 For Spring Break this year I found myself in sunny Toronto. While immersing myself in all things Canadian, I discovered my favourite new comfort food. Start with a plate of french fries, add a liberal scattering of fresh cheese curds, and top the whole thing with hot gravy. The Canadians call it poutine, If it sounds a little messy, well that’s acknowledged; it’s name comes from the French (it originated in Quebec) for “it will make a damn mess.” Warm and hearty, it makes a delicious appetizer or side dish; especially on a chilly or dreary day. After doing some kitchen experimentation, I’ve found it’s also very easy to prepare at home. The classic poutine preparation consists of three things: French fried potatoes, fresh cheddar cheese curds, and turkey gravy. That being said, there are dozens of ways to tweak the ingredients and create your own “house” variant on the basic recipe. I would suggest giving the standard formula a try before branching outside Advantages Of Asparagus by Rachel Phillips 04/05/2010
 photo by Rachel Phillips As the first day of spring approaches, many farmer’s market regulars anticipate the arrival of asparagus season. Well aware of the nutritional benefits this vegetable delivers, foodies embrace asparagus for the ease of preparing this figure-friendly dish. For those who don’t understand this excitement over asparagus, let me explain my love affair with this versatile green. Nutritionally, asparagus is high in vitamins A and C for good vision and radiant skin. It also contains vitamin B6, which many nutritionists boast as the heart saving vitamin. Outwardly, its stick-like shape is telling of its effect on your body. Because this vegetable is low in fat and calories, you can fill up on the stalks without gaining anything around the mid-section. The plant is also high in fiber, which contributes to weight loss because it keeps you fuller longer so you don’t need to snack as much. If these facts haven’t enticed you, maybe when you learn that Michigan is one of the top producers of asparagus may. Not only does this mean easy accessibility at super markets, but it also makes for fresh stalks and less strain on college students’ budgets.  While perusing the Netflix “instant-play” a few weekends ago, I somehow decided to watch the straight-to-dvd flick “Ramen Girl.” It is an epic tale of an American girl (Brittany Murphy) who travels to Japan and becomes a ramen-maker’s apprentice. While the movie was less than memorable, what did stick was how hungry it made me for authentic Japanese ramen. In case you don’t know, real Japanese ramen is something that can take years to perfect. It contains a rich, usually pork-based broth and is generally topped with dried seaweed, pulled pork, egg, bamboo shoots, and a number of other vegetables. Hungry yet? If so, you’ll be pleased to know that in a few weeks, Tomukun Noodle Bar will be opening on Liberty in the McKinley Town Centre! Co-Owner Thomas Yon has said that the restaurant will feature authentic Japanese style ramen at affordable prices ($8-$10). The restaurant has also applied for a liquor license and will feature Japanese beer and sake. According to annarbor.com, Yon is currently hiring wait staff and will be ready to open sometime this spring. Personally, I’m extremely excited to see ramen coming to the Ann Arbor community and I hope he can pull it off! If not, you can still drop an egg into a package of Maruchan and pretend it’s the real thing. Here’s hoping… Kelly Montgomery's Favorite Recipe Now Up! 03/30/2010
 photo by Meagan Montgomery Homesick? Or maybe just tired of carry out and dorm food? Kelly's brought a little home cooking to our staff favorites page with Mom's Spaghetti with Homemade Sauce. The next time you miss your mom's spaghetti give it a try! We think you'll love it. Sachet d'Épices by Sara Kosuth 03/30/2010
 photo by Sara Kosuth In other words "A bag of spice," this is a common way to add flavor using fresh or dried spices and herbs to soups, broths, and other dishes. I used one for making homemade chicken broth and another for homemade tomato soup. I simply used a piece of cheese cloth and placed a bay leaf, fresh sage, rosemary, basil stems, one clove of garlic, and thyme and tied it up.  photo by Sara Kosuth Want to learn how to make Sara's Raspberry Torte? Check out the recipe in four simple steps!  Our academic and foodie lives are deliciously intertwined. We study at Espresso Royale with a hot latte and a scone. We order from Pizza House in the middle of those dreaded all-nighters. With food as such an important part of college life, one may wonder: Can food ever become academic? The William L. Clements Library suggests that the answer is yes. Currently available at the Clements Library, located on South University near the President’s house, is the Janice Bluestein Longone Culinary Archive. That’s right, U of M has an archive devoted to cookbooks. Well, it’s more than just cookbooks. This Archive has a wide variety of materials from the 16th to 20th century, including advertisements, magazines, menus, and the like. There are already thousands of items being stored, with many more being added on a regular basis. I ventured down to the library recently for a class assignment on archive research. I was intrigued by...  photo by Cathy Fan Oxtail, the tail of cattle, has recently surged in popularity for culinary enthusiasts. It’s a bony, gelatinous cut of meat and is best braised or slowly stewed. I made this dish up one night in which I which I was bored and lazy. Boredom made me want to cook, but laziness made me not want to make a huge mess in the kitchen with various strainers, utensils, colanders, pans, etc that I would have to clean up. Therefore, this is what I would consider a “one pot meal”. Naturally, there are more refined ways to make this dish, but since I was really only feeding myself and my roommate, who cares? When I made this dish, I kept the onions and carrots used in braising the tails in the finished dish. Some people may find these too mushy and so feel free to strain the sauce and discard the veggies if preferred. Because of the somewhat tricky bone structure of the tail which would make it rather awkward to eat with a fork and knife, if you’re serving this dish to other people it might be best to braise the oxtails, take the meat off the bones, and shred/return to dish (don’t forget to get the marrow out of the bones for yourself…it’s the most delicious part!!) .  Do you find yourself throwing away the ends of the bread that you buy? For some reason, people seem to have this idea that the ends of bread are useless. In reality, however, they’re just as good as every other slice of bread with just a bit more crust. Rather than throwing them away, put those butts to good use and make homemade croutons! Here’s what you do:
We're Baaaaack! A Few Tasty Tidbits of Info. 03/22/2010
 Well we're back and guess what? There are a ton of exciting things in the works! Look forward to an expanded Ann Arbor Section, updated local food specials and dorm food schedules, more recipes and more articles! We've corrected some mistakes on our sponsor form (it has the full mailing address) so if you'd like a magazine, and your name in the publication please consider sponsoring us. Go ahead and check out the flyer below! 
So get ready, with the magazine debuting in April we'll be all over town raising money and writing articles! Upcoming events:
We can't thank you enough for all of your support! Enjoy the articles! Veronica | Recipes to chew on:
Foodie, n. A person who has an ardent or refined interest in food.  CategoriesArchivesAuthors | ||
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