Custom House Tavern

500 South Dearborn St
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 523-0200
http://www.customhouse.cc/
Seasonal New American

I visited Custom House Tavern about a year ago on a business trip and have wanted to return ever since. I just can't get it off my mind! Everything I had was amazing. Because this restaurant has a seasonal menu, it's pointless for me to go into what I had, however, I will say that their homemade limoncello was a revalation. The "revalation" I had was that drinking limoncello did not have to be an experience akin to drinking Pledge. This was special - sweet, lemony, a just the faintest hint of fresh rosemary and thyme. If you go to this restaurant and they happen to have a batch, I highly recommend it.

And lastly, this is an a la carte, small plates, restaurant. Go with friends, order a bunch of things and share. And get some limoncello.

Is It Edible? And other mysteries of Japanese food...

I returned from Japan on October 3rd and have been agonizing over what to post about it since. It was such an adventure, I can't NOT post something. But it was all so different that I've been having trouble focusing on one highlight. So I think I'll just tell you everything...

Noodles & Soups
Probably my favorite Japanese food experience was the soup noodle bowl. Whether Udon, Soba, or Ramen, these dishes never failed to hit the spot. A very satisfying broth, a few vegtables, and some meat - perfection every time. The highlight for me was probably the chanko-nabe we got in the Ryokogu area. This is a type of stew that sumo wrestlers eat. A pot is brought to your table with some broth, to which you add meat, tofu, vegtables, noodles - whatever you want. As the stew cooks tableside the broth gets more and more flavorful. The last spoonfuls are the most delicious. Our chanko-nabe had the thickest udon noodles I've ever seen, as well as a slice of something pink on the outside and white on the inside. I thought it might be a vegtable, but I took a bite and it's texture was bready/doughy - sort of. Just one of many unidentifiable things that I ate on this trip.

Sushi
We had sushi meals on a couple occasions - both excellent. Once in the Tsujki fish market area and another time with some locals at a sushi bar. It goes without saying that the sushi in Japan is super-duper fresh. I might be spoiled for life now. I think the strangest piece of sushi I ate was monkfish liver. Still, to this day, I still cannot decide if I liked it or not. Let's go through the pros and cons. Pros: rich, buttery flavor. Cons: looks foul; strange buttery texture that is creepy to bite into (imagine biting into a stick of butter). When thinking about eating this particular piece of sushi, I can feel myself making a face, all the while remembering being pleasantly surprised, and actually enjoying it. Just another mystery of eating in Japan.

The Rice
Japanese people eat rice with just about everything. White, sticky, unsalted rice. This was very different for me. The rice I make at home is basmati rice, cooked with chicken broth and seasoned with a little salt. Basically, the exact opposite of what the Japanese eat. Let's just say I like my seasoned, flavorful rice better than the gluey, bland stuff I got on vacation. I chalk this up to cultural differences.

Typical Japanese Meal
When you order a traditional Japanese meal, you will get 5-7 small, simple items as opposted to one big plate of food. The items are served all at once (not in courses) and in separate compartments on a tray. Kind of like a TV dinner, I guess. You get some rice, some soup (like miso soup), some salad (like seaweed salad), maybe 1-2 pieces of sushi, and a few other items that I usually could not identify. One time I got fried lotus root in a peanut sauce. Once I got a tofu piece that was coated in something that looked like boogers. I ended up prefering the booger-coated tofu to the peanut sauce-coated lotus root - go figure. Food mystery aside, I found that I rather enjoy this way of eating and might try it out at home.

Fake Food and the Mystery of the Meal
While its true that almost all restaurants have fake food in the window to show what they serve and most menus have pictures, I still managed to be baffled by my own choices. Sometimes what is pictured isn't what you thought it was. Sometimes an English description doesn't cover all the details. All I can say it, it's a good thing that I am moderately adventurous with eating. One time I ordered a pork ramen. It had slices of pork on top, however the part of the pig these slices came from was not clear. In fact, had the menu not said "Pork" I don't think I would have guessed what those slices were. It was good though. Another time, at an Italian restaurant, I ordered seafood risotto. What I got was curried rice with some grilled seafood on the side. Did the menu mention curry? No. Would one expect curry at an Italian restaurant? No. Do I like curry? NO. Upon arrival of my dinner, I was quite disappointed. However, it is my philosophy that one never knows when one is going to start liking something, so one should just try whatever it is. I ate the seafood risotto, a.k.a. curried rice with seafood, and it was not bad. The curry flavor was very light and actually was a good compliment to the seafood. And while I'm not ready to go to an all you can eat Indian food buffet, I did enjoy my dinner.

In spite of my openness to try new foods, I have to say, the novelty of expecting the unexpected, when it came to food, wore off about halfway through the trip. There came a point where I was tired of getting my dinner and thinking, "Huh. Well that's different. I wonder if it tastes good." Even though 99% of the time I ended up liking what I got, I just wanted to order with confidence.

Is it edible?
For a day full of mystery and adventure, visit any Japanese food market and eat some samples. You'll find yourself surrounded by the unknown and constantly asking "What is it? What do you do with it? Is it edible?" I can see it's a dried squid, but what do you do with it? Any points you get from identifying the item are quickly lost when attempting to identify it's function. It's a facinating and thoroughly entertaining way to spend the day.

Dairy & Sweets - Cultural Differences
I learned quickly that the Japanese don't really do dairy. After a few days all I wanted was a cheese plate and some chocolate ice cream. Chocolate ice cream was not as ubiquitous as it is here. Green Tea ice cream - check. Red Bean ice cream - check. Chocolate ice cream - send out the search party. Cheese plate - forget about it. As for the sweets, the Japanese flavor a lot of their's with red bean paste. I discovered that red bean paste gives me heartburn. No more red bean paste for me, thanks. I did finally find what I was looking for though - chocoalte ice cream in a touristy area; cheese plate on the bar menu at my hotel; sweets in the fancy food section of an upscale department store. In short - places that cater more to international tastes.

Coffee
Every cup of coffee I had in Japan was excellent. From the coffee in the conference-sized percolator at my hotel's breakfast buffet to the cappucino at the fancy coffee shop, I never had a bad cup. Not ever. Not once. There are no words that can properly express my gratitude for this fact. In a country with so many unfamilliar ways and means, the comfort of a good cup of coffee was irreplacable. Apparently it's not hard to make a decent cup of coffee and I think the rest of the world should get on it.

Epilog
When I got home I tried to stay awake until a respectable bed time, but fell asleep on my couch. I woke up about 8 hours later, in the evening, and was starving. No food in my house and lousy with jet lag, I got in my car and decided to drive until I saw something that appealed to me. Hello KFC. As I pulled up to the drive through, I noticed, with some amusement, that there were pictures on the menu. I ordered a two piece chicken meal (breast and thigh please) with mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, 3 biscuits, green beans and brownie bites. When I got home and opened my bag I was very pleased to see that I had a chicken breast, a chicken thigh, mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, 3 biscuits, green beans and brownie bites - just like I ordered. I ate my American Comfort Food Feast with a big glass of milk and then stayed up until 4am the next day (rats! Worst jet lag. Ever)..

When i woke up the next day I made Kraft mac & cheese. I added some shredded cheddar. Delicious.

A week later, however, I was craving miso soup and sushi, and missing the excellent coffee, and the gracious people of Japan. It was an extrodinary trip. Japan is one of those places that I'll visit again, and I'll have fun, but it will never be like it was the first time.

Ack! Almost two months without a post!

Sorry folks! In September I was preparing for a trip to Japan! I had intended to write a post about it this month, but alas, finding a focus has been challenging. There is just too much to say! I'm working on it. Something will be posted this week...

Create-Your-Own-Adventure Stew

In honor of Labor Day Weekend, the end of summer, the beginning of fall, and football season, it's time to break out your slow cooker or dutch oven and make a big pot of stew. When the weather starts to cool off is there anything more comforting than a big bowl of the hearty soup and a chunk of bread? Yumm.

I'm sure you have something in your mind - your idea of what a stew is - what's comforting to you. And I'm sure it's different than what I have in my mind. The beauty is that there is no right or wrong stew. It's just meat (or not), vegtables, beans (or not), some type of carb (grain, pasta, potato), seasoning and stock. It could be anything.

To help you free yourself from the one or two stew concoctions you are accumstomed to, I present this generic recipe for Stew. Adjust to your taste and experiment with some new combinations.

Create-Your-Own-Adventure Stew

1.5c Dried Beans (mix & match!)
1.5-2 lbs Meat (try to get something with a bone)
Aromatic Vegtables (Usually some combination of Celery, Carrots, Onion, Leek in equal parts, diced)
2 Cloves Minced Garlic
Aromatic Herb Bouquet Garni (pick what you like, what will go with your meat/vegtables)
Carbs (1c Dried Grain, 1-5c Cooked Pasta, 1-2 Large Red Potatoes)
1 Large Can Stewed Italian Tomatoes
Any Other Vegtables
64 oz Stock or Liquid
Salt & Pepper
Oil

1. PREP THE BEANS - If your stew will have beans, soak your beans overnight. Most need soaking, but if you use lentils you can add them without soaking. If you forget to soak your beans you can do a quick soak (cover beans with cold water, bring to a boil, boil for 2 minutes, cover tightly for 1 hour, drain - these are ready to add). Sometimes I do this while prepping the other ingredients. Of course, the easiest solution is to use canned beans - about 3 cans for this recipe.
2. BROWN THE MEAT - add some oil to your dutch oven or large pot and get it nice and hot. Brown your meat on all sides. Make sure the meat gets nice color to it. Color = Flavor. Space your meat out a bit - it helps brown evenly. If you have a lot of meat, do it in 2+ batches. When the meat is nice and brown take it out of the pot and set it aside. Note- the meat does not need to be fully cooked at this point - it is going to be added back to the stew and will finish cooking in the liquid.
3. AROMATIC VEGTABLES - At this point you may need to adjsut the oil level in the pan. If you had a lean meat, add some oil. If you had a juicy meat, pour some off. When you have acheived the propper oil level, add the celery, carrots, & leeks. Saute until lightly browned.
4. GARLIC & LIQUIDS - Get your liquids (stock and tomatoes) ready to add - have them on standby, if you will. Saute the garlic. PAY ATTENTION - burnt garlic can ruin all that you've accomplished thusfar. When the garlic is done it will be light brown and the raw smell will have turned sweet and pungent - add the liquid to stop the cooking. Add some water - up to 1 tomato-can.
5. SOLIDS - Add the beans, meat, grains or potatoes, and any other vegtables you want. Salt and Pepper to taste. Note - if you are adding pasta, I recommend cooking it separately and mixing it with the stew before serving. If you add the pasta to the stew and cook it for 2-3 hours it will be mush. Another tip - if you are using pasta as your carb, cook some and use the pasta water as the additional liquid at the end of Step 4 above. There will be some salt for flavor and some startch from the pasta that will add a little thickness to your stew.
6. BOUQUET GARNI - take the fresh herbs you want to flavor the soup with and tie them in a bunch with some butcher twine, or make a pouch out of cheesecloth. If these items are not in your kitchen you can chuck the herbs right in the pot, but you will have to fish them out at the end. The bunch/pouch makes the herbs much easier to find. If you don't retreive the herbs, the stems can add a bitter flavor.
7. LET IT SIMMER - Bring it to a boil, reduce to a simmer, partial covered. Stir occassionally to keep the contents from sticking to the bottom.
8. IT'S DONE!! - The stew is done when the meat is cooked to your liking or when the liquid has reduced to the desired thickness - about 2-3 hours. If you are using a tougher cut it may take a little longer for the meat to acheive the tenderness that you would like. If your meat still needs some time, but your liquid has reduced, add more liquid. Any liquid will do. If your meat is done but the stew isn't thick enough, take the lid off completely and increase the heat a little, stirring more often. This will speed up the reduction process.

With this simple recipe, any number of delicious stews can be made. Here are some of my favorite combinations:

Pork & Beans:
Meat - Country Pork Ribs
Beans – Garbanzos, Navy, Kidney, Lentils
Aromatic Vegtables – Carrots, Celery, Leeks, Garlic
Aromatic Herbs – Bay Leaf, Parsley
Carb – Barley
Extra Vegtables – Canned Tomatoes
Stock – Chicken

Pozole:
Meat – Beef Short Ribs & Country Pork Ribs
Beans – Kidney & Pinto
Aromatic Vegtables – Onion, Garlic
Aromatic Herbs – N/A
Carb – N/A
Extra Vegtables – Canned Tomatoes, Corn, Hatch Chiles
Stock – N/A
Other Flavors – Cayanne Pepper, Honey, Masa, Chili Powder

Latin Chicken Soup:
Meat – Chicken
Beans – N/A
Aromatic Vegtables - Carrots, Celery, Onion, Garlic
Aromatic Herbs – Bay Leaf, Cilantro
Carb – Green Plantain
Extra Vegtables – N/A
Stock – Chicken

Sunday Red Sauce:
Meat – Meat Balls
Beans – N/A
Aromatic Vegtables – Onion, Garlic
Aromatic Herbs – Parsley
Carb – N/A
Extra Vegtables – Canned Tomatoes & Tomato Paste
Stock – N/A

And this is just the beginning! Take the stew, put it in a pie shell, add a puff pastry top and have a Pot Pie. Put some bisquit dough on top and put it in the oven for a savory cobbler. Don't add a carb and pour it over mashed potatoes. Don't add meat or stock and enjoy a vegetarian version. The options are limitless!

Welcome to Stew Season!

Louvre – Private Tour

I like art. I like art museums. But the Louvre is a monster. It’s HUGE! And it’s CROWDED! All the time! And [spoiler alert!] the Mona Lisa is smaller than you think it should be! After waiting in line for hours, one feels compelled to see as much as possible, which means that by the end of the day you are tired and cranky and probably didn’t understand most of what you saw (unless you studied art history). That is where the Private Tour comes in. Tickets are procured in advance (no waiting in line). The tour edits the museum down to a reasonable amount of art to see in a day. And since the guide explains what you are looking at, you will probably have a much more fun than you would trying to figure it all out for yourself.

The Private Tour I went on put a pop culture spin on the Louvre – it was the DaVinci Code Tour provided by Paris Muse. When I went on this tour, I had already been to the Louvre on three different occasions (experience all three times outlined above) so I was not head-over-heels excited to go again. But I was intrigued by the DaVinci Code part of the tour. Not only did the tour guide show us the sites and debunk some of the details in the book, but also took us on a tour of sacred feminine artwork throughout history. In two hours I had more fun at the Louvre than on my previous three visits combined! This was a good choice and made me a Private Tour convert.

There are many companies that provide private tours with various services or perks. Some, like Paris Muse’s DaVinci Code tour, are short (2.5 hrs) and relatively cheap (about $150). Others are longer, offer after-hours services, or offer many other perks/higher level of access. Generally speaking, the greater the level of access, the smaller the group, and the exclusivity of the activity increases the cost. There is an experience and a price-point for everyone.

Private Tours – recommended.

How to Perfectly Cook a Hard Boiled Egg

In honor of Julia Child, The Julie/Julia Project, and Paris, I shall share with you the method for making a Perfect Hard Boiled Egg. It is quite simple really...

Put some eggs in a pot. You can use old eggs - after they are cooked they are easier to peel. Cover with water that the is same temperature as the eggs. Now, there is no need to bust out your thermometer - let common sense prevail. If the eggs are cold from the fridge, use cold water. If the eggs are room temp, use room temp water. The idea is that as the water temperature raises, the eggs temperature raises at the same rate, ensuring even cooking.

Enough with the science. Put the pot of water and eggs on the stove. Bring JUST to a boil. Cover and immediately remove from the all heat. If that means taking the pot off the stove, by all means, do that. Leave covered and off the heat for exactly 15 minutes.

In a separate bowl, or perhaps the sink, prepare an ice bath. As soon as 15 minutes are up, drain the eggs and plunge into ice water. Leave them there until the ice has melted and the eggs feel cold. Bravo! You have stopped the cooking and have perfect hard boiled eggs!

Now your hard boiled eggs are ready for any number of preparations! One of my favorites is Deviled Eggs. Here is my recipe. Sorry there are no measurements - I always add to taste.

Hard Boiled Eggs
Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
Dijon mustard
Tabasco
Cayenne Pepper
Chives - minced
Salt
Mayonnaise

1) Cut the eggs in half; carefully separate the yolk from the white. Put the white aside on a plate & put the yolks in a bowl.
2) Mash the yolks with a fork to break up; add lemon juice, Dijon, Tabasco, cayenne, chives, & salt. I would start with the juice of 1/4 of a lemon per 3 eggs and increase from there if needed.
3) Taste - what else do you need? More tang - add lemon. More heat - add Tabasco. Too much tang or heat - add mayonnaise (starting with a teaspoon per 3 eggs). If you have mashed and mashed and mashed and the consistency is still not smooth, add a little mayo.
4) When you've got the taste to your liking, fill the egg white halves with the mixture. Feel free to heap it on top of the egg.

As Julie/Julia would say, Bon Appetit!

Momofuku

Noodle Bar: 171 First Ave, New York 10003
Ssam Bar: 207 2nd Ave, New York 10003
http://www.momofuku.com/
American (according to the website) with heavy Korean influence (according to me)
Rating: I’ll be back

These two spots are also worth the wait. And what are we waiting for? Two words, my friends: PORK BUN. Don’t be a tool and trim the fat off the pork belly. This is not, nor will it ever be, a diet friendly dish. Accept that fact and give in to temptation - eat the pork bun, fat and all. You will not be sorry.

Ssam Bar also has a dish called Bo Ssam that I look forward to trying. I haven’t yet because it’s a large dish recommended for 6-10 people and advanced notice is required. I don’t live in New York, so the only way this might be a reality is if I planned a trip around this meal. The wheels are turning…

Momofuku has a couple other versions that I have not been to yet (also on the LES)– Bakery & Milk Bar and Ko. The Bakery is, well, a bakery that has baked goods – AND PORK BUN. Could be good in a pinch for a Pork Bun fix if you just can’t wait. Ko on the other hand is a restaurant like Noodle Bar and Ssam Bar, but with a tricky reservation system. I have not been there yet, but someday luck will smile upon me and I will get my chance. But until then, PORK BUN.

Uchi

801 South Lamar
Austin, Texas 78704
http://www.uchiaustin.com/
Japanese
Rating: I’ll be back

This is my favorite restaurant in Austin. I have, on several occasions, submitted to a 1.5 – 2 hour wait, just to get a Shag Roll. There. I’ve said it. Totally addicted to the Shag Roll. Uchi is a bit small, they don’t’ take reservations after 7pm, they can’t accommodate large parties, and they are not open for lunch, but do not let that stop you. It’s worth it. The sushi is absolutely fresh and the chef has created some unique dishes. My recommendation is to go with some friends and order a bunch of things to share. Some of my favorites are the tempura (the dipping sauce makes it), the escolar sushi, the Shag Roll (have I mentioned?), & the Hamachi Cure. If you like octopus and are not squeamish, tako pops are good. And for a group, the hot rock is fun (they bring you a nuclear hot stone and you cook thinly sliced beef on it). Skip dessert.

The Little Owl

90 Bedford St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 741-4695
http://www.thelittleowlnyc.com/
Mediterranean
Rating: I’ll be back

The restaurant is tiny, but that is typical of West Village neighborhood joints. Excellent food. The first time I went, I got the bacon cheeseburger. Usually I try new or different things when I go out to eat, but this was the tail end of a very long business trip and I had eaten breakfast, lunch and dinner out for a week. My palate was exhausted and I just wanted something familiar and comfortable and the bacon cheeseburger seemed like the perfect choice. Boy am I glad I went with my gut. This place has the best bacon cheeseburger. EVER. Every element - bun, bacon, burger, cheese, condiment - was perfect in every way. This is so important for any dish with many separate parts that get eaten together (pizza and lasagna also fit into this category). The food was so good that the next day I took the PATH train into the city for 11am brunch before leaving from Newark Airport on a 2:30pm flight. I tried what I estimated to be their version of Eggs Benedict, my favorite breakfast option, with a side of cheese grits. It was definitely not the best version of Eggs Benedict ever, but it was not bad. The grits were quite respectable. If you are a Southerner in New York, hit up the Little Owl for brunch to get your grits fix.