• Miscellaneous

    The Half-Free Morel : Morchella Punctipes

    Classification & Identification: Still Waiting For Spring in Wisonsin While we cannot get into our snow covered woods just yet… We’ll look at the Half-Free Morel, which is often one of the first mushrooms of the Morchellaceae family in the Order Pezizales to pop through the foliage in spring. This classification of fungus represents all kinds of morels, some “Cup-shaped” fungi, the Verpa and several other shrooms. -Pezizales is defined and characterized by having an Asci – [A sac or crevice  in ascomycetes (any fungus…

  • Miscellaneous

    Ramps : A Sustainable Harvest

    Allium Tricoccum, AKA:The Ramp! One of the (if not thee) most recognizable wild edibles boasted by seasonally driven restaurants (toting fresh Spring menus) scattered about the northern hemisphere. The Ramp (known by many names; Wild Leek, Ramsons, Wild Garlic, Wood Leek or Spring Onion… just to name a few) has grown in popularity with the gastronomic explosion that has occurred over the past decade. Prior to this stardom, the delicacy was harvested for centuries heralded as the best kept secret of so many foragers past. An Ingredient from…

  • Miscellaneous

    Red Ace Beets : Infatuated with a Crimson Root

    It is too often that perception and preconceived ickiness stop people from truly understanding the beauty and full capacity of an ingredient. The Beet, in my opinion, is at the forefront of this dastardly sin. There are lovers and there are haters; It is the haters who are my motivators. The argument, “It tastes like dirt” is a popular scapegoat catchphrase. Simple understanding (and highschool catty undertones) can clear this up, right quick; Beets grow in dirt… Perhaps you shake it off before you eat…

  • Miscellaneous

    Winter Forage: Chaga – Inonotus obliquus

    I was first introduced to “Chaga” at the St. Paul Farmer’s Market, in Lowertown, many years ago on a trip to the cities. A gentleman with a table full of small 2 oz plastic portion cups which were also filling a trashcan next to him (not that it makes a huge difference, but it did kind of kill the  “hippy/natural holistic” vibe that he was selling) beckoned the Ol’ Lady and I from across the pavillion. He offered a sample of his “Chaga Tea.” He…

  • Miscellaneous

    Winter Work: Corzetti Stampae

    Story Time! I first came across this noodle many years ago, while working with an old Italian man that had palms the size of saute pans. His name was Raphael, his hands knew nothing more than how to make dollars. He was an “Old World” chef, turned owner with a heavy influence on his kitchen. I was implementing a butcher program and we spent hours standing side by side working over a shared prep space. He would talk to me in a way that married…

  • Cooking Techniques,  Miscellaneous

    Beef Tongue: Surprise Yourself

    Shortly after, and well into my ventures into Headcheese; I was left with the realization of how tantalizing the utilization of the tongue of a creature could truly be. In the head cheese, I found that throughout the loaf there was an accentuated richness and succulence in the portions with a high abundance of the tongue as well as the cheeks. These muscles in the animals head that were often worn and well exercised offered the robust, rich flavors that I often associated with a…

  • Miscellaneous

    Chicken Stock: Back to the Basics

    It is quite an interesting episode, the interactions between a person who is raised in a kitchen and a person who is not. Everything from their character, their heart, their presence, their look, their stature, their “jargon”, it is all so very distinctive. They are a different breed, those who flood the culinary institutes and kitchens throughout the world. A Cook often speaks with confidence, short order in most cases, using language and aphorisms meant to cut confusion and accelerate actions; often only understood by…

  • Miscellaneous

    Maple Syrup: The Precarious Production

    It took five minutes of tuning into a Wisconsin Public Access channel to peak my interest. A change of season influences many dynamics in how we conduct our lives while living in junction with a truly uncontrollable world. I walked away from my television confused as to why the price of my locally sourced Maple Syrup, was on the rise? A night of covered in ice, immediately followed by a week of  mid-sixties to record highs starting off last years early spring. To understand the…

  • Miscellaneous

    Fabrication 101: Boning a Lamb Leg

    Fabrications of the beast, an absolute must for any line cook in a halfway decent kitchen… set yourself apart! Today, given the swing of seasons and the Rebirth of Spring, we are going to prep a Lamb Leg.  Lamb: Defined by it’s infancy,  a lamb is identified as any sheep under a year of age. The tender young flesh provides a sumptuous cut, delicate and perfect for a plate. Well balanced in  flavor and texture early on in life, the animal tends to depreciate and…

  • Miscellaneous

    Table Scraps: Oxtail Consommé

    Much to be said about an Oxtail… A beautiful appendage mimicking what I recognize to be a linked chain; The Tail of a somewhat “praised” bovine has been used traditionally around the world for centuries. The tapered piece of flesh is known characteristically as a tough, fatty, gelatinous cut full of flavor and destined to be braised. For I, it is clear that a stew is in order. “There is probably no person alive today, or any person that has perhaps ever existed, that appreciates…