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ronnie_suburban

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    Digest: Chicago Food Media Round-Up

    in The Heartland: Dining

    Posted

    May 19, 2004... (unfortunately, a somewhat sparse week for locally-written material)

    From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section:

    Patience pays off...a story about Blackbird's Paul Kahan winning Best Midwest Chef at last week's Beard awards.

    Party panache...How to be your own caterer--and still enjoy yourself...some useful notes and list of resources to help the host enjoy the hosting.

    When life's a 'Beach'...Bill Daley reviews The South Beach Diet Cookbook.

    Exploring the dark side of new foods...a story about Jeffrey M. Smith's new book Seeds of Deception which attempts to expose the dangers of GMO's in the food chain.

    A review of Calabria Imports Italian Foods & Deli...Cheap Eats in Beverly.

    From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food Eating section:

    Sweet Memories...Several contributors share their personal food memories inspired by summers and markets of the past.

    Farmers Market Time...the Sun Times' round up of the 2004 Chicago-area Farmers Markets.

    Food News Round-Up...including a blurb about Marcus Samuelsson's upcoming appearance at the Marshall Field's Culinary Studio.

    Tastings Around Town...Wine, Beer and Spirits too.

    Local Heroes...brief mentions of Chicago's recent Beard Award winners, Paul Kahan and Steve Dolinsky, whose Good Eating television program (CLTV) won the Best Local TV Cooking Show award but ironically, has been canceled.

    =R=

    Green Zebra Opening

    in The Heartland: Dining

    Posted

    C'mon woman!  You have to at least throw us a bone.
    Buzz. Wrong answer, try again. :laugh: Sorry this took so long, ronnie_suburban ... Here is your bone, enjoy.

    :biggrin: ...guess I had that coming.

    Thanks for the detailed write-up yellow truffle. I'm sorry it wasn't an unabashed hit for you. Is it possible that some of the missteps may have been attributable to their just having opened?

    =R=

    Costco-A-Go-Go

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted

    Now, I'm pretty sure that Costco doesn't sell sichuan pepper, and if they carry paprika it's probably sold in twenty-pound cans.  :shock: Back me up, Ronnie, I think that the Spice House stuff is likely to be superior.

    Yeah, unless quantity to price ratio is your primary concern, Spice House, Penzey's, etc. are likely to be superior, for spices. Also, since we're setting a $50 spending threshold (pretty sure this is accurate), buying one canister of spice at a club will probably consume at least 10% of your budget.

    I don't think freshness/turnover is the issue at the clubs, just overall starting quality of the brands they carry. My experience with those brands hasn't been great but others may have had different experiences. Either way, I'm pretty sure that 1 quart packages (of spices) are the smallest available at the clubs. That'll leave most people with an indefinite surplus... :smile:

    =R=

    Candy cookbooks

    in Cookbooks & References

    Posted

    Thanks very much chocartist, for joining in here. Your expertise is sincerely appreciated. It's wonderful to see how you've inspired others in your field. I also want to thank you for providing the list of additional titles. Wow! Thanks again. :smile:

    =R=

    Farmer's Markets - 2004

    in The Heartland: Cooking & Baking

    Posted

    A friend of mine who shops the Evanston market brought me some asparagus from there on Saturday which I grilled last night and served with a roasted red pepper vinaigrette. It was fantastic--as good as any asparagus I've ever had. He also brought me some green garlic, but I haven't used it yet, so I can't provide any feedback on it...yet :smile:

    Cusina, my wife used to live in Oak Park and she always raves about the market there--especially the flowers (she's not much of a cook :wink:).

    =R=

    The Spice House - Evanston, IL

    in The Heartland: Cooking & Baking

    Posted

    My thought exactly; but since I live within walking distance, it seems silly.  I think I'd just call them up, place the order, and have them meet me outside... haachoo!! :smile:

    Ha! A perfect plan.

    BTW, last time I was there I noticed a sign on the front door that read:

    "Please do not have your cell phone conversation in here"

    ...or something to that effect. They're doing everything they can to keep the place out of this century. So, on that note, the cell phone-guided personal shopper scheme is clearly out of the question. :biggrin:

    =R=

    The Spice House - Evanston, IL

    in The Heartland: Cooking & Baking

    Posted

    You know, every time I walk past the place, I sneeze....

    They obviously have a great deal of turnover in their product, which is why it's floating through the air, onto the sidewalk, into my nostrils, undifferentiated odeur, nay puanteur....  I think it's like going into one of those infernal candle shops...you can't tell the difference between things after you've been in there three minutes.

    Every party needs a pooper.... :blink:

    Seems like their web site would be the perfect conduit for you. :smile:

    =R=

    Candy cookbooks

    in Cookbooks & References

    Posted

    I have a copy of the "Candy" volume of the Time Life Good Cook series. It's fairly old school, but has lots of pictures and step-by-step techniques. I've made a few recipes that turned out fine.

    I third (or fourth,) this. Oddly enough, I saw a copy yesterday at the Bookzeller in Naperville for five bucks. I also highly recommend the kinda related "Preserving" volume in the same series.

    Thanks Maggie. I found a couple of them on-line for about $6 and ordered one for myself and one for my friend. I do have most of that T/L series, but the Candy volume wasn't one of them.

    =R=

    Candy cookbooks

    in Cookbooks & References

    Posted

    That book is not at all hard to find. Go to abebooks.com and it will turn up. I bought it off there recently after a sneak attack at EBay, where someone scooped it out from under my nose. It mentions a book called Skuse's Complete Confectioner, which has apparently been reissued, and I want it.

    That is a good book. covers most of what can be created.

    I think this would be exactly what she's seeking--a general overview with specific instructions for intermediate and advanced users. I'll definitely let her know about Skuse's.

    In the meantime, I ordered her a copy of the T/L Good Cook - Candy volume.

    Thanks for the tips :smile:

    Other suggestions still welcome.

    =R=

    The Spice House - Evanston, IL

    in The Heartland: Cooking & Baking

    Posted

    Ron, I remembered the "exquisite" grade from the eG thread - I'd forgotten that you're the one who started it. I ordered some of that as well as the Spanish smoked. Haven't had a chance to try it yet (just arrived two days ago), but the color and fragrance are amazing.

    The Spice Shop catalog mentions that the "exquisite" stuff is produced by a very small operation that may not be able to stay in business. Here's their description. Maybe eGullet can play a roll in finding them the market they need to keep producing this stuff.

    Thanks very much for that link edsel! :smile:

    Since I bought my Exquisite Sweet in their store, I'd never seen that web page. A portion of that passage does appear on the label of the pouch I bought at the store but not the whole thing.

    And you're right. There's no better potential market for this product than right here. If you can't interest this crowd in such a product, there is no interest. Period. :wink:

    =R=

    Candy cookbooks

    in Cookbooks & References

    Posted

    I have a copy of the "Candy" volume of the Time Life Good Cook series. It's fairly old school, but has lots of pictures and step-by-step techniques. I've made a few recipes that turned out fine.

    Thanks Neil...that is a great series of books.

    I know they're out of print but still not too difficult to find.

    =R=

    Costco-A-Go-Go

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted

    quite a few of the clubs will let you in for the "day" to check it out...i think they id....can i still join in?

    They may let you in to "check it out" but I think you will have to join before they will let you buy anything.

    Now that you mention it, that sounds familiar to me.

    Also, bringing cash is a good idea if you're going to attempt to use your mom's card. I don't think they always check the pictures on the back of the cards but they may.

    =R=

    Costco-A-Go-Go

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted

    I think Costco's meat is as fresh, if not fresher, than many local grocery stores.  They have fairly high turnover and their beef is USDA Choice.  I see stuff at the local Giant that is at or near expiration.  Also, if you ask, they will specially cut a piece for you.

    Because they are logistically-adept, Costco's fresh items tend to be...well, very fresh :smile:

    =R=

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