The book is broken down into 18 chapters, starting with the Garde Manger Profession and finishing with Buffets and Food Bars. You will learn the very basics of production and follow through with design, plating and adding condiments and decor to round out the recipe. The different levels and expectations of cold food are laid out quite well in Chapter One and certainly leave no stone unturned. If you are a novice in the kitchen, you may want to study the book a bit first to pick up the terminology so you can better prepare yourself for what’s ahead.

The recipes and methods for preparation are easy to follow and include step by step instructions with pictures and diagrams.  If you take the time to look over the recipe before you begin, then you have mastered the first rule of the kitchen. Read everything and set your station or area up with the needed ingredients and kitchen tools to get the job done. Once you work through the first selected recipes, you will gain a measure of satisfaction and accomplishment that will carry you through the book.

I’ve enjoyed reading through the book and have utilized several recipes in my professional kitchen, as well as adapting them a bit to my home kitchen. I look forward to utilizing these recipes to enhance my cold food preparation skills, as well as giving me some new ideas in cold food production. This book certainly deserves a nice spot on my culinary shelf and I’m sure you will enjoy it as well.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons grape seed oil
1 small sweet onion, small dice
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 small jicima, peeled and minced
½ teaspoon cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
1¾ cups chicken broth
1 cup peas
3/4 cup herbed couscous
2 green bell peppers, split lengthwise, seeded and cleaned
8 ounces feta

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Over medium heat, sauté the onion, carrot and jicima in the grape seed oil until tender. Add the spices and sesame seeds and stir, cooking for about 2-3 minutes to allow the flavors to blend.

2. Add 1 cup of the broth plus 1/2 cup of water, and bring to a boil. Stir in the peas and couscous, cover, and simmer over low heat until the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is cooked. Add water, if necessary, to keep it moist until it’s done cooking.

3. Arrange the pepper halves in a baking dish so they are snug. Pour the remaining ¾ cup broth in the bottom of the dish.

4. Spoon 1/4 cup of the couscous mixture into each pepper half, then sprinkle feta across the top.  Do the same with remaining peppers, pressing down to fill them, and top with the remaining feta.

5. Cover the dish tightly with foil sprayed with pan release and bake until steamed and tender, about 30 – 35 minutes. Remove the foil and broil for 1-2 minutes to brown the tops.

Major General John Buford was a hard charging man that didn’t like to sit back and watch the battle.  He fought intelligently at the Battle of Gettysburg on ground of his choosing.  His battle tactics and troop deployment gave Union forces under Major General John Fulton Reynolds time to come up and place Union foothold outside Gettysburg.  Had Buford not chosen the “high ground”, the Battle of Gettysburg may have had a different outcome.In honoring this man, I came up with a very straightforward sandwich utilizing some of the freshest Wisconsin Mozzarella I’ve tasted.  The flavors of the Mozzarella need to be creamy and light, so utilizing the milk from Wisconsin cows makes all the difference.  I’ve paired the cheese with some Applewood smoked bacon, fresh red leaf lettuce and ripe beefsteak tomatoes.

4 slices country-style thick cut white bread
4 ounces fresh Wisconsin BelGioioso mozzarella, sliced
6 slices thick cut Applewood Smoked Bacon, cooked
1 large ripe beefsteak tomato, cored and thinly sliced
4 red leaf lettuce filets, washed and stems trimmed off
Salt and Pepper
Garlic infused Olive oil

Preheat Panini Grill.

Place one piece of bread on your workspace; arrange the lettuce on the bread and top with some bacon, Mozzarella, and tomato.  Grind on salt and pepper to taste and top with remaining piece of bread.   The creaminess of the mozzarella, when melted, will take the place of mayo on the bread.

Brush both sides of the bread with the garlic oil and place into Panini Grill at 45 degree angle to ridges on grill, close the lid and allow to cook for at least 3 to 4 minutes or until cheese begins to melt and the bread has nice browned grill marks.

This book is a great read even though it’s not a real in-depth study of cheese.  It was never meant to be an exhaustive study but more so a roadmap on how to get to a variety of really great Cheese Makers that are spread across the state of Wisconsin.  You get information on the cheese and cheese makers and what styles of cheese they create along with their website, telephone number and address.

It’s an excellent culinary travel guide and one that is certainly worth purchasing.  To round out the book, you are given Day Trips to cheese makers, a Wisconsin map of the cheese makers, how to shop for Wisconsin cheese, resources if you are interested in cheesemaking, beverage pairing with cheese, how to serve cheese in “flights,” and finally recipes using Wisconsin cheese and suggestions for cooking with cheese.  You simply can’t go wrong if you are heading to Wisconsin or are interested in Wisconsin cheese.  California may have Happy Cows, but Wisconsin has Happy Cows and Happy Customers.

In light of his command structure, I built a sandwich that reflects his dedication to the cause but will not load you up on too many flavors pulling you in every direction. It’s a hearty rustic sandwich with delicious blending of artisan cheese and grilled vegetables. I have added balsamic vinegar to give the vegetables a nice snap and I’m sure the General would have approved.

4 slices (1/2-thick) Pugliese-style bread (Artisan Italian loaf)
4 ounces sliced Crave Brothers Les Frères’ Cheese
6 ounces grilled vegetables
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 red pepper
1 sweet onion
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive oil
Fresh Basil or Spinach leaves (optional)

Preheat Panini Grill and brush irons with olive oil so sandwich will not stick.

You can either grill your vegetable on you Panini grill or grill outdoors over medium heat. Cut zucchini and squash lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Cut bell pepper into 1/2-inch strips. Peel onion and cut in half, slice into ¼-inch slices.  Place on a lightly oiled grill grate. Cook for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove from grill.

Place one piece of bread on your workspace, splash with balsamic vinegar, add on 2 slices of Les Frères’ cheese, then 3 ounces grilled vegetables. Top with remaining slice of bread that has been splashed with vinegar. You can always add fresh basil or even spinach leaves if you desire, just make sure to wash your greens.

Place into Panini Grill at 45 degree angle to ridges on grill, close the lid and allow to cook for at least 3 to 4 minutes or until cheese begins to melt and the bread has nice browned grill marks.

This wok does the job of providing even heat throughout your cooking process.  The surface is super slick, but gives you a nice foundation for stir fries, stock reduction, or working up Pho Noodle bowl recipes.  Clean-up is a breeze, with paper towels no less. The nicest feature is the stay cool recycled stainless steel handle.  Some of the key features are:

* Exclusive Ceramica nonstick technology is PTFE/PFOA and petroleum free ceramic-based nonstick interior helps to reduce oil consumption and preserve the environment
* Hard anodized pan construction provides superior heat conductivity, requiring less energy to achieve desired cooking temperature
* Riveted stainless stick handle stays cool on the stovetop and is made from 70% recycled stainless steel
* Packaging is made from 100% recycled materials and is printed with soy ink
* Oven and broiler safe
The deep rich browning created by this pan is uniform and flavorful.  Don’t let the competition sway you, cooking ’till black is not the new brown!  So if you are going green, get this cookware, it’s certainly your next step! Simply put, the ultra smooth non-stick surface is smoother than glass, thus cooking requires little if no oil and clean-up is a breeze with a simple rinse and wipe.

This inspired collection of recipes are every bit as good as their pictures and descriptions. I’ve made several recipes, most notably the Chocolate Moussecarpone Tarts which were well received at our last Catering function. The simple addition of rich creamy marscapone cheese to melted chocolate gave a velvety richness to the tart, as well as a beautiful presentation platform atop the chocolate tart shell. That’s just one of over 300 classic and modern recipes presented within the cookbook from celebrated chefs across the country. Classics such as fondue, or Wisconsin Cheese Straws blend well with Steak and Gorgonzola Thyme Crust followed up with Wisconsin Cheddar Peach Shortcakes.

Cooking with cheese comes easy if you follow the opening pages of the cookbook. It walks you through choosing, handling, storing, freezing and cutting and trimming the cheese. You are also given a “Perfect Pairing” guide at the end to help with pairing cheese with suggested wines and beer. There is even a Cheese substitutions guide to assist if you are in a bind. If you don’t have Brick, then try Havarti or Muenster and if your Pasta dish is lacking in Parmesan then try grating on some Asiago.

Where cheese comes from truly matters, and unless you have quality milk, you can’t produce quality cheese. No matter how happy the cows are in California; the difference is that Wisconsin has Happy Cows AND Happy Customers.

Thomas Jonathan Jackson, better known after First Manassas as “Stonewall Jackson,” was a man of many quirks.  He would sit ramrod straight in the saddle and often hold one arm up in the air to balance out his circulation.  Many historians noted that he had a fondness for living off the land and eating what his soldiers ate, but reserved a certain fondness for lemons.

Although it is true he liked lemons, he certainly wasn’t seen eating them all the time, and truth be told, he liked a variety of fresh fruits including peaches, watermelon, oranges, apples, grapes and berries.  This sandwich has the rustic flavors of pork thrown on the campfire with an herbed lemon Aioli to compliment the savory pork and smokiness of the Rofumo cheese.  To finish the sandwich, the tang of the onions would remind him of the wild field onions that sprung up around the countryside.

1 multigrain Ciabatta – sliced in half lengthwise
4 oz thinly sliced black pepper crusted pork loin
3 slices Wisconsin Smoked Rofumo
1½ - tablespoons herbed lemon Aioli*
1 cup light packed baby spinach
1 ounce balsamic onions*

Preheat Panini Grill and spray irons so sandwich will not stick.

Place bottom of Ciabatta on your workspace, spread ½ aioli on bread, then arrange spinach, then layer on pork loin, Rofumo, and balsamic onions.  Top with remaining Aioli and remaining slice of bread.

Place into Panini Grill at 45 degree angle to ridges on grill, close the lid and allow to cook for at least 3 to 4 minutes or until cheese begins to melt and the bread has nice browned grill marks.

Herbed Lemon Aioli

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Stir together mayonnaise and remaining ingredients. Cover and chill mixture up to 3 days

Balsamic Onions

1 large red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced crosswise
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
Olive oil

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and caramelized, 15-20 minutes.  Stir in balsamic vinegar, and continue simmering until the balsamic vinegar is reduced to evenly coat the onions, 3 minutes.

With the M130, all your knife sharpening options are at your fingertips and in one compact appliance.  You can now have that professionally sharpened edge for all your knives, including Asian style, pocket, military and hunting knives, as well as serrated and straight edge kitchen knives.  By pulling your knife through the numbered slots, you can be assured that the process is simple and straightforward without any guesswork. “Stage 1, using 100% diamond abrasives, sharpens the edge. Stage 2 is a super-hardened miniature steel that develops a shaving sharp edge with ultra-sharp microscopic teeth, providing a superior edge “bite”.  In Stage 3, a revolutionary flexible stropping disk polishes the edge to hair-splitting sharpness. Using these stages in different combinations produces custom edges, suited to a particular cutting task.

If you want a sharp steeled edge, then use 1 & 2; if you want a professional knife style edge, then use 1 & 3, or you can use a combination of all three, depending upon your task. The sharpener also takes the correct angle guesswork out of the process so you simply glide your knife through the marked slots at an even pull to get the best edge possible.  The company guarantees “fool-proof sharpening.”

In testing out the station, I’ve sharpened chef knives, boning knives, fillet knives, serrated knives, military knives and pocket knives, many of which I thought were too far gone to be of use, but this Sharpening System brought the edge right back.  I now have several sets of knives in my collection that were once cast-offs.  The hardest to sharpen to date was an older style chef knife from the 1960’s, along with a U.S.M.C. K-Bar knife.  Both knives needed a few additional passes through stage 1, but the stage 1 & 3 system gave the knives renewed life.

I highly recommend this system for any home cook that needs to have the sharpest knife on the rack.  You will not be disappointed.

Such is the case with this wonderful Summertime soup.  Even though the past several days have felt more like Fall, the warmer weather is sure to arrive anytime soon.  When it does, you want to be ready with this delicious creation for your guests and family.  The recipe as you see it is a blending of two recipes I like, one a traditional Spanish recipe and the other a recipe from a professional garde manger kitchen.  Enjoy!

Soup Base Ingredients

• 10 oz of crustless firm white bread
• 2 lbs. of tomato, seeded and chopped
• 20 fl oz canned tomato juice
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 sweet onions, peeled & chopped
• 2 red and orange peppers, cleaned & chopped
• 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
• 8 tablespoons of olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• Salt
• Ice water

Soak the bread in water to cover for 10 minutes, and then squeeze the water out of the bread and place into a food processor. Add the tomato, garlic, onion, peppers and cucumber and grind to a coarse puree.  Add in the tomato juice and olive oil, and process until combined and smooth  - PLEASE DO NOT process until it is foamy.  Remove from the food processor, place into plastic bowl and season with vinegar and salt to taste.  Refrigerate for at least 45 minutes to an hour to allow the flavors to blend and mellow.  If the soup base is too thick then thin with additional tomato juice or ice water and taste to correct acidic balance of flavor with additional salt and/or vinegar if needed.

Soup Components

• 2 oz Brunoise* cucumber
• 2 oz Brunoise green bell pepper, cleaned
• 2 oz Brunoise tomato, seeded
• 2 oz Brunoise sweet onion
• 2 oz Chopped scallions
• 2 oz Chopped jalapeno pepper
• 4 oz Garlic Croutons

*Brunoise is a basic knife cut measuring 1/8 inch × 1/8 inch × 1/8 inch.  The diced vegetables are blanched briefly in salty boiling water and then submerged in ice water for a few seconds to set the color.

Before service, ladle soup base into chilled bowls, then sprinkle the vegetable garnishes evenly into the bowls or set aside in separate bowls so the guests can add their own amount.  Lastly, place the croutons in a separate dish to be added by the guests as desired.