Hot dog! — Gourmet hot dogs? It would have been a punch line a decade ago, but today, with comfort food ascendant and fine diners wary of expenses, it just could be a winning recipe. And this new dog stand, in the old location of Good Girls crêperie, offers dogs for all appetites, including Cleveland-style Polish boys, slaw dogs, Italian sausage, hot-and-spicy, all-American and New York-style. What? No coney dogs? Drop in for a taste, at 2 E. John R, Detroit; 313-646-8055.
Royal thanks — BlackFinn, a Metro Times Best of Detroit winner, wants to thank its customers by celebrating its second anniversary this week. The party starts at lunch and goes into the night, with specials, prizes and giveaways. It all happens Saturday, May 29, at 530 S. Main St., Royal Oak; 248-542-9466.
Morel support — Haven't had any morels this spring? Don't despair. Shiraz is offering their 23rd annual morel feast, with morel bisques, morel-infused seafood, sautéed morels and more. It starts at 7 p.m. May 27-29, at 30100 Telegraph Rd., Bingham Farms; $50 plus tax, tip and drinks; reservations at 248-645-5289.
FOOD/THOUGHT
You needn't be a tree hugger to appreciate Alice Waters' In the Green Kitchen: Techniques to Learn by Heart (Clarkson Potter, $28). This is all about less reliance on food processors and other electronic kitchen tools and instead using techniques and utensils that save energy and eliminate the use of disposable products that waste valuable resources. Combine simple food preparation methods with sustainable, local, organic, seasonable ingredients for results that taste like real food while helping save the planet.
BOTTOMS UP
Sailors once had to swim to the Soggy Dollar Bar in the British Virgin Islands and you'll still find the line where the bartender hangs sodden money with clothes pegs to dry. It was here that the creamy and tropical Painkiller Cocktail was conceived. It's a blend of dark rum (we used Gosling's Black Seal), pineapple juice, orange juice, coconut cream and a seductive garnish of fresh ground nutmeg. It's ideal for sipping in the humidity of summer while you imagine your backyard deck overlooks the Caribbean Sea.
THE WORKS
Duplicating the Chinese food served at restaurants is difficult at home due to the lack of heat produced by conventional stoves. A solution, in addition to the one suggested by Raymond Wong in last week's Grilled, is to use a flat-bottomed wok. Our research led us to the 35-year-old, family-owned Wok Shop in San Francisco's Chinatown, where Tane Chan advised us that the classic iron wok with a black enameled exterior will retain high heat, thus cooking quickly while imparting "wok hee" or flavor. See wokshop.com.
Know of fun upcoming food events? Let us know! E-mail [email protected].
