ronnie_suburban

Thanks, edsel. That's fine news about Charcuterie, too. I think Lucia Watson is a repeat nominee. Congrats and good luck to all the nominees. Edit to add: It's interesting that this year only 2 Chicago chefs were nominated in this category. A bunch of us complained about that dynamic last year and it seems to have been addressed this time around. In fact, this year's slate looks a lot like our thread about last year's noms. =R=

Impressive list of nominees to be sure. I'm especially happy for Carrie Nahabedian whose vast talents are almost overlooked in situations like these. Eliot, I assume this is just a list of the Chicago-based nominees. Can you post the names of all the nominees in these categories, especially those in the Best Chef Midwest category? Thanks, =R=

That's an interesting question - does that lack of oxygen in the bag change the way the meat cures? I just assumed that it wouldn't. Vacuum sealing seems like a good idea just because there's no chance of stuff leaking out (or anything getting in). I'm not worried about the botulism issue (anaerobic environment) since there's pink salt and regular salt in the curing mix. ← Vacuum sealing is considered to be an excellent way to marinade. I don't see why it would be any different for curing, but I'm not a science guy. =R=

In case anyone is confused, I think this is what Josh is referring to. =R=

This sounds like a most worthy endeavor. I hope you'll keep us in the loop. =R=

So glad it went well, hwilson41, and clearly, from the pics, it did You're so right about the yield too. 10# of bacon doesn't go nearly as far one might think. Wait, did I just say that? I also agree about never wanting to buy commercial bacon again. And when you're shunning Nueske product, you know you've turned out something special. We host an annual Christmas/Hannukah party every year at which I serve home-made rumaki. I cannot wait until Holiday time 2006, so that I can use my own bacon around those chicken livers. In fact, I think I may have to make a preview batch really soon. What's your next Charcuterie project? =R=

March 15, 2006... From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section: Culinary patchwork...Laurie Goering reports from Port Louis, Mauritius where the local cuisine reflects a bevy of foreign influences. Get hip: Get gruner...Bill Daley explains why Gruner veltliner from Austria has become such a hot commodity. Tasting notes are included. Don't fear the mussels...in this week's Prep School installment, James P. DeWan provides tips for prepping and cooking these often shunned bivalves. Graze on these unusual flavors...Nancy Maes visits Graezer's Gourmet, a somewhat offbeat bakery near Lincoln Square. Baby artichokes...Robin Mather Jenkins with a useful guide. Irish pub fare for your kitchen...Robin Mather Jenkins provides a measured review of Margaret M. Johnson's The Irish Pub Cookbook. ===== From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section: Get your Irish up...With St. Patrick's Day just around the corner, Sandy Thorn Clark takes the annual, perfunctory glance at Irish cuisine. Back to the future...Leah A. Zeldes reports from the recently completed 2006 International Home and Housewares Show, where many manufacturers were drawing upon the past, in presenting their newest concepts. Tastings around town...Celeste Busk previews upcoming events at Fox & Obel, Le Titi de Paris, Smith & Wollensky and Burhop's. Food news...Denise I. O'Neal reports on a few local restaurant industry offerings and events coming up this week. ===== From today's Daily Herald - Food section: Corned beef conundrum...food editor Deborah Pankey educates us (and her mother) about how to best cook corned beef. Food and wine classes...a comprehensive listing of upcoming area food events, tastings and classes; broken out by day. ===== In this week's installment of Chicago Magazine's Dish, Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby (along with Deborah Wilk) reveal where Greg Darrah (formerly of Acqualina) has landed. ===== =R= <><><><><> Media Digest Notes... Updates from some Chicago media outlets, which do not 'go to press' on Wednesday mornings, will be edited into each week's post as they become available. Please do not reply on this thread. For discussion of any stories which are linked here, please feel free to start a new thread or contact the forum host or digester who will be happy to do it for you. <><><><><>

Looks great, Abra. I can almost taste it from here. What's up next for you on the Charcuterie front? =R=

I'm using 2 gallon zip locks. I put each belly half in its own bag. Should they be together? ← I'm would think not. My guess is that it's best to have the cure within the bag be able to flow freely around the entire belly and not be obstructed in any way by another belly. This is how I've handled my curing up to this point. =R=

Sounds good! I'd love to participate if it happens. =R=

Unfortunately, no time for pics this week but both my bacons from last weekend turned out very well. The 'hard edge' problem from Round 2 has been resolved. I think it was a case of smoking the belly a little too long and doing it with the skin side facing away from the heat. Last weekend's results were tender from edge to edge and it's probably due to the fact that I used the skin side as a 'heat shield' this time around. Interestingly, the paprika bacon actually tastes 'hammier' and sweeter than the maple-cured bacon. Also, because I had nothing else on hand, I used 100% hickory for both these bellies. I like it but don't love it. I really prefer cherry or apple wood for bacon. I also produced a batch of Italian sausage this week with a highly customized variation of the recipe in the book. The seasoned chunks of meat were in the fridge before some unforeseen schedule issues came up and I had to either make sausage or possibly throw the whole deal away. Anyway, the atypical route the process took this week caused me to leave the casings soaking much longer than I usually do. Normally, I soak them for an hour or 2. This time around, I soaked them for 2 days. The unplanned variation was educational for me. Not only did the casings slip onto (and off of) the horn much more easily, the "spider lines" we discussed upthread were completely gone. I guess that I hadn't been re-hydrating the casings as much as I should have or could have been with those previous batches. 5+ pounds of sausage 'tubed' easily; with no bursts, breakage or incidents. And, one other note about Coppa, which was also discussed upthread. Just to back up Jason's statement upthread about it being one contiguous cut of meat, here's what Paul Bertolli says about it in his book Cooking by Hand: ". . . fresh coppa, a superb braising and curing cut within the shoulder . . ." There is no further information about how to locate or butcher it. =R=

Abby Polonsky has a great piece about Tallgrass's grass-fed beef -- and Prairie Grass's use of it -- in today's Chicago Tribune: Gaining ground with grass =R=

March 8, 2006... From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section: All the bubbles, but not all your money...Bill Daley explores non-Champagne, French sparkling wines which are often quite inexpensive, relatively speaking. Tasting notes are included. Gaining ground with grass...in this special to the Tribune, Abby Polonsky takes a look at grass-fed beef; particularly that being produced at Bill Kurtis' Tallgrass Beef in Sedan, KS. Mama knows Lasagna...Renee Enna reports on how 'going to school' on one's elders can help turn a good Lasagna into a great one. Baking for St. Patrick...with St. Patrick's Day just around the corner, Robin Mather Jenkins rounds up some award-winning Irish-American recipes for baking. Who needs Vermont?...In this special to the Tribune, Joseph Ruzich visits Funk's Grove, the only commercial maple syrup operation in Illinois. Better eating without the gimmicks...with March -- the most popular month for dieting -- upon us, nutritionist Janet Helm takes a look at several diet books. Lotus root...Bill Daley with a useful guide. Where country meets city...Robin Mather Jenkins previews this week's upcoming FamilyFarmed.org Expo, which brings growers and customers together. ===== From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section: Raising lean, mean growing machines...Karin Esterhammer provides advice on how to feed a growing family . . . healthfully. Farm in the city...Denise I. O'Neal previews this week's upcoming FamilyFarmed.Org Expo as well as several other industry offerings and events coming up this week. Tastings around town...Celeste Busk previews upcoming events at Le Francais and Marshall Field's (or, do you say Macy's?) Culinary Studio. ===== From today's Daily Herald - Food section: Food and wine classes...a comprehensive listing of upcoming area food events, tastings and classes; broken out by day. ===== From the Chicago Reader...What's New section...reviews of Il Mulino, May Street Market and Sola. ===== In this week's installment of Chicago Magazine's Dish, Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby (along with Deborah Wilk) report that after 7 months of doing double-duty, Kevin Hickey will finally hand the reins at the Ritz-Carlton's kitchen over to Mark Payne and concentrate on his new, full-time position of Executive Chef of the Four Seasons Hotel. ===== =R= <><><><><> Media Digest Notes... Updates from some Chicago media outlets, which do not 'go to press' on Wednesday mornings, will be edited into each week's post as they become available. Please do not reply on this thread. For discussion of any stories which are linked here, please feel free to start a new thread or contact the forum host or digester who will be happy to do it for you. <><><><><>

I'm guessing that CH is smoke-free because I don't remember being annoyed by any cigarette smoke during our meal, but I cannot say for sure. Ditto for the reservation policy. As effusive as I was about my experience, I'm not affiliated with the restaurant On that basis, I'd suggest calling them directly to get answers to your questions. Good luck! =R=

Beautiful shots, Nathan. Thank you for sharing them. =R=

Yowza!! Our recent meal at Custom House was a fabulous experience. The space is stunningly gorgeous, the service, provided by Jim and crew, was seamless and the food was absolutely incredible. Referring to Custom House as a steakhouse doesn't really do it justice in the least. Yes, they have steaks and yes, they looked delicious (maybe I'll try one down the road) but I think that to go to Custom House and order a steak may be a case of missing the boat. The menu boasts a multitude of other interesting items which are expertly conceived and prepared. On the other hand, you could easily pull off hosting a biz dinner at Custom House because even certain taste-challenged corporate types would be comfortable with the standard-seeming selections, of which there are several. That most everything served at Custom House comes from small, local or organic farms and is thoughtfully prepared, will probably be irrelevant (or invisible) to these folks. But it certainly shows up on the plate and the palate -- and gloriously so. While the suits are gulping their steaks (with their panties slowly untwisting over the fact that you never offered to take them to Ruth’s Chris), you can be enjoying wonderful items like braised short rib, tender veal cheek, and moist duck breast. After eating at Trio, Sweets & Savories and Alinea earlier this week, I had a feeling that it was going be a ‘black and white’ moment for me at Custom House. It was either going to instantly stand out or immediately fade into the background. And, happily, my high expectations were thoroughly exceeded. Shawn McClain is an exceptionally talented chef who is clearly still ascending at a rapid rate. The culinary constants which connect Spring, Green Zebra and Custom House are these: homey and delicious, elegant and innovative, distinctive and exciting. These kitchens turn out compelling food. One could actually refer to Custom House as a “small plates” restaurant. The fact that those small plates are occupied by huge quantities of elegantly-placed, hearty and comforting food is an amusing irony. For example, I ordered the butter-soft Short Rib which was served with 3 horseradish beignets (which were almost a beignet-croquette hybrid). This was a monstrously large portion of perfectly cooked short rib. It was braised, yet held a slightly crisp exterior. This was served on a 6” square plate. It tasted as “down home” as mom’s pot roast (only better), yet looked like it had been plated by a food stylist. We joked that this was the short rib that would not end. The beignets were, somehow, light, creamy and delicate all at once. Transcendent dish. The other entrees I tasted were also fantastic. My wife ordered the sublime Veal Cheek which was highly addictive. One of our companions ordered the Duck, cooked to tender perfection. Our other companion ordered the Black Bass which, while I didn’t try it, was a beautiful-looking slab of fish which was entirely devoured. No steaks were ordered. But before the entrees, we enjoyed a bevy of outstanding first courses. My wife ordered the succulent quail and our companions gave us tastes of their perfectly-al-dente octopus and fresh crab salad with anchovy accent, respectively. I ended up with the sweetbreads which were fantastic. The miniature (1 cup?) Staub cast iron oval which appeared in front of me was brimming over with perfect nuggets of crispy on the outside and tender on the inside sweetbreads, thick slabs of gooey-soft braised pork belly and slivers of raw shiitake mushroom. At the bottom of the oval was a creamy white sauce. This dish was un-frigging-believable. It was almost as if Custom House had customized this dish for me. Wow! Sides are also unique and worthy of attention at Custom House. Sorry, steakhouse fans, no creamed spinach or twice-baked potatoes here. Instead, we split 4 sides which were all wonderful. I loved the crispy Fingerlings in Truffle Oil and the marinated Baby Beets. Just as good -- or better -- were the creamy and aromatic Truffle Risotto and the tender strips of Salsify with Vanilla and Orange accents. The wine list is very well-conceived. Offerings are organized as either 1st or 2nd course-matches, then sorted by type. Producers’ names appear in bold type, which makes browsing very convenient. Additionally, a back page offers harder-to-find and small-production wines. This was a fun list to read and a great one from which to order. Mark-ups were, expectedly, reasonable. With our first courses, we had a 2002 Ribera Del Duero Pesquera that was really bright and fruity. With our second courses, we had a terrific Volnay, 1996 Domaine Parent Premier Cru. And taking a step back, to start, we enjoyed a fine bottle of crisply-sweet Brut Rose Champagne; a treat from the house to our companions, the name of which I cannot remember. With dessert, another treat from the house to our friends; a glass of some nectar-like Moscato d'Asti. Desserts made us feel like royalty. My wife’s Apple Tart with Cinnamon Ice Cream was exceptional. Sweet and tart were nicely balanced and the custard (or was it pastry cream?) between the pastry and the fruit was a perfect bridge. My personal-sized Baked Alaska was a gorgeous and delicious work of art. The chewy cake, the ice cream and the gently toasted meringue worked together fantastically. Served along with it was a demitasse of masterfully-rendered Hot Cocoa atop of which floated chunks of homemade marshmallows. We also tried some melt-in-mouth Peanut Butter Fudge and the wonderful S’mores Bars, which, in addition to their expected richness, also provided a perfectly-charged jolt of cinnamon to the taste buds. Unfortunately, we were so stuffed that we had to pass on the very tempting cheese course. Spring and Green Zebra are jewels of the Chicago dining scene. So, speaking purely from logic, it lines up that Custom House distinguishes itself so impressively. But, since reviews haven’t been 100% positive either, I was a bit concerned going in. I ended up thrilled; with my high expectations completely exceeded. At the end of our meal, I read the bottom of the menu and became giddy at the thought of returning for lunch . . . or breakfast! I can’t wait to go back and try both. In my head, I immediately started counting how many blocks it was between Custom House and my office . . . 8. Mapquest says it’s .65 miles. That’s the ultimate “comfort” news. =R= Custom House 500 S. Dearborn St Chicago, IL 60605 312 523-0200

When I asked my butcher for pork bellies, he asked me if I want the ribs on. I've never taken the bellies that way because I'm not sure they'd be easy to cure in a 2-gallon ziploc baggie (while still attached to the belly). As far as I can foresee, that would be the only problem as it pertains to the method laid out in the book. Elie, that pancetta looks great. Did you follow the recipe in the book exactly? =R=

Make bacon! It is so easy and so satisfying. ← I agree and because it takes a week or so to cure, you can probably turn out a batch of basic sausage after you've started it on its way. =R=

No music or cocktails at Alinea. But, as noambenami posted above, Alinea has put a lot of time and care into developing a wine flight program in which they match up wines with the courses. It isn't a 1:1 ratio but instead, about 15 wines/spirits which cover 24-28 courses, depending on the specific time of your visit. Within the wine pairings, there are usually different tiers offered as well. The standard flight which accompanies the Tour is usually priced at about 2/3 the price of the Tour. An upgraded wine flight is usually closer to the same price as the Tour. =R=

Very cool, Jason. What's the idea behind the casing? That's not something I normally associate with prosciutto, but I'm such a neophyte. Does it provide some advantage during the drying process? =R=

Hearts of Palm were back on this past Thursday night -- but with 5 new fillings. It'll be interesting to see if they appear on the anniversary menu and if they do, in what form. =R=

I'm just a few hours away from smoking my 2 bellies which have been curing since last Friday night. One is, again, exact to the recipe in the book. On the other one, I've cut the maple syrup to only 1 fluid ounce and added 2 T of Exquisite-Grade, sweet, Hungarian Paprika. Naturally, it's supposed to snow tomorrow, so I'm going down to the basement now to haul up the large umbrella and stand. Mother Nature is going to be my bacon's bitch. =R=

No. My "sources" tell me it was his wife. =R=

Ronnie, the Adria sighting must have been pretty exciting! I read (in the Time Out Chicago article about Madrid Fusion) that he was heading to Chicago in March, but I wasn't sure if it was 100% on. Apart from Alinea and Moto, I wonder which other spots he is hitting? ← Rumor has it that he was at Moto (with Jose Andres) the night before. =R= ← I have it from a very reliable source that chef Adria -- along with chef Charlie Trotter -- were chef's guests for lunch at Avenues earlier today. Way to go chef Bowles! =R=

I think we're limited (by software) to only 10 quotes per post or the code fails, so I'm going to reply to u.e.'s latest post here. No, not at all. I just didn't want you to think that I was refuting your take on any of this. Yes, I'm referring to the more tart elements. It was the passionfruit, I think, which was very acidic. The last time I had this dish, the chocoloate was about 2 'f-stops' darker and one of the main accompanying elements was lime (can't remember if it was sorbet, ice cream or gelato). The P/X bite was not on last night. By deep, I meant very aromatic, with a deeply roasted element. They were little but by that point, I was so full, it was a blessing And I really meant to refer to them as mini tootsie-pop drops. You are clearly a glass-half-full kinda' guy =R=