourmet chocolate and red velvet cheesecakes, along with mini prosecco sparkling wine. Our sponsor NCMIC, celebrating its 75th year in business, is providing a bottle of Seyval Blanc from Covered Bridges Winery. Enjoy that wine in the Riedel glasses, also compliments of NCMIC.

Hosted by Deidre DeJear, Karla Walsh and the dsm team, the event also will include a sneak peek at the May/June issue.

Don't miss out on this incredible deal! Packages are limited, so reserve your spot now. Pickup is from 4 to 6 p.m. on April 29 at the West Des Moines Mills Civic Hy-Vee (555 S. 51st St.).

A holiday treat from Schonert's Patisserie, one of the 26 food businesses in Kitchen Spaces.

KITCHEN SPACES ALLOWS EATERIES TO THRIVE

Writer: Karla Walsh

Bob Mulvihill is no newbie when it comes to owning a food business. In fact, he’s operated a food trailer for about a decade.

“I was selling food from the trailer, but I hated cooking on it," he says. "I couldn’t make food in bulk very easily because of all the constraints of a mobile unit, like limited space, lack of a dishwasher and need for a generator for power."

When the building at 1139 24th St. became available a few years ago, Mulvihill bought it because he owns rental properties nearby and didn’t want a noisy tenant. But he connected the dots and decided to open Kitchen Spaces in summer 2019 as a rentable shared cooking space for many different types of culinary businesses: food trucks, ghost kitchens, those just testing out a concept, or individuals who lead cooking classes or film culinary videos.

“It’s been fun watching businesses flourish and watching clients become friends and work together,” says Mulvihill, who promotes the partner brands on the Kitchen Spaces Facebook page. From established names, like barbecue legend Moe Cason, to up-and-comers, like the vegan Baked Kind, there’s something to cure every craving.

Even though there are 26 businesses operating out of Kitchen Spaces, Mulvihill says they have room for more: “We have four kitchens for rent 24 hours per day so we usually have space available,” he adds.

Keep reading online for the impressive lineup of brands that are currently cooking at Kitchen Spaces.

HOME DESIGN SPOTLIGHT
A CLEAN AND WHITE KITCHEN MAKEOVER

“We reworked the floor plan and created a concept for the kitchen that involved removing an existing pantry, adding three new windows, creating an island with seating, and building a new built-in breakfast nook for casual meals with [the clients'] two children,” Lare says of the project.

A professional range and built-in refrigerator are two of the high-end amenities that add function. And a variety of white tones play off the warm oak floors, making the space feel casual and airy.

This project was an entry to dsm’s inaugural Home Design Awards, announced March 9. See the winning projects at dsmhomedesignawards.com.

Robert John Ford is helping organize a traveling musical this summer with the cast of "Utopia," a story he created.

ENJOY A SUMMER OF LOCAL THEATER

Local theater companies have announced summer shows over the past week. Here are a few to put on your calendar.

"Utopia —The Iowa Musical Revue!": Created by Robert John Ford (read our 2018 feature on him here), "Utopia" features original sketches and songs that celebrate the people and traditions of Iowa. In July and August, you can reserve a time for the cast to come to your lawn and perform. Organizers say "it’s a great way to entertain your friends while supporting (fully vaccinated!) theatre artists." See available time slots here.

Summer Tent Theatre: Des Moines Community Playhouse last week announced a Summer Tent Theatre series, for which it will present three shows—"Godspell," "Plaza Suite" and "Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical"—in its east parking lot in July and August. Performances will be shown in repertory, meaning they'll alternate weekends. Secure tickets online (hover over the tickets menu, then hover over single tickets) or by calling 515-277-6261.

"A Love Offering": While not performed outside, this show, a collaboration between Des Moines Community Playhouse and Pyramid Theatre, will have both in-person and virtual performances. "A Love Offering" tells the story of a nurse's aide dealing with patients with dementia and Alzheimer's. But an incident with a patient tests relationships and trust. Find more information here.

The Des Moines Symphony is performing virtual shows at the Temple for Performing Arts as a part of its Live from the Temple series. Photo: Des Moines Symphony

SYMPHONY PRESENTS 'FIREWORKS AND FANFARE'

The Des Moines Symphony's virtual season continues at 7 p.m. Thursday with "Fireworks and Fanfare," performed at the Temple for Performing Arts. The show will showcase "exhilarating brass and percussion music bursting with modern fanfares and solemn, stirring chorales," according to the Symphony.

George Handel, Katy Abbott, Anthony DiLorenzo, Einojuhani Rautavaara and Astro Piazzolla are some of the composers featured. Admission to the virtual showing is $20.

This one-pan pork tenderloin and roasted veggies from Brandy Leuders of the Grateful Chef is easy to prep and packed with flavor.

DAY-OFF DINNERS WITH LOCAL CHEFS

In the March/April issue, we featured three chefs and what they make at home on their days off. Here's one idea, from Brandy Leuders with the Grateful Chef:

At home, Leuders likes to keep meal preparation simple.

“I’m no different from the typical Grateful Chef customer in that I like to turn my oven on, enjoy a glass of wine and time with my family, and pull out my meal with little fuss,” says Leuders, who saw her take-and-bake meal service, located at 1938 S.E. Sixth Street, grow to new levels of popularity in 2020. (Many weeks, the Grateful Chef menus sold out in the first 30 minutes of preorders.)

Leuders and her two sons, Ethan, 14, and Oliver, 12, like to make days off an all-day affair. She enjoys starting her days around 7 a.m. with a cup of coffee. “I put on some music, a podcast or a book on Audible and clean up the house casually while enjoying my mug,” she says. “I generally never schedule anything on my day off and have been known to not even get out of my PJs, and that’s just the way I like it.

“My boys usually sleep in until at least noon, so I enjoy the quiet time before they get up,” Leuders adds. “Once they do, I know they’ll be hungry, so I usually make homemade French toast or avocado toast for us.”

Leuders admits she got lucky to have kids who actually enjoy eating their vegetables, and all three rave about this easy, one-pan meal. “It’s healthy, colorful and requires very little prep,” she says.

Find the recipe and read what other local chefs make during their days off here.