Hello from Detroit!!

[detroitcook]

Hi everybody!!
I've spent the last couple days checking out all the posts and I'm very impressed with the culinary minds at work/play here. Looking forward to absorb as much from this community as I can. Is there anyone else in the Motor City?

[Mezzaluna]

Hello Detroitcook and welcome to Chef Talk! I'm sure there are other Detroit-area people and also more Michiganders here.

Please tell us a bit about yourself. Are you working in a kitchen or an avid home cook? What are your favorite things to cook or bake? Is there anything that's uniquely "Detroit" in the way of food that we shouldn't miss if we come to town?

Enjoy exploring the site and participating as often as you are able. We'll look forward to seeing you here.

Regards,
Mezzaluna

[ShoeMaker]

Greetings.welcome, etc. New here, as well... Hey, I lived just outside of Detroit (literally...like 1/2 block south of Warren Ave in Dearborn Hts) for about 11 years before heading south here to TN. Spent those years as a baker/leader at Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village in Dearborn. How's the Motor City these days ?

[ShoeMaker]

Originally Posted by Mezzaluna

H Is there anything that's uniquely "Detroit" in the way of food that we shouldn't miss if we come to town?

Hey Mezzaluna ......I remember back from my MI days that "downriver" (suburbs)from Detroit, muskrat was a specialty of sorts (no, am not making this up )
Was never brave enough to try it, though...LOL

[Mezzaluna]

ShoeMaker, I grew up on the Mississippi River, and that was a staple for some who lived along the river! You can still see the muskrat dens in the sloughs along the river. People also ate buffalo and carp in those days, but I bet you'd grow a third ear or something with all the gunk in the water nowadays.

[ShoeMaker]

Originally Posted by Mezzaluna

People also ate buffalo and carp in those days, but I bet you'd grow a third ear or something with all the gunk in the water nowadays.

I used to fish a lot up in MI, and apparently a lot of folks still ate carp up there - if I caught one, people would run over and beg me for it (I was typically catching and releasing them, unless I caught something I wanted to eat....i.e., non-bottom-feeding fish). Have had burgers made from buffalo, pretty good stuff (although I'm sure it was farm raised). We recently attended a bear roast down here in TN (apparently the bear was shot during hunting season in Canada and cut up and frozen)....now THAT was far better than I expected (not having known what to expect ) our friend roasted it over an open pit full of coals, and it was really really tasty (I thought itmight be tough and possibly "gamey" but was neither...you could probably serve it as beef and not too many folks would really notice).
Oh, and .... welcome, again, detroitcook (sorry to derail your thread )

[detroitcook]

Hi again! I'm working as a sous chef in a high end steakhouse in Birmingham.Unfortunately, my cooking style doesn't exactly fit in with an a la carte steak on a plate restaurant,but we have fish,dessert,app,and salad features to flex the creative muscles with.I went to culinary school in Ann Arbor, graduated eight years ago. I worked at a family owned Italian restaurant there for 4 years and owe everything to a little Venetian woman named Isabella. I learned more from her in one shift than in a week at school. That being said, I lean mostly to the boot for inspiration, although I thoroughly enjoy most ethnic cuisine with Japanese, African, and Caribbean being my favorite. My family is hardcore Scottish, so I'm always trying to get people to try my haggis and black pudding, some people try it without asking what's in it!
As far as Detroit goes, the local must haves are generally classified as fastfood..... The coneys at Lafayette, and of course the best sliders on earth at the Hunter House. The Best Italian I have had is Cafe Cortina in Farmington, although it will ever be cursed as the last anniversary dinner I had with my ex-wife(although she is a dining room manager for a competing restaurant, she no longer wanted to be married to someone in the business, something about never having weekend time together!).
In my spare time, I lavish attention on my Beagle, read a lot of cookbooks, work out fanatically, and generally try to make myself a well rounded, enjoy the day kind of guy. I don't like dating coworkers so if any of you know someone, send them my way!!

[bughut]

Hi Detroitcook,
I've been here a few weeks now and still being impressed with the feedback, info and warm welcomes. spk soon

[cwshields]

Hi There Detroitcook,
Grew up in Detroit, actually 13 mile and Ryan in Warren but I know what you mean about the coney's at Lafeyette and the sliders at Hunters. You ever get to Poletown or Greektown...absolutley outstanding ethnic food.