Vegetarian Pepperoni Stromboli

When preparing Italian food, does anyone else get that commercial stuck in their head that uses the catchy remix of Mambo Italiano?

You know the one:

Okay, well that wasn’t the actual commercial, but a drunk baby singing Dean Martin is, and will always be, hilarious.

My joy of cooking and baking has diminished these past couple months, which I can only blame myself for causing.  I became obsessed with fighting calories and looking for weight-fighting recipes that ultimately resulted in dishes that may have been good for us, but left more than barely a mark on our memories.  And for people who love food, love eating, and love sharing food with others, I don’t know if there’s anything worse you can do to a collection of ingredients.

And that’s where the stromboli comes in.  I’ve never once attempted making any other than a pizza with pizza dough.  If I were in a boardroom, I would be chastised for thinking inside such a very small box.  And it’s not as if a stromboli is breaking new grounds, but I feel I’ve made some great (unhealthy) strides in breaking free of tasteless Weight Watchers recipes and once again realizing cooking should be fun.  I may never be a chef, being able to come up with the grandest of ideas within minutes (thank you Top Chef for making me feel even more food-dumb than I usually do), but I can embrace my pop culture cookery.  Find something I like, change it by 10%, and hope I don’t get sued.

Aside from being a tad salty, and missing a nice marinara sauce for dipping, this recipe was quite tasty, and fairly simple.  I used Mark Bittman’s recipe for pizza dough from his invaluable How To Cook Everything Vegetarian.  I just added some black pepper, oregano and garlic to the dough since the stromboli itself isn’t seasoned.  The stromboli recipe was (barely) altered from a Real Simple recipe we found offering many uses for leftover pizza dough.  We replaced the salami they call for vegetarian pepperoni, and used a lower sodium provolone cheese.  Most of the prep time is spent either waiting for the dough to rise, or baking the stromboli.

Also, stromboli is a ridiculously fun word to say out loud.  You should try it.

Mark Bittman’s Pizza Dough

• 3 cups bread flour
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup water

Combine the flour, yeast, salt, pepper and oregano in a mixing bowl.  Slowly add the water, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and garlic. Mix until the dough forms a ball and is slightly sticky to the touch. If the dough is dry, add more water a tablespoon at a time.  Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for a few seconds to form a smooth ball. Put the last tablespoon of olive oil in the bowl and toss the dough, coating it well.  Cover the bowl and let rise for 1-2 hours.

Veggie Pepperoni Stromboli

• 1 pound Pizza Dough (see above recipe)
• 1/4 pound veggie pepperoni (we used Yves brand)
• 4 cups fresh spinach, stemmed
• 1/2 pound sliced low-sodium provolone

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Form dough into a 12-by-15-inch rectangle. Top with salami, fresh spinach, and provolone. Working from a short end, roll up the dough. Place seam-side down on an oiled baking sheet; brush with olive oil.  Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Serves 4.

Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles

The words Mexican Chocolate trigger something hiding within my brain whenever I read my Recipe RSS. “YES. STOP HERE.” Says my brain, and it does.  But here’s the thing, I’m not really a fan of Mexican Chocolate.  Katie is.  She’s the only reason I spend time trying to perfect the recipes that you see here involving this particular ingredient.  She gladly fills the stereotype of the girl who loves chocolate.  She believes that a Mexican meal is a failure without some type of mole sauce with which to smother her enchiladas. What can I say, she loves the chocolate and the spice.  I am still a believer that sweet and savory, at least where desserts are concerned, should remain on opposing sides of the mixing bowl.

So when I saw this recipe I knew I would at least have to try it. I stuck directly to the recipe, from Culinary in the Desert one of my favorite food blogs, for the first go around.  Now that I know the end result, there are things I’d definitely change.  I could the batches 1-2 minutes less, closer to 7-8 minutes to ensure a softer cookie.  I would also find a richer, deeper cocoa powder than the one I had available (Herhsey’s).  And if I’m feeling particularly spicy, maybe toss some tiny chocolate chunks dusted with cayenne pepper…for kicks.

But, that isn’t to say, this recipe isn’t any good.  It’s quite good, as most of my coworkers would agree. I just have a ridiculously high set standards for what I consider one of the best, softest, cookies in existence.

Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles (from Culinary in the Desert)

Ingredients

For the cookie dough
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla

For the sugar coating
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

To prepare cookie dough
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cayenne and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, maple syrup, milk and vanilla. Pour mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring with a wooden spoon until combined.

To prepare sugar coating
In a shallow dish, stir together sugar and cinnamon.

Roll dough into walnut sized balls, then gently flatten each ball into a 2″ disc. Place once side of the dough disc into the sugar coating, pressing to adhere. Place dough, sugar side up, onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them at least 2″ apart.  Place into the oven and bake until the cookies have spread and are crackly on top, about 9 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and place baking sheet on a wire rack – let cookies cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 24 cookies.

Midnight Snack – “Fried” Cheese Sticks

In case you weren’t aware, when you try eating healthier some things are forced to go by the way side. For some people, that’s drinking. For others, sweets.  For us, it’s fried foods. There is no greater treat than biting into the grease pocket of a freshly cooked mozzarella stick or onion ring. To this day, I still miss Red Robin’s cheese sticks now that we’ve moved to the city.

It’s been a goal of mine to try and find some type of equivalent that wouldn’t also destroy our goal of losing weight before our wedding next year.  And needless to say, it’s not all that easy. My first attempt was a resounding disaster, using a Weight Watchers recipe that relied on using brown mustard to coat the mozzarella sticks.  The result was a gooey mess that tasted more like mustard cheese than a cheese stick.

But then I stumbled onto this recipe from The Hungry Girl while flipping through her book one day at the local Borders.  Tucked in between recipes for a substitute for Carl Jr’s Cap’n Crunch Milkshake and other “healthy” alternatives I figured it couldn’t hurt to try it.  I mean, I already destroyed a perfectly good block of cheese with the weight watchers recipe, what was one more possible recipe fail?

And you know what, nothing will replace the perfection that is deep fried cheese. It’s not possible.  Saturated fat fried in more saturated fat is not a flavor easily replaced.  But this recipe does a pretty good job.  It retains the saltiness and the crunchiness along with the all important cheesiness.  At less than 200 calories for a single serving of 4 cheese sticks, it’s a pretty quick and easy snack.

“Healthy” Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

Ingredients

• 2 pieces light or reduced fat string cheese
• ½ Fiber One Cereal or Panko Bread Crumbs
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp parsley
• 1 tsp oregano
• ¼ tsp granulated garlic
• 3 Tbsp Egg Beaters
• low fat marinara sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. If using Fiber One, grind in a processer to a breadcrumb consistency (if using panko, skip this step).  Put the breadcrumbs and spices into a plastic bag and shake to mix.

Cut string cheese in half so you have 4 sticks.  Place cheese sticks in a bowl with the Egg Beaters, swirling to cover.  Transfer to the bag with the crumbs and shake to cover completely. Repeat the process of dipping the cheese sticks in the Egg Beaters and then the breadcrumbs 2 more times or until completely coated.
 
Spray a baking sheet lightly with nonstick spray. Place the cheese sticks on the sheet and lightly spritz with the nonstick spray. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese just starts to ooze.

Serve immediately with the marinara.

“Healthy” Mexican Cake

I put “healthy” in quotes, because let’s be honest, cake will never be healthy. It may be low-fat or vegan or sugar-free, but it will never be healthy.  It’s cake.  It’s meant to be an indulgent treat, an unearned reward for finishing your meal, or having a birthday.  It’s no fun if it’s healthy.  It goes against the cake-code.

This recipe, taken from Serious Eats, removed some of the fat that comes from using oil.  As they mention, it was luck the entire project still worked. I’m one of the people who tends to believe sweet and savory need to stay segregated as far as dessert goes, spiciness is just enough to be noticed but not enough to ruin the idea of dessert

And at 196 calories per slice, at least it’s “healthier” than a usual piece of cake full of shortening, and covered in frosting.  I still think it would still be best served warm with some vanilla bean ice cream, which sadly would take the “healthy” completely of the name.

Mexican Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup cold water
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 or 3 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 350°F.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together first seven ingredients (flour through salt). Make two small wells in the mixture. In one, pour in the vinegar. In the other, pour in the vanilla extract. Pour cold water over everything. Stir until moistened and a only a little lumpy.

Pour batter into an 8-inch round cake pan. Bake for 30 or 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then carefully pry out and finish cooling on a wire rack.

While cake is baking, whisk together 2/3 cup powdered sugar and 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder in small bowl. Add water. Stir to make a thick glaze. When cake is completely cooled, drizzle over cake.

Serves 10.

Oh Boy! Waffles!

I’m not quite sure why Better Homes & Gardens refers to these as “Oh Boy” waffles, but here’s a nice, simple recipe for some waffles that I jazzed up just a little bit with some spices I refer to as the “holy trinity” of comfort baking: cinnamon, all-spice, and nutmeg.  I also threw some Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips in there just to make them nice and unhealthy.

And yes, I said, Better Homes & Gardens.  I am just traditional enough to firmly believe a cookbook collection isn’t complete with the red and white plaid of the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. Our version is doubly hilarious because it’s a reprint of the original, so it includes incredibly out of date hosting rules and table settings.

But the recipes still work, in all their shortening filled glory.

“Oh Boy” Waffles

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups sifted enriched flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp all-spice
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2 beaten eggs
• 2 1/4 cups milk
• 3/4 cup melted shortening, butter, or olive oil
• 1/2 cup bitter-sweet chocolate chips

Sift dry ingredients.  Combine eggs, milk and shortening.  Combine liquid and dry ingredients just before baking.  Beat until smooth.  Fold in the chocolate chips.  Bake in a hot waffle iron.  Makes between 16 & 18 waffles.

And also, I would be remiss to not include MST3K’s waffles tribute.

Sweet Potato Pumpkin Cheesecake w/ Gingersnap Crust

"Cheesecake Picnic Party" - David Russell Talbott

The time of year when you can actually use the excuse “It’s the holidays” in a court of law to cover your (ever-growing) ass as you gorge for 4 straight weeks is upon us once again.  And that means it was time for Mike to make dessert for the family meals.  Hell, if we’re going to eat way too much over the course of 8 hours, I may as well contribute something sweet.

Last year I spent weeks coming up with a Sweet Potato Pumpkin Pie recipe.  I was obsessed and couldn’t be stopped.  My coworkers were overjoyed because I brought in a half dozen pies as I used them for my guinea pigs.  This year, I wanted to make a cheesecake version of the pumpkin pie classic, and luckily I already had my recipe from 2008 to work with.  Using a basic cheesecake recipe from AllRecipes I performed some recipe mad science to come up with the final recipe below.

The original crust calls for Pecans, but I’ve always been a Walnut person myself.  I think in this situation it worked out for the better.  Of course, if you’re worried about nut allergies you can also just replace the 1/2 cup of nuts with more gingersnaps or even a 1/2 cup of Nilla Wafers.

And I can only hope you’re better at marbling, because mine appeared more like a storm system over the sands of Tatooine than it did a “marble” effect.  Tasted just as good though!

Gingersnap Crust

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a bowl, mix together the crushed gingersnap cookies, walnuts, and butter. Press into the bottom, and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake crust 5-6 minutes in the preheated oven. Set aside to cool.

Sweet Potato Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 2 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 heaping cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 heaping cup mashed sweet potatoes
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, the 1/2 cup white sugar, and vanilla until just smooth.  Mix in eggs one at a time, blending well after each.  Set aside 1 cup of the mixture.  Blend 1/4 cup brown sugar, pumpkin, sweet potato, cinnamon, allspice, ginger and nutmeg into the remaining mixture.  Pour the pumpkin flavored batter into the crust, and drop the plain batter by teaspoonfuls onto the top.  Swirl with a knife to create a “marbled” effect.  Bake 55 minutes in the preheated oven, or until filling is set.  Run a knife around the edge of the pan.  Allow to cool before removing pan rim. Chill for at least 4-6 hours before serving.  It can also be stored in the freezer if not using the same day.

Breakfast Cereal Muffins

Photo borrowed from AlmightyDad.com

Breakfast is the greatest meal on earth.  You sit me down in front of a perfectly made 3 egg omelet stuffed with cheese and I will be a happy man.  Toss in a side of hash browns and pancakes, and I’ll thank you after my nap.

Of course, those were special occasion breakfasts when I was a kid.  Usually it was some Rice Krispies covered in sugar or some other delicious breakfast cereal that was about as good for you as rubbing sugar directly on to your teeth.  Even now I cannot resist the allure of a box of Golden Grahams or Fruit Loops when I see a sale price on the supermarket shelf.  The power of Post and Kelloggs is too, too strong.

One day a few weeks back, Katie asked me to make some healthier snacks, which resulted in these Oatmeal Bran Muffins.  Sure, you can make them healthy like I did, but isn’t the allure of swapping out the bran and oatmeal with something like Golden Grahams and Cocoa Krispies calling out your name?

Breakfast Cereal Muffins

• 1 cup bran cereal
• 1 cup dry oatmeal
• 1 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1 cup bread flour
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2-3/4  cup Craisins (or chocolate chips if you want them slightly less healthy)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine bran, oatmeal and milk.  Let stand 5 minutes, or until nice and mushy.  Mix the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda together, and set aside.  Melt the butter.  Add the melted butter and egg into bran mixture.  Stir in the dry ingredients until blended.  Fold the Craisins (or chocolate chips) into the batter.

Spoon into 12 lightly oiled  2 1/2 inch muffin pan cups. Bake for 18 minutes or until done.

Strawberry Muffins w/ Crumb Topping

I get no greater thrill during the summer than checking out the farmer’s market every week; and I seldom buy anything.  I just like the Christmas-like excitement of finding out what’s finally in season.  This past week strawberries hit their peak which lead me to buying some strawberries that were so juicy and sweet they were actually falling apart (thanks Klug Farms!).  I bought them before I realized I really had no recipes for strawberries aside from daquiris.  Don’t get me wrong, I love a good strawberry daquiri, but I figured my job would frown on me being drunk more often than not as I worked my way through the 2 pints of berries I purchased.

Instead I went with the less alcoholic, but still delicious, idea and made some strawberry muffins this morning.  I’ve attempted muffins in the past, but never quite got the recipe I was looking for until now.  Nate Meads of the oft-mentioned Fritz Pastry introduced me to Jacques Torres’ book Dessert Circus.  Jacques talks about the importance of adding ingredients individually to give the muffin a more crumb-like texture instead of the typical cake finish.  And let me tell you, he’s right.  Sure it may take a little longer than dumping liquid ingredients into dry ingredients, but the payoff is worth it.

I made a couple changes and additions to the original recipe.  There’s no call for ginger or vanilla in Torres’ version, and you can swap out the strawberries for whatever your favorite berry is.

Strawberry Muffins w/ Crumb Topping

Ingredients

• 2 cups bread or AP flour
• 1/2 heaping Tbsp Baking powder
• Pinch kosher salt
• Pinch cinnamon
• Pinch ginger
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup melted better
• 2 Large eggs
• 1/2 cup fat free milk (use whole milk for a richer muffin)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4-1 cup strawberries

Preheat oven to 375

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl until well blended.  Mix in the melted butter with a spatula making sure the flour is completely coated.  Mix in eggs and mix until combined.  Mix in milk  until combined.  If using fresh berries place the fruit in the freezer until just frozen before adding them to the batter.

Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full, sprinkling some of the crumb topping (see below) on each muffin. Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow the muffin pan to cool completely before removing the muffins.

Recipe makes 12 regular muffins or 6 jumbo muffins

Crumb Topping

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup cake flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup AP flour
• 7 Tbsp cold butter, cubed

Mix the dry ingredients together.  Take the butter and mix with the dry ingredients by hand, forming crumbs between your fingers.  Continue mixing all the butter until there are crumbs of butter still showing.

Fritz Pastry Press Release

Oh look, a Fritz Pastry press release.  Why yes, it was written by me.

For Immediate Release

CHICAGO, IL — There’s something to be said for good food that’s also affordable.  Too often nowadays, niche bakeries and cafes are moving towards the “couture” or “boutique” end of the spectrum, without looking back at the rest of us who want to be able to afford more than one cupcake when you walk through the doors.  Many of us would love to dine on upscale pastries, but unfortunately most of us can only afford mid-scale prices.

And that’s where Fritz Pastry comes in.  They understand that good food doesn’t need to come at not-so-good prices, which is oh-so-good for us.  Using the freshest local and organic products available Fritz Pastry will feature not only familiar European pastries, but several vegan options for those looking for an extra guilt-free treat; not to mention a rotating menu of seasonal savory dishes.

The owners of Fritz Pastry haven’t set their goals low.  They are also offering their specialty services are for call ahead ordering, catering, cake sales, and wholesale distribution.  Their menu offers a “Take & Bake” section of pastries by the dozen for those people looking to bring the restaurant home.

Located at 1408 W. Diversy Parkway in the Lakeview neighborhood, Fritz Pastry isn’t just another cafe opening in Chicago, but is a cafe that brings its diners to the cobblestones of Europe with every buttery bite.

Chef Nathaniel Meads, the chef behind Fritz Pastry, has long-held a love for the baking and pastry world.  Starting in a small Kankakee bakeshop in 1995 Meads has worked his way up through the restaurant scene.  He was most recently the Executive Pastry Chef for Blue Water Grill before its closing in 2009.

Meads spent his college days working through Joliet Junior College’s Culinary Arts Program, as well as several restaurants turning school theory into real-world practice.   In May 2002 Meads began a long, healthy career with Chicago’s Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, joining the staff of reknowned restaurant Brasserie Jo as a Patissier.  2006 saw Meads join the staff of world famous The Everest Room as a Pastry Assistant where he would learn the skills to one day lead an entire pastry team.  That same year, Meads joined Gale Gand’s pastry team at the also famous and award-winning Tru.  In 2007 Meads was hired as the Executive Pastry Chef for Blue Water Grill to reinvent the dessert menu.  Creating desserts that were not only delicious, but fun his dishes have been featured on ABC Chicago’s Hungry Hound.

Featuring not only pastries familiar to those who visit cafes, Meads and his partners are hoping to bring a taste of Europe to the Lakeview neighborhood, in turn hoping to make Fritz Pastry a favorite cafe for all of Chicago.

When Meads isn’t making food, he’s eating it.  And when Meads isn’t eating food, he’s thinking about making more.

Elaine Heaney comes from the administration side of the restaurant industry, spending several years as Nacional 27′s Business Manager and Event Coordinator.

Jared Nance currently hails from Nacional 27 where he is currently a bartender and shift leader.  He has worked in the restaurant industry since 1994, covering both the front-of-house and kitchen operations.

A Very Fritz Pastry Q&A

I met up with Elaine Heaney, Nathaniel Meads and Jared Nance, the partners behind Fritz Pastry, a couple weeks before their grand opening to talk about a variety of topics, including why they decided now was the time to open up their own café, their history in the food industry, and who would win in a couple of dream battles of my own creation.

The question and answer session below is actually my second ever interview.  The first?  Takashi Shimizu.  That’s right, I interviewed the director of The Grudge for NewType USA. But that was an e-mail interview where I was able to take the time to research and finesse my questions.  I wasn’t sure how an on the spot interview would go.  I’m not typically the kind of blog writer that enjoys seeking out and hunting down interviews.  So when the opportunity arose to interview my friends for their restaurant, I thought it would be good experience for me, and a chance for them to introduce themselves to Chicago in a comfortable setting.

Let me tell you there’s nothing anything quite as entertaining as interviewing your friends.

Mike: So first question, what up?
Elaine: (Laughs)

Nathaniel: That’s a terrible first question.

M: Pretend I’m just a reporter who you’ve never met before from the most awesome foodblog ever, Two Bites in Suburbia.  What’s up?  How are you guys doing?
N: Rad!

Jared: We are good.  What’s up with you?

M: How are you doing, Elaine?
E: This better not be on your podcast.  I freeze when the redlight is on.

M: This place looks unrecognizable from when I saw it a few weeks ago. How are things coming along?
E: I think things are coming along well.  We’re working, and working, and sleeping and more working.  But it’s fun!

N: Man, things are going great!

M: What made you decide to open up your own place?  Was it always a goal?
E:  I think it’s always been a goal for all of us, but definitely for Nate and I.  We’ve been married almost ten years, and it’s always been more like a dream.  After working long days and long hours we finally wanted to work those long days and long hours for ourselves.

J: I think we were all at a common point in our lives.  We were all ready for something new to happen, and it just worked out.  I think we all supply a different piece to the puzzle, so I think it works between the three of us.

N: For me, it was more the long nights I was working.  I was going to be doing something like this my whole life. Now Elaine and I will be able to see each other, and work next to each other.

J: Also, I feel the same way about Elaine.  Sorry, Nate, I didn’t want you to find out like this.

N: (Laughs while biting into his bagel)

M: She is pretty lovable.

M: And where did the name Fritz Pastry come from?
N: That’s my grandpa!  Frederick “Fritz” Schoch.  He’s from Germany.  His family sent him over (to America) on a boat when he was seventeen. He was a baker’s apprentice in Germany before coming over here.  And once he was here, I don’t think he ever did any cooking…

E: He did when he went into the army.

N: He was a cook in the army!  That’s right!  He was rad.  Was that a good answer?

M: It was!  That was a really good answer.

M: So, Nate, you’ve been into baking and pastry since you were a kid then?
N: (Nods)

M: It’s in your blood? The power of flour?
N: Yep.  Hey, can I get a shirt that says that? (Laughs) But, yes I have.  When I was little, my mom would bake bread and cookies in the afternoon and she would sit me on the counter and let me watch.  I remember that when I was 5 or 6 I wanted to be a fireman, but that all changed by the time I was 8.  By then…

E: He either wanted to be a pastry chef or a rock n’ roller.

M: Not a tyrannosaurus?
E: HA!  I think it’s always been pastry chef or rock n’ roller.

N: Yeah, they had you fill out that form in high school asking what you wanted to do…I mean, what did you guys put down?

M: I think I usually put down artist or mathematician.

N: What about mathemagician?

M: Ooooooooh

J: Come on system’s analyst!  Come on system’s analyst!

E: I totally put fashion designer.  And look at me now!

J: I actually don’t remember people asking me that question.  I’m sure they did, but my fallback answer has always been writer or novelist.

M: What about you Elaine?  Did Nate pass his love of food onto you, or have you always been a fan?
E: We always say that food and music is what brought us together.  Neither of us had met someone else with such a passion for either of those before.  But I’ve always loved food, really good food.  That led me to getting into really good foods, sweets and pastries when I met Nate.

M: And you Jared?
J: My first job, and most jobs were in food.  I started when I was 15, but I thought it would only be temporary.  It just turned out that whenever I went into a different field I was never content.  So it was originally something I just fell into, but it ended up being where I found myself the happiest.  For me, it’s just as much about the food service atmosphere as it is about the product.

M: You’re actually a trained chef, right Nate? Where’d did you go to school?
N: I went to the culinary program at Joliet Junior College. I would say I learned just as much there as I would have paying for a more expensive program.

M: Did it prepare you for your career in the restaurant world, or were there things that there was just no way to be prepared for?
N: School is school.  And then you get a job, where on the first day you learn everything you learned at school, plus more.  There’s only so much you can learn before you start working somewhere and they kick you around for a few years.  So I’d say I learned the most getting kicked around at the start.

E: Nate and I don’t discourage anyone from going to culinary school, but we DO encourage them to get a job at a restaurant.  Whether it’s dishwashing, line cook or hostess; it’s good for everyone to know how a restaurant functions from the front door to the back door.  Sometimes the media glamorizes the industry a tiny bit.

M: I know it’s putting you on the spot, but Nate, what’s your favorite dessert of the ones you’ve made over the years?
N: The Cracker-Jack Sundae at Blue Water Grill.  I made the cracker jacks and ice cream (butter peanut & salted caramel), and then it was served with a peanut butter shell on top.  There was also a small prize in a box with each order.

M: What about one that isn’t yours?
N: A couple of years ago at Avenues in the Peninsula I tried a chocolate-ginger-lime shooter.  It blew my mind because I didn’t think those flavors would go well together. I guess I’m close-minded, because I was wrong.

M: What about one that never made it off your drawing board?
N: Ooooooooh.  There were a lot of crazy failed ones.  I was working on a blue velvet cake, but it ended up turning everything blue.  Everything.

M: Elaine, same questions.
E: Too much pressure!  Go to Jared!

M: Okay, Jared, same questions.
N: Yeah, I want to hear what you favorite dessert of mine is.

J: I don’t really care for Nate’s desserts.

(Everyone laughs)

J: But seriously, my favorites of his at Blue Water were always the specials involving fruit, his brioche especially.  When I go out I usually end up getting something fruit based.  I like chocolate, but I love cobblers and the like.  Stuff like my mom would do.

E: Okay, I’m ready. My favorite of Nate’s is his French Macarons, the galettes and anything he makes in parfait form.   When we go out I’ll always try whatever isn’t chocolate.  It’s so funny, because every time we’ve gone out to eat somewhere new we always ask our server “What would you suggest?”  They always, ALWAYS suggest the chocolate tart or the molten cake or some other “must have” signature chocolate dessert.  I usually just pick the next item down the menu.

M:  I’d ask what your favorite bread is, but we ALL know it’s my Pretzel Bread….right?
E: Duh!

N:  Haha!  You know it!

M:  So enough about you people.  Let’s talk about what everyone really cares about, the food.  What will you be offering?
E: We have a BIG focus on breakfast pastries, along with a light offering of lunch and dinner items. There will also be some soups and salads…some tartines (open faced sandwiches).  We also have a Fritz Pastry custom blended coffee as well as some favorite loose teas.

M: I noticed that most of the pastries are mostly classically French.  Does that come from your schooling, Nate, or is it just your favorite pastry country?
N: That’s my favorite.  Whenever I’ve thought of pastry it was that. It was hardly ever American apple pie.  It has always been European.

E: Nate definitely leans towards the French pastry, but I’ve seen him get pretty into panettone and springerle, too.

M: So you both know the delicious benefits of butter?
E: I’ve just recently discovered European butter.  Unreal and SO good.

N: Heck yeah. It’s awesome.

M: But you’re also not ignoring the large vegan population looking for their sweets fix.  Are you both vegans? Or are you vegetarian with a vegan baking twist?
E: Nate and I are both vegetarian.  Jared’s neither vegan nor vegetarian. I was vegan for years and that’s when I discovered how good AND bad vegan sweets could end up being. Somehow I learned how to make a tasty chocolate chip cookie that was also vegan, so I kept trying to bake egg and dairy free. We’ll have a small vegan section with our most successful recipes.

M: Elaine, I know you do a majority of the vegan baking.  Will that continue at Fritz?  Or have you passed the recipes onto Nate?
E: I’ll definitely help of course, but I’ve decided to finally let go of my secrets and pass the recipes on to Nate. Not that he needs them.  He’s been baking tons of tasty vegan goods for De.li.cious Café since they’ve opened.

M: You’re history is interesting.  You actually started as an online/mail order bakery.  Are deliveries and special orders going to continue?  Do you have plans to expand further?  World domination?
E: Yes, we will be offering a delivery service where we always encourage special orders. Eventually we’d like to have a place in New York, as well as one somewhere in California.

N: But right now, we’re really just focusing on this place.  We really want this place to work.

E: Yeah we’re really focusing on Chicago right now.  We can dream later.

M: I have a couple more questions, and I’ll let you guys get back to your baking magic.  Most importantly, what’s your music selection going to be like?  That always says a lot about a café.
N: I don’t know if we’re done arguing about that yet.

E: I would play the Monkees every second we were open if Nate and Jared would let me.

N: The monkees ARE geniuses.

M: You’ve really banded your friends together to get this place together before opening.  Want to use this space to thank them?
E: We think it would be funnier to list everyone who hasn’t pitched in!

N: An un-thank you list.

E: Just kidding!  Everyone in our lives has been beyond supportive, from our family, to our friends, to friends of friends.

M: And a couple rapid fire questions to get those out of the way.  I figure these are to be taken out of context for when you ultimately get too big and the media wants to take you down.  Favorite Chef?
N: Man, that’s not a quick answer!  That’s like asking someone what’s your favorite song.

M: “They’ll Need a Crane” by They Might Be Giants!

E: I KNEW it would be They Might Be Giants.  What about who your least favorite chef is?

J: So much hate!

E: Okay fine.  Joel Dennis, the Executive Chef of Ducasse’s Adour in New York

N: I’d say Lisa Mortimer.  I loved working for her at TRU.  She was super cool and she really knew how to lead.

J: Paul Kahan.  And I really like Avec.

M: Favorite Restaurant?
E: In Chicago? I’m a sucker for Ben Pao. Outside of Chicago? Red Bamboo in New York.  And my favorite pastry shop is still Tartine in San Francisco.

N: Coalfire on Grand.  Outside of Chicago the Balthazar in New York, because their pain au chocolat is soooooooo good,

M: Favorite cookbook everyone should own?
E: Eric Ripert’s On The Line or Michel Richard’s Happy in the Kitchen.  Both have some great photography.

J: Bachelor’s Pride Microwave Meals!

N: Ha ha! Ducasse’s Grand Livre de Cuisine by Frédéric Robert

M: Favorite Band?
J: I would actually have to say They Might Be Giants.

E: Descendents and Lagwagon

N: Armchair Martian

M: Last question, and one for each of you.  Nate , who would win in a fight between GI Joe and the Justice League?
N: G.I. Joe would win because they’re real American heroes!

M: But the superheroes have superpowers!  And G.I. Joe couldn’t shoot very straight.

N: Luckily, neither could C.O.B.R.A.

M: Elaine.  Who would win in a fight between the cast of 90210 and the Gilmore Girls?
E: Easy. The cast of the old 90210 would win a fistfight, but the cast of Gilmore Girls would win an argument of wit.

M: Jared.  Who would win in a battle between sasquatch and Bender from Futurama.

J: That’s an easy one…

M: BUT, it’s a robot sasquatch.

N: Oh snap!

J: I think between a robot sasquatch and Bender, I’d have to reference the Ultimate Robot League episode, and say it ultimately comes down to how much money is in it for Bender.

M: Nice answer!  Okay, that’s all I got.  Thanks for your time you guys, and good luck on the opening!

ALL: Thanks, Mike!

Fritz Pastry is located at 1408 W. Diversey Pkwy, Chicago, IL 60614.  The phone number is (773) 857-2989.  They will be open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. daily

You can also find Fritz Pastry on Facebook and Twitter.