Rutabaga is an underappreciated winter root vegetable, often just noted for its funny name. While it may not seem special compared to other winter delights like potatoes and beets, rutabaga provides some memories of spring turnips. Rutabaga is a Brassica, related to some other winter favorites like cabbage, kale, and collard greens. Until the 20th […]
As we trudge through the morass of Covid life, it feels like a lost memory recalling scenes where folks packed under tents to clank steins, glug Märzen and shovel sausages down their gullets. With revelry postponed, we can still find joy in these traditional German styles that celebrate community and good times, and while there’s […]
Welcome to the inaugural meeting of the official Taste the Local Difference Cookbook Club! Each season, we will introduce a great cookbook we’re reading that highlights essential ways to use local ingredients. Join in on the fun, learn a new recipe, and take advantage of Michigan’s seasons with us! Cookbook Club, Fall 2020: TASTES by Taste […]
Picture a banana. Can you see it in your mind’s eye? Yellow, green, maybe a beautiful ripe brown, ready to be flambeed, or maybe you’re even picturing it in a sundae? Here’s something crazy about that banana: we are all likely picturing the exact same kind. The banana of the US market, namely the Cavendish, […]
Things are heating up, both outside and on the shelves of local food purveyors! You’ve got to love a summer meal with a little bit of kick. Keep it local with these Michigan-made sauces to spice up your day! The sauces: Clancy’s Fancy Hot Sauce Clancy’s Fancy Hot Sauce is a classic Michigan go-to when […]
As a culinary student, you learn that the best test of a chef’s ability is often in egg cookery. The incredible edible egg can be cooked in so many different ways (watch: Amiel from Bon Appetit cooking eggs for a half hour of entertainment) that line orders for eggs in a diner are almost another […]
Asparagus season is here! And here is a simple asparagus season recipe to create elevation to any soup, salad or pasta dish with a delicious garnish: an asparagus lattice frico. A frico is essentially a cheese crisp, and the addition of asparagus feels natural. To keep your garnish from becoming soggy, make sure to draw […]
Traditionally, Memorial Day weekend in Northern Michigan would have been the beginning of the Summer tourist season. But this year, it marked the beginning of a step towards normalcy: the partial re-opening of some of our favorite restaurants. However, some businesses are now open, but some are choosing to wait until they feel they can […]
From farmers to distributors to processing plants to grocery workers, the coronavirus continues to blindly take a large toll on essential workers across the food system. On day 63 of quarantine in Michigan, it’s becoming all too familiar to find grocery store shelves with fewer and fewer meat options, while some are completely bare depending […]
For all sweet cherry lovers out there, Hallstedt Homestead is the place for you. The Northport orchard, run by Sarah and Phil Hallstedt, is a new haven for sweet cherries in the heart of the cherry capital. They grow eight varieties of sweet cherries, including six varieties available for U-Pick.