Michael Gerlach
Michael Gerlach is a multi-medium artist based out of Milwaukee, WI. His focus with wood and textiles is centered around the idea of reuse. He creates sculptural and furniture pieces with discarded lumber from historic homes and factories across Milwaukee, as the city renovates and razes buildings.
Film Photography: Aliza Baran
Foraging
Michael and I met through mutual friends at a dinner. We bonded over conversations about foraging and gardening. Michael would text me pictures of his harvests and I would dream of how to use them. While we were in talks about doing a spring dinner the following year, it quickly became clear that we were already doing much of the prepping for one. Why not try to pull off a dinner in a month?
So, I sent Michael a few “grocery lists” and he’d leave me presents on my porch.
Menu
Collaborating with Michael started with a tasting of some of his foraged creations. A handful of ingredients stood out to me as unique flavors of spring: pickled magnolia, forsythia, and wild onion; wine and syrup made from pinecones; and the shoots from Japanese Knotweed. We put to paper our ideas for flavor combinations and how to stick to the spring theme throughout the menu and into the table scape.
Encouragement
We kept each other informed of our progress over the next two weeks. Texts and pictures encouraged me to go further than I ever had with an event before. Michael had decided to make the furniture for our dinner with two weeks left to go: 12 stools and a table. I felt invited to match his energy out of respect.
Venue
Our dinner was held in an artist loft in an industrial building south of downtown Milwaukee. From up there you could feel the city breathing. The grey, rainy afternoon washed out the concrete and bricks adding to the magnitude of the structures that hugged us. I felt small and yet a part of something bigger.
Preparation
I prefer to have most of my menu prepared as much as possible so that all that needs to be done a la minute is sear and assemble. Since I was also introducing the wine pairings, I needed to let go of more responsibilities than I was used to.
Michael and Kerry (FOH), Cassidy and Barry (BOH), and Aliza (photography) all rose to the occasion. We had never worked as a team before, and I was moved by how dedicated each individual was in ensuring our guests felt cared for.
Japanese Knotweed
Michael was fascinated by Japanese Knotweed from the beginning of the planning process. While it is an invasive plant species in the United States, it is also consumed as a vegetable by people living in the mountainous regions of Japan. The shoots of the plant emerge in spring. When young, they are crunchy and sour (think a cross between rhubarb and sorrel). They grow quickly and aggressively. It is not unheard of to see a plant travel under 4 lanes of highway or through the foundation of a house. It’s also easy to see how knotweed can be mistaken as bamboo as the mature plant is hard and woody when they reach their height of 3 - 9 feet.
Japanese knotweed was used here (on left) as a pickle atop a crostini with chicken liver mousse, apricot amaretto jam, and fresh coriander from my garden.
My Right Hand
Cassidy has been my right hand for many dinners. I met her while working in a kitchen in Milwaukee in 2018. We have cooked together in all sorts of situations: on induction burners in a basement, at a home with a kitchen we could only dream of, and here on an electric stove in an artist loft. She is fierce. She is observant. She is timely. She holds and maintains high standards for herself and everybody else. Someday, I hope to pay her. Until then, she continues to kick butt as a hobby.
Soft Ending
The tell-tale sign that the evening was successful is when people linger. At this particular dinner, people talked well into the morning. Extra bottles were passed around, and others even joined after dessert. Guests exchanged contact information, people shared their hopes and dreams, politics were discussed, and futures collaborations were promised. This is what I work towards promoting. All people deserve to be in spaces where they feel safe enough to engage in conversations that challenge and expand our experience. Being human is tough and being vulnerable is essential for growth.
After the last guests left and everything was cleaned up, I made my way down the fire escape and into the promise of a new day. I felt physically exhausted, spiritually recharged, and then I heard the birds start singing.
If you would like to collaborate with Michael in any way, you may contact him through his website or Instagram.
If you would like to collaborate with Aliza in any way, you may contact her through her website or Instagram.