UChicago Bite Issue XIV: Fall 2020 by Bite Magazine

dear foodies & friend s It is with happy hearts and loudly growling stomachs that we present to you the Fall 2020 issue of Bite Magazine! Whether you are looking for a new recipe to add to your arsenal during a stay-at-home order, or a fantastic to-go spot to visit after you turn in your final paper, Bite has you covered. The next 28 pages are sure to satisfy any sweet tooth or craving you have. This quarter, we hit all the spots that will take away your COVID-19 blues. For a delectable treat, check out Kristoffer’s Cakes (7) and dig in on variations of tres leches cake. If you’re in the mood for something more savory, Kimski (5) has become an instant favorite with its Korean-Polish street food bites. Or, if you’re plagued with indecisiveness (as we are) and prefer a place with both sweet and savory options, Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream (8) is the place for you. Since we’ve all had a little more, okay a lot more, time at home, we’ve explored the Science Behind Food Pairings (14) and the art of plating in a Plating Manifesto (22) to help guide you in becoming masters in the kitchen. If you’re looking to keep it fresh and immerse yourself in the world that is Hyde Park, hit up the 61st Street Farmers Market (18), or explore Chef Jonathan Zaragoza’s new pop-up, El Oso (11). To keep you feeling your best, make sure to get in your daily dose of veggies with our Charred Vegetable Orecchiette (28), cheesy and adaptable to any greens you have, or try out our Curried Cauliflower Lentil Soup (27) for a protein-packed, nutrient-dense meal. This year has been quite unusual to say the least, but we have all learned that food will always be there. Maybe you have kept track of time through meals, or spent your quarantine exploring the best bites and midnight snacks on the Postmates app. As you turn these pages, you can see we’ve kept ourselves full the entire quarter. Enjoy your break, stay safe, and don’t forget to tag us on Instagram (@uchicagobite) with all your epicurean adventures.

the editors 2

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table of contents 5 Kimski 6 The Whale 7 Kristoffer’s Cakes 8 Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream 10 Outdoor Dining: Beatrix 11 Interview WITH Chef Jonathan Zaragoza 14 Science Behind Food Pairings 16 A WATCH CALLED GLUTTONY 18 61st St Farmers Market 20 Food: THE HEART OF Ghilbi 22 Plating Manifesto 24 In Memory of Bad Hunter 25 Matcha Black Sesame Swiss Roll 26 Salvadoran Quesedilla 27 Curried Cauliflower Lentil Soup 28 Charred Vegetable Orecchiette Editor-in-Chief OLIVIA XIONG Managing editor EMILY JACOBS creative director FELIX GONZALEZ blog editor FIONA LU communications director ANGELINA TORRE programming DIRECTOR EMILY ZHU designers Emily Her, Sophie Hu, Sophia Koock, Frances Schaeffler, Vivian Soong, Elaine Wan, Connie Zheng writers Angélique Alexos, Veronica Chang, Markis Cheng, Esha Deokar, Emily Kang, Kate Kaplin, Lily Levine, Lily Mansfield, Ben Miller, Arushi Mukherjee, Henna Nam, Maya Osman-Krinsky ,Ian Resnick, Daniel Simantob, Thomas Song, Sofia Torriente, Evan Williams photographers Camille Aguilar. Jerry Cao, Lina Hajnal, Elizabeth Li, Karina Mak, Grace PegueSE, Will Ramos, Shreya Minama Reddy, Angela Sha, Elena Zhang COVER PHOTO Grace peguese

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bite | fall 2020

Credits: Grace Peguese, Karina Mak, Elizabeth Li, Maya Osman-Krinsky

inside the issue

For any restaurant, surviving amid the pandemic requires a careful balance of caution and boldness. Luckily, boldness has never been lacking at Kimski, a fusion spot that’s been “slamming Polish and Korean together” since 2016. Based out of Maria’s Community Bar in Bridgeport, the restaurant embraces the synergy of East Asian and Eastern European flavors, and just as importantly, it succeeds in transporting them past all COVIDoriginating obstacles. With a paired down menu and active delivery operation, Kimski represents some of the best distanced dining that the South Side can offer, with enough novelty, quality, and polish to break through any quarantine doldrums. Ordering from Kimski was straightforward and fast, with still-warm dishes arriving within 40 minutes. Though inside biodegradable take-out ware, each dish was plated beautifully. Garnishes were placed with care, and the energetic aesthetics survived the trip to Hyde Park without issue. Minor as they might seem, these touches went a long way toward making the meal feel special, and as close to a real restaurant experience as possible. Though pared down from its prepandemic form, Kimski’s menu still boasts a respectable variety of fusion dishes. Chief among them are the craveworthy pierogies. With a smooth cheese filing and satisfyingly dense wrapper, these dumplings can stand up against the city’s best, but their true power lies in the toppings. The combination of caramelized onions and whipped tamari sour cream is delightfully tangy and complementary, with the fluffy and salty cream balancing the onion’s rich sweetness. The pierogies

required no reheating, and were served in a generous, shareable portion. Kimski’s main dishes are no less fun or inventive. The Dduk Bok Ski (a take on the traditional Korean dduk bok ki) offers perfectly dense cylindrical rice cakes slathered in a spicy chili sauce. Their slowburning heat is accentuated by a variety of toppings, from deep umami seaweed strips, muenster cheese, and a sauce-absorbing egg. My add-in of Polish sausage would have paired masterfully with these, but unfortunately it was left out of the order, an unavoidable peril in delivery dining. Kimski’s popular Ko-Po Beef Sandwich is also worth sampling. Served on a fresh bun from the Spoke and Bird bakery in Pilsen, the sandwich’s Polish-style beef provides a hearty counterweight to the mildly biting shishito peppers and sweetand-spicy gochujang that accompany it. Though the dish was plenty warm on arrival, it’s worth placing it on a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes to restore peak crispness. The contrasting flavors and lively execution of Kimski’s fusion dishes are difficult to come by elsewhere. While the restaurant’s cross-cultural energy might glow even brighter in person, having it delivered still conveyed a significant sense of adventure. As the weather darkens and opportunities to escape the monotony of lockdown dwindle, I am glad to know that Kimski offers a readily-available source of novelty and excitement.

REVIEW

KIMSKI BY BEN MILLER PHOTOS BY KARINA MAK

>> NEIGHBORHOOD >> DISHES TO TRY BRIDGEPORT >> PRICES

PIEROGIES SAVORY DDUK BOK SKI

reviews

REVIEW

THE WHALE BY ARUSHI MUKHERJEE

>> NEIGHBORHOOD LOGAN SQUARE >> PRICES $$

>> DISHES TO TRY

CHICKEN & WAFFLES, CUBAN SANDWICH

whale [/(h)wāl/], (n.) a gambler who consistently wagers between 2-20 million in a weekend, usually receiving lavish comps from casinos to incentivize them to bet. Tucked into a corner of Logan Square, The Whale emerges out of nowhere, with gold fixtures and lettering embossing white brick, impressing an air of intriguing elegance on the passerby. Fresh flowers line the wrap around patio of the restaurant. Once the wooden double doors, adorned with a giant glass “W”, swing open, you are transported into a posh yet classic Gatsby-meets-casino space, lit with tasteful chandeliers throughout and set with navy and light gray tufted chairs. Floor-to-ceiling windows that fully open give the restaurant an airy ambience. We sat in one of 4 central booths, each one under a cream colored archway. The mingling aromas of Saturday brunch danced around the airy space as we started with coffee: rich, sweet, and served in vintage porcelain mugs. The wait for our food was short, though every plate passing under our noses made us antsier. Three of us ordered the brunch classic: chicken and waffles. Perfectly crackly and light white meat nestled on crusty Belgian waffles made from funnel cake batter, the dish was literally heavenly. The accompanying bourbon maple syrup and crystal honey hot sauce built a complementary smoky-sweet heat together. The table had a few more highlights. We shared a blueberry muffin skillet: a giant pancake (emphasis on the cake) served in a 6

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cast iron. The pastry was laced with an oaty overtone, speckled with jammy blueberries, dusted generously with powdered sugar, and served with a pleasantly tart, glossy lemon curd. Another favorite was the shrimp and grits: a comforting, cheesy base of cheddar grits, cradling tangy shrimp and spicy andouille sausage peppered with rich morsels of bacon. We also ordered a couple items from the regular, non-brunch menu, all of which were also home runs. These included the Cuban, a pressed, hot sandwich layered with houseroasted pork, ham, bacon, nutty gruyere, and a bold, peppery Dijon mustard, as well as the BBQ jackfruit sandwich, a delicious option for the vegans in your life. The plant-based take on pulled pork had just the right texture and a vinegary heat that mingled with the mellowing avocado and lush brioche bun perfectly. The Whale’s inventive takes on approachable cuisine culminated in a delicious weekend morning. The restaurant takes classic flavors and spins them into modern, “new American” fare. They push the box just enough, and menu prices are very reasonable: your buck will be maximized, rest assured. The food and atmosphere give the guests the high-roller treatment the name promises, without the spending millions part.

>> NEIGHBORHOOD MCKINLEY PARK >> PRICES $$

>> FLAVORS TO TRY CARAMEL AND OREO TRES LECHES CAKES

REVIEW AND PHOTOS BY KATE KAPLIN

REVIEW

KRISTOFFER’S CAKES

Sitting on the corner of a block slightly south of Pilson, Kristoffers Cakes is a wonderful local bakery specializing in tres leches cakes. To say that Kristoffers is popular would be an understatement. By the time that I got there around noon, they had only been open for two hours and had already sold out of about 75% of their baked goods. Kristoffers features multiple flavors of tres leches cakes, ranging from classic vanilla to specialty flavors like caramel, oreo, and RumChata (which does include alcohol), as well as cheesecake, carrot cake, and chocoflan. While they also typically carry tamales, due to the pandemic, they were not currently selling them.

I tried the caramel and oreo tres leches cakes, and they both were absolutely amazing. Tres leches cakes are soaked in three different types of milk—sweetened condensed, evaporated, and whole. As a result, I found that they can often border on saccharine and be super heavy or sickly. However, both cakes were so light and airy that I could have easily eaten an entire six-inch cake without even noticing. The sponge of the cake stood up to the three milks; it kept a bite and didn’t just disintegrate upon touching my fork. The flavor of the caramel cake

melded perfectly with the richness and nuttiness of the milks, elevating both flavors to create something new and harmoniously delicious. The oreo cake was just as good. With chunks of oreos soaked into the tres leches mixture and baked into the cake, the cake had the soft texture and delicious flavor of cookies and cream ice cream. The cake tasted like an even creamier rendition of cookies and cream: the tres leches mixture was the most prominent flavor within the cake, which was complemented with little bursts of chocolate. The slices were $4.25 each, while a six-inch cake was roughly $25. These prices might be a little above the standard price for a slice of cake, but considering the quality of the cake, it is absolutely worth the money. While the bakery is far from campus, I would argue that the trip is well worth it and a great opportunity to explore a new part of Chicago, support a local business, and eat delicious cake. So if you can, you should definitely travel down to Kristoffers Cakes and try their tres leches cake. I guarantee it will be worth it. reviews

REVIEW

PIZZA FRIED CHICKEN ICE CREAM A partnership between Maria’s Bar and the 2019 pop-up Eat Free Pizza, the aptly named Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream in Bridgeport features, well, pizza, fried chicken, and ice cream. Specifically, Chicago Tavern style pizza, fried chicken from Kimski’s Won Kim, and ice cream from Pretty Cool Ice Cream’s Dana Salls Cree. This superstar collaboration began with a soft-open in March of this year and stands out as a playful comfort-food trifecta. Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream is only available for pickup and delivery, but does have a back patio where you can eat after placing your order. It’s a no-nonsense counter and kitchen that’s all about the food. In our case, this was a pepperoni and mushroom pizza, the chicken sandwich, and the Kimski Matcha Magic ice cream. 8

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The pizza had all the best elements of a Chicago Tavern Style pizza. The crust was cracker-thin and perfectly crisp with just enough charring, while the homemade sauce hit a delicate balance between sweet and tangy with a subtle kick. Everything was topped with blistering mozzarella and fresh parmesan. As a whole, the texture of the crust absolutely sets this pizza far above others, though the pepperoni was a bit salty. Nevertheless, with a slew of toppings to choose from, this well-made pizza is absolutely worth a try.

BY EMILY KANG PHOTOS BY LINA HAJNAL >> NEIGHBORHOOD BRIDGEPORT >> PRICES $$ >> DISHES TO TRY

CHICKEN SANDWICH TAVERN STYLE PIZZA

I was perhaps most excited to try the fried chicken sandwich, and it did not disappoint. Succulent buttermilk fried chicken breast sat between delicately sweet and sinfully buttery brioche. The bread is made in small batches by Spoke and Bird, a Chicago-based employee owned bakery that sources their ingredients from local vendors to produce high quality, small-batch bakes. The breast remained juicy throughout, and the breading was fantastically crisp. It was topped with pickled onions for a much needed hit of acidity to cut through the richness of the sandwich, and was complimented nicely by the Korean Fire Sauce, a Gochugang-based aioli that added a depth of smokey heat. To put it bluntly, this was unreal. Every flavor note was powerful but balanced, and every texture immaculately executed. Also, the fries on the side were crisp on the outside and pillowy on the inside. If you try one thing, try this sandwich. Finally, I ended with the Matcha Magic Ice Cream, the Kimski x Pretty Cool collaboration flavor. The vanilla base was velvety and not too sweet, while the matcha coating and sprinkles were remarkably crunchy. The matcha flavor itself was a bit muted, but the tea still imparted a nice earthy flavor. Overall, it was a sweet and simple way to end the meal.

The line that wraps around Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream’s muraled storefront speaks volumes to the quality of the food offered. While we were only able to try a selection of items, I’m eager to go back and try more. The menu is still changing, making this an exciting and dynamic project well worth keeping an eye on for the exciting culinary developments sure to come. The line that wraps around Pizza Fried Chicken Ice Cream’s muraled storefront speaks volumes to the quality of the food offered. While we were only able to try a selection of items, I’m eager to go back and try more. The menu is still changing, making this an exciting and dynamic project well worth keeping an eye on for the exciting culinary developments sure to come.

reviews

REVIEW

BEATRIX The Beatrix restaurant franchise, the brainchild of restaurant group Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, has attracted critical acclaim for its casual yet delicious interpretation of classic American brunch cuisine. With locations across the Chicago area, Beatrix is more than just a restaurant, functioning as a neighborhood market and coffee shop as well. In the age of Covid-19, dining out has taken on a heightened level of risk and danger that has unfortunately been very difficult for the restaurant industry to cope with. And yet, due to these unique circumstances and the changing weather, many Chicago restaurants have turned to novel approaches to ensure that customers can still enjoy the timeless experience of dining out at a restaurant while also feeling safe. The Beatrix location in West Loop, specifically, has decided to set up a series of outdoor domes and greenhouses to provide guests with a private dining option, which could help diners limit their contact with others while also enjoying a more intimate dining experience. Upon arrival, diners are instructed to check in with the hostess inside the restaurant, allowing for a brief glimpse into the interior of the restaurant. Beatrix in West Loop is accented in muted, earthy hues and wood-inspired motifs, which adds to the restaurant’s warmth. After checking in, guests are directed to the greenhouses that line Fulton Street right outside the restaurant, which has been blocked off for dining use. While the greenhouses are not heated, the restaurant can provide blankets in case diners need them, and the enclosed space does noticeably help maintain heat within the structure. Eating inside a closed off structure that only seats two to four people allows guests to feel like they are in their own sanctuary. The acoustics of the cozy space allows one’s voice to echo during conversations while the surrounding sounds, which would normally be boisterous, were uniquely filtered and muted. And yet, because the greenhouses are very transparent and do let in plenty of natural light during the day, diners still feel involved with the hustle and bustle of the outside environment while they eat. It’s still possible to people-watch from your seat and watch the rays of the sun illuminate your food, while still being just too enclosed to make out the indecipherable chatter of other nearby patrons. 10

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BY THOMAS SONG PHOTOS BY KARINA MAK The dishes that Beatrix offers are surprisingly variegated while retaining the restaurant’s signature heartiness. While Beatrix is known for its American brunch focus, its dinner menu in particular proved to be quite diverse, offering dishes spanning several cuisines and fusion interpretations. A good way to approach the menu is to order a variety of dishes to split in order to sample as many flavors as possible in one sitting. The pot roast dumplings were a fascinating juxtaposition of American and Chinese influences. Biting into the dumpling initially felt like chewing into a savory Chinese dim sum dish; yet, the pot roast at the center added a bit of heaviness that was much more in line with American flavors. Balancing out the heartiness of the dumplings, the yuzu ginger poke bowl was light, bright, and refreshing, serving as a wonderful palette cleanser with a clean finish. The ahi tuna combined with the softness of bamboo rice provided freshness, while the avocado and sesame cashew added a fusion twist that was more reminiscent of Californian cuisine. And finally, ending on a filling but satisfying note, the caramel pie. Caramel pie encourages diners not to leave Beatrix hungry, as their classic take on the American dessert is undeniably heavy, yet addictive. The crunch of the graham cracker crust melded harmoniously with the indulgent richness of the thick caramel filling, reminiscent of a forbidden treat that young children beg their parents for a taste of. In short, the flavors of Beatrix’s dinner menu are multifaceted and wide-ranging. Combined with the novelty and unique juxtaposition of intimacy and connectedness offered by the greenhouses, we found our overall dining experience at Beatrix very enjoyable and look forward to returning.

NEIGHBORHOOD << WEST LOOP PRICES << $$ DISHES TO TRY <<

POT ROAST DUMPLINGS, CARAMEL PIE

Interview with

Chef Jonathan Zaragoza

BY DANIEL SIMANTOB PHOTOS BY KARINA MAK

FEATURES

bite | fall 2020

June 30th, 2020: fresh off the loss of my beloved sourdough starter and overwhelmed by boredom, I was in need of a new project. Having eaten tomato toast every day for close to two weeks straight, I wanted the complete opposite, something that used an unreasonable amount of ingredients and would take as long as possible to prepare. Later that day, by what I can only describe as fate, I was told by another food-obsessed friend to go on Instagram and follow @goatboyintl. There, alongside photos of ceviche, short-ribs, and a beautiful cover of Tennessee Whisky, stood a recipe for mole manchamanteles. It took me less than a minute to make up my mind: Saturday would be mole day. Needless to say, the six hours spent caramelizing fruit, frying nuts and spices, and staring at my five-gallon pot were ultimately worth it; while I’m writing this, I have the urge to fly home and heat up the leftover sauce stashed away in the back of my freezer. The man behind @goatboyintl is Jonathan Zaragoza, whose family opened Birrieria Zaragoza in 2007, more than a decade before the birria-boom that has recently taken the country by storm. Since its inception, Birrieria Zaragoza has become one of the most acclaimed Mexican restaurants in the country and is often cited by critics as their favorite restaurant in Chicago. The restaurant is a masterclass in craft: doing one thing—in this case, preparing birria tatemada, slow-roasted goat cooked over a live fire—really, really well. After leaving his corporate job in the midst of a recession, Zaragoza’s father, Juan, embarked on a pilgrimage back to his hometown of La Barca, Jalisco to learn from master birriero Miguel Segura, bringing 12-year-old Jonathan along with him. After his apprenticeship, Juan returned home, built a wood-burning oven, and the rest is history. Now, it’s Jonathan’s turn to open a restaurant of his own. After an extensive career in fine dining, including spots at Sepia and Masa Azul, as well as working every job imaginable at Birrieria Zaragoza, Zaragoza opened El Oso this past October, utilizing the Promontory’s space in East Hyde Park. At its core, Zaragoza describes El Oso as “a wood burning Mexican restaurant with a masa focus.” A South-Side native, Zaragoza has always had a connection to Hyde Park. As a kid, he remembers playing baseball on 47th and Lake Shore. As he grew older, he spent a lot more time in the neighborhood and mentioned partying with friends who attended the University. Hyde Park served as a downtown for much of the South Side, and in Zaragoza’s words, “to open up a restaurant in the general area where you’re from is really cool. Sometimes people think that you need to go to River North to go have a good time, and it’s meaningful to work on bringing something to the South Side.”

If there was one motivation behind the food at El Oso, it would be Zaragoza’s lifelong travels throughout Mexico. “As somebody that was born on this side of the border,” Zaragoza says, “my education for my culture was going to travel as a kid. At the time, I really didn’t understand it because I didn’t have the life experience to understand what the lesson that my parents were trying to teach me by sending me with my grandparents to go live with them for a month every year in Mexico.” In the years since, it’s clear that these lessons have been internalized and come across in Zaragoza’s approach to food and hospitality. Zaragoza’s most recent trip was one with a specific purpose. In preparation for his upcoming cookbook, Mamá, he travelled throughout the country to meet with fellow first-generation chefs and, more importantly, their mothers, focusing on the influence that their home-cooking had on the lives of their children. Zaragoza asserts, “The backbone of a Mexican kitchen is the Mexican woman. They cook not only out of love, but out of necessity, and to nurture their family. So for me as a dude, that’s who I owe everything to.” While this kind of food is Zaragoza’s self proclaimed breadand-butter, he acknowledges no one can beat grandma’s cooking. Therefore, at El Oso, you’ll find traditional Mexican cooking, but as Zaragoza describes, “just played a little bit differently.” The day we spoke, he was preparing Pozole as a special for that night. Zaragoza based the soup on what he remembers his mother cooking for him and his siblings when the Autumn chill began to settle in, but included the addition of dried mushroom stems, a byproduct of the vegetarian enmolada, to boost the savoriness of the broth. Similarly, he was set on serving a tamal, however, knew its execution at scale would be close to impossible. He asked himself: “How do we capture all these flavors and textures and in a dish, make it fun, but still have a reference point for people that are very traditionalist?” The answer? Rather than filling the masa and steaming the tamal, Zaragoza opted to fry the masa in the shape of a small brick, top it with squash and mushrooms, and serve it atop pipián verde. El Oso is not only a culmination of more than a decade of work cooking throughout Chicago, but also a celebration of a lifetime of experience eating throughout Mexico. With travel indefinitely shut down, El Oso is here to help us all with our wanderlust. And in between visits, don’t forget to make mole: seriously, it’s worth it.

FEATURES

THE SCIENCE BEHIND

FOOD PAIRINGS Cheese and wine. Peanut butter and jelly. Salt and pepper. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always known that traditional food pairings like these have been fated to end up together, almost culinary soulmates. But pairings like chocolate and onions, honeydew and whitefish, ice cream and french fries -- they are foods so vastly different, yet achieve the same satisfying effect. Why is it that these seemingly arbitrary foods have found themselves harmonizing together? To explain why food pairings work as well as they do, we must break down how we process these ingredients, and why they tantalize our taste buds. The essence of flavor can be broken down into distinct aromas: each ingredient is composed of a distinct series of aromas that help define its unique flavor. We can analyze these aromas through the senses of taste, touch, and smell. When tasting foods, we look for the following: sweetness, saltiness, bitterness, sourness, and umami. In tandem with our sensations of taste, touch helps to ground mouthfeel, which constitutes texture, freshness, and the overall sensation of food on the palate. Aromas can be easily identified through our sense of smell, but how we taste them and the physical sensations that are associated with them also contribute to our understanding of food. However, only 20% of taste and touch aid in processing food. With our noses being able to process over 10,000 distinct odors, the sense of smell is most important when it comes to pairing. Odors, which include smell, scents, and fragrances, are composed of 14

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by Markis Cheng photos by Grace Peguese

aroma molecules. Around 80% of what we actually taste stems from these aroma molecules, so our senses of smell play a key role in finding flavors that can be matched. Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal, creator of unorthodox dishes such as snail porridge and Meat Fruit, has worked with food scientists to develop an algorithm that systematically matches foods together based on their flavor profile. Using gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to analyze the concentration of the foodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s particulate in the air, different foods are assigned aroma profiles that are logged into a database. With his search engine, Foodpairing, chefs, homecooks, and scientists alike are able to access its algorithm to find which foods best pair based on their matching aromas. Another strategy for food pairing is not grounded through taste, but rather through the practicality and beneficiality of them. According to a study done by Yeong Yeol-Ahn at Harvard University, food pairings in Southern European and East Asian countries have arisen through a concept called anti pairing, which matches foods clashing in flavor profiles. Unlike Blumenthal, which advocates for pairings based on matching aromas, aromas sometimes do not even need to match at all, rather, should be matched based on seasonality, nutritional value, and availability. It is an interesting concept to behold, since the sense of smell plays such a vital role in tasting.

“WITH OUR NOSES BEING ABLE TO PROCESS OVER 10,000 DISTINCT ODORS, THE SENSE OF SMELL IS MOST IMPORTANT WHEN IT COMES TO PAIRING.” rather through the practicality and beneficiality of them. According to a study done by Yeong Yeol-Ahn at Harvard University, food pairings in Southern European and East Asian countries have arisen through a concept called anti pairing, which matches foods clashing in flavor profiles. Unlike Blumenthal, which advocates for pairings based on matching aromas, aromas sometimes do not even need to match at all, rather, should be matched based on seasonality, nutritional value, and availability. It is an interesting concept to behold, since the sense of smell plays such a vital role in tasting. Let’s take a look back at the controversial combination of chocolate and onions for instance. Onions possess a dominantly pungent and grassy aroma, with hints of sweetness and earthiness intermingled throughout, while chocolate presents deep, rich, earthy tones, with undertones of sweetness and bitterness. Through the lense of match pairing, it seems that

they are a perfect match, both possessing earthy, pungent, and sweet aromas. It would make perfect sense to place these two ingredients together. Akin to this principle, the anti pairing lense bolsters the same results, as onions and cocoa are at their prime in the midsummer seasons, and are good sources to boost heart health. Under both principles, seemingly random foods come to align. While we have come along far in the world of culinary innovation through new flavors and combinations, we have barely begun to scratch the surface in how we choose to use ingredients. Innovators like Blumenthal promise inspiringly new creation for the food world, ones that await eagerly to be tried. But while people like Blumenthal are on the front lines of flavor, let’s sit back and enjoy the comforts of good cheese and wine.

FEATURES

bite | fall 2020

Let me try to recollect. I said goodbye to campus late one evening, the date I cannot remember but should be able to. My sister handed me a torpedo of tinfoil through the car window, waved us off as we drove down the street past a beaten down white SUV and a plastic bag saying THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. I unfolded the tinfoil and watched a woman in a creased leather jacket and blue surgical mask count her money in front of a pawn shop. Inside, a sandwich: sliced baguette, butter, dijon mustard, prosciutto, three cornichons. I ate it silently, flour rubbing off on my lips and fingers, the sandwich guiding me into the night of dormant train cars and smoke stacks, rusted bridges, red-soil fields, and those signs: Welcome to Ohio, Jesus is Alive, Amen Towing. There should’ve been a sign that read: Savor that sandwich asshole. Welcome to limbo. Time stops here. Your days will all be the same, the only thing to remind you of the passing hours is the sun and your hair that grows curlier and more haggard each day. It would have to be a very large sign. What is there to do for six months quarantine in Ohio? What is there to do for 18 years of youth in Ohio, anyway? We’re used to the days of heat when you go for a walk in the river, or a walk in the fields and hiking trails. Or the summer days of rain when you read a book because the weather tells you to, and you watch a black and white movie and hold your fingers around an imaginary cigarette. Six months of quarantine isn’t that far off from 18 years of freedom, maybe a bit more isolated and a few more fights with family. The strongest memories and sense of time are allotted by the food. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, a midnight snack necessary after a beer or two. Food is the only reminder of time once the days of heat and rain and walks and books melt together. It’s difficult to build memories around the same rooms and trails, but I can remember the night we ate grilled lamb chops with a shepherd salad and thinly sliced red onion. Or the night when we fried whole crabs and smoked oysters with compound butter, when the whole house reeked of fryer oil. Or the fried rice breakfasts and brown butter grilled cheeses and backyard picnics with olives and potato chips. Gluttony is memory and time in quarantine, it is an essential act we should all pick up for sanity. Rice, bread, pasta turn to minutes. Beef, pork, chicken, lamb become hours. We lose time and gain food so we don’t gain weight. We’re driving back to Hyde Park, passing those same fields and train cars, the Midwestern sun making it all look more hospitable. I’m eating hot fries and blue Sour Punch Straws, which can’t help but make the body tingle with delight and the eyes water with happy tears. I’d like to rewrite my sign. It should be placed at every border crossing, major port, or train station. The sign should be blue with white lettering. It will read: Wherever you’re going, eat well and eat often. If you lose your watch, eat a clove of garlic and walk into the sun.

FEATURES

The crisp fall air sweeps through the trees and the sound of children’s joyful laughter can be heard down East 61st Street and across South Dorchester Avenue as people of all ages and backgrounds enter and gather around the 61st Street Farmers Market. Located at the cross-section of the Hyde Park, Woodlawn, and University of Chicago communities, this farmers market fosters a sense of hospitality and commitment to collaboration through its presence and its contributions of locally-sourced produce to the surrounding neighborhoods. The farmers market itself is an extension of the work of Experimental Station—an organization that works to support communities on the South Side of Chicago through, according to their website, “innovative educational and cultural programs, small business enterprises and community initiatives.” The project, specifically the idea of a farmers market, started quite simply. In the early 2000s, Executive Director and Co-Founder Connie Spreen, who has lived in the Woodlawn neighborhood for over 30 years, realized there weren’t many places to buy food. Having spent time in France, Spreen observed and understood the importance of farmers markets and fresh produce as a means of contributing to one’s quality of life. She wanted to foster that same connection and appreciation for fresh produce in the people in her neighborhood. “Part of the goal was that we would provide this underserved neighborhood the best farmers and the best food that you can find in this region,” said Spreen. Through extensive research and with the help of many skilled volunteers and local vendors, Spreen was able to build and establish the 61st Farmers Market in 2008 with the main concept behind the market being that it was an opportunity for people to, as Spreen phrased it, “connect with [their] food.” Though the market has now been in existence for almost 13 years, its mission and connection to the community is stronger than ever. Speak18

bite | fall 2020

ing to some of the vendors, it is apparent that there is a special quality about this market that makes it a favorite among customers and vendors alike. “It’s diverse, you meet a lot of people, and there’s something different every week,” said Ariel, a vendor who works at Ellis Family Farms. Even with the challenge recently posed by the pandemic, the 61st Farmers Market has continued to support local families and farmers. A program called Market Box, for example, was created by Experimental Station in partnership with Build Coffee and Star Farm to help farmers and low-income customers during the COVID-19 crisis. Funded by individual donations, this program aggregated fresh produce from over 20 farmers in boxes that could be given to local customers in need. Though it was meant to be a short-term solution, Market Box continued through the fall and helped feed over 500 households with a combined 70,000 pounds of produce. Thus, it is through successful programs such as Market Box that the mission and values of the 61st Farmers Market exist both within and beyond the confines of the market itself. On Saturdays, the qualities of hospitality and communication that Spreen once observed in the markets in France are visible in the interactions between customers and vendors. And additionally, through the connections the market has built with local farmers and businesses over the years, these same qualities are exhibited in the ways this institution cares for and supports the community in general. The 61st Farmers Market may have started with a specific need in mind, but it has grown to encompass not only its mission to connect people with fresh produce, but a greater service of support and care for the broader community.

FEATURES

FOOD: THE HEART OF GHIBLI 20

bite | fall 2020

BY VERONICA CHANG

Film

A bowl of ramen. A bento (Japanese for a little lunch box, a common way to pack meals for school or work) filled with rice and grilled fish. Eggs and bacon. Simple, easy-to-make comfort foods, foods we turn to more and more as the COVID-19 pandemic wears our patience and cooking skills thin. Through their depiction of food, Studio Ghibli, one of the most influential animation studios in the world, uses breathtaking animation and subtle visual cues to achieve a delicate balance between realism and wonder. Co-founded by Japanese animation legend Hayao Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli produces films such as My Neighbor Totoro, Howl’s Moving Castle, and Spirited Away that are known for their nuanced narratives and beautiful visuals, surrounding a heartwarming core of family, love, and magic. This core is reinforced by Ghibli’s food scenes, gushed over by many on Tumblr and Instagram. Animation allows the food to appear at its best, exaggerated through the animators’ sleight-of-hand: smoke curling whimsically from a bowl of soup, a knife cutting cleanly through a loaf of bread, water bouncing and rolling off leafy green vegetables. These scenes not only look amazing, but also they reveal key character dynamics—with Ghibli, food brings families together, intertwining subtle motions with overarching storylines. At the center of many food scenes is washoku, or “food harmony,” the indigenous food culture of Japan. Meals are created to be satisfying, nourishing, and harmonious, with minimal waste and extravagance. Following this ethos, the simplicity of a Ghibli dish allows for the audience to focus not only on the food itself, but also on the context in which the meal is prepared. In My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Satsuki expertly prepares bentos for her father, younger sister, and herself. Each container holds rice topped with sakura denbu (a cherry blossom-pink condiment made from pulverized cod) and a small grilled fish, with soybeans on one side and an umeboshi (pickled plum) on the other. In spite of the burden placed on Satsuki to take care of her family from a

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young age, her competence and ease in the kitchen suggest how much she still cares for and loves them. In contrast, Ponyo (2008), Ghibli’s take on The Little Mermaid that’s a lot less sell-your-soul and a lot more what-is-love, uses food to show how Sosuke and his mother Lisa have welcomed Ponyo into their lives. As a storm rages outside, Lisa prepares ramen for the two children, topping each with half a boiled egg, chopped scallions, and to Ponyo’s delight, two thick slices of ham. Ponyo’s attention is captivated entirely by the small bowl of steaming noodles and she drifts off to sleep after, as if safe at home; Ponyo emphasises her love for Sosuke through how she feels safe and content when they eat ramen together, ultimately reinforcing the connection that food has to family. Based on the 1986 fantasy novel by British author Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) highlights this same connection. Sophie, cursed to transform into an old lady, sneaks into the wizard Howl’s castle and tames his recalcitrant fire demon Calcifer to cook bacon and eggs. Her stubbornness juxtaposes Howl’s capriciousness, foreshadowing how Sophie will help return Howl’s heart and expose his enigmatic behavior as a façade for his cowardice. Despite the Western dish, the scene reinforces the connection between food and family as strongly as those in Totoro and Ponyo. There are countless other food scenes to dissect, each of which could be analyzed for days: the herring-and-pumpkin pie in Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), a rare instance of food symbolizing rejection; the okayu (rice porridge) in Princess Mononoke (1997), a truce and moment of warmth in darkness; literally all of Spirited Away (2003), from the buffet of meat Chihiro’s parents gorge on, to the onigiri (rice ball) Chihiro eats later with tears streaming down her face. Like the characters on-screen, even simple meals we prepare now speak volumes as to how we can all stay connected with those we love. Now more so than ever, food is our best guide: to our hearts, to our souls, and of course, to our stomachs.

FEATURES

PLATING MANIFESTO FEATURE AND PHOTOS BY MAYA OSMAN-KRINSKY No matter how hungry I am, I always take the extra thirty seconds to make my plate look nice. Doesn’t matter if it’s a laborintensive sauce-glossed pasta or butter spread on crackling bread: I lay every component out in an attempt to marry form to function, aesthetic to taste. I plate to impress, even (read: especially) when I am eating alone. It is an act of self-care, a hail-Mary proclamation of love, a final display of affection.

communal activity. Especially now, when it seems like cooking and doing dishes is all we can do to uneasily fill our abundant downtime, it’s important to take extra care in doing the things we absolutely must do to survive. If not for gastronomical purposes, it’s at least an attempt at a pastime that hasn’t yet been exhausted. It’s a wonderful feeling to be excited about the food in front of you, and plating nicely does that.

I get a lot of shit for this. I am the friend who will stand up to take aerial shots of a restaurant spread, who will get up close and personal with a sliced beet, a tangle of fresh fettuccine, a mess of glistening schmaltz. It’s true that my phone often eats before I do (here’s the shameless plug for @inmayasbelly, my (self-)indulgent food Instagram account), but I’d argue that the same people who poke fun at me don’t realize that the eye eats even before the phone. So much of how a plate looks is responsible for how excited we get to eat it.

I’m a big fan of beautiful food to begin with—anything bright in a shallow bowl has my heart—but I do think there’s a special circle of hell for food that sacrifices flavor for looks. Presentation, when it accompanies good flavor, is as much of an ingredient as olive oil, spices, aromatics, or salt. It’s another way to showcase effort and infuse that much more love into a dish; tinkering with all the bits and pieces forces us to slow down, to think about a way that the composition of food on the plate can mirror the dance the flavors will do in the mouth.

I won’t deny that in this social media-riddled era, there is a part of the process that begs to be photographed. Especially in a moment where the only social interactions we can have are through networking platforms, there’s a certain joy in visually sharing meals—my family sent dinner pictures back and forth almost every night during the most intense points of lockdown. But the goal of cooking, for me, is not to post the final product on the internet. It’s an escape.

This is not to say that food that isn’t plated with extreme intention can’t look (and taste) good. Some of my favorite things to eat are so beautiful in their simplicity: piles of pappardelle drowned in ragú, lumpy compotes over a bowl of equally lumpy yogurt, and a good old baguette-end elbow with a thumbprint of butter shoved inside. Not everything will look fussy, and sometimes forcing it too hard negates the intended effect. In fact, sometimes not putting the food on the plate is equally appetizing—there’s something so beautiful about standing over the stove eating straight out of the pot, or balancing a burning hot piece of toast on your fingertips as you spray crumbs all over the kitchen floor— but when you are presenting something to yourself and to others, a plating aesthetic comes into play, even if it is still in the pot or the pan. Understanding your meal as art and highlighting its key parts, especially when eating alone, is an indication that you’re having fun with it; food is more satisfying when paid attention to. So I will keep drizzling, sprinkling, and smearing, for myself and for the foreseeable future.

Having the time and resources to access fresh food and be able to thoughtfully prepare it is a huge privilege right now, and one that I am leaning on heavily to stay sane. Creating something delicious that is also pleasing to look at helps me focus on eating, and forces me to put down whatever else it is that I’m doing and appreciate how all of the flavors on the plate and in my mouth interact with one another. It also preserves something of the ritual of the meal, setting it apart from the rest of the day both psychologically and temporally. The beauty of this solo act is knowing that it is a new way of understanding a traditionally 22 bite | fall 2020

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FEATURES

I Suppose We’ll Have To Forage In Memory of Bad Hunter By Evan Williams Photos By Rebecca Oh

Bad Hunter, a veggie-forward restaurant in the West Loop, closed down during the pandemic. With it went a meal my mom and I had planned four years in advance. When she first visited me in Chicago, it was October. At home, bow-hunting season was in full swing and our family was stocking their freezers with deer sausage. Having been in the city a month at that point, I was, for all intents and purposes, still a visitor, vexed by the constant noise, the light pollution, and the replacement of the term supper with dinner. And so, we were tourists. We took a tourist-ride in a water taxi, we bought tourist-goods at Navy Pier, and we sent tourist-Shedd-Aquarium-postcards home, but God forbid if we were to have a tourist dinner too. “No deep dish, no hot dogs, that’s surface level,” I said to my mom. “I know a place,” I continued, and panicked, for I did not know any place. We walked about, ambled, meandered, and flaneured, until lo and behold, before our eyes stood Bad Hunter. I’d heard of that one, somehow. Aha! Said I, Dinner! And so in we went, meeting empty glass bottles stacked to the ceiling, a hipster bar to rival any that Portland might offer, and white tablecloths—the nice kind, not the ones that come with crayons. We were forty-five minutes early for dinner service, but were greeted warmly with a basket of bread nonetheless.

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We waited the forty-five minutes, inventing elaborate, tragic backstories for the belugas at Shedd. We quietly mocked the phrase dinner service. We munched on the rustic, oat-encrusted loaf before us. At six on the dot, a waitress brought us menus and more bread. As we soon learned, Bad Hunter is so named for its tiny dishes and—given proper botanical know-how—largely forageable ingredients. When our something-with-mushrooms and som thing-with-potatoes dishes arrived, we laughed, enjoyed our few bites of each, then ordered a second round. We had more bread. We ordered dessert: parsnip-plum-ginger cake, raspberry sherbet, and a pair of cookies—the only dish that was, in fact, large. It was a fête. I’d found a vestige of home in Chicago, a place where a dinner felt a little more like a supper. Mom and I walked out of the restaurant and back into the nowrainy West Loop. We hailed a cab, and drove back to Union Station. We hugged, and swore we’d return to Bad Hunter once I graduated to have a couple rounds of mushroom-something with a side of potato-something, and a lot of bread. Now with no dinner service to crash, I suppose we’ll have to forage our own supper instead.

MATCHA BLACK SESAME SWISS ROLL

BY HENNA NAM PHOTOS BY ELAINE WAN

AN ALL-YEAR ROUND ROLL As many of my friends will tell you, I am a big fan of all things tea. While I love the daily ritual of making and drinking tea, my new obsession is finding ways to incorporate tea and tea pairings into baking. After many experiments with earl grey scones and cakes (which oddly remind me of Fruit Loops cereal), I landed upon matcha as the ideal tea for baked goods. Matcha, or finely ground green tea powder, brings a little lightness and earthiness to the cake and pairs perfectly with the nuttiness of black sesame. As an afternoon snack, late night study aid, or in place of your morning caffeine kick, this swiss roll is perfect all year round. prep

GET

50 minutes

cook

10 minutes

4 large eggs ¾ cup cake flour ½ tsp baking powder 2 tbsp matcha powder

makes

6-8 servings

¾ cup + 1 tbsp sugar ¾ cup + 1 tbsp heavy cream 2 tsp matcha 2 tsp roasted black sesame paste

1. Preheat oven to 375 °F. Line a 10x15 inch pan with parchment paper. 2. Separate egg yolks and whites into two large bowls. Sieve the cake flour, baking powder, and matcha into another bowl. 3. By hand or using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add ½ cup sugar and continue beating until firm peaks. Add ¼ cup sugar to the egg yolks and beat until pale yellow in color and doubled in size. 4. Sift dry ingredients into the egg yolk mixture. Fold gently, then fold the egg whites in two additions. 5. Pour batter into the pan and bang on the counter once to remove air bubbles. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until a toothpick can be inserted and removed cleanly. 6. After removing from the oven, flip upside down onto another piece of parchment paper. Remove the original piece of parchment paper, and flip again, onto a third piece of parchment paper. Roll while warm and wrap with a kitchen towel. Allow to cool. 7. While the cake is cooling, whip the heavy cream, 1 tbsp sugar, and matcha to soft peaks. In another bowl, whip 1 tbsp heavy cream and roasted black sesame paste. 8. After the cake is cool, unroll the cake. First, spread a thin layer of the black sesame whipped cream, then add the matcha whipped cream on top. Gently re-roll the cake, taking care not to squish out the whipped cream. 9. Decorate with any remaining whipped cream. Eat! *Matcha swiss roll recipe inspired by Just One Cookbook recipes

SALVADORAN QUESADILLA RECIPE AND PHOTOS BY CAMILLE AGUILAR

Among the many culinary delights that Central America has to offer the world, a little known gem is the Salvadoran quesadilla. Far from the more popular Mexican treat of the same name, the Salvadoran quesadilla is much more sweet than savory. The Salvadoran quesadilla has a soft, cheesy crumb that is perfectly dense and may be likened to a fusion between the American cheesecake, the pound cake, and some variations of the butter cake. Often consumed as a breakfast cake, this rich, buttery quesadilla is a joy that is hard to put down. If you choose to make this recipe, beware: the delicious aromas that will come from your oven will quickly overtake your house. I often find myself struggling to permit the cake its full cooking time. By the time 45 minutes pass, you too will be itching to eat the fruits of your labor. This transgenerational recipe is a quick fix and will be a unique and delicious addition to your culinary arsenal.

GET

½ cup unsalted butter 1 cup sugar 3 large eggs 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup sour cream

bite | fall 2020

½ cup parmesan cheese, grated ½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated Sesame seeds

prep cook makes

15 minutes 40-60 minutes 12-16 servings

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and coat a spring form or 9x9 pan with butter. 2. Mix butter and sugar until creamy. This is traditionally done by hand, but you may wish to grab an electric mixer. 3. Add the eggs one at a time. 4. Sift together the flour and baking powder and slowly add to the sugar mixture. 5. Add sour cream and cheeses. Mix well. 6. Pour batter into prepared pan: it should be about one centimeter in thickness, as the cake is traditionally thin. Smooth the top and sprinkle with sesame seeds. 7. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes until golden brown and the cake pulls away from the pan. Allow the cake to cool for five minutes in the pan on a wire rack.

CURRIED CAULIFLOWER LENTIL SOUP

RECIPE AND PHOTOS BY LILY LEVINE

Now more than ever, it’s important to be eating nutrient-dense, immune-boosting foods to keep you feeling your best. This recipe features a variety of these beneficial foods, such as garlic, ginger, turmeric, olive oil, and cayenne pepper. Garlic helps fight infections and has immuneboosting properties, while ginger is anti-inflammatory. Turmeric contains the compound curcumin, which treats arthritis and may be antiviral, and the polyunsaturated fatty acids in olive oil protect the body from infection. A dash of cayenne pepper not only adds a spicy kick, but also helps treat colds and congestion. This Indian-inspired vegan curried cauliflower soup is the perfect one-pot dish to make for your apartment or family. Smooth and creamy, it also contains lentils for added protein to keep you satiated for longer. If the simplicity and rich blend of spices aren’t enough, let the vibrant, sunny orange color inspire you to make this dish this fall. prep

cook makes

30 minutes 10 minutes 4 servings

GET

1 ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 medium carrots, cut small 2 large sweet onion (or yellow) 1 ½ tsp fresh ginger, minced 2-3 cloves garlic, minced 1 head cauliflower 2-3 tsp curry paste or powder 1 pinch cayenne 4 cups vegetable broth 1 cup red lentils ½ tsp sea salt, plus more to taste 3 tbsp full-fat canned coconut milk

1. Cook lentils as directed on the package 2. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add oil, onions, and carrots, and sauté for 4-5 minutes until soft. Then add ginger and garlic, stirring for 2-3 more minutes. 3. Add cauliflower, curry paste, cayenne, broth, lentils, and salt. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 15 minutes. 4. Add coconut milk and blend ingredients with an immersion blender or regular blender until smooth and creamy. 5. Adjust seasonings as needed, and garnish with a swirl of coconut milk. Serve and enjoy.

Source: Adapted from Minimalist Baker

recipes

CHARRED VEGETABLE ORECCHIETTE RECIPE AND PHOTO BY SOFIA TORRIENTE

This dish is for those nights when you just want a bowl of cheesy pasta but are in desperate need of something green. A sort of doctored-up version of pantry pasta, this dish is highly adaptable to whatever vegetables you’ve got on hand. I use cruciferous veggies here, which caramelize especially well under the broiler. It’s also a great way to sell even the most fish-averse on anchovies! I say embrace ‘em in this dish for all the briny, depth-of-flavor goodness they bring to this otherwise quick, simple throw-together weeknight meal.

GET

1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into small, bite-sized florets 1 to 2 bunches of broccoli rabe, ends trimmed and chopped 1 cup of fresh or frozen peas 1/4 cup, plus 1 tbsp of good olive oil 5 to 6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced 5 to 7 canned anchovy fillets, drained and finely chopped 1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped 12 ounces orecchiette 2 tbsp white wine vinegar 1/3 cup Pecorino Romano, grated 3 tbsp of butter Salt, to taste Black pepper, to taste

28 bite | fall 2020

prep cook makes

10 minutes 20 minutes 4-5 servings

1. Set oven to broil, preheat for 5-10 minutes. 2. Toss the cauliflower, broccoli rabe, and 1 tbsp of olive oil together on a large rimmed baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Spread evenly. Broil, stirring halfway through cook time, until vegetables are lightly caramelized and fork-tender, around 12 minutes. 3. Heat remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in a large dutch oven or wide pot over medium. Cook garlic, shallots, anchovies, and rosemary, stirring often, until garlic and shallots begin to brown, around 4 minutes. Remove from heat. 4. Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente, adding peas to the boil with around 6 minutes left. Season your water sparingly as the anchovies will add plenty of brine. Drain pasta and peas, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. 5. Return dutch oven to medium-high heat. Add roasted vegetables, pasta, peas, and reserved cooking water to the garlic, shallot, anchovy, and rosemary mixture; season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring pot constantly until a light glossy sauce begins to coat the orecchiette. 6. Add vinegar and knob of butter to the pasta, tossing to emulsify. 7. Sprinkle liberally with cheese and serve immediately

30 bite | winter 2020