Hello everyone! Welcome to today’s Twitterview with @TwinCities_Live field reporter and lover of hot weather, @emilyengberg!

Emily:    thanks! So excited! Yes, the hotter the better!

Q – #1    So @EmilyEngberg, you grew up in Iowa. Could you go through your life-route from Iowa to how you ended up in MN?

Emily:    I went to Arizona State’s Cronkite School. After graduation I worked as an interim news director at a radio station.

from there, got my first tv gig at WGEM in Quincy, IL. Worked there as anchor and reporter for about 4 1/2 years.

Eventually, made my way to Milwaukee to anchor and report before my gig as TCL reporter!

If I understand correctly @emilyengberg, didn’t you follow somebody at @kstp from Milwaukee?

Yep! @rebekahwoodMN and I worked together in WI!

Q – #2    That’s awesome! What interested you in news and reporting, and when did you know that’s what you wanted to do in life?

Emily:    I just always loved tv news and entertainment from the time I was young. I just knew I was going to do it.

I even used school projects to act like I was reporting and on tv…my poor classmates!

Q – #3    Now THAT’S commitment! :) Did you ever get to meet Walter Cronkite? How long have you been with @TwinCities_Live?

Emily:    yes! I met Walter Cronkite on a couple of occasions! He was great. Very hands on.

Walter Cronkite really got to know his students and was interested in learning about us….not telling us about him.

he was an amazing talent,such a great man to look up to. He taught us a lot. I have been with TCL for two years in Nov.

Q – #4    What a great opportunity for you! You have covered a TON of events and done numerous segments. Some favorites?

Emily:    I’m so lucky! I love my gig! I would have to say one of my favorite assignments was going to Cancun

swimming with dolphins, zip lining in jungle, and snorkeling in the ocean. Pretty memorable!!!

Q – #5    When you’re not on TV, what kind of interests or hobbies do you have that you enjoy doing?

Emily:    I travel a lot with my hubby @Dustin_lee. He’s a talented singer/songwriter so it’s fun to go watch him perform.

I also love taking my father/daughter trips to NYC with my dad. And…love eating desserts around town!

I have a major addiction to sweets. :)

Q – #6    On that note. . . FAVORITE(s) Restaurant, store, comfort food, dessert, recent book or movie and MSP neighborhood.

Emily:    I am terrible at movie watching.Don’t even remember the last time I went. I don’t think I’ve been to a movie here!

favorite restaurants:@nectarbistro in Osseo. Best food I’ve had here. Love @salutgrand and Happy Gnome in St. Paul.

There are so many others, but those are my main hang outs.

fav dessert if had to pick one…Lemon Tart from @salutgrand.

comfort food: @forknroadtruck and their awesome pulled pork grilled cheese sandwich. So good!!!!!

Q – #7    You got that right about @forknroadtruck! :)  Cool comment too about you and your Dad NYC trips! Any trips this summer?

Emily:    dad and I are hoping to go back to NYC in the next month or so. Also planning a trip to my old stomping grounds in AZ.

Q – #8    Do you miss doing hard-news at all? Any personal or professional goals that you hope to achieve soon?

Emily:    I don’t miss hard news, but I am so grateful for the experience and I learned from the best at the Cronkite school.

I’m so lucky to enjoy coming to work everyday at @twincities_live. I love my job! It’s work, but the best kind!

my goal is to keep getting better and to continue to work hard and challenge myself. Who knows what the future holds!

@JoelECarlson:    Thank you very much @emilyengberg for your time and comments today! More fun/crazy stuff on @TwinCities_Live this week for you?

Emily:    thank YOU! Watch @twincities_live today to see my @Martinamcbride interview!

Hello everyone! Welcome to today’s Food-Friday Twitterview featuring @wphsu as today’s guest. Lets get cooking!

Will:    Thanks for inviting me to be part of your Food-Friday Twitterview. I’m excited to get started!

Q – #1    So @wphsu, share with everyone following today, where did you grow up and go to school?

Will:    I grew up in Wausau, WI and worked the family farm as a kid. I went to undergraduate @UWMadison and later went on for my MBA.

I got my MBA a few years ago at Harvard Business School, proud to be a @UWMadison alum and @HBSAlumni

Q – #2     I see. So after schooling, what did you do and how did you end up in MN?

Will:    After undergrad I started at General Mills in Mpls. They sponsored my MBA @HBSAlumni, I’ve moved around w/ the company.

I’ve been fortunate to live a lot of places, including Boston, Phoenix, Beijing, Taipei, but have loved living here.

Although I will say there is always a soft spot in my heart for Wisconsin and Madison. I still call it “home”.

Q – #3    How then did you get connected with #GenMills, and what’s your role with them?

Will:    There’s a funny story about #GenMills and my start here, too long for Twitter. Suffice it to say, friends working here.

Recruited out of @UWMadison School of Business for #GenMills Finance Leadership Development Program. Still in finance.

I’m currently Sr Finance Manager, Global Financial Systems – Controller’s Dept. A long way of saying, I manage teams.

Our teams are responsible for internal and external financial reporting systems that are used by the company. Exciting.

Q – #4    Lets now move to your blogging activities. How does someone interested in Finance get into food blogging?

Will:    Great question. I started blogging in 2004 before I went to @HBSAlumni and gained a following as a b-school blogger.

After MBA I blogged about work & life, got back into it during wedding planning two years ago with my now wife Jenny.

We had a lot of family internationally that couldn’t attend the wedding, so we used blogging to share things with them.

After the wedding and honeymoon glow subsided, Jenny and I started blogging about cooking at home and dining in the TC.

It’s been crazy to see the growth in social media and blogging, but I’ve also found it to be a wonderful community.

Jenny and I love food and we enjoy sharing it w/ others. So blogging about cooking & dining was just a natural outlet.

Q – #5    Interesting! So your blog has evolved as your life has. What are some recent places that you’ve commented on?

Will:    Yes, I’m sure someday we’ll be the parents blogging about our kids. Recently we’ve been to some of our local favorites.

Some of our recent faves include @HeidisMpls, Restaurant Alma, and Cafe Levain. @AdamVickerman is always cooking.

We try to eat out 2-3x and cook 4-5x a week. Food is always on our minds. For more info blog link: bit.ly/tchaochi

Hardest part about blogging now is that we eat out and cook so often, that are free time is consumed by food. Ironic.

I’m fortunate to work for a great food company that still gives me enough time to pursue other passions in life too.

Q – #6    So you are more of a local restaurant goer as opposed to chain restaurants?

Will:    That’s a softball question! I’m a local convert. Local restaurants, local produce, and more recently local meat.

I’ll eat at local restaurants when I travel, growing up in a rural farming community as a kid, everything is local.

We have so many wonderful restaurants and talented chefs here in the TC, why wouldn’t you eat local? That’s the ? I ask

2 individuals particularly shaped how Jenny and I eat now, Brenda Langton @spoonriver1 & @ScottPampuch @CTKitchentable

I’ve also been influenced & supported by a great group of other "local" #MNFoodBloggers who support the local movement.

Interactions w/ amazing local restaurants, chefs, bloggers and farmers have made us realize how interconnected we are.

Q – #7    More about YOU: Favorite(s) Restaurant, comfort food, vegetable, spice or herb, city to eat in.

Will:    Soapbox off. Favorite local restaurant all-time: Restaurant Alma. @HeidisMpls wasn’t here when I moved to Mpls in 2000.

Fave food: Big steaming bowl of ramen. My wife will laugh when she reads this. She says I can eat noodle soup everyday.

I’m assuming potatoes don’t count as a vegetable. I consider them a starch, where’s that outdated USDA food pyramid.

Favorite spice: Anything red, smoked paprika, chipotle, cayenne, red curry, etc. Hot and spicy is how I like them

Fave eating city: formerly Taipei, but it’s been too long so I don’t know it as well anymore. Recently Penang, Malaysia

Q – #8    To end with, if you could share a meal with any 1 person dead/alive, who would you choose and why?

Will:    I guess I’d have to say I’d like to share a meal with the future POTUS after the next election.

I chose the next President because I don’t think Americans will change eating habits until govt regulations change.

Until then, i’ll just keep doing my own local thing and tweeting with #MNFoodBloggers like you. Keep up the good work.

@JoelECarlson:    Okay. Well thank you @wphsu for your time, comments and prize contribution today. Have a great weekend and enjoy your dinning!

Will:    Thank you for inviting me and having me on #jectv. Look forward to more great conversations with you and others in the future.

Hello, and welcome to today’s Twitterview with my guest @rohnjaymiller. He’s a Minnesota smarty, so we can’t keep him waiting. :)

Q – #1    To start with @rohnjaymiller, where did you grow up, go to school and where have you lived?

Rohn:    I’m from MSP, have a J degree from U of M, earned MFA in film directing at USC in LA + lived mostly in SFO. Back to MSP in 2003.

started an interactive agency in SF in 1993 called Ikonic. We sold to USWeb and I worked at Knight Ridder newspapers as SVP Tech+Product

Q – #2    What’s your #UofM degree in, and what got you interested in film directing?

Rohn:    My degree is in Journalism, and I just had a dream about working in film. USC was a fantastic experience. Lots of friends there

I graduated from film school on a Friday, following Monday started 8 week CD-ROM project and I’ve been in itneractive ever since

Q – #3    After working at Knight Ridder, where did you work next? How did you end up eventually back in Minnesota?

Rohn:    KnightRidder was downsizing and execs were offered great packages. I wanted to start a biz and my wife got a great job at Target

My wife is a fashionista, so we’ve always been in different businesses. But her job allowed me to be more entreprenural.

She’s at Gander Mountain now and I’m sitting in a campsite at the new CoCo in Mpls, building an office here.

Now we have two smart, confident daughters who are growing up in one of the greatest places to be a kid on planet Earth–MSP

Q – #3    Nice situation! Now that you’re with Native Instinct, based in SFO, what kind of projects do you work on? What’s the Flip Cam story?

Rohn:    My partners met the Flip camera people when they were still in the garage start-up. Worked with them for 4 years. Build e-commerce

Native Instinct works with a kind of agile marketing philosophy, which I’m a huge advocate of. Build, meansure, evolve. Don’t assume

I’m currently working with Dell, Wells Fargo and a stealth start-up in Las Vegas. Just wish I had clients in the TC. Great community

My practice is content and social strategy. It’s what Native Instinct didn’t have. Now I spend a lot of time writing and wrangling

Social strategy projects tend to be small, consultative. You’re really there to help the client own social media

Q – #4    Do you feel that your line of work is in a transition period, growth or how would you describe it?

Rohn:    Our biz generally is in steady growth mode, but you have to be changing personally. Social, mobile, fast tech dev are huge changes

And you have to have a POV. Clients won’t hire just expertize. We’re very big on Lean Strategy with agile philosophy

Lean planning will become much better known in the next few years. Don’t spend millions on media with one big campaign. It’s insane

Q – #5    More bang with less bucks? :) @rohnjaymiller Who are some New Media Smarties that you’ve been able to benefit from connecting with?

Rohn:    @farrahbostic @madebymany @neilperkin @paulisakson @adrianho @danielincandela @kipbot All brilliant, decent people who give much

There are many more I could name. I do think the UK agency @madebymany is very, very much worth looking at. Make a note of them

Q – #6    To build ideas and stimulate creativity, blog and book reading is helpful. What have you read lately that you enjoyed?

Rohn:    I vowed to read a book a week this year. So far fairly good. Right now “Making Things Happen” by Scott Belsky.

“Elements of Content Strategy” by @kissane is the Strunk and Whites of content strategy

Also mention Neil Perkins blog “Only Dead Fish” a great weekly compendium of stuff he finds and his posts: http://bit.ly/BfMB3

@Rick_Now and @arainert @leeodden @halvorson all bring a lot to their blogs and posts

And @JoelECarlson :)

Q – #7    More about you: Favorite(s) – Restaurant, store, comfort food, non-tech activity, MSP neighborhood.

Rohn:    I do all the cooking at home! Restaurant Alma run by Alex Roberts is brilliant. Comfort food: I make risotto once a wk. Grilling

Food Network is my daughter’s favorite station. We’re over the moon about “Next Network Food Star!”

Non-tech: I’m nuts about X-country skiing in the deep woods. Great for body and soul, and makes you love the winter.

We live near Kenwood Park, where I go roller skiing in summer. I do fine, but I nearly kill a pedestrian every time I go out!

Q – #8    Warning, @rohnjaymiller crossing signs needed. :) If you could share a meal with any 1 person (dead/alive) who would you pick?

Rohn:    One dinner: Well Jesus would have to top list, Christian or not, just to see what’s true. My hero is Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-NY

Daniel Moynihan was a giant of domestic and foreign policy + many, many “deals” in the US Senate. We miss him now, esp.

Q – #9    Final question, what would you recommend for college students looking to get into your field to learn?

Rohn:    My 15 year old daughter is starting a blog on food in the TC this Fall. I couldn’t be prouder :)

Advice: start blogging now, preferably as part of existing blog. Learn tech and copy editing, but really dive into design strategy

Don’t be afraid of “business strategy” from MBAs. the best business minds go into business and build that brain muscle themselves

Thanks for the interview, @JoelECarlson It’s an honor to be part of a great series.

@JoelECarlson:    No thank YOU! You were LONG overdue as a guest on #jectv! Have your daughter follow the #MNFoodBloggers group too.

Welcome everyone to the Food-Friday Twitterview with my guest @RiaMathew. Set your timer to 1hr and lets get cooking! :)

Q- #1    To start off with, where did you grow up, and what was life like for you there?

Ria:    I grew up in a coastal town, Kannur,in the southern state of Kerala,India. Life out there is very different from here. If you

want to cook locally,everything is available there, but globally,you will have to source your ingredients from other places.

If not for that, my hometown is a beautiful town filled with beaches, coconut trees, historical places and lovely people!

The nature is beautiful and the local food is exotic!

Q – #2    After you finished school, did you attend University? How did you end up coming to Minnesota?

Ria:    After high school, I did my bachelors and masters in a metro called Bangalore. I moved to Minnesota with my husband, Jobin

after our wedding in Feb 2010. I knew I would be moving to another country and I was very excited about every single thing I

would get to experience here! Being a foodie, it was mainly food. All the things I read of and dreamt about were available

here! Starting from cream cheese to sour cream, everything was new to me. I was just like a kid in a candy store every time

we went to a supermarket. Not that things have changed now, it’s just that I have learnt to be a bit sober because I can

always come back to the store for more! In my town, we always had to stock up :) It’s hard to let go of certain old habits :)

Q – #3    What are some of the places you like to shop for food? Any particular farmers market or co-op that you prefer?

Ria:    We usually go to either Cub or Rainbow for our regular grocery shopping but sometimes we go to the Nicollet Mall/Mill City/

Lyndale farmers market. For the Indian groceries, we usually go to Little India on NE Central Ave and also Pooja Grocers on

Lyndale farmers market. For the Indian groceries, we usually go to Little India on NE Central Ave and also Pooja Grocers on

694 and Central. We shop at Lunds & Trader Joes for specific products like their snacks and juice.

Q – #4    Lots of options! Lets now shift to your blogging, what kind of food topics or recipes do you cover?

Ria:    I love having options,Joel! So when I started food blogging, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into. It was my

little brother who introduced me to it. I started off with my favourite Chocolate Biscuit Pudding riascollection.blogspot.com/2011/05/re-vis… as the

as the first recipe. I thought of it as my online diary for storing recipes. Later, when I started reading other blogs,

knowing what they do, I realised my food blog can be seen by others as well! So I decided to blog more on a regular basis.

So now it covers everything I cook at home. It could be Curries,Biriyani’s,Indian pickles,Indian sweets, Cookies, Cakes,

Desserts etc! I am also a part of many blogging groups so I try to participate in it every month, so those recipes are also

featured on my blog.

Q – #5    How long have you been blogging, what’s it called and how did you also get into photography?

Ria:    I have been blogging for the last 2 years and 8 months. My food blog is called as Ria’s Collection, the name I gave for my

recipe diary. In the beginning, it was just random pictures but later I realised the importance of having a recipe

with a good photograph of the dish. So I started paying attention to what I do, how I do it etc. Slowly, I got to learn a lot

about food photography. Last Christmas, my husband gifted me my first ever dSLR camera and I have been having a lot of fun

with it.

I have lots more to learn about food photography which I think I will, eventually!

Q – #6    You Favorite(s): Restaurant, store (retail), comfort food, spice/herb, area of MSP or MN and cookbook.

Ria:    Restaurants: Spill the Wine (love their Gnocchi), Kabobs (for their Biriyani), Loop (Meatloaf Sandwich), Zelo’s (Pollo

Balsamico Pizza), Stores: American Eagle,Saks 5th Avenue,Nordstorm, Macy’s for clothes. For kitchenware I love Kitchen Window

Le Gourmet Chef & Cooks of Crocus Hill. Comfort food:Piping hot rice gruel (Kanji) and Kerala Fish Curry riascollection.blogspot.com/2011/03/meen-v…

Spice: Garam Masala since it has a mix of all my favourite spices. Herb: Cilantro & Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

Area of MSP : Uptown – Lake Calhoun area.

Cookbooks: my Mom’s handwritten cookbook which she gave me after our wedding, Modern Cookery by Thangam E. Philip &

Modern Spice by Monica Bhide.

Q – #7    That’s awesome! To end today, what advice would you give to people considering becoming a food blogger?

Ria:    Believe in yourself and do what you love! You may not become a star over

night but if you have the passion in you , it will take you to many wonderful places!

@JoelECarlson:    Thank you very much for your time and participation today. Stay dry and cool this weekend!

Ria:    Thanks Joel! You have a fun weekend!

@JoelECarlson:    Hello everyone, and please welcome @gailmarksjarvis as my Twitterview guest today. Lets get started!

Q – #1    I’m glad we can make this work this time. :)  So to begin with @gailmarksjarvis, where did you grow up and attend school?

Gail:    I lived in Texas, Chicago, Michigan and Minnesota as a child. High school was in Duluth Mn.

Best memories come from northern Michigan, which had so much snow you sometimes had to dig your way out of a snow-covered door.

I didn’t learn to ski, however, until I was an adult in Minneapolis.

Q – #2    What did you do after High School, and how long did you end up staying in MN?

Gail:    After high school I attended the U of Mn, studied journalism and became a journalist

Q – #3    How did you get interested in the financial world? Where did you get your first start in the news business?

Gail:    When I began journalism, I wanted to cover government and politics. But after doing that in three cities it got old.

I felt I was covering the same stories repeatedly. The places changed, but quotes were the same — political mush.

I decided that if I didn’t understand business I wouldn’t understand thing. So I asked to cover business…eye opening

I covered the auto industry, steel and labor in Wilmington, Del. Then went to USA Today when I moved back to Mn.

Q – #4    When did you transition to being a financial columnist, then an author and speaker?

Gail:    In Mn covered banking, insurance, retailing, airlines; then finally was asked to do a behind the scenes deals column.

Many of those deals meant digging deep into financials and my sources were worldwide. But I was speaking to insiders.

I wanted to help regular people struggling through their financial decisions. So I became a personal finance columnist

Watching people struggle, I decided if I could walk them step by step through basic investing they’d get it. Hence..

….my book, “Saving for Retirement without Living Like a Pauper or Winning the Lottery.”

This sounds like self promotion. But if everyone would read that book, the nation wouldn’t have a retirement crisis.

Q – #5    I think I know then where @rebeccajarvis got some of her skills from. :) Has this recession increased your readership?

Gail:    Yes, @rebeccajarvis was one of my early students….a delightful and smart one…not a bad daughter either.

The book was best-seller the year the market started to tank. I get sweet emails — people say the book saved them.

Q – #6    Worthwhile then for sure! @gailmarksjarvis In your time as a columnist, has this been the most difficult time to direct people?

Gail:    People are still desperate for financial help…debt, investing, housing messes. I try to guide them Wed & Sun

Tough times @JoelECarlson. Seniors are scared — less than 1 % interest on lifetime savings starts to run out.

Boomers are scared @JoelECarlson. 1 in 4 had 90 % of 401(k) in stocks before the crash. And those people lost big pre-retirement

50 somethings can’t get jobs if laid off. They are the ones unemployed for more than 6 months So @JoelECarlson it’s tough

20-somethings get laid off more, but statistically find jobs sooner. But @JoelECarlson they are loaded with student debt.

Q – #7    Ouch! What are 2-3 tips you’d give to people who are struggling financially? Either as Baby-Boomers or Gen-Xers?

Gail:    Well @JoelECarlson the biggest lesson of the last few years: Shocks happen, so you must save for your future when you can.

Everyone in jobs should be saving. They might think it’s hard. But taxes will go up and it will get harder later.

Finally @JoelECarlson. Saving isn’t enough. Investing is critical, and it’s not rocket science to do it well.

Just 50:50 stock & bond index funds work. Some fear stocks now, but the combo worked — first survival; not up.

Q – #8    Lets briefly shift to more about you. Your Favorite: Restaurant, store, comfort food, recent book or article.

Gail:    My downfall: potato chips. But I love a good ethnic restaurants — especially Thai, French. Love creative cooking

Am reading @Dianabhenriques great Madoff book now, and one of my favorites is Nassim Taleb’s Black Swan

As for stores @JoelECarlson. I’m too busy to shop. Plus, covering retailing ruined the fun. I know what pricetags mean.

@JoelECarlson:    Thank you VERY MUCH for your time, comments and financial advice today @gailmarksjarvis! Keep up your great work in helping people!

Gail:    it was a pleasure. Enjoy the summer.

@JoelECarlson:    Hello everyone! Welcome to the Food-Friday Twitterview with my Food Blogging guest @EatDrinkLifeLuv (Lynne). Lets get started!

Lynne:    Hi Joel and everyone in the Twitterverse!

Q – #1    Lets start from the beginning @EatDrinkLifeLuv, where did you grown up and where did you go to school?

Lynne:    Born in Duluth, MN, moved to the Twin Cities about age 6, grew up in St. Anthony Village, went to college @ U of MN.

Q – #2    @EatDrinkLifeLuv Isn’t it Da’lute? :) So what did you study at the #UofMN?

Lynne:    My dad still calls it Da-lute. :) And I still visit both of my lovely grandmas there (one age 86, the other age 91)!

From the U of MN I have a BA in journalism/public relations.

Q – #3    So after college, what kind of work have you done, and who have you worked for?

Lynne:    I worked w/various non-profit orgs for awhile then started my own communications consulting biz 6 years ago

Through http://t.co/iB49a63 I do all types of communications, writing & PR

And a colleague & I just started http://t.co/kan01Jx and are writing web content & working w/business messaging

Q – #4    So you’re saying you have lots of FREE TIME right? j/k  :) What kinds of businesses do you prefer to work with?

Lynne:    I enjoy working w/businesses that will pay me. = ) I REALLY enjoy working with small to med. businesses, esp. locally.

Q – #5    The best kind! :)  Lets now shift attention to you and your blog: @EatDrinkLifeLuv. When did you start it, and what is it’s focus?

Lynne:    When my hubby & I first started dating we were watching @BravoTopChef Masters & started cooking the food ourselves.

What started as a fun Wednesday nite ritual, turned into a blog about one yr. ago when I needed a creative outlet.

I write about our cooking adventures & the restaurants we visit around the country.

Q – #6    So a real family-bonding cooking experience. Do you have some specialties? What cities have you been able to visit?

Lynne:    K & I have definitely become a great team through our cooking/eating experiences!

There are so many foods/recipes to try we almost never cook the same thing twice. We do good gnocchi, pasta & pot pie.

We’ve visited Seattle, Chicago, Atlanta, Vegas & most recently our honeymoon where we ate our way thru New York City.

Q – #7    Share 1 item/meal from each city that you enjoyed.

Lynne:    The tasting menu @ Atlanta’s Woodfire Grill, gorgeous trout amandine @ Bouchon in Vegas, local honey from Seattle…

We ate at Le Bernardin in NYC, but my favorite meal was @ Anita Lo’s Anissa & @Mariobatali Manzo in Eately

Q – #8    It all sounds good! FAVORITES: Restaurant(s), store, comfort food, national chef, recent book or blog.

Lynne:    Our top 3 fave Twin Cities restaurants are: @piccolo_mpls @HeidisMpls and Bar La Grassa. We LUV @pizzanea too.

I don’t like to shop so my fave store is probably @LindenHillsCoop Nat’l chef Jose Andreas = pure entertainment!

Great recent book, “Blood, Bones & Butter” and I dig all of the #MNFoodBloggers blogs! Also Tastespotting.com

Comfort food? My grandma’s homemade yeasty dinner rolls or raisin-y Easter bread.

Q – #9    If you could invite 1 person (dead/alive) for a meal with you, who would you invite, and why?

Lynne:    Maybe @Mariobatali Rumor has it a meal with him is a joyful party with never ending, amazing food & free-flowing wine.

Or maybe @NeilTyson so I could learn anything & everything about space. It would be a fascinating meal!

@JoelECarlson:    Well thank you @EatDrinkLifeLuv for your time and comments today on #jectv! Have a great weekend, and keep on cookin’!

Lynne:    Thanks Joel! Have a great weekend!

@JoelECarlson:    Welcome to today’s Twitterview of @minnesotalynx starting Forward, @twin1532 (Rebekkah Brunson)!

Rebekkah:    hello everyone

Q – #1    To start off with @twin1532, how does it feel to be the Western Conference Player of the Month for June in the @wnba?

Rebekkah:    it feels amazing to have a great individual and team start and to be acknowledged for both

Q – #2    I’d imagine so! Congratulations! :)  Lets go back to the beginning. When did you first get interested in basketball?

Rebekkah:    Thank you!! I started playing organized when i was about 13. Before then I still enjoyed the game, just wasn’t focused in

Q – #3    I see. Did you have some favorite players that you enjoyed watching play basketball? Any good mentors or coaches?

Rebekkah:    I didn’t start watching the game until college!! But luckily I have encounters tons of good coaches n mentors

throughout college and am continuing to grow in the

Q – #4    Once you started playing organized games, did you ever have times when you wondered if you’d continue to play? Give up.

Rebekkah:    I used to say I would stop when it became a job lol. It is work but I realized even that didn’t take away the fun #jectv lol

Q – #5    Good perspective! So where did you play college ball, and how was the wnba draft night for you?

Rebekkah:    Georgetown!!! Draft night was unreal. I was able to sit and watch my dreams, and many others dreams come true!!

Q – #6    You were selected 10th by Sacramento in the @wnba draft. Had you ever been to SAC? How did your 6 seasons there go for you?

Rebekkah:    I had never been away from the DC metro area and was anxious about having to leave and travel to the west

but once I got there I fell in love. It has become a second home to me. I loved my 6 seasons there

Q – #7    Good for you. Now in 2009, you were part of a dispersal draft. Were you anxious again, or were you better at handling it?

Rebekkah:    by this time I have traveled all over the world. though I was sad,I was excited for a new situation and what lay ahead

Q – #8    Awesome! You were selected 2nd by the @minnesotalynx. How did the transition to MN go for you? How has your 2nd season been?

Rebekkah:    transition for all of us last year was a lil rough..but this year we have great chemistry

we are off to a great start. I have found my role and am being very successful

Q – #9    Being 2nd place in the West Conf shows the talent/chemistry! What have you worked at w/your game to grow/improve?

Rebekkah:    I’m doing the same things I have always done. I am rebounding n scoring when the opportunity presents itself

I also want to improve in being more consistently aggressive offensively

Q – #10    Great! We also need to get you some more All-Star votes too! :) Vote for @twin1532! What do you have going on SAT following the game?

Rebekkah:    yes keep voting. Saturdays game will honor a friend that passed untimely about two weeks ago.

there will be an auction n donation box for the Iczert Tate memorial fund. Theres also a silent auction on my FB page

Q – #11    What are some of the items that will be up for auction so people have an idea as to what’s avail? Where will it be held?

Rebekkah:    it will be at hubberts after the game. We have everything from Lauren Jackson signed shoes to autographed lynx gear

and also some exclusive Lisa Leslie limited edition signed shoes

Q – #12    That’s a very nice thing for you to do @twin1532! To end, how has it been playing with @MooreMaya this season for you?

Rebekkah:    it’s been gr8 playing w @mooremaya. She is an amazing teammate n fun to watch, but more import she’s an amazing person

@JoelECarlson:    I can imagine! Thank you @twin1532 for your time and comments today. I look forward to see you and the the @minnsesotalynx on 7/29!

Rebekkah:    Thanks for chatting with me

@JoelECarlson:    Hello everyone! Welcome to the TwitterREVIEW of the St.Paul Irish pub called @The_Liffey. Tweeting done by the manager, Jay. Lets go!

Jay:    Thanks Joel, it’s a pleasure being “here” with you.

Q – #1    To start off with Jay, how did @The_Liffey get it’s name, and how long has it been around?

Jay:    The Liffey is named after the famed River Liffey in Ireland wich flows through the center of Dublin.

We’ve been open for over 8 years

Q – #2    Great. For people NEW to @The_Liffey, where are you located so that people can get an idea as to where to find you?

Jay:    The Liffey is located on the SW corner of West 7th & Kellogg in downtown St. Paul, kitty-corner from the Xcel Energy Center

Q – #3    Nice location! Lets now talk about the latest BUZZ about @The_Liffey, the makeover/remodel. When does that start?

Jay:    Very exciting news! We are planning a full-scale remodel inside the pub starting July 15. The new interor combines a sense of

place and spirit while the focus will be “colorfully cozy”. It was designed and will be installed by native Irish craftsmen and

should take only 10 days to complete! Along with the remodel we are currently busy creating a new menu to compliment the the look.

Q – #4    Awesome! So will you be closed during this time of construction, and will the rooftop Terrace change as well?

Jay:    We will also be featuring new drink specials, wine list, & happy hour specials…our outside dining area “The Terrace” will still be

open (weather permitting) during construction, and we hope to re-open the pub by July 28th.

Q – #5    Good to know! You mentioned Jay that there would be some changes to the menu. What items will probably stay?

Jay:    Our core menu items such as our Artichoke Dip, Reuben and Fish & Chips will of course stay but may get a bit of a “tweak”, for example

we will be making our own sauerkraut in-house for our Reuben – we are always trying to improve our game!

Q – #6    Ahhh! Great idea! Does @The_Liffey ever offer brunch or breakfast for it’s customers?

Jay:    The Liffey is open for breakfast daily 7am-1030am M-F and 730am-1030am weekends – we also offer our special Brunch menu from

11am-2pm on Sat and Sun – we are currently revamping our Brunch menu in conjuction with the new-look Liffey – expect to see

traditional favorites as well as some unique offerings including fun “brunch” drink specials!

Q – #7    Lots of NEW things going on and to expect at @The_Liffey! As far as the staff goes, are there currently any job openings?

Jay:    We are always looking for good people and personalities to help us deliver our mission to give our guests a memorable experience…

so they cannot wait to come back! We always encourage people to apply, but we have a solid staff for the rest of the summer.

@JoelECarlson:    Good to know. Thank you Jay for your time and comments about @The_Liffey. An exciting month of July for you and the pub for sure!

@JoelECarlson:    Hello everybody! Welcome to the last #TCFoodTruckWeek guest for TwitterReviews, it’s @chefshack1! Carrie Summer will be Tweeting.

Q – #1    To start off Carrie, how and when did you and Lisa connect to develop @ChefShack1?

Carrie:    Lisa & I met 10 years ago when she hired me as her sous-chef on a restaurant project here in Mpls.

we started @chefshack1 on a table top in 2007 @MCFarmersMkt

Q – #2    What was the plan or concept that you and Lisa first came up with for @chefshack1? How did it grow to several trucks?

Carrie:    ..well it all started with the Indian spiced mini-donuts.. Brenda Langton from @spoonriver1 asked us to create a concept

..for the new @MCFarmersMkt ..and as a pastry chef that I am , I was passionate about doing a really great donut

..chef Lisa then also started with her signature hierloom tomato/watermelon gazpacho. That was 2007

..after that first year it was just gangbusters..then we started looking for a trailer and bought chefshack1

..the following two trucks were acquired in 2009 locally. Now we work @chefshack1 full time May-Oct.

…our goal was to create really seasonal, tasty and organic streetfood to the public at fair prices

Q – #3    Great! In addition to the 2 items that you mentioned, what are some of the other regular options on your menus?

Carrie:    ..we do bison burgers w/ fixins’ , that soft-shell crab sandie, pulled pork nacho, beef tongue taco, grass-fed hot dogs

..our signature donuts, chocolate mousse, creme brûlée, farm ice creams, charcuterie, Farm salads, duck specialties

..we really concentrate on cooking within the seasons and of course #organic whenever possible and within MN & Wi..

..our menus are always changing, at any given time we are fortunate enough to have many farmers bringing us .

..spectacular ingredients. All Local !!! Sustainable & #organic ..#knowyourfarmer

Q – #4    High quality menu choices with local ingredients is important to both you and Lisa. Why not a Greasy Spoon instead?

Carrie:    ..integrity is paramount to us. Yes, great ingredient cost a lot, but it’s important to us…

..I think that’s why people like our food so much , because of our ingredients..it’s all so fresh !.

..we decided on opening the trucks/trailer ..as it was more affordable for us at the time. And so we could travel

..in the winter months to refresh and to experience different cuisines around the world..

Q – #5    Integrity is a good thing! :) With having a few trucks, how big is your staff/crew that works with you and Lisa?

Carrie:    ..it fluctuates as it’s seasonal. A few! Lisa & I really try to do all the cooking ourselves, she on savory & I do the sweets

All 3 units are usually not out at once. The trailer goes to @MCFarmersMkt @kingfieldmarket,Red goes to #foodtruckcourt

..lil’ Donut truck is finicky cuz she’s an oldie and we have her out here and there. She just got out of the shop..

..so she’ll be back on the streets next week!it’s a full time job just keeping all the fleet (including 2 catering vans)

..on the road w/ maintenance, fuel, washing, propane etc..

Q – #6    I see that! With you being at the beginning of the food-truck introduction to MN, do people approach you for advice?

Carrie:    ..yes, consistently. Via e.mail, calls or just on the street. #jectv ..looking for advice

Q – #7    If someone has a restaurant or cafe idea, would you suggest a food-truck as a good way to test the market for interest?

Carrie:    ..yes, absolutely. It’s less over-head =less risk. But do not miss-understand , it’s still rather costly.

..I am just parking a truck now , after service :)

Q – #7    Any plans for additions to the menu(s) that you care to share? Any additional expansion plans in the works?

Carrie:    ..new curries, and a few new sandwiches are on deck, and we plan on introducing some new desserts too!

..with 3 units, it’s enough. Probably no more ! #jectv we always have something up our sleve, when you see it you’ll know:)

@JoelECarlson:    Not trying to add work to you Carrrie. :) Thank you for your time today and for sharing some things about @chefshack1. Enjoy the day!

Carrie:    ..thank you Joel! Great to meet you, have a fantastic weekend. And thx 4 the tweets on #jectv !