What's Cheffy been up to?

Have gotten a lot of emails and phone calls wondering what I have been doing, so I am just gonna give you the brief rundown and then link to a bunch of pics that I never had a chance to upload...

Hope all is well with everyone, I am missing my WI friends as well as those in VA and TN...

So here it goes....

I have yet to organize the files of pictures but here is the link to the albums and you can poke and choose which ones to view...and even tho' I really do miss and love my Chica, there are a ton of pics of her on there, have not had anytime to separate and organize the pics and that girl sure did like using the camera to take pics of herself...

Click here to see the pics

November 2008
Went to VA for a week, got to hang out with my family and musical friends, was a pretty cool trip, albeit a long one being that I drove from Mineral Point to historic Appomattox then back again....
Check out pics....

December 2008
Went on a cruise to Cozumel, Mexico...travelled from Mineral Point to Chicago to Virginia to North Carolina to Tennessee to New Orleans to Gulfport, Mississippi to Mobile, Alabama then got on the ship in Mobile and spent Christmas on the ship and went to Cozumel for 5 days, came back to the states then went and picked up my "Chica" in Knoxville, TN then headed back to Mineral Point some 6000 miles later...

Pics of the Cruise, Cozumel and my family

January 2009
Upon making the mutual decision of my leaving the Walker House as the Executive Chef there was a succession of parties that took place...

Pics of my last cooking class at the Walker House
Pics of my going away party at Tony's Tap
Pics of my last night with my friend's Dan and Benita Schmitz, Geno and my Chica
Pics of mine and Chica's trip back to Tennessee

January-March 2009

I am currently back at the Convention Center that I used to work at in the late nineties and early part of the century, having fun pumping out the volume, hanging out with old friends in good ol' Greenville, SC while I am continuing my job search.

Pics from Greenville

So what in hell is next???

June 2009
I will be back in Mineral Point for a couple days....

June 20th- I will be at the Farmer's Market that morning doing a cooking demo utilizing local products from Rink and Jenny DaVee of Shooting Star Farms and other local farmers.

June 20th- That evening Terese Allen, a local chef, food writer and friend of Cheffy's will be doing a book signing for her new cookbook on Local Foods and I will do a cooking demonstration while Terese does a book signing at Pendarvis

June 21st- BBQ Party at Tony's Tap featuring Cheffy's Food...

Am currently attempting to set up other Guest Chef stuff for that week but is still in the works, I will post some other information as soon as it becomes confirmed.

Addendum to Jamming In Virginia Post

Addendum to post about Jammin' In Virginia

A reply to Broda's Comment and some Cheffy Babbles

"...That's the Way it goes when your life's a Spiral Staircase,
You feel alive when you can smile along the way,
You might hold on for dear life and try to save face,
But you survive

And strive to make the best of everyday..."

Spiral Staircase by Brenda "Broda" Barringer

http://www.brendabarringer.com

Broda rocks and this is an excerpt from her CD "Spiral Staircase", you can buy it from her website listed above and has become one of Chef's favorite CD's...so go buy it!!!

Jamming In Virginia-The Spiral Staircase

The Spiral Staircase

I love art...

I love that my profession as a chef is a creative one and that I can take my craft and turn it into an art...

I love music and the people that make my music an art...

I love the artists that make me love music through mastering their craft...

In November 2008, I got to hang out with a lot of my old friends that used to make music with me, or whom I had made music with...

This makes life good....

The following pics was of one of those nights...Thanks to Broda, Paul, Petr, Magda, Laura Belle, Chip, Mary and all of those involved....I had one helluva night...

Thanks,

Chef

The first couple of pics are of Chef and Broda...

She so rocks....

See you on the Spiral Staircase Baby!!!!

http://www.reverbnation.com/broda

Walker House Newsletter Dec 2008

Walker House Newsletter
December 2008
New Hours
Monday-Tuesday 11-8
Wednesday Closed
Thursday 11-8
Friday-Saturday 11-9
Sunday 10-3

The Walker House will be closed on Wednesday, December 24th and Thursday, December 25th for the Christmas Holiday and will re-open on the 26th in observance of Boxing Day.

New Year's, Cooking Classes and More
Yes, the Walker House will be having a New Year's Eve Bash, will give full information in the next newsletter which should be out by December 16th or stop by the Walker House and check out our flyers.

We are starting to take reservations for our up and coming cooking classes in January, if interested call Chef for details.

Our "Pub Night at the Walker" will start on December 8th at 4:00 (more info below)

Our upstairs dining room will be closed on Tuesday, December 9th for a private party but our Pub will still be open from 11-8.

Happy Hour and Pub Night
Starting Dec. 8th we will start "Pub Night at the Walker" featuring $1.00 Sliders, $1.00 Draft Beers among other Drink and Pub Food Specials.

Also starting Dec. 8th we will have Happy Hour from 4PM-6PM every night except for Wednesday, featuring a variety of drink and food specials.

So What's Next?????

Homestyle Sunday
On Sunday's we are serving breakfast and good ol' downhome cooking from 10AM-3PM in our upstairs dining room. If you have a favorite dish that you would like Chef Mike or Chef Craig to whip up for you just give us a call, you never know...
Our Breakfast menu basically stays the same week to week but our homestyle dinners change weekly. The dinners are geared to be just good ol' down home cooking, we offer three different comfort proteins accompanied by appropriate starches, two vegetables, Walker Rolls with Honey Butter and guarantee a full belly...after all it is the Walker Way...


BREAKFAST
Breakfast is served all day and is served with an assortment of breakfast breads and freshly whipped honey butter. Add additional pancakes with any dish for a $1.00 each

Corned Beef Hash $7
House made Corned Beef tossed with fried potatoes and topped with two eggs cooked your way.

Biscuits & Sausage Gravy $6
Homemade Buttermilk biscuits topped with sausage and pepper gravy served with two eggs cooked to your liking.

Cinnamon Apple French Toast $6
Homemade cinnamon apple bread dipped in French toast batter, cooked to a golden brown and served with your choice of Maple Sausage or Apple Wood Smoked Bacon.

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes $6
3 fluffy blueberry buttermilk pancakes served with your choice of Maple Sausage or Apple Wood

Smoked Bacon and two eggs cooked your way

2 Eggs your way $5
2 eggs served with a choice of Maple Sausage or Apple Wood Smoked Bacon and hash browns

Walker House Omelet $7
3-egg omelet filled with peppers, onions, ham, tomatoes and shredded cheddar topped with Walker’s Signature Cheese Sauce and served with hash brown potatoes and choice of Apple Wood Smoked Bacon or Maple Sausage Links

Steak and Eggs $8
Tonkin’s Beef Farm Top Sirloin Steak grilled your way served with 2 eggs and hash browns.

Plugger Menu Dec 4th-16th

Our Plugger Menu is a special menu that we use to supplement our regular menu. If you have an old comfort food that you would like us to consider putting on our Plugger Menu or if you have an old favorite that you would like for us to bring back just give Chef Mike or Chef Craig a call and we will see what we can do for you...

Port Glazed Filet Mignon $25
Filet Mignon with a Wild Mushroom and Bleu Cheese Flan topped with Port Wine Demi-Glace.

Wild Rice Stuffed Chicken Breast $15
Large Chicken Breast stuffed with a Wild Rice, Bacon and Spinach stuffing and topped with Sauce Mornay.

Shrimp, Scallop and Mussel Sauté $18
Large Shrimp, Scallops and Prince Edward Island Mussels steamed in White Wine and finished off with Roasted Garlic Butter. Tossed with Angel Hair Pasta.

Wild Mushroom Ravioli $15
Large Wild Mushroom stuffed ravioli tossed in a creamy Wild Mushroom Demi-Glace with cremini, portabello, oyster and shiitake mushrooms.

GOFR Steak (Good Ol’ Fashioned Ribeye) $19
Cooked just the way you like ‘em, just with a dash of Salt and Pepper, or try our new Blackened Ribeye.

Blackened Catfish Filet $15
Blackened Catfish Filet with Orange-Pineapple BBQ Sauce served with Sweet Potato Fries.
Be sure to sample our soups and desserts.
Always fresh and always homemade.

Understanding Pain

My Lover, My Soulmate, My Very Best Friend

RIP Jamie Ruth

I Love You

Being in the position that I am professionally it is hard to really express the personal life of what made me who I am and what I do for a life...

I owe all of who I have become due to the love of a woman...

This kind of love was unconditional regardless if we liked each other or not, it was that sometimes unspoken love that was the strongest bridge that two people can possess...

It has been four years since I lost the love of my lover, soulmate and very best friend and nothing can ever replace this anquish, joy, memory.

I know that a lot of local people have heard my story about my hair with me cutting it for Breast Cancer and all that I had planned for November and now are questioning what I am doing, so here is my story...

I have not cut my hair since Jamie left to be with the Angels. My idea was to cut my hair when it was long enough to make a wig specifically out of my hair (not LocksOfLove, which mixes people's hair and then the wig goes to an individual you may never meet) so that I can donate a wig to a Cancer Survivor in Jamie's name.

Well...it's been four years...

When Jamie was alive we were very active with our chapter of Susan Komen Center in Greenville, SC aside of all of her support groups and my own support groups for spouses of Cancer Survivors. So I spoke with several people from Susan Komen about having an event where I would host a fundraiser, cut my hair in public, cook a four or five course meal and donate the money to Susan Komen.

Unfortunately, there is not a Susan Komen Center locally that was able to aid in this event. If I would have acted earlier I probably could have set something up with some other Cancer Society but I waited too long to act upon it unfortunately.

November 29th was the anniversary of her death and I really wanted to do something this month to pay homage to the heart that I have loved all of my life and lost...unfortunately this did not happen.

Her Birthday would be in May, so I suppose that I will focus my energy to do the hair cut and wig then...

So I guess this is the point that I just say

"I miss and love you honey"

Thank you for the man that I have grown to be

Without you

Life is less than good

Without you

I would not be near the man that I am

Thank you...

Forever Yours,

Michael

Latest Plugger Menu

Walker House Specialties Menu

All Specialties come with Salad, Appropriate Starch, Vegetable Du Jour and Walker Rolls

The Walker House Family thanks you in helping us support our local farmers. Tonkin’s Beef Farm, Blue Marble Creamery and Shooting Star Farms.

Port Glazed Filet Mignon
$25
Filet Mignon with a Wild Mushroom and Bleu Cheese Flan topped with Port Wine Demi-Glace.

Wild Rice Stuffed Chicken Breast
$15
Large Chicken Breast stuffed with Wild Rice Bacon and Spinach stuffing and topped with Sauce Mornay.

Shrimp, Scallop and Mussel Sauté
$18
Large Shrimp, Scallops and Prince Edward Island Mussels steamed in White Wine and finished off with Roasted Garlic Butter. Tossed with Angel Hair Pasta.

Wild Mushroom Ravioli
$15
Large Wild Mushroom stuffed ravioli tossed in a creamy Wild Mushroom Demi-Glace with cremini, portabello, oyster and shiitake mushrooms.

GOFR Steak
(Good Ol’ Fashioned Ribeye)
$19
Cooked just the way you like ‘em, just with a dash of Salt and Pepper, or try our new Blackened Ribeye.

Blackened Catfish Filet
$15
Blackened Catfish Filet with Orange-Pineapple BBQ Sauce.

Spiced Apple Cider
$1.25
Add Spirit of your choice for $2.50

Ask your server about our Dessert Specials!!

Catching up on other pics-Nov 2008

We started doing breakfast and family style dinners on Sunday after church and this past Sunday this was one of the dishes on our family style menu...

Beef Short Ribs, Mashed Taters, Corn O'brien, Squash Cassarole

$8.95

Come Hungry, Leave Happy!!

Each Sunday aside of our down home country breakfast with most of the foods produced locally, we will also feature three family style dinners, this week it was English Cut Prime Rib, the Beef Short Ribs and all you can eat Spaghetti, so if you are looking to get a full belly after Church on Sunday, I know just the place...Hours on Sunday are 10-3

This is a special on our plugger menu this week, although it is hard to tell what the heck it is in the picture...Broiled Rainbow Trout topped with a Salmon, Surimi and Andouille Sausage Stuffing then glazed with a white wine lemon sauce....freaking yummmmmm!!!!

Our latest dessert creation...Apple Cinnamon Bread-Bread Pudding with Wholesome Farms Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Almond Chocolate Ganache

Yeah, he ate a 40 oz Top Sirloin...but cheated!!!

Ya Ain't Supposed to recruit assistant's!!!

Ha ha

Great time was had by all though!!!

The 40 oz Top Sirloin in comparison to our 10 oz Filet Mignon

A sign in my office next to the inevitable Bean Bag Hand Warmers made by my sister

Chicken Etouffee with Rice Pilaf and Roasted Shooting Star Beets

Tony and Lori Pittz-The First Customers of the Walker House

Since coming into Mineral Point, the Pittz family are some of the first that I have gotten to know personally (and there are a lot of them!!!!)

Tony Pittz, the owner of Tony's Tap on Commerce Street and his lovely bride of 25 years, Lori were the first customers we had when the Walker House opened in August...



Love you guys,
Chef

Catching Up on Pictures and Stuff

Some of my Buddhist and Vegetarian friends may take offense to some of these pics, please don't hold it against me, after all I am a chef...If pictures of raw meat may offend you please go to the other posts...

Sorry

Chef

I love old buildings!!!!

Is kind of cool the stories that old buildings like ours can tell, and the stories that it doesn't...

While renovating my next dining room our lead carpenter Keith had to tear down one wall down to the studs and behind the wall was a huge mural of an old mining community.

In researching the artist I found that he was an old Mineral Point artist that was contracted in the middle 70's to draw this mural in the dining room....I thought that was so cool...Anyway, here are some pics of the mural...

Special Menu for the Week of Oct 27th

Quite a few people have been wanting to know what the specials are going to be on our "Plugger Menu" so since so many of you come and check out the blog I thought that I would start putting them up on the blog. We will change our plugger menu every other week.

If you are not on the mailing list for our newsletters click here to register. The newsletters come out about once a month letting everyone know what is going on at the Walker seeming that we get involved in a wide array of events in the community and are always planning things that are new and different.

On November 2nd we will begin to do Family Style Dinners in the Pub starting at Eleven and going until 5. We will offer breakfast items from 11Am-1 PM

I will post those menues when I have them completed.

Nothing fancy just good ol' down home cooking.

Walker House Specialties Menu
Week of October 27th

All Specialties come with Salad, Appropriate Starch, Vegetable Du Jour and Walker Rolls

The Walker House Family attempts to purchase as much product locally as possible, we are currently utilizing Shooting Star Farms, Tonkin's Beef Farm, Pecatonica Farms, Blue Marble Dairy and Bures Berry Patch.

Shrimp Cocktail
$8
Six Large Cinnamon Poached Shrimp served with Cocktail Sauce and Lemon

Jack Daniel’s Filet Mignon
$25
Large Grilled Filet of Beef topped with Jack Daniel’s scented demi-glace and sautéed Mushrooms.

GOFR Steak
Good Old Fashioned Ribeye
$18.95
Large portion of Ribeye steak cooked just how you like ‘em with just a dash of Salt and Pepper.

Cajun Shrimp and Scallop Sauté
$15
Shrimp and Scallop sautéed with Peppers, Onions, Mushrooms then tossed in a Chipotle/White Wine/Lemon Sauce.

Parmesan-Hazelnut Crusted Orange Roughy
$12
Large Orange Roughy topped with a Parmesan-Hazelnut Herb Crust then garnished with a White Wine Caper Sauce. Served with Roasted Pumpkin Risotto.

Breast of Chicken Etouffee
$12
Literally translated to mean "smothered", this little spicy dish is one of Chef’s favorite Cajun dishes. Chicken breast smothered with mushrooms and a spicy dark chicken gravy served over rice and accompanied by Vegetable du Jour.

Desserts

Oatmeal-Amaretto Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
Ginger-Carrot Cake Trifle with Orange Cream
$4

Come Hungry, Leave Happy!!!

Larissa and Chef

A couple weeks ago I was approached by a customer who had informed me that they were an integral part in supporting an exchange student that was taking some culinary classes in Dodgeville (the little town next to ours) and asked if Larissa could "trail" me as a job shadow for something that she was doing for school...I was all over it, I thought that it would be a lot of fun...

Larissa and the sponsors had come for lunch one day and I met her for the first time and told her she oughta be ready, because my world is an unpredictable one...she showed up on Wednesday, October 8th and we had a blast....

It was kind of humbling for me because with Larissa I was trying some things that I have not tried before (like making Italian Flat Bread), and I screwed up a couple, just not getting the product that I had imagined in my head, so with my little "job shadow" I made some mistakes and we figured it out in the long run, which was a lot of fun...I guess from my perspective it was pretty awesome because I don't know everything...I might have an idea that I would like to have materialize, but I don't know everything and sometimes it is just a shot in the dark with the things that I would like to accomplish...she was a victim of this...and I loved it...

This is who I am and this is what I do...

Although I would love to think that I am the great chef that I am, it is all hit and miss when it comes to experimenting with stuff, especially when it comes to baking...

The Italian Flat Bread turned out awesome, it was just about discovering the technique that was going to express the product that I had in mind...

The mind is a terrible thing to waste...

So although Larissa was just with me for three hours we had made a batch of Italian Flat Bread, I showed her my Cheesecake recipe and she made a ton of my pizza doughs...

She really rocked on the pizza...was pretty impressed with her....

In knowing that she was from Brazil, me in my ignorant internationalism, I spoke to her in Spanish only realizing that her English was broken and she spoke Portugese...boy did I feel like an idiot thinking that she understood my Spanish....that must have gone on for like an hour before I realized that she spoke Portugese...what a dummy I felt like....

Anyway...for being a 16 year old young lady I was very pleased with how quick she picked stuff up and the product that she eventually produced....fast learners and good teachers?????? Nah, maybe just a fast learner.....

Thanks Larissa, you Rock...

Hugz,

Chef

Dave Pounds a 24 Ounce Ribeye....

One of the latest Cheffy Fan's wanted Chef to cook him a monster of a steak like the one that Geno and Little Mitch ate...I didn't have any of the 34 ouncers left but he was happy that I would cut him as big of a ribeye that he wanted so David settled for a 26 ounce Ribeye and thus making him the next contestant on Cheffy's Wall of Shame...

What a fat boy that little ribeye became...

Ha ha...moments like this that I really love my job....

Just a lot of pics, got some catching up to do....

Cornish Festival and more pics

We were involved in the Cornish Festival this year with me doing Mineral Point's "Taste of Point" which was a tremendous success...

Taste of Point

Tennessee Pulled Pork Sandwiches on House Made Rolls

Miniature Pasties with a Tarragon-Roasted Garlic Crust

British Rollmops-(pickled herring scented cream cheese with roasted garlic wrapped in Phyllo)

Spotted Dick-A traditional Cornish Dessert, served with Madagascar Vanilla Custard

Unfortunately I did not get any pics from me and Joe hanging out in Library Park for the Taste of Point but here are some pics of some of the food that we did for the Festival Weekend plus a couple of our staples off our menu...

The Wild and Wacky World of Chef Mike

Pleasing the World One Palate at a Time...

Come hungry...Leave Happy

Grilling up a Rosti for Our Tenderloin Dish

The Inevitable Pasty with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce

Sauteed Chicken Breast in a White Wine-Lemon and Garlic Sauce with assorted garden vegetables accompanied by Saffron Rice

Pan Fried European Lake Perch with a Hazelnut Brown Butter Sauce

Seared Airline Chicken Breast topped with Roasted Red Pepper, Garlic, Artichokes and Kalamatta Olives with Roasted Butternut Squash and Saffron Rice

Crispy Catfish with Caper Remoulade, assorted garden veggies over Pesto Mashed Potatoes

Beef Tenderloin Rosti topped with a Madiera-Wild Mushroom Demi-Glace accompanied by a Roasted Butternut Squash

Chicken Parmesan with Sketti and Marinara

Will have some more pics in the days to come including the second guy to polish off one of Chef's 32 plus ounce Top Sirloins...

Hugz,

The Wild and Wacky World of Me

I Can't Believe I Ate the Whole Thing!!!

My Buddy Geno took it as dare from Chef about eating a 34 oz Top Sirloin

Needless to say...the guy was quite full!!!!

Ha ha

Way to Go Geno....