Broccoli Rabe Pasta with Lemony Breadcrumbs By Andrew Zimmern This is one of my favorite ways to cook and eat broccoli rabe—charred on the grill and served with a simple pasta seasoned with garlic and olive oil. The lemon-and-garlic-infused breadcrumbs add a brilliantly crunchy contrast to the dish that you’ll love. Watch Andrew make this… 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 →
Sweet Martha’s Cookie Jar Buying a bucket of Sweet Martha’s cookies to share with your friends is a Minnesota State Fair must, and one of those food experiences that cannot be accurately replicated at home EVEN IF their dough is available for purchase in your grocer’s freezer. Few things can beat piping hot, messy chocolate… Read More →
Bellecour My friend Gavin Kaysen’s latest project, Bellecour, is an absolute stunner. The award-winning chef’s return to the Twin Cities in 2014 to open Spoon and Stable came with unprecedented buzz—a few years later and it’s still near impossible to score prime time reservations—but the announcement of Bellecour sent diners into a frenzy, with more… Read More →
The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies By Andrew Zimmern I have a different approach to the classic chocolate chip cookie: I like to add pieces of toasted pecans and favor chips over chocolate chunks or chopped chocolate shards. I prefer cookies that are crispy on the edges and soft in the middle. After much experimentation, I… 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 →
Pizzeria Lola Since it opened in 2010, Pizzeria Lola has always made it onto my top-ten list of favorite pizza joints, not only in the Twin Cities, but in the entire country. Chef Ann Kim is a perfectionist when it comes to her crust and an artist when it comes to toppings. The menu offers… 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 →
Partnering with All of Us Travel I spend close to 250 days out of every year on the road and I’m a strong believer in the transformative power of travel. Nothing challenges your perspective or opens your heart and mind to humanity like travel. We become our best selves on the road, culturally curious and acutely… 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 →
Ma Po Eggplant By Andrew Zimmern This is one of my favorite Chinese dishes, made easy for the home cook. It’s a spicy, savory pork sauté served over roasted eggplant. I adore eggplant and make this dish all the time as part of a multi-course spread or just by itself alongside a bowl of steamed… Read More →
Pork Belly 101 By Andrew Zimmern Roasted pork belly is one of the most unctuous, delicious dishes that you’ll ever eat. To achieve a meltingly tender piece of pork crowned with crispy skin requires a multi-day process, but don’t let that scare you, it’s a simple technique. Serve it with bao, or on its own,… Read More →
Bar La Grassa This ode to Italy isn’t your grandparent’s eye-talian eatery. With moody date-night lighting beaming from chandeliers, a steel pasta bar that provides the best seats in the house, and a broad range of shareable plates, Bar La Grassa is one of the great Italian restaurants in the Twin Cities with consistently good… Read More →
Chicken Paillard with Panzanella Salad By Andrew Zimmern Panzanella salad perched atop grilled chicken paillard is an old-school recipe I used on restaurant menus in the 80s—proof that good food never goes out of style. Watch Andrew make this recipe: Like this recipe? Save it on Pinterest!
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 →
Hot Sesame Oil Dipping Sauce By Andrew Zimmern This dipping sauce uses hot sesame oil to coax the flavor out of ginger, garlic and Szechuan peppercorns. It goes well with my Hainanese Chicken Rice, on pork, chicken, fish or beef. You’re going to love it. Watch Andrew make this recipe:
Soy & Ginger Dipping Sauce By Andrew Zimmern This scallion, soy, cilantro and ginger dipping sauce is wonderful with dumplings, poached chicken or fresh egg noodles. If I have a lot of it left over, I use it as a marinade for chicken. Watch Andrew make this recipe:
Aki’s BreadHaus In the midst of Oktoberfest season—now a worldwide trend no longer reserved for Munich—it’s only appropriate I share my favorite German bakery. In the Twin Cities, most steins of beer this month seem to be accompanied by one of Aki’s famed pretzels, and for good reason. Located in Minneapolis’ Northeast neighborhood, Aki’s BreadHaus… Read More →
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 →
Hainanese Chicken Rice with 3 Dipping Sauces By Andrew Zimmern A popular dish in southern China and Southeast Asia, Hainan-style chicken and rice is a dish I crave often—and I’m not the only one. The ginger-scented, perfectly poached chicken served with fatty, unctuous rice seems to have developed a cult following over the years. I… Read More →
Spicy Meat-Filled Bulgur Dumplings By Robyn Eckhardt These chewy bulgur dumplings hide a filling of ground lamb and onion spiked with tomato and Turkish red pepper paste. Deep-fried versions are found all over Turkey, but I prefer this boiled version from Van, especially when it is drizzled with tomato butter before serving. You will have… Read More →
What’s the easiest way to peel fresh ginger? The best tool for prepping ginger is something I guarantee you have in your kitchen cabinet: a spoon. Because the irregular-shaped root has thin, delicate skin, a spoon can easily scrape it away without much waste. It’s also much easier to get into all of the nooks and crannies… Read More →
The Best Snack Mix Ever Invented By Andrew Zimmern It’s hard to improve on something like homemade Chex mix, but everything’s better with bacon candy—you can’t argue with that. I’ve added spiced nuts and lots of candied bacon to Chex and bagel chips, creating a symphonic blend of crunchy, salty, sweet and savory. This recipe… Read More →
Black Sheep Pizza One of my favorite pizzerias in the Twin Cities, Black Sheep Pizza brings something different to the table. While I love traditional Neapolitan-style, blistery thin crust pies, Black Sheep’s coal-fired pizza—with its chewy, crisp, sturdy and slightly charred crust—has a nostalgic East Coast vibe that always hits the spot. The menu is… Read More →
Twice-Fried Crispy Shallots By Andrew Zimmern Just like good French fries, shallots are best fried not once, but twice. Cook them the first time at a low temperature, allowing the shallots to release their moisture and soften. Raise the temperature and fry them again for just a few seconds, and the shallots will brown and… Read More →
Creamy Corn Pasta with Crispy Shallots By Andrew Zimmern All great recipes have contrasting textures and complementary flavors. This creamy corn pasta checks all of the boxes—with sweet corn, spice from chile flakes and lots of black pepper, acidity from fresh tomatoes, and a topping of crunchy fried shallots and the salty kiss of pecorino… Read More →
What is Huitlacoche? Easy to identify from its grey kernels, huitlacoche is a fungal mold that grows on corn. Often called corn smut or Mexican truffle, it’s considered a delicacy with its uniquely sweet, earthy, funky, antique corn flavor. Use the huitlacoche to season soups, saute it with vegetables, stuff it in a quesadilla or… Read More →
Brisket Nachos with Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa By Andrew Zimmern One of the easiest and most satisfying ways to utilize leftover brisket is to make a big platter of these insanely delicious nachos. Your friends will go crazy when you put these out on game day with a pitcher of margaritas…. be prepared to make a second… Read More →
