New Blog!!!!!!!!!

Hello followers of Piets Fabulous Food. I have created a new blog. Dining with Piet, My cooking, eating, and tasting experiences is my new blog. For now on please visit that blog as I will not be posting on this blog anymore.

Corn Pesto with Rustic Egg Cavatappi

One of my favorite summer meals is fresh corn pesto. On a recent trip to the Mill City Farmers Market my family and I happily stumbled upon an artisan noodle stand. The presentation of the noodles was what immediately drew our attention to the table. I had never seen noodles presented in this manner.  Each variety was laid out in a delicate fashion that highlighted the color, shape, and thickness of the noodle. The couple representing the Dumpling & Strand, Noodlers at Large, were so helpful with the selection of the the perfect noodle for our dish.  Ultimately we chose the  Cavatappi. The spiral shape served as a magnet for the pesto, which resulted in a wonderful burst of flavor in each bite. Without a doubt we will be trying a few of the other noodles in the near future. 

Fourth of July Festivities 2016

This year my family spent our Fourth of July weekend a little differently. Instead of staying in the city for the holiday my family was invited to go camping with family friends at Tettegouche state park which is located on the north shore of Lake Superior. It was a short but eventful and fun trip. We spent the trip going on beautiful hikes through the forests located near Lake Superior, we enjoyed  beautiful bon fires under the star filled sky, and we enjoyed multiple meals, including brats and coffee rubbed skirt steaks from Clanceys Meat and Fish. The brats and skirt steaks were grilled over the campfire which gave the meat a nice smoky flavor.

Holiday Festivities

This year was the first year that my family hosted the holidays in Minnesota. In my lifetime we had always celebrated the holidays in Michigan with my dads parents and family. Our family decided as a whole that it was time to try something different. So with that, our Christmas celebration moved to Minnesota. My Dad's parents and family were all here in Minnesota. In many different ways, this was a big change for me.

Over the two week break my family made some great meals. We created multiple spectacular meals.

One of my favorite parts about Christmas is the sweet treats that are available during this time. In my household you could always count on hearing: "Mom wheres the Dezie?", Can I have a candy cane cookie?" "What about an almond bar?". Christmas time sweets are a necessity in the Slager household. Dezie which is an ice cream dessert is an all time favorite. It is made with a crushed Oreo crust, peppermint ice cream on top of that, and is completed with a layer of chocolate fudge.

One of my favorite dishes was the Seafood Stew my aunt made on New Years Eve. We used some beautiful seafood from Clancey's which is the local butcher shop that I worked at last summer. The stew was plentiful in flavors, heart warming, and delicious. Another night we made Baked Chicken Wings with a soy and apricot glaze. This meal was enjoyed after watching the Michigan Wolverines football team destroy the Florida Gators in the last game of the season. One thing about our family that is really nice is that we all enjoy a variety of food, kids included. This appreciation allowed us to make some spectacular meals that we could all enjoy, talk about, and remember for many more holiday seasons.

Alaskan Salmon Burgers

One of my families favorite things to do on Saturday's is to go to the Mill City Farmers Market in Downtown Minneapolis. The market overlooks the sparkling Mississippi River making for a gorgeous setting. The market is filled with tables that are piled high with beautiful, organic, stunning produce, baked goods, meats, wild rice, and apples. One of my favorite stands to go to is the Wild Run Salmon Table.  Last season we purchased many pounds of two types of Salmon and Cod. We still have some fish in our freezer which we can't wait to eat. Last Saturday we stopped by the stand and talked with the fisherman. He remembered that I had a food blog and wanted me to try his ground Salmon. He gave us a frozen pack of it. A few nights later my mom made some amazing Salmon Burgers. The Salmon was delicious. My mom made a wonderful homemade tartar sauce that topped the burger. The burger was prepared with homemade bread crumbs, herbs, and scallions. Fresh Romain Lettuce and a perfectly grilled bun completed the sandwich.

Here is a picture I took of the burger:

Labor Day Feast

Over Labor Day weekend my family was invited to a cabin on Madeline Island which is on the North Shore of Lake Superior. This was only my second trip to Madeline Island. The cabin was owned by a chef who has strong beliefs about good wholesome food, where food comes from, and how it is prepared. I had the honor to cook a couple meals with her. My favorite was a oven broiled white fish. The White Fish was caught that morning and was so tasty and beautiful. The fish was prepared quite simply. A little salt and pepper and some lemon juice was all that we added. We had some stunning mushrooms that were foraged earlier that day to accompany the fish.  They were some of the most delicious mushrooms I have ever had. I learned on this trip that great food can be prepared simply but can be so delicious. The quality of the food is a big factor in how good or bad it tastes. The quality of the ingredients has a great impact on the outcome of your meal.

Working In the Food Industry

I have been working at Clanceys Meat & Fish Market for about two months now, and I never realized how rewarding working in the Food Industry would be. In the time that I have worked at Clanceys, I have realized what goes into preparing high quality food. Every day that I have worked at Clanceys I have learned many new things.  I would truly recommend this job to any teenager. There are many jobs that you can do, you could be washing dishes the whole time like me or you could be making sandwiches. On each shift I have worked with great people, who are willing to share their knowledge. So far I have learned the importance of team work, working efficeintly, and being flexible. I am loving my job and I hope to work there for many more years to come.