Recently, I had the honor of attending the Kohler Food and Wine Experience in Kohler, Wisconsin and got to stay at The American Club. The American Club is a luxury spa and resort located in Kohler, Wisconsin. It is owned and operated by the Kohler Company and has received various awards, including the Top 100 Golf Resorts by Conde Nast Traveler magazine, and is the Midwest’s only AAA Five Diamond Resort Hotel.
I attended the 4-day extravaganza of food, wine and fun last year and had an absolute blast. Nothing could top meeting Chef Geoffrey Zakarian, Christopher Kimball and Bridget Lancaster and watching all of the food demonstrations and attending the parties.
But then this year . . . I met the legend. . . Jacques Pépin, and his lovely daughter Claudine.
And the sandwich king himself, Jeff Mauro. Jeff was hilarious and fun, just like he is on The Kitchen on The Food Network. He even brought his son on stage with him for a bit which I loved!
He made this deliciousness, which I devoured in 2 seconds!
And, Christopher, Bridget and Jack were there again! I LOVE Americas Test Kitchen!
He totally remembered me from last year . . not! This was the best smile I could get from Chris. 🙂 I love this guy!
From the moment I walked into The American Club, I was, again, blown away by the customer service and attention to detail. After checking in, and given a complimentary glass of wine, we were escorted to our room by one of the front desk employees and learned a little bit of history about The American Club, which was built in 1918 to house the Kohler Company’s immigrant workers at the time.
The guest room was as beautiful as I remembered it . . so elegant, charming and beautiful. And the American Club staff even surprised me with a birthday “cake.” They knew it was my birthday weekend from the previous year.
The food demonstrations were so great and there was so much excitement in the air!
In addition to the fabulous dinners, events and parties, we got to watch my friend and up and coming superstar Jocelyn Delk Adams make a fabulous dessert from her cookbook, Grandbaby Cakes. Jocelyn had a few baking demonstrations during the event and did a fabulous job! If you don’t have her cookbook, you need it! This would make a great holiday gift!
At the end of the day on Saturday, we had the honor of sitting down with Jacques and Claudine to ask questions, chat and get his thoughts on his new cookbook, Heart & Soul In The Kitchen. We also each received a signed copy!
I was in awe sitting there watching one of my cooking idols talk and was just trying to take it all in. At the very end, we each got to take a photo with him and as I was leaving, he was hugging everyone and I got a little teary eyed as he hugged me and gave me a kiss on the cheek! Best moment from 2015 right here. I had no idea she snapped a photo, but my friend Kit took this photo and shared it with me later.
Sitting down with Jacques Pépin reignited my love and passion for food, cooking and being in the kitchen. I love feeding my family and having my kids in the kitchen with me. I love that he cooks and travels with his daughter, Claudine. They have a very special bond that they will remember forever. I absolutely loved meeting them.
Attending the Kohler Food and Wine Experience was truly amazing and I can’t wait for next year! If you enjoy food and cooking, hands down, this is the event for you! And if you live in the Midwest, you simply must consider Kohler and The American Club when planning your next weekend getaway. With the Kohler Waters Spa, amazing golf packages and remarkable restaurants, there is truly something here for everyone.
Next Year’s Kohler Food & Wine Experience: SAVE THE DATE for the 16th annual Kohler Food & Wine Experience, October 20-23, 2016. To keep up-to-date on events, special offers and more, sign up for the resort e-newsletter and follow The American Club on Twitter and Facebook!
And you don’t have to wait until next October to check out Kohler, Wisconsin. Check out these fabulous upcoming events, or click here to see the American Club Resort’s Calendar of Events!! Kohler is a magical place over the holidays! The Villager sparkles with thousands of white holiday lights twinkling through the trees! So beautiful!
• Five-Star Dine Around, Dec. 10, 2015
• Kellie Pickler Concert, Dec. 12
• New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31
• Wisconsin Food Favorites, Jan. 29-31, 2016
• In Celebration of Chocolate, Feb. 19-21, 2016
• Kohler Festival of Beer, May 6-7
I had to share a recipe today from Jacques’ cookbook. This cookbook is amazing! From soups and salads to fish and seafood to rice and pasta, Jacques has everything covered and he even drew some of the illustrations in this book himself! I can’t wait to make the Oyster Chowder with Potatoes, Spinach and Corn and I have already made the Corn Soufflés, pages 310-311 and can’t wait to try the Chocolate Soufflés as well!
Today, I’m sharing Baked Cod with Olive Topping. Jacques has a Grilled Snapper with Olive Topping so I took the liberty of adapting his recipe! Take a break from the ham and turkey and get some cod or snapper and make this! I hope you enjoy!
Baked Cod with Olive Topping
Ingredients
For the olive topping:
- 2 cups mixed pitted olives coarsely chopped
- 1 heaping cup cherry tomatoes sliced crosswise
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh parsley diced
For the fish:
- 4 6 ounce cod fillets
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- kosher salt and pepper
Instructions
For the olive topping:
- Using a medium sized bowl, mix together all of the ingredients and let sit while the fish is in the oven.
For the fish:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray or grease a 13 x 9 casserole dish and lay the cod inside, in a single layer. Drizzle with the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
- Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cod just begins to flake easily with a fork. Be careful not to overcook. Remove from the oven and onto a serving platter. Top with the olive and tomato topping and serve immediately.
Recipe adapted from Heart & Soul in The Kitchen.
Disclosure: I attended the Kohler Food & Wine Experience on behalf of The Kohler Company and The American Club and was asked to write about my experience. All opinions stated here are 100% my own.
