A Picnic for My Mother's Birthday

In the last few weeks we have celebrated Mother's Day, my mother's forthcoming retirement, -and today- my mother's birthday. My father, mother and brother drove out to the city to meet John and I and as soon as we walked outside it began to drizzle. We decided we would not be scared away and headed to the one park with a pavilion, just in case. The Osaka Garden on a small island behind The Museum of Science and Industry is a serene and beautiful place that is rarely crowded. We spread out a blanket on the grass, nearby the pavilion and looking out on the water, and spread out our goods:

A seeded baguette and a plain baguette from the Medici Bakery
Crackers
Brie cheese
Vermont Cheddar cheese
Olives
Pasta salad that my mother brought
White and red wines
Fage Greek yogurt
and . . .

A fruit salad inspired by one John made a few months ago. Chop up any fresh fruits (we used pear, granny smith apple, mango, kiwi, strawberry, and peach) and pour over them a mixture of 5 parts no pulp orange juice to 1 part rum with sugar to taste. We ran by our garden on the way to our picnic spot and grabbed some fresh mint to add. Ideally one should add the mint an hour or two ahead of time in order to allow the flavors to combine. This can be topped with yogurt if desired.

I also made a salad of mixed greens topped with chopped black walnuts, sliced pears, and breaded goat cheese. I bought the goat cheese and molded it into pats about 1/4 in. thick and 1 in in diameter. I then coated the cheese with a mixture of bread crumbs, dried thyme, and a bit of salt and pepper. John made a lovely balsamic vinegar and oil dressing to finish it off.

It was a great picnic and the two main dishes were very simple to make--and it didn't rain! Happy birthday mom!

Crumpets

My mother gave me a sweet little cookbook when I was home a few weekends ago entitled Pancakes and Waffles by Kate Habershon. In thanks I took her waffle iron to begin experimenting.

This morning, in order to coax myself out of bed, I decided to make crumpets using Habershon's recipe. I have made crumpets in the past using various recipes which have produced crumpets with a varying degree of integrity. While this is not my favorite recipe, it did make a perfectly acceptable crumpet.

Crumpets are best warm, right off the griddle, and rubbed with butter so it fills the tiny pores. However, one of the many lovely things about crumpets is that they can be nicely revived in a toaster to enjoy at a later time as well.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

On Tuesday night I went over to Mindy's to make pies. Mindy had received two pounds of lard from her sister last time she was visiting Minnesota and we finally got around to using some of it. I have made several pies in my day, but never with lard in any quantity. I normally use some sort of butter to vegetable shortening ratio. We used Morrell Snow Cap Lard and a simple crust recipe from an old Betty Crocker cookbook

Lard is strange, as one might expect. Silky yet tacky, translucent yet opaque. We blended our ingredients in a food processor and rolled out our first batch. We found that we had skimped on the water, being fearful that we would add too much. The dough rolled quite well, though split at the sides as we rolled larger. When we folded the dough to transfer to our pie pan, the seams split and we had to do a large amount of 'patching,' which basically meant we had about 15 different pieces of what was moments ago a nice piece of circular dough.

The second time around we came out with a lovely dough that rolled quite well and transferred much better than the first (though we still had a few splits).

We were amazed at how silky the lard made the dough. When cooked, the crust melted in our mouths. It was incredible. It was such a change for me not to have to rush through making the crust before the butter softened too much. It made the whole process less stressful. Though, I have to say that I do enjoy the taste of a butter crust better and if I were to use lard again I would likely substitute some butter for a portion of it.

This was a great experiment and I learned some interesting things to keep in mind concerning lard and pie crusts (thanks to Mindy's family).

1) NEVER put the lard in the microwave.

2) The lard must be room temperature before you use it, so be sure to pull it out in advance. Remember, no microwaving.

3) If you use diet Sprite (not regular, it has to be diet) in place of the water the crust recipe calls for, it can produce a flakier crust. We did this with our second pie and it seemed to be a bit flakier. I will have to experiment with this more to see how it affects the taste, etc.

I had a great time baking pies with Mindy. I hope to do it again soon.

A Weekend in a Small Town

This past weekend I took the train from the city out to see my family. My brother had just returned from a year at Grinnell College and my mother was having a party to celebrate her soon to be retirement. John met us Friday night and on Saturday afternoon he and I decided to visit a new bakery in nearby Crystal Lake that had been recommended to me. Located in the old downtown area we found Dawn's Bread: Le Petit Marché.

The store is small and nicely decorated with indoor seating and a couple of chairs outside. The focus of the store is clear: bread, wine, cheese, olives, meats, and some sweets. We ordered a large brioche, an olive bread, some morbier cheese, and some olives. There were two employees. One was presumably Dawn and the other was perhaps the slowest moving woman I have ever encountered. It took us a very long time to get our things. We were in no rush, so it was purely comical, however the couple behind us did seem to be in a rush and were still waiting for their goods when John and I had finished eating and left the store.

This was no serious bread review, but I will say the olive bread was quite good, though from some nondescript tradition. The brioche was overly yeasty and the crust was tough and tasted over-baked. It was alright, but it didn't seem very brioche-like. The cheese and olives were lovely.  Dawn's is a great addition to the Woodstock area where is can be difficult to get quality breads, meats, cheeses, and olives without driving quite a ways.  I will be back on my next visit to see my family.

Paul met us Saturday evening and drove John and I back to the city on Sunday. I convinced the two of them to take the scenic route up route 31 in order to stop at one of my favorite restaurants: The Algonquin Sub Shop. I was first here a handful of years ago with a past boyfriend. He always ordered the California: grilled chicken seared with honey and garlic and topped with melted cheddar, dried tomatoes, red onion and lettuce and California honey-mustard dressing. I always ordered the Where's Waldorf: crisp apples, grilled green bell peppers, toasted walnuts, spinach, melted brie cheese and Vidalia onion dressing. A lot has changed since those days of driving to Algonquin in his shiny new black Jetta for the sole purpose of getting a sandwich, but I still always order the Where's Waldorf and I would bet he still orders the California.

The restaurant is a brightly colored yellow box set back from route 31 between a gas station and a strip mall. The small interior has bright orange seats and tables much like you would find in the fast food restaurants of past decades (there is also a bit of outdoor seating). Fake wood-paneling borders the window into the kitchen where one employee will take your order while the other starts to make your sandwich. This isn't Subway junk, which is clear in the options (over 23 different gourmet subs are on the menu, along with salads, and burger-fare), the quality of ingredients (everything is fresh, much of the meats and cheeses are imported, and everything tastes flavorful), and the price: $7 and change (with tax) will get you the best sandwich on earth. Not a bad deal.

A very sweet man named John Ryals runs the place and can more often than not be found making your sandwich. One winter, as I was preparing to fly back to Portland, Or I decided a nice addition to the aforementioned past boyfriend's birthday present would be a California. I called, a bit dubious about how such a warm and juicy sandwich could ever withstand a more than 4 hour flight across the country. I reached a helpful voice, perhaps Ryals himself, who did not seem at all taken aback by my request. In fact, he casually mentioned they had been asked the same question more than once before. He said they would be happy to help me out if I could come by the next day on the way to my flight after they opened. To my horror I realized they opened an hour later than would be necessary. So, get this, they opened AN HOUR EARLY for me! Upon my arrival, they all greeted me enthusiastically, gave me two small paper bags, and proceeded to show me each individually packaged ingredient while explaining how best to warm the chicken, toast the bread, and assemble the sandwich. They then refused to take the $10 tip I was trying to give them. I ended up throwing it on the counter while running out the door yelling my thanks.

This restaurant goes far and above the norm with both their food and their service. The Algonquin Sub Shop is worth the trip, regardless of the length.

Dawn's Bread: Le Petit Marché
19 N. Williams St.
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
815/477-3296

Algonquin Sub Shop
105 Filip Street
Algonquin, IL 60102
847/658-0680

IMBB #15: Avocado Mousse

Elise at Simply Recipes is hosting this months Is My Blog Burning. The theme is gelatin. I have to admit, I'm not a big gelatin fan, but I thought I should give a nod to my midwestern roots and try something. I made Avocado Mousse.

I was hoping to find a recipe for avocado panna cotta, but no luck. If you have one, let me know. This was pretty good. The orange flavors cover up much of the avocado and if I were to make this again, I think I would cut down on the orange quite a bit.

I had a fair bit of difficulty getting it out of the mold. I followed the instructions and rested the mold in a hot water bath for a few seconds, but then the mousse just melted and lost any shape it had received from the mold. (Hence the use of the pretty strawberries). Otherwise, this was quite an easy recipe.

I don't know that I would make this again. It was tasty, but mainly I (and my roommates) aren't that into to jello-mold-types-of-things. . .

A very interesting topic for the IMBB though!  All of the other excellent submissions can be found here on Elise's site.

Green Tea & Lemon Cookies and Lemon Ginger Drop Cookies

A friend of mine who has seemed a bit down lately in our correspondence will be receiving a package of cookies soon.  Here is what I made him:

Green Tea Shortbread, a recipe from Martha Stewart.  I added some lemon and chamomile tea along with the green tea for a more complex flavor.  I made these cookies around Christmas time for a cookie party.  Most people, while initially skeptical of the green cookies, seemed to enjoy them.  One woman however scowled when she saw them and turned to her friend who was reaching for one to rasp, "Those are from the Martha Stewart website" and rolled her eyes.  Her friend slowly pulled back her hand, though I did see her enjoying one later.  Personally, I think Martha Stewart has some fabulous recipes.  This is one of them.

I also made Lemon Ginger Drop Cookies, also from the Martha Stewart website, thank you.  This was my first pass at these and they ended up quite good.  I used some candied ginger from Trader Joe's and the result was excellent.  They, obviously, didn't spread out flat as the cookies in Martha's picture did, but I don't quite see how they could have.  I think some of her pictures are a bit contrived, so I didn't worry about it.

And the real treat of the evening:  Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler.  John and I went past our garden yesterday and picked some fresh rhubarb. John made this delicious cobbler with some strawberries we had in our house. It was very good.  Sweet, but still with a snappy tartness, just how I like it.

Please feel free to send us any other rhubarb recipes.  There must be something more to do with the stuff than cobblers, pies, and jams.  There is A LOT of rhubarb.  Suggestions would be appreciated.

Gemma: Bennison's Bakery

This past Saturday Harold and I ventured to the outskirts of Chicago where lies Evanston, an off-shoot of the city that is neither truly Chicago nor quite a suburb. The purpose of this trek was to visit Jory Downer's  Bennison's Bakery who, along with two other bakers from the U.S., just won the Coupe du Monde de la Boulangerie (The World Cup of Baking). How lucky we are to have such a notable baker in our own backyard.

We purchased four items from the busy store: a seeded baguette, a strawberry rhubarb brioche, an S.O.P. round loaf, and a raisin bread loaf. In addition, we ordered coffee and tea and a croissant. We sat on a park bench outside the store and enjoyed our warm beverages while I munched on the croissant. This was a superb croissant, very rich and soft with an incredible flakiness. My all-black attire was covered in greasy-golden specks when I was through.

We drove back down to Hyde Park, and as usual, planted ourselves hungrily at my dining room table. We began with this beautiful and intriguing strawberry rhubarb brioche. This tasted very much like a danish, which are delicious. This was a very wonderful pastry, but I must say the virtues of the brioche were lost underneath the other ingredients. I love brioche however, so perhaps this would not be as heart-breaking to another. In the end the brioche tasted a bit dry when I didn't have a mouthful of jam to accompany it. The toppings were sweet, but not over the top. All in all, I would have loved to try a plain brioche, which they may in fact sell some days.

We then moved on to the breads. Clockwise from the top we have the seeded baguette, the S.O.P. round, and the raisin loaf. The seeded baguette was in short one of the best I have had. It was seeded with sesame, black sesame, poppy, and sunflower seeds. It had a perfect crust: not to thick, not to thin, and very crispy. The crumb had great integrity, soft yet strong, well-holed, moist and resilient. The flavor goes great with butter, but is not needed to improve the taste in the least. This was a great, no-nonsense, well-built baguette. My only complaint was that it was perhaps overly seeded. The seed flavors were nice, but it could have been toned down a bit so as not to overpower the breads real flavor. I imagine they also make unseeded baguettes some days as well.

Next we tried the S.O.P. round. You are probably wondering what such an acronym means and I unfortunately have to admit that we are too. I will have to give the bakery a call in the next few days to figure it out, as the ideas that Harold and I came up with are surely not correct. It is the 'S' that keeps throwing me off. I am fairly confident that the 'O' stands for olives and the 'P' for peppers. This was a very soft and egg-y bread, with a moist crumb and a thin crust (much like a. . . hamburger bun. . .). The bread had very few diced olive pieces and many large yellow, green, and red bell pepper pieces. I do not understand the choice of bell peppers. Their use created wet pockets that were cold, flavorless, and slimy. This bread was unique, but uninspiring. The flavors were strange, bland, and begging for salt. This could make a good garlic bread, perhaps. If cut into thin slices and topped with butter, herbs, and lots of garlic then broiled. Perhaps then the flavors would improve/be covered up and the hamburger bun softness would crisp up as would the slimy bell peppers. This was a strange bread.

Finally, we moved on to the raisin bread (the interior shot above shows this on the left and the seeded baguette on the right). This was a heavy and dense bread, with a soft and strong crust dusted with cornmeal, and a soft and springy crumb. It was packed with yellow raisins (which are called sultanas, yes?) and fennel seeds which creates a very interesting taste combination that I grew to be quite pleased with. This is a delicious and well-constructed bread which keeps well (I have been enjoying slices for breakfast the past few days).

Above you can see the interior of the S.O.P. round. Below you can see Harold passed out in my living room after too much bread.

Bennison's is a lovely bakery. They specialize in pastries and cakes, but their baguettes and croissants were superb. Stay away from the S.O.P. though. I hope to go back to find a plain brioche one day.

Saucy

My Chive & Sour Cream Waffles and Pea & Chive Soup have been selected as the Saucy Magazine recipe of the day.  I am a huge fan of Saucy and thus I am deeply flattered.  Thanks!

Garden

We spent a bit of this Sunday afternoon in the garden (there's John). Things are coming up and looking lovely. (our herbs have disappeared though. . .) I ate a delicious radish and tried some excellent baby spinach.

Ben has been doing most of the work in the garden. He gave me these lovely flowers from the plot where we hope to put in our zucchini.

The rhubarb is ready to be used. I hope to devise some plans for it over the next week.
Mmmm. fresh produce.

Chive & Sour Cream Waffles with Pea & Chive Soup

After days of gorgeous, nearly summery weather, Chicago is back to its grey, cold, windy self.  We have had storms aplenty, and for those of you not from the Midwest, these are no 'spring showers.'  The storms and the chill inspired a bit of comfort food.  Chive & Sour Cream Waffles and Pea & Chive Soup.  I stole my mother's waffle iron on Mother's Day (she hasn't used it in years) and I had been itching to use it.  For some reason the idea of savory waffles hadn't occurred to me before last week and I had been anxious to devise a recipe.  The velvety pea soup was the perfect compliment to the crispy golden waffles (the addition of cornmeal creates a lovely texture).  We enjoyed them with some spicy red wine, dim lights, and our guest Jesse from Reed.

Here are the recipes:

Chive & Sour Cream Waffles

Makes 12 Waffles

1 C unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 C yellow cornmeal
1/2 Tbl sugar
1 Tbl baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 stick butter-melted
1 C milk- warmed
1/2 C sour cream
3 large eggs at room temp.
1 Tbl mustard
1 Tbl chopped fresh chives
1 Tbl grated cheese (I used cheddar)

Combine all dry ingredients (including chives and cheese) in a large
bowl.  Make a well in the center.

In a separate bowl combine all wet ingredients, beating eggs thoroughly.

Add wet ingredients to the well of the dry ingredients and mix until
just combined.  Do not over-mix.

Let rest for at least 30 min.

Heat waffle iron.

Place 1/4 C of batter onto each waffle portion and cook for 3-5 min.
or until steam ceases to escape from the iron.

Pea & Chive Soup

serves 6

1 small onion, finely chopped
2 Tbl butter
1 potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tsp salt
2 lbs frozen peas
5 C vegetable stock
1/4 C chopped chives (reserve some for garnish)
1/2 C milk
1/2 C sour cream

Melt the butter over medium heat and cook onion in a large, deep
skillet or stockpot until tender. About 2 min.
Add potato and salt and cook about 2 min. more.
Add 3 C stock, cover, and let simmer for about 10 min.
Add peas and simmer uncovered for 3 min. or until peas are tender.
Stir in the chives and the remaining 2 C of stock.
Remove from heat
Blend in batches and strain if desired.
Whisk in milk and sour cream.  Season with salt and pepper.
Reheat if needed but do not allow to boil.
Garnish with a few chives and a dollop of sour cream.

Crépes

While at Renn Fayre this past weekend I had the opportunity to eat some of the crépes that the French department makes as a fundraiser.  They have a nice operation with tasty filling choices and fancy crépe makers. 

I hadn't made crépes myself in about 2 years, but I was inspired to make some for dinner last night.  Mine aren't nearly as light and thin, but they were tasty.  Here is the batter recipe that I use:

Crépe Batter

(Makes fifteen, but the recipe can be easily multiplied to the desired amount)

In a saucepan melt 1 C milk, 2 tbl butter, a pinch of sea salt, and 1/4 tea of sugar.  Whisk until the butter is liquefied and remove from heat.  Allow to cool slightly, but keep whisking it every few seconds or so to keep it smooth and skinless.  After a few minutes add 1/4 C of beer. ( I used New Glarus Uff-Da Bock.)

On the counter or in a bowl add a generous 3/4 C of unbleached all-purpose flour.  Make a well in the center of the flour and add 1 large egg (or 2 smaller eggs) and 1/4 Tbl of a fruity olive oil or a plain vegetable oil.  Combine the egg and the oil and begin to incorporate the flour until you have a coarse dough.

Add the milk/beer mixture to the dough and combine with a whisk until smooth.  This will take some time, the goal is to work all of the coarse dough into the milk mixture.

Heat a pan with a nice gradual lip (helps to flip the crépes) over medium to medium-high heat.  (The first crépe will likely be lousy, the temperature has to be just right, adjust your burner accordingly.)  Once evenly heated, coat the pan with butter and add about an 1/8 C of batter to the pan.  Do this quickly and begin to move the batter around in the batter to coat the bottom. 

Let cook about a minute and a half on each side.  When the crépe is ready to flip you will notice the edges turning golden and pulling away from the sides and the center looking dry rather than wet.  Work your magic flipping the crépe or turn it manually, but do so gently.  Now add any fillings and cook until the second side is done.

For fillings we used:

Granny smith apple and brie

Spinach and dill havarti

Spinach and morel & leek jack cheese

Bananas and sugar

While the ordinary jam is nice, the combinations are endless so why not be creative.

Renn Fayre/Portland

(More pictures coming soon.)

John and I returned from Oregon last night. It was refreshing to see so many people I have missed this past year, to revel in the general mayhem of Reed and Renn Fayre, and to smell the crisp mildewy Portland air whilst adoring unbelievably green foliage. In order to ensure this post isn't entirely off topic, I will give you a brief description of some of the bars/restaurants I was able to reacquaint myself with this weekend while also telling a bit about Renn Fayre.

Thursday: We flew in late, ran around campus enjoying the decorations and gave our greetings, then we went to The Pub at the End of the Universe with Meg, Harold, and Skye. The Pub is a bit of a hike from campus, but was close to my apartment senior year. They have some of the best Northwest beers on tap including my favorite, Terminal Gravity. The selections rotate often and the clientele is laid back. I wish I still had such a dreamy local bar.

Friday: I woke up at a decent time and went to Meg's for breakfast. She made Harold and I delicious blini. We then met John and headed to campus with many pounds of champagne and proceeded to partake in thesis parade. Soon after Urupan opened it's tent and we were all able to happily coat our stomachs with the best burritos in Portland. The beer garden opened at 6. The beer garden is a classy endeavor run by the excellent kids that make up Beer Nation. Beer Nation is a smoothly (and legally!) run student organization with the express purpose of getting of-age Reedies drunk (and on top-quality beers too). Here's to those that make it all happen! Aesop Rock put on a great show in the SU. That night I stayed out too late in the beer garden.

Saturday: We slept late and tried to go to Putter's for breakfast. However, they had just stopped serving breakfast when we walked in. We went across the street to the Village Kitchen, this adorable hole in the wall diner next to the giant Safeway. I paid for my wild night by not having the ability to consume my lovely looking scrambled eggs, toast, and potatoes and then we went back to campus and proceeded to drink more. Oh Renn Fayre.

We watched the Jigsaw Gentlemen and the Jailbait Philosophers play on the lawn during feast, played some pool in the pool hall, and watched the Black Peppercorns. That night was filled with the fireworks, glo opera, more beer garden, and sitting on the front lawn for a long time waiting for something to burn. John and I are old and went to bed early.

Sunday: I woke up super early (well, 9) and met a friend from high school, Jessica, at Fat Albert's for breakfast. Ask any Portlander what their favorite place for breakfast is and you might get as many answers as there are reproductions of tight Motorhead t-shirts, but mine is Fat Albert's. I used to go nearly every weekend when a past boyfriend lived near the place. It is tiny and you have to wait during peak hours for bit, but they make the smoothest, fluffiest eggs, and bar-none the best biscuits I have tasted. It was lovely to see Jessica again, I miss her.

I then went back to campus where they were giving hot air balloon rides and found John who had just gotten up. We then finally made it to Putter's where I attempted to drink a too-spicy-for-me bloody mary. Then back to Reed and back to the beer garden. We watched some lube wrestling and some high-profile Reedies get wet in the dunk-tank and, um. . back to the beer garden. Then sadly, as all things must do, we realized Renn Fayre was ending as we were ushered out of the beer garden and into a confused mass by the Urupan stand. We collected a few people (John, Erik, Leah, Elly, Meg, Harold maybe. . It's not my fault, they had Old Rasputin on tap in the beer garden.) and walked up the hill to the Delta for some greasy southern food. The Delta is great. Nice decor, delicious food (the southern sampler is a steal), and 40s of Pabst served in a bucket of ice. Now that's class. If you can wade through some of the hipster pretension it is one of my favorite restaurants in Portland (even though the formerly mentioned past boyfriend broke my heart there). We then moved on to the Lutz . I was pretty out of it so I didn't stay long, but the Lutz is a highly frequented bar just up the hill from Reed. I spent quite a bit of time here during my college years. They served $1 Pabsts, a good juke box with Neko Case on it, and familiar faces. I hear the Pabst is now $1.25. Whew, it seems I skipped town just in time. We went to bed very early.

Monday: We woke up early and said a quick goodbye to Noah who was leaving for his orals. We then met Meg, Harold, Dan, Leah, and Sam for breakfast at the Cup & Saucer . I didn't go here that often as student, but it is a nice place. Reasonably priced and inventive options, daily specials, lots of vegetarian dishes, and crummy diner coffee. And we were off. I miss Portland. I didn't really love the city while I was there, but of course I am nostalgic now.

Finally, thanks to Scott Foreman-Murray, Leah Johnston, and Dan Morrell for a great Renn Fayre. (Especially Dan, I remember how hard running Renn Fayre AND finishing a thesis is--an amazing feat few have attempted.)

Renn Fayre

I won't be posting for the next few days as I will be in Portland, OR for Renn Fayre.

This will be my first time back since I graduated and I am greatly looking forward to seeing people. 

I ran Renn Fayre with Mike and Tamara last year and I really wish Tamara could make it out this year.  However, I am sure South Korea is cooler than even Renn Fayre.

New Glarus Brewery (Wisconsin Odyssey Part IV)

After the Grumpy Troll Brew Pub we drove about 20 minutes to the New Glarus Brewing Co. In my opinion this is the best brewery in Wisconsin (and it seems the only one open for tours on the sabbath). While once you could buy New Glarus in Illinois (and I imagine the surrounding states) they have reverted back to their original decision to only sell in Wisconsin. Therefore, we stocked up.

We walked in to the store front and immediately partook in a tasting. $3.50 for about 7 oz. of three different beers and a nice glass to take home. Quite a deal. We then took the self-guided tour which is free and includes a headset with a recorded tour guide. You can wander around fairly freely. I regret that we had to go on a Sunday when people weren't actually working the brewery/bottlery, but it was still neat.

The first room has two large onion shaped stuctures.  In one I believe the wort is made and in the other it ferments.  (I like this picture because you can see Molly and I in the reflection.)

The grains are pumped outside to be recycled after they are they are used in the wort (correct me if I am messing this up anyone).  The grains can then be used as livestock feed.

We then walked past the chemistry and microbiology labs and into a room with these two huge, gorgeous barrels, which I presume are for frementing (perhaps their lambics?). I didn't get the best picture because of the ceiling lights and the window between me and the room, but I thought they were very impressive.

Finally we walked through the areas where kegging and bottling occur. This portion took up more space then the rest of the brewery combined. Quite an operation. After our tour it was nearing closing time, but we decided we should go for another tasting round, which we did. We asked how many people have two tastings and the nice, but slightly unamused young woman replied, "It hasn't happened before." At that we purchased lots of beer and a few gift shop items and took our delinquent selves home. (Go to their website to learn more about their various beers).

Here is the birthday boy. I think we all had a really great time exploring Wisconsin. I also think John was happy to find himself stuffed with beer and mustard rather than abandoned in a rural Wisconsin field, as was his first guess concerning our surprise destinations.

Photo Gallery

I will post the next (and final) chapter of our Wisconsin Odyssey soon.  However, in the interim I would like to announce the addition of a Photo Gallery which includes all of the photos of food that can be found throughout the site as well as a few others.  Ideally, I would like to eventually have each image serve as a link to the post it is from, however I have been unable to figure out how to do this in TypePad.  Any advice on this topic would be appreciated.

Grumpy Troll Brew Pub (Wisconsin Odyssey Part III)

After our stop at The Mustard Museum in Mt. Horeb we went right up the block to the Grumpy Troll Brew Pub.

Located in a neat old building, the interior is modern and family/meal oriented. There is a nice wrap around bar a bit away from the seating, however no smoking. The staff was super friendly and we even spoke with the brewmaster. Their food was good, not great. We ordered some fried cheese curds, but they were beer battered instead of breaded and it just didn't cut it in my book. (The best can be found at Clearwater Harbor in Waupaca, Wisconsin.) The beer was great, however.

(clockwise from bottom left) Trolls Gold Lager, some kind of ale. . , Trailside Wheat, English Brown, Rye Bock, Red-Eyed Troll, Imperial Stout (It is entirely possible that I have mis-remembered this list.).

Best of all, the beers are $3 a pint and $1.50 a pint during happy hour! (Which I believe runs from 4-9pm). Up above you see the sampler that Harold purchased for around $6.00 in order to sample them all.

I wish I had a cheap, friendly, and tasty real brew pub near me. Mt. Horeb seems to be a good place.

Stay tuned for the last part of our Wisconsin Odyssey.

Mustard (Wisconsin Odyssey Part II)

I posted a bit about our trip this past weekend in my IMBB #14 submission.  On Sunday Aviva, Friel, Harold, Molly and I kidnapped John and took him on a surprise trip to a few Wisconsin destinations.  Our first stop was The Mustard Museum in Mt. Horeb, WI.  Unlike any other museum you may have been to, this is a delicious place:

(l-r) Mendocino Mustard: Seeds & Suds, a spicy beer mustard made with Red Seal Ale (Fort Bragg, CA).
Clem's Hot Pepper Mustard, created by Hawkwind (Baraboo, WI).
Big Mike's Performance Mustard: Its Full Throttle Taste Will REV-U-UP.
Nunda Mustard: Cajun-Onion (Nunda, NY).
Famous Cows of Wisconsin: Beulah Thompson's Spicy Beer Mustard (Produced by the Mt. Horeb Mustard Museum).
Terrapin Ridge: Cracked Pepper, Lemon & Thyme Mustard (Freeport, IL).
Herbs de Provence & Champagne Mustard (Santa Rosa, CA).
(front) Thomy: Scharfer Senf (sharp mustard) (Deutsche Thomy GMBH, 41415 Neuss).

One enters the museum and is immediately confronted by the largest array of mustards one has ever seen in the ample 'gift shop.'  Organized by style, the mustards can be sampled by simple bringing the mustard of interest to a back table where an employee will gladly pull a jar out of the fridge and spoon you up a taste.  Also placed around the store are two other tables with opened mustard jars and pretzels.  Besides selling mustards they also sell museum paraphernalia (i.e. t-shirts, ties, etc.), chutneys, jams, oils, and pretzels. (Many of these items are available for purchase through their online store.)

The museum is a large room with glass cases and hundreds of pieces of mustard history; old tins, advertisements from the 30s, a wall of mustards organized by country/state, mustard dispensers, and other notable items.  Off to the side of this large room is a viewing area where one can choose between watching footage from last year's Mt. Horeb Mustard Fest or The History of Mustard.  We opted for the latter and got quite a kick of it (I don't know when you might have occasion to watch such a thing, but if it does arise it is very, very unintentionally funny).  However, about 20 min into the film we realized we had no idea how long it might be and we could well be sitting there for hours, so we left.

A lovely place, in a lovely town, with helpful and friendly staff.  Truly a destination.  We came out with a spectacular loot. (There is lunch counter which sells brats next door in case that entices you more).

Our Wisconsin Odyssey isn't over yet.  Check back soon for more.

IMBB #14: Cheese (Wisconsin Odyssey Part I)

Ok, so I clearly did not make this cheese (nor are any but the middle cheese especially orange. . .). I regret that my aspirations to make carrot soup for my second IMBB submission did not pan out with my time this weekend. (Though I am geared up to make it soon). This weekend was John's birthday and today Aviva, Molly, Friel, Harold and I kidnapped him and took him to Wisconsin where we went to the Mustard Museum in Mt. Horeb and the New Glarus Brewery in New Glarus. On the way home we stopped at a "Cheese and Fireworks" store to buy this lovely cheese above. Here are the details of each cheese below. We also consumed many a cheese curd in the car on the way home. If you have never had Wisconsin cheeses you are missing out.

(top to bottom)
Simply labeled "cow".
Great Midwest: Morel & Leek Jack Cheese (Mayville, WI).
Jim's Cheese Pantry: Garlic Cheddar Cheese (Waterloo, WI).
Jim's Cheese Pantry: Tomato & Basil Cheddar Cheese (Waterloo, WI).
Denmark's Finest: Dill Havarti (Viby J, Denmark).
Landhaus: Butterkase (Monroe, WI).

SHF #7: Molasses Snaps and Banana Ice Cream

This is my first participation in a sugar high friday (and quite a late entry at that).

I made molassas snaps with banana ice cream/smootie. Here is the recipe:

Molasses Snaps

Preheat oven to 350 F

In a pan on low heat combine 2 oz sugar, 2 tbl molasses, and 2 oz butter.

When melted and combined through stirring add 2 oz flour, a pinch of salt, and 2 tsp ginger powder and combine.

Then add the juice of half a lemon, mix, and take off the heat.

Proceed to drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with a silpat mat while reserving 2 tbl of the mixture.

Bake for 10 min.

Form into the desired shapes and let cool.

Banana Ice Cream/Smoothie

In a food processor combine 2 tbl of the molasses snap mixture, 1 frozen ripened banana, 1 tbl sugar, 1/2 cup milk, and 1/2 shaved ice.

When combined into a smooth mixture place in the freezer to come together.

Dust the snaps with powdered sugar and serve with the frozen banana mixture.

Gemma: Fox & Obel

My first experience at Fox & Obel was kind of horrible. I went during my lunch break from work one day to poke around and perhaps buy something unique. I'm all for shelling out too much money for something that I have never seen before and that looks like an exciting kitchen addition, however I was disappointed to see that Fox & Obel simply sells mass marketed gourmet mustards that you can find in any foofy coffee shop and your standard imported British cookies---at about twice the price. I'm sure if I spent more time in there I could find something intriguing and there is something to be said for having all of those items in one store, but I was still over-all unimpressed.

On this first day I tried their bread, a baguette, and the female employee helping me was impossibly rude and the baguette was impossibly rock-hard. I wouldn't have gone back so soon except that Rob at Vital Information convinced me to give them a second chance.

Harold and I drove up last Sunday and spent a large amount of time looking for parking. Reader be savvy: Fox & Obel will validate your parking ticket if you park across the street in the lot. Harold and I took a gander around the store and then decided coffee was highly in order. We got in line behind 7 or so people in the back cafe area and proceeded to wait for nearly 30 min to even order our coffee! There was a collection about 5 employees behind the counter arranging bagels and chatting while one astoundingly slow woman took orders.

Finally with some caffeine in hand and running low on leisure time we went to select some bread from again, not the most friendly woman. Overall, the experience with the haughty clientele and the bizarre employees was less than great the second time around as well. I did manage to find some excellent fage Greek yogurt and some fancy mineral water that didn't break the bank. Let's see how the bread compared. . .

We ate a pretty tasty brioche on the way home because we were very hungry. Upon our arrival at my place we started with the semolina loaf. In the above picture (beginning at the top left and turning clockwise) we have the semolina loaf, a half eaten mini-baguette (ok, so we started on that in the car too), our 1/4 of the peasant sour, an olive ciabatta pillow, and the ciderhouse dark rye. The semolina didn't seem to have much semolina in it. It was basically a fancy white bread which tasted a bit like a gas oven when you breathed out of your nose as you ate. That sounds pretty awful, but I would say it was a generally inoffensive bread without much going for it. However it did have a decent crust with a soft crumb which had a very nice hole structure.

Above you can see the interiors of (l-r) the baguette, the semolina loaf, and the olive ciabatta. The baguette was much better than the one I had on my solo trip. Though, it still wasn't spectacular. It was a little flavourless and was too airy. It had a very soft and squishy crumb and a hard yet thin and flaky crust. This baguette was a little too delicate too take seriously.

We then moved to the peasant sour. This was a gorgeous bread. You can see the browned/charred, floured crust in the first picture. Just beautiful. It had a soft and very moist crumb that was dense and springy. I am fairly certain they use a real sourdough starter (thank god), though it had a mild aroma. We used some butter on our last pieces and it did great things for the flavour. This was a good bread in a style I had not seen before.

(l-r) the semolina loaf and the olive ciabatta again, the peasant sour, and the ciderhouse dark rye. The ciderhouse dark rye was billed as a rye bread made with hard cider. An interesting idea, though the cider flavors were not that pronounced they certainly did add something to the flavor. The exterior of this bread was seeded with caraway. It had a good crust and a moist, soft crumb. The crumb was a very pretty mousy grey-brown and the taste was slightly sweet. This bread went great with cheddar. This was also a wonderful and unique bread.

Lastly, we tried the olive ciabatta pillow. This ciabatta had nice holes (much nicer than some of the other bakeries we have been too), a traditional crusty-crust with a glossy crumb. The crumb had a lovely cool, creamy texture. Oddly, the first bite of the crust I took tasted like slightly burnt popcorn. . In any event, the ciabatta was filled with many kinds of superb whole olives, much more delicious than the typical one type-diced. I thought this was delicious and it went great with chevre.

Overall, I still can't really stand Fox & Obel, but their breads have improved greatly in my mind. Stay away from the baguettes and the semolina loaf and go instead for the unique, rustic, darker breads like the peasant sour and the ciderhouse dark rye. The olive ciabatta pillow would be a tasty and quick lunch if you are in the area (and probably much cheaper than actually using their lunch counter).