At Home Winter 2014

at home fall 2014

Setting The Table Give guests a reason to stay in the

dining room with creative tablescapes

Montana Food With Flair

Rainbow Ranch Lodge executive chef serves up hearty, creative Montana-inspired dishes

Seasons' reetings G from the

Bozeman Daily Chronicle

contents [

at home fall 2014

Editor

p.13

Give guests a reason to stay in the dining room with creative tablescapes

Jan Cashman

Contributing writer

Tiffany Jerry

Stevie Croisant

design

Contributing photographer

Christine Dubbs

Setting the Table

Contributing columnist

advertising manager Sylvia Drain

Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez

Advertising inquiries Call 582-2640

By Stevie Croisant

p.20

Montana Food with Flair Rainbow Ranch Lodge executive chef serves up hearty, creative Montana-inspired dishes

By Tiffany Jerry

6 Holiday Decorating Keep it simple and stick with tradition when it comes to holiday decorating.

12 Hanukkah Chavie Bruk gives the history behind the celebration of Hanukkah and shares her recipe for potato latkes.

7 Holiday Lights Follow the schedule At Home writer Stevie Croisant put together and make an entire day out of Christmas activities.

18 Winter Remodeling Make time this winter for home remodeling projects.

9 Gardening Make holiday decorations from the grasses, twigs and more in your backyard.

23 Holiday Cooking Tips Bisl Food owners and chefs, Davey and Kierst Rabinowitz share their tips for preparing a delicious holiday meal.

10 Holiday Cocktails Try a new holiday drink recipe this season.

Cover photo by Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez

WINTER 2014 at home : FOR THE HOLIDAYS

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holiday decorating

Keep it simple, follow tradition with holiday decorations

By T iffa n y Jer ry At Home Editor

D

ecorating for the holidays “If you can, center it on a grouping of windows,” she “You could also add an arrangement of fresh flowmeans something different to everyone. said. ers to the center of the mantle,” Cok said. “I would For some, it’s a time to pull out those Cok also recommends moving furniture out of coordinate that with the colors that are being used boxes of old ornaments and reminisce on the way to allow room for the tree. She said it is ok for the tree and throughout the rest of the holiday past holidays shared with loved ones. For others, dec- to sacrifice seating by moving a chair or ottoman to décor.” orating may feel more like a chore, with hours spent a spare room to make sure the tree fits into its pre- Both Peterson and Cok also recommend coordinatunrolling balls of lights so big, they would give even ferred spot. ing the entire design scheme throughout the space.

Clark Griswold from “Christmas Vacation” a run for “Don’t be afraid to get rid of an armchair,” “Your centerpiece on your table as well as what his money. However, for many, decorating sparks she said. happens with your tree and what happens in other the holiday spirit and kicks off the season with a big “Place it in a guest room to accommodate a larg- places should all tie together,” Peterson said. dose of cheer. er tree.”

“Coordination is key,” Cok said. “Make sure your Whether it is a chore or for fun, there are a variety If you do not have a lot of space, or want the tree to holiday décor coordinates throughout your space, all of ways to approach holiday decorating. stand taller, Peterson recommends placing it on top the way to your front door.”

According to Diane Peterson, an interior design- of something, such as a trunk.

For the front door, Cok suggests selecting a fresh er at Gallatin Valley Furniture Carpet One, many When it comes to decorating the remainder of the wreath and adding a bow that matches with the dépeople consider where to put the Christmas tree home, both Peterson and Cok said the mantle is a key cor inside the home. when they purchase a home, so knowing where to area.

According to Cok, the overall plan with holiday start is simple.

“Holiday time is the time to be able to clear your decorating should be classic and simple.

“Usually people have a spot in mind when they pur- mantle of the things you have everyday,” Peterson “Keep it simple with crystal trees, candelabras, solchase the home so it’s usually not an afterthought,” said. “It’s a time to be able to add some bling and id colored balls, or icicle ornaments,” Cok said. “And Peterson said. some glitter and some shine.” try to use just one color. It’s ok to mix it with silver For those who may not have a location for the tree “The mantle is a really great focal point to add a and gold.” picked out, Sophia Cok, interior designer and owner little décor,” Cok said. “I like to see any type of gar- Cok also suggests coordinating the gift-wrap with of Sanctuary Interior Design, suggests placing it near land strung over that.” the rest of the décor as well. a window.

Cok also recommends adding candlesticks or pil- “Try to coordinate your holiday wrapping with

lars of varying heights to create interest and balance. your holiday color scheme,” she said. “If you’re hav ing trouble finding wrapping that matches, use craft paper. Then you can insert a patterned paper. Keep it simple, but fun.”

Peterson said the key to holiday decorating for many, is simply following tradition.

“I think the holiday season is really based on tradition,” Peterson said. “It’s based a lot on what you are used to and what you’re expectations are. Some people put their lights on their tree the way they have always done it in their family. There are so many things based strictly on tradition.”

And no matter what you decide to do with your holiday decorations, Cok said be sure to always leave space for a fresh flower arrangement.

“Someone may bring one as a hostess gift,” she said.

“Make sure you have space for these nice things.” @

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holiday lights

Build excitement for the holidays by taking in local light displays

By St ev ie Croisa n t

D

9 a.m. - Wake up, get the kids ready and eat breakfast. It’s going to be a long day spent outside in the cold so bundle up.

10:30 a.m. - Start your day downtown at the Bozeman Public Library. Children of any age can check out Christmas classics such as “Polar Express” by Chris Van Allsburg or “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens.

11 a.m. - Visit Peet’s Hill for sledding.

Make sure you put some sleds in the back of the car. Peet’s Hill is at Burke Park at 600 S. Church Street. The best part: there’s a warming hut.

12:30 p.m. - Take some time to warm up and fill your stomachs by getting lunch downtown.

2 p.m. - Make your way to Kagy Boulevard for an afternoon trip to the Museum of the Rockies. See a show at the Taylor Planetarium; the stars just might remind you of

Photo by Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez

riving past illuminated homes during a winter night brings enough cheer to warm any cold heart. Once the Christmas spirit is in the air, families, couples and groups of friends all take time out of their busy week to see the town’s best displays of Christmas lights.

While taking a stroll through your own neighborhood can be fun, making an entire day out of Christmas activities while building excitement for the lights at night can be one of the best ways to get out of your home and begin your own holiday cheer. Follow our schedule to get the most out of this winter’s light displays. While we do list specific homes, it’s always best to drive around the entire neighborhood area to see the other homes that put on a spectacular light display for the holidays.

Take a Christmas light tour through Bozeman-area neighborhoods this month.

the lights you’re going to see later on. Then spend some time viewing the museum’s other exhibits.

4:15 p.m. - Time to wrap the scarves back around your neck and bundle up tighter than Ralphie from “A Christmas Story,” because it’s finally dark enough to view some lights.

To start your light tour, take Kagy Boulevard to 19th Avenue and plug “70 Cayuse Trail” into your GPS. That home was a runner up in the Prudential Montana Real Estate “Get Your Lights On” contest and is bound to put on a good show this year as well. While you’re in the area, visit

other past winners at 8670 Fowler Lane and a previous first place winner at 7776 Leverich Road. This house may just put up a petting zoo and Santa’s workshop complete with warm drinks and cookies, which draws in guests from all over town.

Continue up to 4330 Graf Street, another previous winner. If you’re adventurous enough, park your car by Graf Park and visit the streets north and south of the park. Many of these homes go all out for Christmas. Streets like Fieldstone or Spring Creek Drive are great starting places and have many streets that branch off and loop around, which is perfect for a late night WINTER 2014 at home : FOR THE HOLIDAYS

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ones are ready to head home after a long day, feel free to see the last lights of the night in this part of town. If you’re headed west, stop by 411 North Teton Avenue or 313 Powder River Avenue (a third place finisher from years past). The neighboring homes in these areas will also put on spectacular light displays.

From there, your trip through town is done, but many other homes in Bozeman, Belgrade and Livingston also boast of wonderful light displays. @

KEEPING YOU MOBILE IS JUST WHAT WE DO.

Photo by Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez

stroll or driving through the neighborhood.

Once you’ve seen all there is to see, head north on Willson Avenue, a street whose residents decorate to the nines each year.

From there, your family can take a break for hot apple cider or dinner downtown.

6 p.m. - After a hot meal, get back into the winter spirit by visiting Beall Park for ice skating at 415 N. Bozeman Ave. 7 p.m. - The next address that’s been a part of the “Get Your Lights On” contest is 605 North Rouse Avenue. Make your way to Oak and 11th Avenue and keep an eye out for 1062 West Oak Street. If your little

Drive around the entire neighborhood to see everyone’s lights.

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gardening

Backyard Christmas beauty

Greens The boughs of Douglas fir, a common tree in the surrounding mountains, are one of the best to use for decorating. Fir boughs stay fresh a long time and have that evergreen aroma you love in your home at Christmastime. Some of you may be lucky enough to have native Douglas fir on your property. Otherwise balsam and grand fir boughs, not grown here, but available to purchase, provide wonderful fragrance when brought into your home. Branches of the common Colorado spruce are prickly and don’t last as long when cut and brought inside. But a few blue spruce boughs added to a centerpiece or wreath provide nice contrast in color and texture. Blue-toned junipers (with powdery blue berries), forest green arborvitae, and long-needled pine branches also add contrast. Many of these you will find by walking out your back door – your trees and shrubs might even benefit from a little pruning.

Cones The ponderosa pines we planted in 1985 to block the view of the road from our house now provide us with large brown cones great for decorating. As our spruce trees mature, they drop light brown elongated cones. Even our larch tree has small cones that work well in a centerpiece or wreath. Tiny cones can be found on native alder shrubs that grow near rivers and streams.

Twigs Red twig dogwood stems are bright and Christmassy used in combination with evergreens. You probably have this shrub in your yard – there are plenty in the wild in low wet spots. Sagebrush

twigs and cultivated varieties of artemesia retain some of their grayish-green leaves through the winter. They provide a nice color contrast to greens and have a sagey fragrance.

Grasses We don’t cut back our ornamental grasses in the fall because we enjoy seeing them sticking up out of the snow swaying in the winter wind. But cut off a few grass stems to give your arrangements a Western flair.

Dried flowers Almost all annual and perennial flowers dry easily by just hanging in a dry basement. They add interesting colors and shapes to your Christmas decorating. Flowers that can be dried for Christmas arrangements include blue globe thistle, baby’s breath, white hydrangea, and redtoned yarrows. Try using the dark brown seedpods of coneflower, monarda, and rudbeckia. The fragrance and muted colors of oregano, lavender, and other herbs also add to your arrangements.

Berries Holly grows in the coastal, humid climates of Washington and Oregon and the mid-Atlantic states, but not here. Rose hips can be used instead of holly for red berries for Christmas decorating.

We have wild roses growing near our house full of small, red-orange hips. And we have a mature red leaf rose right outside the back door that provides us with lots of plump rose hips. If you can get them before the birds do, mountain ash berries, high bush cranberries, and even native snowberries can be cut and dried for decorating at Christmas.

If your yard doesn’t have any of these evergreens, shrubs, or flowers and grasses for drying, put a reminder on your calendar to plant them in the spring; next Christmas season, you’ll be glad you did! @

Photo by Jan Cashman

It

m i g h t s u r p r i s e yo u h o w many of nature’s Christmas decorations are right in your own backyard.

Take a walk around with your pruners and clip some of these to use for decorating your home this holiday season:

Use twigs, berries and dried flowers to make holiday decorations.

Jan Cashman has operated Cashman Nursery in Bozeman with her husband, Jerry, since 1975.

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holiday cocktails

Spread holiday cheer with a new cocktail this season

By St ev ie Croisa n t

W

ith holiday time off from work and New Year’s right around the corner, you’re bound to attend a few house parties. If you’re the one hosting guests, add some crowd-pleasing party bites to your menu and don’t stress about the drinks. Local mixologists from Open Range, Copper Whiskey Bar and Grill and Montana Ale Works have provided us with their own holiday drink recipes that are simple enough for any home bartender to follow, or if you aren’t daring enough to experiment on your own, you can just order them from the pros.

Montana Ale Works Holiday Hooch Bar manager Joe Barnett created this holiday bourbon infusion.

Once your infusion is made, you can drink it straight, heated, on the rocks or you can experiment with different seasonal cocktails.

Some of Montana Ale Works’s favorites are egg nog, Hot Toddy, a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned.

• 1 bottle of your favorite bourbon (Ale Works uses Willie’s Big Horn Bourbon from Ennis) • 1 sliced sweet apple, seeds removed • 1 cinnamon stick • 5 whole cloves

1. Combine ingredients in a one-liter mason jar.

2. Infuse for 5-10 days in a cool, dark place.

3. Filter out all solids through colander and cheese cloth.

4. Funnel back into the original bottle.

5. Label or decorate bottle any way you see fit.

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Open Range // Tiger’s Eye This drink is great because it makes use of Wild Rye Apple Pie Moonshine, which is made here in town and uses local ingredients.

This drink was invented by Garret Cheney, head bartender at Open Range, who you can find behind the bar most nights of the week.

• 2 oz. Wild Rye Apple Pie Moonshine • 3/4 oz. cinnamon syrup • 3/4 oz. lemon juice • 2 Dsh. Fee Brothers old fashioned bitters

1. Shake all ingredients.

2. Pour into a large rocks glass.

3. Garnish with apple slices.

Copper Whiskey Bar & Grille Frisky Chocolate Whiskey Created by managing partner Jay Thane, this drink may just have a new name if you order it at the bar at the Copper Whiskey.

• 1.5 oz. cinnamon whiskey (CW makes it in house and calls it Flash Bang. It has a touch of cayenne pepper).

• Hot chocolate • Chocolate cayenne whipped cream (mix heavy whipping cream, chocolate syrup and cayenne. Whip until firm.)

1. In a 10 oz. glass mix the cinnamon whiskey & hot chocolate.

2. Top with the whipped cream.

3. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

f e at u r e d o p e n r a n g e B a r t e n d e r r i c k v i s s e r

T

a k i n g a s t e p o u t from behind the bar, Rick Visser, Bar Manager at Open Range, shares a little bit about his ability to craft cocktails that mirror all the best aspects of the restaurant’s brand. He also shares a few classic bartender stories about the night crowds in Bozeman.

Q: How did you end up in the bar tending scene?

A: Originally, I was working at a restaurant in Brooklyn that went belly-up.

The general manager from there just happened to get in at a bar in the neighborhood that was opening, and about a month later, she asked if I had any interest in bar tending. I thought it would be a pretty valuable skill to learn. One of the owners was one of the premier bartenders in New York City at that time as far as cocktails go. You couldn’t open a magazine or a newspaper without seeing his face.

Q: How did you end up in Bozeman?

A: A couple of years ago, I was ready to leave the city. I just on a whim took a

PHOTOS by Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez, Chronicle Staff Photographer

job in the park in Yellowstone cooking and fell in love with the area. About six months ago, I rolled into town. After about the third day of being here, I had an interview with the bar manager at the time and we hit it off. I was behind the bar that Friday.

Q: How do you come up with new cocktails?

A: A lot of times, it begins with a product.

We like working with local people a lot,

like the Wild Rye distillery, so we have their Apple Pie Moonshine, and we wanted to make a cocktail with that.

Q: How often do you come up with new drinks?

A: We make new drinks every week.

Q: What is your favorite part about bar tending?

A: I like having the ability to make new things or experiment with syrups or infusions or new spirits or cocktails.

Q: Do you see many of the same faces in here every week?

A: We have a lot of regulars. They like to come in and try whatever it is we’re working on: barrel aged cocktails or new cocktails or whatever it may be or even just a new spirit we have in. They ask us, “What’s next?”

Q: What’s one of the more popular drinks to make here?

A: We do some smoked cocktails. If you make one of those, you’re instantly going to make six more, because people see the smoke and the decanter and we do it right on top of the bar. The people at the cocktail tables just turn around to watch.

Q: What’s your favorite drink to make?

A: When somebody orders one that we came up with, I think those are my favorite to make but nerve-wrecking every time.

Q: When can we find you behind the bar?

A: I’m behind the bar Wednesday through Saturday. At night.

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hanukkah

A Celebration for everyone

On

the evening of Dec. 16, Hanukkah begins with the lighting of the first light on the Menorah. Another will be lit each day for the next eight days and the festivities will continue.

According to Chavie Bruk, Hanukkah is a celebration of various miracles that occurred centuries ago, during the time of the Greeks.

“There are all these different miracles we are celebrating,” Bruk said. “First of all the war that we won, that we were able to overcome the Greeks and continue our faith and practice without being persecuted and then after that going to the temple and being able to light the Menorah and have that oil last for eight days instead of one until we could get enough oil to continue lighting the Menorah.”

One of the traditions of Hanukkah is to eat foods that have been fried.

“The foods that we eat are fried because of the oil that we are celebrating,” Bruk said.

“When we won the war, we went back to our holy temple, which had been overtaken by the Greeks and they had defiled all of our rituals. There was this Menorah that was supposed to be lit all the time in the holy temple with this special oil that the high priest had to seal and sanctify. If the seals were broken from this oil, then the oil wasn’t pure enough to be lit on this Menorah. One of the things that the Greeks did, is they broke all the seals. When they wanted to re-light the Menorah, they couldn’t find any pure oil.

They searched and they searched and they finally found one little jug of oil that was supposed to be able to last one day for the

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Menorah. They decided they were just going to light the Menorah and see what would happen. One of the miracles that happened was that the oil lasted for eight days.”

To commemorate the miracle that occurred with the oil, Bruk said traditional Hanukkah foods include potato latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganayot (jelly-filled donuts), which are both fried in oil.

Bruk said although the traditional latke is potato, today, there are numerous variations including gluten free, dairy free and latkes that include vegetables.

“Potato latkes are our traditional Hanukkah food, kind of like sweet potato pie is for Thanksgiving,” Bruk said.

In addition to lighting the Menorah each evening for eight days and eating traditional food, Bruk said other Hanukkah traditions include playing with the dreidel and giving gelt.

“I know a lot of people associate Hanukkah with presents, just like Christmas, but really what the Jewish tradition of Hanukkah is, is to get a present of money,” Bruk said.

“The traditional Hanukkah is we would get a little bit of money every single night,” she added. The point of it was to educate your children about what to do with the money.

You give charity with it, or you buy something that you can learn with and obviously you buy something fun too, but the first thing you always do is give charity.”

Bruk said although Hanukkah is celebrated by those of the Jewish faith, it is also a celebration for everyone.

“It’s not only a Jewish thing, but the freedom of religion, which is applicable to everybody,” she said. “Just to be able to express your

own religion and not be persecuted for what you believe. It’s universal and we try to publicize to everybody. We put Menorahs in public places so everyone can be reminded about religion and just doing what you believe. And it’s a lot of fun.” @

Potato Latkes

• 5 potatoes • 1 onion • 3 eggs • 1 1/2 tsp salt • 1/4 tsp pepper • 1/4 tsp baking powder • 1/3 cup flour

1. Grate the onion and potatoes (can be done in a food processor). Add remaining ingredients; mix well.

2. Heat skillet with desired amount of oil and spoon in batter pancake size.

3. Should make about 15 to 20 latkes.

Recipe provided by Chavie Bruk.

Setting the Table

Give guests a reason to stay in the dining room with creative tablescapes

By Ste vie Croisa n t P h o t o g r a p h y B y A d r i a n S a n c h e z- G o n z a l e z

F

or Nancy Seminara, manager at the downtown home boutique store The Crossroads, Christmas is about keeping traditions alive.

Growing up in an Italian family, holidays often centered around food, and her holiday traditions started with the table. Families gather for delicious food and joyous conversation around the table, and one way to make your table stand out this holiday season is by giving your guests a reason to stay in the dining room.

Between the cook- Start your ing, laying out the tablescapes by tablecloth, writing selecting a tablecloth. place cards and arranging the silverware and plates, setting a table for the holidays can be intimidating for many, but it’s well worth the effort, according to Seminara.

“I think it is just great families are coming back to the kitchen and proper dining,” Seminara said. “It can be scary, but once it’s done, what a nice time you have.”

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Mix silver and gold, wood and glass or patterns and colors in your table setting.

Along with Seminara, Kate McDonough, owner of Baker Street, and Brigitte Fletcher, merchandising manager at Heyday, gave their tips for setting a holiday table that is sure to leave your guests in awe of both your culinary talent and creativity.

Developing an idea All three ladies agreed that when starting your table setting, the best way to begin is by choosing your tablecloth. According to Fletcher, your tablecloth will help you determine the

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rest of the pieces you want to incorporate onto your table.

“Use a base tablecloth and try to add some natural qualities,” Fletcher said. “You can go with a solid tablecloth and patterned place mats or you can go with a patterned tablecloth and use some solids.”

Regardless of the color or pattern you use in your tablecloth, choosing this item first will help you pick decorations, napkins and an overall theme. Still, your table should be an extension of your personality and your home.

“It comes down to what feels good to you,” Fletcher said. “Let go of your inhibitions, because there is no wrong answer.”

If you’re still not sure, set your table a few days before your holiday dinner, Fletcher recommended. This will help you decide if certain pieces aren’t working and it gives you enough time to change any details before the last minute.

Picking a color scheme McDonough prefers a simple color scheme. In her table setting, she worked mainly with reds.

“I do like to have one good accent color,” McDonough said. “Too many patterns could be bad.”

However, each decorator had her own take on how many colors are appropriate. Keeping it simple is great advice for anyone who is unsure of themselves or who doesn’t already own many items for their table setting.

Seminara listed several colors she used in her table setting, but each color was a part of the tablecloth.

“We’ve done white, plum, green and clear as well as throwing in silver,” she said.

Gathering materials If you’re setting a table, it doesn’t mean you need to buy all new dishes, napkins and glasses. In fact, McDonough suggests going through the things you already own.

“Pick things out you like from home,” McDonough said. “Put it all together, and see if you like it. Then mix and match.”

She suggests mixing silver and gold, wood and glass or patterns and colors.

Plates “If you’re festive, you want Santa. If you’re classic, you want lace. If you’re country, you want pewters and grays. If you’re a cook and you want that food to scream, put it on white,” Seminara said, referencing the different plates at her business. “It all depends on the menu.

The most important part is shopping for that menu, that presentation.”

Centerpieces A centerpiece may not even be a design element you need to worry about for your table setting. According to Fletcher, it’s important to establish what your food setup will be before even creating a centerpiece.

If your family eats buffet-style, with the food located off the table and guests getting up to serve themselves, then incorporating a centerpiece onto your table will work, Fletcher said. However, if you plan on placing the food on the table, Fletcher suggests creating a centerpiece that you can easily remove and place on a sideboard during the meal.

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Create a tablescape that best fits the menu.

Napkin rings McDonough’s table setting incorporates a familyfriendly element in place of traditional napkin rings. She placed ornaments tied with ribbon around the napkins.

“You can use any ornament,” she said. “You could even do a different ornament for each plate.”

Place cards While not every family cares about a specific seating arrangement for their holiday dinners, place cards are a nice way to show your family a bit of your creative side.

Seminara has miniature chalkboards that stand upright next to the plates.

“This year, chalk is huge,” she said.

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And for the children, Seminara carries Christmas puzzles that may be placed near each child’s plate instead of a name card.

Fletcher also has her own take on place cards.

“I let the kids do it,” she said. “I give them cutouts of nice paper stock, give them a list of names and they get to decorate them.”

Candles Fletcher is a big fan of candles, but she recommends using only unscented candles for decoration so smells don’t compete with the food.

Flower arrangements While flowers can be a beautiful arrangement for spring and summer holidays (and they may work for a winter holiday table setting), Seminara suggests going to a local florist and picking up live pine and berries or live garland. “ That smell, along with your food, I think that’s great,” Seminara said.

Children’s tables Lay down paper and markers and let them doodle while the adults talk, Fletcher said.

“But don’t make it so simple that they don’t feel special either. I think it’s nice for them to have real napkins and real plates, because this is something special for them as well.”

And if you’re still stuck…

If you can’t find inspiration from the materials you have at home or if decorating isn’t one of your strengths, all three ladies are more than willing to help anyone with any questions they may have.

“I love to help and answer anything they need help with, because this is a constant learning experience for us as well,” Seminara said.

McDonough has customers who are looking for one thing or those who want to buy everything new, and she’s willing to lend her expertise to anyone.

Fletcher not only holds tablescaping workshops, but also keeps Heyday’s Pinterest board up-to-date for anyone who needs inspiration. @ WINTER 2014 at home : FOR THE HOLIDAYS 15

winter remodeling

Make winter months a time for home remodeling

By St ev ie Croisa n t

If

you’re stuck at home for the holidays and tired of seeing the same avocado green formica countertops and knotty pine paneling, then make your winter a time for home remodeling.

Construction, contracting and remodeling businesses are busy in summer months when warm weather makes it easy to construct homes and buildings, but not surprisingly, these businesses keep busy in the winter with indoor projects.

Peter Bing of Blue Ribbon Builders in Big Sky said winter is the best time for interior projects, whether you start them or simply begin planning a larger spring project with a contractor.

No matter the project, the most important advice Bing offered is to keep the look and feel of your home consistent.

“Maintain consistency in the home so there is not a drastic difference between old and new,” he said.

Some popular winter remodeling projects Bing has encountered include freshening up paint, tearing out walls for a new floor plan, replacing trim and doors, kitchen and bathroom updates or contemporary styling.

Bing has been working with many clients with homes from the 1970s who are now seeking a more modern look.

“Interior projects that update finishes can bring a drastic new look to your home,” he said.

Advanced planning is necessary for home remodeling projects.

“With any home construction project, prior planning can save you time and money,” Bing said.

Planning with a contractor should include discussing design and product selections.

Besides remodeling for aesthetic purposes, many winter remodels help homes stay warmer during winter months, which can help with BEFORE

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heating costs. According to Bing, some of the best home projects that will keep your house warm this winter are insulating crawl spaces and attics, weather stripping or adding a high efficiency stove to the living room.

For do-it-yourselfers, Bing suggests sticking to painting rooms for a winter project instead of tackling bigger projects that should be left to the experts.

“With the right skill and expertise, many small projects can be done by families themselves,” he said. “However, it is important to understand that remodeling usually is more complicated than new construction, and you can run into unforeseen circumstances when you start doing demolition.”

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

What to look for in a contractor

If

you are planning on renovating your home this winter with the help of a professional, Peter Brown, a licensed contractor specializing in residential design and remodeling, offered his advice on what to look for in a remodeling contractor. Doing your homework before investing in costly renovations or remodels is never a bad idea.

• Online referral services can help at the start, but you must still carefully interview each candidate and check their references.

• It is an asset if your contractor is a good communicator and puts that communication with you as a top priority.

• Your contractor should have an artistic knack.

• He or she should be well organized in their methods of operation and business practices.

• Most dependable, good contractors get plenty of work through referrals from satisfied customers, so speaking to other homeowners is the most important first step.

• The contractor should work with a stable of quality subcontractors.

• Flashy advertising doesn’t guarantee quality work.

• Don’t choose a contractor based only on the lowest estimate.

• References and recommendations from others will tell you about dependability and integrity, which is as important as price.

•

If you are using an architect or designer, don’t wait until the last minute to bring in your home improvement contractor as well. Having your contractor and architect work together will alleviate many potential problems.

WINTER 2014 at home : FOR THE HOLIDAYS 17

in the kitchen

Montana food with flair R ainbow R anch Lodge executive chef serves up hearty, creative Montana-inspired dishes

By T iffa n y Jer ry At Home Editor

W

hen the Rainbow Ranch first became a destination for canyon travelers during the 1920s, it was known as the Half Way Inn. The inn offered hot meals, lodging for $1 per night and gas for 25 cents per gallon.

Nearly 100 years later, the Rainbow Ranch Lodge, located five miles past the Big Sky turnoff on Highway 191, still offers hot meals and lodging, but according to general manager Mollie Eckman, the property has been through a number of changes and renovations, including changes to the restaurant.

“In the 90s, the owners at that time invested a lot of money and put a lot of effort into the wine list and the menu and coupled with their manager at the time, really brought it up to the fine dining that it is today,”

Eckman said. “They built a wine cellar downstairs and really took it up a notch.”

Eckman said today, dinner at the Rainbow Ranch Lodge is “all about the experience.”

“It’s not like a dine and dash,” she said. “You come and sit at the bar and have a nice cocktail, maybe an appetizer in front of the fire, then we take you into the dining room and that’s where you have three, maybe four more courses – a salad, a soup, your main entrée, a dessert and then an espresso. And then maybe you go back to the fireplace. We allow at least two hours for every reservation. It’s more about the experience.”

And leading that experience is executive chef Jake Irwin, who joined the Rainbow Ranch Lodge team last May.

“It was kind of my dream to come back here. Out of

the six states I’ve lived in, it was my favorite.”

- Jake Irwin

Photo by Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez

Rainbow Ranch Lodge executive chef Jake Irwin features “Montana foods,” including wild game, on his menu.

18 at home : FOR THE HOLIDAYS WINTER 2014

Irwin, who lived in Stevensville, Mont. for a few years as a child and returned to the state often during the summer, said he always wanted to come back to Montana.

“It was kind of my dream to come back here,” he said.

“Out of the six states I’ve lived in, it was my favorite.”

Irwin said he came to the Rainbow Ranch Lodge with an idea about the direction he wanted to take the food in.

“I wanted to use Montana foods – wild games, that kind of stuff,” Irwin said. “People want to come here to try local Montana beef, they want to come here to try elk, they want to have venison and pheasant. People come up here expecting to try something new.”

Summer Knoop, Rainbow Ranch Lodge food and beverage supervisor, said Irwin has held true to his Montana-themed menus. Though the dinner menu changes with the season, it includes local meats such as bison, elk, pheasant and even rabbit.

“Jake is really trying to stay with the Montana roots kind of theme,” Knoop said. “He serves a lot of hearty dishes that make people feel full when they’re here. He also is really good at comfort food, but giving it a flair, so it’s not traditional comfort food, it’s Montana style, super interesting food that you’re really going to enjoy.

He takes a lot of pride in having very local ingredients and then being able to turn those into something special for our guests here.”

For Irwin, the changing menu allows him to experiment and showcase his creativity with new ingredients and dishes.

“I’m always reading, researching and experimenting,” Irwin said. “It’s my passion and I love it. It never gets old.”

In addition to the dinner menu, the Rainbow Ranch Lodge recently added a full breakfast menu that includes huckleberry buttermilk flat jacks, hollandrusk duck benedict and brioche orange citrus French toast.

The restaurant will open for the season on Dec. 18. @

ask the chef AH: What is your favorite dish on the menu to prepare?

JI: That’s tough. I’m creating new stuff all the time and I could never fall in love with just one ingredient or menu item. My favorite ingredients to use here are maybe elk and pheasant. This is my first time running rabbit and I’m excited about that. I don’t use chicken. Chicken is boring to me.

AH: What is your most favorite food creation?

JI: I’d say the bacon wrapped shrimp. It’s one of my signature appetizers that I do. Everywhere I do it, people just love it.

AH: What are three holiday cooking tips you can share?

JI: Brine your poultry and your pork. I highly recommend that, especially if you are doing a pheasant, because it dries out very quickly.

Add celery root to your mashed potatoes. Cooking celery root in with your mashed potatoes really adds an earthy twist to it. When you do the celery root, make sure you cook it separately from your potatoes because it’s more rooty and you have to cook it down a little more. You can cook your celery root in with your butter and cream. Just cook it a little longer and then break it down in a food processor.

Make fresh cranberry sauce, rather than canned. It’s so easy and the fresh cranberry sauce is so much better. The little things like the celery root whipped potatoes, the fresh cranberry sauce and the poultry brine make the meal just so much better.

Photo by Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez

AH: What is your favorite part about working here?

JI: I love everybody I work with. We all get along so well. And just being able to have the freedom to do whatever I want cooking-wise, that’s great. It’s like a dream kitchen to work in. You get to work with the highest quality produce and meats and being able to switch the ingredients, menu and entrees

around every couple of months and just have fun doing whatever you want, you can’t really beat that.

Jake Irwin joined the Rainbow Ranch Lodge team last May. WINTER 2014 at home : FOR THE HOLIDAYS 19

• 8 qts water • 6 lemons, halved • 1 bunch fresh parsley • 6 sprigs fresh thyme • 1 TBS black peppercorns • 2 cups honey • 2 cups kosher salt • 6 bay leaves • 3 onions, quartered • 6 whole garlic cloves

Orange Citrus Cranberry Sauce

• 12 oz. fresh cranberries • 1 ½ cups water • 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice • 1 TBS fresh orange zest • 1 TBS fresh parsley • ½ cup sugar • 1 tsp cinnamon

Add all ingredients together. Simmer at low heat for 35-45 minutes until sauce thickens well. Chill in refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

*brine may also be used prior to frying chicken

Classic Rosemary Pheasant or Chicken

christmas

at Cashman’s

the fresh aromatics when baking.

Brine pheasant in poultry brine over night in the refrigerator. Take olive oil and all spices and fresh rosemary leaves and mix pheasant together in large bowl.

Take three lemons and quarter, mix with fresh rosemary leaves to stuff pheasant before baking. Take remaining lemon and rosemary to place under pheasant for

Bake pheasant at 325 degrees for 45-50 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 150 degrees.

Before serving, rest pheasant for at least 30 minutes.

Photo by Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez

• 8 lemons, quartered • 8 1 bunch fresh rosemary, cleaned off stem • 8 1 TBS lemon pepper • 8 1 TBS lemon zest • 8 1 TBS kosher salt • 8 1 TBS brown sugar • 8 2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

Photo by Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez

Holiday Poultry Brine

christmas trees & holiday Wreaths

North 19th at Springhill Road 587-3406 • www.cashmannursery.com 20 at home : FOR THE HOLIDAYS WINTER 2014

holiday cooking tips

Bringing people together with food

Bisl Food owners share tips for preparing a delicious holiday meal

By T iffa n y Jer ry At Home Editor

F

or Davey Rabinowitz, one of the best dishes of the holiday season is his mother’s pumpkin mousse pie.

“Potato latkes and pumpkin mousse pie are my two favorites that my mom did,” Davey said.

And while he enjoys the flavors of these dishes, Davey said he also enjoys the way that food seems to bring everyone together – on any day of the year. In fact, Davey and his wife, Kierst, strive to provide that atmosphere for diners through their company, Bisl Food.

“We try and make it feel like you are being brought together through food,” he said.

Davey and Kierst recently started Bisl Food in Bozeman after establishing a “fully sustainable garden” one year ago. They offered pop-up dinners

last October and November at Starky’s to give the community a taste of their cooking, which is “inspired by Montana’s bounty.”

“We’re using Montana’s bounty, but in different types of ways,” Kierst said. “Everything is super simple, it’s just highlighting ingredients.”

The pop-up dinners included 10 seasonal courses with dishes such as preserved bison, curds and whey and trout roe with various pickles, with everything made from scratch.

“We don’t take any shortcuts,” Davey said.

Even the business name itself offers a hint to the food being served.

“Bisl means little bit in Yiddish,” Kierst said. “It kind of describes our food. They’re not big portions; it’s a little bit of different things put together.”

Photo by Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez

“We’re using Montana’s bounty, but in different types of ways.

Everything is super simple, it’s just highlighting ingredients.”

- Kierst Rabinowitz

After the first pop-up dinner, the Rabinowitzs decided to begin catering, with the goal of opening a restaurant next year.

And though they will be catering for dinner parties throughout the holiday season, the Rabinowitzs offered the following holiday cooking tips for those who will be cooking up a feast of their own:

Cooking meat “The biggest thing I see people doing incorrectly is cooking meat,” Davey said. “They will throw it right out of the refrigerator into a hot pan.”

“Your meat should be room temp. before you cook it,” Kierst said.

The Rabinowitzs recommend allowing meat to come up to room temperature before cooking it.

“If you let it come up to room temp., your meat is not going to tighten up,” Davey said. “It will make for a more tender piece of meat.”

When it comes to cooking turkey, Davey said placement of the bird in the oven as well as basting are both key.

“I cover my turkey in between the skin and the meat with an herb butter,” Davey said. “That will moisten the bird, but you really want to watch your heat and placement in the oven. Your turkey shouldn’t be too high or too low, depending on where the heat source is coming from.

I’ll let it go for about three to four hours and then I’ll start looking at it and then I’ll start constantly basting it.”

Preparing stuffing According to Davey, using stale bread to make stuffing, rather than fresh, soft bread will provide a better texture for the finished product.

Kierst and Davey Rabinowitz recently started Bisl Food in Bozeman.

WINTER 2014 at home : FOR THE HOLIDAYS 21

“I always use stale bread,” Davey said. “You can bring back the bread a little bit more and it’s not going to be as soggy. That’s just how my mom taught me.”

Blanching vegetables “Vegetables are truly amazing and should always be handled with precision and care,” Kierst said. “The best way to cook vegetables is to blanch them. Once you blanch them, you can roast, sauté, caramelize, bake or grill them. Blanching ensures the purity of the vegetable.”

According to Kierst, the proper way to blanch a vegetable is with a pot full of salt water.

“Taste the water,” Kierst said. “If it tastes like saltwater, then you have the perfect amount. The salt acts as a preservative for the vegetable. It allows the vegetable to last longer as well as purges any impurity.”

Kierst recommends bringing the pot of salt water to a rolling boil and placing vegetables in.

“Green beans and asparagus only take about 10 to 15 seconds,” Kierst said. “Once cooked, you are going to want to shock them in an ice cold water bath. This allows your vegetable to stop cooking immediately.

When they are cold, transfer them to a tray with paper towels and dry them off and you are now ready to cook them anyway you want.”

Using salt According to Kierst, salt is an important ingredient in cooking.

“When I was first learning how to cook, I never understood how important salt is,” Kierst said. “Salt can really alter food for better or worse. When you have a great product such as meat or vegetable, you never want to over season it. You really want to let the flavors speak for themselves and compliment it – either with a sauce, chutney, side dish, puree, etc.

When something is too bitter, you need to add more acid and or salt. When something is too acidic, you need to add more sweet and or salt. When something is too sweet, you need to add more acid and or salt.

When something is too salty, you need to add more of the product that you are cooking with. Fixing too much salt is very difficult because salt is very overpowering when misused.” @

22 at home : FOR THE HOLIDAYS WINTER 2014

Pumpkin Mousse Pie

(For 3 9” pies) • 3 cups pumpkin (29 oz. can) • 2 1/2 cups brown sugar • 4 tsp cinnamon • 1/2 tsp cloves • 1/2 tsp allspice • 1/2 tsp ginger • 1 tsp nutmeg • 2 TBSP unflavored gelatin • 1/4 cup cold water • 2 cups milk • 1/2 cup sugar • 1 TBSP vanilla • 3 TBSP flour • 4 egg yolks • 3 graham cracker crusts • 3 cups whipping cream

For pumpkin: Heat pumpkin in a large saucepan. If watery, cook slowly until thick, stirring occasionally to dry it out. Add brown sugar and spices and stir all to blend.

Mix gelatin with just enough cold water to dissolve and add to pumpkin.

Cook until well blended and barely

simmering. Stir well and cook about 5 minutes longer. Cover and set aside in the fridge.

For custard: Heat 1 1/2 cups of milk and 1/2 cup of sugar in a medium saucepan. Mix 1/2 cup of cold milk with flour. Add to warm milk and mix in the egg yolks and vanilla. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils and cook a few minutes more, stirring constantly. Chill.

For cream: Beat whipping cream until thick. Pour the cream into a large bowl and add the pumpkin mixture. Fold a couple of times. You don’t want to fully incorporate the pumpkin with the cream. Add the custard and fold all of it together.

Once well incorporated, place in your pie crusts and chill for at least 12 hours.

Recipe provided by Kierst and Davey Rabinowitz of Bisl Food.

Pear and Port Glaze

• 4 cups pear juice/nectar • 2 cups tawny port • 1/3 cup butter • 1/4 cup honey • 1/2 cup diced bacon • 2 tsp. fresh sage, minced

Boil all ingredients in a large saucepan for roughly 40 minutes. Brush on any bird while cooking and when bird is ready, drizzle on top.

Recipe provided by Kierst and Davey Rabinowitz of Bisl Food.

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