Culture Magazine

24 culturecheesemag.com THE HOT LIS T 2024 CHEF'S DISH EsterEv's welcoming dining space could be mistaken for a f riend's thoughtfully curated kitchen, with book-lined shelves and delicate wallpaper. F resh off filming, and two weeks before the premiere of Top Chef, Season 21 in Wisconsin, contestant Dan Jacobs is on vacation in Michigan. But once he starts talking about Wisconsin cheese, he can't stop. "We've been playing around with a grilled cheese sandwich using Roelli Cheese Haus Red Rock," says Jacobs about the orange-hued cheddar with a striking blue vein. "We've thought about French toast with Uplands Cheese Company Pleasant Ridge Reserve, or stuffing Pleasant Ridge into a doughnut. Most recently, we did a tartare and grated Hook's Cheese 10-Year Cheddar on top. It adds salinity and umami once it's aged that long. It adds a tangy sharpness, and you're compounding flavor upon flavor." Jacobs, alongside Dan Van Rite, co-owns Milwaukee-based DanDan, an American-Chinese fusion restaurant, and EsterEv, which offers a seasonally rotating prix-fixe menu. Jacobs' recipe tinkering was mostly in preparation for EsterEv's move to a larger space in April. The restaurant's now open four nights a week—an upgrade from weekend-only dining in a private space within DanDan. Tartares are ripe for experimenting with cheese. "We were doing a very Latin-leaning tartare, and we shaved Sin de Ancho, a seasonal Mexican-style sheep's cheese sold in Wisconsin [on top]," says Jacobs. While EsterEv weaves more cheese into the menu than DanDan, DanDan PHOTOS: Kevin Miyazaki Brussels Sprout Salad with Raisins, Homemade Cottage Cheese, and Mushroom and Charred Onion Vinaigrette Cottage cheese is a versatile topper for salads, desserts, and dips; however, it's also just as acceptable to garnish it with salt and pepper or a swirl of sweet compote for an indulgent, simple snack. Here, Top Chef contestant Dan Jacobs shows us how to make this creamy, f resh cheese. For easy assembly, prepare the cottage cheese, raisins, and vinaigrette in advance. Serves 4 to 5 as an appetizer EQUIPMENT NEEDED Kitchen scale Large stock pot Cooking thermometer Cheesecloth COTTAGE CHEESE: 1 gallon whole milk 0.8 grams Aroma B Mesophilic starter culture 0.8 grams liquid calcium chloride mixed with 16 grams water 0.8 grams liquid rennet mixed with 16 grams water 2 tablespoons crème f raîche Kosher salt and f reshly ground black pepper, to taste BRUSSELS SPROUTS 20 Brussels sprouts 3 cups sunflower oil Kosher salt, to taste MUSHROOM STOCK 1¼ cup dried shiitake mushrooms ½ cup finely chopped onion ½ cup minced garlic ½ cup finely chopped celery 3 sheets dried kombu 2 teaspoons soy sauce 1 gallon cold water MUSHROOM AND CHARRED ONION VINAIGRETTE ½ cup mushroom stock 1 cup onion, sliced into rounds and chargrilled ¼ cup red wine vinegar 1½ tablespoons olive oil ⅔ cup sunflower oil Kosher salt, to taste RAISINS 1⅓ cups red grapes ¼ cup grape vinegar ¾ tablespoon olive oil ONION AND RYE CRUMBLE 1 medium onion, sliced Kosher salt, to taste 2 cups diced rye bread ½ cup olive oil ¼ cup minced garlic ¾ cup finely diced anchovies "I like to have a Gruyère and a bloomy-rind cow's cheese. And I'm always a fan of Hook's Cheddar."

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