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 →
Grand Cafe Important restaurants keep exploding all over the Twin Cities. Grand Cafe joins the list that includes Spoon & Stable, Heyday, Bellecour, Corner Table and many new to the scene like Kado No Mise and Martina, that are proof positive Minnesota is ground zero for some of the best food in America. Photograph… 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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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.
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 →
Green & Black Chickpea Chaat By Floyd Cardoz, chef/owner of Paowalla in New York City
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
The Best Latke Recipe By Andrew Zimmern Topped with leftover slices of brisket, these potato pancakes will blow your mind. For me, making latkes has always been a family activity. I first made these with my grandmother when I was 4 years old. I had my son squeezing potatoes for me when he was 3.… Read More →
Hearty Brisket Chili By Andrew Zimmern What do you do with leftover brisket? Make one of my favorite dishes, this hearty meal in a bowl. Watch Andrew make this recipe: Like this recipe? Save it on Pinterest.
Sausage, Potatoes, Onions, & Mushrooms en Papillote By Jacques Pepin I wanted to show Shorey how to make a great one-dish meal for dinner, so I chose this one featuring sausage, potatoes, onions, and mushrooms en papillote. Papillote refers to a wrapping of foil or parchment paper in which meat or fish is cooked. This… Read More →
Braised Brisket with Fennel & Onions By Andrew Zimmern This classic braised brisket is a riff on my grandmother’s recipe. It was one of the first dishes I helped my grandmother make and a staple at my family’s holiday table for generations. Braised in the oven with fennel and onions, it’s perfectly melting and tender.… Read More →
Esker Grove The Walker Art Center, a contemporary art mecca with a newly refinished sculpture garden, is one of the Twin Cities’ most beloved cultural assets. Add a beautifully designed restaurant with a menu from one of the country’s best chefs, and you have a winning combination, whether it’s date night, happy hour or brunch… Read More →
Kramarczuk’s Sausage Company Kramarczuk’s is an iconic Twin Cities restaurant and deli, serving Eastern European sausages and comfort classics for more than 50 years. Wasyl and Anna Kramarczuk moved to the United States from Ukraine in 1949. In the 50s, they bought an established butcher shop in Northeast Minneapolis, started making sausages and quickly became… Read More →
Gizmo Sandwiches I would rather be at the Minnesota State Fair than anywhere else in the world. Why? The people, the food, the sense of community and tradition. 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… Read More →
Tunisian Pepper-Tomato Sauce By Andrew Zimmern I got this recipe from a Tunisian grandmother when I was filming Bizarre Foods nearly a decade ago. It’s become a staple in my house, there’s a jar of this in my fridge at all times.
Birchwood Cafe Few Minnesotans have done more for local farmers and purveyors than Tracy Singleton. You can bet everything served at her iconic Seward restaurant was grown organically, sourced ethically, and hails from some cool Midwestern farm. She’s long been an industry leader in sustainable, eco-friendly practices, and has used her restaurant as a vehicle… Read More →
Scallops in Aguachile Recipe by Chef Carlos Salgado from Taco Maria In the Pacific states of Sinaloa and Nayarit, aguachile de callo de hacha (scallops in chile water) is the Rolls Royce of ceviche dishes, in which the luxurious scallop is bathed in a fiery solution of lime and fresh green chile. Traditionally, only two… Read More →
St. Paul’s Hmongtown Marketplace A pillar of the Twin Cities’ Hmong community—which is the largest in the country—the sprawling Hmongtown Marketplace in St. Paul is the next best thing to hopping a flight to Southeast Asia. This market and those making the food represent centuries of Hmong traditions. In warmer months, you’ll find people selling plants,… Read More →
Grilled Pigeon with Sweet Corn Panzanella By Andrew Zimmern
