Tag: ZINGERMAN’S DELI
Join us and “Bee” Social!
Slow Food Huron Valley (SFHV) andAnn Arbor Backyard Beekeepers (A2B2) will be hosting a potluck on Tuesday, July 14, 530p – 9pm at Matthaei Botanical Gardens.
From SFHV:
Slow Food Huron Valley (SFHV) and Ann Arbor Backyard Beekeepers (A2B2) are joining forces for a potluck from 5:30 until 6:45pm. This will be informal and will allow for those who cannot make it before 6:15 or so to join when you are able to come. Bring a salad, main dish, or dessert that incorporates honey or is seasonal. You’ll have a chance to view the hives in the apiary if you wish.
Introductions will follow at 6:45pm, then at 7pm, Zingerman’s Deli managing partner Grace Singleton will lead a honey tasting, exploring several varieties of unique honey from bees near and far.
A2B2 members are invited to bring a jar of honey to include in the tasting; members are also invited to bring their bee-related wares to sell (tables will be available).This event is FREE and welcome to all members and non-members!
For more information, please visit theSlow Food Huron Valley (SFHV) or Ann Arbor Backyard Beekeepers (A2B2) websites.
See you there!
This past Monday, we were privileged to have a visit from our friend, Majid Mahjoub, owner of Les Moulins Mahjoub, purveyors of fine Tunisian foods. Mr. Mahjoub was in town for our Taste of Traditional Tunisia at Zingerman’s Events on 4th during the evening. But first, he took some time to share his traditional foodways with Zingerman’s staff on Monday morning:
After a delicious tasting for staff and a brief respite, it was off to the Taste of Traditional Tunisia dinner at Zingerman’s Events on 4th:
A very big thank you to Majid Mahjoub for making the long journey to share his food and traditions with Zingerman’s!
See you soon!
Spice Trekkers share the love
This week we’ve been very fortunate to welcome our friends the de Vienne family for a several days of talking, eating, learning, and laughter. Based in Monréal, the Spice Trekkers have been encouraging people to learn about spices and grind their own for over a decade. “Spices have an undeserved reputation for being complicated,” says founder Ethné de Vienne: “It seems like people are waiting for permission to get creative with spices. Spices have few rules. We just want to tell people it’ll be fine, just start cooking!”
We thought it would be great if they could show us what they mean, so we asked them to visit Ann Arbor for a series of workshops aimed at exploring the use of whole spices in cooking. In addition, they shared their knowledge with Zingerman’s guests in special dinners at the Roadhouse, and the Deli, as well as a class at Zingerman’s BAKE!
Here are some highlights:
Merci beaucoup amis!
Maddie’s Matzo Ball Ritual
Back home in Illinois, in one town over from mine, centered right dab in the middle of Old Orchard mall, resides my childhood deli, The Bagel. The place hasn’t changed much throughout my lifetime. All of the servers have been there forever and recognize you the instant you walk through the door. A complimentary silver platter of deli pickles and a basket brimming with bagel chips and Kaiser rolls are still presented to you when you sit down at your table. The glass cases at the deli counter house the same array of layer cakes, cookies, and the largest collection of chocolate covered dessert items I’ve ever seen.
The encyclopedic menu hasn’t changed much either, with enough options that you could eat something different everyday for years, and still have more things to try. In spite of all of these options, my selections have remained consistent since I was eight years old: Reuben or turkey club, chopped salad, obligatory side order of French fries, and matzo ball soup.
It was at the Bagel that my love of delis was officially affirmed and, looking back, one of the main reasons I think I was drawn to work at Zingerman’s Delicatessen six years ago. While the food and the people are obviously the hallmarks of any great deli, what I have grown to love about this type of restaurant in general are the rituals that people develop there. It is this subject that’s been at the front of my mind this week with the arrival of Passover, a holiday centered on the observance of rituals.
Throughout my time at Zingerman’s, I’ve developed a long list of my own personal rituals. Of the 100+ sandwiches on the menu, I pretty much always order the #73 (Tarb’s Tenacious Tenure). I like to sit in the same window seat in the Next Door (the second one back from the front door). And I absolutely must have a sesame bagel and cream cheese for breakfast at work on Sundays. Looking back, it makes sense that I’m wired this way because much of my affinity for ritual was harnessed back when I was a kid during weekly visits to the Bagel. I could probably list off an entire page’s worth of traditions from there, but the one that always sticks out to me was eating the matzo ball soup from my lineup of foods mentioned above. Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong. I had a system and always found joy in executing it the same way each and every time.
Served in a very shallow ceramic bowl, the Bagel ladles in enough of their golden chicken broth until it’s just about to overflow. One enormous matzo ball is placed smack in the middle (for visual size reference, think of an orange or an onion), the bowl is centered on a plate for balance, and the whole thing is sent over to the table in the blink of an eye. I remember that my younger self was always amazed by the number of bowls of scalding hot matzo ball soup the waiters would be able to carry at a given time. Granted it was nearly impossible that your bowl of soup would retain all of the broth during the journey to the table, but it was all part of the charm. Whatever escaped, you could just sop up with challah bread later.
After it was set down at the table, I’d always start by methodically skimming the outermost layer off of the entire matzo ball. This part always maintained the fluffiest texture and absorbed lots of the salty chicken broth. Once that portion was completed, I’d start spooning off chunks, which always had a bit more chew to them than the outer layer. After whittling my way down to the tougher core of the matzo ball, I’d switch over to spooning up just the broth until the bowl was emptied. And that’s how it went, every time.
A lot has changed during these past few years, but I’ve always found such solace knowing that places like the Bagel, Zingerman’s, and all the great delis around the country exist. Places where time stands always seems to stand still, where you see the same faces over and over again, where you know the food will hit the spot every time, and where you can take comfort in your rituals. It is this type of place that brings me peace and the type of place I long to find wherever life takes me.
For all of you celebrating Passover and Easter this week, I wish you happy and delicious holidays. Cheers!
– Maddie
Whole Spices Featured at Weeklong Series of Events in April
This month, Zingerman’s welcomes Canadian spice importers Épices de Cru to Ann Arbor for a series of workshops aimed at exploring the use of whole spices in cooking. The week will culminate in a trio public events at Zingerman’s Roadhouse, Zingerman’s Deli, and Zingerman’s BAKE!
Épices de Cru approaches spices in three unique ways. First, their spices are always sold whole, which protects purity and freshness. Second, they purchase directly from growers on sourcing trips, which ensures fair trade practices and consistent quality. Third, they source spices from traditional growing regions, or terroirs, which have historically produced the most flavorful products. “We believe in listening to the people who actually live the food we’re trying to make,” says owner Philippe de Vienne.
The Montreal-based company was founded by the de Vienne family, and has been encouraging people to learn about spices and grind their own for over a decade. “Spices have an undeserved reputation for being complicated,” says Épices de Cru founder Ethné de Vienne: “It seems like people are waiting for permission to get creative with spices. Spices have few rules. We just want to tell people it’ll be fine, just start cooking!”
Both Zingerman’s and Épices de Cru share the belief that home cooks can make better food by grinding spices themselves. Says Zingerman’s founder, Ari Weinzweig, “Thirty years ago the idea that everyone you knew would be grinding fresh beans to make coffee every time they brewed it home was almost unimaginable.”
Ari first encountered the Épices de Cru shop in Montreal’s Jean-Talon Market several years ago, and has long wanted to bring their spices to Zingerman’s. Last year, he learned they were finally looking for distributors in the U.S. “I was immediately excited,” he said, and invited the family to visit Ann Arbor in 2014 and share their knowledge of traditional spices. The visit was a resounding success, and Zingerman’s has since incorporated Épices de Cru spices into several dishes.
(Read Ari’s essay about the Spicetrekkers in the March/April Zingerman’s Newletter.)
For this year’s visit, Zingerman’s and Épices de Cru have scheduled three public events to showcase the wonderful and aromatic world of whole spices this April:
All Spice Routes Lead to the Roadhouse
Tuesday, April 14th, 7:00 pm at Zingerman’s Roadhouse
Roadhouse Chef Alex Young teams up with Montreal-based Spicetrekker Philippe de Vienne to create an unforgettable menu. Join us for a bit of spice history, a bit learning about how to use spices in your own kitchen, a good dose of spicy storytelling, and a really good meal!
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The Ins and Outs of Spices: How To Find, Store, And Serve The World’s Best Spices!
Wednesday, April 15, 6:30pm, at Zingerman’s Events on Fourth
Visiting spice trekkers Marika, Philippe and Ethné de Vienne voyage from Montreal to share over thirty years of incredible spice travels, travails, and terrific tastes with us. The results of their work are an almost overwhelming list of special stuff that we’re privileged to offer for sale at the Deli and for tasting on this exceptional, educational and enlightening evening.
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Baking with Spices
Thursday, April 16, 2015 6:00pm, at Zingerman’s BAKE!
Go beyond vanilla and nutmeg! Don’t miss this one-time opportunity to learn from the Spice Trekkers, who’ll visit BAKE! all the way from Montreal. The de Vienne family, spice experts and engaging speakers from Épices de Cru, have traveled the world to bring the best spices to North America and they’ve learned a lot along the way. They’ll walk you through the sites and smells of an array of baking and dessert spices that can breathe new life into standard recipes. Teaming their knowledge with our baking expertise, we’ll then sample a couple baked goods comparisons so you can taste the difference.Together we’ll demonstrate how good quality fresh spices and grinding your own at home can dramatically improve the flavor of your baked goods.
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See you soon!
Handmade Pot Pies chase away the winter blues!
New Year’s Day kicks off our annual Pot Pie Promotion. During January and February, the Deli is piled high with six kinds of delicious pot pies (Beef, Chicken, Lamb, Turkey, Pork and Mushroom). Each pie is made by hand, a heaping scoop of hot filling between two folded layers of buttery crust. It’s the ultimate comfort food, and a great way to put some steam in you for the winter! Pot pies are available frozen, ready to heat, or ready to eat!
Zingerman’s Classic Chicken Pot Pie Free-range chicken hand-picked off the bone and blended with big chunks of carrots, celery, potatoes, onions and herbs. Wrapped in a handmade butter crust. It’s the perfect lazy cook winter meal; it’s warm, filling, and easy as pie.
Free-range chicken hand-picked off the bone and blended with big chunks of carrots, celery, potatoes, onions and herbs. Wrapped in a handmade butter crust. It’s the perfect lazy cook winter meal; it’s warm, filling, and easy as pie.John H. Turkey – Turkey Pot Pie Harnois & Son Farm turkey with big chunks of celery, carrots, onions, potatoes and spiced with Turkish Urfa pepper and fresh herbs, all wrapped in a handmade butter crust.
Fungi Pot Pie (vegetarian selection) A fun pie for the fungiphiles! Michigan Maitake Mushrooms, Tantré Farm Organic Shiitake Mushrooms and a little Balinese Long Pepper, all tucked in an all-butter crust.
(vegetarian selection) A fun pie for the fungiphiles! Michigan Maitake Mushrooms, Darina’s Dingle Pie A salute to the miners on the Dingle Peninsula of Ireland: this pie is made with lamb from Hannewald Farm, Stockbridge, Michigan, loads of potatoes, rutabaga, onions and a dash of cumin and rosemary. Wrapped miner-style (no tin) in a butter crust.
A salute to the miners on the Cheshire Pork Pie Made from a 4-H Tamworth hog raised by Nic Harnois a future star farmer from Northern Washtenaw Co. braised with onions, apple cider and spices, and then stuffed in a handmade pastry crust with apples from Kapnick Orchards in Britton, Michigan. Wrapped miner style (no tin).
Made from a 4-H Tamworth hog raised by The Red Brick Beef Pot Pie This beef pie is our heartiest one yet. Packed with big chunks of all natural beef from Ernst Farm here in Washtenaw County, carrots, potatoes, and fresh herbs all wrapped in our handmade crust.
This beef pie is our heartiest one yet. Packed with big chunks of all natural beef from To sweeten the deal, we also offer special pricing for quantity: 10% off 10 pies, 20% off 20 pies, 30% off 30 pies!
Stock up and save: Pot Pies are only available during January and February!