Roadtripmania - Wisconsin Fish Fry

I promised last week to provide many roadtrip ideas in 2009. The road allows you to explore regional cuisines, and it allows you to find foodstuffs to take home. A prime part of the regional cuisine end of the equation is to go north of Chicago for the Wisconsin fish fry. This local family, like many a cheesehead, is never unable to eat fish on a Friday. There's many sites out there dedicated to Wisconsin fish fries. I've highlighted some of these sites before. Today in some, it's Saturday, I don't have to be the least bit productive combination Internet noodling-online poker playing, I ran across this site, on Classic Wisconsin Fish Fries.

All I had to do was go to one entry, to find this bit of blog on Jim & Linda's Supper Club, that's already got me dreaming of perch:

Jim & Linda cared enough to post a hand-painted sign shaped like an arrow along the highway. The sign said, “Jim & Linda’s.” This touched classicwisconsin deeply, as hand painted signs for supper clubs often do. Nothing says, “Eat our fish, fisheaters, and drink our drinks, drinking fisheaters” than a homemade sign shaped like an arrow inviting you into (insert name here) & (insert name here) Supper Club. You just know the drinks will be served in buckets, the décor will be Menards chic, and the waitstaff will be slinging fish like Favre throws pigskin.

What classicwisconsin did not anticipate was seeing a middle-aged woman in a sleeveless shirt casually sniffing her armpits while she sat at the bar.

I cannot speak to the palate of this blogger nor to the overall veracity of the information provided on Classicwisconsin. I also warn that the organization of the data is, well, limited. This is a blog that requires browsing; you do not get pin-pointed research results. Still, it is exactly the kinda of randomness that makes the 'net so damn addicting.

I fully expect to have a few new fish fries under the gullet in 2009. I hope you all find some good ones as well.

And What's Local, Caputo's

I did not want to go to Caputo's. My wife and I needed Caffe Italia, both for a reprieve from the cold Bungalow and for a new pound of morning coffee. But my wife cannot be on that stretch of Harlem without going to Caputo's, and no matter how much I want to "get going" can I resist the need to see what's available local.

There was.

Michigan empire apples at 69 cents/lb and Mr. Tasty russet potatoes at some unknown price, I could only barely resist anything called Mr. Tasty because I have so many potatoes now in the attic.

Note to readers: heater on the fritz is good for the upstairs root cellar.

What's Local at...

It'll be another week until Green City Market re-convenes, and then will there be anything but pork? Eat local fans may think their options limited, but a bit of out and about finds plenty of options. Here's some of the things you can find locat at...

...Cassie's Green Grocer is always all things local. She's picked up the contract to sell interesting small producer cheeses from the Monroe, Wisconsin area, especially the fine cheeses from Edleweiss Creamery--about the only local guys to make a true large wheel Ementhaler. Her city farm sources send her arugula and sunchokes, and other city farms should shortly be providing her greens and roots.

...Robin, don't call them her, winter markets, Saturday in Chicago and Sunday in Deerfield. Robin and I just got the most gorgeous baby vegetables from Farmer Vicki's Genesis Growers. Come get yours at the markets.

...Jewel (Roosevelt and State, Chicago) - Jewel is good for two things these days, yartzheit candles and BelGioioso American Grana cheese. While shopping for those things, I espied Wisconsin onions and Michigan apples.

...Marion Street Cheese, Oak Park - Joining La Quercia in their collection of fine Midwestern pork products is a Spanish style, dry ham, from pastured, acorn fed, pigs raised by Crawford Farm in Wisconsin. Quite pricey but quite decadent too.

If you cannot get off your keester to any of these fine places, Irv and Shelly will bring it to you. New this week, they have ravioli made by Local Folks Foods in Indiana.

What else are you all seeing?

Eat Local Arnold's Meat

For those interested in eating local meats, Arnold Farms will be at the forthcoming winter markets (details some other time). I've copied below, their latest e-mail. If you want ordering info or price sheets you can contact them at arnoldfarm@juno.com or contact me.

[Passed along as a courtesy]

Hi, Folks:

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas season. I’m sure you are looking forward to a bright New Year. All of us have many things to be thankful for and to build upon as we move ahead. 2009 will be a positive beginning to the rest of our lives!!

Arnold’s Farm January deliveries will be coordinated again around the Harvest of Hope Indoor Winter Farmer’s Markets. I’ve attached an updated market schedule. I plan to participate in those listed and encourage you to check out the ones nearby. There have been up to 15 other vendors attending. A café or brunch is often offered featuring products from some of the vendors with our sandwich ham and breakfast links frequently used. Strong attendance at most markets have made the atmosphere quite festive. Not only do these markets give vendors an outlet for their products and an opportunity for potential customers to check them out, but 10% of each vendor’s gross sales goes to the Harvest of Hope Fund to benefit farmers who may be experiencing tough times. Maybe crops were damaged by flooding this past year or an accident affected a farmer’s ability to get work done when needed. Up to $1000.00 per farm can be requested from the fund to help defray expenses they may be struggling with. This truly is a win, win, win situation for all participating!

Our January delivery schedule will be as follows:

*** CHICAGO AND NORTH. Saturday, January 10th: St. Benedict Parish, 2210 W. Irving Park Rd., Chicago, (just east of Western). 9:00 am – 1:00 pm. This will be the downtown stop for January. Anyone ordering from Chicago and the northwest side are welcome to meet me here. Stops after the market would be Rogers Park, 2:15 pm; Des Plaines, 3:30; Arlington Heights, 4:30; Round Lake Beach, 6:00.

*** NORTH. Sunday, January 11th: North Shore Unitarian Church, 2100 Half Day Rd (Rt. 22), Deerfield. 10:00 am – 1:30 pm. If this date, time, and place work better to meet me, please consider it.

*** WEST & SOUTH. Wednesday, January 14: Stops for this day would be Elgin, 8:15; Bartlett, 9:00am; North Aurora, 10:00; Downer’s Grove, 11:00; Villa Park, 12:00; Lockport, 2:00 pm.

*** OAK PARK / RIVER FOREST. Sunday, January 18th: Grace Lutheran Church, 7300 W. Division, River Forest. 9:30 am - 1:30 pm.

Sides of beef and pork can be ordered for these deliveries. Due to the holiday season, weather, and the lateness of this newsletter, I have already processed animals to the specifications we use for our “Individual Cuts” and “Packages” lists. If these cutting specs work for you, and you are still interested in sides delivered this month, let me know. I will work with you on getting the items you need from what I have on hand, and you will save money per lb. of meat over buying packages or individual cuts. If you are thinking of sides for March delivery or any for the Farmer’s Markets in February, let me know so I can reserve processing for you.

SAVE!! All grass fed beef is still 5% off September prices!! This includes sides, 25# packages, and all cuts in stock!! Check out the “January Specials” attachment for all grass fed beef roasts at an even greater discount as well as turkey, all grain fed beef roasts, and pork items. A few limited quantity items are also listed there, first ordered, first served.

We have plenty of whole and whole cut chickens! Average weights are 4.5# - 5.0# with some as small as 3.5#. Cost: $2.75/#. Add $0.75 per bird for cut-up. I also have some “wingless birds” available at $0.10/# off. (These are chickens that may have had wings damaged in processing. USDA inspection requires any damaged area be removed at the next joint, leaving these birds with a wing(s) missing but otherwise in perfect condition.)

Upcoming regular Delivery Months are January, March and May.

Please have your order e-mailed or called in by Wednesday, January 7th. If you do not receive a confirmation on your order within 3 days, please e-mail again or call 815-858-2407. For those who have not placed an order recently or are thinking of ordering for the first time, do not hesitate to contact me by email or phone with product questions, where the closest stop to you may be, or to set up a stop in your area ($600.00 of orders minimum required to generate a stop to an area not already serviced). A delivery fee of $0.30/# is added to all orders.

Thank you for supporting a local food system and sustainable farming!

Respectfully,
Tom Arnold

Eat Indiana Local

The VI family spends a fair amount of time in Wisconsin. While we never tire of Madison, and have much of the state to explore still (whitefish livers in Bayfield here we come!), I am also ready to move on to a new state. As my post of the other day indicated, I'm game for Bloomington. I am very keen on Goosing the Market in Indianapolis, and I have at least two gristmills to try. On top of that I'd love to hit the South Bend market one day during the winter, and also try (again) America's near Elkhart.

I have found some good resources for this new vector of eating local. There's this web site; this book as well as this book and this book. Looking forward to using it all.

Eat Local Nationwide

This is not exactly a fresh piece of article, but when doing some research in Indiana last week, I did happen to come across this listing of some grocery stores around the US that specialize in local food. The post mentions Lionette in Boston. I have to say, I liked that store. but was much more impressed (as of last winter) with Plum Produce in Boston. Of course, what kinda person does locavore groceries and fails to mention Cassie's Green Grocer!

(Not So) Deep Thought

Is there anything more frustratingly annoying than turning on a computer that's been idle for two weeks? The 100's of e-mails loading, the thousandth new MS patch, virus scans, finding the annoying AOL files lurking in RAM.

Vital Roadtrips - 2009 - Part I

To Bloomington

The more I wear a hole in my Priceline account, the happier I make my wife. She never tires of the road. We returned last night from various parts in Kentucky and Indiana (and almost Tennessee), and I know her wanderlust already brews. So, before recounting our experiences finding a water driven mill and eating amongst the chains, outposts, and hotels of Kentucky, let me start working on our next trips. Over the next few weeks (I swear), I will lay out some prospective road trips for 2009. Highest on my list right now, is Bloomington, IN.

We visit the lands around us, especially for the food. It allows us to sample and obtain regional dishes and specialities unavailable in Chicago. I mean how many places remark, like the Mammoth Cave Hotel, "we're out of chicken, it''ll take 45 minutes for more." We can meet our products, such as at the various distilleries in Kentucky. On the other hand, away from Chicago, we find communities much more advanced on the locavore path, e.g., Madison, WI. But we pick up dried beans in Michigan and bourbon ball candy in Frankfort, KY. Local is always where we find it. Bloomington seems like it will met our needs (extremely).

Farmers and artisans working for consumers fill Southern Indiana. Just look at this guide (pdf). At least two chefs have gained notoriety using this bounty. Daniel Orr though brought fame with him to Bloomington. He's no shrinking violet! He chef'd New York's La Grenouille to three stars many years ago. Now, he's back home in Southern Indiana, with the multi-complexed FARMbloomington. Orr combines local food with his well-traveled backgrounds. The menus sound about right, but I can easily relate to the skepticism raised on this blog. How much of a rivalry does David Tallent have for Orr. He's been on the high-end, local Bloomington scene since 2003 at his namesake restaurant. Buzz around his place is generally better or at least more consistent (typical). If we tire of dueling resume'd chefs, I can follow the advice of one of my favorite bloggers, Virtual Farmgirl and have big steaks and Yugoslavian foods at Janko's Little Zagreb.

We would not be hot on the Bloomington trail without a farmer's market in site. Bloomington reportedly hosts the largest farmer's market in Indiana. It does not pack up in the winter either. If the market carries half as much stuff as it did last year, it will be worth it. In other markets, Bloomingfoods seems worth a visit and maybe Sahara; I mean besides local food, Sahara prepares over 30 varieties of olives, olives being one of my favorite exceptions or exemptions or whatever we call non-local food these days.

A local brew would be in order, and Uplands sounds OK.

Of course we would be hot on the trail of regional specialities that may or may not be around when we visit Southern Indiana. The genius who thought to fry biscuits worked at the Nashville House (so they say), but they are at other places now too. The will be maple sugar a-brewin' around the end of February (cf). A good and decent Indiana persimmon is only ready to eat when it gets so ripe if falls off the tree. There are gathered from lawns all around in the fall. Because the fresh product would have a shelf life of a half-a-day, it usually frozen, with little effect for pudding or ice cream use. If American persimmons are under appreciated, what about Indiana's hickory shagbark syrup used by Wolfgang Puck and Rick Bayless. And who would leave without finding a pork tenderloin? It may not be served in a gas station, but Gnaw Bone still serves a famous version.

Bloomington, high on the Vital Roadtrips for 2009

They Grow Up So Quickly

It seems like just yesterday it was eggs drowned in soy sauce. Now, it's pig ear salad at Mado.

NB: while pig ears and trout seem fine to her sensibilities, ragu bianco or a white ragu of pork and chicken livers was not try-worthy for her. It is still very much worth ordering. If I was tallying top dishes of 2008, that would have made the final cut.

The Year in Local

Semi-maudlin, quasi-spiritual Thanksgiving piece, check; holiday gift guide, check; the last step towards legitimacy, the year-end review. I am so there. Myself and my family found it easier than ever to eat local in 2008 because we had more sources than ever to buy local food.

Needless to say, we ate more local food than ever. We narrowed our biggest gap in local eating, the lack of local food when we ate out. We went out much less, mostly because we had too much in-house to eat. In addition, we found local at favorite restaurants like Mado, Vie and Lula's [ed. Lula's, that's a new one!].

We also narrowed our gap in our exceptions and make-do's. We stored better, so we had more local food in the winter. We worked harder (namely my wife), so we had things like canned tomatoes. We had more of the basics like garlic and onions, and we had less need to go to the "don't make yourself nuts rule" by eating things like out of season berries. Finally, what we really liked about this year was the various lectures and talks we attended (or gave). Local did not just taste good this year.


A happy year in local. Let's roll the tape.


January - We get our food from a top secret drop, on the road in Michigan, and at the smallest superstore.


February - We told you what was in season in this short cold month, but we told you about something even grander. On Grand, acting partially as the new bodega for her barrio, but also as a destination for all, Cassie Green and her then, not quite husband, opened a market focusing on local foods, Green Grocer. Over the course of the year, Cassie supplied us with early crops from Windy City Harvest, speciality local products like Papa Lena's beet chips, and my wife's addiction, Trader's Point Creamery Orchard Trio yogurt. If nothing else happened in local in 2008, we have the story of Cassie. Or not. Another woman made local available in the darkest month's Robin "Winter" Schmier. Here's a report from one of her markets in February.


March - We come close to running out of food (but not potatoes). Perhaps one of the reasons the CTrib later shuts down its Perspective section? Will 848 be next? By the end of the month, new foods arrive.


April - Ramps, the weed for the kook kidz (what about the rest of us). Bravo to us. So, I finally get the meal of my local dreams.

May - A wonderful relationship begins in the comments. Farmer's markets roll-out; nothing ever compares to the one in Madison. Soup-box/soap box program begins at Hull House on local food issues. I rant.


June - I rant for an audience (audio here). Markets are all over the place and Cassie is fully stocked. We are eating asparagus constantly. Mado! MikeG begins putting locavores to film. I rant.


July - The difference between freshly dug and new potatoes. I'm bitter (CTrib does story on locavores without me). Such a deal, free cheesecake and a fantastic group of local experts speaking each week at Eli's Cheesecake Factory. I believe this was the night we ate best the whole year.

August - Michael Morowitz's wife has twins in the middle of trying to start a new online eat local mag: the Local Beet. The month is otherwise dedicated to tomatoes.

September - Melissa and I lay out some tips for getting the rest of the harvest set.

October - Use your head, following the advice in this Sky Full of Bacon production. Mado launched their farm dinners, now my favorite way to eat there. Most farmer's markets wrap up this month.

November - Is there anything else besides Family Farmed Expo? I find time to provide 18 tips towards eating local. The Beet adds the Sustainable Cook and the Backyard Farmer.

December - Winter markets working out very well. How smart is this need for local food?

Coming soon: Mado goes New Year's Eve family style; Paul Virant takes on an Iron Chef; more Sky Full of Bacon podcasts on local food; Green City goes winter.

Happy New Year.

The Dilemma of Being a Good Dad

Leftovers (of local food) or take the girlz to Five Guys.

Nothing Says I Love You Better Than Several Loaves of Bread

Freddy's Today

Nice deal. We purchase a pork tenderloin sandwich, change of pace, with the red gravy; a very large prosciutto sandwich on focaccia (so large we bring half home); we get a free sample of several chicken ravioli, alfredo sauce (yum!). Two pops. We leave with three loaves of about the best of its kind, bread in the Chicago area + several more pieces of focaccia.

Note: For a change of pace, and special holiday shopping, Freddy's is open this Sunday. They are also open the day after Christmas.

Freddy's
1600 S 61st Ave
Cicero, IL 60804
(708) 863-9289
www.freddyspizza.com

More Local Gifts

Via the Stew, a link to a whole host of Illinois food companies. I know some of these people, and would comment more if (or when) I have time.

Corruption You Can Use

That's more like it, Blago the Bookie.

Baked Lame at Rodity's

I've heard (more than once) that Rodity's is the place Greeks/Greek-Americans visit more than any other in Chicago's Greektown. Despite my constant quest for authenticity, I have not been there myself. I do like what I see on the menu.

Helen, you missed one way on the bottom of the page, and you wonder why I always say nice things about you.

Local Presents

I was talking over the summer to a journalist. I asked why he did not have a blog. He said that he did not think he could do the daily chatter, getting regular posts up thing. He said he feared lists making and the such. I was like, blog filler, lists, holiday presents, top tens, bring it on. No one can fill the Internets with filler like me. I live for the bullet point baby. And what "publication" worth its bytes these days has not published a list of holiday gifts. Only a few of these things below, have come via publicist, so if you want inclusion in next year's tally, start schmoozing me now.

Here's several very good gift ideas for the locavore in your family.

• Nothing says "I'm with you" to a farmer like a little cash up front. Give the gift of fresh fruits and vegetables each week. Here's a good list of CSAs in the Chicago area. As I have written before, the benefits of a CSA exceed the mere delivery of food.




• I'm not above paying over $20/lb for cheese, and I love feta cheese, but I've not had it in myself to pay the $20/lb for Hidden Springs Creamery feta. I'm a big fan of all of her cheeses, especially the fresh "Driftless" cheese, but I have not yet sprung for the feta. This is the kinda of over-top gesture that makes an ideal holiday present.



• The chronocles in Kurt Friese's A Cook's Journey: Slow Food in the Heartland makes the best of holiday presents because it will lead to many finds and adventures as he highlights some of the Midwest's best food people and producers. You can read an excerpt here.



• Some of the artisans featured in Friese's book are the bootleggers gone legit in Templeton, Iowa. Templeton Rye can be found in Chicago at area Binny's. Rye tastes a bit drier than bourbon, and this whiskey has an appealing smoothness.



• Find more farmers and artisans by taking one of the Learn Great Foods tours.



• Make your own farm tour, but combine it with a farm dinner at Prairie Fruits Farms.



• Drive even further from Chicago to the most ideal place around, Washington Island. Stay at the Washington Hotel or at least have dinner there. Maybe you'll be able to do shots of Death's Door vodka with Martha Bayne.



• Nothing says I love you to an eat local acolyte than the most essential purchase, a freezer.



• Fill that freezer with a side of meat. Here's a list of farms in Illinois to get you started.



• Can anyone in sun-drenched Cali call proscuitto local?



• Be even more decadent with caviar.



• It's not so much an eat local present, but it's a good food present nonetheless, à la card chicago is a deck of 52 discount cards for Chicago area restaurants. $30 gets you $10 off each of the places in the deck. With choices ranging from Hot Doug's to Mado to Manny's! as Natasha sez, "it almost ridiculous not to own one." Of course in Nasha's e-mail, she does not say how to get the cards. I got mine at the Family Farmed Expo.



• There's no shortage of good eat local books. Michael's started a collection over at the Beet. I plan on adding to it soon.

May your holidays be a local holiday!

Eat Local

Quote of the Day

Helpful

Helen describing China getting around to banning certain chemicals from their foods.

Today's Freddy's Comp

I cannot believe I walked out of Freddy's today for less than $15 (less than $14 but who's counting). A big plate of pasta, pork tenderloin with giardinara, a slice of the porchetta, a big spoonful of roasted potatoes--why mine cannot come out that shade of brown, a roll for sopping and two pops. Some on the house.

It's hard, then to say which I liked best. Like Mado, I do find myself oddly attracted to the bread, Freddy's rolls are that good, but the rest would be blog-worthy if I had to pay for it all.


Freddy's
1600 S 61st Ave
Cicero, IL 60804
(708) 863-9289
www.freddyspizza.com

The Hard Workin' Woman of Local

Sure, I can eat local food, but these two woman, Robin "Winter" Schirmer and Cassie "Green" Green. Make it happen. Robin had good food at her winter markets last weekend and Cassie has plenty in her store.

She writes in to say her produce aisles include:

Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Yellow Zucchini
Chard
Basil
Herbs (just a few)
Raspberries

Who says we cannot eat local in December?

Mado Revealed, More

Great write-up and pictures of about the whole Mado night's menu on LTHForum (kinda reminds me of a certain scene in Diner).

Even before some unnamed family member dropped the camera, I was short on food pics on the blog. I can share my Mado gluttony word-wise, but I trust these pics, likes these pics before, will also give an idea of Mado-goodness.