guajolote

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/c...1,2924862.story

recipe???? i don't have a recipe, but i just chop the tuna to a pleasing texture, same with scallion (green parts), mix them together and add some ponzu for salt/sweetness. put it in a round mold and plop it on top of sliced japanese cucumbers. i top it with roe, as i like the "snap, crackle and pop". i also mix sriracha with mayo, and serve on the side or drizzled over. if i want a spicier richer dish, i mix a bit with the tuna.

Look at my tuna tartar:

Christmas eve dinner in Oaxaca 1994(?). My MIL was on a Fulbright and we got invited to dinner with her exchange partner family. Some punch made of beer, chilies, limes, and mezcal (it actually tasted good) Salad of beets, onions, oranges, carrots, and jicama Roasted chicken stuffed with picadillo Mole Poblano de Guajolote Some crazy dish of eggs and a green that translated as "Herb that grows in the ditch by the side of the road" with a brown sauce made w/ chilies. Carne asada Lots of beer Brandy Tres Leches There were about 5 more things I can't remember. After dinner the had a scarecrow who they called viejo. The stuffed him full of fireworks and lit him on fire. This is usualy done on New Years eve, but lucky for us they did it on Christmas. The kids each got one matchbox car for a gift, and they were happier with that car than many American kids who get 30 presents on Christmas morning.

I care, too! I am curious as to a) where you have it fermenting (indoors, outdoors, locked in a shed somewhere?) and b) can you smell it a mile away? I'd love to see new pics to see how much green is left in the leaves. Thanks for keeping us updated! It's right next to my window unit air conditioner. You can't really smell it unless you take the bags of brine out. More tomorrow.

There are hundreds of differant types of corn in Mexico. Corn cross-pollinates easily so new varieties keep popping up. more here If you want to get some good corn in the US I would try to find a farmer who specializes in heirloom vegetables. Most of the corn today has been bred for sweetness, and I agree it doesn't have the same "corniness". I've never had a piece of fresh field corn, but I bet that if you saw a farmer growing it he'd sell you some. I also like the elotes in Mexico, especially with mayo, lime, chile powder, and cotija cheese.

The Alsatian Gewurz I had last night matched surprisingly well with the oxtails, I think it would go well with the skirt/flank steak. I've been having some Cab. Sauv. roses from Bordeaux which would also go well (serve it cool, around 55 degrees, not cold. Beaujalois (chilled slightly) was my original idea. I think Gruner goes better with seafood. Mmmmm, port.

I'm proud to say that I had a 375 bottle of Fino in my recycling bin 2 weeks ago. I've also been served sherry at Trio and Spring in the last 4 months. Great article Craig.

Oh my god, someone else cares I checked it last weekend and it was still bubbling a little bit. I think it will be done tomorrow.

Wait 2 weeks and we'll do it together. I've been getting the best tuna lately. Please give us some info on the wine/drinks.

Chicago Tribune article about this place Registration is required (you can use username egullet, password egullet). I just bought some Nathan's hot dogs yesterday, and I like them much better than Vienna Beef.

The scallop oxtail dish also had some chinese brocolli. Lynn was so good that she brought a roll (without me asking) when I was done so that I could mop up the sauce. If anyone wants to taste the sauce, it's all over my shirt.

Gazpacho recipe

Am I the only one who adds bread to my gazpacho? I think that without it the soup is too watery. I also don't like it with garlic or hot peppers. Here's my recipe

First the gripes. These are minor and didn't detract from the overall experience at all: -The hostesses didn't have a clue. -Why do restaurants make you pay for your drinks in the bar instead of putting it all on one check? -They brought the wrong bottle of wine. OK, on to the good stuff: -The restaurant is beautiful. You can still see parts of the old bathhouse in the decor. There was several vases of pussy willows (I just wanted to say pussy willow) throughout the restaurant. Does anyone know what is on the upper floors? -Our waitress, Lynn, was very attentive and friendly. -The amuse was a gingery tuna (?) roll. -I ordered three Kumamoto oysters which were dressed with diced cucumbers and fresh wasabi. Oyster purists who only like them with lemon juice are just plain wrong. -For starters I had the lobster, which is a new item. One large claw and a squash blossom stuffed with meat, served on top of a swiss chard leaf. The swiss chard added a nice bitter element to the dish. Flaca had a cold sweet corn soup with chilies and creme fraiche. Lynn had brought 2 spoons to the table, she obviously knew that I was going to sample everything. - For a main dish I had the signature scallops with oxtails, wild mushrooms, and sweet soy sauce. Amazing. Flaca had the special yellowfin which was served with hearts of palm, rice, and a coconut sauce. She enjoyed it so much that she finished hers before mine. - I had the cheese plate for dessert - a petit basque, some French creamy cheese(?), and a soft goats milk cheese with thyme and rosemary from Vermont. The cheese was served with currant toast and some almonds. Flaca had a funnelcake with peanuts (NSM - I made her promise to post more about the desert). - The wine service was great. Sue (another female sommelier in Chicago) was very passionate and her descriptions made me want to try 6 different bottles of wine. We ended up with a a bottle of Avinyo Cava and a 99 Gewurztraminer, Altenbourg,”Cuvee Laurence”, Weinbach. For dessert I had a glass of Lustau sherry and Flaca had a Red sweet wine from Jumilla, Spain. This restaurant really has there act together, and I highly recommend it. I also thought it provided exceptional value.

Gazpacho Serves 6 as Soup. My wife's professor from the University of Seville taght me to make this. 2 slices white bread, soaked in water 3 c tomatoes 2 c seeded and peeled cucumber 1 c onion 1 c sweet pepper 4 T olive oil 3 T sherry vinegar 1 T salt Squeeze the water out of the bread and put in a blender with all the other ingredients. Purree until smooth. Serve with the following garnishes: Diced Tomatoes Diced Cucumbers Diced Onions Diced Peppers Chopped hard-boiled egg Croutons Keywords: Soup, Easy, Vegetables, Spanish/Portugese ( RG589 )

Oh my god, what a great dinner. The combination of great food, wine, and service made for a memorable evening. Details will come tomorrow when I;ve had a little rest. On the way to the restaurant Flaca asked me why MatthewB had been here the last 3 times he's been in Chicago, now I know why. This is a fuckin' great restaurant.

Gazpacho recipe tomorrow, I promise. I've had it at least seven times in the last two weeks. The tomatoes don't freeze because of the alcohol in them. They are amazing. Serve them right out of the freezer (let them sit in the freezer at least a half hour). Instead of the tuna tartar, make ceviche. It's really good if you make a mini tostada by spooning the ceviche onto tortilla chips (ask Maggie, Aurora, or LadyT).

Braised flank steak is fine. I really like it in Ropa Viaja too. I don't think there's enough fat in it for grilling, though. As my butcher says, "I can't see why anybody would want to eat that stuff."

Yum, I am definately making this.

Quesadillas would be another good starter. Use some goat cheese and grilled vegetables (zuchinni, peppers, eggplant, etc.) as fillings. What wine are you going to serve? I'd go with a lightly chilled Cru Beaujolais. And two bottles of Cava as an apertif.

First of all, I'd get skirt steak instead of flank steak. I hate flank steak. For a starter I'd go with gazpacho. August and September are really the only time of year you can make it right. If you need a recipe I'll post mine. Another good one is cherry tomatoes soaked in vodka in the freezer. Sprinkle with kosher salt before you serve them. Booby Flay made those grilled peaches last week, so the Food Network would have a recipe. They looked really good.

Congratulations (a little early). Jaymes, thanks for the chilequiles explanation. I especially liked this part:

No pins in my butt, please. 2 cakes, I think I can handle it.

There's a ferry from Manitowac WI to Ludington Mi that might save you some time.