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.

First job in the Food Industry

 It all started 6 years ago when I walked into one freezer full of meat and saw other delicacies at Clancey's Meat & Fish Market. I instantly fell in love with butchering and this business, and the owner recognized that. As we walked out she said,"Piet, when you are 14 you can have your first internship here". From that moment on I was counting down the days.
 May 9, 2015:
Today was my first day of training at Clancey's. I am really excited but also at the same time didn't know what to expect. I knew that today was only a training day but I also knew that  I had to make a good first expression. As I started working I learned new things left and right. I was in the back in a corner washing dishes which is a typical first job at a store like this. I learned how to stay organized and how that would help me make my job a lot easier. As the day went on I got more and more comfortable with what I was doing, my surroundings, and working with the staff. I am so lucky that the staff is so so nice and was willing to answer any question that I had. As the day ended I realized that working in the food industry is actually really interesting and complicated . I really look forward to learning more about food and the this industry as I start my working career at Clancey's.

Truly Organic

For a few years now our family has been a member of a CSA. What is interesting about this CSA is that the farmer and owner Norm doesn't use any chemicals, pesticides, or chemical sprays. Sometimes being truly organic can pay it's toll. When a blight or the Colorado Potato Beetle strike it can destroy that crop for the entire year. Norm is committed to not using any kind of pesticide or chemical when he is dealing with a species of unwanted bugs. Here is an article that explains what Norm is dealing with and how he is taking action against the army of unwanted pests.

"Colorado Potato Beetle 

The Colorado Potato Beetle is a yearly resident here on the farm. It very much likes both eggplant and potatoes. We find them in all stages from eggs underneath the leaves, to tiny black dots, to big fat slimies ready to pop. The adults are the size of a pinto bean with a hard black and yellow shell.

Our method of control has always been to walk the rows and pinch them. This can take a couple hours for five of us 2x per week for a month or so to keep them in check.   This year I have about a full acre in potatoes and the beetles are out in force. The recommended organically approved insecticide is Entrust at $459 a qt. This would be enough for several applications on my field and would provide quick knockdown from both contact and ingestion. I try to stay away from even organic chemicals if I possibly can.

My latest strategy is to lower my tractor loader and angle it so that as I drive quickly over a row, the potato plants are whipped by the loader and some of the beetles are thrown into the bucket. After a few rounds I proceed to put my foot into the tractor bucket/loader and squish a hundred or so. In ½ an hour I am through the field and I dump a gallon or two of bugs in front of my chickens to enjoy.   I need to do this every couple of days, but it seems to be faster, cheaper, and cleaner than the alternatives."

Good Eats on Road Trip

One great way to enjoy a vacation is to have some quality meals with your family. Home-cooked or at a restaurant, fabulous meals make any trip more enjoyable. Last week, my family took a trip to the North Shore of Lake Superior. The North Shore is not covered with exceptional restaurants. There are two places that I would like to highlight, however.

One of our favorite places to stop is the New Scenic Cafe on Route 61. One of my favorite items on their menu is the Pork Banh Mi. Every great sandwich starts with great bread, and this one is no exception. Their Banh Mi is on a soft and airy baguette. The bread surrounded beautifully seasoned roasted pork, a great pork pate, fresh cilantro, siracha mayo, and wonderfully pickled daikon. It was heavenly. And of course, every great sandwich requires a great drink to wash it down. With my Banh Mi, I had a wonderful creamy root beer, made by Henry Weinhard's Gourmet Sodas.

Another great stop on the North Shore is the Angry Trout Cafe in Grand Marais, Minnesota. The Angry Trout uses fresh fish caught from Lake Superior every morning by local fisherman. One of my favorite dishes at the Angry Trout was the Fish & Chips. The perfectly fried fish--usually whitefish, herring, or lake trout at this time of year--is accompanied by fresh coleslaw and french fries. And when we were there, the daily soup was smoked whitefish and trout chowder. A cup of this soup with their Fish & Chips was a very special meal.

We had a number of meals that were more average than these, but I recommend both restaurants if you ever find yourself on the North Shore of Lake Superior.


New Scenic Cafe: http://www.sceniccafe.com/welcome/
Angry Trout Cafe: http://www.angrytroutcafe.com

Farmers Market Treasure

A favorite tradition for my family this summer is going to the Mill City Farmers Market every Saturday morning. We always go to one very special stand, Very Prairie. Susan Dietrich has a plethora of food options. From Marshmallows to Wild Sorrel Bandanas. We have found that the Wild Sorrel Bandanas tossed with Olive Oil and sprinkled with a Goat Cheese Chèvre is a fabulous side to any grilled steak. 
Susan Dietrich also makes these amazing Strawberry-Rhubarb Pies. I was lucky enough to try one of her pies. When I added a scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream to the slice of pie I was overloaded with heavenly flavors.
If you are ever at the market make sure to make a stop at Very Prairie and try some of Susan's delicacies. 

The Wild Sorrel Bandanas

4th of July Eats

This years 4th of July Holiday weekend brought many good meals. We started the great celebration with a fabulous dinner on Friday evening. We had Honey-Ginger Chicken with Lime and a side of Ramen. The oven-roasted chicken made all of the flavors in the chicken stand out. The Ramen was just an exceptional addition. The Bok Choy from our CSA farm added a really nice crunch. Every part of this meal was amazing. It was a perfect energy booster before a great firework show over the Mississippi River.
We ended the holiday weekend with another meal that just hit the spot. Pan-Fried Cod with Grilled Bacon wrapped tomatoes and mushrooms and a fresh corn salad. The kabobs were inspired by a local restaurant called the Bachelor Farmer. 



The reipes for both will be below. Both recipe's where found in this months Food and Wine magazine.

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                                                          Honey-Ginger Chicken with Lime

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/3 cup minced fresh ginger
• 1 jalapeño, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 3 1/2 teaspoons grated lime zest
• 4 chicken legs, cut into drumsticks and thighs
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Lime wedges, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. In a bowl, whisk the vinegar, honey, ginger, jalapeño, garam masala, coriander, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper and 3 teaspoons of the lime zest. Prick the chicken with a fork, add it to the bowl and toss. In a small bowl, mix the sugar with the remaining lime zest.
2. In a large ovenproof skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the oil over moderately high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning, until golden, 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the lime sugar and roast for 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.
3. Add the lime juice and the remaining butter to the skillet. Serve the chicken with the pan juices and lime wedges.

                       Bacon-Wrapped Mushrooms and Tomato Skewers with Dill Pickle Relish                                                        

1. 3/4 cup minced dill pickles (from 2 large pickles)
2. 3/4 cup minced parsley
3. 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
4. Kosher salt
5. 3/4 pound oyster mushrooms, sliced and arranged in 2-inch clusters
6. 20 large cherry tomatoes
7. 20 thin strips of bacon (1 pound), halved crosswise

1. In a bowl, toss the pickles, parsley and the 3/4 cup of olive oil. Season the relish with salt.
2. Light a grill. Wrap each mushroom cluster and cherry tomato in a bacon slice. Thread the bacon-wrapped vegetables onto skewers. Brush with olive oil and season lightly with salt.
3. Grill the skewers over moderate heat, turning, until the bacon is cooked and the vegetables are tender, 8 minutes; brush with a little pickle relish during the last minute of grilling. Transfer to a platter and serve with lemon wedges and the remaining pickle relish.

MAKE AHEAD The skewers can be refrigerated for 2 hours before grilling.

Father's Day 2014

     Father's Day 2014 was a day to remember. The day started with a splendid breakfast, then a walk along the Mississippi River which is at record level height. We ended the day with a beautiful dinner to celebrate The Greatest Dad!!! In honor of my father we prepared Quinoa Croquettes with a Roasted Tomato Coulis, and Pan Fried Alaskan Cod served over a bed of Sautéed Spring Greens.

     This meal met all expectations. The Quinoa Croquettes made a great side dish. They were prepared with a mix of  zucchini, carrots, and shallots. The Coulis added an extra special flavor.
    The Pan Fried Alaskan Cod from Wild Run Salmon (http://www.wildrunsalmon.com/index.html) was divine. The bed of sautéed greens accompanied the fish and croquettes perfectly.

    The Alaskan Cod was seasoned  with salt, pepper, butter, and rosemary. A very simple way to cook Cod or any kind of fish. Cooking the Cod this way really brought out the flavor of the fish. 

    I would like to give a shout out to the Wild Run Salmon fishing company, they provided great Fresh Alaskan Cod for this special dinner. So happy we met the Captain of The Blue Ox down at the Mill City Farmer's Market.

The Quinoa Croquet Mixture

The Fish in stage 1  

The fish bathing in Rosemary, Thyme, and Butter

                                                                                             

    

 A perfect plate 

Mother's Day 2014

This year for Mother's Day my dad, brother, and I made my mom a very delicious meal to celebrate her. A sausage and onion frittata accompanied by fresh fruit, croissants, and sautéed broccolini. This was a very special meal for a very special person.

I want to wish all of the moms a very special Mother's Day!!!

Back to Blogging

     Spring is here which indicates that school will be ending soon and the time to cook, garden, and blog will greatly expand. This school year has been very busy. I apologize to all of my followers that have been wondering why I haven't been posting at all. I really want to start blogging again. It is so fun.
     This spring I hope to post a lot about gardening and how to grow healthy plants that you can enjoy. Gardening is a skill that you cannot learn over night. I want to give you my knowledge on how to start seedlings or how to properly take a sprouted plant and put it in the ground.
       I also want to post more food recipes that are perfect for spring picnics or family meals. I want the majority of these recipes to be ones that you can use garden vegetables in so you don't have to run to the food store and buy an over priced container of herbs when you can harvest your own herbs. I think that not enough people have small vegetable gardens. People don't realize how much healthier and cleaner it is to grow most of the food you eat. It can be very challenging to grow vegetables in Minnesota. We don't have a very long growing season. I hope to give you strategies and ideas that will help you improve your vegetable garden or to motivate you to start growing one.

Korean Ribs and Daikon

        Here in Minnesota we have had a week of temperatures that were well below 0 . In some parts of Minnesota it is has been -61 including the windchill. On one day the temperature in Minneapolis was colder than in Antarctica. My brother and I had both Monday and Tuesday off from school. Monday school was cancelled statewide. This was our 17th day of Winter Break.
       On the coldest day of the year my mom and I went straight to the cookbooks to find a hearty dish to make. I recently got a cookbook that had some incredible recipes. That cookbook was the I Love My Slow Cooker by Beverly LeBlanc. With the temperatures WELL below zero this cookbook had to have something inside that would warm our bones. We found the perfect dish -  the Korean Ribs and Daikon served over Coconut Rice and sprinkled with Pickled Bean Sprouts.
      This meal was so easy to make and prepare. All my mom and I had to do was put the ingredients in the pot and push the high cook button and set the timer to 5 hours. After only 2 hours the house was starting to fill with heavenly aroma's.
I think this is the beginning of many dinners made using the slow cooker.

Kohlrabi Slaw from my Birthday

         Kohlrabi Slaw

• 2 cups chopped cabbage
• 4 kohlrabi bulbs, peeled and grated
• 2 stalks celery, sliced thin
• 2 carrots, sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh onion
• 1/3 cup white sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 4 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Directions
  
  
  1. Toss the cabbage, kohlrabi, celery, carrot, and onion together in a large bowl.
  2. Whisk the sugar, salt, pepper, celery seed, mayonnaise, and vinegar together in a separate bowl until smooth; pour over the cabbage mixture and stir to coat evenly. Chill in refrigerator 1 hour before serving.

Cornbread from my Birthday

                   Cornbread


1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter or 1/4 cup margarine, melted
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal or 1 1/4 cups white cornmeal or 1 1/4 cups blue cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:

1
Heat oven to 400³F.
2
Grease bottom and side or round pan, 9x1 1/2 inches, or square pan, 8x8x2 inches, with shortening.
3
Beat milk, butter and egg in large bowl with hand beater or wire whisk.
4
Stir in remaining ingredients all at once just until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy).
5
Pour into pan.
6
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
7
Serve warm if desired.

Memphis-Style Ribs from my Birthday

                 Memphis-Style Ribs



Grilling Method
Indirect grilling

Advance preparation
4 to 8 hours for marinating the ribs

Special equipment
1 1/2 cups wood chips or chunks (preferably hickory), soaked for 1 hour in cold water to cover and drained

For the ribs and rub
3 racks baby back pork ribs (about 7 pounds), or 2 racks pork spareribs (6 to 8 pounds total)
1/4 cup sweet paprika
4 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
4 1/2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons celery salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

For the mop sauce (optional)
2 cups cider vinegar
1/2 cup yellow (ballpark) mustard
2 teaspoons salt

1. Prepare the ribs and rub: Remove the thin, papery skin from the back of each rack of ribs by pulling it off in a sheet with your fingers, using the corner of a kitchen towel to gain a secure grip, or with pliers.

2. Combine the paprika, black pepper, brown sugar, salt, celery salt, cayenne, garlic powder, dry mustard, and cumin in a small bowl and whisk to mix. Rub two thirds of this mixture over the ribs on both sides, then transfer the ribs to a roasting pan. Cover and let cure, in the refrigerator, for 4 to 8 hours.

3. Prepare the mop sauce (if using): Mix together the cider vinegar, mustard, and salt in a bowl and set aside.

4. Set up the grill for indirect grilling and place a large drip pan in the center.

If using a gas grill, place all of the wood chips in the smoker box and preheat the grill to high; when smoke appears, reduce the heat to medium.

If using a charcoal grill, preheat it to medium.

5. When ready to cook, if using a charcoal grill, toss the wood chips on the coals. Brush and oil the grill grate. Arrange the ribs on the hot grate over the drip pan. Cover the grill and smoke cook the ribs for 1 hour.

6. When the ribs have cooked for an hour, uncover the grill and brush the ribs with the mop sauce (if using). Re-cover the grill and continue cooking the ribs until tender and almost done, 1/4 to 1/2 hour longer for baby back ribs, 1/2 to 1 hour longer for spareribs. The ribs are done when the meat is very tender and has shrunk back from the ends of the bones. If using a charcoal grill, you'll need to add 10 to 12 fresh coals to each side after 1 hour. Fifteen minutes before the ribs are done, season them with the remaining rub, sprinkling it on.

7. To serve, cut the racks in half or, for a plate-burying effect, just leave them whole.

13th Birthday Dinner

     When you turned 13, did you have a special meal?. If you didn't, I highly recommend that you designate one night when you can make your dream meal. That's what I got to do for my 13 birthday,(which was on a Saturday night thankfully). My dream meal is the following: BBQ Pork Spare Ribs, Corn Bread, Coleslaw, Mac N'Cheese, and an Oreo Ice Cream Pie to top it off. That is the exact menu I had for my 13th birthday. I wanted to design the menu to be as Southernly as possible. What  also made the birthday dinner spectacular was having family in town from New Jersey. Even my older cousin was able to join us. Having the family in town made it a really special celebration that I will remember for a very long time.
      When I decided to have BBQ Ribs for my birthday I wanted to make them the best. For me to accomplish that we absolutely had to get the ribs from Clancey's. Then we had to find a recipe that was simple but would make the ribs heavenly. We were looking for a recipe that had a rub and sauce recipe. We found a recipe that met those two requirements. The rub was so simple . In the long run we ended up using our favorite BBQ Sauce to baste the ribs. It was a great combination. When the ribs came out of the oven, we had a scrumptious gravy for dipping the Corn Bread. This added numerous flavors to the bite.
       The Oreo Ice Cream Pie at the end of the meal made every single stomach in the room feel glorious. My aunt said, "Before having this Ice Cream Cake I did not like Oreo Ice Cream. But now I love it". By the way, the cake was from the best Ice Cream Creamery in Minneapolis, Sebastian Joe's. This was a great way to end such a memorable night. 


Note:The link to Sebastian Joe's and Clancey's Meat and Fish will be included at the end of the post
               The recipe's for the Kohlrabi Salad, BBQ Ribs, and the Cornbread will each have it's separate post.



 http://sebastianjoesicecream.com
http://www.clanceysmeats.com

The Oreo Ice Cream Pie

The Mac N'Cheese

The BBQ Ribs