Food Stuff - Eat - Detroit Metro Times

City Slang: Battlecross post-Orion news
Following their triumphant appearance at OrionFest, local metal heads Battlecross has announced that drummer Kevin Talley (formerly of Six Feet Under, Chimaira and Dying Fetus) will be staying on with the band for its forthcoming tour. See Battlecross performing Slayer’s “War Ensemble” at OrionFest here. The new album, War of Will, will be released via Metal Blade on July 9, and the first single will be “Force Fed Lies”. Battlecross will be on the Mayhem Festival with Rob Zombie throughout the summer. Follow @City_Slang
DIA ‘Courts’ New Diners
Who says the Detroit Institute of Arts is only for art admirers? The addition of a Friday night music schedule has found some new converts. And now food lovers can rejoice as the museum unveils a new go-to place for visitors to eat, drink, relax and socialize. It’s the newly revamped Kresge Court. Combining an elegant atmosphere with competitive prices, visitors can enjoy an array of gourmet snacks, sandwiches, salads and desserts that use regional ingredients. Befitting a hip hangout, the dishes skew creative. If you’re stopping by for a quick lunch, you’ve got to try the fine ficelle salad. The stars of this show are prosciutto, black mission fig jam, wild arugula and European-style thin sourdough baguette. The green goddess salad features local greens, carrot ribbons, marinated summer squash, sunflower seeds and currants. Other offerings include DIA deviled eggs and wasabi tobiko caviar; artichokes, radish, black olive aioli and flatbread; toasted farro salad with shaved fennel; surryano dry-cured ham with hot pepper pickles and more. Desserts include Italian pudding with bittersweet chocolate, seasonal fruit croustade, and an alcoholic spin on a Detroit classic, a Boston rum cooler with Vernor’s ginger ale, French vanilla ice cream, Captain Morgan spiced rum, [...]
The 1943 Detroit Race Riot, 70 years later
Mention “Detroit” and “riot” to most metro Detroiters today, and most people will think of the year 1967. Some will call it a “riot” and some will call it a “rebellion,” but chances are that nobody will talk about Detroit’s forgotten riot, the 1943 Detroit race riot. Most likely, that’s because the events of 1943 don’t neatly dovetail with our conventional narratives about the Greatest Generation, and they provide ugly examples of white racism that most area residents, if they remember them, would rather forget. And that’s a shame, because the 1943 riot offers a chance to look beyond simplistic sociological assumptions about ’60s civil disorder and the ensuing urban disintegration. This is especially interesting at a time when historians such as Thomas Sugrue are re-examining Detroit and the roles played by whites and their institutions, often uncovering sweeping antecedents that transcend a passive white exodus. And for those whites who think the ramifications of institutional racism are overstated, those old photographs of white mobs rampaging up and down Woodward Avenue, beating and stabbing black Detroiters, might change a mind or two. And 1943 is also worth another look because it helps define the early civil rights movement. It saw African-Americans effectively [...]
Oh Criminals, Where Art Thou?
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little disappointed with my Detroit experience so far. In the past 8 months, I have no gunshot wounds, stabbing scars, or even a stolen vehicle to show for it. I don’t even have a lower credit score! When I told everyone I was moving here, I got a wave of backlash and pleas to reconsider. It reminded me of the time I traveled to the Middle East and, as I was boarding my flight, received a hundred text messages and calls saying, “If you go, you are going to DIE!” Well, my time in the Middle East was just as disappointing and uneventful as my time here in Motown. Where have all the criminals gone? With a nice bout of insomnia, I used to walk to the YMCA at 5 a.m. to work out in total darkness. My Dad freaked out when I told him. What my father can’t understand is that, unless you live right downtown, and once the sun sets, the streets of Detroit are deserted. No cars. No homeless people. Even the pimps seem to take the night off. I could streak down Woodward (my apologies for the [...]
City Slang: Weekly music review roundup
Send CDs, vinyl, cassettes, demos and 8-tracks to Brett Callwood, Metro Times, 733 St. Antoine, Detroit, MI 46226. Email MP3s and streaming links to bcallwood@metrotimes.com. We had previously received a sampler CD from Funky D Records signees The Royal Blackbirds, and the full album Shot Down landed on our laps this week. Thanks to the presence of singer Rebecca Saad, there’s a cool, kinda Amy Gore-esque feel to the bluesy garage rock, perfectly highlighted by covers like “I Can Only Give You Everything” and the title track. The originals are cool too, and Tino Gross has dragged out the dust and grit from these youngsters. Great piece of work, all told. This week’s City Slang stars the Horse Cave Trio sent in the 2010 single “I Am the Sheik” (Funky D), and it’s worth another mention because it’s so damned gnarly, nasty and heavy. These guys are known for their rockabilly swagger, but they can let out an unholy roar when they want to. Detroit Frank DuMont loves his hometown so much, he put it in his name. His band is called the Drivin’ Wheels, and the logo was designed by Gary Grimshaw. Mind you, his new Let Me Be [...]
She Takes the Cake
Like many great business ideas, Cake Ambition started as a hobby. Owner and cake maker Jessica Bouren started out making baked goods for her friends, co-workers and family. Word spread, and requests came pouring in for her increasingly creative cakes. Bouren decided to leave her design job at a major firm in Louisville, Ky., and come back home to Michigan to pursue her cake-making career. When designing cakes, Bouren uses the skills acquired from her bachelors degree in fine art and design, and her experience as an interior designer, actually making sculptures in the medium of cake, which she learned all on her own with the aid of books and YouTube videos. Without any work lined up when she first came back to Michigan, Bouren started hustling cakes to make a living. One such hustled cake was for a wedding at the Whitney in 2012. A staff member sampled the cake and liked it enough to call her in for an interview. Jessica was hired as the assistant pastry chef, a position she held for 30 days before being promoted to executive pastry chef. She worked that position for a year before deciding to focus on Cake Ambition. Cake Ambition is currently renting space [...]

Tasty cookies from Ann Arbor that go well with Motor City Ghetto Blaster— and more

Published: December 21, 2011

Forest's veggies Forest Street in Detroit, that is: Ann Arbor's venerable Seva, long a trusted name in vegan and vegetarian dining, has finally opened its outpost in Detroit. Drop in for lunch at 66 E. Forest, Detroit, with access through the pedestrian alley.

Geeked for Greektown Congrats to downtown Detroit's Greektown Casino on the opening of its stylish new lounge, Asteria. It opens to the public at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 23, and there will be an appearance at 7 p.m. from country crooner Josh Gracin. At 555 E. Lafayette Ave., Detroit; greektowncasino.com.

Strike up the music The revamped St. Regis Hotel now comes complete with its own in-house restaurant. It's called La'Musique, serving Cajun-themed cuisine in a dramatic dining room featuring memorabilia from Motown hitmakers, as well as a clubbier lounge for cocktails. Drop in at 3071 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit; 313-873-3000; hotelstregisdetroit.com.

Wine and more The menu at Royal Oak's best-known wine bar has expanded dramatically. At Vinotecca, diners will find fresh choices, including sushi (spicy tuna rolls, California rolls, even a "vino" roll), as well as chimichurri steak skewers, shrimp satay, baked Bulgarian feta, rustic Italian pizza, pan-roasted salmon and more. At 417 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-544-6256; vinotecca.com.

Cookies as art A co-worker came in after the Holiday Food Bazaar at Eastern Market raving about a cookie from Miette, an Ann Arbor-based baker. The cookie in question was called a Moroccan corne de gazelle or kaab el ghzal, which mean "gazelle horn." The delicate creations are filled with an almond paste perfumed with orange blossom water. Though they're traditionally served with Moroccan tea, our co-worker said they go swimmingly with a Motor City Ghetto Blaster. And, according to Chris Wick of Miette, "they are also one of the most time-consuming and intricate pastries in my repertoire. The recipe I use is a cherished one given to me from one of my dear friends, who is from Casablanca." Of Miette, Wick says it's her attempt to create high-toned sweet things using locally sourced ingredients, such as fresh seasonal fruit, butter, honey, eggs, flour and minimal sugar. For more info, see Miette's Facebook page, e-mail info@miettesweets.com or drop by the Ann Arbor Farmers' Market on Saturday mornings.

Seed smarts It's getting chilly, which means it's almost time to order some seed catalogs and dream up 2012's garden. Have any favorites you subscribe to year after year? Any upstarts you recommend? Let us know!

Know of any upcoming food events? Let us know! Send info to mjackman@metrotimes.com or call 313-202-8043.

food/thought

Cucina Povera:

Tuscan Peasant Cooking

Pamela

Sheldon Johns

Andrews McMeel Publishing, $21.99

The essence of Italian cooking — especially Tuscan cooking, some would say — is its simplicity, the combining of fresh ingredients without numerous steps. The cuisine's satisfying dishes reflect pure flavors — rather than hiding them. The title of Pamela Sheldon Johns' Cucina Povera: Tuscan Peasant Cooking translates into English as "poor kitchen," referring to inexpensive, locally available meats and produce, herbs and grains. Combine the ribolitto, classic vegetable bread soup, with a grilled fish drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice and parsley. End with fresh figs stuffed with walnuts and gorgonzola.

the works What often makes a gift special is the surprise-factor of getting something that you probably wouldn't have bought for yourself. Oenophiles that we know would love to receive a handsome French-made Laguiole Ebony Wood & Ivory Waiter's Corkscrew. The contoured handle is handcrafted by a single master cutter from dense, dark ebony wood and fossilized ivory mammoth tusks. Ultra-strong, durable Sandvick stainless steel is used to forge the corkscrew and the serrated foil cutter with built-in bottle opener. The decorative engraving on the metal spine exhibits the signature of the craftsman who made the tool. It's pricey though: $300 at Williams Sonoma.

> Email Metro Times Food Staff

We welcome user discussion on our site, under the following guidelines:

To comment you must first create a profile and sign-in with a verified DISQUS account or social network ID. Sign up here.

Comments in violation of the rules will be denied, and repeat violators will be banned. Please help police the community by flagging offensive comments for our moderators to review. By posting a comment, you agree to our full terms and conditions. Click here to read terms and conditions.

Calendar

Restaurants

Nightlife

Tasty cookies from Ann Arbor that go well with Motor City Ghetto Blaster— and more

Metro Times

Contact MT | Advertise | National Advertising | Work Here

News

Blogs

Best of Detroit

Music

Arts

Culture

Watch

Sports

Events

Food

Clubs

Classified

Automotive

Real Estate

Archives

Get Our Newsletters

Metro Times Stuff

Social Media

RSS Feed