Drink Thu Jul 31 2008

Bell's Reaches Distribution Agreement

Bell's is back. Chicagoist has the details.

— Gemma Petrie

News Thu Jul 31 2008

Dining in the Streets

Chicago's newspapers and magazines have been overrun lately with articles and lists outlining where to dine or drink al fresco. But in New York, according to an article in the New York Times today, people are hitting the streets to dine where there are no restaurants. There's a story about a guy who hauls some food and drink on to the Brooklyn Bridge and throws a dinner party there every summer. Others tell about setting up tables and chairs on the sidewalk in front of their buildings. I spent a summer in Amsterdam, and every evening residents of the building where I stayed would bring out tables and food and wine. It's something that requires a certain amount of inhibition, and for the New Yorkers in the paper, a desire to take back public spaces that are starting to feel off limits. Two of the diners in the Times story live in and around SoHo, and say they're repsonding to the invasion of glass-walled condos and chain stores. One person even noted that "it's when money hits the street" that the feeling of community and spontaneity go away from a neighborhood. This is something a lot of people in Chicago have experienced in their own neighborhoods. So, why not haul out a card table, some chairs and a pitcher of margaritas, and show your love for your hood.

— Lori Barrett

Event Thu Jul 31 2008

Cooking Classes for Kids (and Adults)

Susan Maddox, chef at Le Titi de Paris along with her husband Michael, is teaching cooking classes this summer and fall, some of them for would-be chefs as young as 8. The classes are being held at the restaurant in Arlington Heights (1015 West Dundee Rd., 847-506-0222). The lineup for kids for the fall includes a class on knife skills (very important for young hands) on Sept. 7th, and Spooky Treats on Oct. 5th.

Lessons on knife skills are also being offered for adults, on Sept. 7th and 14th. Learn to make bistro favorites, such as coq au vin and mussels Provencal, on Oct. 12th, or bread-making on Nov. 2nd and 9th.

The classes are two-hours long, and are followed by a three-course lunch, all for $45. Call the restaurant to reserve space.

— Lori Barrett / Comments (1)

News Wed Jul 30 2008

Mmm, Midweek Links

• The City bans plastic bags at next year's farmers markets, then takes it back.

• Hungry Mag doesn't like the Drawing Room's drink prices or clientele, but the food is good. And cabbage is tasty.

• Slice sings the praises of Pequod's to the lands beyond our borders.

• The Food Chain and Foodmomiac report from the Festival of Cheese this past weekend.

• Dish fills us in on Chef Ming Tsai's visit to several local chefs' homes to tape his PBS show; we get a Gale Gand recipe out of it.

• Mike Nagrant interviews Prosecco's Mark Sparacino for CenterStage, while Misty Tosh dines out alone in Rogers Park.

• MenuPages Blog pulls out the food-related AOL City's Best award-winners. Also, The Cell is apparently the fifth most vegetarian ballpark, according to PETA. Great.

• Bake & Destroy finally posted the recipe for her mac & cheese cupcakes, along with others from Echo magazine’s Mac & Cheese Throwdown. Go make some!

• Chuck Sudo reviews Graham Elliot, and notes of others, "Those initial reviews also seemed to have served notice to Bowles that, while he may have earned some benefit of the doubt in realizing the vision for his restaurant, that doesn't mean he should hang himself with the rope he's been given."

• Chicagoist covers the Jimmy John's Makers vs. Eaters competitive eating (and, uh, making) event.

• Chicago Bites visits Il Mulino.

• Chicago Gluttons gets up in Mixteco Grill.

• Time Out's Julia Kramer free associates on food and economics.

• Meanwhile, TOC's Heather Shouse takes a swipe at 312 Dining Diva over a scoop. Mee-yow.

— Andrew Huff

Recipe Wed Jul 30 2008

Cooking Light Features Chicago Market Pioneer

This month's issue of one of my favorite magazines Cooking Light features the story of Abby Mandel, who started Chicago's Green City Market in a downtown alley in 1999. Today, the market is "the best sustainable market in the country," according to the Alice Waters.

The story is a good read and includes fun recipes from Mandel, a cookbook author and former syndicated food columnist. Her German Apple Pancake and Albuquerque Corn Salad not only highlight farm fresh ingredients, but also are wholesome and look lovely.

— Mandy Burrell Booth / Comments (1)

Blog Wed Jul 30 2008

Miracle Fruit in Chicago

My Vegetable Blog has a detailed post of her recent "taste-tripping" party. I'm impressed by her spread and will definitely be using some of these ideas when I finally host my own Miraculin party (like, goat cheese, cranberries, hot peppers, vinegar and Guinness).

Joanna reports that she and her guests had varying responses to different flavors and that the taste shifts were not as extreme as they may have hoped --but, "What pretty much everyone agreed on was that lemons and limes tasted like candy."

Neat!

— Gemma Petrie / Comments (2)

Random Tue Jul 29 2008

Chicago in Other Places

I always get very giddy when I see businesses in other parts of the country serve Chicago-style food, notably pizza. From the corners of Missouri to the streets of Silicon Valley. The more I investigated it, the more I realized how much influence Chicago has on other regions. As a rule of thumb, I don't sample, but I am curious...which state has the best slice? I'm figuring you'll say Texas...

— Robyn Nisi / Comments (2)

Ingredient Mon Jul 28 2008

Apricots

As much as I love spending hours in the kitchen, I love a good ten-minute dessert.

Peaches, apricots and plums — known as stone fruits for the pit in the middle — are popping up all over farmers markets. Peaches start out as "cling," meaning the flesh has a tight hold on the pit and it's impossible to get it to pull away in neat halves. But apricots and some plums are already "freestone" — just split the fruit, pop out the pit, and you have picture-perfect halves.

Preparing grilled apricots with mascarpone and honey takes all of ten minutes, but would be worth it if it took all day. Grilling or broiling fruit intensifies and concentrates the flavor of a fruit. Ripe but fairly firm fruit works best. The recipe idea works with any stone fruit. For peaches, wait until later in the season when they're freestone.

If you don't have a grill, a very hot cast-iron pan will do the trick. Put the pan over high flame for a few minutes and then set a few apricot halves in the pan. Let them go for a minute or two until the fruit is slightly charred.

Remove the fruit from the pan and let it cool a few minutes. Add a dollop of mascarpone to each half and drizzle with honey. If you'd like, add a few grains of very coarse sea salt to top it off. It's best served warm or at room temperature, but it can spend a little time in the fridge if you want to make it earlier in the day. Take it out at the start of the meal and the chill will have worn off by dessert.

— Daniel Shumski / Comments (1)

Restaurant Mon Jul 28 2008

Fried Sandwich Approaches Donut Stage

A fried peanut butter sandwich is just about as good as it gets. At least when the Violet Hour is serving it up with banana inside - and a deep sweetness that just happens to come from honey. (I'm vegan, except that I don't identify with the bees and, while I don't go out of my way to eat their honey, I don't make much effort to avoid it either). I took the sandwich without the bacon that the menu mentions. (I'm more sympathetic to the pigs).

The sandwich reminds me of a donut in the way peanut bits stick to its outside like a coating. It melts in the mouth as if it was specifically designed to deliver maximum comfort. It's super tall, too - perhaps double high. It was hard to tell quite how much bread was involved in the dim light. Violet Hour, 1520 N. Damen. (773) 252-1500. Go early to avoid possible lines.

— Chris Brunn / Comments (3)

News Fri Jul 25 2008

Hot Doug's Contest Winner: The New Chicago Dog

The winner in Time Out's contest to create a new hot dog for Hot Doug's has been announced: it's The New Chicago!

Mexican chorizo sausage, Asian pear chutney, Indian paneer cheese, chili mustard, served on a multi-grain roll. As the original Chicago dog reflected our immigrant heritage (Greek, Italian and Jewish immigrants), this encased meat reflects our new and future immigrant population. Latinos now account for 1 in 4 city residents, our Asian population is expected to grow over a third in a matter of a decade, and India presents the third largest group of new immigrants to Chicago. This new sausage celebrates this new Chicago.

The New Chicago Dog was created by open source programming consultant Kevin Haas; his masterpiece will appear on the Hot Doug's menu soon. All four finalists were pretty awesome, though, and "Hot" Doug Sohn has said we shouldn't be surprised if all of them — and others not chosen as finalists — made it to the menu at some point.

— Andrew Huff

Random Fri Jul 25 2008

Logan Bar and Grill Has a False Bottom

Although I haven't been there yet (and probably never will), the Logan Bar and Grill, which resembles its (boring, safe) sister restaurants the Northside and Black Beetle, looks like it's suffering from the normal opening week jitters, such as erratic service, uneven menus, and...false-bottomed pint glasses(?).

— Robyn Nisi

Drink Fri Jul 25 2008

Friday Happy Hour

Yep, we're rounding up a bunch of drink links for your Friday afternoon consumption. Thirsty yet?

• Time Out guides you to places where you can drink beer outdoors.

• 312 Dining Diva is annoyed with The Violet Hour for repainting the exterior. (What, was it too hard to find? Were the lines to get in too short?)

• BoozeMuse looks into eco-drinking.

• Beer (& More) In Food ponders Honey Amber Rose, "the first beer for women," whose brand and brewery is now available for purchase on eBay.

• Meanwhile, there's a new beer in town.

• Gabriel at Half Acre Brewery reflects on the wave of mergers and alliances going on in the beer industry right now. Maybe one of them will snap up (Honey Amber Rose).

• Speaking of weird beer, What's the Pint samples Mamma Mia Pizza Beer, brewed (baked?) in St. Charles.

• The Chicago Nightlife Examiner is concerned about the livelihood of our dive bars in the face of invading hipsters.

• You may be getting too strong of a drink, the RedEye reports. Are you complaining?

• Mmm, chartreuse.

— Andrew Huff

Review Fri Jul 25 2008

Calvin's BBQ: Meh.

I have a serious love/hate relationship with the Armitage #73 bus. It travels near a lot of places I regularly visit, so I end up taking it often; however, it is irritatingly undependable.

During my last trip on the #73, I saw Calvin's BBQ, which is nestled on the corner of Stave and Armitage in a rather cute, dainty little building. I had read some promising reviews of the place in other publications, so I decided I needed to make a visit. I called my adventurous pal C and made a date to get some BBQ.

Calvin's has a nice back patio, where we sat among a small but steady stream of customers. We were given menus. We studied and made our choices (the cheeseburger for me, as I had heard glowing reviews, and the BBQ chicken sandwich for her). We waited. Many minutes passed. Finally, the unsmiling counter clerk who was doing double duty as a waitress came out and took our orders. She gave us one plastic cup of water. Just one. Perhaps Calvin's has a commitment to eco-friendly service. In the way that life works, what seemed like a million #73 buses floated past us in both directions.

I want to say that the food was memorable, but all C and I concluded was that Calvin's food was painfully average. My cheeseburger was pretty large and certainly passable; if I had cooked it on my electric kitchen grill at home, I'd be impressed with myself, but it wasn't particularly flavorful. C likened her sandwich to something she would have eaten in a school cafeteria. The location is great, the prices reasonable, but Calvin's wasn't as tasty as I had hoped. C and I parted ways, and I began to walk home, sated but a little unsatisfied, and hoping to digest the meal that was settling in my stomach like a lead weight. A bus passed, but I didn't chase it.

— Robyn Nisi

Feature Thu Jul 24 2008

Getting Burned by Creme Brulee: a Cautionary Tale

Continue reading this entry »

— Robyn Nisi / Comments (1)

Business Thu Jul 24 2008

DIY Iced Coffee

In these lean times, I like to brew my own coffee at home to save some change. However, the process can be trickier in the summer when what I really want is iced coffee. Here are some tips I've picked up along the way:

First, the guys at Intelligentsia's Randolph Street location tell me that my brewing method is perfect: I just make a pot of coffee like I always do, nice and strong. They recommend avoiding darker roasts, which don't taste as good on ice.

Once the coffee is ready, I pour a big glass and stick it in the freezer. By the time I'm finished showering, the coffee isn't exactly cold, but it's not piping hot, either. I fill my thermos with ice cubes made from coffee leftover from the previous day, and then pour in my chilled coffee and a spot of half and half.

Lately, I've been sweetening the brew with a homemade almond simple syrup. I bring one-third of a cup of water and one-third of a cup of sugar to a boil, then let it simmer for just a couple of minutes until the sugar dissolves completely. I take the pot off the heat and stir in a bit of almond flavoring to taste.

Incidentally, Intelligentsia's new summer drink, GG's Horchata -- rice milk, espresso, simple syrup and a dash of cinnamon -- is a refreshing change of pace on days when I don't feel like firing up my pot at home.

— Mandy Burrell Booth / Comments (9)

News Wed Jul 23 2008

Mmm, Midweek Links

• Sky Full of Bacon steps into the kitchen at Sun Wah Barbecue.

• Speaking of, LTHForum & Sky Full of Bacon's Michael Gebert got Khan BBQ into Maxim's 2008 Food Awards.

• Get your reservations in early for the Brewmaster's Summer Luau at Flossmoor Station next Tuesday; the special guest is Wil Turner of Goose Island Brewery.

• Phil Vettel tells us how to save our local Starbucks; 312 Dining Diva has another suggestion.

• The Food Chain notes that "Top Chef Season 3" contestant Sara Nguyen is working as a server at C-House while she waits for fellow Top Chef alum Dale Levitski's Town & Country to open. She'll be sous chef.

• Carrie Nahabedian is on Chicago magazine's front burner.

• Obama lollipop: fun to say, fun to eat.

• Gastronomic Bypass went on a mac'n'cheese crawl. Still recovering.

• The spoons at Berry Chill change colors when they're cold. I didn't know that.

• Common Chopsticks laments the slide in service quality in Chicago.

• NewCity has a new blog in beta: BoozeMuse.

• A Fresh Squeeze checks out the Evanston Farmers Market.

• Chicago Bites visits A Mano and Blue Sky Bakery & Cafe.

• Michael Nagrant finds a copy of Nelson Algren's America Eats, long out of print, in Detroit bookstore.

• A report from last week's Green City Barbecue, in UR Chicago.

• Ten lawn-mowing beers from the Midwest.

— Andrew Huff / Comments (4)

Ingredient Wed Jul 23 2008

Seeking Local Honey

If you're looking to sweeten your tea or top your biscuits with honey from the Chicagoland area, here are two ways to find it:

1. Check out Sweet Beginnings beeline honey, which can be purchased at the Lincoln Park farmer's market as well as at Whole Foods stores and other local shops. (via Ideal Bite)

2. Visit the Honey Locator, a website that lets you search for locations where you can buy honey from your "home state." (via the kitchn)

— Dana Currier / Comments (1)

Ingredient Tue Jul 22 2008

Zucchini

A lot of us can't get enough of some vegetables — tomatoes or cucumbers, maybe. But we reach our saturation point quickly with others. Zucchini, I'm looking at you.

July is high season for zucchini and summer squash. If you have a CSA subscription, a garden, a neighbor with a garden, an acquaintance with a garden, or an enemy with a garden, chances are you're seeing a lot of zucchini these days. And they're great. Up to a point. But you can get sick of them. Sighing at the sight of them is an early warning sign. Sighing at the thought of them is a definitive symptom.

In her excellent account of eating locally for a year, Barbara Kingsolver writes of summer squash and zucchini. As if having her own bumper crop to deal with weren't enough:

"Other people were trying to give them to us. One day we came home from some errands to find a grocery sack of them hanging on our mailbox. The perpetrator, of course, was nowhere in sight."

Even if you're not the victim of a squash-and-run, give Gourmet's zucchini carpaccio a shot. It requires no cooking. Instead of mint, try it with arugula or basil. Balsamic vinegar can stand in for lemon juice. If you don't have a mandoline, just spend some time with a knife trying to slice the zucchini as thinly as possible.

The result is a dish that transforms zucchini into something you'll welcome back to the dinner table.

— Daniel Shumski

Random Tue Jul 22 2008

Good Deal Alert!

For $3, would you rather get three-quarters of a tank of gas, or an insanely huge waffle cone overflowing with homemade ice cream? I know my answer.

On a recent visit to Margie's Candies on Montrose, I ordered a waffle cone with 2 flavors of homemade ice cream--strawberry cheesecake and cookies and cream (odd combination, I know)--all for $3. Sure made Cold Stone seem like a huge rip off. Plus, it's always nice to support a local business.

Margie's Candies
North Center: 1813 W Montrose Ave
Bucktown: 1960 N Western Ave

— Bobbi Bowers

Drink Tue Jul 22 2008

Trumped Up Prices

Price of a bottle of Glenrothes Select Reserve single malt scotch whisky at Sam's Wine & Spirits: $41.99

Prince of the same bottle at Binny's: $44.99

Price of a glass of said whisky, at Rebar in Trump Tower: $57.

At least that was the price a friend of Drive-Thru unwittingly paid on a recent evening. The scotch list didn't show prices, but our informant assumed that a glass would run the typical $10-15 it is at other bars, maybe a bit more considering the locale. But a greater than 100-percent markup? Ridiculous.

— Andrew Huff

Restaurant Mon Jul 21 2008

Negotiations for Thai

This weekend was epic. It was one where I had one of my favorite dishes again. Curry, and the velvety coconut-based Thai curry no less. To get there, a friend and I engaged in a typical lunch-place negotiation, something like, "Want to join me?" "Sure, where do you want to go?" Then it came up: "You have more restrictions than I do." I like to think that I could eat anywhere and keep vegan. And that's mostly true, less perhaps someplace just serving steaks. So, I asked my friend, "Well, where would you go if you were by yourself?" After a long pause, the response was, "I'd go home [and eat]." We were soon en route to Joy's on Broadway on bikes for Thai food, when we deviated for Cozy Noodles & Rice on Sheffield, just north of Clark. It's cutely decorated spot with a few tables outside in front.

We kicked lunch off with spring rolls and a salad of crispy tofu, shaved carrots, thinly sliced onion and green onion in a tart sauce, strengthened by the lime wedge we squeezed over it. Our server asked another worker to describe the crispy white bits over the salad, after I'd asked. It was rice, cooked until crispy, and then finely ground. The person describing it added that it had a nice smell. I liked the crunch, too.

We ordered the green curry without fish sauce, per the menu's offering, and not spicy for my friend, hoping for a change from the menu's clear indication that this was a spicy dish. The mild curry didn't look as fun, with potatoes and green peas. We wanted the bamboo shoots, green peas, carrot, basil leaves and Thai eggplant - with tofu. Minus its hot peppers, it was still a bit spicy, but wonderfully creamy, with soft and gentle tones from the coconut milk. Cozy serves brown rice now, for anyone who's tired of white. 3456 N. Sheffield (at Cornelia). (773) 327-0100.

— Chris Brunn

Event Mon Jul 21 2008

A Cheesy Week Ahead

The American Cheese Society is rolling into town this week for their 25th Anniversary conference at the Chicago Hilton. What makes this special for you, the general public/cheeselover? Let me count the ways:

- Festival of Cheese, Saturday (7/26) at the Hilton. For the $85 ticket price, you'll peruse and gobble over 1,000 artisan and specialty cheeses from producers throughout North America; all the stuff you'll eat has been entered in the Society's Annual Competition, also held this week, so you know it's not going to be Velveeta on a frilly toothpick. Drinks and other foodstuffs (my guess is it's crackers, bread and red grapes) also provided.

- Cheese Sale @ the Dining Room at Kendall College (900 North Branch) on Sunday (7/27). Entries from the Society's Annual Competition will be available for purchase from 10am-1pm. Proceeds from the cheese sale benefits the ACS Cheesemaker Scholarship Fund (let's help a kid with a dream, people).

— Robyn Nisi / Comments (2)

Restaurant Sat Jul 19 2008

PBLT @ Lula Cafe

Actually, the Tineka sandwich I ordered last night at Lula was more like a "PBLTCOSSSS," which stands for "peanut butter, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, (red) onion, sprouts, sambal and soy sauce." Obviously, this isn't any ordinary cross between a peanut butter sandwich and a BLT. The "spicy peanut butter" is a homemade concoction which tastes like the best sweet-and-spicy Asian peanut sauce you've ever had, and while the heat is rather tame, the other flavors make up for it. The vegetables are stacked on slices of multi-grain bread, which is slathered with the grown-up peanut butter, and served alongside a pile of their crispy house potatoes. The only thing between you and this sandwich is, of course, the wait. And while you could always go home and open up your trusty jar of Jif, something tells me it wouldn't be quite the same.

— Dana Currier

Restaurant Fri Jul 18 2008

Group Discount

Here's an interesting way to get a good lunch deal: the Lincoln Park outpost of Vietnamese restaurant Hai Yen, 2723 N. Clark, has teamed up with ThePoint.com to create a critical mass campaign. If 11 people commit to having lunch there on August 13, they'll all get 25 percent off their meal. The lucky 11 don't have to know each other, they just all have to show up between noon and 3pm.

— Andrew Huff

Feature Fri Jul 18 2008

Wieners that Work

People have been talking a lot about hot dogs lately, and with the declaration of tomorrow being "National Hot Dog Day" by Evanston tube steak aficionados Wiener and Still Champion ($1 hot dogs will be sold all day!), we thought we'd take a minute to give props to some of the great places that sell our friend in the poppy seed bun.

Continue reading this entry »

— Robyn Nisi / Comments (1)

News Fri Jul 18 2008

Tomatoes Okay, Peppers Not So Much?

The FDA issued a statement today that tomatoes are safe to eat following the salmonella scare of last month; however, fresh jalapeno or serrano peppers are still under scrutiny, so take heed.

— Robyn Nisi

Blog Fri Jul 18 2008

Saving Bread

The Chicagoland Bicycle Federation's blog turned me on to someone whose experiment going car-free this summer has him saving money on bread. Yes, not just gas, but bread. George writes, "I'm finding that without a car I pick and choose a bit more carefully. That extra side trip to the bread store got nixed when my wife rightly pointed out we had plenty of bread right now."

— Chris Brunn

Video Thu Jul 17 2008

Cooking with Coolio

If you've tired of the perk, precision and competition in the world of televised cooking, head to MyDamnChannel to watch Cooking with Coolio. The rapper will "teach your a-- to cook," everything from a Caprese salad (in case your girlfriend is "one of them salad eatin' bitches") to sauteed spinach even a kid will love to a whole turkey (dropped like it's hot into a deep fryer). He keeps his spices in dime bags, wears sunglasses while he cooks and yells, "Bring your a-- to the table" when the food is ready. He's just what the bland world of food TV needed.

— Lori Barrett / Comments (3)

Store Thu Jul 17 2008

Hey, There's Food on your Shirt.

Made you look!

Show your love for cake, steak, cookies, and pretty much all other things food-related by wearing it on your shirt. Threadless.com, Chicago's very own t-shirt phenomenon, combines food and fashion with quirky food-related t-shirt designs.

My personal favorite:

Threadless
3011 N. Broadway

[Photo from Threadless.com]

— Bobbi Bowers / Comments (1)

News Thu Jul 17 2008

CTA: Grocery Stores Near Stations a Good Idea

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is exploring the idea of expanding commercial development, including grocery stores, near its L stations, according to the Chicago Tribune.

As a frequent visitor to Alta Vista Foods, a small but fully loaded produce and grocery store accessible from inside the Sheridan Red Line station, I can attest to how great it is to be able to pop in after work to pick up hamburger buns, lemons, tomato sauce or even a package of chicken legs. My husband and I got rid of our car last year, and grocery shopping is about the only reason we miss having it. Alta Vista definitely makes things easier -- and based on the fact that there's always a steady stream of fellow L riders in line with me, it makes good sense that the CTA is looking to spread the love to other stations.

— Mandy Burrell Booth / Comments (1)

Foodporn Thu Jul 17 2008

A Field Guide to Doughnuts

This Chicago Tribune article helps readers wade through the fried dough options in and around the city -- and suggests where to buy them. They have also included a delicious photo gallery.

The Gulab Jamon, "A small dark doughnut hole of flour and milks (powdered, regular), steeped in a sticky syrup of rosewater and sugar (and sometimes cardamom) until it's spongy and dense, and sweet," looks particularly delicious.

(Don Churro's churro pictured. Photo from the Chicago Tribune.)

— Gemma Petrie

Recipe Thu Jul 17 2008

Cooling Summer's Heat from a Hot Kitchen

Whenever I step from my air conditioned bedroom in to my steamy hot kitchen, thoughts of cooking often yield to blending shakes before I can stop my hands from dropping slices of frozen bananas into a blender whirling around cold soy milk.

I cannot stress frozen bananas enough. They blend up with soy milk into a thick, cold and smooth shake. The secret to extreme thickness is to drop slices of frozen banana into the loud, roaring monster that is your blender running on a low or medium speed. Pause between every few pieces, waiting for the beast to crunch through the frozen chunks. Then, when the blender's screaming yields to a solid roar, give it another few pieces. Do this until the blender can't take any more, until the shake is so thick you can barely see the liquid pulling into a swirl at the top. (Peel and slice the bananas before freezing them).

Blend all other ingredients with the soy milk before adding the bananas, so that you have a good thorough mix before the bananas thicken it so much that it won't move. Here are some of my favorite combinations:

• Pistachios Cardamom or Chocolate Peanut Butter

• Fresh figs, blended with frozen bananas and soy milk, give off a rich sweetness, with a deep flavor that nothing else quite matches.

• If you can get your hands on some mango avocado sorbet, or perhaps just mango, it goes brilliantly blended with just enough soy milk to make a thick cold slush - no bananas needed.

• And here's something completely different: Lemon Basil Sorbet.

— Chris Brunn / Comments (1)

Random Wed Jul 16 2008

Frozen Vegan Refreshment

When it's hot out like today, why not treat yourself to thick, cold vegan ice cream or smoothie? Below are some of my favorite sources.

• Karmers on Wabash in the Loop has Temptation vegan ice cream by the scoop, either on the sidewalk or inside available by asking at the counter. I hear that you can also find the locally made Temptation by the scoop at Brown Cow Ice Cream Parlor in Forest Park, and Heavenly Gelato & Ice Cream in Logan Square.

• Fresh fruit smoothies at Soy Organic in Pilsen.

• Seedling blends up smoothies with the fruit they grow at Green City Market.

• Ice cold and smooth vegan shakes are at Veggie Bite in Wicker Park and Beverly.

• Chicago Diner makes some of the best vegan shakes, served in a tall glass.

• Vegan ice cream on cones at Just Indulge in Wicker Park.

• Sorbet at Ruth & Phils Gourmet Ice Cream in Lincoln Square.

• Temptation is available by the pint at the Green Grocer at Grand & Noble, W Crossings on North Avenue in Wicker Park, True Nature in Uptown, and Whole Foods in Lakeview, South Loop, and on Halsted.

And a few places I've been meaning to try:

• I've seen smoothies being made weekend days on a table out front Crespo's at North Avenue at Leavitt.

• I've heard about a new juice and smoothie shop at 2246 W. Armitage, apparently serving up wheatgrass shots and carrot apple ginger juice.

— Chris Brunn / Comments (1)

News Wed Jul 16 2008

Mmm, Midweek Links

• Do you work in a restaurant...or just wish you did? Check out FohBoh, a social network for food industry types.

• Every e-newsletter in town wrote about Piccolo Sogno this week, it seems.

• UrbanDaddy writes up Fired Up Chicago, a company that brings the woodfired pizza oven to you.

• The Paupered Chef visited the Green City Market for Serious Eats.

• There's a new Peruvian place in Bucktown. LTHForum is on the case.

• The summer's first fruit jams are starting to show up at farmers markets.

• Cannoli cupcakes... ricotta fritters...drooolll ...

• Chicago Bites visits Green Zebra and checks out Berry Chill.

• Epicurista visited Berry Chill too, and wasn't bowled over.

• At L20, summer means jello... sort of.

• Tramonto talks about his new cookbook, Osteria.

• Balance answers the question, "What would your last meal in Chicago be?"

— Andrew Huff / Comments (2)

News Tue Jul 15 2008

Green Grocer to celebrate New Magazine with Open House

The friendly and local Green Grocer is hosting an open house to celebrate the new seasonal magazine Edible Chicago, while debuting local farmers, artisan food makers and chefs. Bring your friends to sample, watch demos, get recipes, and buy lots of tasty groceries. Judging from owner Cassie Green's charismatic personality, this is sure to be a love fest that you shouldn't miss. Monday, July 21 from 5 to 8 p.m., 1402 W. Grand Avenue.

— Chris Brunn

Random Tue Jul 15 2008

How to Sample Cheese

Sampling cheese needs instructions? Isn't it as simple as, open mouth, insert cheese, repeat until ill or otherwise immobilized (or, worst case scenario, out of cheese)? Apparently there are cheese manners to be observed -- particularly on the farmer's market circuit, where all manner of grubby hands are grabbing after the goods. Imposing some routine structure and discipline in cheese-handling is the least our local cheese mongers can do.

There seem to be two main camps of cheese sampling convention -- the simple tools method, and the what we'll call the gravity method. I participated in the simple tools method this past Sunday at the Logan Square farmer's market, where Provenance had set up a tent with about eight varieties of cheese available to try. Each cheese, from chipotle-infused cheddar, to a combination sheep and goat's milk number where the two cheeses were separated by a layer of ash, was packed into the separated wells of what seemed to be a reclaimed prep pan, the whole pan surrounded by ice packs to keep the dairy from getting funky. Toothpicks and little tasting spoons were proffered to actually sample the cheese -- no direct hand-to-cheese contact! And it seemed using one toothpick per cheese was preferable to double-picking.

This morning I stopped by the Federal Plaza farmer's market to pick up some snacks for tonight's movie in Grant Park. I've worked across the street from it for years, but was always strapped with afternoon meetings preventing actually visiting the market, which I was pleasantly surprised to find incredibly well-stocked with tons of produce, flowers, and even honey vendor that had brought their own miniature working bee hive under glass -- being clumsy, I studiously avoided this table. But felt I could stop by the lone cheese tent without incident. I didn't catch the vendor's name, though they mentioned the majority of their cheeses come from a consortium of small dairies in southern Wisconsin. The gal behind the table was very patient with letting me sample a few different varieties and weighing different saran-wrapped hunks to pick the best price (a brie layers of toasted almonds, apricots and honey) and least messy (a sturdy, buttery tasting raw cow's milk). Her method for testing was a little more low-tech -- with one gloved hand, she'd pick up a modest sample and drop it into my hand. All gravity, very simple, and yet hygienic. (Except that, when she wasn't looking, a passerby totally just dove in and grabbed a chunk off her cutting board with their un-gloved hand. Such is life.) Good things to keep in mind for future shopping.

— Andie Cavedo

Ingredient Tue Jul 15 2008

Currant Affairs

Editor's Note: We'd like to welcome Daniel Shumski, the author of Fruit Slinger, to the Drive-Thru staff. He'll be writing each week about what's new and fresh at the farmers markets.

If you're at the farmers market this week, you might spot tiny fruit that look like grapes. They're not grapes; they're red currants.

Like a lot of the best finds at the markets, they're only around for a short time. And, like many of the best finds at the market, you rarely see them and might well have no idea what to do with them. It's tempting to take them home and just admire them. They're handsome — plump, fire-red and jewel-like. Before you try gobbling them by the handful, be warned: They're tart. Very tart. Lemon tart.

They need some sugar. A woman who grew up in Poland tasted a red currant at last week's Green City Market and recalled how she used to forage wild red currants, then eat them smothered in sour cream and doused with sugar. You can be more fussy if you'd like, but it's hardly necessary. If you want to get fancy — like, New York Times fancy — the Gray Lady has a rundown on the history of the currant, as well as some recipes.

[photo by Mirandala]

— Daniel Shumski / Comments (1)

Resource Mon Jul 14 2008

Rent-a-Kitchen

Chefs looking for a place to hone their recipes before opening their own restaurant, catering company or gourmet business have had basically two options: cook at home (or in their current employer's kitchen if they're lucky) or rent space and time in Kitchen Chicago, the shared use kitchen in Ravenswood where such folks as Vella Cafe and Hoosier Mama Pies got their start.

Now there's a third option: Now We're Cookin'. Tucked onto a side street northwest of downtown Evanston, Now We're Cookin' not only has commercial-grade kitchen space available for as little as a four-hour shift, but also a demonstration/event studio where you could either host a class or tape your application for "The Next Food Network Star."

— Andrew Huff / Comments (2)

Foodporn Mon Jul 14 2008

Roughin' It

I took a trip to one of my favorite places in the world this past Friday to see Feist: RAVINIA!

For those who haven't made the journey, the Ravinia experience begins with the trip up the Metra Union Pacific North rail line, steadily weaving through the lush suburbs (Kenilworth, Wilmette) as you leave the city, arriving at Ravinia Park a half-hour later. The lawn is really the only exciting place to be during the show, especially when it comes to the food: some people bring gourmet eats to be placed on dainty little tables with elegant candles and silverware, and others walk in with a few bottles of cheap wine and a bag of chips. It's truly a beautiful sight to see the patchwork of blankets and tarps that spread across the lawn. Even Leslie Feist herself started talking onstage of her curiosity of what was going on in the lawn section of the theater, seemingly miles from the stage. We ate on.

I took a minute to take some pictures of the spreads around me. For your enjoyment...

Continue reading this entry »

— Robyn Nisi

Chef Sat Jul 12 2008

Schwing! It's Ming!

Chef and host of awesome PBS cooking show Simply Ming Ming Tsai will be making an appearance at the WTTW studios (5400 N. Saint Louis) on Tuesday, July 29 for a meet and greet and to sign his newest cookbook, Ming's Master Recipes. Event begins at 6:30pm. Tickets are $10 for WTTW members and $15 for non-members. Reserve your spot online or call (773) 509-1111, ext. 6.

— Robyn Nisi

Random Fri Jul 11 2008

Here's a Tip for You

Given the recent jump in Cook County sales tax, which impacts restaurant purchases, the Tribune asks that you reconsider your tipping strategy. It's too bad Todd Stroger doesn't wait tables on the weekends, eh?

— Robyn Nisi

Feature Thu Jul 10 2008

Foraging for Mulberries

The tiny latina lady approached me with an incredulous grin on her face, whipping her headphones off. "Oh my God! I only thought Mexicans did that!"

Continue reading this entry »

— Shylo Bisnett / Comments (3)

Store Thu Jul 10 2008

New Smoothie Flavor @ Soy Organic

Pilsen's Soy Organic is all about offering a healthier alternative. With real fruit smoothies on a hot summer day, I don't know how they could go wrong. But I'm biased; I've been a fan of their fun bulk selection, vegan chorizo and shelf of Indian instant foods packed into a cute storefront since courting them for the Veggie Bike and Dine. Their new smoothie flavor is vegan banana nut. Thursdays, they have fresh Polish bread, Fridays organic Amish "Grab-and-Go" soups. If that's not enough, they have Rice Dream ice cream bars. (Photo courtesy of Soy Organic).

— Chris Brunn

Ingredient Wed Jul 09 2008

Giardiniera: Not Just for Beef

Giardiniera, the spicy condiment of chopped sport peppers, carrots, olives, cauliflower and celery, all marinated in olive oil, is how Chicagoans add that certain something to Italian beef sandwiches. Ask for a side of giardiniera anywhere outside of Chicago, and you're likely to get a blank stare. In my opinion, it's one of Chicago's best-kept culinary secrets, and I love to experiment with it.

A few mornings ago, I woke up dreaming of giardiniera turkey burgers stuffed with smoked cheddar cheese. Tonight, my dreams came true. My husband and I both agree these are the best burgers I've ever made. Want to try them yourself? Here's how:

Continue reading this entry »

— Mandy Burrell Booth / Comments (1)

News Wed Jul 09 2008

Mmm, Midweek Links

• Garrett's Popcorn may be losing its Michigan Avenue store (temporarily, they say), but they'll be beefing up their online sales.

• Most of the smells on this map are food-related. Sniff and learn.

• The Chicago MenuPages blog said farewell to founding blogger Adam Peltz this week; he's replaced by Helen Rosner, who grew up in Hyde Park.

• On the Food Chain, Bianca Jarvis punctures the absinthe mystique and Mike Sula compares loaves from D'Amato's coal-fired oven and its gas-fired. Guess which wins.

• Fruit Slinger met Gale Gand at the Green City Market, along with some other colorful characters.

• Ginger is fairly cheap in stores right now; One Good Meal tells you what to do with it.

• Hungry Mag lets you know where to get your soy on. (Just don't eat too much.)

• A look at Andersonville's coffee shops and a search for the perfect Cubano in the Examiner.

• Metromix peeks in some chefs' gardens.

• Beard Papa, Freshii, Orange Julius and more will be tenants in the Block 37 food court.

• Celebrate Goose Island Brewery's 20th anniversary with special bottlings of their beers.

• Chicago Bites visits La Oaxaquena.

• Er, vegan crack wraps?

• Zagat runs down some Bastille Day deals.

• The skinny gourmet ponders the uneven distribution of great ethnic chefs.

— Andrew Huff

Business Tue Jul 08 2008

Mango Gin

Northshore, Chicagoland's local distillery, has just announced their summer 2008 limited release -- Alphonso Mango No. 11. Their delicious Distiller's Gin No. 11 has been infused with Alphonso mangoes imported from India.

Bottles will retail around $40 and will begin showing up in bars and stores next week. Their summer 2007 rhubarb ginger gin was excellent and I'm sure this new release will not disappoint.

— Gemma Petrie

Ingredient Mon Jul 07 2008

Cherries and Berries

This Wednesday and Saturday's Green City Market (1750 N. Clark from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.) brings sweet cherries, which apparently are only around for a few weeks, from Seedling. Seedling also tells us to look for their sour cherries (aka tart, or pie, cherries) next week - and that although blueberries and raspberries typically go from tart to sweet as the season progresses, you can expect them sweeter straight away this time. Also look for Seedling at Lincoln & Leland on Tuesdays, Saturdays in Evanston at University and Oak Street, and Sundays in Wicker Park.

If you'd rather get out of the city and pick your own, Garwood Orchard's (near LaPorte, Indiana) black raspberry UPick begins Thursday, July 10.

— Chris Brunn / Comments (2)

Random Mon Jul 07 2008

Bitter Tears

A longtime Starbucks customer laments the overpopulation of the corporate coffee chain and the counterculture it used to represent to the Tribune: "It's a tragedy that the young kids won't know the difference, and will never know how good it once was."

— Robyn Nisi / Comments (1)

Event Fri Jul 04 2008

Never Going Back

Although it was tasty, a "Taste Portion" of Robinson's Ribs was not worth the utter horror of being among the estimated 1,000,000 people who attended the Taste of Chicago last night. Waiting in line, my friend and I were body-checked by a sea of teenagers who enjoyed screaming obscentities to each other as they pushed through the crowd (side note: I'm glad to no longer be a bored teenager,especially during the summertime). I've rarely worried if I could hold my own in a large group of people. Until last night. On another front, fellow GB staffer Chris Brunn was right: the MVP of the Taste was Soul Vegetarian East, with its vegan BBQ twists (nicely seasoned seitan) and sweet potato pie.Other winners were breaded meat and eggplant sandwiches from Ricobene's and pistachio gelato from Canady Le Chocolatier.

— Robyn Nisi / Comments (1)

Feature Thu Jul 03 2008

Molecular Gastronomy at Home

With every leap in technology and taste that professional chefs make, there are always some fearless home chefs looking for ways to make the same moves in their smaller spaces on their limited budgets. And the ones with time and energy to spare will sometimes blog about it as well.

Continue reading this entry »

— Robyn Nisi

News Wed Jul 02 2008

Mmm, Midweek Links - July 4th Edition

• Centerstage rounds up some Fourth food options.

• Behold, the french fry sandwich. Almost as scary as ghetto fries.

• Proud Italian Cook suggests some grilling options.

• Hungry Mag visits Sun Wah. (I was there recently, too.)

• TastyBeat is fond of Todd & Holland Tea Merchants in Forest Park.

• Chicagoist has a coupon for free red, white and blue toppings at Starfruit July 4-6, but as one commenter noted, it excludes berries, so it's basically free sprinkles and coconut.

• A Fresh Squeeze talks about the green side of Taste of Chicago.

• MenuPages rounds up Taste coverage, and ponders chefs' intellectual property rights.

• A little more on the Taste at TOC Blog.

• Chicago Burger Project returns with a review of Morton's mini-burgers.

• The Cubs are tied for first place — in hot dog quality.

• Chicago Bites hits Ay Ay Picante.

— Andrew Huff

Drink Wed Jul 02 2008

But why is the rum gone?

...Um, because One Trick Pony and I drank it all. Okay, not technically true. But after sampling the spirits of 20 different distilleries, featuring over 50 different rums, cachacas and other sugar-cane based liquors, it certainly felt as if we had. This past weekend, the newly opened Bottom Lounge played host to the First Annual Chicago Rum Festival, the inauguration of what we can only hope will be a long-running addition to Chicago's venerable tradition of drinking under the el tracks. More details on what 50 tiny tiny sips of rum will do to a girl, as well as some locally available stand-outs to satiate your own inner pirate, after the fold.

Continue reading this entry »

— Andie Cavedo / Comments (2)

Event Wed Jul 02 2008

Tasting Vegan at The Taste

I'd walked down Jackson Boulevard, east along five blocks of increasingly dense pedestrian-filled sidewalks toward BBQ vegan food at the Taste of Chicago. Michigan Avenue was my final crossing - past a traffic director telling unsuspecting pedestrians to "stay back" and a man standing on the corner shouting "Hallelujah, thank God for Jesus." And then I was in - past the barricades closing the street to automobile traffic. There was no turning back. Soul Vegetarian's booth was my destination - a straight walk to the left down the middle of Columbus Drive once I past the ticket booth, the CTA's transit card recharging tent, and the Secretary of State's driver's license renewal trailer. Somehow I found a window at the ticket booth that didn't have a line, which had been quietly hiding between other windows with stacks of other people who looked content to continue waiting. I had twelve tickets for eight dollars, for whatever that would buy me.

Soul Veg's service was quick. For eight tickets I was eating a juicy vegan gyros on a ledge at the side of their booth - and being checked in on by someone asking how it was. It was delicious - not quite as savory and succulent as I'd felt at their restaurant on 75th Street at Indiana, but still far better than not having one at all. My remaining four tickets bought me a tasting portion of their vegan BBQ twists. Covered in BBQ sauce, this skewered fake meat was a little chewy, kind of like what I remember the real thing to feel like after some eight years. It tasted a little caramelized, just ever so slightly sweet. A non-veg friend of mine later told me that they liked Soul Veg's BBQ sauce so much that it would make paper napkins taste good. Even as a sarcastic statement, that might have a bit of truth nonetheless. The lady next to me at the counter had told me that Soul Veg was the best place here. And these BBQ twists made me believe it; even if it was the only place I'd tried here so far this year. (In the interest of full disclosure, Soul Veg co-sponsored the Veggie Bike and Dine, which I co-organize, last year). One person working their tent lured others in by repeating, "All vegetarian. All vegan. This is your spot." It was definitely mine. Her colleague shouted, "All natural vegan sweet potato pie." If only I had more tickets. You could almost feel a smile on his face as he continued with, "You have got to get your sweet potato pie." I heard their battered cauliflower was delicious, too.

Continue reading this entry »

— Chris Brunn / Comments (1)

Event Wed Jul 02 2008

Yelp Eats, You Eat

Yelp is holding its first Yelp Eats event from July 11 to 17. A nice list of restaurants in the city (Le Lan, Il Covo, May Street Market) will be offering special $25 prix fixe menus.

— Robyn Nisi

Restaurant Tue Jul 01 2008

Tahini, Rice and Music in the Loop at Freshii

I walked in toward a line of people wrapping away from the counter at Freshii, and then I was led into place by one of many helpful greeters. I was about to taste creamy tahini sauce over steamy brown basmati rice. She asked me if this was my first time. It was. She had stepped back and pulled a clipboard with an order form from on or near a wall. Three sections on the paper were calling out to be completed, plus a spot for my initials in two boxes in the upper left corner. This was a task that I thought that I could certainly accomplish with no real effort, but I was wrong.

Just as I'd breezed through the first part of Step 1, the order form illuded me like a surprise question on a high school final exam. I'd wanted a bowl - not a salad, salad-wrap or soup. That much I knew. But I had no idea what to write in the "type" section next to "chef designed." I could skip down to Step 2 and choose my own toppings, but this is not what I'd come in for. I'd seen something on their online menu that looked good. My helpful greeter was still here, and dashed off to bring me a large, glossy menu with the listings. She was like a temporary personal assistant, filling in the rest of the form for me when I couldn't fend for myself. A check in Step 3 went for chili powder, another check for tahini sauce, and "regular" got circled to indicate I didn't want to deviate from the standard amount of sauce. Soft tender avocado chunks made me a fan of the Power House bowl immediately, as did the optional chili powder, but they could have mixed the sauce more to distribute it evenly throughout the rice, tofu, chickpeas, sunflower seeds, tomatoes and red onions. It was perfect on top, and it all tasted super fresh, but the sauce wasn't plentiful towards the bottom. Maybe I just needed to check the box for "heavy" sauce, and then try to mix it myself without overflowing the tight constraints of the little box it came in.

I handed my form to someone at one end of the counter, strolled in line to the other side to pay, and then waited for my initials to be called. I'd chosen a bag of spicy salt and peppered crinkle cut Kettle Chips and a bag of dark chocolate covered coffee beans from an extensive selection of chips, fruit, popcorn, Cliff bars and licorice.

Outside, a band played as I sat at a patio table aside the lawn out front at 311 S. Wacker and gazed up at the Sears Tower next door. The music continues through the summer Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Here's the plan, from building management: July 2 - Mr. Blotto; July 9 - Maryann and the Professors; July 16 - Diver; July 23 - Goodfoot; July 30 - Waterhouse; August 6 - Jack Straw; August 13 - Angel in the Solar System; August 20 - Gareth Woods Band; August 27 - Lynn Jordan & the Shivers.

— Chris Brunn / Comments (1)