July 15, 2008
July 06, 2008
Homemade Ice Cream
Bacon and Egg Ice Cream - from Gourmet Magazine's TV Show - Diary of a Foodie
8 bacon slices (1/2 pound)
1 1/2 Tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
- Arrange bacon slices in 1 layer (not overlapping) on rack of a large broiler pan. Bake 15 minutes. Turn slices over and sprinkle evenly with brown sugar.
- Continue to bake, checking bacon every 5 minutes, until bacon is crisp and deep golden, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer to parchment or brown paper (such as a grocery bag or butcher paper; see cooks' note, below) to drain.
- Heat milk, cream, granulated sugar, and salt in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is hot.
- Meanwhile, beat yolks in a medium bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until thick and pale. Reduce speed to low and add hot milk mixture in a stream, mixing until combined. Transfer custard to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat back of a spoon and thermometer registers 170 to 175°F (do not let boil). Stir in vanilla.
- Quick-chill custard by transferring it to a bowl set into a larger bowl of ice and cold water and stirring frequently until cold, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cut bacon into tiny 1/4-inch pieces.
- Fold bacon into ice cream once you have the ice cream in the machine and it is turned on, using the hole in the top of the lid. Once the ice cream has started to set up and get thick, transfer it to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, at least 2 hours.
- Ice cream keeps 1 week. Don't be tempted to transfer bacon to paper towels to drain—the sugar will make the bacon stick to them.
FOODIE NOTES: Everyone has certain Foodie traditions around national holidays that they carry forward from their childhood into their adulthood. I am no different. For me, it is just not the Fourth of July without ice cold watermelon slices and homemade ice cream. We always went out to my Aunt Dot's farm in Claremore, OK to shoot off our fireworks outside the city limits. We always stopped at the same fireworks stand every year for our selection of sparklers, tanks, cones, bottle rockets, roman candles and black cats. As we would pull down the long gravel road toward the farm house, you could see my Cousin Bob sitting on the front porch rocking in a old-fashioned 1950's metal outdoor chair painted pink to match the trim on the old house and at his feet a large metal washtub with the electric ice cream maker full of creamy goodness and packed with ice and rock salt cranking away. Then as soon as we parked the car and opened the car door, you could hear the unmistakable sound of the ice cream maker - Rrrl, Rrrl, Rrrl, Rrrl the rhythmic sound of the machine meant I was one hamburger away from dessert.
My electric ice cream maker I use now has come a long way since those days. Gone is the need for ice and rock salt and in it's place is a cylinder that I constantly keep in the fridge in case the mood for ice cream should strike, I am ready.
The ice cream flavor that was always made at my Aunt's on the 4th was a flavor they called Vanilla, but truthfully having made the recipe as an adult from scratch is it really more of a Lemon Cream with lots of fresh lemon juice in it to cut the sweetness. This recipe also takes like two hours of constant stirring to make the old family recipe. I am happy to do it once a year, but can't manage much more than that.
Then there was the year that the mixture looked right, but when I froze it and served it proudly I realized that somewhere in that two hour window I had scalded the milk and the whole batch had an remarkably strong scorched earth flavor to it. All the men in the family, said it was still delicious and ate two bowls a piece just to make me feel better, I suspect, but I was crushed at the failure and decided to look for an easier recipe to make in the future.
The funny thing is, I now find myself gravitating towards more unique ice cream flavors now that my palate has expanded. So when I saw this recipe on Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie (my favorite TV show on the air) for Bacon and Egg Ice Cream, I knew that would be my Fourth of July project this year.
I have no words to describe how simple this Bacon and Egg Ice Cream is to make. It tastes like the richest butter pecan ice cream only with this sweet and smokey bacon note in the back. Fantastic, it is a keeper.
I also cheated a bit, but with a huge batch of fresh basil on my hands from my CSA, I took half the batch of basil and chopped it finely it in my food processor then added into the processor the best organic chocolate with chocolate chip ice cream I could find and blended all the ingredients together. I poured it back into the original container to re-freeze it. Ta-da! A simple Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Basil ice cream that is fresh and sophisticated tasting. My friend Suba, who grew up in Malaysia threatened to take the whole carton home with her she loved it so much. No way Sister, this batch is mine.
Supporter of the Culinary Arts
I have something to tell you. I am a supporter of the culinary arts. If they had a contributor level for the culinary arts - I would be a Platinum Double Black Diamond stud. A cheerleader of talent, I am also a person that can deliver honesty and meaningful feedback when it is asked of me by the Chef.
The one thing that I am always reminded of in my quest to support the culinary arts - Chefs are real people too.
Most of them are not celebrities with their own TV shows and
catch phrases, instead they are hard working people with manual, yet
intensely creative jobs. They have good days at work and bad. They
endure the same problems and pleasures we all do.
But Chefs, like
artists, have the additional pressure of knowing that the end result of
their hard work, their culinary expression if you will, is something
that we feel free to hold up for our consideration, debate, ridicule,
celebration and opinion. At least that's what most food critics would
have you believe. Is the preparation of the food we use to nourish our
bodies worthy of this level of critical consideration? I think so. But
just as art is highly subjective, what is the point of criticizing it .
. .if it just isn't "your cup of tea", it might be the next persons.
There are no hard and fast rules, it all depends on what you personally
like. Don't let someone else be the judge of what is right for you.
Just like I tell my 6 year old son, you have to try it first before you
make up your mind. Then you have the right to own your own opinion.
Imagine what you would feel like if someone came to your place of
work and felt free put your work under that same spotlight and
scrutiny. Face it, in the corporate world we get told our stuff stinks
once a
year at our corporate "review". Chefs get reviewed night after night,
instantaneously,
with our completely subjective feedback.
I make no excuse about the fact that I openly support their
digestible art form. Honestly, I don't see the need to use my voice to
criticize or critique their work, even though I have the culinary chops
and experience to do it. I would never suppose to have that much power,
and even if I did, I would not use it that way. I just don't believe it
helps anyone. Us or them. No one in this field can raise the bar more
that the Chefs themselves. They suffer the same kind of challenges on
their job that we do on ours. Lack of inspiration, fierce competition,
suppliers who raise costs, then send crap inventory to use, staff that
doesn't show up or calls in sick, employees who disappoint and have no
fire in their belly, rent that goes up, payroll that is short this
month and spouses that don't understand the crazy hours and dedication
. . .it is the same for all of us. Being a driven professional woman, I
can relate to all of those challenges.
Instead,
I would much
rather support and encourage their craft that I get so much enjoyment
from by
recommending (or not, with my silence) places to others for their own
consideration. This process simply says: "I like this place, and I
thought you might too." I don't believe that my critical
opinion of a restaurant or their food adds any value to our restaurant
community. I am only one voice in that
community. Why should my opinion carry more weight than anyone else's?
The point is, it shouldn't. The restaurant or Chef that I love, may not
be the one that does it for you.
I don't believe the culinary landscape of this city
gets better with my voice added to the crowd that relishes
in working themselves up in a lather to tell you why the hottest new
Chef in town burned the sugar on his creme brulee, served his salad on
a hot salad plate and had three typos on his menu. Let's also get one
thing clear, I do not talk smack about a place or a Chef for fear of
their rejection or anger, I just believe that passion, talent,
business smarts, survival skills and luck are the true hallmarks of a
successful restaurant. Uninspired Chefs and poor food and service will
naturally take
care of themselves, they don't need any additional help from me.
I have always had a healthy curiosity and interest in all Chefs - home cooks or professionals - local or national - Superstars or not. I am a Foodie, a lay person who enjoys and appreciates how food is raised, grown, harvested, butchered, prepared and served and how it tastes and ultimately the pleasure it gives me and everyone who eats it. I read the trades and keep up with new trends in the culinary field. I have opinions on where America is headed in our culinary landscape. So it should be no surprise, I find I have much in common with Chefs of every ilk. They challenge me, they educate me, they test me . . .and I them.
It is a beautiful friendship, one that I value.
July 05, 2008
His and Hers Chefs
Not wanting this to sound too much like Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, I think we can all agree that men and women can sometimes have drastically different preferences in the preparation and flavors used in cooking their food.
I was also reminded last weekend at Chefs Classic that the same
is true in the Chef's each sex tends to gravitate towards and the reasons they do.
Trust me, it has very little to do with a Chef's culinary point of view,
or their technical skills and much more to do with the person under the
white jacket and behind the title or pedigree.
This could not have been more clear to me than to the two camps my
husband (that's him in all black on the other side of Bob Merrigan the person in charge of Chef's Classic for Harvesters) and I fell into after attending a social dinner with all of the
Chefs that were in town visiting for the Chefs Classic on
Saturday night, which then rolled into the actual event on Sunday night.
I went into this event . . .and bought my tickets for five reasons:
1) To support Harvesters.
2) To have a chance to say goodbye to Executive Chef, Celina Tio, as this was her last public event as the Executive Chef of The American.
3) To meet the brand new Executive Chef at The Herbfarm in Woodinville, WA - Keith Luce, who has some rather large shoes to fill at The Herbfarm, which is considered one of the many Foodie meccas in the US.
4) To meet Howard Hanna the Executive Chef of the multi-millionaire
supper club in KC called The River Club and whose previous experience
at Room 39 and 40 Sardines makes him a person of interest.
5) To cheer Jonathan Justus,
owner and Executive Chef of Justus Drugstore, on at his first public
event in Kansas City outside the comfort of his four walls in Smithville.
I fulfilled my #1 desire, with the purchase of my tickets to the
event, and #2 I had a chance to do in person at Celina's house on
Saturday night when she hosted all of the out of town Chefs there for a
cocktail hour. I made chocolate to give to her, not sure
how to celebrate the new chapter in her life, but chocolate seemed like
a start.
Luckily, I got a chance to fulfill #3 when I sat next to Executive Chef Keith Luce, at dinner on Saturday night. As we talked at length with the other guests about any number of food and non-food related
topics, I was struck at how thoughtful and confidently soft-spoken Keith came across. Approachable, handsome, intelligent and clearly accomplished with a
sophisticated edge to him. He knew his point of view and his mind.
No need for bling and flash with him, his subtle "school-boy" charm and deadpan honesty were dazzling enough. His manners definately old school. I was surprised and pleased to discover the highly
perceptive man behind the white coat. I couldn't wait to try his food
at the dinner the next night, I was sure it would be as thoughtful as he
was in person. He was a Chef women would love.
After dinner, we all went out for drinks, and that's when my husband and I had a chance to talk to Executive Chef/Co-Owner Mike Lata from F.I.G. (Food is Good) in Charleston, SC My husband was instantly taken with Mike Lata.
He is hard to miss. With a quick wit and handsome face, you instantly
feel entertained with him in your presence. With sharp insight into the
kitchen culture and a simple but irrefutable position on local, fresh
food he cuts a mean culinary figure. Every skirt that blew by the table caught his eye and between that and his love of riding motorcycles he quickly earned a culinary bad boy label. My
husband's take on Lata was he thought he was a "man's man" and couldn't
wait to eat his food the next day at the dinner. When I probed him
further he said he thought Mike's approachability in person would
translate to simple, good gourmet food a man would not have to worry
about which fork to use to eat it. Gotcha! He was a Chef men would love.
At the dinner on Sunday night, we both had to confess that all of the Chefs really outdid themselves - all of the dishes were excellent. Here was the menu run down:
Hors d' Oeuvres and Barefoot Bubbly, NV - Being fashionably late, we missed this celebration that was prepared by Dan Swinney of Lidia's and Eddie Allen of the Ameristar Casino.
First Course: Tuna "Nicoise" Terrine served with Borgo Conventi Sauvignon Blanc, Friuli, Italy, 2005 prepared by Executive Chef Joseph Hafner, Gracie's Restaurant, Providence RI.
Second Course: Crispy Softshell Crab served with St. Clair Vicar's Choice Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand 2007 prepared by Executive Chef Howard Hanna, The River Club, Kansas City, MO.
Third Course: Asparagus and La Quercia Heirloom Culaccia served with Frei Brothers Chardonnay, Russian River Valley 2006 prepared by Executive Chef/Owner Jonathan Justus, Justus Drugstore, Smithville, MO.
Fourth Course: Pate of South Carolina Chicken Livers served with Luca Chardonnay, Mendoza, Argentina 2006 prepared by Executive Chef, Mike Lata, F.I.G., Charleston, SC.
Fifth Course: Porcini Stuffed Breast of Guinea Hen served with Abadia Selecion Especial, Sardon de Duero, Spain 2002 prepared by Executive Chef/Owner Roberto Donna, Bebo Trattoria, Washington D.C.
Sixth Course: Crispy Anderson Ranch Breast of Lamb served with Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma 2005 prepared by Executive Chef Keith Luce, The Herbfarm, Woodinville, WA.
Seventh Course: Chocolate Covered Cherry Bomb served with Quinta do Noval LB Vintage Character Port, NV prepared by Pastry Chef Nick Wesemann, The American Restaurant, Kansas City, MO.
After eating Keith's food, I found like him, it did not disappoint. The many different flavors on the plate melding effortlessly together to form a whole. Even my husband had to confess that it was an excellent piece of lamb, cooked to perfection. And after eating Mike's food, I admitted it was one of my favorite courses. It was outrageously simple looking, powerfully flavorful and in the end quite decadent. On the food front the he said/she said debate had to be put to rest, as they both are talented Chefs.
The night of great food and wine ended with a bang, as my husband won a dinner with his new culinary idol Mike Lata at F.I.G. in Charleston, SC. And I had the pleasure of partying into the night with the Chefs at Harry's in Westport. I also had a chance to meet up with Howard Hanna #4, at the after-party where we had a chance to play catch up, and I also spotted Jonathan Justus #5 who mysteriously went missing at the event when his name was called to come take a bow. I heard later that he was having a rough night. His dish was delicious from where I sat that night, but I guess this is just another reminder that Chefs are real people too.
July 02, 2008
Fresher than Fresh
Lindsay Laricks is out to change your opinion of what a snow cone should look and taste like, and she is using her newly rehabbed 1957 Shasta Trailer, affectionately called the “Canned Ham,” to do it.
Laricks got the idea to serve 100% all natural, homemade, snow cones out of a trailer after a visit to Austin, TX, where she saw a number of gourmet food stands being run out of funky, rehabbed trailers. She thought a trailer would be the perfect vehicle for her new venture she has named “Fresher than Fresh.”
The trailer, purchased on eBay and rehabbed by a friend, now serves as the headquarters and retail outlet for her one month old business. But Laricks’ cones are more than just a child’s snack; they are gourmet delights. No artificial clown colors or fake fruit flavors are used in the making of her syrups. What you taste and the color you see comes from the quality of the produce, herbs and ingredients Laricks uses, some of which grow right in her own backyard.
The business started when Laricks and her boyfriend, Brady Vest, owner of the Hammerpress Studio, decided to rent a lovely house on Summit on the Westside. The original owners, who supposedly had ties to the original Blue Bird Café, had kept a healthy herb and vegetable garden in the backyard when they lived there. However, previous renters had not kept up with the garden and soon it was overgrown with weeds. When Laricks and Vest moved in, they cleared out the overgrown backyard only to find a hidden herb garden that was still alive and flourishing.
“We had enough mint, sage and oregano to sell herbs commercially, that’s how big the herb garden had grown over the years,” said Laricks. With the original brick pathways still in place and the planter boxes full of herbs, Laricks decided she needed to figure out an outlet to use those fresh herbs. That’s when Laricks started playing around with snow cone flavors that used fresh herbs as their base.
Although her degree is in design, Laricks spent three years at Kansas University studying Genetics, a degree full of chemistry and biology. These skills came in handy when she went about trying to determine the best way to extract the flavor from the herbs and fresh produce she was using in her syrup recipes. Trial and error became her teachers as she continued to order different snow cones machines online to find the one that would make snow cones with just the right ice consistency. “I always put a little more syrup than is needed in my snow cones, because there is nothing worse than a watery tasting snow cone,” said Laricks.
Her current roster of flavors were chosen by a handful of trusted friends and family at a tasting party she hosted at her house. The winners were: Lime Mint, Ginger Rose, Blackberry Lavender, Watermelon Basil, Lemon Prickly Pear, Green Tea Pear and Espresso & Mexican Cane Surgar. The ones that didn’t make the cut – Blueberry Sage and childhood favorite Orange Creamsicle, because as one guest wrote on her comment card: “I am so over that flavor.”
The darling of foodies all over town, Laricks has only two public events under her belt, yet her phone is already ringing off the hook with local gourmands wanting her to bring her trailer and serve her snow cones at summer parties all over the metro area. “I was thinking this would be something that I did only on First Fridays in the Crossroads. I am amazed at how fast this is taking off,” said Laricks.
But she is no flavor of the month, as Laricks has a full time job as an Associate Creative Director at Barkely Evergreen & Partners. She says right now Fresher than Fresh is a lifestyle hobby. “I work to spend my paychecks on syrup supplies, ice shavers and spoon straws,” says Laricks with a laugh.
Laricks will be selling her snow cones for $3 on Friday evening, July 11, 2008 and every First Friday outside of Hammerpress Studio, located at 110 Southwest Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 64108.
Lindsay Laricks
Owner, Fresher than Fresh
fresherthanfreshsnowcones@gmail.com
http://www.fresherthanfreshsnowcones.blogspot.com/
Story and photography by Jenny Vergara. A full time foodie and a woman on quest to develop her palate and herself through cooking, eating, drinking, traveling and writing. She is the Table Hopping columnist for Tastebud Magazine. Email her at tablehopping@gmail.com or check out her blog at http://www.makingafoodie.com.
July 01, 2008
July 2008 Table Hopping
From my column in Tastebud Magazine
Table Hopping - July 2008
“Vegetarian places so good, you’ll never miss the meat!”
Eden Alley
707 W 47th Street
Kansas City, MO 64112
(816) 561-5415
http://www.edenalley.com
In the lower level of the Unity Temple on The Plaza, you will find KC’s oldest and best vegetarian/vegan/raw/gluten-free restaurant in KC. Started by two friends in 1994, Sandi Corder-Clootz, an original owner, continues to operate the wide open, light and whimsical restaurant today with her husband Greg Clootz. The restaurant is as colorful as the variety of food on your plate with local art on the walls and tables. Try the Spinach and Mushroom Loaf made from multi-grain bread crumbs, fresh spinach, mushrooms, rice and tofu topped with tomato-basil marinara with roasted sweet potatoes for $6.25, an ample half order. SAMPLE: around the menu with the Tantalizing Transcendent Triplet and get an appetizer or soup and two smaller portioned entrées for $18.
Cafe Seed
2932 Cherry
Kansas City, MO 64108
(816) 561-SEED
http://www.cafeseed.com
Off 31st street and around the block from You Say Tomato is KC’s newest all vegan and mostly organic restaurant. Owners Diallo and Africka Kenyatta opened Café Seed in January, after moving here from NYC where they had a successful bookstore that served vegan food. The little place is a warm modern space with colorful artwork on the walls and tribal music playing. Choose the BLT with the soup of the day for $7.95, and be surprised at the flavor in the crispy soy bacon with butter lettuce and red ripe organic tomatoes on sprouted whole wheat toast. The soup on my visit was a creamy smooth black bean soup with a hint of the aromatic spice. START: your day in a healthy way with made-to-order organic juices or 100% vegan smoothies $4-$6, open weekdays at 7:00 am.
Blue Bird Bistro
1700 Summit Street
Kansas City, MO 64108
(816) 221-7559 http://www.kansascitymenus.com/bluebirdbistro/
Known for their quality and commitment to buying their ingredients straight from local farmers and producers, owner, Jane Zieha-Bell, took the original concept which was upscale vegetarian, and expanded it by adding a few meat dishes, using only the finest free-range chicken and grass-fed beef. However, the vegetarian dishes are still very much on the menu and a focus here. Try the Risotto topped with oyster mushrooms and caramelized onions for $19 or the Green Curry Vegetables with organic coconut milk for $11. Order from their mostly organic wine list, and see if you can taste the difference. AFTER: Your meal, Thursday – Saturday, stop in next door and pick up fantastically fresh artisan bread from the Fervere Bakery.
The Mixx
4855 Main Street
Kansas City, MO 64112
(816) 756-2300
http://www.mixxingitup.com/
White-collar types, book lovers from the library next door and mid-town monied Mom’s are all in The Mixx. Come here for the best designer salad bar in town. Chef/Owner, Jo Marie Scaglia, hires professional Chefs who hand-make your salad from the freshest vegetables available then toss them with wonderful designer dressings – try the non-fat Pear Ginger Vinaigrette. Order The Mixx salad and get your choice of greens with five mix-in’s (over 33 ingredients) and your choice of dressing with a slice of fresh bread for $7.49. Once you are done ordering and paying, enjoy people-watching in the modern dining room which does a brisk business at lunch. LOOK: at their menu online before you dine, because you are expected to order as soon as you arrive.
Habashi House
309 Main Street
Kansas City, MO 64105
(816) 421-0414
http://www.habashihouse.com/
Tawfiq and Salha Al-habashi opened the Al-habashi Market, in 1992, in the heart of the City Market. A Middle Eastern grocery store featuring an impressive array of nuts, dried fruits, herbs and spices. In 2000, they expanded next door and opened a restaurant called Habashi House featuring the food of their culture. Their number #1 selling dish, also happens to be entirely vegetarian, is the House Combo for $6.99. It’s a great introduction to middle eastern cuisine featuring – Hummus, Baba Ghanouj, Dawali (Dolmas), Falafil patties and a choice of salad with pita bread on the side. The service is fast and friendly, and the food is authentic and tasty. OPEN: only for lunch 11:00 am – 2:00 pm Monday-Friday, but on Friday and Saturdays they are open until 7:00 pm. Closed on Sunday.
Jenny Vergara is a full time Foodie and a woman on quest to develop her palate and herself through cooking, eating, drinking, traveling and writing. She has spent the last 5 years documenting all the restaurants she found along the way in a series of personal restaurant journals she keeps for her own enjoyment. Email her at tablehopping@gmail.com or keep up with her Foodie adventures at http://www.makingafoodie.com.
June 22, 2008
Hottest Ticket in Town
The arrival of the first day of Summer, ahhhhhh! Can you feel it? I can. OMG, it is hot. It is 400 degree oven hot. What do the soaring temps mean to me: time off, traveling to eat/drink my way through other cities or my own, more time by the pool wondering the answer to the question tan lines or no? (never have figured that one out), perfecting my sangria and experimenting with new home-made ice cream recipes (this summer it's basil ice cream and bacon and eggs ice cream) and finally droppin' da' top on the Foodie-mobile.
As the city clears out and the tourists take over the Plaza and the Power and Light District, it also seems like the official Foodie events start to drop off, as people start entertaining and getting together with family and friends in their own backyards and neighborhoods. I don't know about you, but we lit our grills and our Green Egg up on Mother's Day and they have been fired up ever since.
However, there are some Foodie Events that I have placed on the blog that I think are some of the hottest Foodie tickets in town this summer. One of them is my Brazilian cooking class at Culinary Center of Kansas City, so some do fall in the shameless self-promotion category . . .but isn't that what having a blog is all about? I plan to attend all of these events just to break up the monotony of all that sun, sangria and grilled food. You should too!
Chef's Classic - Sunday, June 29, 2008 6:00 pm, The American Restaurant. Knowing the good works that Harvesters, our Community Food Network, does for the hungry children and families in Kansas City, I feel only too happy to support such a worthwhile organization with both my time and money. I told myself if I volunteered my time to help put on Forks and Corks this year . . .and survived (Look Bob, still standing!) , I would treat myself for the first time to tickets to Chef's Classic. I purchased my tickets back in April. I bought them then because it is a limited seating event that sells out every year. I didn't want to miss out on all of the fun. But, a little birdie has told me that there are a handful of tickets remaining, so checkout the line-up and the menu and then buy your ticket and come sit with me.
Of course, little did I know when I bought my tickets, that this would be the final opportunity for me to see the now former Executive Chef of The American, Celina Tio, in action as she and her family will soon be moving to Charlotte, NC where she will be opening her own restaurant she plans to call "Julian" after her two culinary idols and teachers Julia Child and her uncle Julian. Meanwhile, July 1st is when American alumni, Executive Chef Debbie Gold, of 40 Sardines fame, will take back over the kitchen where she and ex-husband Executive Chef Michael Smith put Kansas City on the culinary map by winning our city's first set of matchy-matchy James Beard Awards. So, this dinner will be bittersweet for me, as I say goodbye to a fire-starter of a KC Chef in Celina who brought fresh, creative new food and flavor combinations to a restaurant that may not have always embraced the new and can sometimes suffer under the weight of it's own history. Celina will surely be missed from the Kansas City culinary landscape, but Debbie Gold will clearly rock as The American's new culinary Queen Bee. Buzz-buzz!
So besides getting to witness this changing of the guards at The American, the rest of the Executive Chef line-up for Chef's Classic is impressive and the menu looks even better. Check it out.
• Eddie Allen, Ameristar Casino, Kansas City, Mo.
• Roberto Donna, Bebo Trattoria, Washington, D.C.
• Mike Lata, FIG, Charleston, S.C.
• Joe Hafner, Gracie's, Providence, R.I.
• Keith Luce, The Herbfarm, Woodinville, Wash.
• Nick Wesemann, The American Restaurant, Kansas City, Mo.
• Dan Swinney, Lidia's, Kansas City, Mo.
• Howard Hannah, The River Club, Kansas City, Mo.
• Jonathan Justus, Justus Drug Store, Smithville, Mo.
Brazilian Party Food Cooking Class - Wednesday, July 23, 2008 6:30 pm, The Culinary Center of Kansas City - So before I was a Foodie, I was the owner of The Brazilian Cargo Company located west of the Plaza on Holly Street, a successful retail store that sold foods, arts and crafts from Brazil from 2000 to 2005. We provided the ever growing Brazilian community and Americans with Brazilian ties the staples to make the dishes from their beloved country.
I opened the store to have access to the ingredients of the Brazilian cuisine, which at the time I was trying to master. It all started in 1995, when as a newly married woman, I needed to learn how to make some of the Brazilian dishes my new husband and his family were used to eating on weekends and holidays. I didn't even think that what a Brazilian would eat on Christmas would be different than an American, but as soon as I saw my husband's face when my family served jello salad as part of the Christmas meal . . .I knew I needed a crash course in Brazilian cuisine. And fast.
So, I called up my husband's mother, Anna Lucia, who was also my devoted partner and right hand in the Brazilian Cargo Company, and asked her if she would teach me the dishes of Brazil. She confessed that she was not the cook in the family, but that her mother, my husband's grandmother, "Dona" Ita would be happy to come teach me the dishes their family grew up making and enjoying.
Over the next few months, we cooked together, with me writing everything down and then practicing over and over . . .and of course over time, I got better and better. I knew I had really achieved some level of expertise when Dona Ita declared my Brazilian cooking to be better than most Brazilians she knew. That's when I proudly gave myself the title: "The Dona from Oklahoma."
That's also when I reached out to Laura O' Rourke, the owner of the awesome Culinary Center of Kansas City, as a way to promote the store . . .if I taught Kansas City how to make the dishes of Brazil, then they would need to come to my new shop to buy the ingredients. I am in Marketing, ya know.
(Um, see this guy in the blue shirt in this picture . . .that's Kurt Oetting, owner and founder of the now famous local catering company CHOP! who was the "culinary host" for my cooking classes back in the day. Look at Kurt serving my food!)
Laura was willing to take a chance on a newbie, and I taught several classes there with much success and I even had a few requests for private party classes, which I happily did on the side to earn extra money for the store. I loved teaching cooking classes. It was a kick.
Many years passed, and I forgot how much fun it was to take classes and give classes at the Culinary Center . . .it had dropped off my radar screen. Life got in the way, and the store needed more attention than either Anna or I had time for with my new infant son, Dominic, now on the scene, so we sadly closed it and that chapter in our lives.
Imagine my surprise, when Laura calls me out of the blue (someone in her office found my blog) and asks me to teach a class, my old Brazilian Party Food class. I happily agreed and am proud to give you the details. (Just call the Culinary Center to register for a class.) If you never knew this place existed in KC, you need to. It is a wonderful resource for all home cooks and wanna-be Chef's.
BRAZILIAN PARTY FOOD
Get ready to party Brazilian style with “Table Hopping” columnist for Tastebud Magazine, former Brazilian Specialty Store owner and dedicated foodie. We’re happy to have Jenny back in the house teaching with us again! The national dish of Brazil is a black bean, sausage and rice dish called “Feijoada Completa” and is prepared only on weekends or celebrations. We’ll also learn to make Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pao de Queijo) Brazilian Rice, Manioc Meal with Butter and Egg (Farofa), Collard Greens (Couve), Vinaigrette Sauce, Passion Fruit Mousse (Maracuja) and Brazil’s most famous muddled lime and sugar cane rum drink, the Caipirinha, which you’ll learn to make the “right way”! We’ll also enjoy Guarana, a Brazilian soda pop made from berries picked in the Amazon jungle. (Tasting) Wed. 7/23/08 6:30-9:00 $50 Instructor: Jenny Vergara.
2008 Greater Kansas City Bartending Competition - Sunday, August 10, 2008 at 6:00 pm, The Uptown Theater.Last Year, I attended the first annual Greater Kansas City Bartending Competition at The Uptown. I brought my ex-bartender husband to the event, along with my Foodie friends from Lawrence. After settling them into a table in the back, I partied with the crowd filled mostly with service industry professionals, who were attending and/or competing in this event. Yep, if it is on a Sunday night, you know it is filled with industry folk. I was among my restaurant peeps. Word!
With last year being the first year of this event, I wasn't sure what to wear or what to expect. It was basically like a combination of one of those Sunday afternoon food competition shows on Food Network, mixed with a rock concert. Only this event was a really cool cocktail competition, and the bands were awesome local hot shots. I later referred to it as a: "competitive cocktail-licious concert". It is certainly a youth movement event, with different hipsters from different restaurants camped out in the crowd cheering on their home team bartender. I wasn't sure what drew the bigger crowd last year, the bartending event, the delicious free food from local restaurants or the bands that played afterwards. It was all good.
As for the competition, each of the twelve finalist last year were asked to make their signature cocktail under a certain time limit, then they described it as each of the judges tasted the drink and they were rated. Then they were subjected to some pretty basic cocktail trivia questions they had to answer. Last year, there were 100 entries and 12 finalists that represented some real heavy hitters in the local restaurant scene: Bar Natasha, M&S Grill, VooDoo Lounge, JJ's, Morton's, Bluestem, Potpie, JP Wine Bar, Thai Place, 1924 Main, City Tavern and The Drop. Last year's grand prize winner was David Smuckler of Morton's, who walked away with $1,000 and his recipe published in Cheers magazine.
I thought that the panel of judges really gave an air of creditability to the competition, as they were taking the event serious, but not too serious. Of course, neither were the contestants, which was obvious when Potpie's bartender wore overalls and no shirt, and at one point pulled a flask out of his back pocket to add a special ingredient to his cocktail as he competed on stage. Then there was the antics of the bartender from The Drop who pulled a stunt at the end of making his drink that rivaled the Bobby Flay standing on the cutting board moment on Iron Chef, offending his competitor Iron Chef Morimoto.
This event is the love child of Ryan Maybee and Doug Frost. Ryan is an Owner/Sommelier of JP's Wine Bar and a mean Mixologist himself. He is soon to be responsible for a new bar downtown called Manifesto which is going to be serving old school cocktails with new school flavors. Doug Frost, well, he is an international wine expert, consultant and writer as well the Wine Zen Master to the Sommeliers of tomorrow. If you meet someone in Kansas City who is wicked smart about wine, see how many degrees of separation that person is from Doug Frost, usually only 1 to 2 degrees. We are lucky Doug Frost calls Kansas City home.
The event is put on for charity benefiting the HALO Foundation and at last year’s inaugural event, they raised nearly $8000 for the HALO Foundation. But as important as raising the money for charity was the goal was to “raise the bar” for the art of mixology in Kansas City. A lofty and important goal, my friends.
Dale “King Cocktail” Degroff will be the celebrity guest judge this year, along with Ryan, Doug and Lisa Burgess. Dale is one of the most revered experts in his field, and authored the book “The Craft of the Cocktail”. Lisa Burgess is a local expert in the restaurant and bar community.
This year your $20 ticket price will include not only front row seats to the bartending competition, but also live music from 2 local bands, a DJ, a flair demonstration by the Angel’s Rock Bar bartenders, and food catered from Jp Wine Bar, JJ’s, The Drop, and Makers Mark Bourbon House.
Quixotic - Esoterra Show, Thursday June 26, 2008 and Friday June 27, 2008 8:00 pm at The Uptown Theater.
Okay, so honestly there is nothing truly Foodie, in the strict sense of the word, about this event. Not unless you count feeding your soul as a Foodie activity, like I do. This little local troupe of artists feeds me in powerful ways, and gives me such hope for the future of performance art in Kansas City, along with all of the other, more traditional, art genres this city has to offer.
Quixotic means: Caught up in the romance of noble deeds and the pursuit of unreachable goals; idealistic without regard to practicality. Yes, I want to be that . . . I want to support that kind of frivolity in myself and in KC.
I am one of the many in Kansas City who supports, protects, and champions this troupe; I am a sponsor, a benefactor and a regular customer. I am a patron of the art this troupe delivers with their impressive aerial feats and beautiful and whimsical costumes and choreography.
Every time I see the name Quixotic attached to any event, I buy tickets because I know it is going to be a good show and I know it is going to sell out. I even spent my New Years Eve night this year at Harrah's Casino at the VooDoo Lounge just to catch another live performance of this talented, local theatrical troupe. They never have put on anything less than a spectacular performance.
For a taste of our very own local Cirque du Soleil, buy your tickets now before we lose this talented team to bigger venues and larger cities. If you have never been Quixotic, there is no time like the present.
Have a tasty Summer. There is so much to sink your teeth into. Enjoy!
June 13, 2008
Asian Food - Good and Real
I was recently asked to recommend some good Asian restaurants in KC to a person I met at a party and had flipped my Foodie card to upon leaving. I have found the term, "Asian cuisine" is typically used in the United States as an umbrella for the various cuisines of of east Asia, particularly Chinese, Japanese, and Thai and can also include Vietnamese and Korean cuisines.
So, knowing that the next logical question was whether they wanted me to recommend GOOD Asian places or REAL Asian places. Because in my experience, having lived in the Midwest all of my life, what most people consider GOOD is not usually restaurants that serve REAL or traditional or authentic (whatever that means!) ethnic food.
So, here's my definition:
GOOD = Good, Solid, Tasty Food, Pleasant Decor that is sparkling clean and American style service with English speaking servers.
REAL = Excellent, Solid, Tasty Food that is prepared in a more authentic or traditional Asian method. This is Asian food the way the Asians eat it at home or in their home country. Dishes may include some challenging ingredients to the American palate. Chopsticks are a must. Decor can be minimal and service can be spotty with servers that use English as a far, far second language. However, if you have trouble communicating, there is usually someone in the back that can be trotted out in a pinch that can speak enough English to get your order placed and keep your drinks re-filled.
Let me be clear. REAL is not a bad thing. REAL is GREAT thing and so worth it . . . to eat something the way most people in the culture eat it, teaches you volumes about the breadth and width of any ethnic cuisine and the people who make, eat and enjoy it.
I am by no means an expert, but I have been lucky enough, and open enough to have been exposed to many different kinds of Asian cuisines by several very close and dear friends. I am a founding member of the Kansas City Dim Sum Club, established in 1996. I have traveled to and dined in fabulous Asian restaurants in Kansas City, NYC, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto and England . . .so with the help of my local Asian Foodie friends, I present these recommendations to you for your consideration.
Let me know if you have other favorites, I love good Asian food of any denomination.
CHINESE - GOOD
BoLing’s Owned by Richard "Bo" Ng and Theresa "Far Ling" Ng this is the hometown favorite that has expanded in the twenty years they have been here to over 4-5 restaurants around the city. The restaurants are lovely, the food is delicious and at the Plaza and the Metcalf locations they serve a wonderful authentic Dim Sum from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm Saturday and Sunday. You cannot go wrong here.
CHINESE – REAL
Jen Jen’s Chinese
This place is located on Metcalf around 91st and sits on a pad in front of a strip center. It gets very little publicity or attention because the décor is so-so and you don't want to look around too closely, but the food is the real deal. Ask about the specials as they are all written in Chinese on a board and they will take you through them so you can eat how and what they eat. People who know the owners call up and have special feasts prepared for them.
Pine & Bamboo Garden
Located off of Shawnee Mission Parkway and I-35 is Pine & Bamboo Garden located in a strip mall. Again nothing much to look at on the inside and if you are not careful they will give you the newbie menu, but go Saturday or Sunday for Dim Sum here and you will be escorted into a dining room in the back surrounded by a sea of dark hair and ancient dialects.
THAI – GOOD & REAL
Thai Place
There are few places that serve some sort of Asian cuisine that are both GOOD and REAL but the local family that owns these 5 restaurants have the best Thai food in town. Go to the one in the heart of Westport, as I think it is one of their best and prettiest locations. They have a nice big bar area and you are right in the heart of the action down in Westport. Get the Pork Laab – as an appetizer and then follow your heart and your tastebuds from there.
Thai Orchid
This would be my second choice, it is quiet and out of the way and a really nice family owns it.
JAPANESE – GOOD
One Bite Japanese Grill
This place is an awesome experience, located clear out south at 135th behind a Golf Galaxy is One Bite which is like a really modern Japanese bar & grill with cool drinks and authentic Japanese bar snacks. No sushi is found here. Uber-Trendy in the middle of no where, but it is like eating inside of a Hello Kitty lunch box – trust me eat here and understand Japanese pop culture in a way you never have before.
JAPANESE – REAL
Kaiyo Hands down the best sushi restaurant in Kansas City. This place is really, both GOOD and REAL in my opinion. David Loo and his wife, Karen, are the nicest people, and David has crazy mad skills with the knife. They have other Japanese items and noodle bowls, and they are all good. It is modern and ancient all at the same time. GO!
VIETNAMESE – GOOD
Saigon 39
Located in the heart of KC’s restaurant district you will find Saigon 39. This would be considered Vietnamese for beginners, but a great place to start. It is funky in décor and has really tasty simple food. I love it for dinner when I am down there. (You might also want to check out Blue Koi and Po’s Dumplings both located on 39th street. They would be more like Chinese noodle and dumpling shops, but both have good food and a funky cool vibe about them.)
VIETNAMESE – REAL
Vietnam Café This place has two locations that go by the same name, again I have heard rumors that they are both owned by the same family. One on Campbell is located next to the City Market downtown in the Columbus Park area. It sits right on the corner in the middle of the Little Vietnam neighborhood. The place is small, but authentic and always hopping. The other location is bigger and nicer in décor on 39th street near the KU medical center, go here if you prefer a slightly more American style of service.
KOREAN – GOOD
Chosun Korean BBQ This place is owned by the same people that own the Chosun Korean restaurant at 103rd and Metcalf, I believe. It is newer and gets more press than the other original location. This place is all about the beef and cooking it tableside. Order traditional dishes such as bibim bap, marinated chicken and beef bulgogi dishes.
KOREAN - REAL
Rainbow Korean Restaurant
Even the Korean friends of mine will tell you, it’s not much to look at but the Korean food here is the real deal. Located across the street from the 103rd and Metcalf shopping center, next to Jose Pepper’s you will find this little lunch spot.
Enjoy!
June 03, 2008
June 2008 Table Hopping
From my column in TASTEBUD Magazine
Table Hopping - June 2008
“Sandwiches you need to get your hands on!”
Longboards
6269 North Oak Trafficway
Kansas City, MO 64118
(816) 454-0008
http://www.kclongboards.com
Located in a strip mall up north, is a fun little hideout called Longboards, named after the surfboards that decorate the walls. Owner, Gilbert Macapagal, looks like the food he makes: intense, portable and packing a punch. Dive in; the food is excellent and ripping with wild sweet and spicy Asian flavor. Cool and Hot Wraps or Bowls are filled with rice and your choice of fillings – try the Thai Chicken, Cabo Beef, Pork Luao or Wow! Kung Pao for $6. DRINK: What the regulars do and get the iced Thai tea to round out your meal.
Happy Gillis
549 Gillis Street
Kansas City, MO 64106
816-471-3663
http://www.happysoupeater.com
Go now to Columbus Park, and eat at Todd Schulte, and his wife, Tracy Zinn’s, charming little place called Happy Gillis. Todd has been doing a home delivery soup business for years, when he finally decided to open a cafe where you could eat his soup and get a sandwich too. Breakfast and lunch are both offered. As satisfying as the soups are here, you must try one of his winningly simple but gourmet sammies, all between $6-$8. Recommended choices are the Webster City BLT, Muffaletta or even the tasty Banh Mi. CHECK: Out the Happy Soupeater’s daily selection of soups to-go in the refrigerated case next to the register and snag some soup to take home with you.
Mario’s Grinder Co. & Café
204 Westport Road
Kansas City, Missouri 64111
(816) 531-7187
http://www.marioswestport.com/
The owner of Mario’s Grinder Co., John Waid, has made some changes to the old place in Westport, but the Grinders are still the best in the city. John comes from good restaurant stock as his family owned all of the original Waid restaurants. Taste the crunchy Italian bread they hollow out to make room for the zesty tomato sauce, your choice of meat and a block of molten lava mozzarella cheese. The sandwiches are then plugged with a “cork” of bread to keep all of the ingredients inside. For as taste of the old country, get either the Meatball or Sausage Grinder for around $6 and remember what real homemade meatballs taste like. IN: a hurry? Mario’s now has a separate entrance for people wanting just to order and go.
Kitty's Cafe
810 E. 31st Street
Kansas City, MO 64109
(816) 753-9711
There are plenty of good greasy sandwiches on the menu at the SRO restaurant Kitty’s Café, but there is only one so life changingly good that you actually hear angels sing and harps play when you eat it. That sandwich is the Pork Tenderloin. The sign on the outside of the building says Kitty’s Café – since 1951 best Tenderloins in town. Believe it. For a little less than $5, enjoy three hand-battered, deep-fried to a golden brown pork tenderloins placed between two soft buns topped with tomato and lettuce and a spicy Sriracha-based sauce. The original Kitty, an Asian woman, passed away many years ago, but the recipe for her secret light and crispy Asian style fry batter lives on with the new owner, Khamsone Soulivong. COME: With your game face on and bring a friend, as this area can produce some really colorful characters.
The Pizza Man
10212 Pflumm Road
Lenexa, KS 66215
(913) 492-2116
If you hail from the Windy City, this hidden gem is where you’ll happily find a taste of home. Tucked in the middle of a completely forgettable strip center next to the Stonewall Inn you will find The Pizza Man. Try the absolutely authentic Chicago Hot Dogs “dragged through the garden” for $3 or Italian Beef Sandwiches (dipped or not) served with a side of giardiniera pepper relish and beef au jus for $5. Oh, and they also serve Chicago style thin crust pizza, but with sandwiches this good you may never even get to the pizza. Icy cold bottled beer is also available, which is a lovely bonus on a hot day. SIT: Outside if the weather allows, they will bring your food right out to your table and let the fresh air stimulate your appetite.
Jenny Vergara is a full time Foodie and a woman on quest to develop her palate and herself through cooking, eating, drinking, traveling and writing. She has spent the last 5 years documenting all the restaurants she found along the way in a series of personal restaurant journals she keeps for her own enjoyment. Email her at tablehopping@gmail.com or keep up with her Foodie adventures at http://www.makingafoodie.com.
May 26, 2008
Room 39 Goat Cheese Gnocchi
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup Pecorino Romano, grated
1 Tablespoon salt
1/2 cup to 1 cup of flour
Combine the goat cheese, yolks, cheese and salt in a stainless steel bowl. Mix well with your hands. Push the mixture into the bottom of the bowl and indent with finger tips. Sprinkle 1/2 a cup of the flour over the dough and knead the mixture with quarter turns. Continue kneading for several minutes, then test a small amount by dropping a small gnocchi into boiling water. If the gnocchi stays intact (does not melt) then do not add any more flour. If it is falling apart repeat the flour step again. When the dough is complete, then either roll the dough into 1" diameter ropes and cut them every 1" or so, or make each dumpling by hand using 2 oz. of dough and rolling it from a ball into a tube then tapping each edge flat to form a cylinder shaped dumpling.
4 yellow onions, thinly sliced
4 shallots, thinly sliced
8 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
Parsley, Tarragon or Basil Stems, chopped
Bay leaves
2 Lemons, zested and juiced
2 cups white wine
4 qts, heavy cream
In the medium saucepan, slowly cook the onions, shallots, garlic, parsley and bay leaves with a little oil for several minutes until soft but with very little color. Add the lemon zest and juice. Add the white wine and cook slowly over medium heat until almost dry. Add the cream and cook over medium heat until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Strain through the chinois and adjust the seasoning with salt and add fresh cracked black pepper.
FOODIE NOTE: This recipe was provided to me by Chef/Owner Ted Habiger of Room 39. The story behind this started about 3 months ago, while I was attending a Share our Strength dinner at The American restaurant, and Ted was there serving this very same goat cheese gnocchi with this cream sauce. I was intrigued with his dish not only because the flavor was amazing, but the texture of the gnocchi was right too. You would not believe the number of people I meet who claim to love gnoochi and when they share with me what they are eating it is a heavy, gummy dumpling and not the light, soft and pillow-like clouds that should be the correct texture of gnocchi.
The funny part about this experience was the fact that we spent about an hour or so in the kitchen with Ted learning and making this recipe with him, but we never actually ate it while we were there in the restaurant. It was a simple oversight, but it made us both laugh when we realized at the end of our night at Room 39 we had no idea what the goat cheese gnocchi we spent an hour slaving over even tasted like. I was curious as to whether our gnocchi would pass Ted's taste test to see if he would deem it good enough to sell at dinner that night. He assured me it was, and he would. How thrilling!
When we were finished, we went back out to sit down in the restaurant for our 5 course tasting menu with wine pairings, which was also part of the package. When Room 39 first opened it was only doing lunch, and then as the demand increased dinner was added. However, Room 39's dinner business is still slower than any other daypart he serves, including breakfast which he recently added.
Chef Ted sees his place on 39th street as a neighborhood bistro, and when you eat there, you do have a sense that almost everyone who walks through the door as been in the cozy dining room many, many times before. It feels casual and familiar and a great place to land for a drink and a bite or a full meal. I have had the benefit of eating at Room 39's location on 39th street for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night . . .and I am amazed at the chameleon like atmosphere the restaurant takes on during different parts of the day.
At lunch, the pace picks up considerably as the light in the restaurant has mellowed into a mild wash of even light. The place is packed and busy. People are talking loudly and laughing, and the place takes on a bustling lunch time bistro atmosphere. Service is precise and efficient.
Although I have enjoyed eating many meals at different times at Room 39, I can assure you after enjoying a our 5 course tasting menu for dinner, I cannot understand why dinner would be slow. I think dinner might just be undiscovered. Every course of our meal was plated simply but beautifully and everything was perfectly cooked. I will also say the wines he paired with each course were spot on and the perfect accompaniment to the food. Which is something that so many restaurants miss completely in an effort to feature a wine they want to sell over how well it compliments the food. It was an absolutely fantastic experience, with knowledgeable and well-trained servers and fancy but not pretentious dishes made with locally sourced ingredients.
In fact, I was just thinking the other day that Room 39 was the first restaurant I remember dining at where the words "local ingredients" were listed on the menu. This restaurant was the first in Kansas City that I remember pushing the local agenda on it's menu . . .before the rest of the culinary scene in KC was talking about it. (They may have been practicing it, but they were not talking to the guests about it until fairly recently.)
I have placed some wonderful photos in my iPhoto web gallery for you to enjoy. Check out the cooking class and the 5 course dinner and make a point to go to Room 39 for dinner. You will be surprised in the best way possible, and discover the best undiscovered dinner restaurant in KC.
