FOOD THOUGHT
The Farm to Table Cookbook: The Art of Eating Locally
by Ivy Manning
Sasquatch Books; $15; 256 pp.
With farmers’ markets and greenmarkets cropping up in cities and neighborhoods across the country, shoppers are no longer restricted to the same 30 items in the produce section of the local Kroger. Author Ivy Manning, a cooking teacher and chef, has gathered many of the recipes in her book from leading restaurants in Portland and Seattle that are notable practitioners of the Farm-to-Table movement. Organized by seasons, each section also has an illustrated produce primer that introduces and explains the culinary qualities of specific foodstuffs.
THE WORKS
Windowsill Herb
Garden Kit
$29.95; plowhearth.com
This Windowsill Herb Garden Kit lets home gardeners cultivate organic herbs right on their windowsills for a beautiful, delicious kitchen accent that provides fresh herbs year-round. The easy-to-use kit contains everything needed to grow basil, cilantro, oregano, parsley and thyme.
SIDE DISH
A Taste of Two Cities — Ah, weeklong restaurant deals. They aren’t all created equal, you know. Sometimes, the list of establishments is all too short and lacks variety. But most restaurant weeks are pure joys, offering a long roster of eateries that are crowded all the time. We’re happy to note that two upcoming weeklong dealfests are really promising, and they straddle city and suburb in an interesting way.
First is Dine Drink Detroit, marking its inaugural week Oct. 10-16. For $15, you can get a meal at 13 of the hottest restaurants in town. Better still, there’s not a stinker among them. You get the crowd-pleasing Mexican and Italian menu of El Barzón, the upscale bites and craft drinks of Great Lakes Coffee, the quirky sliders of Green Dot Stables, the classic burgers of Mercury Burger & Bar, small plates at the brand-new location of Motor City Wine, the artisanal sandwiches of Mudgie’s Deli, the wood-fired pizzas and quality charcuterie of Ottava Via, the playful French-influenced fare of chef Kate Williams at Rodin, the low-and-slow barbecue of Slows Bar-B-Q, the gastropub fare of St. Cece’s Pub, the seasonal menu and craft cocktails of the Sugar House, the always-made-in-house fare of Traffic Jam & Snug and the locally sourced menu that changes with the seasons at Woodbridge Pub. Wow! See the details at dinedrinkdetroit.com.
If that weren’t enough, we also have a week of bargains in one of metro Detroit’s most fertile dining scenes. It’s Ferndale Restaurant Week, and it happens Oct. 7-13. Various restaurants will offer fixed-price meal deals for $10, $20, $30 or combinations thereof. This allows a broad range of establishments to participate, from white-tablecloth bistros to paper-napkin joints, for anything from a meal to a snack. And it’s a good group of places that should offer several choices for almost any participant, from the fine diner to the casual eater. The restaurants are Anita’s Kitchen, Assaggi Bistro, Blue Nile, the Bosco, Buffalo Wild Wings, Como’s, Dino’s Lounge, Easy Like Sundae, the Emory, Howe’s Bayou, Imperial, Inyo Restaurant & Lounge, John D Bistro, Local Kitchen & Bar, MiChigo Pizza, Om Café, One-Eyed Betty’s, Public House, Rosie O’Grady’s, Sakana Sushi Lounge, Toast, Treat Dreams and Woodward Avenue Brewers. For full details, look no further than ferndalerestaurantweek.com.
Though it would have been best if the two weeks didn’t overlap for four days (there are always some kinks that need to be worked out), these are truly 10 days that will shake Woodward Avenue!
Putting the EAT in compete — Congratulations to local culinary grad Aaron Cushiere, who will appear as a “cheftestant” on Bravo’s Top Chef. Cushiere studied Applied Science in Culinary Arts, graduating from the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Michigan in Novi (artinstitutes.edu/detroit). Detroit-area viewers can see him on the 11th season of Top Chef at 10 p.m. Oct. 2
Know of any upcoming food or drink events? Let us know! Call 313-202-8043 or email [email protected].
