Eating with ease — Bonnie’s Kitchen & Catering has put its menus online, allowing customers to order at their leisure from home or office. The new service is not only available for catering clients or corporate accounts, but to anyone with an appetite and Internet access. The online option allows customers to build and rebuild an order until the desired budget is reached, and orders can be placed any time of day or night for a specified pickup time. For more information, visit bonnieskitchen.com, call 248-540-4001 or e-mail [email protected].
Squeeze play — Birmingham’s Big Rock Chophouse has joined the national coffee craze by offering French press coffee service. Though coffee on-the-go has become a way of life for our drive-thru lifestyle, this is a deliberately slow way to enjoy the aromatic smell of the coffee brewing, the warmth of the brown, richly tinted liquid. At 245 S. Eton St., Birmingham; 248-647-7774.
EAT THE PAGE
Jacques Pepin has been writing cookbooks since French cuisine was considered the serious food of the world. Now that ethnic offerings from every corner of the world are so prominent, we tend to discount the importance of the French. Pepin’s latest book, Chez Jacques: Traditions and Rituals of a Cook (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, $45) is much more than a collection of recipes. It is about learning to cook without recipes by understanding why certain techniques work — and it illustrates why French methods are the basis for much of what we do in the kitchen.
A TASTY BEVERAGE
Perfect for pairing with lamb, the 2004 Tellus Vinea Bordeaux has been heralded by both wine sellers and wine drinkers we know. Produced from 80 percent Merlot and 20 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, from grapes grown on the border of the Pomerol region, this is a drinkable wine, rich red in color, fruity in taste. Simply stated, delicious. Priced at about $15, it is also an excellent value.
IT WORKS
Risotto is the first word that came to mind when saw this Stir-Chef Hands-Free Stirrer. This luscious braised rice treat requires constant stirring — about 30 minutes of it — and no cook can spare two hands for that long while preparing a meal, making this device well worth the $30 price (chefscatalog.com). It has an adjustable-height shaft and paddles in three sizes to fit various-sized pans. All parts are dishwasher-safe. In spring, asparagus is plentiful, a perfect ingredient for a springtime risotto, a perfect opportunity to put your new stirrer to good use.
Know of any new restaurants, special dinners or food-related events? Let us know. Send materials two weeks in advance to Food Stuff, Metro Times, 733 St. Antoine, Detroit, MI 48226 or send an e-mail [email protected].
