Chicago Foodies

Canibalistic Japanese Genitalia Cookoff…

Chicago Foodies — Thu, 31 May 2012 11:27:55 PDT

If this doesn't get your attention, I'm not sure what else would. I'm not sure if it's safe for work but it certainly isn't appetizing. There have been some interesting articles about eating human by-products like the placenta and, more commonly, breast milk ice cream. That said I have never even considered a chef chopping off his junk – let's just say "soup to nuts" – and not only serving it to paying customers but charging them a premium for it. That's beyond one of our "Unique Dinners" and frankly illegal in the US.

I'm being a bit wimpy in the description but if you're curious keep reading and the link has pictures... go for it. That said, you've been warned.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/24/asexual-mao-sugiyama-cooks-serves-own-genitals_n_1543307.html#s=1018956

From a deleted web post courtesy of I Heart Chaos:

What was the verdict by the eaters? According to the deleted blog post by Matsuzawa, the hard, rubbery penis root almost bent his fork, and he spit it out after a few chews. The only taste was of the red wine that it had been pre-stewed in. The scrotum was surprisingly even harder and more rubbery than the penis, but tasteless. (Matsuzawa didn’t mention the pubic hair.) The testicles were hard on the outside, soft and glutinous in the middle, with a fishy or gamey taste. One of Matsuzawa’s friends in attendance asked for a piece of the penis and ate it, but after the event became distraught and expressed regret that he had lost his common sense in the heat of the moment.

Your Diet Woe Might Not Be Nutritional

Chicago Foodies — Thu, 31 May 2012 09:42:59 PDT

Sitting at Caribou, looking at my "Daybreaker" breakfast sandwich which consists of a chicken sausage, egg, cheese on a bun with a cup of coffee, I really wonder if some of the bigger problems with our diets are behavioral more than nutritional. Quick meals need to be convenient and healthy, responsible meals as well. However if you're not making time for meals in the first place I would argue you have a diet problem.

You could zip through a drive-thru, stick to water and oatmeal, fruit and mixed nuts and while that might be good on paper, you're missing out on the familial aspects of a meal. You're depriving someone the opportunity to cook for you who in turn, without anyone to cook for, doesn't enjoy it or do it as much. Even more importantly, you may be depriving someone the opportunity to enjoy your company and cooking.

Because of convenience, we're missing out on good food. Instead of random veggie quiches using up whatever produce is left, or the eff'd up omelet which becomes a frittata. You end up eating a mass produced though geometrically sound breakfast sandwich. You know more about your ingredients when you are the one cooking them and can choose whole grains, small and local meats and produce, cut down on sugar, butter, fats when you choose to. When you choose convenience you sacrifice almost all of this. Sit think and eat. Don't rush. Fast is not healthy.

--Josh Brusin

Win Free Tickets to Wine Riot Chicago

Chicago Foodies — Wed, 30 May 2012 09:11:39 PDT

We're giving away a pair of tickets to this weekend's wine tasting. Friday or Saturday- winner's choice. It's a great way to taste a wide variety of wines and better understand their similarities and differences. All you need to do is "Like" our facebook page and tell us on our wall what your go-to wine (region, varietal, etc) is for BYOB (& for extra points, feel free to mention the restaurant too!).

Wine Riot is a national touring wine tasting that stresses fun, hence the "Riot" part. Another cool part is that they provide you an app to keep track of what you're sipping and where to get it later. You can leave your pen and notepad at home. Granted I guess we'll all be on our phones the whole time, but at least it's related!

The event is in the Great Hall at Union Station and at multiple times over Friday/Saturday.

Tickets are available online HERE.

Easy Summer Citrus Salad

Chicago Foodies — Tue, 29 May 2012 08:50:41 PDT

For some reason, there's a misconception that for something to be called a "salad" it must involve lettuce. Take a trip to your local Whole Foods and you'll have edible proof that this is not the case. Sometimes when you're in a pinch but would like a healthy, fresh element in your meal, a lettuce salad just isn't an option. And aren't you always digging through the greens to get to the good stuff anyways?

This is a salad I put together with the only ingredients I had. For this type of salad, I like to have at least one fresh ingredient on hand to liven up the flavors. In this case, I chose an orange. Grapefruit would even work too. It's fast, simple and can accompany anything you throw on the grill.

Easy Summer Citrus Salad
Serves 4 as a side

About 1 8 oz. can beet, sliced
1 8 oz. can chickpeas
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly (I didn't have any, but if you do throw this in)
1 orange
1 tsp orange zest
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
2 tsp dried parsley
Salt and pepper

Drain cans of beets and chickpeas. Rinse thoroughly and dry.
Zest your orange onto the canned ingredients. Then, peel the orange and segment it so that all of the skin is removed. Be sure to save any of the juice to pour onto your salad. It's easiest to remove the skin with a sharp knife.
Add in your sliced red onion, and toss all ingredients together with dressing and seasonings. Chill for at least 15 minutes, and then serve.

What you have is a refreshing and healthy side dish. I used a flavored balsamic, but you'll have enough flavor from the orange if you just use a regular one.

--Marly Schuman

Craft Beer Week At The Norse Bar: Avery DuganA Imperial IPA

Chicago Foodies — Mon, 28 May 2012 06:30:00 PDT

Chicago Craft Beer Week 2012 has treated me quite well as I've gotten to try some stunning offerings from local and out-of-town brewers. There have been quite a few high points, and I hope to touch upon some of them in this blog in the coming days. Surely, one of the week's highlights was having Avery DuganA IPA on tap at The Norse Bar in Edgewater. Norse, a quiet tap room behind a modest storefront in the 6300 block on Clark Street, has become one of Chicago's hidden craft brew gems. They consistently offer terrific beers on tap, often pour unusual ones, and maintain clean lines. Naturally, when I found out that Norse was hosting Avery Week featuring the top tier Boulder, Colorado brewer, I knew that my CBW travels would take me to the outer reaches of Edgewater at least once. I'm a huge Avery fan and find their beer roster to range from good and solid to spectacular.

I finally made it to Norse on Saturday to find their DuganA keg in its prime. I'd had the beer before and was already a fan, having last tried it at the Long Room several years ago. I recalled it as a high quality double IPA of the "earthy/piney" variety as oppposed to the "tropical" West Coast style. Well, either my palate was way off base before or they changed the hop mix in this one because DuganA is all West Coast now and absolutely devastating. First off, Norse chose well in the glassware, presenting it in a tall, rather fluted stemmed glass, a nod to this beer's special status. This style of glass really stretched it out, elegantly presenting the beer's thick, foamy white head and delectable pale orange opaque body. Tropical notes resplendently burst from the nose, matched equally by what Josh described as powdered sugary malt odors. I'll buy that. The sugary malt dimension gave the nose a tantalizing texture.

Hops and citrus flavors dominate the body. Perhaps on the slightly sweeter end of the double IPA spectrum - but not at all sweet - tangerines, oranges, orange peel, and mango envelop the palate. Hop bitterness roars in the back of the tongue but stays contained by those always lurking sugary malts that never quite reach the forefront. It has a pleasantly juicy mouthfeel on the lighter end of moderate with modest carbonation adding a nice bite to each sip. This is a spectacular beer and one of the best DIPA's on the market. I need to engage a bottle of this to determine if it comes close to matching this particular tapping.

Yet the real star of the show might have been The Norse Bar itself. It's a pleasant place to go have a drink. I've never found it that crowded, the crowd is easygoing, the bartenders friendly and no-fuss, and you can always get a seat at the bar. Afternoons are a great time to visit. They pull back the windows to make it open-air with several window-side tables. Plenty of light gets in, casting a soft white glow on the bar and your beer glass. The music's pretty good and not too loud. And as I said, they have great beers. Other Avery Week offerings included the 18th and 19th Anniversary Ales which were terrific. The 18th had a well-balanced barleywine flavor with a bit of orange and sinewy thickness to it. The 19th was a lighter golden ale. Hardly a better place to enjoy some beers.

The Norse Bar
6334 N. Clark Street
Chicago, IL

--M. Sheppard

Craft Beer Week Special: Firestone Walker at Northdown

Chicago Foodies — Sat, 26 May 2012 09:59:41 PDT

Chicago Craft Beer Week closes tomorrow but there are still a few highlights left, one being Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout at The Map Room Sunday afternoon. It's going to be great, but will also be an absolute zoo, so I'm probably sitting that one out. Also, an event that I won't miss will be Firestone Walker at Northdown Cafe & Taproom, starting today at 3:00 p.m.

If you are not familiar, Firestone Walker is a superb brewer out of Paso Robles, California, and they brew an array of excellent everyday and specialty brews across the spectrum of beer styles. They are an undeniable contender for best U.S. brewer, easily top 5. Among other things, Northdown will be tapping the Double Jack double IPA, Parabola stout, a rare bourbon Parabola called, ahem, Velvet Merkin, and the Reserve Porter.

I expect a light-to-moderate crowd today, at least early on, with many beer lovers out of town for the weekend, at the beach, at their Dewey Lake, Michigan, houses destroying themselves on wave runners, and lounging at the barbecues, drinking brews, around town. Bet your bottom dollar I'll be grillside by day's end but a stop at Northdown for Firestone Walker is a certainty. Parabola is spectacular and rare. When it revists Chicago shelves this year it will stock out immediately. The bourbon-barreled version, VM - for some reason, I can't bring myself to type that name again - is needless to say, a rarity. Double Jack is as silky as a Double IPA gets, sitting at 9.5%. That's the beer equivalent of a Justin Verlander fastball, which sits at 95 - sits - and the explosion cannot be smoother. Sits at 95. Think about that. Of course, there will be other FW offerings, too, including the sturdy, excellent Reserve Porter. At my beer blog, I had this to say about it:

[A] tan foamy head, and a brown, nearly black, body lay underneath. I detected little discernible material on the nose, maybe a bit of bitter chocolate and some charcoal, and possibly a hint of smoke. These odors appeared more prominently as flavors, but not so much the smoke. I found it earthy and grainy with bitter chocolate and a hint of pine from the hops. It didn't have the sweetness of Smuttynose Porter or the chocolate of Founders Porter but its flavor combination nicely distinguished itself. The mouthfeel was moderate with strong carbonation that makes quaffing it a bit challenging. It's definitely a sipper. Like all great porters, it's robust and a bit rugged due to the roast, hops, and carbonation, all of which easily capture your attention; and it maintains it, with just enough sweetness and chocolate to make for a highly enjoyable drinking experience.

And that's, perhaps, the "worst" of the beers on tap today, being the least rare. Please stop in and enjoy some of the greatness of Firestone Walker.

Northdown Cafe and Taproom
3244 N. Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, IL

--M.Sheppard

Do This Today (or tomorrow)– Molé de Mayo

Chicago Foodies — Sat, 26 May 2012 08:27:10 PDT

There are few things that are better than a good Molé and we have to thank La Oaxaquena for our introduction to that back in 2005. So when there's a fest in this town focused on Molé, we're all in.

The lineup seems to showcase molé poblano and molé rojo with DeColores adding in a molé blanco and a molé verde.

It's on Peoria between 18th and 16th Street.

And there's music & Mexican wrestling!

Here's the lineup & sorry for the late notice but go anyway.

Free Admission.

The Best Way to Use Leftover Beer

Chicago Foodies — Tue, 22 May 2012 08:14:11 PDT

There's nothing better than cracking open a cold bottle of locally crafted beer on a warm Chicago day. Well, except eating it. If you can drink your beer and eat it too, why not? If you're craving a simple savory bread, you can whip up this parmesan honey beer bread in just a few easy steps. It's hearty, flavorful and has a wonderful crunch on top.

If you like some extra spice, grated pepperjack would make a perfect substitution. I'm sure you would get a much different flavor depending on what type of beer you use. If you want a milder flavor, use a lighter beer. I went seasonal with some of Goose Island's Summertime beer, and I thought it was the perfect beer for the job. Just be very careful not to overmix this dough at all, or your bread will get heavy and dense.

Parmesan Honey Beer Bread

Adapted from Butter Me Up Brooklyn

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat four
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup honey (you might want to add a bit more if you like it sweeter)
2 tbsp cornmeal
1/4 grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 bottle of beer (such as Goose Island Summertime)
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp minced garlic

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Melt the butter in a saucepan with the garlic, until mixture starts to foam. Set aside.
Mix together all dry ingredients, including the thyme and red pepper flakes. Then, carefully fold in beer. You don't want to overmix here.
Pour into a prepared 8x8 or 9x9 pan. Pour butter and garlic mixture over the top and brush to coat evenly. Bake for about 35 minutes.

I found this bread to be a bit bitter from the beer and the wheat flour, but it was much more enjoyable hot. Spread with butter, cheese or just enjoy it plain with a cold beer of your choice.

--Marly Schuman

Why Are Vanilla Beans So Expensive?

Chicago Foodies — Mon, 21 May 2012 10:33:36 PDT

I recently purchased vanilla beans for the first time ever. It's not because I lack any dedication to quality ingredients when I bake. It's because I'm a cost-conscious consumer. Vanilla beans are really, really expensive. If you've even baked something as simple as some chocolate chip cookies from scratch, you've probably noticed that pure vanilla extract is even an investment.

This is because vanilla beans are the most labor intensive crop grown in the world. It can take anywhere from just over a year to 3 years to produce the plant. The beans have to stay on the vine for 9 months before they're harvested - just like a little baby. The beans are then cured and dried, and they have to rest before they are available for purchase. Although not all vanilla beans are labeled "organic", most of the process itself is organic. After all, this is a job done by human hands, not machines.

One little vanilla bean can go a long way. It can flavor an entire cake. It can add a true depth of flavor to a custard, homemade ice cream or that perfect chocolate chip cookie. After seeing my results, I'm absolutely positive that I couldn't have achieved the same flavor with a vanilla extract. The pure vanilla flavor really comes through, and even the scent is addictive.

If you are in the (local) market for some vanilla beans, I'd recommend stopping by The Spice House in Old Town. These type of specialty spice stores will give you a much better deal than your average grocery store. While these beans are pricey, you definitely shouldn't get tricked into paying $12 for one at Treasure Island. Your other best option is looking for a reputable venue online at Amazon or elsewhere.

--Marly Schuman

Craft Beer Week Meet the NATO Summit...

Chicago Foodies — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:15:55 PDT

Apparently several people were arrested in Bridgeport due to possession of either home-brew equipment or stuff to make Molotov cocktails. Now I like high-ABV beer as much as the next guy but since when do you need bottle caps and stuff from a beer making kit for a highly explosive molotov cocktail-type thing. As far as I know even Tactical Nuclear Penguin won't catch fire.

Then again, they'd be smart to masquerade as friendly homebrewers. If they were attempting something nefarious and stupid, we'd assume it would be obvious. From the Tribune:

Police have so far declined to discuss or even acknowledge the arrests, and the details of the alleged raid are murky.

Police reports obtained by the Tribune show that nine people were arrested Wednesday in the 1000 block of West 32nd Street for allegedly making or possessing Molotov cocktails.

Four of those arrested were released without charges, said Sarah Gelsomino from the People's Law Office. They stood outside the Harrison District police station on the West Side Friday morning after their release but none of them agreed to talk.

As many as seven others were being held in the station's lockup, Gelsomino said.

If they're in the klink and missing beer week, that's a bummer.
If they were making bombs then they're busted and good riddance.

--Josh Brusin

High Glycemic Index – The "Comfort" in Comfort Food.

Chicago Foodies — Fri, 18 May 2012 10:23:15 PDT

Judd Nelson in Breakfast Club said, "Being bad feels pretty good." In this case eating bad feels pretty food because of the way our bodies process carbs, specifically high-glycemic, carb-driven, comfort food. Bread, pasta, mashed potatoes. Remember the baked potato craze? People were considering that a vegetable and a healthy part of their diet. From the Statesman Journal website comes a pretty straight explaination:

Refined or simple sugars and their cousins — high-glycemic carbohydrates (think white bread and potatoes) — cause the pancreas to produce high levels of insulin, which cause the body to store excess sugar not used for energy as fat. The liver in turn is induced to produce cholesterol. We love high-glycemic carbs because they make us feel good by spiking our blood sugar. But what goes up must come down — with a thud. When our blood sugar inevitably plunges, we feel tired, ornery and hungry — and we repeat the cycle.

Low-glycemic foods (think apples and collard greens), on the other hand, release energy at a steady, less-dramatic rate, and our blood sugar stays reasonably level. Less sugar means less insulin means less fat means leaner bodies means better health.

Now tying the glycemic index to sugar can be confusing. From a chart found on the "For Dummies" website. A Snickers bar has a low GI number of 43 where a baked potato is a super high 98. This might be a real reason why Snickers "really" satisfies. It manages your blood sugar better.

What's also interesting is the difference between rice. Jasmine rice is up at 89 while brown rice is 48. Everyone always says how they're hungry an hour after eating Chinese food... maybe it's the rice?

We'll be searching for alternative ingredients & recipes for comfort food, so think about it. Share 'em if you got em.

Baked Potato image via Shutterstock

--Josh Brusin

Logan Square Kitchen to Close After Valiant Battle with City Regulators

Chicago Foodies — Wed, 16 May 2012 11:36:14 PDT

Logan Square Kitchen, a shared-use kitchen on Milwaukee, has been the incubator for many of the local food artisans the city has come to love (and yes, that's the proper use of the word artisan). But while LSK and owner Zina Murray have helped launch Tiny Cakes and Katherine Anne Confections, they've also had to spend quite bit of time wrangling with city bureaucrats.

When the kitchen first opened its doors in 2009, the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) was alreading making headaches for its owners, according to a press release LSK sent today. Regulatory issues followed, including troubles with licenses and inspections. As of today, LSK has announced that they can no longer operate, and will close on June 28. In the meantime, they will try to help find alternate spaces for their artisans to operate.

It's sad to see that the city and one of its culinary gems couldn't compromise in a way that would keep these small businesses open. To follow the full saga, read this post on LSK's blog, and wish best of luck to all the businesses displaced by the kitchen's closing. --Kate Bernot

How To Navigate Chicago Craft Beer Week, May 17th - 25th

Chicago Foodies — Wed, 16 May 2012 08:21:08 PDT

The craft beer market in Chicago has simply exploded. Local breweries are popping up like dandelions on your lawn in the springtime. Out of town craft brews have staged a full-fledged invasion. It seems everyone is or knows someone who is homebrewing. Lagunitas and, probably, Three Floyds are opening breweries in the city. Beer pairings have become common at posh restaurants. It has become nearly impossible to keep up with all of the new developments and try all of the new offerings available. It's almost overwhelming.

To celebrate this maddening, apocalyptic uprising, Craft Beer Week is once again returning to Chicago. I don't have an exact number but I would say there are 3-4 times as many more events this year than last year. Everyone is getting into the act, from neighborhood taps, to Wrigleyville sports bars, to exclusive restaurants. So, with well more than 100 events on the schedule, how does one navigate such a week? I'd have to write a full media guide of information to break it all down for you. You'd be crazy to read such an epic and my eyes would dehydrate staring at the screen that long typing. They already are after perusing the schedule.

Instead, I offer you two things: first here's the schedule. Second, I offer you the following plan for mapping out your Beer Week adventures: choose one of the following approaches to the week, then pick events that fit that model. These are five different mindsets for deciding how to spend the week, and some of the corresponding events that will help you achieve that objective.

1. "I'm a craft beer beginner, and want to try a lot of different styles to learn more about it."

Newbies are always welcome on the craft beer train and there are plenty of places to dip your toes in the suds. On Saturday, May 19th, Fizz Bar and Grill is offering a beer tasting featuring 40-plus craft brews on draft so you can sample to your heart's delight. Maybe you'll find a new favorite.

2. "I'm into craft beer but would like to hobnob with some of the brewers."

There are quite a few meet-and-greets scheduled including: Against the Grain Brewing at Northdown Cafe on Thursday, May 17 at 6:00 p.m., and on Monday, May 21st, at 5:00 p.m., Northdown features Dryhop Brewing (their IPA is delish!).

3. "I know my beers but just want to try a new brewery."

Not a problem! The new Old Town Pour House will be pouring Sixpoint Brewery's amazing Resin IPA, starting at noon on Friday May 18th; at 6 p.m. that day, Small Bar on Division St. will be pouring the incredible Jolly Pumpkin's sours; and Tyranena Brewing is hosting a "beer school" featuring their own brews at Paramount Room on Saturday, May 19, at 3:00 p.m. Believe me, there are plenty of others.

4. "I want to stick with my tried-and-true favorite brewery and try a range of their creations."

For you monogamous beer lovers who stay loyal to one brewery, these events are for you: Avery Week at Norse Bar beginning Thursday the 17th at 5 p.m., Three Floyds Brewing Tap Takeover at The Village Tap on the 17th, Firestone Walker at Burger Bar on Sunday the 20th at 6 p.m., Left Hand Brewery night at the Green Lady on Sunday the 20th at 7 p.m., and Big Sky brewing at Sheffield's on Tuesday the 22nd at 7 p.m.

5. "I know what I like and I just want to try some special brews."

Believe me, they have you singularly-minded folks covered too. The Pour House is tapping Mikkeller's 1000 IBU's Light at 12:00 p.m. on Thursday the 17th, Owen & Engine is tapping Boulevard's big beers on the 17th at 5 p.m., Paddy Long's is tapping Goose Island's Bourbon County lineup on the 18th at 7 p.m., Norse is tapping Boulevard's Saison Brett at 8:30 on the 18th, Map Room is featuring Smuttynose specialties at 6:00 on the 22nd., and, last but - believe me - not least, The Grafton is pouring Founders' legendary Kentucky Breakfast Stout on the 24th at 8 p.m (not sure whether on tap or in bottles, but it's KBS).

There are plenty of other events including many not open to the public. Check the event website and contact local venues for further details and confirmation. And away we go!

-M. Sheppard

Chicago Blog Lottie + Doof Wins Saveur's Best Cooking Blog Award

Chicago Foodies — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:58:24 PDT

Every year, Saveur.com dishes out its blogger awards for everything from best baking blog, to best food photography, to best single recipe. It seems like sort of a toss up because every blog nominated is so utterly incredible that each can singlehandedly distract me for hours. There are always some of your typical big names (Smitten Kitchen, Joy the Baker) whom I follow regularly. But this year a local name popped up on the list, and I didn't even realize it until they won.

Lottie + Doof picked up a much-deserved award for best cooking blog. It's written by a man (gasp!) who takes beautiful food photography and provides an incredibly sophisticated range of recipes. You'll find dressed up classics like mac and cheese, brunch classics and some mouth-watering seasonal sweets.

If you are a foodie and a Chicagoan, which you most likely are, you should definitely check out this blog. I did my own take on a classic garlic soup awhile back and got the idea from a recipe posted on Lottie + Doof. You're going to want to read this blog now - just not while you're hungry.

Check out the full list of Saveur's 2012 Food Blog Award winners here.

Heirloom Plant Sale This Weekend at the Peterson Garden Project

Chicago Foodies — Fri, 11 May 2012 08:53:31 PDT

How many of these tomato-types have you tried?

⎯    Box Car Willie
⎯    Big Rainbow
⎯    Green Zebra
⎯    Grandfather Ashlock
⎯    Stupice
⎯    Prudens Purple
⎯    Black Krim

We're tomato-naive but not for long...

Now's the time to explore the many heirloom tomato options at the Peterson Garden Project. Check out the heirloom plant sale Friday, May 11 through Sunday, May 13, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. daily. The sale is a fundraiser; all proceeds benefit The Peterson Garden Project, a 501c3 non-profit organization. Items for sale include organic, heirloom herb and vegetable seedlings, all priced under $5.There is no cost for admission.

Receive urban gardening instructions, purchase plants (beyond tomatoes!) and even gardening supplies.

Peterson Garden Project
4642 N. Francisco,
Chicago, IL

heirloom tomato image via Shutterstock

Underground Dining Club X-Marx to Debut Flour and Bones at Dose Market

Chicago Foodies — Fri, 11 May 2012 05:53:36 PDT

Underground dining clubs have been operating around the city for years, hosted in chefs' basements, friends' apartments, even outdoors. They're fun and creative, but kind of a logistical pain for diners who would like to just, you know, show up and eat dinner.

X-Marx, a four-year-old established group in the underground dining world, is finally making the leap to the big time with a new restaurant, Flour and Bones, slated to open late this summer in Logan Square. They're quick to point out that though it shares some trendy trappings-- communal table, open kitchen-- this is not just another ampersand-ed Logan Square gastro-fill-in-the-blank.

Like much of X-Marx food, Flour and Bone will have an Asian spin. The 30-seat restaurant will serve an omakase menu in addition to a la carte offerings and a beverage program. To get a better peek at the menu, show up to this Sunday's Dose Market, where Flour and Bone will serve some preview bites like smoked tofu, lapsang tea eggs, hand-cut noodles, and ube cupcakes. And if you make it to Dose on Mother's Day, you'll also be rewarded with a preview of Pecking Order, chef Kristine Subido's forthcoming chicken-centric restaurant. We hate to say it, but those are two good reasons to ditch Mother's Day brunch early. --Kate Bernot

Update: Decoding Your Egg Carton

Chicago Foodies — Wed, 09 May 2012 07:53:40 PDT

Marly Schuman wrote a fantastic post here back in January outlining some of the terms you may see on your grocery store egg carton: organic, brown, cage-free, etc. It got a lot of us talking about where we buy our eggs and what we look for on the packaging.

Rodale, the company that publishes Men's Health and Organic Gardening, among others, has a handy post about some other egg labeling terms like "pastured," "certified humane," and "omega-3 enriched."

It's worth clicking through to see which terms are actually third-party verified and which are just marketing claims. But it can also complicate the matter, because even third-party approval might not guarantee all the health or humane benefits that we imagine it does. For example, most eggs could be labeled "United Egg Producers Certified," but all that means is that the eggs were "certified" by a group created by the egg industry itself, and the chickens could still have been treated with antibiotics and kept in battery cages.

So let's get the discussion going again: Do these terms mean anything to you? Is it worth your time (and maybe extra money) to search for eggs from antibiotic-free, pastured, humanely raised hens? Or are all these labels just chicken scratch anyway? --Kate Bernot

Spring Orecchiette with Shrimp Recipe

Chicago Foodies — Wed, 09 May 2012 06:29:30 PDT

Seasonal pastas are often a challenge because we can get into a rut. That jar of tomato sauce just looks so tempting and familiar! I like to take inspiration from the restaurant dishes I love. I couldn't stop thinking about the orecchiete at Balena. The orecchiete, or "little ear" in Italian, is just so adorable, and those nooks are the best vessel for a chunky sauce or vegetables.

It's the perfect time of year for spring peas. Even if you only have access to frozen ones, throw some into this dish. The sauce is light and fresh, not to mention easy to make. And I'd definitely recommend using fish or shrimp to finish off the dish. You might even want to double this recipe.

Spring Orecchiette with Shrimp
Serves 2

About 8 oz. orecchiete pasta
15 large shrimp, tails removed
3/4 cup peas
1/2 large Haas avocado
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsbp olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp minced parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste

Boil water for pasta, and then cook pasta for about 12 minutes. When you have a few minutes left, add in your peas. I used frozen (gasp!), but definitely use fresh if you can. Then drain the pasta and peas.
Meanwhile, saute shrimp in a prepared pan until just done.
In a separate bowl, mash your avocado, lemon juice and cheese. You can skip this step and combine everything with the pasta - this step will just make your sauce more uniform.
Add the shrimp into the drained pasta and peas. Toss in the avocado-lemon-cheese mixture, adding in the olive oil as well. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and top with parsley.

This dish is a healthy, refreshing take on a spring dinner, even with the creamy sauce. I would even recommend throwing in some just-cooked asparagus, maybe sun-dried tomatoes and then serving as a pasta salad.

--Marly Schuman

Seventh Time's the Charm for Chicago James Beard Nominees

Chicago Foodies — Tue, 08 May 2012 06:43:06 PDT

Always a bridesmaid, never a bride. That's sort of the Mindy Segal story at the James Beard Awards, where the Hot Chocolate chef/owner had been nominated six times for Oustanding Pastry Chef before finally taking home the award last night. Also revelling in his just desserts was North Pond's Bruce Sherman, who won Best Chef- Great Lakes after six years of nominations.

Of course, this waiting game doesn't apply to Grant Achatz, who won Best New Restaurant for Next within a year of its opening. A big congratulations to all who repped Chicago so well on the national stage. --Kate Bernot

Carnitas Uruapan Restaurant –Minimalism at Its Finest

Chicago Foodies — Mon, 07 May 2012 10:29:55 PDT

I now work on the South Side of Chicago. Well, not really the South Side, but certainly the near South Side, just south of the South Loop. It's a different environment from a restaurant perspective. Well, it's different in many perspectives. But, after years of working downtown and having lunchtime and happy hour accesss to various Loop, River North, and West Loop spots, a smorgasboard of new possibilites has presented itself, across an area ranging from Bronzeville to Pilsen to Little Little Italy, Chinatown, and University Village. Except on occasion, I'm far too busy to get out for lunch, but have visited a few spots that are reasonably close to the office. Sometimes my visits to a new-to-me place have been on the way home. My explorations have inlcuded new establishments, such as Davonti Enoteca, small bistros toying with food trucks, such as Flavor 180, and mainstays, such as Joy Yee Noodles. Quite a few spots have been rewarding.

One long-rumored establishment that is finally within relative striking distance of me is "that carnitas place on 18th and Ashland". That's how it's been described to me over the years, the mysterious Mexican restaurant in Pilsen, off Ashland, that allegedly serves carnitas and only carnitas. Even simply finding this establishment, Carnitas Uruapan Restaurant, was a bit adventurous. Squeezed between a menagerie of shoe stores, clothiers, mercatidos along 18th Street, its understated, slightly italicized signage barely distinguishes itself. But for that key word in the title, "Carnitas", it could easily be mistaken for just another Pilsen taqueria.

Right away you know this place is different as you're greeted by a giant hulking pile of fried carnitas heaped in the window as you enter. It lays there, with a reddish-brown skin and a pinker interior, inviting you to gorge on its cheap, simple succulence. Truly, all they do at this place is carnitas. They have a few other offerings on weekends and they always carry house-made pork rinds. But if you're there on a weekday and fried, battered pork fritters disgust you, carnitas is all you'll get. And why would you want anything else? A golden rule with restaurants should be that if you are not good or great at versatile cooking, then do one thing and do that well. As such, it's hard to chide Carnitas Uruapan's business model.

A gentleman who was cutting up the carnitas into smaller strands handed me a newly-cut piece while I parsed the menu, posted on the wall, looking for a burrito offering. You won't find burritos as Carnitas Uruapan, just as you won't find beef or chicken there. Your carnitas order comes as a taco. They have quite an unusual assembly line. Like a sow in sweltering heat, that pile of carnitas I mentioned never moves its general area near the storefront where you place your order. The gentleman shouts your order in Spanish to the kitchen area in back, and, eventually, a guy in a grease stained undershirt brings up a red basket full of tortillas. Hunks of newly chopped carnitas are lumped into these doubly rolled whitish corn tortillas, and rolled into little pockets of processed carb goodness leaving oil on their tight wrappings.

He stared at me blankly when I asked him about available toppings. Your topping option is salsa. And even that comes in only one variety. It's kind of a mix between a salsa verde and a pico de gallo, a bit green with sizeable chunks of tomato and onion. It's there for an extra kick, and marvelous one at that, but you don't need it. The carnitas is succulent. Its juicy and savory, and the sinewy, chewy chunks are a glorious gnaw. It's not overly salty, allowing the natural meaty and fatty oils to permeate your palate. Packing tremendous flavor, these could easily be eaten cold and would still delight.

Odds are that Carnitas Uruapan is well out of your way. Trust me on this: it's well worth the drive. The folks at Carnitas Uruapan have mastered the craft of carnitas and they're quite the outstanding minimalists.

Carnitas Uruapan
1725 W 18th St
Chicago, IL

--M. Sheppard