Prime Rib – 12/4/2024 – Invite

Posted December 2nd, 2024 by Chris

Ahoy Hoy Folks,

Now that the holidays are in full swing in our beloved frozen tundra again, it’s time for my favorite tradition.  That’s right, this coming Wednesday we will make a rib roast that can only be exactly divided by itself and the number 1.  In addition to the roast of champions, I’m going to straight up copy the rest of the menu from last year since I think that’s the best we’ve ever done for this particular meal.  And look, I know this is coming off a week that included the most gorge-tastic holiday of the US calendar, but I have faith that even the fullest of you can pull up your big-kid stretchy pants and put on a few more layers of insulation with me this week.

Items!

When: This Wednesday, December 4th.  Come as early as 6:30, food coming out in waves starting at around 7
What: Prime rib roast, vegetarian shepherd’s pie with Indian spices, garlic mashed potatoes, lemon parmesan asparagus, mac-n-cheeze and peppermint pie

I have a handful of good winter beers but as usual, bring whatever you’d like to pair with the meal.  Conventional wisdom would imply that red wine goes well with this, but, honestly, look at the horrible dystopia conventional wisdom gave us.  Bring whatever you want instead.  Also bring your friends and definitely bring your appetite.  It’s time to eat.

– Jeremy

Feeling Autumnal – 10/9/2024 – Invite

Posted October 7th, 2024 by Chris

Hello friends!
You all may have noticed that our summer is over, the weather is turning a little cooler occasionally, and spooky season is upon us! I’m feeling very Autumnal right about now and have been drinking cider by the gallon as of late. With that in mind, I want to break out some favorites of past Cooking Army’s while still trying something slightly new. Join us for some delicious fall foods!

Deets!

When: This Wednesday, Oct 9th. Cooking/arrivals at 6:30pm, food should begin to roll out by 7pm-ish
What: Butternut squash soup, pork roast with apples, garlic butter sweet potatoes, bacon wrapped dates

As always, no need to RSVP, if you can show up, great! If not, that’s cool too. Everyone is encouraged to bring a beverage of your choice and desserts are ALWAYS welcome, but again, not mandatory. Bring your friends, bring your bellies, it’s time to eat.

Greetings Eaters!
We have a special treat for you folks this week! Jeremy and Jason decided to abscond off to Belgium, leaving me all by my lonesome to attempt to cook for y’all. But instead of wallow in trying to do this all by myself, I decided to do the logical thing. I brought in the big guns, the PROFESSIONALS. That’s right, I was able to bring in none other than Travis, who is a professional chef by trade, and his delightful partner Alisha, who also used to be a professional food & beverage person, to compose the menu for this week and let me tell you, it’s a banger! Ya’ ever been down to Taylor Street in Chicago? They call it “Little Italy” for a reason and this is gonna an ode to that area that is near and dear to my heart. I’m not sure if Travis and Alisha even knew that I lived on or near Taylor St. for ~4-7 years of my life, but I’m already drooling over this menu. Enough waffling, on to the details!

Deets!
When: This Wednesday, July 31st. Cooking/arrivals at 6:30, food should begin to roll out by 7:30-ish.
What: Italian Salads (2 different kinds!), Roast Pork Loin with Puttanesca Sauce, Pomodori Al Riso, Rotini with Fontina Fonduta and Shaved Truffle, Roasted Broccolini with Piquillo Peppers. Alisha’s Famous Sourdough Foccacia

As always, no need to RSVP, if you can show up, great! If not, that’s cool too. Everyone is encouraged to bring a beverage of your choice and desserts are ALWAYS welcome, but again, not mandatory. Bring your friends, bring your bellies, it’s time to eat.

Social Media Edition – 4/3/2024 – Invite

Posted April 2nd, 2024 by Chris

Hello Friends!
I write this to you after procrastinating for far too long because I was stuck scrolling on my phone… again. It is the plague of our generation that many of us have become addicted to our devices. Today, I strive to turn this addiction into an opportunity! You see, everybody’s feed is different, but for whatever reason, my feed contains a significant number of a category I like to call, “People finding wild recipes and trying them”. While I may not record myself trying some of these recipes, we will make them and see if they’re as delicious as they appear in my reels.

Details!
When: This Wednesday, April 3rd. Cooking/arrivals at 6:30, food should begin to be ready by 7:15-ish.
What: Fried Kidney Beans, Garlic Bread Soup, Parmesan Duchess Potatoes, Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

As always, no need to RSVP, if you can show up, great! If not, that’s cool too. Everyone is encouraged to bring a beverage of your choice and desserts are ALWAYS welcome, but again, not mandatory. Bring your friends, bring your bellies, it’s time to eat.

Long, Cold Winter – 1/31/2024 – Invite

Posted January 29th, 2024 by Chris

Comrades!
Winter is upon us and it’s icy grip can be felt all around. As we hunker down and dream of warmer times, I try to connect with my eastern European heritage as they generally have weathered these temperatures much better than I usually can. I’m wrapped in 3 blankets and still shivering as I type this. And not to get too political, but seeing as Russia has been at war with Ukraine for… checks notes 10 YEARS?! Our recipes inspired from the Motherland this week have a distinct Ukrainian lean to them. Get ready for some hearty fare!

Info!
When: This Wednesday, January 31st. Cooking/arrivals at 6:30, food should begin to be ready by 7:15-ish.
What: Olivye (potato salad), Pork borscht, Beef kasha, Russian tea cakes

As always, no need to RSVP, if you can show up, great! If not, that’s cool too. Everyone is encouraged to bring a beverage of your choice and desserts are ALWAYS welcome, but again, not mandatory. Bring your friends, bring your bellies, it’s time to eat.

Cooking Army – Holiday Save the Date

Posted December 11th, 2023 by Chris

Hey everyone! This is not a Cooking Army invite, this is just a tribute… I mean, a save the date! We know the holidays can get a bit crammed with stuff, so this is our attempt at giving you a little pre-warning of our upcoming feast!

Wednesday, December 20th, 2023

Mark your calendars, you will come, you will eat, and it will be glorious.

Cooking Army – How about dem apples! – Invite

Posted September 25th, 2023 by Chris

Hey everybody!
The Summer has cooled off and Autumn is in the air… which means it is prime apple harvest time! We went apple picking this past weekend and brought home FAR too many apples. So we’re passing those benefits on to you! We’re gonna toss apples into all our dishes and not at people as Jeremy would surely prefer.

Info!
When: This Wednesday, September 27th. Cooking/arrivals at 6:30, food should begin to be ready by 7:15-ish.
Where: Chris’ apple orchard
What: Chicken Waldorf Salad, Maple Pork Loin With Apples And Onions, Apple Crisp

As always, no need to RSVP, if you can show up, great! If not, that’s cool too. Everyone is encouraged to bring a beverage of your choice (Oktoberfest is out!) and desserts are ALWAYS welcome, but again, not mandatory. Bring your friends, bring your bellies, it’s time to eat.

Cooking Army – Summer Grilling – Invite

Posted July 31st, 2023 by Chris

Howdy folks!

A travesty has occurred within our hallowed halls that must be corrected. This absolutely cannot stand that such a thing has happened, but we will rectify and vitrify this problem so you need not worry. The tragedy? We have not grilled out on the deck yet this year, but this has been corrected! Have you not gotten your fill of dad-like conversation about “dem meats ain’t done yet!” We’ve got you covered! We are taking everything we can think of and tossing it onto a firey iron grate to cook you up the finest in slightly charred delectables. Come join us to enjoy the outside air on the back deck and hope the gods don’t decide to ruin our evening with rain. Again.  

Info!
When: This Wednesday, August 2nd. Cooking/arrivals at 6:30, food should begin to be ready by 7:15-ish.
Where: Chris’ back deck
What: Grilled Bourbon Chicken, Sous Vide Sausages & Brats, Grilled Pepper and Onion Panzanella, Grilled Corn on the Cob

As always, no need to RSVP, if you can show up, great! If not, that’s cool too. Everyone is encouraged to bring a beverage of your choice and desserts are ALWAYS welcome, but again, not mandatory. Bring your friends, bring your bellies, it’s time to eat.

Round and Flat – 5/3/2023 – Invite

Posted May 1st, 2023 by Chris

Hello friends!

While racking my brain for wonderful delicacies to bring to you within a colorful menu, I decided to make a 90 degree turn. I have often relied on using a single ingredient and taking it to it’s completely illogical conclusion in the form of an entire meal, but what if I were to instead rely on geometric shapes? Thus, this week, we bring you: Round and Flat! It’s like re-inventing the wheel all over again!

Deets!
When: This Wednesday, May 3rd. Cooking/arrivals at 6:30, food should begin to be ready by 7:15-ish.
Where: Chris’ geometry class
What: Lemon blueberry pancakes, Homemade pizzas with various toppings, Norwegian cookies

As always, no need to RSVP, if you can show up, great! If not, that’s cool too. Everyone is encouraged to bring a beverage of your choice and desserts are ALWAYS welcome, but again, not mandatory. Bring your friends, bring your bellies, it’s time to eat.

/Chris

Garlic – 2/22/2023 – Invite

Posted February 20th, 2023 by Chris

Hey Friends!

We’re without our fearless leader, Jeremy, this week as he goes to fight off the barbarians to the North in Milwaukee. Meanwhile, Jason and I will continue to serve you up dishes we believe to be delicious and you will probably at least respect our enthusiasm. This week, we delve into that delectable plant that has been used to enhance food around the world, garlic. We’re going to push the limits of what is possible by not only preparing an appetizer, but a main and side dish, along with a dessert, all with garlic. Join us to see if this madness is as good as the fever dream that concocted this plan!

Deets!
When: This Wednesday, February 22nd. Cooking/arrivals at 6:30, food should begin to be ready by 7:15-ish.
Where: Chris’ garlic fields
What: Broccoli and Garlic-Ricotta Toasts With Hot Honey, Skillet Potatoes with Red Pepper and Whole Garlic Cloves, Garlic-Apple Pork Roast, Pineapple-garlic Upside Down Cake

As always, no need to RSVP, if you can show up, great! If not, that’s cool too. Everyone is encouraged to bring a beverage of your choice and desserts are ALWAYS welcome, but again, not mandatory. Bring your friends, bring your bellies, it’s time to eat.

/Chris