Have you heard.... I don't speak French...

Like many forty-something Americans, I was required to study a foreign language in high school.  The choices back then were limited to French and Spanish.  I don't recall exactly why, but I opted for Spanish.  One of the more enjoyable aspects of the class was having the opportunity to sample traditional Spanish fare at a dinner hosted after-school by the Spanish Club.  I imagine a similar event would have been hosted by the French Club for those taking French class.  Thankfully, I have been exposed to a variety of French cuisine in the years since high school.  So I haven't totally missed out.  I haven't eaten enough French food to consider myself a connoisseur, but I do know what I have liked so far - and what I haven't.  The only things I cook in that realm are French Onion Soup and French Toast.  (chuckle)  I am not sure these are even really French.  I just share that to provide the usual humorous background.  

One thing I do enjoy is a good croissant.  Though quite delicious in its original form, I found it's even better with enhancements.  Oddly enough, I am not speaking of the cronut (or doughssant).  I know those set a lot of folks taste buds on fire - just not mine.  The chocolate croissant is the stuff my dreams are made of.  It made me sad when I realized what a long, long, long time it has been since a chocolate croissant has rocked my world.  Fortunately, this morning I found three of them - all in one place.  It may be the beginning of an addiction.  Perhaps the donuts and cinnamon rolls were just a gateway drug?  The Dipped Donut has quickly become my new favorite place.  The aroma of their freshly baked chocolate croissants made my 30 minute ride home more relaxing than a trip to the spa.  Not sure how I resisted the urge to stop and eat them all by the side of the road?   I really did intend to share them with my lovely wife.  I have not eaten a million of these yet, but of all the different ones I have eaten thus far...  I can say that The Dipped Donut chocolate croissant (with a chocolate icing drizzle) is at the top of my list.  I am willing to bet that once you taste one for yourself, it will be at the top of your list too.  There is definitely something special about their rich flaky croissant with chocolate inside and out.  (sigh of contentment)

One caveat is that they don't bake these every day of the week.  If you have your heart set on one, please be sure to call them before you jump in the car.  When they answer, just say: "Big Mike told me about your decadent chocolate croissants.  Are they available today?"  Even if they aren't, you should still go for the donuts and cinnamon rolls.  Missing out  on it will be more than enough justification for a return trip.  Soon.  

Your Dining Scout and Shadetree Chef,

Michael Hurd - aka Big Mike

PS - For those who worry about what I eat... I only ate one and had salad for lunch.  Plus we shared one of the cinnamon rolls with a neighbor.  (earnest grin)

My only regret is not taking the picture before they closed
the box lid.  They looked much prettier then. 
Still tasted AMAZING.

The Dipped Donut 
256 S Sandusky Street
Delaware, OH
740.957.8100
https://www.thedippeddonut.com/

Have you heard.... It was a photo finish...

I am sure you are hanging onto the edge of your seat...  leaning forward... breathless with anticipation...  Eager to learn which cinnamon roll from The Dipped Donut came out on top - caramel iced or maple iced.  Before I reveal the results of our two person sampling, I should share a little backstory.  I have a sensitive palate when it comes to cinnamon.  What most folks consider perfect is usually way too heavy on the cinnamon for me.  In fact, there is a story that has been told and retold since my childhood involving my reaction to my Aunt Myrtle's legendary apple pie.  I tried it for the first time at four years old.  When she asked me how I liked it, I said "it was good, but I think it had too much cinnamon in it."  Aunt Myrtle was shocked to hear such words from the mouth of a young child.  Now more than 40 years later, she still tells me: "I'm sorry, but I still put too much cinnamon in my apple pie."  Then we both laugh.  This aversion to strong cinnamon flavor leads me to avoid most cinnamon rolls that the masses would count as heavenly.  I don't even try them from my favorite bakeries.  This is also why I use mainly Ceylon at home instead of generic (korintje) cinnamon when I bake.   

I am so glad I didn't let this hold me back from the cinnamon rolls at The Dipped Donut.  Perhaps the effects of this pandemic are pushing me outside my comfort-zone?  Regardless, I am more than happy to share that the cinnamon rolls ROCKED the house.  I am not going to spend paragraphs describing them to you.  I am just going to tell you to jump in the car and drive over to get some for yourself.  Be sure to check their hours before your wheels are turning.  I don't want anyone crying in the parking lot outside The Dipped Donut on my account.

Oh yeah, you are still waiting for the verdict.  Not to disappoint, but it was a split decision.  My sweetest preferred the maple iced and I preferred the caramel iced.  She said: "the maple icing was a tad sweeter whereas the flavor of the caramel icing was less sweet and more complex."  Can't argue with that at all.  We wholeheartedly agree that both are the stuff dreams are made of... and only give our favorite a small edge over second best.  Guess that means you will just need to try them both too and decide for yourself.  If you were feeling really saucy, you could get one with vanilla icing too.   I recommend eating with a fork rather than your hands.  We don't need anyone licking their fingers during a pandemic. (chortle)  Here's one last tip though...  They bake a limited quantity daily and you don't want to get there later than me.  You know I am a kind-hearted soul, but I am not saving any for you.  (sinister laugh)

Your Dining Scout and Shadetree Chef,
Michael Hurd - aka Big Mike

Here's the photo finish...  If my wife wasn't watching...
I would have licked the plate.  Yummmmm.

The Dipped Donut 
256 S Sandusky Street
Delaware, OH
740.957.8100
https://www.thedippeddonut.com/

Have you heard... A funny thing happened to me on the way home from the podiatrist.

Even while we are living in the throes of this soft lock down, I find that it is still necessary to leave the house for certain things.  Medical care would be one of those things .  I will venture to not cross a TMI barrier when I share that I recently required the services of a podiatrist.  At the time I scheduled the original appointment, the only one available the next day was in nearby Delaware, Ohio.  The next morning I jumped in the car and did what 72 percent of all smart phone users do - I consulted Google Maps for the best possible route to the podiatrist's office.  Then I immediately did what maybe 34 percent of smart phone users do - I promptly ignored Google's advice and picked a different route.  I would do this for the route to the office and the route back home.  I know it is shocking, but I can be a maverick like that sometimes.  Since I was driving, I didn't really take in the sights on that trip.  Kept my focus on the road where it belongs.

Just today though, I had to return for a follow-up appointment and my lovely wife was available to go with me.  She didn't really need to go with me, but she is the safer driver in our household.  So I never pass up a chance to ride shotgun with her instead of driving.  This arrangement also allows me to check out the scenery more easily.  She decided it was okay to ignore Google Maps again and find our own way there and back.  Luckily the return route took us past a heretofore undiscovered donut shop in Delaware  - The Dipped Donut.  They were open for carryout, so we just had to stop in.

As we wandered home from Delaware...
We saw a sign...

 In case I haven't mentioned it previously, I am not the biggest fan of cake style donuts.  Especially when they are vanilla cake only.  I mean, if I am going to have to "suffer" through a cake donut, I at least want the option of blueberry or chocolate.  If I am really lucky - red velvet.  (yummmmmm)  There are several donut shops around Columbus that specialize in vanilla cake donuts custom-made with a cornucopia of icings, drizzles, and other toppings.  They make your donuts while you watch.  It seems I am in a small minority when I say these places typically don't rev up my palate.  At.  All. 

I am not sure I really deserve a donut, but
if they say I do...  I choose to believe them.

Fortunately, The Dipped Donut kicks this model up a notch.  They offered us vanilla and chocolate cake donuts plus insanely huge cinnamon rolls.  All three could be topped with our choice of icings, drizzles, and toppings.  Judging by the number of orders that were waiting for pickup when we arrived, they have a dedicated following.  Since this was our first visit, we had to buy a sampling worthy of a blog post.  We opted for a half dozen donuts - three for me and three for my sweetest - and two cinnamon rolls.  Our combinations are not particularly over the top, but I am curious to see if anyone can guess which donuts are mine and which are hers?  Please put your guesses in the comments section.  We will share the cinnamon rolls.  Couldn't decide whether maple or caramel icing was the better choice.  Jury is still out as of this posting.  We will have them for dessert later.  Look for the final word in a future post.  I am pretty sure we will be going back.  The donuts were beyond scrumptious and the service was incredibly friendly and efficient - at the appropriate social distance, of course. (chuckle) 

Six delicious icings...

12 delicious toppings...  just in this photo...
Even more not in this photo...

Let the games begin... 
Which are mine?  Which are hers?

I will close with a funny story about what happened after the donut pickup.  Beth decided she wanted to hit the drive-thru at a Starbucks along our route.  We turned into the parking lot and joined at the back of the line of cars that snaked around the building.  The order screen was about halfway along the back of the building and the serving window was on the far side of the building.  These seemingly unimportant details loom large near the end of the story.  The line was long, but appeared to be moving reasonably quickly.  I said out loud "no big deal since we are not in a hurry."  Probably waited 10 minutes before we made it to the order screen as the person in front of us seemed to take a particularly long time to place their order.  Or at least we thought that they were placing a big order.  We pulled up to the speaker and waited for a Starbucks associate to greet us.  After a pregnant silence, my wife noticed a paper flyer taped to the speaker stand.  It was not thoroughly fastened, so the edges of the paper had curled up and were constantly blowing in the wind.  Made it nearly impossible to read the flyer.  She was eventually able to read it when the wind stopped ever so briefly. Turns out the flyer indicated this Starbucks location was only open from noon to 7:00 pm today.  It wasn't even 11:00 yet.  So a bunch of people, ourselves included, waited in the drive-thru line at Starbucks when they weren't even open. 

In our collective defense:

1.   There was zero signage at the entrance indicating they were 
      closed,
2.   The hastily attached 'hours open' sign posted on the speaker 
      tower made it nearly impossible to read,
3.   The service window on the far side of the building wasn't 
      visible while we waited in line (so we didn't see that multiple 
      cars drove away empty handed).

All these factors conspired against us and also those that came after us.  The line was even longer when we drove away than it was when we arrived.  We wondered aloud whether the line would continue like that until the store was actually open?   Had we just been punked or maybe unknowingly been part of some sociological research? Either way...  We had fresh donuts in the car and I felt it was best not to linger. 

Pray that you continue to stay safe and healthy as this pandemic wears on.  Have a Happy Easter.   

Your Dining Scout and Shadetree Chef,
Michael Hurd - aka Big Mike

The Dipped Donut 
256 S Sandusky Street
Delaware, OH
740.957.8100
https://www.thedippeddonut.com/

Have you heard... Yesterday felt like taco soup

I realized earlier this week that it has been forever since I have shared any sort of recipe, so I am sharing one today.  Figured the recipe should be up-front and the backstory will follow.

This recipe is a big reason why I will never
buy another Crock Pot without a clamp-down
lid.

Taco Soup
2 Large (28 ounce) Cans of Crushed Tomatoes
2 Regular (15 ounce) Cans of Kidney Beans - Light or Dark
2 Regular Cans of Sweet Corn
2 Packets Old El Paso Taco Seasoning
2 Pounds Ground Beef
2 Cups Water

Brown and drain the ground beef.  Combine with remaining ingredients in a 7-quart (or larger) Crock Pot or other slow cooker.  Simmer on high for 3 - 4 hours or low for 6 - 8 hours.  Just like anything else, the longer it simmers... The better it will taste.  Serve with Nacho Cheese Doritos and shredded sharp cheddar cheese.  I like to crumble the chips on top of the soup and then add the shredded cheddar.  Many others - including my lovely wife - prefer to keep the chips on the side and just add the cheese.  Maybe try it both ways and see which you prefer?  This soup keeps well in both the fridge and the freezer.  Tastes just as good reheated.

I only have a couple of additional editorial comments on the recipe.  In the recipe's original version, it called for Contadina brand canned tomatoes, light red kidney beans, and Old El Paso Taco Seasoning.  I suspect it may have been a "side of the box"  recipe at one time.  I have found that I prefer Red Pack or Red Gold canned tomatoes for most anything - taco soup included.  I am not sure if this brand is available outside the Midwest, since they are canned in Indiana.   You may use whatever brand of canned tomatoes you prefer.  I have also on occasion used my home canned garden tomatoes in this recipe and it was still delicious.  So you can sub in a couple of quarts of V-8 if you have don't have canned crushed tomatoes.  I mix it up with the beans and use one can each of light and dark.  I am not sure it really affects the flavor all that much, but it looks prettier. (earnest grin)  I will say that when it comes to the seasoning, Old El Paso is the best of what I have tried.  It is tough for me to say that too.  I grew up on Ortega taco seasoning.  The beauty part about Old El Paso is that you can now buy it in a large shaker rather than just individual packets.  This is much more cost-effective and it takes up less space in the cupboard.   

The story of how this recipe came to be in my possession still brings a smile to my face.  When I was a student at Purdue, I became good friends with William (Bill) Fenn, a fellow accounting student.  I am sure we shared more than a couple of classes between our junior and senior years.  I vaguely recall that we worked on a team project or two and studied together.  We shared more bad pizza than any college student has a right to.  In the process, we learned why you should always tip the delivery driver generously.  If you don't, the next time you order a pizza it won't arrive until it is already cold.  I am not saying it was inedible, but...  

Bill moved into an off-campus apartment senior year and as the weather started to get cold that fall, he shared a secret with me.  Bill said that his Mom's taco soup was one of his favorite meals and she made a large container of it for him to bring to school.  She affixed the recipe to the lid of the container and told him when it was gone, he should make more for himself.  Bill shared with me that the container was almost empty and he was clueless in the kitchen.  He said he would buy all the ingredients, if I would be kind enough to come over to his apartment and make the soup while he watched.  The next time, he would make the soup himself while I was on hand for questions.  I told him I was more than happy to help with only one condition - that he would let me keep a copy of the recipe for myself.  

I was so thankful that Bill invited me to help in the kitchen back then.  Otherwise, I might not have one of my favorite recipes.  Since I already loved to cook, the recipe seemed simple to me.  For someone like Bill who hardly ever cooked before, it was clearly too daunting to even try.  I can't imagine the embarrassment he felt when he first asked me to help.  I had a great time cooking it for him and the group of friends he invited to join us.  Over the last 25 years I have cooked this soup on countless occasions - large family gatherings, cold weather tailgate parties, church potlucks, and dinner with the men of Faith on Eighth.  Many friends who have enjoyed my cooking have shared that it has become one of their favorites.  Hopefully, you have the fixings already on hand.  I don't want to be the reason you decide to leave the house right now.  You don't have to wait for cold weather either.  I think it is good even in the heat of summer.  (smile as big as Texas)

Have you heard... Life can be quite inconvenient at times...

I am not sure if I have mentioned it on a prior blog post, but my parents grew up out in the country.  For my Mom's extended family, farming and other forms of agriculture were the family business.  At the peak of operations, they had a wood lot and sawmill that produced hardwood lumber, a farm equipment dealership, as well as a full-service dairy that sold bottled milk, cottage cheese, butter, and ice cream.  They even had a fleet of trucks to deliver the products to the doorstep of area homes and businesses.  My Dad's family owned a farm just a short ways down the road.  It was much smaller and not really a business enterprise of any sort.  Nowadays, it might be called a hobby farm.  Although I am sure my Dad and my Uncle would say that it required too much work to consider it merely a hobby.  Knowing on many days they had to wake up well before sunrise to start the tractor by hand...  hitch up the family car...  tow it to the top of the lane so my Grandfather could coast it down the hill into town and bump start it for his drive to work...  Feed and milk the cows...  Then get ready for school...  I wouldn't just call it a hobby either.  This doesn't even consider the work they did after school or during the summer when they hired themselves out to help others in the community tend, harvest, and store their crops.

While I could go on for days about the joys and hardships my parents experienced growing up when and where they did...  I just wanted to delve into it briefly today as a means to understanding how these current times are not quite as severe for me as it may be for many of my fellow Americans.  I believe this is because people who raise plants and animals for food - like my parents and grandparents did - know that the quality of the harvest may be affected by many things outside their control.  They tend to recognize the need to store food in times of plenty so that they may endure those times when it is far from plenty.  My parents and their extended families are certainly guided by that principle.

As a young child, I recall those late summer weekends when our entire family would come together to help with the garden.  Any number of fruits and vegetables were picked, cleaned, and briefly cooked before being canned or frozen.  I enjoyed waiting under a shade tree on the edge of the field to husk the sweet corn that would arrive by the bushel.  Once the corn was all husked, I would hang around the kitchen and watch the rest.   My Great-Grandmother was always there employing her favorite Ronco Deluxe Dial-o-matic slicer to great effect.  Slicing cucumbers for pickles or cutting corn off the cob, she was a food processing machine.  The only aspect that I could not stand involved pickling vegetables.  If you put your nose close to an open bottle of vinegar and breathe deeply while imagining your entire house smelling like that... I am sure you can understand why.  The end goal was to ensure a ready supply of staples on hand like corn, green beans, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, peaches, strawberries, blackberries, apples, and pears.  Back then, the nearest full-service grocery was more than a half hour away.  In the winter, roads often became impassable.  Many members of the family had moved away and no longer had enough space to grow a garden quite like we still had.  So my parents made sure to grow enough to share.  It was hard work, but I am sure all would agree it was well worth it.

Even though we moved away from there more than forty years ago, I still approach my food supply in much the same way.  I am an avid gardener.  Now that my parents are condo owners without a garden of their own, they spend a lot of time in my garden too.  We don't have enough room for sweet corn or potatoes, but we grow our own lettuce, both green and wax beans, tomatoes, and peppers.  We have a large freezer in our basement and several shelves of canned goods plus a couple of side-by-side refrigerator freezers.  We manage to keep them nearly full on an ongoing basis - much to my wife's chagrin.  You may be wondering why anyone would do that when you live 5 - 10 minutes from multiple full-service grocery stores, butchers, and seasonal farm markets?  I bet if I asked my parents that question they would respond "because you never know what can happen."  Up until the last couple of weeks, I would have thought they were being silly.  In my wildest dreams, I don't think I could have conjured up something that would so drastically affect my ready access to food as this current pandemic.  There's a good chance you may go to the store now and the shelves are bare of more than a few essentials.  Feels like considerable risk with potentially less than expected return.

Fortunately for us, it has been only a minor inconvenience to continue feeding ourselves.  We are cooking more meals at home, but I don't see any danger of us running out of things to eat for at least 6 - 8 weeks.  By fortunate happenstance, I ended up with a fridge full of fresh eggs and a freezer full of smoked sausage just before the stay-at-home order was levied.  We might not have exactly everything needed for all our favorite recipes, but we will have enough that we can make do.  That allows us to visit the grocery store much less and rely instead on what is already on hand.  Hopefully, this will give others less well-stocked a better chance at finding what they need at the store.  I continue to share  with friends and neighbors.   I am wondering how the pandemic may be affecting your shopping (and cooking) habits?   Do you feel comfortable riding it out for a bit, since your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer are well stocked?  Or are you feeling a bit of pressure with insufficient supplies on hand?  Perhaps frustrated that a large number of items on your list are unavailable at your favorite store?  Have you already blown past the minor inconvenience stage?    

I didn't get many responses to similar inquiries in my previous post.  Hoping this time I see a few more comments.  Not sure if my dedicated readers have disbanded or if they just don't have time to respond?  Either way, you can count me out of any panic-buying at the grocery store.  Just going to stay home and work in the garden this weekend.  If I get a more robust response rate this time, I will include a favorite recipe in the next post. (not-so-subtle persuasion)

Your Dining Scout and Shadetree Chef,
Michael Hurd - aka Big Mike

Have you heard... I'm a baller.

I am sure that most of my dedicated readers are shocked by that subject line.  They all know the last time I really played any kind of organized sport was when I played basketball in 8th grade.  Even though Pound High School isn't known as a hotbed for potential collegiate stars, we had a pretty impressive lineup that year.  Myself and five of my team mates were well over 6 feet tall.  The odd thing is that we spent most of our time riding the bench.  After watching a few games, my Dad surmised that the coach was really into dribble wizards under 5 feet tall.  Lost an embarrassing number of games that year.  Never played any kind of team sport ever again.  So how is it that I am a baller?

It is really more a reflection of my baking style than my athletic prowess (or lack thereof).  I am just not really into any kind of kneading, rolling, or cutting.  All the cookie recipes I use involve forming dough balls - occasionally rolled in sugar and/or cinnamon - arranging them on the pan a suitable distance apart and baking until they are just right.  I have become somewhat adept with a small scoop and my own two hands.  I can crank cookies out quickly and consistently.  Just don't ask me to do frosted sugar cookie cut-outs.  I have a number of different types of rolling pins and cookie cutters of all shapes and sizes.  I just prefer not to bother with those extra steps.  So I figure that makes me a baller.  (chortle)


The tendency to avoid the rolling pin and cutter is also why I am a big fan of Pillsbury Southern Style Biscuits in the freezer section of my favorite local grocer.  I would be more than happy to mix up some kind of biscuit dough, but most recipes require the aforementioned detestable rolling and cutting. This past weekend, I decided to go a little outside my comfort zone.  Even though I had a healthy supply of Pillsbury biscuits in the freezer, I opted instead to break out the bag of The Loveless Cafe biscuit mix in the pantry.  My lovely wife bought it on her last trip to Nashville.  We both love the biscuits and fried chicken at The Loveless Cafe.  I spotted the biscuit mix myself in the gift shop (when picking up some country ham).  I just realized even with the mix, it might be a bridge too far for me to try and replicate their moist and fluffy biscuits at home.  She didn't really read the package instructions before buying.  So the bag has been in the pantry for several months. 

I am here to report that I survived the experience without too much difficulty.  A small batch didn't require the use of a full size rolling pin.  I used the non-stick Pampered Chef pastry roller that I typically use to roll my homemade egg noodles.  I think I may have rolled them a little too thin, as I had more biscuits than the recipe projected.  And they went a bit longer than anticipated in the oven.  This may have been due to not pre-heating the cast iron pan long enough.  Even with these hiccups, they turned out delicious.  Perfect with some salted sweet cream butter and homemade peach freezer jam. (sigh of contentment)

I am not sure this represents some watershed moment that will permanently alter my culinary tendencies, but maybe I won't be quite so afraid of the rolling pin and cookie cutter in the future.  In the meantime, here is a picture of the biscuits along with the rest of our Sunday brunch menu.  Yes, that is fried spam.  We are in the midst of a national emergency.  Spam is a great emergency ration.  Not that it matters, but it is the reduced sodium variety.  Still tastes as good as it did when I was just a kid. 

Yes, those are tiny biscuits, but the recipe called for
a 2" cutter.  May go bigger next time.

I am curious to hear from my dedicated readership about what you have been dishing up in your kitchen to get through this time of staying at home way more than usual.   Anything you and yours  find particularly comforting?  Are you going outside your comfort zone too?  Maybe using only ingredients on hand rather than making a last-minute trip to the store?  

Please share in the comments section.  In the meantime, I pray that you are staying safe and healthy through it all.

Your Dining Scout and Shadetree Chef,
Michael Hurd - aka Big Mike

The Loveless Cafe Store
https://store.lovelesscafe.com/

Have you heard... I still like to kick it old school...

I know that one may conjure up a number of different scenarios upon hearing the phrase "kicking it old school."  In my case, what this means is that I still prefer to do things like we did back in the 80's.  Though I do text and email, I would much rather talk to someone in person or on the phone.  And while I can learn from watching any number of online videos recorded by professionals of every stripe, I still favor a hands-on lesson taught in person by a good friend or colleague.  That is why many moons ago I called my good friend Mike Renn (aka Mad Dog) and asked him to teach me how to make sausage.  Mike and I had only known each other for a short time, but what connected us is something that spans decades.  Mike and I met through our mutual membership in the Purdue Trap and Skeet Team.  He was one of the founding members and I fell into my spot on the "B Team" maybe 20 years later.  We both learned from the same legendary coach Dr. Charles (Chuck) Rhykerd.  I could write an entire post on the benefits of his coaching and how it extends far beyond the clay target sports, but I will save that for another day.  I am sure if Coach were still here with us, watching our clay target skills in action... He would question aloud exactly what we think we learned from him?  Jokingly, of course. 

Though the Purdue Trap and Skeet Team was the start of my friendship with Mike, it is our mutual love of food - both cooking and eating - that made him a best friend forever.  Long before he was a student at Purdue, he was learning how to cut, grind, season, stuff, and smoke sausage.  I am sure he learned A LOT about animals and how they become food as a student at Purdue and in his 40 plus year career.  Though I am also sure he would say he learned the most important aspects of meat craft as a young child.  What's not to love about a guy who was wearing a butcher's apron before he learned to ride a bike?  (big smile)

Please join me for a quick (side) trip in the way back machine....  You see...  Mike grew up in Trenton, New Jersey and he lived next door to the Tindik family.  I bet if you grew up in Trenton back in the day, you would have fond memories of the John Tindik & Sons Hungarian Butcher Shop at 130 Home Avenue too.  I think of them and that place with a warm smile and I never met any of them much less visited there.  The three Tindik brothers and their wives - John & Mary, Joe & Katherine, and Louie & Lillian - owned and operated the grocery and butcher shop that was a social hub for the local Slavic community.  Sisters Helen Hanusi, Jules Linzenbold, and Anna Oros helped out at the store over the years too.  The Tindik family enterprise included a meat packing operation located in Bordentown, New Jersey, where they processed the meat they would package and sell in the store.  The Tindik's even rendered their own lard. 

Being good neighbors,  Mike's Dad (Stephen) and his Grandparents (Michael and Helen) worked the store on Friday nights and Saturdays.  The Tindik's signature sausage was Hungarian Kolbaz and they made it from an old family recipe.  Though it was sold year-round, it was in particularly high demand around Easter and Christmas.  It was not unusual for them to make and sell a thousand pounds of sausage a week during those holidays.  It was here that Mike learned how to craft great sausage working alongside his family and his neighbors.  Even though I have never met any member of the Tindik family, I am proud to say their star pupil is now imparting those childhood lessons to me.  I count it as a blessing to be able to carry on their tradition in my community of Columbus, Ohio.  

I am sure I am not the only one who gets excited learning how to properly employ a 50 year-old meat grinder and an over 100-year-old sausage stuffer.  Maybe I am just hopeful that I am not the only one.  (nervous chuckle)  That is why when Mike called me last month and asked if I had time to join him in making another batch of sausage, I told him I was all in.  It had been awhile since he showed me the first time and I figured I would benefit from further instruction.  Unfortunately for those of you in the select group that is eager to watch and learn the art of sausage making, Mike doesn't offer any formal classroom instruction program with online registration.  I bet if you called and asked him nicely though, he just might let you join in the next time we make a batch of the Tindik family's legendary Hungarian Kolbaz.  I say the next time we make it because I am hoping he keeps inviting me too.  I am a slow learner sometimes and it can take me several lessons to really get it right.  If we're lucky, he will tell the story of how he earned the nickname Mad Dog.  It seems my social hub is where the sausage is made rather than where it is sold.  (earnest grin)

As a special treat, I invite my dedicated readers to sample for yourselves.  If you are in Columbus and tasting that delicious sausage in your mind... Just give me a call.  I will hook you up with a tasty plate full.  Might even break out a loaf of Lucky Cat pumpernickel rye and some Polish sweet and sour cabbage to go with it.  Mmmmmm.  Now I'm hungry.  Are you?

Your Dining Scout and Shadetree Chef,
Michael Hurd-  aka Big Mike

Mike used this grinder when he worked at Smitty's
 Market in West Lafayette during his days at Purdue.
  Thankfully, the owners let him keep it.

If you ever wondered what more than 100 pounds
of sausage looks like...  Wonder no more.

After cutting, grinding, seasoning, and mixing...
Mike rang the dinner bell...  He knows how
to treat a USDA Prime beef brisket too.

I campaigned for this job.  Mixing a large batch of sausage is
way more fun that it looks. 

Stuffing all that sausage was more than a two person job.  Our other
 helpers were Mike's wife Cyndi and his cousin Neil. If they hadn't
 helped, we might still be hard at work three days later.  

Smoke 'em if you got 'em.  And what you've
got here is the first 25 pounds we smoked.
Six hours in the smoke for each batch.
Finished on Sunday evening.