The Making of a Foodie

June 2009 Table Hopping

TASTEBUD Magazine
Table Hopping – June 2009
“Moveable Feast.”

Lupe’s Taco Stand
Corner of Southwest Boulevard & Summit
Kansas City, MO
Saturdays & Sundays

The perfect place to eat a real street taco in Kansas City is on Southwest Boulevard, which is where you can find Lupe’s Taco Stand. Stop by weekend nights to see local neighborhood folks lined up to sample her “rich tacos” fresh corn tortillas filled with your choice of steak asada, pork carnitas, tripe, pork stomach, fried pork skin, you name it, Lupe’s got it. Also on weekends she does Birria de Chivo or goat steamed in a chile broth as well as the traditional Mexican hang-over cure, Menudo. Tacos come with chopped onion and cilantro, the “green sauce” is what to get on your tacos.  VISIT: on Tuesdays when all tacos are only $1.00.

Cravin’ Haven Hillbilly Kettle Korn
East Corner of the Ward Parkway Shopping Center Parking Lot
Kansas City, MO
Saturdays – 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Sundays – 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm

Made to resemble a log cabin, this food truck used to travel around the country making Hillbilly Kettle Korn at fairs and festivals along the way. When the lovely couple that owns it finally decided to settle down, the corner of the Ward Parkway Shopping Center is where their truck finally found it’s permanent home. Their sweet and salty Kettle Korn is simply a treat.  You can both freeze and reheat in the microwave this miraculous “korn”. A small bag is $3, medium $6 and a large is $12. ASK: if you can sample some of their fine Kettle Korn, they are always happy to provide free samples to anyone who asks.

Fresher than Fresh Snowcones
In the garden at the corner of 1700 Summit
Kansas City, MO
First Friday’s in front of Hammerpress Studios &
Saturday’s in the Garden - 12:00 noon until 8:00 PM
http://www.fresherthanfreshsnowcones.blogspot.com/

Lindsay Laricks is a lovely woman who sells snowcones out of her turquoise 1957 Shasta “Canned Ham” trailer. She also a woman on a mission to get you to try her unique, made from scratch, snowcone flavors. Open for her second season, Lindsay has a long list of tried and true flavors that are a must for any curious palate. For only $3 a cone you can sample flavors like: Lemon Prickly Pear, Lime Mint, Watermelon Basil and Espresso & Mexican Cane Sugar.  GET: the “Daredevil Special” snowcone, it changes often and is Lindsay’s way to test new flavors, only $2. Try one and cast your vote!

Jerusalem Café Falafel Truck
In front of Harry’s Bar & Tables in Westport
501 Westport Road
Kansas City, MO 64111
Late night - Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays

The Jerusalem Café restaurant mans this food truck late nights in Westport. It is just a fact of life, there will always be food trucks parked where late night party animals prowl. When you find yourself in Westport late night and have the need for a snack, this truck will always hit the spot. Get their falafel sponge, I mean sandwich, with crispy fried falafel patties tucked inside a soft pita bread pocket with lettuce, tomato and a creamy cucumber tzatziki sauce. ENJOY: a drink in one of the many watering holes in Westport first, and then go hit the Falafel Truck. Be aware that most bars will not allow you back through their doors with food from the trucks, so be prepared to take it home or sit outside on the curb to eat it.

Jasper’s Marco Polo Grill Cart
Located outside of Marco Polo’s attached to Jasper’s
1201 W. 103rd Street
Kansas City, MO 64114
(816) 941-6600
http://www.jasperskc.com/
Outside on the grill Saturdays when weather allows, inside everyday.

If you didn’t grow up with this Italian treat of a sandwich, it’s time for a proper introduction. Go visit Chef Jasper’s Mirabile Jr.’s Marco Polo Italian Deli and outside most weekends you will find his outdoor cart with the grill fired up making his specialty, a grilled Italian sausage sandwich. Made with Jasper’s own house-made Italian Sausage, it is grilled to a golden brown then piled high with green peppers, onions and potatoes on a soft Italian peasant roll for only $4. TREAT: yourself to one of Jasper’s sweet cannoli pastries after your lunch, it’s Chef’s personal favorite and should not be missed.

Gourmet Nomads

Well-rounded foodie friends are hard to find. I mean there are foodie friends that will go out and eat at new restaurants with you, but aren't interested in the little dive joints. There are foodie friends who are just interested in going to the places with the best wine lists but who could care less what food is being served. There are the foodie's that shop only at the farmers markets and might be vegetarian or vegan. There are foodie friends who just love to cook or bake, but could care less about eating out. There are foodie friends that can grow a vegetable garden like no one's business or grill BBQ so good you will wonder why they aren't in competitions. There are foodie friends that follow trends in food or know all the important Chefs across the country. Finally, there are foodie friends that just like to read food magazines or cookbooks, but do very little cooking on their own.

Then there are Foodie friends that eat, breathe, sleep and talk about it just like you do. You no longer feel like you are the only person in the universe with this condition. You have found and have identified your OTHER in food. Amanda Frederickson is that foodie friend to me. (See her in photo above, taken at the March Test Kitchen event by the ultra-talented Chris Pavlacka, photographer from Lawrence.)

When we met a year ago in March, it was at a Share Our Strength event at The American. A food event that helps feed the hungry nationwide. We ended up having the most magical night talking to all the Chefs, and going out to drink with all of them afterwards. In the wee hours of the night, we looked at each other and could not believe our luck. We had broken through the unknown world of food and Chefs in Kansas City, and we had done it at exactly the same time. We had done it together.

When I started Test Kitchen, my underground supperclub, it was a stressful time. A time, in which I was laser focused on trying to launch my baby to the world. It was a venture that I had 100% support from my family by Eatie (hubby) and Tastie (son), my mother-in-law Anna, my Mom (BABZzzz), my Dad and Mynette and my brothers. And Amanda was the foodie friend, who sat up late nights and listened to all my worries and concerns. The one when I thought things couldn't be done, assured me they could be and ultimately the friend that help me get the names on my Test Kitchen list by telling everyone she met in food about my venture and how to get on the list. (Click here to become a member of the Test Kitchen, and get on the list.)

Although I cannot repay her for her help in money, I can by showing my ultimate support and total excitement of her newest venture. It is my supreme pleasure to introduce to you to Amanda's new labor of love, her baby: Gourmet Nomads. Gourmet Nomads is a group of foodies who travel together to places of interest on the food scene in the US and across the globe. Never was there a foodie, that I would trust more to put together foodie trips than Miss Amanda. She not only has impeccable taste, but she demands only the best in terms of her experiences around food and wine and now in travel.

And having planned many, many foodie trips for myself and advised others on where to eat in drink in places they might travel to, I can assure you, finding all of the right foodie hot-spots to hit in any town is a challenge. It takes time, research and lots of looking before agendas worthy of your time and money can be assembled. Amanda has taken the guesswork out of foodie travel with her short excursions. She travels to the places she recommends before-hand to make sure that it meets her high standard and would be something of interest to others like her. She has the professional contacts from her restaurant PR contacts and her social media skills to really negotiate the best rates and most unique packages for even the most discerning traveler. You will do things on Gourmet Nomads trips that are unavailable to the public and get behind the scenes to really get a sense of what life is like in a particular destination.

I am very excited about her latest trip which will be happening July 17-20, 2009 to Sonoma, CA. It's called Eating Sonoma - Ground to Grapes. As someone who is going to try out for Murphy-Goode's Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent position , I recently just came back from traveling through wine country and Sonoma. I can tell you first hand, a trip to wine country, is one of the neatest and most fun trips a foodie can take. I had only briefly stopped through wine country in the past, but having the chance to really stay and explore the rolling hillsides heavy with grape vines, olive oil tastings, local cheese producers, farmers markets and dined at some of the hottest restaurants, as well as educating myself about the many wineries in the area . . .a trip to Sonoma this summer is something I would happily suggest to everyone.

If you are in the process now of planning a couples getaway weekend or even a trip with another couple or two, please check out Gourmet Nomads for their trip July 17-20, 2009 called Eating Sonoma - Ground to Grapes for more details. This will be a fun and easy way to travel like a real foodie, with others who are real foodies like you.

You are a foodie, aren't you?

On the Cutting Edge

Okay, I'll admit it. I was the girl who was using only her serrated knife to cut everything up until about 3 weeks ago when I made my first pilgrimage to Ambrosi Brothers. I am proud of the knives I have, but you couldn't tell it because of the level of absolute dullness I had let them lapse into. Embarrassing, really, that I let it get as bad as it did before I did something about it.

I own a set of Thiers-Issard 4 star Elephant Sabatier knives from France that I inherited from my Grandmother Betty mixed with what I have purchased, which is mostly Wusthof knives from Germany. (I just could not justify the cost of a set of Global knives I coveted for everyday use in my kitchen home.)

And when I thought I could take it no longer, I purchased one of those horrid "pretend" knife sharpeners that you open like a clamshell and run your knife over the teeth which supposedly sharpens your knife blades like new again. Guess again, my friend. It never returned my knives to a "like new" sharpened state . . .never ever.

So, a few weeks ago I decided to spend a Saturday afternoon meeting the nice folks behind the AIWF - American Institute of Wine & Food Kansas City Chapter as they all gathered together at Ambrosi Brothers for a cutlery class.

I received the information from Chef Jasper Mirabile Jr. who was nice enough to forward the invitation to me, even though I am not a member. It read:

Ambrosi Bros. Cutlery Co.
3023 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri
Saturday, April 18, 2009
3:00 pm  Reception &  3:30pm Seminar (approx. 1 hr)
$10 AIWF Member Discount    $17.50 Non-Member

Join us and “hone” your kitchen cutlery knowledge and sharpening skills. Listen to Alfred Ambrosi guide us through our cutlery seminar. You’ll be much “keener” after this class. We know it’s going to “whet” your appetite for culinary creativity. Your “acute” sense of curiosity will demand that you be with us, because you’re so “astute”. Be on the “cutting” “edge” and be there. In addition, included in your cost, you can bring one knife to be sharpened by Ambrosi. It’s a deal you can’t let slip by. Be there and be sharp! Space is limited to 20. Make your reservation NOW!

Aside from the "punny" humor, this was a class I had longed to take and I honestly couldn't think of a better place than Ambrosi Brothers to take it. The company that serves as the official knife sharpeners to every Chef in Kansas City . . .and with my bad case of "Chefetish" I have been known to stalk the Ambrosi knife truck all over the city as it picks up and drops off knives at all of the best restaurants. A dream job in my book, but then I am a little weird that way.

The funny thing was, I knew they sharpened knives for Chefs (By the way, most KC Chefs do not keep a nice set of knives in their restaurant for fear of theft or having them "walk off" with someone else, so they use rented ones from Ambrosi. If they do keep a nice set at work, they typically have them engraved with a letter or marking to indicate ownership.), but it never occurred to me that they sharpened knives for regular folks like me.  So, when I realized I could get one knife sharpened for free as part of this class, I signed myself and Eatie up, right away.

When I got ready to select "a" knife to bring to the class to have them sharpen it, I was perplexed. I wanted all of them sharpened. I needed all of them sharpened. My boning or utility knife also had it's tip broken off. I assumed there was nothing that could be done for it, but thought I would stick it in with the others and buy a replacement for it at Ambrosi's. I had about 10 knives that needed to get from my house to Ambrosi's on Main Street, but how was I gonna transport them and not get arrested for weapon concealment?

I did the best I could . . . I laid down tea towels and spaced my knives down the towel, then topped those with another thicker towel and began at one end rolling the knives inside the towels into a nice little bundle. Then I took plastic wrap and wrapped them over and over end to end with plastic wrap, taking care to bunch up the extra fabric around the sharp knife tips. Then I packed them in the car and thought to myself I would purchase a cheap knife bag from them to transport them back and forth easily and professionally. The nice man at Ambrosi Brother's did not laugh when I handed him my wad of tea towels and plastic wrap, he smiled a knowing smile and went to work sharpening them in the back.

After a lovely glass of wine and some of Chef Jasper's delicious sausage as a snack it was time to get down to the business of learning more about our knives and how to keep them sharp.  The short answer is keep it simple and pay Ambosi $3 per knife to keep them in the best condition, just like the professional Chefs in this town do. Then you need to purchase a steel and learn the right way to keep your knives sharpened, once they are professionally done. Your knives should be professionally sharpened about every 6 months or so, then you can use a steel on it at home to keep them in their best condition. Here is Spencer Lutz again from Ambrosi showing us how to use a steel at home in between sharpenings.

When I went to pay the bill for my sharpened knives at the end of class, I purchased just enough of a knife bag to be able to transport my knives in safety and style. I also bought a Chinese meat and veggie cleaver for Eatie for his birthday which is another nice addition to our collection of knives. But it was only when I got home and realized that Ambrosi was able to re-work my utility knife to give it a new tip that I gain a new appreciation for what a professional knife sharpener can really do for you and your knives. I can tell you I've had to be a whole lot more careful around my knives. They are completely sharp which makes them weapons I had not had in my kitchen in a long time. The experience is one of those that will keep you wondering why you didn't start living on the cutting edge a whole lot sooner.

May 2009 Table Hopping

TASTEBUD Magazine
Table Hopping – May 2009
“I think I’m turning Japanese, I really think so.”

Edokko Restaurant
8615 Hauser Street
Lenexa, KS 66215
(913) 888-8878
http://www.edokkokc.com

Owner, Anne Ai, spent considerable time and money converting a Chinese restaurant in Lenexa into the stunning show piece called Edokko. Zen stones, fiery red walls and warm wood creates an inviting and upscale environment, which is only matched in awe by her commitment to high quality Japanese/Asian food. Her steamed or pan-fried pork dumplings 6 for $5 are delicious and made from scratch to order. Try the Hamo (Eel) with Japanese truffle sauce or Pan-fried Red Snapper for $13 and Kobe Beef Nigiri, 2 pieces for $10 will melt in your mouth. Ask Ann about her extensive sake list, she will charm you with her knowledge. OPEN: late and 7 days a week, until 10:00 pm weekdays and 11:00 pm on Fri. & Sat.  

Domo Sushi & Grill
6322 Brookside Plaza
Kansas City, MO 64113
(816) 333-6315

This calm little spot, located right off the main drag in Brookside, doesn’t look like much on the outside, but step in to find an oasis from the busy streets. This restaurant is a friends and family affair, take the Japanese country mural painted on the wall by local artist, Mila Geisler. She also works as a server at Domo’s. Head Chef Koji-san brings years experience to his restaurant and locals give him props for his makimono or sushi rolls and creative noodle bowls. Try their signature dish, a sashimi plate made with white tuna and salmon topped with a tangy yuzu ginger sauce for around $9. CATCH: your breath and visit them at lunch, the atmosphere is quiet and meditative.

Jun’s Authentic Japanese
7660 State Line Road 

Prairie Village, KS 66208
(913) 341-4924

Jun’s is considered by most to be the “granddaddy” of all Japanese restaurants in town. Back when Jun was behind the sushi bar, he put every guest at ease with his outgoing personality while he introduced them to his cuisine. When Jun retired, he sold his successful restaurant to a man who was working with him and knew his way with fresh fish. Aside from the sushi, come to share Shabu-shabu, a tableside hotpot with noodles, tofu, fresh veggies and thinly sliced beef for around $25. Watch your server make this lovely soup using her chopsticks to stir the ingredients in the broth to cook them. This is what “shabu-shabu” literally means “swish-swish”. SIT: at the sushi bar or back in the traditional tatami seating areas separated by screens.

One Bite Japanese Grill
8602 W 133rd Street
Overland Park, KS 66213
(913) 897-9388
http://www.onebitegrill.com
 
Erika Koike opened One Bite Japanese Grill as a Japanese pub, or izakaya, that does not serve sushi, but instead more traditional Japanese small plates.  People come here to eat a quick meal or grab a snack, but with it’s sleek, colorful interior it feels more like a place you want to stay and play. Bring a friend and order about 2-3 items to share. Start with pan-fried pot stickers get 6 pieces for $6. Try the Modan Yaki a crispy egg pancake layered with chicken, veggies and golden fried noodles for $12. Then get the One Bite Scallops for $12 or One Bite Spare Ribs for $10. DRINK: one of their colorful little cocktails or get the Japanese soda, Ramune. Half the fun is just trying to get it open.

Kaiyo Sushi inside of Cosentino's Downtown Market

10 East 13th Street

Kansas City, MO 64106-2924

(816) 595-0050

Sushi Chef David Loo, and his wife Karen Ming, were running their successful Japanese restaurant, Kaiyo, in Leawood, when the Cosentino Family approached them about opening a second sushi bar inside of their brand new market downtown. It was a match made in heaven. This is no ordinary supermarket sushi, Chef David Loo, himself, is down there daily working lunch and then he is back in his home restaurant in Leawood for dinner. Order the Spicy Tuna hand roll $7 or the Caterpillar roll $10, then ask what’s fresh and have a few pieces of that. TALK: to sushi Chef David Loo. Once he knows you and what you like, he can steer you towards what’s fresh and in season.