La Tacorea, Chicago

Though I've always thought the title would be more fun as La Ta(k)orea, this little wanderlust of kimchee and tortillas has become a favorite of mine over the past few months. Located on Belmont just East of the "L" stop, this place is slowly but surely showing that Korean style proteins aren't just for lettuce leaves. I am frequently just down the block from the restaurant, and needing dinner (when do I not need dinner?) one night I stopped in when the waft of cooking meat filtered onto the sidewalk. Offering a small menu of tacos, burritos/bowls, dumplings, Bi-Bim-Bop, and the owner's Mama's Kimchee, they don't shy away from saying "This is what we do, no need to pad our menu!"

The first time I went I ordered a Bulgogi taco, which is big for lil'old me, beginning with a heated 10-12in flour tortilla, then rice, meat, peppers and onions (extra charge but worth it!), a choice of cilantro, red onions, cheese, finally a topping of their sweet Korean style BBQ sauce (not like American BBQ, silly-sallies), and an option for some hot-chili sauce. Their burrito-size is made all with the same stuff just with a jumbo tortilla and of course a greater portion of fillings. The meat is so good, though at times a little fatty on the ends, but has the best flavor. And to be honest, the south-o-the-border toppings really work! Even the cheese! These are messy though, I have since learned to order it with less rice, and less sauce. At about half of those ingrediant amounts it's the perfect for me, though I miss licking my fingers in front of perfect strangers.

I've also had their Kalbi taco, which is Korean short-rib rather than the rib-eye offered in the Bulgogi, both are very good, but I like the texture of the rib-eye better in the tortilla. And the Husband enjoys the shrimp a whole-whole lot. Next time I have to try the pork... Yum. I've seen folks ordering the Bi-Bim-Bop, and I *think*, though not certain, that they make that to-order in the back. The owner's Mother is frequently on the premises, and I have no doubt that she is adamant about the freshness of the egg in that dish. It's all so good!!!

If you've seen it in passing (or if you haven't) I highly encourage you to stop in, even just for a taco. It's way fresher and much more flavorful than Chipotle, PLUS it's a small-business, something we should all be supporting more often! The owner says they've seen a lot of repeat faces which gives me hope that it will still be around when I get back home from a job in July. Go tonight and give it whirl!

Rhapsody in the blue

Wealthy people of Chicago you are being duped.

On a recent outing to the Chicago Symphony buildings we caught ourselves wanting dinner before the concert. Upon finding our usual Loop-eateries packed solid, we looked for other options for a sit-down dinner. We'd been to Rhapsody before, the bar for a drink, and thought, "It's right there, let's just go and we'll be so close to the concert hall after."

Sitting down looking at the menu was not a shock, downtown can get pricey, but I figured that the ingredients and the creative sounding plates would hold up to the asking price. Having just eaten an extremely late lunch with friends, I looked to the pastas and the small-plate starters. The pastas were, at the time of our visit, $18-19, and the starters between $8-14. I thought this was a little steep on the noodling end, and again my mind went to give them the benefit of the doubt. Even the prices on the wine were suspect. My husband was reccomended one of the higher priced glasses (at $14/glass, all reds were between $12-15) that he was told would compliment his pasta.

We ordered first a side of Brussels sprouts, acompanied by pancetta and balsamic, the menu said. I chose for myself a small-plate of braised rabbit with someone's Nonna's gnocchi. And the Husband chose the boar ragu with hand cut pappardelle - a favorite of his when we eat out.

THE FOOD CAME.

Brussels Sprouts: DROWNED in raw balsamic vinegar. They looked like once they might have even tasted good. They had a nice...shade of brown about them... Someone must have switched the bottle of reduction with the Heinz bottle in the back, they were soaking with the stuff. We each tried to suck it up and finish the bowl but they were, simply put, gross, and we would have sent them back but at this point we were on a time crunch for the performance (something this restaurant works with all the time being literally connected to the symphony).

Husband's Boar Ragu: BO(A)RING. What was once beautiful boar was ground into a substance that easily could have been ground turkey for all we know. No flavor save for the unopressed saccharine tomato of the sauce. Just tomato, it was unfortunate because the "hand cut" pappardelle were actually good, great in fact. There was no meat flavor anywhere. Chef, you should save your restaurant the Boar-Bill and just get some ground beef/pork because, quite honestly, the boar is lost. It tasted like the cooks gave up on this one. A Ragu is not difficult, but apparently it's too much to deal with for a restaurant charging $19 for Chef Boyardee's secret recipe. The secret is worth being kept, trust me.

Nonna's Gnocchi and Rabbit: Someone's Nonna is rolling in her grave. Her gnocchi have been wrecked. MUSH, barely flavorful. I say to the cook, for shame, that Nonna's memory deserves better. The rabbit was good though,  thank God, and the sauce pleasurably spicy, though all you really got from the sauce was the heat, actually maybe that's a good thing. But the gnocchi. I mean, sad pandas. The kittens in the street weep for these once-pillowy gems. I'm surprised they were able to get them on the plate without disintegration.

Oh and the wine was NOT a good match for the tomato-obsessed sauce. It would have been a good match for a meat-focused sauce. But alas...

Lesson learned. A poor experience from a place that is frequented by this city's elite, the wealthy patrons of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (oh, and the guy next to us who was coming from a cubs game who kept saying that the wine was cleansing his palate, and his wife -or mistress- who looked like she was in a circle of hell having to partake in conversation with him). So I say again, what did we take away from Rhapsody? Drowned Boring Mush. Eek. That sounds harsh, but sadly true. If a restaurant can't even manage Brussels sprouts appropriately something is seriously outta wack. But really, who I feel worse for are the unfortunate little rich people being forced to not only eat such underwhelming food, but pay out the nose for it. Poor you.

On the subject I'd never thought I'd write about

What sounds like the BEST thing to eat in the middle of winter amongst the hoards of cookies and fatty meaty meats and booze galore?

(I cannot believe I'm saying this)

Tofu.

I know incredibly little about tofu, only that it's a sort of form of soy coagulate that resembles feta in looks, custard in texture, and tofu in taste. Well, it doesn't taste like chicken anyway. So really, it can taste like anything you want it to. I think.

"How did this happen?" asked the parent of the disobedient child, knowing full well how it happened and yet eager to hear the story.

With the coming of Fall, the Husband and I had been over indulging in heavy meals full of meat and potatoes and not many veggies, but it was tasty and fulfilling. One night we met up for dinner at Joy's Noodles and Rice on Broadway in Chicago. And all I could think about was eating tofu. Some may think this is strange, I will agree. I mean, I've had tofu in soups against my choosing and so forth, but I've never EVER said to myself: If I don't eat tofu tonight I will be unfulfilled.

(Is this how people become vegetarians???? Do I want to be thinking about that?)

I ordered their garlic chicken coconut curry, except with tofu (another classic Vegetarian move, heaven help me). It was PERFECT. No tendons, pieces of gristle, nor the heavy gross feeling after. I felt wonderful, though in my head it felt wrong, but yet completely right. CONFLICT. It was however in fantastic counterpoint to all the corpulent plates of goodness consumed in the weeks previous.

Confession: a Japanese friend of mine turned me onto Agedashi tofu last year. A simple dish but really cravable, and one of my now favorite things to order when available on the menu. So. Technically, I have been moving toward tofu for months. It's like some kind of odd butterfly into cocoon thing... Tonight we cook tofu for the first time ever at home stir-fried with bok choy and other greens.

Sunday we're having lamb shank.

Madam's Pasta

A couple of nights ago we were watching Jamie Oliver's show on Netflix, the episode where he was making Pasta Puttanesca. I always forget about this dish but it is one of my favorites. This is a sauce that incorporates all your favorite salty things (olives, anchovies, capers) with tomatoes, garlic, and basil. I'm not exactly sure why this pasta is named such, translated as "the prostitutes' pasta." Among the theories: the short amount of time it takes to make, because we all know a good lady-of-the-evening is a busy girl; maybe the salty/sweet combination. Or because its gorgeous smell made people want to come to the brothel. Nothing says "I love you for the next 10 minutes" like food, after all. Who cares, it's delicious. It comes from the Southern part of Italy, Naples and the Campagnia region. This does indeed explain the anchovies and the olives...and I suppose the prostitutes too.

So to make this sauce you can go a number of routes, but here's the one we did last night - pretty yummy...

Olive oil

4-5 cloves of smashed and chopped garlic

1 cup of chopped mixed olives, pits removed...(kalamata, big green ones, gaeta, doesn't matter as long as they're salty) - We used half cracked green/half kalamata

1 tin of flat anchovies in Oil, chopped - SAVE the oil

1/4 cup drained capers (if you'd like more, go for it)

Pinch of chili flakes

1-1.5 cup crushed/pureed tomatoes from can or garden - Jamie O used whole canned that he chopped up but I like the saucy feel of the puree.

Basil, a nice punch maybe 10-12 big leaves torn or sliced

(Get everything chopped and ready cause this sauce moves FAST, that includes having your water on the boil when you start)

Pour the olive oil from the anchovies into a saute pan, add enough extra from a bottle to get at least 2-3 tablespoons of oil in there. Saute the garlic till it starts to turn golden then add the anchovies and saute till they start to break up. Add the olives and capers with the chili flakes. At this point put the pasta in your boiling salted water - we used Linguine - cook till just before they reach the al dente phase while you finish the sauce (say 5 minutes if they're like spaghetti or linguine, a minute or two more if they are thicker noodles). Once those ingredients have sauteed for a couple of minutes add the tomatoes. Simmer while the noodles get to that "just under-cooked" point. Add the pasta to the saute pan to finish cooking, adding water from the pot to thin the sauce if it gets too thick. When the pasta reaches "done" (aka al dente) toss in the chopped basil and enjoy. DO NOT top with cheese. It doesn't really go.

I scarfed it. Not very lady like, but puttans are just slightly less than elegant society so I suppose it works. If you're looking to shake up your pasta I really recommend it. We had a grilled fennel salad with shallot-Dijon dressing in addition , and a Tempranillo which cut the salt nicely. Not a half bad Monday night dinner.

Check out my grill - Part 1?

Fire. Fire and shiny things. Okay maybe grills aren't shiny things to most of you, but they are to me. Like the diamonds in my engagement ring, I cannot stop staring at our grill...mostly when we're cooking on it, but I have been known to go out to the *tiny* back deck and stare at it (I also might have a staring problem). Now, to be upfront, we don't have a charcoal grill, we are not allowed these on Chicago decks; we've got this lovely little gas Weber. However, one day we will get the Big Green Egg and then my life will be complete. Let it be said that charcoal is ideal, I envy those who have it and we have been known to usurp our friends' grills when we visit. Gas is okay though...passable, and both the Husband and I use ours almost daily during the short Chicago summer.

So you want to grill on gas. Um. Turn it on, go.


So you want to grill with charcoal...ah, yes. Yes. Throw the lighter fluid out. Better yet, don't buy any. Why people think that their food has to have the chemical before/during/aftertaste... Anyway, get a chimney. If you're cheap, get some sticks and paper and mound your coals on that, but the chimney is a work of genius. The Husband loves these, and they get the coals all nice and hot real fast like. Once your colas are good to go, the sky is the limit!

Lately we have done so many meals on the grill, like smoked some ribs on a friend's Weber, and we did our first octopus just the other day. Vegetables are killer good; this method of cooking turns even the proudest meat-potato veteran into a vegetarian - WAIT, I hate that word - a veggie-respect-mature-adult. Some of our favorite grillables are asparagus, zucchini, onions (spring and mature), peppers, radicchio, tomatoes, eggplant, corn on the cob, mushrooms, and the list goes on. Brush them with a little oil or butter, salt and pepper shower and on the grill they go. AND may I recommend a Romesco sauce to accompany, mine goes like this...


Romesco Sauce: Into a food processor put 3 roasted red peppers seeded, 2-3 garlic cloves, 1/2 cup toasted hazlenuts, one chopped tomato seeded, a splash of redwine vinegar to taste - no more than 1T, salt/pepper, and olive oil once the machine is going (1/4-1/2 cup??). If the sauce is too runny I add some chopped day old white bread toasted. This=Heaven. It's good with meats too.


We always have chicken breasts on hand in the summer, and sausages and beef are also frequent visitors of those spankin' hot grates. Fish can be tricky, and other seafood is even trickier. My gorgeous Japanese friend inspired me recently. She mentioned she and her husband had just grilled baby octopus. What what what?! I mean, I love octopus. We frequently get it while dining out at such places as Evanston's UNION (our favorite hang-out spot) and Campagnola, and Chicago's Antiprema. It's a tasty little creature, but never cooking it at home I was intrigued and nervous...and hungry.



On a visit to Mitsuwa Asian Market, while on an adventure to IKEA to get our new bookcase, we found some lovely little gems already skewered. It was a sign from the heavens. Theywere already boiled, so we grilled them on high to a crispy texture and topped them with a kalamata olive/green onion dressing with grilled lemon. Oh my GOD. You have to do this. THEY WERE RIDICULOUSLY GOOD. If you're just to freaked out to cook them at home, go out and eat them. The Husband proclaimed it was the best meal we've ever cooked...and that, I think, is saying something.

Bless this bacon, for it gives me long life.

It's true! Cured, smoked pork belly has never tasted so good, and finally the truth has come out that it's so good for you!

An elderly woman, age 114, in Los Angeles has attributed her longevity to the occasional eating of crispy bacon. It's now scientifically proven one key to long life is eating bacon. Bacon i, it may be the world's most perfect culinary art. The wondrous combination of salty and sweet, and crunchy fatty goodness. I'm sure Mr. Kevin Bacon and Sir F. Bacon would agree.

Bacon is as versatile as the pig itself. It can be a condiment (in "bit" form), a flavor component (in stews), a main ingredient (The Bacon Explosion), and the fat can be made into soap... not that I've ever tried making that before. Okay, that part is actually kind of gross to think on, "Honey I'm out of dove, can you bring me some bacon?"

We fry bacon crispy in our house, that's the way my mom does it too, and making it melt in your mouth fat-meat ratio. Typically we use the Farmland type, the other kinds are okay, but nothing does it like the farmland, except the scrumptious slabs from New Braunfels. Up here in Milwaukee I have discovered Nueske's bacon, a whole other world. Last night friends and I made a pound of Nueske's for Fat Tuesday celebrations and my hair still smelled of it this morning. Better than perfume, sigh.

If you're looking for more ways to use our fragrant friend, I sometimes coat a chicken with pieces of bacon before roasting, it works for turkeys too. Chop it up and toss it with sectioned Brussels sprouts. And one of the best Tapas in the whole world can give credit to bacon for it's amazingness.

Bacon wrapped dates.

Oh holy jesus these are good. You might not want to use thick slices because it's too much baconess (i know, "How could it be too much?" you think!--but it really is). Cut a slice into three pieces - we discovered half a piece is too much, and a whole piece is ridiculous and doesn't cook crispy. Wrap the bacon around a pitted date and secure with a toothpick. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 min and then flip them over and bake for another 10 till crispy. You're guests will eat them all up and beg for more. And they'll be sad because you ate all the reserves in the hour before people showed up.

Sushi fix

Nothing says love like dead fish...

The H. and I were given a recommendation by a Japanese friend of ours for a couple of places for sushi in Chicago this past Valentine's day weekend. Okay, so normally going out on holidays is the WORST. All those twice-a-year people come out of the woodwork. We chose to brave it on the Saturday night before thus redeeming ourselves of the culinary Valentine's Day massacre.

Sushi, which most people associate with raw fish, is actually a title referencing the presence of vinegared rice. I get cravings for Sushi and sashimi quite frequently. Odd to some friends that my worst cravings are when I'm hungover. For me there is something beautiful and restoring about having nosh that hasn't been fussed over too much, of ingredients that are actually better for the body than a lot Western ingredients.

Now, I really know NOTHING about Japanese food, but what I do know is that every time I leave a Japanese restaurant I feel healthier than before I came in.

We were told to tryout Mizu on North, having been a popular choice with our fabulous friend. She and her husband like this place for the extreme freshness of the product coupled with the reasonable prices. However, if you want a real treat, the daily specials are fantastic. The night we were there Toro graced this list, and while we couldn't afford to sample this luxury, knowing they had it available give me confidence in their menu. We had a couple of rolls as well as (my favorite!) the sashimi plate. The Chef selected several cuts of raw fish, supremely fresh. My favorite was actually the flounder, white and light. The server told me they can do the flounder as almost a carpacio plater as well (off menu), which we will be getting next time if they have the fish. One of the roles we got was topped with the best eel I've ever had. Holy moly, batman, that was amazing.

OKAY. Eel and shrimp in sushi is not usually raw in America. So if you're a wuss, chose those. You know who you are. Who am I kidding? You, as the wuss, probably wouldn't even order the eel. And I say, GOOD - more for me.

Mizu also has a wonderful yakitori menu. Yakitori, I found out 3 minutes ago, refers to grilled skewered chicken only. We had chicken (dark meat please) as well as beautiful Japanese peppers and some skewered mushrooms stuffed with chicken. You are served three sauces to dip the grilled items in, and be aware of the mustard. A condiment which I adore nearly floored me as I forgot the Asian spice associated with this stuff. SO GOOD.

Another of my favorite things about Japanese food is sake. Sake is so yummy. I can see why all the Japanese business men drink it. Plus, it's BEAUTIFUL. Girls like pretty things. Mizu brought ours to the table in a blown glass decanter that had a sculpted hole in the bowl where ice could sit and keep the juice nice and cold without watering it down.

SO while you may hear the word "Sushi" and think, "Um, no, that's ridiculous, I'm not eating raw fish. I'd rather die." Be a world citizen. You won't die. In fact you will enjoy yourself... just get over yourself and eat up.