In my video series, AZ Cooks, I’m sharing cooking techniques and recipes inspired by my childhood, travels and experiences in the professional kitchen, all in the pursuit of culinary literacy. Thanks for tuning in, your support and feedback have made this venture a success! From classics like key lime pie and meatloaf to wok-tossed crickets and… Read More →
Shuang Cheng Everyone knows a Chinese restaurant like this one, armed with an enormous 400-item menu that mostly caters to a Westerner’s palate. And while Shuang Cheng offers a dizzying variety of dishes, it defies the stereotype that quantity does not equal quality. I usually skip straight to the seafood page of the menu. If… Read More →
Szechuan Spice Of all the great regional Chinese cuisines, Sichuan food holds a special place in my heart. While we don’t have as many great Chinese restaurants as I would like in Minnesota, we do have a few that absolutely blow me away and Szechuan Spice in Uptown is one of them. It’s best to… Read More →
10 Quick Ways to Cook Clams at Home I’ve always loved clams. During my childhood summers, my dad and I would spend the day clamming in the bay of Long Island’s South Fork. I can eat the briny, succulent shellfish by the dozens. Whether you poach them in wine, stuff them with bacon and breadcrumbs or add… Read More →
Celebrate Chinese New Year With These Recipes Chinese cooking has complex, technique-driven elements, which makes it a bit daunting for the average home cook. But, practice makes perfect. Get a great cookbook, and cook a new dish twice a week. Next, make sure you have the right equipment (a good wok, a bamboo steamer) and the… Read More →
The Best Thing I Ate Last Week (And the Week Before That) By Andrew Zimmern Of all the great regional Chinese cuisines, Sichuan food has a special place in my heart. While we don’t have as many great Chinese restaurants as I would like in Minnesota, we do have a few that absolutely blow me… Read More →
My Best Recipes for Spring Produce I love hearty meals in a bowl as much as the next guy, but it’s time to swap out beef stew and chili for recipes highlighting fresh spring produce. Here in the upper Midwest, we love anything that comes out of the ground as early asparagus, morels, ramps and rhubarb. And… Read More →
Tips & Tricks for Tastier Vegetables Working with vegetables seems easy. It’s not. What it is, though, is simple. Keep a few things in mind and dishes like my vegetable barigoule become easier and tastier. • • • Add layers of flavors and texture when cooking vegetables. Peas are delicious. Why not smear a large bowl… Read More →
How to Buy & Store Asparagus Look for tight tips and small leaves on the side of the stalk that cling to its body. The cut end should be moist, not frayed, browned or dry. Spears should be smooth, not wrinkled. Storing asparagus is simple: keep them standing in a few inches of water in… Read More →
Wok Cooking Essentials Wok cooking is intimidating, but it’s the most versatile and handy tool in your kitchen. It can braise, fry, sauté, and even make a handy smoker (I use one of my woks fitted with a small inset grate to tea smoke duck and squab all the time). Because of its unique shape,… Read More →
My Secret Weapon in the Kitchen Fermented chile bean sauce (toban djan) will change your cooking life. You can marinate with it, use it as a rub, in a sauce or any way you can imagine. The fermented beans supply all the punch of authenticity and honesty you need to make some great Chinese food… Read More →
Pig in the Stable The Cochon 555 weekend takeover kicked off with a Chef’s Course Dinner at Spoon and Stable last Friday—a seated five-course meal prepared by host chef Gavin Kaysen, Steven Brown, Erik Anderson, Doug Flicker, Diane Yang and yours truly. An amazing group of local chefs that have made this city’s food scene what… Read More →
Chinese Cuisine at Home Chinese cooking has complex, technique-driven elements, which makes it a bit daunting for the average home cook. But if you’re as obsessed with it as I am, that shouldn’t stop you from cooking Chinese food in your own kitchen. So, I’d suggest that you get a great cookbook, and cook a… Read More →
Hong Kong-Style Seafood Fishman Lobster Clubhouse is the best Hong Kong-style seafood restaurant in North America. Whole king crabs, fish, eels, and massive lobsters are all cooked family-style with such finesse and in so many styles that I think about this place every day. Made from a single crustacean, the 13-pound lobster tower with chiles… Read More →
Artisan Chinese Tea A recent addition to Minneapolis’ Seward neighborhood, Verdant Tea Tasting Room & Tea Bar offers a curated selection of artisan, seasonal Chinese teas from small family farms. Owners Lily and David Duckler are obsessed with tea and the hospitality culture that revolves around it. They spend a lot of time in China each year… Read More →
Meet David & Lily The whole Food Works office visits Verdant Tea in Minneapolis for a tea tasting. There we meet owners David and Lily Duckler who share their vast tea knowledge with the team. David tells us about tea tasting and how Verdant Tea does business. Find out more about Verdant Tea here, and get… Read More →
Doyenne of Fine Dining By Bob & Sue Anne Sophie Pic is hitting her stride as one of France’s finest chefs, fully earning her designation as the only female 3-star Michelin chef in France. Our recent meal there with Burgundy winemaker Alex Gambal was made memorable by a number of stunning courses: poached langoustines in… Read More →
Yu xiang qie zi By Fuchsia Dunlop This dish, almost more than any other, expresses for me the gorgeous layering of flavors that is the signature of Sichuanese cooking. Pickled chillies, either on their own or with fermented fava beans in the famous Sichuan chilli bean sauce, give the dish its warmth and luster; garlic,… Read More →
Falling in Love With Chinese Cuisine Chef and James Beard award-winning food writer Fuchsia Dunlop is an expert when it comes to Chinese food and culinary culture. The native Brit was the first foreign student, and one of only a few women, to graduate from the acclaimed Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine. Since then, she’s mastered… Read More →
Falling in Love With Chinese Cuisine Chef and James Beard award-winning food writer Fuchsia Dunlop is an expert when it comes to Chinese food and culinary culture. The native Brit was the first foreign student, and one of only a few women, to graduate from the acclaimed Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine. Since then, she’s mastered… Read More →
A superbly easy, timeless family favorite. By Andrew Zimmern I love this dish. I’ve been making it for years and long ago hybridized it with my beef with snow peas and oyster sauce recipe. You can use any green veg, but I stay away from anything that adds too much moisture, so avoid leafy greens… Read More →
Classic Nicoise Salad By Andrew Zimmern In this thrilling episode of Wild Game Kitchen, I break down a whole tuna and serve it three ways. Center-cut tuna steaks are grilled and topped with a sweet and salty mustard miso sauce. Not wasting anything, I create a beautiful tuna tartare from the odds and ends of… Read More →
Food doesn’t get much prettier than this. Not only is the colorful classic recipe delicious, but it’s also an opportunity to hone your knife skills. By the time you’ve got all 11 (!!!!) components in a bowl, you’ll have chopped, diced, minced, and sliced. Learning never tasted so good. Knives Used in this Video:… Read More →
I’m thrilled to share my new Knife Skills video series, presented by Shun Knives. We’ve been working on this series of 10 videos for months, and I think you’re going to love them. A nice, sharp knife makes such a huge difference. But the thing is, you also need to know how to use it.… Read More →
I don’t know about you, but September always feels like a mid-year reset. I find myself prioritizing things that keep me grounded– both in body and mind. Books do a great job of this. From memoirs to cookbooks (yes, I sit down and read some cover to cover), and even a zine, here’s what I’m…
By Andrew Zimmern Beef and shrimp winter rolls are so easy and delicious to make. The lightly seared beef adds such a richness to a fresh bunch of herbs and greens. Watch Me Make Winter Rolls:
Fried rice is one of those dishes that is even easier to make than it is to order! I like to use day-old rice (white rice, jasmine rice, basmati rice… any leftover rice– by the way, did you know you can even freeze rice for future use?) and any protein I have left over from… Read More →
By Andrew Zimmern Okonomiyaki is a savory and delicious Japanese pancake that I first had on the streets of Osaka. Use cabbage as a base, and add shrimp, bean sprouts and kimchi… top with Bulldog Sauce, Kewpie Mayo, bonito flakes and some of my secret macadamia nut crumble recipe.
By Andrew Zimmern This week, we are making a Vietnamese salad you compose and serve in a plastic bag! It’s a delicious, easy recipe I learned about on a visit to Ho Chi Minh City and it really hits the spot in this heat wave.
By Andrew Zimmern This is a new updated lighter recipe without cream or butter. The pesto can be used for many applications.
