My Favorite Holiday Recipes No matter what holiday you celebrate, I’m sure we can all agree that food is what ties the season together. At my house, the kitchen smells of fabulous food all month long, whether it’s roasted duck, latkes or fruit cake. It’s the best time of the year. I’ve made it easy… Read More →
Homegrown Tomato Pie By Ashley Christensen I call this Homegrown Tomato Pie not as a sourcing requirement, but because the tomato pie is most present in the season where friends are pulling tomatoes daily from their own backyards. I imagine it came to be because, when a fruit is plentiful, people always find a way… Read More →
About Andrew Zimmern Andrew Zimmern is an Emmy-winning and four-time James Beard Award-winning TV personality, chef, writer and social justice advocate. As the creator, executive producer and host of the Bizarre Foods franchise, Andrew Zimmern’s Driven by Food, MSNBC’s What’s Eating America, Magnolia Network’s Emmy-nominated Family Dinner, and the Emmy-winning The Zimmern List, he has…
My Best Recipes for 4th of July There’s no better way to celebrate the holiday (and my birthday) than relaxing with family, hanging out by the grill and enjoying fresh summer produce. Here are a few of my favorite recipes, from all-American cookout classics like barbecue chicken and baked beans, to picnic perfect salads and a… Read More →
15 Foolproof Easter Recipes Here are a few of my favorite Easter recipes, from brunch classics like quiche lorraine to an easy rustic crumble for dessert. Try the ham with Madeira-cider glaze or rack of pork loin with mustard and apricots—both make for lovely centerpiece roasts. Frittata Rustica with Mixed Vegetables & Manchego If… Read More →
Passover Recipes Here are a few of my best recipes for Passover, from the ultimate matzoh ball soup and my grandmother’s chopped chicken liver to roasted lamb and flourless chocolate desserts. (Just a warning: I don’t keep kosher in my house, so not all of these recipes are kosher-friendly.) Chopped Chicken Liver My grandmother… Read More →
My Best Game Day Recipes I love the traditional nacho and chicken wing spread, alongside dishes inspired by my travels—from fried chicken summer rolls to Baltimore-style crab cakes. If you’re really ambitious, go all out and construct the ultimate Super Bowl snackadium. Fried Chicken Summer Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce They’re commonly filled with shrimp and roast… Read More →
Beef Stew By Andrew Zimmern Living in Minnesota, I know a thing or two about cold-weather comfort food. This one-pot rock star beef stew is in heavy rotation all season long at my house, it’ll warm you from the inside out. This is “food with a hug” at its best. On the technical side, it’s… Read More →
Venison Stuffed Cabbage Rolls By Nevada Berg Cabbage rolls are a classic dish, and for many of us, reminiscent of childhood memories. Various meat and cabbage rolls are made around the world—I remember my mother making her own version—but in Norway, they’re typically made with pork, and served with a tomato or white sauce. I… Read More →
Top 5 Minnesota State Fair Foods My most frequently asked question has to be: “Andrew Zimmern, what is the best thing to eat at the Minnesota State Fair?” It’s a really tough question to answer, there are too many great options. Alas, I’ve tried to dwindle it down to a few items you should absolutely… Read More →
How to Make Pizza It’s Pizza Week in the AZ Cooks kitchen, and we’ve recruited our friend and pizza guru Peter Campbell, chef/owner of Minneapolis’ Red Wagon Pizza Co., to share his tips for creating restaurant-quality pizza at home. Pizza Dough Roasted Tomato Sauce Pizza Sauce with Canned Tomatoes Homemade Pizza, Two Ways… Read More →
The Best Recipes for a Memorial Day Barbecue From lobster rolls and baby back ribs to homemade baked beans and an easy mixed berry crumble, here are a few delicious ways to help you welcome summer this weekend. Lobster Rolls, Two Ways Here are two easy recipes for everyone’s favorite summer sandwich, the lobster… Read More →
¡Salud! Tacos The Zimmern List: San Diego premieres April 2 9|8c on Travel Channel! To fully experience San Diego you need to spend a day in Barrio Logan, a neighborhood on the rise transformed by a vibrant art and food scene. After a stroll through the art-filled Chicano Park—home to a massive display of murals… Read More →
Homemade Shellfish Stock By Andrew Zimmern Always, always, always save your leftover shells and bones in bags in your freezer to make rich, homemade stocks and broths. It’s an ingredient that is guaranteed to take your cooking to the next level. Today, I’m making a shellfish stock with leftover lobster and shrimp shells for my shrimp… Read More →
Shrimp Étouffée By Andrew Zimmern Several years ago in New Orleans, I got a lesson in étouffée-making from the doyenne of Louisiana cooking, Poppy Tooker. It’s a day I will never forget. Étouffée is a riff on the old French verb “to smother,” and while there are as many recipes for étouffée as there are… Read More →
My Best Super Bowl Recipes Of course I’m disappointed the Vikings won’t be winning the Vince Lombardi Trophy on their home turf, but I am thankful for an amazing season and ready to welcome the world to Minnesota for Super Bowl 52 and the best week of events in NFL history. If you didn’t score tickets… Read More →
Bizarre Foods Season Premiere January 23 9|8c on Travel Channel From the North Woods of the fabled Paul Bunyan to the Mexico City of the Aztecs, this is one of the most exciting seasons of Bizarre Foods we’ve ever made. I’m revealing the food and stories behind notable characters, cultures and mythology, both here in the… Read More →
Dry-Rubbed Fried Chicken Wings By Andrew Zimmern Do you want to be king of your chicken wing castle? Deep fry a batch of wings before tossing with your favorite dry rub and melted butter. Chicken wing supremacy is really that simple. Here, I’ve used two different types of dry rub—one with herbs, garlic and onion,… Read More →
“I would like to say that what I fear are the challenges that stand in front of me, when in reality what I fear is the cowardice that lays within me.” – Craig Lounsbrough 2017 was a crazy year for me filled with ups and downs, mistakes made, tragedies big and small, successes and disappointments,… Read More →
How to Break Down a Whole Chicken Everyone should know how to break down a whole chicken. For one, it’s economical—whole chickens are much cheaper per pound than chicken breasts. Plus, if you buy a whole chicken, you can cut it into the specific pieces you need for the dish you’re making…. and, you’ll have… Read More →
The Food Building The brainchild of Kieran Folliard, the city’s famed serial food entrepreneur who made a name and fortune from Kieran’s Irish Pub and 2 Gingers whiskey, the Food Building brings together two top makers in the Twin Cities, Red Table Meat Co. and Baker’s Field Flour & Bread. An accessible food production hub… Read More →
El Taco Riendo There are a handful of spots in the Twin Cities that I can rely on for excellent Mexican food, and El Taco Riendo is one of them. Located on Central Avenue in Northeast Minneapolis, the fast casual restaurant has a Chipotle-style ordering system where your meal is made fresh in front of… Read More →
Caramel Apple Pie Recipe by Michelle Gayer The only way to improve on a classic apple pie is to layer the filling with decadent homemade caramel sauce. In this special edition of AZ Cooks, I invite Michelle Gayer into the kitchen to teach me a thing or two about making the ultimate caramel apple pie.… Read More →
Young Joni Young Joni’s presence on my list of must-try restaurants should come as no surprise. What chef Ann Kim and her team have accomplished is exceptional and worthy of all the national attention—which includes recognition from GQ and Eater as one of 2017’s best new restaurants in the country. And while this may be… Read More →
The Travail Collective When you hear 3-hour 20-course tasting menu, my guess is you are not envisioning a restaurant with giant stuffed animals in the rafters of the dining room, or one with a raucous atmosphere where the chefs are also the waiters and food runners, and often microphone-wielding MCs who encourage group participation in… Read More →
Food Policy Action 2017 Scorecard Food Policy Action recently released their 2017 scorecard, revealing where members of Congress stand on important food policy issues in this country during a turbulent political climate. The 6th annual progress report shares objective information about votes taken and bills introduced by Congress on policies that affect everyone who eats,… Read More →
Apple Tarte Tatin By Andrew Zimmern A classic Parisian recipe, tarte tatin is an upside-down apple tart made famous by the Tatin sisters more than a century ago. The best autumnal treat I can think of, this stunning caramelized apple dessert is an easy show-stopper. Watch Andrew make this recipe: Like this recipe? Save it… Read More →
How to Prepare Artichokes The edible bud of a thistle plant, artichokes can be intimidating to prepare and cook. Covered in an armor of spiky bracts and filled with a fibrous inedible choke, their defense system is on point. Cleaning, trimming and prepping them for cooking is easy once you learn a few simple tricks.… Read More →
Lemon, Garlic & Herb Bread Crumbs By Andrew Zimmern After spending time cooking and eating in Sicily many years ago, I started keeping bread crumbs around the house for use on salads, vegetables, scrambled eggs and pasta. I think learning how to make fresh, homemade bread crumbs will transform your food life. Great food is… Read More →
My Ultimate Brisket Sandwich By Andrew Zimmern Building the perfect sandwich is all about finding the right balance of flavor and texture. Brisket is a fatty, rich meat, so you need to add enough acidity and sweetness to create the best bite. With homemade pickled jalapenos, a pleasantly piquant Russian dressing, sweet and sour koolickles… Read More →
