tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68866771890508755562024-03-13T19:02:52.691-07:00Locals Onlythe L'Etoile and Graze Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08701188785045774217noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886677189050875556.post-89213292722898235212012-04-17T11:32:00.000-07:002012-04-17T11:32:58.788-07:00Producers Series: Gentle Breeze Honey<span style="font-size: x-small;">information gathered by Alaina Knief, Graze Server; complied by Samantha Egelhoff, PR/Outreach</span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4170LpAr_p4/T42zYoFDwVI/AAAAAAAAALY/dD8RY7C83Eg/s1600/The+Woller+Family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4170LpAr_p4/T42zYoFDwVI/AAAAAAAAALY/dD8RY7C83Eg/s320/The+Woller+Family.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Woller Family<br />
courtesy of the <a href="http://www.gentlebreezehoney.com/index2.htm">Gentle Breeze website</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Gentle Breeze Honey, in Mount Horeb, began in 1965 when Eugene and Donna Woller purchased seven hives from a retiring beekeeper. Today they have over 600 hives in operation, divided between Fitchburg, Mount Horeb and Pardeeville, kept in working order thanks to their three children and their families, friends, neighbors, and four additional full-time employees.<br />
<br />
Honey is created when bees transform collected flower nectar through regurgitation and store it inside wax honeycombs in their hive. Since this nectar is the bees' primary food source, beekeepers encourage honey overproduction so the excess can be harvested for human use without depriving the bees of their nutrition. In beekeeper (manmade) hives, large honeycomb cells, called "supers," are created in the center, where bees normally store their extra supply of honey. These cells are easily removable and allow for collection without damaging the rest of the honeycomb cells. While honey is mostly carbs and water, small amounts of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants are also present. Darker honeys generally have a higher concentration of antioxidants than lighter honeys.<br />
<br />
At Gentle Breeze Honey, Eugene harvests the honey only when 3/4 of the middle "super" honeycomb cell is filled and sealed by the bees, to prevent harvesting "green honey." Ideally honey is collected when the moisture content has reached 17-18%; "green honey" has not reached this moisture level yet. When the honey is ready to be collected, Eugene uses smoke and bee escapes to move the bees away from the "super" and harvest the honey safely, so no humans or bees are harmed. Gentle Breeze never use chemicals to remove their bees from the honey.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KHXuZH0kHyA/T420KTq86GI/AAAAAAAAALg/QBMLvCm9wZQ/s1600/honeybees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KHXuZH0kHyA/T420KTq86GI/AAAAAAAAALg/QBMLvCm9wZQ/s320/honeybees.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">honeybees<br />
courtesy of the <a href="http://www.gentlebreezehoney.com/index2.htm">Gentle Breeze website</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The honey is then taken to the "honey house," where the "super" cells are exposed to 80 degrees temperatures in the "hot room," allowing remaining bees to escape and slowly warming the honey in preparation for extraction. A machine is then used to remove the wax cappings the bees put on the honeycomb cells, which are then placed in a centrifugal extractor to spin the honey out slowly and drain it into a tank. The drained honey is pumped out from the bottom and strained through nylon cloths to catch remaining wax particles from the honeycomb cells. This strained honey now goes through the time-consuming settling-out period. This helps maintain the delicate flavor and the high-quality standards set by Gentle Breeze. Because their honey-producing process does not involve chemicals, overheating or force-filtering of the honey, Gentle Breeze's products are all "raw honeys," meaning they warm and strain their honey only. Because of this, there may be tiny particles of the bees' wax or pollen found in it, creating their unique flavor and nutrition value.<br />
<br />
Eugene's bees primarily use white clover and alfalfa, grown on Wisconsin family-owned dairy farms, as their primary nectar source. Gentle Breeze does not blend their honey with ones from other states or countries. Their honey is 100% raw Wisconsin honey, and we are proud to offer their products for you!<br />
<br />
Find Gentle Breeze Honey at the Dane County Farmers' Market, or at many local natural food outlets, grocery stores or gift shops. Just look for the blue & yellow label!<br />
Or stop by their farm in Mount Horeb to buy directly from them. They'd be happy to show you their beehives!<br />
<br />
See their website <a href="http://www.gentlebreezehoney.com/index2.htm">here</a>.the L'Etoile and Graze Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08701188785045774217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886677189050875556.post-40064626381149421862012-03-21T12:13:00.000-07:002012-03-21T12:13:23.378-07:00Producers Series: Blue Moon Community Farm<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">information gathered by Callan Krystofiak, server at Graze; complied by Samantha Egelhoff, PR/Outreach</span></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</span></b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fXU5RnjSy64/T2omWKyCtRI/AAAAAAAAALA/2n_NP6ZwUZo/s1600/030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fXU5RnjSy64/T2omWKyCtRI/AAAAAAAAALA/2n_NP6ZwUZo/s320/030.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo courtesy of Kristen Kordet</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b id="internal-source-marker_0.34114941442385316"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Founded in 2004 by Kristen Kordet, Blue Moon Community Farm provides quality pasture-raised meats and organic vegetables at farmers’ markets in the Madison Area as well as by CSA box and to many area restaurants. Growing steadily since their start, today Blue Moon sits on 5 acres in Stoughton and supplies 85 CSA members. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a great way to get healthy, local food while also supporting and forming great relationships with area farmers! Depending on your lifestyle and family size, there is a share that is fit for you. Many different farms offer CSA shares. Find them <a href="http://www.csacoalition.org/">here</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blue Moon offers a Standard Share, Every Other Week Share, or a Late Fall Share, all featuring the freshest organic produce available, with an option to add a sustainably raised meat share (chicken and pork) to your regular order as well. Descriptions and pricing are available on their <a href="http://www.bluemooncommunityfarm.com/csa/">website</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All shares are available for pickup at their farm, located only minutes outside of Madison, on Wednesdays from 3-7pm during the market season. It’s also a great chance to visit their farm and see where and how your food is grown! </span></b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j8SZ5e97mkA/T2ommSUBEnI/AAAAAAAAALI/X5lDTeroIZU/s1600/me+and+pigs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j8SZ5e97mkA/T2ommSUBEnI/AAAAAAAAALI/X5lDTeroIZU/s320/me+and+pigs.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo courtesy of Kristen Kordet</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don’t want to commit to a weekly (or bi-weekly) share? Find them at the outdoor <a href="http://www.westsidecommunitymarket.org/">Westside Community Market</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">on Saturdays from 7am-1pm during the April-November season, and at the indoor <a href="http://www.dcfm.org/">Dane County Farmers’ Market</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">on Saturdays from 8am-noon during the November-April season.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Find all sorts of recipes, photos, and more CSA info on their <a href="http://www.bluemooncommunityfarm.com/">website</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VR4zS5u05X4/T2omvTfioKI/AAAAAAAAALQ/DepuTnXCHOc/s1600/CSA+Pioneers+Dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VR4zS5u05X4/T2omvTfioKI/AAAAAAAAALQ/DepuTnXCHOc/s400/CSA+Pioneers+Dinner.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And join us at <a href="http://www.grazemadison.com/">Graze</a> for a benefit dinner in support of the <a href="http://www.csacoalition.org/">Madison Area CSA Coalition</a> (now Fair Share CSA Coaltion), on Sunday, May 6th at 6pm. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Enjoy four courses in celebration of their 20th anniversary alongside veteran growers, long-time farm members, and other pioneers of the CSA movement. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Tickets at $50. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Call us for reservations at 608-251-2700. </span>the L'Etoile and Graze Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08701188785045774217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886677189050875556.post-89385145384830734442012-03-15T09:28:00.000-07:002012-03-15T09:28:15.425-07:00Producers Series: Rishi Tea<div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.0944900568574667"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">information gathered by Sara Joss, server at Graze; complied by Samantha Egelhoff, PR/Outreach</span></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></b></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rn0jVd02c_Y/T2IUdRqlvPI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/NNnyJE1utt4/s1600/rishi+tea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rn0jVd02c_Y/T2IUdRqlvPI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/NNnyJE1utt4/s320/rishi+tea.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">courtesy of Rishi Tea's <a href="http://www.rishi-tea.com/rishi-origin.php">website</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span id="internal-source-marker_0.0944900568574667"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The vision of founder and tea buyer, Joshua Kaiser, Rishi Tea began in 1997 to fill the void of traditional handcrafted artisan teas in the North American market. Enlisting the help of longtime friend, Benjamin Harrison, Rishi Tea started in a small room in Milwaukee’s Third Ward, tirelessly hand-blending teas and individually packaging them for sale. Their operation grew quickly and facilities expanded, but they still maintained their core founding principles, committing to a philosophy of sustainability in all aspects of their business. Earning their organic certification in November 2002 and working for the advancement of Fair Trade Certified tea, Rishi Tea is a key player in the TransFair USA Fair Trade Certified projects, which support a better life for tea-farming families and communities by providing fair prices, wages, safe working conditions, environmental sustainability, education and community development. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The founders of Rishi Tea still travel every year, maintaining their strong personal relationships with the tea farmers of China, Taiwan, Japan, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and India, and bringing you the freshest sustainable teas possible. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At Graze and L’Etoile, we offer 10 of Rishi Tea’s varieties, including black, green, caffeine-free botanical, oolong, and African rooibos. Enjoy one in house or to-go anytime; they’re the perfect way to relax! </span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-swS6m0F55aE/T2IYVoJau7I/AAAAAAAAAK4/NjI_3pxO-AQ/s1600/tea+harvest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-swS6m0F55aE/T2IYVoJau7I/AAAAAAAAAK4/NjI_3pxO-AQ/s1600/tea+harvest.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">courtesy of Rishi Tea's <a href="http://www.rishi-tea.com/rishi-origin.php">website</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</span></span></span><br />
<span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><u><b>Green Teas</b></u>: A broad class of teas that are processed with the intention of preserving the tealeaf’s green character and low degree of oxidation. </span></span><br />
<br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jade Cloud - An organic fair trade tea that is a special grade of Chinese green tea produced</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">in the high elevation tea gardens of western Hubei, China. It has a mellow and</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">refreshing character that is smooth with low astringency. It’s aroma sugests</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> sweetly toasted chestnut and bluegrass. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jasmine - This organic green tea is blended with fresh jasmine blossoms by a traditional tea</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">scenting process. The green tea absorbs the natural essence from fresh jasmine</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">blossoms and imparts a sweet and soothing fragrance in every cup.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Orange Blossom - A refreshing and floral blend of green teas with sweetly-scented</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">blossoms, lemongrass and tropical citrus fruits.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></li>
</ul><br />
<span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><u>Black Teas:</u></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Originated in China. Black tea profiles depend on the tea bush varietal, season of harvest, elevation of the tea garden and the degree of tealeaf oxidation.</span></span><br />
<br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">China Breakfast - This breakfast tea has a robust and flavorful taste profile that is rich and </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">malty with subtle notes of chocolate.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Darjeeling 2nd Flush Muscatel - The “2nd flush” or second harvest of the year provides </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">semi-brisk teas with big, fruity flavors and distinctive floral</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">aromas that are reminiscent of Muscat wine. A favorite of </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">connoisseurs, the black teas of Darjeeling have a unique</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">character with nuances of green and oolong teas.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Earl Grey - A British tea classic and the most popular tea of the Western World. This citrus-</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">scented tea blend dates back to the 19th Century Sino-British trade of opium,</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">silk and porcelain. Rishi’s Earl Grey blends bold-flavored Yunnan Dian Hong </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">harvested from antique tea trees with natural Bergamot citrus from Southern</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Italy.</span></li>
</ul><br />
<span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><u>African Rooibos:</u></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> A South African tea made from the red bush plant. It is a completely</span><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">caffeine-free herb tea that, when brewed properly, has a brilliant red infusion</span><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and a sweet nutty finishing flavor. </span></span><br />
<br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Blueberry Rooibos - African rooibos and real, wild blueberries in a perfect balance provide</span> <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">tart, juicy, and naturally sweet flavors that taste great hot or iced. It is </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">artfully hand-blended in small batches using only 100% naturally </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">caffeine-free botanicals and artisan herbal tea-blending techniques.</span></li>
</ul><br />
<span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><u>Caffeine-Free Botanical Blends:</u></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Mild-tasting infusions of wild herbs and flowers are often served before a tea ceremony to cleanse the palate and the soul before the tea is served.</span></span><br />
<br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Peppermint - Peppermint leaves produced from Washington state. The Pacific Northwest</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">variety of Peppermint in the most aromatic and potent form of this world-</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">renowned mint variety. Mint is prepared like a tea throughout the world. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Serene Dream - A balance of botanicals and aromatic flowers with a smooth body.</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></li>
</ul><br />
<span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><u>Oolong:</u></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> The oolong tea category is defined as a group of semi-oxidized teas whose manufacturing style ranges between green and black teas.</span></span><br />
<br />
<ul><li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wuyi - The cliffs of Northern Fujian’s Wuyi Mountains are an important tea producing area</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">with a long history. Oolong tea was first produced in Wuyi and this region’s soil type,</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">microclimate and unique tea bushes produce exquisite oolong. Rishi’s Wuyi tea has a</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">smooth and rich body with a classical roasted aroma and sweet finish, known as</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wuyi Qi Lan or “Profound Orchid,” its flavor is quite unique with sweet notes of raisin</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">sugar, honeysuckle, and roasted barely.</span></li>
</ul><span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">Visit their </span></span><a href="http://www.rishi-tea.com/" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; white-space: pre-wrap;">website</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">or <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rishi-Tea/39035256828">Facebook page</a> for more info on these teas or the many, many other kinds they have available! </span></span>the L'Etoile and Graze Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08701188785045774217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886677189050875556.post-32635371746293807302012-03-05T10:30:00.000-08:002012-03-05T10:30:29.546-08:00Producers Series: Sassy Cow Creamery<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Welcome to the first of many in our <i>Producers Series</i>, where we detail all the great Wisconsin producers who supply our delicious, local ingredients year round. </span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></b><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3VWyQNHPpZ4/T1UD9_UjI7I/AAAAAAAAAKA/KKwgxTjxtrI/s1600/sassy+cow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3VWyQNHPpZ4/T1UD9_UjI7I/AAAAAAAAAKA/KKwgxTjxtrI/s400/sassy+cow.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.sassycowcreamery.com/Index.htm">Sassy Cow Creamery</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><b id="internal-source-marker_0.7718321529682726"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">information gathered by Alicia Hamilton, server at Graze; complied by Samantha Egelhoff</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sassy Cow Creamery is a 3rd generation Columbus, Wisconsin family-owned dairy farm, founded in 1946 and run today by two brothers, James and Robert Baerwolf, and their families. At the core of their operation is the belief that all decisions should be made with the cows’ best interests at heart, and it shows in all of their dairy products.</span></b></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Currently, they run two separate farms, a conventional herd and an organic herd, as well as their creamery with a built-in dairy store, where they are able to offer ice cream, butter, half-n-half, and cream all created from the leftover butterfat from milk production.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Their conventional herd began as 50 cows in the 1990s, growing recently to over 400. They are housed in a sand-bedded freestall barn and are allowed to pasture in good weather. Antibiotics are only used when an individual health problem arises, but the milk is kept out of production during this treatment period, and only until the milk is tested completely free of antibiotics, will it be used again. The pastures the conventional herd feeds on are treated with a few herbicides to stop weed growth. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The organic herd was begun in 2000 as the demand for organic dairy started to rise. Today they have 100 organically raised cows, their diet consisting mainly of grass from organic pastures. Sassy Cow uses no antibiotics on their organic herd, or any herbicides or commercial fertilizers on the cows’ feeding pastures.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZNrpfdmTEbA/T1UERhW-4yI/AAAAAAAAAKI/R1ahbMk2kfQ/s1600/pasture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZNrpfdmTEbA/T1UERhW-4yI/AAAAAAAAAKI/R1ahbMk2kfQ/s400/pasture.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.sassycowcreamery.com/Index.htm">Sassy Cow Creamery</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Both herds are </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">never</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> treated with bovine growth hormone (rBGH), and are treated with the same love and compassion they have extended to all their cows since the beginning. Each of their cows’ milk is tested monthly for quality, leading Sassy Cow to have “100% confidence in all of the milk [they] produce, organic or traditional.” They are happy to be able to supply milk for you and your family, whichever kind you prefer, from cows that are treated with the utmost respect. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here at L’Etoile and Graze, the milk we use is from Sassy Cow Creamery, as well as our cream, half-n-half and delicious cheese curds. We are proud to work with them. Thank you for supporting local farmers!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Visit their wonderfully informative <a href="http://www.sassycowcreamery.com/Index.htm">website</a> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">or their <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sassy-Cow-Creamery/53518889031">Facebook page</a> for updates, photos and more!</span>the L'Etoile and Graze Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08701188785045774217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886677189050875556.post-76531038894916012752011-11-07T10:48:00.000-08:002011-11-07T10:49:41.283-08:00Thanksgiving, the Most Wonderful Time of the Year<div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">by Tory Miller, Executive Chef & Co-Owner</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">Thanksgiving is fast approaching; there are only a few shopping days left! This may come as a shocker, but Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Food, football, and family, what else could you want? I know that many families have their own unique and celebrated traditions: how you cook the almighty bird, what side dishes you make, what you must have or must never have, and what time you eat and take a nap. Holidays are about these traditions; maybe what makes the holidays what they are, is always going to the same person’s house, sitting around that table and enjoying those same dishes that our families have enjoyed from generation to generation. We wait all year for these gatherings, to get a chance to experience the same giddiness as we did years past, the smells alone evoking all of the previous year’s and memories, that one magical time when we get to eat as much turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and yes, green bean casserole as we can fit on our plates. So with all of this in mind, I write to share just a few of my favorite things to fill my table with on Thanksgiving.</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p1"><br />
<span class="s1">Let's talk turkey. I start with the farm. There are many great farmers out there raising many a great tasting bird. L'Etoile has had a long standing relationship with our friends, the Smith family from Blue Valley Gardens in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin. Matt and Susan raise a heritage breed bronze turkey. Full-flavored and great white-meat-to-dark-meat ratios give these birds a great appeal for me. I love dark meat, but many like white, so we can all get what we like from one bird. Heritage breed and heirloom variety of everything you can think of have become a very popular way of marketing and selling vegetables and meats for the better part of the last decade. But like any ingredient, pick the best you can find, at the price you can afford, don't get caught up in labels, and try to think about its source. We all know the philosophy − local, small, fresh, all that business − so regardless of what bird you get, farm-raised or 12-cents-a-pound-frozen from your local grocery, I recommend a brine. Brining is like mixing a marinade with a cure; it adds seasoning and flavor, as well the all important moisture factor. (I know, no one has ever experienced a dry turkey, right?) The brine that I use is 2 parts kosher salt (4 cups) to 1 part sugar (white or brown 2 cups), 15 bay leaves, 2 cinnamon sticks, equal parts coriander, black peppercorns, cloves, all spice, star anise. For one turkey I use a five gallon pickle bucket (you can also try a cooler in the garage, or someplace that will keep the brine at 41 degrees or below, not freezing though) and about 3 gallons of liquid. I usually bring the liquid to a boil with all the ingredients and then chill it down to 40 degrees and then drop the turkey in. (Tip: bring about half the liquid to a boil, then add ice to make up the difference in volume, saves on cooling time and makes sure that the brine is cold enough.) The turkey should brine for at least 2 days, if you can do more that's awesome. I did one once for 2 weeks; it kind of tasted like ham, delicious but a different animal for sure. The reason for the brine is not only for flavor, but also for moisture. The salt naturally pulls moisture out of the bird, but the laws of equilibrium replace that moisture with the brine liquid. This continues to happen for the duration of the brining time, until the bird reaches equilibrium, basically equal parts moisture inside as outside. This changes the way the turkey is going to taste as well as how it is going to cook. If you can let the turkey sit under refrigeration for a day before cooking to allow the outside to dry, that is awesome. If not, do your best to towel that bad boy off before putting it in the oven. When I cook turkey, I heat the oven as high as it can go, rub all over the skin with vegetable oil (I know you want to use butter, but that burns the outside. If you must use butter, slide some at room temperature under the skin of the breasts. That will give you all the butter love but none of the butter burn), put the bird in and cook it for 30 minutes. This jump starts the turkey, searing the outside and trapping the moisture in. Then reduce that oven temp to 325 and cook it for about another hour. Do not open the oven to check on it; all that does is cool the oven down and slow down the cooking. (This is for like a 20 pounder or less, obviously the bigger the turkey, and depending on oven, it may or may not take longer. Get a instant read thermometer. After an hour, take the temp. According to the health department it needs to be 165 to be done. I pull it out at 155-160 and let it rest up.) Why does it cook so fast you might ask? The added moisture in the meat from the brine help "simmer" the meat from the inside out, reducing the cooking time and the searing of the skin in the initial heat blast helps trap in all those juices, resulting in a super delicious, extra juicy turkey. (Extra bonus, the leftovers are juicy too!) The final turkey tip I can give you is: Let it rest! When it comes out of the oven all those juices are moving around in there, if you leave it alone they'll calm down and settle into the meat, if you cut into it, they'll only have one place to go: out of the meat, leaving it dry and considerably less delicious.</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p1"><br />
<span class="s1">Alright, on to the sides. I can waste time talking about recipes and methods for stuffing, sweet potatoes, squash, gravy, red cabbage and green bean casserole...but we all have our own traditions, and I know that people will still use the canned cream of mushroom soup and French's fried onions regardless of what any chef, fancy magazine spread, or blog tells us is the newest and best way to make it. So it goes back to sourcing for me. The Dane County Farmer's Market may have just had it’s last outdoor market for the year, but that doesn't mean all the delicious treats are done for the season and we have to flock to Whole Foods or the Co-op to get our locally grown, sustainably raised, and organic ingredients. The Market moves into the Monona Terrace until after Christmas and is still quite amazing. There is an incredible selection of mushrooms, squashes, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, pumpkins, cheeses and everything else you would need to complete your celebrations. (It kind of sucks that green bean season was over like a month and a half ago though.) Unfortunately, our cranberry farmers, the Wetherby's, typically only come to the outdoor market, so if you were thinking ahead this week and have cranberries staking out territory in your freezer, kudos to you. If you weren’t as prepared (and your tradition doesn’t involves needing to see the ridges from the can of cranberries in order to feel complete), you may have to look into another option to get local cranberries. Other than that, all of these great things should be in pretty bountiful supply at the indoor market at the Monona Terrace.</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1">The reason for this meal is to celebrate what it is we have to be thankful for, as families, individuals and as people in general. I would like to take an opportunity to say that this is that one time of the year where it isn’t about what you’re eating, or who made it, or how they made it, where it was raised or how it was treated in the growing process, or all of those other things that are food politically correct. It should be about celebrating that you actually have a meal to sit down to, that you have family and friends to share this time with, and that your family culinary traditions should always live on, even if it is only for one meal a year. </span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p1"><br />
<span class="s1">Happy Thanksgiving everybody, and of course Bon Appetito.</span><br />
<span class="s1"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="s1"><br />
</span></div>the L'Etoile and Graze Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08701188785045774217noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886677189050875556.post-77438450175975607472011-10-24T08:10:00.000-07:002011-10-25T11:52:38.458-07:00Pork-A-Palooza: Butchering 101<div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">by Rachel Boothby, L'Etoile server</span></div><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KUQBbXp_XvE/TqV3Jo7RNII/AAAAAAAAAFI/q25Ms3Ykd_o/s1600/Picture+010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KUQBbXp_XvE/TqV3Jo7RNII/AAAAAAAAAFI/q25Ms3Ykd_o/s320/Picture+010.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Butchering 101</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The pig lay in “primal” pieces on the butcher-block countertop. A head, a shoulder, a side, a butt, two hooves, appearing much too dainty to have carried the two-hundred pound Mangalitsa pig displayed in front of me. Skin, shaved smooth, covered fat in some places several inches thick, deposited through months of eating whey and acorns. By all accounts present, this pig was a perfect specimen. I found the carcass, while unsettlingly raw and pink, somehow beautiful. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JAD2DCPzViw/TqV4DAcahnI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/CVP7a_WYNCY/s1600/Picture+059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JAD2DCPzViw/TqV4DAcahnI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/CVP7a_WYNCY/s320/Picture+059.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The painstaking process of skinning</td></tr>
</tbody></table>During “Butchering 101,” Chef Tory Miller and friend of the restaurant Pete Kelly led the L’Etoile staff through the process of breaking down several pigs obtained from Uplands Dairy in L’Etoile’s kitchen. Having already perfected the art of creating raw milk from Jersey cows (the envy of all dairies in Wisconsin) and produced two highly sought-after award-winning cheeses, Uplands Dairy had expanded its operation to recapture some of the waste produced during the cheesemaking process. <div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Pigs, as it turns out, love the whey that is produced in abundance by Uplands cheesemakers. And when pigs love something, they consume it by the trough-ful, becoming the obese individuals that chefs prize so dearly. These pigs had spent their lifetime eating, and now the tables had turned. </div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jlhLa74lFIM/TqV-KEkp5gI/AAAAAAAAAG4/QZS_vmg4Mjs/s1600/Picture+055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jlhLa74lFIM/TqV-KEkp5gI/AAAAAAAAAG4/QZS_vmg4Mjs/s320/Picture+055.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stephen working with the handsaw</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xBAUllIiZpg/TqV3kDmSddI/AAAAAAAAAFY/RLOFk2R8fxw/s1600/Picture+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xBAUllIiZpg/TqV3kDmSddI/AAAAAAAAAFY/RLOFk2R8fxw/s320/Picture+018.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chef Tory explains the different cuts</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Using handsaws, we cut between the vertebrae. Carving through the massive proportions of fat, we revealed the pork chops—thirteen ounces of delicious meat. The trimmed-off fat was set aside, saved for later use. Two tenderloins were peeled from the inside of the ribcage, and sculpted into bright red cylinders. Sheets of fat were layered with peppercorns, salt, juniper berries, grated nutmeg and placed in the walk-in refrigerator to cure. Bacon was packed in brown sugar and spices, salt and maple. Brine was poured from 5-gallon buckets, submerging juicy, tender cuts of meat. </div></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lyNhqzk5Rcw/TqV3xL4VkHI/AAAAAAAAAFw/Xkg1iUcfeLc/s1600/Picture+039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lyNhqzk5Rcw/TqV3xL4VkHI/AAAAAAAAAFw/Xkg1iUcfeLc/s320/Picture+039.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brigitte works on skinning a leg</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
Each staff member, server and line cook alike, wore a white coat as we worked side by side to transform the pig into the various elements of charcuterie. Several months later, we knew we would painstakingly slice and arrange the coppa, prosciutto, lardo and pâté on a plate, carefully carry them a table, introduce them with pride to our guests, and watch as they are savored slowly by a group of friends. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mzdrBcsTLzg/TqV3sxhVMvI/AAAAAAAAAFo/YepDkC2Xanw/s1600/Picture+025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mzdrBcsTLzg/TqV3sxhVMvI/AAAAAAAAAFo/YepDkC2Xanw/s320/Picture+025.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rachel preparing pork chops </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For those of us who work at L’Etoile, whether in the kitchen, on the floor, in the office or behind the bar, what we do each day is a labor of love. When we create a plate of charcuterie, or any other dish, the raw ingredients come from friends whose farms we’ve visited and whose products we are intimately familiar with. We are respectful of our food, the people who grow and raise it, and, in this case, the pig whose life had ended to make our artistry possible.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></div>the L'Etoile and Graze Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08701188785045774217noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886677189050875556.post-33758536741423674862011-10-19T09:22:00.000-07:002011-10-20T07:34:32.019-07:00Three Boys Named Sous<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">by L'Etoile cook, Marcelle Richards</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Meet Mike, Aaron and Ryan, L’Etoile’s sous chefs past, future and present.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">On Saturday, L’Etoile said goodbye to former sous chef Mike Balistrieri, as Aaron Mayhew makes his debut this week to work alongside L’Etoile veteran Ryan Klawitter.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Outside of the restaurant industry, I find that people are sometimes unclear about what a sous chef does, and they do <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a lot.</i> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">While Chef Tory takes care of the grand picture for both restaurants, the sous chefs are the less publically known but ever-present support who hold L’Etoile’s standards high even when Chef Tory is out of the kitchen. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“If Tory was the head of the kitchen, the sous chefs would be the hands and the cooks would be the fingers,” said Mike Balistrieri as he flashes a smile. “I’ve been thinking of that one.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Despite the physicality of their work, it’s a great deal of heart that keeps them in it.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">They’re the ones who are often at work by late morning before the line cooks arrive and they often stay just as late, making sure the restaurant is not only prepared for that day’s service but for long term needs as well.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mike, and now, Aaron, function as on-line (as in on the cooking line) leader, helping cooks during rushes, or filling in for stations and helping with prep needs.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ryan more so takes care of much of the restaurant’s ordering, purveyor relations, plus tasting and checking food as it’s prepared and sent out. With a relish for pickling, preserving, and charcuterie, he loves to dabble with seasonal produce and items that might otherwise be wasted, like offal or meat scrap, to utilize products to their fullest potential.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Between he and Jed Heubel, he says they make about 90 percent of the restaurant’s charcuterie: <span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">pâtés</span>, sausages, and cured meats. “That’s definitely one of my favorite things, right there,” he said. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5HHCoBtzmH0/Tp72ppIy8zI/AAAAAAAAAFA/gKtoRieygoE/s1600/Picture+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5HHCoBtzmH0/Tp72ppIy8zI/AAAAAAAAAFA/gKtoRieygoE/s320/Picture+007.jpg" width="201" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sous chef Ryan and his pig head</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ryan looked like a kid at Christmas when six Uplands whey-fed, acorn-finished hogs arrived on Friday, only inside his box were six, dare I say, smiling, pigs heads. They really did look happy, as I would be too, I thought, if I had been fattened on Uplands whey. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
“TV makes being a chef a glamorous thing but it’s really hard work. It’s also really rewarding especially if you love what you do,” he said. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Aside from a sense of duty and working for a chef he greatly respects, he’s found that he also enjoys the teaching aspect, which perhaps is something I’ve benefited from most directly as an intern. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When I think of Ryan, he’s the person who’s made me a better taster. When I bring something to Ryan to taste, I may have to make corrections, or even start over, but each is a learning experience that’s helped me better understand the nuances of what makes flavors balance. It’s Ryan’s eagle eye for detail, too, that’s really hit home the mantra that I believe does separate L’Etoile from others, and that is, as he’s said to me and others: “If it’s not right, don’t send it out.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ryan likes Ben and Jerry’s, Danzig and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pickles and Preserves </i>by Marion Brown.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mike has been somewhat of the mother hen figure to me. On the line when I’ve felt like the rush was getting the better of me, Mike has been there to say, “We’re going to get through this. It’s fun.” There’s a calm about working with Mike, and I think most will agree, that makes him a person who leads by quiet example. It’s he who helped me to learn to keep calm and carry on...and to have fun. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of my favorite memories of Mike is of him shouting German sentences in the kitchen on request – it’s quite possibly the only time he’s seemed remotely scary.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
Mike likes mushroom foraging, roux and his Jeep, Andy. </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TSD8VAknSzA/Tp72okTpclI/AAAAAAAAAE4/fAqpT8L2qC8/s1600/Picture+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TSD8VAknSzA/Tp72okTpclI/AAAAAAAAAE4/fAqpT8L2qC8/s320/Picture+003.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sous chef Mike and his cleaver</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I know we’ll all miss him and his beloved cleaver. Most chefs use…chef’s knives – which Mike does use sometimes, he says, but even at the expense of some good-humored jabbing, the cleaver is still his baby. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The whole cleaver trend started, Mike said, when the kitchen was more crowded and the blunt-headed cleaver seemed like a less potentially pokey tool to wield.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“It just feels right in your hand,” he said emphatically.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mike is moving to Appleton to be with his other love, his fiancée Janine. He doesn’t yet know where he’ll be working but he knows he’ll stay in the restaurant industry. He says he’ll miss the team mentality at L’Etoile – a rarity in a kitchen, he notes. “This is by far the most professional, driven kitchen I’ve worked in…we’re all here because we want to make this restaurant the best we could,” he said.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Aaron shares in Mike and Ryan’s appreciation for the hard-working environment that is the L’Etoile kitchen and loves developing relationships with farmers and working with the top-notch products they provide. He graduated from the Culinary Arts program from Madison College in 2008 and has been at L’Etoile since August 2010. “It’s finally an opportunity – seeing as I kind of came up from the bottom – to instill the knowledge I’ve been taught and pass that onto others,” he said.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AZ6UO9l6sBQ/Tp72mwGPfYI/AAAAAAAAAEw/8V9O9fiqwjw/s1600/P1010185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AZ6UO9l6sBQ/Tp72mwGPfYI/AAAAAAAAAEw/8V9O9fiqwjw/s320/P1010185.JPG" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">new sous chef Aaron</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Although I haven’t yet worked as closely with Aaron, in my eyes he’s been a big contributor to the team environment in the kitchen. When I first started out, I remember Aaron going out of his way to check in about how I was doing on the line and gave me encouragement after some tough nights. As a cook, he wants to know from the front of the house how diners are enjoying their food and experience, and he communicates with other cooks to make sure everyone is feeling ready for service. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Given the decision to hire from within versus without, Chef Tory notes that “it’s always best when someone knows the restaurant, knows the system, knows how I like things done…plus Aaron’s a good guy.”</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Aaron’s goal is “to not have this restaurant skip a beat” as he steps in to help the restaurant continue to develop systems and “achieve even higher quality.” </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">His cousins recently dined at L’Etoile and they said it was one of the best meals they’d ever had, and knowing that his food will mean something special to those who eat it is one of the job’s greatest payoffs to him. He said he always tries to keep that in mind, and that’s really what the job is all about. <br />
<br />
Aaron likes – no, loves – the Packers. Crispy duck skin and Phish are right up there as well. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So what is it that sous chefs here do? They do things right.</div>the L'Etoile and Graze Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08701188785045774217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886677189050875556.post-28795314234360391152011-10-14T09:54:00.000-07:002011-10-14T10:53:17.487-07:00James Beard House Dinner, October 6th, 2011<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Brigitte Fouch, L'Etoile cook</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This last week, L'Etoile had the honor of cooking at the <i>James Beard House</i> in New York City. The foundation hosts 200 dinners each year and Tory, being nominated for <i>Best Chef in the Midwest</i>, was asked to be a guest chef. So, we packed some coolers with some of the best products Wisconsin has to offer and set off for the Big Apple. </div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">We were waiting nervously at the baggage carousel in LaGuardia airport and, almost in unison, let loose a sigh of relief when all four of our checked coolers and bag of dry goods and chef coats arrived, completely intact. After checking into our hotel in Brooklyn, we departed to meet up with Chef Tory (who was already in New York for <i>Autism Speaks</i> and <i>Star Chefs</i>). We caught our first glimpse of the island city skyline as we approached the Williamsburg Bridge. Taking a taxi into Manhattan in the middle of the afternoon proved to be not the most efficient mode of transportation, but we were all happy to take in the sites while stuck in traffic. We met Chef Tory at his friend's restaurant, <i>Brasserie 8½</i> and went over the menu for the dinner, taking inventory of all the items we would need. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dj7FkotoUaw/TphlShFEPXI/AAAAAAAAABg/YiNRuACpEJU/s1600/318628_2276381561564_1609487877_32225277_203400445_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dj7FkotoUaw/TphlShFEPXI/AAAAAAAAABg/YiNRuACpEJU/s320/318628_2276381561564_1609487877_32225277_203400445_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit Brigitte Fouch</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">That night we had an amazing meal at one of Chef Tory's favorite spots,<i> Diner</i>. The food we ate and service and hospitality we experienced put us all in the mood to spend the next day in the kitchen! ...Which is exactly what we did.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Chef and Aaron started early and transported all the coolers from <i>Brasserie 8½</i> to the <i>James Beard House</i> located in West Village. The rest of us arrived a bit later and began prep. Between the six of us and three volunteers from a local culinary school, the kitchen was packed. We had a comfortable amount of time to prep and handle any unexpected obstacles, which are inevitable in the kitchen. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N_Mn9quSD2c/Tphm7nukH1I/AAAAAAAAACo/EBPNwkNcTzE/s1600/20111006-DSC_0200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-N_Mn9quSD2c/Tphm7nukH1I/AAAAAAAAACo/EBPNwkNcTzE/s320/20111006-DSC_0200.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit Tom Kirkman</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Each of the five courses featured local products sourced from both Wisconsin and New York and was expertly paired with some of L'Etoile's favorite wines. We also prepared five hors d'oeuvres to serve during a cocktail hour as guests arrived. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The <i>James Beard House</i> is in fact the town house which James Beard once lived in. Because of this, dining arrangements are...creative. Tables are set up throughout the house in various rooms and guests must pass through the kitchen in order to reach the dining areas. Guests began to arrive around 7pm and enjoyed hors d'oeuvres until the first course was served promptly at 8pm. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here's what we dished up:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4dWdK9e1pVU/TphmzsMfq0I/AAAAAAAAACg/xAcp15xNumE/s1600/20111006-DSC_0132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4dWdK9e1pVU/TphmzsMfq0I/AAAAAAAAACg/xAcp15xNumE/s320/20111006-DSC_0132.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit Tom Kirkman</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Pleasant Ridge Reserve Gougères with Prosciutto and Jam <br />
Pheasant Pâté with Dijon Mustard and Pickles <br />
Smoked Trout with Crème Fraîche, Chives, and Gaufrettes<br />
Dunbarton Blue, Pleasant Ridge Reserve, Alpine Renegade and Petit Frere with Honeycomb and Candied Hickory Nuts <br />
Deviled Eggs with Crispy Pork Belly and Smoked Paprika <br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nigl Sparkling Grüner Veltliner NV</i> <br />
<br />
Fountain Prairie Farm Beef Carpaccio with Pea Vines, Pickled Mushrooms, Crispy Shallots, Brioche Croutons, and Dunbarton Blue Cheese<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Comtesse Bernard de Cherisey Red Burgundy 2008</i><br />
<br />
Butternut Squash Parmigiana with Mozzarella, Duck Confit, and Spiced Tomato Sauce<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Casanova di Neri Sangiovese 2008 </i><br />
<br />
Orecchiette with Homemade Sweet Sausage, Autumn Chicories, and Bleu Mont Dairy Raw Milk Cheddar<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling 2008 </i><br />
<br />
Dry Aged New York Strip Steak with Sweet Potato Puree, Brussels Sprouts, Spicy Peanuts, and Buttermilk Blue Cheese Crumbles<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Turley Howell Mountain Rattlesnake Ridge Zinfandel 2009</i><br />
<br />
Apple Brown Betty with Hook’s 15-Year Cheddar, Bourbon Ice Cream and Bacon Brittle<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Warre’s Otima 10-Year-Old Tawny Port NV</i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">After the last dish left the kitchen, confident that we did the Dairy State proud, we raised our glasses for a staff toast, gathered our things and headed out for our own celebration dinner at <i>Fatty 'Cue</i>. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6_L6ml-1UWg/TphlV7N43bI/AAAAAAAAACI/hdpP2loPMB8/s1600/IMG_5181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6_L6ml-1UWg/TphlV7N43bI/AAAAAAAAACI/hdpP2loPMB8/s320/IMG_5181.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit Brigitte Fouch</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Y-2KHahqmQ/TphlVTocUyI/AAAAAAAAACA/Z45EkTw5ciw/s1600/IMG_5171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6Y-2KHahqmQ/TphlVTocUyI/AAAAAAAAACA/Z45EkTw5ciw/s320/IMG_5171.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit Brigitte Fouch</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wyC7Rkqb8d4/TphlUilODOI/AAAAAAAAAB4/Zk4DMfYBSUU/s1600/IMG_5170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>On our last day in the city, we split up and all tried to take in as much as we could...and as much food as we could. Erin, Nic and Brent were able to have lunch at <i>Per Se</i>, a Thomas Keller restaurant in the Time Warner Building where one of our former sous chefs now works. I grabbed lunch to-go from <i>Bouchon Bakery</i> and found a spot in Central Park to enjoy my sandwich, macaroon and latte. While Aaron found a long line of patrons stretching out of a deli, figured it must be good, and joined the line. I know that none of us were disappointed in any of the food we enjoyed while in the city and I'm not sure how New Yorkers do not eat themselves broke in a city full to the brim of such wonderful food and restaurants.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Needless to say, we boarded the plane with full bellies and tired legs. We arrived to our connection in Milwaukee just in time to watch the Brewers secure their place in the League Championship Series before boarding our final plane back to Madison.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RUeDmgWEkfQ/TphmpJaPSbI/AAAAAAAAACY/9htxdXBP84A/s1600/20111006-DSC_0247-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RUeDmgWEkfQ/TphmpJaPSbI/AAAAAAAAACY/9htxdXBP84A/s320/20111006-DSC_0247-Edit.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit Tom Kirkman</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I think I can speak for the entire group when I say this was a trip I will never forget. I feel honored to have been a part of the team and immensely grateful for the opportunity cook at the <i>James Beard House</i>. On a personal note, I enjoyed working with everyone and enjoyed even more the dinners and drinks we shared while out on the town. </div>the L'Etoile and Graze Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08701188785045774217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886677189050875556.post-37939100195510562992011-09-19T07:54:00.000-07:002011-09-19T12:50:34.125-07:00Round Room: The Reclaimed Silo Bar at L’Etoile<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">Ruben Mendez, L'Etoile </span><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">Bartender</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"></span></strong></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's almost a stage, with it the ability to demonstrate the typical approach to the cocktail. Ingredients are always real and always carefully chosen. The approach is taken from everyday interactions and whims and research. As a stage, the black granite bar is supported by a reclaimed silo from a farm near Reedsburg, or so I was told by a nice couple who claimed to be, and most likely are, the parents of such an individual to take apart such things and put them back together in new and unique places. On a stage, proficiently and efficiently supplying cocktails classic and artisanal. Behind the stage, surrounded by competent, creative, professional contemporaries: a passion for stellar food and fine wine, a common bond that holds us together. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iimvvlcid_E/TndVdNHt24I/AAAAAAAAABY/GGDyLIb2ZX8/s1600/Ruben.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="209" rba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iimvvlcid_E/TndVdNHt24I/AAAAAAAAABY/GGDyLIb2ZX8/s320/Ruben.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">As a kid I'd often dreamt of becoming a chef; mostly because of the "Chef's Salad". Really, ham, cheese, egg, on a salad, sign me up! Then I wanted to be a baseball player; astronaut was next after watching the Disney movie Space Camp. Finally, ten years ago, when I was almost a grown up and living in New York, I caught the wine bug from a sommelier co-worker at a Bastianich restaurant. Year after year I learned more and more, always taking advantage of the wealth of knowledge I was surrounded by at various establishments. </span><span style="font-family: "Times", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That still continues daily with the resources afforded L'Etoile, what with Michael's expertise, Frank's charm, Nic's candor, Stephen's wine appreciation and of course Tory's reputation for outstanding cuisine. The staff at L'Etoile is proud to be a part of such a commended team and I am blessed to work my Dream Job. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Times", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3iTYD0NESYw/TndV-PLKurI/AAAAAAAAABc/EMuE9kdMm6k/s1600/021911_301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="266" rba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3iTYD0NESYw/TndV-PLKurI/AAAAAAAAABc/EMuE9kdMm6k/s400/021911_301.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">I only know a few people who really look forward to going to work. And Aaron Rodgers asked me to stop calling him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So that leaves about five. The four others also work at L’Etoile. Yes, I look forward to going to work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There's always something to learn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Restaurant gossip is straight nerdy; where we ate last week, the great new tacos around the corner, underpriced wine at the place across the square, former co-workers new families. Or we talk about what to read; The NY Times Wednesday Dining Section and Isthmus' Dining Scene are almost mandatory weekly readings for the front of house staff. All sorts of food, wine, booze and beer articles get emailed around. Books on all topics food and beverage are brought in, shared, loaned, spilt on, returned. Individual research on cheese, our farmers, local beer, wine, and everything else L’Etoile goes on daily. </span><span style="font-family: "Times", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I never had a dream job before. As the saying goes, location, location, location and the Round Room that I found, might just be that place.</span> </span><span style="font-family: "Times", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Times", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">Months ago I received a forwarded email from a customer inquiring about a cocktail "The T. M. (Flip)". Am very sorry for the delay and hope you are reading this. </span><span style="font-family: "Times", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JNfuxuy7gCo/TndTLKMk9nI/AAAAAAAAABU/UmnLasBcKNk/s1600/cocktail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" rba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JNfuxuy7gCo/TndTLKMk9nI/AAAAAAAAABU/UmnLasBcKNk/s320/cocktail.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">The T. M. (Flip)</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">I created this drink after Talish (Graze’s GM) refused to amuse Chef's folly to put maple syrup, Door County Montmorency Cherry juice, Maker's Mark and an egg together in a cocktail. Or so Tory told me. That's exactly what I did. </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"></span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">1 1/2 oz Makers Mark</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">3/4 oz maple syrup (the syrup I use at L'Etoile is cut by 50% with 160•f water to change its viscosity and make it a little less sweet)</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">3/4 oz Door County Montmorency Cherry juice (can be purchased at the Willy St. Co-op)</span><span style="font-family: "Times", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 egg white (large egg [this is an approximation. I never use all of the egg white behind the bar, just the first few gloops {yes, gloop is a technical term in the field of mixology (which I don’t believe in)}]). </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><span style="font-family: "Arial", "sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Measure all ingredients into a shaker. Shake vigorously, longer than normal to "whip" the egg white. Strain into a cocktail glass and serve. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>the L'Etoile and Graze Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08701188785045774217noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886677189050875556.post-868834551842038372011-09-12T08:26:00.000-07:002011-09-12T08:30:09.725-07:00Fountain Prairie Farm<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Mikey Kolodzej, L'Etoile cook</strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last summer, I came to Madison for the first time as an intern from Culinary School to start working at L’Etoile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I moved in on a Friday, in June, and decided to hit up the market the next day with my Dad. We walked around, and eventually made our way past the Fountain Prairie Farm stand. At that point in time, I was familiar with the menu at L’Etoile , and knew that the relationship between Fountain Prairie Farm and the restaurant was pretty important, and that we solely featured their beef.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I stopped, introduced myself to John and Dorothy Priske, the owners and operators of the farm, and told them I’d be spending the next 5 months at L’Etoile. They both personally welcomed me to Wisconsin, and were the first people in Madison that I had really even spoken to. I hadn’t even met Chef Tory yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They both wished me luck and assured me that I would see them around quite often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From that moment on I felt a connection to them, and to their products. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IWc7FDxH99w/Tm4hYZQKQFI/AAAAAAAAABE/ZLOwmhwz4Wk/s1600/Scottish+Highland+Cattle+from+Fountain+Prairie+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IWc7FDxH99w/Tm4hYZQKQFI/AAAAAAAAABE/ZLOwmhwz4Wk/s320/Scottish+Highland+Cattle+from+Fountain+Prairie+02.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Later that summer, the whole restaurant staff went on a field trip to Fountain Prairie Farm. It was a beautiful Sunday. I was in a terrible mood from the start, because my beloved Indianapolis Colts had lost earlier that day, but the second I set foot on that farm all thoughts of prior misfortune on the gridiron were completely wiped and were replaced with feelings of wonder and awe at the things I was seeing on this farm. Growing up in Indiana, I had become all too familiar with the world of factory farms. Farms like Fountain Prairie are one of a kind. The cows (gorgeous furry highland cattle) are free to roam about a large natural pasture with wetlands, tall grass, and rolling hills. We all rode out to one corner of the property, stood on top of a hill, and looked out over the farm. At that point in time I was actually jealous of these animals. They got to live in one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen. They got to roam freely over the property, grazing and relaxing in the sun. This was CERTAINLY nothing like the farms I had seen driving though rural Indiana, and these cows looked nothing like the ones I had seen all too regularly, tied to posts on show at the Indiana State Fair. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_scNaizzSnY/Tm4hwZZ60mI/AAAAAAAAABI/De53UIej8Y8/s1600/ol%2527+Gretchen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_scNaizzSnY/Tm4hwZZ60mI/AAAAAAAAABI/De53UIej8Y8/s320/ol%2527+Gretchen.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The whole staff spent the entire day at the farm. There was a barbecue, a keg, and good times to be shared by all, but I spent the majority of my time on the farm in solitude, admiring the animals. I stood next to the finishing pen, where the cattle that are closest to slaughter are kept, and they all looked me in the eye. The cows would back away, in fear. Not one of them would set foot within 20 feet of me. They were scared of me, and I wanted to be able to comfort them. Each one was eyeing me. I felt guilt: guilt that these wonderful animals would be giving their lives to feed people like me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At that moment, something in my head clicked. I realized why I was here, why I was in Madison, why I was working at L’Etoile, and why I had spent a beautiful Sunday at Fountain Prairie Farm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My goal as a cook instantly became to make sure that these animals didn’t die in vain. I promised to make sure that whether I was roasting beef bones for stock like I did as an intern, or cooking and plating the crispy orange beef tongue dish currently on the menu, (My favorite dish on the current menu!) that I would do everything in my power to not let the integrity of that beef be diminished in any way. It honestly became extremely personal. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I make a mistake, not only am I letting myself, the rest of the kitchen, and the guests down because that beef has to go into the garbage, I am also letting that steer down. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I think that’s part of the magic of L’Etoile, and farmers like John and Dorothy, and Madison as a city for that matter. There are beautiful products here that people are and rightfully should be proud of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was in New York for culinary school and there, it’s less about the ingredients themselves and more about the cook’s ability to manipulate the ingredients to make them more desirable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here, the less we do, the better. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s products like Fountain Prairie Farm beef, and people like John and Dorothy, and the L’Etoile kitchen staff, who take pride in doing things the right way, that made me want to ask for a full time job back at L’Etoile after I graduated. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kESPH7jZUrg/Tm4h8wSowhI/AAAAAAAAABQ/PZ7K0QU8qYQ/s1600/IMG_0633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nba="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kESPH7jZUrg/Tm4h8wSowhI/AAAAAAAAABQ/PZ7K0QU8qYQ/s320/IMG_0633.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Déjà vu. I moved back to Madison on a Friday, three weeks ago. I walked around the market with my Dad the following Saturday, stopped by the Fountain Prairie stand and before I could say anything, John reached out to shake my hand, and welcomed me back to Madison. It feels great to be back. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>People of Madison, listen to me. You don’t know how lucky you are. We don’t have beef anywhere near this great in Indiana, or even New York. Take advantage of it. Come to L’Etoile and order a steak or the beef tongue or the carpaccio. (Or all three!) Come to Graze and order a burger or a steak. Go to the market and buy short ribs or steaks (I currently have several pounds of oxtails in my freezer for a rainy day) from John and Dorothy, they’re wonderful people and will answer any questions you have. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This beef is truly something that is meant to be savored. It tastes the way beef is meant to taste, because the cows are raised the way they are meant to be raised. The flavor can really only be described as “beefy” and has a slight mineral finish that it picks up from the rich land that the farm is located on. Terroir at its finest. It’s a beautiful system, and beautiful meat. And I, for one, am personally honored to be able to cook it for you. </span></div><img height="72" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kESPH7jZUrg/Tm4h8wSowhI/AAAAAAAAABQ/PZ7K0QU8qYQ/s200/IMG_0633.JPG" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 552px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 582px; visibility: hidden;" width="96" /><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R4FbVUoC6oA/Tm4hzcbvPLI/AAAAAAAAABM/1ZtUlTYGtkk/s1600/P6190144.1jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R4FbVUoC6oA/Tm4hzcbvPLI/AAAAAAAAABM/1ZtUlTYGtkk/s320/P6190144.1jpg.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Visit John, Dorothy and their Scottish Highland Cows at their farm in Fall River, Wi.</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And stay at their beautiful inn!</span></div><a href="http://www.fountainprairie.com/"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.fountainprairie.com/</span></a>the L'Etoile and Graze Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08701188785045774217noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886677189050875556.post-50072119629144196832011-09-02T07:58:00.000-07:002011-09-02T07:58:35.121-07:00Watermelon!<div class="WordSection1"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Brigitte Fouch, L'Etoile Cook</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Watermelons are the quintessential summer fruit: 100% fun, refreshing and reminiscent. A summer isn’t complete until I’ve eaten almost an entire watermelon in one sitting, spitting the seeds into the lawn and letting the juice run down my hands. It’s one of those things I simply can’t resist. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div></div><div class="WordSection2"><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-025RMcOx0vM/TmDuBGjf_JI/AAAAAAAAABA/bSDGMO-WuwQ/s1600/watermelon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-025RMcOx0vM/TmDuBGjf_JI/AAAAAAAAABA/bSDGMO-WuwQ/s320/watermelon.jpg" width="320" xaa="true" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Luckily, watermelon is a guilt free indulgence! In fact, we might do well to indulge a little more often! They are packed with vitamins, especially A and C, and contain the most lycopene, a cancer fighting antioxidant, than any other fresh fruit. They are their own delicious multivitamin! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Watermelons, like pumpkins and squash, grow on sprawling vines with broad leaves. They can be round or oblong with crisp flesh that can be pink, yellow or even white! They range in size from just a few pounds (like our personal-size melons) to upwards of 90 pounds! The watermelon that holds the Guinness World Record is 268 pounds, although some unofficial records show melons weighing in at up to 290! Though they look quite tough, watermelons have to be hand harvested. Store your uncut melon at room temperature for several days and keep any extra cut melon covered and in the fridge. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Tips for choosing a watermelon</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS", "sans-serif"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Check the shape of the melon. A good watermelon has a symmetrical shape. It doesn't matter if the fruit is round or oval in shape, as long as it is symmetrical.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo4; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS", "sans-serif"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>It is also a good idea to press the skin of the watermelon in many different spots to test for firmness. Good watermelons will not have soft spots.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS", "sans-serif"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Dark green melons tend to be sweeter than those that are lighter in color.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS", "sans-serif"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Choose a melon that feels heavy for its size.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS", "sans-serif"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Look on the bottom of the melon. You will find a discolored spot where the melon was in contact with the ground while it was growing. If this spot is light green, the melon is not yet ripe. If the spot is a yellowish-white color, the melon is probably ripe.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.25in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Unicode MS", "sans-serif"; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can also tell if a watermelon is ripe by thumping it, if you know what you are listening for. When you thump the side of a ripe watermelon, it will sound as if the fruit is hollow. If you hear a thud or a tone that is high in pitch, look out! You're dealing with a fruit that isn't ripe!</span></div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Don't buy a watermelon that you know isn't ripe thinking it will be ripe by the time you eat it. It won't happen. Watermelons do not continue to ripen once they have been picked.</span></div></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Watermelon is great simply sliced and eaten, but there are many ways to enjoy watermelon. Because they are 92% water, they are a natural for blending and incorporating in to margaritas, spritzers, or lemonades and frozen into popsicles, granites or sorbets. One of my favorite summer drinks is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">watermelon aqua fresco</i>: blended watermelon, mint, sugar and citrus juice. Add a little vodka and you've got a party!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Watermelon flesh is easy to cut and can be presented in cubes, balls, triangles, batons, or large, thin slices. Cookie cutters can even be used to cut more elaborate shapes! </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Not many people know that even the rind and seeds are edible. Once pickled, the rind is a great addition to salads, with pork chops or as a crunchy snack on its own. In Asian countries, roasted watermelon seeds are either seasoned and eaten as a snack food, or ground up into cereal and used to make bread.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Growing up, my Grandpa (aka Papa) would always sprinkle salt on his watermelon; a practice I could never understand. I still haven't warmed up to the idea of salting my melon, but I do love to eat it with feta! The saltiness of the cheese brings out more of the melon's sweetness. If you are in need of a quick side dish to bring to a picnic, cut up watermelon and toss with crumbled feta cheese, thinly sliced red onion and mint. (Papa would probably still sprinkle some salt on it though). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">If you are feeling extra creative, watermelons are popular for carving. Visit <u><span style="color: navy; mso-ansi-language: #00FF;"><a href="http://www.watermelon.org/"><span class="Internetlink1"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><span style="color: navy;">www.watermelon.org</span></span></span></a></span></u> for instructions and design templates.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0in 0in 6pt;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">What interesting things have you been doing with watermelon this year?? </span></div>the L'Etoile and Graze Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08701188785045774217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886677189050875556.post-28053815339934563782011-08-29T09:37:00.000-07:002011-08-29T12:49:14.979-07:00Aloha at first sight?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Marcelle Richards, L’Etoile intern/cook</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span><br />
<br />
<div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Pacific, or Hawaiian, blue prawns on the L’Etoile menu make for happy mouthfuls in the dining room but jaws are agape in the kitchen as well.</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Those are the craziest things I’ve ever seen.” said Graze’s Natalie as I cleaned the prawns in their raw form. “They’re really cool.”</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought the same thing. I can’t stop looking at the prawns, which, as majestic as they are in a blushed spire of crustacean holiness on a grit cake, what diners don’t get to see is that as far as prawns go, these are the Ziggy Stardusts of the prawn world, harvested and beamed overnight to us from Hawaii from the Honolulu Fish Company in a holographic UV ray-bouncing shipping box that could only bode the spectacular inside.</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cleaning prawns isn’t glamorous. You’ve got to peel off the corsetry of overlapping shell in order to remove the “vein” (i.e. digestive tract) and if it’s at all possible to get the equivalent of rope burn from plucking antennae I think I’ve managed to pull that off. Still, I’ve volunteered to clean these guys multiple times because I like to. I can’t stop looking at them. </span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In their natural state, their bodies evoke a watercolor palette of oceanic blues, kelpy greens and a blaze of coral pink on the carapace. From their heads a serrated bayonet-like protrusion, or rostrum, makes me think of what would happen if a hungry fish tried to gulp one of these down – it would be like taking a toothpick to the roof of your mouth.</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5lvkMqTS2sQ/Tlu2w8hBwpI/AAAAAAAAAA4/fjF6q3M9Ob4/s1600/P1000957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5lvkMqTS2sQ/Tlu2w8hBwpI/AAAAAAAAAA4/fjF6q3M9Ob4/s320/P1000957.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">raw Pacific blue prawns</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each time I’ve cleaned them I’ve almost always had a passerby ask me a question about them; sometimes I knew the answer, sometimes not. </span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One person asked me the difference between a prawn and a shrimp, and although shrimp and prawns are related taxonomically (both are decapods, or crustaceans with ten legs) from there the two do differ slightly in brooding, segmentation etc. Ask someone who cooks with them and a prawn is more or less a big daddy shrimp and even the United Nation’s Food and Aquaculture Organization can vouch for the shakiness of layman definitions, which vary even geographically. </span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1">The Pacific blue prawns we get from the <a href="http://www.honolulufish.com/">Honolulu Fish Company</a> happen to be a real catch, which Sous Chef Mike Balistieri describes as being sweeter and more buttery than your run of the mill prawn. We cooks have a saying that “fat is flavor” and the blue prawns do make for good eating due to a relatively higher fat content, and of course, a talented kitchen staff.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1">Pacific blue prawns are only available seasonally from summer through early fall. </span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1">“They are very, very rare,” said <a href="http://www.honolulufish.com/">Honolulu Fish Company</a> sales representative William Grafton. “When we bring them in, which is pretty much on a daily basis, we sell out very quickly.”</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1">The <a href="http://www.honolulufish.com/">Honolulu Fish Company</a> specifically cultivates blue prawns that belong to a species called <i>Litopenaeus stylirostris</i>, and actually has a trademark protecting information surrounding their husbandry of the species since they run one of only a few farms producing this particular species, and at a very high quality at that. They boast meticulously high standards for freshness and sustainability (fish are line caught and shipped fresh; scallops and prawns are individually quick frozen per law.) </span></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LlM-lrvaqPs/Tlu20mk_1bI/AAAAAAAAAA8/drzol_kPMxI/s1600/P1000962.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LlM-lrvaqPs/Tlu20mk_1bI/AAAAAAAAAA8/drzol_kPMxI/s320/P1000962.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cooked prawns, featured on the L'Etoile menu</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="p1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1">Their Hawaiian blue prawns have entered numerous taste tests and is recognized as one of the best sashimi grade prawns available. So do jump at the chance to try them at L’Etoile and do squeeze their heads when you’re enjoying them – that’s why we leave them on! </span></span></div><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<br />
<div class="p1"><span class="s1"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Honolulu Fish Company</span></b></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Contact: William Grafton</span></span></div><div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1-888-475-6244 x. 254</span></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.honolulufish.com/"><span class="s3">www.honolulufish.com</span></a></span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5lvkMqTS2sQ/Tlu2w8hBwpI/AAAAAAAAAA4/fjF6q3M9Ob4/s1600/P1000957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5lvkMqTS2sQ/Tlu2w8hBwpI/AAAAAAAAAA4/fjF6q3M9Ob4/s1600/P1000957.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>the L'Etoile and Graze Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08701188785045774217noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886677189050875556.post-12120588818133126392011-08-26T14:35:00.000-07:002011-08-29T12:43:57.099-07:00Our New Home<div class="p1"><span class="s1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Tory Miller, Executive Chef and Co-Owner</span></span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p3"><span class="s1"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="s1">In October of 2003, I moved to Madison and walked up the stairs to the former location of L'Etoile restaurant. Coming from New York, I had most recently worked at Eleven Madison Park in Manhattan. I can remember walking into EMP for the first time, hearing about it as another of Danny Meyer's fantastic institutions from friends and reviews. The dining room was and is grand, in very sense of the word.</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p3"><span class="s1"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="s1">I was moving to Madison to get out of the city and to get closer to the ingredients and the cooking. I hadn't officially been hired by Chef Odessa, but we had an interview scheduled for the day after I arrived. I didn't know anything about Madison's dining scene or about Odessa, but friends assured me that she was great and her restaurant was amazing, an institution of the Midwest. </span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p3"><span class="s1"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="s1">Walking up those stairs, I didn't know what I was in store for . . . and it was not what I expected. Of course, it was the morning; the room had not yet been set up for service. The dark room was small, and smelled of smoke from the night before (yes, you could still smoke indoors then). </span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p3"><span class="s1"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="s1">From that day until last July, when we officially closed that location and moved into our new home at One South Pinckney, I kind of felt a nostalgia for the grand dining rooms of NYC. I did grow to love the old space though. I have so many great memories there; I cooked my favorite meal of my career when Michael Pollan was our guest. </span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p3"><span class="s1"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="s1">But flash forward to our new space. . . it's big, it's clean, it's bright, it's . . . grand.</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p3"><span class="s1"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="s1">The things I love about it haven't come easy. Traci Miller and Dianne Christensen spent countless hours and endured some of the most detailed meetings designing and the building our new home. The view from our windows, from either restaurant, are arguably the best in the city. But the happenings behind the scenes really make me happy. . . two amazing, bustling kitchens, 4 walk-in coolers, 2 bars making dope cocktails, an outdoor "Graze Garden". . . all coming together to make walking into work a dream come true. </span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p3"><span class="s1"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="s1">Just passing the first year anniversary of our move, I've been thinking a lot lately about my favorite things in the new space . . .</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p3"><span class="s1"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="s1">The plancha: aka the flat top. When we moved in, it was the first station I worked at Graze. It’s awesome to have a piece of equipment that’s always hot. I can test any new dish by just throwing it on the “flattie” and we’re good to go. I love sandwiches; everyone who knows me, knows this. I can throw any sandwich on there and it’s crunchy and delicious . . . immediately. I’m so happy we have it. With brunch as the most important meal of the day, we can make almost everything on our brunch menu on the flat top. </span><br />
<span class="s1"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="s1">It’s just awesome.</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p3"><span class="s1"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="s1">It’s also really nice to be able to have enough space to handle all the produce we have coming in. Our volume of eggs alone went from 4 cases a week to 11 cases a week with our move. But even with all the walk-ins we have now, space gets filled up quickly. As soon as you have some space, you need more.</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p3"><span class="s1">I also love the automatic shades in the dining room. I hear the 2010 Space Odyssey song in my head every time I hit the button and watch them rise. </span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p3"><span class="s1"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="s1">The booths in Graze are great too. They are reminiscent of a pig pen, which I love. </span>Speaking of Graze, I love our theme: Urban Farm. And paired with the country elements of the L’Etoile dining space, everything just comes together.</div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p3"><span class="s1"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="s1">The number one thing I love about the L’Etoile dining space are the round booths, mostly because of the homage to the former back bar of the old space with the intimate banquette seating. When I was a kid, we had these round booths at our diner, and I used to dream about having round tables like that in my own restaurant. At the same time, they are the only tables that don’t have tablecloths. It’s a much more causal feel, which is great. They’re just about eating dinner with the ones you love, instead of the grandeur and elegance of fine dining.</span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p3"><span class="s1"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="s1">Overall we’re still learning how to live and work in the spaces that have been built, and having a good time while doing it. </span></div><div class="p2"><span class="s1"></span></div><div class="p3"><span class="s1"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="s1">Thanks for the past year everyone; here’s to the next.</span></div>the L'Etoile and Graze Familyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08701188785045774217noreply@blogger.com1