The newest darling of Northeast Minneapolis’ brewery district, chef Jose Alarcon’s homage to his heritage is one part casual taqueria and one part upscale Mexican fare. Let’s be honest, it’s always great to have options. On the Centro side, satisfy your midweek happy hour needs with carnitas or barbacoa street tacos and a pitcher of… Read More →
Corn Pones & Chile Cheese Dip By Andrew Zimmern These simple fritters are basically rustic fried cornbread bites, taken to the next level when dipped into homemade cheese whiz infused with roasted chiles. For a smooth sauce, be sure to buy good cheese and grate it yourself. This is the perfect chow for lazing around… Read More →
Classic Chicken Parmesan By Andrew Zimmern This chicken parmesan is my love letter to the Italian-American red sauce classic everyone craves. Sure you can gussy it up, but this recipe sticks to the basics—fried chicken topped with an easy homemade tomato sauce, creamy ricotta, mozzarella melted under the broiler, and a touch of fresh basil.… Read More →
Read AZ and the Lost City of Ophir, and share your pics for a chance to win. I am thrilled with the positive response I’ve received about my new kids book, AZ and the Lost City of Ophir, the first novel in the Alliance of World Explorers series for middle-grade readers. It’s a rip-roaring, Indiana… Read More →
A Taste of New Orleans in Your Own Kitchen Mardi Gras is an annual excuse to eat, drink and celebrate all day long before the start of Lent. Next to king cake and party beads, you can’t forgo a meal of classic Creole and Cajun flavors. Here are a few of my favorite recipes for… Read More →
Ruby Red Tablet Lollipops By Andrew Zimmern Inspired by my new book, AZ and the Lost City of Ophir, these lollipops are a fun and easy treat to make at home with your kids. If you don’t love cinnamon, feel free to use a different flavor oil.
My Best Game Day Recipes I love the traditional nacho and chicken wing spread, alongside dishes inspired by my travels—from fried chicken summer rolls to Baltimore-style crab cakes. If you’re really ambitious, go all out and construct the ultimate Super Bowl snackadium. Fried Chicken Summer Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce They’re commonly filled with shrimp and roast… Read More →
Caponata with Grilled Crostini By Andrew Zimmern A traditional Sicilian vegetable dish, caponata is made with sweet and sour caramelized eggplant, onions, peppers, olives, capers and tomatoes. It has many uses in the kitchen—it’s a great vegetarian appetizer served with grilled bread, you can toss it with pasta, serve it hot as a side dish… Read More →
Beef Stew By Andrew Zimmern Living in Minnesota, I know a thing or two about cold-weather comfort food. This one-pot rock star beef stew is in heavy rotation all season long at my house, it’ll warm you from the inside out. This is “food with a hug” at its best. On the technical side, it’s… Read More →
Roasted Root Vegetables By Andrew Zimmern Learning how to roast properly is crucial for success in the kitchen. For me, it’s the most soul-satisfying form of cookery. I like a variety of texture, flavor and color in my roasted vegetables, so I use a mix of root vegetables along with shallots, pearl onions and sprigs… Read More →
Poached Salmon with Hollandaise Sauce By Andrew Zimmern I adore poached salmon. No one poaches fish anymore, but it’s a simple, elegant, feed-a-crowd meal. Plus this recipe provides great leftovers—think salmon salad, salmon cakes or salmon aspic. Watch Andrew make this recipe:
Veal Marsala with Rosemary & Mushrooms By Andrew Zimmern This traditional veal marsala recipe with mushrooms is a stunning autumnal dish that comes together quickly. I prefer to use bone-in veal chops instead of boneless cuts from the leg because they tend to overcook and dry out. If you don’t want to use veal, this mushroom… Read More →
Garides Saganaki By Andrew Zimmern Garides saganaki is a classic Greek dish of shrimp, tomatoes, onion and feta. Cooked under the broiler, this bubbling one-pot dish is easy and so satisfying. Be sure to serve with plenty of crusty bread to sop up the sauce. Watch Andrew make this recipe:
Chengdu Chicken with Black Beans, Chiles & Peanuts By Andrew Zimmern This spicy Chengdu-style chicken in an umami-rich black bean sauce is a mainstay at my house. Marinating the chicken overnight in rice wine and cornstarch makes the meat tender, helps tighten the sauce and gives the chicken a twice-cooked slippery quality that’s a sign of… Read More →
Venison Stuffed Cabbage Rolls By Nevada Berg Cabbage rolls are a classic dish, and for many of us, reminiscent of childhood memories. Various meat and cabbage rolls are made around the world—I remember my mother making her own version—but in Norway, they’re typically made with pork, and served with a tomato or white sauce. I… Read More →
Smoked Duck & Barley Salad with Lovage & Plums By Nevada Berg Duck season begins in early autumn and one of my favorite ways to prepare duck is to smoke it. It’s a simple process and makes for fantastic flavor and crispy skin. I tend not to brine duck, but rather pat it dry and… Read More →
AZ and the Lost City of Ophir Twelve-year-old AZ dreams of becoming the world’s greatest explorer. Instead, he’s stuck in summer school with just Odd Uncle Arthur for company. Little does AZ know that this summer will be his most thrilling—and dangerous—adventure yet. After a time-traveling mishap, AZ finds himself in Ophir, a lost city… Read More →
The Ultimate Cheese Platter Our friends and favorite cheese experts Matt and Kate Jennings are in the studio today to demystify the cheese board. Building a proper cheese plate is like composing a harmonious piece of music, you need to hit the high notes, the low notes and everything in between. Start with a mix… Read More →
Roasted Tomato Soup By Andrew Zimmern The perfect tomato soup with some Parmesan bread toasties that is going to rock your world. It’s tomato insanity in a bowl.
Big Food Truck Tip Premieres Wednesday, September 19th at 10/9pm CT on Food Network I can’t wait to share my new series with you, Big Food Truck Tip, premiering on Food Network with back-to-back episodes on Wednesday, September 19th at 10/9pm CT. Join me as I travel the country in search of passionate food truck… Read More →
Grilled Red Snapper By Andrew Zimmern When it comes to grilling whole fish, red snapper is ideal—it’s versatile, it’s economical and it cooks quickly. I like to season it with a simple garlic and herb olive oil marinade, and serve it with a mixed herb salad and grilled lemons. Watch Andrew make this recipe:
Grilled Prosciutto-Wrapped Trout By Andrew Zimmern I love the combination of cured meat and fish, especially in this recipe for fresh-caught trout on the grill. If you’re intimidated by grilling whole fish, don’t be. Binding the trout in layers of prosciutto will help to hold the fish together, while giving it an irresistible charred ham… Read More →
Minnesota Honey Producers at the State Fair After you’ve had your cheese curd fix in the Food Building, make your way next door to the iconic octagon-shaped Agriculture & Horticulture Building for a scoop of honey ice cream and a quick lesson on beekeeping. There’s a large footprint dedicated to honey and honey products made… Read More →
Minnesota State Fair Eating Strategy There are a few simple rules when it comes to a successful day of eating at the fair. First, don’t overload on your deep-fried fantasies in the first hour. Go with friends so you can indulge in your favorite fair classics along with a couple new food items. Do a… Read More →
The Story of Cinnie Smiths I always make a stop at Cinnie Smiths a priority. The cinnamon rolls are made in the booth from scratch right to order, with real butter, real cinnamon and real sugar. I’m getting hungry right now thinking about the gooey center of the warm cinnamon rolls, dipped in their homemade creamy… Read More →
Gizmo Sandwiches at the Minnesota State Fair Carla Wood and her Gizmo sandwich embody everything I love about the fair. The Gizmo is a ground beef and Italian sausage sandwich covered in their secret red sauce, topped with melted mozzarella. Every sandwich is made on premise from scratch. It’s an edible torpedo of pleasure and my idea… Read More →
Mouth Trap Cheese Curds All cheese curds are not created equal, trust me. My go-to at the Minnesota State Fair is Mouth Trap inside the Food Building. What makes their product so perfect? Ellsworth cheese curds, fresh from the creamery, delivered daily—a total of 65,000 pounds of curds over the course of the 12 day… Read More →
What is so great about the Minnesota State Fair? I’m sure you’ve heard me wax poetic about the food at the fair, but honestly, it’s the people that make me want to visit all 12 days. From the animal barns and seed art to bundt cakes and machinery hill, there’s much more to the fair… Read More →
Top 5 Minnesota State Fair Foods My most frequently asked question has to be: “Andrew Zimmern, what is the best thing to eat at the Minnesota State Fair?” It’s a really tough question to answer, there are too many great options. Alas, I’ve tried to dwindle it down to a few items you should absolutely… Read More →
Cheesy Chive Biscuits Recipe by Kate Jennings These are the best biscuits that have ever been baked in the studio kitchen. The key to the irresistible flaky texture is to not overwork the dough. We used a mix of cheddar and swiss here, but you can substitute for any sharp cheese you have on hand.… Read More →
