Farmers Market

In this week’s installment of Wisconsin Foodie, we travel to an undiscovered foodie treasure…Elkhart Lake.

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For years, Elkhart Lake has been known by the likes of Paul Newman, Ashely Judd and Michael Jordan for it’s racing tradition. The trend is now beginning to turn as the culinary scene is starting to show some real promise. This fact isn’t more apparent then through our encounter with Chef Lynn Chisholm, protégé of the James Beard award-winning Chef Adam Seigel and the Bartolotta’s.

Kyle stumbles across Lynn at the Elkhart Lake Farmers Market, where they discuss local farmers, fresh foods, cooking philosophy and purple brussel sprouts (you know… “typical” conversation stuff). Literally, a couple of steps from the market is Lynn’s Restaurant – Paddock Club, which is known for using seasonal ingredients with European culinary traditions. There, she treats Kyle to a behind-the-scenes lesson on the fine art of Duck Confit with Fois Gras Ravioli. For those folks out there that might not know what that is, a quick explanation: Duck confit is a French dish made with the leg of a duck. Foie Gras is the liver of a duck or goose that has been specially fattened. After preparing this dish, our host becomes specially fattened too, in a good way.

Paddock Club
61 South Lake Street
Elkhart Lake, WI
Phone: 920-876-3288
Web: www.paddockclubelkhartlake.com

It’s not every week that you get a recipe broken down by its maker. Well this week, you get two. Chef Lynn Chisolm joins us in Madame Kuony’s Kitchen at the Milwaukee Public Market to prepare Porketta on a Bed of Squash and Pancetta Stuffing.
The challenge: Prepare the dish without the assistance of resident chef Brian Moran (who was MIA due to the CIA….classes at the Culinary Institute of America in California www.ciachef.edu).

If you haven’t left to eat lunch at this point, Kyle meets up with Kathleen Eickhoff, Director of Tourism, to discuss one of her favorite subjects: Elkhart Lake. We meet the world-renowned French chef and teacher at L’ecole de la Maison, Chef Jean Claude Doloir.

L’ecole de la Maison
At the Osthoff Resort
101 Osthoff Avenue, Elkhart Lake
800.876.3399, ext. 830
www.cookingschoolatosthoff.com

Finally, what episode of Wisconsin Foodie would be complete without a visit with our very own wino – Jessica Bell (www.milwaukeewineschool.com).
Jessica and Kyle stop into one of the real treasures of Elkhart Lake, The Lake Street Café (www.lakestreetcafe.com), to pillage the unbelievable wine list. John and Lynn Shovan had to beat us back with broom sticks after we found out the price of their wines.

All in all, at the end of the day, this was a long one for the cast and crew of Wisconsin Foodie…Blue Skies + Great Food + Excellent Wine = Rough day of production. 

Enjoy,
Arthur Ircink