How to Truss a Chicken My digital series, AZ Cooks, is all about culinary literacy. I want to give you the tips, techniques and recipes you need to become a better cook—from demystifying essential dishes from cultures around the globe to teaching basic methods for peeling, chopping and preparing everyday ingredients. Learning to truss a… Read More →
Tune in for Bizarre Foods: The Magnificent Mississippi River Aug. 8 at 9|8c on Travel Channel On this episode of Bizarre Foods, I had the pleasure of traveling from Memphis to Natchez by boat, and got a real taste of life on the Mississippi. This majestic river is a refuge for a slower-paced, nature-based way of… Read More →
Fried Chicken Summer Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce By Andrew Zimmern Served at room temperature or chilled and packed with lots of fresh herbs and crisp vegetables, summer rolls are perfect warm-weather food. They’re commonly filled with shrimp and roast pork, which I love, but more often than not, I’m craving these fried chicken summer… Read More →
11 Delicious Ways to Cook Chicken If you’re stuck in a rut with flavorless, boneless chicken breast as the mainstay of your weeknight dinners, I encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and try one of these recipes. Whether it’s grilled, fried, steamed, braised, roasted or tossed in a hot wok, there are hundreds of ways… Read More →
Chicken “Al Mattone” By Andrew Zimmern This baby chicken dish from Rome can be made using poussin or cornish hens. Cooking under a heavy weight, such as a foil-wrapped brick in this case, has been practiced for centuries. It ensures a crispy skin and a moist interior.
A Few Paris Gems By Bob & Sue In addition to our favorite Michelin 3- and 2-star restaurants (L’Astrance, Le Cinq, L’Ambroisie, Pierre Gagnaire, Jean Francoise Piege, and L’Atelier Robuchon), we enjoyed some exciting meals in smaller venues and bistros: Chez Georges This old fashioned bistro delivers classic dishes as well as anyone in… Read More →
Sous Vide Duck Breast with Port, Oranges & Juniper Berries By Andrew Zimmern Sous vide cookery is safe, convenient and easy. Cooking inside of a sealed container allows you to lock in flavors, juices and fats, unlike any other technique. It’s a foolproof method of cooking your favorite foods with precise temperature control. It’s also… Read More →
Roasted, fried, grilled, stuffed, smoked or braised—which turkey cooking technique will you choose? There are many options when it comes to preparing your Thanksgiving centerpiece. For the traditionalist, check out my tips for brining and roasting a whole turkey in the oven. Those with only a few mouths to feed should try a stuffed turkey breast.… Read More →
Juicy Fried Turkey with Crispy Skin By Andrew Zimmern I love fried turkey, but frying the whole bird isn’t a good idea. It’s dangerous, the outside gets overcooked before the inside is tender and the lengthy frying time means the turkey absorbs too much oil. I suggest you break down a turkey into its pieces, using… Read More →
A Foolproof Braised Turkey Smothered in Creamy Gravy By Andrew Zimmern There are many different solutions to the age-old conundrum of how to cook a turkey evenly and successfully. To me, breaking it down into its pieces is the most foolproof and flexible approach. Braising the turkey pieces in wine and aromatics results in a flavorful… Read More →
Grilled Spatchcocked Turkey By Andrew Zimmern Oven space is always at a premium on Thanksgiving, so why not put the turkey on the grill? Spatchcock and brine the bird before laying it flat on the grill with the dark meat closest to the fire. This method will take less time and leave you with an evenly… Read More →
Classic Roast Chicken By Jacques Pepin The classic way to cook chicken is still the simplest and best. Roasting the bird at high temperature crisps the skin as it protects the flesh, keeping it moist. And roasting the chicken on its side helps the legs, which usually take longer than the breast, cook faster, and… Read More →
My Favorite Japanese Recipes The foods of Japanese izakayas are among the most beloved in the world. There’s not a chef in the country who doesn’t try his or her hand at ramen, soba, egg custards, robata-style fish, sashimi, yakitori, goya and so on. Surprisingly, though, very few home cooks do. Making Japanese food at home requires having a few… Read More →
Chicken Paillard with Panzanella Salad By Andrew Zimmern This panzanella salad set atop a grilled chicken paillard is a recipe I used on restaurant menus in NYC in the 80s! Good food is always good. Improvising with the panzanella salad is never a mistake. Try adding arugula, watercress, or whatever fresh vegetables look good at the… Read More →
Traditional Southern Fried Chicken By Andrew Zimmern Soaking the chicken in buttermilk overnight ensures the meat will stay tender and moist, and adding a couple of tablespoons of my Lemon & Shallots seasoning to the marinade will give it an extra flavor boost. I love to serve this classic fried chicken recipe with crispy twice-fried… Read More →
Spicy Chengdu-Style Chicken with Peanuts By Andrew Zimmern This chile-spiked Chengdu-style chicken is a mainstay at my house. Soaking the chicken overnight in rice wine and cornstarch makes the meat soft and tender. It also helps tighten the sauce and gives the chicken a twice-cooked slippery quality that’s a sign of good Chinese wok cookery. Make sure you… Read More →
Seared Beef Tataki Appetizer By Andrew Zimmern A popular Japanese dish, tataki refers to beef or fish that is quickly seared over high heat, leaving the center very rare. It’s thinly sliced and served with a citrus- and ginger-infused vinegar soy sauce.
Tired of the traditional turkey? Here are 10 stunning recipes that’ll steal the show, from centerpiece roasts to the perfect melting pot roast. • • • Bohemian Roasted Duck with Caraway Serve this roasted duck with braised red cabbage and sliced potatoes sautéed crisp in some reserved duck fat for the authentic Czech experience. GET… Read More →
Where to Eat in the Heart of Burgundy By Bob & Sue The most interesting food is not always found in the Michelin-starred restaurants, but often in the local bistros. During our six days in Burgundy recently, we had many memorable experiences in the city of Beaune and surrounding areas: Le Bistro At the gathering place for many… Read More →
Starting with episode one, Bizarre Foods has been all about increasing our capacity for patience, tolerance and understanding by studying food in other cultures. That’s why we put a family meal in every single show we make because all of us can relate to sitting down to a meal with our family members. We can relate, even if… 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 →
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 →
A Better Way to Incorporate Apples & Honey for the New Year By Andrew Zimmern Rosh Hashanah means one thing in my house, sweet apples and honey for a new year. Here I put it through a different prism so that those important ingredients could be used to accent duck in a main course that I can… Read More →
Devour Amsterdam Amsterdam is a quirky enclave of bikes, boats and old world charm that draws visitors from all over the world. In a city that defies easy description, tourists flock there for the forbidden (“coffee shops” and the infamous Red Light District) as much as they do for the renowned architecture, museums and culture. And… Read More →
Devour Rome One of the cradles of Western civilization, Rome is a city full of globally influential art, culture and architecture. Over 4 million tourists flock to the Italian capital every year, visiting ancient Roman ruins, hoping to catch a glimpse of the pope in Vatican City, and, often times, binging on Italian gelato, pizza… Read More →
Squid with Tomato & Mint By Andrew Zimmern When I got home from Rome last December, I wanted to make a tripa a la Romana but had no audience at home for the dish. So, I tried it with veal breast and with chicken—both were superb low and slow long-time braised affairs. Then I made this… Read More →
Beer-Battered Chicken Sandwich By Rebecca Lang Nearly everyone loves a fried chicken sandwich. This version does not disappoint. Choose a malty ale, such as Bell’s Best Brown, or a good seasonal beer from your favorite local brewery. A rich, caramel-kissed brew helps the flavors hold up all the way through frying. This batter is light… Read More →
Cornmeal-Crusted Chicken & White Barbecue Sauce By Rebecca Lang While living in Birmingham, Alabama, I had my first eye-opening taste of white barbecue sauce. To first see a barbecue sauce that’s on the opposite end of the color spectrum from the typical red varieties is intriguing. Its tart, peppery creaminess is simply wonderful. Common throughout north… Read More →
Grills Gone Wild I love cooking over wood, live fire, coals and smoke. Grilling is very social—you can have friends over and stand outside and man the grill. It’s the best part about summer. Just in time for the unofficial start of grilling season, here are 12 reasons to fire up that grill, from seafood like scallops,… Read More →
Minnesota Restaurants Supporting Local Farms I love all four seasons, but there are few greater things in life than the first days of a Minnesota spring. We love celebrating another winter survived, and if you’re anything like me, food plays a huge role. I can’t wait until restaurants unveil their spring menus, teeming with fresh… Read More →
