Deer. I live in the same area, drive the same roads, use the same eyes at the same times that I always have, and I have hardly seen any deer this yr/fall. Has our DNR gotten hooked on the money they get from bonus deer tag sales? Something is amiss.
Pasties. I guess I don't need the pasty girl w/ the tattoo because I got a call from the Church Lady in Crosby today and guess what I got my two pasties. They were beautiful. They were also as bland as February in February. Beef ( round steak?, tender ), potatoes, onions, rutabagas, carrots. My 10 yr old daughter said Dad it's the worst thing she ever ate, and she only ate the good parts - beef and potatoes. Gravy for dousing or dunking would be good. Scant salt and pepper is all I could discern for seasoning.
I don't think I'll be the first to re-invent these things, but I will, and will let you know of my results. I would like to know that I am eating when I am eating, and I do not know that now. The pastry is good, and the rutabaga an aura, but it was overall a less than memorable food. That said after being so excited about them.
I will practise and do some recipes and let you know. In the meantime I'll be looking up the mail carrier.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
Antlers and Long johns
Firearms deer opener this coming wk end. If you get one and eat eat the ribs and neck roast, be sure to drink plenty of hot coffee to melt the wax in your mouth.
Dennis Anderson in the Strib wrote recently of of party hunting to fill buck tags, and suggested that irregardless of legality( party hunting and tagging is legal in Mn), if you want to tag a buck, you should shoot the buck yourself. I agree. It is satisfying to shoot your own buck, and yes, fewer bucks would be shot. Make that deal w/ your hunting party, and consider also a self imposed restriction on bucks w/ 6 ( or 8) tines or less. Manage your hunting land for more and bigger bucks. I personally prefer to shoot yearling deer because they taste so much better, but like most hunters I would not pass on a trophy. There's just something about shooting a nice buck, even if it's dumb luck.
Most of us don't really hunt anymore anyways. We sit in stands high in the air( often enclosed) and shoot. That is shooting, not hunting. There is something to be said about spending time on the ground sneaking and peeking ( still hunting), and building a fire and eating lunch in the woods. A lot of oldtimers shot deer over a fire.
I am thinking of sweet smokey paprika, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, bayleaf and plenty of garlic in a venison stew. Deglaze the saute` w/ red wine. I'll post a recipe soon. In the meantime, pack the liverwurst and onions and hang your long johns outdoors.
Dennis Anderson in the Strib wrote recently of of party hunting to fill buck tags, and suggested that irregardless of legality( party hunting and tagging is legal in Mn), if you want to tag a buck, you should shoot the buck yourself. I agree. It is satisfying to shoot your own buck, and yes, fewer bucks would be shot. Make that deal w/ your hunting party, and consider also a self imposed restriction on bucks w/ 6 ( or 8) tines or less. Manage your hunting land for more and bigger bucks. I personally prefer to shoot yearling deer because they taste so much better, but like most hunters I would not pass on a trophy. There's just something about shooting a nice buck, even if it's dumb luck.
Most of us don't really hunt anymore anyways. We sit in stands high in the air( often enclosed) and shoot. That is shooting, not hunting. There is something to be said about spending time on the ground sneaking and peeking ( still hunting), and building a fire and eating lunch in the woods. A lot of oldtimers shot deer over a fire.
I am thinking of sweet smokey paprika, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, bayleaf and plenty of garlic in a venison stew. Deglaze the saute` w/ red wine. I'll post a recipe soon. In the meantime, pack the liverwurst and onions and hang your long johns outdoors.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Pasties and Church Ladies
Rumor has it that a certain mail carrier in Range country wears the tattoo of a pasty close to her heart. I have seen her, but I haven't seen it.
A pasty is a meat pie in the shape of a half moon. It has been around since Biblical times. Shakespeare has written of them. Traditionally it includes onions, potatoes, rutabagas, carrots, and meat. Cornish miners - their wives, actually - are thought to be the originators of this hearty and primal pastry, which when carried into the depths of a mine would heat and nourish the body, and light the soul.
They are a big deal in Iron Range country in Northern Minnesota. Though the Cuyuna Range has been gone for more than half a century, pasties remain. Church ladies in Crosby are taking pasty orders for their annual fundraiser. You order ahead by telephone and pick them up at church on Wednesdays in October. They are hot and fresh and homemade, seasoned with more than the salt and pepper that the recipe calls for. I called yesterday ( wed) to order two for next wednesday. The church lady, God bless her, told me that they are already full for next week, but that if there were any cancellations, she would give me a call.
" What,"I said, unbelieving, " how many are you making?"
"Six hundred," she said. I am on the list as 601 and 602. I do not expect a call. I would have a better chance, I think, with the mail carrier.
A pasty is a meat pie in the shape of a half moon. It has been around since Biblical times. Shakespeare has written of them. Traditionally it includes onions, potatoes, rutabagas, carrots, and meat. Cornish miners - their wives, actually - are thought to be the originators of this hearty and primal pastry, which when carried into the depths of a mine would heat and nourish the body, and light the soul.
They are a big deal in Iron Range country in Northern Minnesota. Though the Cuyuna Range has been gone for more than half a century, pasties remain. Church ladies in Crosby are taking pasty orders for their annual fundraiser. You order ahead by telephone and pick them up at church on Wednesdays in October. They are hot and fresh and homemade, seasoned with more than the salt and pepper that the recipe calls for. I called yesterday ( wed) to order two for next wednesday. The church lady, God bless her, told me that they are already full for next week, but that if there were any cancellations, she would give me a call.
" What,"I said, unbelieving, " how many are you making?"
"Six hundred," she said. I am on the list as 601 and 602. I do not expect a call. I would have a better chance, I think, with the mail carrier.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Didn't Cook Your Goose, Not Yet
Honkers the size of row boats on Platte this morning have me thinking of eating a slow roasted goose or the deep fried version that is all the rage w/ turkeys these days. Don't tell anyone, but I have never cooked a goose, not yours or mine. Nor have I eaten one. They graze like cattle in the grainfields of Canada and get down here via airmail ready to shoot and eat. You must do some plucking, quite a bit, which I have done. It's a long story well actually kind of short, but two geese ended up in the chest freezer alongside dear little Raindrop,the French Poodle, and we didn't eat Raindrop either. I wasn't into extreme eating in those days, nor am I now. Johnny(son) and I had shot them and our big golden retriever Chance had retrieved them when they were less than half dead. Each goose fought him, but he got them in, the only retrieving he had ever done. He was 10 yrs old in human years and he was magnificent.
Anyways, the geese and the dog went with the house when we sold it. The new owners found this out later, I think.
Every recipe has a story. I've got the story, I may have the geese(not telling), and now I need the recipe. If you send me one you will be part of that story. Thanks. Ducks are something else - my favorite game food, but I'll get to them another time.
Anyways, the geese and the dog went with the house when we sold it. The new owners found this out later, I think.
Every recipe has a story. I've got the story, I may have the geese(not telling), and now I need the recipe. If you send me one you will be part of that story. Thanks. Ducks are something else - my favorite game food, but I'll get to them another time.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Scramble eggs, make toast in toaster with bread, eat with mouth
Two hundred words of instructions on how to scramble eggs? Not from me. Two hundred more on how to saute` wild slippery jack mushrooms to go with the eggs? Not from me.
Here goes. Saute`mushrooms. Scramble eggs. Stir mushrooms into eggs. Use salt, pepper, garlic, and parsley as you wish (and green onions). Eat. That's 21 words, including" eat".
Its really good. If you can't do that, don't eat. Oh - "make toast" too. That's 23 words.
I bring this up because of a recipe that I got via email today.
Am I wrong? Do you need someone to tell you how to scramble eggs? Let me know.
Here goes. Saute`mushrooms. Scramble eggs. Stir mushrooms into eggs. Use salt, pepper, garlic, and parsley as you wish (and green onions). Eat. That's 21 words, including" eat".
Its really good. If you can't do that, don't eat. Oh - "make toast" too. That's 23 words.
I bring this up because of a recipe that I got via email today.
Am I wrong? Do you need someone to tell you how to scramble eggs? Let me know.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Had a Great Time - Wish You Were There
We all want to learn more about wine - what to cook with - what to drink with what. I know the cooking part, and it in no way involves the salted, unpalateable "cooking wine" that you will find in grocery stores in Mn. If you were teenager and drank it in a miguided quest to get high, you know what I mean.
It is good to have a friend who was in the wine making business, just as it is good to have a friend who is a chef. You have access, then, to a specialized body of knowledge based on years of experience. It is hands on learning and better in the same way that the food network works better than a book.
A cooking class is better in that way too. You get hands on experience as you participate. You get to see exactly how a chef does it,why and you can get answers to your questions. You will get "insider" information. You get to learn that cooking is as much art and process as it is recipe and chemistry. You get to share in the genuine passion and creative joy of your instructer. He will laugh and have fun and so will you.
He will tell you the history and the story behind every recipe, and believe me, every recipe has a story.
You will eat well and drink nicely paired wines - chardonnay w/ the garlic and parsley chicken, sauvignon blanc w/ herbed saute`ed walleye, and a Spanish tempranillo ( like pinot) w/ the bayou pasta.
Wish you were there.
It is good to have a friend who was in the wine making business, just as it is good to have a friend who is a chef. You have access, then, to a specialized body of knowledge based on years of experience. It is hands on learning and better in the same way that the food network works better than a book.
A cooking class is better in that way too. You get hands on experience as you participate. You get to see exactly how a chef does it,why and you can get answers to your questions. You will get "insider" information. You get to learn that cooking is as much art and process as it is recipe and chemistry. You get to share in the genuine passion and creative joy of your instructer. He will laugh and have fun and so will you.
He will tell you the history and the story behind every recipe, and believe me, every recipe has a story.
You will eat well and drink nicely paired wines - chardonnay w/ the garlic and parsley chicken, sauvignon blanc w/ herbed saute`ed walleye, and a Spanish tempranillo ( like pinot) w/ the bayou pasta.
Wish you were there.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Fast Food John's Way
Cooking class tonight. Showtime. My intent is to cook three different complete dinners in twenty minutes or less per meal. I have always cooked from scratch at home, and have discovered that many(most?) people don't. As a recent recipient of a freezer full of pre-prepared foods from a friend who worked for a home delivery food product company, I made an interesting discovery. It takes longer to get that pre-prepared food to the table than to make it yourself . Plus, read the label of ingredients in those " convenience " foods, and you will be shocked. I am not a foodscientist, but I am sure that some of that stuff would kill mice.
And of course, the Agri-Giant food processors have been in the news lately. Some of their foods are poison. All the more reason to cook your own food at home.
I'll be doing a boneless breast of chicken w/ garlic, parsley and white wine, a "bayou" pasta w/ penne` noodles, shrimp and sausage, and saute`ed walleye w/ wine and herbs. These recipes are simple, fast, and are a level way above the usual pre-pared fare. I'll let you know it goes.
And of course, the Agri-Giant food processors have been in the news lately. Some of their foods are poison. All the more reason to cook your own food at home.
I'll be doing a boneless breast of chicken w/ garlic, parsley and white wine, a "bayou" pasta w/ penne` noodles, shrimp and sausage, and saute`ed walleye w/ wine and herbs. These recipes are simple, fast, and are a level way above the usual pre-pared fare. I'll let you know it goes.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
It's Miller Time, Again
My personal sommelier dicovered slippery jack mushrooms under the pines of Platte Lake today. Kind of a flattened and flaring top, wet, hence slippery, with fine sponge-like spores on the underside. The inner flesh is lemon colored with the flavor and texture of cool butter.
It is Miller Time because that is part of his name and when he does something good, we call it Miller Time. Discovering and picking these mushrooms was something good. It is also good when he chooses the wine to go with dinner. He has been a winemaker and blender as well as a mushroom hunter. It is often Miller Time these fine October days.
Simply sauteed in butter w/ fresh parsley in an omelette is my recommendation for these delicately flavored mushrooms, w/ sauteed zucchini and tomatoes on the side. Grate some fresh parmesan cheese over all.
I am teaching a class " Fast Food John's Way" on Monday( 15th) as part of Onamia's community education program. 6 PM at the high School. There is still room for a few more. We will eat well, have fun and learn something something about food and wine. Miller will be there to assist me, so it will be Miller Time too.
It is Miller Time because that is part of his name and when he does something good, we call it Miller Time. Discovering and picking these mushrooms was something good. It is also good when he chooses the wine to go with dinner. He has been a winemaker and blender as well as a mushroom hunter. It is often Miller Time these fine October days.
Simply sauteed in butter w/ fresh parsley in an omelette is my recommendation for these delicately flavored mushrooms, w/ sauteed zucchini and tomatoes on the side. Grate some fresh parmesan cheese over all.
I am teaching a class " Fast Food John's Way" on Monday( 15th) as part of Onamia's community education program. 6 PM at the high School. There is still room for a few more. We will eat well, have fun and learn something something about food and wine. Miller will be there to assist me, so it will be Miller Time too.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Miller Time
It is Miller time when you eat Prudhomme's cajun meatloaf w/ his spicy cajun meat sauce. It is a meatloaf w/ plenty of onions, celery, and sweet and hot peppers, which are sauteed first into sweetness before adding to the meat mixture. And it does cry for beer rather than the Burgundy or Pinot of my previous more traditional meatloaf. Check out the big guys first cookbook, Chef Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen. Nobody talks about him these days, but it was/is an authentic regional cuisine based on what is all the current rage - local and sustainable ingredients. That's all they had back then. It is not a new thing.
Use the last of the season's zucchini to make zucchini bread. Recipes abound - use last wks Startrib recipe or get one from a local church lady( LakeView Community Church in Hillman), do a third or a half wholewheat flour instead of all white, add some pumpkin pulp, and ground hazelnuts or walnuts, to make it as good for you as it tastes.
If you use pancake mix at home, do your body and mind a favor by adding whole wheat flour by a third or half, and some dry oatmeal( 1/3 cup). They taste like the buckwheat cakes of your childhood and are really good for you.
Use the last of the season's zucchini to make zucchini bread. Recipes abound - use last wks Startrib recipe or get one from a local church lady( LakeView Community Church in Hillman), do a third or a half wholewheat flour instead of all white, add some pumpkin pulp, and ground hazelnuts or walnuts, to make it as good for you as it tastes.
If you use pancake mix at home, do your body and mind a favor by adding whole wheat flour by a third or half, and some dry oatmeal( 1/3 cup). They taste like the buckwheat cakes of your childhood and are really good for you.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Mango Bango Best
A friend just told me of some raspberry wine she has recently made and suggested that it would be good w/ walleye and a hot (spicy) mango salsa. I agreed, and would suggest a blackened fish too, as the cool fruit and the heat of the salsa w/ the fish would balance beautifully. Prudhomme was really a genious in developing the blackening method - besides the flavor and heat or not heat ( a choice) of the herbs and spices he used is the utility of those in the cooking and sealing in the moisture of the fish. Why do we all love fried fish? - the crispy outside and the moist and tender inside. Prudhomme's blackening does the same thing, and it adds taste and a wow factor. He's the genious - Emeril's the showman.
Cantalope can substitute for mango for we midwesterners, and add almost any other fruit like strawberries and kiwi and watermelon, honeydew or whatever you can get along w/ heat in the form of habaneros( jalapenos) or crushed red pepper to taste, and of course salt, black pepper and garlic. Be sure to include sweet red pepper and green onions and cilantro ( if you like it) and fresh parsley.
The raspberry wine? Dunno - will have to try it and let you know. This salsa would also be good w/ game birds like grouse or pheasant. Or, tried and true, saute` boneless pheasant or grouse pieces, floured and seasoned ( salt and pepper) in oil and finish w/ a sweet and hot Thai chili pepper sauce. It's as good as candy. Your family and guests will love it. Spear the pieces w/ frilled toothpicks, and serve as an appetizer.
Cantalope can substitute for mango for we midwesterners, and add almost any other fruit like strawberries and kiwi and watermelon, honeydew or whatever you can get along w/ heat in the form of habaneros( jalapenos) or crushed red pepper to taste, and of course salt, black pepper and garlic. Be sure to include sweet red pepper and green onions and cilantro ( if you like it) and fresh parsley.
The raspberry wine? Dunno - will have to try it and let you know. This salsa would also be good w/ game birds like grouse or pheasant. Or, tried and true, saute` boneless pheasant or grouse pieces, floured and seasoned ( salt and pepper) in oil and finish w/ a sweet and hot Thai chili pepper sauce. It's as good as candy. Your family and guests will love it. Spear the pieces w/ frilled toothpicks, and serve as an appetizer.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
High Noon on a Nice October Day
High noon in the hardwoods is probably not the best time or place to hunt grouse, but I paid my 20 bucks and did it anyway because it was a beautiful October day. We jumped 1 chickadee and 5 robins. Ross got loon scat gumbo on his boots and I got a paper cut from the elephant grass. It was ok for a walk in the park and it reminded me of why I usually hunt near Floodwood ( Gowan) because when there are no birds there is still the history of all the gots and got nots.
I hear on the radio that Morrie's Seafood Market( of the original Fish House fame) is now open on # 371 N of Brainerd next to Famous Dave's. Wallah! Good luck to Steve and Ellen. Gotta get up there soon to check it out . They really know fresh fish and how to take care of it and have( had) the best assortment of cheeses anywhere in this lakes country. No restaurant, just a market and Deli - according to the ad on the radio - which was their strong point anyway. I can almost taste it - and will report back on it.
The Spot lite Cafe in Garrison remains the best pancakes in the area - been doing it right for so long w/ their homemade buttermilk batter that no where else even comes close to it. Most, if not all other places use the Krusteaz add water only mix. I do wish someone would do Mexican eggs( huevos rancheros) in this area. I do like to know that I am eating when I am eating.
I hear on the radio that Morrie's Seafood Market( of the original Fish House fame) is now open on # 371 N of Brainerd next to Famous Dave's. Wallah! Good luck to Steve and Ellen. Gotta get up there soon to check it out . They really know fresh fish and how to take care of it and have( had) the best assortment of cheeses anywhere in this lakes country. No restaurant, just a market and Deli - according to the ad on the radio - which was their strong point anyway. I can almost taste it - and will report back on it.
The Spot lite Cafe in Garrison remains the best pancakes in the area - been doing it right for so long w/ their homemade buttermilk batter that no where else even comes close to it. Most, if not all other places use the Krusteaz add water only mix. I do wish someone would do Mexican eggs( huevos rancheros) in this area. I do like to know that I am eating when I am eating.
Caught and cooked w/ a friend
My favorite kitchen appliance is my prep cook. It is good to have an old friend visit and lend a hand when you have fresh walleye to eat. This morning it will be floured and pan fried w/ onions, sweet peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, eggs and buttered whole wheat toast.Good, good, good.
Last night it was done as a one cast iron pan meal like a Cuban style paella w/ the same vegetables and rice and black beans with plenty of garlic, some heat, and the juice of a whole lime. Dice the vegetables small and saute in oil( olive or veg), add rice, stir, water and seasonings, bring to a boil and simmer covered till the rice is almost done. Add beans ( canned), adjust seasonings( red pepper,salt, black pepper, garlic, oregano or cilantro, parsley), and add 3" or 4" portions of fish. Season w/ lemon pepper over all and lime juice over all and simmer covered for 10 minutes or uncovered in a 425 degree oven. Juices of the fish should just run clear. It is simple and fast ( half hour total), is not the mess of frying fish, and is a riot of color, depth, and layers of flavor. It is rich like fried fish, but is healthy too, especially if you use brown rice ( try instant brown ). Great w/ beer.
Last night it was done as a one cast iron pan meal like a Cuban style paella w/ the same vegetables and rice and black beans with plenty of garlic, some heat, and the juice of a whole lime. Dice the vegetables small and saute in oil( olive or veg), add rice, stir, water and seasonings, bring to a boil and simmer covered till the rice is almost done. Add beans ( canned), adjust seasonings( red pepper,salt, black pepper, garlic, oregano or cilantro, parsley), and add 3" or 4" portions of fish. Season w/ lemon pepper over all and lime juice over all and simmer covered for 10 minutes or uncovered in a 425 degree oven. Juices of the fish should just run clear. It is simple and fast ( half hour total), is not the mess of frying fish, and is a riot of color, depth, and layers of flavor. It is rich like fried fish, but is healthy too, especially if you use brown rice ( try instant brown ). Great w/ beer.
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