Cooking with bloggers

United Dairy Industry of Michigan put on a great event yesterday!  They invited Michigan bloggers to take part in a dairy-centered cooking class at Ann Arbor Cooks. 

 

First while we enjoyed appetizers, the chefs demonstrated what we were going to do.  So funny - this was exactly what I was going to be preparing for dinner at home!  (Right.)

 

Notice the bloggers tweeting and taking pictures.  It's nice to be around people who don't mind!

 

 

Then we got our own materials and started in ... with much joking and laughing.  We were all assigned to different parts of the meal.

 

Spring chop salad with buttermilk ranch dressing ...

Cauliflower soup and four-cheese macaroni and cheese ...

Creamy garlic mashed potatoes and pork ...

My part involved cutting up potatoes (at which I have much practice) and preparing a pork loin (at which I have zero experience.)

We sliced off the pork loin's silver skin, which we had collectively never heard of, put bacon on it, and tied it up with string, so it would all stay together and cook evenly.  (Or so it wouldn't escape.)

 

We hung out and talked, and then it was time to eat our beautiful meal. 

 

 

And finished with a salted caramel pots de crème with whipped cream and sea salt, which was heavenly.

 

 

As we cooked and ate, we talked about dairy farming and issues in food today.  Like I was asked:

 

Do I drink raw milk?  No.

Are there antibiotics in milk?  No.

Are there artificial hormones in our milk?  No. 

Are people trying to sneak sweeteners in milk?  No.

Do you buy organic milk?  No.  I like to buy milk where ours is sold.     

 

Of course our conversations were longer and chattier than that, but that's just to give you an idea of the topics of the evening. 

 

Cooking with dairy was an enjoyable night, with interesting people, and good time overall!  Thank you so much to the bloggers who took the time to come.  It was fun talking shop with you! 

Want more?  There are lots of ways to stay connected with Michigan dairy news.  You know, besides just my site.

www.michigandairynewsbureau.org

www.facebook.com/michigandairynewsbureau

www.youtube.com/user/michigandairynews

www.udim.org/content/dairy-recipes

www.pinterest.com/michigandairy