Taste-Full Blog

The Sunny Side of the Street!

So apparently my last blog was a bit of a downer! Sorry everyone, but if I saved just one life…

Ha ha ha... – is this one better so far?

I’m sorry to let you all down. But I feel strongly about the Danger Zone, and the need to avoid it. In response to many of your complaints about my lack of bacterial-light-heartedness, this week I have included the recipe for a mayonnaise based delicacy that should be enjoyed all summer long (but should not be left in the heat for more than an hour or so!).

I have shared this celery seed vinaigrette recipe in the past, but I don’t think I specifically mentioned how great it is as a coleslaw dressing. Use it to lightly coat a large bowl of shredded cabbage, julienne sweet red bell peppers, shredded carrots, and thinly sliced scallions. Season it with our Taste-full Seasoning salt blend (or salt and pepper) and some toasted sunflower seeds and you’re good to go! Just cover it with plastic wrap so the flies stay off it, and keep it on ice or refrigerated as much as possible. And as painful as it is for me to say this, throw it away if it stays out for longer than an hour in the hot sun!!!! yuck.

 Now moving along to a lighter topic, I just wanted to send a big thank you out to some of our nicest Taste-full tourists ever. A lovely couple (who will remain nameless – we never know if people want to reveal their “foodie” identities) who not only added fun and interesting conversation to one of our Beer and BBQ tours, but who returned to several of the tour locations and identified themselves as “TASTE-FULL TOURISTS!”.  They made the effort to seek out the owners and let them know they had discovered their great food while on one of our tours, which is exactly what we hope you will all do.

The businesses we visit go to considerable lengths to host us, and while we are aware it is a long-term benefit to them, in the short term it is challenging at best and inconvenient at worst.  But in this economy, small local food businesses are doing whatever it takes to gain new customers, and we’re very glad they’re willing to work with us!

So in the future, if you happen to visit a spot you’ve become aware of due in some part to our business or blog, please take a minute and say an old-fashioned “hello” to the folks behind the counter who make Taste-full Tours possible. We want them to get the message that we are all truly grateful for the gift of their food! Have a great week everyone!

Download Celery Seed Dressing & Coleslaw

Beware the Danger Zone!

This weekend my family and I went to a reunion in Caseville. Apparently “the thumb” is quite a destination this time of year, and everything was booked. We ended up getting room at a place after a cancellation, and $100 later (for a tiny room that didn’t smell good and had a moldy shower) we had accommodations for the night.

At about 7:00 p.m. the power went out. Not just at our hotel, but all over the thumb. So there was no electricity, no water, and no AIR CONDITIONING (I am such a city dweller these days) until about 2:00 this morning when the lights, ac, and fan all came blasting on in our stuffy little room and woke everyone up.

So Sunday morning there was a brunch offered at the hotel, but I didn’t want to go so we headed home. My husband and kids were starving, but I refused to stop anywhere in the thumb for breakfast. Normally I would have been happy to stop at a little family owned spot for breakfast which would surely have included nothing but carbohydrates and cholesterol, but I thought better of it. It was for the well being of my family!!

Ok, so I am known for being a bit paranoid about food safety, but when you feed the public for your job it is important not to poison anyone. And when I know an entire region has been out of power for a number of hours, I worry about… the danger zone!!

I decided that this week I would write about the food danger zone.  While it isn’t “sexy”, it’s really important. All foods that can cause illness need to follow some guidelines, and here they are:

1.      1.  All “potentially hazardous foods” – things made primarily of protein, mainly – can spend a cumulative total of about four hours in the danger zone (this four hours includes the time from butchery to your table to your leftovers – so don’t underestimate the amount of time food has been growing bacteria)

2.       2. The danger zone refers to the temperature that is most detrimental to perishable foods; it occurs between 40 and 140 degrees

3.      3.  At about 75 degrees bacteria has a festival!! This is the time that food develops the most dangerous bacteria, and the longer it stays here (around room temp), the more dangerous it can be

4.       4. Don’t thaw things on your counter – especially meats; by the time the inside thaws, the outside will have spent way too long in the bacteria festival zone!

5.       5. The best way to thaw things is overnight in your refrigerator; second best is thawing things under cool running water, or even in your microwave

6.       6. If you go to picnic – and this is the season for picnics – keep foods on ice and try to keep their temperatures below forty degrees as much as possible

7.       7. When you’re marinating things, keep them in the refrigerator for much of the time, and only bring them to room temp for a half hour or so before grilling

8.       8. Really watch out for foods like meat, rice (yes, this is one of the most hazardous foods!), and mayonnaise based dressings; also, anything with protein (like eggs and dairy) can be dangerous too

So this is not the happy-fun blog today! I refused to eat in the thumb because I didn’t know if the foods had been kept safe during the power outage. Some cooks and restaurant owners don’t think enough about the danger zone.  You just need to be careful while eating out, and while cooking at home.

Just remember: cold is gold!

:) Have a great week everyone!

Pantry 101 – Some Things Never Change!

Last night I was talking to my friend Chris Ramos. Chris owns the eco-friendly busses we use for our Taste-full Tours, and he happens to be a good cook too! (check out the fleet at www.thenightmove.com)  As often happens when I’m talking to my friends around dinner time, he asked what he should do with the chicken he was making for dinner. So I rattled off a list of ingredients for a marinade I really like, and I was impressed to hear he had all of them in his pantry. It occurred to me that it had been awhile since I had revisited my old “basic pantry” list, so I pulled it up on my computer.

Interestingly, my original list which I wrote many years ago while I was in culinary school was not far off from the list I would make today. Right after I graduated, my friend Traci and I were teaching a cooking class that focused on basic ingredients you should always have on hand, and what simple but quality things you could make with them. The list got a bit of tweaking then, and then again a few years later when I re-created the class to teach elsewhere.

I was pleased to see that salt and pepper, and their variations, were tops on my list. I chuckled to see my list of specialty pantry items – a list that was clearly a product of my pretentious (I mean that in a good way) up-bringing at Schoolcraft College! J Food cost was never an issue there – only the very best ingredients found their way onto those exceptional educational pantry shelves, and we were taught never to compromise (even when shaving truffles or choosing butter; I still seek out the very best butter today, much to my husband’s chagrin!!)

      So to boil it down, WAY down, you should always have these things:

1.   Salt and pepper in some form

2.            Fat in some form

3.            Acid in some form

4.            Heat in some form (like cayenne or chile flakes)

Everything else is icing on the cake. That’s not to say the rest isn’t important, but without the four things above you can’t cook, and shouldn’t cook. It’s just disrespectful to the food!

So please enjoy my updated pantry lists, and stock up your cupboards and coolers.  I promise you’ll be prepared to cook anything. Of course, knowing what to do with the ingredients is another story. For that, I recommend a Taste-full Tasting!

Have a great week everyone!

Pantry Essentials:

1.    basic seasoning: sea or Kosher salt, peppercorns, cayenne or red pepper flakes AND Taste-full Salt Blend! (ok, I know that’s not just 1 thing)

2.    good quality olive oil (extra virgin and pure); canola or peanut oil

3.    good quality vinegars – balsamic, cider, white balsamic, raspberry, red wine

4.    good quality chicken broth (home-made is best, or low sodium in box)

5.    garlic and shallots (should be fresh)

6.    brown rice, pasta, quinoa, cous-cous (try a variety of rices, different pasta shapes, and plain cous-cous)

7.    Dijon and dry mustard, plus some basic spices like nutmeg, dried thyme, crushed rosemary, and celery seeds, poppy seeds, and sesame seeds (again, I know that’s not just one thing!)

8.    sweet (unsalted) butter and cream

9.    canned tomatoes

10. starch thickeners: flour, arrowroot, and cornstarch

 

 

Specialty Pantry Items (not really in order):

1.    aged balsamic vinegar

2.    good soy sauce

3.    saffron threads (not powder)

4.    truffle oil, butter, or peelings

5.    Parmiggiano Reggiano

6.    dried wild mushrooms

7.    Brie, Camembert, Boursin, and other high-end cheeses

8.    pine nuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pecans, and walnuts

9.    high-end chocolate

10. cognac, Marsala, or Medeira

 

 

Easy to use, pre-made Pantry or cold Items:

1.    Taste-full Salt Blend (available through Taste-full Tours)

2.    Peanut Sauce (available at Trader Joe’s or Williams-Sonoma)

3.    Old Bay Seasoning or Creole seasoning

4.    Jack’s Specialty Salsas

5.    Near East Products (rice pilafs, cous-cous, lentils, etc.)

6.    Marzetti’s Poppyseed Dressing

7.    Paul Newman’s Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce and Ventimiglia’s pasta or gnocchi

8.    Soy Vey Very Teriyaki

9.    Major Gray’s Chutney

10. good quality jarred Pesto

Download Simple Pasta

Hot food for Hot Days!

Welcome to July and (appropriately) really hot weather!  I know this makes most people leery of cooking – and I can certainly understand this, but we still have to eat. So I decided that I would pass along some recipes for cooling the body this week.  Interestingly enough, hot foods make us less hot.  In many warm weather regions the cuisine is dominated by spice and heat, pepper and big flavors. Filling our blood and taste buds with cayenne helps release heat the way panting works for a dog! 

Now on the other hand, foods with dairy (you know, the good stuff – cream, sour cream, all forms of milk, creamy cheeses, etc.) can cool down the effect of the spice on our tongues. So if you want the heat without the burn, you need to finish the hot stuff off with some kind of cooling cream.

This week’s recipes still require you to cook – but not for too long, and the results will be delicious and useful.

The recipe for the Creole Duck Gumbo is just really good. It may not seem like summer food, but you’ll eat it inside, and you don’t have to go outside to grill it, so I think it will work. People are a bit uncomfortable about duck for some reason. Try not to be! It’s really good and offers something different – a new challenge if you will.  It’s not always easy to find, but try Papa Joe’s or Westborn and you should find it. Also, call Ventimiglia’s Market in Sterling Heights. I bet they can get it for you if they don’t have it (plus, they’re a really nice family, and are deserving your business). It’s summer, so why not experiment a bit?! Top each serving off with a dollop of sour cream or better yet, some crème fraiche or Mascarpone cheese.  And serve it with a cooling, crisp green salad with basic vinaigrette.

The Curried Lamb Burgers will be featured in this week’s Taste-full Tasting at Cloverleaf (there are a couple spots left if you want to taste one!), and they’re perfect with the Cilantro Almond Pesto, wrapped in a tasty pita bread instead of a bun. The pesto is non-traditional, but really the word pesto just means “paste”, and the texture is creamy and light and citrusy and a tiny bit crunchy all at the same time. It’s really good on spicy grilled shrimp, or even just on tortilla chips.

So enjoy the heat and drink lots of water (but if your mouth is on fire, try milk!). 

Happy July :)

Download Cilantro-Almond Pesto

Download Creole Duck Gumbo

Download Curried Lamb Burgers or Skewers

Good recipes for the body and the soul!

Some foods and recipes are good for us physically, and some are good for us mentally. So this week I’ve included one of each.

It’s the first week of summer, so for some of us, the kids are out of school and we need more energy than ever to get through the crazy days!  And if you don’t have kids, summer is a great time to start the day with a light, energy filled breakfast that’s quick to make. 

First, here is a great morning smoothie that has protein, fruit, fiber, and whatever those little “good” bacteria are called that help digestion. Here’s what you do:

-       1. Take about a cup of your favorite fruits – I like them frozen because it makes the smoothie like a shake, but you can use fresh fruit in season as well – cut  into chunks; frozen bananas (you can freeze them right in their little jackets as soon as they turn brown on your counter!), strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and peeled peaches are all nice; don’t use citrus in this

-       2.  Place the fruit in a tall, wide vessel (like a Pyrex measuring cup) OR in a blender and add ½ cup of yogurt or yogurt drink (I like strawberry Kefir from Trader Joe’s)

-       3. Add about a cup and a half of vanilla soy milk (or more if you like a thinner texture)

-       4. Add a couple teaspoons of flax seed meal (again, Bob’s Red Mill from Trader Joe’s is good)

-        5. Use a stick blender (immersion blender) to blend if you have one, or just buzz it all up in the blender; puree until smooth and enjoy

My whole family likes these, and I really do find they give me good energy throughout the day. The vanilla soy milk helps with the sweetness, as does the banana.  I try not to add any additional sugar, but if you must, try agave. Trader Joe’s sells that too! You also get protein and fiber, and the good stuff from flax seed as well. Store the flax seed meal in the freezer to keep it from becoming rancid. These smoothies are great for the body!

Now for the soul… :)

Now that we have the healthy stuff to start our days, we can talk about a tasty treat: onion rings!!  This past Saturday Laura and I took a group on one of our favorite tours: Beer and BBQ!   Our stops included Lazybones Smokehouse (duh), Dragonmead Microbrewery (696 service drive at Groesbeck in a little white cinder block building; if you like beer you must seek them out!), and several other special spots.

One of our favorite items of the day was the onion rings at HOGGER’S BBQ on 12 Mile Rd. in Berkley. It’s a new little joint, owned by a really nice family with a great, enthusiastic staff and good deals all week long. Their website is www.eatathoggers.com . On Wednesdays kids eat free, they have $1 slider days, and their BBQ’d boneless wings are really tasty. The onion rings come with a rich and spicy chipotle ranch dipping sauce which is the perfect complement to the sweet, salty (well seasoned), crispy o-rings. They are seriously some of the best I’ve ever had, and I consider myself an expert on the subject. They are not greasy, due to the fact that Mike, the chef and owner, knows what he’s doing.

So on the bus, one of our tourists asked why the onion rings were so good and crisp, and I tried to shed some light on the subject. If you fry at the right temperature (about 165 degrees) your food won’t get soggy and greasy. Be sure to drain fried foods well on paper towels.  The batter or flour mix you use to must be well seasoned, and the food should be dipped in it JUST before frying. Then eat the stuff right away, as soon as it is cool enough to touch. At Hogger’s they cook everything to order; nothing sits around getting soggy.

If for some reason you can’t eat your home-fried goodies right away, then place them on a cooling rack, in a single layer, above a sheet tray. Be sure air can circulate all around each piece. This will prevent steaming and will help keep things crisp. Then, just before eating, pre-heat your oven to about 425. When it’s hot, place the whole tray (leave the food on the rack) into the oven for about 5 – 7 minutes, or until hot, crisp, and golden brown. They won’t be quite as good as when they first emerge from the oil, but they’ll do.  And then dip them in Trader Joe’s Organic Ketchup. I don’t like ketchup in general, never have.  But this stuff is good. I guess Trader Joe’s is the store of the week J

I love a good, light tempura-like batter for onion rings. So here’s what you do:

First, get a large pot with tall sides and fill with enough canola or vegetable oil to create about 2 inch depth.  The oil needs to reach 165 degrees before you fry, so depending on how fast you work, you can start heating the oil now, or wait until you’re done prepping the onion rings.

You will need tongs, and a sheet tray loaded up with paper towels to drain the hot rings. If you aren’t going to eat them right away, then you’ll need another tray fitted with a cooling rack to hold the rings until re-heating.

-       1. Get 2 large, good, sweet onions, preferably from Michigan, and cut them into the size rings you like; season the onions lightly with salt and pepper (or Taste-full Salt Blend)

-        2. Make the batter by taking 2 cups of self-rising flour and whisking in enough cold soda water or club soda to create a batter that is the texture of half and half (or heavy cream if you like the batter a bit thicker); season with salt and pepper to taste – start with a teaspoon of sea salt and a half teaspoon of black pepper; taste and go from there; I also like to add about 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon zest and ¼ teaspoon of cayenne to my batter to cut the richness a bit

-        3. Get a clean paper grocery bag and add about a cup of self rising flour to it; place the cut up onions in the bag, close it up, and shake it to coat the rings

-        4. Working with a few rings at a time, shake off the excess flour and dip them into the batter

-        5. Cook until golden brown on  the first side, then flip to the second side and cook until they’re just a little bit lighter in color than you want them (they’ll continue to brown  a bit after removed, and if you plan on re-heating them, you want to be careful not to over-brown them in the oil)

-        6. Drain on paper towels and eat or cool following the description above; be sure you taste one – if they need more seasoning you need to add it while the rings are still hot or the salt will just bounce off!

So that’s how you make good, crisp, delicious onion rings at home. Luckily, it’s pretty messy and labor intensive, so you won’t be tempted to make them every day! Plus, you can always get them at Hogger’s. And since you’ve had your morning smoothie, you can have an occasional perfect onion ring!

The best simple baby back ribs!

Greetings! Now I’m not sure how far reaching this little blog o’mine is spreading these days, but just in case some of you live in the nor-eastern edge of our fair city, I have some good news for you. This coming week, look for the grand opening of a brand new LAZYBONES SMOKEHOUSE!! Woo-hoo! I guess that means Taste-full Tours will have to bend its rules a bit on our “no chain” policy.  We are thrilled for our good friends, Deni and Jen Smiljanovski, and encourage you to patronize their new digs.  The restaurant is in a shopping center area on the north-west corner of Garfield and 19 Mile Rd. They’ve got the sign up and everything, so I guess they’re serious about this.

Those of you who frequent the current location (Groesbeck and 696) will be happy to know it’s the same great food, but now in a regular sit-down locale with fun colors and art work, comfy booths, and good lighting. The kitchen is partially open, so it will be fun to see the food making its way to your plates. They’ll also do catering – whatever you need – so keep them in mind for your summer BBQs.

They had a little gathering yesterday for some friends and family members, and we Romitos were lucky enough to be included. The ribs were perfect – nice smoke, and just enough chew to the meat before it slipped off the bone. The chicken was crisp, moist, and tender at the same time.  Just as is true at the original location, Deni has just one small freezer and a simple walk in cooler - a testament to the fact that he makes everything fresh, and takes in new product every day. You can always be sure you will get good quality, fresh food there. Now if only we could get them to move to Royal Oak!

What Lazybones does is real BBQ, not grilling like the majority of folks do at home. BBQ is cooked “low and slow”, over low heat for a long time. That’s how they get the tender, flavorful quality. But just in case you don’t have 4 – 6 hours to spend standing at your grill, I’ve included my favorite home recipe for baby back ribs. They are really tender, can be done in advance (in fact they’re best cooked the day before you want to serve them, and then finished on the grill right before you eat), and they are pretty delicious. Enjoy them with grilled corn on the cob, grilled asparagus or broccoli (my personal favorite), and some cornbread. And just so you know, the best place to get good cornbread is Lazybones Smokehouse ;)

Have a great week everyone!

Download Best Simple Baby Back Ribs

Now I'm a Local Farm Activist! (plus a really good recipe)

Yay, Royal Oak Community Farm!!  After a shocking and unanticipated battle with the RO Farmers Market, the ROCF was granted a spot at the Market to sell its beautiful, fresh, REALLY local produce. The Community Farm was given a spot on the north-east side of the market – not exactly a heavy foot traffic area, but a spot none the less.  By the time I arrived there on Saturday they were nearly sold out (except for a few bunches of radishes – they were beautiful and crisp and crunchy – and looked just as good if not better than any of the others on display that day!).

 As some of you know, the Royal Oak Schools are seriously lacking funds (as are schools around the country). And instead of just complaining and ranting and acting as if our school officials are hiding money in a secret box somewhere that they just don’t want to share, the folks at Royal Oak Community Farm decided to build a farm to raise money for the schools. What a great idea.

But then it came time to sell the produce. Now, I honestly don’t know if someone missed a deadline or didn’t fill out a necessary form. And I understand it there is probably protocol and competition for space, especially for well exposed areas.  But for some reason, the ROCF was initially denied a space at the market.

So after the hugely successful and well attended “Lettuce Rock” fundraiser this spring, after hours of cultivation and care, and after clear intent was stated that the ROCF was a FUNDRAISING apparatus for the schools, the Community Farm was denied a space at the Market.  That meant the lettuce and afore-mentioned radishes were peeping their little heads out of the soil, only to discover they had nowhere to go.  Well that’s just not right. And many, many folks agreed with me about that.  Apparently, the outcry from the community, which has been very supportive of the ROC Farm’s endeavor, was loud and strong.  And so for whatever new reason, the space was granted and the produce sold, fast and furious. Phew.

Royal Oak is a progressive community. I have lived here for many years and am so proud to call this city my home. So now we need to move forward with this community farming idea. Such a positive use of vacant land certainly has an uplifting effect on a community touched deeply by Detroit’s recent devastating challenges. I say let’s fill it all up with produce!!  As is evidenced by the almost immediate sale of all the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) plots the ROCF had available, WE WANT THIS in our community. Royal Oak is filled with smart people who understand the environmental, financial, nutritional, and ecological benefits of growing food in our own back yard. We are on the cutting edge of a Local Food Revolution!  We have the space and we have the desire and the market for it. The Royal Oak Farmers Market! 

Yay Royal Oak Community Farm, and Yay Royal Oak Farmers Market. Thank you for working together to supply us with good food, along with reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic. (ha, I know that’s not how you spell it! My schools had money, back in the day!)

This week’s recipe is for Pesto Chicken Pasta. In about 2 weeks you should be able to make it with all Michigan produce, depending on the weather. You can leave out the chicken and make it vegetarian, too. And if you stop in the RO Farmers Market, buy some pasta or gnocchi from Tracina’s.  It’s delicious!

Download Pesto Chicken Pasta with Early Summer Vegetables 

Father's Day Fare with some Florida on the Side

Greetings all, and happy summer! It seems as if we skipped spring altogether, but as long as the grill is available, that’s fine with me.

I just returned from Florida this morning around 2:00 a.m., so my eyes are a bit blurry. It’s amazing, though not surprising  I suppose, that Florida’s produce is already in the early August phases when compared with our Michigan fare.

Since it wasn’t really a food trip so much as a “lay by the pool” trip, I can’t claim to have eaten much southern fare. However, on a trip to the airport to transport some friends I did manage to pick up some beautiful tomatoes from Alabama (we were right on the border) and some Georgia peaches at little road stands.  They became perfect BLTs and cobbler later that evening, and it’s heartwarming to me to think of how little time elapsed between the earth and the table. I once again was reminded how comforting and rewarding it is to feed good people good, wholesome food and I thank my traveling companions for allowing me to share it with them! 

 All of that aside, as I mentioned I arrived home at 2:00 a.m. today, and I’m afraid I might begin to hallucinate about the BLTs if I don’t finish this up quickly today!  So in honor of Father’s Day’s fast approach, I have included two wonderful recipes for easy grilled items that hold up well for company, and taste good at the same time. One is a grilled shrimp with a luscious lemon butter sauce, and the other is a basic beer brat recipe with lots of flavor that keeps the brats moist for a long time. Both recipes originated with my good friend Chef Dave. Next time you’re at Ventimiglia’s Market in Sterling Heights, be sure to stop in and say hi to him. And tell him happy Father’s Day, too!

Next week when my brain is functioning properly again I look forward to telling you all about the Florida food we enjoyed – which was just as much about atmosphere and friends as anything else. Isn’t that the way it should be??  Have a great week, and don’t worry, August produce is just around the corner.

Download Chef Dave’s Best Grilled Beer Brats

Download Grilled Shrimp with Lemon Butter 

It's Worth the Long Line - Trust Me

I travel frequently and am always being asked for travel advice as well as restaurant recommendations in cities around the globe.  Lately my phone has been ringing with calls from people taking driving trips to either the East Coast or to Chicago.  I thought I would share a few of my favorite out of town gems with the hope of persuading you to try these spots if you are in the area.  Many a trip I have taken has been derailed with a detour to one of these locations should I find myself with 50 miles - they are that good.  If Taste-Full Tours operated in these cities (and we may one day) these locations would certainly make the cut!

Woodman’s Clam Shack – get extra napkins

The best clam shack is fiercely debated in and around Boston. Bostonians defend their favorite clam shack like they defend their Red Sox. My favorite spot for succulent, hot fried clams is Woodman’s in Essex, MA. – And I am in good company.  Located at 121 Main St., on the way to Gloucester or Rockport, Woodman’s is a no frills treasure worth visiting.  Don’t let the line scare you away, it moves quickly. If you like fried clams, clam rolls, hush-puppies, steamers and lobster this is the place for you – and once you have been there you will happily wait in line for the privilege of doing it again.  Woodman’s has been at the same location on the cranberry bogs and salt marshes since 1914 – with good reason.  You place your order at the counter, get your beverage and lots of napkins, and then find a table either inside or out to enjoy your feast.  Don’t eat breakfast and go to Woodman’s for lunch.  This is not a place to go every day, but as a treat you will be thrilled! (www.woodmans.com)

 

Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria Napoletana – Now that’s apizza!

Remember the Cola Wars?  In New Haven, CT the Pizza Wars have been going on for years and are still raging.  New Haven has more pizzerias than I have seen in any city outside of Italy.  This town knows its pizza and does it well. 

Frank Pepe started selling tomato pies out of a cart in 1923 and today his grandson still runs the family operation at 137 Wooster Street.  The cheese and pepperoni pie is outstanding in its simplicity.  The ingredients are fresh and every pie is handmade.  Great ingredients equal great pizza.  The coal burning ovens char the bottoms of the pie for a crisp yet chewy crust.  Yum!  While all of the pies are great, Pepe’s is most famous for their clam pie.  Pepe’s opens and cleans tons of clams during clam season for their signature pie which includes olive oil, oregano, garlic and fresh clams.  Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it!

Expect to wait in line – it is all part of the Pepe’s experience.  You can also call ahead, order a carry out and eat it in your car.  Been there, done that! (www.pepespizzeria.com)

 

Walter’s – order two!

It seems as though waiting in line is a reoccurring theme in this blog.  Good things are worth waiting for and Walter’s Hot Dogs are no exception.  This quirky hot dog stand located in a residential neighborhood at 937 Palmer Ave., in Mamaroneck, NY (in Westchester County about 45 minutes north of New York City) has been serving up its signature split dogs since 1919.  Walter’s is housed in a Chinese Pagoda building - you won’t believe it when you see it.  The dogs are split down the center and fried on a griddle.  The buns are toasted and when they are married to the hot dogs and slathered in Walter’s famous spicy mustard you can almost hear angles singing!  Most patrons order at least two dogs, as one is not enough and the line is really long for that second dog.  You know you are going to want another, so just order it at the beginning. 

While you are waiting in the line, you can read thousands of postcards from Walter’s fans around the world. (www.waltershotdogs.com)

 

Redamak’s - The burger that made New Buffalo Famous!

Are you staying a little closer to home this summer?  Perhaps visiting Chicago?  If you are heading west, be sure to stop at Redamak’s at 616 East Buffalo Street in New Buffalo, Michigan.  This burger would make any city famous.  Talk about a great burger – I have friends who often make the 3 hour drive just for lunch.  Redamak’s is open from March 1 through October.  The burgers are fried on a griddle, dressed and then wrapped in wax paper which sort of steams them.  They are juicy, and delicious.  Open in 1946, the operation is still going strong with a varied menu, but really, go for a burger. (www.redamaks.com)

 

Once you are in Chicago among the thousands of restaurants here are a couple that stand out:

Wishbone – Southern Breakfast – get there early to avoid lines.  If you like grits, this is the place to get them.  I had marvelous pancakes!  (www.wishbonechicago.com)

 

Naha – Very Fine Dining – a special treat, not cheap, but well worth it.  The menu is well thought out and flavor combinations are outstanding.  The food is as pleasing to the eye as it is to the palate.  This is a real gem.  Have the tasting menu and be sure to get dessert! Be sure to make reservations. (www.naha-chicago.com)

 

At the risk of being all over the map (pun intended), I would be remiss if I didn’t include my all time favorite restaurant in this musing.  If you happen to find yourself in Florence, Italy PLEASE cross the Ponte Vecchio turn right at the second street, leave the tourists behind and look for Trattoria Quattro Leoni (4 Lions) at Via de'Vellutini, 1r - Piazza della Passera.  It is a bit hard to find, but so very worth the search. I go there at least once every time I go to Florence.   Last year we were in Florence for 4 days and ate there every night.  This is a spot for Florentines, not tourists, so don’t be surprised when the menu is only in Italian and the waiter does not speak English.  In this situation, try to figure out the menu.  If you can’t and sign language isn’t working, just order the special – you won’t be sorry. (www.4leoni.com)

 

So if you were not planning a trip before reading this, perhaps you should go to AAA get some maps and get going!  

Don't skip the Browning!

It’s going to be 80 degrees all week. The sun will be shining and people will be grilling. It’s very exciting! People ask me grilling questions all the time, and I love talking about it. I was fortunate enough to assist Jeff Gabriel with his grilling classes while I was a student at Schoolcraft, and I picked up endless tips from him…

Ok, so that was what I was going to write about today, but then I had dinner J. I was writing away, thinking about grilling and how I was going to share all my detailed information about making pizza on the grill – right on the grill, no pans or baskets or other nonsense. Just directly on the grill. It’s delicious. And I will write about it next week.

 But then I had dinner J.

For Mother’s day I received a slow cooker from my family. I had been toying with purchasing one, but just hadn’t taken the plunge. For me, buying a piece of cookware or a utensil is a big deal, especially since I think most of them are really unnecessary and are a waste of money. As far as I’m concerned, if you have a few really good knives, some decent pots and sauté pans, and some good sturdy sheet trays, you’re all set.  So the idea of a slow cooker seemed a bit frivolous.

I’m sure you know where this is going. I LOVE my slow cooker. For the convenience, the flavor, the tenderness, etc. etc. I know these things are not remarkable to those of you who have had this device for years, but it’s still remarkable. To be able to put something in a pot, close the lid, and walk away – not just from the stove, but from the HOUSE - is a really liberating thing.

 I am still concerned in the back of my head that this is not a good idea – a simple short could cause the house to burn down, after all. But I leave lights on occasionally (by mistake) and leave the dryer running (to save time) and sometimes even leave the dishwasher finishing (which really IS a bad idea, but that’s another story). I guess any one of these things could simply short out and cause a fire. So with some minor trepidation and a “fireman save my pets” sign in my window I now leave the house with the slow cooker simmering away.

Tonight I made my second round of braised chicken, simmered with salsa (from Zumba – yum), onions, chicken stock, and spices. I used chicken thighs – much more flavorful and tender than chicken breasts, and after about 3 hours, I shredded it all and had some of the best chicken tacos ever, with guacamole, crisp lettuce, and warm flour tortillas (all from Zumba – yum). 

Now this is not revolutionary. It’s a simple technique that yields delicious results. But I think many folks leave out the most important step. Braising, which is cooking in a covered vessel with a small amount of liquid, is a TWO part technique. While you can just throw your ingredients into a slow cooker, snap the lid on, turn it to low, and leave the house, that is really only half the process for great flavor.

 

Braising is actually a dry AND moist heat cooking method. So if you want incredible flavor, you must 1) season the meat with salt, pepper, and other spices if you choose, and 2) BROWN the meat in a sauté pan or other pan over medium-high to high heat on the stove top (this is the dry heat cooking part).  You can’t do this part in the slow cooker – it won’t get hot enough.

I know this creates a problem. For many folks, the beauty of the slow cooker is the “one pot meal” concept. So fine, when you’re cooking for people who don’t really like food, or people for whom you don’t really care much, then skip the browning and just throw everything into the slow cooker and head out to face your day.

But if you want to make something really succulent, then take an additional ten minutes and brown your food. It will taste so much better – due to the caramelization of the proteins, blah blah blah.  It will just taste so much better. NO MORE BEIGE FOOD!! It’s just not right.

And after browning the food, deglaze the pan with chicken stock, or wine, or salsa, or water, and scrape all the really tasty little browned bits off the bottom of the pan. THEN, add the meat and the liquid to the slow cooker, with any additional liquid needed to come about half way up the meat. Cover, check the cord for frays, make sure the circuit isn’t overloaded, and walk away. It really is liberating J

Have a great week.

This week’s recipe is (big surprise) Slow Cooker Braised Chicken! Try to serve it with fresh tortillas purchased at Los Galanes Restaurant in Mexican Town, just off Vernor on Bagley. They make them all day and they are incredible. Then top them with guacamole from Zumba Mexican Grille in Royal Oak. Also incredible.  

Download Braised Chicken – Slow Cooker