Sustainable Vodka Mac and Cheese

Love your Mother Earth - Organic Vodka Recipe from City Provisions

Jan 27, 2009 Jacqueline Church

The marriage of culinary and cocktail worlds meets sustainable, local food trends and the return to comfort foods. All in one dish. Can you stand it?

Several food trends combine in this macaroni and cheese recipe from Chef Cleetus Friedman of City Provisions in Chicago. City Provisions is making news for their commitment to eco-friendly sourcing and practices. While "Green is just who (we) are," their hosting of a recent supper club dinner featuring organic cocktails, garnered national attention.

Trend followers say that local, sustainable foods will continue to grab our attention, including organic spirits. Comfort foods are also front and center this year. Who needs an expert to tell us we like comfort foods?

Mac and Cheese? Organic vodka? Hello! What could be better on a cold night in February. This gussied up version of a childhood favorite comes to us from the Windy City.

Organic Spirits step through Death's Door

Death's Door is the name of a passage between the Wisconsin mainland and Washington Island. It's also the name of the locally produced Death's Door Gin and Death's Door Vodka. These spirits are made from special winter wheat that's grown herbicide- and pesticide-free. The gin is scented with locally grown juniper, as well as coriander and fennel.

Let's hope organic spirits is a category we'll see more of in the future. Better for us and better for the environment, this is something we can all get behind. Some even say that drinks made with organic spirits are less likely to induce a hangover. At least they're guilt-free from an ecological point of view.

Chef Friedman's City Provisions catering hosts a series of Supper Clubs designed to "enlighten, educate, and entertain our guests." Connecting clients with the origin of our food sources, the City Provisions Supper Club focuses on seasonality, celebrating the fruits of the season.

Sourcing green means service ware is biodegradeable and waste is recycled, food is sourced from both local producers as well as those who are sustainable but from farther afield. Recently, when Friedman was looking for "like minded, local, distilleries" he received a call from Brian Ellison of Death's Door Spirits. Ellison had heard about Friedman from someone at Green City Market and wanted to discuss collaborating somehow. An idea was born a collaboration formed.

The Supper Club kickoff event of 2009 was disguised as a Cocktail Party. The care that goes into Friedman's catering is mirrored in the making of Ellison's organic Vodka and Gin. Created on Washington Island in the Great Lakes, Death's Door is made from local, organic wheat. The Gin's profile was created by the Washington Hotel's Chef Leah Caplan, herself a supporter of local, seasonal food.

The lines between chefs and bartenders is blurring with more mixologists making their own infusions and renewing our interest in pre-Prohibition classic cocktails. We see bartenders taking on more creative mixology. From their own bitters, to infusions, to drinks made with local and organic herbs and fruits. It is something like having a chef behind the bar these days. See the Death's Door site for more about making your own infusions and for recipes and interesting island history.

This is certainly a trend we welcome.

Comfort Food from Death's Door to your Table via City Provisions

Vodka Mac and cheese, heirloom prosciutto

What you need:

½ cup La Quercia heirloom prosciutto
2 pounds elbow macaroni
olive oil
1/2 cup each of celery, onions, and carrots (diced)
5 cups Butterkase cheese
3/4 cups Death’s Door Vodka
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 quarts heavy cream
salt and pepper

How to make it work:

Cook the pasta. Toss a little olive oil into the cooked pasta so it does not stick together and set aside.
Cut prosciutto into quarter inch cubes. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 3 – 5 minutes or until crispy.

Sauce:

In a large pot, sauté diced veggies in olive oil.
When veggies become translucent pour in vodka and add your bay leaf. Let the vodka reduce by half and then add the heavy cream.
Let the cream come just to a simmer and reduce to medium heat.
After this reduces for approximately 20 minutes, add cheese (reserve a little for later). Make sure to stir frequently.
Strain the cheese sauce through a medium-to-small mesh sieve or colander
Add cheese to mixture. Once the cheese is incorporated, season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve in a casserole dish and garnish with baked prosciutto.