nonpareil
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO FOOD MAGAZINE
cover sahil chatterji TABLE OF CONTENTS SAISHA panjabi design zelda mayer and joe joseph
the unconventional issue // spring 2015 4 Chicago Raw 5 Dove’s Luncheonette 6 Weiner Circle 7 Waffles Cafe 8 Del Seoul 9 Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder Co. 10 Food Truck Showdown 12 A Cut Above 14 Molecular Gastronomy 17 Butterflies in Your Stomach 18 Famous Food Fads 19 Modern Day Hunter Gatherer 22 Ramen Burger 23 Lavender Chocolate Truffles 24 Corn Cookies & Cereal Milk 25 Pork Belly Bao Tacos 26 Cocktails Editor-in-Chief Joe joseph Head of Design Zelda Mayer Heads of photography sahil chatterji, SAISHA panjabi Treasurer Hannah Bao head of programming julie khidekel webmaster geoffrey wang social media mangers finn jubak, evangel jung Design Jenny mao, Joe Joseph, Zelda Mayer Content editors celine kwon, joe joseph writers Alan Yang, andrew koski, Fatima Omar, Finn Jubak, Georgia Dixon, James Barriere, Jenny Swann, Karen Sung, Mary Bittner, Mckenzie Mandich, Michael Wheeler, Michelle Ling, Mike Harrison, Saisha Panjabi, Shayna Inzunza, Shira Fishbach, Tracy Zhang, Troy Ordonez, Veronica Murashige photographers Finn Jubak, Jacob McCarthy, Michelle Ling, Peggy Xu, Sahil Chatterji, Saisha Panjabi, Serena Kini Cramer, Shayna Inzunza, Shira Fishbach, Spencer Chan, Varsha Sundar
facebook Nonpareil magazine instagram @nonpareil_UC website nonpareiluc.com email nonpareilmagazine@gmail.com Dear Foodies and Friends, UChicago embraces the unique—Scav, “That Kids,” Dollar Shake Day, Saturdays in the Reg, Kuvia, and other unconventional traditions. This issue, Nonpareil extends the quirk from campus to kitchen. Join us as we explore Chicago’s experimental food scene that is transforming meals into masterpieces. Start off with reviews of local establishments for the eccentric, where you can find culinary inventions such as pizza pot pie (p.9) or the internet-famous wonut (7). Utilizing unique flavors, methods, and environments, these culinary innovators push the boundary between food and art. Whether by fusing flavors from across the world (8) or putting their kitchen on wheels (10-11), these noteworthy spots defy the conventions of traditional culinary experiences. Next, we take a closer look at some of the bizarre movements in food from America’s past (18), inspired techniques of the present (12-13), and creative breakthroughs that will shape the future of culinary arts (14-15). Finally, delve into these edible experiments yourself, with accessible recipes for unconventional cuisine. Discover the possibilities of sinful chocolate truffles with a special floral ingredient (23) or a twist on the classic burger involving the college student’s most beloved staple food (22). Let this issue be a guide into the weird, wacky, wonderful foods that convert kitchens into laboratories. So go ahead, play with your food!
- The Editors
REVIEW:
CHICAGO RAW By // karen sung + Michelle Ling Photos // Michelle ling Conveniently located in the Loop, Chicago Raw is a raw vegan food stand nestled within an indoor farmer’s market. The “Raw” in Chicago Raw stands for “Raising Awareness Worldwide,” as the restaurant’s mission is to increase understanding of the benefits of incorporating raw foods into diets. The store sells only uncooked, plant-based products made from organic ingredients. The décor has an appropriate green and pink motif, and the counter is stacked with refrigerated, readyto-eat items packaged in plastic containers. The food items are labeled with commonplace names, such as “lasagna” or “apple pie,” but the concept of “Raw” is reflected in the ingredients of each—for example, the “egg salad” made from diced coconut. After browsing the refrigerated section along with the menu, and receiving a few recommendations by the helpful worker behind the counter, we decided to order the goji berry bliss smoothie, the cheese pizza, and a lemon square. Ready to dive into our meal, we found a table in the open seating area. The dining area was clean and pretty empty since it was a Thursday afternoon. We first tried the smoothie, which was rich and smooth. Hints of coconut added sweetness to the tart berries, and the absence of artificial sweeteners served to bring out natural flavors. Next was the pizza, of which we were most apprehensive, consisting of a wheat berry crust, marinara sauce on the top, and cashew cheese
in between. Definitely not your typical pizza, but to our surprise, we enjoyed it all the same. Bear in mind, the dish is an interpretation of cold pizza, so it is not served warm. The wheat berry crust was chewy in texture, and provided a nice contrast to the cashew cheese and sauce. The cheese was imbued with tangy creaminess quite reminiscent of ricotta, without the same stringy texture as pizza’s typical mozzarella; instead, it had a similar consistency to the marinara sauce, which was topped with oregano and diced onions, along with sliced tomatoes and jalapenos that added an extra kick. Overall, the pizza was light yet filling, packed with just enough flavor. We saved the lemon square for last, but at that point we were so full we only took a few bites. The few bites we did take were nonetheless delicious, a creamy lemon flavor with undertones of coconut. The strong flavors of the lemon were nicely offset by the nutty base, which reduced the tartness of the dish. Chicago Raw made for a very enjoyable and filling meal, although the three items came to a pricey total of $35. We’ll probably never be able to completely substitute our current diets for a raw (or even vegan) one, but Chicago Raw was surprisingly satisfying, and we left feeling pleasantly full. Overall, the smoothie was our favorite, in that we could imagine ourselves ordering it regularly. We would definitely recommend visiting at least once to try unique takes on familiar dishes.
neighborhood West loop
known for
uncooked, organic food
the draw
treat your tastebuds ... and your colon
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review designs: Joe Joseph
REVIEW:
dove’s luncheonette By // james barriere Photos // sahil chatterji
neighborhood wicker park
known for timeless tex-mex treats
the draw classic diner fit for throwback thursday
Among Chicago foodies, the humble diner is experiencing something of a renaissance. The recent boom in chic diners makes sense, as no restaurant embodies the spirit of the “City That Works” as much as the neighborhood greasy spoon. These hardworking restaurants persevere, unconcerned with the fast-paced Chicago food scene or the ever-shifting makeup of their neighborhoods. This plucky spirit is depicted in a photograph I saw in Paul Kahan’s (the man behind Avec, Blackbird, Big Star, and The Publican) entry into the quickly-growing canon of chic diners, Dove’s Luncheonette. The sepiatoned photograph shows a restaurant that could have existed in any era, only brought to reality through a conspicuous Obama-Biden poster in the window. This is one of many images that cover the walls of the cozy 41-seat space across from the Damen Blue Line stop. Kahan and his team at One Off Hospitality have truly created a gorgeous interior that captures the homey feel of a diner. Seating is communal, with patrons crammed elbow-to-elbow at long counters and metal tables that fill much of the available real estate. In a corner, an old jukebox plays Chicago soul music. Under the menu boards along the back wall of the restaurant lies a small open kitchen. It is in this space that Dove’s breaks from tradition; here Chef Dennis Bernard churns out the Mexican and Southern comfort foods that make Dove’s more than just another Wicker Park novelty. Just below Dove’s take
on the southern diner staple, chicken fried steak, the compact menu features pozole, a pre-Columbian stew used as a celebratory dish in much of Mexico. The stew features a wonderful broth of guajillo chilis, hominy, and pork. Unlike many other pozoles, which can become bogged down with too much salt, this take is able to balance the rich flavor of the pork with the kiss of heat from the chilis. The dish is served with a plate of accoutrements including avocado, lime, radishes, cabbage, cilantro, and tortilla chips. Their addition adds brightness and freshness to an otherwise heavy dish, and adds some textural variety to the starchy hominy and silky pork. Excellent dessert and drink programs compliment the fusion diner cuisine on show at Dove’s. Coffee, by Dark Matter, is roasted specially for the restaurant, and is kept full by attentive service. For those of age, there is an extensive collection of tequilas and mezcals and a homemade Bloody Mary mix. Pies are made by West Town bakery Hoosier Mama, and include flavors like Horchata and Peach Jalapeno, while interesting ice creams, such as guava creamsicle and chocolate sorbet, are made in-house. Many terrific restaurants have opened in the recent boom of nouveau diners, restaurants that produce delicious takes on diner classics. None of these restaurants, however, capture the feel of a diner quite like Dove’s Luncheonette. Just as a diner cooks comfort foods, Paul Kahan and his team have created a comforting space; even at less than a year old, Dove’s feels timeless.
reviews
5
REVIEW:
Weiner circle To be honest, I had second thoughts about deciding to try out Wiener Circle, the famously surly hot dog stand in Lincoln Park. I’m two things that might be completely antithetical to everything the institution embodies: I only eat Halal meat (I’m Muslim), effectively making me a vegetarian, and I also happen to be incredibly meek. But I knew that amid the hotdogs of the menu there was a veggie burger, and that I needed some practice growing a spine, so I embarked on a mission. At the very least I’d have some well-deserved junk food and a giggle, which was more than good enough for me the weekend after third week. In my opinion, Weiner Circle delivered on all accounts. This clean, well-maintained shack seemed a little out of place in hip and trendy Lincoln Park, but it quickly became obvious that a place serving good, crave-able fast food with a side of sarcasm (and every now and then, screaming) is something that any demographic could use, and it actually fits right in. Upon arriving, we were not greeted with whatever image of chaos we had conjured up in our minds, but that was okay for the moment because we were able to take a minute and decide what to order. I decided on the veggie burger with some caution; at most restaurants offering several burgers, the veggie variety can sometimes feel like an afterthought. So it was wonderfully surprising to find that this Char 6
nonpareil | spring 2015
By // fatima omar Photos // peggy xu
Veggie Burger was unlike any I’ve ever tasted; the crispy outer shell was smoky from the flame of the grill, and it gave way to an inside of flavorful potatoes and other vegetables. What was most impressive is that it still managed to maintain substance and textural integrity. It was so unlike a burger with its thickness and soft, melt-y inside, but it still ate like one. My friend and dining companion had the Char Cheddar dog; this looked delicious also, but the most enthralling dish by far was the Cheddar Fries. Just as the server was about to hand us a hefty helping of hand-cut fries, he ladled on some liquid cheese. They look like they might cause you to drop dead, they taste so incredibly artificial, but they are also inexplicably good. And the only thing that distracted us from our task of finishing these was the vibrant language adorning the server’s T-shirt and tip jar. The occasional outburst from her (who, along with the other staff, was actually warm and lovely) seemed a little staged and without conviction, but it still let everyone know who was boss. And whatever she may have
lacked in conviction, the general atmosphere made up for: Wiener Circle seems to be a veteran, neighborhood joint with customers that range from the drunk, late-night crowd to Lincoln Park’s regular community members. And this makes sense, because it is, simply put, a hot dog stand with unmatched food, entertainment, and presence.
neighborhood lincoln park
known for
unruly “customer service”
the draw chicago-famous hot dogs with a side of sarcasm
REVIEW: waffles cafe By // georgia dixon Photos // spencer chan
neighborhood lincoln park
known for the internetfamous wonut
the draw the ultimate instagram #blessed
Wonuts were an Internet sensation before they were a gastronomic one. In April of 2014, Thrillist published an online article of resplendent closelens shots of waffle batter being mixed, baked, fried, and then dipped in a small hotel pan of frosting. Hence the confection that is theoretically both waffle and doughnut: the wonut. Chicagoans seemed to have finally found their distinctive hybrid pastry – a Chicago sibling to New York’s muchcelebrated cronut. But the wonut lacks the refinement of the cronut, and therefore the wonut suffers from hyperbolic praise that matches its hyperbolic sweetness. Almost a year on, the tizzy of demand for the wonut has somewhat calmed. Waffles Cafe, the establishment that makes and sells the distinctive pastry, still offers a wonut preordering service, presumably so that any fanatic wonut seeker can ensure that they get one before the crowds. However, when I visited the Ohio Street location with a group of friends, we were seated right away and easily had access to a sizeable list of wonut options. Of the four wonuts we sampled— lemon blueberry, Oreo, espresso, and red velvet cake—the lemon blueberry was most successful in its simplicity.
It was studded with fresh blueberries and coated in sugar crystals. The other pastries were successful to varying degrees, though the overall experience proved that wonuts are invariably saccharine and slightly tough in texture. The Red Velvet wonut was the most confusing because although it could boast a deep reddish red velvet base, it lacked its characteristic cream cheese frosting. The espresso, my least favorite of the group, was much too sweet, but it also had the boldest and most expressive flavor. Lastly, the Oreo wonut was tasty and very chocolaty, but not captivating in taste. For those planning on visiting Waffles Cafe for the wonuts, be sure to ask your server to list the wonut options avaible. They often run out of their signature flavors, like the much sought after green tea wonut. There is a silver lining though—going in person means access to off-menu wonut flavors (neither the espresso nor the Oreo wonuts we ordered were on the menu). Wonuts advertise themselves as conduits for well-engineered decadence, but they do not deliver on their promise. The wonut seems a more aesthetic pursuit, beautiful to look at, but not the kind of treat that a Leslie Knope-type would want to voraciously consume. reviews
7
REVIEW: DEL By // Troy Ordonez Photos // peggy xu Situated on modern and hipster-friendly N. Clark St., Del Seoul is located in a building that’s only outstanding quality is a unique logo that adorns the front of the restaurant. Inside, you’ll find an almost intimidatingly long line of customers eager in anticipation for their chance to order. I say almost because the line itself quickly deteriorates due to the quick service on part of the waitstaff. The restaurant’s main inspiration is the cuisine of a Korean-food truck with a special focus on the Korean Taco, a popular fusion of Korean and Latino influences that has now become a staple of Korean food trucks across the nation. Korean cuisine itself is noted for being largely based on its rice, vegetables, and meat with perhaps an even greater emphasis on kimchi, a fermented vegetable, usually napa cabbage, with a brine comprised of ginger, garlic, scallions, and chili pepper. Del Seoul doesn’t deviate much from its Korean inspiration, but does serve a few dishes that offer a slightly unique twist on an ever-changing cuisine. To start, I ordered spicy BBQ pork and sesame chili shrimp tacos. Upon first taste of the pork, there was an immediate hint of spicy yet sweet flavor combined with just the right proportions of secret slaw, meat and sauce.
SEOUL
The taco, reminiscent of a po-boy, lives up to this standard with a similarly complex flavor combined with the added crisp of fried shrimp and tangy chili dressing. From there, I moved on to an apparent customer favorite, kimchi fries. These fries are Del Seoul’s version of poutine or nachos, topped with pork belly, kimchi, onions, scallions, salsa, melted cheese, and sour cream. This meal comes at a relatively small cost, yet delivers the Korean-Latino fusion cuisine that one hopes to receive. Next were the two entrées of the evening, the kimchi fried rice and the hot stone bowl bibimbap. The kimchi fried rice is a simple dish made up of rice with spam, bacon, scallion and kimchi. The korean spices and crunchy fried rice are so delectable that you’ll try to keep eating even once you’ve become full. The bibimbap is a Korean-style rice bowl complete with a large assortment of vegetables, meat and egg. It also comes with a side of sriracha sauce if you wish to add more spice to a dish that’s already quite hot. Perhaps the most authentic dish, the bibimbap’s mixture of
well-steamed vegetables, cooked and seasoned mushrooms, beef, and kimchi offers a yet another hefty meal packed with spice. Del Seoul offers a casual dining experience that shouldn’t be missed. The order system leaves you free to depart as soon as you wish, but with unique fusion cuisine and a cozy atmosphere you might find very little reason to
neighborhood lincoln park
known for korean street bbq cuisine
the draw
cheap spot to satisfY kimchi cravings design: Jenny mao
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REVIEW:
Chicago Pizza+ Oven Grinder Co. By // Mary bittner Photo // serena kini cramer The Italians first coined the term “pizza” as early as the 10th century, and culinary artists have been revolutionizing the dish ever since. From the depth of crust to the time in which the pizza can be cooked, pizza lovers everywhere continue to push the boundaries on a dish that has captured hearts (and appetites) around the world. One restaurant in Chicago features a particularly revolutionary pizza creation: the pizza pot pie. Located in the quaint, bustling neighborhood of Lincoln Park, Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder Co. forces diners to rethink the definition of pizza. Their creation presents a strong argument to Chicago deep-dish fanatics that perhaps pizza is best eaten as a pot pie. Although Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder Co. features a revolutionary dish, the restaurant itself is far from revolutionary. Located in the cellar of a historic Lincoln Park building, the interior features wood-paneling and dim lights, contributing to a fun retro ambience. A wait time is inevitable and if the weather is nice enough, I recommend walking around the neighborhood. Don’t bother giving your name to the man at the hostess stand— he’ll remember every customer’s face no matter how busy the restaurant gets. Wear something easily recognizable and don’t forget to hit up the ATM before you eat, as the restaurant is cash-only. If you intend on being seated and served quickly, don’t go to Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder Co. That being said,
sometimes the best things in life are worth waiting for. A good pizza can essentially be broken into three main categories: crust, sauce and toppings. A dish can only be as excellent as its ingredients and thus, a great pizza crust begins with great dough. The pizza pot pies at Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Co. are handmade with triple-raised Sicilian bread-type dough, producing a soft and doughy crust much to the delight of deep-dish lovers. Customers may select either white or wheat crust upon ordering, which provides a customizable element to the pot pie to satisfy picky diners. Although in pot pie form, the crust to sauce to toppings ratio is perfectly balanced, preventing the dough from overpowering the other flavors of the dish. The sauce is a secret combination of olive oil, fresh garlic, onions, green peppers, whole plum tomatoes and sausage. The diner can order the pot pie with or without whole mushrooms, which are placed inside the pie and sautéed in the sauce from the heat of the oven. Topping it all off (quite literally), is a delicious cheese-blend that blankets the pot pie. Pizza pot pie is revolutionary, wonderful and possibly addicting. If you haven’t experienced the phenomenon, I highly recommend adventuring to Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder Co. Their pizza may not stay true to the culinary creation of 10th century Italy, but it is memorable and mind-blowing nonetheless.
neighborhood lincoln park
known for
the original pizza pot pie
the draw
step aside, deep dish — there’s a new pie in town
reviews
9
THE FOOD TRUCK ARTICLE & PHOTOS SHOWDOWN BY SAISHA PANJABI For those still living on the meal plan, eating at one of the many food trucks that line Ellis Ave. comes with the added guilt of foregoing a trip to the dining hall. Upperclassmen that have the luxury of a guiltless trip to a truck are probably aware of the appeal of the colorful facades and promises of cheap meals to-go. This quarter, I was lucky enough to spend a week escaping the dining halls in order to review some of the more unique experiences one can have while walking down Ellis Ave. Despite its reputation as a new truck on the block, Bruges Brothers, which opened in January 2015, had the longest line I saw all week. Last month, they were listed in Zagat’s “10 Food Trucks to Chase Around Chicago” for their revolutionary pommes frites cooked in beef and duck fat. You can get a cone of these fries with your choice of sauces, or an Entrée Cone, which consists of fries topped with a fantastic variety of toppings such as chimichurri, chive crème fraiche, and even Indian curry. I tried an indulgent Croque Madame, which consisted of pommes frites with cheese fondue, fried egg with a runny yolk, ham, and dijonaisse. Next, I tasted their very British imitation of Fish ‘N’ Chips, which had warm, soft wild cod, flavorful capers, and tangy tartar. My only criticism would be that while there was a lot of goodness packed together, I wish some of the flavors were distributed throughout the cone rather than just saturated at the top.
BRUGES BROTHERS
PIEROGI WAGON Another exotic food truck you can be sure to find any day of the week is Pierogi Wagon. Definitely a fan favorite, Pierogi Wagon is doing so well that the owner plans on expanding soon and opening another, even bigger truck soon. Currently, Pierogi Wagon serves Polish stuffed dumplings with sides including, but not limited to, the classic sour cream, sauerkraut, and chopped bacon. For an extra $2, you can choose to get a polish sausage on the side. After sampling all of the pierogis , I decided that my favorite was the Sauerkraut & Mushroom. It perfectly balances the slightly sweet flavor of mushroom and the tangy flavor of the sauerkraut. Together with the peppery, grilled onions and the sour cream to cool off the heat, the dish came together perfectly for a light but flavorful meal.
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THE CORNER FARMACY If you haven’t tried The Corner Farmacy, it may be because they come around at the rooster’s crow and pack up early (1 p.m.), around the time many college students are just getting out. Nevertheless, I promise you that their sandwiches, baked goods and juice cleanses are all worth the early rise. The owners warmly invited me into the truck to absorb the flavorful aromas as I watched them prepare the orders from scratch, and I was impressed by their dedication to using fresh, locally produced organic ingredients. First, I tried The Goat egg sandwich with fresh goat cheese, slightly sweet peach rosemary preserve, arugula, and crispy bacon, making it a perfect combination of sweet, salty, soft and crispy. Then I tasted the most popular item on the menu: the Veggie Burger. The patty, made out of red quinoa and vegetables, was crispy and flavorful. The patty together with fresh aromatic pesto, spinach, and cheese, brought the sandwich together heroically. For an even healthier option , you can choose to have any sandwich served on a bed of greens. Finally, I tasted their almond hazelnut milk, flavored with cinnamon, sea salt, vanilla, and dates. This slightly sweet, light milk was a soothing end to a fantastic meal. While slightly expensive, The Corner Farmacy is by far my favorite truck.
1st
One of the more famous food trucks (and restaurants) in Chicago, The Tamale Spaceship visits Ellis Ave. every Monday and Wednesday. This black and white food truck offers a variety of different tamales, ranging from a flank steak tamale with traditional Oaxacan black mole and sesame seeds to a simpler but classic roasted poblano tamale with panela cheese and a tomato-jalapeno sauce. For those unaware, a tamale is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made out of a cornbased dough and filled with meats, cheeses, or vegetables and then steamed or boiled in a leaf wrapper. I ordered the No One’s Chicken Tamale which was handed to me with instructions to unwrap the banana leaves and pour over the green peanut mole. While I liked the tamale, I think that it would have tasted better if it were more generously stuffed. More delicious than the tamale itself was the fresh guacamole and homemade corn chips served with it. If you don’t feel like eating a whole tamale, you can order guacamole with a serving of corn chips for only $3. Grab a bottle of Jarritos soda to go with the meal and you’ll have a nice, filling lunch.
THE TAMALE SPACESHIP
CHICAGO LUNCHBOX The inspiration for Chicago Lunchbox comes from a place of real warmth. The self proclaimed “sandwich slanger” John Nguyen combined his exposure to authentic Vietnamese flavors with the Western sandwich, kindling nostalgia for lunchboxes packed and zipped with the classic PB&J. If you see The Lunchbox parked on Ellis on a Monday, Wednesday, or Friday, don’t be fooled by their simple menu. I tried the Sloppy Thai, which was layered with ground Thai basil chicken, fried egg, greens, sriracha, and jalapenos (for the daring). While it may have looked like any other sandwich, the sandwich was a winner. It had amazingly authentic flavors and balanced out the spice and crunch of the rest of the ingredients perfectly. Down the street, people could be heard raving about the sandwich long after lunch ended.
design: Jenny mao
reviews 11
A CUT ABOVE 12 nonpareil | spring 2015
By Tracy Zhang // Photos by Varsha Sundar // Design by Zelda Mayer If there’s a such thing as an unassuming meal, it would have to be pizza and beer. It’s low-key. It’s down to earth. It’s what you eat and drink when you want to kick back after a long day’s work. It’s not pretentious. Piece Brewery and Pizzeria in Wicker Park specializes in this combination of pizza and beer, but manages to elevate this simple meal to award-winning levels of perfection while maintaining its down-to-earthness. Piece is well-known for its craft beers, brewed on site, which have won countless awards nationally and internationally. It pairs the award-winning beers with its signature New Haven-style thin crust pizza. The result is still the staple meal of pizza and beer, but at an entirely new level. The past decade or so has seen a rise in craft brewing, one that is still on the increase. A craft brewer is typically a small, independent brewer that produces 6 million barrels or beer or less annually. They are associated both with quality and innovation, often with unique names and flavors. The rise in craft brewing is seen by some as an indicator of improving economic conditions—craft brew is generally seen as a more expensive taste, and does tend to attract more affluent drinkers. Others see it as a backlash reaction to the big breweries that dominated and monopolized the American beer industry throughout the 70’s and 80’s. It is also sometimes associated with the rise of the hipster, a way to turn even the least assuming drink a little bit pretentious. Craft brewing is a trend that appears to be gathering steam. 2014 was a big year for craft brewing. According to the Brewers Association, the trade association that represents small and independent American craft brewers, craft brewers accounted for 11 percent volume share of the marketplace, the first time that craft brewing has hit double digits. Their chief economist Bart Watson declared that this was a part of a “profound shift in American beer culture”—one away from the beer giants and towards these small and independent craft brewers. While the total beer market grew only 0.5 percent in 2014, the craft beer market grew 10 percent in terms of volume of production and 22 percent in terms of retail dollars. As far as craft brewing goes, Piece is a considered a Brewpub—a restaurant-brewery that produces its beer primarily for sale at its restaurant and bar. Piece opened in 2002 in a building that was once a garage for roofing
trucks, which explains high ceilings and beautiful loft woodwork. The floor of Piece, however, is crowded and lively. There are large, high communal tables, lower small tables packed closely together, and a large bar. Go anywhere near a standard mealtime and it’s bound to be occupied if not completely full. Piece brews all of its hand-crafted brews in small batches in its own seven barrel brewhouse. They have a small selection of beers on tap, a list of “Guest Drafts”, and a good selection of bottled beers. The selection of Guest Drafts and bottled beers is great—don’t get me wrong. But given that Piece’s long list of awards and accolades is prominently displayed on a huge chalkboard on their back wall, it’s only common sense to
“[Piece] maintains the best part about pizza and beer— how casual and communal of a meal it is—but adds a dimension of artistry and quality that few other pizzerias or breweries manage to achieve.” start with their home brews. We started with The Weight, and American pale ale that won a Gold medal at the 2014 World Beer Cup out of 122 entries, The Swinging Single, a Belgian pale ale, and the Camel Toe Egyptian Pale Ale, an American Double/Imperial IPA. The Weight, which had a surprising kick, was quickly declared the best of the round. It was reassuring to know that that our taste buds were in line with the esteemed World Beer Cup judges. The Swinging Single was a solid Belgian, nothing exceptional but still a very good beer. The Camel Toe was the dark horse of the evening. It started out at the bottom of the round. It was hoppy— to be expected—but as a staunchly anti-hops beer drinker I still found it decent. But once the pizza came out, it made an unexpected comeback. The Camel Toe was by far the best beer to pair with pizza. Rather than a second round of drinks, we opted for their 3 oz. brew samples, another
cool aspect of Piece. We got what looked like large shotglasses of The Golden Arm and the Dark and Curvy, a kolsch and a dunkelweizen, both also award-winning beers. Both lived up to their award status—the Dark and Curvy in particular was gone before we knew it. Piece’s walls are covered with the accolades its received for its beer, but don’t let that fool you into thinking the beer is the only star of the show. Piece was named the 2011 Independent Pizzeria of the Year by Pizza Today magazine. Piece’s pizza is a New Haven-style thin crust, a bold move for a pizza shop that is a) not in New Haven and b) is in fact in the middle of the land of deep-dish. Piece’s pizza is fully customizable. You start with the style of pizza—Plain, Red, or White— and add on a slew of regular or premium toppings. The topping selection includes your usual fare, but also a few oddballs like mashed potatoes or clams. You can also top it off with additional goat cheese or feta. We decided to go with one “standard” pizza—a Red pizza with mushrooms, green peppers, and broccoli, and a (slightly more) “adventurous” pizza—White with mashed potatoes, onions, and artichoke hearts. Am I starting to sound like a broken record if I say that the pizza lived up to its fame? It came piping hot, pre-sliced, and was brought to our table on an elevated tray that was just high enough to slide our beer glasses underneath. The cheese-to-topping ratio was just right, and the cheese was the perfect level of melted. But what really stole the show was the crust. It was perfectly charred, and just the right combination of chewy but still crisp. It was thin-crust done right—apt, given that the founder Bill Jacobs once wrote a letter to the editor of the Chicago Tribune complaining that the thin-crust pizzas of Chicago featured a “dimensionless cracker-like quality”. As for the toppings, here was our takeaway: be adventurous. The mashed potatoes ended up being one of the best parts of the meal. It added an unexpectedly complementary texture to the crisp crust, and made the pizza much fuller and heartier. Piece does the combination of craft and comfort to perfection. It maintains the best part about pizza and beer—how casual and communal of a meal it is—but adds a dimension of artistry and quality that few other pizzerias or breweries manage to achieve. It’s well worth the schlep up from Hyde Park, even after a long day’s work. features 13
Ceci n’est pas une orange a practical guide to molecular gastronomy
by michael wheeler / photos by sahil chatterji / design by zelda mayer
14 14 nonpareil nonpareil || winter spring 2015 2015
Techniques pioneered by industrial food scientists in the early 20th century to control the texture, color, and flavor of mass-produced food spread quickly into the stainless steel laboratories of elBulli, NoMa, Alinea, and hundreds of other restaurants worldwide. The marriage of these laboratory techniques with fresh ingredients began a renaissance in the restaurant industry—to thicken a sauce you could suddenly choose from a wealth of ingredients: gelatin, agar, carrageenan, xanthan or guar gum, that hadn’t all been available to chefs before. More advanced procedures like transglutaminase meat adhesion and gel spherefication also flowed from lab chemists to line cooks, and the distinction between kitchen and laboratory was blurred perhaps forever. Some of these innovations have trickled down to the purview of home cookery. Not only are restaurant-quality meals easier to prepare at home than ever, but even the basic techniques of everyday cooking have been renovated. Here are two examples of amazing results you can achieve at home using some of these techniques of modernist cuisine.
meat fruit Recipe by Heston Blumenthal Total time: 4 days This is a well-known dish by the British chef Heston Blumenthal, served at his restaurant Dinner By Heston Blumenthal at the Mandarin Oriental in London. Disguising meat as fruit has its roots in medieval European cookery, which is a particular fascination of Blumenthal’s. This recipe for a photorealistic mandarin orange made of chicken liver pate requires some exotic ingredients, good technique, and a lot of patience, but is completely feasible to make at home. Making this dish is a fantastic practical lesson in modernist cuisine. Good luck!
Ingredients: 100 g shallots, finely sliced 3 g garlic, minced 15 g fresh thyme, bundled together 150 g dry madeira 150 g ruby port 75 g white port (dry style) 50 g apple brandy 18 g salt 400 g chicken livers, trimmed 240 g beaten eggs 300 g butter, unsalted
600 g mandarin oranges Ice Water Sugar Salt 45 g leaf gelatin 500 g mandarin puree 80 g glucose Syrup .4 g mandarin oil 1.5 g paprika oleoresin Ruscus leaves
1) Combine shallots, garlic, thyme, and all of the alcohol in a saucepan. Let marinate uncovered for 24 hours. 2) Reduce the mixture over low heat until almost all of the liquid has evaporated, stirring often so it doesn’t burn. Discard thyme. 3) Prepare one water bath at 122°F and another at 212°F. 4) Place salt and chicken livers in one bag, beaten eggs and reduced wine in another, and butter in a third. Cook at 122°F for 20 minutes. 5) Set a bowl over a 122°F water bath. Puree the chicken livers, egg mixture, and butter with an immersion blender until smooth. 6) Pass the pate through a fine sieve. Add the pate mixture to a terrine dish set in a water bath at 212°F. Cover and cook until internal temperature reaches 147°F. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate 24 hours. 7) Blanch the mandarin oranges in boiling water for 30 seconds, then reserve in an ice bath for the same amount of time. Repeat 4 times. 8) Simmer the oranges in water with 1 percent sugar and 0.5 percent salt, by weight, for 2 hours. De-seed the oranges and puree, with peels, in a blender until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve and let cool. 9) Bloom the gelatin 10 minutes in cold water. Heat gelatin, mandarin puree, and glucose in a saucepan until the gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat and add mandarin oil. Add paprika extract as necessary for proper color and then pass through a fine sieve. 10) Prepare 2.5” hemispherical molds. Scoop chilled pate into molds and press down to eliminate air pockets. Cover tightly with saran wrap and freeze for at least 6 hours. 11) Pass a blowtorch over the flat surface of each hemisphere briefly, and join the two together. Stick a cocktail skewer into each sphere. Wrap spheres tightly in cling film and reserve in freezer. 12) Melt the mandarin jelly in saucepan. Cool to lukewarm. Spoon liquid jelly over frozen spheres to coat. Stand spheres upright by their skewers to allow gelatin to set and repeat for 2-3 coats. 13) Thaw meat fruit in refrigerator for 6 hours. Shape meat fruit, depress the top of each with your thumb and add ruscus leaves.
features 15
kimchi salmon, 115° Recipe by Michael Wheeler Prep time: 15m Cook time: 25m
Cooking your food low and slow in a water bath, or sous vide, is a great approach for meats that are easily overcooked. You’ll need to prepare a large water bath and maintain it at a constant temperature. Sous vide machines (~$100) make this easy, but in a pinch a large volume of water on a stovetop can hold a steady temperature just as well. I’ve even made this dish on my radiator!
Ingredients: 12 oz. salmon (any kind except Coho) 1/3 cup soy sauce Splash of mirin (optional) 1/3 cup chopped scallion, white
and light green parts only Peanut or other neutral oil Kimchi juice Julienned scallion, dark green parts only
1) Cut salmon into two approximately 6 oz. (palm-sized) pieces and place each portion in an individual Ziploc bag. 2) Prepare a water bath at 122°F—the larger the volume, the better. 3) Combine the soy sauce, mirin, and scallion, and distribute the mixture to both Ziploc bags. The salt in the soy sauce will keep the salmon fat from turning white as it cooks. 4) Seal bags tightly and cook in water bath for 25 minutes or until internal temperature is 115°F. Remove fish from bags, discard cooking liquid. 5) Heat a frying pan over high heat until very hot. Add a tablespoon of oil and sear both sides of the fillet (about 45 seconds per side). Be careful! There will be smoke. There may be flames. 6) Plate your salmon and pour the kimchi juice around it. You can dot the juice with olive oil for added appeal. 7) Garnish with the julienned scallions, serve, and enjoy!
16 nonpareil 16 nonpareil || winter spring 2015 2015
BUTTERFLIES IN YOUR STOMACH
By Alan Yang // Photo by Jacob McCarthy // Design by Zelda Mayer Throughout the world, arthropods are routinely eaten as an everyday affair. From Thailand to Italy to Botswana to Mexico, cultures have embraced bugs as welcome protein supplements in the human diet. However, in the United States, there is a collective aversion to consuming these critters. If bugs are eaten in the States, they are usually indulged in as a one-time spectacle. Suffice to say, people do not often go out of their way to get their hands on say, crickets or moths. That said, the “creepy” and the “crawly” are in focus in today’s modern food scene. In today’s diverse foodscape, people are finding ways to incorporate insects and the like into an American palate. In San Francisco, Mexican immigrant Monica Martinez has taken to establishing insects as a sweet and delicious answer to the ongoing hunger crises throughout the world with her edible insect street food project Don Bugito. Sushi Mazi in Portland, Oregon serves up grasshopper nigiri. Julian Medina heads Toloache, a restaurant that specializes in chapulines (Mexican
grasshoppers) in New York City. Even the Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium in New Orleans serves culinary entomophagic creations at its restaurant, Bug Appétit. Unfortunately, these restaurants are still few and far between for hopeful insectivores. In the city of Chicago, which has an amazing food scene of its own, it is difficult to find a place to grub out. For the longest time, local restaurant Sticky Rice, rose to fame for serving authentic Northern Thai dishes such as ant egg omelets and fried bamboo caterpillars. They have since, however, stopped serving their exotic insect menu. The chapulines of restaurants Mezcalina and Tepatulco are also nowhere to be found. With the demand and ability to source insects at a low, these blows are detrimental to Chicago food culture. Not to fear, however. I was able to write this article thanks to one Four Belly, a spot specializing in Asian street food located at 3227 North Clark Street in the Chicago neighborhood Lake View—I managed to find
the last remaining grub hub in Illinois. Under “Street Snacks” on the menu, I found “Fried Caterpillars,” a dish comprised of silkworm pupae, salt, pepper, lemongrass, and other Thai spices. Our waitress smiled when I ordered and arrived back ten minutes later with a silver bowl and straw plate with a Chinese newspaper clipping in it. With a smirk, she shook the bowl and tossed the contents onto the plate. Voila. Silkworm pupae. Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, the taste and texture of pupae are heavily reminiscent of crustaceans. Each one had the condensed flavor of three entire shrimp with a touch of earthiness. With the lemongrass and the other spices, it was not a necessarily overwhelming flavor. They tasted fresh and delicious. Honestly, eating silkworm pupae or any type of insect is not so much different from eating their arthropod cousins. There is pleasure to be found in delighting in their unique taste, but don’t let me tell you about it. You should find out for yourself. features 17
FAMOUS FOOD FADS
McKenzie Mandich
First published in 1931, The Joy of Cooking has become known as the classic American cookbook. Ever wonder what your parents or grandparents had every night for dinner? If they lived in the United States, it probably came out of this book. Not only is The Joy of Cooking a repository of classic dishes, it also acts as a record of changing tastes through time. These tastes are undoubtedly iconic, and the majority of the book’s recipes sound interesting and potentially delicious. There are, however, definitely a few moments where one might find oneself asking “did people really eat/drink/consume that?” Here, I present five of the weirdest sounding recipes from the 1975 edition.
CLAM JUICE This recipe would better called a clam mocktail—besides the obligatory clam juice, ingredients include lemon juice, chili sauce, hot pepper, and onion. If that seems a bit dull, Worcestershire sauce and horseradish are optional additions. I’m not even sure making this mocktail a cocktail would salvage it.
ASPARAGUS & CELERY ASPIC
LAMB FRIES The name of this dish is a little deceptive. While it is fried lamb, the title leaves out one important detail. Lamb “fries” are actually young lamb testicles fried in deep fat best served with scrambled eggs. According to the authors, these are quite the delicacy. The book is replete with recipes for every animal part imaginable, making quite a few of the meat ‘delicacies’ in this cookbook sound pretty gross to the modern-day reader.
Aspic is a savory salad suspended in gelatin. The recipe for this one includes canned asparagus tips, celery, asparagus liquor, and chicken bouillon. Surprisingly (disturbingly?), gelatinous savory salads take up quite a few pages of this cookbook. What makes this recipe truly exceptional is that it is served with mayonnaise (why not try some jell-O with mayonnaise next time there’s nothing to eat at Bartlett?).
SQUIRREL Ever get really really hungry walking through the quad? Joy of Cooking has a solution to your problem! In a mostly illustration-less cookbook, this section includes detailed graphics and instructions on how to skin and cook a nice, juicy, fatty squirrel. But keep in mind; “gray squirrels are preferred to red squirrels, which are quite gamy in flavor.”
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NETTLE SOUP There were many contenders for this last spot – care for some jellied veal feet? Seafood aspic? Tomato soup cake? But nettle soup won out in the end. It has only three ingredients – stock, rice or oatmeal, and stinging nettles. Thick rubber gloves are required to prepare this one, because stinging nettles do, in fact, sting. They lose their stinging powers when cooked, though, so this is one dish you do not want to undercook!
design: jenny mao + joe joseph | images courtesy of public domain
AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVID MOORE MODERN DAY HUNTER
GATHERER: AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVID MOORE
By Finn Jubak and Andrew Koski Photos by Finn Jubak Design by Zelda Mayer David Moore is the owner and CEO of Woodland Foods. Since the company’s inception in 1990, it has grown to become one of America’s largest importers and suppliers of dried goods, including mushrooms, grains, beans, and spices. Woodland Foods also extends its reach philanthropically, donating dated stock to local food banks. David invited us down to their headquarters in Waukegan, Illinois for a tour of their facilities. Upon stepping into their offices, we were greeted with an impressive state-of-the-art test kitchen where they create and test their new products as well as a large wall adorned with a huge assortment of their company’s offerings. The grand scale of their warehouse was equally impressive: we walked through thousands of rows of bags containing products to be distributed. David also showed us the massive machines that they use to to clean, sort, and package the raw product. It was a revealing glimpse behind the scenes of a major food supplier, whose provisions fill shelves nationwide. We also got a chance to speak with David about his background in food and learn more about how his company operates. reviews 19 19 features
NP: Have you always been interested in food? DM: I grew up in Michigan hunting deer, in a place where the school district would shut down for the opening days of deer season. I picked wild asparagus, wild morel mushrooms and roots. I also got into preparing game. As kids, we were allowed to have anything we wanted for our birthday dinners. My sisters would want buttered noodles and that kind of thing, and I would always want things like tiger meat in a can and rattlesnake meat and wild rice. I was always trying new things. We would find honey trees in the summer and cut them down to take the honey in the winter. We pickled fish and smoked fish. I’ve been preserving and pickling and smoking and cooking and gathering and foraging since I was a ten-year-old. NP: How did you get started in this business? DM: I was in the hotel/restaurant business for a long time. I worked in restaurants because I grew up in a tourist town. After that, I worked in restaurants in Europe--I was a ski racer so I lived over there for a while, racing. I also worked in restaurants in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, California, New York, Chicago, Wisconsin, and Michigan, all in the hotel/ restaurant business. After twenty-five years, I got laid off, and my girlfriend at the time— now my wife and mother of four—convinced me to start a company. Twenty-five years later, we have Woodland Foods.
20 nonpareil | spring 2015
As a kid, I loved food for some reason—I have no idea why. I studied economics at Ripon college, and left thinking I’d be a trader. Not because of the food, but because everyone else was, and I was a dumb 21-year-old and “We’re all going to Chicago to work at the mercantile exchange,” so it was a “me too” kind of decision. I got down here and got a job in the restaurant business, because you couldn’t just start making money at the Board of Trade at the Mecantile Exchange. And I stayed in it. And then when I got out of it, I was going to try to be in the real estate business. Then I met a friend of the family who was in the wild mushroom business in Poland, and he wanted to have his products sold in the US. This was at a Christmas party. And I said, “I don’t have any money,” and he said, “You’re a friend of the family, I’ll ship you the product and you pay me when you get paid.” So he sent me porcini and chanterelle mushrooms. I had just left my restaurant and hotel career, and had contacts with ingredient purchasing agents. I called all the agents I knew and said “Hey, where do you get your smoked salmon and sundried tomatoes and things?” Beause I wanted to try to sell my porcini and chanterelle mushrooms to those same companies. Then I went to the library. They had Yellow Pages for all the major cities, and I went to the gourmet shops and copied down all their addresses into my computer. I had 4000 of them at one point. And then I just sent out mailings, and people would call up and order, or they wouldn’t. And
that one page flyer turned into this company. NP: Can you tell us more about Woodland Foods? DM: We started with porcini and morel mushrooms and dried cherries, and now we have twelve hundred items. We specialize in the very high quality, when it comes to certain spices, certain cuts of rosemary, and origins of rosemary, which is a common spice. But we’re also the country’s leading supplier of dried wild mushrooms and exotic chiles. We’ve got 30 different chiles, 25 different kinds of rice. At one point we carried over 100 different styles of beans. NP: But not any more. DM: We still carry about 50, but there’s not as much favor for the variety. Most of them are phaseolus vulgaris—what we would know as kidney beans—of different colors. A lot of runner beans and lima beans and tepary beans and marrow beans, that kind of thing. NP: What’s the process of importing something that you find in another country? Say you want to find a specific spice, what’s the process? DM: There are many ways that that grows. We travel extensively, we’ve got people all over the world at any given time. We’ll eat in a restaurant and we’ll taste something interesting. Or we’ll read an article by a food magazine like you, and find out that there’s a new dried berry in Russia, and we’ll track it down and go to Russia and find it. And see if we can be an importer of it. Once we establish a relationship
with a vendor, we’ll ask them what else they carry. Maybe they’ll say, “We have four more berries.” And then we’ll have five berries that we’re importing that are interesting and unique. The other way to do it is to go to food shows. BIOFACH in Nuremberg just ended, Gulf Foods in Dubai before that. There’s food shows like Fancy Food Show, Natural Products Show in Anaheim. Now, at the Fancy Food Show, which is kind of the gourmet store show and the grocery store show (there’s one in San Francisco in the Winter and one in New York in the Summer), there are hot sauce manufacturers and chocolate manufacturers using salts and chiles. We exhibit as an ingredients supplier to the other exhibitors. The trend-seekers— the restaurants and the grocery stores who are looking for what’s new—also come through. If they’re legitimately sized, if it’s a restaurant chain or something like that, they’ll ask us for contact information and we’ll follow up. We might create a spice blend for a veggie burger or a porcini crust for a steak. Our culinary department, in conjunction with their culinary department, will design these foods. We will blend it, pack it, and send it off. The other way that we find products is our customers will call up and request something: “I can buy sriracha, but can I get a powder so I can make a bread out of it? Because if I put the sriracha in the bread, the water ruins the recipe.” So we calculate the dry components. Our product development team here is very
good at figuring out what will give you that flavor in that particular application. NP: BP: How many companies are doing what you’re doing? DM: If you look at our catalog, you’ll see that we’re into spices, and we’re into dried mushrooms and we’re into grains—each of these categories has competition. Collectively, with the selection we have, nobody really does what we do. There are sundried tomato vendors all over the place, but they don’t sell spices or mushrooms. If Nestlé is looking to buy a million pounds of sundried tomatoes, they’ll probably go to Turkey and find a supplier. But people that are buying less than a containerload need to buy from someone who’s already been an importer. So we might have five or ten competitors in the sundried tomato world, and maybe two more of tomatoes that are domestically produced (because we sell the imported ones). NP: Who are your customers? DM: We have over 2000 customers. Most of them are food manufacturers and suppliers; we’re the initial importer. What you’re going to see in the plant is cleaning equipment and packaging equipment. For instance, we work with a big food supply company in Michigan. They will buy their mushrooms from us and they will sell them to restaurants. That’s kind of the way that it works. We’ll also sell to larger companies, and they’ll make food and sell it to grocery stores. This year we’re beginning a new project, Manitou Trading (named after
the Manitou Islands, in Northern Michigan), which we’ve had in the background for fifteen years. It’s a line of some unique products that are concatenations of our products, where we take spices and mushrooms and different vegetables and combine it with our rice and grains and make interesting combinations. We’re just now getting in to this new retail line. Eventually, we do intend to sell online like everyone and to promote our products directly to restaurants. NP: The last thing we wanted to know is what would you say is your biggest product? DM: The biggest product changes all the time. NP: It changes seasonally? DM: No. It changes with the tides of food. Nobody knew what sundried tomatoes were when we started. Or pine nuts. Maybe somebody did, but they were Italian or Turkish and had a different name for them. Now, of course, you can find them on salad bars. Specialty ingredients have a life cycle. They go from unknown, to specialty, to popular, to commodity. And once they’re a commodity our role is over and the traders take over. They make less money, they trade huge volumes, and the cost of the product comes down for the consumer. They keep it in their pantry. We’re the ones who are finding the unusual products. Right now, our most popular product by pounds is quinoa. Very, very popular. And we sell to some of the Fortune 50 companies in the country—millions of pounds of quinoa.
This interview has been edited and condensed. features reviews 21
RAMEN BURGER S
get by // Veronica Murashige photos // Spencer Chan For the buns: tereotypical college students are known for surviving on instant ramen during • 2 (3 oz.) packages instant ramen noodles their undergraduate years. Are you one of them, eating it so often that you don’t • 2 eggs think you can stand another bite? Have you considered using it in an alternate way, • Salt one that is in fact trendy? If you haven’t, might I introduce you to the ramen burger? • Pepper With today’s innovative food culture, you can abolish the idea of a regular sesame • 1 tbsp. vegetable oil seed bun and make a novelty burger with a ramen bun instead, impressing a date For the filling: with your culinary creation and using up your stash of unwanted instant ramen. • 2 hamburger patties of your choice This burger, just like any other, is customizable—put whatever you like in it and be • ¼ cup sliced onions • 2 tbsp. vegetable oil creative—within tasteful reason! • ½ cup bean sprouts • ½ cup shredded cabbage • 1 tbsp. sesame oil • 1 tbsp. soy sauce • Sriracha do
1. Discard the ramen flavor packets and cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain, and allow them to cool off for a few minutes. 2. In a bowl, beat two eggs and add salt and pepper. Add the noodles, stirring them around until evenly coated. 3. Mold aluminum foil to the bottom of a bowl about four inches in diameter. This should be done either in four bowls of the same size, or in the same bowl with replaced foil each time. Divide the noodle mixture evenly into four discs, and cover the discs with foil. 4. Mold the discs so they are bun-shaped. Refrigerate the discs for about 20 minutes or until the noodles are firm. 5. Over medium-heat, stir-fry the shredded cabbage and bean sprouts in sesame oil. Sesame oil has a low smoke point so if it gets too hot, the oil will burn. Add soy sauce towards the end, when the vegetables start to soften. 6. Add vegetable oil to a pan and cook onions until soft. Then, add patties and cook until they reach the level of desired doneness, about 3-5 minutes per side on medium heat. 7. Carefully take the ramen buns out of their foil wrappers and fry in another tablespoon of oil, until the side of each bun is crispy. Use your spatula to make the buns more circular while they are still soft. Set the cooked buns aside and start assembly by layering on the patty, cabbage slaw, and any other fillings. 8. Fry the remaining two eggs in a skillet to desired doneness and assemble your ramen burgers. Serve with Sriracha.
{
PREP 20 minutes COOK 20 minutes MAKES 2 servings
}
adapted from allrecipes.com 22 nonpareil | spring 2015
recipe designs: joe joseph
Adapted from Jamie Oliver
LAVENDER CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES get
by // Shira Fishbach photos // Shira Fishbach
F
or all the plants we eat so willingly, flowers are woefully underrepresented in even a vegan home chef ’s repertoire. The lavender flower, typically confined to décor or essential oils, is much more than edible; it is downright delicious, and totally worthy of a spot in your spice rack. Here, lavender flowers steep in coconut milk just long enough to create a fragrant infusion. The warm lavender coconut milk is then poured over high-quality dark chocolate, the very best you can find, to create the most silky, perfect, dairy-free ganache. Once solidified and rolled into balls, the finished truffles are velvety and rich with a warm, earthy, and very subtly floral flavor. These truffles are the ideal crowd-pleasing dessert and satisfy nearly every dietary restriction and palate, presuming, of course, that people who do not like chocolate are not invited to your dinner parties in the first place.
{
PREP 4.5 hours COOK 20 minutes MAKES 20 servings
}
• 5 ½ oz. dairy-free dark chocolate • 1 ½ tbsp. coconut oil • ½ cup light coconut milk • 1 tsp. lavender flower heads • ½ tsp. vanilla extract • 2 tbsp. cocoa powder (optional) • cup unsweetened shredded coconut (optional) do
1. Finely chop the dairy-free dark chocolate and place into a medium bowl with the coconut oil. 2. Place the coconut milk and the lavender flowers in a small saucepan. Cover and bring to a simmer over low heat. 3. Remove from heat and let the lavender flowers steep in the milk for 20 minutes. 4. Bring the coconut milk back to a simmer and strain the milk over the chopped chocolate and coconut oil through a fine strainer, ensuring that no lavender flowers pass through. 5. Stir very gently to combine, creating a ganache. Slowly stir in the vanilla extract. 6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the mixture set in the fridge for at least 4 hours. 7. Using a teaspoon or a small cookie scoop, scoop out balls from the hardened ganache. Roll the truffles in your hands to form balls, and roll in shredded coconut or cocoa powder, if desired. 8. Let the finished truffles harden in the fridge for another ten minutes before serving. recipes 23
CORN COOKIES + CEREAL MILK
Adapted from Momofuku Milk Bar
D
on’t be scared off by the word “corn” in this recipe’s title: these cookies are game-changers. They combine all the best parts of a classic snickerdoodle— chewy center, crisp edges, and satisfying buttery flavor—with an unexpected sweet, nutty undertone. You can find corn flour at most grocery stores (I used Bob’s Red Mill), but make sure to check the label: cornmeal and corn flour look similar, but cornmeal won’t work in this recipe. Freeze-dried corn powder is a little trickier to find. You can order it directly from the Milk Bar website, or make your own by grinding freeze-dried corn in a food processor. Instead of an ordinary glass of milk to accompany your cookies, try Momofuku Milk Bar’s specialty: Cereal Milk. This recipe made the place famous, and the name pretty much says it all: Cereal Milk tastes just like the sweet, faintly maltflavored milk that’s left behind at the bottom of your bowl when you finish off your cornflakes in the morning. Skeptical of all the hype? Just give it a try yourself—even if you’re new to cooking, this recipe is practically foolproof and takes hardly any time at all. 24 nonpareil | spring 2015
get
Corn Cookies • 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar • 1 egg • 1 cups flour • ¼ cup corn flour • cup freeze-dried corn powder • ¾ tsp. baking powder • ¼ tsp. baking soda • 1 ½ tsp. kosher salt Cereal Milk • 2 ¾ cups cornflakes • 3 ¾ cups cold milk • 2 tbsp. light brown sugar, tightly packed • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
by // Jenny Swann photos // Peggy Xu do
Corn Cookies 1. Combine the butter and sugar in a bowl and cream together on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg, and beat for 7-8 minutes (this seems like a long time, but it really makes a difference in the final product, so don’t cut corners). 2. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, corn flour, corn powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until the dough just comes together, which shouldn’t take longer than 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. 3. Using a cup measure, portion out the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Pat the tops of the cookie dough domes flat. Wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 1 week. 4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of four inches apart on parchment-lined sheet pans. Bake for 18 minutes. The cookies will puff, crackle a bit on top and spread. After 18 minutes, they should be faintly browned on the edges but still bright yellow in the center. 5. Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a plate or an airtight container for storage. At room temperature, the cookies will keep fresh for five days; in the freezer, they will keep for one month. Cereal Milk 1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. 2. Spread the cornflakes on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake for 15 minutes, until lightly toasted. Cool completely. 3. Transfer the cooled cornflakes to a large pitcher (or a mixing bowl with a spout). Pour the milk into the pitcher and stir vigorously. Let steep for 20 minutes at room temperature. 4. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, collecting the milk in a medium bowl. The milk will drain off quickly at first, but will thicken and become starchy towards the end of the straining process. 5. Using the back of a spoon, gently push the milk out of the cornflakes. 6. Whisk the brown sugar and salt into the milk, until fully dissolved. Store in a clean pitcher or milk jug, refrigerated, for up to 1 week.
{
ACTIVE 30 minutes TOTAL 45 minutes MAKES 11-13 servings
}
Adapted from epicurious.com
PORK BELLY BAO TACOS W
ith the raging success of Momofuku, Kogi Food Truck and BaoHaus, Asian fusion food has experienced a boost of popularity in the United States, specifically the Chinese/ Taiwanese street food, bao. This fluffy steamed bun is perfect as a snack or a portable meal and is completely customizable. This recipe is filled with unctuous pork belly, sweet hoisin sauce and crisp, acidic pickled onions and cucumber. While these buns are a fast snack, the cooking process does take quite a while and I would recommend that it be done over the course of a few days. Other popular fillings include chicken, beef, cooked vegetables, or even sweet custard for a dessert-like bao. However, if you just can’t resist the fatty deliciousness that is pork belly, I recommend calling a few butchers to see if they can source some quality meat for you. I went to Publican Quality Meats, where a 2 ½ lb. pork belly cost under $20, but other great butchers include Olympia Meat Packers and Paulina Meat Market.
{
ACTIVE 75 minutes TOTAL 24 hours MAKES 16 servings
}
get
Pork Belly • ½ cup Kosher salt • ½ cup sugar • 4 ½ cups water, divided • 2 ½ lb. skinless, boneless pork belly cut into quarters • ½ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth Buns • 1 cup warm water (105-115° F) • ½ tsp. active dry yeast • 3 tbsp. sugar plus a pinch • 2 tbsp. nonfat dried milk • 3 ½ cups cake flour (not self-rising) • 1 ½ tsp. baking powder • Canola oil for greasing and brushing • Hoisin sauce, thinly sliced pickled cucumber, pickled onion (optional) do
1. Stir together kosher salt, sugar, and four cups of water. Put pork belly in a large sealable bag, and then pour in brine. Lay in a shallow dish and let brine, chilled, at least 12 hours. 2. Combine ¼ cup warm water with yeast and pinch of sugar. Let stand until foamy, 5-10 minutes. (If mixture doesn’t foam, start over with new yeast.) Whisk in dried milk and remaining ¾ cup warm water. 3. Stir together flour and remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar in a bowl, then stir in yeast mixture with a fork until dough forms. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead, dusting surface with just enough flour to keep from sticking, until dough is elastic and smooth but still soft, about 5 minutes. 4. Put dough in an oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a draft-free place until doubled, about 2 hours. 5. Preheat oven to 300° F with rack in middle.
by // Shayna Inzunza photos // Shayna Inzunza 6. Discard brine and put pork, fat side up, in an 8- to 9-inch square-baking pan. Pour in broth and remaining ½ cup of water. Cover tightly with foil and roast until pork is very tender, about 2 ½ hours. Remove foil and increase oven temperature to 450° F, then roast until fat is golden about 20 minutes more. Cool, then slice across the grain into ¼-inch slices. 7. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and flatten slightly into a disk. Sprinkle baking powder over center of dough, and knead until baking powder is incorporated, about 5 minutes. Return dough to bowl and cover with plastic wrap, then let dough stand 30 minutes. 8. Cut dough into 16 equal pieces, then lightly dust with flour and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Roll out 1 piece of dough into a 6x3 inch oval, lightly dusting surface, your hands, and rolling pin. Brush half of oval lightly with oil and fold in half crosswise. Place bun on a piece of wax paper on a large baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Repeat and let buns stand until slightly risen. 9. Set a larger steamer rack inside skillet (or wok) and add enough water to reach within ½ inch of bottom of rack. Carefully place 5 to 7 buns (on wax paper) in steam rack. Steam over high heat until buns are puffed and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer buns to a plate, then discard wax paper and wrap buns in kitchen towels to keep warm. 10. Return buns (still wrapped in towels) to steamer rack in skillet and keep warm (off heat), covered. 11. Preheat oven to 350° F with rack in middle. Heat sliced pork (in liquid in baking dish), covered, for 15 to 20 minutes until hot. 12. Brush the bottom half of each bun with hoisin sauce, then sandwich with 2 or 3 pork slices, cucumber, and onions. recipes 25
BOTANY POND by // Mike Harrison photos // Peggy Xu
B
otany Pond is a riff on the classic South Side cocktail inspired by The Bartenderess’ “Botanist Cocktail.” Cucumber tempers the heavy botanical and herbaceous flavors of gin and Yellow Chartreuse, allowing them to shine through clearly. The sheer number of elements in the cocktail makes for a complex experience. Botany Pond begins with citrus and mint in the nose. The sip is led by honey, lemon and a hint of spice with a slightly viscous mouthfeel. The swallow is where the gin and Chartreuse’s botanicals really shine, finishing with honey, juniper, saffron, licorice and angelica root. The type of gin you select will be important. Personally, I would recommend using a milder product such as the classic Beefeater, as the Chartreuse has a lot going on and could clash with a botanical-heavy gin or overwhelm the palate. Botany Pond is sweet, refreshing, complex and warming—perfect for a slightly brisk and sunny spring day. do
get
• 1 ½ oz. gin • ½ oz. Yellow Chartreuse • ¼ oz. St. Germaine Elderflower liqueur • ½ oz. clover honey syrup* • ½ oz. lemon juice • About 8 mint leaves • 2 cucumber slices • 1 dash Regans’ Orange Bitters • Ice *To make clover honey syrup, bring equal parts clover honey and water to a simmer in a saucepan and let cool.
26 nonpareil | spring 2015
1. Shake liquid ingredients in a Boston shaker with ice and a cucumber slice. 2. Add 6 mint leaves to shaker and roll around (to treat mint gently). 3. Strain into a martini glass, garnish with another cucumber slice, a mint sprig and a dash of Regan’s orange bitters.
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PREP 3 minutes MIX 20 seconds MAKES 1 serving
}
IMPERIALIST SLUNG SWIZZLE by // Mike Harrison photos // Peggy Xu
T
he Rum Swizzle, often called “Bermuda’s National Drink,” takes many forms, but always consists of rum, some kind of fruit juice, and a sweetener like syrup, grenadine, or falernum. Here, lemon juice and beer syrup made using Goose Island 312 Urban Wheat Ale are used. Ginger, lemongrass, vanilla, and lemon are all complementary flavors, and play nicely together in this refreshing summer cocktail. The addition of hops and aromatic bitters adds a level of complexity that keeps the drink as interesting as it is light and drinkable. It begins with vanilla and ginger on the nose, and the sip leads with vanilla again, along with notes of banana, oak, spice and citrus. The swallow is mild and begs for another sip. It’s important to use a dry, low-sugar vanilla soda for this drink, as rum, lemon and syrup are already sweet enough on their own. Too much sugar would leave the drinker feeling sticky and uncomfortable on a hot summer day. get
do
• 2 oz. rum • ¾ oz. beer syrup* • ¾ oz. lemon juice • 1-inch length peeled lemongrass • ¼-inch length peeled fresh ginger • Dry vanilla bean soda (found at Hyde Park Produce) • 2 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters • Ice
1. Shake liquid ingredients (including bitters) with 1-inch length (slightly crushed) lemongrass and ¼-inch length (slightly crushed) ginger. 2. Strain over ice in highball glass. 3. Top off glass with dry vanilla bean soda. 4. Garnish with lemongrass stalk and lemon peel, serve with a straw.
*To make beer syrup, bring either 3 parts beer and 2 parts blue agave nectar or 1 part beer and 1 part granulated cane sugar to a simmer in a saucepan and let cool.
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PREP 5 minutes MIX 20 seconds MAKES 1 serving
} recipes 27