Kitchen Chick

Strawberry Perfection

Strawberry season is outstanding this year in Southeast Michigan. This morning I spent 1.5 hours at Rowe's today, and picked 35 pounds. That's nearly 12 pounds every 30 minutes. The berries were so plentiful and ripe, it was almost impossible to not find a good spot to pick. Last week's hot weather ripened up the berries, and they are at perfection right now! And if we're lucky, that perfection will last for several more weeks.

I went by myself, but I was't alone. Lots of families were out with their children. While I picked I got to enjoy other people's stories, like the mother who talked about how she has a bowl of apples, and her young daughter once took a bite out of every apple and put them back in the bowl so that the bites were not visible! Said daughter was busy eating strawberries almost faster than they could pick them.

U-Pick Strawberry Farms in SE Michigan:

•  Rowe's Produce Farm — this has been my go-to farm for strawberries for years. (Mainly because they are the closest one to me.) Get on their email list and get up-to-date announcements on crop conditions.
• Whittaker's Berry Farm — out in Monroe, past Dundee. They also have an email list.
• DeGroot's Strawberries— people on the NW side of Washenaw County may find DeGroot's more conveniently located.
• Long Family Orchard — north of Novi in Oakland county. Their strawberry season does not appear to have started yet.

Other u-pick farms in SE Michigan — pickyourown.org has a regional list of Michigan u-pick farms.

Kitchen Chick: now writing for Current Magazine

Joe and I are very excited to be writing restaurant reviews for Current Magazine. Our first article, an Ann Arbor summer patio/al fresco brunch dining guide, was in the May print edition and is now available on the eCurrent website.

With limited space, we had to make some editorial decisions on what to include, so we know we left out some great places. We'd love to hear your favorite brunch or lunch place with outdoor dining in the Washtenaw County area.

Bon appétit!

Tomorrow is Paczki Day!

I've been in the clueless department this month, so in case any of you have been as crazy-busy to notice what time of year it is, I offer this Public Service Announcement:

Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday, which means it's Paczki Day!

I'll be picking up mine tomorrow from Copernicus, which brings theirs in from Canada. If you're ordering 3 dozen or more, you can call them at 734-222-9633 and they'll have them packed up and ready to go; otherwise, just show up at 617 S. Main St., Ann Arbor.

Amadeus makes their own fabulous paczki, but it may be too late to order from them. They haven't been answering their phone all day today. (They're probaby crazy-busy making those paczki!) 

Finally, some people are partial to Dom Bakeries.

Support a local business and make your co-workers happy, too: buy some paczki tomorrow!

A Knife's Work & Molecular Gastronomy in Ann Arbor

Fruit trio: mango, green apple, and guava

We like to do something special for each year's holiday party. Twice we've had a catered chocolate fountain. (It's worth having it catered. A chocolate fountain takes a lot of work to keep running smoothly, not to mention the cleanup!) This year we asked Brendan and Jay of A Knife's Work to propose something... interesting. Non-standard. Unusual. Something they've been wanting to try, but haven't had the chance to do yet.

They proposed a trio of molecular gastronomy appetizers, complete with live demonstrations, since we've got a number of food enthusiasts among our friends.

We said, "YES!"

Brendan and Jay setting up their workspace

Some of you will remember Brendan and Jay (along with Chewy, now in California) as the chefs at Everyday Lunch. After Everyday Lunch closed, Brendan and Jay turned to catering and carry-out meals. You can find their delectable entrées to-go at Everyday Wine. They post their weekly menu on their website.  (Totally worth it!)

They started our tour with a savory "cookie" made of duck and topped with an orange-ginger gel. Followed it up with tropical fruit "caviar" (above). For a desserty finish, they assembled three-layered chocolate bites with chocolate cake base, chocolate gelatin, and chocolate crumbles on top. 

They — Brendan, Jay, and their food — were a hit.

Duck cookies with orange-ginger centers

And three layers of chocolate

See all the photos on flickr or view this slide show

How to eat like a president: Inaugural Luncheon recipes

Newly sworn President Obama delivers his inauguration speech

In a tradition dating back to 1897, the Senate Committee hosts Obama's first luncheon. They've made the inaugural recipes available for download from their website so we can all eat like a president!

First Course
Seafood Stew
paired with Duckhorn Vineyards, 2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley

Second Course
A Brace of American Birds (pheasant and duck) served with Sour Cherry Chutney and Molasses Sweet Potatoes
paired with Goldeneye, 2005 Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley

Third Course
Apple Cinnamon Sponge Cake and Sweet Cream Glacé
paired with Korbel Natural "Special Inaugural Cuvée," California Champagne

Mélange Meet & Greet

General Manager Terry Martin shows off one of the fine selections from Melange's wine cellar.

Last week I received a call from Constance Crump. Would I like to attend a Meet & Greet at Mélange? Sounded like fun to me!

I slid out of work a bit early (5:30 is normal for me, so 5 is early!) and headed into town. North-bound Main was a parking lot at 5:15pm. (Is it like that every day?) I managed to skirt around it and scored a primo street spot on Liberty.

Mélange is right near The Ark. The main entrance is a beautiful staircase with bamboo stalks lining one wall. (The handicap entrance, a must if you need to avoid a long staircase, is through The Ark.) The restaurant is all muted oranges, yellows, and browns. It takes a moment for the eyes to adjust, but the effect is a very cozy and private feeling. That modern glassed-in wine cellar you see above divides the bar from the main dining room.

Mélange recently launched a new menu under Executive Chef Sam Ness, who has worked, among other places, at Nobu in New York. In addition to their pan-Asian menu, they have a full sushi bar. The sushi we had was excellent, and the menu selection is extensive, with both traditional favorites and some exotica. Sushi prices are surprisingly reasonable. (And during their 5-6pm happy hour, you can give their sushi menu a try at half-off.) Their dinner menu also looks good — watch for a more complete review of Melange when we go there for dinner...  soon, I hope.

I enjoyed a glass of Two Brothers Big Tattoo Red 2005, a nice easy-drinking red with lots of berries in the aroma. The eponymous two brothers, Alex and Erik, created this wine to honor their mother, who suffered from breast cancer. For every bottle sold, they donate 50 cents to the Arlington, Virginia Hospice and to a breast cancer research foundation in their mother's name.

I'm actually sad to say that we didn't get to meet everyone at the meet-n-greet, but here are a few I'd like to give a shout out to...

Myrna Rugg (pictured at right with her husband Rick Cronn) is the Treasurer of the Ann Arbor Film Festival. I know it's a great film festival, but what I didn't know is that the AAFF is the third oldest film festival in the world, after the Venice Film Festival and Cannes. They made news in 2006 when state legislators attacked them for showing "objectionable" films and attempted to pass legislation to single out the AAFF and deny them state arts funding. In turn, the board voted to forego state funding so that they can continue to uphold the Festival's artistic integrity. They are seeking community support so that they can continue to bring independent and experimental film and video to Ann Arbor.

The 46th Ann Arbor Film Festival will be held March 25-30, 2008 at the historic Michigan and State theaters.

If you'd like to support the AAFF and see this wonderful world-famous film event continue, you can make a donation. (The AAFF is non-profit. All donations are tax-deductible.) As an added bonus, with your donation you get to vote for what "Act of Audacity" the AAFF crew will perform in public. If you were one of the lucky people to see the Glam Rock street performance on Oct 17 (I was not, sadly), you saw the first Act of Audacity.

When I started Kitchen Chick back in 2004, there were only two AA food blogs (that I knew about!) — mine and The Ulterior Epicure, who has since graduated and moved on to parts elsewhere. Since then AA's food blogging scene has grown a lot, though oddly I have yet to meet any others in person. (Hint hint - blogger meet-up and holiday cookie exchange, anyone?)

But last night I had the luck to meet Maria, Shana, and Anne who blog about food and the AA restaurant scene at The Gastronomical 3. (pictured left) They're giving the Annabella Chardonnay 2005 a try (crisp, sweet, lots of tropical fruit aromas and an oak finish). Go check them out.

And finally, none of us would have been there but for Constance Crump. Long time Ann Arborites may remember her and the Crumpettes' food adventures in the Ann Arbor News. Thank you, Connie!

Kitchen Chick in metromode

A big thanks to Tanya Muzumdar and metromode online magazine for the shout out. Check out Tanya's article on gourmet and speciality grocery stores.

And here are the Dan Dan noodles and the Burghul Mufalfal recipes she refers to. (It's 3:30pm and I haven't had lunch yet. Both those noodes and the burghul are looking mighty tasty at the moment!)

I have to say that I'm delighted to learn about Plum Market and See's Candies. I fell in love with See's Milk Chocolate Bordeaux chocolates a year back when a friend had them at her wedding. Mmmmm. These were heaven.

Help End Childhood Hunger — Great American Bake Sale

Back when I was a child, I remember my grandmother volunteering for a local organization that found food for hungry families. Once a month or so, she'd spend the evening sitting by her rotary dial phone to receive calls from families who had no food and to direct them to various local community resources where they could obtain food. Poverty and hunger in the US has, sadly, only grown since that time.

With that said, although there's just a month left in the campaign, it's not too late to participate in the Great American Bake Sale.

Organized by Share Our Strength, a nation-wide nonprofit that brings together individuals and businesses to end hunger, the Great American Bake Sale raises funds that are distributed to community organizations that work to increase participation by low-income children in summer and after-school feeding programs and to support nutrition education programs for low-income families. 

The Great American Bake Sale has raised over 3 million dollars since 2003. In 2005, they sent 91% of bake sale proceeds to organizations across America to fight childhood hunger, which is an excellent ratio. In Michigan, community organizations that receive funding from the Bake Sale include Mayor's Time,Inc. in Detroit and the Center for Civil Justice in Saginaw.

I wish I had learned about this earlier! The Great American Bake Sale sounds like a fantastically fun way to be part of a nationwide grassroots movement to raise money to fight hunger. I'm wondering if I can squeeze in a bake sale somehow in the next few weeks, but even if I can't, Mercedes Bent of Share Our Strength has told me that anyone can have a bake sale and donate the proceeds to the program any time of the year.

(If a bake sale isn't in your future but you'd still like to help out, you can donate directly to Share Our Strength.)

Lidia Bastianich & Borders @ everyday cook

Lidia Bastianich and Nicole Sims enjoying Ziti with Tomatoes, Eggplant, and Salted Ricotta in a break between filming segments

A week ago I mentioned that I had the good fortune to attend the live taping of a pilot cooking webcast show — at everyday cook — for Borders Books that featured Lidia Bastianich doing recipes from her forthcoming book Lidia's Italy.  It was a blast, and I can't wait to see the show!

We attendees gradually gathered outside of everyday cook with great anticipation. When we filed into the everyday cook kitchen, we found it transformed into a studio. Cables and equipment everywhere, camera men catching pre-show stills and checking their gear, black cloth over the windows, and temporary lighting hung everywhere to light up the kitchen. The audience area was a series of high cocktail tables dressed with tablecloths, bottled water, and wine glasses. A camera man overheard me as I mused aloud about the best place to sit and he directed us to an unclaimed table right in front of the stovetop. Perhaps it had gone unclaimed because it was tucked tightly between two camera stations and a post. Joe and I squeezed in to the table, and I have to say we enjoyed some of the best seats in the house.

Show producer Rich Fahle of Borders welcomed us all and explained how the taping would go. There were be several segments with breaks between each one. We were to be as quiet as possible during the taping and to not leave our seats if at all possible. (But if we absolutely had to get up, please don't waltz in front of the cameras!) Lidia's two co-hosts were Nicole Sims who runs Skip to My Roux and Mark, a Border's executive. Food TV fans might remember Nic from All Star Kitchen Makeover when she won a kitchen make-over designed by Alton Brown. She was the main host, and did such a professional job that Joe (who didn't know who she was) was convinced she was a moonlighting news anchor.

Lidia kicked the show off with a simple appetizer of frico with apples and cheese and from there she mesmerized the audience with her mix of cooking lore and personal stories as she walked Nic and Mark through each recipe. Her enthusiasm was infectious! We were served small bits of the frico and the pasta during the show, along with enough wine to keep us all happy. At the end of the show, the dishes were put out buffet style and the audience was invited to eat. There was no fear of there not being enough food. Even after everyone went through the line, there was enough for seconds.

As much fun as I was having in the audience, watching both the show and also watching the camera crew move around and give their directions in hand signals, Nic looked like she was having a blast in front of the camera. I asked her what it was like to film this show with Lidia, and she said:

"It was great fun to work with her. Lidia is a consummate professional and also a very kind and warm woman. She also was very generous in her assistance in getting us all ready for primetime, from food prep to blocking out the conversations for the camera. Since I really connect with food and family the way she does, I felt a natural kinship as I really "get" where she's coming from with this book from her heart and it was just like having a friend come over and hang in the kitchen and share meaningful food stories."

I don't have any further information about when this webcast will be available, but I know the plan is to do a series. In the meantime, if you want to get as close as possible to hanging out in the kitchen with Lidia while sharing her cooking and her stories, check out a copy of Lidia's Italy — it's available this Tuesday, April 10. (We got an advance copy, and I've been cooking from it all week...)

Show Menu:

• Frico with Apples and Montasio Cheese, paired with Fantinel Prosecco Extra Dry NV. This crisp "pancake" is a delightful way to enjoy cheese and apples together. (Recipe for Frico with Apples and Montasio Cheese below.)
• Ziti with Tomatoes, Eggplant, and Salted Ricotta, with Borgo Maddalena Tocai Friulano 2005. Simple and fresh!
  
• Sausages with Fennel and Olives with SFIDA Primitivo/Cabernet Sauvignon Blend. We particularly enjoyed the wine with this one.
  
• And for dessert Lidia showed how easy it is (and Nic and Mark showed that it does require a little practice, but practice makes perfect!) to make crepes for Crêpes with Chocolate and Walnuts.

Wines were supplied by everyday wines in Kerrytown:

Fantinel Prosecco Extra Dry NV  — $13.99
Borgo Maddalena Tocai Friulano 2005 — $14.99
SFIDA Primitivo/Cabernet Sauvignon Blend — $10.99

Lidia doing pre-show prep. From left to right are Chewy, Lidia, Brendan (behind Lidia), another chef brought in to help, Rich the Borders producer, a cameraman, and Mary, owner of everyday cook.

everyday lunch at everyday cook

EDITED: Want to know what they're serving today?  Check out the everyday lunch blog.  It's generally updated by 7:30am with the day's menu.

Local food news seems to be the order of the week. Long time readers may remember me gushing over Chef Chewy at Monahan's lunch counter. You can still get fabulous seafood at Monahan's and enjoy lunch at the counter, but if you're looking for Chewy's cooking you'll now have to go to upstairs to everyday cook.

Starting next Tuesday (April 10), Chewy — and his fellow chef Brendan — will be exercising their creative cooking talents while serving up lunch up in everyday cook's très chic "loft kitchen."  Every day!  (Except Sundays and Mondays.)

I'm going to have to come out of hiding from my cube up on North Campus, where I eat my lunch while working hunched in front of my computer, meander down to everyday cook, and enjoy a much more pleasant lunch hour. (And bring some of my co-workers in tow.)

Click on the image at left or download this pdf flyer for the full scoop.

everyday cook
2nd floor, Kerrytown
734.827.2665