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JOURNEY INTO
JORDAN
FLAVOURS OF
JAMAICA
ROAD TRIP
WISCONSIN
EXPLORING
LANGUEDOC
CANADA
SUMMER HARVEST
Expand your culinary horizons
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ISSUE 14
Summer
CAD/US $6.95
2014
FRANCE
FOR PEOPLE WHO LOVE TO
read
, LOVE TO
eat
AND LOVE TO
travel
ROAD TRIP
THIS PAGE The picturesque
town of Ephraim, Wisconsin.
USA
Eating in Door County
WISCONSIN
by
RENA GODFREY
Wisconsin
WHERE ON EARTH
WAITING TO BOARD A FLIGHT to Green Bay Wisconsin is like a warm-up exercise
for a Packers game. Passengers decked out in the famous green and white
become fast friends with strangers chatting about trades, and the state of Aaron
Rodger’s shoulder, while a young Delta Airlines agent wearing blue-rimmed
glasses throws out trivia questions causing a contagion of giggles at the gate.
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ROAD TRIP
USA
MATT NORMANN PHOTOGRAPHY
T
HE FOLKS IN GREEN BAY
are completely crazy for their
football team and it shows.
Whenever it snows, they flock
to Lambeau armed with shovels
ready to clear the field. So it’s
no surprise that this small town
of only 100,000 would have
a stadium big enough to fit 80,000 of them. These
exuberant cheeseheads also happen to own their
beloved league.
But when you’re done with the football and sampling
squeaky cheese curds, only a short drive away is Door
County Peninsula, a slice of land surrounded by Lake
Michigan in Wisconsin’s northeast corner, inhabited by a
sprinkling of unique waterfront villages and a thriving,
eclectic culinary scene that should not be missed.
Many people refer to Door County Peninsula as the
Cape Cod of the Midwest, and it’s not surprising,
considering the white-capped waters of Lake Michigan,
miles of sandy beaches, picturesque lighthouses and
pristine state parks. Door County, founded in 1851, was
THIS PAGE Goats enjoying
the scene on Al Johnson’s
grass-covered roof.
originally called ‘Porte de Morte’ or ‘Door of Death’ — a
name first given by the French trappers who worked in
the area, because of the treacherous waters that mark
this water passage off the tip of Lake Michigan.
With many businesses closing down for the winter
season, the best time to enjoy the area, and its potpourri
of delicious food is from May through to October. I go in
late September when the air is exceptionally fresh, there
are plenty of apples to pick and oodles of plump cherry
pies to devour.
In fact Door County is the fourth largest producer of
cherries in the nation and a visit to Seaquist Orchards in
Sister Bay confirms this. Their perfectly tart dried
Montmorency cherries are great for cooking and baking,
or wickedly smothered in chocolate. I’m partial to
dipping rectangles of salty crackers into smoky cherry
barbeque sauce but the winner is their sublimely spicy
and sweet cherry salsa which would go well with just
about anything.
That morning, we pull up to Al Johnson’s Restaurant
in Sister Bay and make out a sign Valkommen (Swedish
for ‘welcome’) swinging above the entrance. I’m shocked
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ROAD TRIP
USA
THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP LEFT
…Door County is the
fourth largest producer of
cherries in the nation…
to see four goats grazing 10 feet up on a
grass rooftop. Once inside the brown wooden
building, I’m reminded of Door County’s
significant Scandinavian presence and deep
connection to its history and culture. Platters
of Swedish meatballs pass by me carried by
girls wearing cleavage-baring white frilly
blouses and bright red vests. I almost forget
I’m in Wisconsin.
I go for the meatballs and squareshaped Swedish pancakes (a departure
from the traditional Swedish pancake rolled
up, sprinkled with butter and icing sugar)
adding some creamy Wisconsin butter,
house syrup and spoonfuls of lingonberry
sauce. Al Johnson’s son Lars tells me that
their family restaurant is the second largest
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Door County
cherry pies
are not to be
missed; Fourthgeneration
cheesemaker,
Chris Roelli;
Door County
fall favourites
— pumpkin
patches and
apple picking;
Jewel Ouradnik
shows off her
coffee cake.
ROAD TRIP
Cook
it
friends to head over for a nightcap
with the locals at the Bay Side
Tavern near my hotel in Fish Creek.
Although Door County is
steeped in tradition, there are
some new restaurants and food
shops in the neighbourhood
shaking up the culinary scene.
Parador, a Spanish tapas
restaurant, has food that will blow
your mind. We start our fiesta
with a crisp chardonnay-based
sangria, topped with ginger and
candied tomatoes, and proceed to
share small plates of their bomba
(a large pork meatball, covered
in Yukon gold purée, dressed
with oyster mushrooms), sweet
pulp heirloom tomatoes rubbed
on toast, their version of fish and
chips (grilled anchovies layered
on homemade potato chips with a
side of homemade cherry mustard
sauce), and locally raised lamb,
a melt-in-your-mouth delicious
shank, braised in cinnamon,
nuts and fried leeks. Dessert is
equally spectacular with a plate
of churros to be plunged in spicy
hot chocolate, and a square
of delicate crème caramel.
The international influences in
Door County continue with sips
of handcrafted Normandy-style
cider owned by Bob Purnam and
his wife Yannique. They make
their cider from their orchards a
ferry ride away on Washington
Island. Bob became interested
in making cider after family trips
with Yannique, visiting her father
in northern France. Hand bottled
and capped, and gluten-free, I
especially love the Apple Cherry
Cider, but I can’t help but wish for a
little piece of cheese to go with it.
USA
importer of lingonberries to
the US, other than IKEA.
Another great place for Swedish
cuisine is Grandma’s Swedish
Bakery at Rowley’s in Ellison Bay. I
try not to stuff myself with their
amazing Swedish breakfast buffet,
featuring bread pudding, a garnish
of Montmorency cherries that I
could make into a meal, egg
lasagna (baked layers of scrambled
eggs, zucchini and onions), and
crispy potato pancakes
constructed with thinly sliced
green onions, but I give up.
Jewel Ouradnik, owner of the
bakery and restaurant, makes her
way to my table as other guests
politely interrupt, thanking her for
their scrumptious morning meal.
She offers me slices of slightly
sweet cardamom coffee cake,
fresh Swedish rye limpa bread, and
heavenly pecan rolls, all inspired
by recipes that were handed
down from her grandmother.
Authentic fish boils are serious
business in Door County. At the
Old Post Office in Ephraim, I warm
up outside sitting around the fire
crackle and listening to boil master
Earl Jones share tales and jokes
about the early days. A huge pot
is filled with local white fish steaks,
potatoes and onions. At just the
right moment, kerosene is added
to the water, there’s a big blast
of fire and the pot overflows with
the fish oils that have surfaced
to the top. The only hiccup in our
dinner, other than the fish bones
that I carefully remove from my
mouth, is the lack of wine or beer
available. Our server reminds me
that Ephraim is a dry town, and
has been since 1853. I convince my
MAKES 8 CUPS
Roasted Pepper
& Tomato Soup
YOU CAN ROAST your own peppers or
use the kind in a jar for this tasty soup from
Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant.
Olive Oil
1/4 cup
Onion 1 medium,
chopped
Tomato Sauce
1 1/2 cups
Canned Tomatoes
diced, 1 1/2 cups
Water 3 cups
Flour 1/2 cup,
mixed with 1 cup
Cold Water
Garlic
chopped, 1 Tbs
Brown Sugar
1/4 cup
Vegetable Stock
1/4 cup
Roasted Red
Peppers 3 large
Heavy Cream
1/2 cup
Liquid Smoke
2 Tbs
Black Pepper and
Tabasco to taste
1 SAUTÉ onion
and garlic in
olive oil over
medium heat.
2 ADD tomato
sauce, diced
tomatoes, and
water. Add the
red peppers,
liquid smoke,
brown sugar and
vegetable stock.
Pour into a food
processor or use
an immersion
blender and mix
until smooth.
3 SIMMER for 5
minutes and add
heavy cream.
Add pepper
and tabasco
to taste, add
the flour-andwater mix, then
simmer another
5 minutes.
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ROAD TRIP
JASON STURNER
USA
THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT Vincent
Lombardi statue; Door
County lighthouse; Door County daffodils.
k
Clic
it
Seaquist Orchards
www.seaquistorchards.com
Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant & Butik
www.aljohnsons.com
Grandma’s Swedish Bakery
www.rowleysbayresort.com
Old Post Office Restaurant
www.oldpostoffice-doorcounty.com
Bayside Tavern
www.baysidetavern.com
Parador
www.paradorwisconsin.com
Island Orchard Cider
www.islandorchardcider.com
The Schoolhouse Artisan Cheese
www.schoolhouseartisancheese.com
Chris Roelli
www.roellicheese.com
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WHITNEYINCHICAGO
Marieke’s Gouda
www.hollandsfamilycheese.com
ROAD TRIP
Cook
it
USA
RENA GODFREY is a
Toronto-based freelance
writer specializing in lifestyle
and travel features.
SHARI_SCHESKE
And Door County is a great
place to be inspired by Wisconsin
cheeses with over 600 varieties. I’m
ecstatic to discover the multitude of
artisanal cheesemakers in the area.
The Schoolhouse Artisan Cheese in
Egg Harbor represents dozens of
Wisconsin artisan cheesemakers.
With every nibble I learn more
about the process and history
behind each wheel of cheese.
I’ve never been a fan of Gouda
but I change my mind after trying
a semi-soft Marieke Gouda, infused
with fenugreek (a nutty, mapleflavoured seed imported from
Holland) melted on homemade
crostini. Marieke’s 6–9 month aged
Gouda won the 2013 Grand US
Championship Cheese Contest.
I move on to a gorgeous
Dunbarton Blue, a remarkable
cheddar, with a slightly spicy
and earthy flavour, produced by
Chris Roelli, fourth-generation
cheesemaker. To achieve the ribbon
of blue, the cheddar is pierced with
oxygen, making the marked areas
turn blue during the aging process.
There are more unique cheeses
to sample, like the Snow White Goat
Cheddar, cave-aged for 6 months,
and more enticing food to tempt
my palate, but on my fifth day when
I feel the top button of my pants
about to pop, I decide to call it quits
with plans to eat more when I
return in the spring.
MAKES 2 LOAVES
Swedish Cardamom Coffee Cake
JEWEL PETERSON OURADNIK at Grandma’s Swedish Bakery makes this cardamom
coffee cake from her grandmother’s original recipe.
COFFEE CAKE
DOUGH
Milk 2 cups
Butter ½ cup
Salt 2 tsp
Sugar ½ cup
Active Dry Yeast 1 Tbs
Eggs 2 large
Flour 5 cups1
Oil to coat dough
Ground Cardamom
1 ½ Tbs
Heavy Cream
3 Tbs2
CARDAMOM SUGAR
Sugar ¼ cup
Ground Cardamom
½ tsp
1
2
You may need up to
1 cup more, added
during the kneading
stage if the dough is
too sticky.
Or half & half.
1 WARM milk and butter together in saucepan until butter
is softened and not too hot. In a mixing bowl combine
milk/butter mixture, salt, sugar and yeast. Set aside until
yeast is dissolved.
2 ADD eggs, half the flour and beat well. Gradually add
remaining flour and continue mixing dough for at least
10 minutes in mixer or until dough is sticky and pulls away
from side of the bowl.
3 KNEAD dough on floured surface until dough is smooth
and not sticky. Place into an oiled bowl and oil the top of
the dough so it doesn’t dry out. Cover with a towel and
put in warm place until dough doubles in size.
4 TURN dough onto lightly floured board and press into a
square shape. Sprinkle with ground cardamom and fold
top half over bottom half so that cardamom is between
the dough layers.
5 ROLL dough back to a square. Cut in two; then cut each
section vertically into 3 even strands but keep joined at
the very top, start point of the braid. Gently stretch each
strand and braid dough into an even braid. Scrunch to
10 inches on a greased cookie sheet. Dough should
rise until double in size. Baste with cream and sprinkle
cardamom sugar across braid.
6 BAKE at 350°F for 35–45 minutes until golden brown and
a light touch in the centre leaves no indentation.
NOTE: The coffee cakes freeze well. Defrost, slice, wrap in
foil and put in oven at 250°F for 15 minutes; serve warm.
It’s as yummy as the day you made it!
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