Trencherman

In the old Spring location, Chicago's Trencherman has been plating up beautiful dishes since opening in  early July. We ventured out for their Christmas Eve prix-fixe 3-course menu with our friends and their 11 mo. old daughter for the (as it was put) "family seating." Because we were practically the first people, other than the staff, to step in the door that night they offered their apologies for not having our table ready; inclusively of them, "reservations for 4 with a baby" means just 4 human beings.

Once we were seated at our beautiful curved booth which reminded me of something out of Downtown Abbey, the delightful server took drink orders and the menu choices. Our friends chose from their amazing cocktail list two drinks that embodied the holiday spirit (featuring spiced "sparkling" vermouth), and we opted for the new Illinois Sparkling Co.'s Freak of Nature. GORGEOUS floral and citrus notes, the restaurant had just gotten a supply of their limited stock of this wine and if you can get your hands on a glass or even a bottle you should go for it. We've been wanting to head out of town to their tasting room, but our schedule hasn't been able to yet afford the 4 hour round trip excursion. :(

For the first course everyone, save moi, had the infamous "Pickle Tots"plated atop red onion yogurt with chicken bresaola. I chose the Brandade Cake, I can never say no to brandade. The cake is served with a charming little fried quail's egg, and pear and kale(?) garnish. It was a little on the dryer side, but the pickle tots are incredible. They definitely live up to the hype.

Second course we all had the Skate Wing offering except for one of our friends who went for the duck. A Peking-style breast with a paring of duck sausage, served atop sweet little doll-sized spaetzle. The Skate Wing was heavenly cooked and the sautéed cipollini onions, kale, and yuzu-sauce made a super tasty match. A really interesting, though minor, ingredient perched atop the fish was bacon that was so crispy it gave one the impression that maybe it had been slightly dehydrated before cooking. Kind of like turkey-bacon, but better. Because it was pork.

Then, holding a finger a side of her nose, the server brought MILK AND COOKIES before dessert!!! Honestly, this was my favorite part of the evening, and despite trying to avoid gluten I gorged on the floury stuff in the form of one of the best pieces of gingerbread I've ever had. Slightly crispy and caramelized on the ends and cake-y-chew in the middle. I think the key must be how thickly the dough was rolled, being one of the more girth-some gingerbread person I've ever eaten. The server was even kind enough to think to bring my lactose challenged friend a glass of the soy stuff.

Desert choices were between two of their cakes off the dessert menu; a coffee cake (made with real coffee, folks!) and the cognac brown butter cake. The first served with a chai-tofu ice cream (not dairy-free though) with smoky chocolate, while the cognac cake was accompanied by a ginger ice cream. Both were very good, but I think they could find something to sub in for one of the cakes at least. Rumor has it, however, that they have no pastry chef right now, correct me if I'm wrong! In that case, bravi to the lot of them for making the desserts work.

Overall, a merry experience! They are also doing a NYE set of menus if one feels so inclined! For my part, I'd like to come back sometime to experience sitting at their amazing bar for more of those beautiful cocktails - accompanied by pickle tots, certainement!

My Piggy Birthday

There comes a time when a girl knows what she wants. When someone says, "What do you want for Christmas or Hanukkah, or what do you want for your birthday?" the answer can give one pause... This year I told my parents and the Husband: I want a pig.

Not a pet pig. That would be silly. A gorgeous 50LB roasting pig? Now you're talking.

Meet Constantine:

I named him as such because he (or she, I really don't know) was a fighter, I can tell. A great pig amongst pigs.

The H and I ordered Constantine from a superb local butcher (The Butcher and Larder) who sources from as close to the city as possible. We had to order at least a week or two in advance, in case inquiring minds were inquiring. The day before the party we went to the shop to pick it up and they scored his/her (him from now on, this is getting ridiculous) skin for us and also placed some of the innards in to-go containers -- the modern equivalent to an Egyptian tomb urn, if you get my drift.

They placed him in a dignified black trash bag, and we put him in the trunk...just as a cop drove by... (Now, I don't know if this was just the neighborhood, but the cop didn't stop us. Typical.) Anyway, we took him home, but not to our home, because the next step involved a bathtub and our has Jacuzzi jets -- as much as I love pigs and the meat of their loins I don't want one involved in my lavender-eucalyptus bath time... (however, in reading this over for proofing, these would be excellent flavors for pork... though aren't eucalyptus leaves poisonous to humans? thoughts? hmmm.) So over to the neighbors he went and into the bathtub packed with ice. We heavily salted him and left him over night to "cure".

The next day we carted him over to the house of another friend who has a yard where the party would also be later in the day; a yard is unfortunately essential for this type of grill. Let me just say right now, if your yard is full of precious grasses this cooking method is not for you. Buy a spit or rent a smoker, or what-have you, because this will RUIN your grass. Luckily for us these friends are building a garage in the backyard soon, so the state of the grass was not of great concern. The H had gone before piggy-pickup and bought 40 or so cinder blocks and a 4x8 foot piece of expanded metal. You know, from the friendly local expanded metal shop. These, along with 4 industrial sized baking sheets and some tinfoil, would be all the grill would need to be assembled. EASY. Here's how it went...

Building the grill: 3 blocks for the long side, two on the shorter ends. Some of the bottom blocks were turned on their sides for airflow, then the tinfoil is placed on the grass (where the coals live), then we build the sides of the grill up another level, making it ready to have the grate lain upon them. On top of the grate then is lain the third level of blocks, then the sheet pans. The first set of coals were lit in the chimney and then emptied out onto the tinfoil right before we put the grate on. Subsequent coals were shoveled from the the corners on the second level, which we left at angles for easy removal and replacement. (If I could I'd draw an arrow I would, but it's basically where the shadow of the hand is in the bottom right corner.) Some people use bricks to stop up the holes in the cinder blocks for the air flow, but we used tinfoil flaps...because, honestly, we forgot the bricks... it worked just fine though! The grate we used hung over the edge of the blocks by about a foot and a half, and was propped up by another block, which was actually good because we used this end as a little table for the waiting coals, utensils and such. 

Before we put Constantine on the rack (giggle) we injected him with a brine I made the night before containing white wine, sage, mustard, and S and P. Simple, but enough flavor and moisture to ensure our porky friend wouldn't dry out. It's a good excuse to buy one of those gigantic injector needles. Everyone needs one of those.

Then it was on the grill, with a probe thermometer inserted into the shoulder to track progress. The only thing we should have done was use an oven thermometer inside the grill to track the temp. The pig should cook for 5-6 hours at no warmer than 250. We got a little excited...Constantine started out like this...

...but by the end he got a little crispy on his back... like this... The flavor wasn't compromised, just the skin. Actually, it was kind of tragic, but whatcha gonna do. How many times do people roast whole pigs in the city.

The other thing that we didn't think about was how to get him off the grill, he was so tender when he was done that to pick up him up whole would have been disastrous. Others before us using this cooking method welded handles onto the grate's sides for easy removal and serving. We didn't do that, obviously, because that's the smart-plan-ahead thing to do. Necessity (proving to be once again the mother of invention) led us to cutting the beast in half and sliding him onto two of the giant pans. It was actually better for us because then you can have two serving stations. So folks carved him up to their hearts content, and I think Constantine was overall very happy with his performance. He looks pleased anyway...

Constantine, weighing in at just over 50lbs, fed about 25 people with gobs leftover. Friends brought salads and fixin's, and a lucky few took some of the noble animal home with them -- which I have to say is THE BEST party gift, you all should remember this for future baby showers. We had pork tacos several nights following, as well as various sandwiches. The best part for me... The skin. I could have just eaten that and been happy. Best birthday present ever. 

José can you see...

Washington, D.C. is a strange melange of would-be (and most unfortunately-are) politicians, tourists, government workers, along with a large number of hipsters and other kindly folks.  It is in this place of eternal filibusters that the José Andrés empire of restaurants begins its stretch across the globe. Following a job at Castleton Festival we took a little trip to our nation's capitol for a little fun in the sun (104 degree heat), some touristy outings, and of course good meals.

We were slated to go to Jaleo upon the night of our arrival. My parents had eaten there before, and it was a favorite of my sister when she was working at the American Galleries. In the middle of the afternoon, however, we got a call that a city inspection at Jaleo was going long and there were some things that would not be take care of by our 6pm res. Scandal of all scandals, though in that town who knows what their qualm would be. No matter, they moved us to the newer restaurant Zaytinya. One that we had been recommended by my host family in Rappahannock County.


Specializing in Greek, Tukish, Lebanese, and variants on other middle Eastern cuisines, Zaytinya features mezze style small plates, the counterpoint to pichos and tapas. Seated in their light airy dining room accented with blues and yellows, we ordered a caraffe of one of their house cocktails, the Clean Monday. My father (as he is wont to do) a beer. The cocktail though was a bright refresher to the heat we had been dealing with all afternoon. We ordered 8 plates for the four of us including a soft shell crab special, a beet salad, zucchini and cheese fritters (amazing) with a yogurt caper dipping sauce, sauteed shrimp in a gorgeous lemon-mustard broth, Adana Kababs (which my father had to have because of an old army grudge developed while he was serving in Turkey--more on that maybe later), and a watermelon salad. While all of these were excellent my favorites were the Kibbeh Nayeh, similar to a beef tartar but mixed with bulgur wheat and spices, and--shock--their dolmades.


Now, I should preface by saying that my Czech mother is a huge fan of stuffed grape leaves (as well as my Irish-English father). These dolmades were ordered with some grumbling on my part, though through my great trust in the chef I had to try them. Maybe it was the variation in ingredients, but these were fantastic. The Zaytinya dolmades include fennel and raisins, which give a sweetness to an otherwise very tangy dish. And the extreme "TANG" of the dolmades I grew up with give me pause. I don't like pausing. 


The Husband, my father, and I split the rice pudding for dessert, which is accompanied by rose overtones. Quite a lovely finisher to a heck of a hot day. 


Due to Jaleo's pause in service and prior plans, we didn't get to experience any of the other J.A. restaurants in town, but he also has a beautiful restaurant in the National Galleries which we debated. In the end we passed his $20/per person buffet up. There should be some other word for buffet. Something more classy. Maybe they'd have more takers. 

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.

Complete control

"I think it's done."

"How long is it supposed to cook?"

"I dunno, a couple of minutes. I've never done this before."

"I have to say, I'm very nervous with the whole not using a recipe thing."

"I know and I don't care."

Some friends and I have been getting together the last couple of years for a nice dinner at the start of the New Year. We try to vary the guests, but usually the same group shows up. I am able to be in the kitchen with a good friend, one of my closest friends really. The problem is that unless I'm baking (and we all know how that goes with me) I don't really stick to recipes. I don't like them. It's like someone else, along with the millions of other things in our lives, telling me exactly what to do. It's the same reason I hate flying. I am not in complete control. And if you cannot be in complete control in your kitchen where else can you be.

This got me thinking, though. Am I just really selfish and void of compromise, or is this a good thing... not to stick to recipes all the time, I mean. GRANTED I occasionally use them for cooking times and basic starts, but once I get going am I, under this certain umbrella, doing myself a disservice??? I mean, it means I know what I'm doing, right? Sometimes. And if I fail, I fail...or the dish just comes out wrong, and is that really so bad? Is it bad? I mean, Julia Child said never to apologize.

I think I made my friend particularly distressed that night. He is a by-the-book kind of guy. Once, I was told, he cooked scallops all day (in total he said round 25 scallops) just to get the perfect scallop. I admire this. And I love him dearly. Though now he doesn't want to eat scallops. Well, I guess if I had to eat 25 scallops in a day I'd never want to see one on my fork again.

Eat your Brussels sprouts. Fine, I'll eat them.

I can understand why most people don't enjoy the noble Brussel sprout. The miniature cabbage-like little brains freaked me out too until a couple of years ago. They're small, and people are wary of small vegetables, I find. Americans especially dislike anything remotely small. Tragically we were all mistaken, and before we learned the truth the Brussels sprout got a bad rap (thank the 1950's housewife for this). So if you think you hate them, think again and realize that you just have no idea how to cook, that you're now in the minority. The BS is back to take over your table and you won't be unhappy.

Like other rich leafy greens from this vegetable family, BS (no bull) contain cancer-fighting properties, so you'll save your life (theoretically) by consuming more of them. What's not to love about that?! Since they are growing in popularity in recent years, the BS is being seen quite consistently in stores. You can find them by the bulk, frozen, trimmed and pre-bagged to name a few. ... Actually that might be it. BUT it's a good variety. There are, in response, a number of ways to cook these tasty gems.

Our favorite is roasting...with bacon... Seriously it's so easy and so good, and not just because of the added pork element. When you buy the b. sprouts, get fresh ones either bagged or in bulk. Grab 8oz-1lb, trim the bottoms and any yucky spots, then half or quarter them depending on the size, the bigger ones you might want to quarter. What they hay, quarter them all! Toss them with salt pepper and a little olive oil, or other oil (the oil is just for crisp factor and no stick), as well as 2-4 pieces of bacon raw and chopped. You could also use pancetta...yum.

Put in an oven safe dish into an oven which you have heated to 375 degrees for 10 min, then give them a toss... not with your hands because they will be hot. Silly, use a spoon, we've been over this. Let 'em cook for another 10-15 min, and don't worry about the little leaves that fall off, those get crunchy and gorgeous and you will eat them all before your guests even see the serving bowl. If they need a little more time to get crispy let'em have it. You want the crisp factor. Try also subbing the bacon, and sprinkling with a little lemon zest, or Parmesan cheese, or garlic breadcrumbs. Or sauté till crispy with similar ingredients. IF you steam them, don't do it for longer than 5-6 minutes. You will be sorry.

Here's the real secret to cooking Brussels sprouts... don't boil or steam them to death. Just don't kill them, and they will thank you, and you will thank you, and everyone on the face of the culinary planet will thank you. I mean, who wants to eat mush? Except babies, and mainly because they don't have a whole lot of choices in the matter. Water means less flavor and less vitamin content, which means not only will you have a flavorless meal, but you'll likely suffer an early demise. That's right.

When I'm on the road, b.sprouts are a good quick vegetable that make me feel as if I'm not eating out of a hotel room kitchen. They are classy and tasty. And well worth getting over the crap that your dad said about them when you were a kid. I mean, really, how often do you agree with him anyway?

Sardines (POST Eating)

So we didn't die. I marinated the little headless-wonders in garlic and fresh herbs with a little lemon zest and olive oil. Grilled to bronzed perfection they were quite nice! The Husband was perturbed by the bones (as quite honestly so was I) and kept saying, "I might get punctured."

The bones, I was told, were supposed to be cooked out... they weren't. And one can only assume that I have more calcium than I did this time yesterday. But the fish were crispy skinned and yummy.

I paired them with an eggplant pesto pasta, which in retrospect was not that right flavor combo for the same plate. We made the eggplant pesto by roasting a whole eggplant with an onion some garlic cloves and cherry tomatoes. The pureeing it in the processor adding some olive oil, a little red wine vinegar. I made it a couple of hours ahead, then when the pasta was almost done I spooned the right amount of eggplant mixture into a sauté pan and added a little ricotta and some Romano cheese, a little pasta water and heated it through. Then I poured in the orecchiette (because I first had this dish in Bari), turned off the heat and tossed in a little chopped basil. It was great! but not exactly right. If anyone has a recipe like this I'd love to know it. We had it originally at La Cecchina restaurant in Bari and it's one of the great food memories.

So that's that. Next up: squid.... They are frozen in the freezer right now... and I have to pull out their eyes and stuff.

Sardines (Pre-cooking)

Okay, so I haven't cooked them yet but I need some therapy. I just beheaded and gutted my very first fish. All those fish previous to this have already been done for me, in the sense that I didn't have to do any of the actual work apart from cooking them... But then came Sardines.

There's been a lot of hoopla about sardines in recent years. Probably for a number of reasons not excluding that sardines are high in Omega3s, a renewable-fish-resource, they're yummy... Apparently the best in the US come from California. I got mine from a fish guy on Howard who I'm not sure I trust, and therefore not sure that I trust the fish, but they were frozen and looked alright for the most part.

Here might be my first mistake... Find a fish guy you trust, especially living in the midwest. I mean, most seafood that we eat today has been previously flash frozen on the boat from which it was caught. SO really ALL seafood you see at Whole-Paycheck is from a frozen status. That's right. FROZEN. The only place you can get real fresh seafood is on the coast...and sometimes not even then, so swallow your pride and just get the frozen stuff.

So we're going to assume I have confidence in my neighbor fish guy. These puppies actually look okay! I took them out of their bag and thawed them in the sink under cool water. I think I've mentioned before that I have no patience for letting things thaw slowly... probably yet another mistake. Whatever. So the fish are in the sink and they are looking at me. This is not fun. I have to behead them and remove their entrails. YUCK.

And so I took one and chopped off it's head.... and I screamed.

So basically no one told me how much gunk there is inside a fish. I mean I knew they had to have working bits inside... All the red stuff though. ugh. One site told me I had to use my fingers to get the entrails out. No. No no no. No way. I used a knife. If you ever want to eat fish again do not use your fingers. It's gross. I used a knife and then pulled out what I could, sliced them down the belly to scrape the rest and now...

They actually look quite pretty. I'm quite pleased. Oh yeah, so we're grilling them tonight. I'll send word how they are. If this is my last posting, you'll know I have died from something fish related. Go find the fish guy on Howard and chew him out please.

We got crabs.

On a job in rural Virginia with Lorin Maazel. Sometimes we need to escape the farm, and what better way to do this than to get us some crabs. Not necessarily the kind your health care professional thinks about but the tasty critters from the sea.

Being so close to Maryland the home of crab cakes, it's only natural to find the critters not only in cake form but in the natural steamed state. As in still within the shell and the guts there enclosed. These little guys, Blue Crabs by the common name, are plentiful around here as well as in the gulf of Mexico. And while they are fun to play with ala puppeteering post steam, they are equally exciting to eat.

The night we went to Blue Ridge Seafood outside Gainesville, VA several of us opted for the steamed crabs by the dozen. Saturated in Old Bay seasoning, clarified butter on the side. Then you get into the cleaning, or the "picking" as some define it. You pull off the male defining appendage with the assistance of a knife, then separate the top shell from the bottom meat and cartilage. Scoop out the guts and pick out the lungs which look like pointy sponges then you're left with two sides of body cartilage and legs, and the meat there in. Then get it out using any means you like. My favorite trick on the legs is rolling the cracker from small end to big like a steam roller to get out all the yummy crabby leg-ness. It will be messy, you will get butter all over your clothes, you will be dirty when you are finished. But you will be full and have eaten with such purpose and accomplishment, the satisfaction will be two-fold.

We also had a kickin' Lobster Bisque. In reality (or maybe my false reality) I could have eaten a gallon of that concoction. You definitely have to try it.

Rice is nice

Risotto is the Italian word for “little rice,” coming from a country prevalent in pasta, holds its own as some pretty substantial stuff. The dish comes primarily from the north of Italy, where rice patties can grow without the harsher sun of the southern regions, it is perfect Italian-alternate for people with wheat-gluten allergies and even follows ye olde cliché, “It’s not the size that counts, it’s how you use it.” Having just made a batch a couple of days ago, I feel compelled to share…

Basics. When making risotto you MUST use a short grain rice, such as Arborio (probably the most commonly used in the US). Uncle Ben is not welcome, so please don’t invite him. If he comes everyone will feel awkward, and you don’t want that do you? Long-grain Ben doesn’t have enough of the right starches to create that oh so creamy texture. The simplest risotto has broth and some kid of grated cheese like parm or romano. But here’s the way I like to do it…

FRIST: get a tall cool drink of any sort and be prepared to stand at the stove for the entire cooking process. It will make you happier to have a friend to talk with, or if you have no one (aka alone) consider good music or a podcast. You may NOT leave the stove once you have started. Don’t forget to use the restroom first too…

This recipe is for 1 cup of dry risotto, serves maybe 4 people. To start, finely chop (dare I say mince) a shallot. While you, or your beloved, are handling the knifery, gently heat one tablespoon each of butter and olive oil in a large-ish sauté pan. I think ours is about 12 inches, but I really have no idea. If you are British and don’t know what a tablespoon is, just melt what you think looks good, you cannot go wrong with too much butter. Toss in the dry rice and gently toast till it starts to have a little color. (People say that it should smell nutty, but what does that mean? Nuts? It’s rice, it smells like toasted rice.) About half way through the toasting, maybe 3 min in, add in the chopped shallot. You can also throw in some whole fresh herbs at this point, we use thyme.

Add one cup of white wine and stir. Now here’s the thing. From this point on you can’t stop stirring. You have begun to incorporate the liquid and magical things are happening, if you let the mixture sit…well I have to say I have no idea what happens because I don’t like to waste food that way. But feel free to experiment, and waste your money. After the cup of wine has reduced a little begin to add hot chicken broth or stock one half cup at a time and reduce. Have ready at least 4 cups, it varies how much you will need. Keep stirring, are you stirring? Once you get down to about one cup of liquid left, give a taste test, is the rice still crunchy? Is it bland? If you don’t know how to fix these problems you are a silly duck. Add more broth or salt if needed. Watch the salt content though, we’re gonna add some cheese at the end and cheese’s salty too! Once the rice is perfectly al-dente fish out the herbage, and such. Stir in maybe ¼ cup of Parm, or more. Like butter, cheese is to taste.

Variations, like mushroom risotto, are always fun. With mushrooms though, brown them in the pan first before toasting the rice. Remove them, then add them back in with the liquid. Other veggies, you can add in the last 5 min of cooking, such as peas, diced zucchini, tomatoes, asparagus…sky’s the limit. Or add grilled chicken shredded, or scallops… Try subbing the white for red wine and use beef stock… be daring! And the next time you order risotto while out at dinner, remember the slaving over the stove that had to happen for those little grains of rice.

Oatmeal, eh?

Simple, some say boring, sold in bulk, instant-fied, fortified, hearty, oaty, oatmeal. We have been eating different forms of oats since childhood, in granola, cookies, and the bowl. Lately I have been told at least once a week by my mother to eat them, I've told the husband to eat them, and my colleague down the hall has bought them in bulk and eats them probably daily. Why? Probably because these notey-oaty gems are packed with good stuff, and they are a cheap quick way to begin YOUR DAY! (insert commercialized muzak here)

I have never been an oatmeal person until recently. Sure I'd eat the odd packet at a desk job, we have a giant container at home sporting the giant white haired man in our upper cabinet in the kitchen, but I've never been a fan until Irish Steel Cut Oatmeal. I capitalize it because it's important. And it's the best.

The difference is that while rolled oats oatmeal can be mushy and have a mouth feel of baby food, Irish steel cut versions are like more yummy version of grape nuts, because, well, they're not grape-nuts. Kind of like if grape-nuts and regular oatmeal had a baby. They have a lightly al dente texture, with all the oatmeal creaminess. A perfect warming breakfast. Trader Joe's has a version, but my favorite is McCann's. These brands are instant, and usually take around 5 minutes to make. Honestly, there's no real health benefit to eating one type over the other, the rolled oats are flattened versions of the steel cut. But for me the texture is a huge plus.

Lately I've been having them with sliced strawberries, cream and brown sugar. Decadent and healthy... except for the cream part... feel free to leave that out. The real message is if you hate eating oatmeal because of the boring texture try these. You might want to eat oatmeal over an entire pack of bacon.

Chilam Balam!

As my final dinner "at-home", in Chicago in anycase, the husband and I went to Chilam Balam last night on Broadway in Lakeview. If you have not had a chance to go here, you should. The weekends are bustling and very busy. I'd reccomend, as did a staff member, coming on a Monday if you want immediate seating. We arrived at 6 and were granted a 45minute wait which we spent at the bar next door.

There isn't a whole lot of room to move around in Chilam Balam, the tables in close quarters in the small-ish basement establishment. And a passer by might even completely miss the signage out front. But once you do sit down and taste the food, small and larger plates, all the searching and waiting will not be in vain. Bring your favorite great wine, no corkage fee, and if you bring a cheap one they even have a sangria mix ready to go for you to pour your awful vintage into to try and make it better. From the amazing fresh look of the fruit and juice mix, I'd almost just drink it sans vin.

We ordered several small plates including the ceviche which was a whole mess of fun - without the mess, served with freshly made chips and lime on the side. Unlike some places, which serve it saturated with juices in a liquidy slosh, it was perfectly cured and cleanly presented from a ring mold. You could also taste every veggie that accompanied - especially the cucumbers which were extra yummy.

Another great dish was the duck tamale, topped with a mole negro. The corn taste in the masa was incredible and the shredded duck was tasty tasty. Topped with a refreshing celery root slaw and crunchy nuts it was a perfect combination of bitter and sweet, comforting flavors.

We also decided to get a larger plate and chose the "airline" chicken, which was so far from something you get on an airline. The dish drew us into it's smoky and sweet medly. The butternut squash mole was a perfect compliment, making a lighter statement than one would think. But my favorite part of this plate was the braised greens, which were bitter and wonderful. Honestly, how many times do you order a chicken dish when you're out?? This one should not be missed!

For dessert we had to get the Hibiscus flan, and while it was a bit thicker than you traditionally think of flan being, it made a nice close to the meal, and they comped us their GREAT Oaxacan hot chocolate, which the husband couldn't put down. I'd recommend reservations and it's not great for really large groups, but you have to get to this place. The chef, while on 23, is a cool cat and really knows what he's doing!

Cassoulet Day 3 - the Conclusion!

We shopped, we cooked we conquered.

Honestly the best thing about cassoulet is that on the last day, all you do is bake it to reheat it and form the top crust. That being said, Bourdain's Cassoulet is a little untraditional, actually since, it has no breadcrumb top, and the overwhelming presence of the beans - too many in my opinion. But the meat was amazing and tender and tasty.

We had a few friends over to sample the goods, and the wine did floweth! We started the night with little cucumber canapés with a lemon creme fraiche and black roe topping with a prosecco. Then we started the dinner portion with a roasted beet salad over frisee with an orange vinnegrette and feta, paired with a Côtes du Rhône rose. Following that we had the cassoulet, heaping plates for all - a really dry red is perfect, and we chose a nice Bordeaux. Dessert was the husband's amazing lemon tart also from Bourdain's book with a great muscato.

Though it was a fun evening, it will be a while till we make it again. Cassoulet is more work than you think (especially if you confit the duck yourself!), and it takes a lot of funds to make this meal. Everyone should try to make something like this, especially if you don’t have to be the head chef!

Cassoulet Days 1 and 2

I have been pushed from the kitchen. The husband has forbade me to have a primary hand in one of the greatest dishes ever. Cassoulet. He is he master of this creation and not I. And it might be slowly festering inside me, but I am making do as the prep and sous chef - even though he has taken away my cleaning duties as well...

If you'd like to follow along, we're making Bourdain's recipe from the Les Halles book. It's full of meat and wonderment. If you have never eaten cassoulet, or seen it, or heard of the thing, it is a one pot deal featuring as much meat as possible. Basically, it's white beans cooked in a dish lined with pork skin, with alternating layers of pork belly, duck confit, and pork sausage. That being said you can add whatever kind of meat you'd like, though this is traditional. The porkier the better. And the white beans make it healthy!

We began this dish with a three day plan, day one (Friday) was pretty simple, all we had to do was soak the beans over night and then salt the duck legs which were to be confit in the morning. We spent the time before starting the festivities with shopping. Off to Gene's in Lincoln Square for the ordering of the belly and skin to be picked up in the morning, as well as the duck legs.

We ended up soaking about 1/3 as many beans as we needed and awoke to them pouring out onto the kitchen counter. Then it was off to Paulina Market for the duck fat and the rest of the ingredients for our Sunday feast!

When we got home, the husband covered the duck in the liquid fat, along with rosemary, thyme and some garlic, and cooked it in the over at 375 for two hours (longer than the recipe asked, since our legs are actually quarters), the cooled it in the fridge. He then simmered the beans with pieces of the skin and fat as well as the belly, cooking the beans and creating a luscious broth. While that was cooking he fried the pork sausage in some of the reserved duck fat, and after used the remaining to brown onions and a few pieces of remaining fat from the belly which were pureed following the browning.

Once all the parts were sliced and diced and simmered, then came the layering. In the bottom of a large oven safe pot or dutch oven went skin first, then beans, the sausages, beans, pork belly, beans, duck confit, and more beans along with a dollop of the onion puree in each layer. Presently they are in the oven, and have to cook another hour. After they will sit over night in the fridge and have another session of cooking tomorrow!!!

As the sous chef, I don't see why I have to stay up and wait for them to finish their time in the oven tonight. Technically, I'm on vacation for another few days, so I'm heading to bed.