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.
Monday, January 02, 2006
Sunday, January 01, 2006
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
(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
Friday, December 30, 2005
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.
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.
Friday, December 16, 2005
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.
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.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
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.
(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?
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?
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
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.
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.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
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.
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
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Just Awful News
From this week's Chicago Magazine Dish:
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
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
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
Monday, November 28, 2005
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.
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.
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.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
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.
(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.
Monday, November 21, 2005
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.
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.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
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!):
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
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Fall CSA
2nd Week
I'll just tell you what Farmer Vicki said about this week's box:
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!!!!!
Monday, November 07, 2005
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!)
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!)
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