Chef Big Dog in Madison WI

Ay Caramba El Guapo

It's been over a year since we've posted here.  Granted I was walking the entire length of the west coast, from Canada to Mexico with the fuzzybutts most of last year.  I've missed you, Mano, and it's time to get back to the kitchen and to talk about our travels.

The most recent of which was Madison Wisconsin. My Tex-Mex Muse, El Guapo, & I were recently there to cook up some creative cuisine for the VIPs of the Puppy Up Walk.

This being only my third trip to the Cheesehead state I had to get a better sense of the local flavors and fares and visited a few restaurants first; Pig in a Fur Coat, The Tipsy Cow & The Old Fashioned.

When El Guapo & I were asked whether we wanted our cheese curds 'fried or squeaky', well there just isn't an exact Spanish translation for squeaky as chillona means screaming.  Not surprisingly El Guapo pulled out his pistola.

Ultimately we came up with a menu for Team Madison that fused midwestern meats and cheeses with what we do best.  Here are a few highlights:

Fried Soup.  Immediately upon my research that Beer Cheese Soup is a solid staple up here, my instinct was...  El Guapo - let's deep fry it.  Served in a shot glass and topped with a roasted garlic green chili sour cream sauce it was absolutely successful.

Also served were a Spotted Cow Beer braised Brat with a chipotle mustard pickle slaw and a Chef Big Dog version of Tex Mex Poutine.

The final course was a traditional butter burger but infused with CBD 17, my own blend of 17 spices and herbs.

It was a tremendous honor to cook for Team Madison WI and I hope El Guapo and I did a inspirational job of translating Tex Mex to Wisconsin.  Until Next time...

Puppy Up and Chow Down.

My Thanksgiving Fast

While everyone's feasting with family, I'll be out in Shelby Forest forbearing food for a week. As a man of large appetites, it won't be easy but I've done it before. Back in 2011 after I lost my dog, Murphy, to cancer I fasted in Memphis for 18 days during a scorching heatwave with temperatures stuck in triple digits for most of the entirety.

This time the experience will be inverted.  As of this morning, it's 22 in Tennessee and with the wind chill factor feels like 16 degrees.  This represents a unique risk as the primary purpose of sustenance in cold weather is providing heat to your body.  Exercising, too, can't used for warmth since muscle mass is broken down during the fasting process.  

My Pyrenees won't be with me since after a few days I won't have the strength to tend to their needs.  Nope it'll just be me and El Guapo out in the woods, alone in a tent, and, wait a tic, this is starting to sound a little like Brokeback Mountain...  

My communication will be limited as well since I'll only have my phone for emergency use.  No computer, no iPod, Kindle, or any other electronic device which, to be honest, I'm looking forward to.  Sometimes the noise in life can just be deafening and you've gotta unplug.  

But mostly I made the decision to fast this week for physical reasons.  Now that my other dog, Hudson, was recently diagnosed with cancer, I know that the road ahead will be hard and my body and spirit under constant assault from the uncertainty of outcome.  2014 will be a definitive year and I must strengthen myself in preparation and fasting is the first step.  .  

I shall miss breaking bread with family and friends but I fast so that I may feast again with them one day soon.  

Chef Big Dog

Who's Your Tattie?

Some of you don't know the origin of my culinary adventures.  It began with a dog I lost to cancer that turned into a walk that turned into cooking. 

 

But I'll never forget where I began and the names of the Tatties I create will be in honor of cancer dogs - some I have met, others I have not yet their parents' devotion continues to inspire me. 

 

We have thus far;

 

The Murphy Breakfast Taco

The Miss Faye Chicken Fajita

The Max Mushroom Quesadilla (coming soon)

The Pete Chipotle Chile Con Queso

The Ben Jamin BBQ Chicken

The Huckleberry Hound Dog

 

 

 

 

Chef Special for July 20th - Miss Faye's Chicken Fajita Tatties

Last night cancer struck close to home once again.  Ginger Morgan, the Executive Director of the foundation I started, 2 Million Dogs, lost her beloved Miss Faye to a brain tumor.  I got to know her in Memphis when my own son, Murphy, was losing his battle with nasal cancer.  She was sweet like a Southern belle and had a penchant for stealing my pizza crust.  

This week's chef special is in honor of her spirit, Miss Faye's Chicken Fajita Tatties.