Joe and a show An upstart coffee house in the mid-city area is hosting a show of art from Gwen Joy. The Thistle Coffeehouse, will display Joy's paintings starting Oct. 5 and through the beginning of November. Call the Thistle for a schedule of events this month. Enjoy Joy's joyful art and scope out a new hangout in Midtown, starting Oct. 5, at 4445 Second Ave., Detroit; 313-974-7282.
Fall preparations The Raw Café in Detroit has switched up its game, offering a seasonal fall menu that's organic, vegan-vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, and free of GMO soy, processed sugar and peanuts. Choices will include sprouted sunflower soup, cranberry kale salad, a Mexican burrito supreme, "naughty" jalapeño nachos, vegan stuffed mushrooms, zucchini pasta Alfredo, sweet potato pie, as well as health-preserving smoothies and juices. The café is at 4160 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-778-9774; therawcafe.com.
Hoist 'em high Royal Oak Farmers Market will feature local beers and brewers in its Fourth Annual Oktoberfest. The fundraiser for the market and the Royal Oak Historical Society will have performances by the Good Times Orchestra, a silent auction, dancing from the Sarisan Slovak Folk Ensemble, food from Lily's Seafood, and the largest Michigan-grown pumpkin. The revelry starts at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, 316 E. 11 Mile Rd., Royal Oak; 248-246-3276; ci.royal-oak.mi.us/farmersmkt; admission $5, 10 years and younger free, tickets available now at market office or at the door; beverages available for purchase during the event.
Small packages Local cupcake chain Just Baked has shown that big things can come of small treats, expanding from one location in January 2009 to locations today in Ann Arbor, Brighton, Canton, Royal Oak, Troy and more. Well, behold their new 16,000-square-foot production facility in Livonia. It opens with a ribbon-cutting at 4 p.m. Oct. 6, at 31805 Glendale, Livonia; facebook.com/justbaked.
Start your carts Mark's Carts, an Ann Arbor food court featuring a half-dozen food carts, is hosting a cook-off this week. Each of six food carts will use the same piece of cookware to prepare a dish in keeping with the theme of its cuisine (Asian, vegan, Spanish, Indian, etc). The public will elect a winner based on free samples. Live music will be provided by members of the Community High Jazz Band. It happens 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8, at 211 W. Washington St., Ann Arbor; for more info, call 734-224-8859 or see markscartsa2.com.
Know of any upcoming food events? Let us know! Call 313-202-8043 or e-mail [email protected].
food/thought Just when you think you've seen it all, along comes Zach Golden's What the F*@# Should I Make for Dinner?: The Answers to Life's Everyday Question in 50 F*@#ing Recipes (Running Press, $15). Recipe quotes include "Finally, you've found something easier than your little sister. Now cook up some fucking brined pork chops with radicchio" and "Make your fat ass fatter with some fucking shrimp and grits." Golden considers the book a cooking primer for recent college grads who need to develop some cooking chops and maybe get a chuckle out of the recipes. For more info, see whatthefuckshouldimakefordinner.com
bottoms up Local small-batch micro-roaster of certified, specialty grade coffees, Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company is purist in its approach. Each type of bean is roasted differently, from Brazil to Yirgacheffe, so each reaches its fullest taste potential. Lately, Great Lakes has been turning us on to coffee brewed for 12 to 24 hours using room temperature water. Cold-brew coffee is noticeably less acerbic than heat-extracted coffee and allows the subtler flavors of the bean to show. Their Kenya Peaberry reveals balanced dark chocolate and tart berries for a smooth drink.
the works If you were raised in an Italian family, chances are your grandmother made ravioli by hand, never resorting to the frozen stuff. Although there are many ways to do it yourself, Norpro makes a handsome high quality beechwood rolling pin that simplifies the process. Lay an 18-inch-wide sheet of dough on a floured surface. Lightly roll the pin over the dough. Spoon about a teaspoon or so of filling — perhaps spinach and ricotta — in each square. Cover with second layer of dough and roll the pin over again, sealing in the filling and making the individual squares easy to cut. It's a snap!
