Cheese 101

CHEESE 101 Like bread or wine, cheese falls into basic categories based on its texture and the process with which it's made. Luckily for cheese heads like us, the categories are simple: Fresh: Think of these cheeses as the ones without rinds. This category is where you'll find casual favorites like goat cheese, fresh mozzarella, ricotta and cream cheese.

Semi-Soft: If you're making a grilled cheese sandwich, consider these guys. Semi-soft cheeses—ones like Gouda, Provolone, Havarti and Jack—are great for eating out of hand and even better for melting.

Semi-Hard (a.k.a. Semi-Firm): Cheddar is the king of this category, which includes tasty favorites like Edam and Gruyère.

Hard (a.k.a. Firm): Grating cheeses and cheese tray stand-outs like Mimolette, Parmesan, and aged Asiago rule this category.

Washed-Rind: Cheeses like Tallegio, Limburger and Muenster bathe in salty brine, sometimes with a little beer, wine or liquor added to gild the lily. The brine in turn helps cheese to form an edible rind around its soft or semi-soft interior.

Bloomy-Rind: These cheeses are purposely exposed to mold spores to create a gently fuzzy rind on the outside. The rinds on these cheeses, like those of Brie and Camembert, are generally edible, though some folks choose to skip to the creamy insides.

Blue: Love it or hate it, blue cheese is here to stay. These pungent, delicious cheeses are marked with blue mold, introduced when mold spores are injected or added to the cheese (eg Stilton and Roquefort)

Champion the Cheese Course Planning: Putting together the perfect cheese course or cheese tray is magical, and thankfully, so easy. There really aren't any rules to it; just aim for a variety of flavors and textures. Try combining a blue cheese, a washed- or bloomy-rind cheese, a fresh cheese, a hard cheese and a unique locally-made cheese.

Buying: Need an easy rule-of-thumb for deciding how much cheese to buy? Allow for about 2 ounces of cheese per person. Simple.

Serving: Give cheese about 30 to 45 minutes out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature before serving, then keep these 5 Dos and Don'ts in mind. (You can thank us later.)

1. Do spread fresh cheese on bread or crackers. 2. Don't wear a cheesehead hat while serving cheese. Contrary to popular belief, everyone doesn't think they're funny.

3. Do serve dried or ripe seasonal fruit (dried cranberries or fresh pears are perfect), olives or nuts alongside your cheese tray. It makes for great flavor combos and gives tasters a chance to relax their taste buds on other foods in between cheeses.

4. Don't serve semi-hard and hard cheeses in huge chunks. Cut them into wedges, cubes or shards instead; it exposes them to the air and broadens their flavor.

5. Do consider serving wine (or beer!) with your cheese. Rennet and Enzymes and Cheese, Oh My! We think it's important to know what you're eating. A little education never hurt anybody, right? If you're curious about how milk becomes cheese, read on:

What are enzymes and how are they used to make cheese? In order for milk to coagulate (i.e. separate into curds and whey) and eventually become cheese, enzymes are added to break down the proteins that keep milk a liquid.

What are rennet, rennin, and chymosin? Take a deep breath. According to Webster's Unabridged Dictionary rennet is "the lining membrane of the fourth stomach of the calf (and/or) a preparation or extract of the rennet membrane, used to curdle milk, as in making cheese…." In layman's terms, rennet is essentially a broad term used to describe any enzyme used to coagulate milk, and rennin and chymosin are enzymes found in rennet.

How many different types of enzymes are used to make cheese? Animal, vegetable, microbial and genetically engineered rennet can all be used in cheese making.

Is the use of rennet in cheese making controversial? At times, yes. Because it's an animal by-product, rennet sparks discussions on the issues of animal rights, vegetarianism, bioengineering and even religion (some animal-based rennet isn't considered "halal").

Three Types of Cheese Rinds Rinds are the outside shell on cheese that forms during the cheesemaking process. Cheese rinds are natural and usually edible, as opposed to other things that cover cheese, such as wax, cloth and leaves, that are inedible. Although rinds are edible, the question you need to ask yourself is, do I really want to eat it? If the flavor and texture of the rind enhances the experience of eating the cheese, the answer is yes. Take a little nibble of cheese with the rind and let your taste buds guide you. If a rind does not look or smell appealing to you, or the texture is too hard or chewy, don’t eat it.

Bloomy Rind Bloomy rinds are white and soft, sometimes even fuzzy. Cheesemakers spray a solution containing edible mold spores (Penicillium candidum, camemberti or glaucum) on the cheese. Humidity in the room where the cheese is ripened encourages this mold to grow, or bloom, and form a rind.

The only reason you might not want to eat a bloomy rind is if the rind has separated from the cheese somewhat, has a gritty texture or an ammoniated flavor or smell.

Examples of bloomy rinds: Brie, Camembert, Saint Andre, Mt. Tam Washed Rind

Look at the color of the rind. Does it have a noticeably orange or reddish hue? If so, it's probably a washed rind. Brine or alcohol (or both) is washed over these cheeses, creating a damp environment where edible molds, like B.linens, like to grow. Washed rind cheeses are often the most aromatic, or what some people call “stinky cheese.” The flavor of the cheese is typically stronger and saltier, due to the brine and alcohol.

Washed rinds are edible, although you might want to avoid the rind if it tastes excessively salty.

Examples of washed rinds: dorset, alpha tolman, brebirousse Natural Rind Natural rinds form with the least amount of intervention. In the temperature and humidity controlled rooms where cheeses are aged, air naturally dries out the outside of cheese. Over time, this forms a thin crust on the outside of the cheese which becomes its rind. Cheesemakers monitor this process and periodically rub the rind with oil, salt and/or a damp cloth soaked in brine.

Natural rinds tend to be thicker and harder, and sometimes gritty. For this reason, they aren't always the most pleasant eating experience.

Examples of natural rinds: Stilton, Tomme de Savoie, Cantal, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Kinsman Ridge

Calamari Deconstruction (James Cosby)

The Squid Part

The English name calamari has been borrowed multiple times, first from Spanish calamar, later from Italian calamaro, and most recently from Modern Greek καλαμάρι kalamári. All derive from the Late Latin calamarium, "pen case" or "ink pot", itself from the Latin calamarius, "pertaining to a writing-reed", after the resemblance in shape and the inky fluid that squid secrete; calamarius in turn derives from the Greek κάλαμος kalamos 'reed' or ‘pen'

In English-speaking countries, squid as food is often marketed using the Italian word calamari. Squid are found abundantly in certain areas, and provide large catches for fisheries. The body can be stuffed whole, cut into flat pieces, or sliced into rings. The arms, tentacles, and ink are also edible; in fact, the only parts not eaten are the beak and gladius (pen). Squid is a good food source for zinc and manganese, and high in copper,^[17] selenium, vitamin B₁₂, and riboflavin.^[18

 Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 304 species.^[2] Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles. Squid are strong swimmers and certain species can "fly" for short distances out of the water.

Allergies to calamari can occur.^[15] As with other molluscs, the allergen is probably tropomyosin.

Many species are popular as food in cuisines as diverse as American, Basque, Canadian, Chinese, English, Filipino, Greek, Italian, Japanese, 

Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Tunisian, Turkish and Vietnamese.

Now internationally recognized for top-shelf squid, Point Judith, Rhode Island was established as a popular “hub” in the early 80s. Along with its unique harbor-side vacation sites and activities, Point Judith can coin itself as the first port on the East Coast to have an influx of fresh squid supply. With sustained efforts, and dedicated fisherman, Point Judith has been named “The squid capital of the East Coast.”

Beurre Blanc

Literally translated from French as "white butter" — is a hot emulsified butter sauce made with a reduction of vinegar and/or white wine (normally Muscadet) and grey shallots into which cold, whole butter is blended off the heat to prevent separation. The small amounts of lecithin and other emulsifiers naturally found in butter are used to form an oil-in-water emulsion. Although similar to hollandaise in concept, it is considered neither a classic leading nor compound sauce.^[1] This sauce originates in Loire Valley cuisine.

A good beurre blanc is rich and buttery, with a neutral flavor that responds well to other seasonings and flavorings, thereby lending itself to the addition of herbs and spices. It should be light and airy yet still liquid and thick enough to cling to food.

Beurre blanc is prepared by reducing wine, shallots, and herbs (if used) until it is nearly dry. Although not necessary, cream can be added at this point as a stabilizer to the sauce. Lemon juice is sometimes used in place of vinegar, and stock can be added as well.^[4] Cold, one-inch cubes of butter are then gradually incorporated into the sauce as the butter melts and the mixture is whisked.

The sauce can separate by either overheating or cooling. If it heats past 58 °C (136 °F), some of the emulsifying proteins begin to break down and release the butterfat they hold in emulsion. If the sauce cools below 27 °C (80 °F), the butterfat will solidify

Tempura 

The classic "batter-fried" food in Japan is tempura, which is no stranger to the West. What is not well known about this so-called typical Japanese dish is that in actual fact it was introduced, or at least devised, centuries ago by Europeans living in Japan - the Spanish and Portuguese who established missions in southern Japan in the late sixteenth century. The dish caught on with the Japanese, who added the thin, delicately seasoned dipping sauce with grated daikon mixed in. By now tempura has passed so thoroughly into native cooking that its origin is almost forgotten.

Rice flour may be made from either white rice or brown rice. To make the flour, the husk of rice or paddy is removed and raw rice is obtained, which is then ground to flour.

The Peppers

Peppadew is the trademarked brand name of sweet piquanté peppers (a cultivar of Capsicum baccatum) grown in the Limpopo province of South Africa.This type of piquante pepper was first discovered in early 1993^[1] and introduced to market later that same decade. The name is a portmanteau of 'pepper' and 'dew'. Although the pepper is sometimes described as a cross between a pepper and a tomato, this description is not botanically accurate, and refers only to the resemblance in color and size between peppadew and cherry tomatoes.

The Capers

The salted and pickled caper bud (called simply a caper) is often used as a seasoning or garnish. Capers are a common ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine, especially Cypriot, Italian, Aeolian and Maltese. The mature fruit of the caper shrub are prepared similarly and marketed as caper berries.

The buds, when ready to pick, are a dark olive green and about the size of a fresh kernel of corn (Zea mays). They are picked, then pickled in salt, or a salt and vinegar solution, and drained. Intense flavor is developed as mustard oil (glucocapparin) is released from each caper bud. This enzymatic reaction leads to the formation of rutin, often seen as crystallized white spots on the surfaces of individual caper buds.

Capers are a distinctive ingredient in Italian cuisine, especially in Sicilian, Aeolian and southern Italian cooking. They are commonly used in salads, pasta salads, meat dishes, and pasta sauces. Examples of uses in Italian cuisine are chicken piccata and spaghetti alla puttanesca.

Capers are known for being one of the ingredients of tartar sauce. They are often served with cold smoked salmon or cured salmon dishes (especially lox and cream cheese). Capers and caper berries are sometimes substituted for olives to garnish a martini.

Capers are categorized and sold by their size, defined as follows, with the smallest sizes being the most desirable: non-pareil (up to 7 mm), surfines (7–8 mm), capucines (8–9 mm), capotes (9–11 mm), fines (11–13 mm), and grusas (14+ mm). If the caper bud is not picked, it flowers and produces a caper berry. The fruit can be pickled and then served as a Greek mezze.

Caper leaves, which are hard to find outside of Greece or Cyprus, are used particularly in salads and fish dishes. They are pickled or boiled and preserved in jars with brine—like caper buds.

Dried caper leaves are also used as a substitute for rennet in the manufacturing of high-quality cheese.^[24]

Fettuccini Nero Deconstruction

Fettuccini Nero

~Fettuccini~

• “Little ribbons” in Italian
• One of the oldest and most common pastas
• Made with egg dough, which gives the pasta a softer texture

Cocoa Powder

• Cocoa powder starts as pulpy seeds contained in pod-shaped fruits growing on cocoa trees.
• The seeds are fermented (gives the beans their brown color and flavor), dried, roasted, and then ground into a paste.
• The fat (cocoa butter) is removed from the paste and dry, unsweetened cocoa powder is the result. (If you remix cocoa butter with some portion of the cocoa powder you can make chocolate!! YUM)

-Benefits of Cocoa Powder

Minerals

1 Tbs = 12 Cal, 1g Protein, 0.1g Sugar, 1.8g Fiber (daily intake: 5% men, 7% women)

3-9% recommended daily intake of:

• Iron - carries oxygen, helps produce red blood cells, essential for your immune system
• Manganese - component of enzymes that form cartilage and bones, metabolize nutrients, function as antioxidants inside every cell in the body
• Magnesium - helps produce energy and maintain a normal heart rhythm
• Zinc - important for production and development of new cells, including cells of the immune system

Flavonoids

Plant-based substances

In cocoa, functions as antioxidants that help systemic inflammation

Cocoa is a good source of two flavonoids:

• Epicatechin
• Catechin

By helping to relax the muscles in blood vessels, these flavonoids can lower blood pressure and improve blood flow!

Wild Boar - Broken Arrow Ranch

• An artisanal producer of high quality free-range venison, antelope, and wild boar meat
• Family-owned and operated business
• In its 2nd generation
• Operating since 1983
• Located in the heart of Texas Hill Country
• Field harvest only truly wild animals
• Not farm or pen-raised
• Partner with ranchers in Central and South Texas
• Part of their population management programs
• Over 100 different ranches
• About 1 million combined acres

-Harvesting

• Mobile processing facility
• The harvest crew consists of a shooter, a skinner, and a government meat inspector
• It is set up at a prearranged location on the range to minimize time lapse between harvesting and processing

• Humane field-harvesting
• Harvested long-range (50-200 yards) using a sound-suppressed rifle and a high-power leupold scope
• The main goal is to reduce stress, which is a large factor in controlling meat quality
• A threatened animal will produce an increased amount of adrenaline which will lead to a rapid increase of lactic acid in the muscles
• The acidic condition of the muscles can cause the meat to become tough, strongly flavored, and reduce its shelf life
• The purpose of this technique is to cause zero stress to the animal for highest quality meat possible
• Once harvested, the animal is brought back to the mobile processing facility where it's skinned, eviscerated (disemboweled), and inspected
• Electro-stimulation
• An additional step, which is performed within minutes of harvesting
• It causes a contraction of muscles ensuring a thorough bleed out, which guarantees a mild tasting meat and longer shelf life
• The event also tenderizes the meat, usually ends up 40%-60% more tender than non-stimulated meat

Ragù!

• In Italian cuisine, ragù is a meat-based sauce commonly served with pasta
• In Tuscany, ragù can be called ‘sugo’, and wild boar ragù is called ‘sugo di cinghaile’, which lines up with our ragù!
• Created (or first documented) by Alberto Alvisi in the 18th century
• Alberto was the cook to the Cardinal of Imola
• The recipe was replicated and published as The Cardinal’s Ragù
• One of the most popular ragùs is ‘Ragù alla Bolognese’ (Bolognia)

• By the late 19th century, the use of heavy meat sauces on pasta was common on both feast days and Sunday's only with the wealthier classes of newly unified Italy due to meat and pasta expenses

Gnocchi Deconstruction

Gnocchi

There are many regions that lay claim to the origins of gnocchi.  While they are generally associated with northern Italy, the truth is that these dumplings are found all over the peninsula and in many diverse forms, made with a variety of base ingredients depending on where they come from: flour, corn meal, semolina, bread, chestnut flour, ricotta, or vegetables--from pumpkin to spinach to the classic potato.

The word gnocchi is thought to come from nocca, which means knuckles, or from the Lombard word knohha, which means knot (such as a wood knot) or walnut--all words that imply the small, tight, rounded shape of gnocchi that we know today.

The most famous potato gnocchi that are known and loved world-wide date back to the sixteenth or, more likely, seventeenth century--well after Spanish explorers brought potatoes from South America and introduced them to Italian kitchens.  But other forms of gnocchi have been around since the Renaissance (and likely much earlier), as the sort of elegant dish you might find on banquet tables for important occasions.  In 15th century Lombardy, gnocchi made of bread, milk, and ground almonds were called zanzarelli.  In his 1570 cookbook, Bartolomeo Scappi has a recipe for “gnocchi” made from a dough of flour and breadcrumbs mixed with water and pushed through the holes of a cheese grater.  A little later, egg, flour, and water were introduced to the recipe, which became known as malfatti.  The word means “badly made” and is still the name that Tuscans apply to their spinach and ricotta dumplings, gnudi.

In the 19th century, Pellegrino Artusi, the “grandfather” of Italian cuisine, published a recipe for potato gnocchi prepared in exactly the same way that we see today, complete with the story of a woman whose gnocchi disappeared in the pot she was boiling them in--because she hadn’t used enough flour to hold them together.  He first shapes his gnocchi into pinky-sized pieces and then rolls them against the back of a cheese grater for texture.  That texture, whether created by rolling gnocchi with the tines of a fork or with a special wooden implement, help give the otherwise smooth dumplings little nooks and crannies where the sauce can hide, and guarantee full flavor in every bite.

Every region in italy, especially in the North, has its own gnocchi variation and its own specific sauce or serving style.  In PIedmont or Lombardy, you might find potato gnocchi tossed in a simple dressing of butter and Parmesan, or in a creamy, cheesy sauce passed under a grill to brown the top before serving.  In Verona, potato gnocchi is traditionally served in a tomato sauce--it’s a dish associated with Carnival that goes as far back as the 1500s.

The gnocchi family is numerous, to paraphrase Artusi, and when you look at the extended family tree, you see that in many ways, these recipes--the early bread-and-flour versions in particular--are the predecessors of pasta.  But even more so than pasta, this humble and beloved preparation has largely remained a homemade one, keeping the Italians traditions safe in the kitchen.

Tyrolean Speck

Tyrolean speck is a distinctively juniper-flavored ham originally from Tyrol, an historical region that since 1918 partially lies in Italy.  Its origins at the intersection of two culinary worlds is reflected in its synthesis of salt-curing and smoking.

The first historical mention of Tyrolean speck was in the early 13th century when some of the current production techniques were already used.  Sudtiroler Speck (Italian: Speck Alto Adige) is now a protected geographic designation with PGI status.

Speck is an English word meaning “fat,” attested since the early 17th century.  This word also exists in German with the same meaning, but it normally refers to pork fat with or without some meat in it.  Normal English use refers to German culinary uses, particularly of smoked or pickled pork belly.

In Italy and Turkey parts of the English-speaking culinary world, the term “speck” refers to Italian speck, a type of prosciutto, rather than German speck, which is identical to the Italian "lardo."  The term “speck” became a part of popular parlance only in the eighteenth century and replaced the older term “bachen,” a cognate of “bacon.”

Like prosciutto and other hams and most German speck, Tyrolean speck is made from the hind leg of the pig.  It is deboned before curing.

A leg of pork is deboned and divided into large sections called “baffe”, and then cured in salt and one of various spice combinations, which may include garlic, bay leaves, juniper berries, nutmeg, and other spices, and then rested for a period of several weeks.  After this, the smoking process begins.

Tyrolean speck is cold-smoked slowly and intermittently for two or three hours a day for a period of roughly a week using woods such as beech at temperatures that never exceed 20 degrees C (68 degrees F).  It is then matured for five months.

Walnuts

Walnuts belong to the tree nut family, along with Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, and pistachios.  Each has its own unique nutritional profile.  One quarter-cup of walnuts, for instance, provides more than 100 percent of the daily recommended value of plant-based omega-3 fats, along with high amounts of copper, manganese, molybdenum, and biotin.  Some of the most exciting research about walnuts includes:

1. Cancer-fighting properties: Walnuts may help reduce not only the risk of prostate cancer, but breast cancer as well.
2. Heart health: Walnuts contain the amino acid l-arginine, which offers multiple vascular benefits to people with heart disease, or those who have increased risk for heart disease due to multiple cardiac risk factors.
3. Rare and powerful antioxidants: walnuts contain several unique and powerful antioxidants that are available in only a few commonly eaten foods.  This includes the quinone juglone, the tannin tellimagrandin, and the flavonol morin.
4. Weight control: adding healthful amounts of nuts such as walnuts to your diet can help you to maintain your ideal weight over time.  In one review of 31 trials, those whose diets included extra nuts or nuts substituted for other foods lost about 1.4 extra pounds and half an inch from their waists.
5. Improved reproductive health in men: One of the lesser-known benefits of walnuts is their impact on male fertility.  Among men who consume a Western-style diet, adding 75 grams (a bit over one half-cup) of walnuts daily significantly improved sperm quality, including vitality, motility, and morphology.
6. Brain health: Walnuts contain a number of neuroprotective compounds, including vitamin #, folate, melatonin, omega-3 fats, and antioxidants.  Research shows walnut consumption may support brain health, including increasing inferential reasoning in young adults.
7. Diabetes: The beneficial dietary fat in walnuts has been shown to improve metabolic parameters in people with type 2 diabetes. Overweight adults with type 2 diabetes who ate one quarter cup of walnuts daily had significant reductions in fasting insulin levels compared to those whose diet did not, and the benefit was achieved in the first three months.

Venison Deconstruction

Braised Venison Shanks.

Lambic, salt baked celery root, matsutake mushrooms

The base of the plate is coated with a salt baked celery root puree. Let's break that down a bit more…

Celery root is also known as celeriac and is a different plant than the celery grown for it's stalks. In appearance, celeriac is roughly the size & shape of a grapefruit but instead of a smooth pink exterior, imagine a dense, knobby, pale yellow root. In taste, the celery flavor is present but more intense and earthy than our stalky green celery friends. Celeriac is delicious grated raw over salads or into the remoulade in the roast chicken sandwich on our lunch menu.

    Salt baking, how & why?

Salt baking is the process of coating food in a clay like mixture of salt & egg whites. This creates a kiln like insulation and ensures a gentle & even cook. Cooking your food in a salt crust traps the heat & moisture forcing them to infuse into the food rather than disappear into the universe. If you're in a rush, salt baking can cook things ⅓ more quickly than other methods & if you're on a diet, hot salt absorbs some of the fat in meat so that's nice. Considering the essential role that salt played in the preservation & preparation of food throughout history, it's not surprising that this method is still in use today. Some of the earliest recorded accounts of salt baking date back ancient Mongolian warriors packing their meat in salt & cooking it with the salt still intact. Thus forming a hard crust on the outside & a juicy tender cut of meat inside. Similar methods exist worldwide.  Indian clay pot cooking, French “ en papillote” style which involves using paper & oriental techniques that involve using leaves or barks to wrap the food in. All methods produce the same flavorful results. When we take our celery root out of the oven, we smash through the salt crust & the celeriac is pureed with olio salt & pepper.

  Braised Venison shanks

Venison- what is it? Delicious the end. Just kidding folks! The word venison comes from the latin venari which means to hunt to pursue. It used to refer to all game animals killed by hunting and in South Africa it refers to antelope but when talking about our venison refers to deer of any cut but generally not the organs. Venison don't breed particularly well in captivity and there are an abundance of them in New Zealand which is where we get ours from. Venison is a lean cut of meat and because the shank is so muscular it benefits from a slow & low cooking method. We braise ours.

    Braising is a cooking method that combines dry & moist heat. First the meat is seared to a nice brown color then stewed slowly in a closed container of aromatics & liquid or stock of the chef's choosing. Our chef has chosen to braise the venison shanks in lambic beer, dehydrated sour cherries, & stock with a sachet of thyme, bay leaf, coriander, caraway, & grains of paradise.

    Accompanying the meat are roasted turnips & poached chestnuts. Turnips are a root vegetable and member of the brassica family. Commonly grown in temperate climates for its bulbous root.

Additionally there are some poached chestnuts. The American Chestnut was the primary food source tree for wildlife - deer, bear, turkey, squirrel, and hogs. The chestnut forest could produce 2,000 pounds of mast or more per acre, more carbohydrate than an acre of corn! Chestnuts were the favored food in the fall for game, because the sweet tasting nuts were high in protein, carbohydrate and had no bitter tasting tannins like acorns.

DEER ARE EVOLUTIONARILY PROGRAMMED TO EAT CHESTNUTS!

Chestnuts are chosen by deer over all other nuts because of their taste and nutrition. They are high in carbohydrates (40%), contain up to 10% high quality protein. This provides the critical easily usable energy source over all other available foods during the Rut in the fall. Chestnuts have no bitter-tasting tannin - and a deer's taste buds are 1,000 times as sensitive as humans. Deer prefer White Oak acorns over Red Oaks because they contain less tannin, and this is why deer prefer chestnuts over all acorns.

DEER CHOSE CHESTNUTS 100:1 OVER ACORNS!

In tests performed by Dr. James Kroll "Dr. Deer" at the Whitetail Research Institute in Nacogdoches, TX, Kroll reports: "Even though the wild deer at this location had never seen a chestnut in many generations, they got on the chestnuts within ONLY AN HOUR after we put them out. The deer ate the chestnuts 100:1 over the acorns! Chestnuts are deer's preferred food."
     The sweet taste of chestnuts actually sweetens the meat of the animals that eat it. In Spain, hogs are raised on chestnuts because of the excellent flavored meat it produces. Venison from chestnut fed deer tastes like corn-fed venison, without the gamey taste of deer that feed on bitter-tasting acorns. What grows together goes together deer & chestnuts = yum

And garnishing our lovely venison dish are celery leaves & matsutake mushrooms.Matsutake ( means pine mushroom)  is the common name for a highly sought-after mycorrhizal mushroom that grows in Asia, Europe, and North America. It is prized in Japanese, Korean, and Chinese cuisine for its distinct spicy-aromatic odor.