Salpicón and Lookingglass Alice

Nick is returning to the University of Illinois next week.  I just bought my ten-ride Amtrak ticket and intend to see him frequently, however it will still be an adjustment.

I wanted to plan something nice before the semester started, so I arranged to take the day off from work and made some reservations.

We had been meaning to dine at Salpicón and this seemed like a fine occasion to do so.  We began with Salpicón Margaritas, made with Herradura Silver, Gran Torres and fresh lime juice. As an appetizer we ordered the special, Flores de Calabaza, pictured above.  Three zucchini blossoms were stuffed with goat cheese and epazote, dipped in a light batter, sautéed and served with a roasted poblano cream sauce.

For his main course Nick ordered the Tinga Poblana -- grilled Brookfield Farms pork tenderloin in a spicy roasted tomato-chipotle sauce with chorizo and potatoes, served with a cool avocado-tomatillo sauce.

I ordered the Chiles Doña Queta -- a poblano chile stuffed with huitlacoche (earthy corn mushrooms), fresh corn and zucchini, served in a roasted poblano cream sauce and an ancho chile filled with potatoes, Chihuahua and cotija cheese with a sweet-spiced roasted tomato sauce.

Huitlacoche were new to me.  This fungus grows on corn and has a very different texture than most mushrooms.  The exterior is almost like a cooked pearl onion, while the interior is soft and mealy. Considered a delicacy in Mexico, these mushrooms are apparently considered a disease (and called "corn smut") in the rest of the corn producing world.

Everything we ordered was delicious. I think we were both mildly underwhelmed with the margaritas, but perhaps only because they are always touted as the best around.  The most outstanding part our meal was the same for each dish -- the sauces.  All were distinct, complex and complimented the dishes well.  Their website has a small section of recipes that I am interested in trying. 

(Photo courtesy of the Lookingglass Theatre website)

After dinner we walked to the Lookingglass Theatre for the play Alice. Nick has been mentioning his interest in this play for sometime.  He and I both enjoy theater quite a bit, but oddly had never been to a play together before.  The Lookingglass Theatre is housed in the old water tower pumping station and is a really neat space.  I thought it was a great production with an incredible cast.  I believe that Lauren Hirte, the actor who played Alice, may be one of the strongest women I have ever seen.  Not only did she perform incredible acrobatics during the production, but also carried full grown men in several scenes.  She was a pleasure to watch, as were the other four actors in the production.

It was a fun date and I would recommend one or both of these events to everyone.  A 5 p.m. dinner reservation allowed us plenty of time to leisurely walk the mile to the theater with time to spare before the 7 p.m. production.  We are meeting a group of Nick's friends at Small Bar this weekend for a more typical goodbye event, but I am glad we were able to find time to do something new together.

Homemade Soda Pop

Over the last few weeks Nick has been experimenting with homemade soda recipes.  A lovely article on homemade root beer in the most recent issue of Saveur provided the catalyst. These days, store bought sodas use carbonated water to provide the necessary bubbles, though traditionally yeast was used to carbonate the beverage.  However, this gives the soda an ABV of around two or three percent -- rendering it unsaleable to those under 21 in our country (you'd likely get ill before being able to consume enough to become even a bit tipsy).

The method for making soda is similar to homebrewing beer.  Nick made root beer first, using the Saveur article as a guide.  In the first photo you can see the spices wrapped in cheesecloth that steeped in the boiling water.  Sassafras root, sarsaparilla root, birch bark, licorice root, ginger, vanilla bean and molasses provided a superb aroma.

More recent creations have included ginger ale (pictured above, and my personal favorite so far) and sarsaparilla soda.  Nick has been using the book Homemade Root Beer, Soda & Pop as well as various internet sources to create recipes.  Cream soda is coming up next!

Northwest Herald features the Algonquin Sub Shop

Pro Bono Baker was mentioned in the Northwest Herald this past week.  Liz Wolgemuth wrote a piece on the Algonquin Sub Shop and quoted my description of the Where’s Waldorf sandwich.  You can read my two posts on the Sub Shop for more information.  I'd venture to say that this is my favorite sandwich in the world.

Download AlgonquinSubShop.doc

BlogHer Conference

I am listening to the keynote breakfast talk: What Humans Do with Artificial Intelligence on day two of the BlogHer Conference here in Chicago. 

Last night I met nearly 40 food bloggers from around the world at Lao Sze Chuan for dinner.  It was quite an experience to meet the authors of some of my favorite food sites in person.  I will post more on Waupaca, the food blogger dinner and BlogHer soon.

(Above: Chinese Eggplant in Garlic Sauce and Garlic Spinach)

Vacation and BlogHer

I will be in Waupaca, Wisconsin with my family for the next week. You can read about this lovely place in some older posts.  I intend to consume my fill of cheese curds, Ting pop and New Glarus beer. 

I will be returning this weekend for the BlogHer Conference here in Chicago.  I only have the time and money to attend the second day, but I am quite excited to meet so many other bloggers, especially food bloggers that I have been reading for quite some time.  I will be sure to post about the conference while I am there.  You can still sign-up if you are interested in attending. 

Baltimore

At the end of June I traveled to Baltimore with my office and several hundred of the nation's preeminent oncologists.  My trip was a bit rocky due to a canceled flight, a delayed flight and a botched Super Shuttle reservation.  I arrived at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront at about 2 am and soon began a succession of very early morning work hours.  One of the only perks with this work schedule was the ability to order room-service.

My room was huge, with two walls of floor to ceiling windows looking over the harbor, a king size bed and a large television.  I spent a few nice mornings with the sun rising over the harbor, the history channel and satisfying diner food delivered right to my door.

The food wasn't stellar, but it hit the spot.  I documented the occasion more for the novelty of the room-service experience than the culinary prowess of the Marriott kitchens.

My friend Mike grew up in Baltimore.  During our senior years at Reed College, Mike, Tamara and I ran Renn Fayre together.  Mike was also a guiding force behind Beer Nation, which kept those of age happily saturated with Northwest micro brew in campus beer gardens.  Naturally, Mike did not lead me astray with Baltimore beer advice.  I was able to make two visits to A Brewer's Art, once with my co-worker Aaron and a second time to meet up with my dear cousin Matt and his girlfriend Ana.  Matt and Ana had just relocated to Washington D.C. from Portland, Oregon and were kind enough to drive down on Matt's birthday to say hello to me.  While A Brewer's Art brews several delicious beers, their Resurrection Ale (an abbey-style dubbel) stands alone.  Sadly, they don't bottle yet.  They expect to start in the next few years according to the bartender.

After a particularly long work day and too many hotel meals, I decided to take myself out to dinner.  Having little energy and limited Baltimore navigational skills, I decided to try one of the nearby Italian restaurants.  I settled into a sunny table at Aldo's and ordered a Pinot Noir and an Arugula Salad with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano and an aged balsamic vinaigrette.

The salad was perfect.  It was simple and full flavored with a hearty crack of black pepper.

My waiter, Jim, seemed to take a liking to me and was intrigued as to why I might be photographing my food.  I explained my hobby and Jim turned up the charm, starting with a complimentary Four Cheese Risotto.  The risotto was rich and creamy, with a nice subtle sharpness to the cheese.

My main course arrived with a complimentary glass of wine that Jim thought would be perfect with the fresh Porcini Agnollotti and Shitake Mushrooms tossed in Italian-Norcian Black Truffle Butter.  It was.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the meal was an aperitif of Limoncello Cream made by chef Aldo Vitale himself.  A combination of Meyer lemons, grain alcohol, sugar, cream and water create a silky, sweet and sour beverage that was a great end to a great meal.

The sun was just setting when I arrived back at the hotel.  I caught the water taxi at the hotel pier and rode around the harbor.  I switched boats and took the route towards Fell's Point.  From what I had gathered, this area of Baltimore was a newly gentrified district on the water with a number of bars and restaurants.  Upon docking I saw this was in fact true.  The historic buildings were gorgeous, yet marred by neon lights. The area was crawling with polo-shirts, sun-dresses, burnt-skin and bad shoes.

I made my way to Max's Tap House.  This bar boasts 70 taps, more than 300 bottles and accolades from Beer Advocate.  It was super crowded, loud, brightly lit and had snotty service with a somewhat creepy clientele.  Not really my kind of place.  I was determined to try another good beer in Baltimore, however, and decided I should give the Clipper City Heavy Seas Loose Cannon a try.  This was a very nice ale with a formidable hop level, including my favorite Amarillo hops.

I left Max's as soon as my beer was done and decided to wander around Fell's Point to enjoy the architecture.  I came upon Pitango Gelato, a smart looking gelateria with a bustling crowd.

This was a truly lucky stop to stumble upon.  Pitango's uses grass-fed organic milk and high end organic ingredients to create gelato that rivals many that I have sampled in Italy. They eschew artificial ingredients, flavorings and extracts and use milk, cream and eggs from their own single-herd Pennsylvania farm. They also serve frozen yogurt and sorbet.

I ordered the spicy chocolate and, of course, pistachio.  This was one of the finest pistachio gelatos I have tasted.  Pitango flies in Bronte pistachios from Sicily, which are grown at the base of the active volcano, Mount Etna.  Needless to say I highly recommend Pitango gelato if you live near Baltimore.  For everyone else I simply highly recommend pistachio gelato.

I was initially somewhat annoyed that I had to travel to Baltimore for work. I used to think that I would enjoy business travel, but it can be quite lonely.  Luckily, I think I have a talent for truly enjoying loneliness, it just takes a few days to kick in.

I had a nice visit and would certainly not be disappointed to return to Baltimore.  The only other time I was in Baltimore was when I was about 6.  My cousin Matt who I mentioned earlier in this post used to live there.  He taught me how to tie a double not that week as we spent hours in his tree house.  Our dads took us to an Orioles game at the old stadium.  I think it was the fourth of July.  The fireworks went awry and started shooting into the crowds, directly at us.  I watched a woman two rows ahead of us have her hair go up in flames.  Our dads hoisted us under their arms and we ran out of the ballpark.  I think it is safe to say that this most recent trip was better.

The flight home went as planned.  I returned to find these beautiful flowers from Nick (anthurium and orchids).  He bought them at Fleur in Logan Square. Fleur is a sweet little shop with an excellent selection of exotic flowers and letterpress cards.  It was good to be home.

Chicago Botanic Gardens

Last Friday Nick and I both took the day off from work and traveled north to the Chicago Botanic Gardens. We took the Metra Union Pacific North line to Braeside and walked about a mile down Lake Cook Road (there are sidewalks).  The area had a large cicada population which made the walk quite entertaining.

The gardens are truly stunning and we had the perfect weather to enjoy them.  Of particular note, we most enjoyed the Fruit & Vegetable, Japanese, Bonsai and English Walled gardens.  As we entered the Fruit & Vegetable garden a woman gave us a tiny potted zucchini plant to take home.  I am happy to say that the zucchini has sprouted and appears to be happy sharing the planter with our tomatoes and basil.

I highly recommend a trip to the gardens this summer for all of those that live in the area, especially those in Chicago proper.  It is a simple trip, and an inexpensive one too (they ask for donations, but there is no real entrance fee). 

Kuma's Corner

Last night Eileen, Nick and I went to Kuma's Corner for dinner.  I just returned from a business trip to Baltimore (more on that in a future post) and Eileen is departing for a 20 day trip to Ireland, Spain and Morocco this evening.  After the insane storms in the afternoon that left many of the streets flooded, knocked trees onto unsuspecting parked cars near my house and flooded and closed Eileen's school, the subsequent calm and balmy evening provided perfect weather for Kuma's patio.  They gave us a lot of "if you sit out there, it is at your own risk" talk when we sat down, but by the time we left the patio was completely full.

The server informed us that the taps were super warm and not recommended that evening.  Turning instead to the bottle menu, we attempted to order about six beers that they were out of.  Fairly annoyed, Nick ordered a Coke and I wound up with a decent, but certainly not new or exciting Great Lakes Elliot Ness amber lager.  It seems like bars and liquor stores are consistently out of what we want lately.  But the real reason for this trip was the incredible food at Kuma's Corner.  Famished, we got to ordering.  Eileen ordered the "Iron Maiden" with chicken breast, avocado, cherry peppers, pepper jack, and chipotle mayo (I forgot to photograph hers). I ordered the "Neurosis" with a veggie burger, cheddar, swiss, sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions and horseradish mayo. 

Nick ordered their stunning flagship burger, the "Kuma Burger."  A half pound black angus burger with bacon, cheddar and a fried egg on top.  A truly beautiful and impressive item.  As Nick pointed out, it's like putting the "whole barnyard" in your stomach. All of their burgers are served on delicious pretzel buns that are made by Labriola Baking Company in Chicago.  Sadly, Labriola only provides their artisan breads to restaurants and hotels at the moment.  Though, there seems to be talk of an eventual retail space.

As you can most likely gather from the assortment we ordered, the burgers can be made with traditional beef, chicken breast, chicken fingers or a veggie burger.  They run between $10 - $12 and come with homemade chips or fries.  Their ketchup is noteworthy as they add some subtle spiciness to it.  Aside from the lack of a beer selection on this visit, Kuma's has consistently impressed me with their food and beers.  I keep meaning to order their "Make your own mac and cheese," but with 16 different burgers to choose from I always seem to end up on that side of the menu.

Hot Doug's and Broken Bones

Last weekend Nick and I made plans to finally eat at Hot Doug's together.  However, when I woke up that morning my right hand was twice it's normal size.  I determined that I must have broken my wrist the night before when I tripped over the television that isn't normally in the middle of our kitchen whilst carrying two deck chairs in the door, backwards.  Knowing that the impending emergency room visit would take at least 5 hours, I decided that enjoying a fried veggie corn-dog (which they only offer on weekends) would make the gloomy looking end to the weekend somewhat rewarding (to much protest from Nick, I should add). 

We walked to Hot Doug's from Logan Square, and after a spell where I had to take a break on their lawn because I was sure I was going to faint, we sat down with our selection. 

Nick ordered an elk sausage with a mustard sauce and mustard seed cheese, I enjoyed the aforementioned veggie corn-dog and we split a giant basket of duck-fat fried french fries. 

It was all very greasy and very good.

We also bought celery soda.  I had never tasted it before.  It was definitely sweeter than most things I enjoy, but the taste was so unique that I hardly minded.

We then traveled to my HMO approved hospital where we spent the next many hours. (Conveniently located next to Binny's at least!)  Nick was sweet and put up with the crazy old men and poorly behaved children in the ER waiting room while those tending me decided I might have a novicular fracture. I spent this last week at appointments with my general practitioner and orthopedic surgeons, getting enough x-rays to take a year off of my life, and the verdict is still out.  They basically told me to wear a wrist brace and if it hurts in a few weeks it is broken, if it doesn't hurt in a few weeks it isn't broken.  Ah, modern medicine.  I'm glad I ate first.

      

Logan Square Farmer's Market and the Chicago Honey Co-Op

Last weekend Nick, Jerry and I made it over to the opening day of the the Logan Square Farmer's Market.  I was really excited for farm fresh eggs but alas, it will apparently be a few more weeks before they available.  However, we did buy some incredible unfiltered honey from the apiary I have been curious about.  The Chicago Honey Co-Op not only produces fantastic products, they are also a great organization.  Located in the neighborhood of North Lawndale, they provide community based training for non-profit social service organizations.  The Co-Op aims to "help residents who are locked out of the traditional labor market due to criminal records or other barriers to employment."  For more information, please visit the Chicago Honey Co-Op website.

Blogger's Choice Awards

I was nominated for best food blog! 

It is probably clear to all that many of the other blogs nominated are far and away better than mine, but feel free to cast your vote for me if you so desire.

Thanks!

Farmer's Markets

I missed the first day at Federal Plaza on Tuesday, but I did manage to wander over to the opening of the Daley Plaza Farmer's Market today.  These markets are a welcome change from the otherwise uninspiring loop lunch options.  Today I enjoyed the live music and came away with a basil plant and a mint plant ($2.50 each) and baguette for dinner tonight ($1.50).  Other items of note:  Fresh mozzarella, honey from a northern Illinois apiary, asparagus that was harvested yesterday evening and crates of assorted potatoes.  I will be sure to have more cash on me when I visit next week.

You can find a comprehensive list of Chicago farmer's markets here (the sidebar has the markets divided into downtown, weekly and other).   I am anxiously awaiting the Logan Square market opening on June 3rd.

Additionally, for those not in Chicago the USDA has a listing of farmer's markets by state or you can search by zip code at Local Harvest.

Wandering through the Daley Plaza offerings today made me miss my old garden in Hyde Park so much!  If only my new neighborhood had such a thing. . .

Dark Lord Day at Three Floyds Brewery

Saturday morning Nick and I rose bright and early and took the red line to Garfield where Ben and Paul met us.  Coffee and delicious Medici baked goods in hand, we drove to the Three Floyds brewery in Munster, Indiana.  We arrived around 10:30 to find the parking lot full of some of the best beer nerds around enjoying some truly gorgeous weather.  Picnic tables were brimming with the best bottles from personal collections and we were offered small tasting glasses and friendly conversation.  Around noon the door to the brew house opened and a polite stampede pushed the crowd into a haphazard line.  This line set itself apart from most by virtue of pulling us past more tables of now fairly abandoned (and perhaps a bit warm) bottles of incredible beers.  The line moved slowly, but the conversation with excited strangers was quite entertaining.  Occasionally a patron would emerge from the brew house with an arm full of 22 ounce bottles and a huge grin.

Once inside the brew house we bought pints of GumballHead to get us through the last leg.  There was a 6-bottle limit per person on Dark Lord, but there were other offerings available for sale as well.  We took off fairly quickly after purchasing our beer (the line took about 2 hours) and we were astonished to still see the line circling through the parking lot and down the street.  We estimated that there must have been about 2,000 people that came out for the event.

 

That evening Nick and I opened one of the bottles.  Neither of us had tasted the Dark Lord before and we were in for a treat.  This Russian Imperial Stout pours out thick and opaque, like motor oil.  It is extremely dark and has flavors that keep rolling for several seconds after the most flavorful beers I have tried. The head was gorgeous, small, creamy and dark espresso colored and it smelled like honey and sweet malt.  The beginning tasted like cherries, plums and chocolate.  The middle was big and sweet like jam, raisins and rum, and the end was long and tasted of espresso and chocolate (Note: they use Intelligensia coffee in the brewing process).

I have never tasted a beer so complex.  This is truly a treat.  There is no alcohol content on the bottle, but judging by how chatty Nick and I were after splitting one, I think it is safe to assume it is up there.

Oh my. I wish I had $90 to blow on six bottles.  I only ended up with three and I owe Paul money for one of those.    Hopefully you were there to get your own.  They only brew these beauties once a year.  There was rumor that the Small Bar on Division was going to get a keg, and since I noticed the bartender was there I imagine this is true.  If you have a friend that lets you try some of her stash, know she loves you.  This is special stuff.

(*I didn't have my camera on me when we opened the first bottle.  I will be sure to post a follow-up picture of the beer in a glass when we open the next one.)

Avocado and Black Bean Tacos with Homemade Tortillas

Saturday afternoon Nick and I met some friends to map out the 2007 CUDGEL urban golf route.  We are holding the event Sunday, May 27th (the day before Memorial Day).  Check out our soon to be updated CUDGEL webpage and Myspace page for more details and to sign up. 

The weather was absolutely gorgeous, so upon returning to Logan Square we wondered what we would do with the rest of the day.  We had two perfectly ripe avocados that needed to be used in our dinner, but past that we didn't have many ingredients.  Thanks to my new tortilla press, all we needed was a cup of masa harina, a can of black beans, and some rice to make a fabulous meal.

Tortillas
Makes about 8 6-inch tortillas

1 C Masa Harina
1 C warm water
2 tsp salt

In a medium sized bowl combine all of the ingredients.  Work together with a wooden spoon or with your hands (easier).  Don't worry about over-mixing, but the dough should come together easily.  Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let sit for about 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile heat your cast-iron skillet or heat your frying oil.  Divide the dough into 8 round pieces.  As you work with each ball of dough, add a few more teaspoons of warm water with your fingers and work through the dough. I have found that adding a bit more water than called for makes the dough much more manageable and reduces the dry, split edges that sometimes show up after pressing. 

Place a ball of dough on a plastic lined tortilla press (recycled plastic bags work fine).  Hold the dough away from the handle and then slowly press the dough between the metal pieces.  Peel back the top piece of plastic and remove from the second piece just before you add the tortilla to the hot pan or oil.  Keep the other dough covered while you make each tortilla. If cooking in a pan, give each side 1 and a half to 2 minutes.

A tortilla press is certainly not necessary to make homemade tortillas, however it does make the process quite a bit easier. In the past I have always cooked my tortillas on a hot cast iron skillet, but this time Nick fried them and folded them into shells.  They were very tasty.  They turned out to be a surprisingly bright yellow.  We decided that next time we might cook them briefly before frying, though this isn't necessary.

We sat outside on my porch while we ate and enjoyed some Pabst.  This was a very simple and satisfying meal or a lazy weekend day.

Limoncello, Frittata, Cookbook Expo, Hervé This, John Vanderslice, Twin Peaks, Bloomingdale Trail and Gnocchi

Last night I visited my friend Ellen.  She lives a matter of blocks from me, yet somehow it was the first time I had managed to take her up on an invitation.  I concocted a new cocktail for the occasion.  A few years ago Hospitality Club provided my roommates and I the opportunity to host a guest named Guillermo from Columbia.  He arrived bearing this incredibly sweet liquor.  As I recall, Molly and I made quick work of it. 

I don't have much of a sweet tooth, so the idea of mixing the Limoncello with other ingredients appealed to me.  I decided upon the following:

Lemon and Rosemary Spritzer
Serves 4.

2 lemons
2 C Limoncello
2 C seltzer water
8 rosemary sprigs
ice

In a tall glass put two rosemary sprigs and fill with ice cubes.  Almost fill the glass with equal parts Limoncello and seltzer water.  Squeeze half a lemon into the glass.  Stir and serve.

The rosemary was nice, but next time I am going to try basil.  This was my original intention, but the grocery store was out.  For the basil variation, I would suggest muddling the leaves a bit before adding the liquid.  This will help the flavor permeate.  Whichever herb you choose, this is a perfect summer drink. Sadly, it still feels like February in Chicago.

For dinner, Ellen made a gorgeous frittata.  She lined a cast-iron skillet with slices of potato and piled cherry tomatoes, onions, garlic, feta and asparagus on top.  After pouring the egg over these ingredients she baked the frittata.  Oddly, I had never considered baking a frittata and instead have always made them on the stove.  Her method is clearly superior.  The frittata was perfectly cooked through and came out tall and airy.  The potato "crust" was particularly ingenious.

In other news, this weekend was more culinary-centric than most.  On Friday, Harold and I went to the IACP Cookbook Expo.  I met Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks in person and purchased her gorgeous new cookbook.  I have been hungrily reading through it and highly recommend it.  Congratulations Heidi! 

That evening, Nick and I went to see John Vanderslice.  The show was quite good.  We were particularly impressed with the opening act, St. Vincent. 

The next morning we roused ourselves earlier than most weekends and headed to the Union League Club of Chicago to hear Hervé This speak.  The event was thought provoking, yet the question and answer session was a bit lacking when it devolved into some pretty egotistical Chicago chefs debating when their skill was craft vs. art.  We took the stairs on the way out and enjoyed perusing the ULCC art collection (the second largest private collection in the U.S.).

That evening we stayed in, ordered a pizza, and finished the second season of Twin Peaks which I finally own a copy of.  It was Nick's first time through and he seemed fairly upset about the last episode. 

For the past few months we have been fairly obsessed with the Bloomingdale Trail, and finally went up for a walk (from Milwaukee to Elston).  I really hope the city decides to support the proposal to turn these old rail lines into a park.  It would be a truly unique addition to the city. 

That evening we decided to make gnocchi from scratch.  I had tried my hand at it years ago in high school.  After a fair bit of hard work, the gnocchi completely dissolved into the boiling water.  My research informed me that I had been too timid with the flour. 

It turned out quite well this time and Nick made an excellent garlic and cream sauce.  The recipe I used made a huge quantity.  We fed three with half of it.  I froze the rest and am hoping it will keep well for future use. 

Dinner with a Food Blogger and Mark Bittman's No Knead Bread

I recently had the opportunity to dine with a lovely fellow food blogger, Alanna from A Veggie Venture.   Alanna was in Chicago on business and we decided to meet at a restaurant near her hotel, the Basil Leaf Café.  The restaurant was quiet and the food was quite good.  I ordered the Butternut Squash Ravioli with Fresh Spinach & Roasted Garlic in Basil Oil and would recommend it.  We sat and talked for nearly three hours.  It was a very enjoyable evening. 

During our conversation Mark Bittman's No Knead Bread came up.  I haven't been baking bread very often lately, but this reminder encouraged me to throw together this very simple dough on Monday night. 

When I returned home from work on Tuesday I took the bread through the final rise and baked it in my new cloche.  Nick and I made a nice dinner of goat cheese and roasted tomato ravioli with a garlic cream sauce.  The bread turned out wonderfully, with a gorgeous crust and a light sour taste.  We enjoyed it warm with dill havarti cheese while we finished our wine and watched episodes of 30 Rock.

It seems every food blogger has made this bread, so I won't bother reposting the recipe here (you can also find a video).  I would recommend that bakers, both new and seasoned, give this bread a try.  The results are great.  I do find it a bit funny that the absence of kneading should make bread making so much more accessible.  I actually really enjoy kneading bread.  Rather, it is my impatience with letting dough rise for hours (or days) that is the most bothersome.  However, this recipe provides some great instruction for the home baker, particularly when it comes to creating a good oven environment.  Putting the dough inside of a well preheated container, be it a cloche or heavy pot, will offer dramatically different results than simply placing the dough on a sheet pan.

Thanks for looking me up Alanna, and for reminding me of this great recipe!

Hervé This

I just reserved two free tickets for Nick and I to see Hervé This speak this Saturday, April 14th at the Union League Club of Chicago.  Email or call to reserve yours if you would like to attend.  I doubt seats will be open for long.

Thanks to Movable Feast for the heads up and for the following information!

RSVP ASAP to Michael Garbin at garbimi@ulcc.org or 312-435-4822. Please note that business casual attire or chef's coat are requested. (No jeans please.)

WHEN
Saturday, April 14, 2007
9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.: Continental Breakfast
10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: Molecular Gastronomy Seminar
12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.: Book signing (Hervé's book, Molecular Gastronomy: Exploring the Science of Flavor, will be available for sale)

WHERE
Union League Club of Chicago
65 W. Jackson Blvd.
5th Floor Crystal Room
Chicago, IL 60604
312-427-7800

Tomatillo Salsa

Nick took me to Frontera Grill last year to celebrate my (then) new job.  Among the many Rick Bayless dishes we enjoy, his roasted tomatillo salsa is high on the list.

I bought Nick Mexican Everyday for his recent birthday and decided to try my hand at the salsa recipe this evening.  This salsa is a step away from the standard, quite simple and very quick.  Most well-stocked grocery stores should carry tomatillos and serranos.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Adapted from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless

Ingredients

5 Medium tomatillos, husked, rinsed and halved
4 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 serrano green chile, stemmed and chopped
1/2 C loosely packed cilantro, chopped
salt

In a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, place the tomatillo halves (cut side down) and garlic cloves.  Let brown for about 4 minutes.  Rotate with tongs and brown the other side.  The tomatillos will become quite soft.

Scrape the tomatillos, garlic and any browned pieces into a food processor.  Let cool for about 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, prepare the cilantro and chile.  Add these to the food processor along with a small pinch of salt and 1/4 C water.  Blend well and chill. Serve with tortilla chips.

Spend the afternoon with Charlie Trotter

I really wish I could afford this:

Charlie Trotter's: A 20th Anniversary Celebration in his Studio Kitchen

Join us for this rare opportunity to spend the afternoon with Charlie Trotter. Take in his stream of consciousness on a variety of subjects. Pick his brain for insights on topics ranging from foodstuffs to management. Chef Trotter will prepare a five-course food and wine tasting menu to delight your palate. He will demonstrate recipes from his newest cookbook, Spa Cuisine. Check out the intimate setting in his famed studio kitchen. Charlie Trotter's is considered among the top restaurants in the world and has won every major culinary award and recognition. Enjoy one of the most provocative dining experiences and help celebrate Charlie Trotter's 20th Anniversary!

Location: Charlie Trotter's, 816 W Armitage Avenue.

Instructor: Charlie Trotter

Course Fee: $150

Date: Sat, April 14

Time: 2-3:30 pm

If any of my lovely readers attend, I would love to hear about the experience.
I blew all the money I had saved taking Nick to Charlie Trotter's for his birthday dinner.  It was far and away the most exciting meal I have ever had.  I will post in more detail about it soon.

Aquavit

The North Shore Distillery began producing Chicago's first craft liquors in 2005.  Several months ago I first enjoyed the clean and smooth taste of their vodka when my friend Harold brought some over to my house.  I soon sampled their gin and found it pleasing as well.  The hand-numbered bottles of North Shore can be found in several locations in the city, most notably Sam's and Binny's.  Nick and I learned from their website that they also offer a variety of less conventional liquors: Gin Infused with Medjool Dates, Gin Infused with Ceylon Tea, Tahitian Vanilla Vodka, and the very recently released Aquavit. 

I decided to invite Harold over for a belated birthday celebration with dinner and a bottle of one of these unique liquors.  I was quite excited about the date gin, but alas could only find the vanilla and Aquavit (it appears that this may have been a limited release, please do let me know if you find it).  I settled on the Aquavit, primarily because Harold, Nick and I had never had it before.

Harold fixed us delicious cucumber and Plymouth gin martinis while I prepared the onion tart for baking.  These simple drinks are incredibly refreshing and could be quite dangerous on a lazy summer day.  Baby cucumbers are sliced and added to the shaker with the ice and gin.  After shaking vigorously, pour into a martini glass and garnish with a cucumber wedge. The drinks take on lovely bright green hue and smell incredible.

I made an onion tart based on a recipe from Molly at Orangette.  It had been a while since I last baked one.  This tart is sweet and full of cream and caramelized onions.  Quite perfect when served warm on a blizzardy February evening. (It is also extremely inexpensive to make.)  Nick grilled us some zucchini as a side, which also helped brighten the plate.

   

(This picture is from the North Shore Distillery website, mine did not turn out well.)

We decided to enjoy the Aquavit straight in order to best evaluate the flavors.  This Scandinavian liquor is most easily identified by its strong caraway flavor and soft golden hue.  Many flavors common in gin were also prevalent in the Aquavit, especially the cardamom and anise.  The Aquavit also seemed to boast just a hint of citrus rind.  Overall, the flavors are much stronger in Aquavit and it should not simply be considered a differently flavored gin.  The Aquavit was crisp and smooth and the flavors were complex and well-balanced.  I highly recommend North Shore Aquavit as a change of pace for the gin and vodka drinker who enjoys the taste of a well-crafted liquor--not just what it is mixed with.