A hand-picked collection from the chef, author, and Deli alum
Today, Abra Berens is an author and the culinary director of Granor Farms, a certified organic farm in Three Oaks, Michigan, that hosts a wide variety of programs and events. Back in 2002, she was a student at the University of Michigan (U of M), wandered into the Deli, and stumbled into a career in food (literally—she admits to tripping on the door jam on her way in!).
Abra was an undergraduate in History—with a double major in English—and brought the lessons she was learning in the classroom into the Deli kitchen. As she shared in U of M’s History Matters magazine in 2021, “I think it’s impossible to understand an ingredient without understanding the people who are growing it. And it’s impossible to understand the food system they participate in without understanding the history.”
She has a deep respect for seasonality, due to growing up in a farming family and, at Chef Rodger’s encouragement, a stint at Ballymaloe, a cooking school in Ireland. Perhaps no surprise that her trio of cookbooks—Ruffage, Grist, and Pulp—guide readers in creating seasonal dishes, while also discussing the issues facing farming and farmers. As Abra writes in the introduction to Pulp, “It is trite but true: no farms = no food. We have to go beyond a superficial rah-rah-rah for growers.” We couldn’t agree more (it’s why we always focus on telling the story of our food and who is producing it).
Given our shared love of great food, we’re pretty excited to share that Abra has handpicked a collection of her very favorite Zingerman’s foods. Here’s what made the cut:
Sour Cream Coffee Cake—This is a Zingerman’s Bakehouse classic and an early menu item here at the Deli. It’s richly flavored with the best sour cream we can find, Vermont Creamery Cultured Butter, and our distinctive cinnamon-nut swirl made with Indonesian Korintje cinnamon, brown sugar, and toasted walnuts.
Abra says: “This is OG Zingerman’s at its finest!”
Roadhouse Rye—A naturally leavened bread is made with a trio of organic grains—rye, wheat, and cornmeal—and a touch of molasses. This is the house bread served at our partner restaurant, Zingerman’s Roadhouse, and it’s become a local favorite. It’s Zingerman’s co-founder Ari Weinzweig’s official favorite bread, and it’s Abra’s go-to, too!
Abra says: “It has that classic burnished crust with a delicate interior of rye and wheat flour studded with cornmeal. This loaf also shows the Bakehouse’s dedication to regional and stone-milled whole grains. The regional grain economy is so incredibly important and thankfully yields very delicious end results.”
Lutenitsa Red Pepper Sauce—A thick sauce made from roasted peppers and eggplant that you’ll quickly find dozens of uses for, from a great late afternoon snack to a tasty appetizer to a satisfying meal with friends. Abra first tried this at Rodger’s insistence, and now her pantry is rarely without it.
Abra says: “It has become one of our go-to emergency dinners tossed with freshly boiled pasta or gnocchi. It also makes a great open-faced sandwich with thick-cut toast and flaked smoked fish on top. Long story short, when Rodger tells you to do something (like go to cooking school or buy a specific jar of sauce), you should do it.”
IASA Peperoncino—The ingredient list is short (hot peppers, olive oil, salt), but the flavor is big! It’s made with amando peppers (commonly referred to as “amante” peppers by locals) from Salerno, Italy. The fresh, brilliant crimson peppers are mashed to a coarse paste, mixed with olive oil, and left to macerate for a few months to develop many layers of complex flavors.
Abra says: I love these peppers because the heat is nuanced and not blow-your-head-off hot. Plus, the way they are chopped and stored in oil makes them very easy to spoon over just about everything.
Rancho Meladuco Medjool Dates—Grown and sun-ripened in California, these dates are soft and candy-like, tasting of brown sugar and caramel. Such a delicious treat- eat them as is, with nut butter, or stuff them with blue cheese and wrap them in bacon to make a delicious appetizer.
Abra says: My favorite has been to dress the Medjool dates [with IASA peperoncino] before spooning the sweet, spicy combo over top of ricotta or whipped tahini as an appetizer.
