Known as the “Garden of France,” the Loire Valley has a rich and varied gastronomy, garden-to-plate experiences, and unique culinary specialties. From goat cheese to Michelin-starred experiences to traditionally made vinegar to Tarte Tatin, below are some of the many quintessential culinary experiences of the Loire Valley.
Auberge du XIIème Siècle (Credit: Marieke Gourdin)
In the Loire Valley, more than 170 “Maîtres Restaurateurs” utilize the local produce and ingredients of the region to create their own unique mark on the local gastronomy, while honoring traditional French art de vivre. Les Jardiniers, located in the heart of the Loire Valley’s Rabelais region along an old railway line, received its first Green Michelin Star in 2024. Chef Martin Bolaers brings a true “garden-to-plate” experience, using produce from their extensive vegetable garden and truffle farm to create creative, seasonal dishes.
Château d’Azay-le-Rideau. Credit Benoît Bâlon at Wikimedia Commons.
The Auberge du 12ème Siècle, a 12th-century inn and restaurant located in the charming village of Saché, was awarded a Michelin star in March 2024. Led by chef Kevin Gardien, the restaurant features locally sourced ingredients and innovative cuisine served in a beautifully preserved, medieval dining room.
Photo courtesy of Auberge du 12 ème Siècle
Culinary specialties of the Loire Valley include the famous upside-down apple tart, Tarte Tatin; slow-cooked meat from the 19th century, Tours rillettes; toasted almonds dating back to the 17th century, Pralines de Montargis; and Orléans vinegar. Orléans vinegar dates back to the Middle Ages, when the city became a hub for vinegar production due to its strategic position as a major wine trading center.
Photo courtesy of Martin-Pouret.
As wines were transported to Paris, some would spoil during the journey and instead of discarding these wines, local merchants in Orléans began converting them into vinegar. Today, Martin-Pouret, a master vinegar-maker since 1797, still makes the famous Orléans vinegar in its traditional method, which allows wine to ferment slowly in wooden barrels. As of October 2024, travelers can now visit Martin-Pouret’s new vinegar factory located right outside of Orléans in Boigny-sur-Bionne, which has just opened to the public for the first time. Visitors can attend workshops to see how the vinegar is made, as well as participate in cooking and mixology classes using the vinegar.
Wine Tasting in a Historic Cave
Caves Monmousseau (Credit: Caves Monmousseau)
Some of the most unique wine tasting experiences in the Loire Valley take place in historic troglodyte caves. “Troglo Degusto” at Domaine des Tabourelles includes an underground tour of 22 miles of historic troglodyte galleries, located below the village of Bourré. After the underground tour, guests can try the domain’s wines along with food pairings.
At Caves Monmousseau, visitors can try sparkling wines that have been perfected for over 130 years, while experiencing a very unique art show in the underground cellars: images are illuminated on the tunnel walls, telling the story of the châteaux of the Loire through a spectacular sound and light show.
Experiencing the Loire Valley’s Goat Cheese
Trefle du Perche (Credit: Clara Ferrand)
The Loire Valley is celebrated for its diverse and high-quality goat cheeses with notable varieties include Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine, recognized by its rye straw center; Selles-sur-Cher, with its ash-coated rind and hazelnut flavor; Chavignol, also known as Crottin; Valençay, a pyramid-shaped cheese; and Pouligny Saint-Pierre.
Additionally, the region has introduced Trèfle du Perche, a four-leaf clover-shaped cheese gaining popularity in the region. Open since 2019, Les Passerelles, located in Sainte-Maure-de-Touraine, is a museum dedicated to showcasing the region’s heritage and goat cheese. The museum includes an immersive experience into the world of cheese-making, showcasing the history, techniques and traditions behind the production of some of the most famous cheeses in the area.
Call it the cheese of autumn. Gouda, the classic cheese of the Netherlands, is perfect for crisp autumn days. Old AmsterdamCheese, a versatile cheese which adapts itself well to all types of food from salads to burgers to great toasted cheese sandwiches or toasties, is a top leader in the Branded Aged Gouda Market in Holland and now in the U.S. That popularity is now translating to the U.S.
. As Americans up their cheese game to full-flavored tastes, Old Amsterdam has just the right line-up.
Old Amsterdam Aged Gouda known as The Classic, is the #1 Aged Gouda in Holland. The Classic Gouda is aged for a minimum of 8 months creating a perfect balance between sweet and savory. It has rich butterscotch undertones and a dense, smooth texture sparked with fine ripening crystals. This popular and well-loved favorite from Holland has won numerous awards and is loved internationally. It is ideal for cheese platters, recipes, and other pairings such as almonds, jam, fruit chutney, fruits, raisin nut bread, and crackers. The Classic also pairs well with a favorite wine, beer, or cocktail.
Old Amsterdam Goat Gouda has been voted the #1 Hard Goat’s Milk cheese in the world. The Goat Gouda is aged for a minimum of 8 months and has a very surprisingly and pleasant flavor profile: refreshingly sweet with caramel undertones and a smooth, creamy texture with fine ripening crystals. The sweetness and texture make this great to top on salads, with sandwiches, and in many popular recipes. It pairs well on a platter with hazelnuts, figs, fruits, and your favorite IPA.
With their deep, rich, and nutty flavors, Old Amsterdam pairs perfectly with fall foods such as apples, late harvest grapes, pumpkin, pears, Balsamic vinegar, Spanish paprika, and others.
Old Amsterdam can be purchased through e-commerce at https://shop.norseland.com/old-amsterdam and at such retailers as King’s, Raley’s, ShopRite, Albertsons, Trader Joes, Gelson’s, HEB, Hy-Vee, Lunds & Byerlys, Mariano’s, Pavilions, Safeway, Sprouts.
· 1.6 lbs. minced beef (ask the butcher to coarsely mince beef shoulder, or use a mix of pork and beef meat)
· 2 tablespoons soy sauce
· 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
· 4 tablespoons olive oil
· 8 slices pancetta
· 4 slices Old Amsterdam
· 1 big tomato
· 8 slices of rustic, heavy bread
· 4 lettuce leaves, rinsed
Slice the onion into rings.
Melt the butter and use this to fry the onion rings with the sugar. Caramelize the rings, then add balsamic vinegar and fry for another 5 minutes on low heat. Season with salt and pepper.
Next, mix the mayonnaise and the Spanish paprika. Take the meat from the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Mix the meat with the soy sauce and the Worcestershire sauce and add salt and pepper to taste.
Roll balls of approximately 6 oz. each and flatten these to form burgers. Coat the burgers with olive oil and fry in a frying pan for 4 to 5 minutes on each side until browned. Meanwhile, fry the pancetta in another pan until they are slightly crispy.
Lay pancetta and a slice of Old Amsterdam on top of each burger. Cover with the lid and let the cheese melt for about 30 seconds. Cut the tomato into four thick slices. Spread a thick layer of the spicy mayonnaise on 4 slices of bread. Add a slice of tomato, a burger, and finally a good helping of the caramelized onion rings and top it with another slice of bread each.
Old Amsterdam Rustic Toastie Sandwich
5 minutes – Serves 1
· 8 slices rustic bread
· 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
· 8 slices Old Amsterdam
· 8 slices shoulder ham
· ½ leek
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Place the slices of bread on a bread board and spread a generous layer of mayonnaise over them. Turn four slices over and place cheese and ham on top. Slice the leek into very fine rings and put these on the toasties.
Then place the other slices of bread on top, with the mayonnaise side upwards. Warm a frying pan and fry two toasties until they have nice brown crusts. Flip over and repeat. Do the same with other two toasties, while keeping the first two warm in the preheated oven. Serve with spicy mustard.
Salad with Shaved Old Amsterdam, Radicchio, and Chicken
60 minutes – Serves 4
· 2 chicken thighs
· 5 tablespoons olive oil
· 4 radicchio stalks
· 2 sticks of celery
· 1 tablespoon mustard
· 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
· 1 tablespoon vinegar
· Salt and pepper
· 1 head of curly endive
· A few sprigs of flat parsley
· 2 handfuls of seedless black grapes
· A piece of Old Amsterdam
Season the chicken. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a thick-bottomed pan and fry the drumsticks so they are brown all over. Put the heat down to a low setting, add a splash of water and leave the chicken to cook for 30 minutes (you may need to add more water if the chicken gets dry). Leave it to cool and cut the meat into pieces.
Cut the radicchio stalks lengthways down the middle and remove the core. Then cut them into strips. Remove the strings from the celery sticks and slice them diagonally into thin rings. Make a vinaigrette with the mustard, mayonnaise, vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Add the rest of the olive oil and beat it into a smooth dressing. In a bowl, mix the radicchio, curly endive and celery and then add the dressing. Divide this between 4 plates, put the chicken and grapes on top, sprinkle with finely chopped parsley and finish with shavings of Old Amsterdam
Old Amsterdam Grazing Board
· Your favorite Old Amsterdam cheeses, cut and sliced as you wish
· Charcuterie (e.g., prosciutto, salami, chorizo), if desired
Katie Quinn wasn’t content to just enjoy a chunk of the English classic Montgomery’s Cheddar, a hunk of crusty bread with a soft inner core from Apollonia Poilâne, or a glass of Nebbiolo, the grape variety from Northern Italy’s Piedmont region known for its strong tannins, high acidity and distinctive scent.
Katie Quinn working on a goat farm in Somerset, England. Photo courtesy of Facebook.com/TheQKatie
Instead, living in New York she had worked her way up from being an NBC page to her dream job as an on-camera host at Now This News, she found herself back home recuperating in Ohio after sustaining a traumatic brain injury in an accident. With time to ponder, her avid curiosity led her to ask a question—“how can I love these great foods–bread, wine, and cheese without knowing how they’re made?”
Of course, many of us would be content just to pour another glass of wine and slice a gooey piece of Brie, but Quinn couldn’t leave it there.
For some of use, including me, the realization that cheese and bread are as much a part of fermentation as wine is a revelation. It takes a little more connecting of dots to realize that cheeses are fermented dairy products and bread ferments through the use of yeast.
“I realized that there was a story to be told,” she says. “I could have just nerded out as a history geek to write the book, but I wanted to really experience the process of fermentation and how it creates these foods we love. I wanted this to be an immersive experience.”
And so in her newest cookbook, Cheese, Wine, and Bread: Discovering the Magic of Fermentation in England, Italy, and France(William Morrow 2021; $22.63 Amazon price), we follow Quinn on her all-encompassing road trip as she embarks upon an in-depth exploration of all three necessary food groups. She became a cheesemonger at Neal’s Yard Dairy, London’s premiere cheese shop. But that was just the start in her cheese career. Soon, she was working on a goat farm in rural Somerset where she describes the cute critters as just smart enough to be obnoxious. It was during her exploration that she discovered the role British women play in cheesemaking (you have to try her recipe for Cheddar Brownies which she’ll be demonstrating at her upcoming virtual book launch this Tuesday, April 27—see below for details on how to sign up).
Next she’s hanging with Apollonia Poilâne of Paris’ famed Poilâne Bakery, apprenticing at boulangeries in Paris learning the ins and outs of sourdough, and traveling the countryside to uncover the history of grains and understand the present and future of French bread and global bread culture. Next stop Italy, where she gives readers an inside look at winemaking with the Comellis at their family-owned vineyard in Northeast Italy and visits vintners ranging from those at small-scale vineyards to large-scale producers throughout the country. Taking a side road, so to speak, she discovers her great grandfather’s birth certificate and become eligible for dual citizenship. So entranced with the country, she and her husband Connor decided to make their home in the Puglia region in southern Italy.
Quinn, an author, food journalist, YouTuber, podcaster, and host, describes herself as having a real appetite to explore. A great storyteller, she also shares recipes such as Zucchini Carbonara, Tortellini in (Parmigiano Reggiano) Brodo, Ciambelline al Vino (Wine Cookies), and Walnut and Raisin Rye Loaf, which are interspersed through the book.
Cost: Book and shipping: This ticket includes a signed copy of the book and shipping – Shipping within USA only (THE BOOK WILL BE SHIPPED IN ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THE EVENT). $44 or Book and Ticket with pick-up at Anderson’s Naperville store. $34.
1/4 cup finely chopped nuts (I like pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds)
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sprigs of parsley, for garnish
Fill a large pot three-quarters full of water and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Add a generous amount of coarse salt (the adage “It should taste like the sea” is a good gauge of how much). Cook the spaghetti for 2 minutes less than the instructions on the package for al dente. (You don’t want it to be completely cooked because it will continue cooking in the red wine later.)
While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large, high-sided pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, or until the garlic becomes fragrant. Pour the wine into the pan with the garlic and stir. Remove from the heat while the pasta finishes cooking.
Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
Add the pasta to the pan with the wine and garlic over medium heat and stir. Cook, occasionally stirring gently, for 2 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente and has absorbed most of the wine, taking on a plum hue.
Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the cheese and nuts. Stir in a tablespoon (or more) of the reserved pasta water; its starchiness mixes with the fat in the cheese to create a silky coating on the noodles. Finish with the nutmeg, season with salt and pepper, and stir to incorporate well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if you think the dish is asking for it.
Serve garnished with parsley and topped with more cheese and enjoy slurping down the drunken noodles.
“Some people say that the French have the best cheese but I think Wisconsin cheese is the best and I can say that because I wrote the book on cheese” says Kristine Hansen, who actually did write The Wisconsin Cheese Cookbook: Creamy, Cheesy, Sweet, and Savory Recipes from the State’s Best Creameries(Globe Pequot Press 2019; $24.95). “Wisconsin is not just about cheddar; we have a large variety of cheeses which consistently win awards.”
With over a million cows, the state
turns out more than 2.8 billion pounds of cheese per year. Hansen focused on
the growing artisanal cheese producers in the state and though her cookbook has
60 recipes (as well as beautiful, lush photos), it’s as much of a travel
guide—call it a cheesy road trip if you can excuse our pun–to 28 of the
state’s creameries.
“A lot of my friends, when they
come to visit, want to know the best cheese places I’ve discovered and ask for
directions,” says Hansen, a Milwaukee-based journalist covering food/drink,
art/design and travel whose articles have appeared in many magazines and
websites including Midwest Living, Vogue and on Travel + Leisure and Conde Nast
Traveler.
Writing the book meant lots of time
on the road, visiting corners of the state where she’d never been and learning
the intricacies of cheese making.
So, what makes Wisconsin cheese so great? After all, there are cows throughout the Midwest, but Indiana, Illinois and Michigan don’t have nearly the same amount of small batch hand crafted cheesemakers as the Badger State.
“A lot
of Swiss immigrants settled here, particularly in Green county,” says Hansen
about the home of Green County Cheese Days, the oldest and largest food fest in
the Midwest. The festival honors the area’s Swiss heritage (their Swiss
credentials are such that there’s also Wilhelm Tell and Heidi festivals) cheesemaking
tradition. The later includes a dozen creameries producing over 50 varieties of
award-winning cheeses as well as the only domestic maker of Limburger and the
only U.S. factory making 180-pound wheels of Old World Emmenthale.
Other
creameries mentioned in Hansen’s book include the Door County Creamery in
Sister Bay in scenic Door County, where visitors where visitors can not only sample
cheese and take a farm tour but also participate in a 40-minute goat yoga
session.
“ClockShadow is one of only two urban creameries
in the country,” says Hansen about this Milwaukee cheeserie which offers tours.
“One of the reasons they opened is they wanted people in Milwaukee to be able
to get fresh cheese curds without having to drive very far.”
As an added plus, adults can also
combine the experience by taking a tour of the Milwaukee Brewing Company which
is just across the street.
“People think the best Gouda comes
out of Holland, but Marieke Gouda is wonderful,” says Hansen.
Located in Thorp, Marieke Gouda has
a product store, newly opened Café DUTCHess and features tours. Across the street,
Penterman Farm where the milk for Marieke Gouda is provided by Brown Swiss and
Holstein cows, there’s a viewing room and tours as well.
Bleu Mont in Blue Mounds is one of
several cheeseries in the state with a cheese cave.
Asked what’s the most unique
Wisconsin cheese she’s sampled—and she’s tried a lot, Hansen mentions Carr
Valley’s Cocoa Cardona, a mild, sweet, caramel flavored cheese balanced by a
slight nuttiness that’s dusted with chocolate.
“There are about 500 varieties of
cheese of so in Wisconsin, so there’s a lot to choose from” says Hansen. “And the
cheeses here are not just for those who live in Wisconsin. Uplands Pleasant Ridge
cheese costs $26 a pound and sells in New York City. That says a lot about the
state’s cheeses.”
Place pizza stone in the oven and preheat oven to 425°F.
Place butter and onion in a medium frying pan over medium-low
heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden and lightly
caramelized, about 20 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Set
aside.
On a lightly floured surface, roll pizza dough into a circle
about 12 inches in diameter or rounded rectangle about 13 inches in length.
Transfer dough to hot pizza stone; brush with olive oil and sprinkle garlic
over. Spread pizza and BBQ sauces over, and top pizza evenly with broccoli,
chicken, reserved onion slices, and Sriracha Gouda Cheese.
Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and
cheese is bubbling. Remove from oven, let sit 5 minutes before cutting. Garnish
with green onions, Sriracha hot sauce or crushed red pepper for more heat, if
desired.
Note: If you do not have a pizza stone, you can preheat the
oven, then assemble the pizza on an upside-down baking sheet. It will need
about 20 to 22 minutes of baking time. Using a baking sheet will result in a
less crispy crust.
Hansen shared some recipes from her book. You can mail order
these cheeses from the individual cheeseries if you can’t find them in the
supermarket. You can also substitute similar cheeses if unable to locate them.
Burnett Dairy Cooperative’s Corn-Meal Crusted Fish Tacos
1 pound white-fleshed fish (such as cod, haddock, tilapia or
halibut), cut into 2- x 1-inch pieces
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp finely grated lime zest
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp ground cumin
8 corn tortillas (7 inch), warmed
2 cups shredded Bibb lettuce
1/2 cup prepared tomatillo salsa
1 cup shredded Alpha’s Morning Sun with Mango Habanero
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
Season fish with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper; dredge in
cornmeal. In large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat; cook fish, in
batches if needed, for 2 to 4 minutes per side or until lightly golden and fish
is cooked through. Transfer to plate lined with paper towel.
Stir together sour cream, lime zest, lime juice, cumin and
remaining salt and pepper. Assemble fish in tortillas with lettuce, salsa,
cheese and red onion; drizzle with sour cream mixture.
Tip: For fully loaded tacos, add avocado, cucumber and fresh
cilantro when assembling them.
Tip: Use corn or flour tortillas.
Tip: Substitute shredded red cabbage for lettuce if desired.
Yellow Door Creamery’s Tuscan Mac and Cheese
1 store-bought prepared macaroni & cheese of your choice
1/2 cup shredded Tuscan-rubbed Fontina
4 –6 roasted garlic cloves
Handful of baby spinach
Prepare the macaroni and cheese according to package
directions.
For the roasted garlic: Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut
top 1/4 inch off heads of garlic. Place garlic cut side up in small baking
dish. Drizzle a few teaspoons of olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake 30–35 minutes, or until cloves feel
soft.
When the macaroni and cheese is done and bubbly, top with
roasted garlic, baby spinach, shredded cheese and baked until cheese melts.
Emmi Roth’s Pan-Fried Brussels Sprouts with Horseradish
Havarti
Place top oven rack underneath broiler and preheat oven to
low broil. If you do not have this setting, move the rack further away (down)
from broil heat source.
Place a medium or large oven-safe skillet over medium-high
and heat on the stove top. Add butter, Brussels sprouts and shallots; stir
vegetables until coated. Cook 10 to 12 minutes, flipping vegetables every few
minutes until sides are browned.
Remove the skillet from heat; let sit 2 minutes. Add heavy
cream, tossing vegetables to coat, and season with a generous pinch of salt and
pepper. Sprinkle Roth Horseradish Havarti Cheese over the top; place skillet
under hot broiler. Broil about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted and begins
to bubble. Garnish with parsley, if desired, and additional salt and pepper, to
taste. Serve immediately.
There’s a definite vibe in Ann Arbor — one where social consciousness and creativity converge. And so I mapped out interesting places in the eclectic Westside to immerse myself in all this trendy city has to offer.
A first stop is the Selma Cafe, located in the home of Jeff McCabe and his wife, Lisa Gottlieb. The cafe is open Friday for breakfast in their historic home. Local chefs, such as cookbook author Max Sussman, formerly a chef at Zingerman’s and the now-closed Eve who is now chef and co-owner of Samesa Restaurant in Williamsburg, volunteered to create wonderful meals using local ingredients, sometimes serving up to 180 meals during the event.
On a mission
Proceeds from these breakfasts support the area’s Community Sustainable Agriculture operations, including building hoop houses — inexpensive structures that continue the growing season once the weather turns cold.
A moveable feast
At my next stop, I eat freshly baked Welsh scones topped with Devonshire cream and housemade plum and vanilla rooibos tea jam at the elegant TeaHaus, on Fourth Street north of the downtown. The TeaHaus features a wall of drawers filled with more than 200 varieties of tea leaves from around the world.
Also on the same street is the People’s Food Co-op, a community-owned natural foods grocery store, where customers can stock up on at least three types of kale and four varieties of sprouts, among other items, and enjoy a Fair Trade coffee and meal at its Cafe Verde.
Across the street is Fourth Ave Birkenstock selling the low-carbon transportation alternative with just two moving parts and featuring one of the few in the nation to have a Birkenstock shoe repair team.
Around the corner on Ann Street is Vicki’s Wash & Wear Haircuts & Heavenly Metal, a gallery and gift shop featuring a range of global art works, including furniture, jewelry, clothing, purses, shoes and gift items. Tucked away in a front corner of the store is the lone salon chair where you can get your hair cut by owner Vicki Honeyman, a film school graduate who morphed into hair styling and retail more than a decade ago.
Later, I drink lattes with Ari Weinzweig, a Russian history major who eschewed grad school and instead co-founded Zingerman’s Deli, which grew into the food empire of seven businesses. The food emporium features expensive imported olive oils, freshly baked breads, retro pimento cheese and chopped chicken liver. Each year, 10 percent of sales go toward community projects and another 5 percent goes into a community chest for employees.
Though so far I’ve been able to walk to all these places, all within a radius of a few blocks, for my next stop I hit the road to chat with Alex Young, the James Beard Award-winning chef at Zingerman’s Road House, part of Zingerman’s mega-business, which is located off the Jackson Avenue, Exit 172 of I-94. Young not only creates fantastic meals, he also has a farm where he raises heirloom and organic produce and animals for his restaurant. Young’s next goal is to grow ancient grains such as farro, an Egyptian precursor to wheat.
A jump onto the interstate and a few miles later on the southeast side of town I’m at Motawi Tileworks, where owner/designer Nawal Motawi creates tiles using local clays and glazes mixed on site and offers tile-making workshops.
At dinner that night, chef/owner Brandon Johns of the farm-to-table restaurant Grange Bar & Kitchen in downtown Ann Arbor is serving one of his best-selling menu items — fried pig’s head served with gribiche, a French mustard mayonnaise sauce. I don’t ask for the recipe, but Johns, who stops by my table, gives me a brief description anyway, including such steps as boiling and then removing the meat from a pig’s head. I sigh with relief to learn that eyeballs are not part of the recipe. Trust me, you don’t want to know any more about the process, but the dish is delicious.
Creating a custom tour is easy. Go to the Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitor Bureau’s website, visitannarbor.org, and make a list of what sounds intriguing. It’s a wonderful way to while away a day with an adventure both enriching and enlightening.
Chorizo with Blue Cheese and Dates
Courtesy of Chef Brandon Johns, Grange Kitchen & Bar
1 pound Spanish style dried chorizo sausage
½ pound blue cheese, Cabrales is recommended
8 Medjool dates, pitted and halved
Toothpicks or skewers
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Slice chorizo into 16 pieces and lay flat on cutting board. Fill center of date with cheese and place cut side of date on top of each chorizo. Skewer each chorizo with toothpick.
Place skewers on baking sheet and place in oven for 3 to 5 minutes, until sausage is warm and cheese is a little melted. Serve immediately.
Zingerman’s Roadhouse Mac & Cheese
Courtesy of Chef Alex Young
Coarse sea salt
1 pound macaroni
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup diced onion
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 pound grated raw milk cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons salt and the pasta and stir well. Cook until the pasta is done. Drain and set it aside.
Melt butter for the sauce in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat being careful not to scorch the butter. Add the onion and bay leaf and sauté until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf. Add the flour, and cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly.
Slowly add the milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly to avoid lumping. When the flour and milk have been completely combined, stir in the cream. Keep the mixture at a gentle simmer (not at a high boil) until it thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the mustard, cheddar cheese and salt to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes and set aside.
In a heavy bottom skillet over med-high heat, get the pan very hot. Add olive oil and when it begins to smoke add the cheese sauce and the drained cooked noodles. Toss thoroughly and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until you have approximately 15 % of the mixture golden brown. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Remove from heat.
, a gallery and gift shop featuring a range of global art works, including furniture, jewelry, clothing, purses, shoes and gift items. Tucked away in a front corner of the store is the lone salon chair where you can get your hair cut by owner Vicki Honeyman, a film school graduate who morphed into hair styling and retail more than a decade ago.
