Cooking Asian at the Savory Spoon
in Door County, Wisconsin

by Sandra Scott
Culinary Travel Editor

The Savory Spoon Cooking School in Ellison Bay on Wisconsin’s scenic Door County offers a variety of excellent cooking experiences.  The cooking school is located the 1879-historic building that was the town school for 50 years. Once again classes are held in the building but now they are cooking classes. Michael and Janice Thomas purchased and restored the building keeping its historic integrity in tact. The original school bell has been restored and rings to start each class.

Chef Janice Thomas has more the 20 years experience in the food industry and has studied at the Cordon Bleu in Paris and with well-respected chefs in France, Italy, and China.  The classes reflect her diverse expertise with offerings featuring Spanish, French, Chinese, and Japanese recipes; and, of course, Door County specialties.  She works closely with local Door County producers to provide a “Field to Fork” experience.  There are hands-on classes, demonstrations, tastings, and children’s classes.  

Coconut Soup With Shrimp
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. finely chopped ginger
1/8 tsp. red crushed pepper
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
½ white wine
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. Asian chili sauce sambal olek

Place a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, garlic, peppers and ginger. Sauté until the garlic sizzles and turns white, then add the remaining soup broth ingredients. Bring to a low boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Prepare shrimp.

Seed and chop the tomatoes.

Last Minute Additions:
20 large shrimp, shelled and cut in half
½ pound vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/3 fresh basil leaves or cilantro, chopped
Freshly grated nutmeg
Salt to taste
8-10 button mushrooms, firm white and sliced thin
1 lime cut into wedges

Garnish with lime wedges and more chopped herbs. Serves 8

Jade Asian Dumplings With Chile Ginger Sauce

1 ½ lbs Napa cabbage, coarsely chopped
2 Tbsp. salt

Place the chopped cabbage in a bowl with the 2 Tbsp. of salt and let it weep for 25 minutes. Rinse and spin dry cabbage.

Mix pork and all other ingredients together and add the dry, wilted cabbage. Set aside for flavors to blend for 20 minutes.

1 lb. ground pork or ground turkey
2 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
4 cloves garlic, pressed
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp. orange zest
4 green onions, chopped finely
1 tsp. salt and a pinch of red pepper
1 tsp. sugar
1 egg
1 Package pot sticker wrappers

Place 1 Tbsp. mixture into the pot sticker wrapper and wet edges with water, fold in half and pinch together. Place dumpling on a floured cookie sheet and continue to make the rest. Place 2 Tbsp. peanut oil in a non- stick pan and heat to medium high. Place 8 dumplings in the pan and brown both sides about 2 minutes. Add 3 Tbsp. of water and cover and cook and steam for another 3 minutes. Remove the lid and brown the bottoms once again.

Ginger Sauce:
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp. chili sauce (more or less) Sambal Olek
¼ tsp. fresh ginger grated.
Mix dipping sauce ingredients in a small bowl and serve with dumplings.

Door County is that pinkie-like peninsula that juts out into Lake Michigan.  Called the “Cape Cod of the Midwest” the area has beaches, wonderful places to stay, an array of nature activities, nightly theatrical performances during the summer, great shopping, fascinating historic sites; and, of course, a plethora of culinary delights.  The breakfast of Cherry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast with Real Maple Syrup at the White Gull Inn was declared “America’s Best Breakfast” by Good Morning America. 

The fish boils made with fresh-caught whitefish is the iconic dinner of the peninsula. Cherries have been one of the main crops of Door County for generations so there are plenty of cherry-based products from cherry wine to cherry-mustard to cherry pie.

For more information on the Savory Cooking School and their wide array of offerings log on to savoryspoon.com.  Information about Door County including accommodations is available on www.doorcounty.com.