KendallCollege

I grew up in Wisconsin so I was raised around the same culture as you were. However, all of the brats that I ate (which is easily over 1000) were grilled first and kept hot in a beer/onion/garlic broth. This is a debate that I've had with countless people, but this discussion-thread isn't about that so... Like you, Leinie's Regular was the beer of choice for our broth. Port Washington Brewery's Lager replaced Leinie's Regular somewhere in the 1990's. And MGD would be used if there hadn't been proper planning. Cheers. -tw-

The best bowl of Pho that I've had in Chicago was at Le Colonial. http://www.lecolonialchicago.com/ Cheers. tw

If you're looking for some new/interesting interpretations of Asian Cuisine, Umami Moto is the way to go. Here is their website which should contain all of the pertinent information that you may need - http://www.umamimoto.com/. I believe that UM is your best bet for some fun/exciting Asian fare. And its conveniently located right downtown, too. Cheers. Trevor Williams.

CA is absolutely right, too. The reason why I cook so many of the Thanksgiving meal components sous-vide is simply because I don't have the stove-top/oven space during that meal. Every burner is occupied and so is the oven. The only other time I used the oven was during the resting period of the finished Turkey or for the baking of the pumpkin cheesecake the night before. And cooking the components sous-vide reduces alot of dishes in the sink which helps to conserve water!!! Cheers. Trev W.

CA - I cooked the butternut overnight at 65C. SL - I understand your opinion on squash cookery. However, the moisture works in my favor because the compounds stay in the bag and mingle with the butter. The entire finished product is poured into (thyme/bay leaf removed) the potato mash and given a few final whips with the KitchenAid. The moisture contributes to the mash. And there's no gluey texture at all. The product has always turned out beautifully for me. Cheers. Trevor Williams.

My dad came down from Sheboygan, Wisconsin (my hometown) on Wednesday. My mother-in-law came from North Western Indiana on Thursday. My wife hosted like crazy. I cooked dinner. Here's the breakdown... brined/maple-glazed turkey. 21# bird brined overnight in water, apple cider, kosher salt, brown sugar, thyme, peppercorns, bay leaf, and chamomile tea. maple glaze was maple syrup, chicken stock, chicken fat, and turkey fat. the chicken fat came from preparing the chicken stock. the turkey fat came from the turkey's neck skin. the neck skin was rendered for the fat, crisped, and dehydrated overnight so i could blend it to make "turkey salt". the "turkey salt" was sprinkled over the sliced meat that was on the plate. the bird was stuffed with 2 heads of garlic, 3 sliced limes, sage, rosemary, and thyme. it was seasoned with kosher salt and roasted in a pan that had apple cider, water, sage, rosemary, and thyme in the bottom. corn/cranberry/oxtail stuffing. the stuffing base was made from a box. the only difference was chicken stock instead of water. the corn was cooked sous-vide with butter, thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaf. the cranberries were cooked sous-vide with butter, thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaf. the oxtail was marinated overnight in apple cider. it was braised with chicken stock, apple cider, carrot, onion, thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaf. the ingredients were combined and spooned into the stuffing until the ratio looked right. the dish was finished with kosher salt. pumpkin/chicken jus. a great chicken stock was made and strained. more chicken bones were toasted and a second stock was made using the first stock instead of water. a bit of apple cider was added to the second stock. the mixture was strained and a jus was created. the chicken jus was mounted with a prepared maple/pumpkin butter from whole foods and a bit of heavy cream was added to mellow the intense "chicken" flavor. the jus was finished with kosher salt. green bean casserole with almonds. my dad loves a plain green bean casserole (with french's fried onions!) and my mother-in-law loves grean beans with garlic/almonds. i combined the two dishes to satisfy them. and they were really, really happy! i halved the green beans, blanched 'em, and chilled 'em. the mushrooms for the casserole were cooked sous-vide with butter, thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaf. the mushrooms were added to heavy cream, seasoned with kosher salt, and simmered for alittle while to make the "cream of mushroom soup". i sauteed some onions in roasted garlic oil (always homemade, always available, all the time)with kosher salt and added the green beans. tossed everything together and put 'em in a casserole dish. poured the mushroom cream over everything, sprinkled almond slivers over the top, and roasted. finished the dish with a fistful of parmesan cheese and a quick visit under the broiler. butternut squash/goat cheese mashed potatoes. the butternut squash was cooked sous-vide with butter, thyme, peppercorns, and bay leaf. everything else was straight-forward. the potatoes were cooked in salted water with two bay leaves. a fistful of goat cheese was folded into the finished mixture and the dish was seasoned with kosher salt. pumpkin cheesecake w/ cider-poached figs and pumpkin pie-spiced crema. the cheesecake recipe came from Better Homes and Gardens. i can't bake. the cake turned out absolutely amazing. period. the figs were cooked sous-vide with apple cider and peppercorns. i put together a "pumpkin pie spice blend" from reading the ingredients from the grocery store bottle, imagining the aroma, and combining the spices at home. i folded the spice blend into heavy cream and poured the mixture into an isi canister. i cracked two nitrous charges into the can and set the gun aside. it was a nice dessert. We washed the meal down with 2 different kinds of Riesling and 2 different kinds of Moscato. There were smiles, stories, and laughs in between. It was a great meal! Cheers. trevor williams.

Milwaukee, eh? I grew-up/lived 60 miles north of Milwaukee until I moved to Chicago in 2004. If you want some suggestions for dining in/around Brew City, don't hesitate to ask. Its always been my 2nd home! Cheers. -tw-

I was surprised when I read Marmish's "complete list" upthread because I didn't see Jeremiah Tower, Patrick O'Connell, Fredy Girardet, or Pierre Gagnaire. Oh well. Cheers. -tw-

I believe that its a brilliant addition to the menu. The dish asks the guest to consider what their expectations were and moves the experience to the next dish. The whole experience is "seamless". If the dish is delicious, the meal is delicious, and everyone is satiated...The restaurant delivered its goal, right? Cheers. -tw-

I stopped in awhile back and had a straight-forward Skatewing entree. It was executed nicely and it was delicious, too. I had a glass of something bubbly, but I don't remember what it was. The service matched the food and everything went off without a hitch. I grabbed a quick-bite and left really happy! MK is a solid place. Cheers. -tw-

It tastes like a salty forest. Its like eating the smell of a walk in the woods in autumn. The texture is exactly like eating fish eggs only the flavor profile is upside down different. Its pretty elegant stuff. Here's the company that's selling it: http://caviar-escargot.com/en/ -tw-

I grew up 55 miles north of Milwaukee. Although I live in Chicago now, I travel up there every 3 months to "decompress". Milwaukee will, without a doubt, be my final home. With that being said... A grilled sandwich-joint would work wonderfully around the UWM campus. The previous poster will know the area that I'm talking about. You might, too. Center Avenue and Oakland. Shorewood. The east-side is the best bet. Give the kids a great sandwich, with pristine ingredients, at an affordable price. Throw in the "meal deal" and call it a day. If you want to talk more, please don't hesitate to send me a PM. Cheers. -tw-

I've just finished reading the entire thread and I'm hooked, too. All of these lessons are giving me flash-backs. Cheers. -tw-

my wife and i are going to a superbowl party at one of her clients homes. she's making oven-roasted jalapenos (we'll hopefully find room in their oven to do the reheating!) stuffed with bacon, cilantro, A1 compound butter (steaksauce butter, yum!), and queso fresco. i'm making fried winter vegetable chips (carrot, parsnip, turnip, beet, etc.,.). A mixed, gigantic bowl of fried goodies. i'm going to whip together a roasted garlic and lime mayonnaise (mmm...handmade mayo!) for a dipping sauce. i'm going to loosen the emulsion with as much lime juice as i can pack into it. -tw-

sounds perfect. -tw-