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In this issue of the Gourmand:

Letter from the President
Social Media Coming Soon!
Recent Events
Coming Attractions
Featured Recipes

Letter from the Presidents

Dear Gourmands,

Wow. Can you believe we are already done with one quarter of the school year? Time flies when you are having fun (or when you are so busy you can barely remember your name plate for class). Now that life has settled down a bit for both MBA1s and MBA2s, we wanted to bring back our coveted Ross Gourmet Club monthly newsletter. The newsletters will provide you event recaps, recipes, suggested eats, upcoming events, and pretty much everything in between.

This month’s theme for the newsletter is Halloween! Fall is the best time in Ann Arbor. Enjoy the changing color of the leaves, the football games, and the crisp fall air before the cold and snow infiltrate the city. It is time to break out the slow cooker and enjoy a glass of apple cider. Make the most of fall by grabbing dinner on Main St. or by heading out to an apple orchard (if you didn’t come with us a few weeks ago).

We hope you enjoy the newsletter. Bon appétit!

~Amy Edens & Chris Loverme, Co-Presidents

Social Media Coming Soon!

We're in the process of overhauling our website and developing a social media campaign for RGC!

So instead of studying or reading cases, the RGC board members had an idea that popped into our heads in the middle of the night: developing a more interactive social media presence! Right now it's still in the preliminary phases, but we're going to create a digital presence in order to bring you the latest information on the following :

Food reviews around town (could be restaurants, bars, random food stall, etc.)
Recipes (fine-dining, “college-approved” for time/efficiency, randomness)
Food travel (so posts about food through travels around the US, around the world, etc.)
Last minute food-type events around town
Random food musings (self-explanatory?)

We will still do a monthly Gourmet Club newsletter, so the social media campaign will serve as a supplementary source of information/waste-of-time. You'll hear more about this at a later date, but we wanted to get your stomaches growling beforehand.

If you want to help out or contribute your ideas/expertise, feel free to email us at rossgourmetclub@umich.edu.

Recent Events

Apple Picking at Wasem Fruit Farms

What can you do with apples? How many apples are there in Michigan alone? What does it take to successfully run an apple farm? Most importantly, how do you turn non-alcoholic apple cider into something more potent? Long thought to be unanswerable questions, the Ross Gourmet Club members were pleasantly surprised that we were able to get all of these answered!

In a nice kick-off to the school year, a good number of us ventured out to Wasem Fruit Farms to get a delectable taste of 5 different varieties of apples, as well as indulge our sweet tooth a little bit by sampling the farm's home-made (err..farm-made?) donuts. Afterwards, we had a fun time living our farming fantasies by picking some good ol' delicious apples straight from the trees. It was definitely a fun way to kick start the school year!

FYI: The answer to the questions are: You can do a lot with apples, there are TONS of different varieties, you can be the most successful farmer if you can control the weather, and most importantly, unpasteurized apple cider can turn alcoholic if left unattended for 14 days.

~Vincent Duong, VP of Marketing

Dining Out: Zingerman's Roadhouse

28 Ross Gourmet Club members converged on Zingerman’s Roadhouse, the critically acclaimed comfort food eatery. With a menu developed by recent James Beard Award Winning chef Alex Young, this is a must experience restaurant for anyone in the Ann Arbor area. Using farm sourced (largely local) ingredients and providing an excellent beer and wine selection, Zingerman’s appreciation for quality cannot be missed.

Attendees were treated to a 3 course meal, leading with a sampler of the crab cakes, sweet potato fries (do not miss these), pimento cheese, and fried green tomatoes. Diners were then treated to a discussion on the history and structure of Zingerman’s and had the opportunity to ask questions about the restaurant to a Zingerman’s vet, line cook and restaurant desert maker, Sarah, who blushed when she was asked why all Zingerman’s employees are perpetually cheery.

Following the Q&A was the presentation of the entrees. Diners had the option of a heaping portion of crispy fried chicken, far and away the most ordered dish, macaroni & cheese (some of the best I’ve ever had), the pork BBQ platter, and the grilled grits cakes covered in chili peppers, corn, onions, and cheese (my choice for the evening). This main course (which was too much food for a number of participants who will get to again experience their meal in the form of leftovers) was followed by a choice of homemade vanilla gelato or the house made chocolate pudding.

Outside of this event the Roadhouse has a large menu complete with good burgers, meatloaf, salads, fish, BBQ, and four type of mac & cheese. Zingerman’s also puts together an excellent brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. For the bargain hunter out there, they also offer a Blue Plate Special for $13.95 from Sunday-Thursday. The special’s change each day, so be sure to check out the website to see the entire menu at zingermansroadhouse.com.

I would strongly recommend that all students take the trip off campus to try Zingerman’s Roadhouse. When you go make sure to try the mac & cheese and don’t miss the sweet potato fries. Although the concept is different from Zingerman’s deli, the staff’s positive disposition makes it clear that you are eating at a Zingerman’s institution. This is an ideal place for group dinners, hangover cures, post-strategy paper celebrations, or lunch with the parents.

~Alex Sedler, VP of Dining

Coming Attractions

Educational Event: Coffee Roasting at RoosRoast!

Coming up in November, the Ross Gourmet Club will head over to RoosRoast where we’ll learn the fine art of coffee roasting. Join us for a 2 hour educational session where we’ll have the opportunity to roast our own beans and taste a variety of different coffees. More details and registration will be sent in a separate email.

Dining Out: To Be Determined but Stay Hungry!

The RGC board members are hard at work scoping out the local and sort-of-local restaurants around Ross to treat our members. You'll hear a bunch more news in a separate email, and in the November newsletter. Until then, stay hungry because it'll definitely be worth it!

Featured Recipes

To kickstart this newsletter, we enlisted two recipes for you all to eat and enjoy!

The first recipe comes from our very own VP of Education, Danielle Brod. We asked Danielle to supply us with a recipe that fits in with the upcoming Halloween holiday, and what better recipe than something using pumpkins?

Pumpkin Ravioli

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons minced shallot
1 cup pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons heavy cream
3 tablespoons parmesan
Nutmeg or Pumpkin pie spice
3 tablespoons + ¼ cup brown sugar
Fresh sheet pasta (homemade or store bought)
10 fresh sage leaves
1 egg, whisked

1) Saute shallot in 2 tablespoons butter for 3-4 minutes.

2) Add 1-2 tablespoons finally chopped sage. Add pumpkin puree and continue to cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.

3) Stir in salt, pepper, cream and 3 tablespoons brown sugar. Add pumpkin pie spice or nutmeg. Continue to cook for several more minutes, stirring in the cheese at the very end.

4) Cut ribbons into 3x3 squares. Put small spoonful of pumpkin mixture in the middle of a square. Wash edges of square with egg mixture (this helps the sides stick together). Fold one end of square to the other end, making a triangular ravioli.

5) Bring a pot of water to boil and cook raviolis for 2-3 minutes, until they are al dente.

6) Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a large sauté pan. Add sage leaves. Add raviolis and sauté one minute.

7) Move raviolis to baking sheet, spring with remaining ¼ of brown sugar and bake in a 400 degree oven for 5-8 minutes, or until the brown sugar is bubbly and brown.

Does that sound appetizing? Well we have a bonus recipe just for you! This recipe is provided by our very own Co-President, Chris Loverme! What do you get when this little piggy walks through an apple orchard? Sadly (but deliciously) you are about to find out!

Pork Loin with Apple-Onion Chutney

Ingredients:

Chutney
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 apples, peeled and cut into pieces
2 Tablespoons Whole grain mustard
2 Tablespoons Apple Butter
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Tablespoon All Spice
1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 Cup Apple Cider
Olive Oil

Pork
1 Pork Loin (about 1.25 lbs)
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Chutney:
1) Caramelize chopped onion by sautéing in olive oil over medium-low heat (should take about 30 minutes).

2) Add Apple Cider, Balsamic Vinegar, and apples and continue cooking until the apples are soft (about another 5 minutes).

3) Transfer the contents to a small sauce pan and add remaining ingredients.

4) Simmer over low heat until the chutney reaches the desired thickness (about 20 minutes). Add sugar to taste.

Pork:
1) Liberally coat the pork loin in olive oil, salt and pepper.

2) Grill over medium high heat, turning the loin every for 4-5 minutes, until the internal temperature is 170 degrees and the outside is golden brown (approximately 16-20 minutes).

3) Let the pork sit about 5 minutes and slice.

Serve with some homemade stuffing and some roasted vegetables (or some Pumpkin Ravioli!) for the perfect fall meal.

We're always looking for submissions for the newsletter and website, as well as ideas from you for events, gatherings, and topics. So if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact us at rossgourmetclub@umich.edu.