Category: Resort Events

Posted on

Under All That Glittering Snow, A Culinary Paradise

How does Pomp, buried under winter’s blanket in tiny Greenough, Montana, keep carving out a reputation for dining excellence? Paws Up Executive Chef Sunny Jin takes a collaborative mindset to work each day. “Staying set in our ways would plateau creativity,” he said. “Our guests are often the strongest voices guiding our food, giving us foresight into a more valuable dining experience.”

Innovation is also a necessity when the cooking features local, seasonal ingredients. “Winter is where I find my best moments. Simple preparations open a new world of opportunity,” Jin said. In wintertime, for example, it’s the long, slow braises that are close to Jin’s heart: “When you devote yourself to a one-pot dish and its components, it teaches you to focus on the ingredients and timing for a meal that is both simple and rewarding.”

While Jin’s masterful elk short ribs, dry-aged bison ribeye and Rocky Mountain trout have been among past winters’ culinary wonders, beef is always a centerpiece. At its heart, Paws Up is a cattle ranch. And this season, some of that beef is special indeed.

“We’ve received our very first cuts of Wagyu beef from our Paws Up Ranch,” Jin said. Which means diners can expect exquisite portions that are highly marbled, ultra-tender and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Out here in the wilderness of fine dining, creativity often snowballs from one area of the kitchen to another. “Every Paws Up family member, and I mean everyone, is encouraged to throw ideas on the chopping block,” Jin noted. Rest assured, once an idea is born, it will be cultivated by a true master.

WINE SPECTATOR POURS ON THE ACCOLADES: POMP EARNS AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

It may seem unusual for Wine Spectator to honor a Montana establishment with its prestigious Best of Award of Excellence. But, considering the carefully curated vintages and labels at Pomp, it’s really not surprising. In awarding Paws Up’s fine dining restaurant, Wine Spectator noted the menu’s particular strength in California wines as well as its strong showings from illustrious Burgundy, Piedmont and Champagne vineyards.

Guests visiting during our annual WinterFest culinary weekend (February 12–15, 2021) will get a special viticultural treat: sipping alongside Lynn and Ron Penner-Ash, cofounders of Willamette Valley’s Penner-Ash Wine Cellars.

THE HOLIDAYS ARE SWEETER WITH CHEF AMANDA ROCKMAN.

Here’s one creature we love to have stirring: Chef Amanda Rockman will be joining us December 24–26 for her fifth trip to Paws Up. And each time she visits, she brings bubbling energy and a joy for baking.

“Really, what I try and do is give people of all ages skills they can use to get creative in the kitchen. If they’re going to take the time to come and talk with me, I want to feed them useful nuggets to take home,” she said.

And those nuggets she offers are decorated with kudos. A James Beard Award finalist and two-time Jean Banchet Pastry Chef of the Year, her pastry chef skills are admired from Chicago to Austin.

What’s she looking forward to this time? “It’s super fun to watch the kids,” Rockman said. “How they decorate their cookies. Some are so methodical about how they decorate each cookie … and some just dump the sprinkles on top and smile big.”

When she’s not whipping up flour-y goodies for Paws Up guests, you’ll find Rockman cuddled up in a dogsled making a mess of the snow.

To join Rockman over Christmas this year, start by visiting go.pawsup.com/holiday­treats for more info.

In the meantime, enjoy her recipe for sugar cookies.

Amanda Rockman’s Holiday Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

INGREDIENTS

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

6 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon oat milk

2 teaspoons vanilla paste

2 eggs

 

ICING

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

Food coloring and gel as desired

DIRECTIONS

Cookies:

In a medium-size bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and nutmeg. Set aside.

Using an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar and sea salt until light and fluffy. Add oat milk and vanilla paste. Add eggs, one at time, and scrape bowl after each addition. Gradually spoon flour mixture in, beating on low speed until dough is smooth and well-blended.

Turn dough out on work surface. Cut dough in half and shape each portion into a compact disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for 4 hours up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 325F. Unwrap 1 dough disk and roll on lightly floured work surface to 1/4-inch thickness (lightly coat rolling pin with flour to prevent sticking). Cut into chosen shapes and place 2 inches apart on parchment-paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate cookies on baking sheets for 5 to 10 minutes to help them keep their shape when baked.

Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Cool cookies completely on wire racks, about 20 minutes. Repeat process with remaining dough.

Icing:

In a medium bowl, combine sugar and liquid until smooth. Add more sugar or milk as needed for desired consistency For outline icing, you want a consistency that will keep its shape; for the flooding icing, you want looser so that it can fill in the shape. Apply gel food coloring and extract for flavor.

Posted on

Chad Melville Spills What He Loves About Wine and Montana

If you think winemakers are a fussy bunch, you’ve never met Chad Melville of Melville Winery in California’s Sta. Rita Hills. His family’s highly rated wines may have earned cult status, but this likable guy isn’t putting on any airs. In fact, he considers himself a farmer first, “I’m not a winemaker, I’m a winegrower,” he says. That distinction means everything to Melville. “Most people aren’t involved in that but that’s the most fun for me.” His wines are 100 percent estate-grown, a rarity in the wine world. “It’s all our grapes and we do all of the farming, everything by hand, organically.”

He likens the process to a Japanese restaurant:  “You can have really beautiful fish and you can cook it if you want to, but it’s such a great product, so go sashimi style.” Melville doesn’t tinker with the grapes too much, preferring a hands-off approach. “Just allow Mother Nature to humble you to a point where you recognize that she’s in charge and you’re just lucky enough to be involved in this magical process,” says Melville.

His laissez-faire attitude toward wine is similar to one of the reasons why he loves Montana: “The whole vibe—it’s so special.” He jokes that when he returns home to California, he tells people Montana was “terrible” because he doesn’t want it to change. Melville has been a frequent guest at Paws Up, and this fall he’ll return for our Visiting Vintners Series (November 6–8), along with winemakers Amy and Dominic Chappellet, as well as cheese expert Laura Werlin.

An avid outdoorsman, Melville has played, Paws Up-style, on every visit: “I’ve been in the summer and winter and gone horseback riding, skeet shooting, snowshoeing and snowmobiling. I love just running on the property, because there are so many beautiful trails.” This visit, he’s looking forward to some new adventures, including go-karting and tackling the ropes course, but when he’s around his good friends, the Chappellets, it’s anyone’s guess. “I’m the instigator, but Dominic is always up for anything,” he says.

One thing is for certain. He’ll be showcasing some of his best bottles, including the fall favorite Donna’s Syrah, and he can’t wait to try some wines from the Chappellets. “They are an iconic Napa family, but they are some of the best people on earth,” he says, “and they just happen to make really good wine.”

The fastest shutter speeds and the quickest smiles:

Let us tell you about Barbara Van Cleve.

Make your way to Paws Up the first weekend of November, and you’ll also get the unique opportunity to meet and learn from award-winning ranch-life photographer Barbara Van Cleve. You’ll cover a lot of ground, both in acres and in wisdom, during this special fall Wilderness Workshop.

Born and raised on her family’s Montana ranch, she learned ranch life hands-on at an early age before pursuing photography. She got her first camera when she was just 11 years old. Eventually she became the youngest dean of women in the United States at DePaul University, where she taught English literature and photography. And in 1995 she was inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame.

Van Cleve has been a friend of The Resort for close to 12 years. During that time, people have loved getting to know this joyful, rough and rowdy cowgirl while gaining new camera skills and improving their techniques. But the best takeaway is always her unique approach to life, on and off the ranch.

To find out more about all the events happening November 6–8, 2020, at Paws Up, visit pawsup.com/events.

Cheese, please!

Let’s be honest: there are some things that are meant to be paired. Peanut butter and jelly, for one. Cookies and milk. And, of course, wine and cheese. But, before you’re thinking of a run-of-the-mill cheese plate sided by a glass of merlot, think again. This is our Visiting Vintners Series, so you’ll be sipping wines by Napa royalty (Chappellet) and Central Coast innovators (Melville) and snacking on cheeses that will, as Laura Werlin puts it, “blow your mind.”

Werlin knows what she’s talking about. In fact, she’s written the book on it—well, actually six books—and nabbed a James Beard Award. “I really like introducing people to the great cheeses made in this country,” she says. “The biggest misconception is that all American cheese comes out of a factory, but so much of what is happening in American cheesemaking is inspiring Spain, Italy [and other countries].”

For Werlin, the chance to pair her cheese expertise with two of California’s best wine labels is a match made in heaven. “I’m really excited to be at Paws Up and work with them, because Chappellet is legendary and their wines are tried and true, really impressive,” she says. “And, Melville has really made a name for the Central Coast wines. I love Melville wines and always have.” Find more information about the weekend here.

Posted on

5 Best Culinary Events Worth Traveling to This Fall

From a mozzarella-topped Labor Day weekend to an extravaganza with California wine royalty, The Resort at Paws Up in Montana has a fall lineup of unique culinary events to please the palates of every food lover. Guests will have the chance to rub elbows with elite chefs, dine on delectable cuisine and enjoy the beautiful outdoors during a wonderful time of year in Montana.

Fish and Feast with Chefs Bianco and Perry Lang, August 31–September 1: Come along for the ride as Chef Chris Bianco and Chef Adam Perry Lang spend a weekend that combines fly-fishing on the trout-filled Blackfoot River with mouthwatering dinners along its shores and in the rustic, elegant Paws Up dining venues.

Cookbook Live™: The Elements of Pizza, August 31–September 2: Master the art of making Italy’s most celebrated dish. Chef Ken Forkish, a James Beard Award-winning author, will share recipes from his cookbook with interactive demos and delicious samples. Guests will learn the secrets and skills behind his famous Portland pizzeria and bakery.

Montana Master Chefs®: The Wonder Women of Food and Wine, September 27–30: This year, not only are the featured talents of Montana Master Chefs at the very top of their respective games, they’re also all women. Participants include Chef Renee Erickson, Chef Sarah Grueneberg, Chef Jayne Reichert, Chef Mindy Segal and Chef Julia Sullivan, with Alison Sokol Blosser, Merry Edwards, Violet Grgich, Lauren Oscilowski, Kristin Smith and Sarah Sorenson. *This event is currently sold out.

Cookbook Live™: Kristen Kish Cooking, October 12–14: Guests are invited to join Top Chef winner Chef Kristen Kish as she shares the skills and creativity featured in her first cookbook. Witness her legendary techniques and learn why acclaimed Momofuku Chef David Chang calls her “one of the most talented chefs around.”

Wine Weekend with Chappellet, November 9–11: Guests will get to know one of the most celebrated family-owned wineries in Napa Valley right alongside Amy and Dominic Chappellet. The weekend includes wine tastings, dining on fine cuisine and breathtaking scenery.

For reservations and further details, visit www.pawsup.com or call 877-588-6783. The Resort at Paws Up is also on Facebook, Instagram (@theresortatpawsup) and Twitter (@Paws_Up).

Posted on

4 Montana-Style Girlfriend Getaways

The girlfriend getaway is one travel trend that increases in popularity every year. At The Resort at Paws Up, we have several incredible options for your next gal pal vacation. How does an all-female chef and wine weekend, wellness retreat or cowgirl weekend held on our 37,000-acre ranch sound? If you’re overdue for a weekend of pampering, togetherness, adventure and luxury travel, we have four great event weekend options for you.

 

Cowgirl Spring Roundup

April 26–29, 2018

Channel your inner cowgirl alongside your best friends and amazing Cowgirl Hall of Famers. Their workshops teach horsewomanship and other cowgirl skills. At night, relive a day filled with relaxing trail rides, wildlife adventures and Western art and photography and shoot the breeze around a roaring campfire. Enjoy exceptional cuisine by Executive Chef Sunny Jin, expertly paired with wines from our featured vintner Planeta Winery. Pack your bags and saddle up!

AdrenZen: Spring

May 4–7, 2018

There’s no better place to jump-start your health goals than on our property with more than 100 miles of trails for hiking and horseback riding. With help from leading wellness experts in the Missoula area, your adrenaline will be pumping during outdoor adventures, and vino yoga will put you on a path to Zen-like tranquility. Guests will enjoy one-of-a-kind activities, including Buti and vino yoga classes, glide barre and mat Pilates classes and outdoor cardio and muscle building with a former pro bodybuilder utilizing a gorgeous Montana backdrop. You’ll even learn the art of juicing and preparing raw foods.

When you need a minute to rest, the scenery alone invites you to unwind. Meditate on the banks of the Blackfoot or find your bliss in a massage at our serene Spa Town®. Plus, you’ll dine all weekend long on freshly prepared gourmet cuisine with a health-conscious twist. AdrenZen: Spring is the ideal girls’ getaway to relax, recharge and renew.

Montana Master Chefs®

September 27–30, 2018

Each year, one of the most exciting highlights of fall is Paws Up’s Montana Master Chefs. And this year, it’s even more special because we’re celebrating the best of the best—not just among women, but among all who rule in food, wine, beer and spirits. Join us as we plate up our first female-inspired signature culinary event: The Wonder Women of Food and Wine.

In addition to gourmet meals, the weekend-long event offers live music, celebrity cook-offs, spa treatments, wilderness adventures and a little mixing and mingling with talented stars under big Montana skies.

Wine Weekend with Chappellet

November 9–11, 2018

Before the holidays, enjoy a weekend away with your friends toasting to the season. Spend a weekend getting to know one of the most celebrated family-owned wineries in Napa Valley. At our fall Wine Weekend, you’ll be sipping (and quaffing) right alongside Chappellet owners Amy and Dominic Chappellet.

Guests will explore the crisp, autumnal landscape on horseback or on the back of an ATV or test their aim on a sporting clays adventure. If you’re craving pure relaxation, relax with a little retail therapy, a host of spa services and, of course, a glass of Cabernet while soaking in your private outdoor hot tub.

Posted on

Pro Tips for Packing the Perfect Picnic

Are you dreaming of summer already? We sure are. And this year, we’re going all-out for al fresco, starting with a Chicago-style picnic in a Montana-size park.

Join us on June 16 for our Montana Long Table: Artisanal Picnic, and you’ll have a chance to chat and dine with illustrious Windy City chefs known for their Chicago dogs and gourmet sausages, honey butter fried chicken and hand-crafted pies.

But you don’t have to travel far to enjoy an epic picnic. Let Paws Up Executive Chef Sunny Jin share some inspiring thoughts on dining outside during those dreamy months ahead:

What do you love about eating outside?

The greatest advantage to eating outside is the wholeness of the experience. It allows us to focus on what’s important, and I believe that simply to mean being present and enjoying the moment in front of us.

What are a few of your favorite things to take on a picnic? 

I’m big on variety and small bites. That doesn’t mean extravagance and significant labor. My choices usually consist of cured meats, pickles, olives, cheeses, whole fruits and the best bread I can find. Every region has local favorites of each item, so an assortment is easy to come by.

Other than food, what else might you take? 

My picnic spots are usually at places where cell service and paved roads are absent. That creates a place with less exposure to human contact, so I carry along a book on plant identification. I’m still amazed what I’m able to find now that my eyes have adjusted to the edible surfaces around all of us.

If you were planning a leisurely rafting trip, what would be on the menu? 

Being respectful and observant of fire bans, regulations and conservation should always come first. It would be a bummer to pack for a riverside BBQ, and then come to find that fires are not permissible. I love to grill as much as the next person and would if the opportunity were there. However, to be safe, I try to stick to cold, no-fuss items that travel well. 

Chef Sunny Jin’s Rafting Trip Menu:

Chilled Prime Rib Wraps with Watercress, Pickled Goat Horn Peppers and Cucumber-Horseradish Slaw

Roasted Eggplant Panzanella with Chorizo, Toybox Tomatoes, Chèvre and Banyuls Vinaigrette

Fresh Fruit Bites with Wildflower Honey and Greek Yogurt

Homemade Jerky: My freezer is always stocked with experimental jerky made from earlier hunting and fishing trips.

Dill Pickle Chips: We all have our vices.

Ice Cold IPA: Some have more vices than others.

Posted on

Our Cowgirl Spring Roundup Gets Better than Ever

Bring your inner cowgirl to life at The Resort at Paws Up from April 26–29, 2018, for the Cowgirl Spring Roundup. Four National Cowgirl Museum Hall of Famers will lead scenic trail rides and cattle drives and teach you the finer points of barrel racing and creating Western art. In true Paws Up style, five-star cuisine and luxurious accommodations are included. Make your travel plans now for the ultimate girls’ getaway. (This event is limited to only the first 60 women, 12 and older, who register).

For the first time ever, Cowgirl Spring Roundup welcomes someone handy with a ladle. Chef and author Ellise Pierce will be wrangling our kitchen staff to bring you cowgirl cuisine like you’ve never tasted, expertly paired with wines from our Featured Vintner: Planeta.

Get up close and hear stories from this year’s Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame honorees. As a teacher of all things equestrian, Sharon Camarillo has a rich background to draw upon. She rode her love of competition to a rodeo National Intercollegiate World Championship at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, California. Camarillo then competed on the pro rodeo circuit as a barrel racer—she was a four-time National Finals Rodeo qualifier. A teacher in every sense of the word, Camarillo loves to share her passion and knowledge of riding. Her clinics on handling horses and barrel racing draw big crowds. But at Paws Up, she’ll just be teaching our Cowgirl Roundup attendees.

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but it’s hard to imagine laying eyes on Veryl Goodnight’s paintings of Western wildlife without appreciating the exquisite loveliness. Overall, Goodnight’s body of work is as expansive as it is gorgeous. Her sculptures—more than 200 of them—further set her apart from other artists. Goodnight’s art has appeared extensively in numerous books and been shown in museums, such as the Autry Museum of the American West. Imagine painting by her side, with a mountainous Montana backdrop. You can make that happen.

Marilyn Williams Harris is a true working cowgirl. Owning and comanaging her grandfather’s historic Arizona ranch with her sister, Harris works on their cow-calf operation. Her lifelong passion for riding horses led to American Quarter Horse Association World Championships in the Reining and Working Cow Horse categories, among other honors. When it comes to enthusiasm about sustaining the cowgirl way of life for future generations, Harris has few peers. Her unbridled zest for the Western land stewardship is truly contagious.

The passion Barbara Van Cleve has for Western ranch life is evident in everything she shoots. Her photography ranks with Western legends like William Albert Allard and Edward S. Curtis. With 55 solo exhibits under her belt buckle, Van Cleve exemplifies the grace and skill of Cowgirl Museum Hall of Famers. Her stunning book, Hard Twist: Western Ranch Women, rings true to life, perhaps in part because she was raised on a Montana ranch. The authentic flavor of the old West and the new West merge beautifully in Van Cleve’s work. This is your chance to shoot the American West with the master herself.

Posted on

Make Your Memorial Day Plans Now

We’ve stoked the flames of anticipation for this year’s Montana Master Grillers event (May 25–28) with an all-new lineup of grilling greats. This year’s weekend-long event features maestros of the grill who have worked their fiery magic from deep in the heart of Texas to Boston’s Fenway Park. Each has a unique take on BBQ delights.

Join us as we fire up the grills with MMG veteran Chef Tim Byres, newcomers Chef Nicole Pederson and Chef Steve “Nookie” Postal as well as local Chef Burke Holmes from Missoula’s Notorious P.I.G. BBQ and Chef Pat Martin from Hugh-Baby’s BBQ & Burger Shop and Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint in Nashville, Tennessee. Besides their flame-kissed wonders, we’ll add a bevy of beverages from KettleHouse Brewing Company, Glacier Distilling Company and Wagner Family of Wine and nightly music by Dan Dubuque, Andrea Harsell & Luna Roja and the Lil Smokies making this one unforgettable Memorial Day weekend.

In true Paws Up style, our BBQ mastery will be served with healthy doses of stunning scenery, luxurious accommodations and wilderness adventures. May we recommend a few hours riding the range with the Garnet Mountains as your sidekick or rustling up some trout from the beautiful Blackfoot River?

In true Paws Up style, our BBQ mastery will be served with healthy doses of stunning scenery, luxurious accommodations and wilderness adventures. May we recommend a few hours riding the range with the Garnet Mountains as your sidekick or rustling up some trout from the beautiful Blackfoot River?

Chef Tim Byres, named the Southwest 2012 Food & Wine magazine’s People’s Best New Chef, is the co-owner and chef of SMOKE, Chicken Scratch, The Foundry, Bar Belmont, Spork and SMOKE Plano. Originally from California but a longtime Texan, Byres is best known for his “live fire cookery,” worldly and approachable flavors and fun, family-style service.

Named Best Al Fresco Restaurant by Boston Magazine as well as Best Neighborhood Takeout Restaurant, Commonwealth is owned by Chef Steve “Nookie” Postal, a veteran chef of Cambridge’s Oleana and Casablanca restaurants. Commonwealth sits proudly in Boston’s vibrant Kendall Square. Fresh ingredients shine and take center stage via simple executions.

After learning secrets, techniques and recipes from world-famous pit masters in his native St. Louis, Missouri, Chef Burke Holmes brought the soul of true barbecue to Missoula, Montana. With such an authentic background, it’s no wonder Holmes’ Notorious P.I.G. BBQ was voted both Best BBQ and Best New Restaurant in Missoula. Always smoking meats over local cherrywood and applewood, Holmes typically applies his favorite rubs and sauces to everything from ribs and beef brisket to smoked cranberry-cayenne chicken wings.

Chef Nicole Pederson has an impressive pedigree in food. After culinary school in her hometown of Minneapolis, she gained valuable experience cooking in the south of France. Pederson also worked at Gramercy Tavern in New York and then headed to the Lula Cafe in Chicago, where she honed her passion for all things local. Pederson also held the post of Executive Chef at C-House.

Before becoming The Resort at Paws Up’s executive chef, Sunny Jin’s culinary journey took him around the world, cooking for some of the planet’s finest restaurants—Napa Valley’s French Laundry, Catalonia’s El Bulli and Australia’s Tetsuya’s. While his culinary skills have impressed discriminating palates globally, it’s the American Northwest where he feels most at home. His formative cooking skills developed in Portland, Oregon, at the Western Culinary Institute, where he won the coveted Grand Toque Award as the top culinary student.

Posted on

The Coolest Culinary Event in 2018

Montana winters are dreamy and full of adventure.  Paws Up’s annual WinterFest culinary weekend is January 25-28th, 2018 featuring James Beard Award nominee Bruce Kalman and Bravo Top Chef winner Brooke Williamson. The event is three and a half days of intimate cooking demonstrations, gourmet winter-themed feasts, tastings and more. Guests will enjoy cocktails by Glacier Distilling Company served at a festive ice bar,  fantastic wines by winemaker Ehren Jordan,  live musical performances (see below) and even lessons and matches with the Missoula Curling Club.

 

All of this will be served against a backdrop of incredible snow-covered mountains. Between meals, you’ll get to enjoy horse-drawn sleigh rides, snowshoeing and more, plus trunk shows for retail therapy, a host of spa services and, of course, sitting in your own private hot tub under a starlit sky.

 

 
 
Musical Guests:

 

On Thursday night, January 25, hear guitarist and singer-songwriter Andrea Harsell artfully blend bluegrass, country, folk and rock. Her voice has been known to channel the likes of Janis Joplin, Alison Krauss and Alanis Morissette.

 

On Saturday night, January 27, listen during dinner as guitarist and singer-songwriter John Floridis fills the air with his bluesy, folk-rock melodies. He’s played with Bruce Cockburn, Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin and Emmylou Harris, among others.

All-Inclusive Package Rates

Rates for a three-night stay start at $745 per person, per night (based on two adults staying in a Meadow Home).

Rates include the following: four days/three nights in a luxurious Montana vacation home, three meals per day including nightly fivecourse dinners prepared by featured chefs with wine pairings, two workshops and two wilderness activities and complimentary airport transfers to/from Missoula International Airport, as well as complimentary on-property transportation.

Posted on

8 Best Pie Tips from Pie Expert Kate McDermott

Making great pies isn’t about the recipe—it’s about techniques. Join us at The Resort at Paws Up for Cookbook Live: Art of the Pie, held at Paws Up on November 3–6, 2017. Cookbook Live is a brand-new culinary series that features chefs bringing their acclaimed cookbooks to life through interactive demonstrations, hands-on classes, receptions and world-class meals. For our November Cookbook Live session, author and “pie whisperer” Kate McDermott will walk you through the steps for mixing, rolling and baking perfectly flaky pie crusts every time. Her hands-on classes will help you master essential pie-making skills that all bakers should know. McDermott’s cookbook, Art of the Pie, was nominated for a James Beard Award in 2017. Below is a preview of some amazing pie tips from the book and much more.

What are some of your top pie tips?

  • To avoid filling spilling over, fill the pie pan about 1/2 inch below the rim.
  • Place the pie it in the lowest part of the oven (if that is where your heating element is) or on a preheated cookie sheet or even a pizza stone to give the bottom crust a blast of heat. This can help with avoiding the dreaded soggy bottom!
  • If your pie is burned on the top, try lightly scraping it off with a paring knife and brushing the crumbs away much like you would do with burnt toast.
  • A little ice cream or dollop of whipped cream can camouflage a burn.
  • And if all else fails, get out the lasagna pan, turn your fruit pie into it, stir lightly to even it out and you will have the best crumble in the world. No one needs to know that you planned something different.
  • “Don’t overwork the dough” . . . words that we’ve all heard before might also be translated to “stop before you think you are done.” When flour and water are mixed together, they make gluten. The more it is mixed, the tougher the dough. Work the dough lightly, and just enough, so it comes together.
  • For best flavor, use fresh spices.
  • Clean your oven before embarking on your holiday baking so as not to get a blast of smoke from a preheated oven!

What is your ultimate baking tip?

It really helps to keep the ingredients for the pastry crust well-chilled. I put my flour in the freezer and sometimes grate frozen butter to ensure it doesn’t melt. Butter starts melting at 59ºF and cold fats are essential for a flaky crust. If my hands feel hot, I hold ice cubes for a minute until they cool down.

Which pies do you make for Thanksgiving?

Pumpkin pie and pear cranberry walnut pie.

 

Can you tell me how you became a pie expert?

From the time I was a little girl, I loved to bake. In the afternoons after school, I would come home and while my mom taught piano lessons, I would get out the mixing bowl and spoons to make cookies, cakes and bread. Some of these first attempts were disasters but many turned out to be pretty good and kept me interested in baking.

Those years of learning and experimenting later served me well in baking for my young family. We lived “out,” had a big garden and in the kitchen was a wonderful six-burner stove with an oven that could fit six loaves of bread at a time! I loved getting up early to bake for my family.

For a while in the late 1990s, my son Duncan and I lived on a blueberry u-pick farm on the north Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. There was no shortage of berries there. I made blueberry pie, blackberry pie and raspberry pie and combined all the berries to make triple-berry pie.

In 2005, pie became a passion and a two-year exploration of crust ensued. There was lots of experimentation with different flours and fats, ratios and recipes. The dough that we make in my Art of the Pie® workshops is the culmination of much that was learned along the way.

How many years have you been baking pies?

I’m a lifelong baker. But I got seriously bit by the pie-making bug in the mid-1990s.

Do you have plans for another cookbook?

Kate’s Can-Do Cookbook: Easy as Pie Recipes for Everyday Cooking will be published in Fall 2018 by the Countryman Press/W.W. Norton. Photos once again by Andrew Scrivani. 

Why do you love to come to Paws Up?

I love the rustic elegance of Paws Up. Montana is truly Big PIE Country.

Posted on

My Top 5 Favorite Fall Events at Paws Up

The resort at paws up

by Katy Richardson, Paws Up Reservations Specialist

Montanans take summer seriously. This is partly due to long days of guaranteed sun and a culture that highly values the great outdoors, but, regardless, summer days in Montana are very active. We fill our time with revved-up, hair-raising adventure, taking advantage of the crystal-clear rivers that offer white water thrills, the open fields begging to be explored and the untamed beauty of mountain summits that beckon us to climb a little higher. We challenge ourselves to go higher, travel farther and get in as much as we can—every day!

fall at The resort at paws up

We take summer seriously, and, maybe as a result, we take in the fall season more slowly and thoughtfully. Ask around, and the locals will tell you that fall is also a favorite season in Montana. Every day begets a subtle change—a tamarack changing color, a meadow shifting from green to gold, a gentle slowing of the Blackfoot River—until the entire landscape has gone golden. Fish are jumping. The air is crisp, and people have an urge to cozy up and spend time together. This lends itself well to couples’ trips, culinary events and evenings around a fire. Of course, this doesn’t mean the adventure stops come autumn. We always have amazing things to explore here at Paws Up. The coming of fall simply means our guests might be more inclined to ease back in their saddles, pause on the trigger and savor a moment. We have many diverse events going on throughout the fall season. Here are my Top 5 Favorite Fall Events at Paws Up:

 Cowboy experience at the resort at paws up

  1. Cowboy Experience (October 26­–29, 2017)

Paws Up is pleased to continue our partnership with the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame to create an incredible weekend straight out of your favorite Western. The hall of famers will lead workshops and demonstrations, gallop on trail rides and share their favorite campfire stories. We end every night with an incredible gourmet meal featuring fine whiskey from three different distillers. And you’re guaranteed to rub elbows with the cowboys and cowgirls who show you the ropes throughout the day.

art of the pie at the resort at paws up

  1. Cookbook Live Presents: Art of the Pie (November 3–6, 2017)

There’s a reason why we continually invite Kate McDermott back to Paws Up every year: she’s a master at what she does. And, even better, she’s a master who’s willing to share her secrets, just like she does in her highly praised cookbook Art of the Pie. McDermott will guide you through making perfect, flaky fresh pies, just in time for you to show off to friends and family at Thanksgiving.

 AdrenZen Fall

  1. AdrenZen: Fall (October 20–23, 2017)

Combining exhilarating wilderness adventures with 37,000 acres of meditative space makes Paws Up the perfect location for a wellness weekend. With two guest instructors—celebrity yogi Kristin McGee and fitness and lifestyle expert Idalis Velazquez—you’re sure to burn calories, push yourself and get centered, all in a safe, fun environment. And with all of that exercise, you’ll need to keep your energy up. That’s where Executive Chef Ben Jones and cookbook author Alison Lewis come in. Jones will satisfy your appetite with gourmet food, healthy cocktails and private culinary instruction. Lewis will also be providing hands-on workshops with recipes from her latest cookbook, 200 Best Smoothie Bowl Recipes. Adrenaline and Zen—we’ve got them both here.

 The resort at paws up thanksgiving

  1. Thanksgiving (November 22–26, 2017)

Thanksgiving is all about coming together with the people you love, sharing memories over a beautiful meal. So, bring your loved ones to The Resort at Paws Up, and we’ll take care of everything else. We’ll baste the turkey and make sure the pies don’t burn, while you watch the big game, view the parade on TV, play a game of touch football or go on hayride. And, of course, the food will incredible. Executive Chef Ben Jones will create gourmet, upscale options, as well as Thanksgiving favorites, and even share some dishes from the Jones family recipe book. Oh, and we’ll do the dishes too.

Montana Master Chefs 

  1. Montana Master Chefs: Rising All-Stars (September 21–24, 2017)

This is the culinary event that started them all at Paws Up. There’s a reason Montana Master Chefs is at the top of my list. It encompasses so much of what I love about being on property at Paws Up in the fall: gorgeous September views, exhilarating activities, an incredible community feel and, of course, amazing, out-of-this-world meals. This year is extra special in that we’re featuring rising all-stars. These chefs may not be household names quite yet, but, when they are, you’ll be able to say you dined with them. And, rather than sampling their delicious dishes in a crowded restaurant, you’ll get to experience these masters at their craft in an intimate setting, while they tell you about their food on a personal level. This event is upscale without pretense and is exactly what Paws Up is about.

fall at the resort at paws up