A Summer in Mexico

Did I tell you I was Mexican in my last life?

With nine months to fill before I go to culinary school, I have a little time on my hands.

Since I’ve spent a lot of time in Mexico and lived much of it eating Mexican street food, I’ve decided to do something I did when I was 18 – go to Mexico for the summer - but this time I’ll be studying Mexican street food, open air markets and abuelas who are the source for almost every famous Mexican chef I know, with the exception of Rick Bayless.

I will also be on a project photographing Mexican chefs in their element. Many revelations on this assignment so stay tuned.

With internet access, there will be plenty of posts starting in June so look for what I will be discovering first hand on the magic of Mexican cooking. 

I will be based in San Miguel de Allende, a town that I fell in love with more than 20 years ago.

Oh, and just in case you were wondering, Our Lady of Guadalupe, who puts all the magic in my kitchen, is going along for the ride to inspire me how to cook those much-loved dishes that even I can’t explain.

In the mean time, there are hundreds of new places we’ll discover together here in Chicago before I leave.

Bon Appetit!

Pho

I've always loved Vietnamese food and when I moved to Chicago, I discovered that some of the best was just a short ride away on the Red Line to Argyle Street.

Argyle Street is filled with Vietnamese restaurants, bakeries, and grocery stores. It’s one of my favorite places to go when I want to remind myself why I moved to Chicago in the first place.

On any given Saturday afternoon, well dressed Vietnamese twenty somethings sip pho while Vietnamese, Thai, Cambodian and Chinese bargain hunters wander through markets overloaded with huge bags of Asian vegetables, fish and rice. Close your eyes and you’ll swear you’re in Saigon.

When I shopped here on Saturday morning, I got a gigantic bag of vegetables, peppers and spices for under $6 and what I loved even more was that everything was super fresh.

Since spring is nowhere to be found these days, this soup is the perfect dish for warming up with yet another snow storm on the way.

Gotta love Chicago...

Bon Appetit!

Beef Pho

Slightly modified from Serious Eats

2 onions, split in half

1 large piece of ginger split in half

3 pounds beef with the shin

2 pounds oxtail, cut into 1-inch thick slices

1 pound boneless beef chuck

1 pound beef brisket

3 whole star anise pods

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

4 cloves

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/4 cup fish sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

Kosher salt

Pepper

For serving:

6 to 8 servings pho noodles

1 pound beef flank steak, sliced thinly against the grain

2 cups herbs - cilantro, basil, and mint

2 cups bean sprouts

1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions

Sliced Thai chilies

2 limes, each cut into 4 wedges

Hoisin sauce and/or Sriracha

Place a grill grate over the flame of a gas burner set on high.

Place onions and ginger on top and cook, turning occasionally, until deeply blackened on all sides, about 10-12 minutes total or adjust rack to 3 to 4 inches from broiler and preheat to high. Place onions and ginger on a foil-lined tray. Broil, turning occasionally, until charred on all surfaces, about 25 minutes total. Set aside.

Meanwhile, combine beef shins, oxtail, chuck, and brisket in a large stockpot. Cover with cool water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 20 minutes, then dump water and meat. When cool enough, rinse under cool running tap water, carefully scrubbing debris off any bones then return them to the pot. Cover with cool water.

Add charred onions, ginger, anise, cinnamon, fennel, cloves, coriander, fish sauce, sugar, and 1 tablespoon salt and pepper. 

Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to a simmer, and cook, skimming occasionally, until brisket and chuck are tender, about 1 - 1 1/2 hours. 

Transfer brisket and chuck to a small bowl and cover with cold water. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Continue simmering broth for another 4 hours, adding water if necessary. 

Strain broth through a mesh strainer. If desired, pick meat and connective tissue from oxtails and beef shins. Discard bones and aromatics. You will end up with 4 quarts broth. Keep hot.

Skim the fat off of surface of broth and discard. 

Season broth to taste with additional fish sauce, salt, and/or sugar.  

Prepare pho noodles according to package directions. To serve the noodles, place  them re-hydrated in individual noodle bowls. Pour piping hot broth over noodles. 

Serve immediately. Have guests top with slices of raw flank steak (which will cook instantly when it hits the broth) , fresh herbs, aromatics, lime, and sauce.

Fried Chicken Sandwich with Slaw and Spicy Mayo

OK. I’ll admit it. I’m a sucker for a great photograph. 

I pulled the April issue of Bon Appetit out of the mailbox this past week and I didn’t even get in the house before I was mentally cooking my weekend dinner. How’s that for planning?

This fried chicken sandwich with Jalapeno Coleslaw is the ultimate in my collection of recipes that need little changing. What I also loved about this recipe is that it was so easy. I love easy.

In the recipe below, there are many of my favorites. 

Fried Chicken. Check.

Jalapeno Slaw. Check.

Bread and Butter Pickles. Check.

Serious bun. Check.

Bon Appetit and Happy Eating!

Spicy Mayo and Slaw:

1garlic clove, finely grated

1/2cupmayonnaise

1tablespoonLouisiana-style hot pepper sauce

1/2small red onion, thinly sliced

1jalapeño, thinly sliced

4cups thinly sliced cabbage

1/2cup Bread-and-Butter Pickle slices, plus 1/4 cup pickle juice

Fried Chicken and Assembly:

2cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1/2teaspoon kosher salt plus more

1 cup buttermilk

28-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts, halved crosswise

Peanut or vegetable oil (for frying)

4white sandwich rolls

2tablespoonsunsalted butter, room temperature

Preparing the Spicy Mayo and Slaw:

Mix garlic, mayonnaise, and hot pepper sauce in a small bowl; cover and chill. 

Toss onion, jalapeño, cabbage, pickles, and pickle juice in a large bowl to combine; cover and chill.

Putting together the Fried Chicken and The Rest:

Whisk flour, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoons salt in a shallow bowl. Pour buttermilk into another shallow bowl. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge chicken in flour mixture, shaking off excess. Dip in buttermilk, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Dredge again in flour mixture, shaking off excess. 

Pour oil into a large heavy skillet to a depth of 1/2-inch. Prop deep-fry thermometer in oil so bulb is submerged. Heat over medium heat until thermometer registers 350°. 

Fry chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack set inside a baking sheet; season with salt.

Spread cut sides of rolls with butter. Heat another large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, cook rolls buttered side down until browned and crisp, about 1 minute. 

Spread with spicy mayo. Build sandwiches with rolls, chicken, and cabbage slaw.