Burgers and Dogs on the Grill

Tis the season for grilling outside! Man, do I love it! I appreciate all the wonderful things that can be prepared on the grill. In our house we have done seafood things, vegetable things, chicken and pork entrees and the ever popular corn on the cob with herb butter.
I tend to favor a really well made burger or good quality hot dogs that show a little grill marks and have that snap when you bite into them. We have certainly tried a variety of brands in our time. But, we have narrowed it down to 2 different hot dogs that we seek in eating. Hebrew National and Nathan's. Both of these brands give us exactly what we're looking for in a great quality hot do. As for finishing these off, I tend to go "old school" with the basic ketchup and a nice grainy mustard. Relish is sometimes used in our house. Chili, onions and grated cheddar sometimes find room at the table. But, chili dogs are a totally different thing for another time.
Burgers are something I could eat every day, once a day. There are some great restaurants that produce an awesome concoction burger. But, some of the best burgers we have had are at home on the grill. We tend to buy a 60/40 or 70/30 ground beef. The lean meats just don't give us the natural flavor we are looking for. Sometimes to produce a more "gourmet" burger we will do a blend with ground lamb, or pork. To add variety, we sometimes will add garlic, fresh herbs, grated Parmesan cheese or Worcheshire (can't say it right or spell it right) sauce to the mixture. Then there come the toppings:

• Smoked Gouda
• Smoked Cheddar
• Bacon
• Avocado/Guacamole
• Lettuce, Arugula
• Spinach
• Tomato
• Mayonnaise
• American Cheese
• Sauteed Mushrooms
• Grilled Onions
• Basil Pesto
• Pepper Jack Cheese

and the list can continue, usually does in our house and what is at the grocery store on sale!

Dining Synergy

Due to the nature of our business as event planners and designers we are eating dinner out a lot more. Whether entertaining clients, having planning sessions or on the job trying to catch a quick bite. We try to experience more than "drive- thru" goodness. We know that time is limited and convenience comes first. But, for us, a few thing remain important... good food and a great dining experience. Occasionally, it is nice to be taken care of!
Having spent time in college studying interpersonal communications and worked as a service person in a restaurant, I find that it all relates to each other. The experience starts with the greeting and should continue from there. Food menu knowledge and preparation are elements that we look for. It is not necessary to become our best friend in five minutes. But, a pleasant introduction and good listening skills go a long way in my eyes. Contemplation is an excellent opportunity to impress me and recommendations are often appreciated. Usually, this means offering an appetizer/starter.
We tend to start high in the gratuity of the total experience and the total amount can fluctuate higher or lower based on the relationship with our service person. Give me a name, a pleasant greeting, some space and a little attention during our time together. While we are aware that the food is key in establishing a repeat location, bad service or a negative experience ways in on getting a loyal customer.

West End Grill, Ann Arbor, MI

As event planners and designers preparing for an event certainly has its benefits. Recently, we were planning a birthday party for a client's husband. She secured the venue and left the rest to us. The venue turned out to be one of the best restaurants with the most incredible menu and staff! I'm speaking of The West End Grill in Ann Arbor, MI.

While the decor was already really neat and could certainly stand alone with the stained glass pieces and vintage art work. So, what we brought in was icing on the cake! Let's talk menu and how wonderful that was! The passed hors d'oeuvres consisted of trendy sliders, bleu cheese tarts with sundried tomatoes, walnuts and chef made basil pesto. Married with that was a sauted, bacon wrapped shrimp served with a honey mustard. The salad course of a mix of greens and a choice of dressings: honey and roasted garlic or raspberry vinaigrette.

The main entree was brave and daring at the same time, but pulled off to the nines. Seven different entree options and sides were offered to the 80+ guest. Entree options included 3 beef, "brick" chicken, 2 different seafood items, lamb and even a vegetarian choice. All of these were paired with different compliment side dishes! I opted for the 6 oz. filet, medium, served with matre' d butter, and Parmesan-truffle French fries.

Of course what birthday could be held without birthday cake? Zingerman's bakehouse provided an incredible chocolate tier cake with raspberry filling and chocolate profiteroles all around the exterior edge. What an incredible dining experience.

Mango's on Las Olas

Recently, I reconnected with a wonderful friend who is living in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. In communicating with him, via FaceBook, about some of our craziness in Ann Arbor, I began to reflect on my time living in Plantation, FL and going to Culinary School at The Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale. Those recaps shifted gears to one of my favorite places to eat: Mango's on Las Olas!

This was one of my favorite places with the most incredible foods! I loved Las Olas because it was the only area "downtown" that you could walk and experience wonderful shops. But, the beginning and end was always Mango's for cocktails, appetizers and dinner followed by dessert. I remember starting with fresh spinach and artichoke dip with corn chips. Usually after that to treat ourselves we followed with a baked brie in a sourdough boule! Dinner was an experience that varied on the "catch of the day" or what our budget allowed us to indulge in. Not being an avid seafood eater (sorry) I usually opted for the Grilled Pork Chops, duo boneless grilled chops with a honey-chipotle barbecue sauce, roasted corn salsa and crispy fries! The joy that brought me on many occasions!! Some of my other favorites were Filet Bleu, tenderloin topped with merlot wine sauce and blue cheese, served with smashed potatoes or Tenderloin Filet, char-grilled and served with bearnaise sauce and smashed potatoes. yes, life was good! Dessert some times followed, or became take out of key lime pie or a very sinful brownie concoction.

Farmer's Markets

For many years one of my favorite things to do is to wake up early on a Saturday morning to adventure the Farmer’s Markets around the area. Being an Event Planner/Designer those opportunities have become few. But, that doesn’t stop the heart from wanting to go and see the local products in their fresh glory.

For years, it was the Farmer’s Market in the Kerrytown area of Ann Arbor. That was one of my favorite stops, starting with coffee and pastries at Zingerman’s Next Door! What a delight and pleasure to walk the area and take in all the wonderful fresh produce, plants, honey, and baked goods. From there, the journey would continue inside Kerrytown to complete the list at Sparrow’s (meats), and Monaghan’s (seafood). Some of the other local favorite markets include, of course, Detroit Farmer’s Market, Birmingham, Royal Oak, and locally, Walled Lake Farmer’s Market.

At any of these destinations, the search for locally grown, out of the norm, produce is worth the travel. I can’t tell you the joy in finding Fingerling potatoes; blue potatoes, fresh greens/spinach, assorted herbs and the like are memorable! Some of the best dishes and recipes I came up with came from farmer’s market finds.

Tasteful Knowledge History

The name Tasteful Knowledge is the name of one of my first companies. I started it while living in Ft Lauderdale going to Culinary School. The company was a mail order newsletter on herbs and spices describing the uses and included recipes for subscribers.

Now it serves as the name of this blog. A destination for me to voice recipes, food finds, history and tales of educating myself on one of my loves... food!