Ann Arbor Gets Gourmet

In Episode 3 of Caroline in the Kitchen, I was able to sit down with Eve Aronoff who is the owner and chef at the Kerrytown restaurant Eve. I had never had the opportunity to go to her cozy eatery before so I was of course very excited that she invited me there. Not only did her food blow me away but her hospitality and amicable demeanor very much impressed me.

The first time I heard of Eve was a few years back from a good friend of mine who couldn’t stop talking about the gorgeous interior and divine menu. Stephanie Izard also mentioned to me in our interview that she makes a point to go for a meal whenever she’s in town. Many celebrities visit the restaurant, including all the movie biz people in town right now, and subsequently Ann Arbor is becoming known as a gourmet city.

Eve the restaurant and the person are both great. Go eat there.

Okay, so enough with my infomercial.

You remember how I mentioned eating local? Well, Eve tries to create seasonal menus with a strong base in local food. Where does she recommend shopping? The Farmer’s Market! Luckily I just so happened to meet up with Molly, the manager of the Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market, and she told me the best ways for students to shop on a budget at the market.

2 of my favorite tips from Molly:
-Bring your own shopping bags
-Scope out the whole market before you make a purchase because you might find a better deal a few feet away.

I hope that you enjoy our latest episode. Please let me know who you would like me to interview next, any recipes you want to master or restaurants that you would want to see behind-the-scenes.

-Caroline

An Abundance of Apples

Is it just me or are there a LOT of apples just floating around lately? There has been a much wider selection at the grocery store. Heck, there's a whole other aisle for apples alone. I've seen people trying to give out bags for free at Angell Hall, and squirrels have been running off with entire apples in their mouths (okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little). If you have an abundance of apples and don't know what to do with them, fear not! Caroline just posted a wonderful recipe for an Autumn Apple Cake (which I am excited to try out), and here's a nice and simple recipe for good old-fashioned applesauce.

APPLESAUCE

Ingredients

4 apples - peeled, cored and chopped
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

In a saucepan, combine apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are soft. Allow to cool, then mash with a fork or potato masher.

**Lisa Tip: What you could also do is leave it in a rice cooker and cook the apples all day while you're in class! I know it sounds strange, but the apples still cook and get squishy on their own so you don't have to mash them. Try it sometime!

Enjoy! And while you're waiting for your applesauce to get cookin', watch Episode Two of Caroline in the Kitchen!



-Lisa

Autumn Apple Cake

I’m excited that so many people are taking part in our first poll. Based off the results so far, I decided to embrace a little bit of the two most popular Autumn eats and make an apple baked good. Although this is not featured on an episode of Caroline in the Kitchen, I hope you try it out. Also, this cake holds up well for about a week if it’s well wrapped up. Take Lisa’s advise and make it part of your breakfast. What a fun way to start the day. Let me know how it goes!



Autumn Apple Cake
Serves: 6 hungry people
Cooking Time: 1.5 hours

Ingredients:
6 Michigan apples
*Try mixing a few varieties together to make the flavors more interesting
1 tbs. cinnamon
¼ cup light brown sugar

2 3/4 cups flour, sifted
1 tbs. baking powder
A pinch of salt
1 cup veggie oil
2 cups sugar
4 tbs. orange juice
1 tbs. lemon juice
2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup walnuts slightly roasted in the oven or in a pan on the stove top
*This makes the nuts so much better—Trust me.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter the inside of a tube pan/angel food cake pan. Peel, core and chop apples into small chunks. Place in a large mixing bowl, toss with cinnamon and brown sugar and set aside.

Combine all the remaining dry ingredients and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the veggie oil, juices, sugar and vanilla. Incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet. Add eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition.

Pour half of the batter into the pan. Spread half of the apple mixture over it using your favorite spatula. Pour the remaining batter over the apples. Top with the rest of the apple pieces and then bake for nearly 1 1/2 hours, or until toothpick comes out clean.

-Caroline

Too Busy To Make Food?

This semester's workload is getting worse -- and so are my eating habits. Almost every week since September, I've been staying on campus from 9am-9pm (Monday-Wednesday straight). I've had to resort to eating meals purchased from Jimmy John's, Potbelly's, Wendy's, Taco Bell, and Cafe ConXion (South Quad) -- all very delicious choices, but quite expensive and unhealthy.

I've always been that student who rolls out of bed, brushes her teeth, and walks out the door (looking like a scrubby bum) on an empty stomach. But this routine has finally started to take a toll on my health as well as my budget.

For all of you out there who share my love for sleep and fast food, it's time to shape up! I've finally decided to start eating breakfast, as well as to stop relying on the convenient speediness and deliciousness of fast food, and start relying on packing my meals. Packing a lunch is much cheaper in the long run, and honestly takes about the same amount of time it does to wait in a line.

I started eating breakfast while walking to class. I buy foods that are portable and easy to eat while walking, like yogurt, bananas, and bagels. I made it a rule to always eat something in the morning, even if it is a piece of toast with nothing on it (sad, but still necessary). Eating breakfast in the morning jump-starts your metabolism, gives you energy, and wakes you up!

I also started getting up about 15 minutes earlier in the morning so I can make my lunch for the day. I love sandwiches and will switch up regular sliced bread for spinach wraps or bagels, for variety. I also started packing granola bars, apples, and plastic Ziploc bags of my favorite cereal as munchies throughout the day. I've noticed my energy levels have increased not only because I'm eating healthier foods, but because I'm eating small snacks between my meals. Snacks keep me from feeling hungry throughout the day - just one less thing to think about!

I know, I know. An extra fifteen minutes of sleep sounds appealing and most people aren't even hungry when they wake up. But just think about what eating breakfast and packing a lunch can do for your wallet and your body! I swear, it'll do wonders.

And, upon popular request, here is our Pilot Episode of Caroline in the Kitchen!

-Lisa

Getting Fresh with your Surroundings

We are already half way through the semester and that means a lot of students are springing for reheated pizza way too often for dinner. I am reaching out to all of you tired, over-worked people glued to the computer screen. Get up, get out the door, toss that week-old pizza and pick up some local produce.

Fall is a perfect time to get to know your local grocers and experiment with the fresh ingredients that are in full swing. Even if you are stuck on the 8^th floor of South Quad without an oven or pan in sight, I encourage you to walk down to the Produce Station or take a friend to the Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market. Many times the homegrown Michigan produce available at these locally owned stores are fresher and more packed with flavor than anything you would find elsewhere. Often there will be little signs above each item with the town or farm name of where it is from, too. On some days you can even speak directly to the producer of the crop.

All of these great reasons aside, I know that all of us are most concerned with the final number at the bottom of our grocery bill. After talking to many friends around campus, I have gathered that a lot of you out there have a misconception about buying anything fresh—let alone local. Fresh does not mean expensive necessarily. Let’s just say you find yourself strolling around the market this November and pick up a can of applesauce in one hand and a bag of fresh Michigan apples in the other. Although canned applesauce will last longer on your shelf, the added ingredients and heavy syrups deduct from the authentic flavor and nutritional value. Not only that but as long as you buy apples during their season, more often than not, you will get more apple for your buck when you buy fresh and local. (Obviously imaginary you is now setting the canned applesauce back on the shelf for now.) This is how it works with most produce. Trying out new flavors, supporting local businesses while also helping your bottom line—what else could be better? Buying seasonally will also insure that you are getting a variety of nutrients to help counteract the night of keg stands you did last week.

For those of you lucky enough to own a cookie sheet, a bottle of olive oil and have paid your most recent DTE bill, try firing up the grill or oven roasting a variety of Michigan produce. Sweet potatoes, for example, are abundant agricultural gems and are also very easy to prepare. You will definitely impress your roommates with what is on your plate. Check out the pilot episode of Caroline in the Kitchen for step-by-step sweet potato directions.

If you are worried about prices still, have a conversation with the manager or market salesperson who can once in a while offer student discounts. Sometimes they can point you in the direction of the most in season produce or even discounted goods that are slightly passed their prime while also sharing their recommendations about cooking techniques. There are so many ways to make cheap and easy meals with Michigan produce and with so many local markets and grocers near campus there is no good excuse not to give it a shot. With only a sharp knife and a cutting board Michigan produce can turn into a plethora of late night snacks or Saturday lunch options.

-Caroline

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