With Thomas Keller's sage advice to consider the grilled cheese "a blank canvas", we share three recent creations, each in separate posts. Our first begins with a unique cheddar, Deer Creek's Vat 17, which is a specialty cheese produced for, and distributed by, the folks at The Artisan Cheese Exchange. Chris and Julie Gentine founded [...]
Category: Tastes
For the Love of All That is Smoky – Nueske’s Bacon
I am a smoke junkie. I'll take beef brisket, pork roast, chicken, ducks, pheasant...all smoked please. Smoked salt and smoked paprika are favorites in the spice cabinet. Smoked sugar was a fun experiment. So a duck fat washed bourbon cocktail enjoyed at Hinterland in Milwaukee, WI gave me inspiration to try a bacon fat washed [...]
Reflections on Sauerbraten
Inspiration can come from anywhere. At a recent used-book sale, I stumbled across this 1936 publication by Culinary Arts Press of the "Pennsylvania Dutch Cook Book: Fine Old Recipes" and decided it was time to try a traditional Sauerbraten which I had been considering for some time. Here is the recipe: I started with a [...]
Venison Tenderloin with Dried Cherry Gastrique
A gift of beautiful venison tenderloins from a good friend inspired this dish along with a helping of beautiful dried cherries. I particularly love fruits in a savory sauce with tender meats. The rich, game flavors of venison here are offset by not just the cherries but the tang of vinegar and the sweetness of [...]
Maple-Glazed Pheasant
Using the same technique as our Smoked Pheasant, we brined our bird then oven-roasted it to completion while glazing frequently with unreduced maple syrup. The breasts were left to chill overnight then sliced across the grain. Placed on whole grain crackers, topped with Cardona Goat Milk Cheese from our heroes at Carr Valley, then topped [...]
Great Lakes Cuisine 