I had the pleasure of being the culinary presenter at Pheasant Fest in Des Moines, IA, on February 26-28, 2010.  The crowds were great and the seminars went well. Signature Lodge presented 4 recipes (Smoked Pheasant Dip, Black Mission Pheasant, Pheasant Chowder, and Smoked Pheasant Tortellini), we handed out 5,000 recipe cards and answered thousands of questions.  We addressed cooking techniques, food safety, wine pairing of wild game, and plate presentation.

Feel free to contact myself at chawkinson@signaturelodge.com with any questions about pheasant or wine pairings.

Bon Appétit!

Chef Carl

What a trip! Two trade shows in one week! Thank goodness the SHOT Show and SCI events will not overlap next year! But however tough it may have been, it still was a great week! Being in the Beretta booth at both events and talking to all the people about Cheyenne Ridge Outfitters and Signature Lodge was pretty cool!

The best part of the week however was the announcement of Signature Lodge becoming the first Beretta Trident Rated Lodge! Get this now – The First in the World – Beretta Trident Rated Lodge! Regardless of how many lodges and resort destinations come on board with the program in the future, we will always be #1 – The First – Numero Uno – in the world! And because the name Beretta is associated with it – well that really adds that international flavor and credibility to the whole program! I have been involved with a number of firsts in the sports world – created a few of them myself – so it’s exciting to being involved with the first ever Beretta Trident Rated Lodge in the World! Congratulations to the Weinreis Family and the dedicated staff of Signature Lodge. It is my honor to be the manager of this great place!

Our staff came up with this slogan and truly means it.  Signature Lodge is our home and will truly become your home.

From special requests to culinary at breakfast, to that special wine at dinner service; from the excellent customer service, to turn down service at dusk; from the experience in the field with professional guides, to the well trained dogs that you will remember for years; from the formal dinner setting, to a fine glass of port in our Cognac and Cigar room.

The signature sunset out the west windows of the Lodge will truly make it your HOME.

Bon Appétit!  Chef Carl

If you are not from this area, it may be hard to understand the great differences of the beauty in this area compared to other areas of the country. As most of our guests that have been here to the Lodge know, Bob and I are from the east coast, coastal South Carolina to be exact. While on the coast you can experience some great sunrises. Here in South Dakota you get to see both sunrises and sunsets that are just fantastic. The colors are so vivid and because there are no trees to obstruct your view you can see for ever. It is such a great feeling of freedom. The colors before the sun actually pops over the horizon are the best; you are treated to such beauty. It is a feeling of awe to see the wonder of God’s handy work. After experiencing a sunrise like that it is easy to have a great start to your day.

Sunsets here at the Lodge are no less beautiful. Everyone likes to watch the sun go down below the horizon. But the best time for me is after the sun has gone down. When you experience those few minutes where the light show really begins. The colors change so quickly you really have to pay attention so you don’t miss nature’s beauty. All the colors combined with the view over the lake are breath taking. Once the night has fallen over the Lodge it’s time to relax and enjoy some quality time with friends around the fire place.

I have done my best to help you understand the beauty of our sunrises and sunsets here in South Dakota, but seeing is believing, so come out and see them for yourself.

While I have thoroughly enjoyed my new position as chef of Cheyenne Ridge North Platte Outpost, trying new recipes, entertaining and cooking our delicious Prime Rib on a regular basis; it has been a wonderful experience to get a break from the kitchen. On a few very memorable occasions I got to explore the lands owned by the Weinreis family. My first being the very last day of duck season on the North Platte.

That morning, in the company of my husband, Jim McKenzie (head guide/manager for Cheyenne Ridge North Platte Outpost), Ross Juelfs, lead guide, and a friend of Ross’, Toby; I was formally introduced to the world of water fowling. As I had never been duck hunting before I was not sure what to expect. Shortly after getting set up in the blind, the ducks started coming in. The guys were generous enough to let me shoot first, and of course, I missed. They chalked it up to me just needing “a warm up” and was ready to go. Not but a few moments later a duck came streaking down the river to the blind, moving left to right. With me being a left handed shooter, as Jim put it, it was a natural shot for me. I nailed the drake mallard and he dropped instantly; right under Jim’s shot I might add. From there on out, I was hooked and it was on. The rest of our hunt went splendidly, I witnessed Ross’ impressive duck and goose calling; Jim’s great shot on a duck we all thought was too fast and Liscoe’s (Ross’ dog) enthusiasm at each duck that hit the water.  My first sight of the mallards spilling air as they dropped into the decoys was one to behold and I quickly learned what being covered up meant as well. We limited out at about 10:15 and it was time for the second part of the morning. Our float trip.

We put in at the west end of the property, Jim and Ross in the canoe and myself in my kayak, looking for decoys that slipped away during the season. To my delight, I found much more than runaway ducks. I have paddled rivers, lakes and parts of the Atlantic Ocean, but nothing prepared me for the North Platte. The sheer amount of ducks around every corner was astounding. Every turn brought the concert of calls and the beating of wings upon the water. Bald eagles rested upon the tree tops, waiting for the unfortunate, injured bird to make itself known. The “highways” where the whitetails cross the river apparent everywhere. Each twist of the river was a treat for the eyes, heart and soul; such beauty rarely witnessed. The east end of the property came all too quickly for me, I could have stayed on the river all day, but the experience is one I will never forget. The trip was as successful at our hunt earlier; I had bagged my limit again, my kayak limit that is, four mallards and a Canada Goose.

This for my southern friends of Signature Lodge.  You know who you are and, “Are grits a part of the food group?”

Maybe.

Now we know that corn beef hash and roast beef hash are definitely in the food chain. 

Grits vs. Polenta: 99 cent bowl of grits versus $20 plate of polenta. Sorry Bob and others, which would put it in the food chain?

As for NASA, they turned me down for using grits to hold the tile on the shuttle. South Dakota and Nebraska turned grits down for pot hole repair.

On a serious note, yes we do special requests and grits can be done.  At Signature Lodge our food groups are very large and special request can be handled on a group bases, and that even includes GRITS.  That’s because our home is your home. Give us try!

Bon Appétit!  Chef Carl

Family, n: a group of persons who form a household under one head, including parents, children, and servants (dictionary.com)

Family, n: the best part of my life (Brittany Dodson ad lib) 

My father is 1 of 12 brothers and sisters.  I am 1 of 5 brothers and sisters.  I am also 1 of 85+ cousins who are for the most part, very close.  My whole life has been family oriented and I wouldn’t change that for anything.  I now have a loving husband, an adorable 3-year old son (who would love to be your guide one day), and a beautiful 1-year old little girl.  Birthdays, Christmases, Graduations, Campouts and Weekends—we do them all together.  We have extremely strong ties and bonds with one another.  This categorizes us in the definition of family as noted above, including the ‘servants’ part, which often held true as we certainly learned to work hard as well as play hard.  

Another definition of family spoke of a group of people who share common attitudes, interests and goals.  I’d say combining these definitions sets Cheyenne Ridge apart from all other lodges.  We know how to have fun and we know how to work hard.  It is in our blood, and it has been for several generations.  Our family’s attitude is to do whatever it takes to give our guests experiences of a lifetime.  To work hard, so you can play hard.  We are interested in keeping the tradition of South Dakota pheasant hunting strong and inviting.  Our goal is to be your hunting destination year after year.  We know what being a family is and we thoroughly enjoy making you part of the Cheyenne Ridge family!

Well, Kerri and I have just completed our first season as managers of the North Platte Outpost. Ross and I finished putting away our waterfowl gear, and we decided to float the river to collect runaway decoys and plan placement of new pit blinds. Chef Kerri decided to join us in her kayak, leaving the kitchen unattended for one morning, as we put in at the west blind around 11am.

As we slid through the ice cold water, I couldn’t help but be astounded by the beauty of the surrounding area. Bald eagles soared overhead looking for their next meal. I was struck by the large flocks of geese that continued to cover the fields all throughout the land that makes up the Cheyenne Ridge North Platte Outpost. Ross continuously pointed out various native foliage that bring the waterfowl pouring into the North Platte River backs, making it a veritable duck haven.

Coming around a slight bend in the river, the current picked up and brought me back to the present, as I once again witnessed the reason hunters come to the our lodge again and again. Literally thousands of ducks of various species and hundreds of geese sprang out of the river! Every dip of the paddle brought us closer to exciting wildlife. We saw whitetail deer grazing along the banks, does with their fawns following and a very large buck still proudly carrying his large set of antlers. They watched us glide nearer until mother decided it was time to leave the area and white flags flashed as they disappeared into the brush. While passing the old cottonwoods where the flocks of Merriam turkeys roost, we watched as they moved throughout the timbered fields, looking for food. It definitely looks like it will be a good spring season!! 

As we entered the stretch of river near the middle blind, enviously called the “Honey Haven” by the guides and customers alike, we saw more ducks and geese take flight from the river than I have ever seen in person, on TV, or in pictures!  Scattered amongst them were eight or nine bald eagles and what looked like golden eagles.  I wish we had a camera! This sight was so breathtaking we had to just stop and watch. It literally took some minutes for us to come back to the realization that we still had some distance to go to finish our journey. It had taken us a couple of hours to complete our tour of our three miles of the river; picking up various decoys that had drifted away during attacks from overhead by dive bombing waterfowl.

Our expert waterfowl guide, Ross Juelfs, and myself discussed many different new blind locations. The question not being if there was any, but the many possibilities that we could put in and still allow a multitude of haven locations. At the completion of our trip, I remembered all of my 22 years with the Navy and 29 different countries I have visited, as well as all the different places I have hunted and guided. In all of these I have never seen a place with such a diverse and abundance of wildlife, coupled with the natural beauty of Cheyenne Ridge North Platte Outpost. I am thankful to be able to spend time here and invite everyone to come join Kerri, Ross and myself here in the near future.

Marinating cooked wild game intensifies flavor.  Marinating is a flavor of choice.  If you like spicy, sweet or tangy this is the time to do it.

Although marinating meat before cooking helps add flavor, the marinade often doesn’t penetrate past the surface of the meat. If you really want to add flavor to game meat, season it, cook it rare to med-rare, and place it in a small cooler—one without much space after you have filled it with the cooked meat.

Pour your marinade of choice over the hot meat, cover with foil, and close the lid for an hour. Meat is much more porous when hot than when uncooked. Marinating after cooking allows the marinade to be more readily drawn into the wild game, and provided the meat isn’t overcooked, you’ll be amazed at how much flavor this method adds.

Try a tasty treat of marinated goose or pheasant breasts, thinly sliced, with horseradish sauce on crusty bread.

Bon appétit!  Chef Carl