Toscana and Liguria, finding the real Italy.

This past September I was fortunate to travel once again to Italy.  This year was a new experience, which is always what I try to do when I travel.  Last year, it was traveling abroad, solo.  This year, it was traveling with a companion and staying in agriturismo's and guest houses.  And I have to tell you, it was an amazing experience that I will continue to do as long as I can.

We spent our first few days in Firenze.  Firenze is a beautiful city, like the rest of Italy, full of history and art around every corner.  Did I visit the statue of David?  Nope, I didn't.  Why?  Because I can see similar statues anywhere there is an art museum, even outside of where the original statue stands.  I did, what I always do when I travel, plan everything around eating, while experiencing life as an Italian.  Could we have gone on the hop on/hop off bus and toured the city?  Yeah, but I wanted to eat what the people of Florence ate.  But on the first day, we kept it light, a little Wild Boar Salami and Pecorino, and that hit the spot!

On the second day, we started the day with a cappuccino and corneto, as should be.  Italians are not known for having a large breakfast, so something light.  We had big plans for lunch, a food tour of Florence!  So, after our light breakfast, we made our way to the butcher shop where we would meet our group.  As we arrived to the shop, gazing in you could see the salami's and other cured meats hanging, and if you listened close enough, you could here them call your name.  But they were not whispering, "come on, you know you want to".  No, they were screaming!!! Venite a ora, mi mangiare! Mangiare!!  Alas, we had to wait for our group to arrive before we started because we didn't want to fill up on delicious cured meats.  Well, ok, I lied, of course we did!

So it began, outside of La Norcineria dei F.lli Bucchi and we wandered right back inside.  This is where we learned about La proscuitto di Parma and Toscana.  La Di Parma his texture and bite.  It's flavors are evident and sharp.  Toscana is buttery and almost melts in your mouth, with a less in your face flavor.  Cotto, well, it's similar to ham.  It's not out of this world, but it's approachable and an easy way to ease into the world of proscuitto.  It was a great little visit and our guide presented us with our plan of attack for the next few hours.

Departing La Norcineria, we walked 5 feet to Il Cantuccio Di San Lorenzo.  Here, they make Cantucci, which are amazing little biscuits.  Baked once, unlike Biscotti which are baked twice, they are made to dip into a delicious little wine called Vin Santo.  People have a love/hate relationship with Vin Santo.  But good Vin Santo, everyone loves.  This is also an appropriate way to begin your mornings in Firenze!

From Il Cantuccio, we were off to Antica Pasticceria Sieni.  This is one of the oldest in Firenze!  It's very cramped and crowded and if you don't know what you want by the time you are called to order, you will be trampled.  It's similar to the Soup Nazi, but I believe this is much more worth the time and effort!  We had a few things here, Coccoli, which is a fried dough, stuffed with tomato and cheese and is simple and delicious!  We also had the Schiacciata, stuffed with proscuitto, arugula, and cheese.  Now, I would've been happy stopping now.  The flavors that these little nuggets of flavor provided was awesome!

Coccoli

Antica Pasticceria Sieni

Schiacciata

But we were not finished.  Hell, we'd barely started.  Next stop, the San Lorenzo Market!!  And in the Mercato Centrale, the first place we hit was Nerbone!  Nerbone has been feeding the people of Firenze since 1872!  It is the oldest restaurant in the market.  And they do snout to tail cooking.  However we took the easy way out and sampled the Panino Con Bolito.  Which is a boiled beef sandwich served with it's juices.  So think Italian beef, but a ton better.  And never,ever forget the salsa verde for a little kick!  The Bolito is considered a Saturday sandwich.  Google it, and you'll find out why.

Panino Con Bolito!!

Even if you have to use google translate, check it out.  Great advertising!!

In the market there were many stops to be had.  We walked by a shop, dedicated to Offal or the unusual parts of the animal.  Our guide kept mentioning lampredotto, but said we should never eat it.  That just made me want to eat it even more!!  But never had the chance.  Lampredotto is the 4th stomach of the cow.  Cow's stomachs have 4 sections and this is the 4th and it looks like a lamprey eel.  Sounds delicious, I know, but, well, maybe next time!  Onward to eat some cheese!!!

The cheese was amazing, I know, I use amazing way too much, but what else can I say!!  We snacked on some great cheese, topped with mostarda and fig jam.  Mostarda is an Italian condiment, made of candied fruit and mustard syrup.  It was a great compliment to some of the cheese, where the fig jam was also a compliment.  But I love cheese and if there is a chance to elevate the flavor, I'm in!  We did finish off the sampling with a beautiful soft cheese topped with fresh Black Truffle!  If you've never had black truffle, try it, if you have the chance.  The intense flavors are astounding!  Truly something you have to experience to appreciate.    

That little sliver of Tartuffo(Black Truffle), is a $12 piece of truffle.  I enjoyed every bit of flavor of it.  Thanks to my group for allowing me to have this piece!

Our platter of cheese!

The fella that fried the fish, he was not just some guy that tosses food into the fryolater.  No, he treated his fried items with respect.  He did not drown them in batter and oversalt them.  No, a light dusting of flour and a simple dash of salt and pepper and you had yourself a hearty, heavy meal of head on prawns, calamari, white fish, and anchovies!  And let me tell you, you have no had anchovies until you've had fresh anchovies.  Not what we find here in the US, packed in oil and salt, and bleh.  No, the fresh anchovies are mild flavored and very meaty.  The head on prawns were sweet and crunchy.  No one was will to eat the head, so, I couldn't back down.  After all, I would be starting Culinary school, so I needed to know, what do these little guys taste like.  The head, it was crunchy, not much flavor, but the texture was great!  I wanted more@!@

Sadly, we were coming to the end of our tour.  So, with a little sightseeing, crossing the river and walking into this little wine shop, I knew we would finish with a bang!  We were lead down into the cellar of this little shop where there were bottle and bottle of various wines and spirits!  We were lead to a table, where our tasting adventure was going to wrap up, but with a bang!  But the idea of being surrounded by bottles, so dated back to the 1700's, was pretty great!  We were only the second group to be able to enjoy the cellar, hopefully there will be more, because it's a great experience.  Here we sampled Olive oils, and balsamic's, including a Vanilla Balsamic vinegar, which goes great with Chocolate Cake and is not sold in the US!  We also sampled some great Italian wines.  

As our tour ended, we decided to go back to the guest house and relax a bit.  We wanted to take in Florence during the night, and maybe grab a bite, as if we didn't have enough to eat already!  But I also had one other mission, to find some Italian Craft Beer!!!

After a brief nap and refreshing shower, we wandered out, took in the views of the Duomo and everything going on around there, and attempt to locate a decent snack for dinner.  Which we did come across a great little pizzeria, La Bussola.  The fine folks at La Bussola were very accommodating, especially since we did not have reservations.  When we walked in, they asked if we'd like to be seated in front or back.  We chose back, in hopes it would be a bit more quiet.  Ha!!  We found out in a matter of being seated for 20 second that peace and tranquility were not going to be had while we sat back there.  A table full of young, American university students killed the quiet setting.  So, our host, graciously seated us in the front of the house.  That was fine with me, because I had a great view of the oven and could watch them make our pizzas.  Now, not to be boring, but I did go with a simple Pizza margherita.  I didn't want to be overly complicated and this is my test to see if a pizzeria knows what's up.  A great Neapolitan style pizza, chewy crust, and the flavors were crisp and clean!  And I located my craft beer!!!  Le Magnifiche Petrognola!!!!

I'd say it was a successful stay in Firenze or Florence, however you want to say it!  Now on to Cinque Terre!!

A new beginning.

Wow, my last submission was in March?  Well, I can tell you it's been a hell of a year.  A year full of adventure and change, for the better.  It's scary and unpredictable, but you only live once, so make the most of what you have.  Now, where to start?

This year, I chose to get the most out of living in Chicago as I could.  I was trying to train for a marathon, planning travel, dining at as many new places as possible, and cooking my heart out.  Most of these I was able to accomplish.  My marathon attempt was a miserable failure, being sick, with no time, and an overwhelming feeling of doom, I had to step back and bow out.  But, one promise I've made to myself, I will run it next year and it will be the experience that I want!

Outside of running, I had changed firehouses.  Went from the South East side to the West side, which really helped my mood.  Who would've thought that just changing which part of the city you worked in would make that much of a difference.  I do miss the guys at my old firehouse, but I needed this change.

Restaurants.  I can't even tell you the different number of restaurants I've had the opportunity to dine at. And more keep popping up.  I feel very fortunate to live here, where the restaurant industry is booming and easily accessible.  Too many to list, too many photos to play catch up, so I will be starting fresh.  I can tell you that not a bad meal was had, whether I was here in Chicago, Nashville, St. Louis, or any of the cities and villages I visited on my trip to Italy.

Cooking.  I've been trying to experiment.  I've done that most of my life, experiment, but what I have learned is that you need a base to learn from.  You need to know that if you want to make the best Mac and Cheese, you should know how to make a beschamel, as your base.  If you want to make the best chicken pot pie, you should know how to make a proper Veloute to fill that pie.  Hell, you should know that what you are filling your pot pie with, the sauce is called a veloute.  Then you get a feel for what you are really doing, then experiment from there.  Get the basics down, keep it simple, and go from there.  My outlook on cooking has changed dramatically, especially since I'm now a student at Le Cordon Bleu-Chicago.

I am just finishing up week 6 at Le Cordon Bleu.  There has been mostly observing, learning the Mother Sauces, because that's where it all begins.  Learning about Escoffier and Careme, learning about how and why to use a Chinois, what kind of material is best for sautee pans, roasting pans, and pots, and safety/sanitation.  It's been eye opening, but now I'm ready to put that knowledge to use.  I did whip up a roast chicken, with a glaze of creme fraiche, garlic, lemon, salt, and pepper, roasted on a loaf of Italian bread, with a layer of pepperoni.  Not bad, for my first roasted bird.  But I could go on and on about what I've learned, I'm not going to, because as I said, new beginning.  Tonight is the last night of class, taking our final in Foundations 1, and I'm ready to move on to the next stage.  I'm already thinking about externship.

The Fire Service.  I've worked with many, many great people in the past.  From my humble beginnings as a Volunteer in Pontiac, moving my way up as a Medic in Morris, Firefighter/Paramedic in Romeoville, East Joliet, and Channahon.  Working in Chicago, it's been an experience,but I'd give it all up to go back to what I didn't think I really wanted.  There is something to be said about working in a firehouse with 4 or 5 guys, where you can truly bond.  Where you know the guys that are coming in from surrounding departments to help you out on your fire.  Where you can fight that fire, then when it's all said and done, you sit down with each other, have a cup of coffee, and exchange stories.  I had many, many good years in the burbs and not a day goes by that I don't think about them.  I can rattle off the names of everyone that I worked with out there.  Here, it's like I meet someone new every shift, and I can't keep the names straight.

That is just a brief summary of my Summer.  There will be more to come, like the trip to Italy, but for now, I'm going to study up a bit more for tonight.

More later, Ciao!

Humboldt Park, Gold Coast, Andersonville - A little tour.

My friends I’ve had some really good food over the past few weeks.  Nothing over the top or as some people would say, “fancy”.  No, just some really good, simple, delicious food.  Now, I really don’t like everything I eat, like some, but I want to stray away from the negative and focus on the positive.  Although some of my writing will give a good mix, because as you all know, some restaurants can serve complete bombs, while at the same time give you something memorable and delicious.  For example, I visited a small neighborhood that’s surrounded by the Hispanic neighborhood of Pilsen, the Heart of Italy.  This is still a small hold out for Italians, but is slowly being swallowed up by Pilsen because the younger generation just doesn’t want to stick around.The restaurant that I visited was Il Vicinato.  Now, from what I’ve been told, this place used to be out of this world, before it was sold within the last few years.  The atmosphere was great!  The smells were amazing!!  The bolognese sucked!  If there is one thing that an Italian restaurant should have mastered, its the bolognese.  There was not any amount of cheese that could have salvaged that plate of pasta.  However, the Pasta Arrabiata(Angry Pasta), was great, as was the Antipasto salad.  I took photos, but deleted them because I was simply uninspired by the whole experience.  Personally, I don’t think posting negative reviews are a good way of selling the culinary experiences of Chicago, but it’s also not fair for me to not get my opinion out there so you don’t make the same mistake I made.  Now, let’s get on with some good food!!

The first stop on this blog is a place that I learned about from Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives.  Cemitas Pueblahttp://www.cemitaspuebla.com is in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago.  Now, Humboldt Park has a predominantly Puerto Rican population, however on a busy stretch of North Avenue sits a little gem of a Mexican dining spot called Cemitas Puebla.     The restaurants website states that this restaurant brings the best of Poblano food to Chicago, and it certainly delivers because I don’t know anywhere else in Chicago, this sandwich is served. 

A cemita is a sandwich, originating in Puebla, Mexico.  The world cemita refers to both the sandwich as well as the bun it is served on, being covered in sesame seeds and looking similar to brioche.  There are many toppings offered here, but their most famous and popular is the Cemita Atomica, so naturally that is what I went with. 
 

The Cemita Atomica is an amazing sandwich on a sesame seed bun, then layered with avocado, Pork Milanesa(breaded, boneless butterfly pork), Jamon(ham), and Carne enchilada(chile guajillo marinated butterfly pork chop).  This pork orgy is then followed by adobo chipotle peppers, fresh Oaxacan cheese, and papalo(An herb that resembles cilantro).  This was truly one of the best sandwiches I’ve had in my life!!!  I would do some damage for this sandwich.  Also, the Cemita Atomica also made Chicago magazines 50 best sandwiches list.  Go there now, don’t be intimidated by the hood, because once you cross the thresh hold of the restaurant you are warmly welcomed by those who dine there.  By the way, get the Sindral Mundet to drink, you won’t be disappointed!  

Cemita Atomica and all of it's delicious layers!!

How could you not want to put your face in this?

And wash it down with this great apple flavored drink.

Behind this counter is where the magic happens.

On our second stop, a Valentine’s Day dinner at my favorite Italian place, just off of Michigan Ave., Bar Tomahttp://www.bartomachicago.com.  Bar Toma is a pizzeria and bar owned by Chef Tony Mantuano.  Chef Mantuano is a force to be reckoned with, as having the only 4 star Italian restaurant in Chicago, Spiaggia.  He also was one of the Champions on season two of Top Chef Masters, as well as been awarded a 2005 James Beard award for Best Chef Midwest.  Chef Mantuano also has a restaurant in the modern wing of the Art Institute of Chicago, called Terzo Piano, as well as a trattoria in his hometown of Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Dinner this night of Valentine’s Day was simple, salad and pizza.  The salad, such a simple piece of work, but full of flavor and texture.  The salad was their Kale salad which had young kale(also called Lacinato Kale or Dinosaur Kale, which also grows over the Winter), soft boiled egg, garlic bread crumbs, and anchovy vinaigrette.  Now, before you eww and blah about the anchovy vinaigrette, I will say this over and over.  Fresh anchovies have a much different flavor than what you know as anchovies.  They do not sit in a brine, so they are not little bits of salt.  You can even take that fishy, salty taste away from jarred anchovies by simply soaking them in some milk.  The anchovies added a bit of zing to the dressing, nothing to turn your nose up at.  In fact, I’d guarantee that anyone would like it, I’d stake a paycheck on it.

Kale Salad

La pizza that we had was not your traditional pizza.  No, instead, we went with the Pizza Caprino(goat).  Bar Toma serves traditional Neapolitan pizza, baked in a wood burning oven that sits in the middle of the restaurant.  The Caprino consisted of goat cheese, hazelnuts, leeks, Acetaia San Giacomo balsamico(a traditional Balsamic vinegar of Reggio Emilia), dates, and thyme.  The flavor of this pizza would surprise you with a blend of sweet(goat cheese) and savory(thyme), and everything in between.  The hazelnuts toasted quickly, adding some texture with an awesome flavor that you can only get by roasting a nut.  The leeks quickly caramelized in the hotter than hell oven and the balsamico brought it all together.  Ya know, sometimes you just have to step out of the norm, leave your comfort zone and try something new.  If you come and visit me here, we will go to Bar Toma and you will love it, and that is that.

Pizza Caprino

Next up on my list is Orange Gardenhttp://www.orangegardenchicago.com, the oldest Chinese restaurant in Chicago.  The sign speaks for itself and that is what first caught my attention.  There is something soothing about a cook neon sign.  It says to me, this place is a landmark and should be explored!  From the moment you walk in and get that kind of throw back feeling to the time you sit, look around and think to your self, “a group of servers are going to come out, bring a duck, chop the head off, and start singing christmas carols”, you know that what’s going to be placed in front of you will be Americanized Chinese food, but great quality food.  When I see large numbers of Chinese people sitting in a Chinese restaurant, I know I’ve made the right decision, especially a Chinese restaurant so far from Chinatown.  A brief history, as I said, Orange Garden is the oldest Chinese restaurant in Chicago.  It opened in 1924, making it a quarter of a centruy older than the People’s Republic of China.  The neon sign that attracted me here, is the oldest neon sign in Chicago and the clock on the wall has hung there since 1932.  And the owners live by the simple rule of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, and that’s pretty refreshing.  The current owner is only the second owner and was friends with the original owner.  Have I sold you on this yet?  Our server, dressed finely in a white button down shirt and black bow tie was certainly to the point, but was not rude.  Service was prompt and warm.  This will be my go to for Chinese, unless I want to submerse myself in the Chinese culture.  

Dinner that night was Sesame Chicken and Szechuan Beef.  Most of us are used to incredibly over breaded and over sauced sesame chicken, but this was a perfect coating.  This is what I’d love to have coating my fried chicken.  I don’t know if they do a simple corn starch coating, but this was amazing!  It was crunchy and sweet and complimented by a protective broccoli fort.  I could’ve eaten the entire plate, however I was also very interested in the Szechuan beef.  Once again, I’ve always had the experience with americanized Chinese food as being over cooked and over sauced.  The beef was tender and full of flavor and the veggies had crunch and you could actually taste what the vegetable was!  I was amazed!  And it certainly has changed my mind on this type of Chinese food.  I still want to try authentic Chinese though.  Sesame Chicken is traditional in most English speaking countries, I can’t find anything to show that it is an authentic Chinese entree.  Sichuan beef on the other hand is very common, however the recipe seems to have been changed to fit the American palate.   Once again, go to Orange Garden for a great experience!!  And call me when you do, I’ll meet you there!!

Sesame Chicken, after breaking through the walls of the broccoli.  

Szechuan Beef

Finally!!  A short talk about The Pecking Orderhttp://www.peckingorderchicago.com, which is a Chickencentric restaurant in Andersonville.  Once again, Time Out Chicago brought me here with one of the 100 best things eaten in 2012, with the City Bird sandwich being highlighted.  All of the chicken, regardless of how it’s prepared, marinades in a sugar, tamari, vinegar marinade that gives the chicken a crispy, juicy, salty, flavorful chicken, which can be sometimes really difficult to pull off.  For those of you that would like to know, the birds used here are free range, antibiotic free.  

First on the list, the Country Bird.  One bite and you are looking for your Grandmother that always made the best fried chicken, but this is on bread and not just any old fried chicken.  It’s a fried boneless breast, complimented with gouda cheese, pimento mayo, tomato, cilantro, shaved onion salad, dressed with calamansi vinaigrette(a calamansi is a Philippine lime).  The sandwich is served on grilled pandesal bread(a Philippine yeast bread).  This was a mouthful!  Crunchy, full of flavor, juicy.  I’ve never had chicken with this flavor before.  Definitely nothing that came from your favorite Southern kitchen, but man was this tasty.  I can easily see why this made the list.  But, you also have to try the City Bird, because it’s always a competition.

The Country Bird

The City Bird is a juicy, grilled Chicken breast, with pate, Mom’s pickles, and fried egg, served on grilled pandesal bread.  This is similar to a vietnamese bahn mi.  I think with the mere mention of a fried egg, I can stop because you know it’s going to be a kick ass sandwich.  You could eat this for Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner, and then you have experienced life.  As to whom was the winner, City or Country?  In my opinion, it’s the best of both world’s and a tie.  So, decide for yourself.  What I’m saying is go there, soon!!!!  Or Now!!!

The City Bird

More good eats to come my people!!  Thanks for reading and until next time!

Ciao, ciao!!

Still here.

Been in kind of a Winter is almost over funk.  But it certainly hasn't stopped me from eating.  I've had some adventures and I will be writing about them.  Between blogging and working on my Italian, Italian has been winning.  And I've had a few furloughs, so I've been a busy beaver.  But I've got photos and criticisms and I'm ready to write.  In the last few weeks, I visited Italy, Mexico, and China(not literally, culinarily-is that a word?).  So be prepared, it's coming!

See you soon!

Ciao, ciao!!

This old sign, it should tell you everything you need to know about this awesome restaurant!

Updates

I had to take a break after my last blog.  Finishing that one was like finishing a marathon.  I wanted to make sure it was perfect, just on the off hand that Chef Cantu and his staff read it, and with good fortune, they did.  So, no more pressure, for now, just relaxed writing and eating.

Over the last few weeks, I've taken a few road trips, did a quick cleanse, continued to learn Italian, had some really great Salume at my Italian class, and cooked a few things(which I don't have photos of).  In the near future, I have a few trips to make and a lot of food to eat, all while simultaneously cleansing and prepping for the Chicago Marathon.  So, a full plate, yes, but well worth it.  I hope I can continue to entertain, maybe educate, but definitely get you interested in trying new things.

Now, a few weeks ago, we went to Michigan, a little town called Buchanan.  First stop was Tabor Hill Winery and Restaurant.http://www.taborhill.com/index.html  This is a quaint little stop, very scenic, and very friendly.  By the time we got there, we were famished, so we went straight for the restaurant.  The main dining area, well, it's not cozy small, but it's warm and welcoming, the fireplace and view helped.  You have a great view of the vineyards and to add to the scenery that day, it was snowing and there was a roaring fire in the fireplace.  We started off with a little wine, of course, but dove right in for some sandwiches.  On their menu, they have a bit of everything, but sandwiches were really what sounded good at the time, I mean they had a burger, had to try the burger.  And we also had the Cubano.

The burger at Tabor Hill was a Kobe Beef Burger.  On the burger, Berkshire apple wood smoked bacon, chipotle mayo, smoked cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and fried pickled red onions, and on the side house made jalapeno white cheddar potato chips.  I have to be honest, this burger didn't suck.  I really didn't want to share, but I did because that's what I do.  Standard, it's cooked medium, but didn't loose any juice.  You could actually bite through the bacon when you took a bite, so one piece didn't come out in one bite.  The chipotle mayo and smoked cheddar complimented each other, and the friend pickled red onions, added a sweet kick.  The chips, well, they were house made.  Anytime I have house made chips, they could be covered in dust bunnies and I would still eat them.

The cuban sandwich, well, it was ok.  It's hard to beat a good cuban sandwich that I can find here in Chicago, unless it's my own of course.  This one was good, but I wouldn't get it again.  The salad on the other hand-grilled fruit salad, with peaches, watermelon, apples, and pineapple, arugula, honey pomegranate mustard dressing with pecans and bleu cheese.  I'd kill for that salad, plain and simple.   

I failed at getting a photo of the salad, so here is the Cuban sandwich. 

The goods from the day.

I also had the opportunity to knock off another dish from the list of Time Out Chicago's list of 100 best things eaten last year.  And I can honestly say I wasn't impressed with this pick.  Number 76 on the list was the Baccala frittole from OMBRAhttp://www.barombra.com in Andersonville.  Baccala is cod, which is been preserved by drying after salting.  Sounds like a bitter pill to swallow and that is why it took me 40 years to try it.  But if Time Out says it's one of the best things they ate, then it must be good.  Lies!!!!!  So, brought out to the table were a couple of fried balls of salt cod and filler, sitting on a bit of lemon aioli.  Looked innocent and tasty anyway.  I cut into one and, yeah, looked like fish and filler and it smelled really good.  The aioli tasted great also!  But then, I took my first bite.  I was sad, immediately saddened by the salty, fishy flavor, I sobbed.  I couldn't believe that my heritage could make something like this.  But, I sucked it up and ate it.  The addition of the aioli didn't help although it mellowed the fishy flavor.  I choked it down, vowing never, ever to touch baccala again.  We also had a salad of roasted beets, apples, almonds, and goat cheese which was a great palate cleanser.  Finished off the meal with a bruschette(broo skeh tteh), please practice that, say it over and over, and please correct your server if they don't pronounce it properly, thanks!:)  So, the bruschette, we had the mele:roasted apples, gorgonzola, walnuts, and balsamic.  It's so nice to try something a little outside of the box.  I will go back to OMBRA, just keep me away from the baccala!

La baccala frittole

La Baccala frittole

Apples, Roasted Beets, Almonds, and Ricotta insalata

Mele bruschette

I'm going to wrap things up with last nights Italian Class.  We had a cena(dinner) for class last night since we are ahead of our lesson.  It was nice, relaxed and everyone brought something.  One fella in our class owns a salumeria in the West Loop, West Loop Salumi.  He recently took a work trip to Italy and was able to bring back a few things, which he chose graciously chose to share with class last night. We did have to skip over the apertivo, because the prosecco was not chilled, so we went for the antipasto.  We had parmesan, but not just any parmesan, no.  This parmesan was aged for 25 years, so it had time to develop little crystals of salt that binds with the cheese to add a bit of texture.  And to add to this awesome cheese, were a few drops of Balsamic vinegar from Modena.  This balsamic was aged 100 years, so it had a very thick consistency and sweet flavor.  It was very intense, so a few drops is all you need, but you could drink this by the spoonful.  We then had prosciutto, and I'm sorry, but I don't remember what type it was  I don't believe it was di Parma, but I could be wrong.  What I can tell you that, and this may sound cruel, but the last few months of their lives, they pretty much go without liquids, but are fed some of the best parmesan cheese and believe it or not, you can really smell the parmesan in the meat.  Mama mia!  Also on the menu for antipasti was a brilliant tartufo salume, salume calabrese, and lardo.  Lardo is a type of salume, made by curing strips of fatback with rosemary and other herbs and spices.  And yes, it's as good as it sounds.  Finally, our last cheese was Stracchino, which is a very soft, cow's cheese.  Typically served in square form, this particular cheese last night was in a small glass, canning jar.  It was pourable, with a very smooth texture and mild flavour.

Of course, as traditional Italian meal structure goes, our Primi came next.  Which was a simple pasta with tomato sauce, sausage, peas, and cheese.  Traditionally, meat is not served on the same plate as la pasta, unless it is a meat ragu, like this was.

For the secondo, I dropped the ball, so I made an insalata di uvo.  Included in the salad was arugula, grapes, cucumber, tomatoes, and toasted sesame seeds.  This salad was dressed with a white wine vinegar, shallot, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sea Salt, and Pepper dressing.

We wrapped things up with dolce, of course, everyone's favorite Tiramisu.  I think it was a hit, even though I did not use rum.  Instead, I used a coffee liquer that I picked up in Costa Rica.  I love my Italian class!!  Multilingual Chicago is such a great place to learn!

Our classroom activities

25 year aged parmesan 

Everyone has their own opinion of what art is.

Almost everything on the antipasto.

  Ok, time to wrap it up.  There will be more soon, I promise!

Ciao, ciao!!

ThinkiNG, TastiNG, TrippiNG, AmaziNG

 You may ask yourself what this title is about.  You may not care, and have just been patiently anticipating another exciting adventure in eating.  You may currently be being held captive and  forced to read this jibberish and truly not give a rats ass of the contents here.  Whatever your motive for reading this, I do hope to change your mind and entice you to explore this true adventure in dining.  Of course, it’s not me that makes this an adventure.  The person at the center of attention here is Chef Homaro Cantu.  Now, go grab a beer, glass of wine, spirit of your choice, milk, water, or coffee and sit back while I attempt not to sound like a super fan, but to spread the word on what Chef Cantu is attempting to do.

Let’s start with a little history of Chef.   Chef Cantu was born in 1976 in Tacoma, Washington.  From the ages of six to nine, he lived with his Mother and Sister, homeless.  This experience helped him to develop a passion to fight world hunger.  He graduated from Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Institutehttp://www.cordonbleu.edu(Western Culinary Institute) in Portland, Oregon.  

His professional career, shortly after graduation Chef worked in nearly 50 restaurants on the West Coast until his move to Chicago in 1999.  In Chicago, Chef Cantu worked for Chef Charlie Trotter until 2004, when he set out to open his first restaurant, Moto.  And this is when Chef put himself on the map.  Although I have not had the opportunity to dine at Motohttp://motorestaurant.com(it’s just a wee bit out of my budget), I have not heard a negative review come from anyone that has dined there.  Inventive, Ingenious, Impressive, Impeccable are four of the words I’ve heard that describe an experience at Moto.  From the time you sit and are presented with your menu, an edible menu by the way to the table side preparation of cookie dough(you are given ingredients and a recipe card and you make the magic happen), you are not only getting a great meal, but a fantastic experience.  Now, in the basement of Moto is a laboratory, yes, a real lab.  I did have the opportunity to see it, and you can also if you check out youtube and enter Future Food Moto.  I couldn’t find complete episodes, but there are clips available.  In the lab, there is a centrifuge, hand held ion particle gun, helium, and liquid nitrogen just to name a few items.  All the things that make Chef Cantu, well, Chef Cantu, a true culinary madman.

Forward to 2010 and Homaro Cantu’s third restaurant venture.  There was a second, Otom, however, I don’t know much about that one, but it’s life span was short lived.  Chef Cantu’s next restaurant, iNG(Imagining New Gastronomy) was opened as a more accessible dining experience for everyone.  It was also his way to introduce the Miracle Berryhttp://mberry.us to the masses.  Miracle berries are organic, non GMO, and an all natural plant, native to West Africa.  The berry, when eaten, causes sour foods, such as lemons and limes to taste sweet.  Without getting too deep and scientific, the effect of this berry is due to what is called Miraculin.  Miraculin works by binding to sweet receptors on the taste buds.  It’s really something that you need to experience to believe.  Chef Cantu started working with the M-berry roughly 6 years ago, when a friend of a friend was going through Chemo and lost her taste buds.  When told that everything that she ate tasted of metal and rubber, it was suggested that Chef Cantu explore the M-berry.  He and his Pastry Chef, Ben Roche hit the ground running.  They experimented with everything they could, and continue to do that to this day.  They spent time sucking on tin foil and trying foods, discovering that the M-berry neutralized the metallic taste in foods.  In the process of experimentation, Cantu also began to realize that this berry could also be used to reduce the need to use refined sugars, processed and artificial sweeteners.  Chef Cantu and his dedicated staff have put together a book that you can order, buy at the restaurant or I believe it's available at Barnes and Noble, called The Miracle Berry Diet Cookbook.  Check it out, pick it up, and experiment with it.  It may change your health.

Ok, I’ve strayed from my original point of the above paragraph. but now you know why iNGhttp://ingrestaurant.com is, so you should know what iNG is.  Here you will be introduced to the M-berry and the Flavor Tripping experience.  In the beginning, the menu was only offered at the Chef’s Table, but after an overwhelming request from customers, the menu was offered to everyone and became the only menu offered at the restaurant.   The creativity contained in this restaurant is amazing and overwhelming.  Listening to Chef Cantu speak, during a recent visit, you begin to really understand what is happening in the mind of this Chef.  Below, you’ll see photos and descriptions from my last visit to iNG.  I am still working on figuring out my lighting problems, but you’ll get the idea.  And the next time you visit Chicago, make reservations or make a special trip to Chicago, just for this experience, it’s well worth the drive to experience a menu put together by a Culinary genius/madman.

Capon Puff-Feta~Nectarine~Cherry.  Served in a rich broth.  I could've eaten a bowl of these.

Lemon Drop Gin Sphere - Break that icy sphere with your spoon and you have a nice cocktail to start you off.

Pizza - Pepperoni~Kalamata~Mushroom~Fontina.  Served on a piece of charred bourbon barrel.

Venison Bratwurst - This hickory smoke filled sphere contained the venison bratwurst.

And what was revealed after the sphere was lifted?

Venison Bratwurst-Venison Brat pieces on a bed of sauerkraut~Spicy Brown Mustard~Peanuts

                                                But wait, there's more below!!!

Korean Beef-Short Rib~Lemongrass~Ginger.  This was the most tender short rib I've ever had, with rich deep flavors brought up a few levels by the cucumber kimchi.

I am sorry again for the photos.  The short rib was perfectly cooked and the color of it was equally as impressive.

Short Rib

Orange Creamsicle-Vanilla~Orange~Vodka.  And yes, after the M-Berry, it tasted just like a creamsicle.

Yogurt Parfait-Yogurt~Prickly Pear Sorbet~Granola.  Now this is something I could devour, every morning for breakfast.  It was really amazing and the flavors were bright, especially the sorbet.  If you haven't had prickly pear, I highly suggest you try it as soon as possible.

Buckeye-Peanut Butter~Chocolate~Elephant Ear.  I tried this pre M-berry and it was bloody awful!  But after the berry, it was like peanut butter ice cream, chocolate, and the elephant ear.  It was like being at an upscale carnival.

Buckeye

Fin

I urge you all to try this and see the innovation that is Chef Homaro Cantu.  This really is something to be experienced.  There is no feeling of pretentiousness here, no stuffy collars.  iNG is fun and interactive, so come here with an empty stomach and an open mind.  Oh, don't forget your camera and your smart phone because social networking while dining is encouraged, by everyone here.  So get your Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and Yelp ready to roll.  And I want to see and hear about your experiences here.  I do have more photos from previous experiences, so are better and some not so much than what's above.  If you'd like to see them, I'd be more than happy to share them.

Until next time,

Ciao, Ciao