And The Winner Is...

Liberte…for both flavor and unfortunately fat. 
 
Solution? Eat half a serving instead of a whole one and pile on the fruit.

Bon Appetit!

Pink Margaritas

My recipe for Margaritas was perfected long ago and I usually don’t mess with the ingredients but when my friend Jeff, a master mixologist, suggested that I try using pink grapefruit instead of lime juice, the results were magical.

The addition of the orange flavored liqueur (I used Patron Citronge) was the key to balancing the sour taste of the grapefruit juice. I’m not one to favor brands and often purchase the best buy on the shelf but this Paton liqueur was really smooth.

This would also be the perfect drink to serve for a brunch. It’s a beautiful drink with all of the grapefruit and lime slices. I also liked the combination of the lime and the salt and serving it on top of the drink instead of on the rim.

Use a bigger glass than I did (I try bites and sips) to fit in all the fruit.

Bon Appetit!

Pink Grapefruit Margarita

1 tablespoon finely grated lime rind

1 tablespoon sea salt flakes
2 Cups pink grapefruit juice
½ Cup orange-flavored liqueur
2/3 Cup tequila
¾ Cup caster sugar
Thin slices of grapefruit and lime for granish
Crushed ice
 
Put lime rind and salt in a mortar and pestle and grind to combine.

Place grapefruit juice, orange flavored liqueur, tequila and sugar in a bowl and mix in sugar until dissolved.

Layer in the grapefruit slices, ornage slices and ice into a 6 cup jug.

Serve with lime salt.

Makes 3 ½ Cups.

Fresh Nutmeg

Expensive but such a remarkable difference in taste between the fresh and what you buy in the jar.

Inspires me to grate nutmeg on nearly everything!

Bon Appetit!

A Perfect Green Tomato

How great is it to be in Chicago and score a perfect green, heirloom tomato in the middle of winter?

I happen to love green tomatoes with eggs so this prize was savored – every last bite- for breakfast last weekend.

Bon Appetit!

Charlie Trotters: 1987- 2012

Charlie Trotters, one of Chicago's most celebrated restaurants is closing.

Trotter plans to travel the world and return to college to study philosophy and political theory.
I say good for him. I am all about learning new things having gone back to school myself recently.

With the closing, 60 full-time employees will lose their jobs. One of them is Joe.

I met Joe on the train a few weeks ago. The young CIA trained chef had just moved here from New York and was so excited about his first day on the job at Charlie Trotters. It was New Year’s Eve day.

Trotter made an announcement that night that would change the course of Joe’s career forever.

I thought about Joe a lot on New Year’s day. Talking with him for that brief, fleeting moment, I am convinced that he will get everything out of his 8 months at Trotter’s, move on to his next job and never look back.

Passion is a difficult quality to conquer.

Bon Appetit!

New Years Eve Day

On New Years Eve day, we biked Milwaukee Avenue. How often can you say that on December 31^st in Chicago?

We pedaled block after block by occult bookstores, tiny restaurants and bakeries, furniture stores and a mix of ordinary and upscale shops. Trouble was we were early.

This neighborhood was still asleep and many of the shops didn’t open until noon. In fact, just as we were leaving a cheery little bake shop called Lovely’s (1130 N Milwaukee Avenue), the customers started to arrive.

It was 10:00 AM and Milwaukee Avenue was finally awake. Makes me think that I should check out the nightlife in this neighborhood.

Lovely’s poured the perfect cup of coffee (Intelligentsia ), had a vintage pressed tin ceiling (just like the old Chicago bar in Omaha) and some beautiful antiques.

The indulgence of the day: Lunch at Lilly Q’s ( 1856 W. North Avenue) for ribs.

I am happy to report that they are every bit as good as all of the reviews with just a hint of sweetness to the sauce. It may take me awhile before I find another BBQ as good as this one so stay tuned.

The fries were so amazing and were smothered in a rub called Carolina Dirt which is a blend of paprika, sugar, salt, onion powder, chili powder, mustard, garlic powder, oregano, jalapenos and again…a few secret spices.

OK, like Eischens in Oklahoma City, here goes that secret spice thing again.

One resolution for New Years: to educate myself on spices and even try to make some personal blends.

Lilly Q’s chef Charlie McKenna has won a lot of awards on the competition barbeque circuit including the top prize at Memphis this past May -- which is commonly considered as the world championship of barbeque.

I bought a bag of his Carolina Dirt rub (buy it online) and immediately went home and re-made the French fries they were that good.

So, here I was eating this magnificent meal today while I was planning my next one. Truth be told, I am usually two or three meals ahead of myself so this was a kick-back day … except for the biking home. After all the food, I would have been really happy to find a designated driver.

Bon Appetit!

Ice Cream: Pass The Häagen-Dazs

I love good ice cream and Häagen-Dazs  is so hard to beat…that is with the exception of homemade.

Here is their new Caramel Cone ice cream with butterscotch and honey roasted pecans.

This sundae was a great treat…even for breakfast!

And for anyone who made that run of the mill New Year’s resolution- like I did- I took out all of the calories.

Bon Appetit!

Vietnamese Salad

Hand down, this is my all time favorite Vietnamese recipe. It is so easy and you can interchange the pork with chicken or shrimp.

In fact, this was one of the best cooking instructionals ever from Fine Cooking magazine.

Here is the link to making impressive Vietnamese salads:

http://www.finecooking.com/articles/how-to/vietnamese-noodle-salads.aspx

For the noodles:
8 oz. dried rice vermicelli

For the pork or beef:
1/4 cup sugar
2 large shallots, sliced, or 5 scallions (white parts only), chopped
2 tsp. fish sauce
2 tsp. soy sauce
Pinch salt
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1-1/2 lb. pork loin or sirloin, sliced into large pieces about 1/4-inch thick

For the garnishes:
2 cups washed and shredded romaine, red, or green leaf lettuce
2 cups fresh, crisp bean sprouts
1-1/2 cups peeled, seeded, and julienned cucumber
1/3 to 1/2 cup roughly chopped or small whole mint leaves
1/3 to 1/2 cup roughly chopped or small basil or Thai basil leaves
2 Tbs. chopped roasted peanuts
12 sprigs fresh cilantro
1 recipe Nuoc Cham (Vietnamese Dipping Sauce)

Cook the noodles:

Bring a medium potful of water to a rolling boil. Add the rice vermicelli and, stirring often, cook them until the strands are soft and white, but still resilient, 3 to 5 minutes. Don't be tempted to undercook them, as they must be fully cooked to absorb the flavors of the dish. Rinse them in a colander under cold water just until they're cool and the water runs clear. Let the noodles drain in the colander for 30 minutes, and then set them aside for up to 2 hours, unrefrigerated.

Marinate and cook the pork or beef:

Combine the sugar with 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir a few times and allow to simmer until the sauce turns deep brown, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, have some extra hot water ready on a back burner. Once the sauce reaches the desired color, carefully add 4 to 5 Tbs. hot water to slow the cooking and thin the sauce. (Be sure to hold the pan away from you so that none of the hot caramel splatters on you when you add the water.) If necessary, add more hot water. The sauce should only be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Set aside to cool.

Pound the shallots in a mortar and pestle or mince by hand. Transfer the shallots to a mixing bowl and combine with the fish sauce, soy sauce, salt, vegetable oil, and cooled caramel marinade. Stir well to blend. Add the pork or beef slices and let marinate for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a broiler or light a charcoal or gas grill. When the broiler or fire is very hot, cook the pork or beef until just done, about 2 minutes on each side. Let the pork or beef rest for 10 to 15 minutes, and cut into thin strips.

Assemble the salads:

Divide the lettuce, bean sprouts, cucumber, mint, and basil among four large soup or pasta bowls. Fluff the noodles with your fingers and divide them among the prepared salad bowls. Put the grilled pork on the noodles and garnish each bowl with the peanuts and cilantro. Pass the nuoc cham at the table; each diner should drizzle about 3 Tbs. over the salad and then toss the salad in the bowl a few times with two forks or chopsticks before eating.

Bon Appetit!

Lincoln Park: Breakfast, Lunch and Home By Dinner

Breakfast: Toast

With just 12 tables, this tiny spot at 746 West Webster is cozy, has great service and cooks up the best Steak Eggs Benedict ever.

The steak was so perfectly cooked and tender I almost forgot that I was having breakfast.

Lunch: Simply It

At 2269 North Lincoln Avenue, I knew I was in the right place – even thought the name is misleading- because most of the customers were Asian.

The chicken soup: Full of flavor…unusual flavor that would be impossible to recreate without a recipe. Although it’s tempting, I’m not even going to punish myself and try.

Egg Rolls: I love Vietnamese egg rolls and use to travel to Minneapolis often just to eat them at Que Viet Vietnamese Restaurant.

Well travel no more because these were just as good and the perfect little mini size.

The wrappers are superbly crunchy and the dipping sauce is classic and light. Yes, we’re all talking light for the new years.

Let’s see if I learn any kitchen confidentials on making Nuoc Cham when I am in Vietnam this year.

6 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (preferably nuoc mam)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup warm water
1 garlic clove, forced through a garlic press
2 small thin fresh red or green Asian chilies (1 to 2 inches long) or serrano chilies, seeded and chopped fine (wear rubber gloves)

Mix in a small bowl.

Main Dish: Vietnamese Pork Chops

This recipe tastes just like the pork chops I ate at the restaurant. It is also from the January/February edition of Saveur which I think is one of their best issues ever. Every recipe I have cooked so far has been textbook.

The restaurant used honey in theit marinate. This one calls for caramelizing the sugar which is the way I have always done Vietnamese recipes.

½ cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar
⅓ cup thinly sliced shallots
¼ cup thinly sliced lemongrass
2 tbsp. peanut oil
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1½ tbsp. fish sauce
1 tbsp. ground black pepper
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 lb. ¼″-thick pork blade chops, pounded thin
Cooked white rice and nuoc cham (Vietnamese chili-garlic sauce), for serving

Heat ½ cup of sugar in a 1-qt. heavy bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, swirling pan often, until sugar dissolves and turns to liquid caramel. Remove from heat; add ¼ cup boiling water. Return pan to heat; cook, swirling pan gently, until caramel dissolves in water. Remove from heat and let cool. Transfer to a food processor along with remaining sugar, shallots, lemongrass, oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, pepper, and garlic; purée until smooth. Place pork chops in a 9″ × 13″ baking dish and pour over purée; cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour or overnight.

Heat a 12″ cast-iron grill pan over high heat. Working in batches, add chops; cook, turning once, until charred in spots and cooked through, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately with rice and chili-garlic sauce.

Puerco Asada

When it comes to holiday classics, we love Puerco Asada (Cuban Style Pork Roast) which comes from Kyle’s mom and is a quick study on how to cook a perfect pork roast and give it a new twist. The trick is to crisp the outer skin while the roast itself is still tender and moist.
Really watch your cooking time. I checked it in half hour increments after I cooked it for 1 1/2 hours covered. Once you’ve cooked it once or twice, this hesitation is over and you are good to not pay attention while it is cooking.

This recipe is a classic and was first published in Gourmet in November, 1998.

Some cooks use oranges in Puerco Asada. It’s really just a matter of preference.

I know a lot of people who cook this recipe at low heat and turn it up to 475 or 500 degrees for the last 20 minutes.

When I first saw this recipe, I actually wondered if 375 degrees was too high to cook a pork roast for 4 hours. Happy to report that it wasn’t and I found this recipe was the best for crisping the skin.

This is my new favorite pork roast recipe and absolutely winter perfect.

Bon Appetit!

6 limes

8 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon ground cumin
8-pound bone-in fresh pork picnic shoulder with skin
3 cups water
6 tablespoons vinegar

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Squeeze enough juice from limes to measure 1 cup. Mince garlic.

In a bowl stir together 3 tablespoons lime juice, garlic, 2 1/2 tablespoons salt, oregano, and cumin.

Pat pork dry and with a sharp small knife make 1-inch-long by 3/4-inch-deep incisions 2 inches apart in pork skin.

Push about 1 teaspoon garlic mixture into each incision and rub remainder on meaty ends not covered by skin.

Transfer pork to a large roasting pan (about 18 by 12 by 2 inches) and pour remaining lime juice around pork.

Roast pork, uncovered, in middle of oven until most of juice is evaporated and brown bits begin to form on bottom of pan, about 30 minutes.

In a bowl stir together water and vinegar and pour mixture around pork.

Cover pan tightly with foil and roast 1 hour. With a small ladle baste meat only (not skin) with pan juices and roast pork, covered, 1 hour.

With cleaned sharp small knife gently loosen skin from meat (without cutting through skin) and with a spoon baste meat under skin with pan juices. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 tablespoon salt over skin and roast pork, uncovered, basting meat (not skin) every 20 minutes, 1 1/2 hours more, or until skin is crisp.

Transfer pork to a cutting board, reserving pan juices, and let stand 20 minutes. Skim fat from reserved pan juices.

Cut pork into 1/4-inch-thick slices and serve with pan juices.

The Simple Joy of A Southern Christmas

Ask anyone what their favorite food is and I guarantee if they’ve had Southern, they’ll place it at the top of their list.

Southern food is the perfect comfort food and Christmas was all about comfort.

Here are some of the things that I loved about being back in the South again.

The Ham
Yes, Ham is a holiday classic and actually, for breakfast, lunch or dinner, I could do ham any time. It’s one of my favorite meats.

Soak a ham overnight in apple juice to remove the salt and change the juice once or twice.
Before you cook the ham rub it with an orange, stud it with cloves and during baking baste it with cider.

Once the ham is cooked, deglaze the drippings with brandy (as little or as much as you want) and reduce it to sauce.

We also did sweet potatoes which are not my favorite but hey – nothing that a lot of butter and brown sugar can’t cure.

My son got the River Road Cookbook (first edition) which I think is one of the best, old Louisiana cookbooks. If you want to know how to cook perfect white gravy, you have your choice of thin, medium or thick.

Presents: We all (see I’ve slipped back into my southern drawl again) got kitchen toys and I continue to be inspired that people are so passionate about cooking together.

Like Pizzas…and we cooked a lot of them.

Jessica’s Pizza Dough

3 cups warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 tbsp yeast
2 tsp salt
7 1/2-8 cups flour

Mix first 3 ingredients in mixing bowl. Add in yeast and salt. Then add in flour. Knead all together and put in large bowl. Cover for 2-4 hours. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or bake on a preheated pizza stone for 7-10 minutes at 500.

Jessica prebaked the pizza crust in a 350 oven for about 7 minutes, took it out and topped it and then put it back in the oven for another 13 minutes. All of her pizzas were delicious. We especially loved the BBQ chicken of which my son was the pizza chef.

We also preheated a pizza stone for 45 minutes at 500 degrees and cooked one for 7 – 10 minutes just so she could taste the difference with the pizza stone. We agreed that we liked the one cooked on the stone the best as there is such a remarkable difference in the outcome of the crust.

I still use my time-honored pizza dough recipe that I’ve made since 1987. It’s from James McNair’s Pizza cookbook.

Basic Pizza Dough

1 tbsp. sugar
1 cup warm water (110-115 degrees f.)
1 envelope quick-rising active dry yeast (1/4 ounce)
3 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm tap water that registers 110-115 degrees F.

Sprinkle yeast over water and stir gently until it dissolves, about 1 minute. When yeast is mixed with the water at the proper temperature, a smooth, beige-colored mixture results. Let stand in a warm spot until a thin layer of foam covers the surface, about 5 minutes, indicating that the yeast is effective.

To mix and knead the dough by hand, combine 3 cups of the flour with the salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the yeast mixture and the oil. Using a wooden spoon, vigorously stir the flour into the well, beginning in the center and working toward the sides of the bowl, until the flour is incorporated and the soft dough just begins to hold together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust your hands with flour and knead the dough gently in the following manner: press down on the dough with the heels of your hands and push it away from you, then partially fold it back over itself. Shift it a quarter turn and repeat the procedure. While kneading, very gradually add just enough of the remaining ¼ cup of flour until the dough is no longer sticky or tacky; this should take about 5 minutes. As you work, use a metal dough scraper to pry up any bits of dough that stick to the work surface. Continue kneading until the dough is smooth, elastic, and shiny, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Knead the dough only until it feels smooth and springy; too much kneading overdevelops the gluten in the flour and results in a tough crust.

If you have a Kitchen Aid (my son gave me one for Christmas in OSU Orange) use your dough hook and let the machine knead it for 5 minutes. Now I wonder why I waited so long to get one.

After mixing and kneading the dough, shape the dough into a ball and place it in a well-oiled bowl, turning to coat completely on all sides with oil. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and set to rise in a draft free warm place (75-85 degrees) until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes for quick-rising yeast, or 1 to 1 ½ hours for regular.

With your fist, punch down the dough as soon as it has doubled in bulk to prevent overrising. Shape it into a ball, pressing out all the air bubbles.

Top and cook in a preheated 500 degree oven for 7 -10 minutes

I also love Davanti Enoteca’s breakfast pizza. The recipe: Béchamel sauce, scallions, asiago cheese, potato, pork belly and a farmed egg on top. I’ve tried twice to make it at home (use a mandolin to slice the potatoes) and although it was good, it just doesn’t taste like Davanti’s. I can usually figure out a recipe so I’ve concluded that it must be the atmosphere at Davanti that makes their pizza taste so good.

Redrock (9916 Riverside Pkwy, Tulsa) Ribs and potatoes – another great repeat performance and high marks for their classic Margarita –

almost as good as mine and at $7 a pop, you get a drink and a half to share with your mom.

I loved the breakfast at BBDII (8218 S Harvard, Tulsa)… even if it was my son’s breakfast I loved instead of mine. Conclusion: Let your son order your breakfast. It’s a safe bet.

Classics: Claude’s Hamburgers (since 1954) and Weber’s Root Beer (since 1933).

New Classics: Cranberry Infused Vodka. This is so good in a Christmas cocktails you’ll want to start the blend weeks in advance of the holidays.

Place cranberries in bowl of food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.
Combine vodka and cranberries. Cover and let stand for at least 2 weeks. Strain with fine mesh sieve into a bowl; discard solids.

Transfer to sterilized bottles that seal airtight; refrigerate.

Going down to Cherry Street and my old haunt, the Petroleum Club, was memory lane, as was Cain’s Ballroom where Hank Williams Jr. has planted his star.

Tulsa has changed. Going to the Blue Dome District was a whole new Tulsa for me.

I bought my son a Christmas tree this year, cut fresh and shipped to his door. I wanted him to have the best Christmas ever.

As I do each year, I bought him some new ornaments to remind him of the year passed - his celebrated Margaritaville party, a Florida vacation where he pulled star fish out of the ocean in the early AM light, and the Cubs (another season come and gone but we still for eternity BELIEVE). Events that he can now look back on and always remember.

We spent Friday night at our number one restaurant: Flemings. (1976 Utica Sqaure). They have small plates on the menu now including my favorite: the Lamb Riblets.

A Side Trip To OKC:

Loved Pinkizels (150 N. E Gaylord Blvd)– Malted Milk and Salted Caramel cupcakes. A renowned bakery with a few surprising treats…like white chocolate candy with pecans and caramel.

OKC Memorial and Wall: Overpowering. In a place of such somber remembrance, the tranquility, at first sight, clearly took my breath away with a single view.

Eischens: does the oldest bar in Oklahoma have the best chicken in the world? Got my vote after hearing that they serve 24,000 pieces of fried chicken a week.

What’s in the recipe? Wheat flour, corn meal, salt, baking powder, sugar, paprika and a whole lot of other secret spices. Deep fry at 330 degrees for 15 minutes.

We also had Frito Chili Pie which is definitely an Oklahoma obsession although when I got back home to Chicago, I laughed when I saw that my new Saveur Magazine had posted this recipe from Mabel’s Smokehouse, an Oklahoma-style BBQ restaurant in Brooklyn.

Actually, this is one of the best chili recipes that I have made recently. It has a genuine Oklahoma kick to it.

Frito Pie

2 ½ pounds ground beef
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Kosher salt to taste
2 tbsp. cumin
2 tbsp. chili powder
2 tbsp. dried oregano
2 tbsp. black pepper
1 ½ tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. paprika
1 ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
3 cups whole peeled tomatoes in juice, pureed
1 10.2 oz bag Fritos-brand corn chips
Toppings: shredded white and cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced jalapenos, minced red onion, sliced scallions and cilantro leaves.

Work in batched, add beef to a 6 quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Drain and return to heart with oil,

Add onion and cook, stirring until caramelized, about 15 minutes.

Add garlic, season with salt and coo until garlic is soft and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Add all the spices, beef, tomatoes and 1 ½ cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 45 minutes.

Divide chips among 6 serving bowls and top with chili and all of the toppings.

The Party’s Over:

In a blink of an eye, the holidays have come and gone. As always, food was a major part of our holiday journey. Remember - The benefit of eating together as a family is as significant as the food you cook.

I know your holiday was the perfect combination of tradition and magnificent feasting.

Bon Appetit and Let’s Do It Again Next Year!

2011: The Year In Pictures

January 2012: Maxwell Street Market