Dinner with the McMillins/MacMillan

As part of the KWF program, there are two weekly "sherry hours" on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Most seminars bring in speakers from around the University or around the globe. Some seminars, however, feature presentations by fellow Fellows.

During those nights, two fellows present and two cook dinner. Last night was Zack's turn to cook. First up at bat. He was paired with Jim MacMillan, a photojournalist with The Philadelphia Inquirer. Jim likes to cook, as he puts it, by dialing his cell phone. Our work...to cook for 30 people.

Zack wanted to emphasize the wonderful local produce and fish available here, an all-Michigan meal (or as close to it as he could get). To his credit, he went through my cookbooks and planned the menu. He and Jim did all of the shopping. We spent Wednesday night after the kids went to bed doing most of the cooking. And the dinner went off with only a few hitches last evening. It really was wonderful to sit at the table at Wallace House (the huge dining table with an extension that went into the entry hall) with all of these great people who are becoming fast friends and break bread together. And the food was a huge hit.

Our menu, in case you're hungry: Organic baby greens with baby roasted beets, pears, spiced walnuts and Stilton; grilled whitefish and walleye with dill and lemon; caramelized butternut squash; wild rice and sour cherry salad; Zingerman's bread; apple crisp with vanilla ice cream.

Jim put together a little video of the excursion to the farmer's market. Appropriately, the music is from Sufjan Steven's "Michigan" album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph30XDOflNc

Enjoy and thanks for stopping by.