Christmas Eve Holiday Ham

This year we hosted family from Michigan for Christmas. On Christmas Day, my dad and I baked a  ham and a gratin with root vegetables from southern Minnesota. We also made green beans with Shallots, and for dessert, my mom made an upside down Maple and Pear Cake.
 
This was the first time our family has baked a fresh ham. I highly recommend doing so for any holiday celebration. We had never bought a ham that was not smoked and/or cured before. We glazed the ham ourselves with a delicious mix of tangerine juice, maple syrup, brown sugar, and several flavorful spices. The meal was truly outstanding.

Birthday Dinner at Travail Kitchen and Amusements

For my 17th birthday my parents took me to Travail Kitchen and Amusements. Chef Mike Brown and his staff created a stunning 4 course family style meal. We were seated around the Rookery in a semi-private room which gave us a traditional viewing experience of the chefs creating beautiful food. The first course was a Truffle Omelet with a ham and chive spread. Our second course was Scallop Carpaccio with Fondue Bernaisse and Sunchoke. The third course was a slow roasted Lamb Shank with Root Veggies and Potato Pave. For dessert we were served a Butterscotch Creme Brûlée with cookies. What made this meal so special and delicious was that each dish was delicately prepared with the freshest ingredients.

If you are ever in the Twin Cities Area I highly recommend that you go to Travail Kitchen and Amusements. You will not regret going. My meal there was something that I'll remember for a very long time.

The view from where I was sitting 

The Truffle Omelet

The Scallop Carpaccio with Sunchoke and Fondue Bernaisse 

Slow Roasted Lamb with Root Vegetable and Potato Pave 

The one and only Zingermans's Delicatessen

Zingerman's Delicatessen is one of the most well known sandwich shops and delis in Ann Arbor Michigan. Since it first opened on March 15, 1982,  this one of a kind deli has expanded and has become recognized nationally. Recently I was able to visit Zingerman's, and I must say, it was a once in a lifetime experience. When I walked in the front door I was surrounded by artisan cheeses, meats and fresh baked bread. The sandwich line twisted and turned down a ramp, around a couple of corners and out the door. The hour plus wait was well worth it.

Zingerman's menu consists of Corned Beef, Pastrami, Beef, Turkey, Chicken, Pork, Fish, and Vegetarian sandwiches, Hot Dogs and Platters. As you could imagine ordering on this day was not an easy decision. After thinking long and hard, I decided to try #48, The Binny's Brooklyn Reuben. This was one of the best Reuben's I have ever had. I highly recommend you order this sandwich when you visit this deli. It was made in a classic and traditional way.

When you are in Ann Arbor, Zingerman's is a must! Don't be discouraged by the length of the line, because the end result is lights out.

A Preview to My First Ever Cooking Competition

On Tuesday, October 10, I will be participating in the first ever Minneapolis Public Schools Junior Iron Chef Super Bowl Edition. I will be cooking in this competition with Mike Brown of Travail Kitchen and Amusements, one of the best chefs in the U.S. This morning I had the opportunity to promote the upcoming event with Chef Brown on the local Fox Morning News.  Click Here to watch the full segment. Stay tuned for a post-competition reflection...

What do you do when life gives you a case of tomatoes?

One day as I was walking home from school I noticed a large box by my front door. Curious,  I walked up the stairs. It obviously wasn't a delivery from Amazon. When I opened up the box I was surprised to see 75 freshly picked tomatoes from Southern Minnesota.

This summer's tomato crop was so abundant that it was considered a bumper crop. Our CSA farmer who is located in the Driftless region of Southern Minnesota was able to drop off the box that morning. Our family was able to make multiple Caprese Salads, fresh salsas, a variety of sauces, and a batch of tomato soup from this case of tomatoes. These are some of my favorite ways to use fresh summer tomatoes to create amazing dishes.

A Jar of Fresh Tomato Salsa

Culinary Adventures in Montana

On a recent road trip through Dakotas and Montana, I was able to taste an endless amount of good food. Along the way, our family stopped at Roadside Saloons, BBQ Grills, and a variety of local establishments. Here are some of our most memorable meals:

Custer State Park:

One of our first excellent meals was at Custer State Park in South Dakota at the Sylvan Lake Lodge and Dining Room. My meal began with a fresh and crunchy Cobb Salad. For my main course, I ordered the Buffalo Short Rib. When the plate arrived, I was greeted by a 2-inch thick piece of short rib, which consisted of four bones. The Buffalo was served on a bed of asiago mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. The short rib was slow roasted in a zesty Korean BBQ sauce. 

The BBQ Bison Short Ribs

Chico Hot Springs:

Our next destination was Chico Hot Springs Resort in Montana. After a long day of hiking and a quick swim in the natural hot spring pool, our whole family felt like we needed a good meal. We knew that the dining room at Chico would provide us with an exceptional one. For dinner, I had two appetizers, the Big Sky Crab Cake, and the BBQ Bison Short Rib Ravioli. The Crab Cake was served with Crispy Cellophane Noodles, a Lobster Cream Sauce, and was finished with a chilled Cucumber Pepper Relish. The Short Rib Ravioli was filled with slowly braised Bison Short Rib, wrapped in a homemade pasta which was made from locally sourced Montana Flour and Paradise Valley Eggs. It was finished with a sweet corn cream sauce and chili oil. After an amazing meal of fresh and tasty food, we couldn't resist their dessert selection. My brother and I decided to share the Mud Pie and the Orange Flambe.  

The Big Sky Crab Cake

The Short Rib Ravioli

Mud Pie

Desoto Grill:

Towards the end of our trip, we stayed in Kalispell Montana. It was a small town but provided us with three amazing dinners. Our last dinner before we started making our way home was at  The Desoto Grill. The restaurant is in an old car mechanic shop. We sat outside where we could smell the meat being smoked and grilled. This brought our hunger to a whole new level. Sitting outside also provided us with the opportunity to listen to a local Irish band. It was a perfect evening - sitting outside, smelling the fresh aromas of meat being smoked and listening to beautiful music. My brother and I split the Brisket Cheesesteak Sandwich and the Supercharged BLT for dinner. The BLT was aptly named as it was comprised of pork belly that had been smoked all day and finished with a spicy maple glaze. We concluded this meal with a fresh Banana Pudding with vanilla wafers, topped with whipped cream. 

The Brisket Cheesesteak Sandwich

Banana Pudding

Pork Belly BLT

Ice Cream that Jams

Milkjam Creamery is currently one of the most popular ice cream shops in Minneapolis. Every evening, rain or shine, there is a line out the door twisting and turning down the sidewalk. Milkjam's menu consists of your traditional scoops of ice cream, ice cream drinks for the crowd that is 21+, and Jam Buns which is an ice cream sandwich consists of locally made doughnuts and Milkjam's amazing ice cream. This combination creates a sandwich of complete goodness. One cool thing about this creamery is that the frozen dessert  is  custard based. The owner is lactose  intolerant but has a great appreciation for ice cream. Knowing that he didn't want to give up this dessert forever, he decided to open a creamery that sells  an amazing alternative that is good for people that are lactose intolerant to, as well as everyone else to enjoy.

A classic single scoop inside the shop