6.30.2009

Grey Goose........dirty

After leaving Calumet Fisheries, Nate and I continued our Harley ride via Route 12 into Indiana. Route 12 takes you through Hammond, Gary, Calumet City, Michigan City and the Indiana Dunes before you reach Michigan.

After crossing the border into Indiana, I looked forward to arriving in Michigan soon. I dropped my expectations on our timeline when we lost Route 12 and got lost in Gary. After 45 minutes we were back on track and I started to relax. My respite from frayed nerves was short-lived when, at least an hour from Michigan, night fell on us. The moon brought worries of deer and possums lurking in the fields of the Dunes just waiting to run out in front of our bike. Nate suggested I help him keep an eye out and I believe I didn't blink for the next hour or so.

Finally, gratefully, I cheered as we crossed the Michigan border at 10:30. Just a few miles up the road, in Union Pier, we found a restaurant named Frankie's Place that was still open for dinner. After dinner we would have an hour's drive yet to our final destination. I could tell that Nate was glad to be off the bike and considered it a treat to have a seat on the patio on such a nice night so I withdrew my decision to have a beer and opted for indulgence, a dirty Grey Goose martini.

I was served the ultimate martini. It was severly cold, with little ice chips the bartender had created while shaking the mixer. The vodka was mellow, the olive juice was subtle, and the combination of the two was soothing. Two plump bleu cheese olives were speared with a toothpick and proudly tempting me from the middle of my martini glass.

Forgetting about the dark, the deer, and the fact that we still had to drive further on the bike, I simply enjoyed this fantastic martini. I was very happy to be in Michigan and was enjoying myself. In retrospect, I think that it was a very good thing that I hadn't checked the weather forecast for the next day. I couldn't have relaxed as much if I had known about the rain that was to come!

6.28.2009

Calumet Fisheries

I am pretty open-minded and somewhat adventurous, but last weekend Nate pushed my tolerance's envelope. He wanted to rent a Harley Davidson and drive along Route 12 to Michigan for a night. I really wanted to be a fun wife, impulsive and open-minded, so I pushed aside my fear of dying and agreed to accompany him. I'm a sucker for southwest Michigan.

We went to the Harley dealership, signed all kinds of papers saying that we wouldn't sue in case of an accident, packed our saddlebags, strapped on our D.O.T.-safe helmets, revved up the engine and took off. After a full 30 minutes I relaxed my clenched jaw and my extremely tight grip on the guard rail and started to enjoy the ride.

I stopped relaxing when we got close to the Illinois/Indiana border and Nate told me he wanted to stop at Wendy's for a burger. This is a frequent debate on road trips (he tries the 'it's fast' angle and I go for the 'it's gross' angle) and I sometimes let him have his meal - if you can call it that. But last Saturday, I could not abide with his request. I was already on the back of a motorcycle, I wasn't going to go further out of my proverbial box and go to Wendy's.

We were almost out of the city when I started shouting for him to pull over. I had spied the answer to our fast-food debate in the form a shabby little white building next to the 95th Street bridge that was featured in the The Blue Brothers movie. The building was Calumet Fisheries, a traditional smokehouse that had been on my must-eat list for several years. Recently, even Anthony Bourdain had given it his discerning approval during a Chicago taping of No Reservations.

Nate begrudgingly parked the bike and gave a weary look at the non-impressive little building, the bridge, and the river. I could tell that he was trying to calculate how he could talk me into getting back on the bike for his fast-food burger. But, since I was literally standing on the sidewalk punching my fists in the air and chanting, "Finally! Calumet Fisheries! Smoked shrimp!", he knew there was no way was I backing down.

Once inside, his eyes brightened as he reviewed the menu - smoked salmon, perch, fried shrimp, catfish and more. We ordered smoked salmon and smoked shrimp. There are no tables or stools inside so we took our treats back outside, sat down on the sidewalk, and dug in. His salmon was moist and flaky and I could tell he was no longer thinking of a greasy burger. Calumet Fisheries uses natural wood in their humble-looking smokehouse and my shrimp were infused with the flavor. They were also large and meaty and crunched when I bit into them. After Nate tasted these shrimp he started lobbying for a return visit on our way back from Michigan.

I really enjoyed Calumet Fisheries and think it is absolutely worth the trip down to 3259 East 95th Street - on a motorcycle or in a regular car. I shouldn't have put it off for so many years and I encourage you to learn from my mistake and go get some smoked shrimp for yourself.

As we pulled away on our Harley, I started to wonder about the name. Why is it plural? There is only one location for Calumet Fisheries. I know it is likely not a possibility, but I'm hoping that maybe, just maybe, they are planning on opening an additional smokehouse on the northside. Call me a dreamer.

Satisfied with our smoked snack, we headed out of the state and into Indiana. More on our Route 12 excursion to come....

6.17.2009

Pick Me Up, Indeed!

The phrase 'tira mi su' means 'pick me up' in Italian. And since the dessert, tiramisu, has espresso or coffee and plenty of sugar, the phrase is an appropriate title for this very popular dessert. Unlike my mother and my husband, I have never been swept away by tiramisu. I have found it to be a little too boozy or coffee-flavored for me. And while I enjoy booze and caffeine as much as the next gal, they have never turned me on to this dessert.

After a successful creme brulee soiree, which you can read about here, my friend suggested we continue the pastry lessons and prepare tiramisu. A night of fun with the girls appealed to me even though the dessert did not. Also, I never pass up an opportunity to learn how to win Nate's heart through his stomach (again!).

Tiramisu is a simple dessert cake with these main components: ladyfingers, coffee, liquor, and a custard made with eggs, mascaporne and sugar. The liquor is traditionally marsala or amaretto wine or you might have tasted it with rum before. My friend, Brenda, who is our pastry chef instructor makes it with brandy.

Brenda's recipe is posted below and if you decide to try it out, here are a few tips that she gave us while making tiramisu. During the white whipping stage, she encouraged us to not overwhip as they must be a medium peak in order to create the correct texture of the custard. Additionally, when you combine the egg yolk and the white mixtures, she warned us frequently to be sure to be very gentle with the custard so that the custard remains light and soft.

The last secret is to dip your ladyfingers very quickly into the coffee mixture - I needed extra coaching on this step. If you dip the ladyfingers for too long it will give your tiramisu a soggy texture. The picture here illustrates this step and the creamy custard is in the background.

Brenda ensured me that this recipe would change my mind about tiramisu so instead of saving my tiramisu for Nate for the weekend, I served myself a small serving the next day. It was fantastic -- soft, light, and creamy. The coffee and the brandy were complements rather than the overpowering flavors I had experienced in the past. I found myself quickly finishing my portion and helping myself to a second portion. By the time Nate returned on Friday, 2/3 of the dessert was gone.

I am definitely 'picked up' by this tiramisu and since I ate most of Nate's dessert it is a good thing I know how to make more!

Tiramisu
recipe courtesy of Brenda Uraski


10 eggs, separated
1 ½ cups sugar, separated
2 cups marscapone cheese
1 cup cream cheese

~6 cups strong brewed coffee, cooled to room temperature.
brandy (or preferred liquor) to taste - we used a whole small flask
1-2 packages hard lady fingers
1.5 cups grated fresh chocolate

Starting with room temperature eggs and cheeses is best.

Begin by mixing the desired amount of brandy into the coffee and letting it sit.


With the yolks and whites separated, begin by beating the yolks in high speed. When they begin to get thicker, add 1 cup of the sugar slowly to incorporate. Continue to beat until they are to the ribbon stage......thick and pale white. Add the cheeses at this point and beat until very smooth. Set aside.


Next, with a clean whisk, beat the egg whites on high. When they begin to get frothy and fuller, add the remaining ½ cup sugar and beat until almost stiff peaks (when you hold the whisk upside down, it should almost hold a point). At this point fold the whites into the yolk/cream mixture....very gently! Try to use as many gentle folds as possible, so as not to deflate all the air that has just been beat into the whites!


To construct the cake, dunk the lady fingers for just about a second into the cooled coffee mixture and line them up in your pan, nestled snugly against each other. Top the ladyfinger layer with the desired amount of cream. If you have more cream and ladyfingers, you can create a second layer. Top with the grated chocolate, cover and let chill overnight. Enjoy!!!

6.08.2009

To Do: Relax

Often, on Saturday or Sunday mornings, we wake up with very good intentions. "Let's exercise, go to a movie, clean the house, organize the closets, put up the rhubarb (okay, that's just me), finish our to-do list" - you get the picture. But what usually happens is that we half attempt to clean up or organize things and the other half of our attempt is spent reading or watching Food Network. In summary, we didn't really relax and we didn't really accomplish anything.

My husband has solved this problem by adding 'Relax' to our to-do list. The other morning when I woke up and started suggesting all the things that we could do, he turned down all my ideas and told me me to brush my teeth and grab a book.

I was delighted to find out that he wanted us to put all of our efforts into relaxing and chose La Sera Cafe on Wells and Division as our conduit for this exercise. Upon entering, we snagged the soft, leather love seat and ordered our coffees. They serve Julius Meinl coffee in cups and saucers and I used my cute little spoon to help myself to the delicious foam on the top of my coffee.

We had been to La Sera in the past for brunch (great menu, especially the mushroom and bleu cheese omelet) and would highly recommend it as a place for a satisfying and well-prepared bite to eat. Now we know we can also recommend it as a place to relax and lose yourself in a good book or one of their many magazines. Our server did not hurry us out the door and refilled our waters regularly after our coffee was done without trying to push us to order more to bolster the bill.

I'm so glad that Nate added 'relaxing' to our to-do list. It's the easiest item to check off which makes you feel like you've accomplished something. And with a great cafe like La Sera Cafe that serves good coffee,I even leave with a nice caffeine buzz that gets me started on the rest of my list!