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A Splendid Weekend

Posted at 1:52 PM on May 12, 2008 by Donna McClurkan (10 Comments)

According to dictionary.com, a groupie is "an enthusiastic supporter or follower." I guess that makes me a groupie, since I made the 2 hour trek to Livonia, MI on Saturday to watch Lynne Rossetto Kasper make a scrumptious meal from her new cookbook, How to Eat Supper.

What a fun way to spend an afternoon! Audience members were invited to ask questions during the demonstration and I learned a lot. We were treated to samples of each item and my favorite was Farmhouse Panna Cotta (p. 316) which was paired with Little French Fudge Cakes (p. 313). Of the Panna Cotta, Lynne writes "Culinary reputations have been built on this recipe." No pressure, eh?! I'm going to try to "localize" this recipe soon using raw milk.

After the demonstration, Lynne offered to sign copies of her book, and I was lucky enough to land a spot near the front of the very long line. The couple behind me, treated to this event by their children as a 40th wedding anniversary celebration, graciously snapped this picture:

After a long day, I arrived home to another splendid meal - this one prepared by Mac - of fresh asparagus and grilled chicken purchased Saturday morning at the Kalamazoo Farmers' Market, and wild rice from Canada.

The spectacular ending to this pre-Mother's Day surprise meal was a local peach pie. The filling came from Carrie (my Chicken School mentor) and the crust was made from Archie's wheat flour.

Yummm.

Comments (10)

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Wow Donna, that sounds like a heavenly day. We are very envious of the pie.

Best wishes, Vera

Posted by Vera Schabicki | May 14, 2008 12:32 PM

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Hi Vera - thanks for your note. It got me wondering about peaches in Mississippi - they must be available before we get ours starting in July, right? Donna

Posted by Donna McClurkan | May 14, 2008 6:24 PM

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What a great piece of writing by our favorite localvore! She makes it sound like fun and very easy, this transition she's made to a healthier, more environmentally friendly lifestyle, but we know it's been a real challenge for her and her family. we're realizing now that she's also made a convert of her husband, Mac - but we strongly suspect he sneaks an occasional non-local 'treat'.

Though she hasn't yet made us converts, we've been her main groupies (see her definition above) in all other areas for over fifty years!

You go, girl! Mom and Dad

Posted by Don Caley | May 17, 2008 9:28 PM

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Donna- I am so glad I ran into you last Saturday at the Splendid Table demonstration, especially now that I'm becoming more interested in eating locally and organically. I'll take our encounter as a sign that I'm on the right track! and I'll definitely be checking in on your blog.

FYI- tonight I'll be making "Lemon Garlic Roast Salmon on New Potatoes" from Lynn Rossetto Kasper's book. It's only 11 a.m. and I'm already looking forward to dinner...

Posted by Christy | May 19, 2008 9:53 AM

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Donna, I've been trying to remember what kind of olive oil we tasted during Lynne's demonstration. Any chance you remember?

Posted by Christy | May 19, 2008 10:47 AM

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Christy - I was hoping to hear from you! So glad you checked in. Your menu choice for dinner tonight sounds really yummy. About the olive oil ... I can't recall the name of it, but do remember the lighter one, when tasted as we were instructed, had a grassy flavor. Two friends from Kalamazoo were also there and I'll ck to see if either remembers. Do you ever visit Saugatuck? There is an olive oil (and flavored vinegar) shop that has samples to try and the wide range of flavors is amazing. It's called The Olive Mill. I bet you could find something close to what we sampled during Lynne's demo in this store.

Posted by Donna McClurkan | May 19, 2008 2:07 PM

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Thanks, Donna. I would love to check out the Olive Mill. I'm always on the lookout for specialty food stores. I can't believe there's an entire shop devoted to olive oil!

Posted by Christy | May 19, 2008 4:45 PM

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Christy - hope you check back in regarding the olive oil. In case you haven't seen it yet, there's a section in Lynne's new book called "An Olive Oil Guide" and many different varieties are recommended. Bet you could find some comparible to the tasting/cooking demo event. Good luck! Donna

Posted by Donna McClurkan | May 28, 2008 3:24 PM

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I found it! The olive oil is Moutere out of New Zealand.

I'm guessing that we tasted the 2007 version. According to the website (http://www.mouteregrove.co.nz/) it's "complex, with grassy tones, herbs and a hint of tropical fruit on the nose, and a delicious, intense but mellow flavour and a long peppery finish."

Isn't that a perfect description of what we tasted?

Posted by Christy | May 29, 2008 1:15 PM

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Christy - you are quite the sleuth! Yes, I get the grassy tones and long peppery finish, but can't relate to the "tropical fruit on the nose" part. But then, I don't the nose thing with wine, either :). Thanks for letting me know you solved the mystery - I'll tell the 2 Kzoo friends that were also at the demo.
Donna

Posted by Donna McClurkan | May 29, 2008 1:52 PM