Necessity is the mother of sausage invention

Leave it to the Italians to always find a silver lining.

Almost 500 years ago, the paesani of Mirandola in northern Italy were running out of food. Outside the walls of their tiny town, the Pope--of all people--was waging an attack. Even though popes then weren't supposed to lead their own armies, Julius II was fighting a nasty cold in the frigid January winter to direct his forces in their attack on a little town just north of Modena. He wanted Mirandola out of French control and under his Papal territory. The folks inside those crumbling walls just wanted something to eat.

As our grandmothers never fail to mention, they didn't have Tupperware back then. But the Mirandolese were good at using their resources. They got the idea to use pigs' forelegs and trotters as ready-made sausage casings. Stuffing with pigskins with pork seasoned with nutmeg and pepper prevented their last foodstuffs from spoiling and kept them well fed even after Pope Julius stormed through the walls and took control. Centuries later, the area got a reputation not for Julius' snotty winter attack but for those delicious, rich sausages.

Named for its pigskin casing (or cotene), cotechino are a favorite of even modern day Italians. On New Year's, just about every northern Italian table holds a plate of tender, hot lentils that nestle thick slices of the sausage, still steaming from a long, slow poach in very warm water. But like the Mirandolese before them, Italians indulge in cotechino all winter long. Each hamlet has their favorite side dish--lentils, mashed potatoes, even polenta--all delicious when seasoned with the reserved juices from the cotechino's luscious casing.

Most of us aren't fearing the Pope's armies outside our doors, but there is a winter waging out there. Before the next snow flies, stop by the Goose for our house-made cotechino. After butchering a whole pig from Gunthorp Farms, Chris stuffed the clean, smooth pork skin with a rich blend of ground pork, nutmeg, and a touch of black pepper. Take home a link and gently poach it in its casing while your lentils or mashed potatoes cook up. Top them off with thick slices of cotechino after removing the casing. Its an indulgent, mouthwatering way to warm up this winter.

Poor Pope Julius II got so sick after his winter march against Mirandola that he nearly died. Perhaps what brought him back was some gentle cotechino treatment? Stop by the Goose for our sausage cure for the winter chills!

Changing the world, one salame (and bag) at a time

With the new year, the Goose has an even stronger commitment to doing right by the land that produces so many delicious things. Sure, veggies and fruit may come to mind first, but it also takes land to properly raise hops for the beer, goats for the cheese, and pigs for the salumi. So while we delight in the harvest of the land, we'd like to avoid adding to the trash on it.

That's why the Goose would like to introduce a new way to enjoy our delicious, local, all-natural foodstuffs. Take them home in your own bag or return the white paper Goose bags that we can reuse and you'll find your tab 25 cents lighter.



Come and see us soon to check out the new year's batch of treats from the cellar (have you seen Indiana beer sampler yet?) and the cases upstairs (porchetta di testa is back!)...and remember to bring your own bag for a lower bill and a cleaner earth.

Peace on earth, good will toward all

From all of us at the Goose,

Happy Holidays

On tap at the North Pole

His eyes -- how they twinkled, his dimples how merry.
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry.
No milk and cookies could produce such good cheer.
I knew in an instant, St. Nick likes good beer!

Brewers offer their most interesting beers around the holidays, and the Goose has stocked only bottles on "the good list" in our cellar.

Affligem Noel from Belgium pours a nice copper brown and thick white head. With flavors of dried fruits, winter spices, pepper, and citrus, it's a perfect pint for holiday desserts and mild cheeses.

Bitter chocolate malt and dark roast coffee flavors are heavy in Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout, a balanced stout that's surprisingly smooth for a beer that boasts 10% alcohol by volume.

Check out the seasonal selection in the Goose's cellar for even more treats like...

Dark and rich
Boulder Obovoid Empirical Stout
Two Brothers Bonfire Dunkel Weiss
Two Brothers North Wind Imperial Stout
Mad River John Barleycorn Barleywine
Meantime Coffee Porter
Atwater Winter Bock
Three Floyds Alpha Klaus Porter

Spiced, Belgian, and Winter Warmers
Two Brothers Avalon
Brasserie Achoffe N'ice Chouffe
Corsendonk Christmas Ale
Brasserie DuPont Avec Les Bon Vouex
DeKoninck Winter
Rogue Santa's Reserve
Rogue Yellow Snow

Fondue? Fondue-n’t: Raclette now at the Goose

Put away those tiny forks with the long handles. Raclette has arrived at the Goose! This robust, smooth Swiss cheese is best warmed to a delicious ooze, but it’s a far distant cousin to that cheesy pot bubbling over the tea light.

As early as the 13th century, mountain herdsman in the French-speaking Valais area of Switzerland--think Matterhorn territory--have nestled slabs of golden Raclette near the hot coals of their evening fires. Scraping a hot, melted layer of this cow’s milk cheese onto crusty bread made for a hearty end to the day’s work.

Through the centuries, that humble hill-side dinner grew into a tradition. Boiled potatoes, tart pickles, and pearl onions joined the crusty bread under its blanket of silky, molten Raclette. A stiff white wine or a cup of hot tea sidled next to the plate, and a sprinkling of black pepper or paprika decorates the Raclette of modern-day herdsman.

Though we lack the elevation here in Matterhorn-less Indy, all the ingredients for a hot Raclette dinner are stocked at the Goose.

We’ll slice your chunk of Swiss Raclette to order while little fingerling potatoes, cornichon, fresh baguettes, and bourbon-smoked paprika and black pepper are yours for the taking. Warm your oven's broiler as soon as you get home and then give thick slices of Raclette a moment to sizzle. (For a Swiss trio, add slabs of Emmental and Gruyere from the Goose.) Use crusty bread to scoop up the silky, salty stuff or let the cheese live up to its French namesake and scrape—or racler—it onto a plateful of hot potatoes and crunchy cornichon.

Wash it all down with some tiny bubbles from the Goose's cellar. Gabe recommends the French Jean Louis Denois N/V Brut Blancs de Blancs (Languedoc) for its citrus and apricot on the nose and peachy, mineral palate. (Robert Parker Jr. gave this bottle 89 points...and a partridge in a pear tree.) Similar citrus aromas come with Brugge Brasserie's White Ale, a crisp and refreshing ale with just a touch of sourness that Gabe likes to cut the richness of the Raclette.

Looking for an easy and satisfying winter meal? Herd your family around the table with Raclette dinner from the Goose!

Peace on earth, good will (and gift baskets) to all

The spirit of giving is a noble sentiment during this holiday season. But time is always fleeting and the search for a truly appreciated gift can leave us feeling like one of those chestnuts roasting on the open fire. Luckily, there's a miracle on 25th Street. Let the Goose help you beat the reindeer games and settle in for a long winter's nap by wrapping up your holiday shopping with gift baskets and gift cards that everyone on your list (bad or good) will enjoy. Order your gift baskets and gift cards online and we'll have them wrapped and ready for pick up in the shop or we'll mail them for you, leaving you more time to rock around the Christmas tree or just rest, ye merry gentlemen.

The holiday Goose Gift Basket includes:

• Vida Organica Sparkling Chardonnay: a balanced, bubbly Argentinian with apple and pineapple flavors.


• 1/4 pound artisan cheese: Local and imported, stinky and sweet, oozy and sharp -- the Goose has stacked some stellar cheeses this winter.


• Arnott's water crackers


• Bijoux Chocolat:* Hand-decorated by local chocolateir Todd Kennedy, these gems are as pretty as ornaments (but much tastier).
  
• DeCecco casareccia pasta:* Literally meaning "homemade," casareccia's twisted, hollow tubes began as a Sicilian tradition.


• Local Folks Heirloom Tomato Marinara:* Indiana-grown heirloom tomatoes and herbs cooked long and slow for this thick, savory sauce.


• Mild 2 Wild hot sauce:* Two Indianapolis firefighters teamed up to create Mild 2 Wild's Backdraft, a fiery--but still tasty--blend of habanero-whiskey mash and 20 herbs and spices.


• Hubbard and Cravens Coffee:* Locally-roasted, whole bean coffee we'll grind to order.

The Goose will load up a reusable, handled peck basket with all the ingredients above for $50 or you can choose a Gosling Basket filled with the asterisked* items for $30.

And to personalize a Goose Gift Basket for each person on your list, just imagine the possibilities...

• Wassail Song: Add a bottle or two of the seasonal craft beers for the beer-lover.
  
• I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing: Fresh fish arrives every Friday morning at the Goose--put in a special order for the sea-lubber.
  
• Feliz Navidad: Toss in a vac-packed single serving of Spain's jamon iberico de bellota, a three-year old ham from free-range Iberian pigs fed exclusively on wild acorns.

Don't let the rush of holiday shopping turn you into the ghost of Christmas present. Visit us in the shop or online and make these holidays a treat for you and your loved ones. It's a wonderful life!