NM3 Live – News, Events, Stories & More!

by Cara Nada

Foodie culture, whether it is wine, micro-brews, or delicious local cuisine is something northern Michigan is becoming increasingly known for. The New York Times and other national publications have even caught on, writing some great articles about our local fare. While making your New Years resolutions to eat better and live healthier in 2011, you should consider some growing trends in the world of coffee culture. Specialty coffee is a huge market in larger cities- obviously Seattle, Chicago, New York City, Portland and San Francisco not far behind. These roasters and cafes have been producing such quality coffee they are scheduling tastings similar to wine tastings called cuppings. Coffee as part of foodie culture is something that is quickly growing in Traverse City too.

One of the keys, not just with coffee, but also in all well made food, wine and beer is that smaller is better. A smaller quantity of something well made is much more satisfying than a trough of something mediocre. A smaller batch also makes consistency of quality easier to maintain. Smaller is better, and that’s the trend happening currently in foodie culture around the country and in our small northern Michigan town. Continue reading →

Our guide to Old School Cocktails for winter includes some great drinks you may or may not have heard of. Step out of the box this winter and give them a mix.

Manhattan

2 ounces rye whisky

1 ounce Italian… Continue reading →

Harvard

1 1/2 ounces cognac

1 ounce Italian vermouth

2 or 3 dashes Angostura bitters

Stir well with cracked ice, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass and top off with an ounce or so of cold club soda or… Continue reading →

Tuxedo

2 ounces London dry gin

1 ounce dry sherry

1 dash orange bitters

Shake the gin, sherry and bitters well with cracked ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Note: there are other Tuxedo cocktails out there, but… Continue reading →

Pie, sausage, nutmeg and moonshine top the list

www.foodchannel.com

In the food business as well as in everyday life, everyone’s looking for the next big thing or trend. Here are the foods and flavors we see making the list in… Continue reading →

By Joe Black

Now that the leaves are falling off the trees and the inevitability of winter is on the horizon it’s time to welcome in another time of year… dark beer season!  We will start with a style of… Continue reading →

A Look at the 2010 Local Wine Vintage

by Brett Gourdie

After a beautiful summer in northern Michigan the big question in the local wine world is what will the 2010 vintage bring? Will it be high in quantity, or… Continue reading →

A Cookbook with Bite

by Amy Shamroe

Once upon a time there were two sisters.  One was very sweet.  One was a bit saltier.  When they conspired, the results were… delicious.

“While one sister oversaw all recipe development, the other took care of the writing and look of the book. Throughout the process, we laughed together non-stop…truth told, so long as we’re together, we’d have fun in a paper bag,” Julie Albert shared.  Julie is the salty sister and editorial maven.  Her slightly sweeter sister, Lisa Gnat, has the culinary streak.

The result of their efforts is one of the most vibrant and exciting cookbooks you will ever see.  Bite Me: A Stomach-Satisfying, Visually-Gratifying, Fresh-Mouthed Cookbook delivers all that it promises.  The images are colorful and creative.  The recipes are mouth-watering and varied- from Bread Soup to Beef Bourguignon.

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by Amy Shamroe

Jehni Olsen is sugar and spice and everything nice… and she has the tattoos to prove it.  She is an architect and an artist.  Her mediums are her ingredients; her creations are works of art.

As an artist, Jehni draws her inspiration from her surroundings. You can find Jehni in the kitchen of Jolly Pumpkin/Mission Table on Old Mission Peninsula. The walk-in cooler, the local farmer making deliveries, even the gardens on the grounds all inspire her creations.  Local wine, fresh fruit, handpicked herbs and other premium ingredients are brilliantly blended to make delicious and often unexpected treats. They are a fragile construction of complimentary flavors, color, texture and a bit of creative genius.

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Cymbre Foster

My grandmother lived to be 92 and I’d like to think it’s because she grew up eating fresh, local food whenever possible, a habit she maintained all her life. Into her eighties, she was still driving out the Old Mission peninsula to pick up bushels of fresh peaches to “put up” for winter. She had her favorite growers for her green beans, cucumbers, tomatoes and the like.

Today, we don’t have to ask around to find fresh blueberries or a “u-pick” cherry farm. It’s all been packaged up for us in the 82 page Taste the Local Difference Guide.  Inside is a listing of 350 farms, wineries, grocers, restaurants, caterers and other businesses as well as the companion website covering 10 Northwestern Michigan counties.

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On Front Street in Traverse City there is the realization of a dream.  Zakey’s was not the dream Nabiel Musleh came to the United States to pursue.  It was born of a desire to stay tied to his roots and the encouragement of his son. “It was kind of in the back of my head; it was a dream.  I was kind of like, ‘if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be’,” Nabiel said of the idea to open his own restaurant.

Nabiel Musleh left Amman, Jordan seeking the best education in the world – landing first at Mott Community College in Flint, MI and, later, University of Michigan.  Fluent in Arabic, French, and English, he studied business and International Affairs.  He wanted to work as a translator for the State Department in embassies.

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