El Taco Riendo There are a handful of spots in the Twin Cities that I can rely on for excellent Mexican food, and El Taco Riendo is one of them. Located on Central Avenue in Northeast Minneapolis, the fast casual restaurant has a Chipotle-style ordering system where your meal is made fresh in front of… Read More →
Hollandaise Sauce By Andrew Zimmern Mastering this classic French mother sauce is a skill every cook should learn—it provides a base for many other sauces and is a versatile technique to have in your back pocket. Making traditional hollandaise can be intimidating, many attempts to emulsify butter and egg yolks have certainly resulted in a… Read More →
My Grandmother’s Meatloaf By Andrew Zimmern This is a hearty meatloaf of beef, pork and veal studded with flavorful vegetables. Just like my grandmother, I like to put one slice of bacon on the bottom of the loaf pan to aromatize the dish, and another on top to baste it while it cooks. If you’re… 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 →
Pho 79 As the cold weather settles in, all I’m craving is a steaming bowl of pho with rich, flavorful beef broth. Lucky for me, 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, so I won’t go there. What I can… Read More →
Chocolate Swirl Pumpkin Bundt Cake Recipe by Zoë François I am in desperate need of lessons when it comes to baking, and I can’t think of a better teacher than my friend Zoë François, an award-winning baker and author of the best-selling Bread in Five Minutes series. She is sharing her recipe for a ridiculously moist… Read More →
Caramel Apple Pie Recipe by Michelle Gayer The only way to improve on a classic apple pie is to layer the filling with decadent homemade caramel sauce. In this special edition of AZ Cooks, I invite Michelle Gayer into the kitchen to teach me a thing or two about making the ultimate caramel apple pie.… Read More →
France 44 Cheese Shop Located at 44th and France in Linden Hills, this expansive corner shop is half wine and liquor emporium, half specialty cheese, meat and sandwich shop. In the gourmet grocery, you’ll find knowledgeable staff at the cut-to-order cheese counter who can help you select the perfect amount of cream or funk for… Read More →
Sweet & Savory Mixed Nuts By Andrew Zimmern If you like to entertain, you need this easy recipe in your back pocket during the holiday season. Put a bowl of these spiced nuts out for a snack, add them to an appetizer spread, a cheese and charcuterie board or your dessert table. You could even… 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:
What to do with turkey leftovers By Andrew Zimmern I always make a Thanksgiving turkey because I love the leftovers turned into sandwiches, soups, and my son’s favorite, turkey tetrazzini. I use up my last scraps of meat and the salty kiss of some killer parmesan with this creamy pasta casserole. On a cold fall… Read More →
Mulled Red Wine By Andrew Zimmern Gluhwein, or spiced mulled wine, is a popular warming beverage served at European Christmas markets. A German tradition, the very smell of gluhwein will put you in the holiday spirit, as the cinnamon, clove, ginger and orange fragrance wafts through your kitchen. It’s an easy and festive drink to make… Read More →
Young Joni Young Joni’s presence on my list of must-try restaurants should come as no surprise. What chef Ann Kim and her team have accomplished is exceptional and worthy of all the national attention—which includes recognition from GQ and Eater as one of 2017’s best new restaurants in the country. And while this may be… Read More →
Tips & Recipes for Thanksgiving Success Sharing a table with family and friends in celebration of tradition and great food is what makes Thanksgiving my favorite holiday, and I know I’m not the only one. Thanksgiving is about our cultural demonstration of collective thanks, expressed by a delicious meal…followed by football. Hosting the biggest feast… Read More →
Classic Turkey Gravy By Andrew Zimmern You can use this foolproof technique to make perfectly seasoned gravy from any roasted poultry. Add the giblets, onions and rich poultry stock to the bottom of the roasting pan to catch all of the drippings and deepen the flavor of the gravy. Then finish the gravy on the stovetop,… Read More →
Thanksgiving Turkey 101 By Andrew Zimmern Roasting a turkey can be intimidating. It’s the crown jewel of the Thanksgiving table, the star of the show—and yet so many things can go wrong, from dried-out white meat to overcooked stuffing and underseasoned gravy. Try these simple tips for Thanksgiving success, whether this is your first or… Read More →
How to Roast Chestnuts Roasting chestnuts is an essential part of my holiday traditions. Only harvested in the fall, I like to take full advantage of this seasonal beauty. I roast them and put them in my stuffing at Thanksgiving, candy them for Christmas or chop them up and saute them with brown butter and… Read More →
Chestnut Stuffing for Thanksgiving By Andrew Zimmern I like to make my stuffing the same way my grandmother did, with the classic combination of turkey livers, roasted chestnuts and plenty of fresh herbs. Like this recipe? Save it here.
Quick Pickled Jalapenos By Andrew Zimmern Trade in your jarred jalapeno rings for this super easy quick pickle. Trust me, they’re far superior to their store-bought counterpart. I always have a stash of homemade pickled jalapenos in the fridge for use on sandwiches, nachos, scrambled eggs, chili and stew, tacos, burritos, or alongside grilled chicken… Read More →
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 →
Russian Dressing By Andrew Zimmern Russian dressing—and yes, where I’m from, we call it Russian dressing not Thousand Island—is one of my favorite condiments. Used as a dip, sandwich spread or salad dressing, it’s piquant, balanced and delicious. I especially love it on a brisket sandwich with melted gruyere cheese. Watch Andrew make this recipe:
America the Great Cookbook I’m honored to be a part of America the Great Cookbook, a celebration of our country’s food scene with more than 100 recipes by chefs, producers and food heroes from every region of the United States. Flipping through the pages, you’ll notice that what makes America’s food American is its sheer… Read More →
Food Policy Action 2017 Scorecard Food Policy Action recently released their 2017 scorecard, revealing where members of Congress stand on important food policy issues in this country during a turbulent political climate. The 6th annual progress report shares objective information about votes taken and bills introduced by Congress on policies that affect everyone who eats,… Read More →
Apple Tarte Tatin By Andrew Zimmern A classic Parisian recipe, tarte tatin is an upside-down apple tart made famous by the Tatin sisters more than a century ago. The best autumnal treat I can think of, this stunning caramelized apple dessert is an easy show-stopper. Watch Andrew make this recipe: Like this recipe? Save it… 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.
United Noodles & Unideli If you follow my social media or watch my shows, you know I’m obsessed with Asian cuisines—Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean… I love it all. And while there are plenty of great spots in the Twin Cities to indulge, I’m cooking it at home more often than not. Mastering the… Read More →
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 →
Lemon, Garlic & Herb Bread Crumbs By Andrew Zimmern After spending time cooking and eating in Sicily many years ago, I started keeping bread crumbs around the house for use on salads, vegetables, scrambled eggs and pasta. I think learning how to make fresh, homemade bread crumbs will transform your food life. Great food is… Read More →
