What is the best thing you ate while filming these episodes of Bizarre Foods? The classic fixins’ from the inside of the hog at Gerald Lemoine’s farm in Moreauville, Louisiana. They shoot a hog, clean all the entrails and collect the blood. The hog goes on the spit, split-open to be turned into their version of cochon… Read More →
Embrace the Transformative Power of Travel In my new series Andrew Zimmern’s Driven by Food, I discover the street behind Main street, the off-the-grid dive and the unexpected with a local guide—from a rickshaw driver in Hyderabad to a Nashville cab driver who knows all the hidden gems in Music City. Together, we’re exploring food and culture from a whole new perspective.… Read More →
My Top Restaurant Recommendations for Rio Rio de Janeiro has a beat all its own; it’s a city that moves you. From Sugarloaf Mountain to Copacabana Beach, it’s easy to see why Rio is one of the most visited cities in the Southern Hemisphere. Cantinho das Concertinas The large CADEG market is filled with hundreds… Read More →
Migas Tacos TACODELI, AUSTIN, TX Why is Austin such a breakfast taco town? “You have all kinds of people needing to eat at all different times,” Roberto Espinosa told us at Tacodeli, a chain he started in 1999. Originally a schoolteacher, Mexico–born Espinosa opened the first branch and has watched his business grow every year.… Read More →
The Purposeful Traveler A prolific travel writer and expert on Central America, Joshua Berman began his writing career after a stint in the Peace Corps as a volunteer in Nicaragua. He now writes a monthly column for The Denver Post, has published travel articles in the New York Times, Delta SKY, Sunset and National Geographic Traveler, acted as my guide… Read More →
Where to Eat in Iceland’s Capitol By Devan Grimsrud Reykjavík is many things. It’s a port city, the capital and largest city in Iceland, and the northernmost capital in the world with a latitude of 64°08′ N (I would know as my only memento from the touristy gift shop was a magnet stating this very… Read More →
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 →
Devour Buenos Aires A Latin American city heavy with European influences, Buenos Aires is the best of both worlds. Equally confident and classy, there’s no question why it’s the most visited South American city. A unique cultural life thrives here, from the old-timey cafes, European architecture and bustling streets to the devoted soccer fans and… 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 →
Ed Lee’s Top Picks for Louisville You may recognize chef Edward Lee from his television appearances—Top Chef, Mind of a Chef (for which he earned an Emmy nomination), Iron Chef America, to name a few—but he’s more than a TV star. His brilliant cooking at 610 Magnolia has landed him four nominations for Best Chef: Southeast… 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 →
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 →
Devour Zürich At the intersection of Lake Zürich and the Limmat River with a breathtaking Alpine backdrop, the Swiss capital is a leading world financial center that has tons to offer. The buzzing city boasts four official languages, a high quality of life and is consistently recognized among the world’s top cities to live in. When… 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 →
Devour Dublin Few modern European cities can match Dublin’s mix of rough spirit and hip energy. Rife with old-school pubs and scratchy-voiced musicians, there has been a recent influx of young entrepreneurial-types who have been fostering a place where creativity and contemporary ideas can flourish. With this unique meshing of history and modernity, there is… 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 →
Chef Accarrino Shares San Francisco Favorites After graduating from the CIA in New York and working for top tier chefs around the country (including Thomas Keller at Per Se and Tom Colicchio at Craft Los Angeles), chef Matthew Accarrino moved to San Francisco in 2009 to take over the SPQR kitchen. At the intimate Fillmore neighborhood restaurant, Accarrino takes traditional,… Read More →
Devour Madrid A vibrant city with a storied history, beautiful architecture and a serious appetite for food, art and music, Madrid is one of Europe’s great capitals of culture. From market tapas to Michelin-starred fine dining, restaurants in this bustling metropolis intertwine the country’s rich culinary traditions with innovation and modern gastronomy. Here’s a sampling… Read More →
Mike Solomonov’s Top Picks for Philly Highly regarded as one of the best chefs in Philadelphia—and I’d say in the entire country—Michael Solomonov’s Israeli food at the award-winning Zahav is beyond exquisite; it’s mind blowing. After he took a seemingly simple dish like hummus and elevated it to cult status, people started paying attention and the crowds have… Read More →
I need your help. I want to bring your attention to a new café that just opened in North Minneapolis. I’ve been working with Appetite for Change to get a youth training program started at Breaking Bread Café, and I thought you’d be interested. Take a look at the information below (including this video), and let… Read More →
Operation Farm Rescue Record-breaking rainfall in Texas has had a devastating impact on communities and agriculture. Over the weekend, I received the following note from a friend, chef Rene Ortiz, with a call to action to help Urban Roots recover from flooding. An Austin-based non-profit, Urban Roots transforms the lives of young people through food and farming,… Read More →
My Favorite Cooking Tunes Music is always playing when I’m in the kitchen. What I listen to varies, but the playlist I’m sharing today is my perfect catch-all for spending time behind the burners. It’s an eclectic mix of genres, of new and throwback tunes… Holly Williams to Talking Heads to The Jayhawks. Listen here or, if you… Read More →
How to Win Your Next Dinner Party Maybe you’re the shy type who freaks at the idea of striking up conversation at an intimate dinner with strangers; maybe you’ve been hiking the Appalachian trail for the past few months and need a refresher course on culture and current events; or maybe you’re just a food-obsessed… Read More →
Almaty’s Immense Food Emporium Almaty is Kazakhstan’s biggest city, and while there are signs of Western influence and consumer culture, this bustling metropolis gets its strongest sense of identity from its nomadic ancestors and their traditions. One of the best places to witness this heritage and to try the authentic flavors of Central Asia is Almaty’s… Read More →
Old Standbys & New Additions at Target Field Home of the Twins, Target Field is a beautiful stadium in the heart of downtown Minneapolis. In just a few years, they’ve really amped up the food program, now offering a host of good eats and craft beverages from local restaurants, breweries and distilleries. So I’d suggest… Read More →
Doing His Part to Eradicate Lionfish John Mirabella is on a mission to bring attention to the devastating lionfish invasion in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. With no natural predators in this part of the world beyond humans, the rapidly growing populations may be one of the biggest environmental disasters these waters… Read More →
Every spring when the shad run on the East Coast, I start to salivate. By Andrew Zimmern This small bony fish needs to be dealt with very particularly, but the rewards are well worth it. Filets of the fish are so bony that many shad lovers simply eat the plump sets of roe. I don’t… Read More →
Where to Eat & Drink in Miami In 2007, chef Michael Schwartz opened Michael’s Genuine in Miami’s Design District, bringing a locavore mentality and unpretentious, homemade food to a city too often known for shallow, trend-driven restaurants. Now, the James Beard award winning chef and restaurateur has a handful of Miami restaurants, including Harry’s Pizzeria… Read More →
