Words and photos by Joe Hakim

Bizarre Foods Detroit aired last night, but there’s a lot that went into the show that you might not be aware of. Last June I was contacted by Andrew Zimmern’s production company to do some scouting for the upcoming Bizarre Foods: Detroit episode.

My mission was pretty exciting: find the most unique places in and around Eastern Market. I spent about four hours scouting. This was one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve had since starting The Hungry Dudes. Simply walking around Eastern Market with my camera and meeting different vendors, like the folks from Love’s Custard Pie, Mel from Holtz Farm, or Jim from Green Organics Farm.

‎"It is the best pie I have ever eaten in my life." -Andrew Zimmern

Jim from Green Organics Farm

Mel from Holtz Farms

By the end of the day, Bert’s was kickin’. The same way Bizarre Foods: Detroit opened tonight was the same I ended my days both scouting and my day with Andrew.

Grillin' at Bert's

If there was one thing that came across on tonight’s show, it is Andrew’s genuine love for what he’s doing. He was very excited to be in Detroit and that was evident nearly every step of the way in tonight’s episode. While in Eastern Market, he was incredibly gracious to everyone he came in contact with.

Andrew posing with a fan

If only there was some way to see some of the cut footage. Moments of pure joy when Andrew would start to engage a passerby. His camera crew works incredibly fast because none of what happens on screen is scripted. These are totally genuine moments. If Andrew starts to talk to someone, the crew is there almost immediately capturing what could be a perfect conversation.

More than anything else, I was so proud to show Andrew and his crew around Eastern Market. More over, I was equally as proud when the show aired tonight.

Andrew Zimmern – Detroit thanks you. We’re glad you enjoyed your time here and hope you come back to visit us very soon.

"Andrew Z. drinks Tiger milk to grow strong" - at Supino Pizzeria

Bizarre Foods:Detroit on TravelChannel.com

Flickr set with scouting report photos & more with Andrew Zimmern

So today we bring you a simple to prepare bacon wrapped meatloaf. As we’ve mentioned in a previous meatloaf blog, replace ingredients below with what you have in the house or your preferred spices. Since I was adding fatty bacon, I used half chuck and half turkey meat.

• 3/4 pound ground chuck
• 3/4 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1/3 cup barbecue sauce, divided
• 1 heaping tablespoon whole grain mustard
• 1-1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 cup worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 whole egg
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
• 2 pieces of bread soaked in milk, then torn into pieces
• Roughly 7 slices of thick cut bacon

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Make sure to leave some BBQ sauce for topping the bacon. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil. Form a football shaped ball. Wrap bacon around meatloaf, not looking to overlap. Add the remaining BBQ sauce over the bacon.

Cook at 350 degrees for about an hour or so. You might want to increase heat at the end to crisp up bacon.

When it comes to what BBQ sauce to use, make your own for find your favorite. In the case of my dish, I used Smolder Sauce from The Rogue Estate which can be purchased at 9 Mile and Hilton Market.

Let rest for about 10 minutes, then cut and serve!

Ready. Set. Mardi Gras!

Howes Bayou: Turns Woodward Ave. into Bourbon St.

Words & Photos by Joe Hakim

Mardi Gras is upon us. Sadly, we live nowhere near Bourbon Street. However, there are places that make a valiant attempt to bring all of the fun and excitement of New Orleans to metro Detroit.

Starting February 17, Howe’s Bayou goes into full-on Mardi Gras mode. The weekend is filled with live music, drinks, friends and family. All of the excess culminates on Fat Tuesday, or the day before the official start of Lent.

Let’s not talk about Lent, though. All of that giving up stuff is no fun. You know what is fun? Finding baby Jesus in a piece of cake! Allow me to explain the wondrous phenomenon known as the King Cake.

Similar to an iced cinnamon roll, the King Cake is also decorated in colored sprinkles (in typical Mardi Gras colors – purple, green and yellow usually), and it is closely tied to NoLa tradition. Customarily, the host of the year’s party serves a slice of the delicious cake to each of the guests. In one of the slices is a figurine of baby Jesus. Whoever ends up with the slice containing the figurine is crowned King or Queen of Mardi Gras for that year, and is expected to host the following year’s party. Sounds festive, right? And perhaps a little odd – but hey, what traditions don’t seem a little odd before they’re adopted, right?

Well, they don’t have Jesus cake at Howe’s. But what they do have is just as fun! There are roughly 150 to 200 gift bags given away over the weekend, containing all sorts of gift certificates and other goodies.

What goodies are in store for you during the Mardi Gras festivities? Well, to put it bluntly – booze. Howe’s always has a plethora of great drinks, we all know that. But perhaps on this, the most festive of occasions, you might try something a little different. Hurricanes are some of the most recognizable New Orleans drinks. You’ve likely heard of them or even seen them if you’ve made the trip down to the French Quarter. And if you haven’t, well, this is your grand opportunity to act like a tourist in your own town. Hurricanes are infamously strong fruit punch drinks (typically served in special hurricane lamp glasses), and we remind you that they are very potent, albeit delicious beyond compare.

Another standard drink that you should definitely partake in (Carnival, as it’s called farther south, and Mardi Gras are times where partaking in all festivities are anything but frowned upon) is Sazerac. It is also a native New Orleans concoction. It is, in fact, one of the original American cocktails. The glass is washed with anise-flavored liqueur, for starters. Add simple syrup, two kinds of bitters, bourbon and ice. Sound good? They are. So please try one.

Purple Haze all in my brain.

Perhaps you’re a beer fan. Well, don’t think for one second that Mardi Gras (and Howe’s) only humors non-brew drinkers. Abita Springs, Louisiana is roughly a half hour north of New Orleans. It is there that you will find a craft brewery named the Abita Brewing Company. They’ve been producing fantastically delicious beer there for over a quarter century, and it has recently been adopted as a modern Mardi Gras tradition to throw a few of these back as well. So, give one a shot while you’re at the Bayou – it’s pretty appealing, in addition to being supremely authentic in terms of Mardi Gras celebrations.

Now let’s get down to the grub. Howe’s definitely doesn’t skimp on the Louisiana-style food, either. They’ll have, for your enjoyment and palate pleasure, Mississippi catfish (is there really any other kind?) and jambalaya – two staples of a good NoLa meal. Also dig into their bisque and étouffée, both of which are fantastic and authentic.

So, now that you’re in the know in terms of the offerings that you’ll be enjoying in lovely Ferndale this weekend, please plan accordingly (and responsibly). They’ll be open

from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. every night but Sunday (during which they’ll still be giving you a fantastic span of hours in which to enjoy yourself – from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.). Have we convinced you that the only place that’s second to Bourbon Street is Woodward Avenue this Mardi Gras?

Blackened Catfish & Collard Greens

Originally published in Real Detroit Weekly

Howe’s Bayou is located at 22848 Woodward Ave. in Ferndale. They can be reached at 249.691.7145 or online at howesbayouferndale.net.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Any fun plans tonight?

Vietnamese Summer Rolls are a simply prepared yet always delicious appetizer at Bambu Cafe in Grosse Pointe. Tender pulled chicken is wrapped in a delightfully gummy rice paper wrap along with carrots, zucchini, and mixed greens. Served with a sweet & spicy sauce, Summer Rolls would a perfect small plate for two or even a refreshing lunch for one.

Don’t let the menu fool you. Specials include traditional Thai cuisine like wok cooked chicken with fresh bamboo and kaffir lime leaf or Berkshire Pork Belly with mustard greens and hard boiled eggs. Michigan seafood is almost always available as well.

Bambu Cafe is located at 75 Kercheval in Grosse Pointe Farms. 313-640-4115. Find daily specials on Facebook.

More photos from Bambu on Flickr.

The Farmers Market was packed for the entire night.

Food trucks are slowly moving from being a novelty to being a true source of sustenance in the metro Detroit area. Capitalizing on this burgeoning facet of dining, the Royal Oak Farmers Market presented its first Street Eats Wednesday on February 8.

Working the grill at Ned's Travelburger

El Guapo, Taco Mama, Ned’s Travelburger, Chow Catering, Concrete Cuisine, Jacques’ Tacos, Franks Anatra, and Treat Dreams all set up to serve what turned out to be thousands of hungry people. Some people waited in line for close to an hour, but once the food was in hand, smiles were on faces.

Order window at Jacques' Tacos

Given the long lines, we only had the opportunity to sample food from two trucks: Concrete Cuisine and Chow Catering. We took some photos of our meal (duh) and would like to share them with you.

The Bombay from Concrete Cuisine

Scotch-cicle from Concrete Cuisine

Ruby from Concrete Cuisine

Portabella Wellington from Chow Catering

Sharing some Snozzberry from Treat Dreams

We’re already looking forward to the next Street Eats event!

I apologize that I don’t have too many photos this week. With moving around so quickly and boiling sugar or chocolate covering my hands and our station 90% of the time, I thought it wise not to pull out my phone or camera. I was able to get a few videos of Chef Velasco demonstrating how to make a piping bag out of parchment paper as well as a video of her showing us how to pipe a rose. We started the week learning about the different stages that sugar goes through while over heat.

1. Thread – 215*-230* F
2. Softball – 240*F
3. Firmball – 245* F
4. Hardball – 250*- 260*F
5. Soft Crack- 265*-270*F
6. Hard Crack – 295* -310*F
7. Caramel – 320*F

How to be able to tell where your sugar is at while it’s boiling without using a thermometer is to have a glass of ice water with you. You take a spoon and pour some into the ice water. If you can manipulate the sugar into a soft ball, you’re at soft ball. If it hardens and you can hear it crack as soon as it hits the water, you’re probably at hard crack. Chef made us some soft salted caramels this week to dip into the chocolate we would be melting another day. The recipe will be posted below. We made some designs with our sugar and our tempered chocolate that could be used for decorating.

Later on in the week we made a chocolate butter cake with chocolate mousse and chiffon cake with Italian buttercream. (Needless to say, we used a lot of butter this week). Our chocolate butter cake was amazing. The textures were delicious and the mousse just sort of melted in your mouth.  For our chiffon cake we layered it with buttercream and then made some roses based off of chef’s demonstration. 

Soft Salted Caramels

750 grams cream

355 grams sugar

100 grams corn syrup

2 grams salt

100 grams butter

7 mL vanilla X

1. Mix cream, sugar and corn syrup and bring to a boil, do not stir or touch the mixture, you can cause the sugar to crystalize. Bring the temperature to 245*. Turn off the heat, add the salt and slowly start to add the butter.

2. Grease a 1/4 inch sheet pan very well with butter and pour the caramel into it. Place into the fridge for at least a night and enjoy!

Hubert, Joe, Dave, Bob, Ian a.k.a. Pork-Kings

Before Saturday, we had never participated in a rib competition. Knowing this, we enlisted the help of a couple guys who know their BBQ. The Rogue Estate, like us, know good food and how to prepare it.

Lighting The Beast

After a couple weeks of extensive “research,” we had a recipe we were confident would impress at least a couple people. When it was all said and done, we fed close to 1,000 people and more than a couple were impressed.

Saucy!

More importantly, however, is each of those 1000 people paid $10 to taste the ribs of each competing team and nearly all of that money goes directly to charity. There’s no better feeling than feeding folks delicious food and doing it all for a good cause.

Bob prepping ribs for service

The Pork-Kings took home the Rookie Team of the Year trophy and came quite close to pulling an amazing upset and winning the overall judges’ award as well.

Even though it was a 14 hour day, we had a blast cooking and feeding as many people we could (our apologies to all those who missed out – we ran out quite early). Next year we’re gunning for the number one spot.

Luscious smoky pork

Thanks to Dino’s Lounge for putting on this great event. We’re already looking forward to next year!

View more photos from the day on our Flickr page.

We started the week with a lemon meringue tart. We first had to start with the crust and we used a shortbread crust recipe called pate sucree (recipe can be found at the bottom of page). We creamed together the butter, sugar and salt in a stand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes while also scraping the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is being combined. We then slowly added in the flour until completely combined. Once mixed we put the eggs in one at a time and mixed again until combined. We wrapped the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerated until our next class.

When we met again in class we took out our dough and rolled it out large enough to fit into a 9 inch pie pan. We then began making the lemon curd. We put our eggs, sugar and lemon juice into a stainless steel bowl and placed it over a double boiler. We whisked the ingredients together until the mixture became as thick as sour cream or a hollandaise sauce. Once completed we put the mixture into a stand mixer and began slowly but evenly adding in the butter followed by the lemon zest. We poured the lemon curd into our tart crust and placed in the refrigerator to let it set.

While our tart was setting, we started the meringue. For this tart we used a Swiss meringue recipe. There are two other types of meringues as well which are French and Italian. For the French meringue you have to use double parts sugar to egg whites and whisk until fluffy followed by baking. The Italian meringue is used by making a hot sugar syrup and cooking it until 240 degrees and then whisking it into the egg whites. For the Swiss meringue you combine the sugar and eggs together in a bowl and place it over a double boiler.

When making any meringues, you have to be sure that all of your ingredients are very clean. The smallest amount of fat can alter the finished product. We whisked the mixture over the heat until by feeling with your finger to the bottom of the bowl, you could no longer feel sugar granules. We took this mixture and put it into a stand mixer and whisked on high to cool it down and to reach stiff peaks.  Once your tart is set (no longer jiggles when shook) pipe some meringue on top and place under a broiler until browned.

While I may not always be stoked about sweet food, this tart was wonderful. It was tangy and sweet. Definitely would recommend it for a nice weeknight dessert.

The second dessert I really enjoyed making and wish to share with you was the pastry cream. Pastry cream can be found in almost all fruit tarts, which is precisely what we used it for. We first combined the corn starch and 2 ounces of sugar together. In a pot we put the milk and the other 2 ounces of sugar and brought it to a boil. To the cornstarch and sugar mixture we added the eggs and whisked together. We then took the hot milk mixture and slowly tempered it into the egg mixture.

Once completely combined, we put the mixture over the heat and boiled for 1 minute so that the starch can be cooked out. The mixture will start to clump, don’t be nervous, this is what is supposed to happen. Use a rubber spatula to mix with at this point and keep stirring. Once thickened remove from heat and pour onto plastic wrap. You can cover a sheet pan with plastic wrap to make it a little easier. You also want to cover the cream in plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Place the pan into the refrigerator and wait for it to cool completely. You can use the same pate sucre recipe to make small tarts to place the pastry cream into. Then pick out some of your favorite fruits and have some fun with it! 

I hope everyone enjoys these recipes but more than that I hope you try them! Don’t forget to share with me if you do and feel free to ask any questions. Bon Apetit!

Pate Sucree

8 oz butter

3 oz sugar

Pinch salt

2.25 oz eggs

12 oz pastry flour

Lemon Curd

3.5 oz eggs

2.5 oz sugar

½ tsp lemon zest

5.5 oz butter

2.5 oz lemon juice

Swiss Meringue

2 oz egg whites

4 oz sugar

Pastry Cream

2 oz sugar

16 oz milk

2 eggs

2 yolks

12 oz corn starch

2 oz sugar

1 oz butter

.25 oz vanilla X

First and foremost, draft a team. It’s the Super Bowl, dammit, not dinner for you and your boys. Sure, I will give you the tools to throw a kickass party yourself, but let’s be honest. You don’t want to be alone when the new Kia Hamster commercial comes on. Call up some friends.

Here’s my squad, in no particular order, they don’t mind – we’re not talking about Prince Fielder money here: David Benjamin (my Hungry Dudes collaborator and ghost pepper aficionado), Will Branch (owner of Corridor Sausage and grand poobah of pork), Bob Perye (my newest partner in crime and head troublemaker at the Rogue Estate), Achilles Papakonstanitou (the Greek warrior, because he’s dangerous with a knife) and our brother in booze, Sandy Levine (owner of The Oakland and mixologist extraordinaire).

The idea here is to compile a team of folks who will come together to create the best Super Bowl meal ever. I’m confident in my team. I bet we could win it all.

Our menu: Beer cheese fondue, assorted sausages with plenty of pickled accoutrement, ghost pepper brownies and bourbon punch. We tried our best to use all Michigan products, more precisely we tried to use items that will be available at Eastern Market the Saturday before the Super Bowl (Note: “sheds” are in Eastern Market).

For the beer cheese fondue, visit Oliver Farms in Shed 3. Buy some of their exceptional cheese – cheddar, Swiss, whatever you like. Grate the cheese into a pile, put into a bag with a couple tablespoons of flour. Make a roux (butter and flour) in one pan and reduce one bottle of Bell’s Best Brown Ale to half its volume in another saucepan. Remove from heat and temper beer into roux.

Saute finely minced onions and garlic until translucent and add to roux and beer mixture. Add 1/2 cup chicken stock and slowly begin to add cheese. Keep on low heat – we don’t want any simmering to occur. Stir as little as possible to combine. Midway through, add cheese and 1/4 cup of heavy cream. Continue to add the rest of the cheese until smooth, remembering to stir as little as possible. Add black pepper, green onion and/or clove as desired. When silky smooth, transfer to fondue pot (if you have one) and serve hot. Cubed toasted bread, vegetables, Granny Smith apples and pork products work wonderfully.

Speaking of pork products, Corridor Sausage in Shed 3 is doing glorious things with all things porcine. On any given Saturday, Will Branch and his partner Zach Alexander will have up to a dozen different varieties available for purchase.

Our menu has five sausages topped with a number of items, most of which are available from The Brinery in Shed 2. Of the five, the most Super Bowl-friendly of the bunch is the bacon and beer (Bell’s Amber Ale) brat with aged Swiss cheese. We topped it with Storm Cloud Zapper sauerkraut (a mix of cabbage, beets, ginger, and sea salt) and mustard. The subtle, creamy nuttiness of the sausage is dynamite with the tangy spiciness of the kraut.

Although all of the varieties we tried were excellent, two others really stood out. Both are unique and outside of the usual hot dog or brat realm.

Lamb Merguez is a traditional North African sausage. Boldly flavored with moderate heat, it is not for the timid. Top it with The Brinery’s Coyote Kraut (cabbage, hot peppers, epazote) and you’ve got a fire bomb for your taste buds. Crumble a bit of goat cheese on top for an additional layer of tangy and a welcome level of heat temperance.

If you’re like me, you have a soft spot in your heart for Vietnamese cuisine. Have you ever wondered why all of those incredible flavors can’t be squeezed into an easy-to-transport tube of meat? The boys at Corridor are on our wavelength (scary, I know) and they developed a Vietnamese chicken sasauge. Lemongrass, lime leaf, wild ginger, thai chiles, cilantro and shallots are all present and accounted for making this a truly complex bite. Cut open the bun, layer slices of fresh cucumbers on one side and Brinery’s Root 31 pickled turnips on the other. Slide the sausage in and squeeze a bit of Sriracha aioli (Sriracha, mayonnaise, sesame oil and lime) on top. You’ll feel like you’re walking the streets of Vietnam.

Our dessert is not complicated in its preparation, but the flavors are challenging. Buy a box of your favorite brownie mix. Prepare according to the instructions on the box. Before putting in the oven, cut up 1/4 to 1/2 of a fresh ghost pepper or 1/4 teaspoon of ghost pepper powder and add it to the mix. We also added one bar of dark chocolate with chiles chopped. The ghost peppers add an unbelievable dimension of heat to the bittersweet brownie. Unforgettable to say the least.

For an event as American as the Super Bowl, we’ve been ethnic in our cuisine choices. But what’s more American than bourbon? We go all- American with our bourbon punch. (Admittedly, the recipe involves some preparation – visit realdetroitweekly.com for the full recipe.)

You’ll need your favorite high-proof bourbon (like Old Weller Antique) as the base. A blend of fresh orange and lemon juice, cherry heering, sugar and nutmeg round out this strong but refreshing punch.

We’ve given you fondue, sausages, brownies and punch. Each of these items can be shared by large groups (cut the sausages in half and serve on a large platter). Party food is meant to be communal. Not only will people discuss the new Hamtramck Chevy Volt commercial, but they’ll also rave about your amazing spread. Take the journey down to Eastern Market and throw a Super Bowl party no one will forget.

Article originally published in Real Detroit Weekly.

Bourbon Punch Recipe (By Sandy Levine from The Oakland) 
Ingredients

1 bottle high proof good quality bourbon (we like Old Weller Antique 107 Proof)
2/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup Cherry Heering
1/3 lb sugar
4 oz water
whole nutmeg

The night before you’re serving the punch, fill a tupperware container with water and put it in the freezer.

Remove the peel of an orange and a lemon, being careful to only peel the very outer edge of the rind (and not any of the white pith, which is very bitter). Place the rinds and the sugar in a punch bowl and toss. Let sit for a couple hours.

Add juices and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add the alcohol and water. Put punch bowl in freezer for 20 minutes to chill. When ready to serve, add the large ice cube from the tupperware. Garnish the punch with sliced orange and a healthy portion of freshly grated nutmeg.

The high proof bourbon will cause it to start off pretty strong, but will allow it to maintain its backbone as the ice melts.