Milwaukee Cocktail Week: It's going to be a blast

If you've wondered where we've been for the past couple of weeks, it's time for us to come clean.

We've been busy planning a HUGE cocktail party.
And not just any cocktail party. This one is a pretty big deal.

We were asked to be a part of the planning committee for the first-ever Milwaukee Cocktail Week. And we were more-or-less put in charge of the food for the Kick-Off Event, which is coming up this weekend.

We took our job pretty seriously. In fact, we went out and found some of the best chefs in Milwaukee and got them to volunteer to cook up a bunch of amazing tail-gate food.

And no -- it's not just your ordinary run-of-the mill tailgate fare.

For instance, here's the line-up:

• Bavette La Boucherie - a great new female-owned butcher shop in town, owned by Chef Karen Bell, is making up mini Oktoberfest beer brats with pickled mustard seed and sauerkraut.
• The awesome new spot, Love Handle, is bringing their A-game with garlic sausage stuffed porchetta on a baguette with beer mustard.
• Paul Funk, expert charcuterie master from Hinterland Erie Street Gastropub is being a little mysterious about his offerings, but we trust he'll come up with something awesome.
• Joe Muench from Maxie’s, a great restaurant that serves some of the best low-country Southern fare in town is bringing smoked pork and cheese hot links with Bourbon peach bbq sauce and roasted jalapeno slaw. For the vegetarians, they'll be serving up kettle cooked lentil sloppy joes with smoked onion jam (I know, right?) 
• Chef Justin Aprahamian from one of Milwaukee's best fine dining establishments, Sanford, is pulling out all the stops with his duck sausage with black currant mostardo.
• Smoke Shack, one of our best barbeque spots is serving seitan sloppy joe sliders made with their house sauce -- which is smoky and chocolatey and delicious.
• One of my personal favorites, Wolf Peach, is serving up Milwaukee classics like smoked garlic polish sausage, jalapeño cheddar brats and old school classic brats

Imagine all that food paired with expertly crafted cocktails. All for $30. Yeah -- that's what's happening.

Football fans will be able to watch the Packer game on a GIGANTIC television. And people -- like me -- who could care less, will be able to mix, mingle and eat ourselves silly.

I'd love to hang out with you.

So, if you're in the area, you should come. Really.
You may never again see James Beard Award nominated chef Justin Aprahamian of Sanford serving up tail-gate style fare ever again.

And that, in and of itself, is a pretty good reason to show up.

Here are the details:

Milwaukee Cocktail Week Kick-Off
Sunday, September 22, 2013
11:30 AM to 3:30 PM
Horny Goat Hideaway
2011 South 1st Street
Milwaukee, WI 53207

Tickets:  $30 in advance

©BURP!

Crockpot Korean Beef: For tacos, banh mi or rice bowls

Here in the West, Korean cuisine is known mostly for its beef dishes like bulgogi or galbi. Now, that's probably short-changing the breadth of Korean fare, since there are plenty of Korean dishes that make brilliant use of vegetables. At the same time, it seems Korean cooks know how to make the most of even the most affordable cuts of meat.

This recipe was inspired by the notion that you can always do more with less, especially when a delicious marinade is involved.

If you’ve never experienced the sweet-salty, gingery flavor of slow cooked Korean beef, this is your lucky day. This easy crockpot version is the perfect solution for easy weeknight dinners or leisurely weekend fare. The marinade uses ingredients that you probably already have on hand, 

Pair this flavorful shredded beef with kimchi or slaw for Korean tacos. Make homemade banh mi sandwiches. Or, for a quick weeknight dinner, serve it over rice with sauteed spinach, shredded carrots, scallions, and sliced cucumbers for a Korean beef rice bowl.

Crockpot Korean Beef

©BURP!