Banana Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding (adapted from epicurious.com)

The way I see it, a proper bread pudding is the dessert equivalent of a warm blanket and snuggly movie marathon on a rainy day.  That is to say it is classic comfort food.  The trick is to make sure the bread comes out moist!  Don't be sparing with the custard ingredients.  If in doubt, it is better to make extra.  In this particular recipe, the vanilla ice cream acts as the sauce so you don't have to make any additional.  Although, if you like the traditional rum sauce with your bread pudding and you have the time to spare, check out this recipe for rum caramel sauce and just omit the cinnamon. Have fun!

What to Gather:

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
3 bananas, peeled, halved crosswise and then lengthwise
1-2 cups chocolate chips
5 tablespoons sugar
2 cups whipping cream (can be substituted with half and half)
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8-10 oz challah bread or brioche, each slice cut into 1x1x4" strips
1/4 cup rum (optional)

What to Do:

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add bananas and 2 tablespoons sugar and cook until bananas are tender, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from heat. 

Combine whipping cream, eggs, vanilla extract and 1/4 cup rum (optional) and 3 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl and whisk to blend. 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9X9-inch loaf pan. Arrange 1/3 of bread strips crosswise in bottom of prepared pan. Arrange 6 banana pieces atop bread. Sprinkle with half of chocolate chips. Arrange 1/3 of bread strips crosswise atop bananas. Pour half of egg mixture over. Arrange remaining banana pieces atop bread. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips. Arrange remaining bread strips crosswise atop bananas. Pour remaining egg mixture over. Press gently on top layer to compact. Let stand 15 minutes before baking. 

Bake bread pudding until puffed and golden and knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool slightly. 

Cut bread pudding into squares. Top with vanilla ice cream, garnish with edible flowers, cocoa powder or a mint leaf.  Serve warm and Enjoy!

Scallops with Prosecco Butter Sauce

I love scallops!  Unfortunately, Chicago is not exactly known for fresh seafood.  We have to settle for the previously frozen stuff, which is obviously not as amazing as fresh caught, but still delicious!  Whole Foods has nice, large scallops if you can afford to pay a little bit extra.  Otherwise, you can find perfectly good scallops in the frozen section of most supermarkets.  My personal preference is Trader Joe's or Costco.  They usually run about $8-$10 per pound.  When you are ready to use them, simply remove the desired amount from the bag and place in a tepid water bath to defrost.  The scallops pictured above are wild Japanese scallops from Trader Joe's.  

What To Gather:

10-15 scallops
Olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 small grapefruit
 
Onion Puree
1 large white or yellow onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/4 cup
chili flakes
salt, pepper

Prosecco Butter
3/4 cup Prosecco sparkling wine
2 tbsp shallots
6 tbsp butter

What To Do:

Onion Puree
Heat the 1/4 cup of olive oil in a pan.  Add the onions and cook, covered, on medium low heat for about 10 minutes.  Do not brown.  (If onions begin to brown, lower heat.)  Stir in salt, pepper and crushed pepper.  Cover and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes - until onions are very tender.  Spoon into blender or food processor and puree.  Set aside and keep warm if possible. 

While onions are cooking you can prep the grapefruit and the Prosecco butter. 

Grapefruit
Cut away grapefruit peel, including the pith, trying not to cut away too much of the fruit itself.  Supreme the grapefruit by slicing the fruit away from the pith. 

I was not able to photograph this process on my own so here are photos of an internet woman neatly accomplishing the task. Slice the supremes into smaller pieces and set aside.

Prosecco Brut Butter
Place 3/4 cup Prosecco and 2 tbsp finely chopped shallots in a hot pan. Boil until it has reduced to about 2 tbsp of liquid.  About 5 minutes.  Lower heat and whisk in the butter,  1 tbsp at a time. Add each piece before the previous piece has melted.  Remove from heat.  Cover and keep warm. 

Scallops and Plating

Heat a dry 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, at least 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, pat scallops dry and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Add olive oil to hot skillet, swirling to coat, then sear scallops without crowding, undisturbed, until undersides are well browned, about 3 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to skillet, swirling skillet, then turn scallops over and cook until just cooked through, about 1 minute more. 

Spoon onion purée onto each of plate(s), then top with scallops, browned sides up, and diced grapefruit. Drizzle with Prosecco butter.  Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE-STRAWBERRY LAYER CAKE (Adapted from Bon Apetit, June 2010)

This cake is extremely moist!  The original recipe called for raspberries, but strawberries are very cheap and very much in season right now so I opted for 4 pints of those.  Really, you can use any berry - get creative!  Also, this recipe is for a two layer cake.  I made extra batter for an ambitious 3rd layer. 

What You Need:

CAKE
nonstick spray
2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup water
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs

CHOCOLATE GANACHE AND BERRY TOPPING
18 oz chocolate (61% cacao or lower), chopped
2 1/4 cups heave whipping cream
6 tbsp seedless raspberry jam, stirred to loosen, divided
24 oz berries
10 tbsp berry liquor - such as kirschwasser (optional), divided

What To Do:

Position rack on lower third of oven; preheat to 350 F.

Coat two 9-inch diameter cake pans with 2-inch high sides with nonstick spray.

Line bottoms with parchment paper rounds; spray rounds.

Sift flower, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. 

Whisk to blend and form a well in the center.

Whisk eggs in a medium bowl.  Whisk in water, buttermilk, and oil to blend.

Pour wet ingredients into well in dry ingredients.  Whisk to blend.

Divide cake batter between prepared pans (about 3 cups each).

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.   

TIP: If cakes for domes, place kitchen towel atop hot cakes, then press gently with palm of hand to level - this works great!  Just don't push too hard.  You don't want it to fall and become concave either.

Cool completely in pans on cooling racks.  Can be made 1 day ahead.  If made in advance, cover cakes in pans and let stand at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE AND BERRY TOPPING


Place chopped chocolate in medium bowl.

Bring cream just to a boil in heavy medium saucepan.

Pour hot cream over chocolate.  LEt stand 1 minute, then stir until ganache is melted and smooth.

(peek-a-boo!)

Transfer about 1 1/4 cups ganache to small bowl.  

Cover and refrigerate until ganache is thick enough to spread (about 1 hour), stirring occasionally. 

Let remaining ganache stand at room temperature to cool until barely lukewarm.

If using strawberries, slice into 1/8"-1/4" slices and set aside. 

strawberry colony!

Gently remove cakes from pans and peel off parchment paper.  Set on a cookie sheet or other portable flat surface.  

Sprinkle or brush 5 tbsp of liqueur evenly over each cake. 

Spread 3 tbsp berry preserves evenly over each cake.

Spoon all of the chilled ganache over one of the cakes.  Spread to coat evenly.  

Arrange one layer of sliced strawberries (or other berries) over the ganache.  

Place the top layer of cake over the strawberries.  

Pour half of the barely lukewarm ganache over the cake, spreading over sides to cover.  Freeze until ganache sets, about 30 minutes.  

Pour remaining ganache over cake, allowing to drip down the sides.  Spread with a knife or rubber spatula for smooth, even coverage.  Freeze to set ganache, about 30 minutes.  

Cover with cake dome and refrigerate until shortly before serving time.

Remove from refrigerator and top with berries.  

Slice and enjoy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY POPS!

Fresh Cabbage and Edamame Salad with Peanut Dressing

This salad has undergone several transformations since its inception, but this is the latest version.  There are two things I really enjoy about making this dish.  1. It solves the question of what to do with the head of cabbage that's been staring you down from the crisper.  2. It is extremely versatile, so vegetable substitutions are encouraged.  I love recipes that make it easy to play with ingredients.  In the past I have used pea shoots, alfalfa sprouts, bean sprouts, shredded carrots, scallions, and tofu as alternatives in this salad.  This time around I used the watercress, red onion, and whole carrots I had in the fridge.  

For the dressing, I either make my own, if I have peanut butter on hand, or I use Trader Joe's Thai Peanut dressing.  


What to gather:

For the salad

1/2 head of green cabbage
1 carrot
1/2 bunch watercress (about 1 cup chopped) or 1 cup sprouts
1/2 red onion and/or 6 scallion, chopped
1/2 cucumber
1 cup edamame or firm tofu, diced
2 tbsp sesame seeds

For the dressing

4 tbsp peanut butter, room temperature
6 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
salt and sriracha or asian chili paste to taste

Tips:

• When preparing a big salad, I like placing all the ingredients in a large tupperware bowl.  When it's time to toss the salad, put the cover on and shake it up!  Transfer to a nice dish to serve.  
• Because cabbage is so tough, it helps to make this dish several hours or a day in advance.  The salt in the dressing draws out some of the moisture in the cabbage, making it a little bit softer.

 What to do:


Cut the cabbage in half and remove the stem by cutting it out in a V shape.  Halve the piece that you are using for the salad.  Slice in the opposite direction, like so.  Rinse thoroughly in colander.  Place in bowl.

Cut the end off of the carrot and, using a vegetable peeler, remove the outer layer of the carrot.  Use the peeler to shave the carrot into thin, wide strips.  Add to bowl.

Quarter the cucumber and cut into thin long strips.  Add the onion, edamame, cucumber, watercress and sesame seeds to the bowl.

For dressing:
Combine peanut butter and sesame oil.  Whisk together until homogeneous and smooth.  Add vinegar, salt and sriracha.  Whisk until blended.  Pour desired amount of dressing over salad and toss to coat.
Serve and enjoy!

Longman & Eagle

Last night I went out for a friend's birthday to the newly opened, much awaited Longman & Eagle (aka vealman and eaglebones), located at 2657 N. Kedzie, Chicago, in Logan Square.  The space is fairly small and was completely packed at 7:30 pm on a Tuesday.  The food here is no joke.  However, in spite of the menu's serious use of fancy food words such as "fourchettes," "charmoula," "velouté," "fonduta," and "mostarda," it still maintains a down-to-earth vibe and very accessible food.  Beyond the food, there is something that makes L&E totally unique to Chicago.  Come Spring, there will be a boutique Inn above the restaurant, offering 6 rooms for overnight stays.  Perfect for those nights when too much whiskey has been drunk and the fun has lasted far into the night.  Word is, they will also start serving breakfast around the same time they open the Inn.  And what could be better than waking up to the smell of bacon emanating from the kitchen below?

The journey begins!

There were six of us, so we opted for two bottles of wine.  The Forlorn Hope Syrah and a bottle of Mâcon-Villages White Burgundy.  They averaged about $40 each.

After getting settled in, the chef sent an amuse bouche of Tuna Tartare garnished with pickled fennel.  I enjoyed this so much that I requested an appetizer portion for the table.  The chef promptly made it for us even though it wasn't on the menu.

The menu is divided into Bar Snacks, Salads and Sandwiches, Plates, and Entrées.  We started with an order of House-Marinated Olives - $4 and someone ordered the Kobe Meatballs - creamy polenta, parsley pesto, fonduta - $6.  This photo looks like it was pulled out of a 1960's cookbook - haha!

 














Pear Salad - endive, green beans, Stilton, cress, sherry-walnut vinaigrette - $9.  Under those greens is a heaping pile of finely shaved bosque pear.  Not too sweet and very juicy.  The bleu cheese was mild enough not to overpower the other flavors.








Now for the small plates...


Seared Maine Scallop - braised oxtails, potato gnocchi, fontina fonduta - $12.  This was a hit at the table. 
















Fried Ipswich Clam Bellies - celery root rémoulade, toasted brioche, mâche - $9.  The mâche was a slightly sweet, the brioche buttery and soft, and the rémoulade salty.  It kind of tasted like a deconstructed crab cake.  This would make for a taaaaasty hangover lunch.

It doesn't get much manlier than this.  Roasted Marrow Bones - red onion jam, sea salt, sourdough croutons - $9.  The guys really seemed to enjoy tunneling through this thing.  A nod to you, Mr. Freud.   



Order two more bottles of wine - quick!  75 Cabernet Sauvignon and a Cuvée - the name of which escapes me.    A-ha!  Les entrées!  Yes, we went all out.  What.

Pork Belly Confit - pumpkin risotto, chestnuts, apple, soy-caramel broth - $18.  I tasted the pumpkin risotto which just as well could have been a sweet potato rice pudding.  mmm..yes please.

Braised Slagel Family Farm Veal Breast - piggy Brussels sprouts, cheek manicotti - $17.  Jared let me taste a sliver of the beef cheek manicotti.  It was minimally seasoned seasoned.  The flavor of the meat speaks for itself.  I'm so afraid this blog might cause me to revert back to my long forgotten carnivorous ways...sigh.

Bouillabaisse - market shell and finfish, saffron-infused lobster broth, rouille - $17.  Kim and I shared this gorgeous stew.  The market shellfish were clams and mussels.  Again, subtle seasonings, allowing the flavor of the seafood to really come through.  

















Being that this was a birthday dinner, it was only natural to order all three desserts on the menu.  Classic Crème Brûlée - plum compote, langue du chat cookies - $6, Chocolate Banana Bread Pudding - vanilla bean ice cream, bourbon caramel - $7 and a Candy Apple dessert.  Pictured is the Crème Brûlée, my favorite of the three.
 

Thus concludes our epic culinary adventure at Longman and Eagle.  I'm so grateful for birthdays and friends, for great meals are only great when shared in good company.  Cheers!

Mana Food Bar

As I am still trying to get the hang of this whole process, you will sometimes have to make do with slightly substandard photography!  I left my memory card in the computer yesterday so I was stuck taking pictures of food with my Palm Pre.  Forgive me!

Welcome to Mana Food Bar 1742 W. Division, Chicago.  We came in for a late lunch on a Saturday.  It was surprisingly quiet with only one couple dining at one of the two booths. 

Here are some photos of the gorgeous, earthy yet modern space.  I got them off of the Mana Food Bar facebook page. 

I started with the Apple Cider, Cinnamon and Nigori Sake cocktail - $8.  It was very delicate and not too sweet.  The cinnamon tasted freshly grated.   Jared ordered the 14 oz Avocado, Pineapple and Coconut Water Smoothie - $8,  which was deliciously fruity and just the right amount of creamy.  Luke had a very tasty Two Brothers French Country Ale and a Sapporo - both $5.

We decided to start with the vegan Blue Corn and Plantain Tamale, which was one of the two verbal specials.  It was served with a sweet/spicy relish.  It was fairly moist and I think I preferred it without the sauce.  The absence of cheese was not a fault.

Unfurled...

Next, we ordered a couple of salads: Seaweed and Cucumber - wakame and cucumbers in lemon sesame dressing with daikon (radish) sprouts - $5.  There was also a bit of oil in it but it didn't taste like sesame oil.  I love seaweed, so I thought this salad was perfect.  I could have eaten a giant mound of this alone. 

...But then came the next salad!  Jicama, Mango and Cucumber Salad - with cilantro and chili lime salt - $5  Very summery and crisp.  Dressing was tart and spicy.  Great.

The next three items we ordered were sinfully rich.  The Blue Cheese Tart - with caramelized onion - $5 - was served warm alongside a sweet/tart red beet salad.  The crust was perfectly soft and flaky and the cheese sooo creamy.  Several bites preceded the taking of the photo! 

The Sweet Potato Pancake with apple cranberry chutney and crema - $6.  This was probably my least favorite, but that's only because it was fried.  The chutney was fabulous.  In fact, I might even say that the savory potato pancake was just an excuse to eat the chutney.  There, I said it.  Also, the scallions on top were the perfect garnish.  Mmmm...

Finally, the amazing pasta dish.  Tomato Pumpkin Ravioli - in a sage cream sauce - $7.  These 4 little squares of pumpkin-stuffed tomato pasta heaven were topped with a delicate, rich sage sauce with just a tiny hint of sweetness. 

In addition to all of the above, we also shared a large order of the Curry - cauliflower, peas and sweet potato over brown rice with a cilantro relish - $13.  The photo of that was unusable.  It was very tasty though with a flares of ginger and chili.

The service was casual, but attentive and friendly.  This was the most enjoyable restaurant meal I have had in quite a while.  Needless to say we were very pleased with ourselves after this meal.  I wonder if anyone can go wrong ordering from this menu.  I have every intention of going back to find out!

Seat-of-the-Pants Broccoli Soup

Welcome to my first post!  I have been wanting to do this for so long.  I'm thrilled to finally have a place where I can share my love of cooking, dining out, gardening, entertaining, etc.  Even if no one is listening!  When cooking for myself, I try to focus on low fat, low carbohydrate ingredients and I use as many vegetables as possible.  When cooking for a group, those rules get thrown out the window and delicious fat and sugar calories abound!  

Tonight, I decided to experiment with the broccoli that's been waiting very patiently in my fridge.  I also had some leftover milk from last weekend's cornbread so I improvised a creamy broccoli soup.  The soup turned out alright, but there are some things I will change next time around.  This is more of a test-run to see how I like this blogging business.  Let's get to it!

What to gather:

For Soup
5-7 cloves of garlic - chopped
1 medium white onion - chopped
1 and 1/2 tbsp olive oil (separate)
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups milk/soymilk or 1 cup cream
2 heads of broccoli (stalks optional)
1/2 bunch of kale or other dark leafy green
salt, paprika, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper - to taste

For Tofu
1 package firm or extra firm tofu
3-4 tbsp peanut butter or prepared peanut sauce
sriracha if you like it hot

What to do:

Sauté the onions and garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until they are tender and begin to brown.

Tear the leaves away from the stems of the kale and add them to the pot along with the broccoli.  Stir in the broth.  Cover the pot and bring the soup to a boil.  Lower the heat and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add the milk or cream and spices to taste.  Simmer until broccoli has reached desired tenderness.  I like my vegetables al dente so I didn't keep it on for too long. 

Blend until desired consistency is reached.  I went for a chunkier soup but I think it might taste better if I blend it longer for a smoother texture.  Leftovers!  

Now for the tofu!  Chop the tofu into one inch squares.  Sauté in 1/2 tbsp olive oil on high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often.  Add the peanut butter or peanut sauce.  I used the Trader Joe's brand peanut satay sauce.

 Add the sriracha to taste if desired.

Serve and Enjoy! 

"And what to drink?" you ask.

I've been enjoying this unoaked, unfiltered $10 Bonarda from Mendoza Argentina the past few weeks.  Argentina's Bonarda grape can also be found growing in California under the name Charbono.  I don't believe I've ever tried this varietal before finding this bottle, which is surprising because it's wonderful!  I purchased the wine at West Lakeveiw Liquors - 2156 W. Addison St, Chicago.  I love this store!  It's a little on the expensive side, but it is just so lovely and quaint and they just opened an even more quaint little grocery right next door.

Well, that was really fun even though it took me a long time.  Next time around should be easier.  I might check out some other blog hosting sites to compare platforms.  Until tomorrow!