The Savory Spoon Cooking School and Marketplace

Morning sun illuminated whitewashed cabinets and gleaming stainless steel appliances as our press group of 15 people donned aprons and washed our hands. Dressed in chef whites and standing behind a butcher-block countertop owner, Janice Thomas, a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, gave us prep instructions for the morning. We divided into five small groups that each prepared a dish together, from

Swiss Chard and Black Olive Tart to Roasted Apple, Pecan, Cherry and Black River Blue Salad, Green Beans with Orange and Toasted Maple Pecans,

Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Cherry Sauce and

Fresh Blueberry Tart. An hour later, we savored our feast.

The Savory Spoon Cooking School and Marketplace, in Ellison Bay, Door County, Wisconsin, has offered cooking classes since 2003, often with a focus on locally produced foods such as cherries, cheese, and whitefish. Housed in a circa 1879 schoolhouse renovated by Thomas' husband, The Savory Spoon offers cooking classes from June through October. State-of-the-art kitchens feature SubZero/Wolf cooking and refrigeration appliances, plus the finest culinary tools and small appliances. 

“We’re a hands-on cooking school,” Thomas said during my August 2008 visit. “And August is a big month for local foods.” Other classes range from India’s Melting Pot to Truffles Galore and Timpano Delight. The school also hosts private events. The Marketplace offers kitchenwares, cookbooks, artisanal cheeses and cured meats, fresh baguettes/pastries, treats from in-house chocolatier, The Sweet Spot, and specialty foods, from quiche to sticky buns.

When The Savory Spoon is closed, Thomas leads annual culinary trips to France, Italy, and China, with a new Mexican destination added for 2010.

Whether you want to hone your own cooking skills or explore the cuisine of other cultures, check out Door County's The Savory Spoon Cooking School and Marketplace.

Citrus Curd Tart

Two ancient limes and an equally old lemon stared at me accusingly every time I opened the refrigerator fruit drawer. After I learned that I could still safely use them, from a local cooking expert, I began to consider possible flavor combinations.

As those of us living throughout the Kansas City area endure one of the coldest, most snow-filled winters in recent memory, a tropical-tasting dessert sounded like the perfect solution. So I tracked down a lemon curd recipe (unfortunately, I have no idea where it came from, for attribution) - and decided that I could use a combination of lemon and lime instead. I then located a simple recipe for no-bake graham cracker crust, in my Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book. Here's the result:

Citrus Curd Tart
Makes 8 servings

Curd:

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon & lime juice
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 tablespoon grated lemon and/or lime peel

In the top of a double boiler, beat eggs and sugar together. Stir in citrus juices, butter and lemon peel. Bring water to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook/stir continuously for 15 minutes, or until thickened. Pour warm curd into another bowl and set aside.

Graham crust:

1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers (about 18)

Melt butter and stir in sugar. Add crushed crackers, toss to mix well. Spread evenly into a 9-inch pie plate. Press onto bottom and sides to form a firm even crust. Chill about 1 hour or until firm (or, bake in a 375 degree oven for 4-5 minutes or till edge is lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack before filling.)

Pour curd into chilled (or baked/cooled) crust. Chill overnight. When ready to serve, top with lightly sweetened whipped cream,* and lemon or lime zest. 

*VOE - Although I have a big sweet tooth, the curd + crust seemed too sweet even for my tastes. The whipped cream helps tone down the sweetness a bit. Add only 3 (or 4) tablespoons of confectioners (or granulated) sugar to one cup of whipped cream. Then spoon a big dollop onto your slice and ENJOY!

Jasper Mirabile Jr.'s Applecello

When Jasper Mirabile, Jr., had too many apples and too much cider from Louisburg Cider Mill in Louisburg, Kansas, six years ago, he created Applecello. Then he introduced it to customers of his family's five-decade-old family restaurant in nearby Kansas City, Missouri (which he co-owns with his brother, Leonard) - Jasper's Ristorante.

A veteran maker of homemade limoncello (as well as mozzarella, pasta sauce, salad dressings and more), Jasper combined excess apples and cider with sugar, vodka, and grain alcohol, and then flavored the brew with cloves and cinnamon sticks - and he's been doing it ever since. This year's brew features Louisburg Cider Mill's Honey Crisp apples.  

Customers at the restaurant can't seem to get enough of this luscious stuff. Each fall they consume more than seven gallons of Applecello, in everything from Applecello Martinis to Applecello & Cream. Jasper adds Applecello to fruit-based breads and cakes (including his signature Applecello cake), pours it over fruit salad, and serves it warm, beside apple strudel and vanilla bean gelato. "It reminds me of fall," Jasper says. "It tastes like mulled cider with a little kick to it."

Want to make Applecello yourself? Here's the recipe:

Jasper's Missouri Applecello

Makes 1 1/2 gallons

6 apples, seeded and crushed

8 ounces apple cider

12 cloves

4 cinnamon sticks

6 tablespoons sugar

10 ounces vodka

10 ounces grain alcohol

Tools: 2, 32-ounce Mason jars, 2-quart stockpot, 1 gallon jug with a cork or cap, very fine strainer, 1-ounce glasses

Place all ingredients, except vodka and grain alcohol, in stockpot. Bring to a boil, lower heat and let steep for 15 minutes.

Pour mixture into a sterilized 1-gallon jug and then add vodka and grain alcohol. Place cork or cap on jug and store in a cool, dry, dark room. Let the mixture sit for 14 days.

Strain mixture and place in Mason jars, let sit for 14 more days, and then refrigerate until ready to use. Serve chilled.

Easy Homemade Hash Browns

My husband, Mark, and I. have been empty nesters for about 4 1/2 years. About two years ago, we began a Sunday tradition of sharing a big, homemade breakfast. I most often make French toast or pancakes while Mark fries turkey bacon or sausage, and cooks fried eggs or a two-person omelet. Once in awhile we enjoy biscuits and gravy or a sweet homemade bread.

Last week, Mark said that he wanted to try making hash browns for our Sunday breakfast. I had Yukon gold potatoes on hand but we agreed that russets would probably provide a better texture. So I grabbed the largest russet that I could find during my weekend shopping trip. Then, yesterday, Mark made us a huge pan of easy and delicious hash browns, reminding him of his days as a short-order cook. With toast made from English muffin bread, eggs, and juice, we enjoyed a weekend feast.

If you like hash browns too, give these a try!

Homemade Hashbrowns

Makes 2-3 servings

1 large russet potato, approximately 6 inches long

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Prick potato frequently with a knife, cover with water in a large saucepan. and then bring to a rolling boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove potato from saucepan and cool completely. Peel off skin. Using a hand grater - or the grater blade of a food processor - grate entire potato, put in a large bowl, and set aside.

Using an iron or nonstick skillet, oil lightly to minimize sticking, and set over medium high heat.

Add butter and oil and warm until butter melts. Place grated potato in the skillet and cook potatoes to golden brown. If using an oven-safe skillet, place the hash browns in a warm oven until ready to serve.

Enjoy with ketchup, hot sauce, sour cream or any other favorite condiment.

Breakfast Trail Ride at Tanque Verde Ranch Resort

Our breakfast trail ride at Tanque Verde Ranch Resort, outside of Tucson, began on a gorgeous, warm morning in mid-October. I had slathered loads of sunscreen on my arms, shoulders, neck, and face and retrieved a baseball cap to shield against the desert sun. We met at the stables where, based on my riding experience, the horse handlers paired me with a gentle white/gray horse named Dale. 

above image courtesy of photographer

at Tanque Verde Ranch Resort

Before long, our press group had entered a sea of saguaro cacti, which I thought of as a 'transparent forest.' We rode to a high hilltop, with the gentle Dale navigating rock, sand, cacti, narrow trails and steep inclines as I gently pulled him away from tasty bushes along the way. By the time we reached our breakfast site, everyone was hungry. And what a feast awaited us!

The staff had transported a huge cookstove and grill up the mountain, where regular and blueberry pancakes turned golden brown, with crispy hash browns, chile and cheese-spiked scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and fresh, flaky biscuits on the side. Coffee woke us up and lemonade cooled us off. But, perhaps the most impressive part of this breakfast feast was how they served it - on gingham tablecloths atop picnic tables - plus sturdy plastic plates and real silverware.

The temperature hovered near 90 degrees as we cleared the tables, and looked down on miles of cacti. Then we headed back to the stables, ready for shade but happy for a great start to our day.

Portobello Spaghetti Sauce

What is it about gray winter days that makes pasta and sauce so appealing? Maybe it's the soft and filling noodles that are as versatile as the flavors you pair them with.

But how can you enjoy vegetarian spaghetti sauce while still satisfying a meat lover? Try using portobello mushrooms. Saute 1/2 a pound of sliced portobellos and then chop them in a food processor until they have a similar texture to ground beef. The rest of this recipe is pretty familiar, from pureed tomatoes and tomato paste, to fresh basil and garlic - and quite delicious.

ENJOY!

Portobello Spaghetti Sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces portobellos, sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

4 tablespoons fresh basil, minced

28 ounces imported crushed tomatoes in heavy puree

        (VOE - they're lower in salt than many domestic varieties)

6 ounces tomato paste

2 tablespoons fresh oregano, minced

2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced

1-2 tablespoons dry red wine

1-2 teaspoons honey

In a large skillet, warm 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat and then saute portobellos until lightly browned and soft. Place portobellos in food processor and chop fine. Set aside.

Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet, over medium heat, and then saute onion and garlic until they become translucent. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, thyme, wine and honey and stir thoroughly to combine.

Heat to slow boil until steaming, turn down heat, and then simmer on low for 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve over your favorite pasta.

San Antonio's Sunset Station

We reached San Antonio's Sunset Station at St. Paul Square around dusk, and wound our way through an enormous crowd that drank, sampled appetizers, and socialized on the expansive patio at The Depot. We were headed to Aldaco's Mexican Cuisine - a Zagat-rated restaurant owned by the vivacious Blanca Aldaco, for lessons in margarita-making and an authentic Mexican meal.

The complex is a National Historic Landmark that includes 10 acres, 100,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space for events of all sizes, and a fully restored train depot, which reflects the grandeur of the early 1900s - when trains that passed through here linked San Francisco to New Orleans and San Antonio.

After we finished our meal, our host gave us a tour through The Depot, which has undergone a multi-million dollar renovation and transformation, complete with enormous stained glass windows, a grand staircase and amazing woodwork, painted with painstaking accuracy.

Yet, despite the grandeur of this stunning room, it managed to feel inviting and even cozy. And I could definitely envision a bride walking down those gorgeous stairs.