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Feb 7, 2012
Posted in Compassionate Caregiving, Home
At the end of a recent reading and book signing event, a woman approached me with some earnest questions.
“Can you help me find answers about how to care for my father?”
She shared that her parents live in California where many social services have been cut for budgetary reasons. Her mom has been caring for her father who has been recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The father has become difficult to handle. The mother is now too exhausted and burned out to be a compassionate caregiver. Three daughters, who all care about both of their parents’ well-being, do not live close by and are attempting to take turns being there to help. There is not enough money for full-time caregivers. Is there an appropriate residential facility that is affordable? Is there adult day care near by?
“It’s like child care,” she concluded. “If you don’t have enough money to hire someone to take care of your child, then you have to do it yourself.”
I find this heart wrenching situation to be all too pervasive. What are the choices? What is a workable solution? I’ve spent lots of time pondering how to provide some answers.
Jan 26, 2012
Posted in Chef Notes, Home, Restaurant Reviews
Published in Chef Notes, Jackson Hole News & Guide, January 25, 2012
Chef Will Gahagen
White Buffalo Club / 160 West Gill Avenue / 307-734-4900
Spicy Mussels
Serves 2-4 as an appetizer
¼ c olive oil
1/3 c medium diced pancetta
2 medium sized shallots, small dice
2 cloves garlic, sliced or minced
1-2 small Serrano chiles, depending on spice preference
2 lbs PEI Mussels, cleaned and rinsed
1-2 T unsalted butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1 T parsley and chives, chopped
Thick slices of baguette, for moppage…
In a thick-bottomed saucepan, crisp pancetta on low-medium heat until rendered and crispy. Discard most of the fat and reserve crispy pancetta. Saute shallots, garlic, Serranos, and pancetta for about a minute until shallots just begin to brown. Add Mussels and stir vigorously. Pour in white wine, and cook on medium-high heat until mussels begin to open fully. Stir in butter, season with salt and pepper. Add parsley and chives at the very end, after the broth has reduced to about half of the original volume. Once all of the mussels have opened, taste broth for seasoning and adjust. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
While finishing the broth, toast the baguette slices. Serve in a warm bowl, topped with toasted baguette (for mopping up the broth). Enjoy – tweak spices and seasoning as preferred.
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I became curious about the White Buffalo Club this summer. It seemed that every time there was a community charity event, Taste of the Tetons, Palates &Palletes, Relay for Life, the 49er Ball, for Teton Literacy Program and the Red Cross, they were listed as a contributor. Plus they offered a fitness membership 99 days for $99. That sounded intriguing but it was luscious light summer so who needed it?
When I dropped by to inquire, much to my surprise, I found that Will Gahagen is the executive chef. We had met several years ago when I wrote a column about Kevin Humphreys at Gamefish. Gahagen held the fort after the mass exodus to Teton Mountain Lodge. The good news for us is there is plenty of room for all the wonderful chefs as they shift around our culinary chess board.
Chef Will Gahagen is cheerful and upbeat, of pleasant countenence and sparkling eyes. He is as pleasant and welcoming as the White Buffalo Club staff. Perhaps he sets the tone. The facility opened in August of 2008, modeled after a Chicago steakhouse. The quality is prime and the atmosphere is casual and light.
Gahagen was born in my favorite hot bed of liberalism, Berkeley, California. It’s a fabulous place for a foodie. Gahagen didn’t know he was one, it was just part of his life. His mom was a huge influence. She was a partner in the Juice Bar Collective right around the corner from Chez Panisse. “I remember standing in the kitchen with my mom on a tall stool at this huge machine juicing carrots that came from an enormous walk-in,” Gahagen shared. “When I returned there much later it was this tiny little place.” Such is the impact of our stellar experiences of youth. Gahagen’s dad was also a formative influence. He baked breads and made homemade pizzas and fresh pasta theydried on a wooden clothes rack. The family moved to Missoula, Montana in 1991 for his dad to pursue an education degree.
Gahagen spent much time with his mom who became the head chef at the Pine Butte Guest Ranch in Choteau. Her cooking mode adapted to accommodate an entirely different clientele during the next three years. The pair spent time together exploring farms and ranches seeking purveyors for the guest ranch kitchen.
The youthful years in Montana were our chef’s introduction to the great outdoors of the Rocky Mountain West, a lifestyle he relishes to this day. Gahagen’s high school years were tempered by his mom’s battle against breast cancer. Still not knowing it was his career, Gahagen chose “Breakfast Cooking” as his high school senior project. He created weekly feasts for friends and family and documented them as his thesis.
With no clear direction after graduation he was visiting the Bay area and a friend, Sharon Smith, who was also a food writer. She suggested a tour of the California Culinary Institute. He enrolled immediately after and spent the next year completing the le Cordon Bleu style instruction.
For his 3 month externship after graduating, he interviewed with chef Kevin Humphreys at the Snake River Lodge and Spa. Gahagen was itching to get out of the city and back to the mountains.
For the next three and a half years Humphreys served as his mentor. “I love him. He taught me so much, not of the school type of learning but what was practical in my work situation. I had a whole lot of fun and learned at the same time.” The North Grille and Rich Billingham drew Gahagen the next summer. The White Buffalo Club’s previous chef brought him on as sous chef that November. Gahagen has been at the helm since the autumn of 2009.
It is a wonderful dining experience or a place for a cocktail and small plates. It’s a small hotel with an established membership. It’s intimate and casual. Last June they opened the doors for the public to experience the scene.
Our evening started with a viewing of an impressive wine list and the selection of a modest, yet delicious house wine. The seared scallops were perfection, served atop a crispy grit cake with arugula, grape tomatoes, bacon and a citrus beurre blanc as counterpoint. The savory mussels were our next delight. This is the recipe shared for everyone’s enjoyment, and believe me, you will. The serrano pepper kick is the perfect manner to augment the flavors. Ahi tacos are a delightful first course offering. I envisioned stopping by for a refreshing beveerage and the Yuzu marinated tuna in crispy shells with Napa slaw, guacamole and mango chutney at some or many future dates.
A daily soup of Thai style coconut milk with seafood, onions, peppers and chiles featured a delightfully flavorful light broth. We refreshed our palates enjoying the salad of golden beet, arugula, julienned crisp apples, toasted walnuts and Amaltheia goat cheese before we dived into a gorgeously tender and rare ribeye steak. Sometimes in the winter my body craves protein. It hit the spot. Accents such as grilled asparagus, wiltd spinach, boursin whipped potatoes, mac and cheese are served family style.
We strolled out into the winter tempest marvelously satisfied.
Jan 18, 2012
Posted in Home
It’s a fabulous thing that I know how to swim as my life is full up to my nostrils. When I realized my own little mommy was in trouble, the words just came tumbling out of my mouth. She knew she could no longer live alone. It was apparent that my brothers were helping and yet not able to fulfill the needs. They were thinking assisted living was the only answer and yet totally against Mom’s wishes.
She asked what I thought she needed to do. I said, “I invite you, and your beloved cat, Carmelo Anthony, to come live with me.” She said yes.
So began a new adventure. Every day alone seemed to be dangerous for her well-being. Beyond my job and gardening and writing newspaper columns and all other commitments, I started preparing. No wonder the tossing and turning and losing sleep. There are many pieces of the intricate puzzle. With little square footage in this house, it took planning.
I needed to move my office and library from the second bedroom on the main floor of my little house to the basement apartment, a bunch of trips up and down the stairs. I love books. I can’t resist them. It’s a huge collection of cookbooks and food history and nutrition and agriculture as well as fiction and text books and plays and autobiographies and…. on and on. Carrying them stack by stack took a toll on my knee.
With the room completely empty the need for a paint job was obvious. Robin’s egg blue is the perfect paint color for a life long birder. Before that the cleaning, spackling, sanding, masking. Two coats for the ceiling, trim, walls with my brother’s help. I’d sorted the books – picture books, children’s, poetry, nature guides and very old books I have collected remained upstairs to be replaced in that room after one set of shelves returned. Furniture, curtains, lighting suited to elder eyes. Oh…. the bathroom. A shower chair and hand held shower were needed, plus a non-skid bath matt. My own showering needs moved downstairs. Clear a shelf in the bathroom cupboard. Fill the shelves in Mom’s room with not only books but toys and old photos.
How to accept and welcome Carmelo into the house with my own three beloved kitty boys needed more thinking. That’s another story.
Jan 11, 2012
Posted in Chef Notes, Home, Recipes, Soups & Salads
Published in Chef Notes, Jackson Hole News & Guide, January 11, 2012
Chef Scott Rutter
The Wort Hotel
The Wort Hotel’s Famous Corn Chowder
¼ lb bacon
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 c fresh corn
1 c white wine
1T minced garlic
½ t dill
½ t thyme
Flour to thicken
2 T chicken soup base or bouillon powder
2 qt water
12 red potatoes quartered and par cooked
¼ to ½ c heavy cream
White pepper and salt to taste
Cook bacon slowly until crisp, drain and crumble. To bacon pan, add crumbled bacon, veggies, wine, garlic, dill, thyme, and cook until tender. Add flour and cook while stirring well. Do not brown. Add chicken base and water and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender. Add heavy cream until desired consistency. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.
Dish hot chowder into individual oven-safe crocks, add croutons and top with cheddar slices and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Place in oven or under a broiler to melt and brown cheese.
Chowder can be made a day or two in advance and kept refrigerated. Omit the cream, then add to soup as you re-heat.
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For some reason it’s too easy to overlook the Wort. We live in this town. We take it for granted. The Wort Hotel is a treasure of hospitality. It took me almost forever to get there even after I heard and read that a stellar new executive chef arrived last summer.
Our dinner one recent evening was dazzling. Chef Scott Rutter produces bold cuisine carefully prepared and beautifully presented. This is a man who takes his work seriously and yet has an affable way about him.
Rutter was brought up in State College, Pennsylvania where his father was a professor. He tells his story with a rapid-paced enthusiasm that left me unsure if I can piece it together with any accuracy. There’s an excitement about Rutter that is infectious.
Working hard seems part of Rutter’s make up. As part of the ski patrol at the local Tussey Mountain on weekends, he became captain during his teen years. Besides school and nine years working at Duffy’s Tavern there, he did catering at the ski mountain.
Education created an about turn in his life. He was accepted at the architectural school at the university, then changed directions. Rutter seems quite proud that his work ethic, earned scholarships and work study program coupled with his father’s position on faculty allowed him to complete his college education in three and a half years for $873.
Rutter’s early classical training sounds like torture with hours and months of precision knife work and repetitive drills, torment from the Old School Chefs, and yet it pushed his skill levels to the peak. The love of skiing and mountains drew him to Vail’s 5 diamond, 5 star Cascade Resort & Spa for the winter of 1999 when the World Championships were held there.
His mentor chef, Jesse Llapitan, worked with his crew to create Chaps, a highly successful concept restaurant built around the appetites of skiiers after a hard day’s exercise.
It was Llapitan who inspired Rutter to return to Colorado Mountain College to acquire credentials in nutrition and as a teacher. “Nutrition school is where my integrity of myself as a chef changed,” Rutter shared. He is both a Certified Executive Chef and Certified Culinary Educator in the American Culinary Federation.
Returning to his family’s favorite vacation spot on the Carolina coast, Rutter took on the mission of executive chef at The Cypress Club Hilton Head Plantation. The 1800 member residential club caters to an elite clientele of specialized needs and the elderly. He founded a program of intricately detailed work and deep caring. The work was both inspiring and heartbreaking, as all end of live care can be. The chef departed from his beloved crew and their Chapel on the Hill when a change of ownership brought about abrupt changes he found disrespectful to the members.
In 2006 Rutter almost came to JH Mountain Resort, but then the St. Regis Resort in Aspen beckoned him. While putting on a $12,000 a plate celebrity benefit there he made the connections that led to being a host, assistant producer, and consultant on Top Chef.
Rutter has worked with Gail Simmons of Food & Wine Magazine, famed chefs Emeril Lagasse, Mario Batali and Todd English. He’s won multiple competitions in the National Ice Carving Association including making an ice bar in Squaw Valley from 60,348 pound blocks of ice.
Our server, Ben, who has been at the Silver Dollar Grill for a couple years shared that since Rutter’s arrival diners are happier, return frequently and tips are better. That speaks for itself.
Our experience with what Rutter describes as mountain eclectic cuisine was a delightful time. We started our repast with two starters. The seared wasabi encrusted ahi was accompanied by ponzu sauce and a mango relish. Yum! The grilled Bruschetta with buffalo mozzarella was topped with tomato basil tapenade, fig balsamic, basil oil and spiral cut golden beets. The texture was tantalizing and the taste was, indeed, bold. It made my favorite cousin sit up and take notice. The house bread is a heady loaf with whole garlic cloves baked into the dough.
Next we were treated to the chef’s award-winning smoked pheasant soup with firecracker roasted corn, pumpkin seed infused oil and sweet potato hay. We shared the remains the next day and once again marveled at the complexity of delicious rich flavors, plus textures both crunchy and smooth. Add a salad and it would easily serve as a meal.
To our delight we sampled several entrees. Each aspect of the plates was cooked to perfection. The delicate sea bass was served with coconut infused rice and pea pods. Marinated cedar plank salmon was accompanied by a molasses smoked au jus, wild rice and green beans.
We thoroughly enjoyed the basil encrusted Rocky Mountain lamb with fragrant mint laden jelly and couscous. We had much discussion about the merits of the rosemary garlic rubbed buffalo filet with balsamic compound butter and Yukon Gold whipped potatoes versus the Angus beef filet with gorgonzola sage compound butter, red wine demi-glace and Peruvian purple mashed potatoes. They were both superlative. It may be the compelling taste mix of blue cheese and red meat that puts the beef over the top.
Dessert is so problematic – delightful and never necessary. The new mixed berry cobbler was satisfying. The presentation of the S’mores platter with the little flaming cast iron pot burning on our table like a camp fire was a total treat. I melted one and took it home to my mom. I think my cousin ate three. We wished her kids were with us.
Auntie Bru's Comfrey Comfort is a natural salve made with love in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Available at 