My brother had asked me to make our mom’s cookies. I didn’t have to ask which ones, since everyone knew which were his favorites.
When I brought them to a family dinner at his house, he couldn’t wait to take a bite — but as he sunk his teeth into the clove/cinnamon/ginger delicacy, he nearly broke a tooth! Not one to ever mince words with his sister, he exclaimed, “What in the world happened? These are like hockey pucks!”
Eager to please, I was dismayed, of course, and thought he was kidding — but upon taking a bite myself, and after further review of the recipe and my baking steps earlier that morning, I realized I had left out the baking soda (two teaspoons)! One missing ingredient and the ship is sunk.
My mother’s “Ginger’s Snap” (her name was Ginger) cookies always get rave reviews and I treasure that recipe. Whenever I see my brother, he hopes I’m carrying a large tin jammed with the confectioner’s sugar-topped spicy goodies, even after my misstep.
The other day, a neighbor down the street was sitting on his porch and, as I walked by, he asked me what was up. I told him I had just baked some “Ginger’s Snaps” and decided to bring him a few to try. He took one bite and about fell out of his rocking chair. That specific recipe and baking in general became the topic of our discussion. A perfect blueprint that garners the chef’s kiss, the buonissimo!, the yum! is a treasured keepsake, an heirloom not to be lost.
He took one bite and about fell out of his rocking chair.
Here’s another great concoction: Ina Garten’s Caprese salad. I made it recently at our cottage, following her video, which simply combines tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese with basil — but it’s the dressing that makes the difference. Garten prefers red wine vinegar and olive oil. And, yes, it was buonissimo!
On another night, I made Garten’s winning recipe to complement Michigan corn on the cob and chicken salad. Alas, I was out of red wine vinegar, so I used a different type of vinegar. The salad wasn’t even close to good! There’s no doubt that one ingredient can make it or break it.
In this issue, the folks at Treetops Resort near Gaylord share the recipes they often serve during their annual Culinary Color Tours. The program invites participants to drive golf carts around the Robert Trent Jones Masterpiece course, where beautiful tree-lined rolling hills are glazed in autumn’s light and peppered with reds, golds, and oranges. Participants stop along the way to enjoy appetizers paired with wines, beers, and other beverages al fresco, before settling in for a full autumn-themed meal at the resort’s restaurant.
Speaking of recipes and ingredients, restaurants, artists, inns, resorts, designers, adventure guides, and other subjects we feature among Blue’s pages almost always focus on the perfect ingredients.
I’ve discovered that the ultimate recipe for success is to, first and foremost, follow the recipe. I’m reminded of actor Matt Damon and his year-long program to get in shape for his starring role in The Odyssey. He told talk-show viewers that there’s a system, a process to success, and if you follow the recipe, it works. It certainly did!
Owners of establishments featured in our annual Best of Blue also follow the recipe. Thank you, readers, for voting in our online poll, and letting us know what you regard as the best in our beautiful state. And congratulations to the winners!
As for secret ingredients or extra touches, those are important, too. I believe the best product is created when you follow the tried-and-true, but consider adding your own intuitive twist, too. Winners in the Best Festival category, for example, have discovered this by injecting new elements into or fine-tuning their time-tested agendas.
When I make my brother’s favorite cookies (I’ll never leave out baking soda again!), I always channel our mom and sense that although the recipe calls for a certain amount of cinnamon, she always added a dash more. Sometimes, just a little bit of something extra is all it takes to create excellence. 
