Mike’s Food

07/24/2024

50th anniversary celebration!!

A request was put in for orchard fruit to be incorporated, with a bit of a “Swabian” German flare.

Definitely love putting my own spin on some different cuisines.

Here’s the menu:

1. Venison carpaccio, cherry/mustard compote, toasted soft pretzel croutons, cured egg yolk

2. Pork belly, sweet potato fritter, apple/whiskey chutney, garlic/dijon aioli

3. Braised beef cheeks, spaetzle (cross between dumpling and noodle), red wine onion gravy

4. Mascarpone stuffed crepes, grilled ginger peaches, whipped cream, raspberries, shaved chocolate

06/13/2024

Playing the role of food critic this morning.
Everyone heard of The Iron Kettle in Comber? 110%, put it in on your must stop list, especially if all you do is drive up and down the 401, going from swim to track meets.
My cookie (if you can even call it that) had tastes of chocolate, coffee, ginger, and hazelnut. Izzy’s was….not sure ? She wasn’t taught that sharing is caring!🤬
We definitely shared some amazing Indian food in Markham. Kind of a hole-in-the-wall type of place, but the food was outstanding!! We had aloo tiki chaat (mashed potato cakes), insanely delicious goat curry with traditionally made naan bread, and samosas (no pic). So good!!
Last pic is a meal that my daughter Chloe, and her friend Olivia made for Liv’s parents for their anniversary. Chloe has always been very independent, but recently has started to do her own thing in the kitchen too, and ALWAYS cleans up after herself????? Anyway, they decided to make NY strip, ravioli, and Caesar salad. I gave her a brief lesson on feeling your steak to know when it’s done, they were home alone with the task of not messing up a special occasion meal. Zoom in close, and tell me that isn’t a perfect medium rare. So proud of them!!! When you book me for your next dinner party, don’t be surprised if I am just sitting in the corner drinking wine, while these two deliver the goods!

06/04/2024

It was a little different event than I am used to last night. Usually I will do a more formal, sit down type of a meal, with every course plated, but yesterday the request was good food, but very casual. There was 23 people (biggest group ever, so a little crazy!) and the setting was a gorgeous backyard.
The idea was a bunch of different apps, and I would serve them throughout the night. (A slight curveball, but there was 1 vegetarian so many of the apps had a slightly different version)
I didn’t have a photographer with me, so there was a couple dishes that didn’t have pics. Oops!
1. Skewers of Asian marinated beef tenderloin
2. Sushi grade scallops, topped with macerated strawberry and rhubarb, toasted panko bread crumbs drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar (served in endive)
3. Asparagus salad, garlic/lemon vinaigrette, shaved Parmesan, roasted pecans, chopped herbs
4. Tuna ceviche, guacamole, micro greens
5. Venison carpaccio, pistachio, roasted grapes, goat’s milk pecorino, mustard vinaigrette
6. Beet carpaccio, burrata, raspberries, pistachio, mustard vinaigrette
7. Hollowed out/grilled pineapple, filled with lobster, Brie, mascarpone cheese
8. Sweet Potato fritter, smoked lamb shoulder, horseradish aioli, mint chimichurri, pickled onions

The best part of the evening was definitely the fact that the super casual setting meant super casual plastic plates! No dishes to wash!!

05/05/2024

Happy birthday, happy new job, and happy cinco de mayo!!!! A lot was celebrated last night for a very close friend! Thrilled to have been a part of it!

Here’s the menu:

-tuna ceviche, guacamole, mango/radish salsa, micro greens

-blackened swordfish taco, pickled onion cotija cheese, strawberry/kiwi salsa, avocado/lime cream, cabbage slaw

-carne asada short ribs, crab cake, avocado/lime crema, chimichurri

-mango crisp, lime zest, tequila/lime infused mascarpone whipped cream

04/28/2024

Indian fusion was the theme of the night. So many different types of sauces or chutneys with very bold flavours and putting my own twist on things….so much fun!! Thanks to a great group for a great night!!

Homemade roti (very similar to naan bread) with a mint/cilantro dipping sauce, and a spicy tomato/onion chutney (no pic)

Burrata salad with roasted carrots, prosciutto, fig, plantain crisps, arugula and chaat masala vinaigrette

Cashew and coconut crusted haddock, spinach and tomato purée, fig/onion chutney

Rack of lamb, crab cake, roghan josh curry sauce,
mint/cucumber raita (yogurt sauce), roasted red cabbage, mango chutney

Masala chai tea infused crème brûlée with raspberry and mint

*maybe last course should have been a bowl of tic tacs????

03/13/2024

Our last night in Mexico was definitely a memorable one! Our week was filled with a lot of good food. My “foodie family “ was very happy overall with our resort, but on our last night we wanted to “hit the town” in search of an authentic experience at a hole in the wall type of establishment. Okay, scratch that…we wanted our last dinner to be memorable. Wow, was it ever!!
I’m not going to get into the specifics of our dishes, but it was spectacular, and every course was a show. From our drinks, to our dessert, Sonora Grill is a must! Honestly, it was inspiring! Did I tell you that I love cooking with a Mexican flare??? Lol! Cinco de Mayo is fast approaching, but I am pretty sure that margaritas taste great all year long!

03/09/2024

There’s a big decision to be made….
I love doing what I do back home, but as I was standing in line at the omelette station here in cancun, the head chef came up to me and said he heard about my food and asked if I wanted to sub in for a little while. I told him that I would give it a try, as long as I could still indulge in my regular 11am ice berg breakfast (half beer, half margarita) Tonight, I am in charge of the beach grill, and tomorrow they decide if they want to keep me on staff. I’m assuming they won’t be happy with my steady decline throughout the day, but we’ll see.

02/25/2024

Happy Sunday! Great day for smoking a pork belly I’d say. (Instagram requires a picture with every post, so that’s why the pork belly is there, even though it is a great day to get the smoker started)
Today, I figured it has nearly been 1 year since I started this business venture, and maybe some new followers need to be brought up to speed on what I offer and how the process goes.
Basically what I offer is a fine dining , restaurant type of experience in your own home for you and your guests. The menu is always customized to your group, taking into consideration any specific likes or dislikes, as well as allergies. Often groups just want to be totally surprised with the cuisine, but if you are craving something specific, I’m definitely going to give it a go, even if I have zero experience with that cuisine. (That’s why I have my “Guinea pigs”, right??) I’m also quite comfortable with gluten free cooking, even vegan.
For the most part, I serve 3 or 4 courses, all being smaller portions, so you get to try a variety of dishes.
Most of the prep work is done at my place , but on the day of your party, I typically arrive about an hour before you want to start eating, to finish the cook. I bring all of my own cookware, so the only thing that you as the host needs to do, is provide the dinnerware. So, it’s very much a stress free way to entertain your guests.
I definitely recommend planning your night well in advance. For the most part, I only do up to 2 events/month, so things can get booked up pretty quickly.
Take a look at my pictures to get more of a feel for what you’re getting and then message me, and let’s get the ball rolling.
Thanks again!!

02/11/2024

Big day! Happy Super Bowl Sunday! No the Lions aren’t in it, but I think if they were , I probably would have botched my dinner last night due to anxiety.
Did I say dinner? I meant breakfast.
I’ve been waiting for the right group to do a “breakfast for dinner “ theme, and due to some specific protein requests, I thought this was the time. Have a look:

A kind of deconstructed BLT. Roasted tomatoes, burrata, bone marrow garlic croutons, pancetta, crispy shallots, and Tuscan olive oil with champagne vinegar.

Smoked chicken thighs, sweet potato waffle, pickled onions, bourbon peach bbq sauce

Coffee crusted veal, chimichurri, potato pavé, confit egg yolk, fried enoki mushrooms

Mascarpone and apple stuffed French toast, Cap’n Crunch crumble (that’s right) , and cereal milk whipped cream (obviously Cap’n Crunch) , strawberry and banana

Get in touch if you want to book something, or if you want to wager on how many times Taylor Swift is shown tonight during the game. I say 731

02/04/2024

02/04/2024

Happy !!!
You most definitely have to start with pre dinner drinks at , followed by veal chops ! Mollie and Jack were so happy we acknowledged their special day!!
(*six time zones away, so we aren’t getting in trouble any time soon!!)

01/28/2024

Back at it last night. It was a great night, except for……..
What to do when something doesn’t go smoothly, how would I react?? Well, everything was going well until it was time to clean up after dessert. I was invited to stay for a drink after, so maybe I was just really thirsty? I started clearing dishes, when all of a sudden, I heard and felt what seemed like an earthquake. At that point I saw a look that I get a home, maybe only once in a blue moon. I took a dish that maybe wasn’t quite ready to be taken. (Happened to be the birthday girls) I panicked! 😱 When I get this look at home, I start making sweet potato fritters, and everything goes away , but that obviously wasn’t a possibility.
Life lesson #1: when conflict arises, and sweet potatoes are not an option, immediately start to whimper, and don’t ever be afraid to hug someone.
Anyways:

Tuna tartare, avocado, wonton chips, sriracha aioli, coconut peanut sauce

Steamed Chilean sea bass, topped with Asian braised enoki mushrooms, toasted coconut, wasabi pea purée, stir fried purple cabbage, chili oil

Chinese pancake (filled with scallions, carrots and shrimp), roasted pork belly, pan seared scallops, plum sauce, shaved cured egg yolk

Fried green tea ice cream, grilled pineapple, shaved chocolate

01/17/2024

Hopefully everyone’s 2024 is off to a great start! It’s been a a little while since I posted anything, but please forgive me…. Michigan national champs! Lions are rolling! Do you blame me??? Anyways, just wanted you to know that things are ramping up in my “food world!” Starts this weekend at the Erie Shores Healthcare Gala, where there’s a few great auction items, one of which, is a dining experience donated by yours truly, with help from two of my favourite businesses, The Butcher of Kingsville, and The Fish Guys Ltd., so that’s exciting! After that, I have a few different parties booked in January, as well as February, so if you’re looking at booking something with me, let’s chat. Happy New Year, and what would happen if on top of cheering on a national champion, I also got a Lions superbowl?? You’re right, that’s just crazy to think of

12/17/2023

I’ve cooked a lot in the last month, for some great groups, and in some great homes! Last night was no exception! The dining room was set up perfectly, full of some amazing decor! Happy birthday to Kat!! (You too, Steve)
Mediterranean food was requested, and 99% was gluten free. Menu was:

Roasted bone marrow, grilled baguette, tomato (you definitely need the right tomato, and you most definitely need some good finishing salt, you should always have a spare container of good quality finishing salt in your glove compartment , just in case …. Lesson learned, lol)

Marinated and grilled eggplant, beef carpaccio, roasted grapes, cured and grated egg yolk , caciocavallo cheese, roasted almonds, micro pea shoots, fig balsamic, and blood orange olive oil

Smoked tomato risotto, halibut, Kalamata olive tapenade

Crab cake, braised beef cheek, steamed lobster tail, lemon garlic aioli, roasted red pepper romesco sauce

Crème brûlée, served in an edible, candied orange peel, cinnamon spiced and torched clementine topped with raspberry and blueberry , mint

That’s all I have for this year, 2024 is wide open, so let’s book something!

12/10/2023

Who would have thought that my menu plans for a “ladies night “ could have suddenly been altered because of the Detroit Lions?? Last night’s theme came to fruition while watching my FIRST place Lions travel to New Orleans. As I was watching, the creative juices started flowing, and here’s what I came up with:

Fried green tomato , burrata cheese , soppressata, grilled peach, candied Cajun pecans, creole mustard vinaigrette

Beef tenderloin , mushrooms, blackened shallots, bourbon cream sauce

Gumbo, crab cake, pork belly, crab claws, crème fraiche, pickled onion

Banana bread French toast, bananas foster (basically a caramel/rum sauce) whipped cream, raspberry, mint

12/04/2023

Happy holidays!! Had the pleasure of catering an office party this weekend. It was a big group, so I called in a couple favours to my very good friends, and wife, to help with tossing some salt and schmearing some purée, and taking some pics!Thank you so much! I think we only tripped over each other 7 times!!!
There was a slight wrinkle in the plan, and for future reference, I am willing to tackle a vegan meal!!!
Anyways, here’s the menu:

Vegan/gluten free dumplings, filled with mushroom, cabbage, leeks, grilled duck breast topped with fig, micro bok choy with lemon vinaigrette, cured and shaved egg yolk, chili oil

Plantain fritter, ginger beer braised beef cheeks, pickled onion, lemon zest, micro broccoli , crushed cashews ( vegan had plantain fritter, grilled cabbage, ginger beer braised mushrooms , and cashew)

Thai curry butternut squash purée, smoked pork belly, scallops, mango radish “salsa”, peanut sriracha sauce (vegan was the same but fried ginger soy tofu)

Dessert was apple/pear crisp, mascarpone maple whipped cream, or pistachio ice cream, mint

11/19/2023

Very fun night tonight, and a little less stress, because it was just a group of four. The “panic” of trying to rush through plating , so that 10 or 12 or 20 people get there food at a decent temperature wasn’t there, and it was kind of nice for a change. Almost nice enough that while I was cooking and Dave offered me wine, I nearly caved.
You know what happens when you drink and cook, right? You forget the lemon zest and the finishing salt!!!! Horrible!
I regained focus, and completed the following:
Sushi grade, U12 seared scallops, micro arugula salad, crispy capicollo, pomegranate, toasted almonds, lemon horseradish aioli, lemon zest

Braised lamb shank, butternut squash ravioli, Kalamata olive gremolata, orange and lemon zest

Roasted pear, hollowed out and stuffed with Creme brûlée, (fully torched) , raspberry, toasted almonds, shaved dark chocolate, lemon zest, mint

**the AFTER dinner wine was great, thanks Dave!

11/11/2023

When you get an invite to our place for dinner these days, chances are, you’ve been designated as “Guinea pig” for the night. Tonight we had company, and I needed to practice for a party coming up, where there’s a vegan. I have next to no experience with this, so…..game on! I didn’t tell our guests that this was the case, so I had a plate of sausage and bread just in case.
One of the guests actually showed up with a Michigan State sweatshirt on, so I was actually quite thrilled to “force “ her to go vegan for the night! Lol!
What did I make??
Vegan (and gluten free) dumplings, stuffed with cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, and leeks, with an Asian blend of aromatics and soya sauce, chili oil and a roasted carrot and arugula salad with a ginger sesame vinaigrette. Followed with a butternut squash Thai curry soup, with fried tofu, topped with pickled mango, crushed peanuts, arugula micro greens.
So, don’t be surprised….or scared, of getting a dinner invite. You never know!!!
Go Blue! And don’t be afraid to go vegan!!!???

10/29/2023

Last night I cooked for a group that had requested French food. At first, I wanted to suggest another route, but after a few conversations I had in front of the mirror, I told myself that I got this! After all, I did win the French award. (Might have been in kindergarten???) My family will be so impressed that I found a way to bring that up! 😆
Anyways here’s what was on the menu:

Instead of steak au poivre, I did a lamb au poivre, so it was a coffee and peppercorn crusted rack of lamb, cognac cream sauce, grilled pepper squash, roasted fig, blackened shallots.

Chestnut is popular in France. I topped it with seared scallops, apple/fennel citrus salsa, crispy prosciutto, and fennel greens

Beef cheek bourguignon, over a wild mushroom risotto topped with micro greens

Grilled crepes stuffed with apple/pear/mascarpone, topped with amaretto flambéed apple and pear, champagne sabayon

If you’re interested in something like this, or possibly some French tutoring, let me know. 😜

10/15/2023

A taste of Switzerland????? I haven’t had to do this much research for a project since grade 2, when I made a dinosaur skeleton out of chicken bones. And, imagine the horror when I woke up the morning it was due, to realize that my dog ate my homework. Still traumatized!!
Anyways, last night was fun! Swiss food is not just about chocolate and cheese after all! Lots of influence from Italy, Germany and France….here’s what I came up with:
1. Baby green salad with a honey lemon vinaigrette, roasted carrots, split fig, stuffed with burrata cheese, shaved capocollo, mint chimichurri, toasted pine nuts

2. Rosti ( potato fritter, but I substituted sweet potato) topped with short rib with Demi-glacé, pickled onion , horseradish crema, pea shoots

3. ÄLPLERMAGRONEN (authentic version is basically Mac and cheese with apple sauce)
Butternut squash ravioli, Emmentaler and Gruyère white wine cheese sauce, smoked pork belly, crab claws, apple/onion compote, blackened shallots

4. Muesli (basically granola), apple/pear flambéed with amaretto, mascarpone whipped cream, citrus zest and shaved chocolate

Not a lot availability left this year, so if you’re interested in booking something, let’s connect! Thanks for looking!

10/06/2023

Little bit of a different post here. I have an event next weekend, and thought this might be a good way to show a different angle of what I do. I got a call from a man who wanted to host his family for his 75th birthday. He had a very strong European accent, and curiously, I asked him where he is from. Turns out, he’s from Switzerland. Immediately I start thinking about some kind of “Swiss fusion,” but what is Swiss food other than cheese and chocolate? Upon doing a little research, I found a few things that I am going to put my twist on, one of them being “älplermagronen”. If you are Italian, it’s time to look away! It turns out, in one region, a popular dish is Mac and cheese with applesauce! My twist is going to be a homemade butternut squash ravioli with a creamy Gruyère wine sauce, topped with some kind of protein (leaning towards pork belly) a chunky apple chutney , (just a small spoonful,lol) some blackened shallots. I definitely trust the flavours, and , I guess sometimes I just like to say , “f #%* #* it!”
Maybe that’s going to be my rebranding, “Mike’s F #^%**+ # It Food!”
I definitely prefer my menus to be a surprise, and since this man wasn’t even confident in his texting abilities, I am confident he’s not going on social media anytime soon!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

09/17/2023

So I cooked for a group last night, that included my parents and some of their close friends. After the meal and cleanup, they invited me to stay for a couple of drinks and the question came up about when or how did I learn to cook the way I do. Their definitely hasn’t been any formal training, but growing up eating meals from a fantastic cook, it’s easy to get inspired. I can remember my first “original Mike recipe.” I can’t believe that Gordon Ramsay didn’t get me a spot on “Masterchef” for my Kraft dinner with sliced hot dogs…..pure genius!
Menu from last night had an Asian twist to it:

Baby arugula salad, honey soy vinaigrette, roasted carrots, duck breast with fig/grand marnier compote, and shaved salt cured egg yolk

Curried squash soup, halibut, mango/radish salsa,
Crushed peanuts, cilantro

Crab cake, ginger beer braised beef cheeks, steamed crab claw, gingered scallions, pickled onions, lemon horseradish aioli

Grilled peaches, mascarpone whipped cream, Persian lime olive oil, shaved chocolate, mint, lemon/lime zest

Thanks for looking, let’s book something!

09/02/2023

I love to share posts about the previous night’s creations, and how I met some amazing people, and got to cook in a beautiful home, instead…..
I spent my Friday night, and VERY early Saturday morning, cleaning up poops and pees from the newest member of our family. Meet Jack!!! Middle name, Meatball.

08/27/2023

It was a fun night at the in-laws yesterday! But it was also a stressful night at the in-laws!!! Lol! When you’ve been in a family for almost 20 years, you learn a lot about them. You learn that some are not as adventurous as others when it comes to their food palate. If it’s not how Nonna used to make it!!!??
Let’s just say, I am usually quite confident about my ability in pleasing the crowd….until the crowd includes my father-in-law. I decided that as soon as I got to their house, I was going to indulge in a shot of “grappa”, and tell him to sit in the corner, keep quiet, eat your food, and enjoy it!!!”
All jokes aside, thanks for having me!

Menu:
Kale/grilled zucchini salad with limoncello vinaigrette, grilled shrimp ( no funny fish for 1), pork belly, toasted pine nuts, lemon zest

Coffee crusted rack of lamb, butternut squash purée, pickled raspberry/blueberry compote, lemon garlic aioli, micro greens

Halibut, roasted tomato risotto, Kalamata olive gremolata, blackened shallots

Peach crisp, basil ice cream, candied ginger

08/06/2023

It’s been a heck of a weekend! Last night, was filled with pressure, lol! I cooked for a family celebrating a retirement, but the pressure came from the 9 and 11 year old watching my every move! I was a little nervous, and they promised not to throw anything at me, as long as I didn’t swear like Gordon Ramsay. Let me know if you are interested in something for your group, I actually just recently booked a Christmas party, so it’s never too early to book

08/05/2023

Last night was another great night! I’ve been waiting for the right group to do a nostalgic play on Mennonite food, and last night was it! If only my grandparents were around to taste! Who am I kidding???!! They quite possibly could have been rolling around in their grave, after seeing this “fusion.” Lol! Have a look

07/19/2023

Lamb shanks, usually a braised meat, and has a kind fall/winter feel to it, right? This past weekend we had friends (I mean Guinea pigs?) over, and I knew that lamb was a family favourite of theirs, but I had to give it more of a summer feel. So they went on the smoker, topped with Dijon mustard/beer sauce, along with a mint/pea purée, and some sweet potato fritters. Smoked cherry crisp for dessert didn’t last long enough for me to snap a pic.

07/09/2023

Last night was another great night, in a beautiful home, with a great group! There was even live acoustic music to help celebrate 2 birthdays! On top of cooking for them, I had to give a quick lesson on how to properly massage the kale. The trick is definitely the soft music in the background! 🤪 Message me, and let’s book something for your group!

06/17/2023

Most of the time when I’m cooking for a group, each plate has a lot of different layers to it. Each component has a purpose, whether it’s to add colour, or texture, or spice etc. The goal is to achieve a “wow” factor. Since it is Father’s Day weekend, and often men just want a piece of meat, I wanted to share how sometimes that “wow” factor doesn’t need a lot of different layers. To me there’s absolutely nothing better than an open fire cook. BTW, the grill and a mobile fire pit are fully transferable, and can turn your campsite into a true “glamping” experience. Message me and let’s book something!