Parma 8200 - Minneapolis

Outside of it being the picture perfect night and in check of a great waiter who was nothing less than perfect, my little sister got terribly lost and that set the stage for the entire evening. I’ve never quite laughed so hard between the bites of what I would consider one of the best meals I’ve had in my hometown.

I loved the Osso Bucco special but the true star of the meal was a magnificent butterscotch panna cotta capped with a caramel sauce and a dollop of mascarpone.

This dessert was the best I have ever had anywhere. I savored every bite with my tiny, demitasse spoon while fighting off my family who were all into it for just one more taste.

Me, the ultimate queen of a split, finally found something that I was not into share.

I made this version at home the following Sunday and it was so delicious that I made it again the very next day. What surprised me is that I found two recipes – one easy and one hard. I chose the easy one and much to my surprise, it was almost like Parma’s.

Let set in the refrigerator for a good 8 hours.

BUTTERSCOTCH PANNA COTTA

8 ounces Brach's butterscotch candies, unwrapped, plus extra for garnish if desired

1 quart heavy cream, divided
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (about 1 tablespoon)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For garnish: almond brittle, butterscotch sauce and/or mascarpone

In the bowl of a food processor, pulverize the candies until they break down into dust.

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 2 cups of the cream over medium low-to-medium heat until small bubbles form around the edge of the pot. Add the candy and cook until it melts, 7 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, bring the remaining 2 cups heavy cream to a simmer.

When the candy has completely melted, reduce the heat to low and sprinkle the gelatin over the flavored cream. Stir until the gelatin dissolves.

Slowly add the simmering cream to the candy mixture, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat. Let cool slightly.

Pour the mixture into individual serving dishes, cool, cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours.

Garnish each serving with blueberries and almond brittle, as benjy's does, or berries, whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed candies.

Bon Appetit!

A Long, Slow Braise:

Since I could not find Veal Shanks at the market this week, I opted for rich, meaty oxtail.

I was fresh off my dinner from Parma 8200 and was in need of a fix for long, slow braised meat. I love cooking this way because once you pop everything in the oven, you’re off the hook. Just set your timer and coast.

Oxtails, a very inexpensive cut, were so delicious that this could become one of my Sunday winter standards.

Bon Appetit!

Oxtails

3 pounds oxtails

House Seasoning (salt, pepper and garlic powder)
1 teaspoon olive oil 
1 can beef broth
1 cup red wine
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
6 cloves garlic, large ones cut in 1/2
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 bay leaves

1 (8-ounce) can tomato suace

1/2 Vidalia onion, cut into 6 wedges
6 small new red potatoes, cut in 1/2
4 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch lengths
1 pot hot buttered rice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Sprinkle the oxtails liberally with House Seasoning on both sides.

Coat the bottom of a heavy oven-proof Dutch oven with the olive oil. Once heated, add the oxtails and sear on all sides. Remove and set aside. Scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the beef broth, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic cloves. Stir. Add basil, oregano, bay leaves, hot sauce, tomato sauce, and the reserved oxtails. Stir to combine all ingredients together.

Cover tightly, place in oven, and bake for 2 ½  to 3 hours.

Remove from oven and bring to a simmer on stove top. Add the sweet onion wedges, red potatoes, garlic and carrots to the pot. Cover and simmer until  potatoes are almost tender, roughly 15 minutes.

Serve oxtails with the vegetables over hot buttered rice.

Wise Acre - Minneapolis

Can you can taste the farm freshness? At 5401 Nicollet Ave South, Wise Acre is an adjacent stop from the Minneapolis airport.

Now that I’ve eaten at the restaurant, I want to visit the farm because the photos in their brochure were stunning. How great would it be to raise all of the food that you eat? I am game any time to try it.

An old garage converted to a restaurant, Wise Acre is supported by a 150 acre farm and the quality was apparent. The walls were a vertical garden and most of the plants come from the farm as well.

Owner and chef were super friendly and the menu is small.. it changes up every 6 weeks depending on what is in season. I know one thing for sure - if I lived in Minneapolis, I would be a regular.

Farm fed? I had to order something with an egg on it to really judge and this eye-catching grilled cheese, ham and egg sandwich fit the bill perfectly and was really delicious.

Sausages were home-made and the burger – well the bacon was complimented by a little spoonful of Brie and in this case the Brie made the burger (and I never thought I would ever give bacon a secondary role to anything).

Dessert: Homemade custard with toffee. Good to the last crunch and split it but honesty could have done an entire mini-bowl myself it was so good.

The highlight: Their Tangletown Garden store across the street. An hour in there and even I could get into gardening.

Bon Appetit!

Publican Quality Meats

House-made sausage, charcuterie, aged prime beef, pork and other cured meats are the focus of this new market at 835 West Fulton Market. 
 

Since I failed to bring my cold bag, there was no giving into the temptation of the lamb shank (the guy in front of me bought the last 4 anyway) and the Serrano Ham sitting on top of the main counter top with a tag reading "Jamon Iberico $200 l/b".

The space will also be used for private parties and cooking classes so I definitely want to check it out as there can never be too many quality cooking classes in Chicago.

I arrive at 10:30 AM to a packed house and by 11:00 (that “magic” hour at which they begin serving lunch and not a minute before) I ordered a “Better Than Gyros “sandwich which was stuffed with delicious pork belly and raita – an Indian yogurt sauce that was every bit as good as tzatziki. The homemade chips were delicious but in desperate need of a dose of salt.

Next time I’ll try their Albacore Muffaletta sandwich which was a wish -I –ordered favorite of just about everyone there.

There was a nice grocery area where I discovered Bill Kim’s Belly Fire hot sauce which is an Urban Belly classic… and the first time I had found it anywhere for sale.

My advice: Go back in a few weeks when they get their act together. I don’t mind crowds but this was half-organized chaos since two doors fed a steady and growing stream of hungry visitors…most of whom had never been there before because it was only open for a week.

Knowledgeable butchers and innovative selections will make this place a foodie favorite.

Bon Appetit!

The Cheesecake Factory

Into sisters but not chain restaurants… so I thought.
 

I met my four sisters for brunch in Minneapolis and of the 5 items we tried, every one of them was high-quality and we had a variety.

Even the guacamole egg rolls – which I thought would be typical bar food - were wonderful.

Guacamole Egg Rolls

Dipping sauce:

3-4 t white vinegar
1 t balsamic vinegar
1/2 t tamarind pulp
1/2 c honey
1 pinch powdered saffron
1/2 c chopped cashews
2/3 c fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves
2 green onions
1 T granulated sugar
1 t ground black pepper
1 t ground cumin
1/4 c olive oil

Egg Rolls:

1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, & diced
1 T minced red onion
2 T sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped
1/2 t fresh cilantro, chopped
1 pinch salt
3 egg roll wraps
1 egg, beaten

Stir together vinegars, tamarind, honey, and saffron in a microwave safe bowl, and microwave for 1 minute. Stir until tamarind is dissolved. In a blender, puree tamarind mixture, cashews, 2/3 c cilantro, garlic, onions, sugar, pepper, and cumin. Pour mixture into a bowl and stir in oil. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Gently stir together avocado, tomatoes, onion, 1/2 t cilantro, and salt. Distribute filling evenly onto center of each egg roll wrapper. Position a wrapper so that a corner is pointing toward you; fold the bottom corner up, 1/4 of the way over the filling. Brush remaining corners and edges of the wrapper with egg, roll up from side to side, fold top corner over all and press to seal.

Repeat with remaining wrappers. Continue by deep-frying the egg rolls in 375 degree oil for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown.

Conclusion: This is one chain restaurant I would fearlessly try again… if for nothing else a piece of the Cheesecake.

And speaking of desserts…

This little dessert made our Valentine’s dinner. I’m not a mainstream red velet fan but this was worth exploring again.

Authentic English Muffins: A Recipe To Work On

I have been looking for a good English muffin recipe for a long time. 
 

I love Jim Lahey’s no-knead cookbook, My Bread, where he researched old Italian bread making and developing this sticky dough, overnight rising bread with awesome flavor.

In fact, I’m hooked and will never make anything but overnight bread.

This muffin recipe comes from Sheryl Canter and I made it for brunch. It had the perfect taste but it was also slightly doughy so it needs a little work.

Recipe Challenge: She is on to something here with the overnight proofing though. It just needs a little fine-tuning.

Let me know when you get it perfect and I'll be over for breakfast!

Bon Appetit!

This recipe makes six muffins.

1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp sugar or honey
1 packet (2¼ tsp) dry yeast
2 cups flour
½ tsp salt

Heat the milk to simmering, then drop in the butter and the sugar or honey. Stir so they melt and combine, and let the mixture cool. When it’s lukewarm, sprinkle in the yeast, stir, and let it sit for 10 minutes until bubbly. Don’t use an aluminum bowl because that can interfere with the yeast. Glass is best.

While that’s happening, measure out the flour and salt and mix together well. When the yeast mixture is bubbly, add the flour and beat vigorously for a couple minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter (not in the refrigerator) overnight. It will overproof – rise and collapse. This is what creates the English muffin’s characteristic sourdough taste and large bubbles.

In the morning, scrape the sides of the bowl with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula and remix a little. Then use a spatula and spoon to drop muffin-size globs into a small bowl of cornmeal, as pictured in the previous section. Don’t try to handle the dough – it’s too sticky. Lift each muffin from the cornmeal with a slotted spatula, shake off the excess, and place in an ungreased skillet.

When the skillet is full, cover it (with a glass top, if you have one), and let the muffins rise for 30 minutes. They won’t rise much at this point because all the sugar has been eaten by the yeast, but they’ll puff up a little more when they start to cook. Remove the lid before cooking.

Set your stove’s burner to medium-low. If it’s electric, let the burner preheat. If you have an electric skillet, you’ll have to let the muffins rise somewhere else so you can preheat it. I’ve read that electric skillets should be set to 300°F, but I don’t have one so I can’t verify that. I used a cast iron pan and set the burner to medium-low.

Warning: don’t set the temperature too high. The muffins have to cook slowly or the inside will be doughy while the outside is burned. Don’t crank up the heat because it’s not sizzling. It’s not supposed to sizzle. Just because it’s not making any noise doesn’t mean it’s not doing anything. It’s cooking.

The muffins can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes per side, depending on how high you set the skillet temperature. Turn them over when the first side is browned.

When the second side is browned, remove the muffins to a cooling rack and let them cool completely. If you don’t let them cool, they will be doughy inside. Also, they taste best if they are fully cooled and then toasted. Split them for toasting by pulling them apart with your fingers, rather than cutting with a knife. This maximizes the nooks and crannies that are so great for holding butter and jam.

English muffins are a quick and easy breakfast because they were designed to be quick and easy. The batter is made the night before, and no rolling is required. You mix everything together, go to sleep, then cook them up in the morning.

Overproofing is what gives the characteristic taste and texture – no vinegar or baking soda required.

Cooking Ribs Indoors

My mom cooked the best BBQ ribs and always made them indoors.

Here is yet another way to cook ribs inside - using a slow cooker and the broiler - and look how “outdoor grilled” they look just by putting them under the broiler for a short time to brown.

Bon Appetit!

Easy Winter BBQ Ribs

3 tablespoons sweet paprika (I used a little less)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used a bit more)
Salt and pepper
6 pounds pork baby back ribs
3 cups barbecue sauce (Homemade if you have time)
Vegetable oil spray

Mix paprika, sugar, cayenne, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon pepper together, then rub mixture evenly over ribs. Arrange ribs upright in slow cooker, with meaty sides facing outward. Pour barbecue sauce over ribs, cover, and cook until ribs are tender, 6 to 8 hours on low.

Position oven rack 10 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Place wire rack in aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and coat with vegetable oil spray. Carefully transfer ribs, meaty side down, to prepared baking sheet and tent with foil. Let braising liquid settle for 5 minutes, then remove fat from surface using large spoon.

Strain braising liquid into medium saucepan and simmer until thickened and measures 2 cups, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Brush ribs with some sauce and broil until ribs start to brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Flip ribs over, brush with more sauce, and continue to broil until ribs are well browned and sticky, 9 to 12 minutes longer, brushing with additional sauce every few minutes.

Transfer ribs to cutting board with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve with remaining sauce.

Cajun Chicken

This Cajun chicken was great and an easy fix for a special meal when you have a houseful of guests.
I’ve used both whole peeled tomatoes and fresh romas and no matter how many times I change this up, I still go back to this basic recipe.

Bon Appetit!

Cajun Chicken Parmesan

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons

1 medium onion, chopped
2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 bunch basil leaves
2 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes or fresh roma tomatoes
Pinch of sugar
Salt and black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
Mozzarella cheese
Freshly grated parmesan
1 pound pasta, cooked

Coat a saute pan with olive oil and place over medium heat

When oil gets hazy, add the onions, garlic and bay leaves; cook and stir for 5 minutes until fragrant and soft. Add the basil and tomatoes, cook and stir until the liquid is cooked down and the sauce is thick, approximately 20 minutes. Then season with sugar, salt and pepper
Lower the heat, cover and keep warm.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Get the ingredients together for the chicken:

Put the chicken breasts in a zip lock bag and pound the chicken breasts with a flat meat mallet until they are 1/2 inch thick. Put the flour in a shallow platter and season with a fair amount of salt and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. In a wide bowl, combine the eggs and water, beat until frothy.Put the bread crumbs on a plate, season with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat in a large oven proof skillet.
Lightly dredge both sides of the chicken in the seasoned flour, then dip them in eggs to coat completely, letting the excess drip off, then dredge in the bread crumbs. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and fry for 4 minutes on each side until golden and crusty, turning once.

Ladle tomato sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with cheese.

Bake the chicken for 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and serve hot with spaghetti.

Baking Bacon

My meat market, the Daily Grind makes the best homemade bacon. 
 

I like to bake it as it sheds the grease and with Rick’s special flavoring, it comes out picture perfect every time. It’s so much easier to line a pan with foil and bake it while you are dealing with everything else.

I like it plain with a side of eggs but my all time favorite? No matter what season – a BLT!

Bon Appetit!

Bacon
Cookie sheet – with sides – do not use a flat cookie sheet
Foil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with foil, you can leave the foil a little crinkled so the grease doing pool under the bacon. Do not use a flat cookie sheet, use a bar pan.

Lay out bacon one strip at a time on the cookie sheet. The bacon should not touch. You can leave about a quarter inch between of space between each slice of bacon.

Place cookie sheet with bacon into the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes.

When the bacon is browned and crisp drain on paper towels.

Chicago's Best Brunch Dishes

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of Saturday Brunch. Given my choice of breakfast, lunch or dinner, I will choose breakfast every time. 
 

These 10 restaurants get my vote for a Saturday’s best because there was one item that stuck in my mind and prompts me to come back for Round II.

2 Sparrows – Glazed Doughnuts

These were so good I immediately went home and tried to duplicate the recipe. No such luck. One-of-a-kind excellence.

553 W Diversey

Big Jones – Popovers

Big Jones Benedict had house cured and smoked ham simmered in Kilgus Farmstead cream, poached eggs and Potatoes O'Brien but instead of having it on a biscuit I opted for the popover. The popover made the dish.

5347 N Clark

Chicago Q – Southern Hash browns

I judge a place by the way they cook their hash brown potatoes and these were the best southern fries I’ve ever had. A second nod goes to the smoked chicken in the Egg’s Benedict. And watch out...homemade chips and pickles will fill you up.

1160 N Dearborn

Davanti Enoteca - Pizza della Fattoria

A Farmed Egg+Pork Belly+Potato+Scallions+Asiago+béchamel. Ask anyone who has tried this and they will tell you it’s simply the best pizza in Chicago.

1359 W Taylor

Chicago scores double on this one. Great Hot Chocolate is hard to find and I had a cup at not just one but two celebrated restaurants.

Mindy’s Hot Chocolate – The Black and Tan

1/3 hot fudge and 2/3 medium hot chocolate

A plus for the homemade marshmallows.

1747 North Damen

XOCO – Mexico City Thick Hot Chocolate.

Extra points for bean-to-bar and the amazing aroma of roasting cacao

449 N Clark

Lula – English Muffins

I found out at Lula’s that a super-thin English muffin makes the Eggs Benedict.

2537 N Kenzie

Mercat a la Planxa – Truffle Oil

Another Egg’s Benedict with huge flavor and the secret is all in the truffle oil.

638 South Michigan

Perennial Virant – Homeboy Potatoes

Tiny, crispy and with a topping of Brunkow cheese curds.

1800 N Lincoln Avenue

Sola – Huevos Benedictos

Feeling a little under the weather from the night before? Nothing that eggs, cornbread and a little chorizo wouldn’t cure.

3868 N Lincoln Avenue

Runner Up: The walk up that every one lines up for on Saturday AM - The Doughnut Vault.

401 1/2 N Franklin.

Bon Appetit!

Pasteur...A French Vietnamese Classic

I love Vietnamese food. In fact it’s my favorite cuisine and Pasteur (5525 N Broadway) has skillfully recreated some of the authentic Vietnamese classics.

Interestingly, they do not do fusion. Instead they happen to have some classic French dishes on the menu too so you can mix your meal like I did.

With fish sauce, soy paste, fresh herbs and vegetables, Vietnamese is one of the healthiest cuisines in the world. The meats and vegetables are briefly cooked and when you throw in a bit of lemongrass, mint, coriander and Thai basil, you’ve got the most aromatic cuisine around. I also love the colorful, spicy and flavorful condiments such as the Nuoc Mam.

Dishes such as phở, bún riêu, bánh cuốn are classic in the Vietnamese kitchen as well as central Vietnam’s bún bò Huế and bánh xèo.

Central Vietnam cooks up some of the spiciest food in the country so I need to find more recipes from this region as I love spice.

Outside influences?

Vietnamese food has a powerful vegetarian tradition influenced by Buddhist ideals. Thus all the veggies floating in my soup today.

The French introduced baguettes which were stuffed with Vietnamese meat and pickled vegetables to become the banh mi, the most profitable French-Vietnamese culinary merger ever and a popular street food in Vietnam.

India’s inspiration lead to the adoption of curry in Vietnamese cuisine and that is one dish that I have yet to wrap my arms around but I am trying.

The service at Pasteur is typically French where they take time to introduce each course and you take the time to appreciate each and every bite.

I had Vegetarian egg rolls served with lettuce, pickled vegetables and Nuoc Mam. followed by Tamarind Shimp soup. The soup was delicious, filled with a ton of fresh vegetables and the pineapple gave it a full and rich flavor. In fact, I think that’s the first time I’ve had pineapple as an ingredient in my soup.

My main course was Confit Duck Legs with cauliflower puree, and a Grand Marnier and orange reduction. The duck was perfectly cooked and to my surprise, the side - the cauliflower -was my favorite dish of the meal.

So who is the French in this interesting equation?

Eric Aubriot was born in Paris, has been twice nominated for the James Beard Rising Star award and I should have guessed is a product of Carlos in Highland Park.

Come to think of it, just about every great French chef has Carlos on his resume somewhere.

Bon Appetit!

Honey Nut Cheerio Infused Rum

My absolute favorite drink is a Mai Tai.

Blended correctly (no store bought mix) with fresh ingredients, it is a delicious favorite of just about everyone I make them for.

This is not just a summer drink. I make them up year round.

Speaking of Mai Tai’s… my new batch of Honey Nut Cheerio Infused Rum make great Mini Mai Tai’s and I always like to try new recipes.

1 ½ oz Honey Nut Cheerio infused rum 
1/2 oz creme de almond
1/2 oz triple sec
sweet and sour mix
pineapple juice

Any way you mix this one up, one sip and you'll be ready to pack your bags and go on a cruise.

Remember the original Trader Vic’s recipes (and they are still the best) have no juice in them and TV swears by no juice.

I’ve tried for years now to decide which one I like the best. You tell me.

Guess I’ll have to try a few more and let you know but don’t anticipate an answer any time soon. I'm on Mai Tai time.

Bon Appetit!

1944 Original Formula

2 ounces of 17-year old J. Wray & Nephew Rum over shaved ice.
Add juice from one fresh lime.
1/2 ounce Holland DeKuyper Orange Curacao.
1/4 ounce Trader Vic's Rock Candy Syrup.
1/2 ounce French Garier Orgeat Syrup
Shake vigorously.
Add a sprig of fresh mint

1997 "Old Way" Mai Tai Formula

1 ounce Fine Jamaican Rum (15 or 8 year old)

1 ounce Martinique Rum (St. James)
1/2 ounce Orange Curacao
1/2 ounce Orgeat Syrup
Juice from one fresh lime (about 3/4 ounce)
Mix and serve as in the Original Formula

My New Addiction?

World market's Limoncillino. 
 

The unique little glass is from Art Effect at 934 West Armitage. You’ll find so many things here that you don’t find any place else in Chicago.

I had to hold back after purchasing three adorable glasses including this tiny wine glass which is a perfect start for a healthy New Year.

Bon Appetit!

Creating A Signature Dish

The secret of many successful cooks is not that they are experts at everything. It’s that they have learned to do one or two things really well. They have a signature dish.

The best way to create one is trial and error. I know because most of my signature dishes were errors in the beginning…one after another. Oft times I was ready to give it up but then I had another idea to substitute an ingredient or cooking method. With time, my efforts were rewarded but it did take a lot of testing and experimentation to get there.

Remember, cooking is science…which reminds me that I really need to spring for a copy of Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking. It’s down to $468.37 from $625.00 on Amazon. I know. Somehow it’s hard to part with that much cash.

As I continue to think about it you continue to cook.

First, find a recipe that you love, begin to experiment with it until you get it perfect. Yes perfect. Make it over and over again until you can do it in your sleep. You know the old saying: Practice makes perfect? Like anything it does.

Don’t forget to ask for feedback from everyone you cook it for because they feed you your best ideas on how to improve it.

Also make sure that you keep the ingredients on hand so if you get an inspiration in the middle of the night, you have everything you need to start cooking it at 3 AM.

Breakfast anyone?

Bon Appetit!