December 2007 Revisited—Carrot Soup

Christmas at the farmhouse is a always a time to surround yourself with good food and family. After finishing off my sister's cinnamon pancakes for brunch, the entire family and some old friends are anticipating a return of a recipe I tried out at Christmas time a year ago, carrot soup. I believe I got the recipe from a William Sonoma cookbook.

The recipe, if you turn back to that blog entry, suggests that the carrots would be softened after 20 minutes of simmering; guess again, perhaps in a pressure cooker after 20 minutes. Despite the fact that this recipe isn't as easy as it sounds; I would recommend it to anyone who has an afternoon to kill on a sunny but cold December day.

Since, I have time on my hands (Greg stranded me here at the farm while he went to Lowe's); I began by baking three sweet potatoes (1 for this recipe and 2 for another I plan on trying in a few days). I covered the skins with oil after cleaning placing them in a baking pan. For those of you too lazy to return to the blog from 2007, just cut up half an onion; sweat them in oil and butter. At this point I added approximately a ½ cup of vermouth and the raw cleaned carrots. I placed the lid on the stock pan and let them go for about 2 ½ hours on low heat.

If you can believe, the carrots were still giving me trouble at the end of the 2 hours. I could put a knife through them but that was about it. I took them off the heat and with my blender I tried to break them up before I added the peanut butter and the broth. I added the contents of one baked yam and then brought the entire soup back up to a simmer. I then turned it down to low heat for another 2 hours. My hope is that by adding the yam, the soup will have a more hearty flavor. I remember that the last time we tried this soup it was very lite summer feel instead of a winter one.

Dinner is in a few hours, I am serving a dark brown bread with a hot crab meat dip/spread. Also, I am serving a Japanese cabbage salad with a Japanese mayo as a dressing. The dressing is similar to one found in a Kani salad. Here are what you will need for the dressing:

Kani Dressing Ingredients (mix, stir, dress cucumber and crab meat)
2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic juice
3-4 teaspoons
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon white pepper

Veretable Quandry Portland Oregon

I loved VQ; it was a very elegant restaurant we found one evening as we were looking at the map of downtown Portland. Near the waterfront, VQ provides a wonderful opportunity to stroll along the river after dinner.

As we wandered through the downtown full of tall buildings and concrete, we made our way from the hotel to the dot on the map. We rounded a corner to find a squat building of brick surrounded by trees and landscaping lighting that made it seem like a magical garden. Their patio was still in use--surprising this late in October; people we're drinking wine and supping despite the chilly autumn weather.

We entered to find a packed bar. We proceeded through to the restaurant. Assuming wrongly that we'd be seated without reservations, we turned back to the bar to find a full menu; hungry we quickly took a booth as it was opening.

The bar menu offered many choices. I ordered the cheese plate for the table along with an African pumpkin soup for my meal. If you know me, you know that I am obsessed with anything reminiscent of West African cuisine and this soup was it. Chopped peanuts provided texture to this otherwise smooth but robust soup. The cheese plate offering was delectable, as expected. What was surprising is the French Stilton was a texture and flavor that was similar to butter which we used to spread on rustic brown bread. The cheese plate included fruit and candied nuts offing a sweet contrast to the salty flavors of the different cheeses. My companions ordered the mushroom gnocchi and a beautiful salad. I stole a bite of each. I now know what real gnocchi is suppose to taste like. As you may remember, I made gnocchi recently, and unfortunately, it was not a success. VQ served theirs with a variety of wild mushrooms in a delicate sauce that was more chicken stock then cream. Little chunks of fried mozzarella gave the dish some depth, but surprisingly these bites didn't overpower. Our new Legal Aid friend, ordered the prawns and a salad. Karen's salad was beautiful and really more than an appetizer. The prawns were also beautifully presented. All of it was incredibly tasty and just beautiful to the eye. I of course was people watching and learned that their signature dessert was a chocolate souffle. Unfortunately, we we're all too full for dessert, so we decided to walk off dinner in the hopes that by the time we reached our destination, Voodoo doughnuts, we'd be hungry. Alas, we walked and walked but by the time we reached Voodoo Doughnuts even the delectable treats there could only offer themselves up as eye candy. It was a great evening of great food and great conversation.

On the ground in Portland

It is Thursday morning. We're on the ground in Portland after a very grueling day of travel on Wednesday. Assholes in suits we're everywhere in the airports freaking out over their job security, due to the crash yesterday. Very amusing (tragic and sad to the point of absurdity).
So, yeah, we're starving. There is a place called the Cup & Saucer that we're going to try to check out. The downtown transit is free, so we'll see what happens.

I've e-mailed my new online foodie friend for tips of where to eat RAW cuisine. As of yet, I haven't heard back from her, but we'll see what we can work out with that too. I have a couple leads if she does not get back to me. I also want to go to a farm while I am here, but again I don't know how that is going to work out either. . . no car.

So, I'll try to update later this morning, and also try to post some pictures of our adventures.

And, we're back, we went to breakfast at a place called Mother's. We were seated in the velvet room. There I had the best oat meal I have ever had cooked in cream and served with bananas and pecans. Greg had eggs cooked with strips of tortillas. All of it was very good. So good in fact that we went back the very next morning for salmon hash and more eggs. The coffee was very good coffee, and the staff were great. I would highly recommend to anyone. http://www.mothersbistro.com/

Fromage Blanc Day 2 & Rose Water Fantasies

Okay, yesterday I didn't get as far as I would have liked. A nap got me side tracked, and then I was sleepy (I had bed fog) all day. The accomplishment of the day was to get to the store for supplies and ingredients. We went to a Kroger's in Mansfield that I swear was a Whole Foods in disguise. I think I made a good hall because I was able to get some staples balsamic vinegar (for my pear salad), red wine for poaching pears (last time I used white wine) and lemons too. I also got a meat thermometer for use here at the farm house. I also got my first silpat for baking. I am going to work diligently to stock the pantry down here, so that these trips to the store are not so labor intensive. Tools are important. I pledge to think about my needs and organizing. Organizing will become an issue when I am trying to cook in a kitchen that construction workers will be tearing down and building up.

So, the goals for today are:

to make the cheese
pick pears (Take some to Home)
cook chicken
purchase peanuts (I forgot them yesterday)

Oh, I almost forgot to talk about rose water. I have been obsessed with rose water for the past several years. I have wanted to make my own, another ambition unrealized. Rose water, along with almonds for example, from what little research I have done were both used as sweeteners during medieval pastries kitchens where sugar was scarce and expensive (more later on why). So, I stopped in to the SoFo's Market in Toledo for lunch and walked past their little baking supply area (seriously it's only 4 shelves) and there was a crystal clear bottle of distilled rose water. Hello! Due to my obsession this ingredient has been on my mental shopping list for some time, but never had it presented itself, so of course I grabbed it. So, this entire weekend I have been trying to think of ways to use it. More on this later.



Okay, we're back. I made the cheese. If you want to jump to the crux of the matter, watch the first video, otherwise please excuse the non-edited segments that if you string them together yourself they will tell a story. Enjoy.

Fromage Blanc

Today I am making cheese. Why? B/c it's going to be tasty. Plus it's cook to make your own cheese. Come on?
I want to begin by thanking Nana for my special birthday gift, a crock (to put my cheese in as it ages). I know it was intended for a candle, but I looked at it with glee when I opened it because it is the perfect size for the type of cheese I plan on making. It was the perfect gift along with the basket that I have used to pick pears with.
The Fromage Blanc that I am making will be a soft cheese. Some of you will know how much I wish there was a cow out back right now that I could be milking for this recipe, but for know, I just have to be content with typing out my grocery list in preparation for the trip to the store. All in good time, right?
Family and friends will remember that I have previously written an article some time ago for the Toledo City Paper that discussed cheese and local cheese makers of Northwest Ohio. I have been itching to experiment on my own since doing the research for that article. If anyone is interested,. . .(I need to check a reference here).
While working on that article, I found a Youtube video that makes the entire process look so easy. I highly recommend "Chef John's" videos that can be found at his food wishes site, url: http://www.youtube.com/user/foodwishes

I'll be back in a bit--Greg's making waffles.

Pears 2008 Harvest

My Grandfather, Charles Skinner, planted dwarf Bartlett pear trees in the orchard behind the farm house. These trees were neglected after his death in 1986, and for the past four years, I have been nursing these trees back into production. The first two years provided the deer with a steady diet. Last year, the pears were still very deformed, but it seems the pruning has paid off. While the pears have a few blemishes, they are a decent size and uniformly shaped this harvest.
Last weekend, I harvested approximately three bushels. The first recipe I prepared was an old standard, a pear tart. The recipe I use is one committed to memory from a Frugal Gourmet book (If I recall correctly, this recipe has a long history, but not one I can recount from memory.). It is such a great recipe because you can really use it as a staple and just experiment with different fruit and jelly combination. I'll start with the recipe here:

Dough:
1 1/2 c. flour
1 and 1/2 stick of butter
3 T. of confectioner's sugar

The butter is kept at room temperature. I did try it once with cold butter; I thought it would turn out flaky. Combine ingredients with a pastry blender or fork. My recommendation is to resist using a mixer. The pastry blender may take a little more time, but it's worth it in the long run. Just when you have went from a stage where you have a crumbly dough to one that looks more like a ball, then you cover with plastic and set aside in the refrigerator to chill.

Slice your fruit. In this case, I used my freshly picked pears. I then melted apricot jelly in saucepan; then set both the sliced fruit and melted jelly aside.

Back to the dough. You can press your dough into a tart pan, or you can roll it out between two pieces of parchment paper with a chilled, marble rolling pin. Then cut the dough and press it into the tart pan that way. You just have a little more control with rolling out the dough, and it looks more uniform. You'll bake the tart for 10 minutes without the fruit; just till it begins to turn golden . . . not brown. Remove the tart from the oven and arrange the fruit slices. You can fan them in a spiral around the pan moving outwards in concentric circles. Then w/ a pastry brush; brush the melted jelly (apricot in this case) over the fruit. Sprinkle sugar over the fruit and return the tart to the oven for another 20 minutes. This tart crust takes a while to cook; just when you think it's done try to give it another 5 minutes. Just keep an eye on it and you'll be fine.

More pears? I also prepared poached pears. I love simple ingredients that really intensify really beautiful flavors that is why I have longed to poach pears in wine. I'm not sure where I got this recipe; it is pretty much everywhere. I had white wine on hand, but I think it is more traditional to use red wine. First peel the pears. I did this with a potato peeler leaving the stem.
I placed my pears stem up in a sauce pan then covered them with wine. I threw in a handful of sugar and brought the wine to a boil reducing to a simmer for 20 min. Remove the pears and reduce the remaining liquid by half to create a syrup. I can't wait to try this recipe with red wine and perhaps a little fresh cream for a garnish to the syrup. I think I may steep fresh mint in the cream to provide a little depth of flavor to the cream.

So that was last weekend, this weekend is cheese and rose water. Not together. I plan on making cheese. I bought a bottle of rose water with the intention of making something; I don't know what yet. Perhaps a butter cookie with rose water icing or rose water candied peanuts served with a cardamom iced tea. Here is the recipe from Gourmet magazine that I found for the peanuts:


Rose-Water Candied Peanuts
Serves6

* Active time:15 min
* Start to finish:35 min

April 2007
Food editor Maggie Ruggiero was served rose-scented candied peanuts and mint tea on the rooftop of the home of a Toubkal local. It turned out to be one of the best-tasting snacks she’d ever had.

* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup water
* 1 3/4 cups dry-roasted peanuts
* 1 1/2 teaspoons Middle Eastern rose water

*
Line a baking sheet with foil. Bring sugar and water to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peanuts and boil, stirring frequently, until syrup thickens, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to moderately low and stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt. Continue cooking, stirring and scraping any bits of crystallized sugar from side of pan into mixture (it will become very gritty), until sugar is golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes more. (Sugar will still be gritty.)
*
Remove from heat and stir in rose water. Spread nuts on foil to cool completely, about 20 minutes.

Cooks’ note: Nuts keep in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.

Recipe by Maggie Ruggiero

Photograph by Martyn Thompson

I'll be sure to let you know how it goes.

A Day at the Farm House

It's about 8 a.m. here at the farm house. The dogs are fed and content. I fed the cats, and the horse ? . . . I'm thinking about walking an apple down to her when I'm done here.
Well, maybe not entirely, content; Moon just poked her wet nose underneath my arm to see what I was up to and whether it involved food. She was half right.
There are several prospects for the day. My meaning here is that weekends at the farmhouse are always opportunities to cook and eat and to think about cooking and eating.
Breakfast is the first thing in the order of the day. Weekends at the farmhouse means waffles. Chef Greg prefers buckwheat. We usually serve with a dollop of peanut butter added to the maple syrup. At some point today, there may be an opportunity to see what is fresh in Old Man Slabach's garden; uhm! lolli bone. Dad has already promised an adventure into Sandusky for supper to treat us to one of his roadside finds; these are always roadhouse style jewels that are definitely off the beaten path. And, to top it all off, the fair begins today. Therefore, the evening promises a delicious funnel cake homemade by blue-haired, golden agers followed by an evening stroll among the 4-h barns. Today promises to be a good day. Plus, lingering in my subconscious is a way to make iced coffee that involves a cold brew . . . more on that later.

So all and all, if any of you have been waiting patiently for my next post, this weekend should be a doozie.

UPDATE, GREAT EXPECTATIONS:

Well, I didn't have to eat Miss Havisham's cake, but to suffice to say the funnel cake could have been better. At the fair, I couldn't find the golden age waffle stand, so I instead had to use the Bucyrus hospice waffle stand as my vendor. Okay, that was the most morbid f'd -up sentence I've ever written. :(

The people working the booth weren't grey haired, and therefore, I believe did not know what they were doing. I attribute this to lack of experience. With gray hair comes the knowledge of how to fry dough, it's a noble truth. The guy working the fryer just didn't know what he was doing, so instead of a tasty waffle, I got a fried Frisbee. Not to worry, this makes me want to make my own--in my own cast iron pan. I will definitely let you know who it goes.

Such a promising day but no luck on two fronts. I was promised a field trip. :( The field trip afar into the exotic land of Sandusky turned into a 5 min. drive to the road house. You may remember me bitching about the road house b/c of the overcooked salmon I had there the last time. It was not only overcooked but arrive at my table after everyone dinning with me had eaten. So, instead of getting grumpy, I rolled with it and ordered a steak. Go figure! A steak at the steak house (A tiger in Africa?), was actually the thing to order . . . well really fillet mignon. How could they f' that up really? It was really good with lots of blue cheese on it. However, because of the rug that was pulled out from under, I have been promised a trip to Vanson's in Monroeville for some veal picatti. I know! It's Grandma's fault she fed me veal when I was little. I've only eaten it once since I turned twenty, and I plan on breaking down this summer for one more indulgence, and then it's back on the cruelity free wagon. Name my pennance?

So, Vanson's is on notice. It better be good! If anyone finds themselves in Monroeville anytime soon, check it out 232 Sandusky St, Monroeville, OH 44847, (419) 465-2827‎ They serve a very good breakfast affordable and good size servings. The pancakes were decent too. And, isn't the dinning room quaint? It reminds me of some places in and around Ohio that Mom and Dad took me when I was a kid. I love it. Can't wait to go back.

Well as I promised before, I am still planning to update you on all everything that has happened since Feb. More to come

Nana's Signature Veggie Soup

Try Nana’s Veggie Soup for supper after shoveling yourself out . . or paying someone else to do it like I did.

We had a snow day, and all I can think of is veggie soup, But there is only one that will do. No offense mom, but I hated it when you cooked vegetable soup. It made me hate vegetable soup. In fact until I met my husband and subsequently his grandmother, aka Nana, I never new that vegetable soup was actually edible. Nana’s vegetable soup is not the unappetizing red tomato soup menace with green beans that one would normally call to mind.

Nana’s soup is a delicious medley of vegetables, that are not overcooked, all swimming in a broth along with shredded meat, e.g. chicken, beef, or turkey. It is very yummy. Nana has been reading the blog, and she has graciously offered to add to it with her recipes for my favorite vegetable soup along with her famous chili and a few suggestions for dessert. Enjoy!

NANA’S VEGGIE SOUP

Start with some Beef ribs with some fat on, cooked.

Add: Chopped potatoes,Chopped cabbage, Chopped turnips, Chopped carrots, Chopped onion, Chopped celery, Corn, Peas, Green Beans, Carrots, and Tomato Juice/water to cook.

Corn, beans, peas and carrots can be frozen, fresh or canned. If canned, ad when soup has cooked a few minutes.

I add garlic, a little soy sauce, salt, pepper, and little sugar.

I also add anything else that I have in the refrigerator that I think would be good. I never have the same recipe twice on this.

Cook all together until Veggies are desired tenderness.

NANA’S CHILI

Fry I pound of hamburger and 2 large chopped onions

Add to:

I can kidney beans

I can stewed tomatoes

Some minced garlic.

¼ cup soy sauce

2 T. catsup

1T mustard

Bring all to a boil and simmer for ½ hour.

For dessert:

HUMMEL’S FUTTER

1 cup sugar 1 c. chopped walnuts 3 sliced bananas

1 egg 1 c. chopped dates 1 large Cool Whip

3 T. flour 1 lg. can chunk pineapple Marochino cherries

1 tsp. baking powder green or red grapes (or both)

Beat sugar and egg together. Add flour and baking Powder. Mix in nuts and dates.

Spread in a 9 x 13 pan. Bake 30 minutes at 325 degrees. Cool. Removed from pan and break into bit size pieces into a serving dish. Cover with sliced bananas, drained pineapple and chopped, drained marochino cherries. Cover with Cool Whip.

Chill at least 2 hours.

________________________________________________________________________

NANA’S APPLE DUMPLINGS

2 cups flour

2 T. sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. Salt

2/3 cup milk

2/3 cup shortening Crisco or oleo

Mix and roll in a rectangle ¼ inch thick. Chop enough apples fine, to cover the dough. Rollup s a jelly roll. Cut about 1 inch thick. Pour sauce over .

Bake 350 degrees for I hour.

SAUCE

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 T. flour

I cup (or more) water

Lump of butter

Bring to a boil.

Dolsot Bi Bim Bap, please!

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, we made our way to lunch visiting Fujiyama, what was formerly known as the Korean Village, located in Toledo, Ohio on North Reynolds. (1208 N Reynolds Rd
Toledo, OH 43615, (419) 537-0700) Fujiyama is a sushi restaurant serving very clean-tasting, yummy sushi along with a good array of traditional fare from the kitchen.

Basking in the sun in our table by the window, (you should know I am wearing my sunglasses inside just so we can take it in—I look ridiculous, but I don’t care), we wait as our personable waitress makes her way to our table to ask us one more time if we’re okay. We are more than okay. We have just devoured an appetizer of asparagus beef roll in teriyaki sauce and lots of sushi in our mouths.

Wait for it . . . here she comes again, and this time she is not empty handed. She brings with her a sizzling hot pot that turns heads. The arrival of my pot creates a clamor of murmuring at the table next to us. “What is that?” Another waitress answers, “That is the Bi Bim Bap Hot Pot.”

Dolsot bi bim bap is comfort food straight from mom’s kitchen; well, that is . . . straight from the kitchen if your mom happens to be Korean. But, you get my point . . . this is the Korean equivalent of mashed potatoes or even chicken soup in lots of ways. This dish is also considered a fast food staple in Korea, i.e. Seoul Food. Get it! Geography? Never mind.

Anyway, it is generally prepared with beef (though chicken and seafood can and often added into the mix) and a medley of vegetables, e.g. cucumber, zucchini, daikon, bean sprouts, spinach—sometimes lettuce. Traditionally bi bim bap also includes all these things, plus tofu and tasty roots called doraji and gosari. It all arrives at your table with a fried, sunny side up egg on top of the veggies and beef in a hot pot, cast iron or stone, that has been heated. The pot does not begin to cool until you have put the last bit in your mouth as your nose runs from the heat.

How to eat it? Bi Bim Bap means to stir with rice which is provided along with a traditional hot, sweet pepper sauce (that I am ashamed to say reminds me of ketchup), gochujang. The first time I tried the hot pot I had my own coach who instructed me to, “Stir, Stir, Stir . . . add rice and sauce. . . STIR, STIR, STIR . . . You aren’t stirring fast enough. . . . Stir . . . Aren’t you going to put all your rice in?” It was a little traumatic; I joke. Anyway, the stirring is essential. As I mentioned, there is a bright yellow, sunny side-up egg on top of the bi bim bap; the stirring breaks the yoke and cooks it as you stir, stir, and stir. The flavors are incredible. Vinegar, sweet, tomato, and sesame oil from the sauce. The texture is so good . . .fluffy rice, crumbly ground beef, and crispy vegetables that have sizzled to crispy perfection while you have stirred, stirred, and stirred, which by the way is essential . . . as the name of the dish implies, i.e. to mix. Really good stuff.

For the home cook please visit, http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2003/Jan/15/il/il12ataste.html to make the recipe found on that page. You won’t need any special equipment, but if you want to do it up right and get a stone pot, the can be found own line at http://www.kgrocer.com/

Otherwise, you can adventure to Seoul Garden, in Ann Arbor, MI., http://www.aaseoulgarden.com/ , or the Fujiyama in Columbus, Ohio (Fujiyama 5755 Cleveland Columbus, 614-891-2224 )

I also plan to update this blog in a few weeks after hopefully visiting Ko’s Korean Restaurant ( 1020 Sylvania Ave., Toledo, Ohio (419) 474-7616), and after giving the hot pot a try at the farm house.

This entry is dedicated to Sharon. Sorry, I doubted you during those summer months as your eyes watered, and I looked beseechingly at you and then out the window at the summer heat. You wisdom is infinite. See you at the next Feminist Fujiyama Friday!

Polish American Treats in Toledo: A visit to Ski's

It seems some time has passed since I have discussed a local Toledo restaurant, so I want to correct that by sharing with you a recent outing to Ski’s, a very popular Polish American Restaurant. Ski’s is located at 5843 Monroe Street. You have to look for it because it is tucked away in an odd little plaza, but if you are looking for comfort food, this is the place.

Once in the door, the red and white Polish pride décor was a little off putting, especially the strange red ultraviolet light that is only located over the dance floor in the corner of the restaurant. As we were seated, we were greeted with live music. Truthfully, after having dined at Sokolowski’s University Inn (see previous post), I was a little skeptical having never been to Ski’s. I planned on ordering the pierogi’s on the recommendation of my friend, and I didn’t know if the experience was going to live up to the hype. For those of you unfamiliar with Polish fare, a pierogi is a delicious pasta filled dumpling with various fillings; cheese, potatoes, meat, etc. They are prepared by boiling, deep frying, or sautéed with onions; served with sour cream and crispy bacon.

Even thought I knew what I was going to order, we did spend some time examining the menu. I was amazed as I read Sauerkraut balls! Okay, I thought, this is beginning to look promising. Where in the hell do you go these days that they have Sauerkraut balls on the menu? I’ll tell you where Grandma’s house and Ski’s.

I love Sauerkraut balls. Every year on New Years Eve or New Years Day, my Grandma Sharp would make these lovely, bit-size deep-fried balls that once you put in your mouth and crunched would literally melt leaving a layered medley of sweet, sour, savory tastes mingled with the crunch of kraut and minced corned beef. They are delicious; I have a recipe--maybe I’ll share.

The waitress came; we ordered. And then, the complementary salad came. I wanted to cry. If you know me you know that I hate what I refer to as the “Ohio salad.” It won’t be hard to imagine b/c if you are from Ohio or have stepped foot in our borders you know what the “Ohio salad” is. It’s an awful middle of winter iceberg lettuce that (served all year long) with a wedge of tomato and that is about it. Ski’s threw on some dehydrated onions and raisins to make it interesting (I hope you note my sarcasm here). Setting aside the salad, I intently starred at the door of the kitchen waiting for relief from the salad from hell. Where are my sauerkraut balls?

The balls arrived: they were delicious, but not my grandma’s. They were served on a bed of fresh cabbage which I liked; it added freshness. The house poppy dressing stood in as a good dipping sauce, Greg’s idea.

The potato and veal pierogie’s, made in Hamtramck, MI, were really great, so tasty. They were served with a warm sweet and sour kraut. Greg got the Kluski z kapusta I klopsiki, or Polish Noodles and Cabbage with Meatballs. His dish was so good. It was topped with brown gravy that was reminiscent of Salisbury steak, like Grandma made. The sweet and sour kraut over the homemade/handmade noodles was fantastic, tender not overcooked.

We didn’t do dessert (they looked good).

Speaking of dessert, another Toledo tradition is being celebrated this weekend. If you are interested in an experiencing a Polish American tradition—the timing of this blog is very apropos, because beginning on February 3rd thru the 5^th the 18^th Annual Lagrange Village Council Paczki Sale will be held.

Paczki, pronounced "poonch-key" or "punch-key" is feasted upon before lent. A Paczki is like a jelly donut, but better it is like a supper jelly donut often filled with more traditional fillings, e.g. a raisin filing.

According to a ToledoBlade Article that was published on January 21, 2008 sale hours will be 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Feb. 3, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Feb. 4, and 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Fat Tuesday, Feb. 5. at the Shoppes on Lagrinka, 2848 Lagrange St.

Happy Paczki Day!

In Anthony's footsteps

In a recent episode of Anthony Bourdain's show No Reservations (check it out on the Travel Channel--the new season looks great), he took his viewer audience along for the ride to Cleveland, Ohio. Looking for something to do over the Christmas break, we thought why not follow the Bourdain path; we decided to check out Cleveland.

Our plan was to visit some of the featured attractions and restaurants of interest that Bourdain boasted; we added a few destinations that were more or less off the beaten path.

Our first stop was to the Christmas Story House. If you are not from the Midwest, you may not be familiar with our fascination with a little film entitled, A Christmas Story, that was made in 1981. The film chronicles the plight of Ralphie who only wants a Red Rider BB gun for X'mas. Ralphie's X-mas wish is not welcome and is greeted with "You'll shot your eye out kid!" by everyone he encounters.

The film was shot in a house on the West side of Cleveland. I think back in 2005 one of my obsessed brethren bought the actual house where the film was shot, along with two other houses on the same street. You can now visit the museum and actually tour the house the film was shot, which has been refurbished to look just like it did in the film.

The main attraction is to have your picture taken with "the lamp." The father in the film wins an award, a tacky lamp. The base of the lamp is a female leg in a black pump with fishnet stockings, topped with a lampshade. They sell the lamp for $200 bucks in the gift shop. Watch the movie, and you'll see the point in all of this. If you have watched the film and want to get the lamp for your front window, here is a link to the museum's web site, url: http://achristmasstoryhouse.com/. (We also got to meet the woman who played the elf whose one line was "Come on Kid!")

Next, we made our way to The Sausage Shop located at 4501 Memphis Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44144; there number, if you get lost , is (216) 351-5213. This place is great. The smell as we walked in was incredible; it reminded me of a meat market my mom used to shop in when I was little. Right on the counter, proudly displayed, was Mr. Bourdain's smiling mug welcoming us. They had samples on the counter--liver pate that was out of this world. It was delicious. Since it was so close to the New Year, we purchased some of their holiday kielbasa, only available during Christmas and Easter, w/ free kraut. We served it on New Year's day, as is the custom, and it was very good. We were very careful not to over cook it, adding it at the last minute to the kraut, as instructed by the young lady at the counter. She said that their unique flavor comes from a recipe that includes wine in the kielbasa begins to cook. My sister purchased some Roast Beef; she said it was the best she has ever had. For more information about, the Sausage Shoppe visit their web site, url: http://www.sausageshoppe.com

Next, we made our way to the West Side Market. Parking took forever! Once we found a spot, we made our way towards the back door of the fruit and vegetable market. The place was incredible. People were everywhere. When you enter the place, you are greeted with unbelievable displays of all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables. Samples are available, and the prices are reasonable. There was even a little flower market. Inside the actual market, you could purchase various cuts of meat, pasta, fresh nuts, Greek pastries, Amish pies, etc. The entire experience reminded me of the markets we visited while traveling in Mexico City. It was amazing. The market was built in 1912, and it is located near the Sausage Shoppe. You can visit their web site, url: http://www.westsidemarket.com

At this point the main attraction, Sokolowski's University Inn wasn't open for several hours, so we gave ourselves an impromptu self guided tour of downtown Cleveland where we stumbled upon the International Women's Air and Space Museum. Check them out at url: http://www.iwasm.org/

Finally, we made it to Sokolowski's University Inn. My step-dad had been wondering the entire trip why we wanted to go to this place . . . especially when we waited patiently in the parking lot for an hour till the place opened along with 5 other cars waiting to get into the door. Ten minutes after we ordered, he figured it out, asking, "How did you hear about this place again?" I had only talked about No Reservations about 40 times that day as we made our way around town. Honestly, his question was no greater complement to the person who was responsible for making the Chicken Paprikash that evening. It made him sit up and take notice. Hell, before the meal was even finished, he said the next time we were in town to catch an Indian's game that he knew where he was going to eat. I hope that this gives you an idea of how good this place was. Served in a cafeteria style, the average cost for dinner is $12. You get a meal, drink, dessert, salad and roll. The place is filled with sports memorabilia. The decor is cozy; there is even a fireplace in the dinning room. Everyone was lovely, a good family atmosphere. The restaurant is located at 1201 University Road, Cleveland, Ohio, 44102. There number is (216) 771-9236. The next time we go back I will try the stuffed cabbage; they looked so good. Check out their web site: www.sokolowskis.com Finally, we headed home. Regretfully, we did not get to try a polish boy at Hot Sauce Williams, but Lauren, a native of Cleveland, tells me that there is a far better place to get them (more on that later.)

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The Hotel George/Bistro Bis

The Hotel George is located a few blocks from the Capitol Building in Washington D. C. Greg and I had the opportunity one evening in November of dinning in a restaurant adjacent to the hotel. The restaurant owned by Jeffery Buben is called Bistro Bis. What was refreshing about this experience is that it gave us the opportunity to dine in a way that isn't always available here. There are very few opportunities to eat French Cuisine in Toledo; this sounds so pretentious, but really it's not.
French cuisine is grounded in fundamentals of technique, fresh (local) ingredients, and most of the time is essentially doing incredible things with what is available to everyone. It seems very revolutionary and "of the people" when considering modeling ones diet on French philosophies regarding food preparation and choosing food, i.e. how to shop for food (more on this later).
I think the other reason I really like the idea of French Cuisine is that it assumes the availability of locally produced food stuffs. I like for instance to think about abandoning the idea of purchasing a block of over-processed cheese that is more oil and additives then anything natural from the local Kroger, and then fantasizing that if I look hard enough, just around the corner, there will be a farmer in Michigan or Ohio taking their own milk raised in this region that would have flavor and freshness that is simply beautiful to eat on its own. I am just now thinking/committing to make that idea a reality; I will find that farmer. In the meantime, I will learn everything I can about cheese.
Oh, Bistro Bis . . . this entire rant started with this restaurant in D.C. that we ate at . . . they had a cheese plate; we ordered it for dessert. It was so fantastic, like a parlor game, testing and letting the flavors and textures sink in our mouths. Sticky, smooth, grassy, buttery . . . they were all samples of cheeses that had been produced in the United States on small farms in places like Vermont and New York. Our waitress wasn't very helpful, which was a little disappointing. She really couldn't tell us a lot about the artisans. Therefore, I must learn for myself; I have a pretty good collection of cookbooks; I'll start there and let you know what happens. For know, check out the Hotel George's web site: http://www.hotelgeorge.com/restaurant.cfm

Churros

Cinnamon and chocolate do not seem likely partners in a delicious treat. In 1984 traveling in Mexico, I was treated to a rich, velvety cup of Mexican hot chocolate with a churro for dipping. A churro is a long fried pastry that is coated in sugar and cinnamon. I recall the grainy texture of the sugar sliding down my throat helped along with velvety chocolate, while watching all the people scurry on their way along the avenue that connected us to the large zocolo or main square that was central to everything in Mexico city. I hadn't had this treat in a long time when my sister, home for the holidays said, "Let's make churros." I was up for the challenge, but I never thought it would be so easy to make. We began by making a lovely, simple syrup consisting of water, brown sugar, and butter; bringing it to a rolling boil. After a few minutes, we removed it from the heat and added our flour. Stirring the dough, thick and sticky, it finally came together forming a stiff ball that was just beautiful, rich looking. In a separate bowl, we had mixed together egg and vanilla. We then added this to the dough stirring again until the egg mixture was incorporated into the dough. At this point the dough was amazing to look at; it just looked like we had spent hours preparing this thing that really only had taken moments to get it to this stage. Next we heated our oil. I didn't have a tool that is traditionally used that pipes out the dough in the form of a star pattern, so I improvised by using a zip lock bag as a stand in for a pastry bag. After the long, one-inch diameter pastries were brown on each side, we pulled them from the oil. While still hot, we immersed them in a sugar and cinnamon coating. Sara and I were so impressed with ourselves that we had pulled this off; we sampled our work. I was blown away with the almost custard flavor and texture that we experienced after bitting into the crisp, fried crust. But, it didn't end there. Sara had wanted to make a variation on banana's foster that she had recently with friends in South Carolina. She used the churros as a foundation for bananas broiled in butter topping them with caramel, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream. It was incredible tasting and was really a desert that was the melding of two memories and an opportunity for us to share with one another experiences that we had not been able to share together. It made for a wonderful ending to a dinner ushering in the new year. This is definitely a desert you want to experience if you love texture. The custard texture of the inside of the churro and the broiled banana were meant to be. The chocolate and cinnamon give that velvet, grit that recalls that afternoon in an open air cafe.

If you are interested in recreating this follow this link for the churro recipe, http://www.cooking-mexican-recipes.com/churro-recipe.html

Here is the actual recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 2 Tbs brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 cup white flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 to 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, depending on taste

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Directions:

Preheat 1 1/2 to 2 inches of vegetable oil in a 10 to 12 inch frying pan to 375 degrees F. In a separate dish mix the 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

In a 3 qt. sauce pan add the water, brown sugar, salt, and butter and heat to a good boil. Remove from the heat and add the flour. Stirring in the flour will take some muscle. Mix it in until well blended.

In a separate bowl, mix the eggs and vanilla together and then add this mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until well blended and all the egg is completely mixed in.

Fill your decorating tool with the churro recipe dough and attach the largest star tip you have.

Test your oil by placing a small amount of dough in it. The dough should bubble up right away or that means the oil is not hot enough and a soggy churro is on the way.

Once the oil is hot enough, squeeze some dough (with decorator) into the oil about 4 inches long. I used my finger to release the dough from the decorator. Careful not to burn yourself. You should be able to cook 4 or 5 churros at a time. Cook them about 1 minute and turn them over with a slotted spoon. Cook an additional minute or two. You're looking for that nice golden brown color.

Remove the churros with the slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel-covered plate to absorb excess grease.

While still warm, roll each churro into the dish with the sugar and cinnamon until coated.