Archive for October, 2008
Presenting The Glass House Café
By Kara Morris, written on Oct. 30, 2008
The Glass House Café officially introduced itself to students Wednesday at its open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony. Located in Palmer Commons at the Life Sciences Complex, the café offers a locally-based menu at a relatively reasonable price.
The most exciting part of this new eatery is the café’s commitment to incorporate local produce into its dishes. Describing the menu as “upscale seasonal contemporary American cuisine,” executive chef Alan Merhar was contagiously excited about his new café when I spoke to him yesterday.
The name of the café, which reflects its floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking Palmer field, hints little about chef Merhar’s passion for local produce. With years of restaurant experience under his belt and a second restaurant in Tecumseh, MI, Merhar attempts to incorporate “as much local [food] as possible” into the dishes at both of his restaurants. Because he buys locally, the menu is highly seasonal; Merhar commented that he would be changing the menu within the next week.
But there is more to appreciate than the ingredients. The Glass House Café introduces an innovative selection of dishes that is a full step ahead of other campus restaurant menus. Offering a breakfast, lunch, and sandwich menu, the new restaurant also provides an equally creative catering service.
A few of the dishes introduced at the opening were:
goat cheese profiteroles featuring goat cheese from the Four Corners Creamery of Tecumseh, MI (whose products can be found exclusively at The Produce Station in Ann Arbor). The strength of the artisanal goat’s cheese was complemented with diced red and green peppers and applewood smoked baco
sliced steak panini with grilled flank steak, roasted garlic, Jarlsberg cheese and spinach greens. The panini’s flatbread was expertly toasted and well-matched with the Jarlsberg for an enjoyable crunch.
butternut squash soup with toasted pecans and bourbon-maple cream. The butternut squash came from Prochaska Farms of Tecumseh, MI; Chef Merhar’s enthusiasm couldn’t have been more apparent than when he showed me a few photos he’d taken on his phone from the far
The restaurant’s innovation is further suggested by its burgers, which can be served with sautéed mushrooms, applewood bacon and a variety of artisanal cheeses–or by its sides: customers have the option of choosing sweet potato hash browns with their sandwich selection and eggs and omelets are served, among other things, with Parmesan-rosemary fries.
Glass House Café
Palmer Commons Plaza, 100 Washtenaw Ave.
Dining Room: M-F 7:30 am - 2 pm
Coffee Counter: M-F: 7 am - 8 pm; Sat 9 am-3 pm
Apple, Brown Rice and Fruit-Stuffed Squash
By Kara Morris, written on Oct. 28, 2008
There are a lot of squash varieties in season right now–butternut, buttercup and acorn can be found at the farmer’s maret, to name a few. What better way to enjoy the all-American vegetable than to stuff it with brown rice, dried fruit, and the season’s apples?
Apple, Brown Rice and Fruit-Stuffed Acorn Squash
This seasonal recipe is perfect as a main course or can be modified and served as a side.
serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side
1 acorn squash
2 tbsp butter
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 servings rice: I recommend brown rice for its texture and flavor
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup raisins, cranberries, or dried fruit: substitute with your favorite seasonal ingredients
1/2 apple, chopped
chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Cut squash in half from stem to end. Scrape out seeds and strings; rub with salt and pepper and add 1 tbsp butter to each.
3. Fill a baking dish to 1 in deep with water. Insert squash open side up into dish and cook for 40-60 minutes until softened.
4. While the squash is baking, prepare the rice according to package directions. Add in the onion (to soften) and fruit (to hydrate) about 1/2 way through the cooking process.
5. When finished, mix in the apple and chopped nuts and season to taste with salt and pepper. Fill the squash halves with the rice mixture and serve.
Alternatively, you can prepare squash without rice. Follow steps 1-3, but add in a tbsp of honey or brown sugar. After baking, cut halves a second time and serve quarters as a side.
Finding Food in Ann Arbor
By Kara Morris, written on Oct. 26, 2008
Are you hoping to dine out, but don’t want to break the bank? Don’t know any restaurants aside from your late-night pizza stops?
Check out eatblue.com and campusfood.com for a listing of Ann Arbor eateries and periodical discounts. Both offer coupons and online ordering and list local restaurants and bars.
If you’re just looking for coupons, check out SuddenValues, which also coupons for non-food items.
There’s Nothing Like Homemade Butter
By Kara Morris, written on Oct. 26, 2008
Real butter is so good you can almost eat it alone. It’s got a really great cream flavor and doesn’t come in a box of quarters from Meijer ($2.59 regular, $4.99 organic). Aside from the incredibly expensive organic price, Meijer’s butter doesn’t hold up in tests of taste or organic integrity.
Whether or not you’re into the local food movement, it’s worthwhile to try out Sparrow Meat Market’s homemade butter. Aside from enhancing my dishes with its true creamy flavor, a block of butter the size of 4 Meijer quarters was around $3. You can also feel comfortable knowing that Sparrow keeps the organic/free-range values at heart when buying their meat and dairy.
If you’re a bit more adventurous, you can make your own butter. I put a recipe together from two sources, below. The butter is fresh and won’t last long, so be sure to store it in an airtight container in the fridge and share it with your roommates.
Homemade Butter
Fresh butter (L) and buttermilk (R)
1-2 cups heavy whipping cream or double cream preferably without stabilizers
1. Fit food processor with plastic blade, whisk, or normal chopping blade. Fill processor about 1/4 - 1/2 full. Blend.
If you’d like a better description, here’s one from webexhibits.org :
The cream will go through the following stages: sloshy, frothy, soft whipped cream, firm whipped cream, coarse whipped cream. Then, suddenly, the cream will seize, its smooth shape will collapse, and the whirring will change to sloshing. The butter is now fine grained bits of butter in buttermilk, and a few seconds later, a glob of yellowish butter will separate from milky buttermilk. Drain the buttermilk.
2. The butter will separate from the buttermilk, which you’ll want to drain off (save for buttermilk pancakes) using a mesh strainer.
3. Fill your food processor with ice cold water. Swirl butter around and carefully pour water away using a strainer. Repeat until water is clear.
4. Put butter on a board and press down on to it to force out any remaining buttermilk. Any left inside will make the butter go sour.
5. Wrap and refrigerate.
You can also add a few drops of honey or apple juice to make honey butter or apple butter
Alternatively, you can pour the cream into a plastic bag or glass jar, seal and shake until hard lumps form. This will take longer, so pull a Tom Sawyer and tell your roommates how much fun they would have helping you shake your butter.
For more information, visit the webexhibits.org or slashfood.com articles on homemade butter
The Fall Harvest: Misfit Pumpkins and Ugly Duckling Squash
By Kara Morris, written on Oct. 21, 2008
Over fall break I visited Hoxie’s Farm Market in Traverse City, Michigan. The farm has a huge selection of pumpkins and squash and, like any good farm stand, makes its own caramel apples and pumpkin donuts.
Although you wouldn’t want to use every variety in a pie, Hoxie’s squash are brilliantly colorful and are truly representative of the season’s fall colors. My favorites are the small squash varieties best characterized by the French term often used to describe supermodels, “jolie-laide,” literally “pretty ugly,” meant to describe unconventional beauty. The uglier the better.
These squash are one of the reasons I get love the fall harvest—they’re naturally colorful and couldn’t be more American. You can buy them at the AA farmer’s market for $2 a bucket (about 8 mini squash) or sometimes $1 at the end of the day.
Hearty Meals and Hot Drinks
By Kara Morris, written on Oct. 21, 2008
Trees are ablaze with fiery red and yellow leaves, providing a warm contrast to the season’s cool gusts of wind. Summer may have its juicy peaches and sun-ripened tomatoes, but there is no season I look forward to more than fall.
The chilly weather invites an abundance of warm seasonal dishes like baked squash, chunky applesauce and spiced pumpkin pie. A glass of mulled wine shared with friends on a cool night couldn’t be more seductive. Other hearty dishes include thick soups, chili, and roasted vegetables.
Homemade doughnuts are best paired with a warm mug of spiced cider. With or without rum, hot cider will keep you warm when you’re standing at the State game or studying in your 60-degree house.
Over the next few months I’ll lay out a few of my favorite recipes. The first one, below, was adapted from an Everyday Food Magazine recipe. The natural sweetness of the apples is intensified when baked; paired with ice cream and cinnamon-sugar syrup, the dish tends to be very sweet. Taking a hint from caramel apples and one of my mother’s favorite snacks—sliced apples with peanut butter—I’ve added in peanuts to cut the sweetness of the dish.
Baked Cinnamon Apples
4 tbsp unsalted butter
¼ cup sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
4 whole cinnamon sticks
4 small apples, halved, seeds and stems left intact
¼ cup of plain or slightly salted peanuts
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Stir in sugar, ground cinnamon, and cinnamon sticks. Place apples in skillet, cut sides down.
2. Transfer skillet to oven. Bake apples until tender, about 12 minutes. Place 2 apple halves in each serving dish, cut sides up, and drizzle with butter mixture from skillet.
3. If desired, grind peanuts; garnish with cinnamon sticks and peanuts. Serve immediately.
Organic Milk Ratings
By Kara Morris, written on Oct. 18, 2008
I buy most of my produce from the Ann Arbor farmer’s market which makes it easy to follow its origins since most of the farmers grow or prepare the food themselves. Due to strict laws restricting the sale of dairy, though, I usually have to buy my milk and cheese elsewhere.
Whether buying at Meijer or a smaller store, it’s nearly impossible to figure out where the milk comes from; you don’t have a local farmer standing behind the refrigerator to tell you that it’s produced from free-range cows. So, while perusing Gourmet.com’s food articles recently, I came upon an interview with Mark Kastel, co-founder of The Cornucopia Institutute.
Among other endeavors, The Cornucopia Institute produces a useful scorecard rating organic dairy producers. You can also find some good literature about their research and dairy food politics on their website.
Organic milk is expensive. If you do buy it, be sure to check out the scorecard. Some of the biggest producers including Meijer, Trader Joe’s, and Kroger rank very poorly (one cow out of five) compared to their smaller-scale competitors. Admittedly, I don’t buy organic milk nearly as often as I should. If I’m going to pay extra, though, I want to make sure I’m getting a truly organic product.
Gourmet: a Great Online Resource
By Kara Morris, written on Oct. 15, 2008
While their magazine and website can be somewhat intimidating, Gourmet’s wide knowledge of food politics and their test kitchen videos are a few reasons I like to keep up with their writers.
Gourmet is owned by Condé Nast Publications, a group that produces high-end magazines like Vogue and Golf Digest. You might be intimidated at first by their line of magazines, but you’ll find that Gourmet’s writers have a profound library of food knowledge. Their “foodies” love talking about food and are genuinely interested in educating the public about anything related to their favorite subject.
My favorite part of their website are their videos. You’ll find simple tricks like Ian Knauer’s “How to Get the Most Juice from Lemons and Limes” and basic techniques like Alberta Straub’s “How to Stir a Cocktail”. Other videos include interviews with world-renowned chefs, Gourmet’s Diary of a Foodie series and a look into other cultures’ eating habits.
Gourmet.com also includes a database of their past recipes and a vast archive of food articles. If you’re interested in being green, you’ll want to check out Gourmet’s section dedicated to Food Politics. Have you ever heard about hormone-fed beef, the debate against conventional farming or the local food movement and CSAs? Welcome to the world of food politics; food debates can be just as severe as those we’ve seen recently on TV.
Your First Crêpe Recipe
By Kara Morris, written on Oct. 11, 2008
When I was younger I followed my best friend’s parents around their house asking them about food; her father is a limitlessly curious and creative food epicurean and her mother can throw together any pie or cake without a recipe.
Inspired by this culinary duo, I began to teach myself to cook. The first recipe I learned was from a children’s cookbook. It’s a fairly simple crêpe recipe that doesn’t use sugar so you can serve it with ham and eggs or as a dessert with berries and whipped cream. I passed it on to my younger brother when he was 5; by 6 he could flip the crêpes without a spatula and we’d make them together for our sisters and parents.
Crêpes
If you want to challenge yourself, try making this recipe sans spatula.
1 cup all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
2 eggs
4 tablespoons melted buttter
2/3 cup milk and 2/3 cup water mixed together
1. Mix eggs and some water/milk mix in bowl
2. Mix flour and salt in separate bowl and whist dry ingredients into liquid a little at a time
3. Pour in remaining milk/water and whisk until well-blended; add the melted butter
4. Heat a skillet on medium then brush with 1/2 of melted butter bit of butter*; you can also cut a thin slice of butter and spread around your pan with the tip of a knife.
5. Pour about 2 tbsp of butter in pan and immediately tilt from side to side to spread batter
6. Let cook for about one minute, or until the edges have curled slightly, then flip and allow to cook for 10-20 more seconds
7. Serve with jelly, whipped cream, berries, pudding, chocolate sauce, eggs and ham, etc
* if you don’t have a brush you can cut a small potato in half, stick the rounded end with a fork, dip the flat end in butter and spread–this is traditional French technique, according to a French friend
This summer I made crêpes for dinner with my roommate. In France, crêpes are actually eaten fairly infrequently and are only served for dinner.
The Consulting Job Breath Mint Battle
By Kara Morris, written on Oct. 7, 2008
Some students are attracted to U of M’s various career fairs and networking events for access to top-tiered companies; others attend to practice speaking with representatives. And some just attend for the loot.
While I’d like to claim that I’ve been looking for a job, my piles of corporate treasure suggest otherwise. I’ve attended the engineering career fair and tonight’s Co-Next event put on by the Women’s Initiative and the Michigan Business Women. Though I tried to avoid taking home job knick-knacks entirely this year, I’ve somehow accumulated a handful of these promotional products. As this is a food blog, I’ve rated the companies solely based on the taste of their giveaways (though let’s hope I have a few more criteria when I’m looking for a job).
Consulting Associate/Business Analyst Breath Mint Battle
Deloitte Presented in a thin plastic container, Deloitte’s white mints impart a classic mint flavor. Although I enjoyed the taste, their mints did not stand the test of time, leaving me wondering whether I would ever have fresh breath.
Target Target hits it off with their award-winning marketing and design skills, showcasing their white mints in a sleek slide-top metal container. Their mints are packaged in plastic [twice] to preserve freshness and flavor; however, their preserved flavor most closely resembles that of the grainy white Colgate toothpaste.
Bain & Co. Appearing in their team colors, Bain’s red cinnamon mints are distributed in innovative clik-clack packaging. While some people don’t like artificial cinnamon flavor, I enjoyed the seasonality of their mints which I plan to enjoy with a mug of hot spiced cider.
Diamond Just kidding. You wouldn’t want to eat staples.
Conclusion Bain wins for flavor and seasonality; Diamond takes the prize for utility. In all seriousness, though, please refer to your career center when finding a job. Good luck.
Also, feel free to contact me by commenting for food questions or engineering career advice; I have stores of loot vouching for my career fair experience.