Just had to pull in a line from “Purple Haze” by Jimi Hendrix on this chilly night (actually, it’s relevant to the subject matter of this note in an oblique way, I think)…

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On Friday, 1/5, I wrote sent off two sets of comments to the P&Z and Editor of the Express addressing the Warm Springs hotel project. See the above attached .pdf files. The third comment went to P&Z only. I hope someone with good verbal skills who attends the meeting will bring up this third issue specifically.

Any thoughts on these comments are welcome. I will not attend this meeting due to more pressing projects, but wanted to share what I sent out. Consider it a verbal “drive-by” shooting.

Thanks very much.

Andrew Fitzgerald

E: fitzgerald.andrew.nelson@gmail.com

“The Only Tough Part about Having To Film in Idaho Is When You Have To Leave” (Clint Eastwood)

Enlightening Eastwood’s Pale Rider

With a Statewide Movie Signage Proposal

By Jim Banholzer

With special lights from Brad Nottingham & Professor Tom Trusky

Watching Clint Eastwood movies, particularly his well-crafted Westerns are almost like enrapturing religious experiences for some big screen buffs. Each of his movies project priceless lessons, even when he portrays an antagonist, such as the callous elephant hunter in White Hunter, Black Heart. Astoundingly enough, Clint filmed much of Pale Rider right here in Idaho, with a theme as ageless as the Boulder Mountains. Clint plays a nameless preacher protecting a poor prospecting town from a gang of ruffians sent by a greedy mining corporation, to intrude on their claim. This striking film, the first Western of which he was the Producer, was created in 1984 around Boulder City north of Ketchum and over by the Vienna Mine near Smiley Creek. Pale Rider was the predecessor to Clint’s 1992 Academy award-winning gem, Unforgiven.

Each time I watch Pale Rider, I focus on the recognizable background terrain, sometimes freezing specific frames to find my way around in the mountains. As my friend Brad Nottingham was a local then, he reminds us:

“For Pale Rider, there were some filming issues evident in the film as you see it today, which brought comment: it was filmed in our typically beautiful late Indian summer, and some of the riding scenes were filmed just before and after an unpredictable early season snow, which frosted the upper parts of the ranges, while quickly melting off the lower elevations. As a film viewer, a period of time that seemed to be about a week, appeared to toggle from summer to winter, which brought some criticism, I remember, but any of us mountain folk wouldn’t give it a second thought.

In addition, Clint made tremendous effort to restore the site that was disturbed by the building fronts, construction crew, and later the feet pounding of the actors and production crew on the little ridge and river drainage near the quaking aspen groves. Winter seemed to come quickly that year and for a bunch of us, it was hard to spot evidence of the film set trampling that next spring, though we tried. We also tried to find some kind of film crew item or something. Lon and I located “the rock” that one of the miners was chipping on in an early scene from the film.
When it finally came out, Pale Rider sort of stunned people, because it was a break from the Eastwood tradition. He played an even quieter, low-key character, and I remember people being confused about connecting a “preacher” role to him. Others, expecting the active dashing and violent Dirty Harry traditions found this movie kind of slow and spacey, features I didn’t mind at all this time. I just soaked in the scenery that I knew was almost in my backyard. I had driven my old Buick Wagon up there, and forded the rocky river crossing half a dozen times, hiking up to some of the “real” old mining cabins and diggings.

Soon afterward, a local man, David Butterfield had us typeset and produce an exhausting field guide to good locations across Idaho, including information about accommodations, prices, in order to drum up more filmmaking interest from Hollywood. After the book was published, I remember that there wasn’t much response, until the Bruce Willis engine began churning up sleepy Hailey in the 90s. I still have not rented that weird, forgotten-about movie (Town & Country (2001)) filmed in Bellevue that included Warren Beatty that had a fly-fishing connection, nor the one about Hemingway, but I did see that odd Twin Falls picture(Breakfast of Champions (1999)) that Willis was working on when his marriage to Demi was fast unraveling.”

While reading Brad’s insights, it occurred to me that the filming of this picture was a significant enough event that we should commemorate it with a historical sign. Folks at The Idaho Transportation Department were receptive to this idea and revised the Wood River Mine sign to include such a tribute. 

Photo courtesy of Steve Linden

Soon after we relayed this information to Boise State University English Professor Tom Trusky, head of the Idaho Film Collection, Tom became enthusiastic about the Pale Rider tribute and expanded the idea with a “Statewide Movie Signage Proposal”. To quote Professor Trusky, “The tourist / publicity value of such signage is apparent – and locals might appreciate such knowledge, too, if they are unaware of their cinematic heritage. As well, given the recent interest in bringing film production to the state, such signage would not only be public acknowledgement of Idaho’s considerable contribution to the film industry but also serve as a reminder to contemporary filmmakers of the Gem State possibilities.”

Although we now face uncertain economic times, and are unsure where money will come from to fix and maintain highways, Tom’s Statewide Movie Signage proposal is exactly the type of project we need to enrich Idaho’s future. By merging the information superhighway with our back road signage, we could show the world how we stand on the cutting edge, as well as being able to cut through bureaucracy in hard times.

As technological capabilities continue advancing in affordable ways, it would be uplifting to see Idaho embrace the techno generation by attaching to our already successful historical signage program, interactive items. For instance, when traveling up Highway 75 past the North Fork Store, when reaching the perimeter of interest where Marilyn Monroe starred in Bus Stop, we could make an alert available for interested traveler’s digital devices. A short holographic film of Marilyn hypnotically dancing with a billowing skirt on driver’s dashboards would keep dozing dad’s chipper and alert, lending to driver safety. Then, for the next fistful of history, when reaching Pale Rider’s Phantom Hill, we could create the sound of bullets whizzing by your ear as the subsequent alert. After a quick Galena Lodge pit stop for perusal over photographs stuffed rich with Idaho’s silver history, proprietors of the Sawtooth Valley could smilingly profit by making related material available to satisfy recently whetted traveler appetites.

Eventually, we could develop inexpensive solar powered information kiosks for our pullout areas. Our transportation department’s research and development teams could further engineer signposts to include emergency communication devices. We could imbed a camera-eye within the untouchable hologram to thwart vandals and when tampering is detected, program the sign to announce in Clint Eastwood’s sternest voice, “Go ahead! Make my day!  Because you are now being filmed by an interactive sign commemorating Idaho Films!” Stranded drivers in remote areas where cell phones misfire could come to know these signposts as secure places. Drivers passing the Pale Rider signpost might be inspired to take after the nameless preacher’s lead to assist marooned travelers.

Certainly, ITD already has some technologically savvy leaders aboard. This is my third positive experience with ITD leadership, which leads me to believe they use a high standard of innovativeness in their daily working environment. I hope that someday soon, our leaders will advance these landmark ideas past the incubation stage to transform these signpost pullouts into something that truly enhances our landscape. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

You can read more of Brad Nottingham’s insights on the ‘good guys’ in the Idaho Film Archive on Pale Rider: http://www.boisestate.edu/hemingway/film.htm

Complete text here:

http://privateidahoconversationleague.blogspot.com/2008/03/brad-nottinghams-pale-rider-memories.html

Lastly a related poem:

The Rock

I know about where it is
This big rock with a candy vein of gold in it
Scintillating under the stars

I want to find this Idaho Sword of Shannara
and lay me down under the silver fruit
Press the gold of my ear to the vibration
to sense if I can detect the echo of
when Lurch -or was it Jaws?
Split this baby in half
with an old 1863 hickory stick sledgehammer

Yepperdoodle
I’ll bend up over the hill tonite
a-foot
Too itchy and scratchy for a truck in that rough spot
to see if I can’t see how these hills have changed

Yeah that’s it
I’ll pack up the DVD player
better bring a spare battery juice-pack
Cause it’s cold in those Idaho hills
I’ll freeze frame on the DVD
sections of Mountains in that backdrop
and compare it to our current status
                    
I think of the nameless preacher in the movie
and for some reason the Beatles real nowhere man
jangles my juices like Satchel Paige on opening day

On spectacular evenings like these
Sometimes it feels like we’ll still be standing strong
long after these hills have fast eroded away

Original URL for Enlightening Eastwood story:

http://greenvanholzer.blogspot.com/2007/04/enlightening-eastwoods-pale-rider-by.html

Footnote: Not long after posting the earlier missive to my personal blog, I noticed that it was getting twice as many visits as the rest of my stories combined. A year ago, Dave Worrall from the U.K. contacted me, mentioning that he is writing a book for Solo Publishing about Clint Eastwood’s Westerns and looking for some old photos of the Boulder City territory. After we exchanged a few e-mails, including a photo of the Wood River Mines sign, I suggested he subtitle his book “Clint Eastwood = Old West Action” since they are anagrams of each other. Furthermore, with a little photoshopping, he could design the equals-sign to resemble a smoking rifle barrel.

Footnote 2: With the Senate recently passing a bill, to create a fund to offer incentives to film movies and TV shows within the state, and with the newly created Idaho Film Bureau ready to offer these incentives as soon their funding comes through, perhaps portions of this funding could help with such a program. As the next logical step in the evolution of Idaho’s popular Highway Historical Marker program, perhaps the Idaho Film Bureau could even ask for donations on their website, from those who have favorite Idaho movies and would like to see those specific movies commemorated in such fashion.

(more…)

Update: I have referenced this post in a couple of recent seminars and it continues to be one of the most popular blog posts so I have updated information below since this was originally posted nearly 2 years ago.

I’m a fan of Top 10 lists (maybe it’s my first name) so when I was asked to come up with a list of actionable recommendations for those attending the Hailey Chamber Business Round Table on Internet Marketing, I thought a top 10 list would be a good way to convey it. I recapped the first session that looked at the dramatic changes in consumer behavior that have taken place in the last 10 years and thus why businesses that don’t update their marketing plans are bound to waste a lot of their marketing spend. So here’s a summary of the recommendations I discussed with the attendees of the Business Round Table sans the commentary on people’s specific business challenges. That interactivity is what made the session most interesting for me but this list should be useful as well.

1. Fish where the fish are – The Internet is the #1 or 2 most used medium surpassing all but even TV (it has been #1 with both Business Decision Makers and people under 35 for nearly 5 years). Take advantage of imbalance between media consumption and spend to stretch your dollars. A typical business in our Valley spent less than 1% of their advertising online yet over 3040% of their customers time is spent with the Internet.
2. Internet Advertising is working – Unlike the dotcom era, the most discriminating and biggest advertisers in the world have shifted major portion of their budget to online resulting in 30% year over year growth for Internet advertising vs. essentially flat or declining for other mediums. E.g., Procter & Gamble (the largest advertiser) shifted 15% of their TV advertising to online.
3. “Daytime is primetime” for the Internet – i.e., the Internet is the only medium that reaches a critical mass of people during the workday if you want to reach people during lunch, when they are on their way home, etc.. Corollary: take advantage of what’s unique for each medium. That is, every medium has its own advantages (e.g., magazines visuals are great for high fashion).
4. Stephen Covey “Begin with the end in mind” – Being clear on your goals make for much more effective marketing whether in print, online ads or website development. E.g., is your goal brand awareness, referrals, open house visits, etc. The Internet can be like a Swiss Army Knife and can do several things. You need to be clear on what it should do for you business.
5. Learn from Hansel & Gretel – Leave breadcrumbs to get people to you and your website. Here are a few search optimization rules of thumb – 1)know the high frequency keywords you want to “own” (see http://inventory.overture.com for those terms that are high frequency) and incorporate those terms into your header, headlines, metatags, text, URLs – analyze whether it’s worth paying for placement 2)frequently updated sites get indexed much more often (a key benefit of blogs) 3)have high traffic/pagerank sites link to your site (e.g., SunValleyOnline is a high traffic website, your business partners may have substantial traffic, etc.). [Note: Search Engine Optimization techniques change pretty rapidly so I've listed ones that have stayed relatively stable but it's important to recognize SEO is a journey, not a destination]
6. Lead, don’t follow – The key to standing out is doing something unique whether it’s in sponsorships, advertising, customer service, etc. Realtors may be the most guilty of mimicking their competition vs. doing something unique. In contrast, look at Sherry Daech (well known local realtor for those of you who don’t know her) and how she did some unique things several years back (e.g., being one of the first to have her own website, etc.) that raised her visibility above her competition.
7. Think like Madison Avenue – Maximize the cost effectiveness of your reach and frequency to affect key brand metrics such as brand awareness, brand recall, brand favorability, message association, intent, etc. The best way to keep your ad rates down is to have your media providers competing for your business.
8. When it comes to sponsorships, you can be Visa or Panasonic. Which one do you recall as an Olympic sponsor? See Sponsorship Series to see how you avoid being Panasonic. A rule of thumb is you should spend $1 on advertising for every $1 you spend on media sponsorship in order for people to realize you are a sponsor. Being one of the NASCAR vehicle-like logos is a guarantee to not get noticed by the vast majority of the audience.
9. Once you have your prospects attention, give them incentives to establish a relationship with you via email (e.g., tips, discounts). “Permission marketing” is consistently the most cost effective and reduces your dependence on advertising. You set the tone with your initial responsiveness. Leads coming from the Internet have a short lifespan. Do this before your competition as people generally only sign up for one newsletter per category. This is why SunValleyOnline focused early on building what has become, by far, the largest email subscriber list in the valley (over 11,000) reportedly 10-50x greater than its competition.
10. Help non-profits you support in our community by sharing these tips. Have them read How non-profits benefit from blogs. Many of these tips apply to businesses.

Bonus Tip – Ben Franklin: “When you are finished changing, you’re finished.”

During the talk, I referenced several books. These included the following:
1. The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman
2. Naked Conversations by Shel Israel & Robert Scoble
3. Permission Marketing by Seth Godin
4. Stephen Covey – several books
5. Life after the 30-second spot by Joseph Jaffe [Later: Joseph's latest book "Join the Conversation" has become a best seller and is also geared towards marketing]
6. Guide to Sponsorship by IEG

Updated with prizes for the September 2, 2007 event and 2006 scholarship winners.
Full disclosure: I’m a member of Rotary so this may be viewed as a shameless promotion of the Rotary :). I’m happy to sell you some Ducks if you are interested. I only joined Rotary relatively recently but had been aware of the Duck Race that happens over the Labor Day weekend (our kids love the event). Though I was aware of the race, quite frankly, I had no clue what its purpose was and who benefited from the proceeds. That changed when I chatted with a Rotarian and he gave me an idea of who benefited. It’s a broad array of organizations but the one that resonated with me was the fact that Rotary was the primary funder of Blaine County Search & Rescue which I believe provides a tremendous asset to the community (one I hope I never have to use!). I looked at my donation to the Duck Race as a sort of deposit in the “Bank of Karma” that I hope I don’t have to take a withdrawal from later. As I had kids and thought about college expenses, Rotary’s extensive scholarship program also struck a chord. Look for Rotarians all over town selling ducks. Look for a large yellow duck walking around town, or at our booth at Atkinson’s market, the farmers markets, Ketchum Alive, The Gallery Walk, during the Wagon Days parade and at our booth on race day.

Later, when I joined Rotary and was asked to help get the word out, I thought that job #1 was simply educating people on where the funds go that are raised. I’m convinced that if people knew where the dollars went, they’d be inclined to give (or give more if they were already giving). Each year, the race nets about $100,000. The money that the club gets is then distributed to worthy non-profits throughout the valley as well as a big chunk going to college scholarships. When I learned this, my hunch was that there were some great stories about those scholarship recipients. I was right.

I asked to get a copy of the scholarship essays and was blown away by some of the stories of the kids who won the scholarships. I thought the essays themselves told the story of each scholarship winner very well. Too often we hear about what’s wrong in the community but these stories tell you some of what’s right in this community. The stories range from a kid losing her mother at a young age and going on to become valedictorian to a blind kid achieving more than most kids with full vision to another coming up with the idea of a scholarship for kids who are the first in their family to go to college. With the scholarship winners’ permission, SunValleyOnline and the local newspapers will be publishing their inspiring stories. Keep an eye out on SunValleyOnline and the newspapers for these stories. As you’ll learn, many of these kids have a tremendous need for additional funds in order to attend college. If you are so inclined, Rotary will facilitate moneys going to either the scholarship endowment Rotary administers or to the specific student.

The links below go to a series of essays from the Rotary Scholarship submissions. The Hailey and Ketchum/Sun Valley Rotary Clubs have combined to raise over $650,000.00 in the last 9 years. This year, 10 scholarships were awarded. We thought you’d be interested in what the leaders of tomorrow had to say. Rotary scholarships just pay a portion of a student’s costs and many of the winners have significant financial requirements to pay for their college expenses. Rotary welcomes donations to the Rotary Charitable Foundation or funds directed to a specific scholarship winner to address their needs. Please contact Pete Stommel at 726-3331 to learn more about how to direct your donations.

The following scholarship recipients have been highlighted on SunValleyOnline:

Jozey Mitcham is a 4.0 graduate from Wood River High School who has overcome the loss of her mother and other setbacks yet has been a pillar of strength in striving to reach her goals. Read on for her inspiring story…

Tj Squires hasn’t let blindness hold him back from achieving his goals with the help of some instrumental teachers. As he prepares for the challenges college provides, he states “Now, I have to sink or swim, and I AM a swimmer!”

Thomas Gappmayer’s vision for the direction of his life/career will no doubt be useful with issues such as Blaine County 2025 being present today and in the future. Read more about how he hopes to achieve his vision…

Addy Mason is not only a scholarship winner but she is also going on a Rotary exchange program to Italy next school year to fulfill her passion for languages and travel. Addy was awarded the scholarship based upon a high level of achievement in community service, school and the arts.

As president of the Blaine County Teen Advisory Council, Kelsey Laird has worked with Sun Valley Adaptive Sports as well as pioneered a mentoring program that made it easier for middle schoolers to transition into high school. Her caring spirit is one of the reasons she was selected as a Rotary Scholarship Winner.

Hayley Stommel came up with the idea of awarding scholarships to her fellow students who were the first generation in their family to attend college. Read more about how she did it and the phenomenal response she received…

Prizes this year include Grand Prize - $5000 in Chamber Choice Gift Certificates Other Prizes Include: * 2 20/20 Alpine Ski passes from Sun Valley Company * Fisher RX8 skis with bindings from Pete Lane’s * 2007 Scott Carbon Fiber CRI Team Road bike from Sturtos & Scott USA * “Moon Glow – Bald Eagles” print from Images of Nature Gallery * 2 night stay in Park City, Utah from Premier Resorts * $1000 in veterinary care from Randy Acker/Sawtooth Animal Center * John Hardy 18 carat sterling silver moonstone cabochon bracelet from Barry Peterson Jewelers * Wood River Valley Restaurant Package from Names & Numbers * Auto Package from Les Schwab, Splash-N-Dash & Sun Valley Auto Club * $500 gift certificate to The Toy Store courtesy of Big Wood Plumbing * YMCA pool party * Sun Valley Company Restaurant package.

Update: I posted this originally last summer. I was reminded of this again when I got a call that I won a raffle item from the Bob Thompson benefit. It was a gift certificate from Atkinson’s. Once again, Atkinson’s showed how they have a heart and are a big supporter in the community by supporting another charitable cause. Hats off to Whit, Chip and the gang at Atkinson’s for their continued support of the community!

In an earlier post, I mentioned why it makes sense to spend your dollars locally if you want a vital community. Part of the rationale is the fact that it’s the local businesses that provide the vast majority of corporate support for local non-profits that help make our valley a great place. Over the last few months, I have spent many hours speaking with local non-profits which is how I learned about the generosity of local businesses. From the standpoint of local businesses, I empathize with how they get hammered every day with requests from non-profits. For example, Rob Santa (owner of Sturtevants) told me that there isn’t a day that goes by that he’s not hit up by a non-profit. While he can’t support every ask, he and other business owners like him are quite generous. At the risk of excluding a business who is very deserving, I’d have to say there is one business that gets mentioned more frequently by non-profits than any other when it comes to their local generosity — Atkinson’s. Whether it’s a case of wine or something as major as a $10,000 donation to the Animal Shelter fundraiser, they get highlighted as an exemplary corporate supporter.

Though they aren’t always the cheapest place to shop when looking at your grocery store receipt, when you take into account how they contribute to the richness of the valley, it’s a different story. Our valley would be poorer if Atkinson’s wasn’t here to support the many worthy causes that they support. I hope you keep this in mind as you spend your grocery dollars. I know the Chase household will.

What other local businesses deserve a pat on the back for their support of local non-profits? Chime in with your stories. Many of the valley businesses struggle with the high cost of operating here and fierce competition from out-of-the-area companies that do little to support our community thus their generosity is all the more appreciated.

Perhaps not surprisingly, when I went to Atkinson’s website to get a picture/logo, the homepage image said it all…

September 21st commemorates the 100th anniversary of Dr Alois Alzheimer’s description of the devistating neurological disorder that now bears his name. Alzheimer’ s Disease affects over 4.5 million Americans and as more baby boomers reach there senior years that number is expected to triple by 2020. Add to this number those other family members affected and it is evident that the country is faced with a medical crisis that will severely strain government and private interest’s ability to manage existing and projected resources . Medicare and Medicaid programs will be overwehlmed. While some progress has been made, a cure still eludes medical reaschers. More needs to be done. On October 21st the Idaho chapter of The Alzheimer’s Association is holding the Valley’s first annual Memory Walk and I invite all who read this blog to participate. My wife Christina and I have been named honorary chairpersons for this year’s walk and are dedicated to bringing greater awarenes of Alzheimer’s and to raise funds for the Idaho Chapter of the American Alzheimer’s Association. Some of you may remmember Christina, she served on the Ketchum City Council for three terms, until she had to resign her seat prematurly in June of 2005 because the effects of Alzheimer’s Disease. While in office she did her best to promote affordable housing when it was still a bad word. She spearheaded the building of the Atkinson’s Park building, the skatepark, the outdoor ice rink at the park , the free Ketchum Alive Tonight concerts, and is most proud of her last vote for the YMCA. Throughout her tenure she tried to best serve her community and leave it a better place. This October 21st all of you out there who have had children participate in Atkinson’s Park programs or kicked back and enjoyed an evening at Ketchum Alive Tonight, or are one of the lucky few who live in affordable housing, have an opportunity to thank Christina by walking with us and by helping to raise funds to help combat Alzheimer’s. We need volunteers to help. If you’re interested contact Bob Thompson at KECH radio, Tha Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Idaho at 208-384-1788, or respond to this blog and I’ll get the information to you. Remember, October 21st, the First Annual Memory Walk. Your support is badly needed.

Fools Exposed begins its journey on October 11 and runs through October 29th at the Liberty Theatre. It is Company of Fools, offering of three weeks of creativity through 12 readings of four plays, 3 performances of Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, 7 workshops, an award winning playwright and so much more. And every event is 5 BUCKS. Why so cheap? Well…sometimes the best things in life … should be. AND it gives EVERYONE an opportunity to create … together.

There is something for everyone. Literally. I’m not kidding. Log on to www.companyoffools.org and check it out.

But why? Why is Companof Fools doing this?

Well - we truly believe that creativity is our purpose - and what we create is up to us. It seemed to this Company that THAT is worthy of a concentrated view - a focused vision. One that needs to happen in many different ways WITH the community we serve. Hence - FOOLS EXPOSED. Come hear wonderful theatre, see Danny and the Deep Blue Sea by the 2005 Pulitzer Prize winner, John Patrick Shanley, take an improv workshop, a writing workshop with award winning playwright, James Still, learn about technical theatre, talk, discuss - DO!

Company of Fools started in the Wood River Valley 11 years ago. Have you heard the story? The Company started as a response to an essay by the visual artist Cecil Collins entitled The Vision of the Fool. In the essay the fool embodied truth, joy, creativity and a child like wonder of all that was magical and mysterious. The response was in a question, “What would it be like to have an acting company … of fools?”

Company of Fools was born in Richmond, Virginia in May 1992, with a series of discussions initiated by the Company’s founder, Rusty Wilson, for the purpose of articulating and clarifying a vision of a living theatre vital to its community. The Company’s first acting studio was Rusty’s garage and since it was unheated, winter classes felt like Russia, which suited the Company just fine, as they all loved Russian art. Or perhaps the winters were the harbinger of a land they knew nothing about … the Wood River Valley.

Through life’s endless wonder of lines that turn into circles - Company of Fools relocated to Hailey, Idaho in January 1997. With limited resources (the money from the sale of a house) the Company adapted Nikolai Gogol’s Diary of A Madman and performed it for thirty people over two nights at $5.00 a ticket. Eleven years later, Company of Fools is an award winning theatre producing year round while maintaining substantial arts-in-education programming.

History, like theatre, is a living breathing entity. Connected to all and singular as a shooting star. Our history continues to unfold……with you.

Log on to www.companyoffools.org to expose yourself to FOOLS EXPOSED.

By Scott Mason, Owner/Chef of Ketchum Grill where autumnal dishes are being served nightly

Autumn is by far my favorite time of the year in the Sun Valley area. Yes, autumn, with her crisp, clear mountain days and nights flirting with winter’s extremes. So robust and so graceful, with her hues of golds, reds and greens, creating the transition from summer to winter. The first scent of a neighbors pine fire and a child’s excitement at a trip to the pumpkin patch are part of the autumn season which I love. The sounds of mallards winging near and the autumn feeling inside that the work of summer needs only to be canned and put away. I know, when a hearty dark porter satisfies as sublime reward following a long afternoon ride that autumn is here.

Autumn more than any other time of year helps to keep me centered on the good and simple things in the kitchen; Both in taste and technique. The desire to create becomes almost overwhelming for me in autumn. Yet still, I return and taste for the things of past autumns. First to memory, the hearty white bean and ham soup that my father used to make on Sundays after hunting and the corn bread with honey my mom made to accompany. An earthly lentil and sausage soup embodies all that is autumn to me, evoking thoughts of a warm fire, a wool blanket, Malbec, and a log home with the first snow falling on the shivering aspens. You may ask how I get all that from a bowl of lentil soup? Make a bowl, light a fire, and enjoy the best time of the year and you may see too.
An entire meal can be made around this soup by adding a crusty Big Wood sour dough bread, red wine and a fresh green salad as accompaniments.

Ingredients: serves 6
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 spicy, smoked sausage, sliced
2 cups lentils
1 bay leaf
1-teaspoon thyme
2 cloves chopped garlic
1-tablespoon paprika
1/2-teaspoon anise seed
1/2-cup tomato paste
8 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons kosher salt

Heat olive oil in heavy bottomed soup pot. Add onion, pepper, garlic and sausage, sauté briefly over medium heat. Add lentils, bay leaf, thyme, paprika, and anise and tomato paste. Stir until mixed, and add chicken stock. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer and cook covered until lentils are tender (about an hour). Check and salt to taste. Serve Hot.

If you have questions about this dish or other autumn dishes, ask them below. In between cooking up those dishes myself, I’ll answer them.

About Scott Mason:

Scott and his wife Ann Mason have owned and operated the Ketchum Grill since 1991 and that little place in the mountains called the Ketchum Grill has pulled in more celebrities, foodies and mostly just regular folks than you‘d care shake your stick near. “I’m not sure why they come… I just cook it and they do” And it’s no wonder why. An award winning wine list, food tasty enough to eat every night and reasonable enough for an average Joe to play big spender. Snow Country Magazine chose Ketchum Grill as 1 of the “8 best Ski town restaurants” with “food rivaling Manhattan’s best.” Book reservations online or call 208-726-4660. For directions, click here.

And The American Dairy Counsel chose Scott to be one of their Premiere Chefs of America 1997 spokes people . “I love to cook, I love to eat. What more ca