Pesto Mayo Chicken Salad

Posted on August 31, 2010 by Mandi

This one’s more of a “put stuff in a bowl and mix it til it tastes good” kind of a recipe, but I looked up a bunch of other Pesto Mayo recipes to at least get an idea of proportions and percentages. Here goes.

Pesto Mayo Chicken Salad

Cast of Characters

Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken breast – cooked and chopped/shredded

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp. minced garlic

1 cup fresh basil leaves (loosely packed)

1 tbsp. lemon juice

salt & pepper to taste

1/4 cup pine nuts

Preparation:
Place basil leaves in food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add mayo, garlic, and lemon juice. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Adjust amounts of mayo, garlic, and lemon juice accordingly until a nice, herby, spring green color is reached.

Bada-Bing

Place chopped chicken into mixing bowl. Add pesto mayo and pine nuts. Stir until well mixed. Serve generous portion on a crusty bread roll with potato chips. If serving to Mandi or Jessie, include a bottle of chilled beer on the side.

Melon and red wine add mystique of healthiness.

Posted in Chicken, Main Dishes | Leave a comment

Wiese’s Wine Sauce

Posted on August 19, 2010 by Jessie

The following recipe was submitted by a Cream City Cuisine pal.  Thanks, Scott, for letting us test your awesome recipe!

Wiese’s Wine Sauce (on a tasty, tasty flank steak)

Ingredients:

1 flank steak

1 shallot, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 small handful of whole peppercorns

1 can beef broth

1 bottle Three Lakes Blackberry Merlot

2 tsp corn starch

1/2 cup cream

2 tbs butter, divided

Preparation:

Melt a tablespoon of butter in a saute pan. Add the peppercorns, shallots, and garlic and cook over medium heat until translucent. Pour in the broth and reduce it down until only about 1/4 cup of liquid is left.

At this point, pour 1 glass of wine and set aside for the cook. (See why we were drawn to this one?) Pour the rest of the bottle in the pan, and allow it to reduce to about half the liquid, or about 20 minutes.

Take two generous ladles full of the wine reduction, and pour it over the steak. Allow the steak to marinade for anywhere from 20 minutes to overnight. Pour the wine reduction through a strainer, and discard the solids.

When your meat is marinated to your liking and has rested at room temperature for 30 minutes, heat up the grill (or grill pan). Reheat the sauce to a gentle simmer and add the corn starch. Strain any meat juices from the beef into the sauce. Once you have flipped the meat, add the cream to the sauce and allow it to reduce. Add the last of the butter right before serving.

Serves: 5-6 people, depending on the size of the steak.

Posted in Beef, Sauces | Leave a comment

Ellis Island Cheesecake

Posted on August 18, 2010 by Mandi

Historically, Ellis Island, located off the southern tip of New York is a symbol of American immigration. Millions of immigrants came to the U.S. through this “gateway to the new world,” and this dessert is an homage to all of the people who make up this melting pot of a nation.

Allow us to explain…this New York style cheesecake is served with a sauce made from Great Lakes Distillery’s Kirschwasser, a German-style cherry brandy, that is distilled from a Von Stiehl produced cherry wine. This wine is made from the montmorency (historically French) and balaton (historically Hungarian) cherry varieties grown in Door County, WI.

That’s what we do here at Cream City Cuisine, we bring people together…even if it’s in dessert form.

Get it?

Ellis Island Cheesecake

Ingredients:

For Crust
1/2 packed of chocolate-flavored graham crackers

1 stick butter

1/4 cup sugar

For Cheesecake
4 8 0z. packages of cream cheese (no fat-free or light allowed)

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs, lightly whisked

1 tsp. vanilla

2-3 tbsp. corn starch (for fluffy thickness)

8 oz. sour cream

For Sauce Topping
1 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup Great Lakes Distillery Kirschwasser

2 tbsp. corn starch

1 tsp. nutmeg

2 tbsp. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup dried cherries

Preparation:

For crust: Crush 1/2 box chocolate graham crackers until you have a fine grain. Melt 1 stick of butter in microwave, and mix together with graham cracker crumbs until equally covered. Mix in 1/4 cup sugar. Press into bottom of 10 inch Springform pan and bake at 350 F for 10 minutes.

For cheesecake: In large bowl beat softened cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until mixed. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and 2-3 tbsp. of corn starch just until fully incorporated. Stir in sour cream and blend until well mixed. Pour on top of crust and bake at 350 F for 45 minutes.

For sauce: Bring water, 1/2 cup sugar, Kirschwasser, 2 tbsp. cornstarch, and nutmeg to boil in a saucepan. Continue boiling for 5 minutes, and then remove from heat. Stir in butter, vanilla, and dried cherries. Stir until incorporated.

To serve: Cut cheesecake into slices, plate and spoon sauce over top.

Serves: 12-16

Posted in Desserts | Leave a comment

Wish us luck at the WI State Fair!

Posted on August 9, 2010 by Mandi

If you’re planning to go to the WI State Fair today in Milwaukee, we’ll be cooking from 12 – 1 p.m. Stop on by for a visit.

Following our own CCC Rules of Order, we’re bringing a Sprecher six pack and may just have an extra cold one for you.

Post with photos and contest results to follow!

Posted in CCC Updates | Leave a comment

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Posted on August 8, 2010 by Mandi

In what was a Cream City Cuisine first, we bring you the following recipe. See if you can’t figure out what that “first” was.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup ricotta cheese

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

pinch salt

3/4 cup milk

3 eggs, divided

1/2 tsp vanilla

zest of 1 lemon

Preparation:

Place one 16 oz container of ricotta cheese in wire mesh strainer to drain excess liquid.

Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in medium bowl. Combine entire 16 oz tub of ricotta, milk, egg yolks, vanilla, and lemon zest in large bowl. Resign yourself to washing a large amount of dishes after finished with this recipe. In yet another separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.

Add dry ingredients to ricotta and milk mixture, stirring gently until just combined. Whisk in small amount of egg whites to lighten batter, and then gently fold in the remaining.

We don’t know what “fold in” means either, we just interpret it as slow and gentle stirring, one stroke at a time.

Heat griddle over medium-high heat. To avoid the Rule of the Fugly Cakes, drizzle a few drops of water on warmed griddle – if it sizzles, griddle is hot enough to begin cooking pancakes. If there is no sizzle, either start cooking and reap the Fugly Cake consequences, or wait a bit longer.

Using 1/3 measuring cup, pour batter onto hot griddle. Cook pancakes until batter begins to bubble around edges and on top.

When this fails to happen, flip pancakes and char on both sides. Middle will remain uncooked and mushy.

Discard first batch of pancakes and adjust griddle heat accordingly.

Try, try again.

Discard second batch of ironically raw/burnt fugly cakes.

Slowly come to realization that 16 oz of ricotta cheese is double the amount of 1 cup that the recipe calls for.

Call Dominoes.

Serves: 2-4 for medium pizza, 4-6 for large

Posted in Brinner | 1 Comment

Come see us at the WI State Fair!

Posted on July 28, 2010 by Mandi

That’s right folks, our Wisconsin Blue Maple Burger is a semi-finalist for Sprecher Brewery’s Grilling with Beer Contest!

Come down to the WI State Fair on Monday, August 9th and see us cook off against 9 other worthy grilling adversaries.

Posted in CCC Updates | Leave a comment

Great Lakes Distillery

Posted on July 21, 2010 by Mandi

Great Lakes Distillery is a refreshing change from your usual Milwaukee-area booze producer. Founded by Guy Rehorst, it is the oldest operating distillery in the state of Wisconsin since the repeal of Prohibition.

They offer vodka, gin, fruit brandies, absinthe, and rum, all made in small batches and distilled by taste. That means rather than having a computer tell them the spirits are good, they taste ‘em. Efficient? No. Superior? Yes, judging by their numerous awards.

Our favorites are their Rehorst Gin, which is made of 9 different botanicals – Wisconsin ginseng and sweet basil being two surprising notes, and their Citrus & Honey Vodka, which is made with hand-zested lemons and pure Wisconsin honey.

Again, not the most effective or cost-saving way of producing spirits, but that’s not the point here. The point is superior taste and artisan quality.

They offer tours of their facility, which is located on Virginia Street, across from the Iron Horse Hotel (across the roundabout on 6th Street).

Tours:
Monday – Thursday at 2:00 and 4:00
Fridays at 2:00, 4:00, and 6:00
Saturday at 2:00 and 4:00

Do yourself a favor and visit their facility, and then enjoy a tasting at their in-house bar. They have trained mixologists who provide excellent drinks if you just want to go and enjoy a cocktail at happy hour.

Speaking from experience, if you love yourself some Ketel One or Tanqueray, try the Rehorst Vodka or Gin. You won’t go back.

Posted in Featured Products, Ingredients | Leave a comment

Dunkelweizen Dill Burger

Posted on July 19, 2010 by Mandi

On August 9th, 2010, Sprecher Brewery will host a grilling contest at the Wisconsin State Fair. Each recipe must include Sprecher beer and beef, but that’s the end of the constraints.

In preparation for our submission, we will be trying out several different recipes before finally settling on one that we think will be a sure winner.

With that in mind, we present to you our first in the series, a burger seasoned with Sprecher’s Dunkel Weizen beer, a special edition brew you can only purchase at their gift store.

I don't know why "dunkelweizen" is so much fun to say, but it is

The inspiration for this particular burger comes from dill-flavored cheese curds. Wisconsin cheese curds, of course. We thought to ourselves, “Selves, wouldn’t that make a fantastic burger? And how, exactly, can we accomplish this?”

And thus…

Dunkelweizen Dill Burger

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1/4 cup Dunkel Weizen beer by Sprecher Brewery

1 tsp. dried thyme

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup dijon mustard

1 tsp. crushed garlic

2 tbsp. dill weed

salt and pepper to taste

1 handful Wisconsin cheddar cheese curds

Preparation:
Mix ground beef, beer, salt, pepper, and thyme in mixing bowl. Next, wash your hands and get in there and mix it all up. Be sure to squeeze it through your fingers a few times to harken back to your childhood mess-making days.

When well mixed, scrape remaining off your fingers back into bowl, and wash hands again.

To make sauce, combine mayonnaise, mustard, dill weed (*giggle* we’re still harkening back to childhood, here), garlic, salt, and pepper in bowl and stir until fully mixed.

Grill burgers 5-10 minutes on each side until done to your liking. Top with dill sauce and cheese curds.

Yes, that’s right. You just topped a burger with actual cheese curds. Pat yourself on the back.

Serves: 3-4 per 1 lb of meat

Posted in Beef, Main Dishes | Leave a comment

Dessert: Lavender & Leine’s Style

Posted on July 10, 2010 by Mandi

The inspiration for this dessert comes from a dish that may or may not have been on the catering menu at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center in Green Bay approximately 5 years ago. That dessert may or may not have included honey and lavender flavors.

Either way, we thought the flavor combination would go well together, and this dessert is what we devised in order to get them on the same plate.

You may or may not be surprised that they play very well together.

Apparently, we’re feeling very wishy washy today.

Honey Weiss Sorbet

What could be a better idea than sorbet made from Leine's Honey Weiss?

Ingredients:

1 bottle Leinenkugel’s Honey Weiss Beer

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup honey

1 tbsp. lemon juice

Preparation:
To make syrup, bring water, sugar, and honey to boil in small saucepan over medium high heat. Cook until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Whisk together beer, syrup, and lemon juice in medium bowl. Beer may foam a bit, but that’s okay. It’ll foam less with this simply syrup than it would with undissolved sugar.

Transfer mixture to ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Once you have a frozen sorbet, place in freezer and let it solidify completely overnight.

Lavender Bundt Cake

An herby indulgence with a "shot" of awesome.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp milk

1 tbsp dried English lavender flowers, finely chopped

For glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla

2 to 3 tbsp milk

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.

Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, and mix well after each addition. Fold in the flour, lavender, milk, and vanilla.

Pour cake mix into greased 8-inch ring pan. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes. Remove from cake pan and cool completely on wire rack.

Combine powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk in small bowl. Pour over cake. Serve with Honey Weiss Sorbet.

Notes:
Lavender cake is a cross between a traditional English tea cake and a bundt style cake. It will be more crumbly and drier than your typical sheet cake. Glaze is not only delicious, but essential.

Sorbet will be on the sweeter side with a clear taste of beer. The longer it’s in the freezer, the better it gets (barring freezer burn).

Posted in Desserts | Leave a comment

Riesling Risotto

Posted on July 1, 2010 by Mandi

Von Stiehl Winery in Algoma, WI is a great destination for a lazy, summer Saturday. Their tour boasts a trip to their centuries-old underground caverns, a tasting of their delicious, award-winning wines, and ghost stories personalized to their federally registered historic site.

As I spent much of the summer of 2009 living in Italy, it’s only fitting that I learned to make a mean risotto. After Cream City Cuisine was born, it seemed fitting to use my favorite Riesling by Von Stiehl in this recipe. Enjoy.

Riesling Risotto

Try it. You can thank me later.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup Arborio Rice

1 cup thinly sliced fresh mushrooms

1 16 oz. can chicken stock

1 cup Von Stiehl Dry Riesling

Preparation:
Add olive oil, onion, and garlic to deep frying pan and carmelize on medium heat. Add rice and saute until golden. Turn up heat to medium-high and add wine and continue stirring until absorbed. Add chicken stock 1/2 cup at a time until absorbed by rice while constantly stirring.

The smell will knock you out...in a good way.

About halfway through, add the mushrooms and let them stew in the juices. Continue adding chicken stock 1/2 cup at a time until it’s fully absorbed. Get comfortable, and invite your family or friends into the kitchen to keep you company as it will take about 30-40 minutes to get all of the stock incorporated.

Serves: An army

Posted in Side Dishes | Leave a comment