Here is the recipe…

Ingredients:

1 gallon apple cider (just the regular grocery store stuff)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon whole cloves

2 pieces stick cinnamon

1 orange

Directions:

Cut the orange in half, slice one half into rounds.  Pour the cider into the bottom of a percolator and add the rest of the ingredients to the basket.  Squeeze the other half of the orange into the basket and throw the rind in as well.  Perk.

The cider may be made on the stove, just put the spices in a tea ball or cheese cloth.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 1/2 hour.  Put in a coffee make with a glass pot to keep warm.

Pan Seared Venison Loin

3-4 pound venison loin

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Dry Rub (you can use any type of rub you have on hand i.e Emeril’s etc.)  Bruce uses his own concoction

Kosher Salt

Freshly ground  black pepper

Clean venison loin of its silver skin.  Brush with olive oil and rub with dry rub, kosher salt and pepper.  Let meat sit, covered in the refrigerator for 3-8 hours is desired…  Preheat heavy saute’ pan (I used my cast iron skillet) until very hot.  Sear all sides of loin until seared well.  Pull the loin from the pan and let it rest for 5-10 minutes.  Place loin back in the pan and roast in a 375 degree oven until medium rare (I know this sounds weird for venison to be done medium rare, but trust me, it’s delish and important for this recipe).

Shiitake Mushroom and Chardonnay Sauce

2 cups shiitake mushrooms stemmed and sliced thin

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 cup chardonnay

1 cup veal or beef demi-glace (it is like the Better than Bouillon… add water to it to make a cup.  The directions are on the package.  If you can’t find it just use 1 tsp. Beef Better than Bouillon and 8 oz. of water and mix together).

1/2 cup heavy cream

Place the meat on a platter and cover with foil, then in the same pan saute’ the mushrooms in the oil over medium high heat until tender.  Add the wine, demi-glace and cream and reduce until nice and creamy.

I usually slice the meat and pour the sauce over as opposed to keeping the loin whole because when people see the meat is medium rare they turn up their noses.  Serves 6-8.  I usually double this.

Have a safe hunting season and if you are a walker, don’t forget your blaze orange.  I cut a blaze orange cap and put it around our dog, Bailey’s neck, just to keep her safe.

I played tourist a couple of weeks ago.  My friend Kelly, a close friend I have known since I was 11 years old, stayed at Egg Harbor Lodge along with her parents.  One of the days they were here, we took a ride up to Northport using most of the back roads.  We stopped at Bayside and the Oilerie in Fish Creek with our final stop being at Orchard Country Winery where we did a little wine tasting.

Playing tourist...

Kelly and her husband Tom were celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary.  We had a blast…I hope they are able to come next year too.

Speaking of anniversaries, Mark and I celebrated our 30th on Tuesday.  We decided to go to Green Bay for the night.  We ended up staying at the Radisson at the Oneida Bingo and Casino.  Not much of a gambler, it took me awhile to figure out the slots.  You know the arm that you pull… well it doesn’t pull (you press a button instead)  and did you also know videoing is not allowed?  Apparently, I am the only one who didn’t know that.  Anyway, I got in a bit of trouble.  I want to post the video cause it’s kind of funny but I don’t want any more T-R-O-U-B-L-E.  Los Lonely Boys were playing there that night so we got to see them in concert as well.  Oh well, I’ll take my chances… here’s the video…

Right after I stopped at the craps table is when I got busted with “SECURITY”!  There was no way I was letting them have my FLIP however.  After that, the security guards were very attentive to me and I don’t think it was because they liked my sweater.

Today is our last day open until May 1, 2010.   I want to send out a sincere thank you to all of our guests for staying with us this year and every year.  We had a really great season and we look forward to  next year and many more years.   We start taking reservations in January for next year.  Stay tuned for winter in Door County through my blog… winter isn’t super exciting but it is really beautiful… even in November.  We have our annual Deer Hunters Venison Stew in a couple of weeks in anticipation of the deer hunt which is the one of our absolute favorite times of year.

Don’t forget Egg Harbor’s Holly Days is November 27 & 28… more on that later!

This is my newest item on my Door County must do list.  You haven’t experienced the real Door County unless you have seen it by air.  I just wish it hadn’t taken me so long.  Give them a call at 920.493.2729 you will be glad you did!

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Pretty cool…  I wish I would have worn a turtleneck though.

The Bodeans

I think there are still tickets available… it’s going to be a great show.  Hopefully, they will be back again sometime.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/33151972#33151972

How cool is that??

All this cool weather makes me want to cook and last night I made my famous “big chicken”.  We get theses huge chickens from our friends Patti and Billy Bley who raise them.  They are around 8 lbs. each which is enough to feed even my whole family.  I usually make mashed potatoes and pan gravy out of the drippings but last night I decided on just scattering the potatoes, onions and carrots around the chicken which makes for an easy supper.  Here is the result…

The "Big Chicken" before...

The "Big Chicken" after

This recipe is fool proof… I also make it on a charcoal grill but it takes a lot longer to cook but the smokey taste is worth it.

THE BIG CHICKEN

1 Large whole chicken

1 head of garlic

1 lemon

1 thyme bundle

Salt & Pepper

1 Large Spanish or sweet onion

1 Cup Chicken stock or broth

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Liberally season the inside of the chicken with salt and pepper or any seasoning of your choice… I use Rotisserie Chicken seasoning  that I picked up at Fleet Farm.  Oil the outside the chicken with vegetable oil and/or butter and liberally season the outside as well.

Cut the lemon and garlic in half and stuff the cavity with the 1/2 lemon, the 1/2 garlic, the thyme bundle, and then the other halves of the garlic and lemon.   Tie the legs and tuck the wings.

Cut up small Yukon Gold potatoes in half, cut up the peeled carrots, and slice the onions into rounds and spread all around the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Add about a cup of chicken stock (so the vegetables don’t burn before the chicken gives off its juices) and cook for and hour and a half or so or until a meat thermometer is at 165 degrees.  During cooking, cover with foil when it gets nice and brown and periodically stir the veggies and baste the bird.  Let sit for at least 15 minutes before carving.  If I make mashed potatoes, I will substitute rutabaga for the Yukon Golds and make a pan gravy (there is no equal to roast chicken pan gravy).  Place the vegetables in a serving dish, carve the bird and serve.  This recipe is easy and once you do all the prep work (particularly if you don’t make the mashed potatoes) once it is in the oven you’re done.  Perfect for guests… everyone loves chicken!

Anyway, watch for my video of Downtown Egg Harbor all dressed up for fall this week.  My granddaughter Adi and I are taking a walk this week to film the decorations and fall colors.  We aren’t near peak yet, so there is a lot of time to see the fall colors in Door County.

Last March, I was fortunate to get the opportunity to be on the “Living with Amy” show (it was LIVE!!) and cook with her.  We had a blast… she said she wanted to have me on again.  I hope so, it was one of the highlights of the spring for me and I have tons of good fall recipes, maybe she would like my Coq Au Vin!  Yeah, that sounds good, think I’ll make it this week.

Greens ‘N Grains is in the big purple building in downtown Egg Harbor.

I will be missing the first home Packer Game but I didn’t have trouble finding someone to take my place… Go Pack!

The weather has been in the high 70’s for ten days and counting and looks great through next week.  September had been a beautiful month, so if you are thinking about taking a drive to Door County and Egg Harbor Lodge, better make your reservations now as it is booking up quickly. Don’t forget… beginning October 18th stay two nights and get the third night free!

Happy early fall!

September 13  6th Annual Corn Fest, Carlsville

September 20 Baileys Harbor Autumn Fest & Harvest Fest in Sturgeon Bay

September 26… Great Days Art Tour, Gills Rock

September 27… Harvest Fest, Orchard County Fish Creek

October 4… Run Wild! Potawatomi Park

October 11-12… Pumpkin Patch, Egg Harbor!!!

October 17-18… Fall Fest in Sister Bay

October 18… 31st Annual Fall Classic Run

October 25… DC Fall 50 Long Distance Run

And lets not forget the beautiful fall colors we get every day.  Fall… the best time of year in Door County!