We began our take home program to help you eat great without having to spend hours in front of the stove. We met with, listened to and fed our fans who were eager to give us praise, encouragement and constructive feedback which was invaluable to our growth. Although we consider our take home venture a success, Brendan and I have decided to put our energy and efforts into new opportunities. The past year has been an incredible learning experience for us, it’s been a time we’ll never forget.

We would like to say a warm thank everyone who tried a dish along the way, your support was more than we could have asked for. We would also like to say a very deep thank you to T.R. Durham of Durham’s Tracklements for supporting us and letting us use his kitchen for production, because we know we were probably in his way most of the time. And we certainly have to show our gratitude and appreciation to Mary Campbell of Everyday Wines for encouraging us and letting us sell our meals through her store.

Both Brendan and I are still in town and are currently pursuing new projects. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.

Thank you again to everyone, we love you Ann Arbor!

Your overly fed chefs,

Jay and Brendan

This is one of the most aromatic and fragrant of all Indian spice blends, and one of my personal favorites. Garam Malasa is used throughout India in all types of dishes and is indispensable to Moghul and North Indian cooking. Commercial blends are widely available, but this homemade version is much more fragrant and, of course, fresher. All spices are best when dry roasted whole and ground just before you start cooking. Give it a try, you’ll never go back to store bought!

Garam Masala

2 Tbsp Coriander Seed
2 Tbsp Cumin Seed
2 Tbsp Black Peppercorns
2 Tbsp Fenugreek
1 Tbsp Brown Mustard Seed
10 Cardamon Pods
4 Whole Cloves
1 tsp. Cinnamon Ground

Dry roast whole spices: Place the whole coriander, cumin, black peppercorns, fenugreek, brown mustard seed, cardamom and cloves in a heavy skillet on a medium and dry roast until the spices turn a few shades darker. This will only take 2-3 minutes. Make sure you stay at the stove because it goes quickly and there is nothing worse than burnt spices!

Let the spices cool: Once toasted, remove the spices from the pan and let cool.

Grind the spices: Once cooled, grind the spices. You can do this by hand in a pestle and mortar or in a coffee grinder (preferably one not used for coffee). Once ground, add the cinnamon and store in a airtight container.

That’s it, your done! This fresh garam masala will kick-up any recipe calling for a curry powder. In an air tight container the garam will last up to 3 months. Of course, the sooner you use it the better.

Happy cooking!

Kuwaiti Spiced Butternut Squash Soup
Olive oil roasted butternut squash pureed with onions, carrot and freshly toasted cumin, coriander, cardamon and cinnamon  

Acorn Squash and Chickpea Salad with Tahini Vinaigrette
Acorn squash roasted with allspice and garlic then tossed with chickpeas, fresh parsley, red onion, lemon zest and a lemon tahini vinaigrette   8

Syrian Eggplant & Pomegranate Fattouch
Caramelized pan roasted eggplant tossed with slice cherry tomatoes, green onions, fresh mint and pomegranate seeds.  Topped with baked pita and pomegranate vinaigrette   9

Grilled Tandoor Chicken Legs with White Wine Braised Potatoes
Amish chicken legs rubbed with our own tandoor spice and yogurt , slow grilled and served with white wine and coriander braised potatoes   10

Honey and Chili Rubbed Pork Shoulder with Butter Braised Polenta
Slow roasted honey, chili and garlic rubbed pork shoulder with butter braised stone ground polenta   9

This month we chose to address this issue by slightly altering the format of our take home meals.  We will still provide delicious seasonal meals but will now offer a fixed menu for an entire month.  In this way, those dishes that strike a chord will be available for you to enjoy and share with friends until the new monthly menu takes its place.

As always, we invite you to share your comments with us and help us provide that tastiest take-home in Ann Arbor.

Broccoli, Cheddar and Beer Soup
A classic soup made with lots of broccoli, sharp cheddar cheese and ABC’s olde number 22 beer 6/10

Marinated Beets with Blood Orange, Arugula and Goat Cheese
Pan roasted striped beets marinated in a red wine and black pepper vinaigrette and tossed with arugula, fresh goat cheese and blood orange supremes 7

Handmade Red Wine Braised Pumpkin and Short Rib Pasties
Flaky butter dough filled with red wine braised beef short rib, pumpkin, carrot, potato, rutabaga, turnip and onion. A Michigan favorite! 8

Sicilian Lamb Meatballs with Herbed Pasta and Fresh Tomato Sauce
Cinnamon and chili spiced lamb meatballs served over mint pesto tossed hand made pasta and raw tomato and garlic sauce. Finished with red chili and black olive bread crumbs 9

Garlic and Lemon Grilled Pork Chop with Roasted Potatoes and a Spicy Tomato Sauce
Garlic, lemon and black pepper marinated pork chops with olive oil roasted potatoes and a spicy tomato sauce 8

This is normally where you would find our weekly take home menu, but this week we’re taking a vacation! Don’t worry, our delicious food will be back soon, just after the new year.

We wish everyone a very happy holidays and thank everyone again for a great first year!

Your overfed chefs,

Jay and Brendan

Smoked Confit Pork Sandwich with Fresh Herbs and Chili Pickles
Coriander, salt and black pepper cured pork loin slow cooked under Tracklements smoked duck fat.  Served thinly sliced on a baguette with house pickled cucumbers, chilies and onions.  Garnished with fresh parsley and roasted red pepper mayonnaise. This sandwich is really special!   8

Handmade Macaronicelli Pasta with Spicy Italian Sausage and a Vodka Tomato Cream Sauce
Local handmade Macaronicelli pasta from Ventimiglia Market with fresh ground spicy Italian sausage and a vodka tomato cream sauce   10

Red Wine Braised Michigan Beef with Roasted Carrots, Onions and Celery
Grass fed hormone-free beef from Yale Michigan braised in red wine with allspice and fresh herbs.  Served with roasted carrots, onions and celery   9

Golden Raisin Basmati Rice Pilaf
A simple fluffy basmati pilaf with onions, celery, carrots, golden raisins and garlic   5

Seckel Pear Pecan Tart
Sliced pears baked in a brown sugar, almond and pecan crumble   4