Door County Chefs.com

Drink Coffee’s, Rachel Haas wears many hats…

Three years ago Rachel Haas became the 3rd owner of Sister Bay’s Drink Coffee, founded in 1998. She came to Door County from Iowa with memories of childhood times spent in her Aunt Ruthie’s house… mainly in the kitchen.

“It has a special place in my heart, always smelled of the most delicious homemade cookies,” she says. “Ever since I took my first bite, I’ve been hooked. Ruthie began to teach me all the secrets of cookie making when I was just a wee sprite.”

Rachel has a new Web site - in three parts: The Drink Coffee site, her recipe blog and her alter-ego… the Cookie Lady Online.

“Now, with years of practice, I can pass these cookies on to you,” says Rachel. “Our cookies are made with only the finest ingredients and have a magical way of winning arguments, bringing smiles to faces and warming hearts.”

Thanks to the Web there are now two ways to find out if it’s true… stop in at Drink Coffee in Sister Bay, open throughout the winter Wednesday through Saturday from 7 am - 3 pm, or check out the Cookie of the Month and order a dozen on-line!

Wine Talk from Door Peninsula Winery

Door Peninsula Winery was awarded another gold medal this fall for it’s Sweet Appple wine. The very popular wine is often standing in the shadow of sweet cherry, another abundant locally grown fruit, but certainly holds its own in competitions. A total of 1,974 entries representing 470 wineries came from several states and countries for the Long Beach Grand Cru wine and food tasting competition in California.

“Locally grown apples and their pressed juice is used for the apple wine that is in many of our blends,” says winemaker Paul Santoriello. “We’re proud of the award and the quality it brings to our other apple blend wines.”

Door Peninsula Winery creates apple wines in Sweet Apple, Cranberry Apple, Peninsula White, Hallowine and Sunset Splash.

Nutcracker Wine New Release!
In December of 1876, exiled Prussian dancer Newt Von Krekker set sail for Iceland. Lacking navigational skills, the wayward lad found himself shipwrecked near the Door Peninsula. As the story goes, the local vinters daughter, Sojenhomer, discovered the frost bitten man and was so taken by his comely appearance, she sighed ‘Sir Ah, Sir Ah”. At his daughters request, the vinter fermented a magical red grape wine, which the vinters daughter dubbed “Sir Ah Newtkrekker”.

New for you this season, Door Peninsula Winery has released the Nutcracker Wine. A soft, dry, red wine, this Sirah is well-balanced with a little Merlot in the blend for an easy drinking wine with a creamy, light oak finish. The fun and festive bottle is a must have for any nutcracker collector or hostess gift. Great package; even better wine. Order your Nutcracker for only $14.99, our introductory NEW RELEASE price.

Set Your Holiday Table with Cranberries:
Lightly tart and fruit forward, these juicy favorites are great for holiday meals. They have broad based appeal (for palates that might not enjoy wine as frequently as you) making them the perfect hostess gift. Pair with anything turkey of course and rich home cooked dishes … the sweet-tart of the cranberry cuts the rich, dare I say greasy, food we love to gorge on during big gatherings.

Cranberry Apple wine
Cranberry Apple made with the award winning apple wine.

Cranberry
is our favorite sweet-tart made with Wisconsin cranberries.

Cranberry and Cabernet blend wine
Cleverly name Cranbernet for our cranberry wine blended with Cabernet Sauvignon for a fuller mid-body and soft, semi-dry/semi-sweet version.

Find out more on-line at www.dcwine.com.

Traditional Thanksgiving Day Buffet at Harbor Fish Market & Grille in Baileys Harbor

Make your reservations today…
By popular demand, we are pleased to announce our 6th annual Thanksgiving Day buffet at Harbor Fish Market & Grille in Baileys Harbor!

We’ll be serving Oven Baked Turkey with all the trimmings, Cider Glazed Pit Ham, Poached Salmon and Chef Carved Prime Rib - plus all the side dishes you would expect to have here at Harbor Fish Market & Grille - like Montrachet whipped potatoes, potatoes au gratin, rice pilaf, specialty salads, freshly baked breads and our Exceptionally Decadent Dessert Selection!

Reservations encouraged, serving from 11 am until 7 pm. - just call 920.839.9999!

$18.95 per person
$8.95 for children under 11

Harbor Fish Market & Grille Provides Special Coupon

There really isn’t such a thing as a “season” at Harbor Fish Market & Grille, now located in both Baileys Harbor and Green Bay says co-owner Karen Berendt. “We love all the seasons and are excited to share a special “coupon” with you - to make it easier to leave the comfort of your cozy dining room at home! We’re preparing ten (10) of your favorite entrees for you at a special price!”

Simply print out the coupon below, make a reservation at either location - then enjoy a wonderful evening! That’s it! Questions? Call either location.

Coupon

“We love perch as much as you do - and we continue to serve ‘real perch’ for our perch fry,” says Karen

Many folks agree it’s one of the best values around, especially if you bring in the coupon above to enjoy a fabulous perch fry. That includes: golden deep fried perch, french fries, apple baked beans and freshly prepared coleslaw - all for $12.95 every Friday! Coupon is valid at either Harbor Fish Market & Grille location!

It’s So Good It’s Scary!

September marked the start of the new look to an old favorite, the Door Peninsula Winery Web site. The new site reflects the experience you can expect when you walk through the door of the old 1868 schoolhouse in Carlsville.

“We’ve tried to streamline all the information that people have been looking for as well as putting their favorite wine at the forefront for easier ordering,” says Chief Operating Officer Rob Pollman.

“We expected some growing pains with this transition, but the new look and feel of the site has been well received,” comments Jaime Forest, Marketing director at Door Peninsula Winery. “People have enjoyed rekindling the experience of their last visit to the winery when perusing the new site,” she adds.

Everyone is encouraged to take a look at the new Door Peninsula Winery online (www.dcwine.com). Having an issue viewing or browsing? Please direct comments, questions or concerns to Jaime Forest. Phone calls are also welcome 800.551.5049.

Try out the new website by ordering a bottle of Hallowine, Door County apple wine spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg for a sassy version of apple cider. GET IT BEFORE IT’S GONE!

Halloween Happenings…

Watch this post for an emerging and expanding list of what to do over the Halloween holidays in and around Door County. The focus is on Adult fun… at the various nightspots and eateries on the Peninsula. Friday, October 31, 2008 at 10 PM at CHERRY LANES 127 N 4th Ave Sturgeon Bay WI 54235 920.743.3432 GERI X, centers around a Bulgarian-born singer-songwriter who traveled throughout the better (or worse) parts of Europe before settling down in St. Petersburg, Florida in 2005. Her classical training on piano and guitar is infused with an emotional songwriting style. Geri’s music is equal parts pleasure and pain - as riveting and haunting as it is emotional and uplifting. She is the winner of Best Singer, Song-Writer of 2006 by Creative Loafing, describing her as “…a combination of the timeless and the contemporary - it’s uniquely hip and eclectic American post-folk, but sounds like she learned about love and heartbreak somewhere unfathomably older than here.” Discography:

• Anthems of a Mended heart (2008),
• Can’t Make your Happy (2006),
• Treachery (2006), Fever (2006),
• A Bit Worried Today (2005),
• Radioactive Drool (2005),

Geri X is accompanied by Greg Roteik on bass/guitar and Matt Bennett on percussion. Find out more about Geri X and their CDs at: www.GERIXMUSIC.com

A Kingdom So Delicious Sept 9 - 27

Kingdom So Delicious is a three week culinary tour of Door County starting on September 9 and running through September 27. This annual celebration of farm and food is organized by the Door County Visitor Bureau (DCVB) and the University of Wisconsin Extension Service. “Kingdom” will be an exploration of food producers and food preparers during which visitors will be able to participate in multi-level culinary adventures throughout this popular vacation destination.

There will be tours of organic vegetable, meat and egg producers, specialty products like grass fed beef, elk and anything else interesting and food-related — like the USDA Potato Gene Bank right here at latitude 45. Demonstrations on food preservation, discussions on why heritage vegetables are such a vital genetic resource and other presentations of fun facts to know and tell round out the offerings.ducts from the traditional to unusual, from Booyah to Burbot.

Lots of mid-week events are being planned to appeal to both visitors and residents.

That leaves weekends for the harvest festivals already planned by the communities up and down the Peninsula like Carlsville Day and the Sister Bay Farmer’s Market. During our days in Southern Door, there will be a chance to experience the Belgian culinary and farming traditions.

The following week we’ll investigate Northern Door’s specialty producers, learn how to press cider, make sauerkraut and grow specialty vegetables. The third week will focus on Washington Island where such interesting things have been done in reviving traditional sustainable agriculture, specialty farming, fresh flour grinding and much more.

Download Booklet with Event Calendars and Maps

2nd Annual Harvest Fest at Parallel 44 Vineyard and Winery, Sept 13

KEWAUNEE, WI - Steve Johnson and Maria Milano, the owners of Parallel 44 Vineyard and Winery are delighted to host the 2nd Annual Harvest Fest, a day filled with unusual activities and live entertainment on Saturday September 13. One of Milwaukee’s finest jazz saxophonists, John Salerno will be on hand to provide live music with his spectacular band, “Open Interest.” The staff at Parallel 44 will provide some special food pairings prepared by Chef Tony Lison coupled with their fine wines.

Learn about the process with vineyard tours, special events and of course, taste some excellent wines! It’s the season to bask in the beauty of the autumn colors and see the vineyard on the verge of harvest! Tickets purchased prior to event (availabble on-line) are $20. At the door, tickets will be $25. (wine samples are included in ticket price) Parallel 44 is proud to announce that a portion of all proceeds will go to Paul’s Pantry. The Vineyard and Winery is located at N2185 Sleepy Hollow Road in Kewaunee. 

Wisconsin Public Radio’s Joy Cardin Hits the Campaign Trail on “The Joy Ride”

STURGEON BAY, WI - Ideas Network host, Joy Cardin, will tour the state in September and October. Her tour, The Joy Ride: Wisconsin Public Radio Hits the Campaign Trail, will focus on the 2008 election while searching out Wisconsin’s special places, people and politics. This statewide tour will make a bright and early stop in Door County for morning discussion and a hot cup of coffee.

The Joy Ride Tour will stop at The Inn at Cedar Crossing, 336 Louisiana Street in Sturgeon Bay on Friday, September 26, from 6 - 9 am. The broadcast is free and open to the public. After the broadcast, listeners are invited to a special breakfast with keynote speaker Joy Cardin. The cost for the breakfast is $15. Tickets for the breakfast are available at 920.465.2502.

Every weekday morning, listeners hear Joy Cardin talking with a wide variety of guests about current issues. Policy-makers and politicos field questions from Joy and her callers on a wide array of timely state, national and international topics. Her programs tackle the most important and interesting proposals being debated in Congress and the State Legislature - while exploring social trends, popular culture, philosophy, and more.

In northeast Wisconsin, this discussion will be broadcast on IDEAS 88.1 WHID-FM / Green Bay, 91.9 WHDI / Door County, and 90.3 WRST-FM / Oshkosh. This discussion will also be available via the audio streaming and archive services on Wisconsin Public Radio’s website: www.wpr.org.

Joy Cardin has been a host with Wisconsin Public Radio since 2003. She served as WPR’s News Director before assuming her the position as director of Ideas Network talk programming. In November 2007, she stepped down as Talk Director to host the morning show full-time.

Joy has received several awards for her reporting and editing. She served on the Board of Directors of “We the People: Wisconsin” a civic journalism media collaboration involving Wisconsin Public Radio, Wisconsin Public Television, The Wisconsin State Journal and WISC-TV in Madison. She also co-hosted and helped develop the early morning call-in program with Tom Clark when the Ideas Network was created in 1990.

Wisconsin Public Radio is a service of the Educational Communications Board and University of Wisconsin-Extension. WPR operates two statewide services: the18-station Ideas Network, and the 11-station NPR News and Classical Music Network.

United Way to Host Chef Darren McGrady at “The Royal Dish,” Oct 11

United Way of Door County will be hosting the 1st Annual Celebrity Chef Demonstration and Luncheon.  This year’s inaugural event, “The Royal Dish,” will feature British Royal Chef Darren McGrady, the private chef for Princess Diana and the Royal Family for over 15 years. Included with the royal-themed four-course luncheon event will be a featured how-to cooking demonstration as well as a number of captivating stories about the Royal Family and Princess Diana.

Chef McGrady has appeared numerous times on national news shows such as CNN’s Larry King Live, the Today Show, as well as television and radio in England and across Europe.  He spent 11 years cooking at Buckingham Palace for the Queen and her guests on a daily basis until 1993 when he moved to Kensington Palace as Private Chef to Princess Diana, Prince William and Prince Harry.

The event will be held on Saturday, October 11 at noon in the Clubhouse at The Orchards Golf Course in Egg Harbor.  Tickets are $150 each and are available for purchase at the United Way office or by calling the United Way at 920.746.9645.

In addition, The Orchards is generously offering special prices to golf that day to any interested Royal Dish participants or their companions.

Chef McGrady will also be preparing a multi-course gourmet dinner on the evening of October 11, with specially selected wines for 10 couples at the Sturgeon Bay residence of David Hatch. Additional information can be found on the United Way website at www.unitedwaydc.com.  All proceeds from both events benefit the United Way of Door County.