My grandmother on my mother’s side was German, and my great grandmother was really German, Bavarian royalty somewhere in the lineage. I think that may explain why we served the sweet and sour red cabbage dish known as Rotkohl with our Thanksgiving turkey. I have taken up the tradition and modified it a bit over [...]
Category: Recipe
Belgian Braised Beef
This deep, rich beef dish, is prepared with two cuts of beef, vegetables, mushrooms, and nut brown ale. To stick it closer to the Belgian tradition, perhaps a Duvel should be the choice, but we're preparing it to our Great Lakes Cuisine standards, so a Great Lakes regional brew is the choice. We chose Ale [...]
Pickled Pike
The many smaller lakes in the Great Lakes region provide a variety of species of fresh water fish. Some folks shy away from preparing the Northern Pike due to the additional row of bones ("Y" bones), which can make it a bit trickier to prepare. There is a fairly simple technique to handle the bones, [...]
Mac Attack
My son made this request for his birthday meal - "I want Great Lakes Cuisine worthy Mac & Cheese". Here you go - Mac Attack 6 thick slices bacon ½ cup maple syrup 1 tbl. barbeque seasoning (such as Penzey’s BBQ 3001) 1 lb. cavatappi pasta (corkscrew tubes) or elbow macaroni ¼ cup butter 1 [...]
Welcoming Autumn – Apple-glazed Smoked Turkey
Seasonality is a foundational idea in Great Lakes cuisine. The seasonal cycles in the region are pronounced and the agricultural traditions respond accordingly. The traditions of preservation, so important to Great lakes cuisine, is clearly derived from the seasonality. Some of the traditional meals also fall in line with the turn of the seasons. As summer fades into the [...]
Great Lakes Cuisine 