Chicago Foodies

Sweets for Sight- Bubbly and Truffles this Thursday... for Charity!

Mandy Zaransky — 2010-02-09T20:47:31-06:00

Event attendees will receive champagne, chocolate truffles, and other libations… all in the name of helping others! Profits benefit the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired's "Seeing Is Believing" program.

This program provides no-cost exams and low vision devices for students in Chicago-area schools. $45 per ticket or $350 for a group of ten tickets! Event information below and registration link here.

Sweets for Sight
February 11, 2010
5:30- 8:30
The Red Head Piano Bar
16 W. Ontario

Turkish Cuisine and Bakery in Andersonville

Brian Ziegler — 2010-02-08T22:36:44-06:00

I walked in to this place at 6:30 on a Thursday night, and the first thing I noticed is that the large BYO restaurant was empty. The second thing is that I looked around for the bakery and didn't see one, so I assumed the bread given to our table was the product of the "bakery". Not being extremely hungry, I only ordered one main course, something called the Hunkar Begendi, also known as the Sultan's Delight.

It consisted of a tasty baba ghanoush (eggplant with spices) base with beef, bechamel (a white butter cream sauce), and a tomato garlic glace. The dish was delicious, and the bread also nice and somewhat similar to a challah bread in texture, albeit much more dense, less sweet, and more salty.

Despite the lack of trade on the night I dined, in which only one other table appeared, the atmosphere appears to be quite festive, and apparently it is known for its Saturday belly dancers and live music. Overall, I felt it was a good neighborhood haunt that was better than many of the Turkish and Middle Eastern places, whose dishes tend to be rather generic at times.

Turkish Cuisine and Bakery
5605 N. Clark
773-878-8930

Treat: BYO American – Indian Fusion in Humboldt Park

Brian Ziegler — 2010-02-08T11:48:19-06:00

Situated on Kedzie just north of North Avenue, right around the corner from the classic Roeser's Bakery that has been around since 1911 as well as a check cashing place with a giant inflatable gorilla on the roof (at the time of this writing). One of the first things I noticed is that the place was full, a good sign for a neighborhood that is slowly improving and progressing with more dining options. The next thing was the counter area with a huge espresso machine (a good way to keep a place profitable by serving coffee in the morning and dinner at night). Billing itself as "Contemporary American cuisine with Indian influences" it did offer a unique twist by taking western dishes and adding Indian influences. Marigold restaurant, situated in Uptown, did precede Treat by using the contemporary Indian slant, but perhaps the difference here is that there are Indian twists on very non-Indian foods (gnocchi, crab cakes, panini).

Regarding appetizers, the potato and pea samosas were dependable, well-cooked, and fit the bill, with the standard mint and tamarind chutneys on the side. The crab cakes had an interesting Indian twist to them with a panko crust and pea masala. My entree was curried gnocchi, which was served with a creamed garam masala sauce, cooked spinach, raisins, fennel and mint. My wife's salmon came with a delicious dhokla (a chickpea paste with a consistency similar to cornbread).

Dessert was a spiced apple tart (spicy as in a bit of kick) with a delicious phyllo crust not unlike a strudel, topped with black pepper ice cream. We also shared a most, delicious, curried chocolate ganache cake.

Corkage was $4, a reasonable price for a bustling little place. Treat fit the bill in many regards, and it was certainly worth taking the long bus ride to a neighborhood starting to see more signs of life.

Treat
1616 N. Kedzie
773-772-1201

Newcastle Brown Ale DraughtKeg

Charlie Volanakis — 2010-02-07T16:43:02-06:00

Here’s a neat bit of trivia for any beer enthusiast to know: the familiar Bass red triangle logo was the first trademark to be registered under the Trade Mark Registration Act of 1875. Priorities. I dig it.

However, this post isn’t about Bass. It’s about a fellow English ale and second cousin once removed to Bass – Newcastle Brown Ale.

Right. Yes. I know what you’re thinking, “Big deal. What’s so interesting about this beer?” That’s not what I’m trying to get at here, so relax. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel for describing its taste, so I’ll just leave that out. I’m just trying to bring a little knowledge and some humor to the table, because in the end, that’s what beer should be about. Let me back up…

I got into a conversation with Josh about Sam Adams Utopias (which he wrote about here and which I am eternally jealous of him tasting) and eventually led to an assignment involving myself and a Newcastle 5L DraughtKeg . Josh delivered this to me in a MetRX “Strongest Man Competition” style, with a loud echoing *TING* on my desk.

It already being a popular beer, I had trouble coming up with a different way of thinking about it in all its metric-y glory. I gave it some thought and realized that I – and I imagine many others – have only had Newcastle out of the recognizable clear bottle. I tend to stay away from clear-bottle beers because of the possibility of “skunking” from sunlight, so I don’t often get NBA. This is the beerquivalent of saying, “the book was better.” I know. Not that I don’t trust the fine people at Scottish & Newcastle to take good care of their babies, but it’s one of the more disappointing things that can happen when crackin’ a cold one. Take a gander at the chart below:

Anyway, I thought I would put the DraughtKeg to the test by pitting it against its bottle equivalent in a blind taste test. Where O where would I find willing participants on a Friday evening? With promises of Dominos pizza (new recipe is +, btw) and a Chicago Bulls win, I found some lovely participants. Their names have not been changed to protect any sort of innocence – they’re all guilty of something: Max, Cody, Matt, Dan and Caro.

The methodology was pretty simple – each participant was given a 4oz sample of NBA from the keg and bottle, asked which one they thought was which and then to choose which they preferred. The results:

Sample 1: bottle

I’d like to point out that only my good friend Max failed to identify the source. Tsk tsk. What was interesting, however, was that 3 of the 5 preferred the taste of the DraughtKeg to the bottle.

I admit there may have been some bias due to the difference in temperature between the two. The keg had been waiting patiently in the extra-cool confines of my fridge, causing the bottled NBA to turn bitter with jealousy in 7-11’s fridge down the street. No, but all of the participants mentioned that temperature had an impact on their preferred choice. If I were to do this experiment again, I’d make sure they were refrigerated in the same environment.

So if the two were the same temperature, would the taste be indistinguishable? My crack team of scientists exclaimed, “NAY!” The second comment regarding difference was carbonation. If I had to make a comparison, I’d say that keg NBA was similar in CO2 level to that in Orangina. This is fine with me since I think carbonation acts as a mustache for beer – like maybe it has something to hide… If I want a super carbonated beverage, I’ll jam some Pop Rocks and slug a BL.

All in all, I would recommend the Newcastle DraughtKeg to anyone looking for a change. For around 23 clams you get 5L (about 10 pints, 14 bottles) of a solid brew that stays fresh for a full month. I would also suggest keeping it as cold as possible and putting a napkin under the spout since you’ll always have a few post-drips. It’s a nice alternative to bottles and has less waste. Save the environment! Get a Newcastle DraughtKeg!

Donnie Yen Cooks in Iron Monkey

Josh — 2010-02-03T17:01:41-06:00

The modern Kung-Fu classic Iron Monkey was on IFC last night. Having recently seen Ip Man, another, newer, Kung-Fu flick featuring the still relatively unknown Donnie Yen I was encouraged to watch it again. My very spicy orange chicken from Wing Hoe a 'happy accident'. It makes me wince for having disparaged Cantonese food! Here's the great cooking scene from Iron Monkey

Ricobene's: Breaded Steak Sandwiches

Crystal Cun — 2010-02-01T18:25:12-06:00

Ricobene's is a long-time Southside institution, with a sign proudly trumpeting its opening in 1946. Though Bridgeport has been playing host to an eclectic melting pot of eateries lately, Ricobene's is no flash in the pan, but a stalwart of old school Chicago dining. Think Manny's, but less Jewish and more Italian.

Framed black and white photos hang on the walls decorated with the classic checkboard motif. A closer inspection of one picture revealed a signature from Mayor Daley. This is, after all, the neighborhood which has served as the home of five of the city's mayors. If political clout isn't enough for you, Ricobene's is also a popular cop hang out. No less than four of Chicago's finest walked through the doors during my last brief visit.

This is Italian of the bountiful, red-sauced variety; there is nothing nothing subtle or refined about it. Perhaps 3/4 of the patrons here were eating breaded steak sandwiches, which is a strong indication that you should not deviate either. Place your order with one of the no-nonsense ladies at the counter, and in just a couple minutes, your number will be called out and your food will be ready for pick up. You are handed a hefty burrito-like roll, double-wrapped in aluminum foil, which contains your sandwich.

Man: This is a huge sandwich. And it's only, what, $5? Look at this! Really, this is too much food for one meal.

Friend: Nom nom mmmrgnaph!

Now, I am no stranger to eating vast quantities of sandwich. Over the years, I have developed a top-secret jaw-unhinging technique to better accomodate lofty sandwich heights. As an undergrad, my primary source of sustenance was a rolling vehicular oven that dished out footlong pizza subs. So, how did the Ricobene's breaded steak sandwich fare in comparison?

It was hefty, but still manageable for one meal. The breaded steak sandwich includes thinly pounded steak sheets, breaded and fried, and finished with marinara sauce on a loaf of Gonnella bread. The bread is fairly sturdy, but no foundation can withstand the onslaught of this much tomato sauce and meat, so the results are messy. As I nervously looked around for a napkin dispenser, the people at an adjacent table proceeded to whip out plastic forks and knives. So folks, if you'd rather not dirty your hands, there is no shame in calling for help.

Pictured here is the regular size sandwich ($5.19) with sweet peppers (40¢) and mozzarella cheese (89¢) added. This is a brash, delicious sandwich to shamelessly inhale, then brag about on This Is Why You're Fat. The sweet peppers were a bit disappointing, and tasted like garden variety bell peppers rather than peperonicini. But hey, I was able to convince myself that I was getting some vegetable intake with this meal. In the cross-section below, you can see the dual layer of breaded steak. I noticed one person who, lacking carnivorous fortitude, was cutting away some of the meat. Tsk.

If you feel like minimizing human contact/are drunk, you can place orders online for pick-up or delivery from the original 26th Street restaurant. (There are a few more Ricobene's locations around town and in the suburbs.) On Fridays and Saturdays, the restaurant is open late till 1 am. Free parking is available in the lot right across the street, where you are apt to see more cops milling about.

In summary:

Do: order a breaded steak sandwich
Don't: walk in wearing a Cubs jersey

Ricobene's
252 W. 26th St
(312) 225-5555

Solid As a Rock... not my Brown Sugar!!

Mandy Zaransky — 2010-01-31T21:16:22-06:00

Solid As a Rock… not my Brown Sugar!

Brown sugar is one of my favorite cooking friends. It is a wonderful flavor addition to breaded chicken, chili, beef/pork tenderloin, stir-fry, and the list goes on. Technically, Brown sugar is a mix of white sugar and molasses. It seems like whenever I buy a box of Brown sugar it is fluffy and easy to use, but in a short amount of time, even in a sealed container, it turns solid as a rock. There are a few easy ways to keep your brown sugar more like cotton than croutons.

Option 1. Stick and apple slice in the sealed container with the Brown sugar. It won’t mold and it will keep the Brown sugar moist and fluffy. Option 2. Add one slice of white bread to the sealed container of Brown sugar. Like the apple, it won’t mold and will provide that moisture content for the sugar. Over time, the bread will dry out and you should look to replace it. Option 3. My personal favorite option is the terracotta disk. These disks can be purchased for $3 to $10 (check out www.amazon.com or www.improvementscatalog.com improvementscatalog.com/> ) soaked for 15 minutes in water and then they are off to the races. Place the terracotta disk inside the sealed container of Brown sugar for wonderful results overnight. The disk will eventually need to be re-soaked in water and put back into the brown sugar container. This solution is easy, inexpensive, and will make your life as a Brown sugar user so much easier.
Here is a quick recipe (just whipped this up the other night) for pan-fried chicken breasts with Brown Sugar:
Ingredients:
(Part 1)
2 large chicken breasts
1.5 Cups of breadcrumbs
(Your pick of brand. Try to get one that doesn’t have too much sodium)
½ teaspoon of Garlic salt with parsley
½ tablespoon of Cavender’s Salt Free Greek Seasoning
½ tablespoon of Brown sugar
(Part 2)
1 medium shallot
½ a clove of garlic
2 tablespoons of olive oil
To prepare (this is going to be so low brow that some of you might lose respect for me!)
1. Slice chicken breasts in half so that you end up with four thin breasts instead of two larger ones. They will cook faster and more evenly.
2. Score the chicken breasts on both sides with long thin knife marks so that it looks like a # sign. Score means that you don’t cut too deeply into the meat just use the tip of the knife to make a small incision. 2. Open large Ziploc bag and add all aforementioned ingredients in Part 1.
3. Shake the contents of the bag until the chicken breasts are fully coated with the mixture. Now place bag to the side of your prep area.
4. Finely slice the shallot and garlic. You want to spread the flavor of the garlic and shallot into the base of the pan with the olive oil, so the thinner your slices the better it will be for the dish.
5. Place all ingredients from Part 2 into a pan. In this case, non-stick pans are more desirable, but not necessary. Heat on high until the shallot and garlic look very soft. This will take 30 to 90 seconds.
6. Shake bag with chicken once more. Remove pieces and arrange them on top of the olive oil. The chicken should completely coat the pan. Reduce the heat to 75% and cover with glass lid. Check them every minute and flip the chicken over after 2 to 3 minutes. Do the same process on side two. Once you have seen both sides obtain a medium brown edge, reduce heat to medium and let chicken sit covered for another 3 to 4 minutes. It should be tender, flavorful, delicious, and ready to serve.
*I served this chicken with portabella mushroom ravioli on a marinara and feta sauce, but you could pair this with healthy veggies or cut into strips and layer into a salad.

2000 Hugel et Fils Jubilee Riesling

Brian Ziegler — 2010-01-31T15:17:41-06:00

Hugel, an influential Alsatian wine producer, has a relatively easy to find "Gentil" wine, widely available at Binny's, Whole Foods, and several other select locations. It's an excellent value for $10.99 at Binny's, and in years past it was an even better value, but the declining value of the dollar has taken its tool on European wines.

Finding its high-end Jubilee brand is another story. There is not much demand for high-end Alsatian wine here in Chicago, and many retailers are reluctant to stock variety due to slow demand. I finally stumbled upon a few bottles of the 2000 Riesling; the only other Jubilee I found was some Pinot Noir at the Binny's formerly known as Sam's.

The wine had a straw color, which I found a bit surprising in comparison to other top-end Alsatian Rieslings. Nonetheless, the nose and complexity of flavor made up for it. There were flavors of peach, lemon, ginger, and pineapple with a bit of a clove finish (the bitterness at the end of the finish is pleasantly characteristically Alsatian) as well as a hint of petrol (often found in aged whites). Acidity wasn't as strong as characteristic, but the nose and clarity of flavors made up for it, and it was bone-dry, my preferred way of enjoying Alsatian wine. I paired it at home with chicken breasts in ginger and orange-Teryaki sauce on brown rice and it went beautifully.

Last I looked was it was at Howard's Wine Cellar for the bargain basement price of $22.99, which I assume was purchased before the dollar crashed. I plan on buying up the remainder unless Foodies readers beat me to it.

Alton Brown's Pan Fried Chicken

Josh — 2010-01-29T13:59:13-06:00

Since we're all on a fried chicken jones...

Crisp, the New KFC

Crystal Cun — 2010-01-28T13:33:49-06:00

In Chicago, the Korean fried chicken craze has not quite approached the madness of say, haute cupcakes, but we do have a number of options for Asian-inspired fried chicken. Prompted by Josh's newfound love for Korean fried chicken, I went to investigate Lakeview's Crisp, which does the honors of putting the Seoul in soul food.

Southern-style fried chicken relies on dredging the chicken in a thick crust, sometimes made thicker through a buttermilk soak. In contrast, Korean-style chicken is unique in its very thin flour coating and twice-cooked frying process. The first round of frying renders out most of the fat, and the second round turns the skin crisp, almost translucent. This results in an unbelievably crunchy exterior that is not greasy. After frying, the chicken is given a light coating of sauce, which is absorbed into the crust. Done well, you will have flavorful, but not soggy chicken.

At Crisp, just approach the counter to place your order for a half ($9) or whole chicken ($13), and in a few minutes, your name will be called out to pick up your food. I clutched the basket of Seoul Sassy chicken, expertly seasoned with ginger, soy and garlic flecks. The meat was juicy, sizzling hot, and perfectly crisp. I am proud to say that I gnawed away until the bones were picked clean.

Looking for some slightly healthier options, we also ordered the Chi-Town Chicken bowl ($7). This dish featured cubed chicken and scallions atop rice, with a container of "Alison's Atomic Sauce" on the side. Even with the addition of the spicy atomic sauce, the bowl was good but not memorable.

Vegetarians can find solace in the Buddha bowls, a spin on bibimbap without the bulgogi (meat can be added for an additional charge). Pictured above is the Bad Boy Buddha Bowl ($8), topped with spinach, bean sprouts, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms, corn, kimchi, cucumber, and a sunny-side up egg. For that extra kick, you also get a ramekin of gochujang chili sauce. The vegetables were inoffensive, and this was lacking the crisped rice at the bottom of a proper bibimbap. So, for great bibimbap, you'll still have to trek north to Koreatown.

Other menu items include fusion burritos stuffed with bulgogi, sandwiches and salads. But let's be serious, you should come here for the finger-licking good chicken; everything else is simply a distraction.

Crisp boasts counter space and a few communal tables which seat 6-8. This provides you with an opportunity to get to know your fellow customers, as you reach over with greasy fingers for the roll of brown paper towels. We had no trouble squeezing into a space on Friday night, since turnover is relatively zippy. Also, Crisp is BYOB, so be sure to bring a good six-pack and settle in for some fabulous wings and beer. Finally, the restaurant is cash only, and if you find yourself hooked but unwilling to leave home, they offer delivery with a $15 order.

Crisp

2940 N. Broadway (and Wellington)

(773) 697-7610

Two Brothers Brewery

Crystal Cun — 2010-01-23T20:33:34-06:00

Continuing my excursions to noteworthy Chicago-area breweries, I trekked to Two Brothers Brewery to take a peek at the #2 craft brewer in IL (the champion being Goose Island). Though they were founded just 13 years ago, family-run Two Brothers has grown tremendously and now distributes in 8 states, and arguably even has an international presence. (Apparently there's a guy who brings 10 pallets of their beer back to Sweden once a year.)

You can get an up close look at the brewing facilities by taking a tour of the premises. Tour guide Gabe was a fount of knowledge about beer-making, and super witty to boot. Seriously, this was hands-down the funniest brewery tour of all time.

Gabe began by giving us some history about Two Brothers. The tale began in the dark ages of American craft brewing, when Bud was de riguer and you were lucky to get Leinenkugel from a friend who'd returned from WI. Jim and Jason Ebel, the aforementioned two brothers, had spent some time in Europe while in college, returning as beer connoisseurs who were disappointed at the paltry selection of craft beers on this side of the pond. The solution? Brew your own. Jim began delving into home-brewing, and passed along his skills and knowledge to Jason, who returned to his fraternity and immediately became very popular. After some stints in other fields (law school, green architectural design), it dawned upon the Ebel brothers that maybe they could make a living brewing beer. So, they acquired a couple of old milk tanks from their grandfather, a retired dairy farmer. The tanks were converted to fermenters and the business was off and bubbling.

After the history lesson, Gabe went on to describe Two Brothers' philosophy on beer and brewing techniques. He noted, "Making beer is 10% inspiration, which is the fun part. The other 90% is sanitation." Unlike cooking, where spur of the moment innovation can be rewarding, beer-making is about adhering to a process and doing the same thing every time.

On beers in bourbon barrels: "Bourbon barrels can only be used once and they're pretty cheap, so beer brewers like to reuse the barrels, which gives your beer all sorts of tannins, vanillin and bourbon aromas. Great, right? The problem is that you go and order one of those bourbon barrel-aged beers, and as soon as you take a sip, every hair on your head raises because you didn't read the sign and it turns out the beer is 17% alcohol! Look, beer is not meant to be sipped. If I wanted to sip something slowly, I'd be drinking bourbon with an ice cube."

On lagers versus ales: "There are two main types of beer: lagers and ales. Ales are hot-blooded creatures, and ferment at a much higher temperature than lagers. A lager is clean, crisp and eh, a little boring. Sam Adams is a lager. If I walk into a bar and their beer selection isn't great but I see Sam Adams, I'll order that. An ale is a roller coaster ride. Think of the anticipation you feel as you go up that first hill, hearing the click click of the tracks. You are all here today because you like to ride the roller coaster."

After the lecture and glimpse of Two Brothers' bottling facilities, we were rewarded with tickets for 3 samples of anything on tap. Ebel's Weiss was a traditional Hefeweizen with surprisingly strong banana flavors, which made it quite interesting. Next, I tried the Red Eye Coffee Porter, a bold ale loaded with an almost-overwhelming coffee flavor, sure to please java fans. The Northwind Imperial Stout was my favorite drink of the afternoon, rich and chocolatey, perfect for an overcast, chilly day. Unfortunately, it is on the way out for the winter, so be sure to check it out sooner rather than later. Finally, if you've had enough to drink for the day, you can also redeem your ticket for a sample of the housemade root beer or cream sodas.

If you want to stay for a meal, Two Brothers Tap House offers a full restaurant menu. The offerings run the gamut from fish tacos to burgers to Cuban sandwiches. We started off with an order of the nachos, which came on a heaping platter, covered with black beans, pico de gallo, cheese, chimichurri, sour cream and tomatillo salsa. At this point, stomachs were growling, but the nachos arrived in a zip and hit the spot.

The pulled pork sandwich caught my eye because it was billed as Lexington-style bbq, which features a thin vinegar-based sauce, rather than classic tomato-based bbq sauce. I hadn't seen that on a menu since my last trip to well, North Carolina, so I gave it a whirl. The heaping pile of pulled pork was tender and juicy, though I wish there had been more acidity to it. Proper Lexington bbq coleslaw should also be reddish, since it incorporates the vinegar sauce instead of mayo. All in all, a solid Lexington-influenced pulled pork sandwich. For sides, you have the choice of fries, sweet potato fries, vegetables or rice and beans. I opted for the sweet potato fries, which were also pretty good, and adept at sopping up excess bbq sauce.

Two Brothers Brewery conducts tours every week on Saturdays at 1 and 2:30 pm. The tours are free and last about 45 minutes. Unlike Goose Island, there is no reservation process and no cap to the tour group size (today's tour included about 75 participants). There is an adjacent shop where you can pick up Two Brothers swag, all manner of malts, and other supplies to get your home-brewing project off the ground. The brewery is located in Warrenville, IL. Have your GPS handy because the brewery is notoriously difficult to find, located in a nondescript building with no signage, marked only by a curiously full parking lot. The journey from Chicago takes about 45 min, driving west along I-290 and I-88. We made a day out of the trip by visiting nearby Fermilab beforehand. Beer and boson particles, a natural pairing, no?

Two Brothers Brewing Company

Two Brothers Tap House

30w315 Calumet Ave

Warrenville, IL 60555

(630) 393-BEER

Highfalutin Fried Chicken

Josh — 2010-01-21T14:09:34-06:00

The past several weeks I've been all atwitter about Korean fried chicken. Now it seems that just when you thought the ramen-revolution was here, it looks like it might be short circuited by Bon Chon and Thomas Keller.

Last year I lucked out at Ad Hoc and enjoyed 2 helpings of the fantastic fried chicken. The Yountville locals all knew about it and asked if I was there for fried chicken night... lucky me. It seems now that Williams Sonoma is offering the mix for a paltry sum of $15... just add chicken. Now $15 for some packets is outrageous but then again if Bon Chon offered it I'd be salivating all over my credit card. Keller's kit offers brine and batter, and hey it screams, "I make a good gift". It doesn't however address the 2 problems I have.

The problems I have with fried chicken:

1- it makes a HUGE mess and 2- it makes my ass HUGE too...

So fried chicken will remain a poor food choice made ad hoc, whether at Ad Hoc or not.

Chickpea

Crystal Cun — 2010-01-20T20:55:49-06:00

The first thing you notice upon entering Chickpea is the walls, emblazoned with technicolor posters for Hollywood hits in Arabic. With the wall coverings combined with an oh-so-trendy, synecdochic one word name, I mentally began to typecast Chickpea as a faux ethnic joint catering to hipster aesthetics. I mean, if an Arabic poster of Terminator doesn't scream Irony, then I don't know what does.

Luckily, my doubts were quickly quelled by the emergence of Amni Suqi, chef and matriarch of the restaurant. With a warm smile, she welcomed us and asked us to seat ourselves wherever we liked. We were handed paper menus, and told to be sure to ask if we had any questions.

Like dining at home, Chickpea boasts a pretty low-key environment. Though you can wait for someone to come by, your best bet is to head to the counter to place your order and pay. (Note: Chickpea is cash only.) Food is delivered soon afterwards to your table. Water is available via plastic cups in the corner, and you can help yourself to the bottles of sambal oelek chili paste on the counter, a nice addition if you like added zing to your food.

Amni Suqi, or Mama, is very much present on the menu and in person. Chickpea's menu offers Palestinian cuisine, with some familiar options (falafel, tabbouleh) buried amongst many less familiar options. The section labeled "Mama's Specials" is particularly interesting, with authentic Palestinian dishes that rotate daily, such as mussakhkhan, roasted chicken spiced with sumac and pine nuts. Meanwhile, Mama hovers over her charges in the dining room, personally checking on each table to make sure you are happy with your dish. "How is your food?" she questioned us. "Good? Be sure to tell me if there's something you don't like."

This was fantastic, but wholly unnecessary since every dish was fabulous. Pictured above is the lahman ma hummus, a large plate of hummus topped with juicy minced tenderloin, pine nuts, pickled beets and a few dabs of garlic-jalapeño chutney. This was accompanied by a basket of warm pita bread. The hummus was creamy and silky smooth, and had plenty of sass and attitude for a could-be yawner.

The Tuesday night special was malfoof, cabbage rolls filled with herbed rice and minced lamb, stacked in an impressive, Jenga-like tower. The translucent cabbage skins were decidedly not cabbage-y, and the filling was expertly seasoned. If you know someone who claims to hate cabbage, this dish will change their mind.

Though I initially had my doubts, Chickpea has managed to expertly combine Old World charm with a hip, sharp environment. There is a giant sign for Coca-Cola hanging on the wall. The bathroom has a bathtub inside. And most importantly, the food is delicious. Plus, the prices are right, with entrees ranging from about $7-12. You can even snag a falafel sandwich for only $4.

"I want you to do me a favor. I want you to tell all your friends about me."

Thug: "Who ARE You?!"

"I'm Chickpea."

Chickpea

2018 W. Chicago (and Damen)

(773) 384-9930

HB: Home Bistro... In the words of Britney Spears, "Gimme More"

Mandy Zaransky — 2010-01-18T21:03:11-06:00

I say “Gimme More”, not because I was disappointed, but rather I cannot wait to go back and try the rest of the menu. This past Wednesday, another self ordained Foodie and I ate at HB: Home Bistro on Halsted Street. For $29 per person (3-course menu), we enjoyed one of the best meals in a long time! HB is also a BYOB, so the bill for the 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 2 desserts was $64. Value, leftovers, and satisfying/memorable food…very nice! HB offers a variety of dishes that can be categorized as American cuisine with East Coast and European influences.

Our meals started appetizers- an Old Bay Spiced Crab Cake and an Escargot with vegetables, spices, and croutons in a savory sauce. While the crab cake was fresh and better that average for a mid-western restaurant, it didn’t even begin to compare to the outstanding flavors of the escargot with vegetables appetizer. Not your typical escargot with garlic and butter. It was better! HB took the escargot and paired it with wonderfully stewed tomatoes and vegetables and then added a few croutons to soak up some of cooked juices. Such a delicious dish! I only wish there was a loaf of bread for me to run across the plate (maybe not classy, but it’s the sign of a good meal) when I finished eating the vegetables and escargot. Good thing that bread was not on the table because I needed to save room for the next two courses.

Just when we thought the meal couldn’t get any better, the entrees came. HB is somewhat known for their lamb burger. Yes, lamb with brie on a pretzel roll… and a side of truffle fries. It was tasty (a little greasy on the bottom of the bun), but if I could only select one dish for the entrée, I would go with the 12 hour braised beef brisket. This, my readers and food lovers, is beef romantic. The brisket is cooked for 12 hours and is flavorful, smooth, juicy, and delicious. Not to mention, it wasn’t alone. The 12 hours of cooking perfection was atop a parsnip potato mash and surrounded by drizzled jalapeno oil. Running the forkful of brisket through the mashed potatoes and then getting some jalapeno oil in the mix was an outstanding marriage of flavors. Doggie bag please! It’s not humanly possible to finish the dish, plus there was still the dessert course.

While you are mentally digesting the first two courses, I’ll mention the atmosphere of HB. It is charming and a truly great space for groups of friends or a dinner-date for two. Not a huge restaurant, but one with attentive staff, lit candles, and a feeling of pride in the cuisine.

So, the foodie delight continues with dessert. We ordered the bread pudding and the chocolate brownie with salted caramel. Again, beating our expectations! While still not as amazing at the Chocolate mousse cake at NAHA, these desserts were memorable, tasty, and an amazing value. The bread pudding was a nice mixture of fruit, crème, and bread. If you want to trick yourself into thinking that you made a healthy dessert choice, that dish is the ticket. More realistic dessert goers might prefer the chocolate brownie with salted caramel and fresh whipped cream. The salty sweet combination of the brownie and caramel was pronounced, but not so robust that you couldn’t enjoy the surprise peanut butter flavor or the rich, smooth taste of the whipped cream. At the end, I had to physically push the plate away to stop myself from finishing the entire brownie and the other half of the bread pudding, too.

Chicagoans are blessed with many wonderful dining establishments, but few restaurants offer flavor, menu creativity, value, and a warm, inviting atmosphere like HB. I can’t wait to go back and let HB “Gimme More”!

http://www.homebistrochicago.com/menu.html

Home Bistro
3404 North Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 661-0299

Haitian Restaurants in Chicago

Josh — 2010-01-14T14:54:53-06:00

One of the best ways to experience a culture is through their food. Ironically in a city founded by a Haitian, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, I could only find one Haitian restaurant still open (please correct me if I'm wrong), Sweet Nick's Caribbean in Evanston. At a time when Haiti is top of mind for heartbreaking reasons, food can be a connection that provides real insight and empathy that you can't get from all the news in the world. Most importantly, it might be something positive at such an unfortunate time for the Haitian people.

Sweet Nick's Caribbean
741 Howard St
Evanston, IL 60202
847-869-7172

Recipe: Summer-in-January Marshmallows

Crystal Cun — 2010-01-13T21:16:12-06:00

Recently, I was lucky enough to receive a nice, shiny, KitchenAid stand mixer. Gee willikers! I don't bake nearly enough to justify the counter space for this new toy, but heck, I'm not going to complain about never having to knead dough again.

After making a few loaves of bread, I was itching to test out the mixer on ludicrous speed #10. But what to make, meringue? Too obvious. A little more digging around on the internet turned up recipes for marshmallows. Conveniently, this would also make use of the Knox gelatin that had been collecting dust for several years in my cupboard. Plus, what with the abysmal wind chills and omnipresent snow on the ground, what could be better than marshmallows to remind us that summer is just (six months) around the corner?

Homemade marshmallows are easy to make, provided you have the proper equipment: a candy thermometer and a good mixer. I used a stand mixer for my heavy duty whipping, but you can also substitute a handheld mixer for a longer duration of time.

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 T + 2 1/2 t (3 envelopes) of unflavored gelatin

1/2 c cold water

2 c granulated sugar (I used 1 c of brown sugar, 1 c white)

1/2 c light corn syrup

1/2 c cold water

1/4 t salt

2 egg whites

2 t vanilla (alternatively: food coloring, almond, mint or lavender extract)

~3/4 c confectioners' sugar

Directions:

Oil the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13" glass dish. Dust generously with confectioners' sugar.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl, combine the gelatin with 1/2 c cold water.

Meanwhile, in a heavy sauce pan, heat the sugar, corn syrup, water and salt over low heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Increase to medium heat, and let the sugar mixture boil until it reaches 240 F on a candy or digital thermometer (about 12 min). Pour the hot sugar mixture into the bowl containing the gelatin. Stir until the gelatin has dissolved.

Whip the sugar and gelatin until the mixture has turned white and approximately tripled in volume. This takes about 6 min on high speed using a stand mixer, or 10 minutes using a hand mixer. Watching the mixture go from watery and dark brown to white and puffy was almost miraculous!

Meanwhile, in another bowl with clean beaters, beat the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Do this as quickly as possible, since the sugar mixture will begin to cool and set. Fold the beaten egg whites and vanilla extract into the sugar mixture and combine.

Pour the sugar mixture into the rectangular dish. Spread 1/4 c confectioners' sugar over the top in an even layer. Refrigerate the uncovered dish overnight, or for at least 3 hours.

After chilling, slide a knife around the edge of the dish to loosen the marshmallow cake. Flip the dish over a large cutting board to remove the marshmallow layer. I used a spatula to help coax the marshmallow out. Slice the marshmallow layer into 1" cubes, or whatever size you prefer. In the now-empty rectangular dish, pour 1/2 c confectioners' sugar. Roll the cubed marshmallows in the confectioners' sugar and shake off the excess. Voila, you now have about 100 fluffy, bouncy marshmallows at your disposal! These will store for about a week at room temperature in an air-tight container.

It's a bit too cold to toast marshmallows over a campfire, but nothing's preventing you from toasting your marshmallows indoors. I find that my gas stove is an admirable substitute for producing those charred edges. Now, time to make homemade graham crackers...

Pierrot Gourmet – Macarons, Macarons... Everywhere!

Rebecca Gibergues — 2010-01-13T21:12:27-06:00

I am not sure if it is my imagination, but macarons seem to be everywhere these days. Restaurant menus, cafes, even Starbucks has a variety pack of 12 macarons to go with your skinny latte.
I was lucky enough to eat 'real' French macarons while on vacation last year and have not tried any recently through fear of disappointment. That was until last weekend, when we ate at Pierrot Gourmet, the restaurant attached to the Peninsula hotel.

Their macarons were good, and fresh (much more so than I would expect the Starbucks version to be). They were quite large, which I think took something away from the taste, and meant that I felt more guilty for having eaten 3 in under 5 minutes. As the classic flavors are often best with macarons, we steered clear of the 'PB&J' version and got some chocolate and raspberry to take home. We will certainly be going back for more......

Ice Sphere Mold... The Perfect Ice Sphere. Just What You Need in the Midst of Winter

Josh — 2010-01-09T11:55:48-06:00

A walk through the MOMA Design Store turned over the hard-to-find Japanese ice sphere molds. It's maybe the last thing you need to hear about with the temp actually becoming 'annoying-to-walk-the-dog cold'. In any case since a good cocktail mitigates temperature issues and if you've been enjoying the cocktail renaissance of the past couple of years, you know the wonderful principles behind the ice sphere. It's really all about surface area. The more ice chunks and chips you have, the faster the ice melts. The faster the ice melts, the faster your drink dilutes and the faster it warms up. Now the Japanese who are known scotch-mavens, have designed machines that press out perfect ice spheres. It's drawback for home use is that you need giant chunks of ice to create the spheres.

The upside is that they're perfect and it works fast. Unless you are a zen ice chopping master like this guy,

it's the best way to address a commercial need. At home though it's almost useless.
And it's expensive.

Enter the $8 plastic ice sphere mold. It's not perfect. It's not fast. But it works! and now that winter is here I can enjoy ice cold whiskey all night long. On a single sphere of ice! I'm goofing on it so I've been freezing four or so a day and have a ziploc bag of ice balls in the freezer. With bottles of RI1, Voodoo Tiki Tequilla, and Veev to crack open, it's really cocktail time!

Quest for Marshall Field's Cheesecake Recipe

Josh — 2010-01-09T10:59:48-06:00

A reader is on the hunt for a cheesecake recipe! I have my personal favorite but not sure exactly what this one is. Anyone know? From Rita:

I remember fondly the trips our family took on the "EL" to the loop and going window shopping at Easter or Christmas!! One of the best memories of these occasions was stopping at Marshall Fields Deli (I guess the Bakery department) for the wonderful cheesecake. It was light, fluffy and oh so good! I have been looking for many years to find a recipe for this delicious cake. I think it was baked but it was almost like a chiffon not like the gooey cakes I see now. Does anyone have a recipe for one like this now? I have been looking for almost seventy years to find one. Please help.

Tam Popo / Tampopo Sushi – The Secret is Out

Josh — 2010-01-08T20:27:19-06:00

When I moved north, I started looking around for another go-to sushi spot. On Lincoln is Tampopo and for the past year it's been my most consistently delicious sushi spot and a great value. I did several searches on the site to make sure I hadn't mention it. I could have sworn I did but alas.

It just so happens I was at the bar having dinner at 5:30 and was talking to Danny, the owner. It turns out they're being featured on 'Check Please' this evening. He's excited and nervous. I was surprised to hear that he's worried about potential negative comments from the diners! Usually I would expect owners to be apprehensive about their potential traffic screwing up their buying and restaurant operations. Especially since the freshness and value of his fish is so painfully obvious.

Fast forward to 8:20. I'm watching the episode now 'Hidden Gem' is the right was to look at it. Portions described as 'huge' is right on... Ramen is apparently. according to Alpana, the new cupcake. I think maybe every winter ramen gets a lift. Then again the noodle stores are taking over NY and I certainly have been overdosing on ramen at Ginza, not to mention Sunshine Cafe, UrbanBelly and XoCo, so maybe she's on to something. By the way, the guy who thinks his rolls weren't as 'tight' because he's not a regular is kind of nuts.

Colin, the other guy, kind of piles on the positive. I forgot it wasn't his choice. It's simply that good. Northside people. In any case the word is out. Tampopo is the real deal. If you get there and it's mobbed check out the Iraqi restaurant next door. I haven't tried it yet but considering I may now have to wait for a table, that's where I might have to go.

Tam Popo
5665 N. Lincoln
773-561-2277

Chocri: Create My Chocolate

Crystal Cun — 2010-01-08T10:14:21-06:00

In a world of freeze-your-own ice cream and top-your-own hamburgers, it was only a matter of time until someone swept in to fill the need for customizable chocolate. Enter Chocri, a German-based company that has just launched operations in the U.S. The concept is simple: you choose your chocolate base (milk, dark or white), add up to five additional toppings, and your designer chocolate bars are shipped to you faster than you can say "Meine Schokolade!"

The most exciting part is undoubtedly choosing your toppings. M&M's and rice crispies in a candy bar? Yawn. With Chocri, your options range from apricot bits to spicy volcano cashews. Though you could stick to classic chocolate add-ins, like nougat and coconut, haven't you ever wondered what it would be like to add coriander to your chocolate? No? Well, here's your chance anyway. For chocolate bars intended as gifts, you can also add in decorations and labels, such as "Thank you!" or "Happy Birthday!"

With a purported 10 billion+ possible combinations, I had to put some serious thought into concocting winning chocolate combinations. After much agonizing (marshmallow or muesli? Do I need gold flakes in my chocolate??), I ended up with the following bars:

Pistachio, papaya and mango cubes in white chocolate: this was my bid for a safe, unintimidating chocolate bar, filled with nuts and tropical fruity goodness. It was by far the most popular option amongst the kid testers.

Wasabi peanuts, ginger and chives in milk chocolate: Let it be known that the wasabi peanuts have a hefty, sinus-clearing kick to them, which is just the way I like them. Combined with the warmth of the ginger pieces and creamy milk chocolate, this was my favorite bar of the bunch. The addition of the chives was slightly odd; I thought it might add a certain onion-y je ne sais quoi, but next time I think I'll just leave them out. All in all, this is an adventurous bar, perfect for those who like a little spice with their sugar.

Flower mix, hazelnut brittle and orange pepper in dark chocolate: Dark chocolate has an understated elegance and beauty of its own, so I tried to keep the toppings a bit more low-profile. Here, I added some hazelnut brittle for crunch and a sprinkling of flowers for color. The floral notes and orange pepper accented the dark chocolate without overpowering it.

Chocri is currently in soft-launch, with the invitation-only password released in their newsletter yesterday, but I'm guessing the site will be completely public soon. (Or perhaps you could score the password by asking Carmen nicely.) For the environmentally conscious, chocolate bars are fair trade and organic products, and a number of the toppings are organic as well.

Chocri

http://www.createmychocolate.com

You ARE Eating Genetically Modified Food.

Josh — 2010-01-06T16:21:01-06:00

Leave it to the movies to stimulate healty eating. Food Inc. is on video and one of the areas of interest is in our overwhelming acceptance as a nation of 'genetically modified organisms' in our food. GMOs are in over 80% of the items at your grocery store... Is that odd when every country in the European Union, Japan and the hearty Australians all restrict or ban it?

Here's a list of some FAQ and a link to companies that will help you eat around them: from the Non-GMO Project.

What are GMOs?
GMOs (or “genetically modified organisms”) are organisms that have been created through the gene-splicing techniques of biotechnology (also called genetic engineering, or GE). This relatively new science allows DNA from one species to be injected into another species in a laboratory, creating combinations of plant, animal, bacteria, and viral genes that do not occur in nature or through traditional crossbreeding methods.
Are GMOs safe?
In 30 other countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, there are significant restrictions or outright bans on the production of GMOs, because they are not considered proven safe. In the U.S. on the other hand, the FDA approved commercial production of GMOs based on studies conducted by the companies who created them and profit from their sale. Many health-conscious shoppers find the lack of rigorous, independent, scientific examination on the impact of consuming GM foods to be cause for concern.
How common are GMOs?
According to the USDA, in 2007, 91% of soy, 87% of cotton, and 73% of corn grown in the U.S. were GMO. It is estimated that over 75% of canola grown is GMO, and there are also commercially produced GM varieties of sugar beets, squash and Hawaiian Papaya. As a result, it is estimated that GMOs are now present in more than 80% of packaged products in the average U.S. or Canadian grocery store.

Fado Irish Pub: It's not a Latke, it's a Boxty

Mandy Zaransky — 2010-01-05T23:57:23-06:00

I’ve had they pleasure of consuming a Boxty on a few occasions. Have you? Until last year, I was unaware of the Irish Boxty, which is the cousin of Tortilla Espanola and the potato latke. Fado Irish Pub offers several Boxty on their menu. This potato pancake dish is found in more rural parts of Ireland and cooked on a griddle instead of a frying pan. It is a perfect consistency to wrap up a hearty meal (like the Trinity Steak Boxty) or as a quesadilla. My favorite on the Fado Boxty menu is the Veggie Boxty Quesadilla. If you like grilled veggies, sour cream, cheese and marinated tomatoes, this might be the perfect pub dish for you. www.fadoirishpub.com

Tartiflette: Comfort food, French style

Rebecca Gibergues — 2009-12-26T14:51:39-06:00

Tartiflette is a winter dish, designed to be eaten after many hours – or even days – of hiking and skiing in the Alps. It's a dish that warms both the body and the soul. I mean: bacon, potatoes, fried onions, rich French cheese. What's not to like? Unless you're vegetarian or lactose intolerant, it's hard to resist.

One evening around two weeks ago, we decided to make tartiflette and easily found all of the ingredients except the crucial cheese component, reblochon. There's an earlier post on this blog which mentions Whole Foods as a supplier, but even the gentleman at the cheese counter there told me he "didn't understand why there was no reblochon these days". Still, at Fox & Obel I managed to come up with a good substitute: L'Edel de Cleron.

We boiled the potatoes, fried the bacon and onions and threw the cheese on top. 20 minutes in the oven (or until it smelled good, I don't remember) and we served it to our friends on Sunday evening. They were either polite or impressed enough to have a second plateful each.

Try this at home, and pay close attention to my friend Amy's wise words: "I want the crust bit on top; it's the best bit". And yes, that really is a pound and a half of full-fat cheese on top.

Achatz Tableside Dessert Preparation at Alinea

Josh — 2009-12-22T17:15:41-06:00

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Gluten Free for You and Me

Mandy Zaransky — 2009-12-20T22:55:10-06:00

'Tis the season for Christmas stollen, holiday cupcakes, and rum cakes, too. Now many people who cannot tolerate gluten can grab a cupcake with friends or enjoy an easy dinner out in Chicago. Luckily there are many great resources and eateries for those who have Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance.

A few suggestions around Chicago include the following: Chicago Diner (www.veggiediner.com) in Boystown offers a vegetarian menu, but also has an entirely gluten free menu. Swirlz Cupcakes (www.swirlzcupcakes.com) in Lincoln Park makes at least one flavor of gluten free cupcakes each day of the week. My favorite blog for gluten free recipes and ideas is www.tamaraduker.com . The blog is rife with humor, honesty, and creativity in gluten intolerant cooking!

Joan Gussow

Josh — 2009-12-19T13:47:52-06:00

As for butter versus margarine, I trust cows more than chemists. ~Joan Gussow

Overseer, Chefs Collaborative; former chair & professor emeritus (nutrition), Columbia University Teachers College; director, Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation; advisory board member, Center for Food Safety and Ecology Action; author, This Organic Life from Activist Cash

Terzo Piano – The Restaurant at the Art Institute of Chicago

Rebecca Gibergues — 2009-12-19T10:37:51-06:00

Take the elevator to the Terzo Piano. It is hard to tell if the Art Institute's Terzo Piano restaurant was really designed with art-lovers in mind. On the one hand, it is ideally placed, being on the third floor (the ‘terzo piano’, see?) of the Art Institute’s modern wing. However, on the other, going there for lunch can really interfere with a culture-filled day out. Once you have had a look over the menu and ordered a pre-dinner drink, you start to realize that this is not somewhere you'd want to rush your lunch.

We started to get some strange looks as we tried to see "what everyone else is having". We settled on the butternut ravioli (very rich, the kind of dish you can get away with eating only in winter. I’m talking waistline, ladies), and my friend ordered the Uno, Due, Tre burgers, a plate of three small burgers, beef, lamb and shrimp.

I suspect the waiter was overjoyed when we finally ordered, because we had already spent far too long looking at everything on the menu. We changed our mind multiple times, as we saw more and more interesting dishes emerging from the kitchen. But, to be honest, I’d go here every week if only for the desserts and the wine (the financier with lavender ice cream is definitely worth trying).

And for those of you who lean towards French wines, you'll know it’s rare to find a bottle of Château d’Esclans this side of the Atlantic, and certainly this side of Lake Michigan. Speaking of which, after lunch, stop and take a look out at the view from the restaurant terrace. On a clear, blue-sky wintry day it makes you happy to be in Chicago.

The $165.99 Bottle of Sam Adams: Utopias

Josh — 2009-12-16T09:51:02-06:00

Is it beer? It tastes like a cognac. It's 'shelf-stable' It's not carbonated. Could you even fermented to 27%?

I guess the answer is yes. Utopias is a whopping 27% that's right, 54 proof... that would be a mean game of quarters. But since it's $165 bucks you might be a bit more stingy with it. Sam Adams made a triple bock in the late nineties that came close at 18% and at $6 was a bit cheaper. That I do remember drinking in college but I also remember being surprised by it. Frankly it might have simply been the bottle or the oddity of it. This time around I had the opportunity to try it again and I can only wish that they'd relaunch it. But the Utopias was the focus of the evening. I do enjoy sherry and found the flavor to be in the same vein but what Utopias brings to the table as far as I can tell is that fermented undertone of malt. It has a very robust finish full of chocolate and nuts which points out the more myopic finish of grape, honey and raisin you get from sherry.
Whether the finish is worth the price tag is up to you.

Without trying it, I guess the only way to tell if extreme beer is for you is with the Dogfish Head World Wide Stout. I'm not saying the flavor is that similar but simply if you want to try a beer that is heading in this direction. They also make a 120 minute IPA and while the percentage is there, it might be way too hoppy to compare to Utopias.

If you're looking for speedy beer buzz Dogfish Head provides a few options: Olde School Barleywine at 15%, the aforementioned IPA and Stout and Forte at 18% (very fruity). Sonoran makes the 100 which comes in at 20%, Short's makes an Anniversary IPA that's also at 20%, Bristol makes the XXX Warlock stout at 18%,

Now there's also Tactical Nuclear Penguin from Brew Dog in Scotland. That's as of November the biggest beer at 32%. But that's made by penguins.

Tactical Nuclear Penguin from BrewDog on Vimeo.

2005 Jean-Marc Pillot Chassagne-Montrachet Clos Saint Marc Les Vergers 1er Cru

Brian Ziegler — 2009-12-16T08:42:36-06:00

My wine drinking friends know that I am biased toward specific wine growing regions, and that I do tend to prefer what I call the Teutonic belt of wine of Alsace, Germany, and Austria. One wine growing region I would drink much more of, if I was in a higher tax bracket, is Burgundy. The reds (Pinot Noir) are delicate and exquisite and command high prices, but so do their whites (Chardonnay). Generally speaking, the whites tend to be more affordable than the reds, and I find them to be a bit more consistent.

In addition to the cost of Burgundy, the other challenge is to remember the labels of the wines you have tried. Burgundy labels are actually very informative, but unlike a so-called "marketing label", where you remember the color and catchy name, and perhaps the kangaroo or frog, you have to pay attention to all the words. Part of this stems from the divisions of land, where historically, people have inherited very small plots of land that have continued to become divided as it is passed down from generation to generation. Burgundy producers, therefore, often produce several wines, albeit in small quantities. This is in contrast to Bordeaux, where a chateau will own large vineyards and typically will produce only a small number of wines in larger quantities.

Here's an example of the challenge in reading a Premier Cru Burgundy bottle: on the bottle I reviewed it said "Clos Saint Marc" on the top line. Clos Saint Marc is the name of the vineyard, which can be shared by multiple producers, as is the case in Alsace or other regions. "Chassagne-Montrachet", in large letters is the name of the most famous vineyard in the town where the wine was sourced, followed by the town's name. In this case Chassagne is the name of the nearest town, one that is more well known for white wine. The name Montrachet, confusingly enough, is actually a Grand Cru vineyard different to the source of the wine, which, as mentioned, is "Clos Saint Marc". This is because some Burgundian communities have appended the name of the most famous vineyard to their town's name, so what once was Chassagne is now referred to as Chassagne-Montrachet. To make matters complicated there is a nearby village (or commune) called "Puligny-Montrachet", having also adapted Montrachet to its name.

The third line of the label says "Premier Cru-Les Vergers". Premier Cru is a designated vineyard of high quality. This does not mean the wine is of high quality (though generally it is), it just means the vineyard is designated as such. According to Karen MacNeil's Wine Bible, there are 562 Premier Cru vineyards from Burgundy, and wines sourced from Premier Cru vineyards tend to command high prices. "Les Vergers" is the brand of the wine, much like a name of a cuvee or proprietary name to distinguish the wine.

The fourth line says "Appellation Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Controlee", which states that the wine is part of the Chassagne-Montrachet premier cru designation. This means that the vineyard, Clos Saint Marc, is part of the appellation as listed on the label. Last, the producer, Jean-Marc Pillot, is listed on the fifth line.

The order in which the information appears depends on the producer, but in general this mind-boggling list helps provide the informed wine buyer necessary details.

As for the wine it contains a reasonable amount of oak, lemon, good acidity, and overall is well-balanced. As a 2005, it was not too tight and drunk well, though it would be fine aging for a few years. There are bottles still available at Howard's Wine Cellar on Belmont east of Southport for roughly $50.

Chicago Cupcake Crawl

Crystal Cun — 2009-12-15T21:51:43-06:00

The cupcake craze may be petering out on the coasts, but if the continued openings of cupcake-centric bakeries (Cupcake Gallery, Sprinkles Cupcakes in March) are any indicator, the demand for adorable, perfectly ganached cakes is still going strong in Chicago. Woe to the cupcake lover who wants to sort out which of the myriad bakeries is worth their while! Until now, you were sadly adrift, alone in a sea of decadent buttercream. Not all chocolate cupcakes look alike, but who can you trust??

Luckily our friends at Chicago Bites have come up with a solution: the Chicago Cupcake Crawl guide. Tammy Green has done the arduous legwork of sampling, photographing and speaking to over 30 Chicago bakeries, and has compiled all the information you need to know into a handy guidebook. With stats on each bakeries' hours and specialties and tips on how to plan a successful cupcake crawl (tip: end with salad), you will never again go lacking for paper-lined confectioneries. Forget the Field Museum; this is what I'm doing with my next batch of out-of-town guests.

Chicago Cupcake Crawl

http://www.chicagocupcakecrawl.com

2002 Gustave Lorenz Altenberg de Bergheim Pinot Gris

Brian Ziegler — 2009-12-14T18:48:00-06:00

Pinot Gris is the same grape as Italian Pinot Grigio, though the two could not be any more different. Italian Pinot Grigio is typically a light, easy-to-drink wine, and many of you may have seen the very common Santa Margherita on the menu or in advertisements. Pinot Grigio of Italy today seems to be causing the damage that blue bottle German Riesling caused a generation ago, where many people were scared off from drinking it even today, assuming that all of it is sweet and of poor quality, in spite of good examples. This may explain why Oregonians call their product the French name, Pinot Gris, instead of Pinot Grigio.

Formerly known as Tokay in the Alsace region in France, the name Pinot Gris is now used to eliminate confusion with the Hungarian dessert wine Tokaji. Pinot Gris tends to be very viscous and often golden in color, yet very dry. Gustave Lorenz makes an incredibly good Grand Cru product from the Altenberg de Bergheim vineyard, and their 2002 is drinking exceptionally well with notes of honey, meyer lemon, and coriander. The last I looked Que Syrah Wines on Southport had a few bottles selling for $32.

Wine Dinners: Austrian Wine Night

Brian Ziegler — 2009-12-14T06:36:00-06:00

A few weeks ago, I had a few people over for Austrian Wine Night, the second of a series of wine dinner parties to spotlight lesser-known regions that produce good quality wines.

We served an apple butternut squash soup, and for dinner, we had Wiener Schnitzel with potato salad and asparagus, along with pumpkin seed oil (an Austrian specialty) and a delicious rye bread from the Austrian Bakery in Lincoln Park. I knew there was something missing, though, when I realized I forgot to add salt to the Wiener Schnitzel (sorry guests!).

The dessert was an apple struedel, served with vanilla ice cream. In addition to the main meal, in absence of an Austrian cheese, seemingly impossible to find, I served a creamy Bavarian Blue and a swiss cheese called "Hoch Ybring", a granular and nutty cheese with a rind washed in white wine from cheese guru Rolf Beeler.

Next part is the wine, and I wanted to point out some highlights. First I opened a Rudi Pichler (not to be confused with F. X. Pichler) Wosendorfer Kollmutz Smaragd Weissburgunder. Essentially it's a Pinot Blanc, but much richer than the Pinot Blancs from Alsace with a much more dense, steely concentration and more pronounced fruit. The Rudi Pichler can be purchased at Que Syrah, roughly in the $30 range.

The second wine was a 2005 Alzinger Liebenberg Smaragd Riesling, a nice crisp, minerally wine, sold at Howard's Wine Cellar. This was followed by 2006 Weingut Brundlmayer Ried Loiser Berg with notes of white pepper, yeast, citrus, a nice complement to our meal.

Our guests brought over two bottles from House of Glunz, both of which were from Hirsch. The first was a 2005 Zobing from the Kamptal region. a nice peachy and minerally Riesling. Especially impressive, though, was the 2006 Heilingenstein Gruner Veltliner, featuring white pepper with nutty and grassy notes, also from Kamptal, a region adjacent to Wachau in northern Austria.

A couple of highlights to point out, though. First was the 2001 Kracher #9 Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA). The TBA, as it is commonly referred to (it's name is too long and too difficult to pronounce in its entirety) is a late-harvest wine that literally means "dry berry selected harvest". It's a confusing term, given that the word "trocken" is used to reference dry wines, yet TBAs are almost universally sweet. TBAs are expensive and difficult to produce, as the grapes must be first allowed to raisinate by botrytis (if you have heard of Sauternes or Tokaji, you get the concept), which basically is a type of mold that causes the grapes to shrivel, which concentrates its sweetness. The alcohol percentage is typically very low, at around seven percent, as the sugars are so concentrated that they do not ferment as normal wine does (usually between eleven and sixteen percent).

The Kracker #9, sold at Binnys for $39.99 a half bottle, had a distinct note of mandarin oranges. Kracher makes a wide variety of TBAs with a sweet Muskat-Ottonel (the #8) going for $79.99 a half-bottle.

Another highlight was the 1999 Prager Steinriegl Smaragd Riesling, with a long and steely concentration with hints of pear, petrol, citrus and stones. It apparently can be found at the Wine Discount Center on Elston.

We then finished off the evening with two wines: first, a dry muscat from Burgenland called "Zantho" (see previous posts of dry muscat) and a 2006 Salomon Steinterrassen Riesling from the Wachau region.

The objective of the event was twofold: one, to find great examples of Austrian wine; the second was to create a bit of "influencer seeding" to increase the popularity of Austrian wines and get consumers to experiment a bit more.

Meringues: What to do with leftover egg whites

Brian Ziegler — 2009-12-13T22:00:31-06:00

As I spend more time in the kitchen, I am trying to do a better job reducing the amount of waste. It is almost inevitable for me to throw away leftover rosemary, parsley, and cilantro, and to dump the remaining whipping cream for that recipe requiring two tablespoons. I've made ice cream now, roughly 7 or 8 times, and most recipes call for egg yolks. What I normally do is dump out the egg whites, but in my last recipe, which called for five yolks, it seemed like a waste. This time I decided to save the egg whites, and what better way to use them than make meringues.

The recipe for a basic meringue is simple: egg whites and sugar. If you wanted to add lemon or even a type of jam I'm sure they would be delicious as well. First thing, after separating the yolks from the whites is to make sure no yolk or even the small ball of fat next to the yolk has not been included. Any amount of yolk will interfere with the beating of the whites.

Next, turn the mixer on high for roughly five minutes and beat the whites until the egg whites are stiff and form peaks. Then continue to mix after you add the sugar; I used granulated sugar, which doesn't dissolve well. Superfine sugar seemed to be recommended, which I didn't have, but I definitely wanted to avoid powdered sugar, my new cooking pet peeve.

After all was done, I took my spoon and put dollops of the meringue on parchment paper, warmed the oven up to 200 degrees and let the meringues bake for an hour and forty-five minutes. Some recipes call for faster cooking, but the slow-cook approach created an interesting texture.

After cooking, voila! There are meringues ready to eat as a result of maybe ten minutes of work.

Food Quotes: Miss Piggy

Josh — 2009-12-10T13:23:51-06:00

After all the trouble you go to, you get about as much actual "food" out of eating an artichoke as you would from licking 30 or 40 postage stamps. ~Miss Piggy

2005 Rene Mure Tradition Muscat

Brian Ziegler — 2009-12-10T11:30:00-06:00

Muscat from Alsace (technically and typically the Muscat Ottanel grape) is from the same family of sweet wines that some of you may have tasted, or at least have seen on the dessert menus, and these include the bubbly and refreshing Moscato d'Asti from the Piedmont region of Italy. Not to be confused with Asti Spumanti, the bubbly Moscato d'Asti are frizzante wines (meaning very low carbonation such that only a standard cork is required), typically very low in alcohol, sweet and fruity, and a nice palate cleanser. Like Riesling, Muscat can be made in a variety of styles, from bone-dry to very sweet.

I have had roughly four of Rene Mure's Muscat bottles, and do felt that it declined a bit from the first bottle I bought. The floral notes were very pronounced when I first bought it, and over a period of about a year they seemed for some reason to be in a decline. There were notes of lime in the wine as well, and though it was a good wine that I would certainly buy more, I did find it a touch flabby and it could perhaps use a bit more acidity. Having said that, this wine pairs excellently with vegetable pureed soups--it went great with a pureed vegetable broth soup and a pumpkin turkey soup.

The last time I looked it was at Binny's on a closeout sale at $14.99, a relative bargain for a quality wine. When I checked today, it did not appear to be in stock. However, there was an 2006 Austrian Muskat-Ottanel at Binny's called "Zantho" that is part of the same family of wines, and it is well priced at $12.99. We sampled it courtesy of Betty Chen, writer of Chicago Foodies, and it had the nice qualities of a floral muscat.

Homemade Ice Cream

Brian Ziegler — 2009-12-10T07:54:00-06:00

Owning an ice cream maker has to be one of the greatest simple pleasures in the kitchen. The satisfaction derived from making your own ice cream rivals whatever you can get from an ice cream shop or the supermarket shelves.

I have a Cuisinart ice cream maker with a bowl filled with a gel that freezes overnight. I've heard of the manual hand-crank ice cream makers, and while I'm charmed at the simplicity, it seems a bit too labor intensive for me.

After a few hit or miss attempts, here is what I've learned on my own versus what the cookbooks and ice cream maker manual tell you to do. For the uninitiated, ice cream is relatively simple and consists of a few steps:

* Chilling the bowl of the ice cream maker (if you have a Cuisinart or any sort of machine where you have to chill the bowl).

* Heating cream and dissolving the sugar in it.

* Combining egg yolks and the flavorings used to make the ice cream.

* Combining the egg yolk and flavoring mixture with the cream and sugar and heating it.

* Cooling the ice cream mixture.

* Transferring the mixture to the ice cream maker and mix until frozen.

* Transferring to a container.

Most recipes will walk you through the above steps, but I've found that not many people explain the following steps:

1. When you put the ice cream bowl in the freezer, turn the temperature to the lowest possible setting. A normal or "energy efficient" temperature setting will cause the gel in the bowl to melt during the ice cream making process , and as a result you will not get the true consistency you are looking for. It took me a while to learn that the temperature of the bowl was the reason I wasn't getting something looking like ice cream, and I started thinking the ice cream making process was a waste. After turning down the freezer temperature I noticed I was able to make ice cream with the machine in about 20 minutes. Also, put the bowl in the freezer the day before you make ice cream, not the same day, which will properly ensure a cold bowl.

2. Use the best ingredients, and if possible, in season. Supermarket strawberries do not taste the same as what you get at a farmers' market, and the difference is huge when you are relying on the strawberries to give the ice cream adequate flavor. Also for a good result I recommend substituting cream for milk, and to use the best cream possible. Organic Valley is widely available and easy to source, though my preference is Blue Marble, which I recently discovered has problemscausing it to not be available. (Let's pray for the resurrection of Blue Marble; their cream is outstanding!)

3. Stay away from powdered sugar. I made this mistake once, and found that the flavor is off base and it almost tastes like saccharin. I believe the gelato place around the corner from me uses powdered sugar and it has that same funny taste. What I recommend instead, if you see powdered sugar in a recipe you plan to use, is substitute granulated sugar and dissolve it in the heated cream on the stove.

4. Many recipes call for using an ice bowl to instantly cool the heated mixture. The ice bath does cool the mixture, but it can be a hassle, and if you are stirring the mixture on top of the ice bath you risk letting water seep into it if you are not careful. My recommendation is to avoid the ice bath, and to put the mixture in the freezer for an hour and then transfer to a refrigerator. Depending on the size of the mixture, you will need to let it cool for three to six hours before transferring it to an ice cream maker.

Recommendation #4 is arguable, but I believe the first three recommendations are imperative to making good ice cream. Enjoy!

Ria and Balsan at the Elysian Hotel

Crystal Cun — 2009-12-09T09:21:47-06:00

After months of anticipation, delays and rumors, the Elysian Hotel finally unveils two new restaurants this week. Ria is an upscale dinner-only concept with a focus on seafood, while sister restaurant Balsan is more casual, featuring a raw bar, wood-fired oven pizzas and housemade charcuterie. Both restaurants are on the third floor of the sparkling (literally) new Elysian Hotel, whose elegant European courtyard entrance is worth a detour by itself. Executive Chef Jason McLeod leads the helm for both restaurants, and has ample amounts of luxury hotel experience under his toque from San Diego's Grand Del Mar resort and Four Seasons. He is also wont to walking around with a cast-iron skillet of sizzling sausages. The rich, meaty smell was making heads swivel like a turntable.

So, were the restaurants worth the wait? Are hotels finally shedding their reputation for overpriced, stodgy dining and leading the way with revolutionary new restaurants? I dropped by the media preview on Monday night to check out the action.

Ria features a sophisticated, posh atmosphere with elegant greys, greens and golds to liven the room. Like the fabled Elysian fields, the walls glitter with gold and silk coverings. Sommelier Daniel Pilkey has put together a well-thought out selection of champagnes and sparkling wines, which are presented to you on a rolling cart.

As I sank into a leather armchair, it was mentioned that for CEO David Pisnor, blood is indeed thicker than water. More specifically, he is the nephew of organic revolution doyenne Alice Waters. I did a bit of a double-take. "It's true," Pisnor beamed. "I worked at Chez Panisse for six years, and spent months in the beginning cleaning the dirt off carrots. And after that, I was finally promoted to the peaches!" You will therefore not be surprised to learn that the restaurants are committed to using local and artisanal ingredients, with meats and seafood from sustainable sources. Also, be on the lookout for Waters' next book release party; she will be in town for Rial. (Cue instant rimshot.)

Throughout the evening, tasting portions of menu items were available for sample. The first course featured matsutake mushrooms with hot ponzu broth poured over the top, alongside a delicate mouthful of fish, baby radishes and microgreens. In keeping with the style of Japanese cuisine, the earthy mushroom flavor was austere and intense.

This Bouchot mussel is surrounded by a puree of fingerling potatoes, huitlacoche, pickled celery and freeze-dried corn. As I scooped the disparate elements into my mouth, they melded congenially into a familiar New England tradition. Essentially, the dish is clam chowder deconstructed.

Across the hall, Balsan is a sleek alternative that sports a more laid-back vibe, with a broad marble bartop to focus your attention. The restaurant serves three meals a day, along with a weekend brunch. The menu features a variety of small plates with charcuterie and cheese, a raw oyster bar, and large plates with everything from a burger to cauliflower risotto. The kitchen boasts the city's only wood-burning oven in a hotel, which lends itself to pizzas and flatbreads.

Seared duck breast ($25) is offered as a large plate, over a parsnip purée, pickled quince, mixed greens and spice jus. The incredible richness of the duck pairs nicely with the vinaigrette on the greens.

Currently, there are two primary pizzas ($15) on Balsan's menu: a margherita pizza featuring burrata, tomato and basil, and a tarte flambée, topped with bacon, red onion and Uplands Pleasant Ridge Reserve cheese. A slice of the latter is pictured above, alongside the veal heart salad, with pear and shaved manchego. The pizza arrived piping hot, with a crisp, paper-thin crust and rich, smoky bacon. A third pizza, titled "Chicken for 2," is available at dinner and features an intriguing combination of pancetta, sunchoke, pickled onion and brussel sprouts.

From the raw bar, the kampachi offers a light, refreshing alternative to richer dishes. This plate is dressed with an orange segment, microgreens and radish slices.

The juniper sausage returns here post-slicing as the star attraction, over a bed of grits and spigarello, with a piece of airy crackling for crunch. The braised spigarello was a terrific choice of winter greens, hearty and robust, and most importantly, not mushy.

This dessert of Torrone gelato, limoncello and almond crumbles is offered on the Ria menu. For something even more novel, check out the ash-baked apples, which are tucked into the wood-burning oven and charred whole. Afterwards, the exterior is peeled off and the baked apple is dressed with caramel and peanut in an ode to the classic caramel apple.

Ria and Balsan open on Wednesday, December 9th. They should be exciting additions to the Gold Coast restaurant scene.

Ria and Balsan

The Elysian Hotel, 3rd Floor

11 E. Walton

(312) 646-1300

Beating Back the Flu with Tea, Whiskey, Zinc and Soup

Josh — 2009-12-07T22:37:49-06:00

In a previous post we compared the ChefsChoice SmartKettle to a sous vide machine. While it's fine for cooking proteins, it really excels at setting the right temp for tea. I can say that I now prefer my tea at 178º any hotter and it's uncomfortable. I am getting more and more snooty as time goes by. I guess when you're home, sick and curmudgeony any creature comforts are appreciated.

Of course it may be the Canadian Club 12 Year which I'm splashing into it that is what's really appealing. A couple of cubes of cardamom sugar from Pars grocery, the Persian shop on Clark in Andersonville adds a nice spice to the bakeapple tea from Newfoundland.

Of course in addition to my parents recommending medicinal whiskey, they also suggested zinc tablets. They don't taste too good but whatever might work, right?

If there is a benefit it's that soup is a must have. I tried the veggie soup at the Loving Hut (formerly Alice and Friends), soba at Sunshine Cafe, and wonton from En•Thai•ce. It's all good (but that soba was awesome).

St. Teresa Food Pantry is Running Out of Food

Josh — 2009-12-06T13:31:08-06:00

St Teresa of Avila is a food pantry at 1037 W. Armitage (between Kenmore and Seminary). Relatively speaking it is a small food pantry. The food pantry is supported by members of the parish, fund raisers, and a few “friends” in the neighborhood. On the first and third Fridays of the month they serve a freshly cooked, hot sit-down dinner to about 120 people. On the second, fourth and fifth Fridays (when there are 5 Fridays in a month) they distribute bags of groceries. This has grown from about 85 bags/week. Last week we distributed 140 bags. For them, this is a record that comes as no surprise with the growth and increased need at food pantries.

However this food pantry is empty. They are down to $800 which is not enough for even one week’s groceries. Here is how you can help, if you are so inclined.

Requests from St. Teresa of Avila:
We pack (and need) the following items in the bags:

Cereal
Pasta
Tuna
Pasta sauce (26oz)
Canned fruit (15)
Peanut butter (18)
Macaroni and cheese
Canned soup (10)
Canned vegetables, spaghettios, chile
Individually wrapped TP
Bar soap

Other suggestions:

PICK UP A LITTLE EXTRA. The next time you are shopping pick up a few extra items or a case of something. Watch for sales. Pasta is often on sale. Del Monte canned vegetables are on sale this week at Jewel. Leave them in your car and drop off when you are in the area.

CLEAN OUT YOUR PANTRY. We have a table of odds and ends. If you don’t want to/can’t buy anything, give away what you won’t use.

HAVE YOUR COMPANY, GROUP, BOOK CLUB, CHILD’S SCHOOL, etc. sponsor a food drive for St Teresa.

WRITE A CHECK. WE’LL SHOP FOR YOU. If you prefer/it’s easier, write a check. Payable to St. Teresa Food Pantry (so it only goes to the pantry).

DONATE TOILETRIES YOU PICK UP AT HOTELS that are probably just sitting in some drawer.

TALK TO YOUR GROCER ABOUT FOOD THAT IS GOING TO WASTE. e.g. baked goods and dairy, or even produce (we used to give out fresh fruit but no longer have the means). At a certain point stores get rid of this stuff and may be throwing it away. Starbuck’s in the area, for example, bags up the pastries they can no longer sell. We freeze or refrigerate them. Someone drops off cartons of milk that haven’t expired but will be soon. We’ll pick the food up, if necessary.

Any and ALL donations are gladly and thankfully accepted, no matter how small they may seem. Small donations add up. And if now isn’t a good time, the need is ongoing.

DETAILS:

Items can be dropped off at the church, 1037 W. Armitage. There is a “bin” for the pantry in the back of the church. Saturday afternoons; Sunday; early morning (like 8) M-F.
OR drop off at parish center, 1930 N. Kenmore. M-F, 9-7:30; Sat. 9-12.

IF YOU NEED TO HAVE FOOD PICKED UP call or e-mail Dean Vaeth, 773-528-6650, dvaeth@stteresaparish.org

If you want to send a check, send to St. Teresa of Avila, 1037 W. Armitage, Chicago, 60614. Be sure your check is made out to St Teresa Food Pantry.

Thank you for considering the food pantry in your giving—now or in the future. This is one place where you can be assured that every $ goes to buy the food and feed the needy.

2007 Chateau Ste. Michelle and Dr. Loosen Eroica Riesling

Brian Ziegler — 2009-12-05T21:37:54-06:00

As Americans are now waking up to Riesling after years of bad blue-bottle cheap, sweet German Riesling, this Washington State Riesling has outdone itself for the reasonable price of $20 per bottle. Ernst Loosen of Dr. Loosen, a well-known German producer , decided to team up with Chateau Ste. Michelle of Washington State, the largest producer of Riesling apparently in the world, to produce a quality semi-sweet (or if you prefer, call it off-dry) Riesling.

The Eroica had wonderful, mineral acidity, and a tartness that gave a green apple flavor. The wine somewhat reminded me of a German Spatlase. Many publications consider it to be America's best Riesling. To be honest, I haven't tried enough American Rieslings to offer an expert opinion, but I'll take their word.

Tokyo for Foodies: Kawagoe and the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum

Crystal Cun — 2009-12-05T18:00:00-06:00

Fourth and final post in a series

Further afield: places just a short train ride outside of Tokyo

Kawagoe

Inspired by this NYT article, I ventured to Kawagoe for a day, a town nicknamed "Little Edo" for Tokyo's ancient name. Many of the town's old kura (warehouses) survived WW2 bombing, and thus, you can get a glimpse of what the Tokyo of yore looked like.

Today, the kura are used for retail space, and you can get a variety of candies, crackers, pickles and kimonos by peeking under the half-curtains. Kawagoe's most prominent agricultural crop is sweet potatoes and yams, so you can find all manner of candies, crackers and sake made from the sweet potato. I promptly snapped up a few bags of candied sweet potatoes, seaweed crackers and fruit-shaped cookies.

One street over from the old kura district is Kashiya Yokocho, or Penny Candy Lane. This is a narrow alley packed with vendors selling (slightly cheaper) crackers, candies, gift items and fu, a bread-like wheat and sugar concoction.

Yokohama: Chinatown, Ramen Museum

Yokohama is a port city and contains Japan's largest Chinatown. I stopped by to check it out, and while it is smaller by far than the Chinese enclaves of New York or San Francisco, it does have a charm of its own. This Chinatown is characterized by the popularity of mooncakes and steamed buns (bao), with many shops devoted to selling solely these items. Of course, this being Japan, we had to find some way to make the bao cuter. Enter the Panda bao.

If you take the subway from Yokohama to Shin-Yokohama, you can visit the Ramen Museum. Upstairs, there are displays on the invention and history of ramen (unfortunately all in Japanese). Apparently, there are 12 types of ramen noodles and numerous soup bases. What you are really here for though is the ramen restaurant mall, where you can try 9 styles of ramen from different regions of Japan. Ramen was ordered via vending machines (of course), and you could get full size portions for ¥700-900 and mini (ミニ) half-size portions for ¥500-600. Both of the ramens that I tried were delicious, and I especially recommend the miso-based broths, which are boldly flavorful and can stand up to more intense toppings.

Ramen bowl #1: category / tonkotsu, basic seasoning / salt, ingredients / pork, kikurage (wood ear), bean sprouts, menma (fermented bamboo shoots) and green onion

Ramen bowl #2: category / miso, basic seasoning / soybean paste, ingredients, pork, fish cake slice, menma, green onions, pepper paste

Ugly Christmas Sweater Party December 10th

Josh — 2009-12-04T20:15:38-06:00

For the first time ever, your favorite Chicago web publishers are teaming up to organize one big community meetup to celebrate the holidays. You are invited.

The party is being held at Black Rock Bar on Thursday, December 10th starting at 7:00 PM. The party’s free. The drinks are not, though there will be specials. Bring yourself, your friends, and the ugliest Christmas sweater you can find.

Note: We are looking for local charity partners for the event. If you know someone at a good one, hit us up!

Help spread the word by sharing this event!

Your Hosts and Sponsors

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Tokyo for Foodies: Sake Plaza, 100-Yen Shops, Street Food, Imperial Palace

Crystal Cun — 2009-12-04T17:52:00-06:00

Third post in a series

Sake Plaza

The Japan Sake Brewers Association runs a small tasting room where you can try five sakes for just ¥525. The sake list includes notes on each sake's type, prefecture, sweetness and alcohol content. Be sure to pick up the English pamphlets which include a glossary of terms on sake bottle labels and a guide for how to taste sake. The location on Google Maps is accurate.

100 Yen Shops: Bento Boxes

Similar to American dollar stores, the 100 Yen shops carry a variety of goods that only cost ¥100. Perhaps due to the proximity to China, the quality of goods available for ¥100 far surpasses what you can get for $1 in the U.S. I saw a great range of neckties, cosmetics, cleaning equipment and kitchen supplies. More importantly, you can pick up lots of bento box making materials here. I nabbed a bento box, a pair of chopsticks in a holder, egg molds, onigiri molds, condiment containers, plastic flower attachments and tree-shaped dividers for less than the cost of a movie ticket. Above is my first attempt at a bento box, with sesame peanut soba noodles, cucumber, slivers of tofu, red pepper, carrot and a hard-boiled egg in the shape of a car.

Street Food: Hanazono-Jinja Shrine, Namikasen Dori

Tokyo's street food vendors tend to concentrate themselves near temples and shrines, distracting worshippers with tempting smells and the sound of sizzling meats. As you approach the Asakusa Kannon Temple on Namikasen Dori street, you are tempted by the fragrant odors of agemanyu (deep fried buns) and okonomiyaki (mixed veggie and meat pancake). Pictured above are freshly made ningoyaki (bite-size sponge cakes). These are typically filled with red bean paste and molded into intricate shapes. The one on the left is modeled after the lantern at the entrance of the Asakusa Kannon Temple.

In the evening, the area outside of Hanazono Shrine takes on a decidedly unsolemn character, with thick crowds jostling to order yakitori (chicken kebabs) and takoyaki (octopus balls) while buying amulets to offer at the shrine. You can also get less traditional chocolate-dipped bananas and baked potatoes. Men with wooden clappers move through the crowd, striking their clappers in a rhythmic fashion. The area takes on the festive air of a neighborhood block party.

Imperial Palace Rest House

I wasn't going to mention specific restaurants, but thought I'd mention this spot as a great place for a quick introduction to Japanese cuisine. It is located just south of the Babasakimon Police Box on the east side of the palace grounds. I stumbled upon the "rest house" after touring the Imperial Palace East Gardens on Sunday morning, and walked in to find a self-serve buffet of traditional Japanese foods for only ¥1,200. Needless to say, this is a steal in Tokyo. In one place, you can sample pickled vegetables and radishes, tempura, yakisoba, kare (Japanese curry), udon, and other tofu and fish items. Did I mention the food is great? This may be the first time I have ever been excited about a meal at a tourist attraction.

The Trader Joe's Triumvirate-Good Value, Great Taste, Low Calorie

Mandy Zaransky — 2009-12-04T14:07:59-06:00

Butter Almond Thins, Pumpkin Butter & Popped Potato Chips

For less than three-dollars, I picked up Trader Joe's Butter Almond Thins. First, they are a classy and sleek looking cookie. Who doesn't want a pretty table at the holidays? These cookies are great next to cheeses (or for the adventurous...as the outsides for a brie or soft chevre sandwich) or as part of a day-to-day nosh. Not to mention, they are also a superb choice to serve during your dessert course at family holiday dinner. The texture is crispy and satisfying and the flavor is a mixture of butter, almond slices, and a hint of caramel. The best part is that you can enjoy these and not feel guilty about eating cookies! Six cookies are 120 calories, four and a half grams of fat, two gram of protein and there are six servings in the box. Pumpkin butter. Tis’ the season. Pumpkin butter is good with almost everything...maybe Fall isn't such a bad season :). I suggest that you mix a bit of the pumpkin butter with Greek yogurt for a savory and sweet breakfast or with cream cheese for a flavor frosting. Think about spice cake, yellow cake, or rum cake with a pumpkin cream cheese frosting. Delicious, easy, and beautiful-another trio! This is unfortunately a seasonal item and won’t be in stores for more than another week or two. Stock up! Pumpkin butter is also a great value at $2.29 a jar, 40 calories per tablespoon and 16 servings. Do you realize that’s 14 cents per serving?

It's ok to consume an entire bag of potato chips? If they are the Trader Joe's Popped Potato Chips then, Yes! Get on with your satiated bag of chip eating self! The chips look like a marriage between a traditional potato chip and a thin rice cake. The taste, which is most important, is like that of a traditional chip. The Trader Joe's Popped Chip is crispy and satisfying to crunch. No need to worry about them being spongy, rubbery or soft, just because they look like a cousin to the rice cake. Again, an exceptional value $1.99 for a bag, 120 calories per serving, four grams of fat, and three servings per bag.

Trader Joe’s did not ask me to write about their products. I just think that they are always inventing new items that satisfy the palate and the wallet.

2000 F. X. Pichler Loibner Berg Smaragd Riesling

Brian Ziegler — 2009-12-02T16:35:47-06:00

In the word of wine, Austria tends to be off the beaten path, and it's a bad and a good thing. The bad things are twofold: one, that it's difficult to find top quality Austrian wine, at least here in Chicago; and two, those that are on the shelves tend to be "marketing label" wines often devoid of terroir or recognizable characteristics. It's a good thing, though, in that consumer demand has not yet pushed up the price of top Austrian wines beyond reason, despite some price creep due to exchange rates and positive reviews. Having said all of that, Austrian wine exports to the U. S. increased sixfold by volume between 2000 and 2008, according to the Austrian Wine Marketing Board, only to drop by nine percent in volme and eighteen percent by value on a year-by-year basis in the first half of 2009 due to the recession.

Austria, as a country tends to be overlooked, due to the fact that several countries sell far more wine to the United States, and the list consists of what are familiar names: Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Portugal, and Greece. In addition, when you consider the vast number of New World countries selling wine to Americans, in addition to Austria's largely mountainous terrain, there is good reason why this country of only eight million people is not equipped to import so much when they consume 73 percent of their 126,000 acres under vine. California, by contrast has over four times as much, according to Wine Institute figures.

F. X. Pichler is one of Austria's foremost outstanding producers. Situated in the Wachau region, a small area that tends to harness some great producers, Pichler produces fantastic Riesling, a varietal that only comprises 3.6 percent of Austria's total output. (Gruner Veltliner, not only a major grape, but also one capable of producing high quality wine, makes up over 32 percent.) The wine I drank was a Smaragd, a classification I have run across several times. Also a name of a native lizard, Smaragd tends to be an indicator of quality that basically means a later harvest (yet very dry) wine with an alcohol percentage of 12.5 or more but with residual sugar of less than 9 grams per liter (less than a third of a dry ounce per quart).

These types of wines grow better with age and can go for roughly 10-15 years, depending on the producer and vintage. The 2000 wine, judging by taste, had spent some time in large old oak barrels (common in Austria), and had a long, concentrated finish, with good acidity, and slate or stone notes. Pears were first tasted, though it evolved more to citrus over time. Austrian Rieslings tend to be more dense and heavier, and this is no exception.

I bought this at Howard's Wine Cellar for $32.99, though they were sold out the last time I had checked. Buying this on line may prove to be more successful.

Tokyo for Foodies: Depachika, Namja Land and Kappabashi Dori

Crystal Cun — 2009-11-30T17:46:55-06:00

Second post in a series

Depachika (Department Store Food Floors)

Picture going to Nordstrom's to view designer clothing and jewelry behind enclosed glass cases. Then picture going downstairs to find a bustling floor of food counters, fresh produce and meats, and vendors shouting as they try to draw your attention to their toro tuna. The basement levels of Japanese department stores include depachika, or food floors, which sell all manner of vegetables and meats, prepared meals, baked goods, teas and imported cheese and hams. Sometimes you can pick up samples. All this is done in a noisy, crowded environment, far removed from the subdued refinement upstairs. I recommend checking out the big three department stores in Ginza (Matsuya, Mitsukoshi, Matsuzakaya) since they are all located together on the same street.

Namja Land: Ice Cream City, Gyoza Stadium

Namja Land is an amusement park in Ikebukuro's Sunshine City shopping complex. It is run by Namco, a video game producer, so most of the amusement park's attractions are of the shiny, blinking, cacophonous variety. On the other hand, Namja Land takes to heart the "food as entertainment" philosophy, with attractions based around food.

Ice Cream City vies to sell you all manner of frozen dairy products, including gelato, ice cream waffles, and Turkish ice cream served by a man in full Turk attire. However, the adventurous should move to the Cup Ice Museum. I began reading through the flavors: pumpkin, green apple, darjeeling tea, tofu, currant...yawn. Wait a minute, that one said garlic. Which was followed by beef, shark's fin, curry and viper. That's right, you can get snake in ice cream form here. Pictured above is the 5-carton sushi ice cream set. Mmm, octopus ice cream...

After mulling it over, I ended up buying a carton of wasabi ice cream. The wasabi was definitely present, and the sting of the cold ice cream transformed into the sting of the wasabi. It was interesting but not my favorite feeling, so I probably would opt for something else next time.

Downstairs, Gyoza Stadium features about a dozen dumpling vendors, competing to sell you everything from the classic pork and leek filled potstickers to soup dumplings to cheese-filled "dumplings." You can try the dumplings and there is a voting system to rate which ones you like best. The gyoza were featured in posters detailing their stats: weight, length and quantity.

There is also a Miracle Fruit Cafe, if you are interested in flavor-tripping, though I recommend doing this after exploring the other parts of the amusement park first.

Kappabashi Dori

Japan's ecosystem of neighborhoods is so diverse, there is even a street dedicated to selling restaurant equipment. Venture off to Kappabashi Dori to find every type of equipment you'd ever want to run a restaurant: uniforms, tea sets, flatware. If you'd like to buy a chopstick rest or a dumpling cooker, you can find it here. The highlight though is the sample shops, which offer (surprisingly expensive) plastic food models.

Tokyo for Foodies: Tsukiji Market & Tsukiji Soba Academy

Crystal Cun — 2009-11-30T17:33:53-06:00

The first of a series of posts inspired by a recent trip to Japan

Having recently returned from a stint in Tokyo, I must say, this is a city that is Very Serious about eating. Here you will find cuisines ranging from French to Indian to Japanese and everything in between. The city has more Michelin stars than any other, more than NYC and Paris combined. In Ginza, I saw a cantaloupe on sale for $233. Or, you can walk into any corner ramen restaurant or try some grilled squid from a street vendor and be rewarded with a delicious meal. They truly value good food and gastronomy as a culture, hence the city is a magical wonderland chock-full of fun activities for foodies.

There are no specific restaurant recommendations here, since you can find exhaustive listings in a wide variety of guidebooks. Besides, many of my meals were spur of the moment picks and turned out great anyway. In my 10-days here, I never had a bad meal, and moreover, I never had an unattractive meal. Even the random $2 pork chop sandwich I picked up at a train station was fabulous, and was impeccably wrapped to boot.

Many restaurants in Tokyo have English menus or plastic displays to model their menu offerings. If you'd like to know a little more about what you're eating, or be able to read Japanese menus, I recommend picking up Robb Satterwhite's What's What in Japanese Restaurants, which gives you the characters for popular menu items in various types of Japanese eateries. If you have more time, I'd also learn katakana, the Japanese alphabet for (mostly English) loanwords. This will instantly give you a Japanese vocabulary of a couple thousand words, and allows you to look at a menu and read ｻﾗﾀﾞ (sarada) for salad, ﾁｷﾝ (chikin) for chicken, and ｽﾐﾉﾌ (suminofu) under the Vodka section for Smirnoff.

Without further ado, here are some fun things to do in Tokyo:

Tsukiji Fish Market

This one's a no-brainer. Tsukiji Market, or Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market, sells just about anything that lives in the sea. This is the world's largest wholesale fish and seafood market, with about ¥2 billion worth of seafood sold here daily. At one point, the sushi on your plate probably passed through a Tsukiji wholesaler. In particular, the market has gained worldwide notoriety for their tuna auctions, a popular attraction for foreign tourists and locals. The catch is that you must rise and shine quite early; the auctions take place from 5-6:30 am and the visitor's entrance is only open until 6:15 am. Flash photography is not allowed.

The rest of the market is equally entertaining, with every seafood product imaginable, dead or alive. You will see all manner of crustaceans, buckets of wriggling eels, iridescent jumbo shrimp, and even a few turtles. Naturally, the floors will be covered with water, so don't wear your best dress shoes. You should also be sensitive to the fact that this is first and foremost a workplace, so get out of the way of anyone wearing galoshes, carrying boxes or driving a loaded cart.

After viewing the market, have a traditional sushi breakfast at one of the restaurants in the buildings just north of the horseshoe-shaped market. Mmm, salmon roe and sea urchin at 8 am...

Tsukiji Soba Academy

Just a few blocks away, you can take a crash course in making soba noodles from scratch at the Tsukiji Soba Academy. Soba master Akila Inouye is a wonderfully patient instructor, and takes you through a demonstration of how to make ni-hachi ("2-8", or 2 parts wheat to 8 parts buckwheat flour) soba noodles. "Making soba is very simple," he explains. "You simply need to mix the dough, roll it out and then cut it!" Hmm, easier said than done. Still, watching a soba master expertly cut soba noodles to the requisite 1.3 mm width was inspiring. Next, you get an opportunity to make your first batch of soba noodles. After kneading, rolling and cutting my dough, I sat back proudly with a tray of (rather uneven) soba noodles in front of me. "How long does it take to get good at this?" I waved at my tray. "Twenty years!" was the response. No matter, it all tasted great once cooked and dipped in soba sauce. For one final lesson, Akila showed us how to properly eat and slurp our soba noodles. (The Japanese slurp their noodles loudly to show how delicious they are.) After a few attempts, I finally got the hang of slurping noisily without hitting myself in the face with noodle strands.

"Thanks for coming," said Akila. "Don't forget to friend me on Facebook!"

Panes Bread Cafe: Gourmet Lakeview Sandwich Shop

Brian Ziegler — 2009-11-28T21:59:26-06:00

I've walked by this tiny sandwich shop near the corner of Sheffield and Wellington several times, and it looked appealing, though from the outside you would have thought the place was dead. The sign outside said it had been open since 1994, usually a good sign but sometimes a result of restaurants that have came and gone and now are hanging on for dear life.

This little place reminds me a little bit of Panera Bread, not just by name alone: they bake their own bread, they make a variety of sandwiches and soups, and they even have murals of people baking bread. I wondered at first if this place mirrored itself after Panera Bread, but then I did some research and found that in 1994 Panera Bread was just starting up from a regional St. Louis chain calle the St. Louis Bread Company. So it begs the question: did Panera lift their ideas from this little shop?

I tried the Oaxacan Pork, which was a pork tenderloin pounded thin, with carmelized onions, roasted red peppers and spicy mayonnaise. It was delicious, on a hot homemade baguette, served with potato chips, and was well priced at $5.50. My wife had a goat cheese pizza with basil and sundried tomatoes, also of reasonable cost for $4.95.

For dessert I tried a white chocolate rice pudding, which was good, though it perhaps could have used a bit more chocolate flavor. The homemade truffles my wife ordered, at 50 cents a piece, were outstanding, though. Their Oaxacan Chocolate truffles were outstanding, and their peanut butter truffles were also very good.

I was sold the first time I visited this place. Considering the quality of the ingredients, as well as value for money, this has to now be my favorite Lakeview sandwich place.

Panes Bread Cafe

3002 North Sheffield

773-665-0972

Giant Fractal Pecan Pie

Crystal Cun — 2009-11-25T07:56:59-06:00

As you ready last minute preparations for tomorrow's feasting, consider the fundamental cooking problem of a pie's crust to filling ratio:

For traditional circular pies of radius R, the amount of filling scales as R2 while the crust only scales linearly, so as the pie grows larger, the flaky crust is completely dominated by the creamy filling.

Our solution was to construct a pie pan in the shape of a koch snowflake (whose perimeter obeys completely different scaling laws), fill it with delicious pecan pie and bake in a custom backyard oven.

I can't wait for this to take off like the Edge brownie pans!

Additional photos and detailed directions can be found here.