Teresa and I stopped at the Lighthouse on Homestead restaurant near Duluth, Minnesota on Saturday as we were driving up to Silver Bay to visit my father at the Veteran's Home there. It was our first time at the restaurant and it was around lunchtime. One of my deer camp buddies' son is a cook there and he told me a bit about the food so we thought we might give it a try. It was excellent! The decor is based on a lighthouse in Michigan and is very well done. It is a comfortable atmosphere with no pretension and a nice feel of comfort and cheeriness. The server's name was Sheryl, a great example of what a server should be at a restaurant. She greeted us and asked if we would like a beverage. She then proceeded to tell us about their Bloody Mary and how good it was and that she made them personally. I told her I liked Bloody Marys and that would be nice.
I am here to tell you it was a work of art! We began a conversation about the ingredients as I am wont to do with the wait staff and owners of restaurants. I began to guess the ingredients and started with, of course a good mix, adding pickle juice, olive juice, and hot sauce. Sheryl added that they use Worcestershire Sauce and salt the rim of the glass with what seemed to me to be Lawry's Seasoned Salt with celery salt added. She then added a skewer of Green Olives and Pepperoni as well as a celery stick and a pickle pear to the deal and then topped it off with a "snick"of beer besides. What a way to start off our first experience at a new restaurant!
The menu seemed to be a good collection of comfort food items, burgers, sandwiches and some specialties. What caught my eye was a burger with a Cream Cheese/Green Olive topping.
I was not asked how I liked it cooked so I assumed they were cooking them medium to well and it was done very nicely. It was not over-cooked and the cream cheese/olive topping was great. The buns appeared to be made there at the site and were nicely grilled. The burger was served with some krinkle-cut french fries that were very crispy and well cooked.
Teresa ordered a French Dip sandwich that was labeled as "pulled beef" on the menu. It was served with their house made potato chips and those were very good. The sandwich was a pleasant surprise in that it was not the typical deli thin-sliced beef. It truly was pulled beef; large chunks of great roast beef on a good French roll, served with aus jus and those marvelous chips.
This was a very pleasant experience for our first time at the restaurant and both Teresa and I agreed we will return soon and often to this place. Check them out at www.lighthouseonhomestead.com and visit soon. They also feature live music on Monday evenings and some good happy hour specials as well.
Eat well and often,
Tim
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
Smoked Deviled Eggs
I am continuing tonight with experiments using my new Smoking Gun and it's uses for extravagant flavor profiles. I had a craving for Deviled Eggs and I think they are one of my favorite comfort foods. I am like a kid in a candy store when I think of them. I like to experiment with the ingredients of the Deviled Egg.
I start by cooking 6 eggs in a pot of cold water. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat and then shut off the heat and cover the pot for 15 minutes. Place the eggs in an ice bath for about 15 more minutes and then peel them. Cut the eggs in half and pop out the yolks into a bowl, placing the white halves on a plate. Break up the yolks with a fork or force them through a fine mesh screen into a bowl. Add a few Tablespoons of real mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon of Horseradish, 1/2 teaspoon of Penzey's Fox Point Seasoning, and a 1/2 teaspoon of Penzey's White Onion Powder. Mix the ingredients thoroughly and spoon into the egg white halves.
Fill the bowl of the Smoking Gun with Apple Wood smoking chips and place the deviled eggs onto a sheet of parchment paper in the smoking chamber or a 9x13 glass dish and cover it with plastic wrap, leaving the tube of the Smoking Gun in the dish. Turn on the power of the gun and light the chips with a match or lighter. Let the gun run for about 30 seconds and shut it off, leaving the hose in the pan for about 5 minutes. Uncover the pan and sprinkle the eggs with Penzey's Smoked Spanish Paprika and then cover and run another chamber of chips for 30 seconds and leave covered for another 5 minutes. Uncover, serve and be amazed at the incredible, lovely flavor of sweet apple smoke. It is quite unbelievable how good these things taste!
Good cooking and fabulous eating,
Tim
I start by cooking 6 eggs in a pot of cold water. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat and then shut off the heat and cover the pot for 15 minutes. Place the eggs in an ice bath for about 15 more minutes and then peel them. Cut the eggs in half and pop out the yolks into a bowl, placing the white halves on a plate. Break up the yolks with a fork or force them through a fine mesh screen into a bowl. Add a few Tablespoons of real mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon of Horseradish, 1/2 teaspoon of Penzey's Fox Point Seasoning, and a 1/2 teaspoon of Penzey's White Onion Powder. Mix the ingredients thoroughly and spoon into the egg white halves.
Fill the bowl of the Smoking Gun with Apple Wood smoking chips and place the deviled eggs onto a sheet of parchment paper in the smoking chamber or a 9x13 glass dish and cover it with plastic wrap, leaving the tube of the Smoking Gun in the dish. Turn on the power of the gun and light the chips with a match or lighter. Let the gun run for about 30 seconds and shut it off, leaving the hose in the pan for about 5 minutes. Uncover the pan and sprinkle the eggs with Penzey's Smoked Spanish Paprika and then cover and run another chamber of chips for 30 seconds and leave covered for another 5 minutes. Uncover, serve and be amazed at the incredible, lovely flavor of sweet apple smoke. It is quite unbelievable how good these things taste!
Good cooking and fabulous eating,
Tim
Saturday, January 29, 2011
The Smoking Gun
I have just finished experimenting with a new cooking tool that my wife Teresa got me for my birthday. It is a PolyScience Smoking Gun. It is made by the same people that make Immersion Circulators that cook food sous vide or under water in a vacuum bag at constant temperature.
My first experiment was with raw cabbage that I had shredded and placed in a modified 9x13 aluminum baking pan to allow the hose from the Smoking Gun to enter the top of the pan. I lit the Hickory chips in the gun and allowed the smoke to penetrate into the pan for about 5 minutes. I then mixed the cabbage with Marzetti's Original Slaw dressing (very good) and it was truly extraordinary! What amazing flavor those few minutes imposed on the cabbage.
The next experiment was to make a Smoked Bloody Mary. I mixed the drink in the traditional way, using a good mix and a very good Svedka Vodka. I covered the glass with plastic wrap and cut a slit in the plastic for the smoker hose and lit the Smoking Gun for 30 seconds and let the smoke infuse the drink for about 3 minutes. Again, it was extraordinary! What amazing flavor for such a short amount of exposure to the smoke. I am excited to try many more unique taste temptations with this method of cooking.
Good eating,
Tim
My first experiment was with raw cabbage that I had shredded and placed in a modified 9x13 aluminum baking pan to allow the hose from the Smoking Gun to enter the top of the pan. I lit the Hickory chips in the gun and allowed the smoke to penetrate into the pan for about 5 minutes. I then mixed the cabbage with Marzetti's Original Slaw dressing (very good) and it was truly extraordinary! What amazing flavor those few minutes imposed on the cabbage.
The next experiment was to make a Smoked Bloody Mary. I mixed the drink in the traditional way, using a good mix and a very good Svedka Vodka. I covered the glass with plastic wrap and cut a slit in the plastic for the smoker hose and lit the Smoking Gun for 30 seconds and let the smoke infuse the drink for about 3 minutes. Again, it was extraordinary! What amazing flavor for such a short amount of exposure to the smoke. I am excited to try many more unique taste temptations with this method of cooking.
Good eating,
Tim
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Just for the Halibut
It has been a very busy culinary week or two. My friends Bill and Steph called and asked if I would cook some Halibut they had ordered from Alaska. I said most certainly! I think Halibut is probably the tastiest fish on the planet next to fresh Walleye from Minnesota or Canada and I jumped at the chance. It's not every day we get to enjoy Alaskan Halibut.
Bill and Steph had invited four other friends to the party so we came up with a menu for the event; on the list was a Butternut Squash Bisque for the soup course, Popovers, Roasted Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce, Brown Rice Pilaf, Pistachio Crusted Halibut, Roasted Halibut with spices and Chardonnay and a Caramel Apple Pie for dessert. Jack and Patti were in charge of the dessert and wine and brought the pie as well as a very nice Sauvignon Blanc for the wine. Steph made the Popovers and Hollandaise and I cooked the Asparagus and two versions of Halibut. My favorite is the Pistachio Crusted version which is the same recipe I developed for Walleye. It's the same for either fish so here is the recipe:
6 T Unsalted Butter
3 Lbs. Halibut fillets
4 Shallots, minced
2 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 T Lemon Juice
Kosher salt and fresh ground Black Pepper to taste
1 Cup ground, salted Pistachio nuts (green) pulsed in a food processor to approximately 1/8" pieces.
1 Cup fresh bread crumbs ( English muffin pulsed in a food processor until fairly fine)
2 T unsalted butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 4oo degrees.
Mix the ground Pistachios and fresh bread crumbs in a medium bowl along with the 2T melted unsalted butter until well combined. season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.
Melt the 6 T butter and pour in a 9x13 baking dish. Lay the Halibut fillets in a single layer on top of the butter. Sprinkle the Shallots and Garlic on top of the fillets. Mix the wine and lemon juice together and carefully pour over the fillets, not disturbing the shallots and garlic. Spread the Pistachio mix over the fillets. Bake uncovered for approx. 20 minutes until the fish is opaque and begins to flake when tested with a fork and the Pistachios are golden brown on top.
The Asparagus is very simple; cut off the woody stems and rinse and pat dry. Sprinkle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper and place in a baking dish. Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and serve with Hollandaise drizzled over it.
The Butternut Squash Bisque is a bit more complicated and I'll give you that in another installment.
The other event that took place was a Gourmet Food Club Brunch that was held at my friends Bruce and Lisa's house on Saturday the 22nd. It was a very nice brunch as they always are.
Our menu consisted of 3 types of Ebelskivers; Crab filled with a Roasted Red Pepper Aioli,
Plain with a Sausage Gravy and a version filled with crisp Proscuitto and Fig Jam. My friend Anita made two types of Roasted Breakfast Potatoes. Casey made two types of Egg Bake; one with Sweet Potatoes, Beets and Cayenne, and the other with Artichoke Hearts. Lisa made a French Toast with Wild Blueberries and Cinnamon as well as Buttermilk Cupcakes stuffed with Italian Crema and topped with Whipped Cream and Strawberries.
We also enjoyed a Bloody Mary Bar and Mimosas made with Prosecco, Orange juice and a smackerel of Grenadine. It was a marvelous meal and a great time with some very good friends.
Good Eating,
Tim
Bill and Steph had invited four other friends to the party so we came up with a menu for the event; on the list was a Butternut Squash Bisque for the soup course, Popovers, Roasted Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce, Brown Rice Pilaf, Pistachio Crusted Halibut, Roasted Halibut with spices and Chardonnay and a Caramel Apple Pie for dessert. Jack and Patti were in charge of the dessert and wine and brought the pie as well as a very nice Sauvignon Blanc for the wine. Steph made the Popovers and Hollandaise and I cooked the Asparagus and two versions of Halibut. My favorite is the Pistachio Crusted version which is the same recipe I developed for Walleye. It's the same for either fish so here is the recipe:
6 T Unsalted Butter
3 Lbs. Halibut fillets
4 Shallots, minced
2 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 T Lemon Juice
Kosher salt and fresh ground Black Pepper to taste
1 Cup ground, salted Pistachio nuts (green) pulsed in a food processor to approximately 1/8" pieces.
1 Cup fresh bread crumbs ( English muffin pulsed in a food processor until fairly fine)
2 T unsalted butter, melted
Preheat the oven to 4oo degrees.
Mix the ground Pistachios and fresh bread crumbs in a medium bowl along with the 2T melted unsalted butter until well combined. season lightly with salt and pepper and set aside.
Melt the 6 T butter and pour in a 9x13 baking dish. Lay the Halibut fillets in a single layer on top of the butter. Sprinkle the Shallots and Garlic on top of the fillets. Mix the wine and lemon juice together and carefully pour over the fillets, not disturbing the shallots and garlic. Spread the Pistachio mix over the fillets. Bake uncovered for approx. 20 minutes until the fish is opaque and begins to flake when tested with a fork and the Pistachios are golden brown on top.
The Asparagus is very simple; cut off the woody stems and rinse and pat dry. Sprinkle with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper and place in a baking dish. Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and serve with Hollandaise drizzled over it.
The Butternut Squash Bisque is a bit more complicated and I'll give you that in another installment.
The other event that took place was a Gourmet Food Club Brunch that was held at my friends Bruce and Lisa's house on Saturday the 22nd. It was a very nice brunch as they always are.
Our menu consisted of 3 types of Ebelskivers; Crab filled with a Roasted Red Pepper Aioli,
Plain with a Sausage Gravy and a version filled with crisp Proscuitto and Fig Jam. My friend Anita made two types of Roasted Breakfast Potatoes. Casey made two types of Egg Bake; one with Sweet Potatoes, Beets and Cayenne, and the other with Artichoke Hearts. Lisa made a French Toast with Wild Blueberries and Cinnamon as well as Buttermilk Cupcakes stuffed with Italian Crema and topped with Whipped Cream and Strawberries.
We also enjoyed a Bloody Mary Bar and Mimosas made with Prosecco, Orange juice and a smackerel of Grenadine. It was a marvelous meal and a great time with some very good friends.
Good Eating,
Tim
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Great burgers
My daughter Stacy called me the other day and told me she had been to a relatively new restaurant in Duluth and had enjoyed what she said was the best hamburger she had ever eaten. Well, that got my attention because I am always on-the-hunt for a great burger. Today I had the opportunity to try that place, which is the Clyde Iron restaurant that just opened this year back in May. The head chef is Robert Giuliani who I will have the privilege of working with on a dessert event in February. Teresa and I went there today for lunch and I ordered his Steak Burger, which can be cooked to a medium-rare if you like, and I do, so I ordered it with the Smoked Cheddar cheese, Tomato, Lettuce, Mayo and Caramelized Onions. To be fair, the cook forgot to put the onions on it but it was so good that I didn't notice. The bun was nicely grilled and the burger is cooked over an oak-fired grill. The cheese lent a very nice smoky note to the dish and to me the classic burger is dressed with tomato and lettuce with mayonnaise. They offered several choices of cheese and toppings, like a spicy sauce so I asked the server what the sauce was and she said it was a spicy ketchup. I am not a ketchup guy so I went with the mayo and it was excellent. Up until this burger my "gold standard" had been between two burgers; the first is the Kobe Beef burger at the Crooked Spoon in Grand Marais, MN and the second,believe-it-or-not is a chain restaurant burger from Outback Steakhouse in Duluth. Both of those can be ordered medium rare and they were my favorites to date. Robert's version is just as good as either of those, as they each have their individual high points, so I would say we have three equal winners in my estimation.
I tried another one a couple of weeks ago after watching an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives which featured the Duluth Grill. They offer a Roasted Garlic burger and it sounded intriguing to me so I ordered it. Major disappointment. The burger was way overcooked, it was served on a whole wheat bun, which is just wrong and there were no garnishes at all. I won't be back.
The hunt continues for excellent food!
Good eating,
Tim
I tried another one a couple of weeks ago after watching an episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives which featured the Duluth Grill. They offer a Roasted Garlic burger and it sounded intriguing to me so I ordered it. Major disappointment. The burger was way overcooked, it was served on a whole wheat bun, which is just wrong and there were no garnishes at all. I won't be back.
The hunt continues for excellent food!
Good eating,
Tim
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Wild Game Feed
I spent the entire day on Friday cooking for my second annual Wild Game Feed at my church, the Vineyard here in Duluth, MN. Now I know some of you reading this are thinking that wild game is a definite downer in terms of culinary delight but I have spent a great deal of time figuring out how to make Venison and Elk, Pheasant, Bear and Moose taste very good.
I had some wonderful help to make this dinner come off well and I want to thank my friends Bob James, Joshua Herbert and Charlie Plys for making it work well and providing a good experience for about 150 men.
Bob, Joshua and I spent some quality time together creating some cool dishes for the boys to eat. Bob and I had about 30 lbs. of donated ground Elk to deal with so I decided to make meat loaf out of it. We added a dozen eggs, a full box of crushed saltines, a bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped, 3 finely chopped onions, a cup of chopped Cashews, a few cups of grated Parmesan Reggiano, some Worcestershire sauce, some Frank's Hot sauce and a little salt and pepper. We formed the mix into free-form loaves on sheet pans lined with foil and wrapped half of them with bacon strips, leaving the rest plain. I put a probe in the center of one of the loaves and set it to 160 degrees in a Blodgett convection oven ( marvelous machine) and about 1 hour later we had some very nice meatloaf. In the meantime we had a little extra mix leftover so we made some patties and fried them in a saute pan to test the product and it was truly good stuff!
The same donor of meat also provided about 15 lbs of Elk Steak so I decided to make Elk Bourguignon from half of it and braise the other half in a combination of beef stock, Young's Double Chocolate Stout, Thyme, Rosemary and Crushed Red Pepper flakes, a little Worcestershire sauce and some onions and carrots.
The Bourguignon goes as follows:
10 slices thick cut bacon
2 T. Olive oil
5 lbs Elk steaks cut into 2" pieces
2 carrots, sliced
3 sweet onions, sliced
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 Tablespoons flour
1 bottle Red Wine
3-4 cups beef stock
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
3 cloves smashed garlic
1 teaspoon fresh Thyme leaves
2 crumbled Bay leaves
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
Saute the bacon in the oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned.
Remove to a side dish. Dry the Elk with paper towels so it will brown well. Saute a few pieces at a time in a large, oven proof dutch oven (or two, spitting the ingredients between the two) over high heat until well browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon. In the same fat, brown the slice vegetables, then pour out the remaining fat, if any. Return the Elk and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the meat. Set the casserole in the oven, uncovered, for 4 minutes. toss the meat again and back into the oven for another 4 minutes. Remove the casserole and bring the oven temp down to 325 degrees. Stir in the wine and stock so that the meat is just covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic and herbs and bring to a simmer on the stove. remove from the stove and cover, placing in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily and it begins to fall apart. Serve over mashed potatoes or egg noodles.
The next dish we made was a Wild Rice Pilaf:
1 lb Wild Rice
1/2 lb long grain white rice
3-4 strips of bacon cooked crisp and crumbled
1/2 cup Craisins
1 cup diced sweet onion, sweated in a saute pan
Cook the wild Rice and white rice in chicken stock according to their respective instructions and then combine all the ingredients in a bowl or in one of the pots used. Season with salt and pepper as needed and serve with any main dish above.
Good eating,
Tim
I had some wonderful help to make this dinner come off well and I want to thank my friends Bob James, Joshua Herbert and Charlie Plys for making it work well and providing a good experience for about 150 men.
Bob, Joshua and I spent some quality time together creating some cool dishes for the boys to eat. Bob and I had about 30 lbs. of donated ground Elk to deal with so I decided to make meat loaf out of it. We added a dozen eggs, a full box of crushed saltines, a bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped, 3 finely chopped onions, a cup of chopped Cashews, a few cups of grated Parmesan Reggiano, some Worcestershire sauce, some Frank's Hot sauce and a little salt and pepper. We formed the mix into free-form loaves on sheet pans lined with foil and wrapped half of them with bacon strips, leaving the rest plain. I put a probe in the center of one of the loaves and set it to 160 degrees in a Blodgett convection oven ( marvelous machine) and about 1 hour later we had some very nice meatloaf. In the meantime we had a little extra mix leftover so we made some patties and fried them in a saute pan to test the product and it was truly good stuff!
The same donor of meat also provided about 15 lbs of Elk Steak so I decided to make Elk Bourguignon from half of it and braise the other half in a combination of beef stock, Young's Double Chocolate Stout, Thyme, Rosemary and Crushed Red Pepper flakes, a little Worcestershire sauce and some onions and carrots.
The Bourguignon goes as follows:
10 slices thick cut bacon
2 T. Olive oil
5 lbs Elk steaks cut into 2" pieces
2 carrots, sliced
3 sweet onions, sliced
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 Tablespoons flour
1 bottle Red Wine
3-4 cups beef stock
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
3 cloves smashed garlic
1 teaspoon fresh Thyme leaves
2 crumbled Bay leaves
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees
Saute the bacon in the oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned.
Remove to a side dish. Dry the Elk with paper towels so it will brown well. Saute a few pieces at a time in a large, oven proof dutch oven (or two, spitting the ingredients between the two) over high heat until well browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon. In the same fat, brown the slice vegetables, then pour out the remaining fat, if any. Return the Elk and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the meat. Set the casserole in the oven, uncovered, for 4 minutes. toss the meat again and back into the oven for another 4 minutes. Remove the casserole and bring the oven temp down to 325 degrees. Stir in the wine and stock so that the meat is just covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic and herbs and bring to a simmer on the stove. remove from the stove and cover, placing in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily and it begins to fall apart. Serve over mashed potatoes or egg noodles.
The next dish we made was a Wild Rice Pilaf:
1 lb Wild Rice
1/2 lb long grain white rice
3-4 strips of bacon cooked crisp and crumbled
1/2 cup Craisins
1 cup diced sweet onion, sweated in a saute pan
Cook the wild Rice and white rice in chicken stock according to their respective instructions and then combine all the ingredients in a bowl or in one of the pots used. Season with salt and pepper as needed and serve with any main dish above.
Good eating,
Tim
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Underground Dining
It has been what seems like an eternity since I have posted here and I attribute much of that to recovering from this "attempt-at-flying" accident I had this August. It has taken forever to get to feeling normal and I didn't feel like eating for a long time and cooking was really a lot of work. I has been just over 3 months and I am finally feeling like I'm coming back to a sense of normalcy.
During that time I have told you about some ice creams that I have tried and that has been fun. I sat my kids down during one of the holiday celebrations and we talked about some ice cream flavors they might like to see. Here are a few of them:
Candied Almond
Bananas Foster
Pumpkin Pie
Dark Chocolate Cherry
Amaretto
Egg Nog
Cardamom
Chocolate/Cayenne
Dark Chocolate/Caramel/Sea Salt
Malted Milk
Toasted Coconut
Malibu Rum
Browned Butter
Those are some of the ideas my kids came up with and I like all of them. It will take a while to work my way through all of these along with the normal fun of cooking for daily life but it will be a great adventure in any case.
Another adventure that is coming up in the next couple of weeks is an annual wild game feed at my church, the Vineyard Church here in Duluth. I did my first one ( and their first one) last year about this time and it was an absolute blast!
Many, many folks donated game and brought their own dishes to be shared and it was a total success. We fed about 100 to 120 people with plenty for everyone.
Last year we cooked Elk Sliders, Walleye Cakes, Baked Walleye fillets, Venison Bourguignon,
Wild Rice Pilaf, Roast Wild Turkey and a host of other fun things. It happens this year on the 17th of December and if you might think of coming you are officially invited.
Another adventure that has been rolling around in my head is something I mentioned here some time ago and haven't yet pursued. My friends Lisa, Anita and I have been kicking around the idea of an "underground dining" experience where we would invite 10 to 15 people for a 5 course meal including wine and charge 25 or 30 dollars a head for the evening.
I recently watched a show on the cooking channel called The 4 Coursemen that did just this. There was a group of 5 people that collaborated on a dinner in a house in Georgia somewhere and did just what we have been talking about. It was fascinating! I am getting more and more pumped to do this. My friend Lisa has a large enough dining area to accommodate 10 or 12, I think, and she is interested in this concept as well. We need to get together and work out the details and find our 10 to 12 people to invite that might be willing to part with enough money to make it happen and we would all enjoy some killer food together. We will be getting together in January for a brunch event that involves our normal gourmet group and I am sure we'll talk about it then, if not before.
Enough of my food ramblings for now,
Good eating!
Tim
During that time I have told you about some ice creams that I have tried and that has been fun. I sat my kids down during one of the holiday celebrations and we talked about some ice cream flavors they might like to see. Here are a few of them:
Candied Almond
Bananas Foster
Pumpkin Pie
Dark Chocolate Cherry
Amaretto
Egg Nog
Cardamom
Chocolate/Cayenne
Dark Chocolate/Caramel/Sea Salt
Malted Milk
Toasted Coconut
Malibu Rum
Browned Butter
Those are some of the ideas my kids came up with and I like all of them. It will take a while to work my way through all of these along with the normal fun of cooking for daily life but it will be a great adventure in any case.
Another adventure that is coming up in the next couple of weeks is an annual wild game feed at my church, the Vineyard Church here in Duluth. I did my first one ( and their first one) last year about this time and it was an absolute blast!
Many, many folks donated game and brought their own dishes to be shared and it was a total success. We fed about 100 to 120 people with plenty for everyone.
Last year we cooked Elk Sliders, Walleye Cakes, Baked Walleye fillets, Venison Bourguignon,
Wild Rice Pilaf, Roast Wild Turkey and a host of other fun things. It happens this year on the 17th of December and if you might think of coming you are officially invited.
Another adventure that has been rolling around in my head is something I mentioned here some time ago and haven't yet pursued. My friends Lisa, Anita and I have been kicking around the idea of an "underground dining" experience where we would invite 10 to 15 people for a 5 course meal including wine and charge 25 or 30 dollars a head for the evening.
I recently watched a show on the cooking channel called The 4 Coursemen that did just this. There was a group of 5 people that collaborated on a dinner in a house in Georgia somewhere and did just what we have been talking about. It was fascinating! I am getting more and more pumped to do this. My friend Lisa has a large enough dining area to accommodate 10 or 12, I think, and she is interested in this concept as well. We need to get together and work out the details and find our 10 to 12 people to invite that might be willing to part with enough money to make it happen and we would all enjoy some killer food together. We will be getting together in January for a brunch event that involves our normal gourmet group and I am sure we'll talk about it then, if not before.
Enough of my food ramblings for now,
Good eating!
Tim
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