Vegetarian French Cassoulet

I know the very idea of a vegetarian French cassoulet is an idea of contradictions. French love a few things: butter, pastry, slapstick comedy, pencil-thin mustaches and meat. Also, from what I told they also love hating on Americans, but I’ve never been there so I can’t say firsthand. Part of me feels that the stereotype has been given the mythic proportions treatment, but the other part of me feels like, “Well can’t really blame them. We’re pretty gross.”

But this IS a vegetarian French cassoulet. Meat substitutions and vegetable stock replace the typical meaty ingredients. Just go generous with the salt. I was a bit conservative and I think it needs more than “to taste.”

I’m also skipping the bread crumbs because it gave the texture a more mealy grit to it and unless you’re talking about grits, it’s never a good thing for food to be described as mealy or gritty.

Vegetarian French Cassoulet (adapted from The Mediterranean Cookbook)

• 1/2 pound Trader Joe’s “Beef-less” Strips cut into a dice
• 1/2 pound Tofurkey Italian sausage cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 15-oz cans navy beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 14 1/2-oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• Salt and pepper to taste

This recipe can either be cooked in the oven or using a crockpot

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees if using the oven.

Place “beef” and sausage in a large casserole or crockpot. Set aside. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and then add the onion, red pepper and garlic. Saute until onions and pepper are soft, about 10 minutes. Add to the casserole or crockpot. Add beans, tomatoes, thyme and vegetable broth to casserole or crockpot and stir all ingredients to combine.

If using a casserole, bake, uncovered for 90 minutes. Or cook in a crockpot on low for 6-7 hours.

Serves 8

The Ram Restaurant & Brewery

I was asked to pick out a restaurant near Allstate Arena in Rosemont this past weekend. The in-laws were taking the family to a Chicago Wolves game, and while I opted out of joining them (because sitting in the Allstate Arena is near impossible for me), they wanted me to join them for dinner. The only problem was Rosemont is basically expensive hotel restaurants and subpar fast food. Well, that’s the only Rosemont I’ve seen. It’s O’Hare Airport’s city, so it almost comes across as a transient place to live. So many people travel THROUGH there you almost forget people live there, too. Needless to say I didn’t know where to take them.

On a good day, it’s a tough call to randomly pick a place. When you’re trying to not let down an entire clan, there’s even more pressure you put upon yourself. While they’re far more adventurous in dining than my family is, I wouldn’t want to take them to an unknown foreign food restaurant and hope for the best.  You don’t want to hope for the best in some circumstances.

What I found was The Ram Restaurant and Brewery. It’s not a local place, but a chain found in 5 states, getting its start in Washington. What surprised me was it’s a restaurant founded by the same group of people who founded Shakey’s, a fond restaurant memory of my youth. I used to love going to Shakey’s with my family. It’s where I learned such a thing as a pizza buffet existed. It’s where I learned the upper limits of how much pizza a human body could handle.

It turns out that for a chain restaurant, the food is far above average, although I can’t necessarily say the same for the beer. Nothing much struck my fancy, with their seasonal Big Horn S’No Angel Winter Weizenbock being my favorite of the ones sampled. It was a bit darker than I prefer, but the spice went well with the food.

The appetizer we went for was almost a dare. I mean, they were called Armadillo Eggs. Made with chicken, fresh chopped jalapeños, pepperjack cheese, “secret sauce” and seasonings, they tasted mostly like deep-fried cream cheese. You couldn’t much taste the chicken (oh yeah, I eat chicken now). But for a cheese lover, I wasn’t complaining. I love jalapeno poppers and these were a tasty distant cousin to those.

Like a lot of chain restaurants, their menu is massive. They have an ample selection of burgers, sandwiches, salads and more. My choice was the Chicken Amber Ale, a chicken breast marinated in an amber ale marinade, Porter BBQ sauce, slaw, tomato, onion crisps, roasted tomato-chipotle mayonnaise and a pretzel bun. They had me at onion crisps and sold me at pretzel bun. The chicken was tender and well marinated, and the sandwich itself was a sloppy mess with all those sauces. It ended up being a fork and knife situation by the end.

While the food was tasty and received accolades all around, there was one big problem. Most, if not all, of the burgers came out under prepared. Medium Well came out mostly pink in at least 3 situations. Luckily, the people who received the mis-cooked burgers didn’t mind the extra bit of pink, but it seems like something they should pay a little more attention to something like that.

Most of us agreed we’d still go back, and with the comic con coming up in August, I now have a place to direct my friends when we need something to eat. It’s a much better alternative to walking down to McDonald’s or ordering a $7 pizza from the convention center.  I’d most likely steer them away from the burgers, just to be safe, but otherwise it’s a nice place to have a meal.

Plus you get to tell people you ate Armadillo Eggs, and that’s always worth the price of admission.

The Generous Pour at Capital Grille

Warning: Fake wine snobbery ahead.

Recently Katie and I were invited to a free event celebrating Capital Grille’s Generous Pour event. The event itself is an all you can drink wine pours for $25. 9 summer wines are featured, some available for the first time in America. Now, normally Katie and I are not normally wine drinkers. We’re definitely not oenophiles. I had to look up how to spell the fancy word for lover of wine if that’s any indication. But we decided to check it out because it sounded like an interesting idea and we’ve always meant to stop by the Capital Grille since it’s only a couple blocks away from us.

First and foremost, can I mention they hand make their mozzarella every 2 hours hours for dishes like their caprese salad? It’s definitely something you can taste. The cheese was smooth, and not overly salty. When they told us it was constantly being made in house we were surprised, and I think it’s something that should be better known. That bit of extra effort earned big points from us.

Katie loved her main dish, a Bone-In Kona Crusted Dry Aged Sirloin w/ Shallot Butter. The sirloin was perfectly cooked, and being someone who truly hates coffee, was surprised at how well it worked on the meat. It was a meal full of surprises for her. Not a fan of seafood either, she thought the pan fried calamari was some of the best she had. She noted that it was neither chewy or had an overly fishy taste. And she couldn’t stop talking about the lobster mac & cheese.

My meal was much simpler, consisting of the previously mentioned caprese salad and a massive bowl full of pasta filled with crisp asparagus and other random vegetables. I’m still no fan of the “oh crap a vegetarian is here” bowl of noodles many restaurants serve, but for what it was it was tasty. The pasta wasn’t watery, cooked al dente and seasoned well.

Dessert’s highlight was the flourless chocolate espresso cake. Powdered with bittersweet chocolate and moist enough you would think it was undercooked, the cake and handmade vanilla bean ice cream was a great cap to the evening.

But that night the meal was almost a precursor to the wine. Each course was paired with two different wines, an American pour and an imported specialty.

I’ll list all the wines available below for this special event, but I wanted to talk mostly about the ones I enjoyed, because it’s my blog dammit. As I mentioned above, neither of us are wine drinkers. Katie probably less so than me. She knows she likes nice fruity white wines and sticks with that, while I have no real preference. I can’t taste out the spices in wine, or the hoppiness in beer. All I know is if something tastes good to me. And taste is far more important than being able to recite a list of ingredients as far as I’m concerned.

When you go, and you really should if you’re a fan of wine (or a fan of $25 dollar bottomless wine), definitely check out the La Cana Albarino, Rias Baixas from Spain. The Spanish white blew away the Californian white. It went well with the appetizers being served, supporting the flavors instead of over powering them. The Californian white, Chateau St. Jean, Belle Terre from California, just had an aftertaste that overpowered the original sip.

Dinner was served with 5 different reds (the most red wine I’ve ever had), 3 from California and 2 from Europe. The highlights were a California red, Chalk Hill Estate, Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma, and a Spanish red available for the first time in the US, Tarima Hill, Monastrell, Alicante.

The Chalk Hill red benefits from the grapes being cultivated over a volcanic chalk which adds an extra flavor which surprised me. It was the wine I was most interested and most weary about trying, yet turned out to be my favorite red of the evening.

As I mentioned, the Tarima Hill is an exclusive at the Capital Grille, and is great for those who like a spicy red wine. I can’t say I would drink it normally, but I can see why it’s paired with the Grille’s steaks.

But honestly, my favorite wine of the evening was a “port” from Australia, RL Buller, The Portly Gentleman. It can’t officially be called a Port for regional reasons, but the emphasis on the label lets you know it’s going for a tawny port flavor. It was sweet. It was thick. It was like drinking a fruity cherry syrup. It was like liquid candy.

For just $25 with dinner, you are invited to enjoy as many of these red, white and sparkling gems as you like. Each vintage was hand-selected by Master George Miliotes to ensure that there is something for everyone in this collection

Butternut Squash and “Sausage” Bake

Oh Serious Eats, you are seriously a great recipe source. Seriously. So is our friend Jen who pointed me to this recipe. She cooks it annually as part of her orphan Thanksgiving group, but mentioned that it would be something easily converted to vegetarian for someone like me, a dirty vegetarian.

A few notes:

• We are not the kind of cooks that have fresh thyme hanging around. The dry equivalent of one sprig is 1/2 teaspoon.
• We used a pretzel bread roll which made it tasty. If you don’t have individual slices, 3 slices of bread equals about 3 ounces.
• We took either Tofurky Italian sausage or Trader Joe’s Italian sausage and introduced them to a food processor. We went with a full 12 ounces of sausage for a heartier meal.

Butternut Squash and Sausage Bake (adapted from Serious Eats)

• 12 ounces Tofurkey or Trader Joe’s Italian sausage
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 3 sweet onions, quartered and thinly sliced
• 5 fresh thyme sprigs or 2 1/2 teaspoons dried
• 1 teaspoon marjoram
• 1 teaspoon rosemary
• salt and pepper
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1/2 cubes, (about 6 cups) seeds and scrapings reserved
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup shredded smoked mozzarella
• 3/4 cup extra flavor vegetable stock (2 teaspoons veggie stock in 3/4 cup water)
• 3 slices bread, cut into cubes
• 2 tablespoons melted butter, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9″ x 12″ inch baking dish. Cook sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until it just begins to brown. Remove from skillet and set aside. Add 2 tablespoons oil, onions, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. When onions are thoroughly soft, remove and set aside. While the onions cook, simmer the squash seeds and scrapings in the vegetable stock for 10 minutes, strain and keep the stock warm over low heat.

Add the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet. Toss the squash with the flour and arrange in a single layer in the skillet. Let the squash brown, undisturbed, for 4 minutes then stir the squash as it cooks for the next 4 minutes. Season liberally with salt and pepper, and set aside.

To assemble the casserole:

• Layer the onions in the buttered baking dish.
• Evenly layer the sausage over the onions.
• Top with the squash.
• Sprinkle the mozzarella over the top.
• Pour the stock into the baking dish
• Press the top of the casserole with a spatula to evenly distribute.
• Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

While the casserole bakes, pulse the bread crumbs with the (optional) melted butter in a food processor until you have coarse bread crumbs. After 30 minutes remove the foil and top casserole evenly with breadcrumbs and bake uncovered an additional 20 to 30 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the top is nicely browned.

Serves 8 side servings, or 6 main dish servings.

Vegetarian General Tso’s Chik’n

For as much as we love traditional ethnic foods, there is something to be said for those crazy Americanized ideas of what food should be in other countries.  Why try a traditional Chinese dish when you can try General Tso’s Chicken? It’s deep fried chicken covered in a sugar sauce! It’s brilliant! It barely resembles Chinese food! And it’s also delicious.

This recipe is no different.  And with two people working on it, one prepping while one watches the oil and frying, it’s also one of the easier setups.

In the end, I don’t know whom this General Tso is, but I salute his most-likely imaginary self for introducing cornstarch, soy sauce and sugar into such a delicious sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 package Trader Joe’s Chickenless Strips
• 1 Egg
• 3/4 cup Cornstarch
• 3 Tablespoons vegetable boullion
• vegetable oil
• 5 sliced green onions
• 2 Tablespoons minced ginger
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 1/3 cup vegetable broth
• 4 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 7 Tablespoons sugar
• Red pepper flakes to taste
• 2 Tablespoons vinegar

Directions

Cut the chik’n into 1 inch chunks.

Whisk egg with 2 Tbs. water. In a separate bowl mix cornstarch with veggie bouillon.

Heat oil, at least 1/4-1/2 inch deep, in a medium-sized pot.  Dip chik’n chunks into egg mixture then coat with cornstarch mixture. Fry in hot oil until golden brown. This may take several batches depending on your pot size.  Drain on paper towels.

Heat 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a separate pan fry the onions, ginger and garlic for about 2 minutes at a medium heat. When garlic starts to brown add the broth, soy sauce, sugar, pepper flakes and vinegar.

Whisk 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 4 tablespoons of cold water and add this to the pan, stirring to thicken the sauce. As soon as the sauce begins to thicken remove from heat and add the chik’n to the sauce.

Serve with cooked rice, or in our case Israeli couscous.

Serves 3

Indian Garden – Snapshot Review

Spicy. Spicy. Spicy.  That about sums up Indian Garden.

I could eat the pakora by the plateful. It’s like the popcorn shrimp of the vegetarian world.  Always crisp, never greasy.  As I mentioned, everything has a kick.  From the saag paneer to the aloo gobi.  By the time we were done, I was convinced my eyes were sweating.

While their full menu offers a wider variety of dishes, but the buffet gives you a decent sampling of their food.

Try the iced tea. It’s confoundingly some of the most delicious ice tea I’ve ever had.

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.

Oven-Fried “Chicken” w/ Cornbread

Oven-Fried "Chicken" Cutlets

Yes, we still exist.  No, we haven’t forsaken you internet world!  Between being hit by a stomach flu that knocked both Katie and me on our collective asses for over a week, and just trying to work as little overtime as possible, there’s been little chance to either cook at home or go out to eat.

We fixed that this weekend with two great recipes that I will be sharing with you, valued reader (or those that are still with us).  I also have a review of our new local pizza place coming your way.  Mike’s back!  And he’s still not able to eat extremely rich foods!

I think most everyone can agree that everything tastes better fried.  There’s something delicious about turning vegetable oil into its base carcinogens.  Hell, someone even figured out how to deep fry guacamole.  I never want to taste deep-fried guacamole, but I wanted to let people know it was out there.

So when I saw this recipe for “Fried Chicken” in Bitch in the Kitch I was pretty excited.  And if they actually fried their chicken instead of baking it, this could very well have been the greatest recipe ever (until I add Bacon Salt that is).

But, the women of Skinny Bitch are all about being “healthy” so I’ll play their way this time around.  Next time though, I pulling out my gallon of vegetable oil and making these suckers extra crispy.

One big change from their recipe to my final version is I went with a mock-KFC secret spices recipe for the breading.  I’ll include that below as well.

The finished product is definitely crunchy, thanks to the panko.  And while I feel it could use a little more spice, it’s not a bad starting point.  The cornbread has an interesting consistency due in part to some silken tofu in place of the normal moisteners.  Still tasty.

Oven-Fried “Chicken” & Cornbread

• 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs, more if needed
• 1 1/2 cups sifted flour
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon onion salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• 1/4 teaspoon dried powdered rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon dried powdered thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 pounds seitan cut into largish blocks or ripped into hunks (recipe can be found here)

Preheat oven to 450F.  Grease a large baking sheet with oil.  Set aside.

In a shallow bowl, combine the flour and spices.  In a second bowl mix the milk and egg.  Pour the panko into a third bowl.  One at a time, dip the seitan into the milk, the flour, the milk again, the flour again, the milk one more time, and finally the panko, pressing to thoroughly coat.  Arrange the seitan on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.  Turn the pieces over and cook for 10 minutes more, or until slightly browned and heated throughout.

Serves 6-8

Cornbread

• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup silken tofu
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• Parmesan cheese to toss on top

Preheat oven to 425F.  Oil a 13×9-inch baking pan.  Set aside.

In a large bowl combine all the dry ingredients.  In a blender, combine the milk, tofu oil and honey, pureeing until smooth.  Add the milk mixture to the cornmeal mixture, stirring just until combined.  Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.

Bake the cornbread until golden brown — about 20 minutes.  Transfer to a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cornbread from the pan and return to rack to cool completely.

Serves 6-8

Recipe – Vegetarian “Beef” Stew

It’s currently the perfect storm of dismay that leads to so much comfort food being made in our home.  Whether it’s watching the world’s economy crumble, or whether it’s battling the below-freezing temperatures, there’s never been a greater yearning for dishes involving home-cooked memories, cheese or bread.  That probably explains my constant craving for pizza.

But, this past week I had a craving for something I haven’t had since I went vegetarian over 10 years ago, my mother’s beef stew.  I knew that I wouldn’t get a straight recipe from her.  The last time I tried, I got the usual, “I just throw things together” response that you usually get asking your mom for a recipe.  But, I took the basics of what she gave me along with some online research to create my own “beef” stew that I actually take pride in for being my first attempt.

The seitan recipe comes from Chicago Diner’s cookbook.  I recommend halving the actual recipe, because a full batch produced over 5 pounds of seitan the one time I cooked it.

Vegetarian “Beef” Stew
makes 7 – 16 oz. bowls

Ingredients

• 1 pound cubed seitan (see recipe below)
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
• 1 1/2-2 cups chopped potatoes
• 2 can (10 1/2 ounces) condensed tomato soup
• 2 can (14.5 ounces) stewed tomatoes with juice
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 cup noodles
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas

Brown the seitan in a large stew pot in hot oil over medium heat until heated through.  Add all ingredients except cheese and peas.  Cover and cook until potatoes and carrots are tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring often. Stir the grated cheese into the stew until cheese is melted.  Add the peas cooking until tender.  Serve.

Basic Gluten Recipe (from The Chicago Diner Cookbook)

about 5 1/2 pounds of cooked gluten

Ingredients

• 4 cups vital wheat gluten flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 Tbsp onion powder
• 1 1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 Tbsp salt
• 2 Tbsp Italian spices
• 2 1/4 cups warm water
• 1/4 cup tamari

For the seitan, mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then add the water and tamari, kneading well to combine.  The mixture should look like dough.  Knead about 10 minutes more, or until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl.  Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.  Cut into 4 pieces.

Fill a large pot with 5 quarts of water.  Add 3-4 bay leaves, several pieces of carrot and celery, and 3 cloves of garlic to the water.  Add the gluten pieces to the pot and boil about 1 1/2 hours.  The gluten will triple in size.

When done, the dough will be firm, not sticky.  Drain the liquid, discarding the vegetables, and store the seitan covered with cold water and a splash of tamair in a large container in the refrigerator.  After the seitan cools, it is ready to be cubed for the recipe.