­1ISSUE # 229 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2011

“Second Saturday” Tour! November­12­&­December­10­•­­

11am-noonJoin us monthly for an open-to-the-public, no-reservation-required event. Sit down with Coffee Company managing partners Allen and/or Steve to tour their facility and learn about coffee—where it’s grown, how it’s sourced and how it’s roasted. Finally, learn how to discern the subtle distinctions among the world’s finest coffees as you sample some new offerings and some old favorites brewed using a variety of techniques.

Brewing Methods ClassSunday,­November­13­•­1-3pm­•­$10Learn the keys to successful coffee brewing using a wide variety of brewing methods from filter drip to syphon pot. We will take a single coffee and brew it 6 to 8 different ways, each producing a unique taste. We’ll learn the proper proportions and technique for each and discuss the merits and dif-ferences of each style.

Holiday TastingSunday,­December­18­•­1-3pm­•­Free!Stop by and taste a few of our coffees as we dem-onstrate the different brewing devices we have in the shop. Or stop in and shop for the coffee geek in your life.

Please call for reservations: 734.929.6060

422­Detroit­Street,­Ann­Arbor­MI­48104

Deli:­734.663.3354­(DELI)­­Next­Door:­734.663.5282­(JAVA)

Roadhouse Special Dinners are 5-course family-style affairs with a little history and a LOT of food

featuring writers, chefs, authors and more from our own community and all around the country. For reservations to all events stop by 2501 Jackson Ave. or call 734.663.3663 (FOOD) or online at www.zingermansroadhouse.com

3723­Plaza­Drive­•­734.761.7255

Check­out­the­full­schedule­&­register­­for­classes­­at

www.bakewithzing.com

Stop­by­the­Creamery­Cheese­Shop734.929.0500­•­3723­Plaza­Dr.­­

www.zingermanscreamery.com

Creamery Cheese TastingSunday,­November­13­•­4-5:30pm­­•­$20Sunday,­December­11­•­4-5:30pm­­•­$20

A new staple in our monthly events at the Creamery. Come and taste creamery cheeses with the cheesemaker, learn about seasonality and our farm-ers, and get ideas for ways to enjoy our cheese with seasonal produce!

For­reservations,­call­­734.929.0500.

Mozzarella Making ClassFirst­&­third­Saturday­of­every­month­Noon-2:30pm­•­$60

Come get your hands in the curd and learn how to make mozzarella from fresh milk with a recipe you can use at home. Stretch curds into fior di latte, treccia di mozzarella, and burrata.

For­reservations,­call­­734.929.0500.

Sandwich of the Month

Deli Tastings And EveNts

3723 Plaza Drive 734.929.6060

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Best of the Deli 2011 Tasting with AriTWO­DATES!­Tue.,­Nov­29th­&­Tue.,­Dec.­13th­•­6-8pm

Zingerman’s­Events­on­Fourth­•­415­N.­Fifth­Street$50­at­door;­Save­$5­if­you­RSVP­by­Nov.­27th­

Ari’s annual culinary treasure hunt across Zingerman’s Community of Businesses! It’s become a tradition each autumn for Ari to compile a list of his favorite foods, and this year we’re excited to be able to share them with you in our new event space on 4th. From South African vinegars, French sardines and Tanza-

nian chocolate to locally made caraway rye and Cosmic Cakes, it’s a full flavored collection of Ari’s favorite things to nosh on from 2011. We’ve sold out in years past, so we’ve got two dates planned this year: Tuesday November 29th and Tuesday

December 13th, each from 6pm-8pm.

This­tasting­sells­out­early,­book­your­seat­now.­­Call­734-663-3400.

Celebrate Wisconsin Cheese Tasting Zingerman’s­Events­on­Fourth­•­415­N.­Fifth­St.Thursday,­December­8­•­6:30-8:30pm­$45­in­advance,­Save­$5­if­you­RSVP­by­Dec.­6

Join Wisconsin dairy expert Ed Janus, Zingerman’s founding partner Ari Weinzweig and the Deli cheese enthusiasts as we learn, taste and toast a special selection of Wisconsin’s handmade cheeses. Mid-west craft beer will be sampled alongside these great cheeses to highlight and enhance Wisconsin’s flavor traditions.

November Auchie Semos Fun! Fun! Fun!

It’s got chicken!

It’s got spinach!

It’s got our great garlic hummus!

And with sliced old pickles on a grilled paesano roll, it’s got a crunch that’ll have you making up words to a Beach Boys song! $10.99/one­size

DecemberBLC Platter A trio of our top-notch traditional treats rolled out before you on a single plate!

A warm & buttery cheese-filled blintz, a crispy potato latke, and a scoop of our chopped liver which we still make according to Ari’s grandmother’s recipe.

A slice of rye bread, as well as sour cream and preserves, will help you take action steps to mix, match, and expand your own Deli favorites!

$12.99/one­size

New Year’s Eve Dinner with the KennedysNew­Year’s­Eve­Specials­served­Saturday,­­Dec.­31st­from­5:00-11:00­pm.

Following our tradition of celebrating New Year’s Eve with the White House, this year we dine like our 35th President, feasting from a menu full of John F. Kennedy’s favorites.

An Evening in Sicily DinnerTuesday,­January­10­•­7pm­•­$45 Zingerman’s Food Tours has teamed up with Gioacchino Passalaqua, an Italian artisanal food exporter, cook, gastronome, tour guide, adventurer, and native Sicilian. Through his company, Attavola, Gioacchino has developed relationships with artisanal food producers, restaurateurs, olive oil companies, chocolatiers, vintners, and confectioners all over Italy.

The food of Sicily is outstanding both in the quality of its ingredients and in the incredible variety of traditional dishes you will find there. Chef Alex will collaborate with Gioacchino to create a traditional Sicilian menu, full of rich flavors, pasta, meats and cheeses.

Events

Tour the Creamery!

Sundays­at­2pm­•­$5Reservations­recommended­­

for­all­tastings­&­tours.

BAKE MORE!

We now offer two kitchens at our hands-on teach-ing bakery and many more classes to choose from! Look for combination cooking and baking classes with guest instructors and “practice makes perfect” classes so you can work on your technique with us there to guide you.

S’mores and MoreWe’ll teach you how to make our super gingery whole wheat graham crackers. Then we’ll have fun making both vanilla and chocolate marshmallows as well as tell you how to make up your own flavors. Join us and increase the flavor of your s’mores by 100%.

Zingerman’s Turns 30Let’s celebrate our 30th anniversary with a few of the most popular Zingerman’s treats. We’ll make long time best-sellers Jewish rye bread and Magic Brownies and a new fave, hummingbird cake. We’ll serve sandwich fixin’s from the Deli to go with your bread and end the class with iconic Zingerman’s treats—a sandwich, a pickle, a brownie and a toast to 30 years of great customers.

Hungarian Coffeehouse TortesIn the late 1800s Hungary enjoyed a coffeehouse culture of delicious fancy tortes and great coffee. Philosophers, artists, musicians and politicians gath-ered in coffeehouses to share ideas and camaraderie while eating cake! We’ll teach you to make two of the classics. Rigó Jancsi—a chocolate rum sponge cake filled with chocolate whipped cream, iced with chocolate ganache and Esterházy Cake—walnut meringue layers with vanilla cream icing. It’s a classic sold at all traditional Hungarian bakeries.

7th Annual African American Dinner featuring author Audrey Petty from Chicago Wednesday,­December­7­•­7pm­•­$45

For this annual Roadhouse dinner, we welcome author Audrey Petty, born and raised in Chicago and currently a Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to the 7th Annual African American Dinner. Audrey will share her stories and poetry of the African American community through a traditional and full-flavored meal prepared by Chef Alex.

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Begin 2012 at the Roadhouse! Open­from­9:00­am­to­9:00­pm,­serving­a­New­Year’s­Day­brunch­until­2:00­pm.­Reservations encouraged.­­The Roadshow will open at 9:00 am on New Year’s Day.

With MoreHands-On Baking Classes

Celebrate the Holidays at the Roadhouse!The Roadhouse is a great place to celebrate the holidays with your friends, family and co-workers. We can accommodate groups up to 40 in one of our dining rooms or we have a private room that seats up to 80 people. On a budget this holiday season? Whether you are bringing in 8 people or 80, we can work together to create a menu that fits your

budget and tastes great.

Call 734.929.0331 or email rhcatering@zingermans.com to book your holiday event at the Roadhouse!

ISSUE # 229­2

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2011

It’s­business­as­usual­at­ the­Deli­ this­holiday!­ As you get started on your holiday shopping lists and make plans to stop by, know that even with the all construc-tion going on, you’ll still find everything you’re used to seeing here for the holidays. While we’re looking forward to enjoying all the great improvements in our new space (for de-tails, check out www.zingermansdeli.com/deli-construction-news), we’re also committed to delivering the same great experiences our guests have enjoyed over the years. Bake-house pies, stollen and panettone; great cheeses from all over the world (including Zinger-man’s Creamery!), fresh roasted Zingerman’s Coffee Company coffee as well as teas from our friends at Rishi; at least 10 different bacons available by the pound; jamon serrano from Spain; new harvest olive oils and beautifully balanced vinegars; Zzang! candy bars and peanut brittle from Zingerman’s Candy Manufactory. . . The list of great food is as long as it’s ever been and it’s waiting for you to come by, sample, and enjoy.

Zingerman’s Spiced Pecans Our­homemade­classicEvery Zingerman’s employee smiles when we make these. The smell coming out of our kitchen is enough: toasting pecans mixed with cloves, allspice and caramelizing sugar. Employees stop in their tracks, inhale greedily and check with the kitchen crew. “Any extra?” If they’re lucky they head out with a handful.

The smell you’ll get when you open the bag may provoke the same reaction, so get ready. Whole pecans toasted with butter, lots of freshly ground Tellicherry black pepper, Jamaican allspice, ground ginger, cloves and more. The nuts cluster together in little caramelly-spicy handfuls, making it way too easy to eat too many. If you can manage it, I say get two: one for eating and another for those times when a quick gift comes in handy.

Available in a holiday gift bag at Zingerman’s Delicatessen and in our classic tin at www.zingermans.com or 888.636.8162.

TWO Holiday Tastings with Zingerman’s co-founder Ari WeinzwEIg! Best­of­the­Deli­Tasting,­2011TWO­DATES!­Tue.,­Nov­29th­&­Tue.,­Dec.­13th­•­6-8pm$50­at­door;­Save­$5­if­you­RSVP­by­Nov.­27th­

Ari’s annual culinary treasure hunt across Zingerman’s Community of Businesses! Come taste Ari’s favorites from the past 12 months (you know, the ones you’re reading about in this very newsletter). Ari’s tastings always sell out so we’ve booked a second event to make sure everyone gets the chance for a guided tour of the best of the year. Book early before all the spots are gone!

We make custom gift baskets for the holidays!We’re here to help! Our Deli folks love to give gift baskets to friends and families and over the years we’ve definitely learned a thing or two about mixing and matching to create just the right holiday gift. We love the food we sell, and we’ll work with you to choose the perfect combination of flavorful goodies, based on any theme you’d like, and make it look irresistibly exciting in one of our beautiful wooden baskets or colorful Zingerman’s boxes. We can create food-spectacular gifts for practically any budget. Just ask! Or create your own Zinger-man’s gift ideas and dress them up in one of our gift baskets or boxes!

Deli Build-out during the Holidays

Our all-time

favorite

host gift!

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Have ThanksGivIng witH Us!Complete­Thanksgiving­Feast­To-goFeaturing local turkey breast from Harnois and Son Farm in Whitmore Lake, MI, hand-selected by Chef Rodger, matched with traditional celery and sage stuffing, Thanksgiving dinner from the Deli provides a truly tasty holiday. This magnificent bird joins a complete holiday feast for four that includes our mashed potatoes, homestyle gravy, brussels sprouts with butternut squash and chestnut cream soup cranberry sauce, Thanksgiving wild rice, maple syrup sweet potatoes, Zingerman’s Bakehouse Farm bread along with fresh Michigan farm butter, plenty of our amazing spiced pecans for snacking and Pilgrim Pumpkin Pie for dessert. This feast will have you exclaiming “Now that’s something to be thankful about!”

The Thanksgiving that really GIVES!Zingerman’s Catering will donate 100% of the profits from every Complete Thanksgiving Feast to Food Gatherers, our local food bank. For more than two decades, the folks at Food Gatherers have been put-ting your donations to great use delivering nutritious meals to our neighbors in need. For more info or to find out how you can help, go to www.foodgatherers.org or call 734.761.2796.

Zzang!®­Candy­BarsZzang!® OriginalThe first bar we created and still the most popular. Layers of caramel, pea-nut butter nougat and butter-roasted peanuts dressed up in dark chocolate.

What the Fudge? Sweets for the sweet! Layers of fudge, caramel and malted milk cream fon-dant. The sweet-lovers dream.

Ca$hew CowFreshly roasted cashews and cashew brittle with milk chocolate gianduja enrobed in dark chocolate.

Wowza Raspberry chocolate ganache, rasp-berry nougat and raspberry chewy candies.

Extraordinary Stocking StufFers

Ring­in­the­season­at­our­new­event­space­in­KerrytownOur charming events space in the heart of Kerrytown (just down Kingsley St. from the Deli) is the ideal spot to gather with friends and family and celebrate the season together. Check out www.zingermanscatering.com for photos of our new space and picture yourself as the life of the party while we handle all the arrangements.

Holiday parties at Zingerman’s Events on 4th can seat up to 70 folks and include a full bar as well as a barista station with made to order coffee drinks. We’ve also developed a special holiday menu for the season’s festivities!

Emma’s­Remarkable­Party­To­GoThis great collection is perfect for taking to the office, a friend’s party or for entertaining in you own home. We’ve gathered our favorites: two types of savory Ital-ian salami with brown mustard; two hand-selected arti-san cheeses with slices of Bakehouse French baguette; Edwards’s peanuts; our housemade hummus and crisps; plump grapes and juicy strawberries; and for a sweet finish, an assortment of Bakehouse brownies, including Buenos Aires, Pecan Blondies and Black Magic. So, grab a bottle of red wine and give your friends a call!

Terra’s­Transcendent­Coffee­BarA delicious ending for your party. Our very own fresh-roasted coffee accompanied by Calder Dairy whipped cream, chocolate shavings, vanilla syrup and housemade Scharffen Berger chocolate syrup.

Holiday Cocktails Get­in­the­celebratory­spirit­­with­our­holiday­cocktails

The­French­75A staff favorite, the French 75 was created in 1915 at Harry’s New York Bar in Paris. It was said to pack a punch like a French 75mm howitzer. Gin, champagne and lemon make this a sure-fire party starter.

Mulled Red WineWarm up on a snowy evening with our mulled red wine. We combine local apple cider, red wine, cinnamon, an-ise, orange and other mulling spices to keep you toasty on a chilly winter night.

Introducing a GreAt Place to CelEbrate!

Zingerman’s Catering 2011 Holiday Menu Highlights

“Chewy, crunchy, sweet, salty and highly addictive— this luscious handmade candy bar puts the

vending machine stuff to shame.”

– O magazine, September 2011

ISSUE # 229­4

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2011

It’s become a tradition now that each autumn I put together a list of my favorite foods of the year. Of course, it’s next to im-possible for me to nail the list—there are so many great things to talk about (and eat!) around here that no matter what I write about, it’s inevitable that within a week of this piece going to print I’ll think of at least five more that I forgot. What fol-lows are all foods I’ve been eating regularly, with great relish, in recent months. I can’t guarantee that you’ll like them all as much as I do, but I can say with certainty that I’ve had a great time eating every one of them, and, in writing them up for the newsletter, I’ve ended up even more excited than I was when I started. Everything on the list is, of course, available for you to taste at our businesses in Ann Arbor. And if you want to a have a little honest fun, you can make some time to treasure hunt for yourself and find all the great things I forgot to include.

Rozendal WiNE VinegArs

12 Year Old Biodynamic Masterpieces from South Africa

I want to start this piece with an apology. I’m sorry that I waited so long to bring these vinegars to the Deli. These amazing vin-egars are some of THE best new things to arrive in a long, long time. The story behind them and the flavor of the vinegars in each bottle are both, to my knowledge, unique. Most definitely worth taking notice of more quickly than I did.

I think that I first tried the Rozendal vinegars three years ago at a food show. Their exceptional flavor caught my attention right off, but I think the fact they’re flavored made me doubt myself. I tried them again the next year and was still impressed but . . . again, I held back and failed to act on my instinct. We have a lot of good vinegars, and I let my purist streak get in the way. Finally, this summer I tasted them for yet a third time with folks at the Deli and Mail Order, and I was still impressed. I finally gave in. I’m glad I finally got going—these are some pretty ex-ceptional bottles of vinegar.

They’re made by the Ammann family in Stellenbosch on the southwest coast of South Africa. Long a grape grower and wine producer, Kurt Ammann took the family farm organic in 1994. He went even further by going biodynamic back in 2001. Noth-ing in a biodynamic setting is taken for granted, from the meth-od of conversion from wine to deciding not to pasteurize (to protect the positive acetobacters), to spending many years of patient maturation, to carefully selecting herbs and flowers for the infusion into the vinegar. All of which has been translated into a truly spectacular and unique set of vinegars; so good I really could drink these by the shot glass.

The vinegars start with natural conversion of the Ammann’s already well-made and nicely matured wines. The move to vin-egar is a process that alone takes many months. Natural con-version protects the flavors of the wine and also the natural health benefits of the vinegar. The herbs are then added to the vinegar and the infusions are allowed to mature another four or five years. The total maturation is about 12 years, all done in oak barrels. The results, as I said, are superb! They’re so good that you can—and I have a number of times—sip them straight from the bottle. They’ve got big, slightly tingly, subtly sweet, fantastic flavors with great complexity and very, very long, very lovely, finishes.

The Ammanns are very adamant about the health benefits of raw vinegar like this and draw on centuries of data to back up their claims. Either of the two varieties we have at the Deli would do. The Fynbos Vinegar is infused with an array of the region’s herbs and flower—South African honeybush, buchu, wild olive, wild rosemary, and rose geranium. I’m worried now that I’ve started sipping I might drink the whole bottle. Like sipping a super long-aged bourbon, there’s a loveliness, a long lingering sweetness, vanilla undertones from the oak, a suc-culence and smoothness . . . that’s hard to explain. The hibis-cus vinegar is equally excellent. It’s got elderflower, rosehip and vanilla.

I could go on and on and on (which is what I can honestly say is true for the finish of the vinegar, too), but space is limited. It’s not inexpensive so this probably isn’t everyday eating but it would be a truly superb gift for anyone who loves food. This is one of the best things I’ve tasted in ten years.

In fact, these vinegars are so good that I think I’m ready to take things a step beyond where they’ve been. The idea of sipping or drinking vinegars has become fairly common in our end of the food world. But this stuff is what I’m starting to think should be called “kissing vinegar”—not to make anyone blush, but, truly, kissing anyone who just sipped it would be a pretty sensual ex-perience.

Peanut BriTtle from the Candy ManufactOry

Best New Confection in Washtenaw County?

Last year Zingerman’s Candy Manufactory managing partner Charlie Frank emerged from his Wonka-like workshop with this extremely fantastic peanut brittle. Right out of the gate this stuff was great. I know that this sounds a bit over the top but the truth is that literally almost everyone who eats it has loved it. Many around here are actively admit-ting to having eaten a half a bag in a single sitting. It’s simple really—brown sugar, the same Jumbo Runner peanuts that are in the Zzang! bars, some butter. He cooks it over the stove and pulls it by hand when it’s just the right temperature to get the perfect brittle texture. Simple but damn if it’s not good. Really good. Really, really good. Next time you’re at the Roadhouse or Deli, ask to have some crumbled on top of your gelato!

EspreSso MOusSE at The RoadhOuseA New Way to Get Your After Dinner CoffeeThis is one of the most popular new desserts

we’ve done at the Roadhouse in a long, long time. Ethereally light espresso mousse served in a cappuccino cup, topped with a thin layer of dark chocolate and a dollop of real whipped cream. Like an elegant cup of coffee and dessert all in one!

CarAway RYe from the BakehOuse“America’s very best rye? No contest. It comes from Zingerman’s Bakehouse.”

—Jane and Michael Stern Jane and Michael Stern rated the Bakehouse’s rye bread the best in the country this past spring in Saveur magazine. Having long respected their palates, read their articles, listened to their radio shows and known them for many years now, I was really happy to have their support. But in honesty, what they were saying is what I’ve already long since believed to be true—the Jewish rye at the Bakehouse has been pretty amazing since we started making it back in 1992. And for what-ever reasons of technique, nuance, and delicate touch, it seems to just keep on getting better and better with each passing year.

If you haven’t been to the Bakehouse or the Deli, we do a whole range of ryes—one we call Jewish rye (without the caraway seeds), a caraway rye, and one with onions. My favorite this year though has very clearly been the caraway rye, in particu-lar the really large 2-kilo loaves that we only make on Fridays. Friday, if you didn’t already know, is Ryeday. And pretty much every Friday I try to get a quarter or half of one of those big,

beautiful loaves to get me through the next week. Bigger loaves, quite simply, have a better, moister texture. And they taste bet-ter. Somehow, though I can’t explain the science; there’s just something that’s noticeably nicer, a touch chewier, and some-how significantly more rewarding than eating from the also very, very good smaller loaves. And, kept in the paper bag we pack them in, the big loaves last easily for a week or longer. Then there’s my affection for caraway. For some reason, I like the little seeds more and more with each passing year. There’s something about the aromatics, the small hint of anise it of-fers and the almost-but-not-quite-fennelly flavor that makes the rye all the more interesting to me. A chunk ripped from a fresh loaf and eaten, as is, is really a pretty marvelous thing. Better still, thick cut slices spread with a lot of butter. Add some good jam and you’ve seriously got a world-class breakfast in about two minutes. The same slice is equally excellent with a thick layer of the Creamery’s old style, no vegetable gum, no preservatives cream cheese. And of course, it’s all also amazing if you toast the bread—it’s almost worth toasting for the aroma alone. And, last but definitely not least, there’s the obvious op-portunity to use it for sandwiches of all sorts. Great for grilled cheese and, of course, on the classic corned beef or pastrami sandwich.

[If you’re going the butter route, try the Irish Kerrygold cul-tured butter in the silver foil wrapper—made only when the cows are grazing in the pastures which makes for a noticeably more flavorful, more golden in color (more beta carotene), softer-textured butter. Because the cream is allowed to prop-erly ripen—as per rarely used traditional techniques—the but-ter develops a fuller flavor. Really remarkable stuff.]

As a bread lover, seriously, I can’t think of a better gift than a 2-kilo loaf beautifully wrapped in nice paper and tied with a string. Save the sweaters—I’ll take bread any day!

Organic HArisSa and HanDmAde CouScOUs from TunisIaA Couple Simple and Superb Tastes from the Southern Mediterranean

I’ve written so much about these two of late that I’m wary of overdoing it. I’ve literally eaten couscous or harissa almost ev-ery week for the last two years, and I’ve yet to tire of either. To the contrary, the more I eat them the more I want to eat them. Both are easy to use and easy to like. They’re great together—a bowl of hot couscous and a spoonful of harissa to mix into it is fast food at its best.

If somehow you’ve missed my ongoing oration of the last few years on these terrific Tunisian products, let me review things very briefly here. Both the couscous and the haris-sa come to us from the Mahjoub family’s farm, about an hour outside of Tunis, in the small town of Tebourba. The family itself is fantastic. They are truly passionate about all things Tuni-sian, intent on spreading the word about their country’s special history. All the family’s prod-ucts are organic.

They grow the wheat for the couscous on the farm, mill it, make the resulting semolina flour into couscous, rolling each small round by hand, then dry it all slowly and naturally in the sun. M’hamsa, actually means “by hand.” When you cook it your whole kitchen will smell like wheat. It’s also incredibly easy to do, so easy that I was skeptical when we first started stocking it four years ago. But sure enough, all you do is use 1½ parts water for 1 part couscous. Salt the water lightly, bring it to a boil, the add the couscous. Stir, cover, turn off the heat altogether, and just let the couscous steam in the pot for

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about 12 minutes. It should come out light, almost fluffy once you move it around a bit with a fork. Couscous is, of course, basically a form of Berber (the native peoples of North Africa) pasta. It fit well with their nomadic lifestyle, allowing them to transport and eat wheat regularly throughout the year. If you love pasta (as I do) you’ll pretty likely love the couscous. It can be a main course, a side dish, or a salad. Top it with anything from a simple tomato sauce to meat, fish, and vegetables. You can add it as well to soups or stews. Cooked with milk, cinnamon and a bit of sugar you have a porridge to take the place of rice pudding.

The harissa is excellent on pretty much anything you can imag-ine. It’s made from three different chiles, tomatoes, and garlic—all organic, all sun-dried—ground to a paste and then blended with the Mahjoub’s organic extra virgin olive oil, a touch of cara-way, some sea salt. I like it a lot on eggs, on sandwiches, added to tomato sauces, mixed with mayonnaise for a dipping sauce, mixed with yogurt and then tossed with chickpeas and baked. It’s great in cream cheese—you can serve it that way for a snack, hors d’oeuvres, or on a toasted bagel. Toss it in really good, just-cooked pasta (couscous or one of our other artisan offerings), serve it next to broiled fish, roasted meat of any sort, or just add a spoonful to a vegetable soup. All, truly, are terrific.

If opposites often attract, it would make sense that the harissa would be a natural partner for the couscous. The latter is mel-low, nutty, wheaty, a beautiful golden color, with a soft flavor that can support most any sauce. The harissa by contrast, is for-ward, fast paced, spicy, wildly intriguing, a deep, bold red and intense flavor that will never, ever go unnoticed. The harissa is so exceptionally good that I’d put it on pretty much any list of “bests” you asked me to put together. If you know anyone who loves spicy food, stick a jar of this in their stocking. And if you know anyone who likes to cook, give them a jar of the cous-cous. If you really like them, give them one of each. They will, I promise, thank you for many years to come. And for what it’s worth, that promise is not speculation—I’ve given both as gifts dozens of times and I think that everyone I’ve given them too has quickly confessed to being as addicted to the two as I am.

P.S. if you’re wary of the spiciness of the harissa, take home a jar of the Mahjoub’s sun-dried tomato paste instead. Basically it inverts the ratio of chiles and tomatoes. With the sun-dried tomato taking top billing, the heat is very secondary. You can use it in all the same ways and it is always super fantastically good.

P.P.S. the Mahjoubs also make spectacular sun-dried (truly dried in the sun which almost no one else does any more) tomatoes, incredible Tunisian tomato sauces, orange marmalade, pre-served lemons (aged six months in salt brine barrels out in the sun) and amazing naturally cured (for over a year) olives. All are outstanding.

BostOck from the BakehOuSEThe Bakehouse’s Big Secret Revealed

Although we’ve been making it for a good ten years now the Bos-tock really does seem to be one of the best kept secrets at the Bakehouse. I know it has a loyal following but it’s yet to get the level of attention I think it deserves. It really is amazing stuff, but unlike muffins, croissants, danishes and donuts it’s hardly a well-known way to start one’s day. There are a handful of spots around the world that make it but not many, so maybe the word is starting to get out. Sara Kate Gillingham, on her amazing web-site thekitchn.com described the Bostock as a, “syrup-soaked, frangipane-topped, crispy-edged ode to breakfast glory.”

I’d say it’s a little bit like a really good almond crois-sant that’s come back to life in a dense, round, but

still equally delicious and almost otherworldly good new existence. Bostocks start with a piece of Bakehouse all-butter brioche. It’s brushed

with orange infused simple syrup, topped with a layer of frangipane (ground almonds and sugar), and then more toasted slivered almonds. If you’re ready to liven up your morn-ing routine, seriously ask for a taste of this stuff at the Bake-house bakeshop or the Deli’s Next Door Café.

MandelbrEad from the BakehOuseJewish Biscotti My Grandmother Would Have Loved

Mandelbread is anything but new. It’s been a staple of Eastern European Jewish eating for centuries and a regular item at the Bakehouse for fifteen years or so. For whatever reason, I have a tendency to take mandelbread for granted. Maybe it’s the long history, the fact that I grew up with it being in the house with a high degree of regularity. Or maybe I forget about it because I don’t eat a lot of sweets. Or because so much of the world’s mandelbread is, unfortunately, rather unremarkable. The good news is that literally almost every time I taste a piece of it, I’m reminded how incredibly good the Bakehouse version really is.

Basically you could start calling mandelbread Jewish biscotti. Butter, fresh orange and lemon zest, lots of whole toasted al-monds, and real vanilla. We make them the old-fashioned way, forming a long “loaf,” baking it once, then slicing it crosswise and baking each slice once more again so it turns a nice golden brown on top. Fi-nally each slice is then turned over again and baked in a final third position. (Most commercial versions are sliced before they even start baking, which changes the texture and flavor of the finished cookie.)

They’re great on their own, with coffee or tea, or perfect for an easy, light after-dinner treat. You can also dip them into sweet wine (like the Tuscan Vin Santo) as well. On top of all that sweet goodness, they’re now packaged in a really nice new box, which I happen to love almost as much as I love the mandelbread. Makes them not only taste good, but also turns them into a super easy to give gift.

FredDy Guys Organic Hazelnuts from OregonBest Hazelnuts in the US?

It’s been about two years now that we’ve been bringing these amazing nuts in from the West Coast. In that time they’ve given me a whole new take on hazelnuts. While I’d always liked them just fine, outside of what I’d had in northern Italy, I can’t say that I’d ever come across any that drew me in the way so many other foods have over the years. All that’s changed. Now that I’m hooked up with Freddy Guys, I almost never go without ha-zelnuts. I keep them in my house to toss on salads or to add to rice or pasta dishes. And I pretty frequently take them in my bag when I travel—they’re a great way to get protein and great flavor all in one, easily transportable form.

Freddy Guys is a family run farm. Fritz and Barb Foulke are grow-ing an old variety called Barcelona that was brought first to New Jersey, where it didn’t do very well, before eventually being loaded on wagons and hauled out west. The climate in Oregon is, apparently, very similar to that of the Piedmont in northern Italy, which is like the world headquarters for hazelnuts. All the Freddy Guys nuts are roasted to order; when we get them they’re literally only about a week or so out of the small Italian roast-ing machine that the Foulke’s have on the farm. They’re really as simple as can be, and all the better for it. No salt, no oil, no noth-ing; just great nuts shelled and given a light roast. They’re really good and they go with most anything—chop and put ‘em onto fresh cut fruit, gelato, cake or cookies. Accessorize salads and pastas; or if you’re getting into more complex cooking, they’d be great in a Catalan picada, ground up along with fresh garlic, and really good olive oil.

Peanut BuTtEr Gelato frOm the CreameryCelebrate the Season with a Gelato and Jelly Sandwich

If you like peanut butter and you like ice cream, you’re pretty sure to love this stuff. A pound of the Koeze family’s amazing peanut butter in every batch . . . . it’s pretty great stuff. I couldn’t resist the nearly obvious opportunity to top a scoop with a spoonful of American Spoon strawberry jam for the dessert equivalent of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Fantastic French SardinesA Little Bit of Brittany in Ann Arbor

I’ve long loved good sardines. I’m happy to have them in pretty much any form I can get them. When I can get them (we have them at the Roadhouse at times), fresh ones are fantastic. Top notch tinned sardines are equally superb. Those, I try to have on hand all the time. They are one of the ultimate convenience foods. Canning was actually started first with sardines in an ef-fort by Napoleon to feed the troops out on the front lines. I regu-larly open a can and put them on salads, sandwiches, and pasta dishes. Unlike the fresh fish, the tinned sardines never go bad so there’s no reason not to carry a high level of inventory. In fact, they actually get better with age.

I’m particularly excited right now because we’ve just gotten in a couple of types from France to add to our already really good sardine selection. Fished only in the summer months (which is officially “sardine season”) off the coast of Brittany using small old school nets (to protect the delicate flesh), the sardines are brought back to port that night to maintain freshness. They’re then cleaned, very lightly fried in olive oil, tinned up with addi-tional olive oil and then finished by being cooked inside the tin. When you open the can you’ll find four or five beautiful, silver-skinned sardines carefully lined up inside. A bit denser in tex-ture than the also terrific offerings we’re getting right now from Portugal, these French sardines are very meaty, herbaceous and just darned delicious.

Better still I’d say are the aged sardines we’re getting from the same folks in France. Each tin has four beautiful, big (for a tin at least) sardines, caught, cooked and packed as above, but then put aside to mature for three years. As the months pass, the olive oil penetrates to the center of the sardine, making them even more delicious than they were to begin with. Delicacy that they are, I like to eat the aged sardines in simple ways—next to a small green salad or with some toast topped with a bit of butter or extra virgin olive oil. A sprinkling of sea salt seals the deal. Here, Breton fleur de sel would be geographically correct, and its delicate texture would be a good compliment for the sardines.

ViNTAGE Spanish Tuna

2009 Bonito from off the Coast of the Basque CountryWhile I’m on the subject of aged tinned

fish I should tell you about the really delicious Spanish tuna we’ve tracked down this fall. It’s line caught albacore (known to Spaniards as ‘bonito’) from the Cantabrian Sea. We get it from the Ortiz family, who’ve been at this since 1891, and are known across Spain for the consistently high quality of their tinned seafood. Like the Breton sardines above, the bonito is aged right in the tin along with extra virgin olive oil. Same basic process, same really good results. For a particularly good treat, pour a bit of extra virgin olive oil on a plate. Add a few spoon-fuls of harissa (if you’ve had the jar in the refrigerator, let it come to room tempera-ture before you do this so it will soften up and its complex flavors will be even easier to appreciate.

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Portuguese Mackerel with Piri PIRiHoly Mackerel!

The third in my trio of tinned fish favorites of the moment. This time it’s mackerel packed with Portuguese piri-piri hot sauce. Easy to use and easy to love, like all the great tinned fish we’ve got on hand, this stuff is super healthy (very high in Omega-3 oils) and super convenient. Fast food at its finest!

Cosmic cakes

Super Big Seller from the Bakehouse As I was writing this I was about to head home from the Bakehouse when a family pulled up

next to my car. I was loading up to leave and they were arriving but for a minute or two we were basically sharing the same space. As they gathered up their whole group (three generations it looked like) I heard one of the kids say really loudly, “I know what I want. I want a mint Cosmic Cake!” I was impressed. When a product that only we make, and that’s only been around the Bakehouse for maybe two years, has that kind of high name recognition from a ten year old, that’s a pretty great thing. One other thing I know too—that kid sure has good taste. These Cosmic Cakes are pretty terrific—a couple of thin layers of chocolate cake, sandwiched around fresh butter cream fillings, then all dipped into dark chocolate. Try all four fillings—vanilla, chocolate mint, peanut butter or banana—at Zingerman’s Delicatessen, Bakehouse, Roadhouse or ship them from www.zingermans.com.

NoOdle Kugel at the DeliA Classic from the Deli’s Early DaysWe’ve been making noodle kugel since we

opened the Deli back in 1982. It was delicious then and it’s equally as delicious now. It’s basically my grandmother’s recipe but we make it with much better ingredients. Although there’s no replacement for family memories and emotional connec-tions, when it comes to flavor, the truth is that ours actually tastes far better than what she made for us when I was a kid. Egg noodles from Al Dente in Whitmore Lake, farm cheese from the Creamery, plenty of plump Red Flame raisins, and a gener-ous does of vanilla, all blended and then baked ‘til it’s a nice golden brown. Great for breakfast, lunch, dessert or really any time you just want something good to eat. And now that I think about it, since it holds up nicely wrapped, it’s a great bag lunch or afternoon snack as well. I’m considering calling 2012 the Year of the Noodle Kugel. I’ll start the trend now so you can get out in front of things.

CheEse Blintzes at the DeliThirty Years of Gracing Breakfast Tables on Detroit St.

This is another classic that slipped off my list for far too long. They’re so, so, so good, that blintzes really shouldn’t be off anyone’s list for any length of time. Like the noodle kugel, we make these pretty much as my grandmother did, but, again, the ingredients we use are about eighteen times more flavorful. Thin handmade blintzes (Jewish crepes would be the standard description) folded around a filling of farm cheese from the Creamery, plenty of real vanilla (from beans, not extract), and a generous dose of chestnut honey to sweeten them. It’s an im-pressive line up of ingredients, but the honey, for me, is what takes them over the top. Chestnut honey has a pretty remark-able, sweet, deep, almost slightly bitter flavor that brings a big round bass note to an otherwise mostly sweet dish. Served with sour cream or preserves, blintzes, like the kugel, are great for almost any setting—breakfast, lunch or a light dinner,

The Creamery’s Cream CheEseA Taste of the Turn of the Last CenturyOur cream cheese, I know, is hardly anything

new any more. We’ve been making it at the Creamery for over ten years now. But every time I taste it, I’m reminded how lucky I am to have it. While great cheese has become readily avail-able all over the country (see the Wisconsin piece on page 10), for whatever reasons, old style, hand-ladled, preservative-free cream cheese like this is still almost non-existent. This is truly a taste of what luxurious eating would have been like for my grandparents’ generation a hundred years ago. Toast up one of those incredible handmade, board-baked bagels from the Bake-

house (poppy and sesame are my personal favorites), top with a generous layer of this cream cheese and you’ve got as good a way to start the day as I can imagine. In case you haven’t yet had it, this stuff is to commercial cream cheese what all those great artisan cheeses I’ve written about on page 10 are to the prepacked slices of stuff that they sell in supermarkets. Come on by the Deli, Creamery, Roadhouse or Bakehouse and ask for a taste today. It is, truly, pretty terrific!

PiquilLo PePpEr JelLy FrOm Spain The Crown Jewel of Pepper Jellies I have loved piqullo peppers for so long now

that I start to assume that everyone else knows them as intimate-ly as I do. That, of course, is not the case—while they’re far more popular in the US than ever before, I’d be shocked if more then two percent of the population has ever tried one. If you’ve not yet had the chance, please come by and ask for a taste next time you have a spare minute. I’d highly recommend adding them to your list of things to try before the end of the year. Other than when the local peppers are in season at the market, I usually go through a jar or two a week.

If you don’t know piquillos personally, they’re a small triangu-larly shaped pepper that grows up in Spain’s Basque Country. The best of them (which we of course go after) are still roasted over smoldering beechwood. The blackened skins are then carefully rubbed off by hand and the peppers packed with no additives of any sort; the liquid that forms in the jars is just the juice from the recently roasted peppers. piquillos are so highly prized that only farms near three dozen or so villages qualify to get the official denomination of origin that certifies authen-ticity. This is no small thing; over the last ten years, piquillos have probably become the most often misrepresented pepper in the world. There are actually subpar “piquillos” now being processed in almost every part of the globe. But the best ones still, I’m adamant, come from those same small villages in the northeastern part of Spain. They have a smoky, slightly spicy, delicious, unique flavor that goes great on pretty much every-thing you can think of putting a roasted pepper on.

What we have here is a new way to experience piquillo peppers and a pretty amazingly good one at that. piquillo pepper jelly. It is just like what it sounds: piquillo peppers from the Basque country, chopped up and cooked down with a bit of sugar. Not surprisingly, this stuff is as delicious as the peppers are on their own. A bright bold red color that reminds me of raspberry jam, you can do with this stuff anything you’d do with any pepper jel-ly. I’ve been putting it on toast that’s topped with a good Spanish olive oil. It’s also a great thing to use to deglaze your pan after sautéing fresh scallops, or to accompany roast pork, lamb or duck. Hmmm . . . better still, I’m going to try using it to deglaze a pan after I sauté up some fresh pork liver. For lunch, I’m think-ing almond butter and piquillo pepper jelly sandwiches would be pretty superb. And of course, for one of the easiest and all time best hors d’oeuvres, put it atop some of that handmade cream cheese from the Creamery.

Agen Prunes from FranceDried Fruit for the Ages

What piquillos are to peppers, these prunes from Southwest France are to plums. So special that they have a demonination of origin. So good that I can eat them easily out of hand almost any time. So versatile that you can add them to almost any dish you like. Salads, stews, sauces, . . . they’d be tremendous actually in noodle kugel. Or just eaten out of hand with some of those Freddy Guys hazelnuts. If you want to do something a bit differ-ent and very delicious, try topping them with a drizzle of walnut oil before you serve. Or if you’re feeling fancy for the holidays you can stuff them with a bit of mousse de foie gras. Special stuff for any one who loves dried fruit!

Olive oil TOrtas Can’t Stop Eating ‘Em Crispbreads from Southern SpainA specialty of southern Spain that’s been

ever more present on my kitchen counter over the last couple months. I haven’t been back to the area for a long time now, but I’m speculating that these tortas are to the people of Seville what mandelbread is to Eastern European Jews. A really great little sweet you could eat almost every day, something most everyone made at home, that could carry you through a long afternoon or be a light, sweet ending to a good meal.

Made in the town of Castilleja de la Cuesta, they’re lightly-leav-ened, crisp flatbreads made with a generous dose of olive oil, then sprinkled with a bit of coarse sugar and, in the case of our most recent arrival, also brushed with a bit of orange syrup. Un-like some of the other “models” on the market, these are com-

pletely hand done. Each torta is a bit different from the next, which you’ll see when you unwrap the waxed paper in which they arrive. I’m particularly partial to the slightly dark edges that you get on a few of them. Not too sweet, great with tea or coffee, with cheese, or for a snack. I have a feeling they could be a big hit with kids and parents alike—sweet enough to get you excited, not so sweet as to put you off. Again, all are made completely by hand and all are really quite excellent!

Dark ChocOlate from TanzANia

Community Project Puts Out an Amazing Chocolate

This is one delicious and very special chocolate bar which is made by Shawn Askinosie, unquestionably one of the country’s best chocolate makers, who’s working directly with cacao grow-ers in east Africa to bring these beans to North America. I love it. It’s a bit lighter, slightly softer in flavor than most of Shawn’s other offerings. It’s definitely more cocoa-y than most of our other dark chocolate bars, with a slight hint of cinnamon with a slight bit of some other specific spice that I can’t put my finger on. Shawn himself says it has “hints of tobacco” but I quit smok-ing so long ago I can’t really remember what that means. It’s definitely kind of creamy on the tongue. Allen, the coffee man, is adamant that he tastes banana and I agree. The main thing is, it’s complex and well balanced with a nice finish and it really doesn’t taste like any other chocolate that I’ve had. All of which, I’d say, makes it well worth checking out. Without getting too simple on you, it’s just sort of downright delicious. Mouth watering. Clean finish. Makes me want to eat more every time I taste it.

El Rustico Bars from Shawn AskinosIeMexican Chocolate and Chewy Bits of Organic Vanilla Bean

It’s been I think four years since Shawn Askinosie started mak-ing this special bar specifically for us. I loved it then and the truth is that I love it still, a fair few years further down the road. Dark chocolate that starts with the cacao that Shawn has personally sourced (in its current incarnation, the El

Rustico features cacao from Davao, Philip-pines) and hand chopped bits of organic vanil-la bean laced into it. Shawn has worked with Deli Chocolate Lady Margot Miller to adjust the recipe of this bar and the biggest change is the quantity of hand-chopped vanilla bean. The new bar now has three times the amount of vanilla bean than the original El Rustico. This bar boasts a texture triple threat—rich choco-late, crunchy sugar crystals, and fibrous vanilla bean pieces! Where most bars that use vanilla have it in there like background vocals, when the El Rustico goes on stage the chocolate and vanilla are singing a strong, well-balanced

duet with full flavor, good balance, and a nice long finish. Sounds like a good recipe for living life now that I think about it. Buy a bar. Eat a square. Appreciate the work that Shawn and his staff in Missouri have made happen.

ParA’s PePper from South IndiaEstate Grown Tellicherry PeppercornsI’m a huge fan of black pepper and this pep-

per, just arrived from the Wayanad Hills in southern India (from a single estate at about 2500 feet up) is pretty freaking fantas-tic. Para, who runs the project, is passionate about pepper. He’s growing two varieties: the long-shoot Panniyur and the short-shoot Karimunda. All of Para’s pepper would qualify as Telli-cherry, and all is also especially good—big winey nose, lots of complex aromas and a lot of flavor. We’ve got jars of it ready to go—some whole black peppercorns, some white and then also peppercorns dried on the vine. The latter in particular makes a beautiful gift.

Marqués de Valdueza Olive OilExceptional Estate Bottled Oil from Western Spain As a history major I have to admit to being

moderately biased toward this oil—you’d be hard pressed to find any product that’s a whole lot more rooted in family and national history than this. The family—formally known as the

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House of Alvarez de Toledo— has been a fixture in Spanish his-tory for something like ten centuries. I can’t tell you it’s some romantic rags to riches story—at least for the last nine hundred years, the family has been hugely successful and has stayed that way for centuries. Best I can tell quality and care have been a part of most everything they seem to have done for hundreds of years now, and this oil is no exception.

The Valdueza oil is very well made and it shows. No defects, long finish, good complexity. It’s made from a unique blend of four dif-ferent varietals that grow on the farm. Hojiblanca and Picual are standard varietals from southern Spain and are not uncommon out west either. The former brings a soft, warm, nutty butteri-ness; the latter offers hints of artichoke, green asparagus, a bit of earthiness and a touch of black pepper in the finish. Arbequina arrived in the region only recently, planted for its good yields and round soft flavor. In Extremadura, at least on the family farm, it tastes a bit different from what I’ve experienced in Catalonia (where it typically comes from): less appley, more olivey. Most in-teresting to me, though, is the oil from the Morisca olives, which are unique to the area, offering a fair bit of pepper and interest-ing fruit, almost apricot in a way, with a touch of green grass and green tomato in there too.

For those of you who follow these things (and there are many!), I’d put the flavor profile of the finished oil in about the middle of the range—less green than the Tuscans, less earthy than most southern Spanish Picuals. This past autumn the weather was very dry—not great for yields, but generally, in my experience, very good for the flavor of the oil. As is true of all these high end, well made oils, there’s a complexity and an elegance (and a commen-surate higher cost) that will likely mean you’ll want to use it for finishing—at the table drizzled on great greens from the market, on top of a bit of roasted meat or vegetables. During my visit a few years ago we had lunch at the family hunting house where they served us an entire meal in which the oil was featured in every dish. The highlight for me was the potatoes, tossed with a lot of the oil and a bit of salt, then roasted at high heat ‘til they had a bit of a golden brown crust and a whole lot of flavor. The more I eat this oil, the more I like it, and I should add that with its distinctive pale blue label and elegant bottle, the Valdueza oil makes a pretty marvelous gift too.

Biolea Olive oil from CrEteOutstanding Organic Oil from Crete One of the few single estate Greek oils out there (most are from co-ops) and one of my

favorites right now. The Astrikas Estate is located on the north-west part of the island, about 20 something miles west of the town of Chania, the fourth village up into the hills after you turn inland from the coastal road. The farm has been in the family for a long time now—George is the fifth generation to run it. The oil is made from Koroneiki olives, the small olive that’s most commonly found in Greece, handpicked a bit later in the year than, say, the olives of Tuscany, hence the relative sweetness and softness of the oil that the people of the area like so much.

Biolea is also interesting for the sto-ry. The oil is organic. The olives are handpicked. And the owners have done a great deal of work to take traditional stone milling above and beyond what’s considered the most modern of olive oil press-ing techniques. They’re exceptionally aware of the environment, both in an ecological sense and in terms of the community in which they’re working, and they’re intent on leaving both bet-ter off than when they arrived on the scene. Long story short, the result of all their work is a delicious olive oil. It’s a bit lighter than a lot of our oils—don’t let the stereotype of Greek oils be-ing “heavy” fool you. This one’s anything but. It is a bit buttery, surprisingly sweet actually. George wanted to make sure I un-derstood that this lighter flavor was very true to the region—this is the way people in the area like their oil. I don’t want to get too wonky on you, but it’s got a touch of some spice I can’t yet nail . . . maybe mace, or even a hint of vanilla? George says it has hints of salad greens and lettuces and sorrels and it is slightly citrusy. It’s got a touch of pepper at the end, but not too much. Terrific on fish, salads, slices of barrel-aged Greek feta cheese, simple pasta dishes, or vegetables of all sorts (raw, roasted or re-ally any other way you can think of).

SO, if you’re counting, you’ll notice we’re not quite up to 30 as promised in the headline. Blame in on Wisconsin. While making this list I got so distracted by the huge number of great artisan cheeses coming from our neighbors across the lake, I had to get them in here, too, with their own essay. See page 10!

Two Great NEw CofFEes to CelEbrate the Season

Annual Holiday BlendCreating our Holiday Blend is one of our favorite things to do. Over the years we've found we often prefer to pair coffees with like flavors. This year we wanted a coffee that would reflect some of the rich foods of the holiday: sweet pastries; dense dried fruits; and savory spices.

The first sip of our 2011 offering had everyone commenting on how incredibly sweet it is. It then develops flavors of or-ange rind, ripe plum or pear with a touch of minerality. The finish is long and left us with subtle hints of warming, savory herbs, making us think how well this coffee would pair with roasted poultry.

The blend itself comes from 3 notable farms with whom we work. The Guatemala Ixil A'achimibal was exceptionally fruity this year and contributes those flavors and a touch of

brightness. Zingerman's exclusive Brazilian cof-fee from Daterra Estate

provides the rich sweetness and silky body. We then finish with a bit of an Indian coffee

from our friend Nishant Gurjar at Sethuraman Estate. Brought in just for the Holiday Blend, Nishant's coffee was chosen

for its subtle spice flavors.

We hope you’ll enjoy our 2011 Holiday Blend as much as we’ve enjoyed crafting it. Please let us

know what you think!

Indian Liberica - MicrolotThis is one of the most exciting coffees we’ve tasted. It’s unusual for a few for a reasons but most importantly is it’s amaz-ing taste. From the moment you open the package you start getting a hint of the berry that is to come. This aroma carries through while brewing the coffee and into the taste. As it cools, the flavors develop into strawberry-raspberry jam. The cup is very well bal-anced between acidity and sweetness. It’s finish is crystal clear and leaves you wanting another cup.

Liberica is a species of coffee with a small amount of com-mercial cultivation compared to the arabica or robusta (canephora) species. Its flavor is not particularly distin-guished in the specialty coffee world and is rarely seen in the US.

We were surprised when we were offered a sample by our friend Nishant Gurjar. He’s been meticulously cultivating a small amount of Liberica at his farm in western India for a number of years. He only picks perfectly ripe coffee, pulps and then sun0-dries it making it what is called a “pulped natural” coffee. This must be done very carefully to produce the quality that Nishant wants. Over the past couple of years he produced so little Liberica that he could only make it available as a blend with another of his wonderful coffees. This is the first year he has been able to offer it by itself, producing only a handful of bags for world consumption.

We were happy to bring in a small amount direct from Sethuraman Estates just in time for the holidays. After roast-ing, we will only have about 100 pounds of this very special coffee. Available by the 1/2 pound only at Zingerman’s.

The daily ritual of brewing a cup of freshly roasted and ground coffee can be as simple as a kettle of water and a filter or as detailed as a precisely made espresso. We carry some great brewers for the whole range of coffee drinkers.The equipment we carry all have three things in common:

• they are engineered to make GREAT coffee;• they are elegant in their simplicity;• they are built to last; our Technivorm and Rancilio brewers are commonly used for decades!

We also have also have tools for the home barista includ-ing French presses, espresso tampers, cleaning brushes and filters. Stop in to see our full selection. We’ll show you how they work and even make you a cup with one.

Rancilio Silvia Espresso MachineThe Rancilio Silvia is one of the most popular home espresso machines of all time. It’s built around an all-metal frame and has a large brass boiler to maintain the even heat necessary to produce shot after shot of great espresso. It is made with commercial parts throughout - some are even interchangeable with the large machines we use here at Zingerman’s. It’s stainless steel and black design have an understated but clearly Italian feel.

Rancilio Rocky Espresso GrinderHaving the right grind for espresso is as equally as impor-tant as having a good machine. Coffee for espresso must always be ground fresh and fine enough to produce true espresso. The Rocky is the grinder companion to the Silvia or any home espresso machine. Rancilio took one of their commercial grinders and put it in a more eye-pleasing package for the home. Like the Silvia, it performs great, is built to last and will look good on your counter.

Technivorm MoccamasterTechnivorm is simply the best electric brewer you can buy. A couple came into our shop and told us about get-ting a Technivorm at their wedding 30 years ago in the Netherlands, where Technivorm is headquartered. It was the first coffee maker to achieve the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s Gold Cup certification for its abil-ity to brew at the correct temperature (198-204˚F) in about six minutes from beginning to end. Lesser brewers would take almost twice as long, causing the coffee to be over-extracted.On the inside it is over-engineered. The massive heating coil wraps around a metal tube providing indirect heating to the water and eliminating a common source of corro-sion. And here’s another thing we love about Technivorm—spare parts. It is so well built that in the off-chance some-thing is damaged or lost, we stock spare parts. It is a long-life product which is better for the environment.

ChemexThis classic brewer was designed by a chemist almost 60 years ago and inspired by glass laboratory apparatus. Chemex brewers use a sightly thicker filter paper and produce a very clean cup of coffee. We carry the latest version with a glass handle blown right into the piece. (The earlier versions had a removable wooden handle.) Available in 3, 6 and 8 cup models; all sizes of Chemex filters available too.

Abid Clever DripperThe Clever Dripper is a new and beautifully simple twist to the old Melitta cone filter. The innovation is a little valve that keeps the coffee from dripping out until it is placed on top of a cup. This leads to increased contact time between the grounds and water and a more even extraction.

Happy Holidays!

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CalL 888.636.8162Items on this spread ship from Zingerman’s Mail Order

ClementiNes in ChocOlate from ItalyLuscious fruit in chocolateA rarely seen specialty from Calabria. The Favella Masseria Ranch is located near Sibari in Southern Italy, which, if you’re up on ancient Greek history, you might recognize as the place where the Sybarites lived and ate famously well.

These clementines in chocolate fit right into the Sybarites’ hedonistic tradition: spectacular Calabrian oranges, soaked in a constantly refreshed bath of simple syrup for three weeks, cut in quarters, smothered in dark chocolate. Each piece is the size of a large chocolate truffle. If you slide it in your mouth all at once, the luscious orange syrup won’t drip down your chin. Better yet, be a Sybarite. Let it drip.

Vosges SweEt & savory CarAmelsUncommon caramelsOur savory ingredients mixed with Vosges' chocolate-covered caramels. Vosges founder Katrina, our former resident chocolate expert Duff and Mail Order managing partner Mo spent a year working on this new collection, testing flavors and combinations. What we developed is one of a kind, only found at Zingerman's.

Three kinds of savory caramels: Balinese long-pepper bacon; sun-dried Sicilian tomato with Spanish paprika; Parmigiano-Reggiano with Tellicherry pepper.

Three kinds of sweet: Campari; Koeze Cream-Nut peanut butter; anise myrtle.

Six flavors, three caramels each, eighteen caramels in all. Each is soft as butter and covered in dark chocolate. The collection is wrapped in a handsome ribboned gift box.

You’ll stash them in a safe place. You'll work your way through the box for half a month, alone, in the dark. Or you'll be really generous and immediately invite two friends for a blindfolded sensory session. Make sure and bring some champagne. This is going to be fun.

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Forbidden Foods ClubA monthly subscription to diet-busting, allergy-inducing, religious- lawbreaking foods available in Three- and Six-month installments

3 MonthsKosher KatastrofBroadbent SausageArkansas Peppered BaconMo's Bacon Bar

Anaphylactic ArmageddonKoeze Cream-Nut Peanut ButterZingerman’s Butter Toasted PeanutsZzang!® Original Bar with Peanuts

High Fat HolidayBuenos Aires Dulce de Leche BrownieRabitos Chocolate Covered FigsManchester Double Cream Cheese

6 Months (everything from the first 3 months plus the following:

Lactose IntoleranceParmigiano-Reggiano CheeseFarmhouse Gouda CheeseGreat Lakes Cheshire Cheese

Hypertensive EpisodeSea-salt Topped Pecan BlondieBequest Celtic Sea Salt CaramelsSalt-cured Salami

Know CarbsPaesano BreadFarm Bread 3 pound roundGinger Jump-Up Molasses Cookie

Great Food From Zingerman's Mail Order Makes A Great Gift!

The most dangerOus foOD club in aMerIcA

Check out our other food clubs • Bacon of the Month• Bread of the Month

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and more at www.zingermans.com

­9­9ISSUE # 229 NOVEMBER-DECDEMBER 2011

our best-selLing hOliday CAke Zingerman’s Holiday StollenOur delicious German style holiday cake is a long-standing Zingerman’s holiday tradition for folks looking for unique dessert ideas, great gifts and fine food for weekend brunch. If you haven’t had stollen before and wonder what all the fuss is about, just take a look at the ingredient list: real butter, Bacardi® white rum, glacéed lemons, oranges, cherries, fresh lemon and orange zest, fresh lemon juice, almonds, golden raisins, Red Flame raisins, organic Mexican vanilla beans and our very “scent-sual” Indonesian cinnamon. Toasted and spread with a little sweet butter, it’s delicious and perhaps rivaled only by our own coffeecake as a great afternoon snack cake. Each stollen comes gift boxed, serves 6-8 and, barring extensive snacking, lasts for weeks.

MaiTelAtEs AlfajoreS CoOkiesSouth American cookie sensationA Latin sensation made in Michigan, created by Maite Zubia, a Chilean expat. An alfajor (plural alfajores) is many things around the world, but here we’re talking about the tradi-tional Chilean cookie. Two wafers sandwich a thin layer of dulce de leche caramel cream; the entire treat is enrobed in chocolate.

The cookies are made entirely from scratch, from cooking down local milk to make the dulce de leche to baking the biscuits to dipping half the collection in dark chocolate from Mindo—a Michigan chocolate maker—and half in milk chocolate. Each cookie is hand wrapped individually, which makes them, on top of being a tasty gift, a handsome one.

They’d be especially welcome if you have an Argentinean or Chilean on your gift list.

Robert Lambert’s Rare Citrus Fruit CakeA cake of a different caliberFull disclosure: the price on this cake may cause sticker shock. Where most fruit cakes are cheap, somewhat industrial and terrible, this is another species altogether. It’s by far the best of its kind I’ve ever tried. Robert explains “The recipe is British, Victorian era. It’s based on my grandmother Floria’s cakes, but instead of the store-bought glacéed fruits she used, I make my own candied fruit.” He chooses blood oranges, bergamots, Rangpur limes and more, many of which he picks himself. Each cake is soaked in cognac and aged for a few months, then gar-nished with a slice of candied lemon and a bay leaf, all wrapped gently in cheese cloth.

A slice cut thin while the cake is cool—he recommends serving it chilled—looks like a stained glass window and tastes fresh, clean and lively. Each cake, about six inches long, serves 8-10.

Great Food From Zingerman's Mail Order Makes A Great Gift!

Travel with Zingerman’s toWe’re reserving spots now for our two trips in 2012:Tuscany, October 3-11 & Sicily, October 14-24

• Come with us and learn about (and taste!) amazing traditional food directly from the source

• Go behind the scenes and spend time with artisanal food producers in their shops and kitchens

• Dine on local, in-season specialties

• Roll up your sleeves with a chef and learn traditional cooking of the region

• Come shop the markets, relax in the cafes, stroll the countryside, and savor some of the best food in the world with us!

• We keep our tours small, approximately 15 guests, and always led by Zinger-man’s staff.

See zingermansfoodtours.com for more information, and call, email, or find us on Facebook -- we’d love to hear from you!

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ISSUE # 229­10

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2011

As the cold and holidays make their annual arrival it would make sense for anyone in Ann Arbor to be thinking of warmer climes. Spots like Costa Rica, the Caribbean, or maybe the Hawaiian island of Kauai would understandably be high on any-one’s list of good getaways. But, although all those other spots are interesting, what I’ve actually got on my mind is Wisconsin.

You got that right. The state on the western shore of Lake Michigan, the one that shares a northern border with the Upper Peninsula, the state that gave us Nueske’s bacon, and (love ‘em or hate ‘em) is the home of the Green Bay Packers. Wisconsin also boasts major ginseng production, more craft breweries than most any other state, and the headquarters of Harley Davidson. And Wisconsin is probably best known around the world for its dairy. And cheese is, in fact, the main reason that Wisconsin’s at the front of my mind right now. We’ll have a particularly high representation of artisan cheese from the Dairy State on hand all fall. Details on over a dozen of them are below, and there may well be more to choose from if you come into the Deli, the Creamery or the Roadhouse. And if you’re into a little education to pair with your eating, we’ve got a pair of really great Wisconsin cheese events planned for the first week of December (see our events listing on page 1 for details.)

Back When Wheat was KingThough few people know it, back in the mid 1800s Wisconsin farmers were not thinking much about cows. Dairying account-ed for a very small slice of the state’s economic activity. Most farms had a cow or two, most cheese was made on the farm as a way to help feed the family. If you want the story in succinct headline form, check this one from the Milwaukee Sentinel 150 years ago (November 8, 1861 to be exact): “Wheat is king, and Wisconsin is the center of the Empire.”

Ed Janus tells the story more poetically, and in far greater detail in Creating Dairyland (we have copies at the Deli and Roadhouse). “At first the pioneers came to make a home and a modest living from the land.” But, he adds, “then came the monoculture of King Wheat.” Speculation and dreams of nearly

instant wealth were the themes of the day. “Wheat made men a bit crazy. It made some farmers crazy enough to rob the soil of its fertility by being ‘wheat miners’ rather than good farmers.” As Ed said, “wheat would prove its own demise.” The wheat crop collapsed only two decades after it began. Dairy, it turns out, is what saved the day.

The Implementation of “The Idea”In the late 19th century dairying was the sort of sustainable remedy to economic and environmental ills that so many people are looking for today. The main engine of Wisconsin’s holistic development around dairy farming was actually an idea known as “Progressivism.” “Progressive reformers believed that livestock was to be the answer to the deficits created by wheat farming. Manure and grass would renew the soil, growing herds would create wealth for farmers, and investments in land, buildings, fences, and herds would restore the idea of building for the future.” Dairy farming and cheese making (over 80% of the state’s milk is made into cheese) saved Wisconsin.

Progressivism worked and worked well. By 1922 there were more than 2800 cheese plants in the state. But, of course, there are ups and downs in every story. Over the course of the 20th century although cheese production and sales continued to grow, Wisconsin moved from cutting edge to the middle of the market. Industrial giants like Kraft and Borden brought down prices but also made it harder for small farms and cheesemak-ers to survive. The drive for perfect cheese devolved into a drive for “defect free,” ever lower prices, and ever more consol-idation into ever bigger cheese plants. What we now call artisan production, not surprisingly, suffered. Back when we opened the Deli in 1982 there were precious few of the old cheese plants left, and Wisconsin was known mostly for the strong showing it made in large scale supermarkets. If you wanted to talk specialty cheese, the places that came up were Normandy, Parma, Lombardy, and the Alps; not Dodgeville, Mineral Point, Shullsburg, or Monroe.

Times, happily, have changed. While so much of the country continued to slide downwards towards ever lower cost and commensurately low levels of quality, Wisconsin cheese is going in the opposite direction. The state that once toed the middle of the road has taken flight toward ever higher levels of cheese greatness.

Falling for Wisconsin, Head Over Wheels (of Cheese)While there’s more great artisan cheese in this country than ever before, if I had to pick one spot to call out as the epicenter of all that activity, that would definitely be Wisconsin. Without a doubt it is THE state that’s most supportive of its cheesemak-ers, that’s training and teaching far more than any other, and that’s generated more great new cheesemakers in the last twenty years than pretty much any other.

Please understand that my thing for Wisconsin isn’t just a flash in the culinary pan. My affection and attention, as you can probably tell, have been growing steadily for some time now. I’ve come to love pretty much everything about it—the people, the product, the history, the way it’s woven into the communi-ties and families from which it comes. And most importantly, of course, I love the way it tastes. Wisconsin may not be glamor-ous, but I think it’s the future of American cheese, done in a way that honors the past, traditional agriculture, the cows that contribute so much to the state’s cheese cause, and the people who work their butts off to make it all happen.

Falling in Love with the Future of Artisan Cheese in America

Dunbarton Blue—Delicious Blue Cheddar from WisconsinSports-focused Chef Tory Miller from the amazing L’Etoile restaurant in Madison referred to Dunbarton as the “runaway winner of Rookie of the Year.” It’s a great description. If you look through the list of new artisan Wisconsin cheeses Dunbarton Blue is leading the league in nearly every important category. Great story, unique American original, great people, great flavor. Chris Roelli is a fourth generation Wisconsin cheesemaker—his great grandfather came over from Switzerland early in the 20th century. After decades of cheese making at their plant in Shullsburg in southwestern Wisconsin, the family finally gave in to incessant pressure to lower prices and got out of the business. Chris, fortunately for the rest of us, never gave up hope of getting back into the game. His love for cheese, for the three generations that came before him, and his passion for the state’s dairy-centric his-tory kept him focused and his long years of hard work have paid off with the top new entry into Wisconsin’s wonderful world of cheese. It’s essentially a farmhouse

cheddar with blue vein-ing. Delicious, meaty, earthy, nutty, lots of bass notes and one of my favorites on our cheese counter right now.

Pleasant Ridge ReserveIf Dunbarton Blue is the Rookie of the Year, I suppose that might make Pleasant Ridge Reserve the Most Valuable Player, and a near-certain candidate for the (yet to be built) Cheese Hall of Fame. On the competitive front it’s won a slew of awards. On the eating side, it truly is one of the most consistently deli-cious cheeses I’ve eaten over the last decade. Mike and Carol Gingrich founded the Uplands Cheese Company in the late 1990s, and they’ve passed the cheese making work on in the

last couple years to Andy Hatch. It’s a farmstead cheese, made only from the milk of the herd at Uplands’ farm in the spring and summer months when the cows are out in the pasture graz-ing; the variety of the grasses makes for an exceptionally inter-esting set of flavors. It’s made only from raw milk, so the com-plexity of the “raw material” is preserved in the flavor of the final cheese. It’s aged for over a year to bring out the flavor of the milk. And then to seal the deal, each year Uplands sends us samples of some of what they feel are the previous year’s best

cheeses, and we get to choose the ones we want. The selection process means that we get our hands (and hence yours as well) on the wheels that are truly the

best of the best. Pleasant Ridge’s flavor is sort of simultaneously exceptional and

accessible. It’s nutty for sure, a tiny touch of a nose akin to what you’d get with a good Gruyere, a butteri-ness that I love, a close texture that

you might find with a well aged moun-tain cheese, a bit of sweetness, high

complexity and a long finish.

Traditional Brick Cheese from Joe WidmerAvailable ONLY at Zingerman’s Delicatessen

While we’re in the washed-rind family I might as well work my way back to brick. A Wisconsin original developed in 1877 by a Swiss immigrant named John Jossi, this traditional cheese is truly pressed with bricks, hence the name. Unfortunately only a tiny percentage of what’s sold in the country as “brick cheese” comes from traditional production. For years, Joe Widmer was the only one left making the cheese. A third generation cheesemaker whose

Swiss grandfather made cheese in the tiny town of Theresa in southeastern Wisconsin a century or so ago, Joe’s passion for traditional cheesemaking runs high. He spent years arguing with the ag department to be able to continue to use his grandfather’s bricks on the cheese. Aside from the obvious emotional element of it all, the bricks carry the bacteria that are so critical to devel-oping the full flavor of the cheese. Like Limburger, it’s a washed-rind cheese, and, like Limburger, it deserves to stand with the fanciest of French washed-rind offerings. Great with beer, great on a sandwich, or maybe with a spicy Gewürztraminer wine, brick is a winner in my book. I’m big on Brick melted over boiled potatoes, with a few caraway or cumin seeds sprinkled over top.

America’s Best ParmesanAvailable ONLY at Zingerman’s Roadhouse and Creamery

The country’s best parmesan comes from the unlikely town of Antigo, Wisconsin. It’s so far north that if 19th century map makers had sneezed while drawing state lines, the town might well have ended up as part of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. SarVecchio is a very solid contributor to Wisconsin’s cheese world. Aged for over a year, nutty, and darned delicious, if you’ve eaten at the Roadhouse regularly over the years you’ve pretty likely par-taken of it on a Caesar salad, on pasta dishes, or vegetable soups.

Fresh (and Smoked) MozzarellaTo be clear, the hundreds of pounds of mozzarella we serve and sell every week are made fresh here every single day. But the curd we start with comes from you guessed it, Wisconsin! The folks at the Bel Gioioso cheese factory up near Green Bay do a great job of getting us the raw material to do our mozzarella

SixteEn ExcelLENt CheESes from the Other Side of the Lake

Ed Janus iS cominG tO Zingerman’s! Turn the page for an inter-view I did with Ed and info on two great Wisconsin cheese events that he’ll be part of in December.

­11ISSUE # 229 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2011

Falling in Love with the Future of Artisan Cheese in Americamaking. I serve it regularly sliced and paired with roasted pep-pers and/or anchovies, along with, of course, some really good, full flavored and very fruity olive oil. Fresh, milky, mild, the handmade (seriously, every day) mozzarella is great for almost any meal. And, don’t miss the Creamery’s smoked mozzarella too. Stick some between two slices of farm bread, add a couple slices of good swiss or cheddar, and grill the whole thing ‘til the bread is golden brown—it eats like a vegetarian ham and cheese sandwich.

Seven year cheddar from Tony and Julie Hook

Available ONLY at Zingerman’s Roadhouse on Jackson Road

Made by Tony and Julie—they only have one employee to assist them—this super aged cheddar is remarkably delicious and exceptionally sweet. In fact, the sweetness would be notewor-thy with a cheddar of any age, but their ability to make cheese that can age up like this without being dragged down by the bitterness that besets so many long-aged cheeses is pretty spe-cial. A long time regular at the Roadhouse, it’s great on our 24/7 burger: freshly-ground (every day!) beef from our own Cornman Farms, hand pat-tied and then grilled over real oak ,topped with a couple slices of Nueske’s bacon (smoked 24 hours) and then a couple slices of the Hook’s cheddar (aged 7 years). If you want to go without the burger, ask us to make you up the same combo as a grilled cheese.

LiederkranzAvailable ONLY at Zingerman’s Delicatessen

I suppose in a way, you could say the Liederkranz is like a strong free agent signing; an already very solid Wisconsin squad got better when they added this old line upstate New York (via Van Wert, Ohio) American original to their repertoire. Like Limburger and Brick, the Liederkranz comes from the washed-rind family. It’s a bit lighter in texture and a touch mellower in flavor than the other two. The story of Liederkranz goes back to 1891 to another Swiss immigrant, Emil Frey, living in upstate New York. He named it after the local singing society. In the 1920s, Liederkranz production moved to Van Wert and it was made there until the 1980s. In what I remember as a sad day in American cheese history, in 1985 (three years after we opened the Deli), the “last” Liederkranz was produced. For years, we had customers coming in still loyal to their long-time favorite cheese. Sadly we had to turn them away, or try to get them to go with Brick or Limburger. The story, as you already know, took a happy turn when the folks at DCI bought the recipe—unused for over 20 years—and brought it to Wisconsin to make. Made by Myron Olson and crew at Chalet Cheese, the Liederkranz has made a spiritual circle—from Monroe, New York to Monroe, Wisconsin over the course of 120 years. So, celebrate the return of Liederkranz! My favorite way to eat it is simple—just spread some of this delicious soft ripened cheese on a slice of caraway rye from the Bakehouse.

Farmstead Marieke GoudaThis one is really kind of a Dutch-based dairy version of the American dream. I think when I first met Marieke Penterman it was at a little cheese gathering outside of Madison. She and her husband Rolf were only just get-ting going in their new business. They’d arrived a few years earli-er from the Netherlands, coming over in the hope that they’d have an easier time finding land on which they could farm and then, eventually, make cheese with the

milk. When I first tried it, the cheese was already good. When I tasted her cheese again a year or so later, it blew me away. The couple, their five young kids, and their herd of cows all come together to make what I feel like now is one of the most flavorful young cheeses I’ve tasted in a long time. Buttery, soft, a touch of vanilla, complex, Marieke Gouda is mel-low enough to be popular with people who are a bit anxious about eating artisan cheese but equally well accepted with those who’ve trav-eled the cheese world extensively. I love it the Dutch way—for break-fast with a bit of rye or pumpernickel, some good butter and a strong cup of black coffee.

Muenster from MonroeAvailable ONLY at Zingerman’s Delicatessen

In our world of highend, hand made, artisan cheese, “American muenster” is never one of the first names that rolls off any food writer’s tongue. But you know what? This Wisconsin muenster isn’t really fancy, it’s just really good. What master cheesemaker Myron Olson and his crew are making is about fifteen times more flavorful than any other slicing muenster I’ve ever tried. Mild, creamy, the kind of high quality cheese you feel good about and that your kids will love too. It shows up on any number of sandwiches at the Deli, most specifically, one of my favorites, the #75 Leo’s Friendly Lion. Slices of Myron’s muenster with fresh avocado, spicy fire-roasted New Mexico green chiles, and tomato grilled on the Bakehouse’s beautiful farm bread.

Rush Creek ReserveIf Dunbarton Blue was Tory Miller’s pick for Rookie of the Year, my forecast is that next year the winner will be Rush Creek Reserve. A recent, and very excellent, addition to what Andy Hatch and Mike Gingrich are doing at Uplands Cheese—it’s only the second cheese (after Pleasant Ridge Reserve) they’re mak-ing. This one is much softer and even more seasonal. It’s made in the style of a Vacherin Mont d’Or which will likely raise high excitement amongst those who know and love fine French and Swiss cheeses. Rush Creek is made only in the fall when the milk is particularly rich and very delicious. It’s a washed-rind cheese with a thin, slightly sticky rind, wrapped in a wood band and aged for about 8 weeks so that it’s nice and creamy and sort of unctuous inside. The truth is you could just spoon it out of the rind and eat it as is, but in the winter I really like to eat it atop just cooked potatoes, and we should still be able to find some good, locally grown ones out there to steam up. Cook the potatoes ‘til they’re really tender, then crack ‘em open. Drop on a bit of butter, some sea salt and then spoon on the Rush Creek. I leave the rind behind—just spoon out the creamy center of the cheese.

BellaVitano with Espresso and BellaVitano with Black PepperAvailable ONLY at Zingerman’s Creamery on Plaza Drive

You may already know that I’m generally not all that big on flavored cheeses, but these are too darned good to let my bias get in the way of having them on hand here. A bit like an aged asiago, the BellaVitano is a relatively new Wisconsin original. It’s a great eating cheese. The coffee combo may sound odd, but it’s actually excellent. Black pepper is easier to get my mind around and equally delicious.

Wisconsin Mountain CheeseAvailable ONLY at Zingerman’s Roadhouse and Creamery

Made by the Jaeckle family who moved their cheese making from Switzerland to the States years ago, this has long been one of my favorites. Basically it’s a Gruyere recipe, made as per Swiss tradition in old style copper kettles. But because it’s done in smaller sizes with Wisconsin milk, water and bacteria, it’s got a flavor all its own. Anyone who loves good mountain cheeses will go for this one in a big way.

Willi Lehner’s Clothwrapped Farmhouse CheddarIf you travel to the small town of Blue Mounds, you might have a shot at seeing—and then tasting—one of the best farmhouse cheddars in the country. Alternatively you can also catch Willi Lehner at the Saturday morning farmer’s market in Madison. Willi actually grew up in the trade—his father emigrated from Switzerland and began making cheese in Wisconsin, which is where Willi was born. One of the most tradition-minded of Wisconsin’s cheesemakers, he’s been working hard to perfect his cheese for over two decades now. He’s also one of the most innovative, constantly trying and testing new techniques. While each may have only a small positive impact on the cheese, all of Willi’s tinkering comes together to make his cheeses truly some-thing special. While there is, of course, no such thing as perfection, he’s getting pretty darned close with his cloth-wrapped, cave-aged cheddars. They’re also pretty rare—he’s barely got enough to sell outside his own stands. Full, rich, earthy, nutty, flavor, with a touch of egginess and all the mystery and magic that mark the great English cheddars.

Finnish Bread CheeseAvailable ONLY at Zingerman’s Creamery on Plaza Drive

The Finnish name for this cheese is Juustoleipa (pronounced “you-po-stay-LAH”) but it’s a whole heck of a lot easier to just call it Finnish Bread Cheese. In Finland the cheese is made from reindeer or goat milk as well as cow’s. Curd was set and then dried to preserve it. To prepare the dried cheese it was often toasted over an open fire, which is, in fact, one of the best ways to eat this modern day, made-in-Wisconsin version as well. Like the Cypriot haloumi cheese (which we sell at the Deli), Juustoleipa is made to be sliced and griddled ‘til it’s a golden brown. In its homeland it was typically sliced and dipped into hot coffee. Alternatively you can put a few pieces of it into your coffee cup before adding the hot liquid. The heat of the coffee will soften, though not completely melt, the cheese. It’s also very good fried up and served on salads, or with any sort of berry preserves.

Wisconsin Cheese Board at

Try your favorite Wisconsin cheeses on one plate!

Zingerman’s Roadhouse will feature different Wisconsin cheeses throughout the month, pairing different cheeses with Wisconsin beers. Check out the cheese list the next time you are at the Roadhouse see if your Wisconsin favorites have made the cut.

ISSUE # 229­12

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2011

Even if I wasn’t in love with Wisconsin cheese, I’d still be intrigued by Ed Janus’s history. His grandfather owned one of the most famous (and Jewish) restaurants in St. Louis a century ago, he worked with Martin Luther King, Jr. back in the 60s, he’s reported for NPR, and he has had a decades-long love affair with Wisconsin dairying. I had the chance to ask him a few questions about his very colorful past and the great future of cheese in America’s Dairyland.

So,­you­didn’t­grow­up­in­dairy­farming!

I was born in Washington, D.C. in a Jewish family that had moved there from Chicago. My father was a federal attorney in the New Deal era and went on to become a federal judge. Food’s been in my family for a long time. One of my grandfa-thers started the fanciest restaurant in St. Louis. It was called Bennish’s. My mother was a wonderful cook.

I studied anthropology. After I graduated I went to work with Dr. King in Chicago. I was doing welfare organizing—trying to help women who were not getting a fair shake from the welfare administration. Skipping ahead a few years I ended up coming to Madison to be part of a spiritual movement here. The group owned a farm and that’s when I first got into dairying. It was beautiful. The idea was basically local food for this restaurant that we were running in town. It was during the Nixon impeachment hearings. We used to play them on the radio while we were milking. I’m not sure if that raised or lowered the milk yields.

What­came­next?

Well, I started a minor league baseball team. The Madison Muskies. And then I started one of the first microbreweries—Capital Brewery in Madison. This was long before everyone was doing it they way they are now. In the last 20 years or so, I’ve done radio shows for NPR, particularly on education. And I’m doing more and more work with Wisconsin dairy farmers.

How’s­Wisconsin­history­different­ from­other­dairy­pro-ducing­states?

More than anything I think the key is to understand that Wisconsin dairying was really the triumph of an idea. Progressivism, with a capital ‘P.’ It was about figuring how to help farmers work smarter. Basically it was teaching them how to do modern industry so that they could make a living.

It really came out of the Enlightenment. Historically, the Europeans had continued to move west and, in the process, they kept ruining the land. And then they’d just move west again. They got to Wisconsin and they ruined the land here

with wheat and speculation. But these guys from NY came and they wanted a way for farmers to be successful. Not overnight success. They wanted to enrich the soil. They talked about this great conservation ethic. They were almost like missionar-ies in preaching for their cause. But a lot of people came to believe it and make the idea real. The Progressive model has becomes part of their character. If it weren’t for Wisconsin’s dairy farmers and cheesemakers we would never have this amazing landscape. The cows have done a lot more for our state than the politicians.

What­are­a­few­of­your­favorite­stories­from­the­book?

Here is just one which, alas didn’t actually make it into the book but into my heart. I spent the day with two elderly bach-elor Norwegian brothers (I did feel a bit like I was channeling Garrison Keillor) in a place called Coon Valley. I went because the brothers had witnessed the first federal soil conversation project but I came away with something valuable. To wit:

I was walking around with Ernest (he is the brother who speaks while his brother Joseph is the brother who speaks not.) As we walked Ernest confessed what he described as his deepest regret. He told me that when the brothers were selling their herd as they prepared to retire, their oldest cow had somehow found a way to hide from the buyers (and the butcher). But Ernest noticed and went to find her, and she was sold with the rest of them. Afterwards he was deeply ashamed; I think because he had chosen money over his human connection to a dependent being who had faithfully served him and deserved better from him.

As we walked around his place we passed the barnyard where there was a small herd of beef cows. And there in the midst was one dairy cow. One dairy cow! He pointed her out and told me she was a pet; “I just like to see her there.” I like to think this was repentance for his sin of not taking care of someone who needed him. His violation of one of dairying’s important moral injunctions. In the book I talk quite a bit about the intimate relationship between dairyman and cow and the injunction to care for “that which takes care of you.” Ernest Haugen showed me the true face of Wisconsin dairy-ing. That’s why I dedicated my book to him.

An Interview with Wisconsin Dairy Farmer Ed Janus, author of “Creating Dairyland”

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Gift Basket? We customize—both our training and your

gifts! Just call us at 734-930-1919.

“Never before has one book encompassed the complete tale of Wisconsin’s dairy industry in such a mesmerizing and musing way. From its powerful ‘big bang’ beginning, to the present day renaissance of artisan and farmstead cheeses, this story of how Wisconsin came to be called America’s Dairyland is a must-read for the current generation.” —Jeanne Carpenter, Wisconsin Cheese Originals

Meet Ed Janus at Zingerman’s in December!Wisconsin CheEse Dinner at Zingerman’s RoadhouseWednesday, December 7 • 7pm • $45

Wisconsin cheesemaking tradition developed backwards in the sense that it came to national prominence with industrialization and large-scale operations but is now known as the national leader for artisan cheese. Today, thanks to support from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, the phrase ”Wisconsin Cheese” again conjures images of small farms and cheeses made by hand using traditional methods. Wisconsin’s cheesemakers are mak-ing some of the best cheese in the country and looking forward to a future of incredibly flavorful eating from America’s Dairyland. Author and oral historian Ed Janus will share the remarkable story of how dairy farming came to the state and transformed Wisconsin. Chef Alex has pre-pared a menu featuring Wisconsin Cheese in every course

Wisconsin Cheese Tasting at Zingerman’s Events on FourthThursday, December 8 • 6:30-8:30pm $45, Save $5 if you RSVP by Nov. 27th­

Join Wisconsin dairy expert Ed Janus, Zingerman’s founding partner Ari Weinzweig and the Deli cheese enthusiasts as we learn, taste and toast a special selec-tion of Wisconsin’s handmade cheeses. Craft Midwest beer will be sampled alongside these great cheeses to highlight and enhance Wisconsin’s flavor traditions.

Gift Ideas For The BusineSs Owner In Your Life

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­13ISSUE # 229 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2011

Creamery SpeciAls!Available at the Creamery cheese shop at 3723 Plaza Drive

and at the Deli on Detroit Street

November­­Liptauer $13.50/lbreg. $15.99/lb.In our never ending effort to bring back the great flavors of the past, we’re excited to offer up this taste of Hungarian tradition. To make Liptauer (pronounced “Lip-tower”) we start with very fresh cow’s milk farm cheese, and spice it up with fresh garlic, Hungarian paprika, capers, toasted caraway and just a touch of anchovy. It’s moderately spicy and exceptionally flavorful. A big burst of flavor in every bite! Serving SuggestionsLiptauer Cheese is great on a hearty rye or pumpernickel bread, on bagels, used as veggie dip or hors d’oeuvre, or as the base for spicy finger sandwiches. It’s perfect with a strong ale, and also pairs very nicely with a robust stout or porter.

December Real Cream Cheese $10.99/lbreg. $12.99/lb.AMERICAN CHEESE SOCIETY WINNER Unlike the cream cheese we’re used to, this award-winning cheese is made using old techniques and long-set times to bring out the full flavor of the milk. Made with no preservatives or vegetable gums, it has a soft, fluffy texture and boasts a rich, creamy citrus taste. Serving SuggestionsZingerman’s Cream Cheese is great served at room temperature on toasted bagels. It goes well with smoked salmon and diced onions, but also pairs fantastically with jams and preserves. While it’s primarily used as a table cheese, our Cream Cheese is incredibly versatile and works very well in cheesecakes and sauces.

Gelato Six Pack by Mail! In Italy, there are gelato shops on every corner but here we have to be among the lucky few to have a local gelato maker like Josh Miner at Zingerman’s Creamery. Sure, Ann Arborites can get all the gelato our hearts’ desire with a stop at the Deli, Roadhouse or Creamery but what about your far-flung friends and family? Here’s the good news: Our gelato travels! Just go to www.zingermans.com or call 888-636-8162 and you’ll have fresh, delicious gelato heading across the country faster than you can say “Gianduja!”

Thanksgiving CollectionVanilla

Dark Chocolate

Harvest Pumpkin

Cinnamon

Paw Paw

Maple Pecan

Holiday BoxVanilla

Dark Chocolate

Peppermint

Dulce de Leche

Gianduja

Raspberry Sorbet

Holiday Cheese TrAys The Creamery• Great Lakes Cheshire

• Dutch Belted Manchester

• Lincoln Log

• Your favorite Creamery spread (we like the Liptauer!)

The Michigan Collection• The Ypsi from Zingerman’s Creamery

• Polkton Corner from Grassfields

• Sage Blue Brie

• Brighid from Cowslip Creamery

• Bridgewater from Zingerman’s Creamery

Classic Americana• 6-year Wisconsin Cheddar

• Vella Dry Jack from Mendocino

• Buttermilk Blue from Newton, Iowa

• Zingerman’s Creamery Pimento Cheese

American Artisan: Midwest • Great Lakes Cheshire from Zingerman’s Creamery

• Dulcinea sheep’s milk cheese from Idaho’s Lark’s Meadow Farms

• Evalon Wisconsin goats milk cheese from LaClare Farms

Give these great American cheeses the extra special treatment they deserve! We’ll prepare them on a handmade Appalachian wood platter, a Michigan-made cutting board, or hand crafted cheese pedestal. Each of these pieces are unique hand crafts and are priced separately.

Stop by the Creamery on Plaza Drive and find out for yourself what’s so great about great American cheese!

www.zingermans.com • 888.636.8162

ThanksGiviNg#3

Re-hEat & serve!

(Use­our­instructions) ­(Drive-up­to­­the­Roadshow)

#2Pick-up

(48­hours­ahead)

#1OrderIt’s Easy!

(Don’t­park­or­get­­out­of­your­car!)

Family FeastThe Roadhouse has you covered! We’ve got everything you need for a complete Thanksgiving meal – even the leftovers! (serves 8 to 10)

- Whole Free Range Turkey coffee spiced or traditional roasted

- Roadhouse Mashed Potatoes- Traditional Roadhouse Gravy

- Really Fresh Cranberry Relish- Savory Cornbread Stuffing- Roasted Vegetables- Roadhouse bread- Bakehouse Pumpkin Pie

Available for pick up through the Roadshow Tuesday, November 22nd, Wednesday, November 23rd and Friday, November 25th. The full Thanksgiving Meals To-Go menu is available online at www.zingermansroadhouse.com.

How easy is it? REALLY easy!

Dutch Belted Cows (and why their milk makes such great cheese) Our Dutch-Belted cow’s milk comes to us from Andy Schneider’s Dairy Farm in Westphalia (near Lansing). Dutch-Belteds are very rare—there are roughly 200 in the U.S., and what makes their milk unique is its high butterfat and protein content. The bonds formed by the protein and butterfat are exceptionally small, creating a supremely dense, rich curd. Andy Schneider takes pains to produce a milk that is significantly better than the norm.

We getting enough milk from Andy’s herd to make all our Zingerman’s Creamery Manchesters and Great Lakes Cheshire with it. Stop by the Creamery on Plaza Drive (just a scones throw from the Bakehouse) or the Deli and ask for a sample. You really can taste the difference great milk makes!

Click here to meet Andy Schneider and our cheesemaker Aubrey Thomason on video!

hand-ladled curds • slow pasteurization • fresh, local, carefully handled milk

TO Go

$60/feeds up to 20$120/feeds up to 40

ISSUE # 229­14

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2011

In the interest of taking our newly established emphasis on energy out of the ethereal and into the everyday work world, we’ve turned what we learned from Anese Cavanaugh into another of our very teachable, learnable, repeatable and rewarding organizational recipes. Like our 3 Steps to Great Service, or 3 Steps to Great Finance, the 4 Steps to Effective Energy Management that follow are a recipe that liter-ally everyone in our organization learns and, I hope, uses almost every day. Like all our organizational recipes, having the clarity that 4 Steps bring really does make a very big difference. New staff members feel more comfortable more quickly when they learn it, managers have a tool to take with them on shift every day and we develop common language around an area of our work to which we’re giving ever greater importance.

Having fun at work has long been a high priority for us at Zinger-man’s. It’s explicitly written into our guiding principles, and is one of the nine key headings in our 2020 Vision. While most of the world seems to believe that you have to leave work before you can start to have fun, we’ve believed from the beginning that the two were anything but mutually exclusive. It is, after all, the basis of the twelfth of our natural laws of business: Great organizations are appreciative, and the people in them have more fun.

All that said, we’d never really gotten clear over the years on what “having fun” meant to us as an organization. You won’t be shocked, I’m sure, to learn, as we did, that most everyone here had a different definition—most of us take fun to mean doing the stuff that we each personally enjoy.

As the months went by we started to realize that we weren’t going to go anywhere with the issue until we could get clear on what we really meant by “fun” on an organizational level—it’s hard to make anything work well if everyone involved isn’t speaking the same language. Pretty much everyone here knows how much having a written definition of what high quality food means to us (full flavored and traditionally made) has helped us organizationally. This year we’ve de-cided to get as clear on fun as we have with food. Independent of what each of us may like do personally, we’ve agreed that our definition of “fun” in the professional sense of the word would be “positive energy.”

The first question that arises is, of course, “What is positive energy?”

I figured I’d start my search for an answer at the same spot I’d gotten going on the whole thing in the first place—by calling Anese Cavanaugh. Given that she’s actively taught the stuff for so long now, it didn’t surprise me that Anese had an answer at the ready: “It’s the ability to create positive results through the vibe you put out there and the attitude you hold. It’s the vibe you bring to life, relationships and all your interac-tions—it feels good and creates even more positive feelings in yourself and in those around you.”

Fully agreed. When there’s positive energy on a shift, things are flowing. People feel good. We’re alert, we’re smiling, we’re finding joy, we’re appreciative and we’re look-ing forward to more good things to come. Time feels like it’s flying by. It may well be busy but we like it—that’s why we’re here.

I could go on about this energy stuff at length. The more we teach it, the more we work with it, the more I like it. I know that many people out in the business world will have dismissed Anese’s work in this field as too soft, or silly, or irrelevant. As you can tell, I think they’re completely missing the point, and in the process, they’re costing their businesses money, detracting from the quality of the experience they deliver to customers and staff, and in truth, from the quality of their own lives. Their loss, it’s true, but the sad thing is that they’re taking a really easy to use, totally free, tool away from their organizations. We’re still far from perfect, but we’ve given everyone here another hands-on, terrifically practical tool. And it works. It’s helped me and most everyone here to get a better handle on how we feel, and the way we relate to the world. I’m happy and honored to pass it on to others!

3 Elements of Energy a) Physical energy is marked by pace; people are focused, having fun, and moving fast, but not at all out of control. They’re quick, yet oddly calming at the same time. Moving too fast, frenetically and anxiously around a room may mean there’s a lot of motion, but it’s not great energy. When the energy is positive people’s posture will generally be good, their eyes look alive, they’re alert, listening, smelling, sensing all of what’s going on around them with a high level of attention to detail. Not only are they having fun, they look like they’re having fun too!

b) Emotional energy is when we’re grounded and feeling centered, appreciative, expecting good things even while preparing for possible problems. We feel open, welcoming, anticipating the positive, appreciating the little things, calm, aware, enjoyable to be around. When things go wrong, as they’re bound to do on occa-sion, people pull together, acknowledge the stress, and then calmly pull up and out of the problem. Positive emotional energy comes when we’re learning and teaching, when we’re excited about new opportunities, new information and new experiences. It also comes, conversely, when we’re comforted by familiar foods, family, friendly faces, or a gentle touch on the shoulder from an old friend.

What’s the BuzZ? A­Recipe­for­Building­Positive­Energy­in­Your­Organization

c) Vibrational energy might be the most interesting of the three. It’s not something they talk about in boardrooms but the truth is, vibrational energy, both good, bad and in between, is all around us. Anese says it’s, “your vibe; your impact; how you show up; what others feel

around you. What you invite in others; what you create.” You can find fifty examples of other definitions and you can have your own as well. Vibrational energy is the feeling we have inside us, a feeling that, for better and for worse, carries into all the interactions we have, one that words alone can never keep from flowing through.

Like service, vibrational energy is always and only really judged by the recipients of it. When you get a good handle on yours, you can, more often than not, probably be pretty close in your assessment. But in the end of the day, the only real way to know what it is is to ask others.

From a leadership standpoint, the vibrational energy we bring to work every day will have an enormous impact on everyone else. Remember that we’re talking unseen, un-spoken and often unintended energy here. Words and intentions are all well and good, but the vibrational energy is, more often than not, what’s going to get people going. Or

not going, actually, as the case may be. When we as leaders bring negative vibrational energy into any situation it’s going to detract from the work quality of everyone around us.

So how do we define energy here? It’s a combination of those three things.

(Physical + emotional + vibrational )/3 = total energy

The bottom line is, that quite simply, positive energy means more fun, better service, better health, better sales and lower stress.

4 Steps To Building Positive Energy At Zingerman’s

We generally measure our energy on a scale of 0 to 10—0 is really low, probably actually annoying, very unpleasant to be around. 10 is great, calm but moving quickly, confident, nice to be around—when someone’s at a 10 others actually will often gravitate their way in order to gather up a bit of the positive energy that’s being exuded. In fact, Jenny Tubbs, who’s worked here for nearly fifteen years and is one of our best service trainers suggested that we change the scale to be “Zero to Zen.” I love it. Raised my energy half a point as soon as I heard it! It’s a great teaching tool because it quickly makes clear that high energy is NOT frantic or frenetic—to the contrary, when we’re at “zen” the energy is anything but; at zen we’re calm, cool, collected, focused, positive, productive

and enjoyable!

What follows are our 4 Steps to Effective Energy Management. I teach them every few weeks now in our new staff orientation class—my hope is to make clear from the get go that each of us is responsible for the quality of the energy we bring to work, and then to give everyone a simple tool and technique for effectively managing it. With even a modicum of mindfulness, the 4 steps can make a serious difference in anyone’s—and, ultimately, everyone’s—day.

1) Read it – On the Zero to Zen scale, where’s your energy right now? It’s normal to feel up, down, or otherwise. The question here is one of awareness. Reading your energy is akin to

taking your emotional pulse. In the beginning this calls for a very conscious level of activity. It probably requires really pausing and breathing mindfully and getting some sense of where

you’re at on all three levels.

2) Vision it – What do you want your energy level to be like? In essence, what’s your vision? As Anese asks her clients all the time, “What impact do you want to have on those around you?”

On the shift? Co-workers? Customers? Remember forecasting is a leadership act—it’s your call; where are you going to lead your energy level today?

3) Manage it –The amazing thing is that once we’re mindful of our energy, and we have a clear sense of where we want to take it, it’s well within our ability to effectively manage it. How we do that is different for each of us. Some need to take a break, others need to break out a good joke. Some just need a quick breather, others need to do deep breathing. Some should speed up, others have to slow down. Some need to vent, others will want to voice some appreciation. The key is realizing how much influence we have on our energy; to paraphrase Gandhi, it’s all about how much we need to “be the change we want to see,” or Nietzche, how much we “cre-ate the weather around us.”

4) Repeat it - Effective energy management means running through steps 1-3 regularly throughout the shift you’re leading (or your entire life if you decide to do this outside of work as well). The more we’re monitoring and mindfully modifying our energy at regular intervals, the more likely we are to attain the levels of positive energy we’re after. It’s easy to get thrown off—anything less than optimal interaction is likely to cause an energy dip

amongst any of us. Remember, the more we keep our energy positive the more fun we’re having, and the more we get everyone we work with do the same, the better we’re all going

to be doing!

Learn more about how we use positive energy to build a great organization in

Zingerman’s­Guide­to­Good­Leading,­V.­2A­Lapsed­Anarchist’s­Approach­to­Being­a­­Better­Leader Coming January 2012

­15ISSUE # 229 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2011

We have made some great specialty breads over the years that developed their own small followings,

so we bring them back for a weekend here and there just for fun. If you’re looking for a little adventure check out

this calendar.

Pepper Bacon Farm 11/4 & 11/5 Made with farm bread, Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Bacon and Tellicherry black pepper.

Pumpernickel Raisin 11/11 & 11/12Chewy, traditional pumpernickel bread with juicy Red Flame raisins and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Porter Rye 11/18 & 11/19 Rye and wheat flours are mixed with a bit of Muscovado sugar, a touch of lard and a generous dose of a locally brewed porter beer.

Chernushka Rye 11/25 & 11/26Chewy, traditional Jewish rye with peppery chernushka seeds. This one definitely has a following.

Green Olive Paesano 12/2 & 12/3 A chewy loaf of cornmeal-crusted Paesano bread with savory green olives. Just slice it up for an instant appetizer.

Pepper Bacon Farm 12/9 & 12/10 Made with farm bread, Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Bacon, and Tellicherry black pepper.

Fancy SchmancyHoliday CoOkiesThe people pleaser’s cookie collectionWe’ve made the holidays a little easier for you this year with a cute little collection of fresh hand-made cookies with really great flavor. The bright gift box includes pecan butter balls, chocolate cherry chewies, and orange anise shortbread. Heading to a housewarming, work meeting, or book club? Just grab a box or two. Need a gift for a teacher, neighbor, or coworker? You get it. You can’t go wrong. Available at Zingerman’s Bakehouse, Delicatessen, and Roadshow. Or find them at www.zingermans.com.

Doughnuts for Chanukah!December 20th only!In Hebrew they’re called Sufganiyot (soof-gah-nee-YAH). In Hungarian you’d say Fank. Or you might just say “Mmmm. Doughnuts.” The tasty tradition of fresh doughnuts with sweet fillings for Chanukkah makes its first appearance at Zingerman’s. We’ll use four great fillings: rich chocolate, red raspberry, sweetened ricotta cheese, and apricot preserve (the favorite in Hungary). We’ll be frying up a limited amount, so place your order today. Call the Bakehouse, Delicatessen, or Roadshow.

November

20% OFF Whole cakes of the month and slices at the Bakehouse or Deli Next Door coffee shop!

White Chocolate ChiffonIt looks a little like a winter snowfall. It feels light

and creamy. It tastes heavenly. Layers of yellow chif-fon cake sandwiched with vanilla bean pastry cream

and Italian raspberry preserves. It’s all covered in vanilla buttercream and white chocolate shavings.

Call ahead to order your special loaves:

Bakeshop—3711 Plaza Dr. • 761.2095 Roadshow—2501 Jackson Rd. • 663.FOOD (3663)

Deli—422 Detroit St. • 663.DELI (3354)

Most of our Special Bakes are available for

shipping at www.zingermans.com

or 888.636.8162

Holiday Gifts From

CranberRy Pecan BreadAvailable EVERY DAY in November & DecemberWhen we sample it, there's a phenomenon of customers who grab a piece as they're leav-ing and come back a few minutes later asking "what did i just eat? that's amazing!" This bread is a magic combination of our San Francisco Sourdough, toasty pecans, and dried New England cranberries.

Available at Zingerman’s Bakehouse,

Deli, and Roadhouse and at www.zingermans.com

Zingerman’s Olive Oil CakeA sweet treat for Chanukah! You might think our butter-laden coffeecakes would be the most luscious cakes we bake, but you’d be mistaken. Extra-virgin olive oil is the fat du jour here and it makes this cake’s texture especially luxurious. Olive oil retains more moisture than butter so it’s soft and silky, like it just came out of the oven, even days after you take it home.

Made with toasted almonds, lemon zest—nearly a whole lemon’s worth per cake—and lots of extra-virgin olive oil. It has a great balance of sweet, savory and tangy that lingers long after the last bite.

Available at Zingerman’s Bakehouse, Deli and at www.zingermans.com

Buche de Noel Our version of the traditional French holiday dessert: a light, vanilla chif-fon cake filled with walnut rum buttercream, rolled up and covered in chocolate buttercream. It’s deco-rated with handmade edible sugar mushrooms, holly and freshly fallen sugar snow. Each log serves 8-12 so it’s plenty for a good-sized holiday party and it keeps long enough that you can enjoy for a few days after a small family gathering. Either way it’s a great centerpiece for a holiday table and fun to decorate with edible treats of your own.

available in December

Give the gift of BAKE! 2 easy waysChoose A Class You Know They'll Love.Pick from dozens of classes and register them online. Better yet, sign up yourself too and bake up some memories together. If the class is a gift, let us know in the comments section of your registration and we'll email you a custom certificate to print and give!

Purchase A Gift Card & Let Them Choose Their Class!Stop in the Bakehouse or give us a call at 734-761-7255 to purchase gift cards. You choose the gift card amount, we'll include a BAKE! gift card enclosure and a class schedule.

Check out all our classes at www.bakewithzing.com