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OUR COMMUNITY
ON THE COVER

18 | NOVEMBER 28 • 2024 
J
N

Certified Master Chef Ed Janos cooking 
at TooChez, Takashi Yagihashi at Tribute, 
Polcyn at Pike Street, Rick Halberg at 
Emily’s and Certified Master Chef Shawn 
Loving at Loving Spoonful (now executive 
chef at Detroit Athletic Club). “I could hon-
estly go on and on,” he said. “Each one of 
these chefs has a distinctive style.” 
Recognizing restaurant trends come and 
go, Famie said, “There will be fads and 
there will be kitchens that inspire. We are 
part of a global community, and nothing 
is out of reach through social media, the 
internet or a plane ride. So, a chef in New 
York City or Los Angeles may inspire a cre-
ation. But I’m sure chefs in our community 
inspire others around the country as well.” 
He’s emphatic on the point that “good 
cooking must always be based on the teach-
ings and techniques of those great chefs 
who came before us.” 

Famie and his team at Visionalist Entertainment 

Productions are working on the second episode of 

Detroit’s historic chef story for next year. The film will 

explore today’s current chef leaders, the history of 

the James Beard Award, culinary competitions and 

Michigan’s Master Chefs.

MOREL MUSHROOM & WILD RAMP BLINI 

CREATED BY CHEF JIMMY SCHMIDT 
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients
4 Rye Blini (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
8 ounces fresh morel mushrooms, cleaned and stems trimmed as 
necessary
16 small ramps, pull off coarse outer skin, trim roots and rinse as 
necessary
Porcini sea salt
ground Tellicherry black pepper
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
2 tablespoons creme fraiche 
2 tablespoons Purple Haze goat cheese

Directions 
Position the cooked blini in the center of each warm 
serving plate. In a medium skillet over high heat, add 
the butter, cooking until it starts to brown. Add the 
morels, cooking until seared on all sides, about 3 min-
utes. Add the ramps, cooking until wilted and tender, 
about 1 minute. Add the chives. Season to taste with 
Porcini salt and black pepper. Remove from the heat. 
Position the morels atop the blini. Artistically position 

Certified Master Chef 
Milos Cielka (third from 
left) with some of his 
former chef proteges

