New Award-Winning Batch of Pleasant Ridge Reserve Cheese 

Carefully crafted by Uplands Cheese in Southwest Wisconsin

One of the best cheeses in the world has been made in the south-central Wisconsin town of Dodgeville for nearly thirty years now. Pleasant Ridge Reserve is made—as cheese used to be a hundred and fifty years ago—strictly seasonally. It’s done only in the spring, summer, and autumn when the cows are out in the pasture grazing and the variety of the grasses makes for an exceptionally interesting set of flavors.  Each year, a small subset of the skilled Zingerman’s cheese sits down to taste and compare a range of Pleasant Ridge—because each day’s milk is different so too is the cheese that’s made from it. We select a couple of days’ “make” that we like best and then the Uplands crew set those aside just for us. This year, the selection turned out to be even more special: In July at the American Cheese Society, Pleasant Ridge won a whole range of awards, most of which were for the cheeses our crew had chosen! Which means that when you come into the Deli, Creamery, Roadhouse, or Mail Order and buy Pleasant Ridge you will literally be buying a slice of an award-winning cheese!

 

German Challah from the Bakehouse

A new nod to German Jewish cooking 

Most American Jews—and for that matter, most Americans—are familiar with challah, the traditional bread baked for Sabbath and holidays. As most of us know it, and as we’ve long made it at the Bakehouse, it’s lightly sweetened honey and enriched with eggs, and also hugely popular. There is though, another kind of challah, one that is little known in the U.S. but has long been the norm in the German Jewish community. What most German Jews will know as berches is made without eggs and it’s even more subtly sweet, so much so that savory food lovers like me might not even notice the small bit of honey we use in the recipe. Food writer Joan Nathan, whose work has been an enormous influence on us over the years, is part of a German Jewish family in which berches is the norm! And now, after all these years, we’ve begun to bake it here! Whether you want a new way to celebrate the Sabbath, or you want to experience a bit of Jewish cultural diversity, or whether, like me, you just like to eat good bread, swing by and grab a loaf or two of German Challah soon!

 

Pulled Pork at the Roadhouse with Red Wattle Hogs

A long-time big seller gets better still

If you love pulled pork barbecue, here’s some big news. The always excellent pulled pork at the Roadhouse, long one of the biggest selling items in the building, just got notably better! Thanks to some seriously positive homework by head chef Bob Bennett, we’ve scored a source for Red Wattle hogs. And, sure enough, what was already really, really good is now … a whole lot better still! I had a bite about half an hour ago as prep for writing this piece and its richness, complex flavor, and super long finish are still lingering in the loveliest of ways. To be honest, I don’t generally eat a whole lot of meat but the flavor of the new Red Wattle pork is so good I’m eager to eat more!

 

Askinosie Chocolate’s Artisan Malted Milk Balls 

A classic American confection taken to the next level

The crew at Askinosie Chocolate has transformed the classic sweet treat of the American movie theater into a world-class confection that serious chocolate lovers will love! Making them requires eight hours of spinning the malted milk centers in dark, direct-sourced-by-Askinosie, Tanzania chocolate so that thin layer after thin layer of cacao covers the soft, crumbly, off-white colored centers. Unlike commercial versions, they have none of that all-too-common industrial stuff added to give that shiny smooth look. Left unpolished, the malt balls have a rustic look and feel. The aroma is amazing—when you open the package, you’ll immediately be hit with the smell of good chocolate. Crisp, light, and not at all too sweet, they have a really great flavor!

 

Traditional Turkish Bulgur

Exceptional heirloom wheat makes for some great meals

The folks at Koy Pantry have been doing great work to bring ever-tastier traditional Turkish foods to the U.S. for us to enjoy! Last spring we started to get some of this terrific bulgur. Made from the Karakilcik variety of ancient wheat; a wheat that has been grown and eaten for thousands of years now. It’s much darker in color, higher in fiber and protein, and according to many who have trouble eating industrial American wheat, easier to digest due to the lower gluten content. From my end, it tastes GREAT! Wheaty, nutty, wonderful! It’s super easy to cook—I just boiled it in salted water til tender, drained it, and ate it with olive oil and vegetables. That said, there are thousands of Turkish dishes that call for this great ingredient! A wonderful addition to my weekly cooking routines and maybe to yours too!

 

 

Coming Soon—a New Hand-sewn Chapbook from Zingerman’s Press

“Life Lessons I Learned from Being a Line Cook”

Joining our hand-sewn chapbooks all about Wisconsin Cheese and the wonders of sardines, this new little chapbook shares a plateful of life lessons that I began to learn all those years ago when I took up work as a restaurant line cook. I had kind of figured my formal education had ended when I graduated from the University of Michigan, but it turned out my learning work had only just begun. Connecting with community, humility, appreciating beauty, learning to deal with grief and loss, and living more productively with paradox are just a few of the 17 lessons I share in the chapbook! All, I’m confident, will be meaningful to anyone who wants to lean into well-being and be a better human being!

 

Oat-rageous Funky Chunky Cookies from the Bakehouse

Loaded with oats, freshly milled whole grains & chocolate chunks (no nuts!)

A wonderful and wholly unexpectedly excellent culinary combo from the Bakehouse pastry crew! Oat-rageous Funky Chunky cookies are loaded with chocolate chunks and chewy, whole grain toasted oats! The oats come from the good folks at Janie’s Mill in Ashkum, Illinois, and Kishnick Family Farm not far from Ann Arbor in Vassar, Michigan. Food writer and long-time friend of the ZCoB Martha Rose Shulman says cookies like these offer a delicious and more flavorful cookie alternative. They’re a real winner, she writes, “If you want to indulge in chocolate-chip cookies that taste like chocolate-chip cookies but have some wholesome ingredients thrown in.” I say give ’em a try! Tasty, terrific, and too good to turn down!

 

 

Jumbleberry Coffee Cake from the Bakehouse

A swirl of juicy berries in a sweet butter tea cake

For nearly 40 years now, our Sour Cream Coffee Cake has been a staple of Zingerman’s eating. As we approach the final year of the first quarter of the 21st century, it’s selling better than ever—literally, almost everyone who tries it loves it! And now, I’m excited about our newest variation. A special version of the Sour Cream Coffee Cake that’s juiced up with what we call Jumbleberry—a blend we assemble at the Bakehouse of raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and cranberries. You get a whole set of superfine flavors in every slice of Jumbleberry Coffee Cake—buttery, creamy, tart, lively, elegant, and excellent. Pick one up at the Bakeshop or Deli!

 

 

Oktoberfest at Cornman Farms

Three festive, flavorful, fall pop-ups

Why Oktoberfest celebrations? Co-managing partner Tabitha Mason told me, “Oktoberfest originated in Munich, Germany in 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig, who later became King Louis I, to Princess Therese.  It’s the ultimate wedding party, which seems fitting for us, especially given my heritage!” Oktoberfest kicks off in Munich this year on September 21, so Cornman Farms will be offering three Sunday pop-ups in a row, from 12 to 6 pm, starting September 22:  

• Sunday, September 22: Chicken Schnitzel, Potato Salad & Braised Red Cabbage
• Sunday, September 29: Currywurst & Fries
• Sunday, October 6: Jägerschnitzel with Mashed Potatoes & Sauerkraut

Guests pick up their pre-ordered meals (pre-orders are required—reserve yours now!) in the Farmhouse and then are encouraged to dine on the property or in the barn. There will also be a cash bar with some German specialties available. Cheers! Or rather, Prost!

Ari Weinzweig