Tastemakers
6/29/09
Cousin Jenny’s Cornish Pasties
Cornish pasties were developed in Cornwall, England as a hearty meal for tin miners. They were easy to carry and easy to eat. When the tin mines stopped producing, the Cornish people migrated to Canada and the Upper Peninsula to mine copper and iron ore and they brought their Cornish pasties recipes with them.
Jerliyn DeBoer brought the tradition with her to Traverse City when she moved from the Upper Peninsula and opened Cousin Jenny’s on May 26, 1984 on Front Street (where Good Harbor Coffee is today). After 25 years, she has sold 1.8 million of the popular homemade pasties and has employed 150 mostly college and high school students.
Her secret to success: “Making everything fresh. I arrive every morning at 3 a.m. to make the pastry dough from scratch,” said DeBoer. “I also have listened to my customers over the years and given them what they wanted.”
At first she offered just a few pasties (filled with steak, chicken or just veggies, potatoes, onion, rutabaga and seasonings wrapped in a sturdy pastry crust). Eventually she added Breakfast Bobbies, salads, fresh fruits and other menu items. After a dozen years of success DeBoer, who operates Cousin Jenny’s with her husband Nick, had outgrown her Front Street location and moved to her current space on the corner of Union and State.
As for the future, DeBoer figures she has five more years. “I love this business but in about five years I will be ready to sell. But it has to be the right couple; yes it takes two people to make this business work.”
If you have never had the pleasure to enjoy a Breakfast Bobbie or one of their pasties, do so today -- you don’t know what you have been missing. --Rick Coates
Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy
Seasonal beers continue to grow in popularity. Larry Bell from Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo introduced Sol Sun 18 years ago (now called Oberon) and the citrusy wheat brew served with a wedge of your favorite citrus fruit quickly became a summertime favorite in Northern Michigan.
A couple of summers ago, Leinenkugel’s (Leinie’s) from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, released their Summer Shandy. Shandy is lemonade and beer. In England, where many believe it was developed, a shandy is half beer and half lemonade. Shandy evolved from a popular British drink called Shandygaff, which was a blend of ginger ale and beer. Some European commercial shandys are 10 parts lemonade and one part beer, making them legal for kids.
Here in the U.S., shandys have been slow to take off, but Leinie’s entry into the marketplace has created a buzz for this beer style. This beer has all the elements of a summertime thirst quencher. The brewmaster has done a great job of blending lemonade and beer flavors.
When Leinie’s sold to Miller Brewing Company, some thought it would be the death of this family brewer, but the family has maintained creative control and Miller continues to give the Leinenkugel clan freedom to experiment in the marketplace.
Leinenekugel’s Summer Shandy pairs perfectly with spicy foods (the beer has a hint of sweetness to it) and is great for those summer work projects around the yard. To read more about the full line-up of great brews from the Leinie family, visit www.leinie.com. --Rick Coates
6/29/09
Cousin Jenny’s Cornish Pasties
Cornish pasties were developed in Cornwall, England as a hearty meal for tin miners. They were easy to carry and easy to eat. When the tin mines stopped producing, the Cornish people migrated to Canada and the Upper Peninsula to mine copper and iron ore and they brought their Cornish pasties recipes with them.
Jerliyn DeBoer brought the tradition with her to Traverse City when she moved from the Upper Peninsula and opened Cousin Jenny’s on May 26, 1984 on Front Street (where Good Harbor Coffee is today). After 25 years, she has sold 1.8 million of the popular homemade pasties and has employed 150 mostly college and high school students.
Her secret to success: “Making everything fresh. I arrive every morning at 3 a.m. to make the pastry dough from scratch,” said DeBoer. “I also have listened to my customers over the years and given them what they wanted.”
At first she offered just a few pasties (filled with steak, chicken or just veggies, potatoes, onion, rutabaga and seasonings wrapped in a sturdy pastry crust). Eventually she added Breakfast Bobbies, salads, fresh fruits and other menu items. After a dozen years of success DeBoer, who operates Cousin Jenny’s with her husband Nick, had outgrown her Front Street location and moved to her current space on the corner of Union and State.
As for the future, DeBoer figures she has five more years. “I love this business but in about five years I will be ready to sell. But it has to be the right couple; yes it takes two people to make this business work.”
If you have never had the pleasure to enjoy a Breakfast Bobbie or one of their pasties, do so today -- you don’t know what you have been missing. --Rick Coates
Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy
Seasonal beers continue to grow in popularity. Larry Bell from Bell’s Brewery in Kalamazoo introduced Sol Sun 18 years ago (now called Oberon) and the citrusy wheat brew served with a wedge of your favorite citrus fruit quickly became a summertime favorite in Northern Michigan.
A couple of summers ago, Leinenkugel’s (Leinie’s) from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, released their Summer Shandy. Shandy is lemonade and beer. In England, where many believe it was developed, a shandy is half beer and half lemonade. Shandy evolved from a popular British drink called Shandygaff, which was a blend of ginger ale and beer. Some European commercial shandys are 10 parts lemonade and one part beer, making them legal for kids.
Here in the U.S., shandys have been slow to take off, but Leinie’s entry into the marketplace has created a buzz for this beer style. This beer has all the elements of a summertime thirst quencher. The brewmaster has done a great job of blending lemonade and beer flavors.
When Leinie’s sold to Miller Brewing Company, some thought it would be the death of this family brewer, but the family has maintained creative control and Miller continues to give the Leinenkugel clan freedom to experiment in the marketplace.
Leinenekugel’s Summer Shandy pairs perfectly with spicy foods (the beer has a hint of sweetness to it) and is great for those summer work projects around the yard. To read more about the full line-up of great brews from the Leinie family, visit www.leinie.com. --Rick Coates
