Vamos a Chicago

As if our Rueben experience at Lucky’s in Cleveland wasn’t enough to fulfill my daily goal of finding and eating good food on the road, we hit Chicago that afternoon.

Oh Chicago, oh how I needed to stay for at least 3 more months to even put a dent into your epic food scene. I had a taste and now I only want more.

It started on the rooftop bar of our hotel theWit – a hotel any visitor to Chicago should try to get a room at when visiting, we had a phenomenal stay. It has the highest open-air bar in the city, and they serve food and drinks with options of both indoor and outdoor seating. It was overcast and quite windy by the time we got up there, but the thoughtfully constructed deck had been built to block all of that Windy City wind out.

That, along with the strategically placed space heaters and chic long rows of fireplaces, kept us comfortable and warm and still enjoying fresh air and the excitement of being outside. The drinks were great – I had a pear vodka, honey, and lime cocktail (yum), Mom with a cosmo, of course – and the food looked superior. The only criticism we could give was that the big screen on the side of the building was forcing us to watch the Cavs completely spank the Celtics. We tried to synchronize our sips with every drained 3-pointer to hide our wincing.

And soon enough, it was time to get to dinner.

In preparing for this trip, I will admit that an embarrassing amount of time was spent on researching where we should go out to dinner in Chicago. We only had one night, so the pressure was on. I wanted it to be worthwhile, memorable, not too expensive, not too generic, flavorful, original.

Trying to plow through the options of ‘Chicago restaurants’ on Google on my own proved tiresome and pointless, so I tried farming out to friends who had already visited the city for advice. This only left me with multiple lists, none of which overlapped, of different places that all shared the same group title of “YOU MUST EAT HERE”.

Oy vey.

Nonetheless, after countless readings of menus and reviews, I followed my love for Spanish cuisine and decided on Mercat a la Planxa, a restaurant located right across Chicago’s gem of Millennium Park. The menu is based specifically on Catalan cuisine, in tapas style of course, which meant smaller plates of different tastes and preparations.

The style of the restaurant was open and warmly decorated, where we could plainly see the chefs in kitchen bustling to prepare our orders. The staff was incredibly helpful, and kept a perfect pace with the rate at which we were enjoying our meal. Although on the pricier side in general terms ($12 for four small scallops, $11 for a shortrib flatbread the size of an oversized piece of pizza) quality way overrides quantity here. You are paying for attention to detail, for the pure craft of the creative marriage of flavors, for quality ingredients, and for the talent of a chef who can deliver these things successfully (who I found out later is coincidentally the last Next Iron Chef winner Jose Garces).

With this in mind, you end up only needing a few bites to truly enjoy the dish anyway, seeing that each one will hold you for longer than you expect as you try to map out the flavors that are unfolding in your mouth. This is not something you can do with a cheaper, one-note flavored dish that you’re not fully enjoying or noticing anymore after bite five.

A few cocktails, seven plates, and after dinner drinks later, I sat there satisfied with our Mercat experience.

Chicago proved to be one great city, but in that moment the meal left me craving only one thing: the Spanish countryside.

Here are a few of my feeble attempts to photograph our experience:

My Sangriatini with the house bread in the background:

Crispy bottom, chewy and soft interior, and a tomato and garlic soaked top. Very Mediterranean, and very delectable. I didn’t want another slice, I wanted the whole pan.

Datiles con Almendras

Bacon-wrapped Dates Stuffed with Almonds

I even devoured the garnish.

Pulpo con Patatas

Spanish Octopus, Confit Potato, Smoked Paprika

Even for our 'least favorite' dish of the night, it was still pretty darn good. Love that Spanish paprika.

Costillas de Ternera

Beef Shortribs, Horseradish, Parmesan & Bacon

Peppery, savory, smoky, with a bite.

Diver Scallops

Simplicity at its finest.

Arroz a la Cazuela

Saffron Scented Broth with Maine Lobster, Chicken,

Chorizo, Rabbit, Shaved Artichoke Salad & Piquillo Aioli

Served still steaming. My heart stops for paella...

Croquetas de Mariscos

Shellfish Croquettes, Tarragon Emulsion

Eat them whole right from the spoon. A symphony of textures and flavors.

Croquetas de Xocolata

Milk Chocolate Croquettes, Banana Marshmallow, Rosemary Caramel, Arbequina Olive Oil

No, youre wrong. It's the farthest thing from disgusting you will ever find. The flavor combination is pure genius.

Oh, also, one of our favorite Chicago attractions; what we like to call, 'The Bean':

Although similar to any other ordinary mirror, you cannot pull yourself away from taking pictures off The Bean.

Mom whipped out her go-go gadget arms just for The Bean. Look at those limbs!

Rueben Bliss

CO Trip Day 2 & 3 May 7 - 8, 2010

385 + ~400 miles traveled

Day 2 & 3 of our trek west have came and went quickly, and brought us from Ashtabula, Ohio, to Avoca, Iowa, with a stopping point of the great city Chicago, Illinois in between. We have loved seeing the countryside unfold before us, and Ruthie has stayed strong as our trusty Stallion. But lets get down to the more important details here; what we’ve eaten, and how delicious it was.

Day 2:

Our first stop was Lucky’s Café in Cleveland, Ohio; another Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives hit conveniently stationed along the way of our already mapped route. This was a pick that I was particularly excited to get to, as it is a place that encompasses many of the food values I believe are incredibly important and advocate whole heartedly. The first is that they grow a variety of the ingredients they use to create their menu. Right next to their building spot they have a line up of garden plots placed among a group of picnic tables where customers can enjoy their food right next to…well, their food; right where it came from. And anything they cannot grow or make themselves on site, they buy from other regional food providers in the Ohio area. Because, just as our waitress explained to us, “we believe it just tastes better.” And she’s absolutely right.

It turned out that we arrived at Lucky’s at about 9:30 AM. Ever since I had seen the video clip from the show, I knew I needed to try their Rueben sandwich, no matter what else seduced me from their tantalizing menu. And, apparently, no matter what time of day it was because I dove into this phenomenon of sandwich before some people had even started their workday.

The Lucky Latte, sweetened with local honey. Don't judge coffee and honey until you try it. Wow.

And it was worth every single flavorful, juicy, tender, cheesy, crunchy crust, fresh bread, tangy, sweet, and savory bite. I know I say a lot of things I eat were ‘the best things ever’, but honestly, ladies and gentleman this-is-it. This is the real deal, the Cadillac, the Larry Bird, the whatever-you-want-to-call-it-that’s-the-best because it is that awesome.

The corned beef: from locally raised cattle, brined in-house with seasonings taken straight from the garden. Fall-apart tender, amazing beef flavor that is perfectly supported by a backdrop of the brining elements like coriander seed, ground mace, and fresh thyme.

The bread: housemade, rye, crisped on the griddle top, still soft interior

The sauerkraut: housemade, spot-on acidity, not oversalted, wilted just enough and maintaining a fresh crunch

The cheese: swiss, melted, not too much

The Thousand Island dressing: housemade, gently flavored, thoughtfully provided on the side for personal application. The chopped pickles in it? From cucumbers they grow in their garden, which they then pickle, and add to your dressing. No big deal.

All together: Rueben Bliss.

Go. Go to Cleveland, just for Lucky’s. They care about what they serve, and your taste buds will thank you.

Oh, we also got some of the baked goods to go (how can you honestly bypass them on the way out?) We enjoyed them on the road on our 'Atlas Coffee Table' as Mom likes to call it. Yum.

Diners and Waterfalls

CO Trip Day 1 May 6, 2010

Miles traveled: 617

Well, today officially marked the starting point of my 2010 trip out west. Yup, I am heading back to Paonia, Colorado – where I was WWOOFing last fall – and am now returning to Excelsior Orchard as a then WWOOFer and now employee, for the summer harvest season.

I decided this time I wanted to drive, for many reasons really:

1) I have never made a long car trip east to west in this country yet

2) I’d love to have a car out in Colorado this summer to explore the natural playground that will be at my disposal

3) I’d love for Ruthie (my 2004 silver Ford Focus) to get some exercise on the interstates. Owner-Car bonding is important.

The ultimate bonus though? My mom has not done any of the above either, and decided to accompany me for the trek out as my co-pilot. We took off this morning with a trunk full of ‘stuff’, a satchel of homemade snacks, a slew of maps, and a hunger for road.

Which brings me to the first highlight of the day. After properly fueling through the early morning hours with coffees and Morning Glory Muffins (yes, the same ones from ‘The 16^th Batch’ post) our stomachs were grumbling as we approached Buffalo, NY.

Upon my own ideas for goals of the trip, as well as a suggestion from a fellow food-loving friend, I thought it would be neat to see if any of Guy Fieri’s featured spots on his show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives would show up our selected route. It turned out there were indeed a few of them, the first being Sophia’s Diner in Buffalo, NY. Our first trip destination was Niagara Falls, so Sophia’s would fit perfectly in our schedule. I obviously watched the video clip from the show that featured Sophia’s before leaving today, and you can imagine my anticipation and excitement for what awaited us…

…when I pulled on the door only to be resisted by the bolt lock. “Nooooo,” my mom and I both said, turning to each other slowly and wide-eyed from hunger pains and disbelief. The sign said they closed at 3PM everyday. It was 2:50PM. We were confused, lost; like stray puppies looking for a scrap at a usually reliable restaurant dumpster.

Once we got the attention of one of the waitresses, she came around outside to explain they had to close early today for some certain reason. We said we were bummed, but asked more importantly about where another place would be good for us to go grab a bite. And just as she started to explain the directions to another restaurant, the owner, Sam, popped his head out the door and said, “Nah, Stephanie, we can take ‘em. Come on in ladies.”

From that point on I didn’t need to even taste the food to know why it was so good. Good people were behind the menu items at this diner, and that is one of the main reasons why it is such a delicious experience to eat there.

From trucker Mike’s recommendation from the booth behind us (he's a regula), we went for the chicken souvlaki and the roasted pork sandwich (the daily special), with homefries of course. The pictures really speak for themselves with this one. Yes, the deliciously house-roasted pork was sandwiched between their freshly made bread (shown being made on the show clip). Yes, it was covered in their house gravy. Yes, the marinade for the chicken was deliciously Greek with its hint of oregano. And yes, it was moist, and went perfectly with the quality romaine lettuce, feta, tomatoes, olives, and housemade vinaigrette. All enjoyed as the only customers in the whole joint, invited in after the doors were closed a bit too early.

Hated it.

Sam (Owner), Stephanie and Angela (the nicest waitresses you could ask for)

Nerds.

And just to polish it all off, we drove up to Niagara Falls for dessert. What an impressive natural spectacle…we couldn’t stop taking deep breaths of that fresh, misty air! The perfect afternoon sun showed off the thundering falls magnificently, and we slowly pulled away to drive to our final resting point of the day right outside Cleveland, OH. Over and out for Day 1~

The 16th Batch

Just posted on LIS ... its nice to finally share the final recipe with everyone!

Morning Glory Muffins, Made-Over

As an intern at America’s Test Kitchen – and also at its respective magazines Cook’s Illustrated, Cook’s Country, numerous cookbooks, and television series - you are able to see the entire recipe development process unfold right before your eyes. And, in most cases, you are experiencing it with your own hands too. By taking on the role as an intern, you are signed up to assist the test cooks as they tirelessly test every facet of a certain recipe, which often leads to a recipe being made forty, fifty, or even seventy times. This means a lot of ingredients, a lot of prep work, and a lot of tasting. And don’t take the vague descriptor of ‘a lot’ here lightly…I’m talking slicing forty pounds of onions to make ten batches of French onion soup simultaneously…in one afternoon. How else could we know what type of beef broth is best? This was what my days were like during the thirteen week period of my time there.

To enhance our experience in the test kitchen, we (I and the other wonderful group of people interning along with me) were given a project that enabled us to mimic the procedure that a test cook goes through each time they are assigned an official recipe project. This meant that, on our own, we were to pick a recipe out of a given topic, research its background and recipe variation, test the many differing elements of the recipe, create a final ‘best recipe’ from the results of said tests, and write an article describing our testing experience behind the created dish in the style of Cook’s Illustrated magazine.

Our topic was fruit muffins. Sounds like a pretty good topic, right? When you think about muffins, they seem so cute. Harmless little palm sized delights, sitting daintily in a dishtowel-lined basket, probably ready for a summer picnic. Let me tell you though, after your 15^th batch of muffins that didn’t turn out the way you wanted them to, you start hallucinating tiny little devil horns growing out of muffin tops. Do I really have to make and taste you, AGAIN?? And the answer is yes, because you want to get it right.

Alright, I may be being overdramatic. There were no devil muffins, although I will say that none of us could even look at a muffin for a good couple of weeks after the project was done. But of course, like many challenges, it was very rewarding at the end to have completed the whole process and have your own original recipe and story laid out in an article format.

Morning Glory Muffins was what I chose as my topic. Since I was so fed up with muffins that were more like cupcakes with an identity crisis, I wanted to create a Morning Glory muffin that was still moist and delicious, without being oil slicked and bombed with refined sugar. Who wants to start their day that way? After playing around with many different ingredients and ratios – how much AP Flour to whole wheat flour? What is the real purpose of the egg yolk vs. the egg white? When and how does ‘moist’ turn the corner to ‘gummy’? - the rising heroes of the recipes proved to be apple butter and honey, each adding excellent flavor and texture profiles to the otherwise ordinary muffin. Although Morning Glories were a bold project choice with all of the different ingredients and recipes that exist, I was able to create at least one more variation to add to the list.

Morning Glory Muffins

Makes 12 Muffins

NOTE: Apple butter is a fruit spread made from the low-and-slow cooking of apples, liquid, and in some cases added sugar or spices. We prefer Whole Earth All Natural Tap’nApple Apple Butter Spread which contains only apples and apple cider. Other brands will work as well, but be sure to read the ingredients and/or taste it prior to using as these flavors will affect the final taste of your muffin.

1 cup (5 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup (5 ounces) whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup packed (3.5 ounces) light brown sugar

1/2 cup apple butter (see note)

1/4 cup honey

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups grated carrots (from about 4-5 medium, peeled carrots)

1 medium Granny Smith apple peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4 inch dice (about 3/4 cup)

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly spray cups with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Whisk the flours, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until combined. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar, apple butter, honey, melted butter, and vanilla extract until combined, set aside.

3. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and gently fold until the mixture just starts to come together; streaks of flour should still remain. Add the carrots, apples, raisins, walnuts, and stir until evenly combined. Try not over-mix or you will have tough muffins.

4. Divide batter evenly among the 12 cup spaces by scooping into prepared muffin tin. It will seem like a lot of batter but don’t worry: the batter level will stand above the cup line and is stiff enough that it will stay standing. The muffins will spread out as it bakes (but will not over-rise). Bake until muffins tops have slightly browned and a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out with a few crumbs attached, 24-27 minutes. Place tin on wire rack to cool 5 minutes, then remove muffins from tin to wire rack. Let sit 10 minutes before serving. They also freeze beautifully, and may be even better the next day!

Banana Mash

I think about food. A lot. And not only in the sense of "I'm hungry, I want to eat", but in many different facets really.

I see art in food. I see cultural patterns, decisions, potential, history, personality, future, nature, nurture...the list goes on. And I so appreciate food for all of the things it shows us and gives us everyday. How many other things in life can evoke our different senses so intensely at the same time? I guess that's why I've never really met a food that I've truly hated (at least yet...and of course unless its something that is poorly made or cared for). Yeah, I might not like the flavor or texture of a certain food so much (black licorice plays a dangerous edge), but I always follow by saying "but it still does serve its purpose someway somehow!"

Am I worried that I'm hesitant to offend something that cannot think or speak? Hmm, maybe I should be... but oh well, that's me I guess.

The reason I started thinking about the many sides of food, though, was because I was thinking about the next thing I could write about to post here. Sometimes I feel like one of my food thoughts (something I see, make, eat...) is too small or insignificant to write about on here. Does anyone else really care? I always wonder. This morning however, as I was making my oatmeal, I realized that this is such a silly sentiment. In reality, it never hurts to share a thought or idea. You never know what it will mean for someone else, or, what it will mean to you as it changes through someone else's perspective.

So today, as my oatmeal cooked on the stove, I made my favorite bowl-accompaniment of banana with some sort of nut butter (sometimes peanut, sometimes almond, sometimes a mixture of the two, plus some chopped walnuts... if I'm feeling sassy). But instead of just slicing the former and scooping in the later; you take your banana, mash it with a fork, add a spoonful or two of nutbutter, and mash away until its all mixed.

I know a lot of us know the flavor or banana and peanut butter together -- nothing new there. But for some reason, the first time I made this I tasted it and was blown away and pleasantly surprised by what I was tasting. The two flavors were so much more married in this mashed state, as opposed to its chunkier, disconnected, non-mashed predecessor. The natural sugars of the banana break down and mingle right next to the salty, hearty ground nuts, and they are introduced seamlessly together to the tongue with their now wetter, glossier texture. This is why its best to do this with just ripe and older bananas - keep the greener youngsters for a snack or cereal.

I love it in oatmeal, I love it on toast, I love it straight up. I call it Banana Mash.
Because it's as simple as its name suggests, and that counts.

¡HOLA! Granola

Another article posted on Local In Season...check it out here or there!

First, there’s the growling stomach. It starts at a whisper and gains volume with every minute it’s ignored. Then, the lethargy hits. Time’s slower, you’re slower, sitting is a chore. Finally, the world turns against you. Somehow, someway, everyone and everything has acquired the same ultimate goal: to annoy you mercilessly. The symptoms are classic. Hunger strikes again, and it will stop for nothing until its satisfied.

Low blood-sugar episodes are no fun, and it is one of my main priorities to avoid them at all costs. This is why in almost every purse, backpack, and even jacket pocket of mine, you’ll find some sort of snack tucked away. I call it my emergency stash. Some people carry around Epipens, I carry granola. I guess we all have our issues…

Although some sort of store bought version is always safely stored away in my cabinets (can you tell I like to be prepared?) you will most likely find me making a batch of granola every Sunday to get me through the week ahead. Quite frankly, I like to say that my granola recipe got me through college. On those marathon days of ungodly amounts of hours straight in the library, bringing a bag of my granola with me would be just as important as bringing my textbooks. While everyone rushed to the vending machines for caffeinated cans of who-knows-what, I knew my concoction of oats and nuts would fuel me right through any paper or study session. As my friends and classmates slowly caught on to my routine, they started asking me when I was going to start selling it around campus. I never quite got to that point since finishing my degree overruled starting full-time granola production, but I figured my creation at least deserved an official name. So, since more often than not what I was studying while munching was somehow Spanish related due to my major, ¡Hola! Granola was born.

The recipe below is the backbone of every batch I make. It is certainly tasty enough on its own, but other versions often appear from whatever is in my reach within my cabinets that particular week. Some days I add coconut, others wheat germ, and a few different spices have been known to make an appearance as well. It’s a recipe that is completely open to variation, so feel free to experiment with your favorite tastes. With warmer weather coming our way too (finally!), it is a perfect companion for any hike or outdoor activity to keep you energized. Now you can finally combat those painful hunger spells and say ¡Hola! to satisfaction with your own stash of granola.

Ingredients

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

· ½ cup slivered almonds

· ½ cup chopped walnuts

· ½ cup 100% pure maple syrup

· ¼ cup honey

· 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

· ½ teaspoon cinnamon

· ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

· ¼ teaspoon salt

· ¾ cup dried fruit (I usually do a mixture of raisins, cranberries, and cherries)

Method

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Spray a sided sheet pan liberally with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine the oats, almonds, and walnuts in a medium bowl, set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the maple syrup, honey, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Mix with a fork or whisk until thoroughly combined. Pour the syrup mixture over the oat mixture and stir to evenly coat the oats and nuts.

Pour the oat mixture on to the pan and spread into an even layer using a spatula, packing it down to create a flat surface. Bake until golden brown and smelling nutty, about 27-30 minutes. Sprinkle the dried fruit over the top of the warm granola, and let cool completely in the pan. Break off the granola in large chunks or crumble with your hands to create more of a loose granola great for yogurt or milk.