This fall, a local chef recommended that I check out Bari Foods. Not one to pass up a tip from a chef whose cuisine I enjoy, I went and scoped out the store a few weeks ago.
I walked up and down the aisles slowly and found pretty green olive oils, aged balsamic vinegars, tins of salty anchovies and fresh pastas. In the back is the deli section that delivers not only quality meats, cheeses and olives, but also Italian sub sandwiches.
Last Saturday I woke up my husband, Nate, and lured him out in the cold with the promise of a sub he wouldn't forget. We headed down West Grand to Bari's and, once inside, headed straight to the back where there was hardly any elbow room for all the customers yelling out sub sandwich orders. It was crowded and noisy and the customers were hungry. When it was our turn, we ordered a tuna sub and an Italian sub with giardinera. For meats we ordered spicy sausages, pork, and chicken breasts. I also ordered a 1/4 lb of cerignola olives, which are very meaty, bright green olives. The man behind the counter told me he'd give them to me if I promised not to share with anyone. I assured him I had planned on being selfish with these treasures!
While we waited for our order, we went through the aisles and Nate was caught up in the same lust-at-first-sight experience I had a few weeks earlier. He loaded up our basket with fresh marinara sauce, clam sauce, anchovies, and pasta.
We left with our subs and groceries and ate our sandwiches as soon as we got in our car. They were excellent. The bread had a crusty but not hard exterior and the inside was perfect and soft. My tuna was delicious and Nate's Italian had layered good quality salty meats that stood up to the giardinera.
Bari has two new fans with us. We're leaving town on Saturday for the holidays, but on our way out of Chicago we are stopping by Bari's to fill our cooler with sausages, Parma prosciutto, sun-dried tomatoes and a few subs to get us through our long road trip!
12.18.2008
12.13.2008
Green City Market
I love this city - it has so much to offer! Today I took advantage of one of Chicago's best assets, the Green City Market. This market runs every Wednesday and Sunday through 12/20. Then, during the winter months it will be every other Sunday.
This is my favorite city market. I walked into the tent today that is next to the Peggy Notebaert Museum and it was packed with producers, vendors and shoppers. The executive chef at Peninsula was doing the cooking demonstration and sharing tips on how to make purees. I grabbed a cup of coffee (donated by Intelligentsia Cafe) and walked around the entire tent to get a good feel for which vendors had which products. I had a few things in mind to make this week and wanted to see which chard looked the best and who still had arugula.
I began to purchase and had a great time, as I do every week. I talked to the vendors, I learned about produce and how to cook elk meat. Each producer offers quality products and great ideas on how to serve these items. Buzzed from my coffee and the crowd, I left the market happy and with my bags full of:
1 carton of eggs from Mint Creek Farms
Baby arugula and shallots from Nichols Farm & Orchard
Elk burgers from Heritage Farms
Pork shoulder from Twin Oaks Meat
Cream and buttermilk from Blue Marble Family Farm
And from a variety of vendors - acorn squash, carrots, brussel sprouts, red chard, kale, yukon potatoes and celery root
It's going to be a yummy week!
This is my favorite city market. I walked into the tent today that is next to the Peggy Notebaert Museum and it was packed with producers, vendors and shoppers. The executive chef at Peninsula was doing the cooking demonstration and sharing tips on how to make purees. I grabbed a cup of coffee (donated by Intelligentsia Cafe) and walked around the entire tent to get a good feel for which vendors had which products. I had a few things in mind to make this week and wanted to see which chard looked the best and who still had arugula.
I began to purchase and had a great time, as I do every week. I talked to the vendors, I learned about produce and how to cook elk meat. Each producer offers quality products and great ideas on how to serve these items. Buzzed from my coffee and the crowd, I left the market happy and with my bags full of:
1 carton of eggs from Mint Creek Farms
Baby arugula and shallots from Nichols Farm & Orchard
Elk burgers from Heritage Farms
Pork shoulder from Twin Oaks Meat
Cream and buttermilk from Blue Marble Family Farm
And from a variety of vendors - acorn squash, carrots, brussel sprouts, red chard, kale, yukon potatoes and celery root
It's going to be a yummy week!
12.04.2008
Glogg, Glogg, Glogg
Tonight I was invited to a Glogg tasting event at the Drake Hotel sponsored by the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce and the Swedish Young Professionals Club.
In case you are not familiar (and I'm guessing you're not) you could read on Wikipedia that Glogg is a basic Nordic form of mulled wine. Various areas of Northern Europe have different ways of mulling or serving it. On Sunday my Swedish neighbor introduced me to this drink for the first time.
She held a Glogg get-together for Advent, which is the 4th Sunday before Christmas. (This Advent info may seem basic to some of you, but I was not raised in a church so I have to google this stuff to prep for what I thought was a cocktail party!)
Anyway, at my neighbor's party, I had my first Glogg, which I am told is made with red wine and spices and made during the holiday season to celebrate. It was delicious. There was a hesitancy as I leaned into my first drink since the warmth of the cup made the fermented fumes rise into my nose, but I found that it was part of the attraction. It was delicious. Spicy and warm --- very Christmasy. An added bonus is that the Swedes elevate the Nordic tradition and serve almonds and raisins inside their Glogg. I personally think cocktails and food in the same container are genius. For further evidence look to the Bloody Mary. So, this way of serving Glogg really appealed to me.
Tonight at the Drake I did not have the same experience. Unfortunately, I think that the Drake just warmed up some wine and threw in cinnamon sticks and did not try to understand the recipes and culture for the event they were hosting. All's well that ends well since I had two nice glasses of non-Glogg good white wine and my neighbor agreed to send me a true Swedish Glogg recipe. When I do serve it, it will be with almonds and raisins. I will post it here upon arrival so stay tuned......
GLOGG
Combine the following:
2/3 c vodka
2 cinnamon sticks (about 3 inches each)
10 pods whole cardamon
15 cloves
1 piece of orange peel that is about 1x1 inch
Let the above ingredients sit together. After 2 hours remove the orange peel. Let the ingredients sit for another 46 hours.
When you are ready to drink the Glogg, remove all of the spices and add a bottle of red wine. Heat the Glogg and add a healthy amount of sugar to taste.
Serve with almonds and raisins if you like.
In case you are not familiar (and I'm guessing you're not) you could read on Wikipedia that Glogg is a basic Nordic form of mulled wine. Various areas of Northern Europe have different ways of mulling or serving it. On Sunday my Swedish neighbor introduced me to this drink for the first time.
She held a Glogg get-together for Advent, which is the 4th Sunday before Christmas. (This Advent info may seem basic to some of you, but I was not raised in a church so I have to google this stuff to prep for what I thought was a cocktail party!)
Anyway, at my neighbor's party, I had my first Glogg, which I am told is made with red wine and spices and made during the holiday season to celebrate. It was delicious. There was a hesitancy as I leaned into my first drink since the warmth of the cup made the fermented fumes rise into my nose, but I found that it was part of the attraction. It was delicious. Spicy and warm --- very Christmasy. An added bonus is that the Swedes elevate the Nordic tradition and serve almonds and raisins inside their Glogg. I personally think cocktails and food in the same container are genius. For further evidence look to the Bloody Mary. So, this way of serving Glogg really appealed to me.
Tonight at the Drake I did not have the same experience. Unfortunately, I think that the Drake just warmed up some wine and threw in cinnamon sticks and did not try to understand the recipes and culture for the event they were hosting. All's well that ends well since I had two nice glasses of non-Glogg good white wine and my neighbor agreed to send me a true Swedish Glogg recipe. When I do serve it, it will be with almonds and raisins. I will post it here upon arrival so stay tuned......
GLOGG
Combine the following:
2/3 c vodka
2 cinnamon sticks (about 3 inches each)
10 pods whole cardamon
15 cloves
1 piece of orange peel that is about 1x1 inch
Let the above ingredients sit together. After 2 hours remove the orange peel. Let the ingredients sit for another 46 hours.
When you are ready to drink the Glogg, remove all of the spices and add a bottle of red wine. Heat the Glogg and add a healthy amount of sugar to taste.
Serve with almonds and raisins if you like.
12.03.2008
Pantry-licious!
Unfortunately, my cold will not go away so I decided to stay inside and keep warm all day today. This means that I needed to rely on my pantry for my dinner.
I had an acorn squash from Nichols Farms I had been wanting to use for a few weeks so I perused Chowhound and found a recipe for Roasted Acorn Squash with Wild Rice Stuffing.
I scanned the ingredient list and on my counter I had shallots and cipollini onions. My refrigerator offered celery, butter and thyme. In my cabinet I found wild rice, pecans, dried craisins, and brown sugar. I was set! No need to run to the grocery store.
As the sky darkened outside, I began making this dish. An hour later my timer went off. I could barely wait for the pretty acorn halves stuffed with a sweet and savory stuffing to cool down! Once they did, I dug in and found myself so happy I decided to stay in today -- this was a true comfort dish!
I had an acorn squash from Nichols Farms I had been wanting to use for a few weeks so I perused Chowhound and found a recipe for Roasted Acorn Squash with Wild Rice Stuffing.
I scanned the ingredient list and on my counter I had shallots and cipollini onions. My refrigerator offered celery, butter and thyme. In my cabinet I found wild rice, pecans, dried craisins, and brown sugar. I was set! No need to run to the grocery store.
As the sky darkened outside, I began making this dish. An hour later my timer went off. I could barely wait for the pretty acorn halves stuffed with a sweet and savory stuffing to cool down! Once they did, I dug in and found myself so happy I decided to stay in today -- this was a true comfort dish!
11.25.2008
Indian Hits the Spot
I enjoy learning about different cultures and I love that Chicago has so many ethnic neighborhoods. Lucky for me, food traditions are heavily embedded into most cultures; this means that my cultural education includes eating different foods -- Right up my alley!
Before Thanksgiving I headed up to Devon Avenue, a street with a high Indian and Pakistani population. It's filled with good-smelling restaurants, stores displaying elaborate saris, and groceries that showcase lentils, spices, and fruits.
I stopped into World Fresh Market which is found at 2434 W Devon. I did not have an agenda and wanted to just roam the aisles and see what ingredients piqued my interest. I left with paneer (a soft, crumbly cheese), yellow split peas, naan (a flatbread that is similar to a pita), shelled hazelnuts and some spices.
I still had these ingredients when I packed up to go to my mom's for the week of Thanksgiving. I brought some of these with me when I headed to Central Illinois.
My second day at Mom and Dad's, we shared these ingredients with a few guests. On the menu was Malabar Tuna Cakes, Palak Paneer, and Chana Masala.
We used ahi tuna from the Baja for the tuna cakes - our friend Paul had caught over 200 pounds this summer and brought it back from California with him! They were deliciously flavored with ginger, jalapenos, curry, coconut, and cilantro.
The palak paneer is a simple dish using the cheese, spinach, onions and spices; perfect for entertaining since it took only a few minutes. Since this dish is a little juicy, the naan was a perfect accompaniment.
I had not made the chana masala before and I used a recipe from Recipezaar.com. An addition of fresh papaya that my mom had on hand gave this heavily-spiced dish a subtle sweetness. It was a hit with our guests.
I really enjoyed sharing the ingredients from the World Fresh Market with my friends and family. We finished the meal with some chocolates, nuts and figs and our guests headed out in the night with happy, full bellies.
I returned to Chicago with a cold as well as a little bit of loneliness since I've been with my family for a week. I've decided to use the split yellow peas I bought before Thanksgiving and make myself Mulligatawny Soup to help with both the cold and the need for comfort.
Mulligatawny Soup is a traditional Indian soup and it means 'pepper water'. I've read through many variations of the recipe online today and decided to make up my own recipe. Fortunately for my belly, it worked out really well! The soup had a satisfying mellow flavor and I ate my steaming bowl with some buttered naan. I hope it is the medicine needed to cure my cold!
Before Thanksgiving I headed up to Devon Avenue, a street with a high Indian and Pakistani population. It's filled with good-smelling restaurants, stores displaying elaborate saris, and groceries that showcase lentils, spices, and fruits.
I stopped into World Fresh Market which is found at 2434 W Devon. I did not have an agenda and wanted to just roam the aisles and see what ingredients piqued my interest. I left with paneer (a soft, crumbly cheese), yellow split peas, naan (a flatbread that is similar to a pita), shelled hazelnuts and some spices.
I still had these ingredients when I packed up to go to my mom's for the week of Thanksgiving. I brought some of these with me when I headed to Central Illinois.
My second day at Mom and Dad's, we shared these ingredients with a few guests. On the menu was Malabar Tuna Cakes, Palak Paneer, and Chana Masala.
We used ahi tuna from the Baja for the tuna cakes - our friend Paul had caught over 200 pounds this summer and brought it back from California with him! They were deliciously flavored with ginger, jalapenos, curry, coconut, and cilantro.
The palak paneer is a simple dish using the cheese, spinach, onions and spices; perfect for entertaining since it took only a few minutes. Since this dish is a little juicy, the naan was a perfect accompaniment.
I had not made the chana masala before and I used a recipe from Recipezaar.com. An addition of fresh papaya that my mom had on hand gave this heavily-spiced dish a subtle sweetness. It was a hit with our guests.
I really enjoyed sharing the ingredients from the World Fresh Market with my friends and family. We finished the meal with some chocolates, nuts and figs and our guests headed out in the night with happy, full bellies.
I returned to Chicago with a cold as well as a little bit of loneliness since I've been with my family for a week. I've decided to use the split yellow peas I bought before Thanksgiving and make myself Mulligatawny Soup to help with both the cold and the need for comfort.
Mulligatawny Soup is a traditional Indian soup and it means 'pepper water'. I've read through many variations of the recipe online today and decided to make up my own recipe. Fortunately for my belly, it worked out really well! The soup had a satisfying mellow flavor and I ate my steaming bowl with some buttered naan. I hope it is the medicine needed to cure my cold!
11.22.2008
Cream from Blue Marble Family Farm
I have a confession to make. It's one for which I am proud. I use real cream. REAL CREAM. I do make some exceptions, but for the most part I believe in this full-fat full-glory ingredient. I realize that there are calories and fat to consider, but I also have to consider my taste buds and they're very important to me!
Typically, I buy cream from Blue Marble Family Farm when I go to the Green City Market in Lincoln Park. This farm manages its dairy, pasteurizes its milk and bottles it all onsite. It guarantees its ingredients and its freshness. And, I fell for the old-fashioned bottles that contain their products. These bottles come with a $3 fee which is reimbursed upon return.
In short, I feel good buying their products. Both my conscience and my belly are glad that they deliver from their farm in Wisconson to my market in the middle of the city.
Last night I boiled Yukon potatoes until tender and added in butter and cream. I mashed this with a pastry blender because we wanted chunky potatoes. When the potatoes were mashed appropriately and I had a soft yellow blended hue in my pot, I added salt, pepper and sliced purple scallions.
Simple, rich and creamy......
Typically, I buy cream from Blue Marble Family Farm when I go to the Green City Market in Lincoln Park. This farm manages its dairy, pasteurizes its milk and bottles it all onsite. It guarantees its ingredients and its freshness. And, I fell for the old-fashioned bottles that contain their products. These bottles come with a $3 fee which is reimbursed upon return.
In short, I feel good buying their products. Both my conscience and my belly are glad that they deliver from their farm in Wisconson to my market in the middle of the city.
Last night I boiled Yukon potatoes until tender and added in butter and cream. I mashed this with a pastry blender because we wanted chunky potatoes. When the potatoes were mashed appropriately and I had a soft yellow blended hue in my pot, I added salt, pepper and sliced purple scallions.
Simple, rich and creamy......
11.20.2008
Feeding my Chicago belly
The majority of my thoughts are related to food and my belly. What do I want to eat, where do I want to eat it, do I want to make it, what do I want to make, who do I want to eat it with, how does it taste?
I believe that you are getting the picture. And, an alarming amount of my conversations are about food. I fear it can be a little too much for friends and family so I've decided to rant on and on about food to you, dear reader.
Lucky you!
This is my first post, of course, but what you will find in entries to come, will be my quest to feed my belly. I live in Chicago (sweet home, it is!) and I will take you from the happy buzz of my kitchen to local restaurants, farmers markets, ethnic groceries and my very favorite - pizza joints.
I believe that you are getting the picture. And, an alarming amount of my conversations are about food. I fear it can be a little too much for friends and family so I've decided to rant on and on about food to you, dear reader.
Lucky you!
This is my first post, of course, but what you will find in entries to come, will be my quest to feed my belly. I live in Chicago (sweet home, it is!) and I will take you from the happy buzz of my kitchen to local restaurants, farmers markets, ethnic groceries and my very favorite - pizza joints.
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