Morning, Noon & Night at Tejas Express Located at the corner of Underwood Street and Dan Patch Avenue in The Garden, Tejas Express is an institution at the Minnesota State Fair. They’re serving restaurant quality food reminiscent of the Southwest-inspired menu at the original location, which closed in 2009 after whopping 22 successful years in… Read More →
We tasted new food at the Minnesota State Fair – here’s our take. By AndrewZimmern.com Staff Tasked with sampling a slew of new foods at the State Fair, we skipped breakfast and headed out early Thursday morning with empty stomachs and open minds. There were pleasant surprises (maple bacon shaved ice!), a few safe bets (anything with… Read More →
Where to Eat at the Minnesota State Fair I love the Minnesota State Fair so much that I try to go all 12 days. Every year there’s a list of new food booths, serving all types of novelty deep-fried on-a-stick creations, but I’m a traditionalist when it comes to state fair chow. What’s the key… Read More →
Modern Food, Age-Old Technique Defined more than a decade ago by chefs Claus Meyer and Rene Redzepi, the New Nordic food movement is reimagining what Scandinavian cuisine is, with a focus on seasonality, sustainability, animal welfare and traditional Nordic ingredients. And while this ground breaking philosophy has famously fueled avant-garde creativity, exploring old traditions is… Read More →
The Best Thing I Ate Last Week Start with fresh, cold, glass-bottled cream from a local dairy—thick and so clotted under the cap you have to break the buttery seal with the back of a spoon before you can pour it out—sweetened with sugar and vanilla, and beaten to stiff pillowy peaks. Add fresh strawberries… Read More →
The Best Thing I Ate Last Week The best thing I ate last week was a simple taco plate at Pineda’s on East Lake Street in Minneapolis. I was shooting a pilot for a new series we’re developing for Travel Channel and I had a 10 minute break. Realizing I was a block away, I… Read More →
Bananas Foster By Andrew Zimmern Bananas foster was invented at Brennan’s in New Orleans a long time ago; there are very few recipes that can be traced back to a single moment in time. I like to use whisky because it cuts the sweetness, but feel free to use rum or even banana liqueur like… Read More →
Kimchi Pancakes SUNSHINE TAVERN, PORTLAND, OR A pancake isn’t always just a pancake; in the hands of the right chef, it can be something truly surprising and different. Exhibit A: a crispy, golden, savory number courtesy of chef Jenn Louis. At first glance, it appears innocuous enough, but one bite tells you you’ve moved into… Read More →
Shrimp and Grits HOMINY GRILL, CHARLESTON, SC When everyone tells you to go to one place for one dish, you don’t ask questions: you just get in the car and drive. That was the case with the shrimp and grits at Hominy Grill. An ingredient introduced to Southern cooking by Native Americans, grits are often… Read More →
Chilaquiles with Fried Eggs By Andrew Zimmern I like to serve this classic Mexican morning fare for dinner with my tomatillo-avocado salsa on the side.
Mother’s Day Menu Ideas Food is the best gift you can give on Mother’s Day. A meal made in your own kitchen with love is even better. From morning to midnight, breakfast to dessert, here are 18 surefire ways to celebrate the mothers in your life. Go ahead, give her what she’s craving, whether it’s… 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 →
Enchiladas de Espárragos, Cahmiñones y Queso de Cabra con Mole de Piñón By Pati Jinich Although we don’t think of pine nuts when we think of Mexican cooking, they are definitely part of the culinary landscape (used most often in sweets). But they are one of my favorite ingredients, and they work very well for… 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 →
An Insider’s Guide to Rome A Rome-based Italian-American journalist, Katie Parla lives and breathes Roman culture and cuisine. Originally from New Jersey, Parla graduated from Yale with a degree in art history, before pursuing a sommelier certificate and master’s in Italian gastronomic culture. She’s written and edited more than 20 books, including the ebook Eating &… Read More →
Shrimp Curry with Cauliflower By Floyd Cardoz When I was growing up in Bombay, this was a very common lunch dish at our house. Once Barkha and I had kids and I began to serve it in our own home, I quickly realized why it’s such a great family meal. Adults appreciate the excellent taste… 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 →
The Twin Cities’ Best Vietnamese Restaurants Home to a vibrant Vietnamese community, the Twin Cities are a pho-lover’s paradise. And in a town chock-full of great Vietnamese restaurants, it’s difficult to name the best. From fantastic noodle soups to Banh mi sandwiches, bao to broken rice platters here are our favorite Vietnamese spots. Quang If… Read More →
City of Gold Premiering in Minneapolis this Friday, the documentary City of Gold explores Los Angeles through acclaimed restaurant critic Jonathon Gold’s eyes. Gold changed the world of food writing. Over the past couple decades, he’s made it a point to seek out extraordinary food in ordinary places. By uncovering and writing about restaurants that… Read More →
La Barbecue’s Top 5 for Austin In the crowded, competitive and often ruthless Texas barbecue scene, La Barbecue sits among the best of the best. Sure it helps that owner LeAnn Mueller hails from barbecue royalty—her grandfather founded Taylor, Texas’ Louie Mueller Barbecue in 1949, a temple of smoked meat that never fails to impress.… Read More →
What Not to Miss in Austin The co-owner of Salt & Time, Ben Runkle is Austin’s leading meat purveyor. What was born from Runkle’s passion for Old World charcuterie, turned into the city’s first whole carcass butcher shop and salumeria when a partnership with Bryan Butler developed in 2010. The pair are committed to sourcing animals… Read More →
Ever dream of becoming a restaurateur? OpenTable has partnered with hospitality consultant Alison Arth to create How to Open a Restaurant: The Modern Restaurateur’s Guide to Starting & Growing a Restaurant Business. The guide provides prospective restaurant owners with the tools they need to succeed, hitting on topics like funding, staffing and restaurant technology. It’s also chock… 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 →
Devour Johannesburg A lively and diverse city, Johannesburg—known by locals as Jozi, Jo’Burg or Joeys—is the largest city in South Africa. With a history chock full of crime and decay, the city’s future is heading in a different direction. An influx of creative energy has tourists eager to visit and the city is coming back… Read More →
Nan-e Barbari By The Hot Bread Kitchen One of our most dramatic-looking breads is nan-e barbari, a 14-inch/35cm oblong. A defining characteristic of the barbari, apart from its shape, is that its surface is spread with roomal, a flour and water paste, before baking, which puts a layer of moisture directly on the bread. This… 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 →
Maple-Bourbon Glazed Ham By Andrew Zimmern A fresh ham hasn’t been salted, cured or brined; it’s essentially a pork roast, using the entire leg of the pig. Be sure to make a cross hatch on the skin, so that the heat and seasoning penetrates the meat. Once it’s done cooking, you’re left with an irresistible… Read More →
Ristede østers med friskost By Darra Goldstein One of my favorite food memories is walking out onto the mudflats on the island of Fanø on Denmark’s west coast with my friend Eja and oysterman Jesper Voss on a chilly November morning. Jesper carries a permit to dig the thousands of oysters that poke up out… Read More →
Eggs in Pepper Boats By Jacques Pepin One day I decided to cook eggs in sweet peppers with a bit of cheese and cilantro. It made a great lunch dish. I used the long, pale green peppers sometimes called banana peppers. Poblano and cubanelle peppers also work, especially if you want to add a little… Read More →
One back-pocket recipe that can save any breakfast, lunch, or dinner. By Alana Chernila Special birthday breakfast on a school morning when we have to get out at 7:00 a.m.? Popovers. A soup pulled from the freezer that’s not quite as delicious as I remember it? Serve with popovers. Friends coming over with picky kids?… Read More →
