Food Network star, Simon Majumdar, gets a taste of Minnesota

The bugs are ferocious, it's not 'casserole' but 'hotdish' and the "best apple pie ever" can be found at Schaefer's Foods in Nisswa, crafted by the hands of local baking legend Mary Etta Durham.

These are some of the things Food Network star Simon Majumdar said resonated with him about the Brainerd lakes area when he visited over Fourth of July in 2013. Majumdar spoke about his travels around the United States to a crowd at Grand View Lodge Saturday as part of the de'Vine Food and Wine Experience event.

The time he spent in the area will be featured in his upcoming book, "Fed, White, and Blue: Finding America with My Fork," set to release this April.

Majumdar found his way to Nisswa when he asked his Twitter followers where in the country he could experience "July 4th at its July 4th-iest." Minnesotan Tim Klabunde, a frequent visitor to the area, replied, "Brainerd lakes area, central MN. Small town parades, fairs and street dances. Doesn't get much more American."

Majumdar, who appears as a regular judge on "Cutthroat Kitchen" and a co-host of "Beat Bobby Flay," took his suggestion and ran with it all the way to Gull Lake, where he experienced the Brainerd lakes area at its most festive. He went on boat rides, participated in bed races as part of Pequot Lakes' Stars and Stripes Days and ate not only his first tater tot hotdish, but his first tater tot ever.

"(The hotdish) was surprisingly good," he said in an interview following his speech. "It isn't a culinary delight, but it's the context. People bring them to potlucks or wherever, so the context where they're eaten is the highlight. ... You eat them much more thoughtfully. You're not just eating the hotdish, you're eating something that expresses part of the culture of Minnesota."

As for the apple pie, Majumdar tasted Durham's pie after watching her busily prepare enough to satisfy the holiday weekend crowds.

"She was so lovely," he said during his talk. "It was really like being with my Welsh grandmother, the way she was making pies and just the way she was talking. It shows you how universal food is, even though we're thousands of miles apart."

By phone Sunday, Durham said she was proud to hear Majumdar enjoyed her pies. So what's the secret to the "best apple pie ever?" Durham said using lard in the crust is important.

"I think it makes the best pie crust," she said.

Majumdar has traveled all over the world through 75 countries to experience food and culture as part of his personal mantra, one he said saved his life when he was suffering from depression - "Go everywhere, eat everything." When asked what he'll remember most about his time in Minnesota, he focused not on the food but on the "really friendly" people.

"At first, you think there's a catch ... and then you realize no, they're just nice," he said. "People (here) are just so friendly. I think it's that element that I think a lot of people in America could learn from, being nice for the sake of it."

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Teen chefs compete for culinary bragging rights

The pressure was on for teams of Minnesota high school chefs-in-training as they competed Saturday in a mystery box challenge at Grand View Lodge.

Students from Sauk Rapids-Rice and Elk River high schools participated in the competition, held as part of the de'Vine Food and Wine Experience event, and were judged based upon dishes they created with duck from Wild Acres Game Farm of Pequot Lakes. The panel of judges featured Food Network star Simon Majumdar, Minnesota Monthly Editor Rachel Hutton and Pat Ebnet, owner of Wild Acres.

Each team was given one hour to prepare their dishes and had numerous other ingredients at their disposal to create duck-centered entrées. The judges selected the pan-seared duck breast served with parmesan risotto, a vegetable medley and a port-blackberry reduction, prepared by Elk River, as the winning dish.

"It was so nerve-wracking," said Tori Morgan of the Elk River team.

"They kept such a straight face and you don't know if they like it or if they just hate it," added teammate Jaclyn Studniski.

Majumdar is no stranger to judging dishes; he serves as one of three judges on Cutthroat Kitchen, a culinary competition show hosted by celebrity chef Alton Brown. He told both teams they cooked at very high levels - not just for teenagers, but in general. He did not hold back in his criticism of elements of each team's dishes, however, and said he judged them just as he would judge anyone.

"I don't lower my standards when I'm judging anybody, because I can't, I'm not wired that way," Majumdar said after the competition. "I certainly didn't sugar coat it ... because otherwise they're never going to learn."

The student-chefs are part of a nationwide program called ProStart, a collaboration between high schools and the National Restaurant Association to develop chefs and restaurant managers at a young age. Locally, Pillager High School began utilizing the ProStart curriculum this year, and Frank Soukup, director of marketing at Grand View Lodge, said they're hoping to work with other area school districts.

CHELSEY PERKINS may be reached at 855-5874 or chelsey.perkins@brainerddispatch.com . Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchChelsey .

1/5: Food Network star Simon Majumdar poses with Mary Etta Durham and her apple pie, which he described as the "best apple pie ever." Majumdar visited the Brainerd lakes area over the Fourth of July 2013 as part of writing his latest book.

2/5: Food Network star Simon Majumdar talks about his book “Fed,White, and Blue: Finding America with My Fork,” set to release this April, at Grand View Lodge Saturday during the de’Vine Food and Wine Experience. (Kelly Humphrey, Brainerd Dispatch)

3/5: Food Network star Simon Majumdar talks about his book “Fed,White, and Blue: Finding America with My Fork,” set to release this April, at Grand View Lodge Saturday during the de’Vine Food and Wine Experience. (Kelly Humphrey, Brainerd Dispatch)

4/5: Food Network star Simon Majumdar talks about his book “Fed,White, and Blue: Finding America with My Fork,” set to release this April, at Grand View Lodge Saturday during the de’Vine Food and Wine Experience. (Kelly Humphrey, Brainerd Dispatch)

5/5: Tori Morgan, left, and Jaclyn Studniski of the victorious Elk River ProStart culinary team put the finishing touches on the dish they created as part of a mystery box competition held at Grand View Lodge Saturday. (Chelsey Perkins, Brainerd Dispatch)