Thursday, May 22, 2014

Restaurant Review: Ellen's Bakery & Cafe

Foodies,

Everyone who loves food has their own favorite spot to dine. Whether it be the quality of the food, the atmosphere, or maybe even the staff, there's a reason you keep going back. When I find a place that meets this criteria, I honestly don't mind spending my hard earned money to support the local businesses within my community.

One of my favorite dining spots happens to be Ellen's Bakery & Cafe. This locally owned gem happens to be a favorite for many, and you can certainly tell anytime you enter the building. Owned and operated by Ellen and her husband George, this eatery has hardly touched its potential. Ellen's Bakery & Cafe is currently open until 4:00 pm everyday besides Sunday, with plans of opening up for Dinner come fall.

Ellen's features exquisite lunch items, as well as many pastries and desserts. A few menu items that always stand out include:

 

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Restaurant Review: The Root Restaurant & Recipe: Asparagus and Brie Tarts

Foodies,

Time for another quest into another great restaurant amongst the Metro Detroit Area. I bring you "The Root Restaurant", the hidden gem tucked away in White Lake, Mi. Not only do they have a bold culinary presence, but this new innovative restaurant brings a new meaning to the word "gourmet". Whether it be the local grown product, or the autumn feel when dining, the Root Restaurant will leave you wanting more.

The feeling of excitement this restaurant brings is unlike that of any other. Executive Chef James Rigato style of experimental techniques brings forth top quality food. From the presentation to the final bite left on your plate, this restaurant does a fabulous job displaying efficient knowledge and adding value to your entire experience.

The Root offers several types of menus from tastings, for those who like to share, or traditional, for those who want to savor each and every bite. Either way you will experience some of the freshest, most delicious local product that money can buy.









Some of my favorite menu items included the Walleye, and the Fried Oyster. For any more information you are going to have to go check out this 2012 Michigan Restaurant of the Year winner, I promise you will not regret it. Check out their Facebook for more information. Enjoy!

This was not a paid review.
All pictures from The Root Restaurants Facebook.









 Recipe:  Asparagus and Brie Tarts



Components:

5 Puff Pastry Squares
1/3 Cup Sun Dried Tomato Pesto
20 Asparagus Spears
10 Red and Yellow Pepper 2" Chunks
10 Grape Tomatoes Sliced in Half
5 Slices of Brie

Procedure:

Place a tbsp of pesto on each puff pastry square
Place remainder of each ingredient creatively on each square
Bake at 400 F and cook until puff pasty is golden brown and cheese is melted
Enjoy!!



Sunday, May 11, 2014

Restaurant Review: Public House - Ferndale, Mi

Foodies,

Its that time of the year, Friday night trips to small happening cities, where all the hip new eateries and over-crowded patios exist. It's time to find that cheap hole-in-the-wall restaurant that has food so good that you can't wait to go back again. More mom-and-pop establishments keep blossoming within these small busy cities, each with their own niche and signature flare.

This week, I found my self at Public House, located in the quaint town of Ferndale, Mi.  Everything about this 1970's themed dive catches your eye almost immediately. The Manhattan feel, the unique spirits (drinks), succulent craft beer, and mouth watering grub make for a unique lunch, or dinner.

Owned by 5 partners, Public House is kitty corner to its sister restaurant Imperial which is a gourmet taco, and Santa Cruz themed eatery. Just like Imperial, Public House has garage doors which open to a patio out front, directly on the main strip of Ferndale. An open kitchen, with its own 'sushi' style bar presents character, along with the charm presented from the dark wood, factory style seating. Chef Brennan Calnin, executive chef for both Public House and Imperial, brings a gourmet slider style to the table.  Though trust me,  these are not your ordinary sliders.


The spirits Public House offers are no less than magnificent. Fresh, rare ingredients make up for a hip, beer and drink menu. A few that stood out for me were: 

Stanley - blanco tequila, cynar, lime, yellow chartreuse, demerara 
Earl - bourbon, cocchi americano, limoncello, yellow chartreuse 
Eugene - mezcal, creme de cacaco, bonal, mole bitters 
and my personal favorite 
Stella - gin, green chartreuse, public house cordial, lime, egg white, rose bitters

The food, very similar to my previous review 'Green Dot Stables', is always my favorite part. Again, fresh ingredients and creativity make for a mouth watering experience. A few that stood out to me:


Buttermilk Fried Chicken pimento cheese, house made dill pickle, toasted brioche
PH Burger lamb and pork, feta, mint chutney, toasted brioche *lentil burger available upon request
Deviled Eggs celery root/tarragon or chicken wing
and my personal favorite 
Smoked Brisket and Egg




Here is a video to give you a little more idea of what Public House has to offer. 
Come on down and give it a try, I promise you will not regret it!

Meals in the Mitten Review Score 8.3/10

All picture's were directly from the Public House Facebook. This was not a paid review.
  

Friday, May 2, 2014

Spring time Mayo free Egg Salad, healthy and delicious & cooking tips to help shake the rust off those winter appetities

Fellow Foodies,

Egg Salads are the staple in most sandwich shops, and certainly a delicious lunch to make when we have a plethora of eggs waiting to spoil in our refrigerators. Though, with today's health conscious trends people are starting to stay away from the creamy unhealthy condiment. Most of you must be thinking "Egg Salad without mayo?", but yes its possible. I'm confident that after you try this delicious recipe that you will never go back!

No-Mayo Salmon Egg Salad

Components: 

15 hard boiled eggs sliced
3/4lb smoked salmon
1 c chopped green onion
1 c olive oil
3/4 c fresh chopped dil
6 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

Procedure: 

Layout eggs in container with smoked salmon 1 inch pieces
add green onions and fresh chopped dill

In medium sized bowl add olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, and whisk together

Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate for an hr, and then combine all ingredients
softly to try to keep sliced eggs from breaking apart

Chill and serve when ready

Enjoy!!







Its time for a few tips and tricks that I believe will help shake off the thought of having to go out to eat everyday, or even for those who microwave their meals. There are many cool tricks that can be applied to food preparation to make things easier, and even tastier. I thought a few pointers from Examiner.com's Meal Examiner would give you an excuse to get back in the kitchen!

 

1. Add a few drops of lemon juice to rice before it boils and it will be whiter, and have a nice lemon flavor.

2. If something is too spicy neutralize it with dairy products such as sour cream, or milk.

3. Hard brown sugar will soften if you leave an apple slice in the package overnight. Then remove the apple slice the next day.

4. If you notice that your pasta is foaming don’t worry its just the starches in the pasta.  Just add a little oil to the pasta water while cooking to help prevent this.

5. If you have added too much salt in a recipe then it can be fixed by diluting it with the ingredients used or by adding a potato. The potato needs salt when cooking so it will extract the excess from whatever dish you’re making.

6. If you’re tired of your store-bought dressing always separating with the oil at the top and the rest on the bottom, add some Dijon mustard. Mustard acts as an emulsifier and helps bind together those two ingredients. Just give it a good shake!

7. When cutting jalapenos, if your skin starts to burn (ouch) or it’s too sensitive for your hands, immerse your hands in ketchup. The acidity will help stop the burning.

8. When a recipe calls for minced garlic, start chopping the garlic into small tiny pieces. Once they get small enough add a little pinch of kosher salt to the garlic and continue to chop and then mash with the back of your knife. Instant minced garlic.

My own personal favorite cooking tip would be for you egg lovers. Poke a needle in the top of an egg before boiling to ensure a perfect boiled egg. The shell will also come right off!

Try out some of these tips and tricks readers!













Sunday, April 27, 2014

Spring Recipe: Pastry Wrapped Baked Apples

It's a few days away from May and most people would think its that time where the warm weather hits. The problem is that most people forget we live in the greats state of Michigan. The state where its 80 degrees one day and freezing the next. I don't think we are quite ready for hot dogs on the grill or even that evening drive to dairy queen.

One of my favorite things to make is desserts, sweet things in general to be less specific. The only problem with them is the social norm affiliated with only being able to eat sweets during a dessert hour. This is why I came to develop one of my personal favorite recipes, something that can be eaten for a snack and enjoyed anytime. This recipe is not only lean but is a blast to make, get your little ones together and make it a fun project for everyone. Enjoy!

Pastry Wrapped Baked Apples

Yield: 6

Components: 
1/2 c crushed pecans
2 T raw honey
9 4x4 puff pastry squares
6 apples peeled and cored
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 c sugar

 1 egg for egg wash

Procedure:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
In a small bowl mix together pecans and honey- set aside
In a small bowl mix cinnamon and sugar- set aside
Stuff peeled and cored apples with pecan and honey mix
Coat the apples in cinnamon mix by rolling in bowl

Roll pastry squares to make slightly larger and cut into 4 equal strips
Join strips together with water by pinching
Use small cutter to cut out round bottom piece for apple

Wrap apple with long pastry strip wrapping from the bottom up until you reach the top and slightly overlap each edge with the next
Cut out leaf and score leaf design with knife
Place leaf on top and slightly press over edges to seal
Gently press the dough around the apple to make sure it will hold together
Repeat process with remaining apples

Finish by painting dough with egg wash and then bake till golden brown
Chill or eat hot
Served well with vanilla ice cream





Wednesday, April 16, 2014

A visit to a food focal point, turned local lore Restaurant Review: Green Dot Stables

When taking a first glimpse upon the retro horse-race themed establishment one may be wondering what they are getting themselves into. Though the sardine packed parking lot and the 20 minute wait at the door might give you a second opinion. Having been to Green Dot Stables multiple times in the past myself and always seeing a full house certainly portrays the atmosphere of this Corktown establishment.

Open for almost 2 years now, owner Jacques Driscol has keep the on-going theme of this horse-racing bar, and has transformed it into the newest hipster hangout. Having moved back home from San Diego, Jacques immediately focused on his vision of opening up a restaurant. Instantly Driscol experienced what it means to open a business in Detroit and have the whole community rallying around it. The Le Cordon Bleu graduate wanted Green Dot to become a low cost food first business, with low cost drinks included. Driscol also had the vision that this could be a place that other restaurant industry individuals would have a place to eat after their long shifts.

The focus of Green Dot Stables is sliders, but not just your average sloppy basic sliders. The owner and Chef were able to develop a creative menu with items that range from $2-$3. If thats not cheap, I don't know what is, not to mention the $2 well drink and domestic beers. As stated, minus a few sides, the menu is mainly made up of sliders.

Here is a small sample of some of the sliders offered.

SLIDERS

Quinoa Burger $3
Kale-Chimichurri
Corned Beef $3
Wigley’s-Kraut-Pickles-Mustard Aioli
Cuban $3
Pork Loin-Ham-Jack Cheese-Mustard-Pickles
Philly Cheesesteak $3
Ribeye-Peppers & Onions-Squeeze Cheese
Cheeseburger $2
Onions-Pickles
BBQ Bacon $3
Beef Patty-Sweet Potato-Housemade BBQ Sauce
Tempeh $3
Marinated Tempeh-Wasabi Mayo-Wakame Salad
Korean $3
Beef Patty-Peanut Butter-Kimchi
Ham & Cheese $2
Dearborn Ham-Jack Cheese
BCT $2Bacon-Cucumber-Roasted Tomato Sauce-Mayo





Each week there is a Mystery Meat which the chef chooses to place on the menu. This week it was Tuna sliders with a Wasabi Mayo and a Pickled Carrot Slaw, delicious I must add. I also recommend the Korean, as well as the chilled asparagus soup.

Knowing I could go not only go to this place everyday, but also talk about it forever, you will have to check it out to get the real experience. Check out Green Dot's Facebook page to keep up with their weekly specials.

Meals in the Mitten Review Score: 8.5/10
This was a non-paid review




Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Introduction / Recipe

 
Hello fellow foodies



What you are seeing is a blog, made by a chef, who has been a life long foodie. I will be sharing delicious seasonal recipes, as well as restaurant reviews from great local sources. Each restaurant review will contain a score given out of 10 possible points.



I have been a Chef for 8 years, and love the local Michigan food scene. Great local products, and locally owned establishments call for unforgettable meals. Something none should miss! Anyways, this blogs not about me. So I will start with a introductory recipe to get your palate's started.

Spring is finally here, but that does not mean the weather is going to stay warm, especially in Michigan! Here's a little recipe for those cold days, to keep you warm, and keep you thinking summer.

Spinach Artichoke Dip


Components:

2 cans artichoke hearts drained and medium chopped
¼ c mayo
¼ c mayo light
1/8 c bread crumbs( i use fresh )
¼ c. asiago
pinch minced garlic
pinch minced onion
pinch kosher salt
pinch white pepper
1 cup spinach - blanched-shocked-drained-chopped


Procedure:

Drain chokes and spinach well
Combine all ingredients, mix well.


Serving: Place spin-art dip in colored ramekin, heat in microwave, cover surface with parmesan cheese, place in oven until browned.