The Best Cookbooks of the Year It seems each year there are more incredible cookbooks published than the last; it’s a tough job to whittle down the lengthy list into a handful of my favorites. This year in particular, there are several noteworthy debuts, like Aaron Franklin’s meat smoking manifesto, Michael Solomonov’s ode to Israeli cuisine,… Read More →
Eating Words: A Norton Anthology of Food Writing Edited by literary critic Sandra Gilbert and professor and award-winning restaurant critic Roger Porter, Eating Words is a vast volume of exquisite food writing, from Biblical times through modern day. It’s a historically and conceptually diverse anthology, that goes beyond mere consumption and explores food’s relation to politics,… Read More →
A few years back I met Josh Tetrick and his amazing team at Hampton Creek Foods. Over the years, I have pushed hard to tell this company’s story. I think their mission is not only aligned with mine, but also that they are the perfect definition of everything a modern food company should be. Last… Read More →
Gift Ideas for the Cook in Your Life From fun stocking stuffers and edible indulgences (Roe Caviar, I’m looking at you), to inspiring cookbooks and splurge-worthy kitchen gadgets (who doesn’t want a high-powered blow torch for the perfect golden sear?), here is my gift giving guide for 2015. • • • EAT & DRINK READ … Read More →
The Country’s First Edible Insect Farm Kevin Bachhuber founded Big Cricket Farms in Youngstown, Ohio in 2014 in response to growing water shortages, the rising costs of protein production and a simple love of eating insects inspired by a trip to Thailand. Big Cricket Farms is the first government certified food grade insect farm in this… Read More →
Crafted, Cultivated & Curated Gear for the Adventurous Life For decades, I’ve traveled the world experiencing culture through food. It’s the best job on the planet. Along the way I’ve collected gifts, kitchen gear, clothing and gadgets that I can now share with you through the revamped Shop Andrew Zimmern. We pride ourselves on finding and… Read More →
A Way with Words An award-winning food writer and creator of the long running blog The Food Section, Josh Friedland was the man behind one of Twitter’s greatest mysteries—the elusive and satirical personality mash-up known as @RuthBourdain, which won a James Beard Award for Humor. He’s dropped the alternate persona, and has now authored a new… Read More →
The Good Acre Food Hub Open House Friday, October 30th The mission of The Good Acre is to enhance how food is grown and shared in the Twin Cities region, to improve marketplace opportunities for diverse independent farmers, and to increase access for all consumers to healthy, locally-grown fresh produce. The acre of land next… Read More →
Ferran Adria, Jose Andres & Andrew Zimmern on the Creative Process On October 9, the Minneapolis Institute of Art welcomed Ferran Adrià, the world-renowned chef behind Spain’s avant-garde elBulli, his protégé and award-winning chef José Andrés, and yours truly for a discussion on creativity and innovation in the kitchen. The panel was part of a weekend of activity celebrating… Read More →
Jose Enrique’s Top Picks for San Juan Jose Enrique is one of the biggest names in Puerto Rican cuisine. Two years ago, he became the first Puerto Rican honored as one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs, and in 2013 and 2014 he was a semi-finalist for the James Beard Foundation Best Chef South award. Enrique’s… Read More →
Minneapolis Taste of the Nation I want people to come to the Share Our Strength dinner on Sunday evening with a big check in hand to raise money to fight hunger in America. In an effort to shatter our records and help Minnesotans get food on their tables Chef Tim McKee of La Belle Vie… Read More →
Reimagining Bread & Butter A seasoned writer and recipe developer, Raquel Pelzel started her food career in pastry school before landing a gig in the test kitchen at Cook’s Illustrated and later moving on to Tasting Table as a senior food editor. She’s co-authored 20 cookbooks—including the James Beard award-winning Quick Recipe and the James Beard… Read More →
4 Rules for Better Braising Everyone loves to braise, and the mythology indicates that it’s easy, but it’s not—it’s simple (and there is a difference). But for everyone who thinks that braising is forgiving, I would remind you of the last dried-out pot roast you’ve eaten. Here are some handy tips for braising. Brown well.… Read More →
I’ve eaten a lot of strange vegetables, insects, fermented foods, sea creatures and animal odd bits in the past decade, but these 10 items from all over the globe made it to the top of the list. Article original published on travelchannel.com. Enset in Ethiopia Enset is one of the two species of vinifera in… Read More →
I’m writing to invite my fellow Minnesotans to a once in a lifetime opportunity for anyone who loves food. As previously reported, on Friday, October 9 the Minneapolis Institute of Art is welcoming Ferran Adrià, an innovator widely considered to be one of the world’s top chefs, his protégé and award-winning chef José Andrès, and yours truly for… Read More →
Guatemala is an amazing country that’s overlooked by most travelers. It’s not filled with sexy beach resorts or swanky nightlife, but the rainforests, coastline, jungles and river systems are second to none in terms of natural beauty. One of the most fascinating things about this country is the 21 ethnic Maya peoples that are still in numbers… Read More →
Here’s a backstage look at last week’s Cooking Light magazine photo shoot on Lake Minnetonka. The theme was a Fourth of July barbecue potluck with my Twin Cities chef friends. That’s right, we did the shoot nearly a year in advance! Thanks to Erik Anderson, Doug Flicker, Tracy Singleton, Mike DeCamp, Jamie Malone and Steven Brown… Read More →
Talk & Taste with Ferran Adrià, Josè Andrès & Andrew Zimmern Friday, October 9 Talk is at 6:00 PM Doors open for the tasting at 7:00 PM On Friday, October 9 the Minneapolis Institute of Art is welcoming Ferran Adrià, widely considered to be one of the world’s top chefs, his protégé and award-winning chef… Read More →
Comedy for a Cause The co-creator of The Daily Show and Air America Radio, Lizz Winstead is a brilliant comedian. These days, she’s using her platform to advocate for women’s reproductive rights through a national comedy tour supporting Planned Parenthood and her organization Lady Parts Justice, which uses humor, parodies and events like V to Shining V… Read More →
Sign this Petition! Hey friends, thanks to many of you for signing my petition regarding Unilever (Hellmann’s/Best Foods) bullying start-up sustainable food company Hampton Creek. Because of you, Unilever dropped the frivolous lawsuit. Thank you! Here’s the crazy update though. According to an exposé by The Guardian, the United States Department of Agriculture conspired (likely illegally)… Read More →
Partners. Be aware of what you cook tomatoes with. The high acid content of the tomato slows down the cooking process of some other foods. Dried beans cooked with tomatoes can take up to twenty percent more cooking time than beans without tomatoes. If you have some unusually highly acidic tomatoes and you want a… Read More →
New Foods at the Minnesota State Fair The Great Minnesota Get-Together always makes room for a host of new foods to try. This year is no exception, with over 50 fresh eats to sample. Fans of Sriracha, ice cream, and everything deep-fried will have plenty to celebrate, so here’s the line up for 2015: [Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”15″ gal_title=”New Minnesota State Fair… Read More →
Growing Food, Growing Leaders, Growing Community Food and music go hand-in-hand at Cultivate, the Chipotle-sponsored touring food festival in Loring Park this Saturday (p.s. it’s FREE). There’s more than burritos to be had, with a craft beer-laden tasting hall, cooking demos from celebrity chefs like Richard Blais, Jim Christiansen, Gavin Kaysen, Erik Anderson, Jamie Malone… Read More →
The State Fair is my favorite Minnesota food celebration, hands down. I adore the Minnesota State Fair so much that I try to go all 12 days. Every year there’s a list of new food booths, but I dig on the classics…. Sweet Martha’s Cookies, Speedy’s About a Foot Long Hot Dog, the Gizmo (an Italian… Read More →
Cooking Pasta in My Kitchen Everyone loves a good noodle. It’s a quick, easy and economical way to eat. It can also be as elegant as you care to make it, and is universally beloved in every country I can think of. These are some fun tips to keep in mind next time you are… Read More →
Uncompromisingly Committed to His Craft A 2011 James Beard Award Winner for Best Chef Northeast and Food & Wine Best New Chef in 2005, Tony Maws is the owner of Boston’s acclaimed Craigie on Main and the newer, more casual Kirkland Tap & Trotter. An immensely talented chef with ruthless expectations of himself and his staff,… Read More →
I got this email from Tamra C. McCraw yesterday. It’s reprinted in its exact form because I couldn’t put it any better… please read it, make the links your mission for today and lets help kids get the food they need during the summer months and beyond. I need you to call/email/tweet/urge your Senators to get active on this piece of legislation. Thanks, AZ Andrew it… Read More →
Feeding the Fire When Joe Carroll opened Brooklyn’s Fette Sau in 2007, he was among the very first pioneers to bring legit barbecue to New York City. A couple years ago, the New Jersey-native expanded his operation to Philadelphia, adding a second Fette Sau to his roster of restaurants (which also includes the neighborhood steakhouse… Read More →
Last week I spoke at the 75th annual American Public Gardens Association Conference, hosted by the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and Como Park Zoo & Conservatory. Before the event, I sat down with Lisa Marchand of Minnesota Monthly to chat about our broken food system and the state’s farming potential. Read the article here. When… Read More →
Minnesota summers may be short, but we never take a sunny day for granted. We jam-pack June-September with events celebrating the food, drink, art and music that make Minnesota an amazing place to live. You probably already know that my favorite food festival on earth is the Minnesota State Fair. But there are several other… Read More →
