Daniel T. Jackson is a purist, an Old School chef who has reinvented American Regional cooking at the historic Woodstock Inn & Resort. The Inn, located in beautiful Woodstock, Vermont, (set in the valley below Mt. Tom − about a 20-mile drive from Killington Ski Area − in the south-central tier of the Green Mountain State), is a suspended-in-animation wonderland of New England tradition.

Jackson’s new American regionalism is a triumph of the tried-and-true cooking methods over flash-in-the-pan flights of culinary fancy. "It all comes down to making sauces, soups and stocks," says Jackson, whose impressive resume includes stints at the Colony Resort at Longboat Key near Sarasota, Florida, and the Saratoga Restaurant in the Caribbean. "I've worked with many chefs who could cook breakfast and lunch on the line, and had the timing down to turn out the food with decent results, but as soon they were asked to make a sauce or a stock − well, they had absolutely no idea how to do it. And you need to make stocks if the goal is to master the art of finesse cookery."

Chef Daniel Jackson

Jackson got his cooking chops down at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), widely considered the best cooking school in the USA. He joined the Woodstock Inn as its executive chef almost five years ago, and since then has transformed the elegant Dining Room into one of the best restaurants in Vermont. Here are Jackson’s annotated comments on some of the best items and food elements on the menu, followed by a few analytical remarks from your humble food and wine editor.

Maine Lobster and Crab Cakes ($9.95)

Jackson: I mix the lobster meat in with the crab cake and it’s a very basic recipe; I toss in a few capers, sautéed bell peppers and diced red onion; but the trick is there’s very little bread added, just a dash of mayonnaise, no eggs and just a small amount of crumbled breadcrumbs. When you order the crab cakes you are getting crab and lobster, not the breading and the filler that takes away from the true nature and pleasure of sampling this dish.

Crab Cakes

Rosenthal: The lobster and crab are amazingly fresh; it is extremely light, as the onions and peppers are the backlighting − not a distraction, to the crab and lobster.

Assortment of Local Vermont Cheeses ($6.95) & Char Grilled Black Angus Filet Mignon ($31.95)

Jackson: I'm working with Green Mountain Blue Cheese, which is in Burlington (VT), and the cheese-maker − her name is Dawn − makes a style of Gorgonzola that she calls "Gor Dawn Zola." It's her signature cheese and I use it to make a crust that I put on top of the Filet Mignon. I do a reduction of apple cider that I then make into a "honey." I drizzle that honey on to the plate, before also adding a red-wine demi glace; it’s a Vermont version of a classic American Filet Mignon. In cooking all of my dishes the secret is that cook the stocks − veal, chicken, lobster and fish − from scratch.

Rosenthal: The cheese crust on the Filet makes this dish. The Angus beef is cooked perfectly. The drizzled "honey-apple cider" base blends seamlessly with the rich cheese and grilled, lean Filet. This is a huge portion of meat so plan accordingly.

Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras ($15.95)

Jackson: I prepare a homemade brioche, spread it out, sprinkle it with fresh black cracked pepper, roll it up, put it in a loaf pan and bake it − this serves as the base for the foie gras. I sear the foie gras on both sides in a hot pan; serve it at medium so it does not dry out.

Rosenthal: The black-pepper brioche is a perfect complement to the "sweet" taste of the foie gras. This New York State-produced foie gras − A-Rated for quality − is comparable to what you'd find in Quebec or in France.

Oysters Rockefeller ($10.95)

Jackson: It took me three years to figure out that the owner of the Woodstock Inn (Laurence S. Rockefeller) loved this dish. I open the oysters, set them out on the half-shell. I make a spinach stuffing with leeks, fennel, spinach, and Pernod for flavor, salt, pepper and garlic. I reduce the ingredients until all the liquid is gone. I pop that in the oven and when it comes out I do a garnish of one-half hollandaise and one-half whipped cream. That goes over the top of the stuffing for the oysters, and I pop it back in the oven until the topping turns a golden brown.

Filet Mignon

Rosenthal: Jackson had to do this dish the correct way because one of the Rockefellers was actually sampling the final product. Once again, Jackson puts the full flavor of the oysters ahead of the other ingredients the nuances of the stuffing bring out the salty-sweet oyster flavorings.

Farmer's Style Caesar Salad ($7.95)

Jackson: I use the Cabot Special Reserve Cheddar and Vermont Apple Smoked Bacon to add a nice flavor to complement the traditional Caesar dressing.

Rosenthal: In the spirit of always looking to improve upon perfection, Jackson has recently changed this salad by adding Peaked Mountain Farm "Vermont Dandy" sheep’s milk cheese instead of the typical cheddar. This cheese is aged for six months, and has a semi-soft texture and rich, creamy flavor.

Maine Lobster Salad ($14.95)

Jackson: One of my newest creations, with the Caribbean influence of a tropical fruit salsa and a blood orange vinaigrette dressing.

Rosenthal: The avocado and blood-orange vinaigrette complement the fresh lobster to a tee.

Roasted Rack of Australian Lamb ($33.95)

Jackson
: We use Australian rack of lamb because it’s a middle-of-the-road compromise between New Zealand lamb (which has a rich game-meat flavor) and American lamb (which tends to be high in fat but also full of flavor). The pesto sauce includes toasted pine nuts, light garlic, a blended olive oil and lots of fresh mint.

Rosenthal: Jackson’s inspired mint pesto kicks the living daylight's out of a typical mint jelly that was once the backbone of any lamb dish.

Besides the excellence of the Dining Room, the Woodstock Inn offers some of the finest travel options for lodging in New England. Check into the ski packages at Suicide Six in the winter and golf packages at the first-class local golf course in the summer.