Nonpareil Vol III Issue I: Autumn 2014

VOLUME III ISSUE I

Autumn 2014

nonpareil

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO FOOD MAGAZINE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

3 decoding dinner 4 the plant 7 61st street farmers’ market 9 a change in taste 11 paleo food challenge 12 xoco 13 uncommon ground 15 Butcher & the Burger 16 Litehouse whole food grill 17 native foods 18 two 19 seasonal recipe guide 20 pumpkin spice oatmeal 21 apple carrot juice 22 green goddess juice 23vegan chili 24 apple tart 25 beet stew & salad 26 Vegetable Shepherd’s pie Managing Director Jenny Swann Editor-in-Chief Angela Qian Heads of Design JOe Joseph, Zelda Mayer Treasurer Catherine Lee Design Jenna Dorfman, Jenny mao Words Evangel Jung, Hannah Bao, Ty Billman, Mary Bittner, Maddie Burch, Georgia Dixon, Shira Fishbach, Josephine Geczy, Shayna InzunzA, Genevieve Iwanicki, YihaO Jiang, Julie Khidekel, FatimA OmaR, Jenny Swann, Martha Teka, Michael Wheeler, Holly Zaharchuk Images Shayna Inzunza, Finn Jubak, Liam Lee, Kristin Lin, Aneesa Sonawalla, Teddy Watler , Peggy Xu Dear Readers and Eaters, We live in an era of incredible culinary luxury. No other place or time in history has ever had access to the variety of fresh and packaged foods that we have at our disposal today. Neighborhood grocery stores routinely stock hot sauces from Mexico, spices from Morocco, teas from France. We can have raspberries in January and cartons of orange juice in a climate where citrus doesn’t flourish. This kind of variety is truly amazing, and has opened the floodgates for an extraordinary amount of cultural and epicurean fusion.

But even though it is thrilling to have these imported goods at our disposal, I have to acknowledge that they come at a steep cost. The business of food is a global and complex one: growing, shipping, importing and exporting, the dollars and fossil fuels spent to bring you that tiny satchel of key limes. In this issue of Nonpareil, we wanted to bring our focus back to “Green”: Foods and topics that are as good for you as they are for the community and the environment.

In our enthusiasm for trying the newest exotic food trend, it’s easy to lose sight of the kinds of edible wonders we have right here in Chicago. But seeking out locally produced foods offers a huge number of benefits. Even as the days grow cooler, the farms of the Midwest offer up a myriad of plump squash, hearty root vegetables and satisfyingly crisp apples whose taste will outshine anything you could find in your grocery store produce aisle. All the recipes in this issue, from our Rustic Apple Tart (pg. 24) to our comforting Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal (pg. 20), are designed to take advantage of this seasonal bounty and demonstrate what a difference local produce can make in your home cooking. We’ve also reviewed a great selection of restaurants that place a premium on locally- and sustainably-produced foods. From Hyde Park staples like Litehouse Grill (pg. 16) and Native Foods (pg. 17) to North Side destinations like Uncommon Ground (pg. 13), you’re sure to have plenty of options.

Not only does local food have amazing flavor and freshness, it can even serve as a catalyst for change in the community. The Plant Chicago (pg. 4) and the 61st Street Farmer’s Market (pg. 7) are using food to transform the health of Chicago neighborhoods one plate at a time. We hope that this issue demonstrates how greattasting food can also be great for the earth and the community. Enjoy the newest issue of Nonpareil!

- The Editors index

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plate for each review (including rating, must-order dish, location, etc.) **STANDARD HEADLINE FONT: Big John for name of restaurant, Slim Jill for Review (i.e. REVIEW: LONGMAN + EAGLE)

If you have a two-page design, you’ll also want to check “Facing Pages.”

Decoding Dinner Page Size: Letter - Width: 51p0 - Height: 66p0

by Michael Wheeler

Features Margins This is the section with the most freeTop: 3p0 dom for design. Be creative! Here are Bottom: 3p0 a few guidelines to keep the magazine Inside: 2p0 cohesive: Outside: 2p0 -In this section, you can use any headline font you want (but if you use Comic Bleed And Slug Sans or Chiller, Zelda will have a hernia). Bleed: 0p9 (in all directions) Body copy and byline fonts will remain Slug: 0p0 (in all directions) consistent with the rest of the magazine.

-Avoid colored backgrounds What is Bleed?

-Emphasize the photos (Food magazines “Bleed is a printing term that refers to are all about the food!) that goes beyond the edgestrictly, of the and because their Theprinting FDA regulates these claims sheet before trimming.

In other words, meanings are precise—based on percentage reductions from Recipes the bleed is the area to be trimmed off.” a defined reference standard—they are relatively easy to test Photo blocking and enforce.

Youmeans can count significant reductions in fat, Clean and simple Practically, this that anyon images cholesterol which or should extend to in thefoods edge ofwith the these labels—that is, reductions **STANDARD FONT FOR HEAD- sodium, page should, in your .indd, actually ex- Just remember that even low-sodium compared to an average stock item.

LINES: NEXA BOLD (ALL CAPS) tend to the edge of the bleed (the outer might be pretty salty when compared to, say, your average stick of celery. red line in InDesign).

Other general guidelines:

high

reality meter

low Sodium / low Cholesterol / low Fat

chips

Treat Q&As like normal stories! Don’t break up the text. It can often be confusing and disorienting for readers.

If you have any questions, conorganiccerns, or just want to bounce ideas off someone, you can **STANDARD FONT FOR BYLINES Look for the “USDA always contact Zelda (zelda- Organic” label specifically. Produce that meets (i.e. story by / photo by): Novecento USDA Organic conditions is prepared without radiation, certain sans wide mayer@uchicago.edu // 512prohibited pesticides, or genetic modification. USDA Organic **STANDARD BODY TEXT: Gara653-9849) or Joe (jjoseph.jj@ mond, size 10 Livestock must be raised without antibiotics or growth hormones gmail.com // 617-721-6142) THIS APPLIES THROUGHOUT and fed a USDA organic diet. Farmers are also required to “provide

THE WHOLE MAGAZINE

animals with access to the outdoors,” although this requisite can be nebulous. All of this is in addition to FDA regulations for all meat products. Unfortunately, there’s a strong incentive to cheat official organic labeling. Mislabeled produce claims a much higher price, and manufacturer penalties for labeling infringement are small and difficult to enforce. “USDA organic” is a trustworthy designation—the USDA enforces valid restrictions on pesticide use and animal care for those products.

all natural

GOOD LUCK!

According to the Food and Drug Administration, “The FDA has not developed a definition for use of the term ‘natural’ or its derivatives.” Because the term has no legal meaning, don’t trust it to have one. Although the FDA has fought the abuse of the term “All Natural” in some particularly egregious cases, it remains a feel-good phrase that marketers use with abandon.

low 3

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photos courtesy of Agricultural Marketing Service; One Dog Organic; Noories

The Plant Waiting to Close the Loop

By Josephine Geczy Photos by Finn Jubak features

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t is difficult not to be impressed by the sheer scale of The Plant, a converted pork processing plant covering 94,000 square feet, on just over three acres of land in the Back of the Yards neighborhood.

Starting in 2010, The Plant emerged as the next venture of sustainable business incubator Bubbly Dynamics, which is branching into food business to find innovative solutions for food production and waste management.

With all of Chicagoland’s six landfills predicted to reach capacity in a decade, The Plant appears to have arrived just in time.

The goal of closing waste loops, of being “off the grid” in both energy consumption and production, is integral in the formidable building’s location and history. Sitting in the heart of the Stockyards area, Chicago’s historic meatpacking district, The Plant extends out of a highly waste-intensive industry that still exists to a lesser degree today. From aquaponics (a self-sustaining system of aquaculture in which the waste produced by farmed fish or other aquatic animals supplies nutrients for plants grown hydroponically, which in turn purify the water), to hydroponics (the process of growing plants in sand, gravel, or liquid, 5

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with added nutrients but without soil), to microgreen systems, bakeries, cheese manufacturers and kombucha breweries—The Plant has expanded rapidly in the past four years as a response to this sprawling culture of refuse.

With the aid of the currently-under-construction, hundred foot-long anaerobic digester, The Plant will soon be able to convert not only all of the waste of its businesses on-site, but waste from the Back of the Yards neighborhood and the wider Chicago area into fertilizer and harnessable energy. Already in talks with the University of Chicago, the Field Museum, and the Shedd Aquarium, among others, The Plant anticipates that the digester’s input will consist of ninety-five per cent off-site waste, with an energy output that will cover the expenditure of The Plant building itself and also be sold back to electric utility.

Yet whilst the majority of this potential is still subject to the building’s varying states of disrepair and to the number of volunteers available to support almost the entirety of its operation, more palpable progress is evident in the efforts of The Plant Chicago. Housed within The Plant building, this non-profit organization is committed to translating the ambition and dynamism fuelling The

Plant into a community presence. Kassandra Heinrichsen, Plant Chicago’s Marketing and Education Coordinator, expressed her concern over The Plant’s seemingly latent existence: “It’s almost unbelievable that this place has been here for four years, and a lot of people in the community, a lot of people in the neighbourhood, don’t know about it; or they know about it but they don’t really know what we are doing.”

Following a recent grant from Whole Foods, Plant Chicago has moved forward with the second arm of their mission for total sustainability: education. As the counterpart to their business ventures, educational tours of the building and workshops based in their three demonstration farms (outdoor, mushroom and aquaponic) are both completely free to members of the Back of the Yards community.

These on-site components operate alongside the rising number of classroom visits to local schools and Community Supported Agriculture shares bringing produce directly into the community.

But as to the question of when these efforts will be fully realized, the answer is still uncertain. Plans for a “Living Foyer”—the result of a $64,000 Kickstarter campaign to

“

The goal of closing waste loops, of being ‘off the grid’ in both energy consumption and production, is integral in the formidable building’s location and history.”

allow for a wheelchair accessible entrance and a retail space including a combined coffee roasters and brewery—are only going to begin this year. Similarly, proposals for an on-site educational space, a communal kitchen space, a sequence of greenhouses on the roof, as well as a museum to the history of the Back of Yards neighborhood, are still in their infancy.

Considered alongside The Plant’s devotion to a sustainable construction process, by which all construction materials are salvaged as much as possible from what is available within the building, it seems that the work ahead is almost unending.

It is entirely credit to the relentless work of Bubbly Dynamics and The Plant Chicago that such a project is at all conceivable. But if The Plant is to serve as a model for the spread of urban farming in Chicago and beyond, its success would appear to be bound by how effectively it tackles its minimal level of interactivity. As a model defined by communication between different systems, the degree of communication that The Plant opens up with the surrounding community will be formative in ensuring its continuing growth. The final loop is still to be closed. features features

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FARMER’S MARKET BRINGS

FRESH PERSPECTIVE

TO COMMUNITY W

hile frigid air chills the outdoors, a green oasis blossoms every Saturday from 9AM2PM at the corner of 61st Street and Dorchester Avenue.

The indoor year-round Farmer’s Market connects twenty-five vendors to the local community through farm-fresh produce and a delectable selection of baked goods and prepared foods.

“The mission of the market is to provide fresh food access to the greater South Side community,” said Market Manager Danny Burke. “Some studies showed that this area was lacking fresh food access, [so] the Experimental Station started the market [in 2007] to fill that gap.”

The market is committed to affordability. Individuals on Illinois Link, formerly the Food Stamp 7

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by JULIE KHIDEKEL photos by KRISTIN LIN

program, benefit from a matching initiative where every dollar spent (up to $25) is matched by the market. The initiative doubles the spending power of low-income individuals and increases traffic.

“Last year, we redeemed $40,000 in Link,” said Burke. “That money is sustainable [and] doesn’t leave the community. All [vendors] are locally employed. The money goes back to help job, training, and employment.”

Hundreds of shoppers are drawn to the market’s delicious, nutritious food and welcoming environment. Highlights from the produce section include multiple varieties of apples, kale and spinach, but the market’s offerings expand far beyond fruits and vegetables.

“I come here every other weekend,” said first

year Eero Arum. “I love the tacos, but I’m also a big fan of the pumpkin bread.”

Nestled in the middle of the market is an unparalleled taco and crepe stand, a 61st Farmer’s Market staple. Although the taco flavors vary weekly, perfectly crisp tortillas, tangy salsas and unbeatable prices (three tacos for $6) are guaranteed.

“We make market-driven tacos and crepes,” said taco vendor Sam Petrichos. “Today, we had a butternut squash crepe and gluten-free vegan chickpea crepe, and several tacos.

We get kale and spinach from some of the vendors here; it’s all local.”

For dessert, the market offers gooey, organic cinnamon pecan rolls, organic, locally produced ice cream, and homemade jams and breads. Emily Ingram, the market’s bread and jam vendor, sells scrumptious loaves and spreads in flavors like Plum Noir and Apple Butter. A small jar of the flavorful jam retails for $4.

“I cut up or mash up the fruit, boil it with sugar, and then add pectin, spices and herbs,” said Ingram. “I get all the fruits from other vendors here, and everything, as much as possible, is locally grown. I grind my own wheat flour for bread, and the honey is from myself and another local beekeeper.”

Through partnerships with chefs who come in and lead cooking demonstrations, the market also makes cooking with local ingredients a lively, enjoyable experience rather than a daunting challenge.

“Let’s take potatoes, beets, and carrots,” said Burke. “A chef will use those ingredients and give a recipe card. The customer can shop next door to replicate the dish at home.”

Though the market isn’t expanding to other locations, it is furthering its mission to illustrate the positive benefits of local sustainable produce.

“We’re working on a price comparison study between the farmer’s market and corner stores,” said Burke. “It’s not going to be released until the beginning of 2015, but it will show that in-season local [produce] is not more expensive than organic produce you buy at a bigger store.”

This commitment to sustainability at affordable prices makes the market a cornerstone of the South Side community. Particularly as the Chicago winter chill sets in, the market’s warm environment and promise of bold tacos, farm-fresh produce and flavorful jams make it a must-visit spot on Saturdays.

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taking the

PALEO

PLUNGE

By Maddie Burch Photo by Liam Lee

DAY ONE

I familiarize myself with the Paleo diet, a popular new regimen created by Loren Cordain, PhD. in exercise physiology. The diet operates on the premise that our eating habits should mimic those of our hunter-gatherer ancestors since agriculture is a relatively new development in human history. This leads to meals that are meat-heavy and contain no grains, dairy, refined sugar, processed oils or potatoes. I’m skeptical of the scientific soundness of Cordain’s arguments, but I’m willing to give it a shot. I start the first day of the diet with a piece of Canadian bacon and an apple and end it with a dinner of chicken and caramelized onions with a side of steamed broccoli.

DAY TWO

Breakfast is the same. I realize that when you take out grains and dairy from your diet there isn’t much left that can be considered breakfast food. It’s hard to find Paleo-friendly options on campus so I bring a salad.

Unfortunately, it’s not very satisfying. I’m starting to realize that for better or worse 11 9 nonpareil | autumn 2014

a large part of my diet consists of grains, especially that delicious sourdough bread from Treasure Island. I decide to peruse Paleo recipes on tastespotting.com for dinner. As I search, I discover that there’s some contention over what constitutes a “Paleo” meal. I click on a recipe for chocolate-glazed pumpkin spice donuts, which begs the question: how is this at all supposed to mimic the diet of our caveman ancestors? In any case I’ve decided this is enough to justify that piece of chocolate I ate earlier. For dinner: leftover chicken with olive oil and garlic-roasted Brussels sprouts with balsamic-mustard glaze.

DAY THREE

I’m feeling peckish this morning so I have two bananas with a cup of tea for breakfast.

I usually like to have the fruit with peanut butter, but I’m disappointed to realize that peanuts are non-Paleo. Lunch is another salad and a couple of pieces of ham. Today I decide to try something new for dinner, so I make a hearty meal of meatballs to share with a couple of friends. I gather my ingredients and start mixing them in a bowl: a pound of beef, three minced garlic cloves, tomato

paste, sautéed onions, oregano, pepper, salt, a dash of cinnamon, thyme and (my two favorites) tarragon and fennel seed. I combine the ingredients and form the mixture into equal-sized spheres. Next, I pan fry the meatballs until they’re brown on all sides, pour in enough tomato sauce to cover them half-way and simmer. I serve them warm with a couple of basil leaves and a side of steamed kale and carrots. By the end of dinner we’re all full and none of us are even craving a slice of sourdough.

CONCLUSION

After switching from my carb-heavy diet to one consisting primarily of protein, I feel a lot less satisfied by a simple dinner of bread and olive oil. But considering the price of meat and the labor that goes into preparing it I find it a bit unrealistic to omit legumes as protein sources. I certainly feel that limiting bread and other simple carbs as well as processed sugar has great long-term benefits. I already feel kind of healthier… I think. But I will be having a piece of toast with jam for breakfast tomorrow.

Review:

XOCO tell by the mere sight of the food that it didn’t travel far to reach you.

When my friends and I walk in the familiar side door of this small restaurant, we are asked how big our party is, then get in line and start looking over the menu. After a quick look over the tortas of the day (and lamenting over the fact that I can’t have their goat barbacoa torta) I must decide between the Choriqueso and the Pepito. As we wait in line we discuss whether we should get guacamole, mouth-watering

By Shayna inzunza Rick Bayless has become a Chicago household name synonymous with fine Mexican cuisine. More than 30 years after opening Topolobampo and Frontera Grill, Bayless opened his third restaurant, Xoco, on the corner of Clark and Illinois in River North. Specializing in Mexican street food, this eatery is more of a quick-service café than a sit-down restaurant.

Xoco serves up delicious breakfast foods such as empanadas and egg dishes in the morning, as well as tortas, caldos, and churros as the lunch and dinner rush hits.

Like a rustic meal cooked by a grandmother, everything that comes into the restaurant is locally sourced and farmed. Many of the ingredients come from the Chicago area, and the rest come from no farther than the Western border of Iowa. Because of this, Xoco is a certified 3-star green restaurant. As you stand in line to order, you can see all of the tortas and caldos leave the small kitchen, and you can

churros, or both.

I order the Choriqueso with house-made chorizo and my friends decide on the Milanesa with crispy chicken. As some of the first customers to arrive for dinner, we are seated straight away, only waiting about ten minutes for our tortas to arrive. There is a satisfied silence as we all start to eat. Even though we’ve all been here many times before, the crusty bread, delicious meat and vegetables, and spicy salsa still render us speechless.

Meals Served Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Distance from Hyde Park 8.5 miles

Address 449 N. Clark St.

Good For Casual meal with friends

photos by Shayna inzunza reviews 12

REVIEW:

unCOMMON GROUND

BY Fatima omar

W

ith the amount of accolades Uncommon Ground has received over the past ten years, it’s difficult not to have high expectations for this Chicago restaurant. In addition to being named one of the city’s best new restaurants by Chicago Magazine in 2008, both of its locations are 4-star certified by the Green Restaurant Association, a national nonprofit that meticulously notes everything from the amount of vegan purchases to the type of faucet aerators. So, if I’m honest, my hopes were quite high.

I had looked over the menu quickly beforehand, and something about the description of the poutine (“pommes frites, Wisconsin cheese curds, river valley mushroom ragout, hazelnut gremolata”), not to mention Chicago’s prominent avant-garde food scene, gave me a vague assumption that this restaurant would be a bit stuffy, a bit pretentious, and a bit self-satisfied with its environmental friendliness. So this restaurant better be good, I thought.

It did not disappoint. Uncommon Ground is the antithesis of what I had pre-judged it to be. As soon as I walked in, I couldn’t stop admiring how lovely everything was.

The atmosphere inside the restaurant perfectly matches the atmosphere outside it: woody, cozy, and friendly. Lining the outside is an organic garden, and inside, pieces by a local artist are featured and switched out every few months. Chalkboards on the wall let diners know which local musicians are performing that day. Local art, local music, local food: Uncommon Ground is the definition of a “neighborhood” restaurant. This I was able to discern before I had even picked up my menu.

As we reviewed the menu, my friends and I commented that we wanted to try everything on it and should come back with a big group so we could taste a little bit of everyone’s food. I knew Uncommon Ground would be my weekly spot if I were close enough. This is a very real measure of how good a restaurant is: when you intend to come back before the first plate has even

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come out.

The chilliness of fall was upon us, so after finishing a frothy chai latte, I ordered a lunch to stave off the cold: organic macaroni and cheese, with cheese sourced from less than 75 miles away and paired with a slaw that had green, local apples. The rich, heavy macaroni and cheese was cut in the most pleasant way by cold cabbage, and the tartness of the crisp apple was just delicious.

This is another measure of a good restaurant: when you not only intend to come back, but you already know the struggle you’ll face in deciding whether to get something you’ve enjoyed before, or to try any of the other wonderful-seeming items on the menu. That creamy bowl of macaroni and cheese, I already knew, was going to be problematic.

Eating at Uncommon Ground early enough on a weekend afternoon means that brunch is still being served, and so my friends ordered eggs, potatoes and Brussels sprouts, whose top halves were caramelized and glistening. We regretted not having enough room for dessert because the apple tarte tatin was made with local, seasonal apples and brown sugar caramel gelato. The menu changes slightly every week, and as most of the produce used is locally grown, it is highly seasonal (an excellent excuse to come back soon, before the menu changes).

In the throes of fall quarter, when the weather isn’t great and you’ve seen more of your books and junk food than people, Uncommon Ground will be your respite.

At times it can be easy to feel an absence of a warm, family-friendly, environmentally-conscious community in college, so take advantage of the one that exists a short train-ride away from us. And if you’re worried about choosing among the many delicious menu items, go with a group.

Your friends will be so thankful that you brought them to such a great restaurant, the least they can do is facilitate your quest of finding the best dish.

Meals Served BRunch, Lunch, Dinner Address 1401 W. Devon Ave. Distance from Hyde Park 17 miles Good For a Unique night out on the north side

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REVIEW: BUTCHER & THE BURGER

BY MArtha teka Arguably the embodiment of all things classically American, a burger can be ordered at practically any restaurant or diner in the States.

With that in mind, traveling all the way to Lincoln Park for a burger may not seem like very a practical endeavor for the swamped students at the University of Chicago. But once you try the offerings from Butcher & the Burger, you’ll understand why the spot is worth the trek.

The restaurant is tiny (at maximum capacity the place could hold only about two dozen people) and looks a little like a coffee shop from the outside. Customers line up to order their food, just as they would at a typical fast food restaurant.

There are quite a few intricate, pre-made flavor combinations to choose from, but the menu is set up so that you can also customize your own burger. The restaurant’s website sumptuously declares this to be “The Butcher Experience.” Each patty (be it grass-fed beef, sustainably-farmed salmon or American Bison) is pressed with a different spice mix.

The spices range from a simplistic sea salt and cracked pepper combination to “Burger Meets Sun,” which they caution is made with Ghost peppers, coming in at the ninety percentile on the Scoville Hotness Scale. They also offer a wide selection of buns, with croissants holding sway as the staff favorite. The menu also goes beyond the typical topping selection of mushrooms and onions to include everything from locally made artisan cheeses to sautéed 15 nonpareil | autumn 2014

foie gras (assuming you’re willing to dish out an extra $13.95). And if you’re like me and put a fried egg on anything edible, you can top your burger with a fried Amish duck egg for an extra dollar.

Overwhelmed with options, I resolved to play it safe and went with a classic beef patty pressed with an Umami spice blend. I then opted for a normal split-top bun, lettuce and tomatoes, but also added Sriracha mayo, a fried duck egg and goat cheese. The mayo and duck egg were a risky combination for me, but the unique toppings made for quite a dynamic flavor experience and I could actually taste the difference in the meat.

The goat cheese was creamy and plentiful and paired well with the incredibly seasoned patty. I really enjoyed the novelty Butcher & the Burger was able to create with its broad array of ingredients. Additionally, the burger was served on a rustic, rectangular wooden board, an aesthetic that my fellow diners and I appreciated.

My only qualm was the emphasis placed on the burgers’ spice. While we each picked a different spice blend for our patties, we all described the burgers as tasting vaguely “season-y.” Even upon trying the ghost pepper spice in my friend’s salmon burger I was unable to taste much of a difference between the seasoning in her patty and that of my own.

Butcher & the Burger specializes in artisan burgers, but they also sell special steak cuts, house-blended spices and other kinds of meat straight from the butcher’s locker to take home and grill on your own. They even

offer pescetarian and vegetarian options that were well-handled according to my vegetarian dining companions. The joint is both family-friendly and BYOB, and the in-house blended beef made all the difference in taste. Overall, the experience was easily worth the North Side commute.

Meals Served Lunch, Dinner Address 1021 W. Armitage Ave. Distance from Hyde Park 11.5 miles Good For Low-key North Side escape photo by SHayna Inzunza

REVIEW: LITEHOUSE WHOLE FOOD GRILL

BY MARY BITTNER Visiting local farmers’ markets and shopping locally takes time and energy, two things that most of us lack. When our calendars and schedules become busy, often the first item sacrificed is our commitment to consume sustainable foods.

A new Hyde Park restaurant is attempting to solve this problem. Providing local, fresh ingredients at a reasonable price, Litehouse Whole Food Grill is cornering the market in “healthy fast food” and is uplifting the Hyde Park community in the process.

I accidentally stumbled upon Litehouse this summer and have been obsessed with their food and their mission ever since. Established

by Hyde Park residents, the restaurant focuses on community outreach in addition to providing remarkable food. The menu encompasses all eating-styles and whether you are vegetari-

an, meat-loving, gluten-free or vegan you have multiple options to choose from. Most dishes are customizable, allowing you to choose toppings, main ingredients, and dressings. Diners can create their own wrap, burrito, salad, taco, or even pizza, and tailor it to their specific dietary concerns or culinary preferences.

Unlike some other restaurants, there is no additional charge for any of the toppings besides guacamole, which means that vegetable-lovers like me can fit as many into a burrito as possible. All ingredients are locally-grown, natural, and hormone-free, providing a quick, sustainable meal that brings a smile to your face every time. My personal favorite is the Cranberry Chicken Salad which I typically order as a wrap in a spinach tortilla. It combines the natural sweetness of candied walnuts and dried cranberries with the strong flavors of feta cheese and sun-dried tomatoes. The chicken is all-natural and prepared lean with minimal oils.

Meals Served Lunch, Dinner

Distance from Hyde Park 0 miles

Address 1373 E. 53rd St.

Good For Delivery for a night in

Their fried green tomatoes and sweet potato fries are also amazing and perfect to share, although not the healthiest items on the menu.

The tomatoes are served with a special house dipping sauce (ranch mixed with hot sauce) and the sweet potato fries are perfectly dusted with cinnamon.

The interior and atmosphere of Litehouse Whole Food Grill is just as community-focused as its creators. From the University of Chicago student discount to the pizzas named after Hyde Park residents and places, the restaurant honors the neighborhood in which it is based.

Restaurant décor showcases local artists, from the colorful countertops to the eclectic artwork on the walls, and a mix of music selections and friendly staff completes the dining experience and draws repeat customers. Hours of operation here are a bit different; the restaurant closes Friday night and reopens Saturday night in honor of the Sabbath.

Finding delicious, healthy food that is both quick and reasonably priced is a hard task to accomplish. One must typically sacrifice either time or money to maintain a balanced, sustainable diet. Litehouse Whole Food Grill, however, has managed to achieve the seemingly impossible: provide locally-sourced, hormone-free meals for the busy and picky eater.

A pioneer in the “healthy fast food” era, this restaurant is a must-visit for anyone visiting Hyde Park.

photos by aneesa sonawalla reviews 16

REVIEW:native foods

BY Hannah bao Nestled in a corner of Harper Court between Porkchop and Red Mango is the unassuming Native Foods Café. With three new locations in Chicago since last summer, the vegan fast-causal restaurant chain has quickly established a pretty strong foothold in town catering to vegan, vegetarian, and otherwise

Meals Served Lunch, Dinner Address 1518 E. Harper Ct. Distance from Hyde Park 0 miles Good For Easy Saturday dinner 17 nonpareil | autumn 2014

meatless-meal-seeking diners. The menu rambles widely across a range of cuisines, incorporating Greek, Asian, and Italian flavors, just to name a few. It is unique, funky, and lively, from the decor to the fast-food style of operation, and you’ll leave happy and satisfied.

According to their website, Native Foods is “America’s premier fast-casual vegan restaurant group” and their menu is composed of “seasonally updated one-of-a-kind dishes, delicious desserts, and homemade beverages.” Everything they serve is 100% plant-based, so this a place where you can get clean and seasonal dishes. It was my third time here, and the food is always a nice change from the heavy meals at the dining halls. Time after time, Native Foods has certainly changed my perspective on vegan cooking.

The first dish we tasted was Yo Amigo Taco salad. The dish consisted of a blend of romaine, cabbage, and Native Taco meat, topped with roasted corn, salsa fresca, cilantro and tortilla chips. The creamy chipotle dressing tied everything together and was perfect for dipping the sweet potato fries. This dish was absolutely delicious and I will be ordering it time and time again. Next, was the Classic Deli Reuben. I’ve only heard praise about this sandwich, but I was unfortunately disappointed. It’s made with homemade sauerkraut and a horseradish cashew cheese, which, combined, was a bit too mushy for my taste. I certainly missed the taste of corned beef in this sandwich, for

the house-made Reuben-style seitan wasn’t satisfying enough. My side of fries was however crispy, well-seasoned, and dashed with chili powder. We ended the meal with a satisfying and delicious key lime pie—the filling wasn’t too tart and the coconut in the graham cracker crust was a nice touch.

Other offerings on the menu include the delicious Lavender Lemonade and Watermelon Fresca, both of which you can continuously refill yourself; you’ll likely get seconds and thirds because they’re just that good. I’ve heard great things about the Saigon Roll served with a tangy peanut sauce, Native Chili, and Native Nachos which sound like a meal in itself.

Unfortunately, my favorite item, the meatball sandwich, was not on the menu, but I highly recommend it when it comes back.

Although I did miss the texture and satisfaction from real meat, Native Foods overall is a good alternative—the variety of flavors complement each other very well and everything is well prepared generously portioned. I was impressed with the variety displayed on their menu and everyone I interacted with was very warm and friendly.

Though I did expect the food to be on the lighter side, I came out feeling full and heavy.

You can be in and out in thirty to forty minutes and anyone can enjoy a hearty and healthy meal from between $4.96 to $8.50.

photos by hannah bao

review:two

BY Yihao Jiang The moment that I walked into TWO felt just like moments when I would arrive at a friend’s home for dinner. Embracing a rustic design theme, there was just something naturally comforting about entering through the massive barn doors to see an open kitchen where chefs were bustling about preparing meals for the night. The wood paneling which comprised much of the décor of the restaurant was actually made from old Chicago porches.

TWO gets its name from the fact that two chefs, Tom Van Lente and Kevin Cuddihee, founded the restaurant. From the very beginning, their motto has been “We source locally, buy sustainably & change often.” The fruits and vegetables come from small farms in the Midwest and the menu is always changing depending on what is in season. The influence from family run butcher shops was definitely apparent as well—all the bacon, sausage, cheese, sauces, and pasta that we ate were made in house.

All of TWO’s dishes are meant to be shared, which gave the meal a nice communal feel. We started out with the golden beet salad, made with fresh vegetables from Nichol’s farm, and duck fat potato croquettes with chili ai-

photos by kristin lin

oli. The croquettes were delightfully crispy on the outside, light and creamy on the inside, and the chili aioli provided a nice tangy contrast to the heavier duck fat flavor. Next came the Berkshire pork tenderloin, which was my favorite dish of the night. The pork was perfectly cooked, the meat was tender and juicy with beautiful black grill marks on the outside.

The pork tenderloin was served with a sweet potato puree that was also great, as it soaked up all the extra juices.

The dayboat scallops were our next course. Again, they were perfectly seared and so tender that I used the edge of my fork to cut through them. The scallops rested on a bed of spaghetti squash, wild mushroom, andcrispy shallots which provided an earthy flavor that complemented the fresh scallops.

Our penultimate course was a butternut squash risotto. Normally I don’t find risotto to be an interesting dish, and while this was good, it didn’t impress me. However, I liked the bacon, which added some much needed texture and flavor. Finally, for desert we had the chocolate pave with homemade Nutella ice cream, graham cracker toffee and toasted marshmallow.

The pave tasted like a standard chocolate brownie, but the rest of the dish was like eating a s’more ice cream sandwich. To pair with our dinner, we had

opted for a 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon from SIMI winery in Sonoma County.

The wine displayed notes of vibrant red fruits with firm tannins and a fantastic acid balance that made it a great accompaniment to all our courses for the evening.

Overall, I was quite impressed with how consistently tasty and well executed our dishes were. I would gladly come back to TWO for another dinner; to me, it would be the perfect date location.

Meals Served Dinner Address 1132 W. Grand Ave. Distance from Hyde Park 9.5 miles Good For Date night

reviews 18

Seasonal Foods RECIPE GUIDE

Apples

GOOD FOR: Fiber, Vitamin C FOUND ON: Page 21, 22, 24

Turnips

GOOD FOR: Vitamin C FOUND ON: Page 26

Squash

GOOD FOR: Vitamin A + C, Potassium FOUND ON: Page 26

Pumpkin

GOOD FOR: Vitamin A, Iron, Fiber FOUND ON: Page 20

Beets

GOOD FOR: Folate, Vitamin C FOUND ON: Page 25

by Jenny Swann

Carrots

GOOD FOR: Vitamin A FOUND ON: Page 20, 25, 26

As the days grow shorter and temperatures begin to drop, Chicago residents may mourn the loss of late-summer bounties like tomatoes, zucchini and corn. But just as these crops are fading, a whole new wave of fruits and vegetables are coming into season. Peas and eggplants are replaced by squashes and gourds in a rainbow of autumnal hues, and market stalls start to groan under the weight of hearty greens and root vegetables. Apples arrive by the bushelful in every shade of russet, crimson and gold, sporting tantalizing names like “Honeycrisp” and “Northern Spy.” Not only are these autumnal options delicious, they also have some impressive health benefits. The recipes on the following pages were selected to showcase produce that is available locally during the fall months and are a surefire way to give you a nutritional boost as the seasons change. Refer to our guide to see a selection of the in-season produce featured in this issue and the health benefits you can expect from each product.

Potatoes

GOOD FOR: Potassium, B Vitamins, Fiber FOUND ON: Page 25, 26

Parsnips

GOOD FOR: Vitamin C, Folate FOUND ON: Page 26

Cabbage

GOOD FOR: Vitamin C FOUND ON: Page 25

Kale

GOOD FOR: Vitamin A + K FOUND ON: Page 22

Mushrooms GOOD FOR: B Vitamins, Copper, Phosphorous FOUND ON: Page 26

Onions

GOOD FOR: Vitamin B-6, Fiber FOUND ON: Page 23, 25, 26

photos from public domain 19 nonpareil | autumn 2014

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PUMPKIN SPICE OATMEAL S et aside any gendered or classist notions you have of pumpkin spice, and let me promise you one thing: This pumpkin spice oatmeal is more than the sum of its tropes.

The oatmeal is everything an autumnal breakfast should be.

Wholesome steel-cut oats are slowly simmered with pumpkin puree until they are plump and creamy; then, we stir in a bit of sweetness and spice for a hearty and healthy fall breakfast. Add a sprinkle of nuts or pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of maple syrup, and let yourself linger over breakfast, even for just a moment. The possibility of a warm, lush, and healthy bowl of pumpkin pie for breakfast (one that can be made in bulk, and reheated anytime) is simpler and more delicious than you ever thought oats could be.

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PREP 2 minutes COOK 30 minutes MAKES 1 serving

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½ cup milk of choice ½ cup water ¼ cup steel-cut oats (I use Trader Joe’s organic steel-cut oats) ¼ cup pumpkin puree 1 tbsp. maple syrup 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/8 tsp. blackstrap molasses 1/4 tsp. cinnamon ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp. brown sugar (optional)

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article by // Shira Fishbach photo by // Shira Fishbach do

1. Bring milk and water to a boil. Add steelcut oats and stir them until the water thickens slightly, about a minute or two. Reduce the heat to medium and let simmer for about 15 minutes.

2. Once the oats have absorbed more of the liquid, stir in pumpkin puree. Add maple syrup, vanilla extract, molasses, and spices.

3. Once you’re satisfied with the consistency of your pumpkin spice oatmeal, transfer to a bowl and taste.

4. If you prefer sweeter oats, stir in a teaspoon of brown sugar.

5. Add a splash of milk and sprinkle the oatmeal with any additional toppings; I recommend walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and a drizzle of maple syrup. recipes 20

GINGER APPLE CARROT JUICE article by // Evangel Jung photos by // Evangel Jung

A

s winter quickly approaches, celebrate autumn’s crisp weather and beautiful produce before it ends with this simple Ginger Apple Carrot juice. Its body-warming ingredients and orange color will revive happy memories of autumn, and get your mind and body ready for the cold winter. The ginger’s gingerol boosts thermogenesis, warming your body quickly, while the carrot’s carotene and the apple’s vitamin C help improve blood circulation and increases metabolism. The juice is also rich in antioxidants, which will protect your skin from harsh winter light.

Since this juice will start to lose these nutritional values as time passes, drink it immediately after preparation. You can adjust the recipe to your taste by adding a spoonful of honey to make it sweeter, or by adding some lemon juice for tartness.

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PREP 3 minutes BLEND 1 minute MAKES 1 serving

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• ½ medium-sized apple • ½ medium-sized carrot • ½ tsp. grated ginger • ½ cup water do

1. Dice the apple and carrot into ½ inch cubes.

2. Put all the ingredients into a blender and juice them.

21 nonpareil | autumn 2014

GREEN GODDESS JUICE

article by // Ty Billman photos by // Peggy Xu

T

his Green Goddess smoothie is the most delicious way to introduce yourself to kale, the vegetable you might have thought of as just a leafy decoration on a plate. It’s perfect for when you need a dose of health when you can’t seem to wash your hands of yesterday’s dining hall pizza oil. It’ll make you think that your body is a temple again, even when, after a week’s worth of dining hall food, it’s probably not. The veggies in this smoothie give it soul, and the fruit the zest.

This smoothie also stays well in the fridge, if you want to save yourself from having to eat more pizza.

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PREP 5 minutes BLEND 10-20 minutes MAKES 2 servings

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• Half a bunch of kale • 12 oz. water • 1 banana • 1 apple • 1 kiwi (skinned) • 1 pear (skinned) • 5-10 grapes • The juice of one lemon do

1. Prepare all fruit and blend with on the highest setting until fully blended.

2. Cut kale leaf away from stalk and blend in small batches.

3. When kale is fully blended, which can take up to 20 minutes with a conventional blender, pour into cups and enjoy! recipes 22

VEGAN CHILI P

article by // Genevieve Iwanicki photos by // Peggy Xu

erfect for both hot and cold weather, this classic chili recipe gets a vegetarian upgrade. It doesn’t take too many ingredients, and they’re all pretty easy to find (and relatively inexpensive). Since it always tastes best a few days after it’s made, you can make a big pot in advance and let the flavors meld together over the week, so you will always have something delicious in your fridge to snack on.

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PREP 20 minutes COOK 3 hours MAKES 4 servings

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• ¼ cup olive oil (or other vegetable oil) • 6 garlic cloves • 1 medium onion (diced) • 1 medium green pepper (diced) • 1 28 oz. can whole peeled plum tomatoes • 2 15 oz. cans of dark red kidney beans (unsalted) • 2 tbsp. ground cumin • 1 tbsp. chili powder do

1. Put the olive oil into a large pot. Add whole garlic cloves, the diced onion, and the diced green pepper.

2. Turn on the heat and cook until the onions start to sweat and turn slightly brown around the edges. Add tomatoes in from the can one by one, squeezing each into the pot. Add the rest of the tomato juice from the can and stir.

3. Next, add the two cans of beans, with the ground cumin and chili pepper.

4. Stir together and cook on low-medium heat for 3 hours, stirring often to prevent burning.

5. Store in the fridge until ready to eat.

23 nonpareil | autumn 2014

RUSTIC APPLE TART

article by // Shira Fishbach photos by // Shira Fishbach

T

his simple apple tart is a humble contender for your next favorite fall dessert. Apples, so commonly buried under thick pastry crusts, can be so much more than spicy, cloyingly sweet goo, if only we relinquish our heavy hand with the cinnamon jar and embrace apples at their purest. This apple tart is a celebration of the magic of minimalism, using every part of the apple for unparalleled flavor.

Here, local apples are laid out on a simple pastry crust and baked with a touch of butter and sugar until they’re bubbly. You’ll likely find that you have more apple slices than necessary, but not to worry: You can toss the extras into a saucepan, along with the peels and cores, to make a lightly sweet glaze for the finished tart.

Serve with softly whipped cream, à la mode out of the oven, or from the refrigerator the next morning for breakfast. It suits any occasion and deserves a spot in your seasonal tart repertoire.

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PREP 45 minutes COOK 45 minutes MAKES 8 servings

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Dough: • 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour • ½ tsp. sugar • ½8 tsp. salt • 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut in ½ inch pieces • 3 ½ tbsp. cold water Filling: • 2 pounds apples (I prefer Golden Delicious or Honeycrisp, but any tart, firm variety will do), peeled, cored, and sliced (save peels and cores) • 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted • 3 tbsp. sugar

Adapted from smittenkitchen.com

Glaze: • ½ cup sugar • Reserved apple peels and cores

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1. Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.

Work the butter into the flour with your fingertips or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles a coarse meal and the biggest pieces resemble large peas. Slowly dribble in cold water and stir until the dough just barely holds together. Toss it with your hands until it’s mostly cohesive with some dry patches. If it’s too dry to work into a ball, add another tbsp. of water. Keep tossing until you can roll the dough into a ball. Flatten into a 4-inch-thick disk and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. On a lightly-floured surface, roll the dough into a 14-inch circle about ½8 inch thick, smoothing any cracks.

2. Place the dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Heat the oven to 400° F. 3. Overlap the apples onto the dough, starting 2 inches from the edge. Continue inward until you fill the center. Fold the 2-inch interval over the apples, crimping the edges at 1-inch intervals.

4. Brush the melted butter over the apples and the dough edge. Sprinkle the 3 tbsp. of sugar over the tart (apples, dough, and all).

5. Bake until the apples are soft with lightly browned edges and the crust has caramelized, about 45 minutes, rotating the tart in the oven every 15 minutes.

6. Place the reserved peels, cores, and any leftover apple slices in a large saucepan with half a cup of sugar. Pour in enough water to cover the apples, and simmer for about 45 minutes.

Strain the syrup.

7. Brush the glaze over the finished tart, slice, and serve. recipes 24

BEET STEW AND SALAD article by // Holly Zaharchuk photos by // Holly Zaharchuk ne small bunch of beets can go a long way. Beets are in season well through November in the Midwest, and every part is delicious from the earthy roots to their verdant leaves. Their ruby red bulbs are versatile in their own right—eaten raw in a salad with lush burrata, stewed with potatoes and cabbage, roasted with oil and salt, or pickled for a piquant snack—but their stems and greens are not to be ignored.

I often use beet greens in place of chard, spinach, or kale, and the stems add a sweet crunch to sautées and stews. Here, the beet stems are pickled with garlic, orange, and whole spices, then tossed with beet greens and an orange-poppy vinaigrette. The brightness of the orange and the pop of the pickling spices brings out the stew’s sweetness and provides a counter to its deep, earthy notes for a root-to-tip celebration of the beet.

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PREP 90 minutes COOK 1 hour MAKES 10 servings

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Topping • 1 tbsp. salt 2 3 cup white wine vinegar •¼ • ½ cup sugar • 2 garlic cloves, smashed • 1 tbsp. coriander seeds • 1 sprig thyme • 2 tsp. dill seed • ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper • 4 thick strips of orange zest • 3-4 beets’ worth of stems, washed well Red Borsch (Beet Stew) • 3-4 medium beets, washed thoroughly • 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth • 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes • 2 baking potatoes, washed thoroughly • 1 medium onion • 2 medium carrots, washed • ½ head of cabbage, core removed • ½ lemon • Kosher salt • Pepper • 1 bay leaf • Handful parsley, chopped • 2 cups mixed fresh mushrooms chopped into bite-size pieces 25 nonpareil | autumn 2014

• ¼ cup chopped mixed fresh herbs (such as parsley, chives, and sage) Beet Green Salad with Orange Poppy Vinaigrette • 3-4 beets’ worth of greens, washed and chopped • 1 orange • 2 tbsps. olive oil • ¼ tsp. poppy seeds • Salt • Pepper • ¼ cups shelled pistachios • Pickled beet stems do

Pickled Beet Stems 1. Slice the beet stems into half-inch pieces and place them in a bowl with a lid. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring everything except the beet stems to a boil, stirring until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Remove from the heat and pour over the beet stems, then let them sit uncovered for an hour. They can be eaten right away, or covered and refrigerated overnight to intensify the flavors.

Red Borsch (Beet Stew) 1. In a large stock pot filled with 10 cups of water, boil the beets until cooked through, about 1 hour. Remove the beets and set them aside until they are cool enough to peel. Add in the broth into the pot with the beet cooking water and bring the mixture back up to a boil.

2. Cut the potatoes into quarter-inch thick slices, then slice the carrots and onions into halfmoons. Add the potatoes, carrots, and onion into the broth with about 1 tsp. salt, the tomatoes, bay leaf, and pepper to taste. Meanwhile, peel and slice the beets the same way you sliced the potatoes, so they are of equal size, and shred the cabbage. Once the potatoes are almost done cooking, add the cooked beets and shredded cabbage. Adjust seasoning, then simmer until all the vegetables are cooked. Juice the lemon into the soup and add the chopped parsley.

Beet Green Salad with Orange Poppy Vinaigrette 1. Peel and segment the orange, saving the leftover membrane for the dressing. Toss the greens and segments in a medium bowl, then add the pistachios. Squeeze the juice of the orange membrane into a small bowl and whisk with the olive oil, poppy seeds, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss the salad with the vinaigrette and finish with the pickled beet stems.

Adapted from Melissa Clark’s blog and Natasha’s Kitchen

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Topping 1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Bake potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet until tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly, then peel. Press potatoes through a ricer, food mill, or colander into a large bowl. Add butter; stir until well blended. Stir in milk. Season to taste with salt.

DO AHEAD: Potatoes can be made 1 day in advance. Let cool, press plastic wrap directly onto potatoes, and chill.

VEGETABLE SHEPHERD’S PIE N {

article by // Shayna Inzunza photos by // Shayna Inzunza

othing is better than coming home to the warm, savory smell of something inviting baking in the oven. As the weather gets colder, many people think of hearty meaty dishes with potatoes, a delectable sauce, and an onion or two. However, not all hearty meals have to have meat. This Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie gets its filling quality from lentils, mushrooms, and rich root vegetables.

The best part about this dish is that it is completely customizable; you can use any root vegetables that you like. I personally don’t like mushrooms so I left those out and added more of my favorite fall vegetables: butternut squash, carrots, and parsnips.

Since the shepherd’s pie is assembled in layers, you should try to make some of the components a day ahead of time. I made the topping and the lentils a day before and was grateful that on a busy Monday night I wouldn’t have to wait for potatoes to cook.

Meanwhile, my friends were grateful that they didn’t have to wait until ten PM to eat.

Adapted from Bon Appétit Magazine

PREP 90 minutes COOK 3.5 hours MAKES 10 servings

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Topping • 3 lbs. russet potatoes, unpeeled • 3 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch cubes • Kosher salt Filling • 1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms • ¾ cup brown or French green lentils • 6 garlic cloves, divided, plus 2 tbsp. chopped garlic • 1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for seasoning • 5 tbsp. olive oil, divided • 3 cups coarsely chopped onions • 2 tbsp. tomato paste • 2 bay leaves • 2 cups dry white wine • 8 cups vegetable broth • 2 tbsp. cornstarch • 2 tbsp. gluten-free white miso or 2 tsp. gluten-free tamari soy sauce • Freshly ground black pepper • 12 cups ½ inch pieces fall vegetables (such as squash, turnips, carrots, and parsnips) • 1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed, halved • 2 4-inch sprigs rosemary • 2 cups bite-size pieces mixed fresh mushrooms • ¼ cup chopped mixed fresh herbs (such as parsley, chives, and sage)

Filling 2. Soak dried porcini in 3 cups of hot water; set aside. Combine lentils, 1 garlic clove, 1 tsp. salt and 4 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender but not mushy, 15-20 minutes. Drain lentils and discard garlic.

3. Heat 3 tbsp. oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 12 minutes. Add chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste. Cook, stirring constantly, until tomato paste is caramelized, 2-3 minutes.

4. Add bay leaves and wine; stir, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in porcini, slowly pouring porcini soaking liquid into pan but leaving any sediment behind. Bring to a simmer and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Stir in broth and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 45 minutes.

5. Strain mixture into a large saucepan and bring to a boil; discard solid in strainer. Stir cornstarch and 2 tbsp. water in a small bowl to dissolve. Add cornstarch mixture; simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in miso.

Season sauce with salt and pepper. Set aside.

6. Preheat oven to 450° F. Toss vegetables and pearl onions with remaining 2 tbsp. oil, 5 garlic cloves, and rosemary sprigs in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Divide between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Roast, stirring once, until tender 20-25 minutes.

7.Transfer garlic cloves to a small bowl; mash well with a fork and stir into sauce. Discard rosemary. Cover separately; chill.

DO AHEAD: Lentils, sauce, and vegetables can be made 1 day in advance.

8. Arrange lentils in an even layer in a 3-quart baking dish; set dish on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.

9. Toss roasted vegetables with fresh mushrooms and chopped herbs; layer on top of lentils. Pour sauce over vegetables. Spoon potato mixture evenly over.

10. Bake at 450° F until browned and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. recipes 26

Cover: Kristin Lin Back Cover: Peggy xu