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Culinary Creativity At Be Exposed!

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April 11th, 2010 | Culinary Arts, BeExposed!, Carolyn's Coffee Connection, Blog

At the next BeExposed! show, we’ll delve into the culinary arts with one of our featured artists, food blogger Dana Boyle. Read on to find out more about her, then join us this Friday to see what she’ll be cooking up!
Dana Boyle is an accomplished home gourmet and the author of Confessions Over the Sink, a blog about eating and cooking real food for real people. There, Dana shares her everyday cooking, eating and food experiences with her audience. Her cooking style is eclectic, but has its roots in her upbringing and adventures with her grandparents’ Southern, Hungarian, Pennsylvania Dutch, and Irish culture, growing up in a very close-knit Italian hometown, and traveling to live and study in places like Washington, D.C., New Orleans, Mexico and Montreal. Dana’s bond with others, more than any other thing, is food and common experiences shared over meals.
Dana has been asked to cook for parties, events and to orchestrate the main dishes for gatherings of friends and colleagues. She offers personal chef services on request for special occasions.
She has been cooking since her great-grandmother put her up on a stool wearing one of her great-grandfather’s shirts as a smock to help make potato salad at three years old. Her grandmothers, mother, aunts, friends, and people she’s connected with in her travels have nurtured her love of food, cooking and sharing love around a table.
Dana is also a local attorney and life coach. She can be found at http://confessionsoverthesink.blogspot.com, or emailed at dana@danalboyle.com.

http://exposekenosha.com/2010/04/11/culinary-creativity-at-be-exposed/

Bartley House - Kenosha, WI

David wanted to take me somewhere to celebrate my new, big client this weekend.  We thought of a few places, and we went to one that had too long of a wait and then another that closed.  Then I thought of Bartley House.  I'd never taken David there before, so as we drove up he was making faces and couldn't believe which building it was when I pointed it out.  (I thought I'd find a picture online, but I'll have to go snap one next time I'm at the courthouse and post it so you can see.)  Bartley House is a modest, cinder block building on the corner along a street that runs the side of a viaduct under the train tracks in my home town, about 5 blocks from where I grew up.  The area is sketchy to the point of having a security guard outside the restaurant.  It's the kind of place Guy Fieri should visit, because it's a total dive with great food and great service and a cult following, only the cult is old school Kenosha, and everyone is dressed in nice clothes.

When we walked in, David was surprised.  He thought the place was really neat.  It's old school, like the old fashioned supper clubs, with a big bar where you can wait for your table and the waitresses will walk your drinks over to the table on trays when you're done.  As you first walk in, there is an open grill where the steaks are being prepared.  They sat us at an intimate table in the back.  The place was packed and dimly lit, which was good for the mood.  David said, "I can't believe you never brought me here before.  This is so cool."  It was love at first sight.

We started with drinks and the char broiled shrimp appetizer.  It was quite charred on the outside, but perfectly done and delicious, and just enough to whet our appetite, which is what an appetizer should do.  We had plenty of other food coming, trust me.  He ordered an 8 oz filet mignon, medium, with a baked potato and I ordered the prime rib special with the signature hash browns with peppers and onions.  

As we waited, they brought us an assortment of crackers and our soup and salad.  I tried the "famous" clam chowder and David had a salad with Roquefort dressing.  His salad was great, and I dipped my bread stick in the extra dressing.  I didn't care for the soup.  It was a red clam chowder, not my preference, and aside from that, the cream had broken and it was quite bland and overcooked.  I had a few bites but had plenty more to look forward to.  The waitress brought us rolls and a big cup of pats of butter sliced up and ice cold.  This was the highlight of dinner for David.  He said, "This is my kind of place!  Who does that?  Most places give you those packets of butter you have to peel open or one slice of butter and that's not enough."  He couldn't stop talking about the butter.  I had 1/2 of a pat.  :)  While you wait for your entree, Bartley House serves you their brand of cottage cheese, which is small curd and very cold with garlic and chives mixed in.  It's surprising at first, but addictive.  They also bring kidney bean salad, and it's tasty too, with a creamy mayo dressing.

Our steaks came with our sides of potatoes, and everything looked fantastic.  They were perfectly done, great smelling and we were just about to find out how they tasted.  The prime rib was to die for.  I didn't need a steak knife.  It literally pulled away every time I wanted another bite.  It melted in my mouth.  I ordered it medium rare, and it was.  I ate nearly all of it, sharing 2 bites with David, who wished he'd ordered the prime rib.  His filet was also delicious and cooked perfectly.  It had a slight char on the outside and was slightly pink inside and the flavor was rich and buttery.  He added quite a bit of pepper because he enjoys it that way.  I had a couple of bites of his steak and thought it was just as good as mine.  His baked was served with sour cream that I also used on my hash browns.  The browns come almost like a potato pancake with onion and peppers grilled in, and are excellent with a dollop of sour cream. 

I finished every bite of my meal, except for the fat.  David could not believe what I ate.  Then I wanted dessert.  I was celebrating!  Little did I know I should not have ordered dessert because it was going to be so good that we'd eat it all.  I asked the waitress, who had given us perfect service all night at just the right pace so as not to rush us or delay, what the dessert offerings were again.  David said, "It's up to you.  You can pick any banana cream cheesecake you want."  It's our inside joke.  He chooses everything, but he tells me it's up to me and somehow lets me know by how he tells me it's up to me, so I've told him to just tell me what he wants because I'm onto him.  We did order the banana cream cheesecake because I miss New Orleans banana cream pie and thought it might satisfy my craving.  

Even the coffee was good!  When the cheesecake came, we immediately knew it was going to be to die for.  It looked that good, with tons of fresh whipped cream on top.  I assure you we were not watching our waste lines that night, but we did share a piece.  We took our first bites and David asked me a question about something behind me to try to trick me so he could eat the entire dessert.  This was a fluffy, creamy, real banana cheesecake, not some banana flavored concoction.  It was definitely a dessert to fight over, but we were both so full that we shared well and by the time I took my last bite I knew I had overdone it.  I actually felt kind of sick for about 20 minutes after we ate, and I haven't felt that way in a long time.  I can't even remember the last time I ate that much or that rich a meal.

I always try to review the restrooms in these places too.  Theirs is old school, like the rest of the place, with the towel that revolves, but it was clean and there was plenty of it to pull down and use.  They had a very old sink, but hot and cold water and soap.  The ladies room was clean, well stocked and in very good working order. The entire place was great, except for that people do smoke at the bar and there is no real barrier to smelling like smoke when you leave.  I suspect they will change that in July when all Wisconsin restaurants go smoke-free.

The total bill with all of that and 4 mixed drinks with call liquors and a soda came to $90 plus tip, and we tipped the security guard on the way out.  David opened the door for me and the security guard said, "Who says there aren't any gentlemen left in the world?"  It was a perfect evening and a perfect meal with David the Perfect (that's from another conversation I had today).  Earlier, he brought me a dozen white roses and a card that was written for coaches that said I make everyone feel special, and he wrote a nice note in it too.  I am a very lucky woman, I know.

Oh, and if you're interested in visiting the Bartley House, they do have other items including Friday Fish Fry for $6.95 (unheard of).  It's located at 1212 - 58th Street in Kenosha and you will have to park on the street, most likely, unless you're with Jerry Seinfeld's parents (the 4p.m. crowd).

Wells Bros. - Racine, WI

Wells Brothers is located on Mead and 21st Streets in Racine.  I live in the historic district in Racine, but even I will say it's in a very rough spot of Racine.  I don't feel safe there.  It reminds me of a couple of restaurants I've been to that have security outside to watch the parking lot and to escort people in and out, except Wells Bros. doesn't have security, that I can tell.  (I just spoke to a Racinian who indicates that there is usually a cop on duty outside the place on busy nights.)

I was invited to Wells Bros. for a meeting.  I have never been there, despite living in Racine for almost 9 years.  When I got there I felt unsafe.  There were teenage loiterers all over the place.  Luckily, it was daylight and there were others arriving.  When I went inside I was not surprised that the restaurant is in desperate need of remodeling.  It smells like a dirty bar mop, and the vents covering the central AC ducts were packed with thick, dirty dust.  I only noticed because I was seated right over the top of one of the vents.  I will say the atmosphere didn't do much for my appetite.  

The staff seemed very nice, including bartenders and wait staff.  They worked around us as we held a seminar/meeting.  I found our waitress very attentive, and she smiled a lot and called everyone "hon" or "sweetie."

First, they put out pizza at the bar.  I had heard that in Racine this pizza is considered the best.  I'll say it had some decent flavor, but it's super thin and greasy.  If you like that kind of pizza, it's for you for sure. I had a couple of small pieces and used a couple of napkins and then had to wash my hands.  (I have also been told that there have been magazines that have rated this pizza in the top 10 in the nation, to be fair...so try it for yourself and decide.)

Then our food came to the tables, served family-style.  I thought this was a nice touch instead of doing a buffet.  The server, again, was very nice and attentive, and brought more of whatever dishes seemed to be going fast, despite the fact that the guys at my table passed the dishes amongst themselves before getting to me so that I had very little to eat.  It's ok, because the food wasn't that great and I just wanted to taste each item. 

The first dish they brought out was salad.   It was pretty good, with pepperoni, mozzarella and olives, all coated in the homemade house Italian dressing.  I thought maybe I'll be surprised and dinner will be good.  Then they served a potato dish.  It was like a home fries/casserole with lots of garlic.  That was actually tasty.

Some cheese ravioli came out and I tried only one, but then I was glad that the guys ate the rest of them because the bad frozen raviolis you buy at the grocery store in the frozen section are better.  These weren't very hot, the dough was watered down and not very flavorful, the filling was equally unappealing, and the red sauce was runny for my taste and not anything impressive.  I passed on seconds.

I tried one meatball and one piece of Italian sausage with peppers.  The meatball was gross.  I didn't like the flavor or the texture.  It seemed like something you'd buy in a frozen bag of meatballs, and I'm sure it wasn't, but it was not appetizing at all.  I would have spit my bite out, but that would have been rude.  I didn't finish the meatball.  The sausage had ok flavor, but wasn't prepared in any way that made it special.  The particular sausage they use is fatty and the texture isn't easy to chew.  I didn't finish my sausage either.  

I did take a piece of slow roasted chicken.  I had a thigh and it was decent but, again, nothing special.  It was like someone put a chicken in a crock pot with just salt and pepper and cooked it until it was falling apart.  I was glad to find something I could take more than a bite of, though, and I finished the thigh meat.  

A side of seasoned green beans was served with the meal, but they were overcooked and most of them were untouched.  I tried a bite and that was enough.  The bread served with the meal was dried out as if it had been yesterday's bread.  I didn't even butter or try my slice.

I was surprised to find that the restrooms were actually cleaner than the rest of the front of the restaurant, and well stocked with everything needed.  Too bad the dining room wasn't as freshly painted and cleaned.

I couldn't help but think that if people have a booming business putting out this food, a good cook could make a bundle in Racine.  I can't believe this is a gathering place and an institution.  I hear that Salute on Main Street was owned by a son of the Wells Bros, but the ex-wife now runs it.  I enjoy Salute much better, ambience and food.  

The one thing Wells Bros has going for it is friendly staff.  I do have to give them thumbs up on that.  I'm sure I'll have to go back for meetings, but I will be sure to eat beforehand.

Urban Grille - Geneva, IL

David and I went to Urban Grille one time early on when we were dating.  It's one of my favorite memories because we had a fun day that day and we drove there in the Porsche with the top down, so I always wanted to go again.  They have gourmet burgers that I remember being tasty.  This weekend, we visited again.

The restaurant is modern.  It's casual food served in a finer dining atmosphere.  We have eaten in the bar at a hightop both times.  They have other fare, including sandwiches and appetizers, but we went for the burgers and we both ordered one.  They offer 1 lb, 1/2 lb and 1/3 lb Angus beef, and then they also offer the burgers in other varieties of meat.  Check the menu for details.

The burger menu allows you to build your burger with a variety of toppings and sauces.  I had mine with Fontina cheese, caramelized onions and Bourbon sauce.  I ordered it medium well, but I could have ordered it medium, because I overheard the waiter talking about the high quality of the beef.  David ordered his with bleu cheese, tomato, raw onion and Bourbon sauce.  They were both delicious, and came with a tasty side salad.  We ordered a side of French fries to share.  Everything was delicious, and the food was just enough.  We didn't leave with that overfull feeling.  If you prefer to be stuffed, you can opt for one of the larger burgers.

Our waiter was extremely nice and attentive.  The restrooms were super clean and very nicely done.  Plenty of hot water, soap and paper towels were available. 

We agreed that we both like the atmosphere and the food is good, so we'll return more often than every 2.5 years.  I recommend Urban Grille if you're in Geneva or nearby and want a gourmet, build your own burger experience.  I'm pretty sure they have whatever you want at the bar too, and they have a couple of flat screens in the bar area.  If you feel like a walk after, the restaurant is located on a quaint downtown strip that overlooks the Fox River.  It's romantic for first dates and any date after, or for a friends night out.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

I made some stock last time I made a whole chicken and I wanted to get it out of my freezer because it's in a big container taking up space.  To make a quality stock, all you have to do is toss in any chicken parts, bones, skin, meat, fat, and then any veggie trimmings you might have too.  Boil them slowly in water and let the stock absorb all the flavors and reduce down.  When it's the right flavor (taste it) you can let it cool and then run it through a sieve to make sure there are no bones or parts left in the stock.

Or, you can just use a can of broth.

Chicken soup is easy.  I chopped up 3 whole carrots into rounds, 3 stocks of celery into a rough chop and a whole sweet onion into a rough chop.  I added them to the stock and brought them to a boil, then reduced the heat and simmered low for a while, maybe half an hour.  

Meanwhile, I grilled two boneless, skinless chicken breasts and let them cool slightly so I could pull them apart into small, bite sized pieces.  You can use any chicken meat you have.  It can be leftovers too.  When I finished pulling the meat apart I added it to the soup pot and stirred it in.  

I seasoned my soup with a pinch of thyme.  A dab will do you.  I also added some parsley for color, and I like how it tastes too.  The stock and chicken was already seasoned with salt and pepper, but taste and adjust seasoning if need be.

I like my noodles al dente, so I cook them separate and then add them when I'm ready to serve the soup.  You can just drop them in the soup and cook them too.  However you prefer is fine.  I use Kluski noodles, made in Pennsylvania Dutch Country.  They're like the ones I'd make homemade that Grandma taught me to make, when I don't have time or want to clean up the mess, which is most of the time.

What a way to spend a snowy day in the house.  It smells heavenly and tastes like Mom used to make.

French Onion Soup - Improvised

I was in the mood for soup again today.  Pretty soon it'll be spring and summer and we won't be eating soups much.  I have some huge croutons I made already out of leftover bread, and I have some beef consomme, sweet onions, and provolone.  I'll improvise and make about 2 servings.

Slice a large, sweet onion into rings.  Heat a skillet to medium and add a drizzle of olive oil and 2 T butter.  When the butter melts, add your onions and turn heat to low.  Cook the onions on low for about 30 minutes, stirring every so often and getting them to a caramelized state, a dark golden color, and then deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup of red wine or sherry.  Stir and cook another 15 minutes or so to absorb most of the wine and cook the onions even further.

Add broth (for just one or two servings, a small can of consomme or a cup and a half of broth will do).  Season with salt, pepper and a sprig of thyme or some ground thyme, just a pinch.  Reduce slightly over a simmering heat for 30 minutes.

In oven proof crocks or dishes, place one or two large croutons, or a handful of small croutons, and then ladle the soup over the top, making sure you get an even amount of onions in each.  Cover with a piece of cheese and bake in the oven at 450 until the cheese starts to bubble and brown, about 10 minutes.  Carefully remove the bowls and serve, warning your guests about how hot it will be.

Yum!

Tortellini in Brodo

David woke up not feeling well on his birthday.  After having waffles for breakfast, I made him some soup for lunch.  He doesn't like traditional chicken soup, so I thought I'd make a basic broth with tortellini to get him to eat it.

You will need:

3 c. chicken stock
2-3 sliced carrots
1/2 large yellow onion, rough diced
parsley
Italian seasoning
1 t. garlic
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 T olive oil
salt
pepper
bay leaf

1 lb tortellini, cooked al dente
Parmesan cheese

In a large Dutch oven, pour your stock and add the vegetables and seasonings.  It's really a one pot meal.  Add all but the tortellini, and 1 T. of the olive oil and then bring to a simmer.  Simmer at a low boil for an hour to reduce and intensify the flavor.

Meanwhile, bring salted water to a boil and drop your tortellini.  Cook to al dente, drain and toss in the other T. of olive oil so they won't stick. 

In a large soup plate, arrange a layer of tortelli and then top with a couple of ladles full of broth, including the veggies.  Top with a dusting of Parmesan cheese and a pinch more of parsley.  Serve with a side of crusty bread and butter.

Serves 3-4.

Classic Belgian Waffles

David and I bought the most amazing All-Clad 4 waffle maker over the holidays.  It's already more than paid for itself.  We make waffles every weekend.

I found a few recipes and a friend gave me a recipe from Belgium, and we've settled on this one.  It makes perfect waffles every time and it's easy to whip up.

You will need:

2 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
4 large eggs, separated
2 T. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla extract
4 T. butter, half a stick, melted
2 c. buttermilk (or 2 T lemon juice and the rest of the 2 c filled with milk and left to sit 5-10 minutes)
non stick cooking spray

Grade B maple syrup
butter for dressing

Get out a batter bowl and 2 other larger bowls.  In the batter bowl, sift together the flour, powder and salt.  I add a pinch of cinnamon, but you don't have to.  Set aside.

In the other two bowls, separate the egg yolks and whites, yolks in one and whites in the other.  Set the whites aside. 

In the yolk bowl, add the sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves.  Melt the butter (30 seconds on defrost in our house) and then slowly drizzle in the butter so it doesn't cook your eggs, and add the milk and vanilla.  Mix until incorporated well. 

Pour the egg, milk mixture into the flour mixture in the batter bowl.  Mix until it just comes together.  Do not over mix.  Set aside.

Using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until they form medium peaks.  Then fold them into the batter bowl turning it in one direction while using a spatula to gently fold in the whites.  This will create an airy and fluffy waffle.

Spray your waffle iron with non-stick spray.  We use crisco spray because it wipes off and doesn't ruin the iron.  Then heat your waffle iron to desired heat.  Ours gets set on 5 and lights up green and beeps when it's ready.  

Fill the iron with the right amount of waffle batter for yours and let it cook until golden brown.  Our iron beeps when the waffle is done, but I like it slightly less done, so I take it out after 5ish minutes.  David likes them very done and crunchy, so I let his go until it beeps.

I enjoy mine with either a little butter and a drizzle of pure maple syrup, or I sometimes put a scoop of vanilla ice cream and some berries on top.  David likes powdered sugar sometimes.  Every once in a while we toss some nuts in the batter.  Pecans taste great.  

This recipe yields 8 large square waffles.

Al's Char-House - La Grange, IL

This Valentine's Day we went out for dinner.  Let me just say we went the day  before Valentine's Day to avoid the crowds.  We wanted to see the movie Nine at the La Grange Theater, so we chose a restaurant close to the theater on La Grange.  La Grange, IL is a village and Chicago suburb in DuPage County.

We parked and walked in to Al's at about 6:10 p.m.  Our name was added to the list and we waited at the bar with margaritas for about 20 or 30 minutes until our name was called.  The margaritas were good.  I noticed that despite how packed the place is, if you don't respond to your name by running to the host desk, they immediately give your table away to someone else.  We got to the host desk in time.

Be careful in this place.  It's a lawyer's dream.  There are different flooring levels every 10 feet and you can trip, like I did, despite the warnings.  

They led us to a very small two top in the back.  (That's restaurant speak for 2 chairs and a tiny table.)  Other couples got booths, but didn't sit on the same side like we would have.  Oh well.  I did notice they have pillows on the booth backs.  I now understand why and will explain.

Our waitress did not get to our table for about 10-15 minutes after we were seated.  She apologized for the wait and I noticed that she had a larger table of six who had just ordered appetizers and drinks, and she had been waiting at the bar for their drinks.

We ordered all of our courses immediately, including a diet soda and seven up, a burger with bacon and cheddar, and a steak sandwich done medium well.  We asked to start with potato skins.  David ordered salad and I ordered chicken noodle soup.

The potato skins and sodas came in maybe 10 minutes or so.  So far so good.  The skins were tasty, with plenty of bacon and cheese on top.  I'm glad I got my fix in the app, and I'm glad I was mostly full after a couple of halves.  The soda tasted like it came out of a dirty line.  One of my restaurant pet peeves.  You want to save money using a soda line, then clean it.  It's gross to drink what tastes like dirty bar dish water.

We asked for our skins to be wrapped to go because we had several left over and we wanted to save room for dinner.  It took at least twenty minutes for our next course to come.  David insists it took longer than that and he may be right.  How long does it take to put salad on a plate and soup in a bowl?  We were starting to worry about making our movie, which is funny because we got to the restaurant at 6 and the movie started at 9 and was down the block.

I went to the ladies room while we waited.  It was kind of old and falling apart.  The stalls were all connected with one panel of doors.  Mine didn't actually lock.  Every time someone exited or entered the one next to me, my door flew open.  I do have to give them kudos for the toilet paper being raised up high so you don't have to rub it on the floor to get it out of the dispenser.  The toilet didn't flush unless you held the handle the entire time during the weak flush.  I had to flush for the person before me and then for myself.  Other than that, it wasn't very clean or nice.  You'd think with their volume and prices they could put a little into the bathroom.  One of my pet peeves is bad bathrooms, particularly in a nice place that does a lot of business. 

The salad was forgettable.  David loves salad and usually eats until his plate is clean, but he said, "I'm done with this salad.  It barely has any dressing on it."  He ordered bleu cheese and they were stingy with it.  He didn't comment on the actual salad, but the lack of dressing seemed to ruin it for him.

The chicken noodle soup was actually very good in terms of flavor.  Perfect flavor.  However, it had overcooked elbows in it and I didn't detect a single shred of chicken in it, nor were there any vegetables other than a few very large chunks of celery.  I didn't see a carrot or an onion.  I chalked it up to chicken broth with elbows and figured I'd have plenty to eat when my meal came.

I tried the signature bread.  It is a very dense raisin bread.  David tried it and didn't like it.  He said if he wanted carrot cake he'd order dessert.  I had a slice and it was good, but dense and oddly paired with soup and salad, as it tastes more like dessert.  I love bread and we let the waitress take most of it away uneaten.

Our food took forrrrrrrrrever!  I.  Mean.  Forever!  It was at least an hour after the skins came.  We were served our dinner at just before 8:30, more than 2 hours after walking in the door and about 2 hours after being seated.  At that point, we didn't even want the food anymore.  In fact, it was only out of our moral feeling of obligation to stay and eat what we ordered that we didn't go to the host stand and tell them to forget it and charge us for the appetizers only.  We wanted to walk out.

While we waited we couldn't help but entertain ourselves by making fun of the place and ourselves for sitting there like cattle.  I noticed a rib lying on the floor from hours before.  I even noticed duct tape on the thermostat, wires that weren't tucked away on some of the beams, and fake cacti.  We commented on the waitresses' hair styles.  One reminded us of the girl in the movie Liar Liar played by Cheri Oteri.  

I overheard the table next to us comment, "We got bent over," when they got their check.  Honestly, they were probably wrong because they got served much faster than we did and they had 8 lb steaks with 3 or 4 add ons each and alcoholic beverages as well as appetizers for six.  I don't know what they expected and I didn't hear them complain about a single food item.

David and I have plenty to talk about and we generally have fun on our dates, but I have to tell you that we were running out of small talk to make and we were getting delirious during the wait.  I kept yawning and I commented that I know why they have pillows on the booths.  They know their patrons need to nap while waiting for their food.  David said, "Yeah, they should have a nap room.  You order and they say go take a nap and we'll wake you when it's ready."  I couldn't get a feel for the reason for the wait, other than they were busy, but there were other tables turning over rapidly and other waiters who were bringing food out fast.  It seemed random, like our little booth was forgotten.  Then again, a few other tables were rotting too.

David commented several times that no restaurant is worth this kind of wait and he was aging as he sat there.  I joked that maybe they age your steak while you wait.

The food finally came.  

David's was delicious, thought it was underdone for his taste and not cooked to his specification of medium well.  It was quite pink, and I enjoyed it.  I ate 1/4 of his sandwich because my burger was awful.  There is no other way to describe it.  Maybe it's bad on me for ordering a burger in a steak house, but I figured if they can do meat they can do meat!  

David wondered why I snatched 1/4 of his sandwich and ate the whole thing, not touching the rest of mine after the first bite.  First of all, it had no bacon and no cheddar on it.  I had ordered it that way.  Second, it was overdone. I ordered mine medium and it was gray all the way through, which was good, because the texture of the meat was so fine and so unlike any other burger I've ever had that it reminded me of spam.  It was like someone used a gelled meat product to make a patty and they didn't season it or anything.  It was not worth another bite or any of the calories involved.

David thought it couldn't be that bad so he tried it and said, "No, that's not very good at all!  I'm sorry."  He asked if I wanted to get something else and I said no way after waiting 2 hours...I wasn't even going to ask for bacon or cheese at this point.  I was just not going to eat it.  

When the waitress came back she asked if we wanted our leftovers wrapped and we said to wrap the steak sandwich but not the burger.  (This should make another problem apparent.  I was a waitress for 10 years and you always go back after a few bites of food to make sure your customers are happy and food is prepared properly and they have everything they need.  She did not.  She had no idea my food was wrong until we were done.)  She asked why and David told her I didn't like it and it was not how I ordered it at all, no bacon, no cheddar and not cooked properly.  She said, "That's my fault."  However, it was still on the bill.  So we paid for a burger I took one bite of and forced myself to swallow.

David said he was happy to pay the bill just to get the hell out of there.  We got up and he said, "Ugh, I can't even stand from sitting so long."  I said, "Yeah, we're lucky we haven't died from a blood clot from sitting for so long."  We giggled.

As we walked out we saw an elderly couple waiting for a table, among many others, and David said, "I should tell that poor guy he's got limited time as it is, use it wisely and go somewhere else.  He doesn't have that kind of time!"

I don't think we'd go back.  We thought that if we do, we'll stick to a big steak and share it.  We certainly won't expect the service to be quick.  We'll bring a book or something.  Now that I've read other reviews as horrible as mine, I will not return.  I see the steaks are not good either and the service is typical.  Do not bring your kids unless you bring their entire toy box.  I can't imagine they'll behave for 2-3 hours.  We made our movie just in time for the lights to go down and the opening credits to roll.  9:01.

Egg Salad

Who posts a recipe for egg salad?  I would think this is a no-brainer to make, but I wonder if maybe there is someone out there who has no idea how to make egg salad.  David asked for a bowl of it for lunch this week.

You will need:

10 - 12 hard boiled eggs
1 c. mayonaise
1 t. yellow mustard
salt
pepper

diced pickles, optional
chopped celery, optional
sliced olives, optional

I'm sure the possibilities are endless with kicked up egg salad.  I like to add olives or pickles to it myself.  However, David doesn't like either, and I made him a batch of basic egg salad with no frills for work this week.

Cover your eggs in cold water in a medium sauce pan.  Salt the water.  (Supposedly this helps with peeling.  I have not proven this, but I do it anyway.)  Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to medium and boil for 8-10 minutes.  Then turn off the heat and let stand to cool slightly for 10 more minutes.  Peel immediately or completely cooled eggs will be difficult to peel.

Dice your peeled eggs whatever size you prefer.  I did a smaller dice.  Put them in a bowl.  Salt them and then dust them with fresh ground pepper and toss.

In a separate bowl, mix your mayo (I use the canola based one for no cholesterol) and mustard until creamy and incorporated.  Slightly salt and pepper to taste.  Pour over the eggs in the larger bowl and carefully mix until the eggs are coated with mayo dressing.

Chill and serve.  Or, you can eat it warm.

I served mine on Oat Nut bread.

Ruffolo International Foods - Kenosha, Wisconsin

I met Lisa, the owner of Ruffolo International Foods, when I went to get homemade meat ravioli on Wednesday.  I was craving them.  I haven't had them in a while, but they are so good and they save me the cooking for the night.

I asked Lisa if she minded me posting a review on my blog.  She said she knows people have already done it, and she appreciates it.  She even said I could take a picture, but I forgot my camera that day.  I'll get one and post it here later.

While I was there, Lisa told me the story of how she started her business.  Ruffolo's is a cash-only business.  It's an old garage building in Kenosha on Sheridan Road.  She bought it when she was 20 with the help of her parents.  She said that she went to beauty school and decided she didn't want to do that at the time.  She was very good at making ravioli with her family recipe and friends and family requested them all the time.  She got tired of making them for gifts and favors, so she decided to go into business making them and selling them.  The rest is history and she's been doing it for 25 years, with a little help from her dad and mom and brother, but she mostly does all the work and makes everything by hand from scratch.

Her ravioli are delicious.  They are slightly larger than most store-bought ravioli, and moon shaped.  She sells them with or without sauce, but I love buying them in sauce because her sauce is good and generous, so there is plenty to dip my Italian bread in as I eat, and then I don't have to make sauce or use jar sauce.  The pasta is an egg pasta, I'm guessing, and you can taste the natural ingredients in it.  It's light, yet flavorful and has a wonderful texture without being doughy or tough.  They are like your grandma made them.  The filling is finely minced meat mixture, and I'm not sure what she mixes in, but it's good.  I'm guessing it's a beef, veal or beef, pork mixture.  It's flavorful and filling, and it's complimented well by the sauce. 

Her red sauce is similar to my home made sauce, which I learned to make from Kenosha Italian women whose roots are from Calabria in Cosenza, Italy.  It's tasty, slightly sweet, and you can taste basil in it.  It is not chunky, but a fine puree of sauce without being runny or watery.  It adheres to the pasta well, coating it easily.  It's deep red and it tastes great with or without a cheese dusting.

Lisa also makes cheese ravioli.  She sells ravioli without sauce or with sauce, in 12 or 4 ravioli packs.  They are pre-frozen and you just put the whole bag in boiling water for about 15-20 minutes until heated through, then cut the boiling bag open and dump the entire thing into a serving dish.

On her menu, she also has pasties, lasagna, Italian beef, gnocchi, Italian sausage in sauce and you can buy homemade pasta from her, frozen in bags.  I have tried her spaghetti before.  I'm sure I'm missing some of what she offers.

It is a hole in the wall, dive where you walk in and pay cash for a bag of frozen dinner that is delicious.  If you didn't know it was there, you wouldn't know it was there.  Now that I shop there, my mom said, "We used to buy stuff from her when you were little, I just forgot she was there!"

The best part of talking with Lisa were two stories she told me.  She said lots of college kids ask their mothers for her food when they come home to Kenosha on break.  The mothers come in sulking, feeling awful that their kids didn't request a dish of theirs, but instead they want Lisa's ravs.  Lisa comforts them saying, "Well, now you get to relax and enjoy your child instead of slaving over a hot stove all day."  :)

The day I bought my ravioli this week, she had just received a call from a businessman who was staying on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago and had been told to go to Kenosha and buy some ravioli from her.  It snowed 14" that day, so he couldn't make the drive, but he called her to ask if she could ship him some ravioli.  She said she hasn't done that before, but she sure as heck replied she would love to do that for him.

I didn't mention that when I walked in it smelled heavenly in the place.  She was cooking in the back. 

If you live local and you get a chance, or if you are in Chicago and you have some time to drive north, go to visit Lisa and tell her I sent you.  She is located at Sheridan Road (Hwy 32) and 44th, at 4420 Sheridan Road.  You will miss it if you aren't paying attention, because it's just a little cinder block converted garage that is now a small store with a kitchen in back.  She literally has an old cash register with cash-only, and some deep freezers, and that's about it out front. 

You'll notice the Open sign in the front and I believe they're open M-F and part of Saturday.

Don't expect hot food when you order.  It's all take and heat food to prepare at home, but it's all ready.  All you have to do is boil the bag and cut it open and serve.  I recommend it and it's certainly a local, off the beaten path place.  Guy Fieri would approve.

52 Comment French Fries

By very popular demand, I am posting a home made French Fry recipe.  I said I was making them at home on Facebook and I had a comment explosion asking how to do it, and discussing the correct method of making them.  It's very simple.

You will need:

Potatoes, preferably Russets, julienned (peeling optional)

Oil (I use canola, but the traditional method is duck fat, and you can use whatever you prefer)

Salt

For mine, I did not peel them, but sometimes I do.  I scrubbed them, then julienned them into thin strips.  I like long, skinny fries.  In a high walled skillet (you can use a deep fryer if you have one) I heated a few cups of oil until a test fry bubbled when I dropped it in.  You want it very hot, but not so hot it overboils when you drop them in.  

Oh, and make sure your fries are not soaking wet or you could cause a grease fire from overflowing the oil.  Pat them dry before putting them in the oil.  If the oil bubbles up too much when you drop in a test fry, turn down the heat slightly.

Drop in only enough fries so that they have room to cook without being crowded in the amount of oil you have in the pot.  I did a handful at a time.  Stir them around just a little, and gently, a few times as they cook so they don't stick together, and only cook them half way.  Then remove them to a towel to dry.  When they are all done, you can prep your main dish if you have one or take a break if you need to.  If you don't have a main dish, then proceed to the second frying stage.

Make sure the oil is to temperature again with a test fry, and then drop a handful of the par-fried potatoes.  Let them cook until golden brown and remove them with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined basket or dish and immediately salt them to taste.  If you wait to salt them they will not hold the salt.  

When you finish cooking the last handful, enjoy either alone or with a main course.  They are also good with a sprinkling of malt vinegar and some folks like them with ketchup.  I prefer them just plain with salt.

Lemon Roasted Shrimp Pasta for One

As an unmarried person living alone, sometimes I have to cook just enough for me to eat by myself, and that doesn't always mean I just make a PB&J.  I like to eat good food, so I still cook for myself.  Sometimes I have lots of leftovers, but this is one meal you can make to size because there aren't really measurements, it's more of a flavor thing, and it's super simple.

In a pasta pot, heat salted water to boiling.  Cook any type of pasta you want, probably a good one for thin sauce like angel hair or spaghetti or orzo or whatever you like, and follow the timing on the box.  

In a sautee pan, heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil on medium low and add the zest of one lemon and the juice of one lemon and a half clove of garlic, just a little bit.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and maybe a red pepper flake or two.  Let it slightly reduce to intensify the flavor.  

Add the peeled and deveined shrimp and sautee them until just done.  They will be pink on the outside and opaque in the middle.  Don't overcook or you'll have tough little erasers for dinner.  For one person, just cook whatever number of shrimp you'll like on your pasta.  Maybe 5 or 8 or whatever, depending on size and appetite.

When the shrimp are done, toss in the cooked pasta and either serve it that way, or add halved grape tomatoes or green beans or any other veggie you like.

Serve with a slice of bread and a glass of wine.  It's an eating out feeling dinner for one at home. 

Maple Oatmeal Scones

I thought of David when I saw this recipe in my Food Network Magazine January/February 2010 issue.  It's Ina Garten's recipe, excerpted from Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. 

They are a pain to make, very messy and labor intensive, but they turned out good.  I thought maybe they could be sweeter, but David loves them.  They earned rave reviews and he affirmatively stated, "You will be making these again."  He's so cute.

You will need:

(For the scones)

3 1/2 c all purpose flour

1 c whole wheat flour

1 c quick oats, plus some for sprinkling

2 T baking powder

2 T granulated sugar

2 t salt

1 lb cold, unsalted butter, cubed

1/2 c cold buttermilk (or make your own in a 1 c measure with 2 T lemon juice or vinegar and the rest milk)

1/2 c pure maple syrup (grade B is best)

4 extra large eggs, lightly beaten

1 egg beaten with I T milk or water to make an egg wash

(For the glaze)

1 1/4 c confectioner's or powdered sugar

1/2 c pure maple syrup

1 t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In your electric stand mixer bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, salt, and sugar on very slow setting.  Continuing on the slowest possible speed, add the cubed butter and mix until you have pea sized grains of butter mixed entirely in to the dry mixture.  

Combine the buttermilk, syrup and eggs and then quickly add it to the dry mixture and beat on slow speed just until combined.  Do not over mix.

Flour a large, clean surface, as well as your hands and a rolling pin.  Dump your batter out onto the floured surface and then sprinkle with flour and roll out to an even 3/4 inch to 1 inch thickness.  With a floured cookie cutter or biscuit cutter, cut out as many scones as you can with your first rolled batter.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Do not grease them.  Place scones an inch or so apart on the parchment paper sheets and then brush with egg wash.  Bake 20-25 minutes until golden on top and done in the middle.

For the glaze, mix the powdered sugar, syrup and vanilla until it forms a glaze.  

Remove from the oven and ice with a drizzle of glaze at once.  Sprinkle with oats so they will stick.  Cool on a rack and then store in an airtight container.

Repeat the steps for any unused batter.  Combine it slightly, re-roll, cut and bake.  Ina's recipe says it yields 14 large scones.  I did smaller ones and I have 4 small containers of them, maybe 40 smaller scones.

They are great with morning coffee.

Pampered Chef Rice Cooker

I've never done a cookware review before on this blog, but I haven't cooked anything new to this blog lately, (it'd be repeat recipes) and I wanted to post a fresh post.  I thought, hmmmm...I made rice today and I LOVE my rice maker.  Why not write about it?

I didn't even want the Pampered Chef rice cooker, but I had a party for my friend Jenna who sells it, and I got a bunch of free stuff.  I had to pick something in the range I had coming and she recommended it.  I didn't even use it forever, because I thought how silly to use a microwavable rice cooker to do what I can do in the same time, basically, on the stove.

Boy was I wrong.  This little, black, three piece cooking vessel is nothing short of a miracle in the microwave.  It makes rice all by itself.  No hassle, no mess, no over boiling, no problem. 

All you do is put the right measurements of rice to water, usually 1 to 2, with salt and olive oil or butter, stir, seal it with the two top pieces, and then put it in for 15-20 minutes depending on your microwave intensity.  Then let it rest without opening it for 5-10 minutes and voila!  Magic rice.  Perfect, like the restaurants make it.  I eat it all the time.  It's so good I could eat it by itself.

Why is it better than doing it on the stove?  No temptation to stir.  No burned bottom if you don't have the good simmer setting on your stove.  No overboil sticky mess to clean up.  And the dish cleans up without any scrubbing at all.  Just run your soapy sponge over it and forget about it.  Oh, and it's better than an electric rice cooker because I can put it in the frig when it cools and keep my rice in there, or even add other ingredients to it while it's hot and store it in there.

If you don't have one, get one.  You will love it.  I've actually thought of getting a second one for days when I've already used it and I need more rice. 

Pastina

An elderly Italian woman I used to know taught me how to make this dish after I passed out at her house from low blood sugar and when I felt a little better on the couch, she brought me a bowl of pastina.  When I asked her what it was, she said, "Just eat it.  My mama used to make it for me when I was not feeling well.  It's an Italian remedy broth, a comfort food." 

I wasn't sure, but I ate it and it was good.  It's very simple to make because it's mostly water and pasta.  It does make you feel better when you don't feel well. 

To make 2 servings, you will need:

3 c. water
1 c. pastina, acini de pepe works best
1 T. olive oil
1 T. butter
salt to taste
1 small bunch fresh, flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 eggs, scrambled in a bowl

In a small sauce pan, bring the water to a boil with the butter, oil, salt and parsley.  The parsley will color the water greenish.  Drop the pasta into rapidly boiling water (slowly so it doesn't over boil), and stir.  When the pasta is just about al dente, drizzle the egg into the boiling mixture slowly, stirring to make egg rags in the broth.

Boil softly for another 2 or 3 minutes to make sure the egg is done.  Remove from heat and let stand a few minutes.  Serve in large bowls when someone feels under the weather, or needs a little comforting.  I'm hooked on it now and don't even make chicken soup for those days anymore.

Chicken Farfalle in a Lemon Cream Sauce with Grape Tomatoes, Green Beans and Red Bell Peppers

We loved this dish last night!  It was inspired from David's sister who said she makes a lemon cream pasta and tosses in veggies and sometimes chicken.  I thought I'd see if I could make something similar.  It has a light, citrus flavor.  It's a bright dish with plenty of healthy nutrients.

You will need:

2 t. olive oil plus extra for coating
2 shallots, fine minced
1 clove garlic, fine minced
2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 c. heavy cream
2 lemons, zested and juiced
1 c. chicken broth
1 cleaned and julienne cut red bell pepper
2 c. steamed cut green beans
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
salt
pepper
1 T. parsley
1 lb. farfalle pasta, al dente

Brush the chicken breasts with a light coating of olive oil, then dust with salt and pepper on both sides.  On a hot grill, cook about 3-5 minutes on each side, until done.  (Depends on size of breasts.)  Let them rest and cool for handling.  On a non-porous cutting board, slice the breasts very thin, almost shaving them into small bites.  Reserve in the refrigerator.

Steam your green beans and julienne peppers in the same basket, careful  not to overcook them.  You want them somewhat firm, but cooked.

Boil water with salt for the pasta.  When it's ready, drop your pasta and cook it according to the box.  Drain, reserve with a slight coating of olive oil to prevent sticking.

In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 t. olive oil.  Add the shallot, then the garlic, and stir on medium heat until transparent.  Deglaze with the chicken broth, then add the cream, zest and lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, it will intensify as it reduces.  Add parsley.  Bring to a low boil, reduce heat and simmer until it reduces in volume by half and it coats a spoon.

When the sauce is just about done, add in your chicken pieces and let them finish cooking off and absorbing the lemon flavor for a few minutes.

In a large pasta bowl, assemble the pasta entree.  Pasta first, then the steamed veggies.  Toss, then add the cream sauce with the chicken, and add the cherry tomatoes.  Toss again to mix all ingredients well.  Dust with more parsley if you like, and some grated Romano cheese if you prefer it.  Garnish with fresh lemon wedges.

Serve in individual pasta bowls with crusty bread or alone.

Birthday at Jose's

I've reviewed Jose's before so I won't do it again, except to say it was good last night and the service was perfect.  I had steak tacos, David had a combo taco and enchilada, and we had birthday flan and margaritas.  All were great.

Here's the picture to prove it.

Pastorelli Sauce

I haven't done a product review on my blog before, but I'm going to start today.  I haven't cooked in a few days so I have nothing to add.  It was my birthday and we went out, but I already reviewed the restaurant.  Today's my dad's birthday, so I will be eating at my parents' house.  I thought I'd write about the putanesca sauce I'm using in my lunch.

I'm making spaghetti putanesca and I could make it from scratch easily, but today I went with the jar and a quick boil of pasta.  Easy, fast, and good.  Pastorelli sauce is sold more widely than when I first used it.  I first found it at a specialty Italian food store, Tenuta's in Kenosha, for about $3 a jar.  It's so good, like I made it homemade, and nobody can tell the difference in a pinch.

This jar is called "zesty putanesca" and it lists the ingredients.  What I like about the sauce, other than how great it tastes, is that the ingredients are natural and I can read them and know what they are.  Literally:

Tomatoes, tomato puree, onion, artichoke hearts, black olives, capers, extra virgin olive oil, portabello mushrooms, sea salt, sugar, garlic, basil, spices and crushed red chili pepper.  That's it!  No weird gums or colors or preservatives or things I can't pronounce.  It's made in Chicago.  Go figure.  I love Chicago Italian food, and I love my Chicago Italian too.  No surprise I love their sauce.

I've used their other sauces too.  David likes the Garden Marinara when he makes himself dinner.  I love the Spicy Sicilian Arabiata, and I use it for baking pastas.  It all bakes well, coats the pasta well, and doesn't need a thing to doctor it up.

It only has 70 calories in a half cup too.  Great stuff.  Grocery stores around here are starting to carry it for over $5 a jar.  If you can get to a specialty store, you might get it cheaper.  I still pay $3.19 at Tenuta's.

P.S.  I viewed the website to get the photo, but then I got lost in the story of the company history, which is a family history.  Amazing story.  These folks are responsible for Roma tomatoes, Contadina (though they sold it off years ago), jarred sauce after WWII when brides were still working, and several other food icons in America.  Shows what a little passion and ambition can get you.  

Chicken & Andouille Jambalaya

I usually make my Jambalaya all in one pot, cooking the rice into the dish to absorb all the flavors, but this time I tried a new way.  I cooked everything but the rice together in the crock pot for several hours and then served it all over steamed rice at the end.  I wanted a way to cook it ahead, and this worked very well.

You will need:

Olive oil
1 lb. Andouille sausage, sliced in rounds
1 lb. chicken breast, or chicken pieces trimmed and cubed
2 large bell peppers, any color
2 large sweet onions, rough chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup chicken or beef stock
1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes, sliced up -  and the juice
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
salt
pepper
couple dashes of hot pepper sauce to taste
2 cups rice, steamed
6 green onions, sliced in rounds for garnish

In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil on high then reduce heat to medium high and add sausage, searing it on the outside but not cooking it through entirely.  Remove into a clean bowl.  Then put the diced chicken into the Dutch oven and do the same, sear it without cooking it entirely through, remove to a separate clean bowl, not the bowl it was in when it was raw.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions and stir, then add the garlic and bell pepper and cook on medium, stirring until they all wilt some, about 5 minutes.  Add the meat back into the pot and stir.  Add the tomatoes and juice and stir.  Add the stock and stir again.  I season everything with a dash of salt and pepper as I go, but now you want to season with salt, pepper, cayenne and hot pepper sauce and stir.

Transfer to a large slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6  hours or high for 3 hours.  You can also cook it on high for an hour, then switch it to low for several hours.

When it's ready, either mix in the steamed rice to make a one dish meal, or serve ladles full over steamed rice.  Garnish with green onions.

Note:  If you prefer to make this dish all in one Dutch oven and be done cooking on the stove because you don't have a slow cooker or you prefer to just make it in an hour, here is what you do to make it the traditional way:

At the step where you would add the meat back into the pot, also add 2 cups of rice and stir and let the rice cook a bit in the mixture, a few minutes.  Then add the tomatoes and the stock, but add two extra cups of stock so that the rice will steam all in one pot.  Continue the rest of the recipe, stir, bring to a slight boil, then reduce the heat to simmer and cover the pot.  Do not keep stirring, do not lift the lid.  Just let it go, on simmer for approximately 45 minutes.  This is how I usually make it, but I want it to be done and ready to eat whenever we want to eat today.

It will be David's first time having this dish.  I haven't made it the entire time we've dated because he seems to think it won't be good.  He doesn't know what he's missing.  Today I'm making it without letting him know what's coming.  I sure hope he likes it.  He loves spicy food and he loves rice dishes, so I think he will.

Pureed Cauliflower Soup with Croutons

I bought cauliflower and forgot to use it the day I bought it as a side dish, so, today I'm making a cauliflower soup, pureed with thyme, lemon, nutmeg and croutons.

You will need:

A head of cauliflower, washed, trimmed and cut up
1 T. olive oil
1 bay leaf
Water
1/2 t. thyme
1/2 lemon, juiced and zested
1 T. parsley
1 sweet onion, rough chopped
1 clove garlic
salt
pepper
1/4 t. nutmeg
2 c. croutons

In a small Dutch oven, heat the oil and then lightly sautee the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper.  Add the cauliflower, bay leaf, thyme, parsley, zest and stir.  Just cover the cauliflower with water.  Salt slightly to flavor the veggies.  On med to high heat, bring to a boil and then drop to simmer until the cauliflower is fork tender, probably 10 minutes or so.  Remove the bay leaf and any sprigs you may have dropped in if you used fresh herbs.

Using an immersion blender (boat motor, as I like to call it), puree the ingredients until you reach a nice consistency.  This is really a preference thing.  I like mine creamy.  Taste and adjust with the lemon juice (which balances out the flavors and adds depth) and salt and pepper.

Ladle into bowls, dust with nutmeg and top with three or four croutons for garnish and texture.

Enjoy alone or with your favorite half sandwich on a cold day.

Scalloped Potatoes Emeril

I got this recipe out of my new From Emeril's Kitchens book that David bought me this Christmas.  On New Year's Eve, I made us the ribeyes from the recipe below and these scalloped potatoes, both out of the book.  I have to tell you, I think these potatoes are the best potatoes I've ever had, no exaggeration, but they are not low fat!  You can't eat these every day.  Here is my version of the recipe:

You will need:

1 quart heavy whipping cream or whipping cream.
3 lbs potatoes, peeled and sliced a little thick
8 oz Swiss cheese, grated
2 T butter
salt
pepper

Peel the potatoes and then slice them thicker than if you were going to fry them.  Place them in a medium sauce pan and pour the cream over them.  Set the flame to medium and slowly bring them to a light, rolling boil.  Simmer them on a low boil until they are slightly fork tender. 

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a deep, oven proof casserole with nonstick spray.  Crisco spray doesn't leave a film on your cookware.

Transfer a ladle full of potatoes to the casserole, creating a layer of potatoes on the bottom of the dish, about 1/3 of the potatoes and cream.  Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese evenly on top.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Repeat another layer of each, and then another layer until you use up all the potatoes and cheese.  Finally, dab little pieces of butter over the top of the casserole for nice, bubbly browning.

Transfer the dish into the oven for 30-45 minutes until bubbly and brown on top.  Remove from the oven and cover with foil to set up for 5-10 minutes before serving.  It will remain hot for some time.

All I can say is OMG.  The other bonus is they reheat well.  I reheated them for breakfast and made a side of eggs with them, and then the next day I made another breakfast of Tortilla Espanola with them to use them up.  This is a new guilty pleasure or a "sometimes food".

Delmonicos for Two on the Indoor Grill

I made David ribeyes for New Year's Eve, and we had a very rich scalloped potato side dish that I will include in another post and link back here.  I also made steamed asparagus wrapped in prosciutto on the side.

For the steaks you will need:

2 good quality, thick cut ribeye steaks
olive oil
peppercorns
granulated garlic
salt
butter

Rub the ribeyes with a light coating of olive oil, then sprinkle a heavy coating of coarsely ground black pepper, a light dusting of granulated garlic and a pinch of salt on each steak.  Turn and do the same on the other side, because as Emeril would say, "You don't want one sided tasting steaks, do you?"  This is an Emeril inspired recipe, so it's fitting.

Let the steaks stand in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours but up to 24 hours.  An hour before cooking, take the steaks out of the frig and let them come up to room temperature.  This will prevent them from toughening on the hot grill and losing all their juices.  Meanwhile, heat your indoor grill to high.  You want it very hot.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

Sear the steak on the grill on both sides for 3-4 minutes depending on thickness, for a medium rare steak.  Adjust a minute or two for each temperature down the scale to your liking. 

Remove the steaks to an oven proof dish or pan and place them in the preheated oven for another 3 minutes for a medium rare steak.  Then remove the steaks and turn the oven to broil, leaving the door open slightly while you rub a pat of butter on each steak.  When the oven is at temperature, place the steaks in the broiler for 2-3 minutes to finish off, then pull them and let them rest for another 3-5 minutes under foil.  Resting the meat will retain the juices and bring the meat to its resting temperature for serving.

You should have a very nicely flavored, tender and juicy steak for you and your sweetie with a nice outer sear and some charred edges.  Enjoy.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

I don't seem to make my stuffed cabbage rolls the way most recipes call for it.  Mine is pretty close to the Polish recipes I see, though.  My best friend is from Poland and when we were kids she said my mom made it like her mom does.  She actually said, "How do you know how to make Golabki?"  We had no idea what she was talking about.  I think that somehow my family got the Polish recipe from someone somewhere a few generations ago, and I've added a touch to mine.  They are very good, the cabbage is done just right so that it has flavor and is the right texture, and they do not dry out because they are submersed entirely in tomato juice throughout cooking.

You will need:

1 head of cabbage as large as you can find

1 lb. ground beef
1 c. long grain rice
1 egg
1/4 c. parsley
salt to taste
pepper to taste

1 full sized can of tomato juice
hot sauce to taste
Hungarian Paprika

Fill a large pot halfway with water, then add the raw cabbage and steam it slowly, if you wish, use a steamer basket to keep most of the nutrients in the cabbage.  When the cabbage gets slightly fork tender, gently cut the leaves off one at a time and pull them aside onto a plate until you have eight or ten large leaves.  If your leaves are smaller, just make more rolls with smaller amounts of meat in them.

While the leaves cool, in a separate bowl, mix ground beef with the rice, parsley and egg until it is completely combined.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Depending on the size of your leaves and how much meat it takes to fill them, form balls of meat large enough to fill your leaf without any oozing out when you fold both sides in and then roll them over to completely cover the meat.  Do this with every leaf and gently place them inside a Dutch oven or crock pot layered until they are all filled and rolled.

Slowly pour the entire can of tomato juice over the rolls making sure they are covered.  If need be, gently push the rolls under the juice with a wooden spoon.  Add salt, pepper, a few shakes of Hungarian paprika and a dash of hot pepper sauce if you don't mind a hint of heat and flavor.  Do not stir or you will upset your rolls.

Turn the heat on medium low until you bring the liquid to a slight, simmering boil.  Continue the simmering boil for 10 to 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to the simmer setting for at least 90 minutes before serving.  Some people simmer these all day or cook them all day in a slow cooker, which you may also do.  However, the longer you cook them, the more disintegrated your cabbage leaves will become.  I like them to be firm and sweet, so I only cook them a couple of hours total.

To serve, you may want to make a side of mashed potatoes and I know it's another starch but I have to have corn with my stuffed cabbage rolls.  Then I ladle the tomato juice (which will have thickened a bit) over my meat and potatoes and enjoy.  It's a very hearty meal for cold winter days, and it feeds an army.

John Barleycorn - Schaumburg

We have been to this new upscale Irish pub (I think it's a chain, or a local chain in Chicago) at Woodfield in Schaumburg a few times now.  It's in a stand alone building near the mall off of Route 72.  There is plenty of parking, a valet if needed, and the inside is decorated in traditional dark woodwork with generous booths, plenty of intimate fourtops, and just the right lighting.  There are flatscreens plastered all over, which makes it a great place if you're looking to keep an eye on the game, and the bathrooms are new, clean and stocked.

The first time David and I ate there we had the full rack of ribs for $12.95.  You can't beat that price, and you couldn't beat the dinner either.  The ribs were perfect, fall off the bone with just the right amount of BBQ sauce on them.  The sauce is tangy and smoky, and seemed just right.  The meal comes with a nice salad of romaine and iceberg mixed with some cherry tomatoes and large slices of cucumber, and we both ordered bleu cheese.  Much better than most lackluster salads of plain iceberg you get as a side with the meal when eating out...which is rare nowadays anyway.

The ribs also come with fries, or you can request mashed.  We both had fries, and they are done just right and come out fresh and hot.  It wouldn't be complete without the coleslaw, which was also very good, traditional coleslaw.  Not too finely shredded, not too soggy, just the right flavors and consistency.  It was delicious and so worth the $12.95.  Where else can you get GREAT ribs (a full rack) with sides for that reasonable nowadays?  Oh, and the waitress was on top of it.  I recommend trying it out if you're in the area.

The second time we visited we just stopped in for appetizers in the middle of shopping season.  We ordered the classic nachos thought that'd be plenty, but we were disappointed when they arrived because they were just chips with a so-so chili and some jalepenos dumped on top and they could have been much better.  So we ordered the calamari, thinking we couldn't go wrong with that.  Wrong.  Unfortunately, the heat must not have been right on the fryer.  The calamari was tough and greasy.  This means the temperature wasn't high enough when they were fried.  Besides that, they had very little flavor, so it was a complete bust.  I guess it's not an appetizer stop.

Third visit, we stuck with the ribs but started with soups too.  The French onion soup is to die for...just the right amount of crouton, onion and cheese, bubbly and oozy, and perfectly seasoned.  Many restaurants get it wrong.  This was right on, and not too salty.  The clam chowder (one of my favorite soups) was fishy and a little thick.  I didn't finish it.  Clam chowder, like any other fish, shouldn't be fishy.  The salads were great again.  The ribs came and looked wonderful.  David loved them.  I noticed some changes.  The ribs seemed to be a little tougher, and David even noticed that mine were when he finished his (meatier and melt-in-your-mouthier) and they were slathered heavily with tangy BBQ sauce.  I don't know if it was something about what I was in the mood for that night or if they changed it, but the BBQ sauce was over the top this time...too much of it to enjoy the ribs and too piquant for me.  I scraped most of it off to enjoy the meat and still had a hard time cleaning the ribs off.  I ate half the rack, David finished them.  I may be a little nitpicky, but my grandmother makes the best coleslaw ever.  They changed the coleslaw this time, I thought.  I wonder if the chef is just playing around making it and doesn't really have a recipe to follow.  It was a bit vinegary and not enough mayo this time.  I'd stick with a winner and stop messing with it.  Basic traditional coleslaw is good.

The manager did come out and ask us how everything was.  It was good overall, I just thought my ribs weren't as good as the first time we were there.  I'll give them another shot because I know the ribs can be great and the French onion is superb.  I love the atmosphere, and the waitress shared the same name as me, plus it's really reasonable.