Meet Farmer Vicki in Oak Park

From the folks at Seven Generations Ahead:






Bringing the Farm to Your Home
Thursday, March 23
7:30 p.m.
1131 N. East Avenue, Oak Park

You’re invited to spend an hour with farmer Vicki Westerhoff of Genesis Growers, a premier organic farm located an hour south of Chicago. Join friends and neighbors interested in fresh food, good health and social justice, to talk and learn about:

· Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) – buying a “share” in a farm and receiving weekly supplies of delicious field-fresh veggies and fruit

· what “sustainable” and “organic” mean

· the importance of supporting family-run farms, and fostering a connection to the land and those who grow our food

· details of Genesis Growers’ CSA program, and how you can enroll

The genesis of Genesis …Vicki began growing her own organic food several years ago after a long illness that wasn’t responding to traditional medicine. Dismayed at the condition of the soil and the ecology of her family’s conventionally-farmed land, she set out to heal her small section of earth. She soon saw her land come alive and her health improve! Vicki and crew grow more than 60 varieties of vegetables on 20 acres.

About the Genesis CSA … Vicki’s CSA program begins in June, with pick-up at the Oak Park Farmer’s Market. Large and mid-sized shares are available. Benefits include out-of-this-world produce, family farm visits and an e-newsletter with photos, farm news & recipes.

Come and learn more. Bring friends (and a checkbook, in case you want to enroll)!

Eat Out to Help the Community

A little e-mail I thought I'd pass along:

Subject: Share a Meal with Community Shares to benefit Housing Action Illinois


I want to let you know about an exciting event being held on Tuesday March 14, 2006 that will benefit Housing Action Illinois.

On that day, restaurants across Illinois will participate in Share a Meal with Community Shares to help raise funds for dozens of community groups working to address homelessness, domestic violence, hunger, health care and other issues facing our communities.

All you have to do is enjoy delicious food with family, friends or co-workers at one of the participating restaurants. In return, the restaurant will donate 30% of the proceeds to Community Shares of Illinois and its member organizations. As a diner, you can designate a portion of your bill to one of the benefiting charities such as the Housing Action Illinois.

So call today and make your reservations! It's an easy way to make a difference and to support valuable non-profits addressing local community needs. For more information including a list of all restaurants and benefiting charities visit: http://www.share-a-meal.org.

Community Shares of Illinois represents dozens of community organizations working to make our communities a better place to live. Member groups work to improve the quality of life in Illinois by addressing a wide range of issues including affordable housing and health care, the environment and civil rights, as well as other issues affecting women and children, people of color, working families, the disabled and poor. All member organizations will benefit from the funds we raise with this event, and restaurant patrons will be able to designate a portion of their donation to a specific organization if they so choose.

The following restaurants will be participating:

Chicago - Loop
312 Chicago (L)
Atwood Café (D)
Cyrano’s Bistrot (D)
Wishbone (D)

Chicago - North
Ann Sather (B, L)
Atlas Café (L, D)
Artemio’s (D)
Heartland Café (D)
Wishbone (D)

Chicago – South
Noodles/ 57th (L, D)
Noodles/ 53rd (L, D)
Northwoods, Flossmor (D)

Champaign-Urbana
Kennedy’s (L, D)
Milo’s (D)
Silvercreek (D)

Peoria
Rhythm Kitchen (D)

Southern Illinois
17th St Bar & Grill, Murphysboro (L, D)
El Jalapeno, Anna (D)

Springfield
Maldaner’s (D)
Tuscany (L, D)

(B) Breakfast
(L) Lunch
(D) Dinner

Bob Palmer
Policy Director
Housing Action Illinois
11 E. Adams #1501
Chicago, IL 60603
312-939-6074 x. 4 (phone)
312-939-6822 (fax)
312-282-3959 (cell)
www.housingactionil.org

Frontera or Not Frontara
Again

I last wrote about Frontera Grill over two years ago, which I believe was the last time I ate there (I think). In my last post, I asked how does Frontera stack up against Not Frontera. Or which is the superior Mexican restaurant. I concluded then, that while I liked things about Frontera, I liked Not Frontera, the neighborhood restaurants better. Some people misintinterpreted this conclusion. I am accused of simply preferring the cheap over the refined (perhaps verging on reverse snobbery). I have also been told that the kind of Mexican food I wanted could not be achieved at more expensive places, that my favored foods would loose something in their translation to Frontera. I reject both ascertations, the former on experience (just look at me digging a pricier Mexican meal here), but the latter more on faith. For I believed then, as I do now, that Frontera fails on the plate, not in the concept. I still have faith even as I walked away from Frontera again, let down.

It was the trout, trout done in the manner of chicharron de pescado, or fish heavily breaded and fried up so crispy it tastes like a chunk of pork fat. It is a common way of frying fish, not just in Mexico but in South America as well. It instictually appeals to me, and I enjoyed a lot, the version I had at Islas Marias. How would Frontera compare? Frontera uses trout from the Rushing Waters farm in Wisconsin. This should appeal to my eating local-ness (and my advocacy of fresh water fish). Regardless of the source, I think trout (rainbow), a poor choice for this dish, as the nuance of the fish gets lost in the hard fry. Yet what hard fry. This dish really failed, failed to deliver that whack of Wiv-crispness. There was no chicharron in my pescado. Everything else on my plate tasted great. I do not dismiss (at all), the pureed red beans that surely tasted like Rick’s being hanging out with the French guys, smooth and with a nice touch of butter (!). I bet there are versions of Mexican beans that contain butter, that Frontera is not being inauthentic here, but I really do not care. It worked. Well. I also liked the salad of juliened napa, with equally thin slices of pickled jalepeno hiding under the pale greens. The avocado salsa met my expecations in smoothness, complexity and heat. Of course, Frontera’s tortillas are not as good as La Quebrada, but I would have ignored that if they could have turned out a superior piece of fish (which they should).

The other dishes I sampled hit the same specrum. A trio of ceviches contained one outstanding version, Frontera’s longtime lime doused classic, with a good dose of chiles. Another of the trio, had the exact catsup mixed with orange juice flavor found in any neighborhood taqueria. With only tiny pieces of seafood, this cocktail again failed to exceed Not Frontera. The last of the trio, with nice rings or squid suceeded on an ingredient level but did not wow me on a flavor level, although one of my dining companions loved this one. On the other hand, our other appetizer lent the biggest support to my faith and hope in Frontera, bits of “Enchiladas” Potosinas.

I’m a bit lost why Bayless put in the quotation marks. This would suggest a Thomas Kelleran dish, something like but not like. Now, I am no expert on enchiladas Potosinas, having read about them here, and sampled them here. But what I had last night did not seem like enchiladas Potosinas, they were enchiladas Potosinas, complete with the red chili infused masa casing. If the filling was a bit lighter and more velvety than a street version, it did not, in my book make the dish either wrong or inauthentic. This plate succeeds on a higher level in all ways. From a garnish of spicy AND visually gorgeous shavings of Beauty Heart radishes to a fry with just a whisper of grease, oily enough to transfer taste, not so much to bog you down, here it was, a classic recipe, executed right, of the best ingredients, plated to its full advantage. This is what Frontera should be able to achieve with all of their dishes.

The Return of Eat Chicago!

One of the truism's of blogging is, if you don't write, people will not click. And if you have not clicked on EatChicago for a while, you may not realize he's back and bloggin'. Check out his take on eating in Chicago. Perhaps, like me, you will wholly disagree with his assessment on the Berghoff.

I'm in Love!

Les Dames du Boeuf

A typical Dames' night out begins with cocktails at a suitably old-school bar. Before arriving at Le Veau d'Or, for example, the group had congregated for drinks at Donohue's, four blocks to the north.

"It has to be within easy walking distance of the restaurant, because of the high-heel factor," Ms. Breslow said.

Eat Local Challenge

I am very lucky. My ability to eat local is that much easier because I have a great farmer's market in community (Oak Park). Plus, I have the job flexibility to visit the Green City Market midweek if I desire. Many people, however, cannot shop a farmer's market so easily.

A bill in pending in Congress is seeking to give others the opportunities I have. Make it easier to shop at a farmer's market. See this blog for more. (Hat tip Craig Camp).

Pigmon Covers Carne en Su Jugo

My friend Pigmon, inspired mostly by the detailed research of ReneG (cf this) or perhaps ErikM, decided to do his own reporting, that of Carne en su Jugo in and near Chicago. It it is a fantastic piece of food study. Visit the thread on LTHForum to see what he did.

Of Course the Yak was local (ya!)
The Twin Cities in February

Want to go to Minnesota in February? It will not cost too much money. With some clients in need of schmoozing and great deals—cars from $13/day on Priceline, the Condiment Queen and I took off for Minneapolis last week. We returned mostly well fed if dazed by the non-Euclidian street patterns of Minneapolis (and especially) St. Paul. These are vibrant cities with several pockets of activity, also (from the window of the rental car) seemingly well integrated communities of high and low, ethnic and student, commercial and residential. Minneapolis and St. Paul would not suggest places for repeat visits, but I feel we barely scratched the surface. I hope to return.

The trip started roughly. Of course, a good 2 or so hours of driving frustration on my part resulted from incorrect assumptions instead of standard map reading (abetted however by the failure of Budget Rental Car’s map that did not distinguish color-wise between Minneapolis and St. Paul). So, on Sunday, after taking the slow way into downtown Minneapolis from the airport, we decided to hit St. Paul—on the notion that we’d be in Minneapolis the rest of the trip. My intuition was that downtown St. Paul would be on the opposite side of the river from downtown Minneapolis or at least that the Mississippi divided these twins. Wrong. There is a good deal of Minneapolis east of the Mississippi, and there is no apparent physical boundary between St. Paul and Minneapolis (leaving one to wonder why they had to be two cities in the first place). This logical fallacy on my part kept me, for a long time, in placing us on our simple map. We had decided to visit Bread & Chocolate for a little pause gourmande, based on a nice caramel roll picture on the Roadfood.com site. And we finally arrived after several twists. All this for an OK bun, good if in the neighborhood but not worth the schlep. It did keep us in St. Paul for dinner, where we tried the Everest based cuisine of Nepal and Tibet at Everest on Grand.

After dinner, we asked the pretty Nepalese woman where the yak came from, and we got in perfect and ideal Minnesota speak, “a farmer outside of St. Cloud, ya”. I wish I had a talent for mimicry because I so adored the sound of hearing about the local yak. Honestly, I enjoyed the yak repartee better than the yak meal. The Condiment Queen thinks it was because I was uptight and in a bad mood, a combination of worry over pending meetings and deep annoyance with getting lost. She liked Everest. New to the food of Nepal and Tibet, we ordered a ton (although our overall bill was not too high). We got two types of Tibetan dumplings: steamed (momo) and fried (kothe) with filling, respectively, of veggie and ground pork/ground turkey. They come with a thick green, pretty spicy sauce (achar). The wife and I differed on which dumplings we liked better. She preferred the fried, but I found those a bit greasy. I liked the cleaner flavor of the steamed dumplings. In addition to the dumplings, we ordered a Nepali daal-bhat, a combination of meat, vegetable, dhal, rice and condiments. You pick the meat and the vegetable, and emphasizing the exotic, we got keema yak and breadfruit. Given a choice of heat, we went for the penultimate. Too hot, by a lot, or the food just did not seem to have enough other stuff too balance the chili. I also thought the spices in the ground yak tasted burnt. I did not appreciate the breadfruit, but my wife loved it. Dessert was an iffy fresh cheese in sugar syrup.

I fantasize of owning my own restaurant; perhaps one day. When it does, it will be a lot like a merger between two restaurants in downtown Minneapolis: Hell’s Kitchen and Ike’s. Hell’s Kitchen got the local and the artesian, epitomized by house made jams and bison sausage. They also make an exceptional peanut butter that comes with your breakfast toast or as a side, and squeeze in some tummy room for an order of Mahnomin Porridge, a conglomeration of wild rice, nuts, and dried fruit all tied together with delicious local heavy cream. The house breakfast appears pricy at nearly $10, but the eggs, sausage, and especially the rosti potatoes, a crisp pancake made of shredded potatoes left me feeling not the least bit ripped off, and did I mention the toast and jam? The rest of the breakfast and lunch menu (no dinner) is filled with dishes in the same spirit. After reading about they fried walleye BLT, my wife could not wait to try, and it easily met her expectations. She liked it so much she had two meals there. Ike’s, next to Minneapolis’s hallowed silver-butter steak, Murray’s fooled the hell outta me. My wife first scoped it out, and she knew I’d love it. It seemed expertly preserved, a bit of old Minneapolis left in the land of skyways. Amazingly, this place of well-worn wooden booths, oak center bar and terrazzo tile is not that old, built only in 2003. It is nearly exactly the décor I imagine for my future restaurant. I cannot comment on the food, but we liked the drinks, including the Minnesota custom of serving a small beer chaser with a Bloody Mary. We would have sampled something from the nicely priced happy hour menu, but they estopped the deals because of a Timberwolves game that night. I can say that the burgers passing by smelled good.

Our other dinner was at a place called Barbette. We got to Barbette by accident, the result of some pretty awful preparation on my part. Yes, I remembered Minneapolis was known as the only place in the USA with an authentic Sri Lankan restaurant. Yes, I had read the thread on LTHForum where GAF mentioned its passing. No, I did not bother to think of this when planning our dinner. Moreover, there were red flags, including lack of mentions in guide books and local magazines. I meant to call…Oh well, our trip to the edge of Lake Calhoun and back brought us near the sexy, French looking Barbette—more well done terrazzo! It was like dining inside an Edith Piaf song. Unfortunately, the service matched the tempo of much of her singing. The combination of handling one price fixe dinner for her and just an entrée for me for the kitchen’s new chef was just too much. My wife’s courses came out intermittingly and my dinner arrived before her entrée. The double upside, some complaining got us a round of drinks on the house and a huge tray of ripe cheeses. On top of that, the food was very, very good. We wrapped up the night with ice cream at Minneapolis’s famed Sebastian Joe’s.

The advantage of getting lost is you run into things. If you look here you can see why I decided to stop for a burger at the Ideal Diner, a hand formed not too thin good diner burger to boot. I ran into Minneapolis’s house bakery Wuollet after picking up cheesecake at Muddy Paws, liked them both. Our final meal came from the Ukrainian combo deli-cafeteria, Kramarczuk, where we got assorted sausages and dumplings (varenyky) to eat on the plane. We passed a lot that seemed worthy of stopping with more time (and maybe strolling weather). Upper Central had a bit of Da’Bomb to it, including a Patel grocery store. University across Dinkytown well into St. Paul, I believe this area is called Frog Town, was block after block of things that appeal to me, from used book stores to (a lot of ) Vietnamese restaurants. Like I say, I’d like to return.


Bread & Chocolate
867 Grand Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55105

Everest on Grand
1278 Grand Ave, St. Paul
651.696.1666

Hell’s Kitchen
89 S. 10th St.
Minneapolis, MN 55403

Ike’s
50 S Sixth St, Mpls.
612.746.4537

Barbette
1600 W Lake St, Mpls.
612.827.5710

Sebastian Joe's
1007 W Franklin Ave, Mpls.
612.870.0065

Ideal Diner
1314 Central Ave NE, Minneapolis, 55413
(612) 789-7630

Kramarczuk
215 E Hennepin Ave, Mpls.
612.379.3018

Muddy Paws Cheesecake and Wuollet
Assorted locations including Hennepin in the Prospect Hill area

Play Ruckus

Dan Levy, who developed the well-recieved table game, Hubbub, has a new product. Ruckus. Check it out!

Eat Local Challenge
Better Luck Next Year

We have clearly reached the limitations of eating local in the dead of winter. Even our stock of potatoes dwindles. Yes, we do have apples, but at this point we parse them out amongst winter fruits like oranges. We use our freezer stock. Just the other night, we evoked summer wonderfully with de-frosted pesto and green beans, along with keeper 'tatoes. On the other hand, basic dishes like braised short ribs require us to sneak into some store to buy a few carrots and a stalk or two of celery. We do feel pure when we use Farmer Vicki's package of dried thyme. We cannot get by simply on local.

I always feel a twinge of guilt when I unfold my cash to purchase something non-local/outta season. Still, I channel my frustration into inspiration for future challenges. We need practice, and we need failures to know how to do better. Clearly, we need to stock up better on "base" ingredients like carrots. We also have to manage better our biggest cheats, store bought salads. Of course when I eat a beet salad prepared by a local Polish market I feel in the spirit of eating local, but next year I want to put away my own salads and salad-ish type items. January's prepared beets should be local beets. We should be able to get by.

We have two months until the start of Farmer Vicki's spring CSA. We are going to continue to "be local" these months, with our stocks and storages. We recognize this will not get us far in our daily meals. We will use the period to learn. Come next February 2, you should see a different response to getting by in the Eat Local Challenge.

Better Late Than Never (Continued)

Check out all the new reviews at Sean Parnell's great site.

"I love sitting around a table and arguing. I love that group process. I lose arguments a lot. Maybe [the argument's] over the merits of a crust-less quiche recipe -- that was the last big argument -- but I want people to argue and defend themselves. It's fun, it's healthy."

Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen's Chris Kimball in today's Sun Time's Food Section.

Eat Local Challenge Challenge Part III
Yes, we have no beets

Yes, we are still at it. Just yesterday, my wife, the Condiment Queen, diligently perused an apple to see if it was local before (not) buying. I apologize, however, for the lack of posting. And for those with ADD/AHAD, here's the short version, yes it is getting hard/we cheat by eating out.

Farmer Vicki delivered the last of her scheduled Fall CSA boxes in December. She then delivered a supplemental bag in January. She finally ran out of beets by these deliveries. Instead she delivered a mix of keeper stuff and greenhouse stuff (and of course her treats like home canned concord grape jelly). I should note that a greenhouse tomato, from a local greenhouse, is still a greenhouse tomato. Lettuce though tasted fine. By December, one cannot count on making do with the weekly delivery. I'm not saying it's all fluff at this point, but what comes can only supplement existing stocks. Ours goes down. We have several weeks until Farmer Vicki starts her spring CSA, and it will be a challenge.

What's lasting: parsnips, rutabagas, turnips. The parsnips are especially old, having come from the Oak Park Farmer's Market, but they show no deterioration. What's mostly good: red potatoes. Most weeks in the fall CSA, we got a big bag of red potatoes. We have stored much more than we have used. Most of these potatoes are fine, but a few are growing eyes. What we should have used quicker: beets. We got a lot of beets in the fall; several however, went to mold before we used them. What else looks good and bad: squashes. If nothing else, we got squashes, and we got squashes all over our storage room. Some squash, especially the spaghetti squash, did not last long. And do not forget apples. Our apples, especially the apples purchased in Wisconsin in November and placed in the coldest part of the basement (next to the wall), have lasted just fine. The problem, within the next week, they will be gone, eaten. Going forward: a challenge.

We have freezer stock, mostly frozen berries. We make smoothies. We *allow* citrus and bananas. We have both now in the house. We cheat. Farmer Vicki has provided us some excellent lettuces in her fall deliveries, but we have also bought greens from Costco and Trader Joe's. We buy prepared salads from local markets. Just yesterday we picked up a beet salad from a Polish market. I doubt they used a keeper/local beet in the salad. We eat out a lot. We are not perfect. It is a challenge.

LTHForum.com Announces Great Neighborhood Restaurants Part II

Press release below. Its hard to have a list of top restaurants based on a variety of eaters. Passionate eaters may disagree greatly on places. I have a range of opinions on the places listed below, some I love, a few I could live without. Still, what I like about the Great Neighborhood restaurant Program (or GNR in the lingo) is that it encapsulates not the best places in town, but places that inspire, places that are special and unique. It's a great list.

For more information, contact:
David Dickson (630) 399-9172, ddickson@rmcis.com
Gary Wiviott, (773) 282-3277

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Chicago, January 17, 2006 - LTHForum, the Chicago-based culinary society, has announced winners in its semi-annual Great Neighborhood Restaurants program.

Winners represent an eclectic mix taking in everything from the most minimalist hot dog stand in town to the most exotic one, from a Japanese restaurant dishing up spiritual experiences in a Korean neighborhood to one dishing up homey Japanese comfort food in Lincolnwood.

Only 17 out of Chicagoland's nearly 15,000 restaurants received the award in this round of nominations. Previously, 26 other restaurants received the award. Awards are based on multiple visits by some of LTHForum's more than 1,700 registered users.

Said program administrator David Dickson, "We have two primary objectives in doing this. We want be a tool for consumers to find good and adventurous places to eat, and we want to help support deserving restaurants that many might not otherwise have discovered." He pointed out that LTHForum is an all-volunteer organization, with no financial interest in any of the awardees.

The winners, in alphabetical order, are:

Birrieria Reyes de Ocotlán - specialty Mexican - 1322 West 18th St., Chicago
Cafe Salamera - Peruvian, primarily sandwiches - 6653 N. Clark St., Chicago
Candlelite - thin-crust pizza - 7452 N. Western Ave., Chicago
Cunis Candies - ice cream - 1030 E. 162nd St., South Holland
The Elephant - Thai - 5348 W. Devon Ave., Chicago
Gene and Jude's - traditional hot dogs - 2720 River Rd., River Grove
Honey 1 - barbeque - 2241 N. Western Ave., Chicago
Hot Doug's - non-traditional hot dogs - 3324 N. California Ave., Chicago
Johnnie's - Chicago Italian Beef - 7500 W. North Ave., Elmwood Park
La Quebrada - Mexican - 4859 W. Roosevelt in Cicero, 723 S. Broadway in Aurora, and at 3818 W. 63rd St., 2906 W. Cermak, and 5100 S. California, all in Chicago
Lula Café - eclectic - 2537 N. Kedzie Blvd., Chicago
Matsumoto - Kaiseki (chef's choice, multi-course) upscale Japanese - 3800 West Lawrence Ave., Chicago [Note: At press time, Matusmoto appears to be on vacation for the month of January.]
Nhu Hoa - Vietnamese/Cambodian/Laotian - 1020 W. Argyle St., Chicago
Renga-Tei - traditional Japanese - 3956 W Touhy Ave., Lincolnwood
Semiramis - Middle Eastern/Lebanese - 4639 N. Kedzie Ave., Chicago
Sweets & Savories - contemporary - 1534 W. Fullerton Ave., Chicago
Tre Kronor - Swedish - 3258 W. Foster Ave., Chicago

Each restaurant was nominated by one of the over 1,700 registered members of LTHForum.com, the Chicago-based culinary chat site, and ratified by the moderators of the board based on the degree of discussion and community-wide enthusiasm from the food-obsessed participants on the site.

Sample comments leading to the awards included:
Birrieria Reyes de Ocotlán - "I like just about everything about this place: the un-assuming exterior, the kind and generous folks who run it, and the absolutely knockout quality of their birria, whether in tacos or broth... I have to say it is honestly my new favorite food. I had it about a week ago and I am constantly thinking about going again... What could be better on a snow-bound day than moist roasted goat served with goat consommé, garnished with chiles de arbol, onion, cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lime?"

Cafe Salamera - "I got back from Salamera about an hour ago and I'm already looking forward to my next trip back. This place is phenomenal. The beef empanada (filled with beef, olive, raisin, egg) had a beautiful crispy crust and moist, tasty filling. The fried pork sandwich with onions and sweet potato was amazing. Soft bread, slight taste of lime and cilantro. I put a little of the hot sauce on to make it perfect. This might be the best sandwich I have ever had."

Candlelite - "I am a long time fan of the old Candlelite, and I am happy to say that their pizza is as good as it has ever been... Excellent, wonderful, delicious. (Think I like the place?) Crisp thin crust, fresh, flavorful ingredients, real chopped garlic-important as my 'standard' pizza is sausage, garlic and onion-served hot and crisp in a casual, family friendly, bar atmosphere... The garlic fries are outstanding, the atmosphere is nice, and the rest of the food is pretty good, too."

Cunis - "A little taste of heaven... This old-style ice cream parlor in South Holland is always a sure bet if you have a taste for fresh, homemade ice cream. Their seasonal peach sundae is worth a drive and their fresh chocolates and candies are delicious... What makes a Cunis sundae great is dark chocolate hot fudge made with all the candy-maker's art... It's about the best salted pecans imaginable, and the nuts alone elevate their sundae above the rest. But also the fudge, dark and intense and winey, almost like liquid Valrhona."

The Elephant - "If you had an aunt from Thailand, this food is what she would serve if you stopped at her house for dinner... The owner, an accomplished home cook, always felt the desire to own a restaurant and in just a couple of months she is really hitting her stride. The Elephant's larb is consistently good, very herbal with a nice hit of ground toasted rice. Papaya salad is quite good as well, hand cut, nice crunch, good flavor and, if you desire, spicy hotness... The perfect ethnic restaurant: family run, well-executed food, friendly and welcoming."

Gene and Jude's - "I'm a born and bred Chicagoan and I think I've eaten at some good hot dog stands over the years, but none has been more consistently good than Gene's & Jude's... It's not trying to be anything but a hot dog stand. The young staff is friendly and efficient. The hot dogs have a great snap and a good flavor. The buns are properly steamed. The fries are real, and it's great watching them cut up the potatoes on their handy dandy manual french fry cutter... The relish provides the note of necessary sweetness that makes this hot dog a total taste symphony."

Honey 1 - "Robert Adams is a man in tune with his BBQ pit... The perfect marriage of wood smoke and pork with just the right amount of chew, toothsome, but never tough, moist flavorful meat... They also nail what I consider the perfect hot link for me. Nice and smokey, slightly dried texture with a decent crunch, and not overpowering with the seasonings... I relax here in the glow of digesting my dinner of Honey 1 tips, hot links and a couple of ribs and ponder why I, of all people, should be so blessed to have this holy of holies now basically in my backyard."

Hot Doug's - "I had, I'm almost embarrassed to admit, my first Hot Doug's experience today, and it was a true revelation... The beauty of Hot Doug's is in the offerings beyond hot dogs: the thuringer, andouille, the specials, the duck fries, and, of course, the atmosphere and ever-engaging Doug... The best damned sausage I've ever gotten at a hot dog shop. It was so good, I took a day off work and went back the next day to sample the duck fat fries... Hot Doug's is like a fine little wine shop, selecting and showcasing rare and unusual examples from the prime sausage regions."

Johnnie's - "Johnnie's has some kind of black magic in their small stand that produces Italian beef with everything just right... We tasted five beefs in one day and what struck me was the overwhelming superiority of Johnnie's. The chocolaty-brown meat (tender and full of flavor), the sauce (good notes of garlic and oregano, and not greasy), the crisp and hot giardiniera... Johnnie's grills stellar sausages on hardwood coals. Not only do these taste great, they make Johnnie's, on most days, the best smelling restaurant in Cook County."

La Quebrada - "I have not found a better tortilla in Chicago than the ones La Quebrada makes, large and thick... La Quebrada makes some exceptional sauces, the curry scented salsa India (no joke), the house warm molcajete, with roasted tomatoes and chiles and the extra spicy, one dimensional, but one brutally great dimension arbol... From the outside it looks like nothing special, certainly one of any of thousands of Mexican places around Chicago. Inside, they make the effort to make things better. Guacamole, salsas, pico de gallo are not difficult things to make, yet Quebrada coaxes the most out of these things."

Lula Café - "One of my favorite restaurants, a place that is not only a part of its neighborhood, but a creative factor in helping shape that neighborhood... The key point that impresses about Lula is that their commitment to fresh, local, and organic is very taste-able, tangible, and real. Oftentimes lip-service is paid to these words on menus and the qualities can be lost in the preparation... Lula is a no BS-bistro that chooses to highlight natural flavors. They're creative without being destructive, showing a deep respect for their ingredients."

Matsumoto - "A dinner here borders on a spiritual experience... This is a chef [Seijiro Matsumoto] who embraces his art passionately. Matsumoto provides a level of dining that demands the attention of every chef, every gourmet, and anyone who thinks about food... It's going to be extremely difficult to enjoy eating at my usual sushi haunts after eating fish of this quality. Matsumoto's ability to capture the essence of the combinations of flavors and textures was total... This was one of the great meals of my life."

Nhu Hoa - "Perhaps the only restaurant in Chicago offering Laotian and Cambodian cuisine. Those dishes, like the Vietnamese offerings, shine... It is my go-to on Argyle when I am not interested in pho. I've only had the 7 courses of beef once, but I've had the bowls of cold noodles with vegetables, meats, egg rolls, etc. many times. Likewise, I've had the papaya salad a lot, as it's one of the gosh darn best versions in town. Julie is a wonderful and warm host... The 7 (really 8) courses of beef is one of the best deals in town, even if you skip the 8th course."

Renga-Tei - "It's Japanese comfort food. Nothing fancy. Just plain good... Love the soups, tonkatsu, tempura and many of the appetizers, especially the gom-ae and agedashi tofu. I also like the Japanese Myron and Phil's feel that comes from the Japanese waitstaff and the many multi-generational tables of Japanese customers... To me, Renga-Tei is just like a neighborhood corner diner, except this neighborhood and corner are Japanese. There's a casual, everyday, family environment about the place that makes you feel at home."

Semiramis - "A casual, relaxing place with a touch more class than the other joints on the Kedzie strip... We tried batinjan moutabbal, highly smokey with a bit of eggplant back (bitter), the ultra luscious green beans (with the olive oil surely playing a co-starring role), and a meat schwarma sammy. The meat itself off the spit was very well spiced and delicious on its own, but with all the add-ins, even better... The two tables in the window would be a very nice place to while away the afternoon drinking Arabic coffee with cardamom, munching olives and pickled turnip."

Sweets & Savories - "A very friendly and well-run place, totally 'tude-free, maybe even the folks who mob Rose Angelis a few blocks away will discover it eventually... I really admire this place because they work very hard to please their customers versus other places where the passion isn't apparent... Hands down, the best Kobe beef burger (or burger in general) that I, or my friends, ever had... The tasting menu is, in my opinion, the absolute best bang for the buck in the city."

Tre Kronor - "Cute as a button without overdoing the rustic Swedish thing, down to the actual accented blonde waitresses... I've had few better breakfasts in recent memory. My smoked salmon eggs benedict was perfect, simply perfect, fluffy poached eggs, freshly-made real hollandaise, potato cubes that for once were crisped up and cooked all the way through.... Genuinely pleasant staff all seemed to be moving quickly, efficiently, and very much trying to keep people happy."

LTHforum is a Chicago-based internet chat site and impromptu dining society which has quickly grown to become an influential fixture on the Chicago dining scene, widely read by journalists and chefs eager to know what's new and what regular diners are saying about the city's restaurants. Participants, while not ignoring the city's high-profile restaurants, are particularly adept at finding small, out-of-the-way eateries that many Chicagoans may not be familiar with.

Registered members discuss everything from restaurants to recipes, focusing on Chicago but taking in destinations as far afield as Montreal, Paris, and Xi'an China. Discussions also cover cooking techniques, local sources for unique foodstuffs, and, occasional silliness, such as a recent discussion about the atmosphere on Planet Mongo when visited by Flash Gordon. The site's web address is www.lthforum.com.

Previous winners, arranged by cuisine, were:

AMERICAN
Barbara Ann's, 7617 S. Cottage Grove Ave., Chicago - South side BBQ joint serving excellent ribs and arguably the city's best hot links.

Chuck's Southern Comforts Café, 5557 W. 79th St., Burbank - South suburban Burbank's best restaurant by a country mile, a Frontera alum dishing up high-class comfort food.

Manny's, 1141 S. Jefferson St., Chicago - Cafeteria serving old school Jewish deli classics to a democratic crowd ranging from machers to meshugas.

Moto, 945 W. Fulton St., Chicago - "Scientific" food at the far end of the cutting edge, by a chef who entered our virtual neighborhood to debate his cuisine with us.

White Palace Grill, 1159 S. Canal St., Chicago - Roosevelt Avenue 24-hour hash-slinging joint catering to a colorful mix of late night and early crowds.

CHINESE
Ed's Potsticker House, 3139 S. Halsted St., Chicago - Northern and northeastern Chinese restaurant off the beaten path in Bridgeport.

Fabulous Noodles, 4663 Old Tavern Rd., Lisle - Chinatown-quality authentic Chinese in a Lisle mini-mall.

"Little" Three Happiness, 209 W. Cermak Rd., Chicago - Outstanding Chinatown hole-in-the-wall (from which LTHForum takes its name).

Lao Sze Chuan, 2172 S. Archer Ave., Chicago - Chinatown Mall restaurant serving seemingly endless menu of Western Chinese specialties.

Moon Palace, 216 W. Cermak Rd., Chicago - Upscale Chinatown restaurant serving Shanghainese food to those who know how to dig and beg for it.

CUBAN
Cafeteria Marianao, 2246 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago - A little slice of Miami in a busy, ramshackle stand offering Cuban sandwiches and coffee.

EUROPEAN
Klas, 5734 W. Cermak Rd., Cicero - Capone-era Mittel-European fantasy Czech restaurant

Laschet's Inn, 2119 W. Irving Park Rd., Chicago - Authentic German food, beer and gemütlichkeit in the old German St. Ben's neighborhood.

Podhalanka, 1549 W. Division Ave., Chicago - A hearty Polish working-man's spot, easily overlooked on fast-gentrifying Division Street.

ITALIAN
Al's No. 1 Italian Beef, 1079 W. Taylor St., Chicago - Taylor Street stand serving classic Chicago Italian beef and charcoal-grilled sausage.

Freddy's Pizza, 1600 S. 61st Ave., Cicero - Cicero deli offering housemade Italian-American dinners, sausages, pizzas and breads.

Ristorante Agostino, 2817 N. Harlem Ave., Chicago- Family Italian restaurant on west side Harlem Avenue "Little Italy."

Riviera Foods, 3220 N Harlem Ave., Chicago - West side Italian deli offering outstanding housemade sausages and sandwiches, including the "Will Special" (named for LTHForum member "Your Pal Will").

Sabatino's, 4441 W. Irving Park Rd., Chicago - Sinatra-era Italian-American fine dining restaurant serving Chicago classics like Chicken Vesuvio.

JAPANESE
Katsu, 2651 W. Peterson Ave., Chicago - On an obscure stretch of Peterson, pristinely fresh and beautifully prepared sushi, sashimi and cooked dishes.

MEXICAN
Amanecer Tapatio, 573 Collins St., Joliet - Could the best and most authentic Mexican restaurant in the Chicagoland area be this tiny, very friendly storefront in Joliet?

Frontera Grill/Topolobampo, 445 N. Clark St., Chicago - Rick Bayless' River North restaurants, which pioneered authentic, upscale Mexican food in America and helped bridge the gap between Chicago's ethnic and expense-account food cultures.

Taqueria la Oaxaqueña, 3382 N. Milwaukee Ave. and 6113 W. Diversey Ave. Chicago - Pair of fine family Mexican restaurants serving outstanding freshly-made versions of classics like chicken mole.

MIDDLE EASTERN
City Noor, 4714-B N. Kedzie Ave., Chicago - Excellent Palestinian restaurant related to an adjacent meat market on the Kedzie middle eastern strip.

THAI
Spoon, 4608 N. Western Ave., Chicago - Lincoln Square Thai restaurant famous for "secret menu" of brightly authentic Thai dishes.

TAC Quick, 3930 N. Sheridan Rd., Chicago - Chic Uptown Thai spot serving eye-opening authentic grilled meats and Thai curries.

VIETNAMESE
Tank Noodle (Pho Xe Tang), 4955 N. Broadway St., Chicago - Bright and welcoming Argyle Street spot serving excellent versions of Vietnamese soups such as pho and entrees.

#30#

For more information, contact:
David Dickson (630) 399-9172
Gary Wiviott, (773) 282-3277

Food Envy
Wish List for 2006

• Whether schwarma, gyros or al pastor, I want it cooked on the spit. Not in a pan; not on the griddle, and surely not like too many al pastors, cooked and then re-cooked and then re-cooked again.

• Moreover, when it sez char-grilled, I want it grilled over charcoal. Flavorizer rocks are not charcoal.

• That all my French fries (home fries, cottage fries and similar) come exclusively from fresh cut potatoes.

• And all my coffee be served in real cups. Not only is it better for the environment, it tastes superior.

• That more will be inspired to take the eat local challenge, and that we find nary an asparagus in August or a Peach in April.

• Regardless, 98% of the tomatoes served should not.

• The relish tray comes back into vogue (and all those places still with a relish tray thrive).

• Dressings are homemade.

• Pepper is fresh ground.

• I can expound just a bit more like GAF, with the eye for detail of ReneG, add some of the scholarship of Antonius (or Erik M), be as smart an aleck as Hat Hammond, and just once, be able to talk wine with Steve P. Oh, and also, maybe earn an LTHForum.com quote.

• Neither my palate nor pocketbook craves Alinea, Moto or Avenues, but I feel like I should visit at least one of these in 2006.

• But I would love to do a comprehensive assessment of Chicago’s steakhouses.

• Then, compare to Peter Luger.

• Craft, Bouchon (Vegas edition), Joe’s Stone Crab, Bastide, and perienial wish listers Chez Panisse and St. John are all places I would travel to if I could; while the places close to home I most lust are Matsumoto and Toplobopampo.

• Also, go to Vancouver to see if the Chinese food is worth the fuss. Until then, I want people to pay more attention to what I have to say about Chinese food in Chicago.

• Also, also, another thin-crust pizzathon to restore my faith in Chicago pizza and answer Pigmon's challenge.

• As a committed believer in the Czech Paradox, I plan on consuming my full of dumplings and beer even as I finally loose that 40 lbs that’s been nagging me since I broke my wrist in law school.

• Eat more Scandanavian food.

• When the Condiment Queen makes a batch of caramels, plenty are left over for me.

25 Best Things Eaten in Wisconsin in 2005

(First two, then no particular order for the other 23)

1. Lawyer (burbot) escabiche with smoked whitefish spread – Washington Inn, Washington Island
2. Vanilla custard (only vanilla is marketably superior) – Kopps, Layton (and other locations)
3. Sausage platter (Bohemian, Polish, Brat, and Knock) – Miro’s Little Europe, Kenosha
4. Boiled beef with mustard dumplings – Coquette, Milwaukee
5. Kewpie Burger – Kewpie’s, Racine
6. Donuts – Finley’s Holiday Inn, Washington Island
7. Wild raspberries picked slightly off-roadside – Sister Bay
8. Vanilla ice cream with Door County cherries mixed in (better than cherry ice cream!) – Door County Ice Cream Factory, Sister Bay
9. Vanilla custard – Leon’s, Milwaukee
10. Fly-in fish boil – Washington Island
11. Morning Glory pastry thingee – C. Adams/Milwaukee Public Market, Milwaukee
12. Glass of Senator Kohl’s milk – Wisconsin State Fair, Milwaukee
13. Assorted smoked fish – Charlie’s, Gill’s Rock
14. Cheese Danish – C. Adams/Milwaukee Public Market, Milwaukee
15. Hot green Serbian peppers in vinegar, with feta cheese – Old Town Serbian, Milwaukee
16. Tiny potato pancakes (a/k/a latkes) with ranch-ish dressing – Miro’s Little Europe, Kenosha
17. Every damn kringle – Bendsten’s, Racine
18. Summer sausage mitt – Bobby Nelson’s, Kenosha
19. Brat on buttered kemmel – Penguin Drive-In, Manitowoc
20. Fried lawyers – KK Fiske, Washington Island
21. Cherry crisp w/Ceder Crest vanilla ice cream – KK Fisk, Washington Island
22. Whipped cream sandwich – Wisconsin State Fair, Milwaukee
23. Breakfast sandwich of farm smoked bacon, fresh hen eggs – Farmer’s Market/Milwaukee Public Market, Milwaukee
24. Burek – Old Town Serbian, Milwaukee
25. Pie slices – Sweetie Pie, Fish Creek

Subject to change

The Czech Paradox
Believe at Operetta

No one talks about the Czech paradox. We know about the French paradox. Eat all the foie gras stuffed croissants you want, and as long as you wash it down with a nice bottle of red wine (any red wine, from Chinon to Chateau LaTour), you will avoid heart disease, diabetes and other issues that plague the super-sizing U.S of A. Still, did you know that a diet of beer, more beer and a plate full of bread dumplings will keep you fit enough to join Charlie’s Angels. Don’t believe me. Visit Operetta on Fullerton between Central and Austin. After yet another delicious meal last week, I find that I must tell the world about the Czech paradox.

I am utterly convinced that the three women who are the service staff at Operetta are paid international assassins, especially the one known as “Kate.” “Yeah, Kate” I said making little rabbit fingers when one of my daughters one asked her name, spies really tell their name to whomever asks. I go to Operetta for the ample portions, the cheap imported beer, and the garlic soup (surely a top 10 Chicago soup), but I go just as much to gawk at Kate. How can I best describe Kate? Perhaps as a shorter haired version of the old Black Canary from DC Comics? Kate looks like she could dead lift 200 lbs, yet she has none of that Chyna induced bulk. She trains to keep her edge, and like her two cohorts at Operetta, she eats Czech food. Granted while the other two are sleek and slim, they are not quite as brutal looking as Kate. But remember, each member of this Fox Force Five (of course the other two are out of town on assignment) has their own special skills. They are walking proof of the Czech paradox.

Remember that everyone over 21 is expected to order a beer when seated at Operetta, either Pilsner Urquell, Staroprame (my preference) or Radegast. Each brand has its own glass that shares a common trait of being large. Most diners get more than one. In fact, I wonder when the smoking laws take effect in a few weeks, Operetta might qualify as a tavern. Soup is less de rigueur than beer but worth getting. As I noted, the garlic soup, with croutons, parsley and a sprinkling of cheese is up there with any soup in Chicago, but creamy paprika with tiny slices of hot dog like sausages, yesterday’s goulash thinned out as soup, or the chicken are all worth ordering—my suggestions being limited to soups I have tried. Entrees at Operetta come on what we Americans call “serving” plates. Still, if you think the secret of the Czech paradox is the creamy dill gravy, you should know that many an Operetta meal comes fried as well. Perhaps nothing goes better with a Czech beer than a slab of munster like cheese (that’s American munster not the smelly French munster), battered and fried and served with a mess of sliced roasted-fried potatoes. Could the secret be the “tarter” sauce many dip their cheese? It may be that certain (not all) meals at Operetta get a bit of canned peas/canned corn and carrot salad. This little bit of veg may keep Kate sharp. Not all “plates” get this treatment though. Platters of roast pork with sauerkraut or smoked butt with creamed spinach avoid these extras. More room for the dumplings. These are dumpling eatable without gravy (but who would?), yellow from a bit of fat in the dough. Better dumplings in Chicago, I do not know.

This is the fare that nourishes the team at Operetta. A diet of great beer, fried cheese, tarter sauce, mounds of meat in gravy, and lotsa bread dumplings. Visit. Eat. Drink. Observe. You too will come to believe in the Czech Paradox.

40 Percent

Update: My wife, the Condiment Queen, is very concerned in how I am promulgating this idea that we eat out 40% of the time. She wants the foodblog world to know that that's 40% of lunches and dinners, not 40% of all meals (i.e., breakfast). And many weeks of late, we may eat out only 35% of the time! What kills us is the weekends, where we'll eat out nearly every meal.

Eat Local Challenge Challenge
(Part II)

As I noted the other day, the eat local challenge has so far, not been much of a challenge, at least when it comes to having stuff to eat. Does not mean there are not challenges. I think I have an idea why people switched to frozen peas and California lettuce.

And it's not boredom. Of course boredom is surely a challenge of the eat local challenge. Think of late May, early June. The markets are inundated with asparagus. It's special, it's delicious, if you are like our family, you find ten ways to Wednesday to make asparagus. And just as we are tiring of asparagus tetrazinni, the market switches to peas or the sugar snaps. Bore of those, and soon it's zuchinni, corn, tomatoes, etc. A lot of the fun of farmer's market shopping is to see what's new and special that week. There is pleasure in eating things every so often. So, the first squashes are a treat. Who does not like apples. Now, two months after the farmer's markets ended, the only fresh fruit we have had (besides our citrus exception) is apples. We have a lot of beets...

There is a certain disdain for keeper produce, memories of depressions and rationiong and all, and the other night when it seemed like dinner was going to be squash soup and beets, I felt so Dickens (but it was a timing thing not a price thing). I also think for a lot of people, something like rutabaga just sounds bad, like you're gagging while you say it. [ed. perhaps we should use the British, swede?] Yet, with a little bit of manipulation, these turnips and beets and celery roots, and parsnips can produce great food. It's nearly all sweet, nearly all of nice texture. But having worked with this produce for a few months, I can tell you why it is a challenge.

My wife the Condiment Queen started making roast vegetables the other night at about 4:30. At 6:00, I came down for dinner, and she was not even close. It takes time and effort to deal with this stuff. Cannot eat the skin of a squash, nor a rutabaga. I suppose you could eat a turnip or beet as is, but any time saved peeling is lost scrubbing. After the skinning and chunking (lotsa work on a squash), many of the keepers require more work. Mashed up, with some butter, wow, really get you eating vegetables kinda food, but grandma did have some triceps on her, no?

That's the challenge. I think a lot of demand for supermarket produce arose outta convenience. It was not peas that people sought, but unshelled peas. It is not beets that people really do not want, it's the purple hands they do not want.

If They Ask Me
10 Favorite Foods

Paul at Foodblog sez there is a meme going around, asking food bloggers their ten favorite foods. Well, if the meme gets to me, here's what I'd tell 'em:

Fried chicken - I like a lot of chicken: roasted, broiled, grilled, poached with home-made mayo, but I like best, fried chicken. From fast food, crisp yet moist Pollo Campero to Austin Leslie's famed garlic marinated, to rarely seen true Midwestern pan-fried chicken, I am rarely unhappy when eating fried chicken.

Spicy food - I like hot food, like Thai food, but I mean here, highly spiced food. If nothing else, I have in mind Indian food. I love how nearly everything in Indian food seems doused in secret masala spices, even the mixed nuts. Also, highly spiced sauces, like the green salsas at the Afghan resturant on Da'bomb, Isla Marias, Pico Rico, the Ecuadorian chicken place; or Salaam in Albany Park.

Nuts - Which gets me to, nuts. I like a nice plain toasted almond like the next guy, but nuts go to a new level to me, turn me into an addict, when treated with spices or sugar. My wife makes outstanding spiced nuts, so good she's considered going into the nuts business. And I think she'd make a fortune.

Anchovies - Gee, these little fishies pack a lot of flavor. Is it that mysterious fifth flavor, unami or just the salt? It really is worth the ick to de-bone genuine salt packed anchovies.

BBQ - Like fried chicken, this is a genre that appeals to me no matter what. NC style, Texas style, faux Chicago grilled ribs; you see I love both the cooking method and the sauce. I'm so far from a purest. Just the other night I really enjoyed Russell's Ribs in Elmwood Park, with just the faintest hint of char, but a lovely sauce that I can never quite diagnose.

Lake perch - Do I love this because it is so rare to find these days? Perhaps. As a medium for a lot of butter? Perhaps. Or because of their latent sweetness and perfect texture? Perhaps.

French fries - Like my younger daughter, I love potatoes in nearly all their forms. Moreover, you would think that having spent a good part of a summer in Grenoble, that my favorite potato dish would be a decadent gratin. No. The thing about gratins, mashed potatoes, or other potato dishes is that they are more vehicles for butter, cream and other great foods. Frying a potato most brings out the nuance and flavor of a potato. Take the fresh cut fries at Al's Italian Beef, there is a sweetness to these potatoes that you would never detect otherwise.

Bread - I do not see eye-to-eye with Jim Leff much these days, but when he said toast was the most perfect food (or something like that), well he's spot-on. I can walk away from the spread at Fogo de Chao and be most happy with the cheese bread. I can be happy at Old Country Buffet because I love their rolls. The overall improvement of bread in Chicago in the last ten or so years has been a real boon. My two favorites: Fox and Obel and Freddy's.

Salad - including cole slaw and papaya salad - I've noted that liking salad is really about liking salad dressing, and it is true that I love salad dressing, especially vinaigrettes but all sortsa dressings from green goddess to Hidden Valley ranch. Still, I like salad too, the stuff under the dressing. Unlike my older daughter, I will not eat plain lettuce, but dressed, it is an ideal marriage. I also adore the mouthfeel of a great chopped salad (and I make the best).

Donuts - Chowhound MikeG accurately called donuts "food crack". Not so much because they are addictive but in the way that grease and sugar, two things that make food taste great, are distilled down to their basest levels. I would be so fat if I lived in LA with great donuts on nearly every corner. Here, I go most to Dunk Donuts in Melrose Park but especially love Dat Donuts on the south side of Chicago. The Oak Park Farmer's Market donuts are not ideal but special for many reasons. Something akin to LA donuts can be found at Wheeling Donuts in, well, Wheeling.

So many things that barely made the cut: champagne, corned beef, hand sliced lox, and nearly all Jew food (except gefilte fish); how could my list exclude hot dogs or hamburgers? my mother's rack of lamb? Door county cherries?

Fried Chicken in and near Chicago

OurPalWill does a nice round-up.

Fall CSA Week 6
Eat Local Challenge Challenge (Part I)

As I have been fond of saying, don't ask me now about the Eat Local Challenge, ask me later. The question becomes, when is later now?

Unlike the last few years, winter hit hard early this year. Our eat local sources, City Market and Farmer Vicki expected to dig up things for several more weeks than Mother Nature allowed. Farmer Vicki has been planning for hard frost by building greenhouses. Early winter disrupted the plan, and her greenhouse is no fully operational while she cannot harvest from her fields. The market for local produce dwindles.

This week's box: a (lot) of red potatoes, a good amount of beets, a bag of tiny greenhouse lettuces, three onions, one medium sized squash and one tiny squash. Of course, one cannot be expected to eat for the week on this haul. Now, our family's simple solution, one that has nothing to do with the Eat Local Challenge per se, is to eat out a lot. Yea, our box goes a long way when we eat about 40% of our meals at various restaurants.

Still, our stocks contain lotsa potatoes, we have about ten or so squash in the basement, our extra fridge contains plenty of beets, turnips, even red bell peppers that are holding up very well; last week's bok choy is fine, but I cannot convince the Condiment Queen that she does not have to cook it Asian style (can someone give me an Italian name for bok choy, she'll cook it faster?). Have I mentioned that we have barely dipped into our freezer? We are not gonna starve in the next few weeks. Ask me later.

Fall CSA
Week 5

I have not picked up my box yet today, but once again, I doubt I can say it as well as Farmer Vicki.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is cold. Mr. Weather Man says that we are 20 degrees below normal. I don't know about you, but I did not need him to tell me that. Winter is not my favorite time of the year - especially frigid winter. It is almost like we are having to pay back the extra warm fall we had - degree by degree. What do I hate about winter? Frozen water in the animal houses. Fogged up glasses every time I go into a greenhouse. Shoveling snow. Dragging hoses over to the well. A runny nose and wind stung eyes while bottle feeding the calf. Wet gloves. Slick roads. Cold vehicles. Dressing like an eskimo. Hat-hair.

But, alas, we live in Illinois - the land of "anything goes" weather-wise. Abuelo likes to tell me, "Mucho frio." I agree. But, then I tell him the good things about winter. (Can't dwell on the negative.) Snow is pretty. Warm homes are cozy. Hot chocolate is delightful. The earth rests. Snow men can be made, snow angels created and snow balls thrown. (Don't tell them - I want to throw the first snow ball.) Then there is sledding. Now thats great fun.

Its time to settle in and cook and bake those wonderful winter treats. I always cook more in the winter. Isn't it wonderful to come in from the cold to smell a pot roast and apples with cinnamon? Nothing like those "homey" smells to get us warmed up - physically and emotionally as well. This is aroma therapy at its best. But, what I like best of all is a trip to Florida. Peel off all those layers ( I wear many, many) and feel the sun and warmth for a week. Now that's really fun stuff. Actually, whenI go to Florida I spend a great deal of time pndering the seed catalogues and placing my orders for spring. I also catch up on my books for tax season. But, what better place to do it than out on the back patio looking out over the green grass.

This weeks share is pretty self explanatory. Greens are either kale or baby boc choi. Boc choi had a white stem with a large smooth leaf. The kale has a purplish stem with an oak tree shaped leaf. Squash is carnival and butternut. Your dry herb of the week is parsley. Boxes are in several sizes because I am low on boxes (please return) - just take one box each.

If you can pick up early it would be best for the produce because it is so cold out.

Hope you have a warm and cozy week. Farmer Vicki

Geography Lesson for Chowhound Moderators

Yes, Dyer Indiana is part of the Chicago area.

Just Awful News
From this week's Chicago Magazine Dish:

Trader Vic’s, holding court with its stiff mai tais in the lower arcade of the Palmer House Hilton since 1957, is closing after New Year’s Eve. Expect another local outpost of the Chicago legend to resurface eventually. . . .

With the Inland Steel Building and the Rookery, this may have been the most perfectly articulated space in downtown Chicago. As much as I liked the tropical drinks (what ever the daily $4 special), I enjoyed even more just sitting there. Too bad the food sucked and too bad I did not go more often.

This Week’s Haul
Fall CSA 4th Week

In one of her e-mails, Farmer Vicki apologized to us CSAers that winter had nipped her earlier than expected. She told us that last year she harvested nearly to Christmas. This year's hard frost came while she still expected to pull more turnips, Swiss chard and other items for late fall/early winter eating. Mother Nature furthrert wrecked her timing as her greenhouse crops were mostly not ready. Of course that does not mean that Farmer Vicki did not take good care of us as usual.

She runs a better root cellar than me for sure (I had to toss a couple of moldy squash today), and from earlier pickings we got big bright red potatoes and smaller rutabagas. There’s still plenty of squash, and we got two butternut and one turban. Only one onion, but we’re pretty well stocked from previous weeks. The greenhouse was not totally inactive; spikey-leaf tiny lettuce and a green pepper show that a good salad can be had with local ingredients even in December. Farmer Vicki stuffs her boxes with miscellanea: dried thyme, dry ripe jalapeños, a leek or two, some green onions. Surely, enough for the week.

Antonius takes home the bacon

Several months ago, I learned the news that LTHForum.com's own Antonius won an award for a paper presented at the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery. I meant to pass the word on to the millions of daily visitors to Vital Information, but like many things I mean to do, I did not. Needless to say, Antonious award is still there and still worth mentioning regardless of me. And...

...You now have the chance to see what made Oxford smile. This weekend (December 3)Antonious presents his paper at the Chicago Foodways Roundtable, a really interesting series of programs organized by LTHForum's Cathy2. See here for details of this weekend's presentation.

Chicago Foodways Roundtable

Western Mediterranean Vegetable Stews
and the Integration of Culinary Exotica
Presented by
Anthony F. Buccini, PhD

Saturday, December 3rd, 2005
11 AM
at
The Chicago Historical Society
1601 N. Clark St., Chicago, Illinois

Thanks Chicago
For Providing Good Eatin'

Around the Thanksgiving break, I and the VI family covered a lot of ground. We gave full thanks for the richness and variety of our eating options.

Myron and Phil’s
Walking towards our table at M&P, our 9 and 11 year old daughters lowered the average age of the clientele to about 68. As the Condiment Queen noted at lunch, eat here soon because these places are not gone be around for long. What I like best about M&P is that there is no irony, no shtick, no theme to the place. Just a place for a decent meal when you happen to be around Devon and Pulaski. For lunch you have to pay $2.50 for some chopped liver, but it is $2.50 well spent. That, the chunks of dill pickles, and an order of the “burnt onions” (more like un-breaded deep fried onions) were the best part of the meal. That’s not the say that the $8.95 lunch specials are mediocre. A tiny rib steak was over-cooked (no one even asked) but it was still tasty. Salmon patties were griddled to a dark brown and made me pine for this item more often. They did real well with the kids, the hamburger was huge and succulent (although M&P seasons their burger someway that I just do not like) and the chicken strips appeared to have been breaded and fried to order. Of course green goddess (sour cream anchovy) dressing satisfied on plain ol’ iceberg and our waitress of the hon school was just as terrific. 3900 W. Devon (east of Pulaski), 847-677-6663.

Ambala Sweets
Maybe because this place is too far west of the action on Da’ Bomb, but it does not appear to get the crowd its food deserves. Crisp-thin samosa shells outshined a filling made from frozen peas and carrots, but the halawa was mind-boggling food. 2741 W. Devon, 773-764-9000

Khan BBQ
The last time we went to visit Khan BBQ, it was hotter in there than the Division Street Baths. A chilly day made more sense. Of course, inside it can still be brutally hot and when too many orders of chicken boti get going, the table was hacking away from the smoke. Khan demands over-ordering. They made us change tables because our booth could not fit the boti, the naan, the parantha, soft-soft nehari kebab, the spicy frontier chicken, and wet spinach with yellow dal. Worth the discomfort for sure. 2262 W. Devon Ave. 773-274-8600

Happy Chef
This, to me, seems the most Chinese of places in Chinatown. Garishly bright, sticky layers of plastic table covers for quick table turns, wall specials always priced in lucky numbers, a constant crowd and just awful service—OK, no offense to the Chinese, but it does remind me of Hong Kong. On Friday, service was so bad we nearly walked out. Luckily, the dim sum was good enough that we were happy by the end. It’s a hybrid dim sum, a card to check-off as well as things flying around the room on platters. Nothing elegant, nothing fancy but all well done, especially shrimp and chive dumplings in a translucent skin, pale egg tarts and greasy turnip cakes. Less well enjoyed, a silky tofu in a not sweet enough syrup (read watery). Chinese broccoli with garlic was about as good as possible. In the Chinatown Mall.

Medici Bakery
Good French style breads (although I like Freddy’s and Fox and Obel better—the white baton had a nice crust but was a little too dry in the crumb), but really good muffins. 1327 E 57th St. Chicago, IL 60637

Steve’s Shish Kebab House
This remains my favorite Middle-Eastern restaurant in the area (and would be my next choice for a GNR nomination). The food all gets prepared from scratch—I’ve seen Steve chop up meat for kefta with two knives and grind chick peas for falafel and hummus. I kept on looking at the knee joint in our lamb shank until I realized we were eating a tiny leg of lamb not a true shank. It’s delicious as is about everything else they serve (and such generous portions!) 3816 W 63RD St, Chicago, Illinois

Lula’s Café
Of course I like Lula’s farm-centric approach to building a menu, but I find their food unsatisfying. A dish with long cooked adobo chicken, farm eggs (really good eggs), polenta and green avocado sauce should have made me a lot happier and I am not sure why. The whole was less than the parts. Spaghetti with bacon and tomato sauce was too oily (and the portion small to boot). I was not that impressed with brioche French toast that sounded good on the menu, nor did the BLT really hold sway. One thing that was good, a quince syruped Prosecco cocktail. 2537 N. Kedzie, Chicago.

El Pollo Loco
I guess my need to try EPL so soon after Lula’s tells you what I really felt about *that* meal. Eating my meal at this other new chicken place, I wondered if I would feel differently about Pollo Campero if it was not so close to me. To me, PC may be just fast-food chicken, but I like the marinade and I think they fry very well. As the Hungry Hound, Steve Dolinsky sez, moist and crisp. And to me, EPL may just be fast food chicken, but it seemed pretty flavorless. I did like the way their bake then grill method crisped up the skin. I was not so impressed with the beans or rice. For the record, the Condiment Queen liked it. 2715 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, 60647 - (773) 394-5626

Margie’s
At one point I stormed out of Margie’s as the older waitress was fighting with us over choice of booth. She wanted us crammed into a small booth. We refused. Well, she was not gonna take our order otherwise. My scene did bring us a new server. It still left a bad taste in my mouth, even as the ice cream, fudge and caramel remain top-notch. Cathy2’s noted whipped cream fixation has got me to look closer at Margie’s whipped cream. With scrutiny, I find it too airy. It looks good but if you pay attention, you will find it lacking. 1960 N. Western Ave., Chicago

Maxwell Street
Reported elsewhere.

Maxwell Street Adjustments
Keeping Track of Good Food

If you use Gorilla Gourmet to find great eating on Maxwell Street, you need to make some adjustments. It’s been noted that the “C’mon in, C’mon in/Guantajunto El Colonial” featured strongly in the documentary have been gone from Maxwell Street. There have been more changes, and the Maxwell Street eater needs to make some adjustments. Adjusted, you still eat really well.

Of course, we eaters call it Maxwell Street, but if you looked at a map, you would find the Sunday flea market and Mexican food extravaganza is on Canal Street. And right now, Canal Street is under construction, disrupting the southern end of the market. Think of the vendors down there as a bulge, squeeze the street and the displaced bulge has to show up somewhere else. In this case, the vendors have spilled over to Taylor Street on the far north end of the market. Here, one will find the twin masa specialists: Rubi/Manolo’s. Both stands have brought small vertical roasters for al pastor with them to their new locations. Manolo, however, uses a spit fired by charcoal briquettes, Rubi uses a gas heater. Still, neither cook the pork to full Wiv-crispness on the spit. Instead, it goes from the spit to a pan with lotsa salsa de chile arbol (at least Rubi’s did). Inside a fresh made quesadilla, with some cheese and the garlic heavy green-red salsa, it tasted very good (although it could have been greater with a full roasting). Of the other stands on the south end filmed by Gorilla Gourmet, the place with the very well done (double meaning) grilled steak tacos has not reappeared on the north end. I hope they return. The man who showed us his tongue in the movie, who claims to be the first taco stand on Maxwell (he's the one on the right on the Gorilla Gourmet home page), was parked near Rubi/Manolo’s. But also missing, the “saran-wrap” people, the stand at the corner of Canal and 14th where wide sheets of plastic prevented prying hands from snagging a taste of huitalachoche or zucchini flower. Stepping into the void down-there, were some people frying up fresh made gorditas and making bloody pambasos from either potato-chorizo or crispy steak-onion. My family really enjoyed the pambaso, missing the metallic taste of some.

The area roughly next to Dominick’s remains, besides the gone El Colonial, stable. Rico huaraches still are. I thought yesterday about the general criticism of “cheap-eats”, stands on the low quality of the raw materials, especially the meat. I noted that yes, the steak on these huaraches is tough in the most, but I also noted that a “better” place like Frontera just cannot produce a paddle of masa like this black-bean stuffed, fried-griddled piece. And it is the masa that matters. The Oaxacan tamal place remains about there as does the beef-birria place. The birria de Aguascaliente, steamed on avocado leaves guy, who can be intermittent in his Maxwell Street appearances, WAS there yesterday, but in the North hump. Another birria place, maybe the one normally South was North, but I cannot say if these are the same places. The one place I used to make a special trip North, the pupusa place, was not there yesterday.

New? Besides the al pastor, the only thing I really found new, as compared to moved or missing, was some roasted calabaza at the stand that also sells rice pudding empanadas and elotes. The Mexican pumpkin gets pretty dark from its roasting and seems caramelized, but the taste is not highly sweet.

I and others try to document Maxwell Street, but we can only capture one day. Each week brings new vendors, new locations, a few new products. The constant: delicious food. Here, you will find many examples of masa manipulation. One vendor molds the masa into thick disks and stuffs them with a mixture of soft requeson cheese, epazote and jalapeños; another manipulates the dough just bit differently, stuffs it with potato and calls it an empanada. Flat it can be a huarache, flatter and folded and it becomes a quesadilla. There are tamales wrapped in corn and bigger tamales wrapped in banana leaves. Besides tasting all that corn, Maxwell eaters get two other advantages. Lotsa steaks get grilled over live coals, something you will not see in a neighborhood taqueria. Finally, you will see at Maxwell lotsa trays of bubbling oil; your stuff gets cooked as you order. Whatever the changes, C’mon in, C’mon in.

NYTimes Op-Eds Eating Good Food
(Registration Required)

This piece champions the middle-market farmer, too big to serve the farmer's markets, too committed to sell-out to mega-agriculture.

Organic and then some, this piece makes the same point I have made before. It aint just the organic label. The author notes how Big Ag is pinning for organic to include xanthan gum (an artificial thickener), ammonium bicarbonate (a synthetic leavening agent), and ethylene (a chemical to ripen tomatoes and other fruit). She also notes that organic does not equate with pastured/grass fed, which are much better indicators of quality in meat and milk. She leaves out mention of Whole Foods and the absurdity of brandishing a word like "organic" when the products are shipped off-season from New Zealand, Chile and South Africa, let alone trucked in long distances. Still, the writer points out the best bet for getting wholesome, real food, is to know your farmer.

Austin
Not the Best Week of Eatin'

Well, I dragged my Chuy's*/Bone Daddy lovin' team to Smoky Mo's one night last week on recommendation of an Austin resident from a foodie forum.

Now, I hate to say this, and perhaps it was just the location we visited (Cedar Park), but, well let me backtrack a second. One day for lunch, we were on our way to Serrano's. One of the team said he'd been to Serrano's before. Better than Chuy's I asked? He said no. I figured anyplace that could not even beat Chuy's was not worth goin' to. And my new standard for Austin Q, can it beat the Hooters of BBQ, Bone Daddy? (See below.) Sadly, Smoky Mo's could not.

I was put off upon entering when I saw there was no pit, only giant Southern Pride electric cookers with a bit of wood added. The wood in the oven did more to flavor the store's aroma than the meats. It showed. No visible smoke ring, no Texas flavor. Moreover, the brisket was tough. The ribs had some porcine flavor but were nothing special. The sauce was oddly bland, even the spicy version. Bone Daddy is objectionable in some (many) ways but at least you taste the pit.

The best meal of the week was a pre-Thanksgiving spread put out by the client. Second bet was Hoover's. I do find Hoovers a flawed restaurant. Some of the stuff was very well done, the smoked ribs, Elgin sausage, pork chops, jalepeno spinach, biscuits, but other stuff, chicken fried steak, mashed potates, green beans, seemed to be missing something. The buttermilk pie was sweet and delicious, the pecan pie flawed by a lack of carmelized crust. Catfish Parlor had some advantages, being inexpensive and highly efficient. I found the fish and shrimp, however, pretty cheap tasting. I did like the all you can eat sides, especially the hominey.

Being far up 183 makes it hard to try a lot of Austin. In addition, I'm on three Q places not opened at time of visit (Kreutz, Ben's and Jim Muellers). I am sure I could eat better given more control. So far, I have not got it.

Chuy's - 11680 Research Blvd (US 183) - Austin
Bone Daddy's - 11617 Research Blvd - Austin
Smoky Mo's - H.E.B. Center - 183 and TX 1431 - Cedar Park
Hoovers - 2002 Manor Road - Austin
Catfish Parlor - 11910 Research Blvd - Austin

*Standard example of why Tex-Mex gets a bad name.

Fall CSA
3rd Week

I was outta town last week, so I have not enjoyed the CSA as much as my family, and certainly not enough to blog about it. Once again, we turn to the the words of Farmer Vicki, bias as she may be (I think you'll get a great idea what your missing!):

Amazing! It is almost Thanksgiving and the first signs of winter are upon us. The winter winds are whipping and the corn stalks are flying across the fields. We lost two of our mini hoop houses over the hot peppers on Sunday and those varieties are now history. Things happen. We still have one up so we can still see how the peppers in that house do. The majority of the crops in the field are doing great, even though they are a bit wind whipped. But crops are strong and can withstand quite a bit. This cool weather is good for many of the fall crops as they get sweeter with the cool weather.

Today I visited a school in Chicago and talked to 1st graders about vegetables. We talked about roots, stems, leaves and fruits - the parts of plants that we eat. I had a Napa Cabbage with me and the last class, enthusiatic about veggies, asked if they could eat it. So, we tore it apart and they tore into it - and loved it. Most of them had never eaten a Napa Cabbage before and were amazed at how tasty it was. How awesome! These kids were so much fun.

Out in the field we are done taking up the irrigation for the winter. It was a smooth process with all the guys working hard. I had the best job - driving the truck while they pulled it up and loaded it into the back. This was our best year yet for field clean up. I really liked it because I did not have to do much of the actual labor. Men are much better at physical lobor than females. They have the body mass and braun to make it seem effortless. How thankful I am to be surrounded by hard working men who are dedicated to their jobs.

This week's share includes: a variety of greens. You may have recieved one of several varieites: chard (colorful stems), purple mustard (dark purple leaves), tatsoi (round rosette of glossy green leaves), boc choi (celerey like stems with broad top leaves). You also will receive a large variety of winter squash of your choosing. I am leaving several varieties for you to choose from. They include: Blue Hubbard (large oblong blue-grey), pink banana (long like a hotdog), cousa (crook neck with green and white stripes), black hubbard (dark green warty oblong with a crook neck), a lumina (white oblong pumpkin like), or a Rouge d etampes (squat round red pumpkin look).
They are large and perfect for a family dinner (Thanksgiving). Each variety has a unique character.
Hubbard, Blue or Black - heavy dense, some what dry, delicious, traditional New England squash
Pink Banana - sweet, tender, moist almost like a sweet potato
Cousa - light peach flash, flavor light, fresh and still squashy
Lumina - heavy dense, yet moist flesh
Rouge d Etampes - Very sweet, dark orange, most and tender.

I suggust cooking them whole for 20-30 minutes until tender enough to cut without the use of a chain saw. Then pull them from the oven, slice in half and scoop out the seeds. Then place back in the oven right side up to finish baking (time depends on the squash) until tender. For Thanksgiving, there are two way I like them best. 1) Fill with butter, brown sugar and maple syrup. Poke them with a fork a few times while cooking to ensure the flavors permeate the squash. I will often add cinnaman and or cloves for fun. Also, a nice addition is an apple, raison and but stuffing. I place these in the squash first before adding the brown sugar and maple syrup and butter. If you have left overs, this is a geat breakfast squash treat. Warm up left overs and sprinkle with granola, or add a dolop of yogurt before the granola. What a great way to start they day. For those who like a more savory dish, try stuffing your squash with a savbory dressing such as a wild rice dressing. Precook the rice and saute together onion and garlic and celery. Mix together with the cooked rice. Add seasonings to taste. I like black pepper and thyme. Stuff the partially cooked squash and place back into the oven to finish baking until tender. Both of these dishes make a beautiful dish placed on the table on a large platter. Leftovers can be frozen for latter reheating.

Another fun way to handle a large squash is to precook and cut out part of the top of the squash so it makes a bowl or turreen. Remove seeds and cut the squash off the "lid." Make a standard custard, add pumpkin pie spices and the squash cut off from the lid. I prefer using the food processor or blender to shred it before adding it to the custard mixture. Pour the mixture into the squash"bowl" and return to oven to bake until the custard is set and the squash is tender. What a beautiful Thanskgiving desert with pizazz! (Be sure to serve the custard with a scoop of the squash from the "bowl" so your guests are able to appreciate the combination of flavors.

If you have leftovers of sqaush, freeze in 1-2 cup containers for use later in a squash soup or for tasty squash muffins. In fact, if you want a real old fashioned fall treat, try squash muffins with pumpkin butter spread while still warm from the oven. (Thanks to Grandma West for the pumpkin butter. All I did was cook down the pumpkins into puree and she did all the rest.)
Your other addition is a bar of my pumpkin Goat Milk Soap. I though it might be fun to have your guests get reved up for all those fall treats by smelling all those fall spices when they tidy up.

The pic is of crops in the greenhouse. They are growing nicely. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving! Farmer Vicki

Fall CSA
2nd Week

I'll just tell you what Farmer Vicki said about this week's box:

Welcome to week two of our fall CSA. We have a treat this week - brussel sprouts - thanks to our friends at Growing Power. Mine got tied up in weeds this summer and did not produce, so I was delighted when Amy had enough to share with us. We also have Napa cababge. It is a taller, looser head with a mild sweet flavor. You can eat it raw or cook it. Another goodie for the week is Boc Choi. THis is an Oriental veggie used in sitr fry. I find it is an excellent addition to chicken soup - great eating on a cool fall evening with squash muffins. I am also including fresh thyme - an herb that is good with poultry, pork and as an addition to salad dressing. If you do not use it all fresh, it dries nicely on a paper towel or hang it with a ribbon in the kitchen to dry. This variety is German Winter Thyme and is very flavorful. Also, included is rutabaga. Rutabaga and turnips (included) cooked together with carrots is a wonderful Irish treat. Peel and cut into hunks. Boil until tender. Rice together with a little milk, butter, salt and pepper. Each flavor blends together and yet remains distinct. Even the pickiest eaters love this dish - a great way to introduce young ones to the delights of the fall veggies. Our winter squash varieties for the week are Carnival (multi-colored) and butternut. Carnival are of the sweet dumpling types and are very sweet and moist and tender.

My youngest, Jon, has always refused to try squash until this year. Miguel's wife made butternut squash and he offered some to Jon. He did not want to refuse him, so he took one bite and found a new love. Last night he specifically requested that I cook him squash for dinner - and ate almost a whole squash himself.

This week we have been busy taking out all of our plastic and drip tape. Today we finishsed up the job. Chad mowed down the last of the peppers, and then Miguel and Jose began pulling things up. I drove the truck and they pulled and piled into the bed of the truck. When Chad got done, he joined in the "party" and before long they were done. They worked hard and even with it being cool, they were sweating. These guys are great! They made a difficult job seem easy. Isn't that the way it is with someone who has expertise in an area?

With winter coming we are looking forward to having a little bit of a break - shorter hours and some days off. But, we have lots to do before spring comes. One major task we are undertaking is the renewal of a neglected apple orchard. Jon and Jay have begun taking out every other tree. They have completed two rows (out of 40). Now they have to trim the branches off the trunks and cut the wood into usable pieces. We can't begin pruning until January and February. The coldest months are the best time to prune. BRRRRR!!!!!

Find THAT Food Blog

Someone takes the time to organize a bunch of food blogs. Great job! (Via Foodblog who does a great job of keeping up with this stuff as well!)

Fall CSA
First Week

As I have noted many times, the ability to eat local falls off considerably once the Farmer's Markets ends, and my Oak Park market ended a week ago. To continue to eat local one has to work at finding sources as well as live off of products stored. Now, I have always been frustrated that there have not been more local sources to buy local all year round. For one thing, even in our northern climate, things continue to grow past October. For another thing, vendors can maintain good stores of items like apples, cabbages, onions and potatoes. Finally, I would hope that vendors could sell stocks of items preserved themselves. For instance, my beloved Hardin Farms froze or dried any fruit not sold in season; the problem is, Hardin does not market this stuff post Farmer Market. Besides these natural cold weather products, modern technology allows farmer's to grow certain items in greenhouses.

Farmer Vicki DOES do all of this with a fall-winter CSA. She is still picking items from her grounds. Her first box included turnips with greens, serrano peppers, chard and lettuce from her farm. From her sheds, we got potatoes, onions and squash--one large acorn and one spaghetti. From who knows where, we got one, still fresh, tomato and some very sweet for green, green peppers. It was more than enough product for a week. There was also a bunch of fresh herbs including rosemary, and cilantro. The products came in enough quantities that it would not just be CSA salad and CSA eggs for the week--the result of CSA boxes come insufficient amounts of stuff.

Next week's box arrives on Wednesday.

The Phil Vettel Game

Who wins?

I thought Phil had me on his review of Matsumoto. I mean, ethnic, interesting, obscure, expensive, difficult, who sez Phil's not earnin'. Still, this bugged me:

people simply demand more quality at this price range.

Now, I am not one who denigrates comfort, decor and atmosphere. I think they are important and they add immeasurably to the dining experience. On the other hand, I think at the end of the day, it's the food that counts. We have too many Arun's and such in this town that present fluff in the name of high prices. I'd prefer Mr. Vettel came down on the side of food.

(Remember you read about Matsumoto here first, where discussion continues.)

Save This Restaurant*

We walked into Mandarin Kitchen last night at about 6 PM. We walked out around 7:30. During that time, two other sets of customers arrived--for hot pots. Our table, however, was the only one to sample the Shanghainese and Northern Chinese specialties. A confidential source has reported similar sparse crowds. If Mandarin Kitchen cannot thrive because of this fallow patronage, it will be a real loss to our area’s eaters. When the un-interested make their usual banal, no good Chinese food in Chicago statements, the death of Mandarin Kitchen will inadvertently support their no-nothingness. This is a restaurant that does not deserve to die.

Already, I would say it suffered a bit from non-use. The salty vegetable and bean curd, one of my favorite of the cold appetizers, a fine mix of green something and tofu something that melds into a salty, vegetal bomb in the mouth, tasted tired. The thick and chewy Shanghai style round noodles seemed a bit too gloppy. The pond fish in spicy sauce did not taste fishy or off but my palate could tell that it was almost there. With Chinese restaurants you expect your fish to be not even close to this stage. Still, Mandarin Kitchen showed why it should matter to Chicago chowhounds and Chinese food mavens. It provides a menu filled with choices. All the standards of the Shanghai cannon, the soup dumplings and assorted items in chili oil like razor thin tendon, ten or so variations on bean curd, several items in the brown braising sauce almost equal amounts sugar and soy (with a few other ingredients to elevate). It is a rich, hearty food that should go well in Chicago. Perhaps because Shanghai food has not become “in” in Chicago, Mandarin Kitchen has been adding many dishes from Beijing, where the owners actually hail. A lot of this stuff is written only in Chinese but the menu now contains a few items like chicken and potato casserole that is more Northern than Eastern. As if ordering before was easy.

To tempt us towards this new direction, Aidee, the sly and attractive owner of MK grilled us up, on the house, some lamb kebabs coated in spices more Indian than Chinese (it seemed). Do order these when you help save this restaurant. We also ordered the Northern beef stew with crinkly sheets of dry tofu. A great rich dish (again highly desirable for our climate) that was somewhat marred by too much sterno underneath. Once we figured out how to cap the flame, we liked this dish better. More Shanghai was soft tofu cubes in a sweet dressing with plenty of contrast from a Chinese pickle. Our final dish was sautéed eggplant, than in the wonders of Chinese translations, was actually batter fried eggplant slices briefly stir-fried with a double handful of snipped chives. A dish of strong, inter-mixed flavors, salty, sweet and sharp, just another reason to return to the “New” Mandarin Kitchen.

I should add that before any of our dishes arrived; we got a bit of cabbage, slightly fermented and sneaky hot from several dried maroon peppers. We also got bowls of cabbage soup that tasted much like my Mom’s or Manny’s. At the original, Mandarin Kitchen, there was a crispy fried chicken known to eaters as gribenese chicken. Well, this soup would be a fitting match to that dish. The first Mandarin Kitchen did excellent versions of spicy, oily Szechwan style food. It was a shame it closed, but when it closed, there was still Lao Sze Chuan and Spring World doing equally good versions of this food (and subsequently, Sky). If the New Mandarin Kitchen leaves, there is really nothing else like it around. Save this restaurant!


The “New” Mandarin Kitchen
2143 S Archer
Chicago
(Chinatown)

*Feature stolen from Time Out Chicago