Side Dish
Burgers for health — It has been the mission of Moo Cluck Moo to create a much higher level of quality of fast food than anyone has been able to find in its area. Surprisingly, another part of that mission is giving people what they want at a low price, all while paying its workers a decent wage. Sweetening that already sweet deal, during November, Moo Cluck Moo will be donating a portion of sale proceeds from its Skinny chicken, burger, portabella mushroom and lamb burger sandwiches to the American Diabetes Association. They’ve also designed a special salad that’s low in carbs, calories and sugar, and a portion of its proceeds will also go to fighting diabetes. Moo Cluck Moo is at 8606 N. Telegraph Rd., Dearborn Heights; 313-562-9999; moocluckmoo.com.
Tomorrow’s chefs, today — Great Lakes Bistro, the student-run dining lab at the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Michigan, is now open for lunch. This quarter, the menu will feature items such as twice-cooked spareribs, seafood risotto and curried lamb stew, along with a selection of soups, salads and desserts. The eatery presents a unique opportunity to enjoy professional-quality food in a student-run instructional environment. The bistro is open to the public 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays through Dec. 12, at 28125 Cabot Drive, Suite 120, Novi. For more information, call 248-675-3920.
Beer & Barbecue, Together Again — Restaurants that pair smoked meats and suds have exploded over the last eight years. But where does that leave microbreweries that may not have a kitchen? Not in the lurch, necessarily. The brewing mavens at Warren’s Kunnhenn Brewing Co. have improvised. On Friday and Saturday nights, they host Detroit Barbecue in their parking lot, at 5919 Chicago Rd., Warren; 586-979-8361; kbrewery.com.
Artisanal Food, on Your Doorstep — Two twentysomething metro Detroiters have founded a special service for fans of local cottage foods. It’s called Mitten Crate, and it’s a cottage food subscription service. The idea is that you pay a flat $35 a month and receive each month a crate of Michigan-made, shelf-stable foods, ranging from salsas to jams to granolas to toffees to pickles and more. The endeavor should help craft food aficionados connect with local food producers they might not have had the chance to meet, while also aiding small producers reach beyond their immediate area. We spoke to one of the business partners, 25-year-old Andrew Chmielewski, who says Mitten Crate always tries to pack at least $40 of retail value into each box. Monthly subscriptions are $35 a month, one-time purchases are $42. Orders can be placed via the startup’s website, mittencrate.com, or, for late adopters, at 248-462-2551.
Food Thought
For Those About to Cook … Pure Metal
By Bruce Moore
Safkhet Publishing, 182 pp., $16
When you think of heavy metal, maybe cuisine isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Bruce Moore wants to help change that. The author of For Those About to Cook, Moore decided the world needed a heavy metal version of his original book, and so he canvassed a variety of heavy metal bands to find out what fortifying meals keep them rocking hard on the road. Turns out they have an appetite for more than destruction. The author, a self-identified metalhead, has compiled bios and photographs of the recording artists in their kitchens; their recipes will surely rock you like a hurricane.
The Works
The electric guitar is associated with power, sex, posturing and, now, baking. Seriously, how many times have you been eating a cookie and thinking, “This is great, but I wish it looked more RAWWK,” or, “I wish I could balance this cookie on a soft toy and create Teddy Van Halen”? Now, you can eat a cookie and look badass, all at the same time, thanks to this badass ax-shaped cookie mold. Never did something “cookie cutter” shout the baker’s individuality from the rooftops quite so loudly. This hand model, from Global Sugar Art, can be yours for a measly $2.
