Andrew Zimmern's Recipes: June 2012

Andrew Zimmern is famous as the host of the Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods, but he's also a born-and-bred New Yorker, a classically trained chef and a Minneapolis-based home cook. He brings every part of his experience to bear in the recipes he shares here, bridging the gap between exotic flavors and American comfort food.

July 2012 | June 2012 | May 2012 | April 2012 | March 2012 | February 2012 | January 2012 | December 2011 | November 2011 | October 2011

With salmon running so well this year, I thought you might like this insanely good change of pace, which EXPLODES the myth that cheese and fish don’t go together. Serve it hot, with ice-cold Carlsberg beer, brown bread and butter and cucumber salad for the complete Scandinavian experience.

Asparagus is one of my favorite foods, so I give you this superb and simple way to use this amazing vegetable in your kitchen.

When I moved to Minnesota in the 1990s, I was in treatment for chemical dependency and alcoholism. After six months, I got out and eventually found a job washing dishes and busing tables at a French restaurant in the Twin Cities called Café Un Deux Trois. It was two weeks old and already coming off the rails. Packed to the gills, it was the biggest thing to hit Minnesota since sliced bread.

One day on the road, a friend of my in-laws brought me a plate of these little black-and-white beauties, and my faith was restored. These are simple to make, and while kids love them, you will love them even more. They are rich and decadent and just tart enough with the cream cheese to allow you to eat several. They will change your life and reaffirm your faith in the cupcake.

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Andrew Zimmern's Favorite Twin Cities Restaurants

Andrew Zimmern, host of Bizarre Foods and an F&W contributing editor, moved to Minneapolis in the early ’90s. “When I got here, salt and ketchup were radical seasonings,” he says. Here are some of Zimmern’s beloved Twin Cities spots. Andrew Zimmern, host of Bizarre Foods, shares some of his favorite restaurants in the Twin Cities. Photo courtesy of the Travel Channel.

Jack Riebel and Peter Botcher recently opened this stunning gastropub for bourbon geeks, where they serve wild pig in a dozen different ways. 1121 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis; butcherandtheboar.com; 612-238-8888.

Stewart Woodman (an F&W Best New Chef 2006) serves terrific American food; the most sought-after seats are at the kitchen table. 2903 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis; heidismpls.com; 612-354-3512.

America’s best little-known ethnic market (the Hmong are from Asia’s China-Vietnam-Laos region), with countless fruit and vegetable stalls and rustic, insanely delicious dishes in the food court. From Hmong sausage to made-to-order papaya salad and hearty pho, it’s my top lunch spot in town. 217 Como Ave., St. Paul.

Tim McKee (an F&W Best New Chef 1997) and chef de cuisine Mike DeCamp continue to set the gold standard for local fine dining. The bar’s couches are the city’s best date-night spot. 510 Groveland Ave., Minneapolis; labellevie.us; 612-874-6440.

Chef Doug Flicker cooks things that make my knees buckle. I routinely order two servings of his pickled pig feet with truffles and scrambled egg. 4300 Bryant Ave., Minneapolis; piccolompls.com; 612-827-8111.

The best place to grab a bowl of pho and a steamed pork bun with quail egg. 2719 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis; quangrestaurant.com; 612-870-4739.

Complex, clean-flavored food from a singular Vietnamese café. Dozens of “roll your own” spring roll options are some of the best I’ve tasted in the US. 849 University Ave. W. #101, St. Paul; 651-290-8552.

Chef Jamie Malone is a star at McKee’s sustainable seafood place in the Jean Nouvel–designed Guthrie Theater. Try the bouillabaisse. 806 S. Second St., Minneapolis; seachangempls.com.

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Andrew Zimmern's Recipes: May 2012

Andrew Zimmern is famous as the host of the Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods, but he's also a born-and-bred New Yorker, a classically trained chef and a Minneapolis-based home cook. He brings every part of his experience to bear in the recipes he shares here, bridging the gap between exotic flavors and American comfort food.

June 2012 | May 2012 | April 2012 | March 2012 | February 2012 | January 2012 | December 2011 | November 2011 | October 2011

Nothing says hello to the warm-weather months like cool food. Consider this Italian classic: vitello tonnato, or cold, sliced veal. Although it’s traditionally served with veal top round or poached breast of veal, I like it even better with calf tongue. The acidity and salinity of the sauce is perfect with the rich tongue. You will love it. It’s the ultimate surf and turf.

One night before a shoot we were doing at a local home, several well-lubricated friends of the host made grilled pork and eggplant salad for the crew and me. It was one of the best meals of the trip; I still remember the smell of whole bunches of wild thyme, sage and rosemary being burned under the meat to flavor it. I re-create that meal whenever I can.

Indian seafood recipes are not as popular as other dishes from that amazing culinary culture—but they should be. Check out this recipe and you will be sold. It’s a great break from the soft-crab po’boys and meunière-style preparations that we are all a little tired of. At least I am.

It’s the best coconut pie of its kind—not too fancy, not complicated—and it tastes like someone’s mother made it, assuming your mom loved coconut pie and made it all the time.

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Andrew Zimmern's Recipes: April 2012

Andrew Zimmern is famous as the host of the Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods, but he's also a born-and-bred New Yorker, a classically trained chef and a Minneapolis-based home cook. He brings every part of his experience to bear in the recipes he shares here, bridging the gap between exotic flavors and American comfort food.

May 2012 | April 2012 | March 2012 | February 2012 | January 2012 | December 2011 | November 2011 | October 2011

On the road one day in New Orleans, I spent some time in the Crescent City Farmers Market and got a lesson in étouffée-making from the doyenne of Louisiana home cooking, Poppy Tooker. Étouffée is a riff on the old French verb “to smother,” and while there are as many recipes for étouffée as there are cooks who make it, this one is so easy that it’s become an instant classic in our house.

This is a family meal that gets its inspiration from the countless little taverns all over Italy where grilled lamb comes on the bone, served with vegetable salads like this caponata (an eggplant dish with pine nuts and anchovies). I’m always mopping up the vegetables and lamb juices in these restaurants.

For 20 years, I’ve made a hot miso sauce by beating egg yolks, miso, sugar, dashi (Japanese soup stock), soy and a few secret ingredients in a double boiler. It’s my go-to sauce for grilled meats and fish—I love the salty umami elegance of it, the silken mouthfeel. But why it took me so long to figure out a cool miso vinaigrette is beyond me.

It’s so boring to point out that even in warm weather, you can enjoy cold soups that are as refreshing as they are simple to make. Yadda yadda yadda. But true. I make gazpacho every week and keep it in the fridge, and love pureeing cucumber, dill, yogurt, hot chile, lemon juice and celery into a classic Turkish summer soup. But vichyssoise has the sexiest story.

For 40 years I looked high and low for the best matzoh ball recipe, but nothing measured up to my grandmother’s until I discovered Susan’s, an old family friend. After a Passover seder at her house 20 years ago, I begged for this recipe and finally she gave it to me. It’s the perfect balance for a matzoh ball: light enough to float, dense enough to be a good “sinker.” I can now die in peace knowing I have achieved what every Jewish man should for his family: a roof over their heads and a nice chicken-soup-and-matzoh-ball recipe.

Photo courtesy of the Travel Channel

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Andrew Zimmern’s Favorite Burgers

Yes, there are a lot of great burgers out there. Yes, some of them aren’t on this list. But here are six I can think of that are worth a pilgrimage (and never disappoint).

4154 W. Broadway, Robbinsdale, MN; 763-535-1131 or travailkitchen.com.
First, take pounds and pounds of sirloin steak. Trim and roast it until the fat is rendered and the solids have browned. Cool and paddle the fat into your aged ground blend of chuck and other cuts. Grill and place on brioche bun. It’s seriously insane.

1291 3rd Ave., New York City; 212-744-0585.
My favorite bar burger, bar none. All the fancy stuff can come and go, but this is the burger I grew up on, and it holds a special place in my heart. Order it with cottage fries and spinach salad on the side.

418 Old Las Vegas Highway, Santa Fe, NM; 505-983-5319 or bobcatbite.com.
An ancient roadside institution. Aged grass-fed beef purchased from the same farm for generations, griddled, served big and thick and juicy with green chiles if you want ’em. I think this is one for the record books.

1100 N. Ocean Dr., Hollywood, FL; 954-921-9425 or theletub.com.
Food writer Alan Richman’s favorite, and worth the trip. It’s a dump to be sure, but the grilled sirloin burger has some impressive heft and flavor. It is indeed a masterpiece, with a flawless soft, sweet bun.

2901 Ocean Park Blvd., Santa Monica, CA; 310-399-8383 or various locations, thecounterburger.com.
I think it’s got the best flavor and best overall meaty heft of any burger in California, and yes, I know what that means. I love this sucker. And just for the record, I eat my burgers plain.

113 MacDougal St., New York City; 212-475-3850 or minettatavernny.com.
The Black Label Burger is perfect and rich and fulfilling in a way that can’t be beat. Pat LaFrieda’s meat blend, the Minetta style and cooked exactly right every time. Crusty, juicy and rare—every time.

Photo courtesy of the Travel Channel

Andrew Zimmern considers the Minetta Tavern burger one of the country’s best. Photo © Sylvia Paret.

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Andrew Zimmern’s Recipes: January 2012

Andrew Zimmern is famous as the host of the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods, but he's also a born-and-bred New Yorker, a classically trained chef and a Minneapolis-based home cook. He brings every part of his experience to bear in the recipes he shares here, bridging the gap between exotic flavors and American comfort food.

February 2012 | January 2012 | December 2011 | November 2011 | October 2011

In the winter, I always make tons of this pasta and freeze it in quart-size Ziploc bags for quick meals. It’s inspired by some of the best sauces I’ve eaten all over Italy and NYC... I like this sauce with tubetti or short mezzi rigatoni, so that it gets into all the holes. The pork lends fattiness, the wine gives a balanced acidity and the pancetta delivers all the wholesome saltiness you could ever want from an ingredient.

You can put a lot of stuff between two slices of bread and call it a sandwich, but here are seven I’d walk across burning coals to eat. Seriously. »

The cooking technique for the duck can be used to great effect in other recipes too, and the only mistakes you can make are not cooking your duck slowly enough or overcooking it. At home we team this dish with steamed Japanese short-grain rice, a cucumber salad with rice wine vinaigrette and grilled asparagus or Chinese broccoli.

Everyone needs an easy, simple and elegant meal that provides great leftovers (think salmon salad, salmon cakes, salmon aspic) and that all the family will love. No one poaches fish anymore, but it’s the ultimate feed-a-crowd meal. Hot in cold months, cold in warm ones—I adore poached salmon.

Salting fish is one of the oldest and most popular forms of preserving around the world, and salted fish are always cheap and plentiful... If you go to St. Croix, Trinidad, Jamaica and some of the other large islands in the Caribbean, you can still find stalls serving these fritters—just look for the markings of an old taxi or bus stop on a lonely stretch of road, and you’ll see vendors serving passengers their fill of salt cod fritters. The sauce is one I found years ago, and it goes superbly with all types of fried seafood, especially fritters.

Photo courtesy of the Travel Channel

Home sweet home—on the Stone Arch Bridge over the Mississippi River’s St. Anthony Falls. One of the best views of the Minneapolis skyline. »

This is a traditional moqueca, which is a fish stew. But to some, this recipe is a vatapa, because it has nut butter added to it. And here’s the million-dollar payoff: Brazilian seafood stews of this type will blow your mind! Every time I cook this dish for friends and family, the reaction is the same: amazement. And I think the reason is that we are so used to Western and Mediterranean flavors when it comes to seafood chowders, stews and pan roasts that the seminal and delightful flavors in this dish surprise and delight every time.

February 2012 | January 2012 | December 2011 | November 2011 | October 2011

Photo courtesy of the Travel Channel

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Andrew Zimmern’s Favorite Pizza

New York and Chicago constantly vie for top honors in the best-pizza category. Sure, I love pies in both cities, but I think some of the best pizzerias are found elsewhere.

704 Cleveland Ave. S., St. Paul (the original location); 651-696-1066 or punchpizza.com.
Insanely good Neapolitan pizzeria that is a national candidate for Top Five. Eating it uncut is the way to go; the salame e funghi is my favorite.

5557 Xerxes Ave. S., Minneapolis; 612-424-8338 or pizzerialola.com.
Yes, it’s true, Minnesota has the best pizza in America. Let the debate begin! Better than NYC and Chicago put together. Now if that doesn’t get food writer Ed Levine and me booked on Anderson Cooper 360, I don’t know what will. But seriously, the Sunnyside at Lola’s is phenomenal: olive oil, guanciale, leeks, caramelized in the cured pork fat. Topped with a hint of cream, a sprinkle of Pecorino Romano and a fresh egg. Pizza perfection.

316 Virginia St., Seattle; 206-838-7388 or tomdouglas.com.
Tom Douglas’s killer, bready dough recipe, a not-too-hot oven, macho ingredients and a bistro vibe. It’s an original in a sea of derivative pizzerias. The potato pizza is divine.

623 E. Adams St., Phoenix; 602-258-8300 or pizzeriabianco.com.
The one and only. Who would’ve thought you could make world-class pie in the desert? Even though chef Chris Bianco isn’t there every day, the pizza is in my Top Five. The marinara pie (sans cheese) is the gold standard for bread-and-tomato foods.

237 Wooster St., New Haven, CT; 203-624-5271 or sallysapizza.com.
Coal-fired brick-oven pies, baked with tomato sauce, garlic and hard cheeses. Family-owned for three generations. Legendary waits for tables and service. Why is it so crowded? ’Cause it’s AWESOME. I get the plain pie here; it’s perfect.

157 Wooster St., New Haven, CT (the original location); 203-865-5762 or pepespizzeria.com.
The line is as long as the one at Sally’s. The white clam pizza here is one of my favorite pizzas anywhere in the world. And yes, that makes me a Pepe’s guy, if you held a gun to my head.

641 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles; 323-297-0100 or pizzeriamozza.com.
Best pizza in L.A., and these days, that’s saying a lot. Nancy Silverton, Joe Bastianich and Mario Batali have created something special. I love any of the pizzas with Armandino Batali’s cured meats on it, but it’s Silverton’s crust that takes the star turn here.

111 Chelsea St., East Boston; 617-567-9871 or santarpiospizza.com.
Well-done pizza, always cooked a minute longer than it should be, is the hallmark of this 108-year-old Beantown institution. I eat the front of the slice on its own, and use the crust to mop up the grilled sausage and lamb that come as side dishes. You heard me right. Also, keep complaints to a minimum. Most of the regulars take exception to them.

Photo courtesy of the Travel Channel

Andrew Zimmern can’t get enough of the pies from Pizzeria Mozza. Photo © Larry Sales.

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Andrew Zimmern’s Recipes: December 2011

Andrew Zimmern is famous as the host of the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods, but he's also a born-and-bred New Yorker, a classically trained chef and a Minneapolis-based home cook. He brings every part of his experience to bear in the recipes he shares here, bridging the gap between exotic flavors and American comfort food.

January 2012 | December 2011 | November 2011 | October 2011

These Jewish potato pancakes are so good that posting the recipe alone is a mitzvah (blessing) of the highest order. Bubbelah, you should always trust me with this stuff. Growing up, we ate a lot of potato pancakes at Hanukkah... Problem is, most potato pancakes, or latkes, are awful. Luckily for you, these are amazing.

Hanukkah is a great time to share food with friends and family, and I have received dozens of emails asking for some great recipes, so here you go. The chopped liver is the Zimmern family classic that we have been making for a century... I have named this recipe after my grandmother, who always made this to-die-for chopped-liver dish for every holiday.

This festive Sephardic eggplant salad is almost more of a chunky dip than what we would traditionally call a salad.

On my first visit to Malaysia, I found myself in Penang sitting in a small Thai café near New Lane, and I ordered something called Bangkok Chicken. I almost ate the plate, and when I was done, I began interrogating the chef about the dish... The heat-sweet factor here is phenomenal, and I think this recipe is the one my friends clamor for the loudest when we plan dinner parties.

This time of year... I invite the guys over for a couple of afternoons spent watching hours of meaningful college and pro football games... I always serve this chili. I leave it next to the fireplace, so the pot stays warm, and everyone can help themselves. I put out bowls filled with limes, minced chiles, homemade hot sauce, sour cream, sliced avocado, crumbled six-year-aged farmhouse cheddar cheese, corn chips and warm flour tortillas, and let the boys be boys.

January 2012 | December 2011 | November 2011 | October 2011

Photo courtesy of the Travel Channel

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Andrew Zimmern’s Favorite Sandwiches

You can put a lot of stuff between two slices of bread and call it a sandwich, but here are seven I’d walk across burning coals to eat. Seriously.

2726 W. 43rd St., Minneapolis, MN; 612-354-2806 or tiliampls.com.

Fried fish, creamy peppadew slaw, corn chips, cilantro and lime never tasted so good. It’s the best fish sandwich in the world, besides Richard’s in Maracas Bay, Trinidad.

205 E. Houston St., New York, NY; 212-254-2246 or katzsdelicatessen.com.

Nitpickers will debate this until the End of Days, but for me, the one consistently good, amazingly fatty, hand-cut warm pastrami sandwich worth waiting on line for is Katz’s. Plain, on rye, with mustard. Go for it.

14 E. Snyder Ave., South Philadelphia, PA; 215-463-1951 or johnsroastpork.com.

Order it with aged provolone and get ready: slow-roasted pork butt, sliced paper-thin, in "gravy" with spicy greens on a real torpedo roll. Simple and perfect. Maybe the best sandwich in America.

1447 Five Islands Rd., Georgetown, ME; 207-371-2990 or fiveislandslobster.com.

If you like your lobster roll on a toasted bun with just a gloss, a whisper, a gentle zephyr of mayo, then this is the one for you. Served on the end of the dock on the ocean with only a few gulls to keep you company.

3454 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA; 504-899-3374 or mahonyspoboys.com.

I love Mother’s, and I love Parkway, but if you hold a gun to my head, the po’boys at Mahony’s are better than the rest. Get the oyster and soft-shell crab combo and call me when you’re done. You’ll agree.

1017 S. Ninth St., Philadelphia, PA; 215-440-0371 or paesanosphillystyle.com.

Yes indeed, a Jew from NYC thinks the best chicken liver sandwich comes from an Italian joint in South Philly. Crispy livers, toasted bun, secret sauce... Djeetyet?

449 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL; 312-334-3688 or rickbayless.com.

Carnitas, tomato broth, beans, arbol chile salsa and pickled red onions, wood roasted. How he does it with those huge lines is beyond me, but chef Rick Bayless is a genius. Spicy Latin perfection.

Photo courtesy of the Travel Channel

Andrew Zimmern’s favorite sandwiches include the Ahogada Torta at Chicago’s XOCO. Photo © Maren Caruso.

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Andrew Zimmern’s Favorite Bakeries

Andrew Zimmern lists his favorites bakeries around the country.

Chef Joanne Chang graduated from Harvard with honors, then applied her smarts to creating a fantastic bakery with locations in Boston and Cambridge. Chang can make a sticky bun like no other. It’s a must-go bakery in Beantown. flourbakery.com.

I love Michelle Gayer and order every special-occasion cake from her 400-square-foot bakery, Salty Tart. She does a lot more than cakes—savory baked goods, breads and my personal favorite, coconut macaroons. saltytart.com.

Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson are both incredibly talented chefs, but together they’re a culinary power couple. If you try only one thing at their bakery, go for the bread pudding. It’s fantastic. tartinebakery.com.

Leslie Mackie was among the first American pastry chefs to experiment with making bread using a long, slow fermentation process, a technique used by European master bakers. Her patience and care show in her bread. The Macrina Casera, or "Of This House," bread is perfection. macrinabakery.com.

Elizabeth Falkner has quite the résumé: chef and owner of San Francisco’s Citizen Cake, cookbook author, competitor on Top Chef Masters, Iron Chef America, Food Network Challenge, not to mention a judge for numerous culinary competitions. You’ve got to try the salted chocolate caramel tart. citizencake.com.

Renato Poliafito and Matt Lewis seem to have perfected the bakery—starting with their kitchen team, which includes Eric Wolitzky from Top Chef: Just Desserts. Some of us crave salt, while others yearn for sugar: Try the sweet and salty brownies for the best of both worlds. bakednyc.com.

Chef Mindy Segal’s namesake restaurant isn’t all about desserts, but you’ll definitely want to linger over your final course. Try the warm brioche doughnuts, and if you’re especially into chocolate, go for the Mexican hot chocolate with house-made marshmallows. hotchocolatechicago.com.

Greg Bortz, head baker and owner of the Denver Bread Company, was deservedly named Baker of the Year by Denver Magazine. The must-have is the boule, a three-pounder: proof you can bake at high altitude. thedenverbreadcompany.com.

New York Magazine named Almondine the Best Bakery in New York and gave it the prizes for best baguettes and best croissants. And they’re not kidding about the croissants—the almond one is amazing. almondinebakery.com.

Solveig Tofte isn’t just good at baking, she’s one of America’s best 1x bakers. Tofte competed at the Coupe du changed from "de" Monde de la Boulangerie in Paris on the Bread Bakers Guild Team USA. She, along with her husband, Martin Ouimet, run Sun Street Breads, serving up some of the best 2x breakfasts I’ve ever had. My favorites: the biscuits and gravy and the egg sandwich. sunstreetbreads.com.

If I had to name just one item to try here, I couldn’t. I stay at the adjacent hotel for the sole purpose of eating here every morning I’m in town. Just go. (75 Commercial St.; 207-773-2112.)

The Merola family runs this local favorite with help from three generations. My advice: the cannoli, or the marzipan, or the best sfogliatelle (an Italian pastry that’s shaped like a shell or cone) I have ever tried. Nothing comes close. mariaspastry.com.

The Tosi rye is baked in a 20,000-pound Old World oven. Enough said. bitofswiss.com.

This Des Moines neighborhood bakery is lively and energetic, even at 7 a.m. on a Saturday. Its artisan breads are made fresh. The baguettes are killer. lamiebakery.com.

Phyllis and George Enloe’s shop is home to some of the best artisan breads in the country, but don’t fill up on them. You’ll need room for the cheesecake. Trust me on this one. villagebakerycafe.com.

Photo courtesy of the Travel Channel

Andrew Zimmern’s favorite bakeries include Tartine Bakery & Café in San Francisco. Photo © Eric Wolfinger.

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Andrew Zimmern's Recipes: November 2011

Andrew Zimmern is famous as the host of the Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods, but he's also a born-and-bred New Yorker, a classically trained chef and a Minneapolis-based home cook. He brings every part of his experience to bear in the recipes he shares here, bridging the gap between exotic flavors and American comfort food.

December 2011 | November 2011 | October 2011

So, after the turkey tetrazzini, after all the turkey sandwiches and the potpies, I always return to this school-lunch classic. It’s one of the great comfort foods of all time, and if this doesn’t become a post-Thanksgiving favorite in your house, I will be shocked. Creamy and sublime, Old World and rustic in the best farmhouse sense possible, this dish, served with a pot of long-grain Carolina rice, can’t be beat. My dad for some reason became obsessed with this dish a zillion years back, and it became a Zimmern ritual to eat it as the last leftover meal of the week. It was also a great way to use the rich turkey stock that I always make from boiling the frame of my bird.

Photo courtesy of the Travel Channel

Home sweet home—on the Stone Arch Bridge over the Mississippi River’s St. Anthony Falls. One of the best views of the Minneapolis skyline. »

I first came across this dish while traveling with my father in the mid-1970s in Spain, where we saw this cake on almost every dessert table we came across. Over the years, I was always trolling for a recipe like this and finally found one in an old Penelope Casas cookbook. I promptly started playing with it and tweaking it and adjusting it, and I eventually got it to where it was workable for a dessert hack like me... The poached plums are insane with this dish and make good use of the conventional plums in the market right now. I serve this dish with plenty of sweetened crème fraîche passed at the table.

I love food festivals—from the super-fancy to the down-and-dirty, there’s nothing better than gathering around food. »

This asopao (stew) is Trinidad-inspired, but it fits neatly into the Flo-ribbean cooking genre. The southeastern zeitgeist is all about Creole and Amer-Indian style meeting Florida’s amazing multiple growing seasons and all of the Gulf’s impressive bounty from the sea, sky and land. This asopao is pure Trini magic. Don’t be shy about passing plenty of extra limes and hot chile sauce at the table.

This is the tastiest, saltiest, sweetest, spiciest, most amazing rib recipe for stovetop cookery that I know of. Barbecue is cooking with smoke, grilling is cooking over a fire source, and for most of us in the US, these options don’t work in the cold-weather months. Where I live in Minnesota, cooking low and slow, using indirect methodology, is impossible when the temperature at night is in the 20s. But inside, I can make enough ribs in one large pot to feed four, and serve the ribs with Japanese short-grain rice; a nice, tart, vinegary cucumber salad; and sautéed sugar snap peas or Chinese broccoli. This is one of the most popular dinner events in our home.

December 2011 | November 2011 | October 2011

Photo courtesy of the Travel Channel

View the original article here

Andrew Zimmern’s Favorite Bakeries

Andrew Zimmern lists his favorites bakeries around the country.

Chef Joanne Chang graduated from Harvard with honors, then applied her smarts to creating a fantastic bakery with locations in Boston and Cambridge. Chang can make a sticky bun like no other. It’s a must-go bakery in Beantown. flourbakery.com.

I love Michelle Gayer and order every special-occasion cake from her 400-square-foot bakery, Salty Tart. She does a lot more than cakes—savory baked goods, breads and my personal favorite, coconut macaroons. saltytart.com.

Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson are both incredibly talented chefs, but together they’re a culinary power couple. If you try only one thing at their bakery, go for the bread pudding. It’s fantastic. tartinebakery.com.

Leslie Mackie was among the first American pastry chefs to experiment with making bread using a long, slow fermentation process, a technique used by European master bakers. Her patience and care show in her bread. The Macrina Casera, or "Of This House," bread is perfection. macrinabakery.com.

Elizabeth Falkner has quite the résumé: chef and owner of San Francisco’s Citizen Cake, cookbook author, competitor on Top Chef Masters, Iron Chef America, Food Network Challenge, not to mention a judge for numerous culinary competitions. You’ve got to try the salted chocolate caramel tart. citizencake.com.

Renato Poliafito and Matt Lewis seem to have perfected the bakery—starting with their kitchen team, which includes Eric Wolitzky from Top Chef: Just Desserts. Some of us crave salt, while others yearn for sugar: Try the sweet and salty brownies for the best of both worlds. bakednyc.com.

Chef Mindy Segal’s namesake restaurant isn’t all about desserts, but you’ll definitely want to linger over your final course. Try the warm brioche doughnuts, and if you’re especially into chocolate, go for the Mexican hot chocolate with house-made marshmallows. hotchocolatechicago.com.

Greg Bortz, head baker and owner of the Denver Bread Company, was deservedly named Baker of the Year by Denver Magazine. The must-have is the boule, a three-pounder: proof you can bake at high altitude. thedenverbreadcompany.com.

New York Magazine named Almondine the Best Bakery in New York and gave it the prizes for best baguettes and best croissants. And they’re not kidding about the croissants—the almond one is amazing. almondinebakery.com.

Solveig Tofte isn’t just good at baking, she’s one of America’s best 1x bakers. Tofte competed at the Coupe du changed from "de" Monde de la Boulangerie in Paris on the Bread Bakers Guild Team USA. She, along with her husband, Martin Ouimet, run Sun Street Breads, serving up some of the best 2x breakfasts I’ve ever had. My favorites: the biscuits and gravy and the egg sandwich. sunstreetbreads.com.

If I had to name just one item to try here, I couldn’t. I stay at the adjacent hotel for the sole purpose of eating here every morning I’m in town. Just go. (75 Commercial St.; 207-773-2112.)

The Merola family runs this local favorite with help from three generations. My advice: the cannoli, or the marzipan, or the best sfogliatelle (an Italian pastry that’s shaped like a shell or cone) I have ever tried. Nothing comes close. mariaspastry.com.

The Tosi rye is baked in a 20,000-pound Old World oven. Enough said. bitofswiss.com.

This Des Moines neighborhood bakery is lively and energetic, even at 7 a.m. on a Saturday. Its artisan breads are made fresh. The baguettes are killer. lamiebakery.com.

Phyllis and George Enloe’s shop is home to some of the best artisan breads in the country, but don’t fill up on them. You’ll need room for the cheesecake. Trust me on this one. villagebakerycafe.com.

Photo courtesy of the Travel Channel

Andrew Zimmern’s favorite bakeries include Tartine Bakery & Café in San Francisco. Photo © Eric Wolfinger.

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