When: Tuesday, October 13^th from 5:30pm (or as soon as you’re able to arrive) to 9:00pm (or as long as the wine holds out).

Where: Miriam Schulingkamp’s kitchen on Walloon Lake in Boyne City (directions available upon registration).

Cost & Registration: $20 per person — this cost covers the entire meal, dessert and libations. Space is limited, so please contact us today to reserve a spot. The Big Sur Bakery Cookbook is available for purchase for $40 at McLean & Eakin, or by clicking here. We would love for as many individuals as possible to spend some time becoming familiar with the cookbook in advance so that we are able to have lively discussion as we cook together from the book! To that end, we’re offering this special savings:  purchase your cookbook at the time of registration and receive $5 off the list price.

How to Register: As of August 28^th, registration for this event is full.  However, you may add your name to our waiting list by stopping into the store or by calling us at 231-347-1180.

We have a few CSA farms right here in Northern Michigan —  Blackbird Gardens in Petoskey, Pond Hill Farm in Harbor Springs, and Providence Farm in Central Lake.  I’m a shareholder with Blackbird Gardens, and if there’s one thing we have in abundance at the farm right now, it’s kale — my fridge has been practically overflowing with kale for the past few weeks. After several consecutive nights of kale, kale, and more kale, one really starts to ponder creative and imaginative uses for the stuff, and one of the reasons I’m so very fond of Farmer John’s Cookbook is that it contains a delicious recipe for kale and walnut pesto (page 86).

In less than half an hour, I went from this:

to this:

And it was fantastic!  We tossed it with warm pasta and a little of the pasta cooking water for a very tasty (and very easy) dinner, and it’s also a great spread for slices of baguette.  Next I’m going to try it tossed with roasted potatoes.  Yum!

What recipes have you tried?

Feature Cookbook: Farmer John’s Cookbook:  The Real Dirt on Vegetables

Farmers Market Field Trip:  Wednesday, August 19^th from 8:30am to 10:00 am. Attendance is optional, and each tour will run for about 30 minutes, so come anytime during this hour and a half.

Where: Boyne City Farmers Market, at the end of Water Street next to Sunset Park and the Boyne Area Chamber of Commerce.  Click here for directions.

Dinner and Discussion:  Thursday, August 20^th from 5:30pm (or as soon as you’re able to arrive) to 9:00pm (or as long as the wine holds out).

Where: Miriam Schulingkamp’s kitchen on Walloon Lake in Boyne City (directions available upon registration).

Cost & Registration: $20 per person — this cost covers the entire meal, dessert and libations. Space is limited, so please contact us today to reserve a spot. Farmer John’s Cookbook is available for purchase for $30 at McLean & Eakin, or by clicking here. We would love for as many individuals as possible to spend some time becoming familiar with the cookbook in advance so that we are able to have lively discussion as we cook together from the book! To that end, we’re offering this special savings:  purchase your cookbook at the time of registrationfor only $45.

How to Register: As of June 20^th, registration for this event is full.  However, you may add your name to our waiting list by stopping into the store or by calling us at 231-347-1180.

We look forward to seeing everyone!

When:Wednesday, June 10^th from 5:30pm (or as soon as you’re able to arrive) to 9:00pm (or as long as the wine holds out).

Where: Miriam Schulingkamp’s kitchen on Walloon Lake in Boyne City (directions available upon registration).

Cost & Registration: $20 per person — this cost covers the entire meal, dessert and libations. Space is limited, so please contact us today to reserve a spot. Fish Without a Doubt is available for purchase for $35 at McLean & Eakin, or by clicking here. We would love for as many individuals as possible to spend some time becoming familiar with the cookbook in advance so that we are able to have lively discussion as we cook together from the book! To that end, we’re offering this special savings:  purchase your cookbook at the time of registration for only $30.

How to Register: As of April 28^th, registration for this event is full.  However, you may add your name to our waiting list by stopping into the store or by calling us at 231-347-1180.

We got a bit more caught up in our hostessing duties than we’d expected and neglected to fully document the evening through photographs. If you have any that you’d like to share, please email them to megan@mcleanandeakin.com and we’ll add them here.

Friday’s meeting was such a treat and we’re very excited about our next gathering on June 10th! We’ve already talked about a few ways to improve the experience, but to help us plan for that event we’d appreciate your feedback as well; please click here if you’re willing to complete a brief anonymous survey.

Again, thank you, and happy cooking!

Cooking with Les Dames d’Escoffier is back in stock at McLean & Eakin, so if you haven’t already picked up your copy in preparation for our first meeting, stop by soon. While owning the book is not a prerequisite for attending the meeting, Gastronomical M&E is as much about cookbooks as it is about cooking, so count on some lively discussion about the recipes, techniques and credo of Cooking with Les Dames d’Escoffier.

We’re not the only folks who think this is a great cookbook; The International Association of Culinary Professionals has nominated it for its annual Cookbook Award, recognizing Cooking with Les Dames d’Escoffier as one of the best compilations released in 2008. Kitchen GadgetGals calls it “great cookbook and a great read” and notes that “culinary experts’ personal tips and hints sprinkled throughout the book bring the authority of well-used techniques right into your kitchen.” The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette praises Cooking with Les Dames for its “very appealing range of recipes,” and Booklist raves, “Something for everyone here.”