AZ Cooks Snack Bracket 16 of my most popular recipes are facing off in a competition to find out which one is the best dish. Be sure to vote for your favorite in every match-up! Need a refresher? Watch the videos below and help us pick the winner. SALTY MATCH-UP #1 SALTY MATCH-UP #2 SPICY… Read More →
Corned Beef with Bourbon-Molasses Glaze By Andrew Zimmern This recipe is one of my favorites, the sticky bourbon-molasses glaze gives the meat an irresistible touch of sweetness that balances out the brine. Brining your own corned beef at home is easy, all you need is the right equipment and time, about 7 to 10 days—therefore… Read More →
Tips for Cooking with Bamboo Steamers I love cooking with a multi-tiered bamboo steamer, it’s one of the most used and versatile tools in my kitchen. Using a steamer is an easy, and certainly healthy, way to achieve crisp tender vegetables and super moist, perfectly cooked proteins. They fit inside of my pans well, plus… 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 →
The Easiest Way to Dice a Mango Mangos are one of the most popular fruits in the world. When picking out mangos at the grocery store, don’t be fooled by the color—red does not mean ripe. Judge the fruit on its firmness, it should be soft without bruises. Mangos have a flat, almond-shaped seed in… Read More →
The Easiest Ways to Prep an Avocado Whether you slice it, dice it, scoop it, smash it or simply cut it in half and eat it with a spoon, there’s no denying avocados are one of the most beloved fruits around the world—we consume more than 4 billion per year in the United States alone.… Read More →
Easy Guacamole By Andrew Zimmern Guacamole is the perfect healthy snack for entertaining while the big game is on. The simplicity of this version really lets the flavor of the avocado shine. Watch Andrew make this recipe:
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 →
“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 →
Saag Paneer By Andrew Zimmern A beloved vegetarian dish of spinach and mild fresh cheese, saag paneer is one of my favorites from the Indian repertoire. This is my version, the result of several years of testing and tweaking different saag paneer recipes, reading cookbooks and gathering inspiration from Indian restaurants. I think you’ll love it.… Read More →
How to Make Paneer at Home By Andrew Zimmern One of the easiest cheeses to make at home is the classic Indian paneer. It’s a mild, fresh farmers’ cheese that takes on flavors really well, soaking up the sauce it cooks in. For my version of saag paneer, I like it to be soft and… Read More →
On’s Thai Kitchen Located in Midway on University Avenue, On’s Thai Kitchen always makes it onto my list of top 10 favorite restaurants in the Twin Cities. There are many excellent choices for Thai cuisine in my hometown, but none transport me to Thailand quite like On’s. The 105-item menu has many recognizable standbys like fresh herby… Read More →
Moqueca de Peixe By Andrew Zimmern I tasted moqueca for the first time along the Brazilian coast south of Rio de Janeiro, and I was instantly hooked. Brazilian seafood stews of this type will blow your mind. Every time I cook this dish for friends and family, even on Food Network’s All-Star Academy, the reaction is… Read More →
How to Make Chicken Lollipops Looking for a fun presentation for chicken wings or legs? Learn how to make chicken lollipops, an easy frenching technique where you scrape the meat away from the bone to create a lollipop shape. The chicken will be more succulent and easy to eat with its bone handle. Learn how… 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 →
Japanese Beef Tataki By Andrew Zimmern This easy Japanese tataki is stunning and tastes even better. With a simple dish like this, buy the best beef you can get your hands on. Because it’s served very rare, using a tender, luxury cut like sirloin is important—trust me, it’s worth spending the extra bucks. Skip the… Read More →
Four Chile Salsa By Andrew Zimmern Using four different types of dried chiles adds a deep complexity to this thick salsa that’s hard to beat. It’s also incredibly versatile—use this chile salsa to braise pork, seafood or chicken, to accompany grilled beef, as a sauce for tamales or enchiladas, or simply as a dip for… Read More →
Spaghetti Squash Crumble By Andrew Zimmern If you’re looking for an alternative to mashed potatoes or roasted vegetables, try this spaghetti squash crumble. A gratin of soft roasted squash topped with crunchy seasoned breadcrumbs, it’s the ultimate sweet-and-savory fall side dish or centerpiece for a wonderful vegetarian meal. Watch Andrew make this recipe:
Rigatoni with Winter Squash, Sausage & Kale By Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos In Tuscany, cooks don’t have a lot of uses for hard-shelled winter squash. It is typically roasted as a side dish or turned into soup. At our Brooklyn farmer’s market in autumn and winter, the stands are filled with a huge variety of… 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 →
Roasted Olives with Lemon, Garlic & Herbs By Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos Olive trees are everywhere in Tuscany, and they are traditionally used for oil production and not eating. These olives are relatively small with concentrated flavor. So, the olives used for appetizers are actually from Southern Italy, where the olives are also cured… Read More →
Chicken, Merguez Sausage & Artichoke Tagine By Andrew Zimmern A hearty braise with an incredible blend of vibrant North African flavors, this tagine is one of my favorite quintessential comfort food dishes to make. Watch Andrew make this recipe: Like this recipe? Save it on Pinterest.
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 →
Roasted Duck with Caraway & Orange By Andrew Zimmern When I was growing up in NYC in the ’60s, my dad would take me out every week for roast duck at the amazing Czech and Eastern European restaurants that helped define our neighborhood for generations. We always ordered the Bohemian duck, which is simply roasted… Read More →
Green & Black Chickpea Chaat By Floyd Cardoz, chef/owner of Paowalla in New York City
Slow Roasted Salmon with Preserved Lemon Vinaigrette By Andrew Zimmern Slow roasting in olive oil is a foolproof cooking method that results in silky, tender and moist salmon. Gently poached in a 200-degree oven, it’s a low maintenance technique for perfectly cooked fish. Served on top of seared avocado and drizzled with a preserved lemon… Read More →
Pan-Fried Black Pepper Shrimp Chef Floyd Cardoz shares his recipe for simple pan-fried black pepper shrimp, adapted from his latest restaurant Paowalla. Located in NYC’s Soho neighborhood, Paowalla is a celebration of modern Indian cuisine specializing in the subcontinent’s vast library of breads (paowalla translates to “a person who makes and sells bread”), from the… Read More →
Poached Shrimp Remoulade By Andrew Zimmern I was inspired to make shrimp remoulade after a recent trip to New Orleans, where I gorged myself on this ubiquitous dish. Remoulade is a tangy mayonnaise-based sauce—flavored with mustard, horseradish, vinegar, chili sauce and scallions—that pairs beautifully with seafood. This recipe is adapted from a dear friend, Jamie… Read More →
Ginger Scallion Noodles By Andrew Zimmern If you love to cook, you should learn how to recreate the tent poles of culinary wisdom from cultures around the world, starting with these addictive ginger scallion noodles. This recipe has the hallmarks of classic Shanghai-style scallion noodles mixed with Japanese-style charred scallion noodles with tsukemono pickles. It… Read More →
Ginger Scallion Oil Dipping Sauce By Andrew Zimmern Chopped scallions, grated ginger and salt are combined with heated peanut oil to create this flavorful dipping sauce—the perfect complement to my Hainanese chicken rice. This sauce is so easy to throw together and pairs well with a piece of grilled meat or fish, noodles, dumplings or… Read More →
