Volume 12, Issue 043 - February 28, 2007

Greetings Chef,

Grand Hotel
Mackinac Island, Michigan 49757
www.grandhotel.com

Located in the center of the Great Lakes waterway, Mackinac Island served as a tribal gathering place for the local Native Americans as well as a burial site for their chiefs. Thinking the island resembled a turtle's back, the named it Michilimackinac, or "Land of the Great Turtle." Hunters and anglers would meet, trade and rejoin their families while elders discussed tribal affairs.

Mackinac's rich natural bounty attracted both French traders and Jesuit missionaries. Their attraction was so great that the British purchased the island from the local Chippewas in 1781, shortly before the end of the American Revolutionary War. The island remained a battleground during the War of 1812. Once defeated, the British were forced to turn Mackinac over to the Americans. It soon became one of the most valuable trading posts in John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company.

Mackinac's fishing industry quickly overtook fur trading, but then declined due to the rail transportation available to the fishing industry on the mainland. This railroad interest would eventually spawn the Grand Hotel.

In the late 1800s, the island became a popular resort destination, and the local business switched to tourism. In 1875, Congress created Mackinac Island National Park, the country's second national park (after Yellowstone). Mackinac Island National Park became Michigan's first state park in 1895, and it now covers more than 80 percent of the island.

In the 1880s, Mackinac changed greatly. The island's popularity grew, but accommodations were limited. The Michigan Central Railroad, Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad, and Detroit and Cleveland Steamship Navigation Company formed the Mackinac Island Hotel Company. With four short months, the Grand Hotel opened as a summer retreat for vacationers, who arrived by lake steamer from Chicago, Erie, Montreal and Detroit, and by rail from across the continent. Rates were $3 to $5 a night for a room...but a lecture by Mark Twain only cost a dollar.

At 660 feet, the hotel's front porch is the longest in the world. It quickly became the principal meeting place for all of Mackinac. The West Wing was added to the hotel in 1897, inviting even more travelers.

Room rates were $6 a day per person in 1919 when W. Stewart Woodfill was hired as a desk clerk, By 1933, he would purchase the hotel and become the sole owner. He added a radio salon, where patrons could listen to Jack Benny and other programs.

Hollywood's attention brought a film crew to the grand Hotel, where This Time for Keeps, starring Jimmy Durante and Esther Williams, was filmed in 1949. The hotel pool was later named after Ms. Williams.

The U.S. Department of Interior has designated the Grand Hotel a National Historic Landmark.

Getting to Mackinac Island is half the fun! No cars are allowed on the island. By air, guests can fly commercial, charted Grand Hotel aircraft, or land their own private and charter aircraft at the Mackinac Island Airport. From May to November, ferries depart from Mackinaw City (on Michigan's Lower Peninsula) or St. Ignace (on the Upper Peninsula), offering frequent crossings throughout the day. It's a short walk from the ferry docks to the Grand Hotel.

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Buffalo Tenderloin with Wild Mushroom Salad and Blackberry Sauce

Makes 3 servings

Ingredients:

3 buffalo tenderloin medallions (2 ounces each)
salt and black pepper

Wild Mushroom Salad:

1 shallot, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup each shitake, crimini and morel mushrooms
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup hazelnut oil
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar

Blackberry Sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, diced
2 tablespoons pickled ginger
1 cup beef stock
3 tablespoons blackberry jam
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/3 cup fresh blackberries

Wild Rice with Pecans and Basil:

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup cooked wild rice
1 shallot, diced
2 tablespoons chopped pecans
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Preparation:

Season the buffalo medallions with salt and pepper; set aside. For the mushroom salad, in a skillet, sauté shallot and garlic in butter. Add mushrooms, curry powder, tarragon, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the oils and vinegar. Remove from the heat; pour into a bowl to infuse. Set aside.

For the sauce, heat oil in a saucepan. Sauté shallots and ginger for 1 minute. Add the stock, jam, soy sauce, thyme and tomato paste. Cook until reduced by half. Strain and adjust seasonings. Add blackberries; set aside.

In a sauté pan, heat butter. Stir in the rice, shallot, pecans and basil; heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Sear buffalo medallions until medium-rare. Serve with mushroom salad, blackberry sauce and wild rice.

The Biltmore Hotel
1200 Anastasia Avenue
Coral Gables, Florida 33134
www.biltmorehotel.com

As a young man in 1925, George E. Merrick saw the vision of a magnificent hotel on Florida's east coast. He joined forces with Biltmore hotel magnate John McEntee Bowman at the height of the Florida land boom to build a grand hotel.

After 10 months and $10 million, the Biltmore debuted in January 1926 with an inaugural celebration that attracted people from Northern cities on trains marked "Miami Biltmore Specials". Champagne flowed while guests fox-trotted to the sounds of jazz.

The "American Rivera" resort attracted many of the world's rich and famous (and infamous). Bing Crosby, Ginger Rogers, Judy Garland, Al Capone, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and assorted Roosevelts and Vanderbilts all stayed there frequently. Fashion shows, gala balls and weddings became routine events. World-class golf tournaments soon followed. Born in the Jazz Age, the hotel often hosted Big Bands to entertain its wealthy, well-traveled visitors.

The Biltmore survived the Depression by offering aquatic galas at its grand pool - these events kept the hotel in the spotlight and drew crowds. Thousands would visit on a Sunday afternoon to enjoy synchronized swimmers, bathing beauties and alligator wrestling. High-diving star Jackie Ott performed from an 85-foot platform. Before making a name for himself in Hollywood, Johnny Weissmuller broke a world record at the Biltmore pool, where he also served as a swimming instructor.

As with several large hotels in America during World War II, the War Department converted the Biltmore to a hospital. It served the wounded as the Army Air Forces Regional Hospital. They sealed many of the windows with concrete and covered the marble floors with linoleum. This early encounter with medicine evolved after the war as the Biltmore became the site of the University of Miami's School of Medicine. Later, the Biltmore functioned as a VA hospital until 1968.

The City of Coral Gables was granted ownership control of the hotel in 1973, through the Historic Monuments Act and Legacy of Parks program. While local government pondered its future, the Biltmore remained unoccupied for nearly 10 years until the decision was made to restore it. Four years and $55 million later, the Biltmore reopened.

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Crispy Seared Sea Bass
with Wild Berry-Mango Salsa and Purple Potato Purée

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

Purple Potato Purée:

2 pounds purple potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup butter
1 cup half-and-half cream
salt and pepper to taste

Sea Bass:

4 sea bass fillets (8 ounces each), skin removed
salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons grapeseed oil

Wild Berry-Mango Salsa:

1/4 cup each fresh raspberries, blackberries and blueberries
1/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries
1 cup diced mango
1 tablespoon minced chives
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
pinch salt and pepper

Preparation:

Place potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Simmer until a knife can be easily inserted into the center of potato, about 20 minutes. Drain well.  Press the potatoes through a potato ricer or food mill into a mixing bowl. Add the butter, cream, salt and pepper; mix until incorporated, but do not over-mix. Keep warm.

Season the sea bass with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat an ovenproof skillet on high heat; add grapeseed oil and heat just until it begins to smoke. Carefully place the fillets, skin side up, in the pan; sear until golden brown. Remove from the heat. Turn fillets over and place the skillet directly into the oven. Bake at 400 degrees for 7 minutes or until fish is cooked to your desired doneness.

Meanwhile, for salsa, carefully cut the raspberries, blackberries and blueberries in half. Place in a bowl; add the remaining ingredients and stir gently.

To serve, place about 3/4 cup purple potato purée on each plate. Top with sea bass; place a spoonful of wild berry-mango salsa over fish. Garnish with any seasonal steamed vegetables.