43 replies to this topic

[torakris]

Just a quick thank you since the only Internet access I have currently is from my iPhone. My biggest thanks are to all the Ann Arbor folk who organized the whole weekend for us, every meal was incredible. Another thank you to all my housemates who made my weekend even more enjoyable than I expected. Finally thank you to all the members that joined us for our various meals, I truly enjoyed the conversation.
I apologize for not being as active in the kitchen but with a freshly broken toe small spaces with a lot of people carrying heavy things and knives was a scary place to be.
I will definitely be there next year!

[Alex]

Here's the tasting menu from Friday night at Grange. Chef Brandon Johns introduced every course, plus he spent a good bit of time chatting with us before the meal. His dedication to cooking in general, and to locally sourced ingredients specifically, is impressive. He also cheerfully provided alternative dishes for two pescatarians and one person with a couple of food allergies.

I don't remember some of the details, so please feel free to add, subtract, or correct. The pictures are in Kerry's post (and perhaps others to follow).

Nose to tail house-made charcuterie
Peninsula Cellars Gewurtztraminer, Old Mission 2006
Clockwise from 9 o'clock in Kerry's picture: multi-pig-part terrine; thin slice of pig's ear something; coppa; a jam of some sort. In the middle are pea shoots with something else.

Walleye "brandade" fritters, green tomato jam
La Grave-Martillac, Pessac-Leognan 2007
Chef Johns preserved walleye for one month as if for salt cod, then proceeded accordingly. This food-wine pairing was the surprise hit of the evening for me.

Fried pig's head, mustard, sauce gribiche
Martin Codax Albariño, Rias Baixas 2008
Not the whole head on a platter of course, but cooked, shredded, battered, and fried.

Heirloom gazpacho, Michigan pickled shrimp salad
New Holland Golden Cap Saison, Holland, MI
Delicious, but for me the least interesting dish of the evening. Great ale, though.

Duck, peaches, coriander, honey glaze, whole grains
Duchamp Cuvée Trouvée Syrah, Dry Creek Valley 2003
Another great wine pairing. I think the whole grains were wheat berries and something else.

Whole roasted (beef) tenderloin, pickled oyster mushrooms, heirloom carrots
Starry Night Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley 2007
Two or three slices of a perfectly crusted tenderloin in a simple presentation.

Plum upside-down cake, goat cheese ice cream.
Frisk Sparkling Reisling, Victoria 2009 was on the printed menu, but for the life of me I can't remember anything about it. Did we actually get it? (Tammy just posted that we did indeed get it.)

Many of us arrived early and enjoyed a cocktail (or two) before dinner. I had a refreshing GGGinger--fresh mint, ginger syrup, fresh lime juice, Tanqueray, and ginger beer, with a crystallized ginger garnish.

Edited by Alex, 10 August 2010 - 07:27 PM.

[tammylc]

Thank you all for your kind words. It was my pleasure to host all of you in Ann Arbor, and I'm glad you enjoyed yourselves so much - it was fantastic to have you here.

Alex - yes, we had that Riesling with the dessert, and it was very yummy. I should know, because I drank mine and most of Kerry's.

My "filtering apparatus" for your basil oil was nothing more than a jelly strainer bag, but I agree that it definitely does the trick for making nice herb oils!

Boagman - Glad you could make it! I am definitely enjoying the Blenheim, and using it for those potent potables of which you speak. Malawry and I used some to make Agony and Ecstasies on Sunday (gin, st. germain, grapefruit, ginger beer) and I used the rest of the bottle for a Gin-Gin Mule tonight. Very gingery - yum!

Prasantrin - you'll have to repeat that imitation for us next year in Cleveland!

Edited by tammylc, 10 August 2010 - 07:23 PM.

[Chris Hennes]

As always a pleasure to see you all at the Gathering. I'm just beginning to sift through the mound of photos, but I think this one tells the tale:


Caption: Steven "supervising" while malawry cooks and edsel takes photos.

[Chris Hennes]

This one may tell the rest of the story. Channel Gordon Ramsey for a moment, if you will: "Hennes, put down the f^&*ing camera and f&*(ing plate these f&*(ing microgreens, NOW!!" (no he didn't say it, it was all in the look). Slave driver, he is...

[ChefCrash]

What an awesome experience, particularly for my wife who's not like us (you and me);)
Fantastic bunch of people. Looking forward to next year.

Kerrytown the site of the farmers market



Mennonites from Homer MI



Tom's fabulous bread. I he does a workshop next year, I'm in.



Beet chips that would later become a crumble.



Chris slicing his homemade Charcuterie while Sam fluted mushrooms



Baklava



Malawry's cookies which were formed on a wooden spoon.



Malawry making pasta from scratch



Kerry Beal's works of art. Liquor filled truffles...



....and Almond chocolate clusters



Alton's brother held a staring showdown?




Kitchen action. Fat Guy and Chris Hennes helping Tammy.



Sam-I-am and Joyce



Some of the desserts



Dance, Elf and Joyce



Refreshments



Alex adding the element that pulled his dish together




FatGuy garnishing Tammy's entree which had to be the most complex dish of the evening


The finished plates



Kerry's cream of Kale soup topped with Chorizo renderings flavored foam




Edsel plating Hake and vegetable medley en Papillote.



Connie and Dance brewing teas





Wile Sam was grilling, Boagman and I were eying the bones.



Sam's wife Joyce expertly seasoning the Lamb

[Alex]

Thanks for all those great pictures, CC. It was a pleasure talking with you and your wife.

IIRC, Kerry's amazing truffles were made with a maple liqueur, probably Sortilège. Kerry, please correct me if I'm wrong about that.

[Kerry Beal]

Thanks for all those great pictures, CC. It was a pleasure talking with you and your wife.

IIRC, Kerry's amazing truffles were made with a maple liqueur, probably Sortilège. Kerry, please correct me if I'm wrong about that.

It was this one called Fine Seve (for fine sap). Made by the same company as Sortilege - but just the eau de vie - where the Sortilage is maple and whiskey.

[Chris Hennes]

Here are some photos from the Market saturday morning:







This is where the Bibimbop and Seoul Dog below were purchased:


Fish and chips from Monahan's Seafood:


Plantains:


Tamales:




Salmon belly and avocado (I think):


Smoked salmon:


Bibimbop:


Seoul dog (Deep fried bacon-wrapped hot dog covered in kimchi):


A reuben:


Fish sandwich:

[Chris Amirault]

Is there cheese on that Seoul dog?

[Chris Hennes]

And from the Main Event...

You know you're in for a good time when you've got one of these:


Edsel doing some veggie prep:


The shrimp course:


Edsel rearranging the berries on Tammy's course:


Opening the fish en pappillote:


malawry plating her rabbit course:


The completed rabbit plating:


Burn, baby, burn...

[Chris Hennes]

Is there cheese on that Seoul dog?

Yeah, mozzarella.

[tino27]

Sorry that I've been rather quiet on this thread, but I wanted to make sure that if people were interested, all three posts have finally published on my blog regarding the main events from this weekend.

First up, there was the seven course prix fixe at Grange Kitchen & Bar.

Second, there was my contribution of breads for the main dinner on Saturday night.

Finally, there was the Bacon Brunch we enjoyed at Zingerman's Roadhouse.

Feel free to click on one or more of the links to read about (and view) what I thought of the weekend.

[Lior]

I had great fun going through all the descriptions and pictures! Wish I could have made it. Thanks for sharing!