dsmWeekly: April 26, 2023

At Crème, the peanut butter and Cheez-It cookies will transport you back in time to the school lunchroom. Photo: Crème.

FOOD AND DINING

Can cheddar get better? Three riffs on a classic.

Writer: Karla Walsh

In a typical year, Iowa dairies produce more than 300 million pounds of cheese. That's about 100 pounds for every Iowan.

Obviously, there are plenty of tried-and-true ways to consume it — on a cheese board, atop a pizza, in a grilled cheese sandwich, or just on its own — but three local chefs have recently cooked up some new ideas. Their recipes use cheddar, but we can confirm: They’re pretty gouda.

Peanut Butter and Cheez-Its Cookie at Crème
Way back when, even the worst school days turned around when we found those Keebler peanut butter-filled cheddar cracker sandwiches inside our brown-bag lunches. Crème owner Sammy Mila felt the same way about the weird but wonderful flavor combo and developed a cookie recipe with those snacks in mind. “My funky new cookie is everything you love (or hate that you love) about those tiny cheese cracker-peanut butter sandwich cookies, but in full cookie form. It’s sweet, salty, a little umami and a lot of perfection,” Mila said of the cookie that debuted in February at the bakery just off Ingersoll Avenue. “I love to touch on nostalgia, and this cookie is that for me.” Same here, Sammy.

Spicy Better Cheddar Spread at Sisters in Cheese
Speaking of nostalgia, we’ve loved Better Cheddars ever since they showed up in the 1980s. More recently, the crackers inspired the Sisters in Cheese to whip up a new Southern-style pimento dip at their shop in Madrid. When co-owner Chelsea Johnson’s friend from Mississippi tried a sample of the original batch, “she said we’d nailed the Southern recipe and shared her mom's cheese ball-adjacent recipe in exchange,” Johnson said. Declaring it even better than her own cheese dip, Johnson scaled up the party-size formula to offer half-pints and pints for retail at the shop. She said that with its shredded cheddar, mayo, a secret blend of spices (including cayenne pepper), chives and roasted chopped pecans, “it was an immediate hit.”

"It's Corn" Wrap at Scenic Route
For a hot minute in 2022, a kid named Tariq made waves on TikTok with a catchy song about corn on the cob. Well, the earworm lives on, and it creeps back into our brains whenever we order its namesake wrap at the East Village eatery. The popular lunch item showcases Mexican-style elote corn spread with chicken, black beans, red peppers and pepper jack, all rolled into a cheddar jalapeño tortilla.

Feelin’ cheesy? Share your favorite fromage-filled dishes, from local restaurants or your own kitchen, on our Facebook page.

Chiyo Nishida and Cameron Miller perform in "SHE," which Ballet Des Moines opens Thursday at the Des Moines Civic Center's Stoner Theater.

PLAN YOUR WEEKEND
‘SHE’ premieres at Stoner Theater

Award-winning choreographers Shannon Alvis, Jennifer Archibald and Stephanie Martinez showcase their artistry in Ballet Des Moines’ show called “SHE.” The triple bill explores themes of identity, belonging and self-expression in the intimate Stoner Theater at the Des Moines Civic Center.

Thursday’s opening performance is sold out, but tickets are available for the performances at 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, as well as the 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday. Each performance begins with a discussion about leadership, community and inclusion led by the choreographers and several local women leaders.

PLAN YOUR WEEKEND

Benny Benack III Quartet (7:30 p.m. Friday, Temple Theater): The award-winning trumpeter and vocalist performs a '30s-era jazz program to wrap up the Civic Music Association’s current season. He has performed around the world, including many of New York’s famous jazz clubs.

“Air Play” visual poem (11 a.m. Saturday, Des Moines Civic Center): Watch the very air we breathe become a prop and a character in this unusual mashup — part circus, part theater, part kinetic sculpture. Balloons, sheets of fabric and even human-made snow create airborne visuals in a story of siblings who discover “the land of air.” The all-ages show, which has toured worldwide, was created by circus performers Seth Bloom and Christina Gelsone in collaboration with kinetic sculptor Daniel Wurtzel.

Vino in the Village (1-6 p.m. Saturday, East Village): Spend the afternoon sampling and shopping during this Winefest event. Equipped with a map and a tasting glass, participants will find wine vendors offering samples at several East Village stores. And if the wine tour whets your appetite, you can take advantage of post-event specials at 503 Cocktail Lab & Tasting Room, Alba, HoQ, Franka Pizzeria and Purveyor.

Brews and Bites (11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, Outlets of Des Moines): If you prefer beer, find craft brews, food trucks and live music this weekend in Altoona. Firetrucker Brewery, Confluence Brewing Co. and others will sell their brews among several food trucks, including What the Fries and Big Mama’s Bistro. Musicians Andrew Hoyt, Royce Johns and Nicholas Sinclair will perform during the day. Admission is free.

NOTEWORTHY NEWS
Magazine awards: Your favorite local magazine, dsm, recently landed on the City and Regional Magazine Association’s list of finalists for the 2023 CRMA Awards. Among 175 finalists representing 32 magazines from across the country, dsm received a nod for “general excellence” and another for our annual Inclusion issue, which celebrates diversity in Central Iowa. Wish us luck: The winners will be announced June 5 during at CRMA’s annual conference in Baltimore.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Books wanted: The annual “Stuff the Bus” book drive for children is set for May 23. Organized by the United Way of Central Iowa, with Athene and EY, the project aims to collect books from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Athene headquarters, 7700 Mills Civic Parkway, for distribution to partners and programs helping kids in need. The greatest need is for early childhood books. Check out the wish list and shopping guide for details about donating books or money.

Plugged in: Lisa Irey manages technology for Des Moines Public Schools. Photo: Duane Tinkey

PEOPLE
Meet tech trailblazer Lisa Irey

Writer: James Augustus Baggett

Lisa Irey was named director of technology for Des Moines Public Schools last August and is responsible for ensuring that students and staff at all 65 locations throughout the district can plug in to online resources.

“Our network, at any given time throughout the day, supports 80,000 to 100,000 devices connected to it at once,” Irey said. “We support about 32,000 students and 4,700 staff.”

Irey, who identifies as nonbinary/trans-masculine, is the first openly transgender leader at Des Moines Public Schools. They hope their role as a leader will provide representation for LGBTQ students and staff in the district.

“As a kid, I never saw anyone like me in leadership or important roles as a model,” they told dsm for a recent profile. “It’s important that someone who identifies as queer and trans serves our district at its highest levels.

“LGBTQ youth have enough to struggle with,” they added. “When they come to school, they shouldn’t have to struggle. They should be free to be themselves, affirmed and validated, so that they can then be able to focus on their learning.”