the Sunday Chef

Hiatus

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Wed, 12 May 2010 02:55:00 +0000

Taking a temporary hiatus while life works itself out. Be back soon.

Lao Laan Xang [a Review]

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Thu, 06 May 2010 13:00:00 +0000

A stint on the near-East side one evening landed a friend and I at the newer of two Lao Laan Xang locations (original on Willy, newer on Atwood). We started with a sextet of deliciously over-sized and over-stuffed crab rangoons, my favorite appetizer. They were quite good, but no rival on flavor to Ha Long Bay.

[you'll have to forgive the hazy Star Trek effect in these photos, they were taken by phone]

On arrival of the main course, I was pretty sure our spice indications had been swapped in the kitchen, but we were too full from the monster rangoons to eat much of the entrees anyway, and thusly traded leftovers (primarily to appease my friend's delicately recovering digestive problem). Lunch later confirmed my suspicion. Irrespective of spicyness, however, our two very similar dishes were disappointingly low on the flavor spectrum. Heat is one thing, flavor is quite another and while chock-full of fresh veggies, the sauces left my tastebuds wanting.

Visits on previous occasions, however, have seen amazing curry and more great appetizers (the cohabitator claims they have the best eggroll in town), so I wouldn't quickly write off Lao Laan Xang. As the cohabitator says, 'isn't any Thai better than no Thai?' to which I reply, 'well...yeah.' It just confirms, yet again, that no one in MAD has yet been able to top the consistently amazing Sa Bai Thong. So, in a nutshell: go to Lao Laan Xang for apps and curry.

©2010 the Sunday Chef

[photo]: First Strawberry Ever!

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Wed, 05 May 2010 17:00:00 +0000

My very first home-grown strawberry ever! It's just a baby, but I'm already so proud.

My faith and excitement in horticulture is renewed.

Ironworks Café [a Review]

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Wed, 05 May 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Ironworks Café, part of Vocationally Integrated Pathways (a local high school’s work and learn program) is an inviting, teen-run establishment housed in the East-side Goodman Community Center. This unique restaurant concept is spearheaded by Underground Food Collective's Ben Hunter, who emphasizes teaching teens the 'dignity of labor -- the pride that can be and should be found from doing a job and doing it well.'

The food is really good...really! This isn't cafeteria food, this is real, locally sourced, thought-out and gourmet-executed fare...and ridiculously affordable to boot. We hopped in for a very late brunch one Saturday and ordered quiche and eggs benedict (my favorite brunch order). Each dish was served with a spinach salad topped with curious bits of orange, deep-fried tastiness we decided were carrots. The use of gift certificates somehow mandated that we also polish off what was left of that day's bakery - three turtle brownies and a peanut butter cookie - which we were more than happy to oblige. The turtle brownies were great, more solid and dense than they first appeared with a dark chocolate, almost coffee flavor, but the pretty dry cookie longed for a bath in milk.

I loved the rustic, home-made muffins supporting my eggs benedict and although the eggs weren't pristinely poached, I can't poach an egg to save my life and it didn't effect the flavor at all, so I won't complain.

Good food, good prices, and a good cause make for an overall really good idea.

Click here for an Isthmus article about the cafe's inception.

French Bread

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Tue, 04 May 2010 17:00:00 +0000

French bread is one of those things I feel like I always need around the house. It comes in handy for so many things - garlic bread, stuffed french toast, sandwiches...I could go on. I know there are probably far more 'credible' sources for a french bread recipe, but I decided to try this relatively quick one from All Recipes. I'm sure my technique needs a little finessing, but taste, texture and functionality came through.

[Enjoyed with some amazing local jam (vodka cosmopolitan cranberry rhubarb, to be precise) alongside some savory Brunch Strata.]

[Photo]: Turkish Delight

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Tue, 04 May 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Mmm, rosy.

Courtesy of Athina.

50 Free Online Classes for Food Lovers [Resources]

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Mon, 03 May 2010 14:57:00 +0000

I'm all for continuing education, especially when it's free. Here is a nice summary of educational materials for foodies from around the web, ranging in topics from specific diets to food history to culinary techniques. Some have videos, some are just articles and some are in a longer, lesson format.

Thanks Carol!

©2010 the Sunday Chef

Iced Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Mon, 03 May 2010 14:20:00 +0000

We love us some oatmeal cookies in this house. Using a Chicago Diner recipe (which so far I have found is very successful with baked goods but still questionable on entrees), I only added raisins and chopped walnuts but can imagine a host of other tasty add-ins (chocolate, dried cranberry, pecan, etc - pretty much anything that works in a trail mix works in an oatmeal cookie, I think). I am definitely getting used to the idea of substituting more natural, liquid sweeteners like agave and maple syrup for granulated sugar. I neglected to flatten them to a normal cookie shape, but thoroughly enjoyed them in their mound form anyway...

...and finished them off with a coating of simple icing - 1 cup of powdered sugar whisked with a few tablespoons of milk and a little vanilla.

Yum!

[Improv]: Brunch Strata with Rosemary Potatoes

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 20:28:00 +0000

Stratas are a great way to make something delicious out of random leftovers and whatever else you might happen to have on hand. I adapted yet another allrecipes.com recipe to include mushrooms, yellow bell pepper and veggie breakfast sausage links. I made only a half recipe, but that was more than enough to fill my pan and our bellies. The rest is pretty much the same.

I love potatoes in the morning (or afternoon, whenever brunch happens), so I threw some rosemary potatoes in alongside the strata while it was baking.

lc's Rosemary Potatoes

4 medium-large red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1 tablespoon olive oil

1-2 tablespoons dried or fresh rosemary

salt & pepper, to taste

Boil potato chunks for 5-7 minutes, until they start to soften. Drain water. Add olive oil and rosemary, toss to coat. Transfer to a baking pan, salt and pepper, then bake for about 30 minutes.

A great weekend meal accompanied by leftover biscuits & honey. Yum!

[Foodie Exchange]: Athens, Greece

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 15:42:00 +0000

I'm participating in my very first Foodie Exchange this month! This site is a really awesome concept - kind of like pen pals, but with food. You sign up and list what regional specialties you'd be willing to send someone, watch the forums and if anything interests you, strike up a conversation and hopefully arrange an exchange! It's a great way to 1) try foods that aren't available near you and 2) meet other foodies out in Internet Land. We're still a fledgling community (105 as of this post and counting), but steadily growing and diversifying. It's definitely a case of 'the more the merrier.'

My first exchange package is from Athina of Athens, Greece:

My only specific request was for Greek saffron, but she included a treasure trove of other goodies as well! I am stoked about the authentic Lokum (aka Turkish Delight) - a soft, gooey, usually rose-flavored treat. Of course I originally learned about Turkish Delight via C.S. Lewis and have come to love it myself - rose is a really unique flavor, I recommend trying it at least once.

Athina also sent me vanilla spoon sweet, which is consumed "submarine style" in Greece (you take a spoonful of the thick, sticky paste, submerge in ice water and serve to your guests - I think the ice water is supposed to help wash down the paste, it does not dissolve at all), some nougat candies, and the drink they are famous for, ouzo. Ouzo is a licorice/anise flavored liqueur that is simply served diluted with ice and water.

I have so many things I'd like to make with the saffron, including our family-favorite saffron bread (the most similar recipe I can find is here), but think I might try these macarons.

Happy cooking!

Isthmus Green Day & Farmer's Market

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 14:27:00 +0000

Madisonians poured out of the woodwork this past Saturday to shake off the winter dust and congregate on the center of the isthmus for the first outdoor Dane County Farmer's Market of the season. It was also the 3rd annual Isthmus Green Day Expo at the Monona Terrace just up the street, where we did everything from buying a cookbook to scheduling dental appointments.

Part One: Tory Miller of L'Etoile

Our first stop of the day was a cooking demo by Tory Miller, executive chef of Madison's most renowned restaurant, L'Etoile. He whipped up homemade caesar dressing with red romaine salad as well as some prosciutto wraps filled with mozzarella, julienned apples and arugula. Tory also dropped the big, juicy tip that he and his business partner/sister, Traci, will be opening a new capitol square eatery called Graze this fall, focusing on comfort food for a lower price demographic than L'Etoile.

[Tory's dish looked far more tantalizing in real life, but they

ran out of samples before we could reach the front. Rats!]

Part Two: The Market

The downtown farmer's market was packed full of people for opening day (a big reason I usually do my more serious shopping at the less-crowded West Side Market), and the usual suspects were out in full force as well as a few new faces like Cabibbo's Bakery.

We took a short break from the market to muse at local small-time magician Nick (below), grab a coffee at Michelangelo's,and buy a few organic bath products from new discovery LuSa.

Part Three: Rick Bayless

The real highlight of the day for me was a talk and demo by Rick Bayless, Mexican Chef extraordinaire. Such a humble and down-to-earth guy, he really appeals to the MAD locavores and foodies, as evidenced by the standing-room-only crowd.

He created tamales, salsa and berry compote in between anecdotes of Mexico and the story of his career, followed by a short, open mic Q&A with the audience. The most raucous applause came from one audience member's suggestion that Rick open a restaurant here in MAD, to which he quipped that he hates long commutes, referencing his trio of neighboring Chicago restaurants.

All in all one heck of a Saturday!

[Daring Kitchen]: Brunswick Stew

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 02:37:00 +0000

The 2010 April Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Wolf of Wolf’s Den. She chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make Brunswick Stew. Wolf chose recipes for her challenge from The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook by Matt Lee and Ted Lee, and from the Callaway, Virginia Ruritan Club.

Well, I originally had a long, nicely written post for my first ever Daring Kitchen challenge, but my lovely blog platform glitched, as it so frequently does, and deleted everything in the blink of an eye. I can barely contain the rage right now, so I'll simply provide you with a photo of the finished result. Here you go:

[Improv]: Biscuits & Gravy

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:38:00 +0000

I don't think I ever wrapped my taste buds around Southern-style Biscuits & Gravy until I met the cohabitator. A fairly standard recipe of his mother's, who originally hails from Missouri, is about as close to Southern as I get and this deceptively plain looking dish packs a wallop of flavor. We usually enjoy ours with a couple over-easy eggs.

j's Biscuits & Gravy

The Biscuits [adapted from BH&G Biscuits Supreme]

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter + 1/4 cup shortening

1 cup milk

j's Sausage Gravy

2 tablespoons butter

1 lb Hot Pork Sausage or Hot & Spicy Veggie Sausage Patties, broken up

3 tablespoons flour

5-6 cups milk

salt & pepper, to taste

Biscuits: Preheat oven to 450. Sift dry ingredients into a mixing bowl, then cut in butter until you have course crumbles. Mix in milk with a fork. Knead dough on a floured surface, roll out to 3/4-inch thickness, then use a biscuit cutter to cut out 12 biscuits. Bake on an ungreased sheet for 10-14 minutes or until golden.

Gravy: Melt butter in a wide, deep sauce pan. Add sausage and cook through. Sprinkle flour, stir to coat and let cook for 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk and bring to a boil. Mixture will thicken even more once cooled.

Note: not for the faint of heart.

We like and recommend plenty of fresh ground black pepper in the gravy. Haven't actually tried it with the veggie patties yet, but I'm pretty confident that a satisfying veg/vegan concoction could be conceived from it. If you decide to try it with the veg patties before I do, let me know how it goes!

©2010 the Sunday Chef

Paisan's [a Review]

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 13:00:00 +0000

There is a reason I usually prefer to cook Italian at home rather than go out and pay for it. Along with French food, Italian seems to me to always be some of the most over-priced dining out food. Case in point: Paisan's.

This campus-turned-downtown hot spot does have atmosphere and location going for it, but that is not really an excuse to jack up the price on mediocre-at-best food. Granted we did not try pasta or pizza, but you would think a semi-upscale Italian restaurant would at least make their own caesar dressing (and toss the salad in it first, for that matter) rather than just slap some Kraft on the side. The swiss burger with fries was also plain and conspicuously absent of mushrooms.

I don't really buy into sentiments like 'well, you should have ordered their specialty', 'the restaurant is really know for such-and-such-dish', etc. Dining establishments of the world, hear this: If you can't make it and make it well, don't put it on your menu.

It wasn't the worst experience I've ever had, the waiter was friendly and attentive (although the hosts seemed mostly confused), but was definitely nothing special. You can easily find better Italian in this town at a much more reasonable price.

©2010 the Sunday Chef

The Dardanelles

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 13:00:00 +0000

I sure am glad I picked The Dardanelles as our lunch spot recently, since they will be closing the doors of their 14-year old establishment the end of this month. April 29th will be the final day of service, but they are having a big party on Friday, April 30th at 7 pm and everyone is invited! This is one of those instances where MAD's high restaurant turnover is a frustration, rather than a breath of fresh air.

[great food and lively atmosphere make for a bittersweet hello/goodbye]

The Dardanelles, a Dudgeon-Monroe neighborhood Mediterranean restaurant, is clearly well-established and well-loved, as evidenced by the full house we experienced...and this was over lunch. You can tell from the moment you walk in what an asset to the community they are - actively involved with Primrose Community Farm and REAP Food Group. I can only hope they are able to fend off the salivating fast food chains and maintain this quaint neighborhood with another locavore eatery.

©2010 the Sunday Chef

Daisy Cafe & Cupcakery

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:00:00 +0000

It was only a a drive-by-cupcake-ing on this occasion, but Daisy is a new favorite Madison eatery - voted by Isthmus readers for 2009-2010 (and they're not shy about advertising it). Their justified popularity has apparently warranted newly added dinner menu items and extended hours from 5-9 pm Thursday through Saturday. Though there are no photos, I can definitely recommend the 666 Chili, Sloppy Jose Sandwich and Crimini Mushroom & Gruyere Strata from previous experiences. Daisy seems to do it all right - natural, delicious food; tantalizing sweets; community involvement - they serve and sell several Porchlight products; and is just an overall fun, fresh addition to this highly eclectic East Side community.

[cupcake flavors clockwise from top left: deluxe hazelnut, carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, chocolate port made with Ale Asylum Contorter Porter, and chocolate strawberry]

Featured!: Food Whirl

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 14:24:00 +0000

Great news! Yours truly was featured in a Food Whirl article today - Ideas for the weekend: Make English Muffins. Check out my new button in the top right sidebar.

thank you, Nancy!

[Improv]: Strawberry Praline Pancakes

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 13:00:00 +0000

A lot of the time in this house the improvised meals end up being some of the best; a pleasantly surprising case in point: Strawberry Praline Pancakes. I didn't expect them to taste like praline, but somehow the magical combination of agave syrup and real maple syrup plus walnuts make it so.

Ingredients:

The Cakes [adapted from Good Old Fashioned Pancakes]

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon agave syrup

1 1/4 cups vanilla rice milk

1 egg

6 tablespoons butter (for coating pan & topping)

The Topping

1 cup sliced fresh organic strawberries

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

drizzle agave syrup

Heat a griddle or fry pan to 300 degrees or medium-high heat. Sift all dry ingredients for pancakes together in a mixing bowl. Make a well, add agave, milk, egg and whisk all together. Melt first tablespoon of butter on heating surface and drop 1/4 cup amounts of batter. Cook until batter bubbles and begins to brown on the bottom, then flip. Add additional tablespoons of butter for each new batch. As pancakes finish, stack them on a plate covered by a kitchen towel to keep warm.

After the cakes have finished, mix strawberries and walnuts in a small bowl, drizzle with agave, and stir to coat.

Top each serving of pancakes with a small pat of real butter, strawberry walnut topping, drizzle with real maple syrup and enjoy!

Makes about 10 medium sized pancakes.

[enjoyed with a few strips of veggie bacon]

I removed melted butter (I'd rather put mine atop the cakes) and salt (do we really need salt in pancakes?) from the original recipe and replaced white sugar with agave syrup - much healthier on the glycemic index, so some diabetics should be able to enjoy this too. If you aren't familiar with agave, check out this site. Of course you can use regular milk if you do not have rice milk, I use these things very interchangeably for sweet recipes, but find that vanilla rice milk lends a nice, subtle hint of flavor. Almond milk would also work well for this recipe.

[Photo]: lc's Salsa Verde

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 17:00:00 +0000

Puttin' my money where my mouth is:

Tiramisu

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Tiramisu is by far my all-time, number one favorite dessert (if it's on the menu, I'll probably order it), but for whatever reason I've never tried to make it myself...until now. Every self-respecting Italian chef has their own recipe, but they really don't vary all that much, so I called upon the supreme authority [Silver Spoon] for my first try.

"The phrase tirami su literally means 'pick me up' or 'pull me up' in reference to the effects of the sugar and espresso." - wikipedia

My highly anticipated first attempt, unfortunately, didn't turn out looking like much...

...but was tasty enough to warrant a return in the future, I think.

Other delectible variations on this classic dessert:
Tiramisu Pancakes
Tira-tini
Tiramisu Layer Cake
Tiramisu Latte
Tiramisu Gelato

©2010 the Sunday Chef

Los Gemelos [a Review]

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:00:00 +0000

A true West side secret and gem, Taqueria Los Gemelos ("Twins") is hidden in the back of a Latino grocery off a fairly busy street, but you wouldn't know it from a quick drive by. The grocery itself isn't even easy to find - it's at the end of long strip mall perpendicular to Odana Road, so you can't see the storefront from the street...but trust me, all the hunting will be worth it. If you think ridiculously cheap, fresh, authentic Mexican food without a hint of pretension sounds good, this is the place to be...you can even pick up a few groceries while you're at it. Grab a seat in a booth or at the counter and enjoy the Telemundo.

[delicious real fruit beverage with an amusing name]

[chorizo gordita & pollo sope]

Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending how you look at it), there is a bike route near our home that takes you under a busy highway and spits you out on the other side right in front of Los Gemelos. I anticipate many more tasty-if-counter-productive bike rides this summer.

Note: they only take cash at the waitress counter, but she will give you a receipt you can take to the grocery register up front and use a credit card.

©2010 the Sunday Chef

"Vegan" Week, part 4: Polenta, Tomato Sauce & Asparagus

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 03:23:00 +0000

I can't say I've ever been afraid to cook anything, especially not Italian recipes. Throwing live lobster into a pot might be a little jarring [see Julie & Julia], but something as innocuous as polenta - basically corn grits - surely shouldn't cause the same level of grief among the masses. I think polenta has a bad rap. Especially in the northern part of the US of A where even simple Southern grits are treated as alien (a Georgian friend naively ordered this at a Wisconsin IHOP once and received a bowl of instant oats topped with a slice of processed cheese food - ick).

We never cooked polenta (or grits, for that matter) at home growing up, but my mother is very familiar with the ultra-dense slab style of polenta from her childhood. I made it this way, from the Silver Spoon, on my first ever attempt and wasn't appalled, but wasn't that thrilled either. Surely the creamy version similar to the cheese grits I occasionally enjoy for breakfast will be better. For this I turned to Bittman's Polenta Without Fear, topped with Lydia's Tomato Sauce and my Lemon Garlic Roasted Asparagus (recipe below) as a side.

[the Holy Trinity - celery, carrots, onions - aka Mirepoix]

lc's Lemon Garlic Roasted Asparagus

Ingredients:

1 bunch fresh asparagus, washed and ends trimmed; cut in halves, if you like

6-8 cloves garlic, minced

juice of one lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 425. Drizzle olive oil on baking sheet; toss asparagus with garlic and lemon juice, then spread out in one even layer. Roast in oven for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned and voila!

Key phrase for the polenta: "...butter and Parmesan -- the more the better"

Other Polenta recipes to try:
Vegan Polenta Lasagna
Polenta Fries
Grilled Polenta
Polenta Hors D'oeuvres
Savory Polenta

That's all for "Vegan" Week!

[The Pasta Party will have to wait for now, pending my 24-24-24 proposal review]

©2010 the Sunday Chef

"Vegan" Week, part 3: Grilled Veggie Sandwiches

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:26:00 +0000

The weather FINALLY cleared up nice enough that we could fire up the grill for our California Grilled Veggie Sandwiches, using Michael's Focaccia for the bread, this past weekend. The bread smelled heavenly in the oven and the cohabitator had a swell idea to assemble the sandwiches then toss them back on the grill for some extra grill flavored goodness. We added slices of eggplant (they're so great on the grill with just a little salt and olive oil) and decided to nix the mayo and feta in favor of creamy muenster or mozzarella cheese.

Mildred's Sandwich Shop [a Review]

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 22:31:00 +0000

Mildred's is an established Madison classic that I've been curious about for years and was finally spurred to try by the cohabitator's recent discovery of the restaurant and subsequent obsession with the Salazar sandwich. It has a great small neighborhood feel with probably the most humble kitchen set-up you could find anywhere. Built into an old house, there is plenty of spacious seating, an open environment for meets & greets and a quaint, enclosed outside dining space in the back where we enjoyed our lunch on a clear spring day.

The Salazar was indeed delicious and so was the Leadbedder, but the latter could have benefited from the addition of either spices or a more flavorful dressing. Both sandwiches are served between two halves of a fluffy whole wheat pita, a pleasant change of pace. A side of yellow potato salad (not usually my first choice) was satisfyingly less sweet and mustard-y than the grocery store variety.

"Vegan" Week Bonus: Papa Murphy's

noreply@blogger.com (lc) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 00:25:00 +0000

Yes, I know it's a chain and I'm usually such a stickler for the Ma&Pa's and that it isn't even really vegan...but if you're flex like we are, Papa Murphy's is a darn good and economical lazy-night option. I recommend the Gourmet Veggie, the vegetarian sister of long-time favorite Gourmet Chicken Garlic:

The best thing about Take'N' Bake is choosing your own level of done-ness...in my case, over-done and extra crunchy.