FoodCandy Shows Us The Love

I received an e-mail over the weekend that FoodCandy would be featuring my recent review of Skinny Bitch in the Kitch on the front page of their esteemed website.  Just thought I’d return the love by sending people over to their site.  It’s a bit like MySpace or FaceBook, but not nearly as cluttered or obnoxious.  In fact, it focuses mainly on foodies, food-lovers, and cooks.  In other words, it’s right up the alley for those who read this.  Give ‘em a look see, and tell ‘em twobitme sent ya.  They won’t know what you’re talking about, and mostly likely look at you funny; but do it for me.

You can find Two Bites in Suburbia on FoodCandy right over here.

Graham Elliott Opens Graham Elliott

It turns out my source, who I never doubted, was right.  This just in from Dish:

Graham Elliot Bowles, the supremely talented four-star chef at Avenues (Peninsula Chicago, 108 E. Superior St.; 312-573-6754) for the past four years, is leaving to open Graham Elliot in the former Harvest on Huron space at 217 West Huron Street. “The idea is to do four-star cuisine in a completely different atmosphere,” says Bowles. “I’m doing away with linen and florals and the silver and the crystal and making the space as reflective of the chef as possible. Instead of fine dining I think of it as ‘redefined dining,’ in the bistronomic sense of the word. To just be humble and serve the food we believe in.” Like what? “Dishes such as aged Cheddar risotto with Pabst-braised onions, smoked bacon, green apples, and Cheez-Its,” Bowles says. “And there’s going to be a bar and lounge element focusing on the art of mixology and handcrafted cocktails like a deconstructed Bloody Mary with horseradish sorbet, jellied vodka, Tabasco bubbles, and celery salt.” Bowles will bring several members of his Avenues team over, including sous-chef Leonard Hollander. Expect a May opening. 

Read more, including an interview with Bowles’ Avenues’ replacement.

In the mean time, I shall laugh maniacally and convince people I can also predict lottery numbers.

Macaroni and Four Cheeses & A Skinny Bitch Book Review

Well, who would have known that a series of books called Skinny Bitch and Skinny Bitch In The Kitch actually promoted a healthy vegan diet, and weren’t just another lame-ass self improvement series?  Not me, that’s for sure.  The title alone turned me off to it originally.  I mean, the copy on the cover says, “Kick-Ass Recipes for Hungry Girls Who Want to Stop Cooking Crap (and Start Looking Hot!)”  It just seemed like a cash-grab.

It wasn’t until I was wandering around the local Borders, that I decided to pick up a copy of the cookbook and see just what they were telling women was “healthy.”  I was surprised to find recipes for Potato and Pumpkin Curry with Brown Basmati Rice, Balsamic Portobello Mushrooms over Grilled Vegetable Couscous, and even a “Beef” Stew.

Always willing to admit that I assume too much at times, I picked up a copy and give it a go.  My quick and dirty review? It’s good, as long as you skip the introduction.  It turns out that the girls (because I refuse to call them the Skinny Bitches), border on the obnoxious type of vegan who isn’t afraid to hammer home the fact that you’re eating “…dead, rotting, decomposing flesh of carcasses.”  I’m no fan of the over-zealous level of anything, whether it be religion or eating habits.  I think you can convince more people to try something healthy if you don’t do it while insulting their current habits.  Occasionally the recipes fit into the “well, DUH” variety, especially when they focus on how to dress up a veggie burger.  When they instead offer up reinventions of meat-centric dishes or new inventions entirely, they really shine.

I adapted their Macaroni and Four Cheeses recipe featured here a bit though.  They call for the use of Coconut Oil, something that people say have many health benefits, but I’m on a budget this week, and didn’t have the 7 bucks it would cost for something I may use once.  Maybe the crumbs weren’t as crunchy as they should have been, but I’ll make do.

The result is a simple and hearty dish, that looks similar to Mac n Cheese in appearance only.  The taste is a little earthier thanks to the winter squash.  There was only the slightest hint of a cheese taste; but the cayenne pepper gave it a nice little bite.

The nice thing is, for people with soy allergies, you could easily use regular dairy products and end up with something that may be higher in fat and cholesterol, but probably tastes just as good.

Not bad ladies.  Not bad at all.

Macaroni and Four Cheeses

• 1 Tbsp refined coconut oil, melted
• 2 Tbsp kosher salt
• 1 lb whole wheat elbow macaroni
• 2 (10 oz) packages frozen pureed winter squash
• 2 cups soy or rice milk
• 4 oz vegan shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 oz vegan shredded jack cheese
• 4 oz vegan cream cheese
• 1 1/2 tsp powdered mustard
• 1/8 – 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you want it)
• 1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
• 2 Tbsp vegan Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Oil a 2-quart casserole dish and set aside.

In a 4-6-quart pot, combine 3 quarts of water with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the salt.  Bring water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, in a 3-4-quart pot over medium heat, combine the squash and milk, stirring and breaking up the squash with a spoon until the squash is defrosted.  Increase the heat to a medium-high and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cheddar, Jack, cream cheese, mustard, cayenne, and the remaining 1/2 Tbsp of salt.

When the pasta is done, drain it, the return the pasta to the pot.  Stir the cheese sauce into the macaroni.  Transfer the entire mixture to the prepared baking pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and coconut oil (if using).  Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the macaroni and “cheese.”  Place the casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes, then broil for 2-3 minutes until the top is nicely browned.

Chicago Chef Gossip

I received some second, possibly third, hand industry gossip that Graham Elliott Bowles of Avenues may be opening his own restaurant over at an empty space on Huron sometime in the near future.  Is it true?  Is one of Chicago’s celebrity chefs adding another must-visit place for Chicago foodies?  Only time will tell.

So endeth Mike’s speculation and food gossip for the day.

Cantu Motos Up Some Raccoon Roadkill

I know, by blog standards, I’m late to the game with this, but the Chicago Tribune story about Chef Cantu cooking up some raccoon at Moto just has to be shared with as many people as possible. Now, even being a vegetarian, I like a good meat joke. I share photos of edible meat cabins with my coworkers. I try to figure out ways to turn beer-battered, mozzarella-stuffed bacon burgers into a vegetarian meal. Hell, one of the centerpieces of my solo art show in 2000 was about “beef so good even cows like it.”

I tell you all these things, because when I first saw the presentation of the meat, and then watched “something” fall from Monica Eng’s fork, I actually went “Oh, that’s not right.” Reading the article didn’t help much.

Next, they slow braised his lean flesh in olive oil, butter, shallots, onions, garlic, rosemary, bay leaves, red wine and raccoon stock (made from his bones).

Once they pulled the meat off the bones they embarked on an inspired — some might say depraved — plating.

Okay, well, that’s not so bad. But the description in the video is far worse, discussing splitting poor Rascal open by the legs to find the best meat. The rest of the plating plays with the idea of roadkill, which makes each plated dish one of a kind!

In a facetious effort to depict a scene of roadkill…they pooled and splattered beet puree across the plate. They painted curry-tinted lane lines and even printed skid marks and a raccoon face on edible paper.

I’m always on the fence with Moto. Sometimes they’re ideas seem fun (doughnut soup, Strawberry Cheesecake Chicago Dog), and sometimes their crazy molecular ideas seem to be covering up for food that may not taste great (see above). I’m constantly entertained when I see video, or read about their new ideas; but I couldn’t see paying 165 dollars for a 20 course meal, where you know not all those dishes are going to taste great.

Of course, being a vegetarian I won’t be experience Moto anytime soon anyhoot. Of course, if Chef Cantu is reading, and wants to prepare a 20 course vegetarian meal for me to try, I’ll be there with 200 bucks and a completely open mind.

(Raccoon Roadkill Tribune photo by Alex Garcia / January 18, 2008)

(No, I wasn’t kidding about my art. I’m a sick, sick man.)

Chicago Reader Goes Green

The new issue of the Chicago Reader not only has an interesting article on restaurants in the area, and their attempts to “go green”, but also a fairly thorough list of vegetarian and vegan friendly restaurants around Chicago.  Check it out here.

Seen Around The Net

It’s always interesting to see where your Flickr photos show up. I was bored at work today and did some Googlin’ as I tend to do; only to discover these sites that linked to a couple of my food photos. I’m a gonna be famous one way or another, dammit! I’m glad I took some photos that people seem to like.

Those deep fried mac-n-cheese bites are calling my name!

The Chicago Traveler: Fat Cat review

Links, Ideas & Geek Stuff: Doritos X13-D

Away With Words: Cheaps

Recipe – Clear Soup with Spinach and Tofu

I was asked by a friend to post this recipe for a soup that she still talks about nearly a decade after I first made it. It’s a simple Thai soup that’s both hearty yet light (Is that possible?). It’s also from one of my very first vegetarian cookbooks, Real Vegetarian Thai by Nancie McDermott. At the time, I was intimidated by the occasionally large list of ingredients, but with some experience under the proverbial belt, I’m ready to try my hand at more of these recipes.

For those of you who want to start experimenting with the tastes of vegetarian Thai food, this is a good starting place. The recipe calls for readily available ingredients. And I’ve adapted it a bit, replacing the need for crispy garlic in oil with some regular minced garlic. I’ll include the recipe for the crispy garlic in oil in case you want to give the original recipe for this gaeng jeute soup a try.

So, here you go Sabrina, this one’s for you.

Clear Soup with Spinach and Tofu

• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 8 oz. firm tofu, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• A handful of baby spinach leaves, stemmed and left whole
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced crosswise
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced or 2 Tbsp Crispy Garlic in Oil
• salt to taste

In a saucepan, bring the stock to a gentle boil over medium heat. Add the tofu, pepper, soy sauce, and sugar. Simmer until the tofu is heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in the spinach, green onions and garlic. Remove from the heat. Add salt to taste.

If using the crispy garlic, do not add it directly to the soup. Instead transfer to serving bowls and top each bowl of soup with a bit of the crispy garlic.

Serves 4-6

Crispy Garlic in Oil

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp coarsely chopped garlic

Heat a small skillet briefly over low heat. Add the oil and heat until a bit of garlic added to the pan sizzles at once, 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to separate any clumps. As the garlic begins to turn golden and release its perfume, stir gently; as soon as half of the garlic is a soft, wheaty color, after 3 to 4 minutes, remove from the heat and set aside to complete the cooking as the mixture cools to room temperature.

Transfer the garlic and fragrant oil to a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and store in the refrigerator.

Makes about 1/4 cup.

(Tofu button comes from the always fun MushyCat.)

The Borrowed Earth Cafe – Downer’s Grove

Here’s a bit of a conundrum for me. I’m recommending a place that I didn’t enjoy. I know. It sounds crazy, but stay with me.

I just hate, really *really* hate, raw/macrobiotic food. I believe that not all oils are bad for you. I believe that you can actually cook food without it being deprived of nutrients. And I believe that spices and salt are not mutually exclusive with proper dietary eating.

Needless to say, Borrowed Earth Cafe is not the place for me. But, and here’s my reason for recommending it, I think that people who DO like this more extreme type of diet will find quite a bit to like about the place. And I think anyone who has the bravery to open a raw restaurant in DOWNER’S GROVE of all places, deserves some kudos.

Katie and I happened to stop in at Borrowed Earth over the weekend, needing a quick bite to eat before we partook in the dollar show at the Tivoli. We were hungry, and it was close. It met all of our criteria.

To call Borrowed Earth Cafe a laid back dining affair would be like saying valium gives you a slight buzz. The place just oozes with, forgive the derogatory terms, granola hippiness. It seemed as if everyone was practicing yoga WHILE serving up the food. It took nearly 20 minutes for our waitress to get to our table. She blamed the wait on a rush of people, which looked to be about 3 more tables than were previously there.

We ordered three dishes: one appetizer and 2 sandwiches. The food took another 20-30 minutes to come out, thereby negating our movie time. We didn’t understand the wait, because it looked like most of the food we ordered was pre-made. The falafel came from a tub, as did the “cheese” in the pirogies. The only thing we saw being “made” were the slices of jicama that were the pirogies themselves. It was just that everyone was moving with such relaxed…slowness, that nothing was getting done in the normal amount of time.

The pirogies were easily my favorite part of our meal. The jicama was fresh, and the “cheese” filling of pureed nuts, shoyo, and red bell pepper was flavorful without being overpowering.

The main courses were sadly disappointing when comparing them to their prices. Katie’s 7 dollar grilled “cheese” was maybe 4 inches diameter. I was a bigger fan of the raw rye bread than she was. The cashew nut “cheese” was definitely reminiscent of cheddar, offering up a slight tang with each bite.

I ordered the 9 dollar “falafel” wrap. I put falafel in quotes only because I believe a falafel needs to be fried or baked, and not served as a raw mix wrapped up in a piece of lettuce. It tasted of falafel; but a tablespoonful of raw mix does not a falafel make. This was the biggest disappointment of our meal.

The restaurant itself is a nice little space. The kitchen is open-air, with a group of stools there so you can see your meal being prepared while talking to the chefs. They even have some cameras set up so people can watch the action from above.

So, you see. That’s why I’m torn. The prices are definitely cheaper than going to somewhere like Karyn’s Raw, but I just don’t think we got enough for our money. But the fact that people don’t have to drive to Chicago for their Raw diet fix is something for them to celebrate. Maybe, once the place has been opened for longer than 2 years, service and staff will have perfected everything.

Until then, it was a near miss for us, but maybe it’ll be a hit for the right audience.

(We actually had to go find a pizza joint for a second lunch.)

S’mores Cookies

My friend sent me this recipe asking if I’ve ever tried something like it before. I hadn’t, but that didn’t stop me from going right out for the supplies and making them this morning. I did tart them up a bit, because the photo she sent me of the original cookies looked a little like a dog had one too many the night before.

This updated version relies on the same type of set up I used for the Hot Chocolate Cookies I made a month or so ago. I made the cookie according to the recipe, but instead of mashing a crapload of stuff on top, I used only one marshmallow and a piece of Hershey’s chocolate. I think the finished project looks WAY better.

These have also met with my co-worker seal of approval. Out of three dozen cookies, I have 2 left.

S’Mores Cookies
3/4 cup butter — softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
18 Large marshmallows
3 Hershey Bars

Beat together margarine and sugars until light and fluffy. Blend in egg and vanilla. Add combined flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets about 3 inches apart.

Bake in pre-heated oven 375 degrees for 8 minutes. While the cookies are baking, cut the marshmallows in half. Remove and quickly press marshmallows into cookies. Return to oven and cook until done (1-2 minutes).

Once cookies have cooled a bit, place a piece of Hershey’s chocolate firmly into the middle of the marshmallow and let cool completely before serving.

Makes about 3 dozen

Of course, if you’re super OCD like I am about presentation, I also used a cookie cutter to trim the cookies into perfect circles. I know I’m insane. Stop reminding me voices.