bitespot

Happy Mabon!

2008-09-21T18:26:00.006-05:00

Veggies from the garden, along with a capri salad made with my own cherry tomatoes and fresh basil.

Tomorrow is the Autumnal Equinox, the first day of Fall, and also the pagan holiday of Mabon. I love this time of year, when the leaves are changing and the air is crisp, and I have the urge to spend a lot more time in the kitchen.

Mabon marks the end of the grain harvest, and much like Thanksgiving, is a time for celebrating the fruits of our labor, both literally and figuratively. As I mentioned in my last post (much too long ago, I know), this year was my first attempt at a vegetable garden, so for the first time I have my own little harvest to celebrate.

I ended up getting a lead test through A&L Great Lakes Laboratories, and the process was very easy. I took a few different soil samples from different parts of the garden area, put it into a plastic bag and mailed it to them along with a form downloaded from their website and a check for around $40 (I got the extended test to analyze the soil composition -- the lead test by itself was around $20). They sent me back a detailed analysis that told me that my soil was okay (barely) for growing plants where the fruit would be eaten, but not the leaves. So the tomatoes and peppers were okay, the herbs needed to go into containers. So that's what I did, and it all worked out very well. I've had an abundance of standard and cherry tomatoes, bell and jalapeno peppers, as well as all the cooking herbs I tend to use most often.

I've enjoyed the garden so much that I plan to kick it up a notch next year. I plan to put in a raised bed, buy some tomato cages (the stakes just weren't enough) and experiment with some additional vegetables and herbs. I wasn't able to get the composter and rain barrel this year, so I plan to do that next year as well (I found out that you can get them through the City of Chicago, so I may do that).

I also plan to try and hang and dry some of my herbs in our pantry, and I'm going to try to keep my herbs growing inside through the winter. My two cats are the biggest obstacle to this -- the only good place for herbs is the kitchen window, and keeping the cats from getting up there and eating them is going to be a challenge. But it's been so nice to have fresh herbs always on hand (and free!) that I don't want to give it up. I'll try and keep up with the reporting as I go along.

2008-04-22T23:59:00.000-05:00

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

One of my New Year's resolutions this year was to attempt to leave a smaller footprint. I've been meaning to write about that for a while now, and Earth Day inspired me to get to typing.

Chicago seems to be a relatively environmental city on a governmental level -- we've got the hydrogen buses, the rooftop gardens, lovely parks, a preserved lakefront (no museum please! ) and some really great resources for bicycling. However, the blue bag recycling program has always been something of a joke, and I don't feel there's been much effort to educate Chicago residents as to what to recycle and how. We now have blue "carts" that are specifically for recycling placed beside the regular trash cans in some neighborhoods (including ours), and there seems to be some effort being made to make sure that what goes in those bins actually gets sorted and recycled. That wasn't really the case with the blue bags. The bins just kind of showed up one day, though, and I still had to go and figure out what was okay to put into them. Which I resolved to do, and have, and I've also attempted to cut down on buying throw-away products. I have a nalgene water bottle and a coffee thermos, and I try to use those instead of buying out (although I've recently relapsed into buying Dunkin Donuts coffee in the mornings), and I carry canvas bags in the back of my car to use instead of plastic bags when grocery shopping (the islands of plastic that are floating around out in the ocean really freak me out). For more information about what to recycle and where, I found the article How to Recycle Practically Anything a good starting point.

As far as what I'm doing in the kitchen, this year I'm making my first attempt at a vegetable garden. We live on a first floor and have access to a large (by urban standards) back yard. A couple of years ago my friend and I dug out a gardening patch, and I've half-heartedly attempted to keep it up. It's gone from pretty to completely overgrown a few times over now. I know nothing about gardening, but I'll have (in theory) a little more time to think about it this summer and I hope that planting vegetables and herbs I can actually use will hold my interest more than planting flowers.

I've been spending some time researching online and have a basic plan. I figured out our Zone (5) and got some idea of what I can plant from Burpee and Gardeners. Burpee was a really good resource for figuring out whether to start seeds indoors or sow them directly into the ground (although at this point I'm going with plants -- I guess I'm a little late in the game for starting from seed). It also lists expected growing times and plant height, and it has a wish list feature that I found handy. I was able to figure out which plants go well together using this List of Companion Plants on Wikipedia. I plan to do some additional research on the individuals plants (I've already done a bit on tomatoes) and I hope to update here as I learn. This past Sunday I spent the day clearing out last year's leftover overgrown mess (with the help of the two kids who live upstairs) and putting in some edging. I would have liked to have created a raised garden bed, but it seemed like purchasing a kit for a garden this big was going to be too expensive. This weekend I plan to head to Gethsemane and pick up a tester to test the soil for pH balance, and I'm also trying to figure out how to get it tested for lead. If all's well, the next step is to buy plants. If the lead content is too high, I'll have to plant into containers instead of directly into the ground. We'll just see how it goes!

Can I Have a Napkin Please?

2008-03-12T21:30:00.006-05:00

Discovered via Laughing Squid, I thought this Food Court Musical was hilarious. I think the world really needs more spontaneous outbursts of song. This particular burst was organized by Improv Everywhere.

Ninja Cream Puff

2008-02-14T00:57:00.006-06:00

"If a Ninja could be a food, what food would it be?

A cream puff. A very deadly cream puff. Maybe the pastry, it has very sharp angles on it, and the cream that's inside is poison. The powdered sugar is actually, um, powdered swords. That's a pretty deadly food right there. I wouldn't mind being that food. Would not want to eat one, though."

Ask A Ninja Classic: Question 17, Omnibus

(At the very, very end.)

DIY Dinner via WiredScience

2008-02-04T19:09:00.000-06:00

Photo Credit: DC Duby Wild Sweets.

I'm not much of a DIY girl, but I received a tweet from WiredScience linking to a blog post called DIY Dinner and the 'Dinner' bit prompted me to go check it out. Thankfully so, as it contained a fascinating set of links to molecular gastronomy resources that I'd never heard of. The highlights:

Kymos.org, with it's PDF collection of Hydrocolloid Recipes such as Pomegranate and Vodka Fluid Gel, Frozen Parmesan Air and Spherical Tea Ravioli. In addition, upon delving a bit into the Kymos blog, I found a link to the beautiful as well as informative Foodpairing site.

DC Duby Wild Sweets, a somewhat difficult-to-navigate but nontheless interesting site where you can purchase a variety of high-end scientific sweets (Pinot Noir Hot Ganache & Strawberry Praline Pearls for me, please!) as well a "complete line of culinary elements" that you can purchase to spherify, densify and gelify your food (recipes available on the site).

Kopykake Edible Ink for Epson printers, which will enable you to make like Cantu in your own kitchen. Say good-bye to that hot oven, toss the methyl cellulose, and just chow down on pictures of your food!

Saturday Night: Fish!

2008-01-20T22:16:00.001-06:00

Some girls spend their Saturday nights out: dinner and a movie, drinks and dancing. I often spend my Saturday night experimenting with food while listening to my favorite podcasts. For example, last Saturday was spent up to my ears in fish viscera while being entertained by MacBreak Weekly, Girls Gone Geek and Generally Speaking. Fun, right?

Actually, it was.

A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by a marketing agent for Kona Blue and asked if I would like a sample of Kona Kampachi to try and, only if I wished, write about. I agreed, saying that I'd love to try it and would be happy to write about it as long as I genuinely liked it. I had the choice of receiving the fish whole, cleaned or filleted, and as I'd never worked with a whole fish before, I decided the take the more adventurous route.

I did some research on cleaning fish in my reference books, On Cooking and The Professional Chef, and found resources online from Cooking Enthusiast and Dummies.com. Then I jumped right in, rather clumsily and making a fairly big mess, and ended with two notably uneven fillets (the second side went more smoothly than the first). I'm sure I left a shameful amount of fish on the bone, but I froze the the head and bones to make fish stock at a later date.

It seems, from what I've read online, that Kona Kampachi is especially tasty raw, but I'm still not comfortable enough with raw food preparation to attempt sashimi in my home kitchen. I decided to pan sear it, since that's the method that I'm most comfortable with, with just some salt and pepper so that I wouldn't be getting anything but the full flavor of the fish. I cooked half leaving the skin on and half skinned, and preferred the skin on. A trick to this is to remove the skin after the fish is cooked and continue to crisp it up a bit in the pan.

The fish was delicious—moist and full of flavor. Kona Kampachi has a 30 percent fat content, which makes it tasty and hard to overcook (my initial cooking was on the rare side, but I actually preferred it medium). It also makes it a good source of Omega 3's, so it's also a healthy choice. I'd like to try it again, and next time I may steam it.

If you'd like to try Kona Kampachi but your local restaurants aren't serving it yet (it only recently reached the Chicago market), you can order it online directly from Kona Blue, or find it at Whole Foods. If you're in the Chicago area but would prefer to try Kona Kampachi at home, you can find it at Dirk's (it's currently listed at one of Dirk's favorites).

Winter Borscht

2008-01-06T23:14:00.002-06:00

This recipe, adapted from the New Moosewood Cookbook, is one of my favorite winter soups. Borscht is a traditional Eastern European dish, and there are many variations. This version comes from the Russian tradition, where beets, cabbage and tomatoes are standard. Beef stock, as well as the addition of beef or sausage, would probably be the more authentic, but I like to use chicken stock and I don't add meat. You could also use vegetable stock or just water for a vegetarian stew.

The original recipe called for boiling the beets with the potatoes, but I thought that roasting them would provide more flavor. However, I really wanted to preserve the red color and wasn't sure that I would get the same results as boiling them and then using the cooking liquid. To keep the color, I rinsed the cooked beets (and the juices off the tin foil I roasted them in) in a bowl with some water (I used some of the cooking liquid from the potatoes, but cold water would be easier) and then peeled the beets over that bowl of water so that any juice would be retained. I then strained out the beet peelings and reserved the liquid for cooking. All of this is optional (it's a little messy). If you want to preserve the color without the extra work, boil the beets and use that liquid. Or you can roast them and peel them without reserving any liquid. It won't affect the flavor and you should still get some color. I just think that the intense red is pretty, and I like to extract flavor from anywhere that I can think of.

I also used the reserved pot likker from my New Year's collard greens as part of the cooking liquid, and that worked out well.

This soup is great for a warming but light weeknight meal, served with some hearty bread (or in my case, leftover cornbread).

WINTER BORSCHT

3 medium russet potatoes
3 large beets
4 cups liquid, (chicken stock, beef stock, or water)
1 Tablespoon oil or butter
1 medium onion, medium dice
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 half small cabbage
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon dill
1 Tablespoon brown sugar or honey
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, or to taste
lemon juice or a little more cider vinegar, to taste
salt and pepper , to taste
sour cream or yogurt, for garnish
dill, fresh or dried for garnish

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Wrap beets in foil and roast for one hour or until tender. Cool with cold water (reserving liquid to preserve color if desired.) Remove skins (over bowl to reserve liquid if desired). Chop into bite-sized pieces.

Peel potatoes and cut into bite-sized pieces. Place in a pot and and cover with cold water. Add salt and cook over medium heat until tender (approximate 20 to 30 minutes).

Heat oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Add onion and saute until translucent.

Add cider vinegar and saute to au sec (almost dry). Add caraway seeds, celery, carrots and cabbage, plus 2 cups of the liquid (including reserved beet liquid if using). Cover and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are tender (10-15 minutes).

Add the tomatoes, dill, brown sugar or honey, beets and potatoes. Cover and simmer for at least 15 more minutes.

Add Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot, topped with sour cream or yogurt and dill.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2008-01-02T00:11:00.000-06:00

Growing up in North Carolina, we always ate black-eyed peas and greens at my grandmother's house on New Year's Day. We moved to Wisconsin when I was 10, and I don't remember if my mom continued the tradition for a while but at some point it stopped and I forgot about it. As I got older and more interested in cooking and food history, I remembered and decided to return to this tradition.

Now, every year I make Hoppin' John, collard greens and cornbread on New Year's Day. Hoppin' John, at its most basic, is a mixture of black-eyed peas (or in some traditions, field peas) and rice. According to this history, the dish is primarily associated with the Carolinas, but can be found in Georgia as well and, I believe, Louisiana. The dish is thought to have Caribbean roots, and was most likely created on Southern plantations by slaves originating from that area. According to Wikipedia, the dish dates back to at least 1847, when it was published in The Carolina Housewife by Sarah Rutledge. The black-eyed peas in the dish are thought to bring luck and money (the black "eyes" of the peas resemble coins) and the greens are thought to add an extra financial boost. I like to say that we eat Hoppin' John for luck, collard greens for money and cornbread because it's good.

I stole this year's recipe from Emeril, so it has a bit of a Cajun influence. It starts with the Cajun trinity, onions, celery and bell pepper, and incorporates cayenne, which I substituted with a Cajun spice blend. I think Hoppin' John was originally flavored with bacon, and while I used bacon fat to start both the beans and the greens, I used a ham hock as the main flavoring in both. To make these dishes meat-free, you could substitute smoked paprika to get that smokey flavor.

So far, I don't know that making these dishes on New Year's has made me any richer, but it's fun and makes for a good hearty meal on a chilly January day.

HOPPIN' JOHN

1 Tablespoon bacon fat, or vegetable oil
1 large ham hock
1 cup onion, medium dice
½ cup celery, medium dice
½ cup green pepper, medium dice
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 pound black-eyed peas, soaked overnight and rinsed
1 quart chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon Cajun Seasoning, or to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
¼ cup green onion, chopped for garnish
¼ cup red bell pepper, chopped for garnish
3 cups white rice, pilaf or steamed

Heat fat in a large soup pot and sear ham hock on all sides (approx 4 minutes).

Add the onion, celery, green pepper and saute for approximately 4 minutes.

Add garlic, saute until fragrant.

Add vinegar and reduce to au sec (almost dry).

Add black-eyed peas, stock, bay leaves, thyme and Cajun Seasoning.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes or until the peas are creamy and tender. If the liquid evaporates, add more water or stock.

Adjust seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. You can also chop up the meat from the ham hock to add to the dish if you like.

Garnish with green onions and red pepper. Serve over rice.

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COLLARD GREENS

1 Tablespoon bacon fat, or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, medium dice
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
1 quart chicken stock, or water
salt and pepper , to taste
pepper vinegar (or cider or white wine vinegar and tabasco), to taste for garnish

In a large soup pot add bacon fat or oil, then sear ham hock on all sides (approx 4 minutes).

Add onion and saute until translucent.

Add garlic and saute until fragrant.

Add vinegar and reduce to au sec (almost dry).

Add stock or water and bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Gradually add greens to pot, allowing time between additions to allow them to soften into the liquid.

Return to a simmer over low heat and cook until tender, approximately 55 minutes.

Season to taste and serve with pepper vinegar or vinegar (cider or white wine) and tabasco. You can also chop up the meat from the ham hock to add to the dish if you like.

You can serve a bit of the liquid, called 'pot likker,' as a dip for cornbread. You can also reserve the liquid to add to a future batch of greens, or add it to an appropriate soup (freeze it if you won't use it right away).

Red Velvet Cake

2008-01-01T22:48:00.000-06:00

After a long hiatus (no good excuse really, just busy), I hope to be a little better about updating in 2008.

I'm just now returning to the real world after a wonderful holiday. I love the Christmas season—I think it may be my favorite time of year. I can even appreciate winter and snow when it's part of Christmas (past January, though, I could really do without it).

My boyfriend and I always spend the Yuletide season with my mom and stepdad. My mom is a fabulous cook and the house is always filled with good things to eat, things much too good to turn down, and I tend to eat myself silly. I currently feel like a little stuffed sausage, and at least 25% of my wardrobe doesn't fit. Ah well, but it was fun.

One of our traditional family desserts at Christmas is Red Velvet Cake, and it's been my favorite Christmas dessert for as long as I can remember. My mom's is still better than mine, although I watched her this year and realized she was doing a lot more mixing than I was. I made the cake pictured above as a post-Christmas treat for my dad, but I haven't heard back yet as to how it turned out.

My mom has said that this recipe was published in a North Carolina paper years ago. I'm not sure whether it was first adopted by my mom or my grandmother, but I'm guessing it was my mom.

No one seems to be quite sure where Red Velvet Cake comes from. It's generally considered a Southern recipe, although it was a signature dessert at the Waldorf-Astoria in the 1920's (though they, too, called it a Southern dessert). This New York Times article from February '07 gives a great overview of the history. They surmise that the cake may have evolved from the practice of adding beets to chocolate cake to enhance color, or from the fact that the cocoa powder used before Dutch process cocoa became standard created a reddish color that people felt the need to replace (that reddish hue may have been the origin of the name 'Devil's Food' as well).

The cake recipe the article lists is similar but different, and the frosting (from the Waldorf-Astoria recipe) is completely different. I may give it a try for a post-holiday dinner that a friend of mine is throwing. I like our frosting recipe, but I wouldn't mind lightening up the texture of the cake a bit (it's a very dense) if I could do it without changing the overall flavor.

RED VELVET CAKE

2.5 cups all purpose white flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cocoa
1.5 cups sugar
2 cups oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 ounces red food coloring
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 recipe cream cheese frosting (below)
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Preheat oven: 350 degrees.

Prepare 2 9" cake pans with butter and flour.

Sift dry ingredients and set aside.

Cream sugar and oil.

Add eggs and beat well.

Add dry ingredients alternatively with buttermilk in 3 additions, mixing well inbetween.

Add buttermilk.

Mix vinegar, food coloring and vanilla. Add to batter and mix well.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until set.

Cool, then frost with cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with toasted pecans.

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CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 ounces butter, softened
16 ounces powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix together cream cheese and butter.

Add powered sugar a little at a time until well blended.

Add vanilla and mix well.

Frost cake!

Recipe: Earl Grey Brownies With Lavender Honey Ganache

2007-08-14T10:43:00.000-05:00

This was my first Bakespace recipe submission in response to the Baker's Edge brownie contest. I didn't win anything, but it was really just for fun. It's an original recipe, so it's experimental. I tweaked it a bit after testing—I thought the flavors weren't quite strong enough and that it was a little overly dense—but I haven't tested it again. I think the crystallized lavender is really what adds the most interest, although I originally added it just for the visual.

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate
6 oz. unsalted butter (1.5 sticks, cut into quarters)
6 oz. eggs (4 large)
13.5 oz. granulated sugar (1.75 cups)
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. looseleaf Earl Grey tea, ground in a coffee grinder
5 oz. cake flour (1.25 cups)
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray or butter pan.

2. Melt the chocolate with the butter over a double boiler.

3. While the chocolate is melting, whip the eggs and sugar in a large mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment for 10 minutes.

4. Combine Earl Grey powder, flour, baking powder and salt. Sift.

5. Add the melted chocolate and vanilla to the eggs. Stir by hand to blend completely. Fold in the flour, mixing until just combined.

6. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.

7. Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes, or until an inserted tester comes out with just a few crumbs attached.

8. Allow to cool, then add ganache and garnish with crystallized lavender (recipes below). Refrigerate.

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Lavender Honey Ganache

2 oz. semisweet chocolate
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate
6 oz heavy cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. lavender

1. Finely chop the chocolate into 1/4-inch pieces.

2. Place the chocolate in a medium heat proof bowl.

3. Place lavender flowers in the cream and scald. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain and rewarm.

4. Immediately pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Using a rubber spatula, stir gently in a circular motion, starting from the center of the bowl and working out to the sides. Be careful not to add too much air to the ganache. Stir until all the chocolate is melted and completely emulsified.

5. Cool. Spread over brownies.

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Crystallized Lavender

1 egg white (pasteurized, if desired)
1/4 cup lavender
1/2 cup sugar
food coloring (optional)

1. Color sugar with food coloring, using fingers to spread color evenly. I divided the sugar and used both pink and lavender.

2. Spread lavender onto a sheet pan covered with aluminum foil. Using a pastry brush, coat dried lavender with egg white. Spread sugar over lavender, mixing with fingers to coat evenly. Allow the lavender to dry.

3. Stir lavender to remove clumps, and transfer to an airtight container.

Cooking 2.0: Bakespace.com

2007-08-14T10:01:00.001-05:00

I'm a social networking junkie that will join up and check out almost any new site, although I generally create an account, look around, and never go back again unless I start to get messages from friends. I really only use Twitter and Facebook on a regular basis, although I have a lot of friends on MySpace and will answer messages and read blogs there. That said, a relatively new social networking site called Bakespace, which is specifically for "cookers and cakers," has caught my attention and, more importantly, has managed to keep my attention.

You can tell that Bakespace is a new endeavor—it's a little awkward to navigate and I find it to be a little less than user-friendly (although I think MySpace is a nightmare but people love it, so there you go). What's keeps me going back? I, of course, like the subject matter and while there are a gazillion great cooking forums, discussion lists, and recipes sites out there, this type of site seems to appeal to me more. I can search around for recipes, have a place to save them, and submit my own—which I can also do on, say, Epicuirous, but I can also make friends and create a community, and Bakespace just seems friendlier for whatever reason. Maybe it's the cupcake logo—I can always be wooed with a cupcake.

I also really like their newsletter, which I receive by email. They include recipes, tips, trivia and contests and again, while there are other sites that do this, Bakespace continually seems to draw me back to their site for more information. I've been wanting a centralized space to save all my recipes, and I think this might be it, especially if the site continues to evolve and grow. Check it out, and if you decide to stick around, add me as a friend.

Everything's Better with Bacon!

2007-08-09T22:13:00.000-05:00

Well, maybe not everything. Bacon desserts have been popping up for a while now, but I wonder if the appearance of the Vosges Bacon Exotic candy bar is the official indicator that bacon craze has reached its peak. If you feel like celebrating the fact that during this Year of the Pig, the pig is still big (over a year ago Josh Friedland declared that "the other white meat is the new black."), check out the following:

Chocolate Covered Bacon, a recipe to make it yourself if the Vosges is just too expensive (or if you just want to add sprinkles).
Memphis Barbecue and Bacon Ice Cream from Delaware-based Udder Delight Ice Cream House (sounds kind of icky, but the peanut butter and jelly ice creams sounds delish).
Bacon Brittle, which doesn't sound so bad. It's reminiscent of Pig Candy, and I literally laughed out loud when I read Jonathan Gold's description of Pig Candy on the LA Weekly site:

"Pig candy has been a secret dinner-party hors d’oeuvre for years, and there has been a bit of an underground craze for the dish started in Washington, D.C. The only place I know to get it in Los Angeles is at Lou, a tiny, wonderful wine bar that just opened at the south end of Vine. Lou serves a pretty decent range of artisanal cheeses, the garlic-laced salamis of Seattle’s Armandino Batali, and slivers of Colonel Newsom’s legendary Kentucky ham, but on cool nights there may be nothing better than a plateful of pig candy and a glass of organic Cotes du Rhone."

Huh. Secret dinner-party horsd'oeuvre? The only place he knows to get it is a wine bar? Here I thought you just put a bunch of bacon on a pan, cover it with brown sugar, throw it in the oven, and munch on it with a Diet Coke at 2am (I think the Bacon Cheese Baconburger may be the male equivalent of this scenario). And I bet it was invented by a southern woman with PMS, not a fancy chef in D.C. Anyway, it's got to be good because the Sweet Potato Queens say it is.
Bacon Salt from J&D's (Justin and Dave, “bacontrepeneurs”), which is vegetarian. I haven't tasted it, but the concept seems similar to smoked salt and smoky paprika, both of which I love. These are great additions to anything you want to add a smoky depth to, and make great substitutes for bacon or ham hocks when you want to make a vegetarian (or just lighter) version of a dish that really needs that flavor. Amusingly, Justin Ozersky and Daniel Maurer of Grub Street feel that the bacon salt is the point where this bacon fervor jumped the shark (and I loved J&D's response), but they're all about the bacon chocolate. I bet they eat their pig candy at wine bars, too.
Bacon of the Month Club from the Grateful Palate, where you receive a different artisanal bacon each month, along with a variety of bacon tchotskys. They also have a Bacon Geek T-shirt. Fun!
Bacon Scarf from Shopsin's General Store, one side marbled, one side lean. Show your piggy pride with flair!

Thanks to my friend Heather's bacon-link email, the original inspiration for this post.

In a piggy-related Bleu factoid, I met many of my current circle of friends (including Heather) through a Yahoo Group of Chicago goths called Black Porkchop. Here's a photo from the Black Porkchop Goth Pool Night at Sheffield's [edit: oops, that's Philosophur's—Sheffield's is down the street] (now Cherry Red) from back in the day:

Ah, memories! Photo swiped from Tarik Dozier.

Things to Do in Cleveland, OH: Little Italy

2007-08-08T23:45:00.000-05:00

I spent approximately half of my high school years in Cleveland, OH. Unfortunately, because I was a teenager and, stereotypically, only interested in boys, music and shopping, I really missed out on all the best bits. Little Italy was one of those places that I was vaguely aware of but, at the time, not the least bit interested in. These days, I'm fascinated by diverse little neighborhoods that add such flavor to the cities they inhabit, so when my mom planned a Red Hat bus tour to this historic area, I had to tag along.

Cleveland's Little Italy neighborhood, also referred to as "Murry Hill" after the street that runs along its center, was established in 1885. By 1911, 92% of the residents had been born in Italy. Today, it's a trendy and artistic little area that is feeling the strain of gentrification, and as is so often the case in these cultural hotspots, the native ethnic population is dwindling and the art student population is rising. However, it still retains its Italian charm: the cobbled streets, young boys toting baskets of fresh baked Italian bread from the bakeries to the restaurants, old men sitting and chatting by the storefronts, eager to flirt with the passing ladies, and shops that open lazily at 1pm on a summer Saturday (to our dismay, as we were there early). I loved it, and if I lived in Cleveland, it's most likely the neighbohood that I (a little past art student but not so far past) would want to live in.

Our highlights:

Presti's Bakery, originally opened in 1903. The bakery was relocated to the current location in 1999, and while it has a more modern feel, it's still has atmosphere aplenty. They have good coffee, fresh bread, a wide selection of pastries, and a large variety of savory items. I also sampled their gelato before we left, and it was very good (although I have to say that I think the homemade gelato at Ventrella's Cafe here in Chicago is still the best I've ever had.)

Trattoria on the Hill, where we had lunch, is only 20 years old but still seems to be a local favorite. They had great bread, supplied by Presti's, and the pasta was very good. Everyone loved the food (although the service was a little chaotic). You can buy a jar of their tomato basil sauce to take home with you.

Algebra Tea House: A little off the beaten path, and a little out of place, this tea house made me feel like I had returned to the apartment that I shared, a decade ago, with my friend Kym. She was (and still is) a wonderful artist who turned our living quarters, originally a run down office space directly above the notorious Tuman's, Chicago's Alcohol Abuse Center of old, into a bohemian work of art that also functioned as a fabulous party pad. They have a variety of tea, a selection of Middle Eastern coffee, old boards games, couches, shelves of dusty pottery and free wi-fi. I bought some hand ground Turkish coffee along with a cute polka dot Turkish coffee pot, and received verbal preparation instructions and a free cup along with it.

Little Italy Wines: A cute little wine shop that was so crowded when we visited that I decided to forego trying to search out a bottle to try, but they have a wide variety of wine available as well as a selection of good beer. We did, however, purchase the Bellavitano cheese that they sell, and it was quite tasty! Although Bellavitano is made in Wisconsin, it's made in the Piave style. Apparently Little Italy Wines is the only store in the area that carries it, and if you're curious you can order it from their site.

Also, although it isn't in Little Italy, I have to mention Alesci's as well. This Italian deli located in South Euclid, OH (right around the corner from where I lived) carries all kinds of Italian specialty foods, including Alesci's own sauce and meatball mix, and some of the best Italian bread I've ever had.

There were a lot of other places that we didn't get to explore, so I hope to be able to get back there some time (preferably in the late afternoon—I think I need to move to Europe!) and explore what we missed.

More pictures of our trip are available on Flickr.

Some other interesting facts about Little Italy, courtesy of Wikipedia:

The first pasta machine was invented in Cleveland's Little Italy by an Italian immigrant named Angelo Vitantonio, who received a United States patent for the product in 1906.
Guarino's was the first Italian restaurant in Cleveland, and arguably the first Italian restaurant in the state of Ohio. It is located just past Murray Hill on Mayfield Road.
Chef Boyardee's cooking skill became notable when he opened his first restaurant called "Il Giardino d'Italia" in the Little Italy section of Cleveland in the 1940s.
Cleveland's Little Italy was home to the largest Mafia organization between New York and Chicago, comprised of family names like Porrello and Lonardo. The organization was the seat of power for families that operated in Pittsburgh, Youngstown, Toledo, Detroit, and Akron.

Wine 2.0: Wine Library TV

2007-08-02T22:21:00.000-05:00

I've been meaning to post about Wine Library TV ever since Diggnation put it on my radar, which was a while ago. I hadn't gotten to it, but as host Gary Vaynerchuk's guest appearance on Conan O'Brien last night was big news on the geek circuit, I think now is the perfect time to talk about it.

If you're interested in wine but haven't heard of Wine Library TV (yet, because if you haven't, you will) you should definitely check it out. In addition to being on Conan, he was also interviewed recently in Time, where he is described as "more hyper than Emeril, more cheerful than Rachael Ray, more street than Bobby Flay and cockier than all of them combined." An article in Slate described the show as "Wine Geeks Gone Wild." The Food Network may have given this country the foodie bug, but it warms my heart that it's a vidcast by a New York Jets fan from New Jersey that will make this a nation of wine geeks. Only in America can a guy on the internet compare wine to "big league chew and to your leather baseball glove" (ABC News), spit into a New York Jets bucket, and then get Conan to eat dirt on national television. I'm sure there are plenty of oenophiles crying foul, but in my opinion, the more wine appreciation there is here, the easier it makes it for me to enjoy and learn more about good wine.

Gary's rise to fame has also a been a great 2.o social networking experience. I saw his announcements about the Time interview and the Conan appearance on Twitter, saw (and participated in) the responding congratulatory and good luck tweets, and then followed along as he sent out updates from the Conan set. It's a well-connected and entertaining new world, folks, and I'm excited to be a part of it.

Keep on bringing the thunder, Gary, you'll make Vayniacs of us all!

Movies for Foodies

2007-07-28T22:22:00.000-05:00

In response to the fact that this seems to be the summer of restaurant-related movies (Ratatouille, Waitress and No Reservations), Premiere Magazine has released a list entitles "The Top 20 Most Mouthwatering Movie Moments." I'll leave it to you to go and peruse the descriptions, but here's the movie list:

Babette's Feast
Big Night
A Christmas Story
Eat Drink Man Woman
Fatso
Fried Green Tomatoes
Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle
In Her Shoes (brought the term 'foodie' to the movies)
Like Water for Chocolate
Marie Antoinette
Mostly Martha (the German film that inspired No Reservations)
My Best Friend's Wedding
Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's
Soul Food
Spanglish (featuring the Thomas Keller BLT, pictured above)
Tampompo
Tom Jones
Vatel
Volver
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the original)

A couple of my favorites that aren't on this list: Chocolat and Under the Tuscan Sun (although I preferred the books for both of these). I also think of Sideways and The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover as being foodie movies, but the the former counts only if you're into wine and counting the latter could be seen as a tad morbid.

What are your favorite movies about food? I've added all the movies from this list that I haven't seen to my Netflix queue, but I'm sure there are others out there. List your recommendations here, and/or add me as a friend on Netflix.

Thanks to The Stew for the original link to this story.

Maybe All We Need is a Little More Wine

2007-07-23T02:06:00.000-05:00

My friend Ben sent me the link to this Washington Post article: "A Gate-Crasher's Change of Heart."

"A grand feast of marinated steaks and jumbo shrimp was winding down, and a group of friends was sitting on the back patio of a Capitol Hill home, sipping red wine. Suddenly, a hooded man slid in through an open gate and put the barrel of a handgun to the head of a 14-year-old guest. 'Give me your money, or I'll start shooting,' he demanded."

But the robber was distracted by another guest's suggestion (panic-induced, I'm assuming) that he join them for some Chateau Malescot St-Exupéry. After a declaration of "Damn, that's good wine," the robber proceded to tuck his gun away, tuck into the Camberbert, and eventually ask for a group hug. Kevin Underhill of Lowering the Bar has contacted Chateau Malescot to suggest that "Damn, that's good wine" be their new slogan.

You can find a detailed overview of Chateau Malescot St-Exupéry at TheWineDoctor.com.

Things to Do in Akron, OH: Lavender and Lace

2007-07-20T04:34:00.000-05:00

Finally, podcast episode #2 has arrived! I've switched to being mostly on my Mac, and it took me a bit to figure out Garageband (much thanks to Big-O's Techno Fodder podcast for making it much easier). I also used Adobe's new sound editor Soundbooth CS3 to attempt some heavy-duty cleanup. I really like the program, and it did manage to make my noisy recorded-in-the-car podcast a little bit cleaner. It's still not great sound quality, but I tried!

Now, on to tea. There are many tea rooms in Ohio, and I hope to explore many of them, but my mom's favorite is Elizabeth's Lavender and Lace Tea Toom in Dover, OH which is about 45 miles outside of Akron. The tea room is housed inside an absolutely gorgeous 1876 Second Empire Victorian Home that retains the original mansard roof. I love places like this because the history is just palpable.

The interior is decked out in Victorian style. There are multiple tea rooms and plenty of hats, boas and stoles to play dress-up (you're never too old to play dress-up!). They specialize in afternoon tea parties for all ages, and it's a great place for birthday parties, bridal showers or just a casual get-together.

We enjoyed a four-course meal, and everything was very good. Our tea choices were the Winter White Earl Grey, which I found to be much lighter than the standard black, and a Raspberry Tea, which wasn't our favorite but would be good if you're looking for a fruitier, non-caffeinated choice. The color was beautiful. Our menu was as follows:

First Course: Lemon tea bread, Chicken noodle soup and a light salad.

Second Course: Chocolate chip scones with raspberry jam and whipped cream.

Third Course: Three varieties of tea sandwiches - cinnamon pineapple cream cheese, chicken salad and tuna salad.

Fourth Couse: A variety of desserts - raspberry tart, chocolate cake and key lime pie.

We had a great time and were absolutely stuffed upon leaving. We visited the gift shop before we there, where they sell a variety of tea. I purchased a sample of their pumpkin spice tea, which would be lovely in the fall.

We weren't able to record inside the tearoom itself, so we had a discussion about tea on the drive home. We talk about our experience at the Lavender and Lace tea room, as well as about the history of tea and it's renewed popularity here in the U.S.

Links of Interest

Stash Tea: A nice overview of the history of tea.

Harney & Sons: One of my favorite tea purveyors (I thought they were British, but apparently they're in Connecticut.)

Intelligentsia: Known for their coffee, but I had an intense to-go cup of Jasmine tea here. I could have worn it as perfume.

British Express: Browse and purchase a variety of British tea here.

How to Make a Perfect Cuppa: BBC Guide to a perfection in a tea cup.

Tea Post from Neil Gaiman: What my favorite Brit author has to say about teal.

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Click here to listen:
Bitespot 02: Lavender and Lace

You can also subscribe in iTunes.

View photos of our Lavender and Lace visit on Flickr.

Ear Candy: Cupcakes Speakers

2007-07-17T00:56:00.001-05:00

Yes, they're cute enough to eat but do they sound as sweet? Don't know and probably not, but these cupcake speakers that I spotted on Geek Sugar are certainly adorable (I voted geek chic). This is a product produced by Semk; the site was slow to load for me and a little odd to navigate, but they have some fun stuff. Neat little flash intro, too. Technabob mentions that these are brand new and probably won't be available for a while, but will probably start showing up in stores in a few months. Unfortunately, I don't think they'll to a thing for my cupcake circuit.

Cupcake Circuits, Colbert and The Science of Appetite

2007-06-30T15:31:00.000-05:00

First, apologies for the recent lack of posts. I was laid off from my job last week and it threw me for a bit of a loop, but I think everything's relatively under control now.

As I was catching up on my feeds this afternoon, I came across this post by Cathering Morgan on Blogher: The Science of Appetite, Weight Loss, and Dieting. Can We Rethink Thin? The post was inspired by a Time Magazine article, The Science of Appetite, which I found fascinating. It begins with the concept of a "cupcake circuit," the elusive and non-quite-understood part of our brain that associates cupcakes (or whatever food it is that creates the serotonin-induced happy dance in your brain) with pleasure, happiness and satiety.

I, like many others, am one of those people that have always struggled with weight. I was a pudgy kid, a teenager that thrived on sugar and alternated between pudgy and starved and eventually, a very overweight adult. However, I witnessed the staggering decline of both my grandmother and mother-in-law due to a lifetime of obesity and diabetes, and as I was starting to experience symptoms of irregular blood-sugar myself, I was freaked out enough to change my habits. So over the course of a few years I changed my diet and became a lot more active and I lost around 60 lbs. and 12% body fat and am now probably healthier than I've ever been in my life.

That said, I still struggle with my weight, and I definitely struggle with my cupcake circuit. I love sweets. They make me happy, and sometimes I crave them so badly that I feel like I'm having a drug withdrawal. I still eat too much sugar, but not nearly as much as I used to and as long as I stay active it seems to be okay. It fascinates me how much influence food often has over our psychological state of being. I try to use exercise as my overall spirit-lifter (for example, I've been more conscientious about my workout lately to counteract the blues of being unemployed) but sometimes, only a cupcake will do.

The article goes on to talk about how humans have historically had too little to eat rather than to much, and how we're adjusting (or not adjusting) to the current abundance of the industrialized nations. Scientists are currently scrambling to understand more about the process of appetite so that they can address the obesity epidemic that has emerged in the U.S. and is now spreading to other countries as they adopt more of our higher-speed, overstressed, fast-food culture.

Morgan also dicussed the recently released book by New York Times science writer Gina Kolata, Rethinking Thin: The New Science of Weight Loss--and the Myths and Realities of Dieting, which talks about the history, science and myths of weight loss and the diet culture. I followed Morgan's link to an interview with Kolata on the Colbert Report, and what she had to say sounds interesting. The concept that we should happy even if we're not a size 2 is pretty standard, but she goes into a little bit of why dieting is so hard and just how long we've been doing it. I had no idea that the original low-carb diet was invented by William Banting, an English undertaker, in 1863. According to the arictle The History of Dieting, "British Medical Association immediately attacked this approach, and because Banting was not a scientist, claimed that it had no scientific value and would not work for others. The public however were impressed, and people all over the English speaking world read of his plan and lost weight themselves, not caring about the doubters. So popular did it prove to be, that it was translated into other languages and thus spread even wider." Amazing how much things have changed, and yet how much they've stayed the same!

Note: Email Issues

2007-06-12T21:40:00.000-05:00

It recently came to my attention that there was a backlog of email on my mail server that never came through. I've switched over to a new host, which has solved the problem, but lost some email in the process. If you've recently emailed and haven't received a response, please send another to bleu@bitespot.com. Sorry!

A Little Bit of Wine Geek Humor

2007-06-07T00:22:00.000-05:00

From the Akron Beacon Journal, 11/3/06.
(And yes, I'm slow).

Island Cake and Lost Finale Party

2007-05-31T00:14:00.001-05:00

Hatch Map Photo: Lostpedia

The Cranky Fanatic Lost Finale Party was a blast, and my island cake turned out pretty well. It's not the prettiest (the hatch map on top was very hastily added at around 3:30am), and I think the fondant got a touch dry, but all-in-all, I would say it was a success!

Working with the fondant really was fairly easy. One thing I will do differently next time is mix in the base color as I'm initially mixing the fondant. One recipe I referenced recommended this, and it would have made sense since I wanted the whole thing to be green. I wanted some darker swirls to create a marbled effect, but the darker color could've been added later. I think the little bit of dryness I experienced was due to having to mix all of the color in after the fondant was formed. It took a lot of kneading to get it even.

In related cake-decorating news, Epicurious' latest email newsletter contained a link to an article on a DIY Wedding Cake. I haven't explored it completely, but it looks like they have some nice how-to information there.

My other favorite dishes from the menu were the Garlic Shrimp (I didn't have Sherry, so I used Tequila) and the Grilled Sweet Potato Salad (I used toasted macadamia nuts instead of peanuts).

You can see a couple of pictures from the party on Flickr, and you can listen to us rehash the finale on the Cranky Fanatic Lost podcast.

Big-O is going to be hosting live Lost trivia contests on Talkshoe during the hiatus. I just participated in the first one, and even though I got the lowest score—I'm not so good with the trivia—it was a lot of fun! You can listen here or join in on Wednesdays at 8pm CST.

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On a completely unrelated note, please pardon my dust as I make some domain adjustments. A friend of mine originally set up the hosting for the Bitespot domain name and I'm transferring things around a bit so that I can apply it to this blog. I'm currently having some picture link issues with older posts, but that should hopefully be resolved soon.

Baker Baker, Baking a Cake

2007-05-22T00:40:00.000-05:00

This Wednesday night is the Lost Season Finale, and Cranky Fanatic Big-O is having a finale party here is Chicago. In my book, all celebrations need cake. Therefore, I'm attempting my very first fondant cake in an attempt to create something Lost-themed.

The cake itself is a Margarita Cake, basically a white cake that used margarita mix for the liquid. Honestly, I really haven't gotten the whole cake thing down. My mom, although she'll deny it, is a master. Mine are usually too dry or too dense or too bland or too something. I just finished making the cake layers, and the smaller top layer seems okay, but I used a single large round cake pan for the base and I think it was probably too big. Perhaps the reason that smaller, individual layer pans are used for conventional home ovens is that there isn't enough even air circulation for the big pans. I plan to use a strawberry preserve filling and frosting in between layers, though, so that will help if it's dry.

I'm going to decorate the base of the cake with regular shortening-based blue frosting. That should be easy since it's representing waves and doesn't have to be any sort of smooth. I would use buttercream since most people prefer it (I, myself prefer the supersweet stuff) but I can't refrigerate the fondant so this will be more compatible.

The fondant was a spur-of-the moment inspiration. I was listening to the Dharmalars Finale Predictions podcast earlier today and, oddly enough, they were discussing fondant with Jorge Garcia (he's an Ace of Cakes fan). I think that was the catalyst. The top, smaller layer will (in theory) be covered in green fondant to represent the island, and I plan on piping on a simplified version of the hatch map. I have absolutely no experience with fondant (other than eating it) so this is entirely experimental. I followed a recipe on the Wilton site, and it went so well that I'm suspicious. It can't be that easy. It's all wrapped up in an airtight container, and on a double-check seems to be fine, but I'm convinced that I will come home tomorrow to something rock-hard and unusable. Or maybe the hard part is getting it on the cake? We'll see, and I'll let you know how it goes!

Urban Grilling

2007-05-15T23:36:00.000-05:00

Photo credit: ThinkGeek

Last Friday my friend Leah graduated from Loyola, and she wanted to have a beach barbecue party in celebration. On Thursday, it was sunny, beautiful and in the upper 70's. However, Chicago weather being what it is, it dropped about 20 degrees on Friday and was excessively windy. Therefore, the barbecue ended up at my apartment.

I have a Weber charcoal kettle grill on my back porch that I use for grilling. Admittedly, it's not the safest of arrangements and our landlord would have a heart attack if he knew, but I've only had one close call and that was because I had an oven mitt hanging on the side of the grill (it combusted, and I really hope my mom doesn't read this post). I do tend to keep the fire extinguisher close at hand. It's the reality of urban grilling. You do it even though you probably shouldn't, and you hope you don't catch anything on fire. I have a back yard, and I could put the grill in it, but one of the neighbors would steal it or, more likely, blow it up.

As I was manning the grill on Friday night, I remarked on how I love to grill, and I love the charcoal flavor, but usually I'm cooking for two and it's just too much fuss to get the big kettle grill going for a small amount of food. I said how nice it would be nice to have a little bitty grill that I could use for that. So, what arrives in my inbox today? The ThinkGeek newsletter advertising the Grilliput Compact Grill. I have no idea how well it works, but it looks like a sturdier option than those cheapie camping grills that they sell at Walgreen's. Plus, it's made of titanium and it compacts down to a little cylinder!

The grill and accompanying firebowl are approximately $45 to order from ThinkGeek. I will probably wait to see if there are some positive reviews floating around before I buy one, but I am planning on picking up this R2D2 Action Figure for my dad for Father's Day, so maybe I'll order the grill along with it. If I do, I'll report back on the results!

Corona-Matic Keyboard Waffle Iron

2007-05-07T18:14:00.000-05:00

Photo Credit: Chris Dimino via Laughing Squid

Finally! A keyboard that I don't have to worry about getting sticky! The problem, presented by the School of Visual Arts in NYC: "Take this now useless item [a typewriter] and give it a new life." To the apparent joy of geeks everywhere, one of Chris Dimino's solutions was to create the Corona-Matic, a keyboard waffle iron (you should check out his other designs, too—my 2nd favorite is the urn). I originally heard about this on the Gadgette's 'Things We Want' episode, but it's been featured on many of the online gadget guides. I wonder if Chris expected to generate all this excitement? The story is currently working it's way up on Digg, so if you have a Digg account, contribute! Spread the word! I'd love to see this get made into an actual product. I don't have a waffle iron, but this would absolutely be my excuse to get one!

Mighty Muffins!

2007-05-03T23:13:00.000-05:00

In response to a tweet from Winnie requesting a good muffin recipe, I am posting the basic muffin recipe from my Baking and Pastry class (taught by Jeanne Krauss).

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Basic Muffin

5 oz. (1 cup) pastry flour (or 4.5 oz., 1 cup, of all purpose flour)
2.5 oz. (1/3 cup) sugar
1/4 oz. (1/2 tsp.) baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

1.5 oz. (1 large) egg, beaten
3.5 oz. whole milk
2 oz. (4 Tbsp.) butter, melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Sift dry ingredients together.

Combine wet ingredients.

Mix wet ingredients into dry, mixing until just moistened. Remember, lumps are okay! Mix in your add-ins before all flour is incorporated (a gentle folding technique works well). Remember, DO NOT OVERMIX!

Spoon or scoop batter into paper-lined, greased or lightly-sprayed muffin tins to about 2/3 full. A #30 (2 Tbsp) ice cream scoop works well for this.

Bake at 375F, until done, approximately 20-30 minutes. Doneness is indicated by a golden brown color, muffins that feel set to a light touch, and a toothpick that when inserted, comes out clean.

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You can put anything that you want into this recipe: fruit, nuts, chocolate, whatever. The important thing to know is that you should never overmix your muffins! You don't want the batter to be completely smooth, and lumps are OK! The more you mix flour, the more you develop the gluten. This is desirable for yeast breads because yeast produces gas slowly, and needs a very elastic environment to contain it. Weaker batters can't hold onto the gas bubbles for long, so they use chemical leavening (i.e. baking soda, baking powder), which creates gas quickly. A batter that is too elastic won't let the gas bubbles distribute evenly. Baking soda needs the recipe to contain an acid such as buttermilk, baking powder can be used on its own.

You can tell an overmixed muffin by the fact that it's tough instead of tender, and if you break it open, you will often see 'tunnels,' long trails in the muffin that develop from the leavening gas getting trapped. Muffins mixed correctly should be light in texture and have an even interior.

Other considerations:

Pastry flour makes for a more tender product because it contains less gluten. You can also mix 1 part cake flour to 2 parts all-purpose flour for an approximation (in this case 1/3 cup cake flour and 2/3 cup all-purpose). But most people are going to use all-purpose only and that's fine. If you're feeling fancy, though, my favorite source of specialty flours is King Arthur (also found at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and other upscale or specialty grocery stores).
You can use up to a 1/2 cup of sugar in this recipe if you like a sweeter muffin (and depending on your add-ins), and keep in mind that sugar also acts as a tenderizer.
Sour cream (2.75 oz or 1/3 cup) could be substituted for the milk. Also substitute a 1/2 tsp. of baking soda for the baking powder. This is a nice complement to blueberries.
Buttermilk could also be used instead of milk. The amount would be the same, and you can use baking powder or baking soda as your leavener.
You can put a little water into any empty muffin cups to dissipate heat and create moisture in the oven.

Other highly recommended resources used for this post:

The Bread Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum.
On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee.

Reality Cheddar, Not So Stinky

2007-05-01T23:04:00.000-05:00

Live videostreaming—coined 'Lifecasting' by Justin Kan (always an exhibitionist apparently)—has become a recent trend thanks to the popularity of Justin.tv and the accessibility of Ustream.tv, a company that wisely jumped onto the videostreaming bandwagon and capitalized on Justin's popularity. Via Ustream, I've been able to view some of my favorite podasters at work, visit Hawaiian beaches, and watch Chris Pirillo be incredibly goofy. And now, my friends, I can watch cheese! The forward-thinking cheesemakers at West Country Farmhouse have given us Cheddarvision.tv. You think I jest, but I think it's brilliant! It merges a very old tradition with a very new one, and how else could a Westcombe farmhouse cheddar make a Geek Brief? You can also view a time lapse video of the aging, as well as suggest a name for the the cheese. After much deliberation (and some Wikipedia research), I submitted Wesleydale. I think it's quite fitting.

Ambria: Dinner and An Interview

2007-04-25T02:04:00.000-05:00

Earlier this month a good friend of mine gave me a wonderful birthday present: he took me to Ambria for dinner. A mutual friend of ours, Fred DeVore, is a waiter there and he took very good care of us. He is extremely passionate and knowledgeable about the food, so it made for an especially delightful experience.

Also, though I didn’t realize it at the time, our sommelier was the infamous Bob Bansberg. Bob used to teach the wine class at the Illinois Institute of Art, where I attended culinary school. His knowledge was renowned amongst the students and I was very disappointed that he left just before I took the class.

Ambria is a beautiful restaurant, resplendent with a hush-inspiring atmosphere of mahogany, ambient candlelight, and plush Art Nouveau architecture. It’s reminiscent of a time that may be dying out in our desire for shiny, new and modern. Unfortunately, Ambria will be closing its doors on June 30, 2007 after 27 years of fine dining. You can find out more about the farewell festivities in this article from the Chicago Sun Times: The Long Goodbye. If you make a reservation, be sure to request Fred!

I’m so glad I got to experience this Chicago tradition before it’s gone. The following is an outline of our menu. You can hear more about Ambria, as well as a general discussion of the Chicago culinary scene, in my interview with Fred, available below for now and on iTunes very soon.

Menu from Ambria: April 5, 2007

Wine: Cava Avinyó Brut Reserva NV from Penedes, which was crisp and delicious. If you like sparkling wine but haven't tried Cava, you should definitely check it out. It’s a nice (and generally less expensive) alternative to Champagne that seems to be growing in popularity as people become more aware of it.

Amuse Bouche: Leek Potato Soup

First Course: Tapas, or Pintxos in Basque
There was a variety of tapas, but I found the most memorable to be the crostini with spring pea, creme fraiche, and a sliver of smoked salmon. The spring pea was just so delightfully fresh!

Wine: Joseph Perrier Brut Cuvee Royale Champagne

Second Course: Oysters
This warm oyster dish is a 300 year-old Basque recipe. The oysters are dressed with leeks, three varieties of Pimenton de la Vera (Smoked Chile Powder from La Vera, Spain) and applewood smoked bacon foam. Whereas many oyster dishes smother the oysters in other flavors, this recipe is designed to showcase them. It was rich and buttery but not heavy at all. The oysters were Pemaquid oysters from the Damariscotta River Estuary in northern Maine. This was my favorite savory course, and the wine pairing was lovely.

Third Course: Organic poached egg on a bed Anson Mills grits (from Georgia [correction: South Carolina]) with a sauce of thickened chicken jus and perigot black truffles. Being from the South, I love grits, and one of my favorite breakfast is grits and eggs mixed together. This was like my grits and eggs breakfast on steroids.

Wine: Cristom Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Marjorie Vineyard 2004

Fourth Course: Salmon
Served with quinoa, fried leeks and blue foot mushrooms. This salmon is FedExed fresh to Ambria by a Native American man who fishes them out of the Columbia River. Quinoa is considered a supergrain because of its high protein and amino acid content. I’ve had it before, but this was the first time I’ve really liked it, most likely because it was prepared with stock and then mixed with Manchego cheese. The salmon was amazingly tender—the mushrooms were meatier than the fish.

Fifth course: Chocolate Soufflé
Served with quenelles of ice cream and crème chantille (whipped cream). They tapped a hole into the top at tableside and poured in creme anglais. It was absolutely decadent. In his Tribune review of Ambria, Phil Vettel describes it as “all that you'd ever want in a dessert souffle.” I agree. I love dessert, so I couldn’t have been happier.

Sixth Course: Mignardises
A selection of chocolates. I was so full I only ate one, a raspberry-filled piece of dark chocolate. Divine!

My friend’s menu was a little different since he's a little less adventurous than I am. Instead of the oysters as a second course he had a squab breast with lentils du pays, a wild mushroom ragout and currant compote. His third course was a rouget de roche on a potato base. Rouget de roche is a small schooling fish with sweet flesh and red skin from the Meditteranean sea. It is flown in directly from Barcelona. His fourth course was a prime rib and loin of lamb. The prime rib was like butter.

Listen to my interview with Fred—the very first Bitespot podcast!

Bitespot 01: Ambria

Want to Learn About Wine? Drink More!

2007-04-23T23:18:00.000-05:00

A friend sent me this New York Times article by Eric Asimov (he's the nephew, BTW): To Study Wine, Buy and Drink. The article requires registration, but if you'd like to read it without signing on, you can always use Bugmenot. Or just read on, I'll give you the gist.

In Asimov's opinion, you get the most out of wine classes and books after you already have a working knowledge and a desire to get serious. He recommends that find a good wine shop, let them know that you'd like to learn, and have them help you pick out a mixed case in the around- $250 price range. Then, you take it home and drink it, preferably with food, paying attention to what you like and don't like. Take notes as you go along, recording how the wines interact and change with food. "The most important thing," he says, "is not how you describe the wine but whether you liked it or not, and whether you felt it enhanced what you ate or clashed with it."

When you're done, you take the notes back to the shop, discuss your experience, and ask them to put together a new case for you. Swirl, smell, swish and repeat.

To demonstrate, Asimov is actually employing this process himself and you can follow along on his blog, The Pour. You can find his case list (he actually ordered two cases from two separate shops for comparison) in the post The Dining Table Wine School.

While I don't agree with the statement that classes and books are only for the experienced, I do think this is a really fun and useful method and a great alternative if classes and books really do intimidate or disinterest you. If nothing else, you get to sample a lot of great wine and he's absolutely right in that you'll start to figure out what you like and don't. He's also right in that that's all many people want or need to know.

If you can't afford a case (and at the moment, I can't, otherwise I'd try and follow along with Asimov) there's nothing wrong with buying by the bottle. The most important thing to understand is where to buy it and what a good wine shop is. As I heard Diana Hammond, the Wine Goddess of the Chopping Block, repeat over and over: the grocery store is not a good wine shop, nor is Whole Foods or the World Market. While the employees may have some knowledge of wine, they usually don't know enough to make a real recommendation. These places are fine if you already have some idea of what you want, but a good wine shop will have employees that really know wine and can make knowledgeable recommendations based on the information you give them.

The second most important thing to know: if you want a wine shop to give you a recommendation, you need to be able to give them a starting point, at the very least a price range. Choosing whether you want a red or a white is helpful, too. You also need to be open minded. If you go in and ask for a really good wine for under $10, expect to be given a recommendation for a wine that you're not familiar with. The most familiar wines (i.e. Cabernet and Chardonnay) are often the most expensive precisely because they're the most familiar. Be willing to try something new, and no nose-wrinkling! If you don't like the wine, feel free to return and say so, but at least try it.

If you live in the Chicago area, there are a ton of good wine shops. Diana always recommended the Wine Discount Center and I've always had a good experience there. There is also an extensive (and recent) list available on the Chicago Sun Times website: The Best in Bargain Wine.

If you are a class and book person (as I am) I highly recommend Diana's wine classes as the Chopping Block. She is extremely knowledgeable, very accessible and not at all snobby. She also offers a Cheap n' Good Wine List on her site. As for books, Eric Asimov does cover his recommended reading list in the post School is in Session, but for a light and entertaining introduction to wine, I highly recommend Drinkology Wine: A Guide to the Grape by James Waller. The information is there, but it's also an easy read.

So drink up and stimulate those brains cells! Apparently, a recent study found that Light to Moderate Drinkers Show Greater Cognitive Ability. True? Who knows, but it sounds good! Cheers!

What's for Dinner? Pretty Pasta!

2007-04-19T22:27:00.000-05:00

I was feeling inspired to make something nice for dinner, but I wanted something easy. I went to the gym after work (yay, me!) and didn't finish up until almost 8:30pm. Remembering that I still had the Foglie D'Autunno pasta that I picked up at the West Point Market in Ohio, I decided to make a quick run to Whole Foods for some basil, Parmigiano Reggiano, bread and a bottle of wine to go with the sun dried tomatoes and olive oil I already had at home.

Foglie D'Autunno,which translates to the 'leaves of autumn,' is a rustic Italian pasta that's made by Castellana in Apulia, the 'heel' of Italy. It tastes like pasta, so it's nothing special in that regard, it's just that it's so pretty! The colors are made with various vegetable powders—and squid ink!

At Whole Foods, I ended up buying a Pecorino Tartufello, which is an Italian sheep's whole pieces of black truffles, instead of the Parmigiano. I wasn't positive that it would work with the basil and the sun dried tomatoes, but I love truffles so I thought I'd give it a try. The wine I chose was the Da Vinci 2005 Chianti Classico. I've been wanting to try this for a while. The 2004 was highly rated for such an inexpensive wine—the 2005 was $10.99. I also picked up some Sicilian-style marinated olives and a small loaf of Ciabatta (Italian 'slipper' bread, named for it's shape).

I tossed the pasta with Frantoia, an Italian olive oil that was a favorite at the Chopping Block and one of mine as well. I added the basil and sun dried tomatoes, both of which I sliced chiffonade (in thin strips). The Pecorino Tartufello was pretty powerful so I only used a little; I used a vegetable peeler to make thin slivers to top the pasta. I warmed the bread, sliced it, and poured a little more of the Frantoia into a saucer for dipping. I also added a couple the olives on the side to complete the meal.

Everything went together pretty well. The wine wasn't the best match—I guessed when I picked it up that it might be a little too fruity to stand up to the truffles and the olives, and I was right. I think it would go better with a tomato-based sauce or a regular Pecorino. But the wine that I thought would match perfectly was $20, so this was good enough! It made for a rustically simple meal, but it was quite satisfying and again, very pretty! Not quite as exciting as the Digg party I'm missing right now (I'm listening to it enviously via Justin.tv; it sounds fun!) but it'll do.

Calacanis on Barcelona

2007-04-18T15:30:00.000-05:00

Jason Calacanis is currently in Barcelona to give a talk on Social Media. Befitting that subject, he's been posting frequently on Twitter about Barcelonian food. He sent a Tweet out earlier today looking for advice on finding the best rabbit in the area, and the current update: "At abasolo etxea with my friend Xavier in barcelona. Amazing rabbit I'm told!!!" I've been enjoying his commentary immensely, and oh, how I would have loved to have been at the Barcelona Blogger/Web 2.0 dinner! Read more about his experience and drool over the imagery here: Tapas in Barcelona.

New Basque cuisine seems to be playing a major role in culinary evolution here in Chicago. I've often heard Alinea referred to as second only to El Bulli, the world renowned restaurant just outside of Barcelona. Cantu of Moto is also considered to be directly inspired by El Bulli chef Ferran Adria, who is credited as being the founder of the molecular gastronomy movement. Even Ambria, classically French, is currently offering a Tribute to Spain tasting menu that features Basque cuisine. And speaking of Ambria, I had the chance to dine there recently. It was fabulous, of course, and I'll be posting more on that experience very soon.

Tasty Tech at the Food Network Awards

2007-04-16T20:27:00.000-05:00

I don't watch much of the Food Network. Not because I dislike it, but because I rarely sit down and watch shows on an actual television and so far I haven't been interested enough to seek out the torrents. Therefore, the first annual Food Network Awards was only vaguely on my radar, but enough so that I did check out the website.

I'm sure that, even if I had watched the show, I wouldn't agree with Bourdain's rant on Ruhlman.com: "Last night, during the breathtakingly awful, interminable cruelty that was The Food Network Awards, I even found myself feeling bad for Rachael Ray." Don't follow the link if you're not fond of profanity—it took me a minute to settle on a usable quote that didn't contain a colorful string. While I find the Food Network a little fluffy, and am aware that it's celebrities are often chosen for their cute-factor rather than their culinary ability, it's driven Americans to get more interested in good food and I can only thank them for that. It's not the Food Network's fault that we prefer everything fed to us with that special Hollywood-style seasoning.

There were only a few highlights for me from the award pickings. I was somewhat surprised that they had a Tasty Technology category (although I guess I really shouldn't be), and the most geek-friendly award winner was the PoliScience Anti-Griddle. It flash freezes instead of grills, and was created for Grant Achatz in 2004 (PoliScience is based in the Chicago suburbs). There's an interesting article about it on Chow (and I think I might change my tagline).

Other winners that I thought were interesting:

MooBella Ice Cream: A vending maching that uses "a multi-patented, fully automated ice cream process" to create custom ice cream on the spot.
Zingerman's: Z - Club: A "gift for the adventurous eater." Zingerman's supplies a boxed collection of rare and specialty foods such as "olio nuovo, a coveted version of the new season's olive oil pressed and bottled just days ago, or maybe a cheese from one of America’s small dairies" up to four times a year.
Liz Hickok, Jell-O Artist: Cities of Jell-O. Go look—it's cool!

I also have to give a little shout-out to Matt Lee and Ted Lee of the Boiled Peanuts Catalog. They lost to Alicia Polak of the Khaya Cookie Company under the category of Edible Entrepreneur of the Year. Polak hires South African men and women to bake handmade cookies that are brought to the U.S., so the award was well-given. But there's a Southern heart beating deep inside this yankified urbanite, so I just had to mention the boiled peanut boys. I might just have to order one of those boil-your-own peanuts kits...

IACP Conference Welcoming Event: Culinary SENSE-ations

2007-04-12T12:08:00.000-05:00

I've spent the past few days preparing for the food photography exhibit for the welcoming event at the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) conference. The event happened yesterday and was absolutely fabulous. It took place at the Merchandise Mart, and the overarching themes were Chicago and food art. The Mart showrooms that chose to participate each hosted a particular theme. My showroom was Valcucine, and my theme was food photography. I wish I had done more (I still regret not being able to find someone to create that food photography cake) but I think in the end it turned out pretty well. We had 5 large photos by Jeff Kauck hanging from the ceiling, and 5 smaller photographs scattered on easels through the showroom. I also created a number of tiny matted stock photos to hang and scatter throughout the room, just to draw the eye through the exhibit. We also had a Chicago-themed video put together by Eric Futran, which featured a montage of local food photos set to a foodie-based version of Sweet Home Chicago. Valcucine decided to keep the exhibit up for a while as part of their showroom, so you can see it if you happen to be passing through the Mart anytime soon.

I also participated in the Written Word exhibit, headed by Leslie Swibes, which was in the Varenna Poliform showroom. The walls were decorated with food quotes, and themed cocktail napkins covered with quotes related to food and wine accompanied the wine stations and bread table. There was also a huge wok full of fortune cookies with food quotes inside.

This event was the brainchild of Shelley Young, owner of the Chopping Block. Shelley and Linda Avery, Executive Food Editor of Leite's Culinaria oversaw the event and all of the exhibits, and they did an amazing job. I would imagine that this was one of the most creative events that the IACP has ever seen.

The other exhibits are listed below, and you can see photos of the show on Flickr.

Meat and Potatoes Buffet at the Chopping Block.
Pulled Sugar Demonstration by Mark Seaman of Marked for Dessert at the Chopping Block.
Jel Art Gelatin Flowers created by injecting food coloring into the gelatin, by Delectogo at the Chopping Block (they were tasty, too
Ice Bar and Bananas Foster Shots provided by moto Restaurant and Jim Nadeau of Nadeau Ice Sculptures, Inc. (I give, moto is cool, and the bartenders were really fun.)
Interactive Audio Challenge Video by Steve Dolinsky, Host of Hungry Hound.
Merchandise Mart Cake Sculpture by Cathay Li of the Sugar Syndicate.
Sustainable Fish, bathtub aquariums with live fish provided by Shedd Aquarium in Kohler. [Correction: Shedd provided Right Bite cards. The fish were bought from Old Town Aquarium.]
Micro-Greens Countertops by Bill Bagby of Tiny Greens at Pedini.
Breaking Bread, a 16 foot bread loaf.
Edible Zen Garden, sugar sand and beignet rocks, in Urban Archeology.
Bee Cheese Mosaic by Nadine Royster, Artist and Wisconsin Milk in Granite Marble Resources.
Iron Maiden Serving Girl by Red Moon Theater.
Corpus Delecti, a human figure made of gelatin by Sage Reed in association with Local Infinities Visual Theatre. Rachel Humphrey, Chopping Block chef and author of the Sweet Savory, oversaw this exhibit.
Edible Dress, Verdure Couture by Sage Reed.
Wild Mushroom Countertop by Tyler Gray of Mikuni Wild Harvest in Smartrooms.
Chicago Food TV: Steve Dolinsky, Host of Hungry Hound and LeeAnn Trotter, Host of Good Eats in DiGiulio.
Spice Art Rug and Aromatics by Barbara Koenen, Artist and Patti Erd of the Spice House in Chicago Kitchen.
Illinois Wines from Fox Valley Winery and Owl Creek Vineyard and Mary Michelle Winery.
Honey and Mead by Wild Blossom Meadery and Winery.
Coffee by Intelligentsia.

Food and Tech: Use the Nabaztag, Save the World?

2007-04-02T01:36:00.000-05:00

CNET Article: For Chicago Chef, It's Prepare, Print, Serve

Photo: Homaro Cantu/Moto

A friend of mine sent me this recent article on Homaro Cantu and Moto. I've already expressed my rather mixed feelings on the whole molecular gastronomy concept, but I have to admit, the photos that went along with this article made my little graphic designer's heart go pitter-pat.

It's also interesting to me that this is a CNET article. It's starts off with the standard Moto fare: edible paper, liquid nitrogen, lasers, blah, blah, blah. If you're a foodie, I'm sure you've heard it all before. But this is a story targeted at geeks, not foodies, and it goes on to highlight the technologies that Cantu has implemented. His kitchen is paperless; he uses a proprietary software system that he coded himself to track profits and losses, and his staff utilizes a voice-activated, 60-inch screen projection system for their prep lists. He also uses a Nabaztag for his email. I own a Nabaztag (named Fiverito, a gift from the same friend who sent me the article), and I'm not really convinced that it's functional enough for use in professional setting, but I think it's really cool just on principal. I wonder if Cantu uses Twitter...

Cantu also talks a lot about sustainability. He states that he doesn't "create technologies just to create novel technologies. I create because I see a need or gap that needs to be filled at the social or retail level." I don't entirely buy that multi-purpose utensils, edible ads and robotic bunnies that read email are going to save the world, but I suppose that any idea that intends to move our society in a more eco-friendly direction is a positive.

Molecular gastronomy is definitely interesting, but I thought the following was a very telling statement. When asked what he eats at home, Cantu replied, "My wife banned me from the kitchen. She does all the cooking. I do simple things, like a bagel with cream cheese. I do eat normal food. Pizza and a glass of beer—that to me is a perfect meal." And so it is. Cantu names Marie's Pizzaria and Lounge as the best pizza in Chicago. I'll have to check that out.

Cafe Descartes Oatmeal Latte

2007-03-30T18:27:00.000-05:00

Earlier today I was working on initial drafts of a logo for a cafe. While doing some online research, I came across the recipe for the Cafe Descartes Oatmeal Latte. There was a Cafe Descartes just up the street from the Lincoln Square Chopping Block, and I would often stop in for an Oatmeal Latte on my way in to assist a morning cooking class. It's served in a tall cup with a spoon, so you basically drink your coffee and then eat the oatmeal and dried fruit. It's a great concept—coffee and breakfast all in one! It tastes great as well, and I love the texture that the oatmeal adds to the coffee.

If you live in the area, I recommend stopping in at a Cafe Decartes near you and trying one for yourself. If not, try out the recipe below. You could substitute strong coffee or add espresso powder to the milk if you don't have an espresso maker, and just scald the milk by heating it until it bubbles around the edges. I felt the collective cringe of coffee geeks everywhere as I wrote that, but really, I think it would work out okay.

If you're a purist, you can learn all about making espresso drinks at home on the CoffeeGeek website. From what I understand (and I would say that my understanding is limited) the easiest and least expensive way to accomplish this is to use a Bialetti Moka Express.

Cafe Descartes Oatmeal Latte

8 oz Oatmeal, uncooked
2 Tbsp. Golden Raisins
2 Tbsp. Chopped Walnuts
2 Tbsp. Slivered Almonds
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 Shot of Freshly-Roasted Cafe Descartes Espresso
1 tsp. Honey
1 Tbsp. Hazelnut or Vanilla Syrup (found at specialty shops and some cafes)
8 oz. Skim Milk
2 Tbsp. Fresh Blueberries

Pour 8 ounces of raw oatmeal into a large cup.

Add the dry ingredients to the cup: 2 tablespoons each of golden raisins, chopped walnuts and slivered almonds; and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.

Pour in a shot of freshly-roasted espresso.

Add 1 tsp. honey and 1 tbsp. of hazelnut or vanilla syrup into the cup.

Froth 8 oz. of skim milk in a stainless steel pitcher, for about 10 seconds.

Add the other ingredients to the milk.

Froth all the ingredients together, about 15 seconds.

Add 2 Tbsp. of fresh blueberries to top it off.

Pour back into the cup and enjoy!

Foodie Tweet of the Day

2007-03-29T15:03:00.000-05:00

"Seems like with bananas, you basically have a three-minute window between green and brown. Bananas are always 'becoming.'"—Merlin Man, via Twitter

How to Buy a Good Knife

2007-03-28T01:27:00.000-05:00

When I worked at the Chopping Block, people asked us about knives quite a bit. What knives should you buy? What brand? How do you sharpen them? These questions recently came up on a culinary email list that I'm on, and I thought I'd repost my answer here.

The only real essential is a good Chef's knife. You can accomplish almost any task with that one basic. All of the high-end knives are equally good; you want forged knives, and you want to keep to the around-$100 range, give or take a bit. Size, style and weight are totally personal. I've assisted a lot of Knife Skills classes, and I've seen big burly guys that prefer the lightweight Global 8" Vegetable knife (Global knives were probably the most popular knives in the store that I worked in) and petite women that preferred the heft and weight of a 10" Friedr Dick knife. I really like my 10" Wusthof, but I did develop a fondness for the Global knives after working with them for a while. It's best to buy knives from a store that will let you hold and even test out a few different styles. I like to say that you don't choose your knife—your knife chooses you.

You also want to buy a honing steel. I really like the diamond steels—they're more expensive but they sharpen just a bit and I find that really useful. Some kind of sharpener is also good to have. I like having a stone, but you have to know how to use it properly or you can ruin your knife. There are also a variety of sharpening tools, such as the Global MinoSharp, that are okay. If you don't know how to hone and sharpen your knives, take a class or have someone show you. You should hone your knife every time you use it, and again if you notice the knife getting dull. A sharp knife is much easier and safer to use than a dull one. You should sharpen the knife once you notice that honing isn't doing much anymore.

After that, you want a paring knife for small tasks and a serrated knife for bread. Anything else you buy should be based on what you do most. A boning knife is nice if you like to bone out your own meats. If you carve a lot, buy a carving knife. If you make a lot of sushi, look into a sashimi knife.

You get the picture. Most of the chefs I know own a LOT of knives, but they'll also tell you it's more of a collector's impulse than a necessity.

I also highly recommend that you take a knife skills class to learn how to use your knife properly. If you're in the Chicago area, the Chopping Block offers some great knife skills classes. If not, most areas these days have cooking schools that cater to the home chef and offer some kind of knife skills class. You will, however, need to practice after the class or it won't do you any good!

Recommended reading: The Professional Chef's Knife Kit by the Culinary Institute of America.

Would You Like Some Tools With That Wine?

2007-03-23T01:08:00.000-05:00

This service was mentioned in the April 2007 issue of Food and Wine, and I thought I'd try it out. Using your mobile device, you send an email or text message containing the vintage, name, and varietal of a wine along with your zip code. In response, the service sends you a message containing the local retailers that carry the wine as well as the various prices. It's an interesting idea, and may eventually be useful, but I would say that it needs a much larger database. It's possible that it could be targeting higher-end wines than the ones I was looking for, or maybe it works better if you're located on the west coast, but the only wine I got any return on was a non-vintage Yellowtail Shiraz, and it only listed one retailer. After repeated attempts with no results, I looked for this wine specifically because it's one that almost every retailer carries, including run-of-the-mill grocery stores. So for now, this isn't much use to me, but I will keep an eye on it. If their database of retailers grows, the service could be handy if you're looking for something specific.

On a more useful note, I highly recommend the article "50 Wines You Can Always Trust" from the same issue. I know a little more about wine than the average person and I'd like to know a lot more, but right now I'm a relatively casual wine drinker and I rarely find these sorts of lists useful. I find that the wines are completely unfamiliar, I don't remember them, and even if I do I rarely run across them at a store. This list, however, has a lot of familiar names on it. I see many of these wines on a regular basis, and many of them are very reasonable in price. If you like wine but don't know much about it, or would just like to know enough to pick out a decent bottle, this article is a keeper!

Creme Anglaise

2007-03-21T00:46:00.000-05:00

Since I just posted the recipe for Guiness Ice Cream, I thought it would be a good time to discuss how to make a basic Creme Anglaise, which is the fancy term for French ice cream base. Below is the recipe. It makes a basic vanilla ice cream, but you can take this and add any flavor or combination of flavors (think Ben and Jerry's!) that you wish. The sky's the limit!

8 oz milk
8 oz heavy cream
4 oz egg yolks (6 large yolks)
4-5 oz sugar
1/2 vanilla bean (or 2 tsp. of vanilla extract—I love Nielsen Massey's Vanilla Bean Paste)
pinch of salt

Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the pan and add the vanilla bean halves. If you are using a flavoring that needs to infuse (green tea for example, or whole cinnamon), add it now.

You want to scald the milk, not boil it. This means you want to heat it on medium until the edges begin to bubble. You want to keep an eye on it because it will boil over the edges of the pot if it gets too hot. If the flavoring you are using needs a longer infusing time, cover the pot and let it sit for an hour. Remember to taste! Bring back to a simmer, then remove from heat.

Beat the egg yolks and sugar and just a pinch of salt in a medium-sized bowl. Salt seems an odd addition, and it isn't included in a lot of ice cream recipes. But salt is a flavor enhancer, and adding just a pinch adds depth, not saltiness.

Temper the yolks by slowly drizzling 1 cup of the hot cream into the yolks while constantly whisking the mixture. A liquid measuring cup or ladle is great for this. The tempering process allows you to add a hot liquid to egg yolks without causing them to cook quickly and form bits. If you add the liquid a little at a time, it brings the temperature up slowly and creates a smooth mixture.

Gradually add this mixture in a slow steady stream to the remaining hot cream. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until nappe, or when the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (170F on an instant-read thermometer), about 5 minutes. I find that a wooden spoon is the easiest to test for thickness on. You'll also be able to feel the mixture thickening as you stir, and it will begin to look glossy. Do not boil!

Remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean container. If you are using a fresh vanilla bean, wash it off and save it in a plastic baggie. They can be used a couple of times over. Or, you can put it into a container of sugar to flavor the sugar with vanilla. It's great in coffee!

If you are adding liquid flavorings (such as a liqueur, or an extract) you can add them now or after the mixture chills. Adding them at this point allows the flavors to mature while the mixture chills, but the flavor is harder to gauge when the mixture is warm. Flavors are muted when food is cold (although you can add some now and add a little more later if you need to). Also, remember that too much alcohol can interfere with the mixture's ability to freeze.

Cover with plastic, pressing the wrap down so that it rests on the surface of the mixture. This keeps a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Remove mixture from the refrigerator. Whisking to blend flavors even if you added them before chilling to eliminate any separation. Pour into the bowl of an ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. If you want to add in fruit or other flavorings (like cookie dough—yum!) do it now. If needed, transfer the mixture to a bowl so that you can distribute the flavoring evenly.

Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm and ready to serve.

Happy St. Patrick's Day: Guinness Ice Cream

2007-03-17T17:04:00.000-05:00

I thought I would post this recipe in honor of St. Patrick's Day. This is an Emeril recipe that I got off of the Food Network website a couple of years ago. I made it for a potluck and liked it quite a bit. Because I was afraid of it being too strong I did use less than the called-for amount of Guinness, but it ended up being very mild. I think that using the full amount would be fine, but you should always taste as you add and remember that flavors are milder when food is cold.

This yields about 1 quart, or 8 servings.

Guinness Ice Cream with Dark Chocolate-Honey Sauce

12 ounces Guinness Stout
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise (or 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract)
6 each egg yolks
3/4 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt

Dark Chocolate Honey Sauce
2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup honey
20 ounces bittersweet chocolate -- finely chopped
2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large saucepan, simmer the Guinness until reduced by 3/4 in volume, about 8 minutes. Reserve.

Combine the cream and milk in a separate medium-sized, heavy saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the pan and add the vanilla bean halves. Scald by heating on medium until the edges begin to bubble. Remove from heat.

Beat the egg yolks and sugar and just a pinch of salt in a medium-sized bowl. Temper the yolks by slowly drizzling 1 cup of the hot cream into the yolks while constantly whisking the mixture. Gradually add this mixture in a slow steady stream to the remaining hot cream. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until nappe, or when the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (170F on an instant-read thermometer), about 5 minutes. Do not boil!

Remove from heat and strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean container. Cover with plastic, pressing the wrap down so that it rests on the surface of the mixture. This keeps a skin from forming. If you already know how much of the Guinness reduction you want, you could add it at this point, but if you don't, it'll be easier to judge the strength when the base is cold. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Remove mixture from the refrigerator and add the Guinness reduction, tasting as you go and whisking until well blended. If you added the reduction before chilling, whisk the mixture anyway to eliminate any separation. Pour into the bowl of an ice cream machine and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm and ready to serve.

-----

Dark Chocolate Honey Sauce

In a medium saucepan, combine cream and honey and scald by heating on medium until edges bubble. Remove from heat.

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Add the hot cream slowly while whisking, then continue to whisk until smooth. Whisk in vanilla. Let stand until cool but still pourable. If you make this ahead you can rewarm it if necessary by placing the container in some warm water. You can also use the microwave, just keep an eye on it. Serve over ice cream.

Things to Do in Akron, OH: West Point Market

2007-03-16T00:13:00.000-05:00

I originally read about West Point Market in The Experience Economy: Work Is Theater & Every Business a Stage. It is now one of my favorite places to visit whenever I’m in Akron. West Point is like Whole Foods taken up a notch. The food is fancy, the wine is abundant, and the atmosphere is ever-so-pleasant. They also have Mrs. Ticklemore's Tearoom.

Akron seems an odd spot for such a high-end grocery store, but it’s apparently been around since 1936. It moved to the current location in 1941, and has been through 6 expansions and 29 remodels.

During my latest visit, I purchased the following to create the cheese platter above:

Explorateur Triple Cream: A creamy package of slightly salty yum, Explorateur was created by the French in honor of the first U.S. satellite, Explorer One.
Cypress Grove Purple Haze Goat Cheese: A goat's milk cheese flavored with lavender buds and fennel pollen. With a name like Purple Haze, how could I resist?
Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog: A creamy American goat's milk cheese named for the thick fog that rolls in from Northern California. It's bisected by a thin vein of vegetable ash that makes for a beautiful display.
Ubianco Pignolo: Druken Italian cheese made from cow's milk, soaked in Pignolo, and aged in crushed grape skins.
Dolci Pensieri di Calabria Fig Ball: Dried figs glazed in molasses and honey and wrapped in fig leaves. Beautiful.
34° Apricot Fruit Paste: Fruity goodness that is spectacular with the triple-creams.

I also bought this bottle of Cellar Can Blau 2005. It's a mix of Carinena, Syrah and Garnacha, and it's very good (I love the label, too). I picked up a second bottle at Whole Foods earlier this evening.

Best Fridge Ever!

2007-03-14T23:18:00.000-05:00

I'm still working on an overview of my Ohio trip, but in the meantime I thought I'd post about this fabulous refrigerator! I saw this at Lehman's Hardware in Kidron, OH. It was an odd find considering that Lehman's specializes in appliances for the local Amish and Mennonite community, and I'm guessing it was a custom showpiece. It carries a hefty price tag of over $5,000, but wouldn't it go well with that toaster...?

Edit: This refigerator is a custom model made by Heartland Appliances, and retails for $4,995.00. Heartland also creates the appliances for the sets of Desperate Housewives.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2007-03-13T23:31:00.000-05:00

My 34th birthday was last Friday, March 9th. A friend of mine, Tarik Dozier, who I haven't heard from in a while or seen in years, sent me the following birthday wish:

"Little colorful candles, clearly enough, are the canonical birthday cake topper. So much so, in fact, that any food you put them in automatically becomes a birthday food. Candles in a fruit torte? Birthday torte! Candles in a potato-leek quiche? Birthday quiche! Candles in the partially-decomposed body of a hobo who died of exposure and heart disease? Birthday hobo! And remember, blow out every candle on the hobo or you don't get your wish!" –Lore Sjoberg

I love the quote, and as it was completely unexpected to receive a birthday message from Tarik, it was extra-special.

I spent my birthday with my mom and stepdad in Ohio and just drove home today, so I'm quite tired. A posting frenzy should follow tomorrow...

Irish Soda Bread

2007-03-05T23:17:00.000-06:00

My friend Kara, who I used to work with at the Chopping Block, gave me the following recipe. She made it when we were assisting an early Sunday morning cooking class, and we had her make seconds because we liked it so much. I think I might have eaten almost a whole loaf by myself. It's simple, but fresh from the oven with a little butter—absolutely divine. The recipe comes from Darina Allen of Ballymaloe Cookery School, which Kara attended and speaks of quite fondly. I love the baking instructions, especially the bit about letting the fairies out!

White Soda Bread
Makes 1 large loaf

4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups buttermilk

First preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.

Sieve the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center. Pour most of the milk in at once. Using one hand, stir in a full circle to mix in the flour from the sides of the bowl, adding more buttermilk if necessary. The dough should be softish, not too wet and sticky. When it all comes together, turn it out on to a floured board and knead lightly for a second, just enough to tidy it up. Pat the dough into a rough about 2 inches deep and cut a cross on it to let the fairies out! Let the cuts go over the sides of the bread to make sure of this. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 minutes, and then turn down the oven to 400 degrees F for a further 20 to 30 minutes or until cooked. If in doubt, tap the bread bottom. It should sound hollow.

Cool on a wire rack or on the windowsill in the time-honored way.

Fresh crusty bread makes my mouth water, but some people prefer a soft crust. Years ago a clean flour bag would have been wrapped around the hot bread to soften the crust. A tea towel will produce the same result.

Lettuce Keep Your Money Safe?

2007-03-05T16:24:00.000-06:00

photo: Bim Bam Banana

By way of the Gadgettes Fashion Episode, it's the Iceberg Lettuce Safe! Why? Who knows. Perhaps it's in honor of lettuce being Finland's 2007 Vegetable of the Year? Maybe it's because the Wedge Salad experienced a brief burst of retro trend comeback a while back (although I'm pretty sure that's over now). Or perhaps they are aspiring to make the crisper the new freezer. At any rate, I suppose it does make sense that if someone were robbing your house, the last place they'd be looking for anything is in your veggie drawer.

The Gadgettes also covered my post on the skull toaster (the fascination hasn't worn off, so I may have to actually order one). Show notes aren't available yet, but I'll post the link when they are.

Dharma Initiative Rations

2007-03-01T23:15:00.000-06:00

photos: Insanely Great News, Lost-Media

A Dharma theme for Lost night? The Lost Label Project provides PDF's to make your very own Dharma snacks! The beer labels are especially relevant, considering the latest episode. Hurley would be proud!

Beat Box Baking

2007-03-01T22:19:00.000-06:00

I am amused.

Beatbox Fame Game

Geek Cocktails: The Wow Starts Now

2007-02-28T23:53:00.000-06:00

On Episode 12 of Windows Weekly, Brian Livingston reported on the pre-Vista launch luncheon at Cipriani's, where he dubbed their signature drink, the Bellini, the official Windows cocktail, or the Vista.ini. I was not at all familiar with the Bellini, but Food Geeks describes it as "an alcoholic beverage made with peach nectar and sparkling wine that is served as an aperitif" and provides a few alternative recipes. Brian described it as a "nice, feminine European drink" that he thoroughly enjoyed. If everyone hadn't been too busy for Lost night, I would have served Vista.inis in honor of geekdom.

The word on Windows Vista? It's nice, but no need to upgrade now. Wait until you buy a new PC.

Eleven City Diner 2.0

2007-02-28T23:28:00.000-06:00

Just look at that motzoh ball!

All the talk of Eleven City Diner yesterday, combined with still feeling a little under the weather, meant that I had to pay a visit today. In the process, I gathered a bit more information. First, upon perusing their menu for orange juice (they have fresh squeezed, and it was marvelous) I noticed that they have a menu item named the 'Tom Waits 2am Breakfast 1987: 2 Eggs, 2 Flapjacks, 2 Bacon, 2 Sausage, House Potatoes." They also have a photo of Tom Waits up behind the bar. I asked about it while I was waiting for my orange juice, and while the guy behind the bar seemed slightly confused by my interest, he said that the owner had met Tom Waits at a diner around 2am and that's what he was eating. This officially makes Eleven City Diner the coolest diner ever. Just so you know.

I also noticed that I like their menu design. The Rx marks by the chicken soup are cute.

Upon closer inspection (they are now employing labels) the freezer contains chicken broth, not chicken stock (labeled Chicken Soup but it's broth). Still, quite handy, especially since the broth is very good. And their coffee supplier is Lavazza (although I'm pretty sure that it was previously Intelligentsia).

Die Skull Uhr finden Sie hier!

2007-02-27T22:12:00.000-06:00

photo: Sonic Nonsense

By way of the Unfathomable Dr. Mongoose, it's a Goth Toaster! Thank you, thank you, Pirates of the Caribbean.

The skull clock finds you here? Sweet toast of mine? I have no idea, but I really want this toaster. It would go marvelously with the Porcelain Skull Plates by DL&Co.

I'm so HOT!

2007-02-27T20:24:00.000-06:00

That was an homage to Paris, but I meant feverish. My boyfriend is sick with a cold that he has apparently shared. I knew something was up today when 1) I wasn't hungry and 2) I was finding the office unpleasantly sauna-like and no one else was complaining. I'm very rarely not hungry and I'm even more rarely hot. I almost gave myself heat exhaustion once because I was riding my bike around Chicago oblivious to the fact that it was over a 100°F outside (thankfully I was keen enough to realize that I shouldn't be feeling cold).

photo: Julia Steinberger, CitySearch

I still don't have much of an appetite, but I thought it would be a good time to post my favorite sources of get-well food. If I'm at work and not feeling so hot, I crave Bubbie's Chicken Soup with a huge matzoh ball at Eleven City Diner. As I live in the Second City, not the first, I'm not so familiar with what makes a good Jewish deli, but I imagine that Eleven City Diner fits the bill. The restaurant side is reminiscent of an old style diner, although a little more upscale and a good place for a comfortable business lunch. The deli side (the side I frequent) has a case filled with smoked salmon, deli meats, side salads and some of the best bagels I've had outside of my Baking and Pastry class. There's also a freezer case filled with homemade soup and homemade chicken stock! I haven't tried it yet, but I was very impressed that they sell homemade stock. Centerstage gives it a rave review and mentions that you can get phosphates and egg creams from a trained soda jerk, and that they have great Espresso drinks (they sell Intelligentsia) and desserts.

photo:planet99

If I'm at home, I often order tom yum soup with seafood, rice paper spring rolls and steamed rice from Thai Aroma (via GrubHub) or Thai Avenue. This is a meal I order on a regular basis, not just when I'm sick, but the spiciness of the tom yum soup is great for a cold and it's light but filling. I'm trying to perfect this meal at home, but my first attempt was less than stellar. When I've got it down, I'll post it here.

For now, Gilmore Girls is over, Veronica Mars is being DVR'ed, and a margarita at Fiesta Mexicana sounds divine. It comes with a lime in it—citrus is good for colds, right?

Bacon! Bacon! Bacon!

2007-02-27T16:11:00.000-06:00

Photo Credit: Mathlete

Oh, it's adds a whole new meaning to the term "Wake and Bake!" Widely reported on the gadget blogs, and monumental enough to inspire an entire episode of CNET's Gadgettes, I present to you the Wake n' Bacon!

In the words of the creators, Matty Sallin, Daniel Bartolini and Hsiao-huh Hsu, here's how it works:

"A frozen strip of bacon is placed in Wake n' Bacon the night before. Because there is a 10 minute cooking time, the clock is set to go off 10 minutes before the desired waking time. Once the alarm goes off, the clock it sends a signal to a small speaker to generate the alarm sound. We hacked the clock so that the signal is re-routed by a microchip that in responds by sending a signal to a relay that throws the switch to power two halogen lamps that slow-cook the bacon in about 10 minutes."

Having been through a Sanitation class in culinary school, I can't imagine how this would ever be able to measure up to U.S. safety standards, but maybe they have that covered.

Spring Salad with Spicy Vinaigrette

2007-02-26T22:08:00.001-06:00

Below is the recipe for the salad that I made with the gumbo. It was an experiment, and I had to fiddle with it for a couple of days after the Lost night dinner, but I think it turned out pretty well in the end. I don’t know that I’d really call it Cajun, but it made a tasty salad that I’d make again.

Spicy Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons Cider vinegar

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon spicy mustard

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

cayenne pepper, to taste

tabasco sauce, to taste

salt and pepper , to taste

4 ounces olive oil

---

Spring Salad

1 bunch spring salad mix

1 orange, supreme

1/4 cup cranberries

1/2 cup pecans, toasted (or use the sweet/spicy pecans if available—both Trader Joe’s and Whole Food sell them)

1 small red pepper, roasted

goat cheese

Laissez Les Bon Temps Roullez!

2007-02-26T00:44:00.001-06:00

New Orleans holds a special place in my heart. Before the storm, it was the one place that my boyfriend (a die-hard Chicagoan) and I both agreed on as a possible place to move to. Many people have assured me that if we had moved there we would’ve felt differently. “It’s too small, too poor, too dirty, too crime-filled, and much, much too hot.” And it is. But I love the heat—there’s a still a Southern heart in this Yankee urbanite facade—and I love that it’s so old. The crime is, I think, an over-sensationalized reality that requires awareness, but is perhaps a part of the city’s appeal. There’s a dark, sweaty, dangerous undercurrent to New Orleans, and something in that speaks to me.

Then there’s the food. I love Southern food in general, but I especially love New Orleans food. I never cared for raw oysters until I had them at Uglesich’s. I will never forget the delectable sample of Mr. B’s Shrimp and Grits that I had at the Tennesee Williams Festival. And there is absolutely nothing like an order of Beignets and a Cafe au Lait at Cafe du Monde at 5am, languishing in the predawn August humidity before heading off to bed.

So in a modest homage to the Crescent City I spent Fat Tuesday drinking imitation Hurricanes at Blue Bayou and then decided to make gumbo for Lost night on Ash Wednesday.

I’ve never made gumbo. In all honesty, I haven’t really even eaten much gumbo. But the New Orleans theme was somewhat last minute, and I wanted to keep things relatively simple: Gumbo, a Cajun-inspired salad, and Bananas Foster. So I did a little research (my favorite site: The Gumbo Pages) and came up with the following recipe:

Gumbo
Serves 6–8

1 pound andouille sausage, sliced, cut in half circles

1 tablespoon cajun seasoning

2 pounds chicken thighs, skin on (or skinless chicken breast, medium dice, can be used if desired)

4 ounces flour

4 ounces vegetable oil

1 onion, medium dice

2 stalks celery, medium dice

1 green bell peppers, medium dice

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 bay leaf

2 quarts chicken stock

1/4 pound okra, sliced 1/2" thick

1 pound shrimp, peeled (reserve shells to make a stock if available)

1 package canned crab meat

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce, or to taste

fresh herbs (thyme, oregano, parsley)

2 cups long-grain white rice, cooked

sliced scallion tops red pepper curls for garnish

Simmer shrimp shells with 1 cup of the stock, along with some chopped onion and a couple of stalks of celery if desired. Skim and strain before adding to gumbo.
Brown sausage. Set aside. Drain oil if needed.
Season the chicken with cajun seasoning, salt and pepper. Sear until well browned, and finish in a 350 degree oven. Set aside. Strain oil into a clean pan.
Add 8 oz. vegetable oil. Over medium heat, add 8 oz. flour while stirring with a whisk to make a roux. Cook the roux very slowly over medium heat, stirring often, until it becomes a copper-brown color, approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Add the onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, bay leaf and the remaining salt and pepper mix. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add the stock, seasonings, chicken and sausage. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about one hour, skimming fat off the top as needed.
Add the okra and strained shrimp stock (if made) and simmer another 30 minutes.
Add shrimp, crab, cayenne, worchestershire and herbs 10 minutes before serving.
Serve over rice. Garnish with chopped scallion tops and red pepper curls (if you’re feeling fancy).

Because Neil Always Says It Best

2007-02-19T13:00:00.000-06:00

From Neil Gaiman's journal:

"Happy Year of the Pig, to all of us.

Pigs, I learned as a boy, reading books, especially young pigs, are loveable, brave, noble and intelligent animals who have adventures.

I hope this year you get to be brave and noble and intelligent. But mostly I hope you get to have adventures."

Gung Hay Fat Choy!

2007-02-18T13:34:00.000-06:00

Photo by Ben Nunez.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Despite having spent the past 6 years living in a neighborhood with a large Asian population, I know very little about Chinese New Year. A close friend of mine, Chao, is Chinese, and if he weren't currently in Hong Kong, I would grill him for information for this post.

According to Wikipedia, "Chinese New Year, known in Chinese as the 'Spring Festival' or the 'Lunar New Year,' is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. The festival proper begins on the first day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th; this day is called Lantern Festival." The Lunar New Year dates from 2600 BC, when the Emperor Huang Ti introduced the first cycle of the Chinese zodiac.

I know that many Asian cultures celebrate some version of Chinese New Year. My neighborhood is primarily Vietnamese and Thai, but they have they're own smaller parade (the big parade is in Chinatown).

I had Dim Sum in Chinatown with Chao about a week ago (Shui Wah is Chao's pick for Dim Sum), and we paid a brief visit to a local grocery store before we left the neighborhood. It was filled with red decorations and gold statues that are the traditional lucky symbols of the celebration.

Food, of course, is integral to Chinese New Year, and specific dishes are eaten to bring luck, wealth and happiness. The traditions seem to vary, but Wikipedia lists the following:

Fish: Usually eaten on the eve of Chinese New Year. The pronunciation of fish makes it a homophone for "more than enough," or "extra."
Nian gao: Popular in eastern China (Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai) because its pronunciation is a homophone for "a more prosperous year."
Dumplings (Jiaozi): Eaten traditionally in northern China because the preparation is similar to packaging luck inside the dumpling, which is later eaten.
Candy: To ensure the consumer a "sweet" year.
Kwatji/Sunflower, Pumpkin or Melon Seeds: To some, these ensure happiness in the New Year
Turnip/Taro cakes: I don't know what these symbolize, but they're my favorite!

Geek Treats

2007-02-11T23:10:00.000-06:00

Forget Cantu and his flavored edible papers—an iPhone cake is true geek food. And I love that Engadget held a cake contest. If they do it again, I'm in!

As for Cantu, I'm both fascinated and exasperated by the whole physics food trend. The fact that he sites his inspiration as "USB cables and personal computers" gives my nerdy little heart warm fuzzies, but I'm simultaneously rolling my eyes. Maybe it's because Moto is here in Chicago, but I feel that the whole concept of printing a picture of a food on a little piece of paper that tastes like the food has now been overdone. It's cute, and it was interesting when it was new, but I find it frustrating when the gimmicks win out. "We thought it would be a pure-traditional vs. way-modern matchup, but Morimoto did end up pulling out some liquid nitrogen himself." Okay, but why should he have to?

That said, I'm planning on commissioning a cake that incorporates edible photos for a food photography exhibit, so how hypocritical am I? I'll post more on the cake concept as it develops.

I'm Baaaaack!

2007-02-07T19:01:00.000-06:00

If a blog is resurrected in the blogosphere and there is nobody around to read it, does it make any impact?

No, but that's okay.

After a long hiatus and some pretty significant life changes, I am returning to this blog. Shortly after I finished my internship, the restaurant that my boyfriend had worked at for 10 years burned down. Since he was earning the bread while I was learning to make it, I decided to return to professional life.

I've been a graphic designer for over 10 years. I enjoy it, but I was finding the world of cubicles less than fulfilling. Thus the temporary foray into the culinary world. If I were 10 years younger (I'll be 34 in less than a month) or significantly less in debt, I would probably spend some more time working in restaurants. The amount I learned during my very short internship was phenomenal. But it would take me a long time to earn any real money—or perhaps I should say the amount of money to support the lifestyle that I am now accustomed to—so it's just not going to be practical.

So what's a girl to do? For the time being, I'm working at a tiny little design firm in the South Loop of Chicago and I'm actually quite happy with it. The work itself is not much more exciting than what I was doing previously, but I have a lot more responsibility and autonomy, and the atmosphere fits my personality much more than a stereotypical office. My boss plays industrial music all day (that's a good thing), and I'm able to listen to podcasts (or whatever else, but it's generally podcasts) on my own iPod while I work, and that makes me very, very happy.

I plan to feed my culinary longings with this blog, and perhaps my own podcast sometime in the future. I'm not sure yet exactly what I want this blog to be—recipes of course, but maybe some food history, some geeky coverage of physics food, gadgets, restaurants? Since I currently have no readership, it's pretty much all about me, but hopefully that will change and the blog will evolve with feedback. Right now, it's all about the doing and I'll just see where it goes.

Internship: Day 21, 12/14/05

2005-12-14T23:55:00.000-06:00

My last day, and many of the staff told me how much they had enjoyed working with me, which was really great. The lunch crew was sad, and gave me big hugs. I’m really sad that I’m leaving, but I spoke with D before I left and he said that they’re definitely going to be restructuring things and should have a permanent position for me early next year. They also invited me to their Christmas party, so I’ll be seeing everybody again on Sunday, which is nice. I also talked to D about what he meant by improving my initiative, and he said that I just need to be a little more assertive about jumping in and doing things without direction, and about volunteering for new projects that I’m interested in. He said that if I come to work there permanently, they’ll definitely push me to do that. I can see where he’s coming from—my personality is definitely on the timid side, especially when I feel that I don’t totally know what I’m doing. But he pointed out that the way you learn is by screwing things up, and that I should be willing to take risks. Point well taken.

I’m really happy with how far I’ve come, during my internship as well as during my first year of school. In one year, I’ve gone pretty much from 0—basic cooking skills, nothing special—to potentially having a job at one of the top restaurants in the city. I feel like I’ve got a very, very long way to go to get where I want to be, but I feel that I’m off to a decent start.

Working at Quake has been a great experience. I really hope that they hire me on, as I feel that I would really be able to continue to grow there.

Internship: Day 20, 12/12/05

2005-12-12T23:55:00.000-06:00

A relatively uneventful day. Lunch was fairly busy, and we had a lot of prep to do. We experimented with the new scallop dish which none of us for thrilled with—we all thought it needed some adjusting. I got my final evaluation back from D, and it was mostly good. In both my midterm and this evaluation, though, he indicated that I could use more initiative in the kitchen. I’m not sure what that means, so I’ll have to talk to him about it on Wednesday—my last day!

Internship: Day 18, 12/05/05

2005-12-05T23:55:00.000-06:00

This was such a fun day! We needed to do a lot of morning prep work because they’d been extremely busy over the weekend, so things started out hectic, but L, the hostess, brought in cookies and that made everyone a little happier. Lunch was back to busy, but we had a good time anyway, joking around during the slower parts. There are some new appetizers on the menu, so T and I spent some time learning to plate those.

After service, I made up a batch of the butternut squash soup, and it turned out wonderfully—I was very happy. I also helped Z, the new intern, pick the confit pig and form the appetizer patties. We listened to Christmas music while we worked, and everybody was in a good mood. It was also refreshing to actually be showing somebody else how to do something!

Internship: Day 17, 12/01/05

2005-12-01T23:55:00.000-06:00

The first day of December, and it was lovely to watch the snow fall outside the big picture window in the front of the restaurant. I don’t usually work on Thursdays as I have to work evenings at the Chopping Block, but I wanted to make up for my lost hours on Monday. The snow seemed to put the lunch crew in a festive mood, and they teamed up with the pastry kitchen to make pancakes. T topped them with a mixture of bananas and apples sautéed with butter and cinnamon. A wonderful way to start the day!

Lunch was busier than it has been, and we had a bit of a rush. I handled the bulk of it by myself and T was downstairs working on soup, and I feel that I didn’t do half bad. When things slowed down, we worked on peeling and cutting salsify into a brunois for soup garnish. I left earlier than usual to head to work at the Chopping Block.

---

Salsify [SAL-sih-fee] This root vegetable is also known as oyster plant because its taste resembles a delicately flavored oyster. The parsnip-shaped salsify can reach up to 12 inches in length and 2 ½ inches in diameter. The most commonly found salsify has a white-fleshed root with grayish skin, though there are varieties with a pale golden skin, as well as one with a black skin (also called sorzonera). Though salsify is more popular in Europe than in the United States, it can be found here from June through February, usually in Spanish, Italian, and Greek markets. Choose well-formed roots that are heavy for their size and not too gnarled. Refrigerate, wrapped in a plastic bag, up to a week. Salsify is generally eaten plain as a vegetable, or used in savory pies and soups.

Definition compliments of the New Food Lover’s Companion.

Internship: Day 15, 11/21/05

2005-11-21T23:55:00.000-06:00

Not much to report—this was the slowest service I’ve worked, I guess because it’s Thanksgiving week. We did some routine prep work during service. I got to try a new dish: grilled California sturgeon with orange glazed ham hock, knefla (flour dumplings), brussel sprout leaves, and crispy garlic. It was really, really good. Either I’ve never had sturgeon before or this was particularly good. There wasn’t much going on after service so I left earlier than usual, happy to head off towards the holiday

Internship: Day 16, 11/30/05

2005-11-16T23:55:00.001-06:00

I missed my usual Monday due to travel delays in Ohio, but returned this Wednesday much refreshed from the holidays. Lunch was still pretty slow, so I spent some time at the grill station grilling bread on over the huge wood fire grill, and then on the sauté station learning to make and plate the bouillabaisse. T and I also experimented with the sweetbreads to perfect the cooking technique—apparently they’ve been somewhat undercooked. The sweetbreads are sautéed with jerusalem artichokes, pickled pearl onions, and herbed remoulade. It was only the second time I’ve ever tried sweetbreads—the first time was at Lola Bistro in Cleveland, OH, and I thought they tasted like liver, which I hate. I liked this dish much better.

After service, I prepped the butternut squash soup: butternut squash, carrots, onion, celery, apple cider, brown sugar, and butter. I put it on a burner up in the pastry kitchen, and got to taste fresh batches of eggnog and buttermilk ice cream while I was at it. Delicious!

Before leaving for the day, I drained the new batch of sweetbreads and set them up to be pressed under a weight to release the liquid.

Internship: Day 14, 11/16/05

2005-11-16T23:55:00.000-06:00

Lunch was relatively slow so we did a lot of prep work for the evening service. I helped M, who works sauté, make buckwheat crepes for a private party happening that night. They use regular sauté pans instead of nonstick, so it was a little more difficult, but it worked. I love the buckwheat crepes. When I came in for dinner, long before staging, I had the buckwheat crepe dish. It’d different now (served as a gratin), but then it was filled with vegetables and a cream sauce. The vegetables were cooked but still perfectly crisp—it was fabulous.

After service, I filled the crepes with an in-house smoked salmon (so good!), red onions, a dill crème fraiche, and rolled them burrito-style. I also made up a batch of the Star Anise Marinade before I took off for the day.

Internship: Day 13, 11/14/05

2005-11-14T23:55:00.000-06:00

Today seemed like a small turning point. I feel like some things clicked into place—a very subtle click, but something. Lunch service was really the usual, although T suggested that on Wednesday he take me through his specific set-up process. I’m getting setup down, but it always feels very random. He said that he’ll take me through it step by step so that I can write down the information for my own reference. I think it’s a great idea.

After lunch, I prepped a vegetable that D explained as a cross between brussel sprouts and broccoli. It must be new a new hybrid, though, because I can’t find any information on it. Broccolini (a cross between brocooli and Chinese kale) is the closest thing I came across, but that’s not it. I believe D called it brusselini, and it looked like a stalk with thick green leaves and little tiny brussel sprout buds. I removed the leaves, pinched off the thick stem, cut them in half, and then cut them chiffonade. I then sautéed them with thin slivers of garlic and shallot until it was tender, and seasoned the whole thing with salt and pepper.

The next project was trimming veal cheeks. K showed me how to slip my boning knife under the silver skin, anchor the flap with my other hand, and use the tension to remove the skin in a thin strip. Once they were all trimmed, I made up what D called the “all-purpose Quake marinade”—extra-virgin olive oil, sriracha, Herbes d’Provence and black pepper—and mixed that up with the cheeks.

I also made up some of the star anise steak marinade before I left—they use it to marinate the hanger steak, which I got to taste the other day. It’s really good—I’m not a big fan of star anise because I don’t like the licorice flavor (although I think the spice itself is so pretty), but it really works with the steak. I plan on making some of it at home for my boyfriend.

Internship: Day 12, 11/09/05

2005-11-09T23:55:00.000-06:00

Wednesday was a good day. The lunch crew was in a good mood as there wasn’t a lot of prep to do. T brought in a mix CD with some music especially for me (he’s pretty much the only one there that shares my musical taste) and we listened to it while we were getting ready for service. That was really nice.

Lunch was steady, busier than Monday but not crazy. I feel like I’m getting better and better with the hot side dishes, but I also feel like I have a long way to go.

After service I did some basic prep work, including prep for Bouillabaisse.

No more word on the potential hiring-on, so I haven’t a clue what’s going on with that. My fingers are crossed for the best.

Internship: Day 11, 11/07/05

2005-11-07T23:55:00.000-06:00

Monday was fairly hectic to being as there was a lot of prep work to do. Apparently Saturday was really busy and there wasn’t must left at the end of dinner service. We got it all done, though, and the actual lunch service wasn’t too bad. I’m getting in earlier than T so I get to start setting up by myself, and I’m slowly getting the hang of it. I worked the hot side through service, and I feel like I did pretty well.

After lunch I went to work cutting up pork bellies into thirds to prepare them for use in the pork belly sandwich for lunch as well as for the dinner entrée. Once they were cut, I seasoned them with salt and pepper and took them upstairs to sear. The dinner crew was doing a lot of prep work on the service stovetops, so I had to go all the way up to the pastry kitchen. There was also only one pan available so I could only do one belly at a time; that made the process more time-consuming, but I like hanging out in the pastry kitchen. While I was searing, I got to try some Meyer lemon chiboust that was really good—light and creamy. I also talked to S about the Halloween buttercream—she said it’s a basic Italian buttercream, but that I can copy the recipe if I want. I need to remember to do that. I seared the pork bellies until they were golden, brushed them with marinade, and stacked them into hotel pans to be braised later on. They were actually really pretty with their golden skin and flecks of green herb from the marinade. I’ll have to try the sandwich for lunch sometime.

I also got to taste the fruits of my sauerkraut labor—J was cooking it up while I was working on the bellies. He informed me that there will be more kraut to do shortly. Oh, the horror!

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Chiboust: A custard made originally as the filling for the gâteau Saint- Honor, consisting of pastry cream lightened with Italian meringue and stabilized with gelatine.

Definition compliments of CDKitchen.com.

Internship: Day 10, 11/02/05

2005-11-02T23:55:00.000-06:00

Wow! Today was an intense day. It was unexpectedly the busiest day that I’ve worked the line. I got in a little earlier since I’d taken my knives in to have them sharpened (I also picked up a sharpening stone and a new hat while I was at it). T wasn’t in yet, and M played a little joke on me by telling me that he wasn’t coming in, and today was all me. While that sent me into to a mild state of panic, I was (surprisingly) ready to take it on, disastrous though it might be. M actually wasn’t able to hold out very long, and let me know that T was just running a little late. He was impressed that I didn’t freak out, though, and was willing to take it on even though I only barely have a grasp on things. The good thing about T being late is that I got to start setting up by myself, and while I’m definitely slow and have to really think things through, I think I’m getting the hang of it. I’m going to start coming in at 8:30am so I’m there for the entire setup, and I plan to talk to T about letting me set up without help—maybe next Wednesday.

Everybody thought that it was going to be a slow lunch—it was reported that there were only 28 reservations on the books. There was apparently a miscalculation, though, because about 20 minutes before service 28 turned into 48. The original plan was to have me work hot side if things were slow and cold when we got busy, and to have T and M switch stations (T on sauté and M on pantry) for learning purposes. We went ahead with that at first and it was pretty chaotic. I was training M on the dishes I know, referring to my notes for dishes I’m not as sure of, with T stepping in on the new dishes that I haven’t done yet. As we got busier it was just too much, so we reverted to our usual positions. I feel like I held my own pretty well, although I still have trouble keeping everything straight at that pace (I often forget to put the tickets up with the food, and it’s hard to keep track of multiple dishes at once). T seemed to be pretty happy with my performance, though, which is good.

After service, I prepped the evening’s amuse bouche—a sunchoke puree to be garnished with a relish of brunoised apples and red onions (mixed with a little lemon, olive oil, and sugar—I prepped that, too) and crab meat. I didn’t get to taste the garnished amuse but the soup was delicious—creamy with a flavor that reminded me of creamed corn. I also prepped some preserved lemons by quartering almost a case of lemons, layering them with equal amounts of sugar and salt per layer, and pressing each layer to release the juice (reminiscent of the sauerkraut but much less labor intensive). I added a little water at the end so that the lemons would be completely covered by liquid, added a weight to keep it pressed down, and wrapped it up in plastic wrap where it will sit until the lemons are preserved.

The best news is that before I left for the day, J talked to me about the possibility of being hired on. I suspected this was coming because they’d begun to ask me when my internship would be done, and when I’d be done with school. They also called T in for a meeting today and I guessed it might have something to do with me (and he must have said good things, which is great). The biggest issue is that I don’t want to leave the Chopping Block during the holiday season. They’ve already got the holiday schedule worked out, and it would be hard for them to bring in someone new to replace an experienced worker during their busiest time of year. J seemed to take that in stride though, and said that they need to talk about it some more, but I think it looks good. That makes me really happy—I was worried about where I would go after my internship was over. I like Quake so much, and I feel that working there will give me experience that I need. I think it would be hard to find another place that would be such a good fit.

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Jerusalem Artichoke (also Sunchoke) This vegetable is not truly an artichoke but a variety of sunflower with a lumpy, brown-skinned tuber that often resembles a gingerroot. Contrary to what the name implies, this vegetable has nothing to do with Jerusalem but is derived instead from the Italian word for sunflower, girasole. Because of its confusing moniker, modern-day growers have begun to call Jerusalem artichokes sunchokes, which is how they’re often labeled in the produce section of many markets. The white flesh of this vegetable is nutty, sweet, and crunch. Jerusalem artichokes are available from about October to March. Select those that are firm and fresh-looking and not soft or wrinkled. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to a week. After that, they will begin to wither because of moisture loss. They may be peeled or, because the skin is very thin and quite nutritious, simply washed well before being used. Jerusalem artichokes can be eaten raw in salads or cooked by boiling or steaming and served as a side dish. They also make a delicious soup. Jerusalem artichokes are a good source of iron.

Definition compliments of the New Food Lover’s Companion.

Internship: Day 9, 10/31/05

2005-10-31T23:55:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween!

It was a pretty mellow day, and everyone was in a good mood. The pastry kitchen made us some chocolate cupcakes with orange buttercream frosting for Halloween treats, and they were fabulous. I’m going to have to ask them how they get their buttercream so light—mine generally turns out a little heavier.

Service was slow but steady. I still mostly handled the cold side, but did a couple of hot dishes here and there. I still feel a little lost on setup, but I’m hoping that I’ll get a handle on it soon. Since we had some extra time, we did some prep work for dinner. I peeled, cleaned, and cut up some red kuri squash. I loved the squash because it’s so pretty, but its thick skin was really hard to deal with. The smaller squash with smoother skin wasn’t so bad because you could peel it with a regular peeler and then cut through it with some effort. The larger squash were impossible—the bumpy skin made using the peeler impossible, but it was too tough for either a paring knife or a chef’s knife. Nobody was able to get them split open, even with a serrated knife. I assume there must be a way, but we didn’t figure out today.

There wasn’t much to do after service. The dinner staff was pretty much ready to go, and it looked like it was going to be a relatively slow night. I did prep the next day’s butternut squash soup before I left, which consisted of peeling, cleaning, and chopping up about 7 or 8 butternut squash and adding in 3 onions, 3 leeks, 3 carrots, and 3 stalks of celery. The butternut squash was much easier to deal with than the kuri, but it left a black film on my hand that I had to scrape off with a dish scrubby. I saved all of the seeds from both the kuri and the butternut to take home and roast, which I’m very excited about. I love fresh roasted seeds, and I haven’t had a chance to make any this year since I haven’t had the time to carve a pumpkin.

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Red Kuri Squash A thick-skinned orange colored squash that has the appearance of an oblong pumpkin without the ridges. Inside the hard outer skin there is a firm flesh that provides a very delicate and mellow flavor similar to the taste of chestnuts. This squash is available year round and can be baked, braised, pureed, or steamed to be served as a side dish or used as a base for soups. Also known as a Japanese squash, Orange Hokkaido or Uchiki Kuri squash.

Definition compliments of Hormel Online.

Internship: Day 8, 10/26/05

2005-10-26T23:55:00.000-05:00

Busy, busy lunch today. I’m glad I didn’t go out the night before because it would be bad to be brain-dead when I’m still trying to figure out what I’m doing. I already feel like I might be coming down with a cold, which might explain Monday’s fuzziness. One of the girls in pastry thinks she has the flu—she had to leave early on Monday. I’ve been tired for really no reason, although that could just be the beginning of burnout. I haven’t had a full day off now for two and a half weeks. My schedule feels considerably lighter this quarter, but I still tend to have something to do every day—school, work, or internship. However, I’ve unexpectedly got this Thursday off (my class at the Chopping Block got cancelled) and I took this weekend off for Halloween. So I should, in theory anyway, be able to get some rest. I really hope I’m not getting sick.

I was supposed to work hot side of the pantry for lunch, but since it was so busy that didn’t really happen. I did handle most of the cold dishes, though, and I think I’m slowly improving. I made a few hot dishes when things calmed down. I made the scallop appetizer for my own lunch: seared Maine diver scallops with local apples, celeriac, summer truffles, and honey butter:

Setup was still bewildering. I’d like to plan a day where I come in extra early and set up myself just to see how it goes. I’ll have to talk to T about that next week.

After service, I had the interesting job of prepping the rabbit sausage. I diced rabbit meat, pork butt, fatback, and guanciale, which is meat from the cheek of the pig that’s been cured. M was making the cure mixture for the new batch of cheeks, and while I didn’t see the whole recipe, I know there was freshly ground nutmeg and cloves in there. It smelled like Christmas.

I also made a batch of Sherry Vinaigrette before I left: shallots, El Mjuelo Vinagre de Jerez, honey, Dijon mustard, extra virgin olive oil, and thyme. It was really good—I’ll probably try to recreate that one at home. I feel like I’m starting to get a grasp of what really good vinaigrette should taste like.

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Foodie Word of the Day

Guanciale [gwahn-TCHAH-leh] Meat from the cheek of a pig, guanciale (from guancia, meaning cheek) is rubbed lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper or chili pepper, then cured for three months. It is very common in the cooking of central Italy, particularly Latium, where it flavors numerous pasta sauces. Since it is rarely available outside Italy, pancetta - an Italian cured meat similar to bacon but not smoked - can be used instead. Bacon will do in a pinch.

Definition compliments of La Cucina Italiana On Line.

Internship: Day 7, 10/24/05

2005-10-24T23:55:00.000-05:00

Nice, relatively relaxed day, but I felt really fuzzy for most of it. Maybe it was just the overcast weather, I don’t know. I was responsible for all of the cold appetizers today, and I think I did okay. I’m getting more of a grasp of the dishes, but I still don’t have much of a flow on the line as far as timing goes. T still pretty much has to orchestrate and let me know when I should do what. He’s also started teaching me how to set up before service. Again, it’s a lot of information and I’m not sure how I’ll ever get it straight.

A previous intern from the CIA came in for lunch, and a lot of effort was put into making special dishes for him. It was fun to watch the Sous Chef dress up the dishes. A food writer was also in, and that caused a little bit of commotion. He came and complemented the staff on a job well done, though, so a good impression must have been made.

After service I helped with the pig-picking and patty-making for a party. I actually watched D butcher the pig last Wednesday. It was pretty freaky watching him cut the head off, and then having a little pig face staring up at me from the table while I worked. It looked like it was smiling. I kept thinking of Babe. Oddly, I like butchering—I like participating in the food preparation as early in the process as possible (although I don’t know if I would be able to kill an animal). That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s comfortable—I just like having the knowledge.

Internship: Day 6, 10/19/05

2005-10-19T23:55:00.000-05:00

Second day on the line, and I actually felt I had a little more of a grasp on things. I studied the menu and the prep sheet before going in, and I was able to remember more of what went with what. I’ve got the Endive Salad down (although I forgot the endive the first couple of times): endive with baby lettuces, potato, dijon, pancetta, and poached egg. I had a lot of trouble with the poached egg that goes on top, though. We keep a pot of simmering water, mixed with a little vinegar, on the back stove. When the salad comes up, the first thing that you do (which I also kept forgetting) is grab an egg, swirl the water, and drop the egg in. The swirling helps keep the egg compact. You then assemble the salad, mix it, and plate it. The egg perches on top. I tended to either break the egg trying to get it out of the water or onto the salad, or if I did manage to get it onto the salad intact, it often rolled off when I placed it on the counter for pickup. T says I have a nice hand with presentation, though—Chef likes the presentation to be tight with a fair amount of height, and I think I’m getting that down. My first career was graphic design, so I’m very visual—making things pretty is almost second nature. Making things pretty quickly is a little tougher, but that’s probably the least intimidating thing about this work. The hard part is keeping everything straight and organized, remembering all of the orders, and the timing. It’s like a dance, and I still have two left feet.

Wine and Beverage: Day 3, 10/18/05

2005-10-18T23:55:00.000-05:00

Wine Quote of the Day

"God in His goodness sent the grapes, to cheer both great and small; little fools will drink too much, and great fools not at all."

—Anonymous

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In this class we discussed New World wines of the U.S.: California, Oregon, and Washington. Highlights from the class are below, and you can view a PDF of my full notes here.

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New World Wines: Wines of the U.S.

California

The vast majority (approximately 90%) of wines produced in the U.S. come from California. California produces some of the most prestigious wines in the New World.
There are about 850 wineries and approximately 89 distinct AVA’s within California’s five major wine producing regions.
Because of the influence of the cold Pacific waters, vineyards up and down the coast and as far inland as 200 miles in some areas, are beneficially cooled to help create fine wine grapes.
Cabernet and Chardonnay are two of the most significant grapes grown in California, and are grown by almost every winery.

Wine-growing Regions

North Coast
An important and extensive grape growing region north of San Francisco that includes Napa, Sonoma, Lake, and Mendocino counties. This region produces the best wines.
Central Coast
A large growing area extending south from San Francisco to Santa Barbara.
Sierra Foothills
Home of the legendary gold rush of 1849. This region contains smaller producers—it’s too warm for great wine.
South Coast
Best known for Hollywood and its beaches.
Central Valley
Largest producer of wine grapes in California, but not as many wineries. This is California’s agricultural land that stretches almost 500 miles down the center of the state.

Map compliments of Boisset America.

Oregon

Oregon’s northern latitude brings long hours of summer sunshine to its vineyards as the marine breezes help moderate the climate, causing the ripening process for the grapes to be gradual.
The northwest portion of Oregon is celebrated for cool-climate grape varieties including:
- Pinot Gris
- Riesling
- Chardonnay
- Pinot Noir

Wine-growing Regions

Willamette Valley (will-AM-et)
Oregon’s most famous and largest wine-growing region. Known for Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Pinot Blanc, which have all won praises throughout the world.
Umpqua Valley (UHMP-kwah)
Located in bweeen the Willamette Valley and the Rogue Valley. Burgundy-style grapes predominate.
Rogue River Valley
Warmer than most other parts of Oregon. Best known for its Chardonnay and Cabernet.
Applegate Valley
Heat-oriented varietals thrive here: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah. Wines are often intense and full-bodied, less fruit-forward.

Map compliments of Korbrand Wine.

Washington

Washington is located approximately the same latitude (46?N) as the French wine regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy.
The most significant and highest selling wines are Merlot and Chardonnay.
98% of the wine grapes in Washington are grown on the east side of the state.

Wine-growing Regions

Columbia Valley
Washington’s most significant region. Merlot grape vines prosper in the long sunny days and chilly nights producing wines that tend to be rich with ripe cherry flavors that are lively with acidity.
Yakima Valley
Diverse climate, well suited for Cabernet, Chardonnay, Syrah, and Merlot.
Walla Walla
Remote region that is setting the standard for Cabernet and Merlot.
Puget Sound
Cool climate. Pinot Noir and the more adaptable Pinot Gris grow best.

Map compliments of Korbrand Wine.

Internship: Day 5, 10/17/05

2005-10-17T23:55:00.000-05:00

My first day on the line, and it wasn’t bad, but I can’t imagine ever being able to do this by myself. They all assure me that I’ll get the hang of it, and that they felt the same way when they first started out—but still, it seems a daunting task and it wasn’t even that busy.

The nice part is that the lunch guys are all really nice and very supportive. Lunch seems to be a lot less stressful in general, so I think they’re able to enjoy it more. It’s also nice being upstairs where there’s windows and natural light instead of always being in the basement prep kitchen.

T gave me an overview of the dishes that the pantry side of the line is responsible for—all of the hot and cold appetizers as well as the daily soup. There are nine dishes total. I plated some salads, and helped out with some of the hot dishes. T gave me a copy of the prep list to look over—it’s an overwhelming amount of information since each dish has a number of ingredients, but hopefully it’ll start to stick soon.

After service, I did some standard prep work. I also made up a Green Goddess Dressing for a private party happening that night, which included avocado, eggs, lemon, lime, champagne vinegar, cream, extra virgin olive oil, shallots, and a variety of herbs.

Internship: Day 4, 10/12/05

2005-10-12T23:55:00.000-05:00

So these are the days that you hear about when people talk about the hell of staging and internships. It started out well—D2 was making some fabulous french toast with boysenberry compote and fresh whipped cream when I came in. Much more appetizing than the scone I’d picked up at Starbucks on the way in. But then I spent much of the day making 50 lbs. of sauerkraut. It took me 3 or 4 hours to cut and slice (on the slicer) an entire case of cabbage. Chef kept coming through and laughing, saying he thought this must be a world’s record for slicing. By the time I was finished, the entire right side of my body ached. Once that was done, I took the cabbage and layered it with a cup of salt, and 2-3 juniper berries per layer. Then I had to take a huge masher and press the layered cabbage until enough juice was released to cover the mixture. At this point I asked D, “You guys hate me don’t you?” He laughed and assured me that they don’t, and said that he’d had to do this three times last year. Once the cabbage was all pressed (D helped), we put it into a bucket, put a weight on it, wrapped the whole thing in multiple layers of plastic, and set it on a shelf. It will continue to sit and ferment for an entire month.

My next job was deveining and mashing piles of foie gras to be used for a foie gras terrine. I was only about halfway through the pile at 6pm. D took pity on me as he was leaving and said he’d finish the other half the next day. I was so glad, because I had plans for later that night and was happy not to have to forego them. On Monday, I’ll have my first day on the line. I’ll be working with T on cold pantry for lunch. Lunch seems very mellow, and T knows what it’s like to be new (he was staging, too, until very recently) so it shouldn’t be too stressful. I’m looking forward to it!

The second bright spot of the day: D2 took the leftover french toast slices, diced it, and made french toast ice cream, which most of us took a break to devour. It’s really cool that they let the staff experiment when they have time. Y was working on a new dish all day, and is going to be attempting a pumpkin aioli in the near future. It’ll be interesting to see what he comes up with.

Wine and Beverage: Day 2, 10/11/05

2005-10-11T23:55:00.000-05:00

Wine Quote of the Day

“In Europe, we thought of wine as something healthy and normal as food and also a great giver of happiness and well being and delight. Drinking wine was not a snobbism nor a sign of sophistication, nor a cult; it was as natural as eating and to me as necessary.”

—Ernest Hemingway. A Moveable Feast

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In this class we discussed some of the differences between New World and Old World wine classifications and labeling. We also tasted wines from each of six primary grape varietals:

Big Six (Lightest to Fullest)

Whites
1. Riesling
2. Sauvignon Blanc
3. Chardonnay

Reds
4. Pinot Noir
5. Merlot
6. Cabernet

Highlights from the class are below, and you can view a PDF of my full notes here.

Answers to the “What Do You Know?” test here.

Also, I’ve started an overview of the varietals here: Red and White. This will expand as we cover more of the varietals in class.

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Classification

New World classification: Varietal (Merlot, Cabernet)

Old World classification: Geographical (France, Bordeaux, Medoc)

Wine classification is generally broad for generic, lesser quality wines and specific for complex, higher quality wines.

Varietal

Applied to New World wines.
Grape listed on bottle is regulated.
In California and Washington the wine must contain at least 75% of the specified varietal.
In Oregon, the specified varietal must be 90%.
In Alsace, France the specified varietal must be 100%

Lower required percentages allow vintners to compensate for weaknesses in the wine.

Geographic

Applied to Old World wines.
Wines are usually named after the region in which the grapes are grown.

Generic (Jug-Based)

The names of American wines in this category are unrelated to the geographic location or varietal origin and have no relationship to European wines using the same designation.
Jug-Based wines consist of a blend of different grapes and are often of lower quality than grapes that compose varietal wines.

Proprietary

In California, wine makers have been producing wine styled after Bordeaux. “Meritage” (pronounced like “heritage”) is typically the name given to these wines. They’re generally made from 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the balance being varying quantitites of other Bordeau-style grapes.

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Elements of Viticulture

It’s estimated that there are as many as 10,000 strains, clones, and hybrids of Vinifera grapes. Only about 30-40 of those grapes varieties are actually used.

1. Grape Varietal
The type of grape is probably the single most important factor in the taste of the wine. The flavor is also affected by:

the age of the vines
soil composition
exposure to sun, rain, climates, and microclimates
grape handling and fermentation
type of yeast used
aging, use of wood

The same varietal can be grown in different parts of the world and create different-tasting wines.

2. Climate (Weather and Location)
Wine grapes grow best in temperate climates. The challenge is to ensure enough acid in the juice to balance the sugar content.

Warm climates = more sugar, higher alcohol content
Too much sugar = flabby, flat wine
Cool climates (i.e. Burgundy) = more acid, less sugar, lower alcohol content
Too much acid = sour, overly crisp wine

Some regions are allowed to practice “chapitalization,” adding additional sugar to the wine.

3. Soil
Unlike most crops, which require rich, fertile soil, most grapes make better wine if grown in poor, rocky soil with good drainage. Soil types that are ideal for specific varieties include gravel, sand, limestone, and clay.

Appellations and Regions

The French term “Appellation” refers to a viticultural region distinguished by geographical features which produce wines with shared characteristics.
In 1935, France set up the Appellation D’Origine Controlle (AOC) laws, a countrywide system based on geography for controlling the origin and quality of wine. These strict guidelines specified vineyard location, grape varietal, growing technique, crop yeield, grape ripeness and ensuing alcohol content and winemaking practices.
In the U.S., appellations are known as “American Viticultural Areas” (AVAs). American labels may identify a wine’s AVA when a minimum of 85% of the wine comes from that location.

4. Plowing, Planting, and Pruning

In most Vinifera vineyards, cuttings of the desired varieties are grafted onto Vitis Labrusca.
Pruning creates less yield, higher quality.

5. Picking
Grapes ripen in late summer or early fall, depending on the grape varietal, climate, and desired qualities of the finished wine. The overall goal is to balance the sugar and acidity of the wine.

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Enology

1. Harvest and Pressing/Crushing

Grapes are put into the crushing/destemming machine.
Juice (free run) is now separated or drained from skins, pulp, juice, and seeds (must).
Free run is transferred to oak barrel or stainless steel vat.
Must is pressed in order to extract more juice (second pressing).
Residue is called “pommace” (sometimes made into Grappa).

2. Fermentation and Maceration

White powdery film on grape skin contains yeast (called bloom). Yeast eventually breaks down sugar into CO2 and alcohol. Some vintners use purchased yeast rather than bloom, which can be unpredictable.
Temperature control during fermentation is critical. Too much heat creates characterless, unstructured wine with too little fruit. Temperatures that are too cold lead to low sugar and alcohol content.
When grapes are pressed, juice is allowed to remain in contact with skin and seeds for a period of time. Skin = tannins, color, and flavor.

Color: Wine color depends on contact time with skin.
Tannin: “Phenolic Compounds” are a group of astringent substances found in the skins, seeds, and stems, as well as in oak barrels. Tannin provides structure, texture, and ageability.
Flavor: More complex flavors and aromas are present due to the release of “flavanoids” from skins and seeds.

Fermentation stops with sugar is gone or alcohol level reaches 15%.

3. Secondary (Malolactic) Fermentation

Malo (fruit) Lactic (milk)
Most red wines and some white wines undergo a second fermentation by bacteria called malolactic fermentation (abbreviated ML).

4. Clarification

After fermentation is complete, the wine is allowed to settle and the residue separates.
Wine is periodically drained from the dead yeast cells (lees) in a process called “racking.”
Wine can also be filtered through “centrifuging” (spinning) or “fining” (using egg white or other protein to remove impurities.
Clarification softens tannins.

5. Aging

Method of aging depends on desired style.

- Aging in oak barrels adds spice, vanilla, and other smoky flavors. The strength of these flavors depends on how long the wine is aged. Some wines are ages for several years to soften harsh tannins and to allow desirable flavors to develop.

- Aging in stainless steel tanks preserves the grape flavor and fruit aromas.

6. Blending

Some wines are blended with one or more varietals to add complexity or style before bottling.
Other wines may skip this process depending on the desired style.

7. Bottling

Wines are usually held for a few weeks to recover from “bottle shock,” a condition that causes a temporary loss of delicate aromatics.
Bottles are sealed to prevent any oxygen from entering and destroying the wine.
If desired, wine will be “bottle aged” in order to integrate wine components and add extra complexity.

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White Wine Grapes

Primarily green or white in color, about 50 major white grapes are grown worldwide, 24 in California alone.

Major Varietals

Riesling
Sauvignon Blanc
Chardonnay

Other Varietals

Chenin Blanc
Gewürtzraminer
Muscat
Pinot Blanc
Semillon
Pinot Gris
Viognier

Ramge of Color (Young to Old)

Green Tint > Straw Yellow > Golden Yellow > Light Brown > Brown Amber

Green Tint: Young, fruity, immature. 6 months to 1 year from harvest.
Straw Yellow: Majority of whites. 1 to 3 years from harvest.
Golden Yellow: Mature, 3 to 5 years. Probably aged in oak.
Light Brown: 5 to 10 years.
Brown Amber: Past its useful life, likely to be oxidized.

Red Wine Grapes

Primarily red, purple, or black in color, about 40 major red grapes are grown worldwide.

Major Varietals

Pinot Noir
Merlot
Cabernet Sauvignon

Other Varietals

Barbera
Cabernet Franc
Dolcetto
Gamay
Grenache
Malbec
Nebbiolo
Petite Syrah
Sangiovese
Syrah/Shiraz
Tempranillo
Zinfandel

Ramge of Color (Young to Old)

Purple > Ruby > Red > Brick Red > Brownish Amber

Purple: Young, fruity, immature. 6 months to 1 year from harvest.
Ruby: Majority of reds. 1 to 3 years from harvest.
Red: 3 to 5 years.
Light Brown: Mature, 5 to 10 years.
Brown Amber: Past its useful life, likely to be oxidized.

Rosé Wines (roh-ZAY)

Made from red, purple or black grapes.

Often referred to as “blush” or pink wines. Blush wines are typically made from red grapes.
The color comes from red grape skins. Winemakers shorten the contact time of the skins and juice after crushing (typically 2-3 days).
The most well-known rosé wines are made in Provence (praw-VAHNSS) and Tavel (ta-VEHL), France. Rarely complex and never ages, rosé wines are totally dry or barely sweet, tart and fruity.
White Zinfandel is an American twist on rosé that is engineered to be sweet.

Fruit Wines

Some of the most popular fruit wines include red raspberry, blackberry, and cherry.
Often the fermentation takes place under cold conditions to maximize the retention of the fruit’s character.
Well-made fruit wines are a delicate balance between the fruit’s natural acidity and residual sugar. If the finished wine is too sweet, it tends to be cloying; too dry, and it’s astringent.

Internship: Day 3, 10/10/05

2005-10-10T23:55:00.000-05:00

First day coming in at 9am, and it was nice. It was just me and D and the lunch crew; dinner crew doesn’t come in until around noon. I made more Bouillabaisse, then pulled pork and formed it into little patties for the confit of suckling pig appetizer.

Towards the end of the day I made up some marinades:

• Star Anise Steak Marinade
Star anise, peppercorns, oil, rice wine vinegar, Mirin, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper.

• Pork Marinade
Garlic, rosemary, thyme, black pepper, and olive oil.

• Roasted Garlic Sturgeon Marinade
Canola oil, roasted garlic, Herbes d’Provence, chili flakes, salt, black pepper, bay leaves, sweet wine vinegar, orange juice, and orange zest.

One note of interest: instead of roasting garlic in the oven, they confit it by placing it in olive oil on top of the stove and keeping it at a low simmer until tender.

Foodie Word of the Day

Confit [kohn-FEE; kon-FEE] This specialty of Gascony, France, is derived from an ancient method of preserving meat (usually goose, duck or pork) whereby it is salted and slowly cooked in its own fat. The cooked meat is then packed into a crock or pot and covered with its cooking fat, which acts as a seal and preservative. Confit can be refrigerated up to 6 months. Confit d’oie and confit de canard are preserved goose and preserved duck, respectively.

Definition compliments of the New Food Lover’s Companion.

Internship: Day 2, 10/05/05

2005-10-05T11:55:00.000-05:00

So I came in on Day 2, and D, Sous Chef #1 and the one who arranged my internship, wasn’t in yet. I asked J, Sous Chef #2, what I should do and he gave me some huge slabs of frozen fatback to trim and cut into 1 lb. pieces. I was having a terrible time, and both K2 and S took pity on my struggles and helped me figure out the easiest and quickest way to trim the frozen fat. They also pointed out how dull my knife was. I’d had it sharpened a few weeks ago, but K2 recommended that I have it sharpened at least twice a week, and she also corrected my honing technique (my angle was a little wide), which seemed to help a little. D informed me later that there’s a stone I can use at Quake, and he’ll show me how to use it. I also have a stone at home—I brought my knife kit home with me so that I can sharpen up all my knives. I’ll double-check with him that I’m doing it correctly when I go back in on Monday.

D had come in during the fatback ordeal, and when I’d finished he let me know that he’d like me to make Bouillabaisse again, with a couple of changes. It would be for a special event rather than the main menu, so everything needed to be cut smaller. Also, I used the fennel tops as well as the bulbs, and lemon juice as well as orange juice in the fumet mirepoix. One of my biggest problems is lack of speed, and since I’d followed this recipe once already, I was hoping to do it in less time. However, while everything seemed to go more smoothly this time, I’m not sure that I was much faster.

Once I was done with the soup, D had me clean about four bags of mussels to be steamed the next day. This was during service, and I was in the prep kitchen while most everyone else was upstairs on the line. They had the Sox game on and it seemed to annoy everyone, including the Chef, that I never knew what the score was when they came in and asked. I really hate sports, and they all seemed bewildered by that. Once the mussels were done, I was finished and free to go. D and I discussed my schedule—I didn’t make my expected 20 hours this week, so I’m going to start coming in at 9am next Monday so that I can help with early prep work. That works out well, although I hate getting up early. I’m also going to be working the dinner line at some point, which should be sufficiently harrowing.

One of the things I’m going to have to work out is how to eat enough while I’m there. It seems like it should be easy, working in a restaurant and all, but I’m trying to take advantage of the fact that I don’t have any cooking classes this quarter and reign in my diet. The staff on the lunch line is generally willing to make you some food if you ask, but it’s usually something like fries with Béarnaise sauce. Really good, but not what I should be eating on a regular basis. This week I brought organic peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on whole grain bread (homemade!) with me, but I think the problem is that I’ve been waiting too long to eat. I’m usually woozy and exhausted by 6pm (start time 12pm), so I’m thinking I need to snack around 4pm to keep my energy up. Whatever—I’ll work it out. One of my goals as I learn to cook is to keep my diet healthy, even though I will be making and tasting a lot of rich food. I know it can be done—Chef Felsenthal, my teacher for all my cooking classes so far except Baking and Pastry, has an excellent diet. For me, it makes a big difference in how I feel and how much energy I have. Everything in moderation and I’m cool!

Wine and Beverage: Day 1, 10/04/05

2005-10-04T23:50:00.000-05:00

Wine Word of the Day

Veraison [ver-ray-ZON] The point in the growing season when ripening grapes begin to soften and change color from green to either red or yellow, depending on the variety. In the northern hemisphere, veraison typically occurs anywhere from late June to mid August, depending on the climate.

Definition compliments of the New Wine Lover’s Companion.

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I was concerned about my Wine and Beverage class because I found out on Monday that the fabulous Bob Bansberg, Sommelier at Ambria, was no longer teaching it. I’d heard such good things about him, and was really looking forward to his class. However, the new teacher, John Laloganes, seems like a fine replacement. He’s entertaining, and it looks like he knows his stuff. It sounds like he has a variety of experience: management, wine, and general restaurant. I also found out (through the wonder that is Google, of course) that he used to be a manager at the Green Mill. How cool!

So the first day was pretty much a general introduction to wine—it’s history, a little bit about how it’s made, types, and bottle shapes. We also watched a documentary on the Mafia and Prohibition, which was fun.

We took a “what do you know?” test, which I’ve uploaded as a PDF. Feel free to download it and see how well you do. I only got about five right and didn’t have a clue about most of it, which was pretty normal for our class and pretty much what he expected. I’ll post the answers next week!

Below is a little of the information I gleaned in class. You can view a PDF of my full notes here.

Wine Classifications

Wine: Fermented juice of grapes (unless otherwise specified). You can substitute fruit or vegetables, but 99.9% of all wine is made from grapes.

Table Wine: Wine containing no added alcohol. Alcoholic content of table wine must be between 8-14% alcohol.

Sparkling Wine: Table wine that contains large amounts of dissolved CO2 (carbonation). No added alcohol.

Fortified Wine: Table wine with extra alcohol added. Fortified wine must contain between 17% and 22% alcohol.

- Aperitif: Fortified wine which has no apparent sweetness; drunk before dinner.

- Dessert: Sweet; drunk after dinner.

Old World vs. New World Wines

Old World: France, Italy, Spain Germany

New World: U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, South Africa

Top Five Wine Producers:
1. Italy (traditionally not necessarily quality wines, but that’s changing)
2. France
3. Spain
4. U.S.
5. Argentina

World Consumption of Wine:
1. France
2. Italy
3. U.S.
(although it’s low per capita – the small percentage that drink wine drink a lot!)
4. Germany
5. Spain

Bottle Shapes

Resources here:

• Wine Doctor
• West Coast Wine

I also used the information (and images) off of both of those sites, combined them with my class notes, and created a PDF here.

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Recommended Wine Resources

• Exploring Wine, 2nd Edition
This was listed as our class textbook. It ended up being optional, but I had already gotten it and probably would have gotten it regardless. I’m making my way through the first chapter, which covers the wine-growing process (which sounds amazingly complicated), and the primary varietals of wine (I’ve just started on the whites). This book is where I got the Wine Word of the Day (although the definition came from my next recommendation.

• The New Wine Lover’s Companion
This book was recommended to me a few times over. It’s basically a dictionary of wine.

• The Wine Goddess
If you’re in the Chicago area, come take a class with Diana—she’s fabulous. She’s the wine buyer and instructor at the Chopping Block, the cooking store where I work (I’m using the real names in this instance, obviously). I assist a lot of the wine classes, and they’re really a lot of fun.

• Winecast
I absolutely love podcasts, and this is a great one about wine. It was featured on Eat Feed, my favorite foodie podcast.

Internship: Day 1, 10/03/05

2005-10-03T23:55:00.000-05:00

I’ve been staging at Quake since June, so I don’t know why I was so nervous about starting my internship, but I was. The staff all seemed to be in a good mood when I came in, though, and welcomed me back (I took a break for the week I was out of school). That made me feel more at ease.

It was, actually, an unusual day in the kitchen. One Sous Chef was on vacation, and the other had gone to the hospital that morning with some diabetic complications. K had been called in to take charge of the kitchen, and though I’m sure it was extremely stressful for her, she was amazingly calm.

My first task of the day was a Garlic Aioli. I’ve made mayonnaise a few times, and an aioli once. They’re basically the same thing, the difference being in the addition of garlic, but I hadn’t made either of them in a while. Of course it broke, which had never happened to me before. K showed me how to repair the emulsion by removing the broken aioli, putting a couple more egg yolks into the food processor and then streaming the broken aioli back in, just as you do with the original oil. The emulsion became a little thick about halfway through, so she instructed me to add a little water to thin it back out, and then to continue adding in the rest of the broken aioli. It worked!

A note on the definitions of mayonnaise and aioli from my Garde Manger textbook, Garde Manger: The Art and Craft of the Cold Kitchen, 2nd Edition (because I wasn’t sure myself until I looked it up):

Aïoli (Fr.): Garlic mayonnaise, often based on olive oils.

Mayonnaise: A cold emulsion sauce made of oil, egg yolks, vinegar, mustard, and seasonings.

My second task, creating Bouillabaisse for the night’s service, was much more complicated than anything else I’ve ever done at Quake. I think K gave it to me partially because it kept me occupied for the entire day. I first created the fish fumet (fish broth) by sweating a white mirepoix (onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves, and in this case, orange juice and fennel bulbs), adding in fish bones, then white wine, and covering it with water. I brought it to a low boil, turned off the heat, and let it sit while I prepared the remaining ingredients: more fennel and onions, red potatoes, garlic, canned Italian tomatoes, saffron, Pernod, sriracha, parsley, and thyme. The fennel, onions, potatoes, and garlic were sweated, and then the tomatoes and saffron were added and allowed to cook for about 5 minutes over low heat. The strained fumet went in and was again brought to a low boil. The remaining ingredients were added after we brought the pot down to cool in an ice bath.

The whole Bouillabaisse experience was stressful but exciting. The thing that I hate most about being at this beginning point in my career is that I always feel like I don’t know what I’m doing, and constantly have to ask questions. I vaguely remember that feeling as a designer, but often I was able to get answers on my own because I had internet access and books. In a kitchen I only have the knowledge that’s in my head, and often, even when I think I know the answer I second guess myself and ask to make sure. I feel like I must be driving everyone crazy, but what do you do?

My day ended earlier than expected as they had a stage in that was covering the amuse bouche station, and there wasn’t really much else for me to do. While I was concerned about getting enough hours to fill my internship requirements, I was also somewhat relieved because making bouillabaisse wore me out! There was a lot of running back and forth between the prep kitchen and the pastry kitchen on the third floor (I was using their stove), lugging huge stock pots and trays of ingredients, and just the general stress of doing something for the first time. It was fun, though, and made for an interesting first day.

Intro Post

2005-10-01T23:55:00.000-05:00

This blog is intended to document my experience as a culinary student. I started out at the Illinois Institute of Art Chicago about a year ago, and I have about a year to go. It’s a career change—I already had a BA from Columbia College in Chicago, and was a graphic designer for about 10 years. I quit my office job this past May so that I could focus on cooking. I just wasn’t passionate enough about design, and I hated the 9 to 5 office routine. My very supportive boyfriend is covering the majority of the bills so that I can work for cheap and free, gathering as much experience as I can in as short a time as I can. He’s a restaurant manager, and my goal is to be at a high enough skill level that we can open our own place by the time I’m 40—only 7.5 years away!

Currently, I work at a cooking store where I assist the cooking classes and I’m also interning at one of the high end restaurants here in Chicago. I’ve decided not to use actual names, so I’ve dubbed the restaurant Quake. I have to keep a journal of the internship, so I will post a lot of that here, but I also plan to add information from my other classes (Wine and Beverage this quarter) and general information about what I’m doing and learning. I don’t expect much of a readership, really, but I’m hoping to create a resource for other beginning cooks, and it seems like a lot of the information that we learn in culinary school isn’t really passed on to the home cook. This could be one of those things that I really want to have time for but don’t, but we’ll just see how it goes.

Internship: Day 19, 12/07/05

2005-02-07T23:55:00.000-06:00

I don’t know if everybody’s just in a good mood because of the upcoming holidays, or if I’m just melding into the swing of things, but everything's going really well. Because it was freezing outside, we only had 10 people on the books, so they sent the grill guy home and we all shifted. M took the grill, T took sauté, and I had garde manger all to myself. It was a little busier than expected, but it all went really smoothly. T still kept jumping in to help but I could have handled it myself—which was nice to know. Also, we served the butternut squash soup I made and the baking and pastry girls raved about it—very cool.