Food Stuff

SIDE DISH

Court of Appeal — The Detroit Institute of Arts is more than a treasure trove of art, it’s also a place to socialize. And the museum is adding to its culinary offerings a bit as part of an effort to revitalize Kresge Court into a meeting place for midtowners. The “more sociable” Kresge Court debuts this week, on June 14, with new seating, lighting and easy technology access for visitors. A sophisticated menu of light fare, coffee and cocktails will be available during museum hours.

Six-pack — There’s still time to buy tickets for next week’s summer beer dinner at Toast Birmingham. The dinner will feature six beers from Arbor Brewing Company, each paired with a different course. The menu sounds impressive, with ahi crudo, potato chaat, razor clams, stuffed pork loin, lamb merquez and more. It all happens at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 20, at Toast Birmingham, 203 Pierce St., Birmingham; $55 tickets are pre-sale only (plus tax and tip) at 248-258-6278.

Rattle and Roll — Detroit’s Rattlesnake Club is celebrating its 25th anniversary. You don’t last that long by phoning it in. Congratulations to the crew there for a quarter-century of quality. Get a taste of excellence at 300 River Place Dr., Detroit; 313-567-4400.

Breakfast is served! — The makers of Canadian Mist have announced some new flavors in Michigan, including Maple Mist and Cinnamon Mist. Cinnamon Mist is like Hot Damn schnapps without the burn, and Maple Mist has a smooth maple syrup flavor. We asked bartender Evan Bradish (of the Painted Lady Lounge in Hamtramck) to use the maple syrup flavor to work up a breakfast-themed drink. Here’s what we came up with:

Trencherman’s Breakfast
3 parts Maple Mist
1/2 part Crème de Cacao
1 part Kahlúa
1-1/2 parts Frangelico

Optional
1 part espresso vodka or actual coffee
Chill and strain over ice or as a shot
Chase with O.J. for extra credit

FOOD THOUGHT

What party host wants to be bartender to a yard full of roof-raising friends? Kara Newman’s Cocktails for a Crowd: More than 40 Recipes for Making Popular Drinks in Party-Pleasing Batches ($18.95, Chronicle Books) will teach you how to set up the bar with ice, mixes, fruit juices and garnishes — and how to mix the large-batch cocktails, punches and coolers. The dark rum-based fish house punch is both sweet and tart. Her sparkling sangria recipe combines Rioja, sherry, Cointreau and fruit. Don’t miss the potent classic zombie. Party on!

THE WORKS

Give a kid a meal and feed him for a minute. Teach her to cook and she’ll feed you both for a lifetime. Make cooking fun and not too difficult, and you’ll get kids interested — and ultimately you’ll be rewarded by the results. One way to make cooking fun is to provide funky, kid-friendly tools like Kuhn Rikon Kinderkitchen Duck Snippers. The rounded-off blades are sharp enough to cut veggies and herbs but not sharp enough to cut fingers. Start with a salad.

ENTERTAINING … Toss Some Salad

OIL IT UP!

Chefs will agree … size does matter, which is why this aesthetic beauty, with its extra-long spout, guarantees precision pouring when adding the right amount of olive oil while you cook. (Curtis Stone Oil Can; williams-sonoma.com; $64.95-$74.95.)

SLICE & DICE!

When it comes to chopping, the better the blade, the better the salad. We recommend the standard for cutlery: Whüstof. The Germans know what they’re doing when it comes to cutting. (10-inch Classic Wide Cook’s Knife; $199; bedbathandbeyond.com.)

PRACTICAL & PRETTY!

These aluminum, stainless steel and enamel Chipper & Sprite serving pieces will make any salad the entrée of the meal. Imported. (Anthropologie, 214 W. Maple Rd., Birmingham; anthropologie.com; $36.)

PACK A BOWL!

A hand-carved cherry wood serving bowl allows for great presentation when you have guests over for your garden harvest. (Sur la Table at Somerset Collection, Troy; surlatable.com; $ 29.95.)

Know of any upcoming food-related events? Let us know! Call 313-202-8043 or email eat@metrotimes.com.