A Simple Equation

For whatever reason the hubby and I hardly ever go out to eat. I guess a combination of money and my love of cooking keeps our stove warm. Today we decided to venture out and check out a well known Chicago institution, Ann Sather. I first noticed her name when taking Nico out for a walk when we first moved into the Lakeview neighborhood. She had a park named after her and it wasn't until I saw a restaurant and cafe bearing her name that I really began to wonder who she was. Turns out she was a sweet lady who bought a Swedish restaurant over sixty years ago and dedicated herself to providing delicious, made from scratch, diner fare for a very reasonable price. We gasped when our waitress sat down two enormous cinnamon rolls in front of us after we placed our order, turns out it comes with the meal! These beauties were served warm with just the right amount of icing, not too much so as to be overwhelming. Needless to say we left stuffed and completely satisfied and I'm happy that I finally know what Ann Sather is all about. We'll definitely be back.

You'd think after gorging myself on cinnamon rolls I couldn't possibly want any more baked goods but I've been dying to make a recipe that combines all my favorite things of the season.

Pumpkins! + Beer! + Bread! =
Pumpkin Beer Bread!!!

It's just as glorious as you can imagine.. the best part is you get to drink the remainder of the Imperial Pumking Ale. This beer from Southern Tier is by far one of the best seasonal ales you can find. The pumpkin pie spices of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice that are present in this beer go hand in hand with our pumpkin bread.

This recipe is easy peasy. Consider using 1 1/2 cups of white flour and 1/2 cup of wheat flour to enhance the flavor and create a density that is nice in a quick bread of this caliber. If you choose to add walnuts to your bread, and I highly recommend it, toast them in the oven at 300 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until fragrant. The toasted walnuts will add a nice crunch and depth of flavor to the final result. I also used freshly grated nutmeg which I've convinced myself tastes completely different from nutmeg purchased already ground. It's more aromatic and rounds out dishes nicely with a subtle flavor that's lacking in the commercially ground spice.

Wherever you are I hope you're enjoying the autumn weather. If you're not this will certainly help you get in the mood. Bon Appetit!

Pumking Beer Bread
Yields One 9 inch loaf
 
2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of allspice
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs, beaten lightly
1 cup pumpkin ale
1 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)


1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray the bottom of loaf pan; set aside.

2. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice together in a large bowl; set aside.

3. Mix melted butter, pumpkin puree, eggs and pumpkin ale together in a medium bowl. Lightly fold pumpkin mixture into dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until just combined. Add walnuts and fold into batter. Scrape batter into prepared loaf pan; bake until loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about an hour. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Pretty in Pink

Now that you've brought out your autumn decorations from the attic it's time to put on a pot of your favorite chili and bake some corn muffins and officially ring in the fall season this Saturday. I've finally caught the autumn bug after resisting it for a few weeks, but now I'm embracing it wholeheartedly. The pumpkin harvest beer from Blue Moon I'm sipping is also helping me to get over the long summer days. But shorter days also mean I'm spending more time indoors, much of it wasted watching hulu, but my web surfing took me to this you tube video of South Korean music sensation, PSY (short for psycho, how can it NOT be good?) Now that you've had your pop culture injection for the day we can move on. (Joel points out this video has over 200 million hits, so I'm not exactly being revelatory here. It's still awesome so watch it again).

My mother-in-law is an amazing cook and if possible, and even better hostess. Martha Stewart could learn a thing or two from Bev. From her immaculately decorated home to her decade old sourdough starter, there's nothing Bev knows better than entertaining well. When we come to visit her in El Reno, Oklahoma she always knows what her son wants to eat and she can't go wrong with her homemade chili. What separates Bev's chili from the rest of the pack is her delicious pink onions that top the steaming chili and add texture and flavor to jazz up even the best bowl of beans.

I finally asked Beverly for this recipe and she happily wrote it down for me twice. The first time I stuck the note in my pocket and then washed them the very next day. She graciously mailed me a fresh copy after I realized my error and finally, Pink Onions! She got this recipe from Vegetarian Cooking and it couldn't be easier to make. You'll have plenty of time to whip them up while your beans are simmering away. You can use your favorite kind of vinegar or whatever you have on hand. Apple cider, white wine, or red wine will all work with the same yummy result. Substituting a white or yellow onion is also an option but then you can't call them pink onions anymore. If you have leftovers, and you probably will, try using them on sandwiches, scrambled in eggs, in stir-fries, or anything else you can envision.


Pink Onions

2 cups water
1 1/2 tablespoons-1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar, divided
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
salt to taste

In a large saucepan over high heat bring water and 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar to a boil. Add onion and return to a boil and cook uncovered over medium heat 2-3 minutes. Drain onion and let cool. In a bowl stir together onion, 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar, oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and salt. Serve at room temperature or cover and chill until ready to serve.

One last summer dish...

According to the calendar it's still summertime but the chill in the air and the leaves scattered on the ground say it's fall. As much as I love fall (what's not to love about sweaters and pumpkins?) I'm sad to see summer go. Chicago hasn't had quite as brutal a summer as other states and I know many other people are eagerly awaiting the cooler weather. For me, in my mind fall means winter, and I'm not too eager to see what Chicago has in store for us in a few more months.

So, to officially see summer off I'm going to make one last great summer salad. One of those meals that are light but completely satisfying in every way. The perfect dish to fit the bill is a Vietnamese Beef Salad. The complex flavor of the dressing combined with the hearty beef strips make this dish really filling. I learned how to make this dish in Hoi An, a charming but touristy town in central Vietnam (see above picture). They offer cooking classes on every corner for the curious tourists to learn the intricacies of Vietnamese cuisine. The class was made up of an interesting mix of rich older women who actually refused to chop vegetables, honeymooning couples, and then those flying solo, like me. When the instructor passed around a bottle of gold rum and told us to drink, I knew everything would be just fine. I wish so badly that I had written down the name of the rum we drank that night, it was so smooth and delicious, it totally changed what I thought about rum, which wasn't much.

Vietnamese love their beef and they like it rare. I do too on occasion, like in June when visiting my dad. He served me a huge bowl of homemade pho with thin slices of raw beef which cooked after he poured hot broth over the noodles and it cooked the meat to perfection. But if you don't eat beef or would just prefer to use an alternative, then use seitan. Seitan is wheat gluten and it makes a great substitute for beef in this dish because of its texture. It's also high in protein making it even more similar to the real thing.

This recipe also calls for tamarind paste which is very deceiving in that it seems like an easy thing to just pick up in the Asian market, but alas, nothing is ever easy. First I had to actually find where they kept the tamarind paste in the Asian market I frequent since I've never bought it before, 15 minutes later I had success. Then when I got home I had to do some research to make sure I bought the right kind of tamarind paste, since my package simply said 'Wet Seedless Tamarind'. Tamarind paste can come in a jar or a wet mushy block, like I got.

To actually be able to use the tamarind you must first add hot water 1 tablespoon at a time until it begins to soften and dissolve. Then take a small mesh strainer and press out the paste leaving behind all the remnants from the tamarind pod. If you don't feel like doing this, and frankly I don't blame you, then you can substitute Worcestershire sauce since tamarind is a main ingredient or even lemon juice. However, it won't taste quite the same as using fresh tamarind paste which has a very unique brightly soured taste that you'll find in many Asian dishes, such as Pad Thai. The paste can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks.

The crispy rice paper that is served with this dish can also be found in Asian markets. It will be next to the other varieties of rice paper wrappers. You simply put the rice paper into the microwave for 2 minutes and voila! It turns into a huge cracker! It's pretty awesome. It's very similar to the shrimp chips you can make at home by deep frying only much quicker and without all the grease to clean up later.

Vietnamese Beef Salad
Serves 4

Marinade
1 lb. beef filet or lean boneless beef or 8 oz. Seitan
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
 salt & pepper to taste

Salad Mix
1 cup lettuce (green leaf or butter leaf)
1 cup green papaya, grated
1 cup tomatoes, seeds removed and cut into thin strips
1/2 cup cucumber, seeds removed and cut into thin strips
1/4 cup white onion, thinly sliced
1 fresh red chilli, seeds removed, thinly sliced

Dressing
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon fish sauce
3 teaspoons sugar
1 garlic clove, crushed

Toppings
1/2 cup mint (or cilantro)
1/2 cup Asian basil
2 tablespoons crispy shallots (see below for instructions)
2 tablespoons peanuts, crushed
Roasted rice paper

Crispy shallots
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup shallots, thinly sliced
Heat oil until it shimmers (350 degrees). Place shallots in oil and deep fry until golden. Drain well, set aside.

Marinate beef (or seitan) in the fridge for up to 3 hours. If grilling, cook the beef, covered, over hot coals for 8 to 10 minutes on each side. Do not overcook, beef should be rare in the middle. If you don't have a grill, heat a greased cast-iron skillet or griddle over high heat and sear the beef for 8 to 10 minutes on each side. Let beef stand for 10 minutes; the meat will continue to cook and the juices will spread throughout the meat. Trim and discard fat and cut against the grain into 1 1/2 inch strips. If using seitan or other meat alternative, simply marinate and set aside.

Place the salad mix into a large serving bowl and toss with the dressing. Add beef and mix gently. Move ingredients onto a serving plate and sprinkle on the toppings. Serve with crispy rice paper.

Oklahoma Breakdown

It's been a little longer than I'd like since my last post; family took us back to Oklahoma where we endured 100 degree heat, ate way too much food, and got to play with small children and babies. The photo above was taken in my mom's backyard on the last full moon which happened to be a blue moon. Spending the evening relaxing by the light of the moon in the warm Oklahoma night reminded me of why it's such a great state. Stunning sunsets and nights spent outdoors close to nature is soothing and a welcome relief after the bustle of the city.

 Overall the trip was successful but at times the stress and anxiety ran high as it has a tendency to do when you get together with the family. I love reading books about family dynamics. Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections and Jane Smiley's A Thousand Acres remind me that families are by nature chaotic, overwhelming, and completely necessary. The fact that our families shape who we grow up to be makes us inextricably linked forever and it's impossible to ever distance yourself from that.

My original idea for a recipe came from my mother-in-law, a dish she makes when we come to town because my husband loves her vegetarian chili. Pink Onions top the chili and it's amazing how the bowl of hot chili is transformed by the slightly sweet and tart onions when they combine together in one bite. She wrote the recipe down for me but then I stuck them in my pocket and washed my jeans the next day. This kind of stuff happens pretty regularly. So until then I'm settling for a similar type of dish, a topping you can put on top of almost anything, but especially Mexican dishes. It's been adapted by a recipe I saw in Cook's Illustrated as a topping for chicken fajitas. It will also pair well with stews and chili's, sandwiches, ect. It's incredibly easy and also has great heat behind it so be sure to adjust the jalapeno to your liking. Stay tuned for Pink Onions to come...

 

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated
Spicy Pickled Radishes
Makes about 1 3/4 cups

10 radishes, trimmed and sliced thinly
1/2 cup lime juice (4 limes) or 2 T apple cider vinegar
1 jalapeno, sliced thinly
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or refrigerate for up to 24 hours.