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dear foodies & friend s It is with happy hearts and loudly growling stomachs that we present to you the Spring 2021 issue of Bite Magazine! To be honest, this issue was a rollercoaster just like Spring Quarter. We had to face the same schoolwide shutdown you did, reverting back to throwing together meals with odds and ends from the fridge and pantry last seen during early-quarantine days. But just as the stay-at-home order ended, the weather began to turn, we turned our clocks back, and the sun was finally out. We took advantage of the good weather (and our vaccinations) to embrace and cook together with friends, as well as make our way downtown to all the sorely missed must-hit spots. If you’re looking to satisfy both your stomach and your sense of adventure, make sure to check out Kapitan (6) for delicious Perankan and Malaysian cuisine. Looking to stay more local and explore a hidden gem of Hyde Park instead? B’Gabs (5) is the spot for you—vegan food to satisfy any craving. Summer and spring produce are in peak season and we know just one of the myriad of ways to dress them up: classy and delicious Fruit Crisps (30). Prefer vegetables? We also did a deep dive into Rhubarb (20) and how to perfectly prepare it. Finally, if you’re looking for new ways to disguise your caffeine addiction, skip the coffee and try Masala Chai (14). Although this year looked a little different—weekly nose swabs, masks, and infinite Zoom meetings—it has flown by. Whether it was the excitement of trying a new restaurant or digging into your favorite comfort food, we all know that none of us would have made it through this year without the warmth and joy we derive from food and friends. As the sun came out, so did we, and as you can see from these pages we enjoyed ourselves! Have a great summer, relax and eat well, and don’t forget to tag us on Instagram (@uchicagobite) with all your epicurean adventures.
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table of contents 5 B'Gabs Vegan Kitchen 6 Kapitan 8 avlí 10 a taste of quiet 14 Tea time & soda Time 18 The Lost Glutton 20 We Should All Eat More Rhubarb 22 From Bag to Belly: The Start of a Fledgling Bread Business 26 Coco Ichibanya Style Curry 28 Shrimp Ceviche 29 Tuscan Breakfast Skillet 30 Seasonal Fruit Crisp Two Ways 32 Tofu & Other Banchan 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 Connie Zheng, Elaine Wan, Eve Meadow, Felix Gonzalez, Frances Schaeffler, Sophia Koock, Victoria Kielb writers Angelique Alexos, Arushi Mukherjee, Ben Miller, Esha Deokar, Evan Williams, Henna Nam, Ian Resnick, Kate Kaplin, Markis Cheng, Maya OsmanKrinsky, Sophia Koock, Thomas Song, Veronica Chang photographers Angela Sha, Grace Peguese, Elaine Wan, Elena Zhang, Jerry Cao, Karina Mak, Sophia Koock, Olivia Xiong, Will Ramos COVER PHOTO Jerry Cao
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bite | spring 2021
Credits: Elaine Wan, Grace Peguese, Olivia Xiong, Sophia Koock, Will Ramos
inside the issue
Just down the street from Salonica is B’Gabs Goodies, a vegan-scratch kitchen serving up twists on classics from Friday to Sunday, but beware—the goodies go fast. Having been vegan for some time without the option of Impossible or Beyond Meat, the proliferation of such substitutes is both heartening and surprisingly limiting. One of the central quirks of vegan food is its resourcefulness with ingredient combinations to produce a familiar-ish product, which once meant eight different vegetables crammed into a patty shape that hopefully wouldn’t crumble mid-bite. This is my favorite thing about B’Gabs: they still make that stuff. I started my sampling with the Italian “beef,” a generous helping of shaved grilled mushrooms, onions, and peppers doused in au jus and served atop a French roll. I won’t say it was like the Italian beef that Mom made, but it’s not supposed to be, and B’Gabs owns it; they deliver a stellar meal that serves as a nod to its meaty progenitor and raises the stakes. The Spicy Nashville Chicken Sandwich works similarly. Giving the starring role not to a chicken substitute, but to a breaded
and fried oyster mushroom slathered with house-made mayo and fixings, B’Gabs showcases its ingenuity. Much of their menu plays to this tune, including their jackfruit nuggets (get the mumbo sauce), their fish sandwich made from banana blossom (!), and their raw burrito that relies on “sunflower and sun dried tomato meat.” Though I think it’s more fun to go the old school route, B’Gabs also serves dishes that incorporate mainstream meat replacements such as the Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat’s substitutes. Their Philly Cheesesteak is a prime example. Though tasty, the cheesesteak tries not so subtly to masquerade as a vegan replica of a popular dish by relying heavily on the use of a meat substitute. It’s good, but it doesn’t quite feel like a cheesesteak, because it’s not. Don’t get me wrong, B’Gabs rocks and I’ll be walking past Salonica time and again for more, but if you go, give them a chance to show off and order something made from unexpected combinations. You’re not going to find many banana blossom fish sandwiches out there, so have some fun.
REVIEW
B’GABS GOODIES BY EVAN WILLIAMS PHOTOS BY ANGELA SHA >> NEIGHBORHOOD HYDE PARK >> PRICES $$
>> DISHES TO TRY
CHICKEN SANDWICH JACKFRUIT NUGGETS PHILLY CHEESESTEAK reviews
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REVIEW
KAPITAN BY HENNA NAM PHOTOS BY ELAINE WAN
>> NEIGHBORHOOD LINCOLN PARK >> PRICES $$
>> DISHES TO TRY PIE TEE OH-CHIEN CURRY LAKSA CHILI SHRIMP CENDOL
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For those looking to step outside of their comfort zone and try something new, Kapitan is the place to go. Headed up by Victor Low, Kapitan opened up this past December and specializes in Peranakan and Malaysian cuisine. Although there are a handful of other restaurants that serve Malaysian food in Chicago, Kapitan is the city’s only Peranakan restaurant. Peranakan food comes from the Peranakans, early Chinese migrants who settled in the Malay/Indonesian community and took inspiration from the distinct ingredients, spices, and techniques of both cuisines. Key ingredients of Peranakan cuisine typically include coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, tamarind juice, galangal, and laksa leaf, among many others, which all harmonize to build a distinctively tangy, aromatic, spicy, and herbal flavor profile. For those comfortable with indoor dining, the location on Clybourn Ave in Lincoln Park is airy and spacious, and has widely spaced seating. For those looking to take out, Low and his team have packed prep-kits for assembly to preserve the eating experience– even for those of us ordering from far away! Based on recommendations from the team at Kapitan, we ordered a mix of shareables, noodles, and of course, dessert! We started with Pie Tee: these crispy pastry shells were filled with a slightly crunchy vegetable-and-shrimp filling and paired perfectly with a little hoisin sauce. While these bite-sized appetizers were one of the more unfamiliar items on the menu for us, they ended up being one of our favorite items on the menu. Similarly, the Oh-Chien, a Malaysian-style omelet served with oyster
and seafood sauce, surprised us with its delicate flavor, copious amounts of soft oysters, and perfectly cooked egg. For our mains, we ordered two noodle dishes, Nyona Curry Laksa Lemak and Hokkien Char Mee. The Laksa consisted of thick rice noodles with chicken, shrimp, and fishcakes in a mildly spicy coconut milk curry popular in Peranakan cuisine; the Char Mee was a dish of flat noodles stir-fried in a dark, fragrant sauce and tossed with vegetables, chicken, and shrimp and is more commonly found in Kuala Lumpur (the capital city of Malaysia). Where the Laksa was full of bright and sharp flavors, rounded out by the coconut, the Char Mee was deep and warming. While both dishes were deeply satisfying and among our top recommendations, the Chili Shrimp, an adaptation of Singapore’s famous Chili Crab, stole the show. This dish was served with perfectly baked golden brown buns, and stirfried in a thick, sweet-and-savory egg, tomato, and chili sauce. Although the Chili Crab was one of the pricier items on the menu, the dish was large enough to share between friends and still have some leftover to eat the next day. Finally, we finished off the meal with Bubur Cha Cha, a warm dessert of sweet potatoes, taro, and black-eyed peas cooked in sweetened coconut milk, and Cendol, an iced Peranakan dessert with green Pandan jelly droplets, red bean, and coconut milk. Even after much debate, my friends and I could not agree on a top favorite. Thus, my advice: get together with your whole apartment, head down to Kapitan, and order as many different dishes as you can eat; you will not be disappointed!
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>> NEIGHBORHOOD
RIVER NORTH, LINCOLN PARK, WINNETKA >> PRICES $$
>> DISHES TO TRY
REVIEW
CARAMEL BAKLAVA ICE CREAM KATAIFI PRAWNS OCTOPODI BRIAMI
AVLÍ
BY THOMAS SONG PHOTOS BY KARINA MAK
Avli refers to a group of three Greek restaurants in the Chicagoland area, one in Winnetka, one in Lincoln Park, and one in River North, that all seek to offer guests a reinvented and modern interpretation of classic Greek dishes. We chose to try out the River North location due to its convenient location in the middle of such a bustling, quintessentially urban neighborhood. Upon arriving at the restaurant, we noticed that the restaurant’s ambience was defined by light, muted colors, large windows letting in ample amounts of sunshine, and subtle, wooden tones for the walls, tables, and seats. The atmosphere of the restaurant was vibrant and open, as sunlight shone through the large windows and infused the restaurant with an almost Mediterranean sense of brightness. Yet, there was also a level of intimacy and casualness in terms of the decorations and design, which allowed patrons to feel like there were at an aesthetic, chic city restaurant without too much stuffiness or pretentiousness. We chose to sit in the semi-enclosed patio area, which allowed us to catch a glimpse of the lively street scene close by and enjoy the fresh spring air, without having to risk getting soaked in the event of sudden rain. The restaurant also offered ample indoor seating, as well as tables that were completely outdoors on their street-side patio. Focusing on the dishes themselves, we decided to order a selection of small and large plates to share in order to gain a wider sense of the restaurant’s gastronomy. We began with the Kataifi Prawns, which featured four grilled prawns wrapped in shredded filo with a boukouvo pepper dipping sauce. The prawns were succulent and moist while also maintaining an earthy sear, but the most memorable part of the dish was the combination of the prawns with the shredded filo. The filo was thin, crispy, and wrapped around each prawn, which created an interesting textural contrast between the two components. The prawns were meaty and juicy, while the filo added crunch, lightness, and crispiness to the dish, making it better balanced and more varied texturally. We then moved onto the Octopodi, which consisted of grilled octopus along with santorini-style fava and tomato Boukie. The octopus was cooked very well, and its characteristic char and slightly burned flavor on the exterior complemented the tender juiciness of the interior seamlessly. There was only one piece of 8
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octopus on the dish, but it was still large enough to be split and shared among two to three people quite easily. The fava and tomato were surprisingly soft and savory, and these more delicate, mild flavors balanced the bold savoriness of the octopus well. After our two seafood dishes, we tried the Briami, which was a Greek interpretation of ratatouille. This dish was primarily composed of various vegetables, which included zucchini and potatoes. These vegetables were cooked in a bright red herb tomato sauce and were served in large proportions, making the dish quite filling even though it did not have any meat components. The vegetables were cooked slowly in the sauce, which led them to developing soft, tender flavors, while the flavor profile of the tomato sauce was intense and savory. This contrast created an interesting mix of flavors, which was also a good contrast to the two previous seafood dishes we had tried. Our most memorable dish was our final course—the Caramel Baklava Ice Cream. This dessert interpreted the traditional pairing of caramel and
vanilla ice cream in a very innovative way. Instead of drizzling caramel sauce on top of the ice cream, the ice cream was cut into two thin triangular pieces with a soft caramel baklava center. The caramel was solid but soft, having an ice cream-like texture, and was surprisingly light and delicate in flavor, given caramel’s reputation of being rich and decadent. The vanilla ice cream and caramel together created an interesting contrast of creamy and burnt tastes, but both components of the dessert were not overly saccharine or filling. Shredded filo was added to the dish as a garnish, and while the flavors of this dessert was obviously distinct from the prawns we had enjoyed earlier, the shredded filo had a similar effect of adding a crunchy, crispy texture to the overall dish, which prevented it from tasting too soupy or creamy. Seeing ice cream and caramel presented as triangles with baklava centers was a unique, delectable way to end our meal, and overall, Avli was successful in giving us an enjoyable dining experience both in terms of aesthetics and flavor.
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lmost every block in Seoul, South Korea is graced with at least one coffee shop. Totalling around 16,260 just in the capital city in 2019, coffee shops are one of the most popular meeting centers for young and old alike. Coffee shops provide essential services beyond just the beans they grind: they act as a place of respite for tired office workers during their short lunch breaks, for students to hunker down and study, for business meetings, and to catch up with old friends. For as many cafes as there are in Seoul, it is rare to see one that is not bustling with activity. This winter, however, all activity stopped. Even though South Korea has weathered the coronavirus pandemic relatively well and has managed to avoid a national lockdown, restrictions on cafes were placed after the
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cold weather ushered in a spike in cases. For several weeks cafes were only allowed to provide take-out services. When restrictions were eased in late January and cafe-going was once again allowed, stricter COVID-19 prevention protocols were implemented. When entering cafes, temperature checks were required, as were QR-codes check-ins for contact tracing efforts, and tables were spread out further to aid with social distancing. Scattered around each establishment would be hand sanitizers and disinfectant wipes. Masks were required for indoor seating as well, only to be removed to sip drinks or facilitate bites of desserts. Despite these requirements, cafes were soon filled with customers, grateful to have gotten their home-away-from-home back, and savouring the normalcy with their coffee. Eert is one of the independently owned cafes whose customers have flocked back after the restrictions were eased. Opened in 2018, the young coffee shop is centered around the concept of offering its customers a little respite from the busy city life of Seoul. The facade of the cafe reflects this ethos; the small cafe does not announce its presence, its signage limited to a wood board etched with the four lowercase letters. Its location is well thought out for its mission as well. Located in a quiet alley a few blocks from Seoul Forest, a large park, the nearby trees muffle most of the city rumble. Yet, despite its aim to provide a place for rest and relaxation, long lines of chatty friends and couples often snake around its entrance on weekends, signaling to the ones that are enjoying their coffees that their peace will be short lived. Eert’s interior is full of elegant vases and graceful tea sets, which reflect its extensive tea menu. While the basic coffees are offered, customers have a bevy of homemade teas filled with dried fruits that are uncommon for steeping, such as pineapple. Eert also offers several different types of tea lattes, including a matcha one and a hojicha one. Unlike the neon green matcha lattes that litter every starbucks menu, eerts matcha latte is a deep green color that is more reminiscent of a forest than a chemical solution. For those who prefer lighter drinks to the earthy teas, a sparkling tangerine ade is a go-to as the sweetness is contrasted with the slightly bitter and acidic fresh slices of tangerine that fill the glass. Eert’s claim to fame is its dessert doshirak, a Korean lunch box similar to a Japanese bento. You get a three tiered wooden box full of seasonal desserts and a set of chopsticks to consume them with. This spring’s box was
focused on strawberries. Its first tier housed a slice of a strawberry whipped cream cake. The star of the cake was the lush, cloudlike whipped cream punctured by the sweet acidity from the layer of fresh strawberries. The cake layer itself was so light as to be almost incidental to the flavor, but provided the much needed structural support to keep the cream and the strawberries together. The second box housed a strawberry chocolate-cream sandwich, with the strawberries artfully placed so the center cut revealed the center of three perfectly lined up fruits. The chocolate was thick, but not particularly sweet, making the sandwich palatable and not overwhelming. The third tier offered the most variety of the box-including fresh strawberries, daifuku mochi (strawberries enveloped in bean paste and rice cake), a strawberry choux cream pastry, and a slice of incongruous earl grey pound cake. The daifuku, while offering a different flavor
and texture to the other creamy desserts, fell slightly flat as the mochi coating seemed to have been a little stale. That being said, the slight acidity of the strawberries salvaged it, contrasting nicely with the sweetness of the red bean paste. In Korea, where a pack of strawberries regularly sells for 8,000-12,000 won (about 7.00-11.00 USD) in grocery stores, the dessert doshirak is priced reasonably when considering the amount of strawberries it uses. It clocks in at 18,000 won, which is equivalent to about 16 USD. I would recommend splitting the box with at least one other person, but preferably two, as the creamy desserts are deceptively filling. Eert is successful at carrying out its objective: it provides a place for at least a moment of relaxation amid noisy, chaotic, city life. More than that, though, it provides a place for much missed safe human interaction in an age where that seems almost unattainable. FEATURES
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TEA TIME & S O DA T I M E BY ESHA DEOKAR PHOTOS BY WILL RAMOS
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What’s this? Peering over the counter at the trio of steaming mugs, I watch as my grandfather stirs heaping spoonfuls of cane sugar into two of them. He hands those off to my grandmother and mom, who are waiting eagerly at the dining table. As he pulls out one of our red wooden chairs with all the holes in the back, I promptly pull out the chair right next to him. Inside each mug is a hot, beige liquid. A plate of biscuits is placed at the center of the table. I don’t remember who put them there. Mari biscuits (circle cookies) Bourbon biscuits (rectangular, double chocolate Oreos) Parle-G (my favorite! My mom says I look just like the girl on the box.) To my surprise, my grandma pours the entirety of her mug onto an empty plate. Dumping the biscuits onto the plate of steaming hot liquid, she waits for them to lose their shape and promptly slurps them up. “What’s this?” I ask, “Can I have some?” “It’s masala chai. No, you can’t have it. It has too much caffeine,” she replies Regardless, a mug is placed down in front of me. I look up at my grandfather, who is impishly pouring me a cup of caffeine-free Coke. “It’s our tea time. It’s your soda time,” he says. Every Friday afternoon, we would have our “Tea Time & Soda Time.” Judge Judy would play in the background. Even though I didn’t have my first sip until many years later, I grew up surrounded by the essence of chai, the memory of a drink I hadn’t even tasted yet. My grandfather carefully boils the tea leaves in the boiling kettle of the stove. My mom crushes up the spices with a mortar and pestle. Perched atop the granite countertop, I add the milk and sugar to the mugs. My grandmother pours hers onto a plate (we call it swimming chai). As my grandfather moves the pot of boiling chai to the sink to strain out the loose leaf tea, I jerk my leg upwards in preparation for my role in adding in the sugar. My knee connects with the bottom of the pot ever so briefly. I don’t like to say that it left a scar; it’s more of a splotch on my skin, darkened ever so slightly to match the chai inside the pot. Over the course of a decade, I smell it, watch my family bond over it, eat the biscuits paired with it, and eventually, yes, I taste it. As the flavors coalesce and mingle in my mouth, I know I can taste ilaayachee, daalacheenee, jaayaphal, (cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg). I know that the sugar dissolves perfectly with the milk, as it smoothly slips down my throat. But when I sip the chai, I don’t seem to taste anymore. I see. I see the afternoons spent staring at our stainless steel spice tiffin, unable to distinguish cumin from ginger. I see myself at the kitchen sink, delicately straining the chai for the first time. I see my family gathering by the glass table in the kitchen. I see the Mari biscuits, Bourbon cookies, and Parle-G swimming in a plate full of chai. I feel. I feel warmth, both in the bottom of my stomach and radiating from my chest. I feel a connection to a home that was never physical, but cultural and familial. I feel an unmistakable sense of pride to know both my grandparents so eminently through this one sip.
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the lost glutton
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By Ian Resnick Illustrations by Victoria Kielb
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W
hen I’m hungry and lonely, I like to play that game: “If you could have dinner with one person, living or dead, who would it be?”, like those ice-breakers we’re made to play before the start of summer camp, or college, or that new desk-job. This seems like as good a time as any to play. The Matzo Ball soup is still heating up on the stove, and I’m sitting on the same couch I’ve been sitting on for months, and it feels good to imagine things right now. One should play this game with a glass or two of wine buzzing in their ears, but I still have yet to purchase a fake ID. The table is set for two, lit by candlelight. A great wooden table with the marks of human hands. A thirteen course meal is served all at once. It will be easier and faster to describe the stains on the table at the close of the meal than the dishes served. Blood, wine, lemon juice, grease. These are the stains of a meal with Jim Harrison, the great one-eyed glutton, the man who ate books and whole heads of garlic. He is shaped like a cannonball and growls when he speaks through the cigarette clamped between mustached lips. He’s downed two bottles of wine over the course of the meal without a slurred word. His is a voice who has spoken to me many times, many times through the pages of his books. He speaks now like he writes, loping, leaping, flying, walking with a shotgun tucked under the arm, spinning his mindless, drunken philosophies. I was introduced to Harrison by another great glutton of the world, my Uncle Eric. The man with the fingers like sausage links, who pulled his own braces out with pliers when he was twelve, who orders seafood towers without asking the table. The arrival of Legends of the Fall and A Really Big Lunch at my doorstep was not an invitation to read but a commandment. What I found in those pages was the voice of a man devoted to life and afraid of it, chasing the vivid, the wild, the snaggletoothed. This chase brought Harrison to the wilderness, plains, deserts, the only constants in his writing being cigarettes and food. Vivid food. Constantly seeking it, cooking it, eating it, writing about it. Whether snuck into a novella about three brothers in Montana or lusted over in his former food column for Esquire, Harrison’s prose drips with red wine and lard. To read it, one must have a belly full of meat and garlic, and a glass of wine snuck from the corked bottle on the counter. Harrison brings us the following quotes:
“No question looms larger on a daily basis for many of us than ‘What’s for lunch?’ and, when that has been resolved, ‘What’s for dinner?’ There have been mutterings that the whole food thing has gone too far in America, but I think not. Good food is a benign weapon against the sodden way we live.”
“The idea is to eat well and not die from it—for the simple reason that that would be the end of your eating. At age fifty that means I have to keep a cholesterol count down around 170. There is abundant dreariness in even the smallest health detail. Skip butter and desserts and toss all the obvious fat to your bird dogs.”
“Picture yourself waking on a Sunday morning with a terminal hangover and perhaps a nosebleed, though the latter has fallen from favor. You have a late-afternoon assignation with a fashion model you don’t want to disappoint with the shakes and vomiting rather than love. Just eat a couple bowls of menudo sprinkled with chopped cilantro and scallions, wild Sonoran chiltepins, and a squeeze of lemon. The results are guaranteed by the tripe cartel, which has not yet been a victim of arbitrage.”
Food was lifeforce for Harrison, an obsession, the key to a vivid life. His collections of food essays, A Really Big Lunch and The Raw and the Cooked, are equal parts recipe book, bible, mad musing. The writing contained within will make the fullest stomach starved, the dullest heart ignited. I urge all to pick up a copy, to embrace the words that fold and fumble through cigarette smoke, to share a meal like I have with our great lost glutton, Jim Harrison.
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WE SHOULD ALL EAT MORE RHUBARB RECIPE AND PHOTOS BY KATE KAPLIN
Perennially available in the springtime, Rhubarb is, in my opinion, vastly unappreciated. While the leaves of the rhubarb plant are toxic (they contain oxalic acid, an irritant), the stalk is absolutely delicious. When cooked, the stalk takes on a tart, rich flavor and turns a beautiful light pink color. However, it’s use is continually paired with strawberries for pie. I love strawberry rhubarb pie, but only using rhubarb for pie is like only using apples for pie – tasty, but also missing out on so many other delicious possibilities. Rhubarb, originally found in Asia, was introduced to the western world in the 1600s and has since been a staple of gardens and farmers markets. While not a difficult plant to grow, the rhubarb plant needs a cooler climate and a period of dormancy in order to properly develop, thrive, and produce an abundance of large stalks. This makes the plant especially suited to the climates of the Northern United States and parts of Europe, where cooler spring and winter temperatures are the norm.. It is so popular among gardeners because it can withstand a range of soil pH levels, does not need full access to the sun to grow, and is incredibly productive—once it matures, a given rhubarb plant will continue to produce stalks for five or more years. Rhubarb’s tart flavor pairs beautifully with the sweetness of strawberries, which is why it is most commonly used in strawberry rhubarb pie. As previously stated, however, it can be used for so much more. Because it is so tart and acidic, rhubarb is usually used in dessert and sweeter dishes in order to cut through sweeter flavors like strawberry and the richness in cakes and pies. The vibrant pinkness of the vegetable and its acidity can also lend a unique brightness to savory dishes in flavor as well as in appearance. The bright pink pop of color characteristic of rhubarb is hard to miss in any dish. For instance, in the following Quick Pickled Rhubarb Salad, the rhubarb is “cooked” with acid, a method that highlights the tartness of the vegetable to complement the fresh flavors of fennel and celery. Meanwhile, the pickling process transforms the stalk’s color from a light pink to a deeper fuchsia pink, which plays in contrast to the greens of the fennel and celery. Unfortunately, because we have become so used to our fruits and vegetables being available all year, it is easy to overlook the strange pink celery-looking vegetable at the supermarket or farmer’s market. Additionally, its distinctive and beautiful pink color provides a fun, bright contrast to other elements of a dish. Whether sautéed, baked, or pickled, it is hard to go wrong with rhubarb and worth trying for the first or fifteenth time.
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QUICK PICKLED RHUBARB SALAD prep
cook makes
20 minutes 65 minutes 4-6 servings
GET
2 rhubarb stalks, sliced in thin diagonal strips 1 cup red wine vinegar ½ cup sugar 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, plus more for seasoning to taste 1 fennel bulb, halved, cored, very thinly sliced 3 celery stalks, thinly sliced in thin diagonal strips 1 cup of roasted, almonds, chopped Olive oil (for drizzling) 2 tsp cumin pepper to taste
DO
1. Place sliced rhubarb into a 16 Oz. heat-proof jar. Pourvinegar, sugar, kosher salt, and ¾ cup water into a small saucepan. 2. Bring the mixture to a boil and stir to dissolve sugar and salt. 3. Pour the vinegar mixture into the jar with the rhubarb. 4. Cover the jar, place in the refrigerator and chill until cold, at least 1 hour. The pickled rhubarb can also be made ahead of time and will keep in the refrigerator for a week. 5. Toss fennel, celery, almonds, 1 cup of the drained, pickled rhubarb, cumin, and 2 tbsp. of the pickling liquid in a large bowl and combine well. 6. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
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FROM BAG TO BELLY:
THE START OF A FLEDGLING BREAD BUSINESS BY MAYA OSMAN-KRINSKY
PHOTOS BY GRACE PEGUESE Like many stories, this one starts with just a tablespoon’s worth of an idea. My cranky sourdough starter and I had been together for almost a year and a half when, between mouthfuls of crust and butter, a friend suggested that I start selling my bread. Initially, I bristled at the thought. If you know me, you know that I’m proud that I grew up in a family full of lefty foodies: we have a bust of Lenin on the bookshelf in our living room, looking down at the piggy bank shaped like Karl Marx’s head (a nod to the change that hangs out in the pockets of my dad’s schleppy jeans, and to the irony of it all). I’d much rather give loaves away for free to people I know and love and not feel the need to profit off of it. I also figured that monetizing a hobby that helped me through breakups, quarantines, and seasonal depression could quickly morph it into something I no longer loved doing. But interest was there (based on an Instagram poll with a sample size of twenty-three), so at the beginning of winter quarter, I ordered seventy-five pounds of flour and a huge bin to hold it all, and I launched a business out of my apartment’s tiny kitchen. I started small with four loaves at a time: two country breads and two loaves with mix-ins, which I changed weekly. My baseline recipe hovered somewhere between the Tartine country bread, a standard rustic loaf that blends white and whole wheat flours with a long cold proof, and Sarah Owens’s table loaf, a bread with slightly higher hydration and different types of wheat flours. I began to add soaked grits and rosemary, cinnamon and raisins, black sesame and sunflower seeds, dill and flaxseeds, and olives to those breads, playing with the fermentation methods each time. I watched video after video of shaping and scoring techniques and would FaceTime my friend Riss (a real baker at a real bakery) for tips to achieve more consistent flavor, color, and crumb on the breads to which I was growing increasingly attached.
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Now, four months in, I am excited about the way that the business has grown. I’m able to offer almost eight loaves a week while rotating focaccia, crackers, and granola through the menu as well. My baking schedule has become more or less consistent, though more often than not I’ll leave a loaf to proof for a little too long while I log onto a Zoom lecture. My roommate jokes that her impression of me in class is covered in flour with my camera off, weighing seeds and water to mix into a bubbly leaven. I’m sure that if I had continued baking for just myself, my roommates, and my friends, I would’ve still found solace in the activity of mixing, folding, and shaping the bread. But meeting new people at my doorstep has been a source of connection and warmth, and I’ve been moved by their excitement about a hobby that for a long time was just for me. It’s been such a privilege to bake for people I don’t know through some of the hardest months of this year. The first thing to sell out every week on @inmayasbelly is my focaccia. It’s a great recipe if you’re looking to immediately use your discard after feeding your starter, but can be made with slightly-revived older discard. The crumb is tender and complex, and it holds up well to spreads of all sorts. You can add rosemary, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, or anything else you please between steps 8 and 10; just keep an eye on your toppings so that they don’t burn.
FEATURES
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STANDARD SOURDOUGH FOCACCIA From my friend Riss Buie (@bakerbuie on Instagram)
prep cook makes
2-4 hours passive 20 minutes active 45 minutes One 13 x 9 focaccia
GET 100g active 100% hydration sourdough starter 440g room temperature water, split into 425g and 15g 35g olive oil, plus more for the pan and drizzling post-bake 300g bread flour (all-purpose will work too) 200g whole wheat flour (or any combination of rye, spelt, or einkorn) 10g table salt Pinch or two of coarse cornmeal (polenta and semolina flour work too) Pinch or two of flaky salt
24
bite | spring 2021
DO 1. In a large bowl, mix together the sourdough starter with 425g of water. Use your hand or a dough whisk to disperse the starter into smaller clumps within the water—the water should look almost milky. Add the olive oil and mix a little bit more. 2. Add in the flour. Mix until there are no visible dry spots and everything looks incorporated. The dough will be kind of slippery and sticky – that’s okay. It will come together in the next step. 3. Transfer the dough to a shallow, rectangular container at least twice the dough’s size. It’s important that the dough has somewhere to grow into. Cover the container loosely and let sit for 30 minutes, or up to a few hours. (A note: you can mix the dough in this container if it’s big enough – that’s what I do – but it’s definitely easier to mix in a bowl then transfer.) 4. Uncover the dough and sprinkle the salt over its surface. Add in the 10g reserved water and pinch the dough until everything is incorporated. 5. Working with wet hands, do your first coil fold. Starting about one-fifth of the way down the container, pick the dough up (almost like you’re holding a cat) and let it fold onto itself. Continue doing this, working your way down the dough, until it has formed a spiral. Pick up the dough and turn it 180° in the container, and repeat until the dough is too tense to fold. Let itv rest for 20 minutes, and repeat the coil fold. Repeat every 20 minutes for two hours, or until you can see bubbles forming on the dough’s surface. It’s not important that the intervals are exact – this step helps develop the dough’s strength, but ultimately it will hold its own shape in the sheet pan, so don’t worry too much about getting the timing perfect. 6. After you’ve completed your last coil fold, cover the dough and let it finish fermenting in the fridge for 8 hours (or overnight). 7. In the morning, oil a 13 x 9 sheet pan and generously sprinkle cornmeal on the bottom. Take your dough out of the fridge and invert the container over the sheet pan so the dough falls gently into it. 8. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil on the dough’s surface and spread it around gently. Cover and let rise for two to three hours, depending on your kitchen’s temperature, until you can see bubbles forming. I find that a plastic produce bag is easier to use here than, say, a kitchen towel because if the dough rises so much that it sticks to whatever’s covering it, the plastic will detach easily without pulling on the bread. 9. Preheat your oven to 450°F. 10. Once the oven is preheated, oil your fingertips and dimple the dough. Make sure not to pop any of the bubbles that arise. 11. Let your focaccia finish proofing until your oven is preheated, then bake for 45 minutes or until deep golden-brown. 12. Take the focaccia out and drizzle some olive oil over the top while it cools. I love to add flaky salt on top. Let cool to the touch in the sheet pan then take it out. 13. Slice and enjoy while still slightly warm.
SEMOLINA, GOLDEN RAISIN, AND FENNEL FOCACCIA prep cook makes
GET
85g golden raisins 15g fennel seeds, crushed 100g boiling water 100g active 100% hydration sourdough starter 340g room temperature water, split into 325g and 15g 35g olive oil, plus more for the pan and drizzling post-bake 300g bread flour (all-purpose will work too)
12-24 hours passive 20 minutes active 45 minutes One 13 x 9 focaccia
100g semolina flour or durum (not cornmeal – this will make the crumb too heavy) 50g einkorn flour 50g spelt flour 10g table salt Pinch or two of coarse cornmeal (polenta and semolina flour work too) Pinch or two of flaky salt
DO 1. In a small bowl, combine the golden raisins and crushed fennel seeds. Add in 100g boiling water and cover. 2. Follow steps 1-4 from the recipe for Standard Sourdough Focaccia, and add in the raisins, seeds, and all of their water along with the salt.
recipes
25
COCO ICHIBANYA-STYLE CURRY BY MARKIS CHENG PHOTOS BY JERRY CAO
I was absolutely devastated when my favorite Japanese curry chain, Curry House, closed its doors permanently across the U.S. at the beginning of the pandemic. Curry House made me fall in love with Coco Ichibanya-style curry, and their iconic recipe had become an irreplaceable part of my palate. Guided by devastation and determination, I set out to create my own Coco Ichibanya-style curry, and I believe that I’ve created a recipe that rivals that of Curry House. Using pantry staples and pre-made roux, this recipe can serve as a quick weeknight dinner and is certain to satisfy those Japanese curry cravings. Add some white rice and katsu on the side and you’ve got a dinner party. Enjoy!
26 bite | spring 2021
prep
20 minutes
cook
45 minutes
makes
10 servings
GET
3 Russet potatoes, or other variety high in starch 2 carrots, peeled 2 onions 5 cups chicken broth (or 5 cups of water with 5 tbsp of any-fla vored bouillon) 1 tbsp ginger 4 cloves of garlic 1 apple (I tend to go for something on the sweeter side like Honeycrisp) 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional) 1 package Golden Curry (any spice) 1 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp ketchup 3 tbsp honey 1 heaping tbsp miso paste Salt and pepper Neutral oil
DO Preparation: 1. Dice both onions and mince all four garlic cloves 2. Cut both carrots into any large shape around the length of a finger 3. Peel the potatoes and cube into one inch pieces. Soak them in cold water to release any excess starch. 4. Grate or finely mince one tbsp. worth of ginger and set aside 5. Peel and grate the apple and set aside. Curry Base: 6. Curry Base: Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the garlic, ginger, and onions. Stir until the onions become translucent and the garlic and ginger are fragrant. 7. Add in the carrots and stir until thoroughly mixed with the onions, and season with salt and pepper. 8. Cover the vegetables with chicken stock (if adding water, add the bouillon here or omit it altogether), and bring mixture to a boil. Stir occasionally. 9. Add in the honey, grated apple, and miso paste and stir until honey and miso paste are dissolved. Skim any scum that may float to the surface of the pot. 10. Drain the potatoes and add them into the mixture. Cook until potatoes become fork tender. Roux: 11. Turn down the mixture to low heat and break the roux blocks into eight small pieces. 12. One at a time, place one of the roux pieces into the ladle and gently cover with broth. Using a pair of chopsticks or a spoon, stir the roux in the ladle until liquefied. Complete with the rest of the roux blocks. Seasoning: 13. This is where taste is preference! Add any of the seasonings listed in the ingredients list or feel free to add your own. This dish ultimately caters to your palate. Here, I add the ketchup, soy sauce, worcestershire sauce, and more salt and pepper. Add more of these to your liking, or any umami boosters like oyster sauce, mirin, MSG (completely safe!), and sake. Serving: 14. Curry can be enjoyed especially with a side of rice, or definitely by itself. Top with fukujinzuke (Japanese red-pickled vegetables). Leftovers can be kept in a container in the fridge for a week or 2 months in the freezer. Reheat with water when reserving. recipes
27
SHRIMP CEVICHE prep
20 minutes
cook
20 minutes
makes
4 servings
BY BEN MILLER PHOTOS BY KARINA MAK
Ceviche is the ultimate springtime dish. Between its vibrant acidity and the tiny transgressive thrill of raw seafood, ceviche captures the spirit of bounding into a world that is regaining its color and life. This particular recipe transports the South American staple to the Eastern Mediterranean. The landscapes of places like Turkey and Lebanon may be quite different from ceviche’s origins in coastal Peru, but the flavors are far from out of place. The citric energy of the marinated shrimp pairs masterfully with the weightier spices of the region to create bites that are both refreshing and filling. This recipe is perfect for weekend picnics or as an appetizer before heavier meals. Of course, any ceviche recipe requires some words of warning. As with all dishes featuring raw seafood, you should be especially careful in preparing it. Either use fresh shrimp or defrost and cook it immediately. If you have any doubts, err on the side of caution.
GET 8 oz. fresh shrimp, peeled 4 lemons, juiced (yields approx. ½ cup) 1 cup chopped red onion 1 cup chopped red pepper 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sesame seeds 1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp black pepper 1 dash oregano 1 dash ground sumac, if desired
28 bite | spring 2021
DO 1. Blanche the shrimp by placing them in boiling water for 45 seconds before immediately placing them in an ice water bath for 2-3 minutes. 2. Juice and strain the lemons. Cut the shrimp width-wise into quarter inch pieces. Place shrimp into lemon juice and cover for 15 minutes. When complete, the shrimp should appear pink and relatively firm. If white solids begin to build on the exterior of the shrimp, they are overdone. 3. Chop and combine the red onion, red pepper and parsley. In a separate bowl, mix spices. 4. When shrimp reach the desired color and texture, combine with chopped ingredients and spices. Garnish with additional parsley and serve with pita chips, or another cracker.
TUSCAN BREAKFAST SKILLET
Brunch is one of the most sought-after meals in the business - it’s glamorous and chic, social and classy. It usually boasts elaborate pastries, inventive entrees, and bottomless mimosas. During the pandemic, with restaurants closed and weekends spent shut in, usual brunch-goers like me had to get creative. Somehow, late Sunday mornings had to break the monotony of quarantined life with their usual heir of casual elegance. With the rest of the week spent attempting bread baking and intricate cake decorating, Sunday needed to serve as a delicious respite. As a result, the Tuscan Breakfast Skillet was born. It is light, perfect for the spring and summer time, delicately flavored, super easy (even for the beginner), and only uses one pan, which means more reward and less dishes for you. The star of the show is the cannellini beans, but, because of its simplicity, high quality ingredients are what will make this recipe crave-worthy.
GET 4 eggs 1 15 oz can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 3 medium red or heirloom tomatoes 1/2 to 3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth 1/2 medium red or white onion, sliced 3 garlic cloves, minced 3 tbsp olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste 1 tsp paprika 2 tsp dried herbs (oregano, thyme, and/or basil 2 tbsp chopped, fresh herbs (thyme, basil or rosemary) Toasted sourdough (optional, for serving)
BY ARUSHI MUKHERJEE PHOTOS BY OLIVIA XIONG
prep
10 minutes
cook
25 minutes
makes
4 servings
DO 1. Put pan—preferably cast iron, although nonstick will also work— on stove over medium heat. 2. In the dry pan, put whole tomatoes. Cook until the skin is lightly charred, then remove. 3. Pour olive oil into pan and sauté garlic and onion until onions are translucent. If using dried herbs, add them at this stage. 4. Dice the charred tomatoes and add them to the pan, stirring to incorporate tomatoes with spices. 5. Add beans to the pan along with broth, salt, pepper, and paprika (a healthy crack of pepper does wonders for the flavors of the dish, so don’t be shy!). 6. Simmer on low, uncovered, for 6-8 minutes, or until about half the liquid has evaporated. 7. Make four wells in the beans and crack one egg into each well. 8. Cover pan and let cook for another 6-8 minutes, until egg whites are cooked and yolks are jammy. 9. If using fresh herbs, add them as garnish. 10. Serve in skillet with toasted sourdough slices. 29
SEASONAL FRUIT CRISP TWO WAYS
BY ANGELIQUE ALEXOS PHOTOS BY ELENA ZHANG
When I tell you that this crisp recipe is a crowd pleaser, I mean it. I’ve been making it for family and friends for a few years now, and though it may seem simple, it never fails to garner excitement and disappear from the table at lightning speed. It’s a wonderful way to showcase seasonal fruit accompanied by a sweet, light crisp topping. Though there are so many combinations that work with this recipe, below are two tried and true versions for the summer and fall seasons. prep
35 minutes
cook
38 minutes
makes
6 servings
GET Summer Crisp: For the Filling 4 cups peaches, cut into large chunks with skin on or off 3 cups blueberries ⅓ cup lightly packed dark brown sugar ¼ cup all purpose flour
For the Topping: ⅓ cup all purpose flour ⅓ cup whole wheat pastry flour ⅔ cup sugar ¾ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon sea salt 1 large egg white 4 tbsp (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
Fall Crisp: For the Filling 7 cups apples (preferably honeycrisp), cut into large chunks with skin on or off ⅓ cup lightly packed dark brown sugar ¼ cup all purpose flour 2 tsp cinnamon
For the Topping: ⅓ cup all purpose flour ⅓ cup whole wheat pastry flour 1 tsp cinnamon ⅔ cup sugar ¾ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon sea salt 1 large egg white ½ cup pecans, roughly chopped 4 tbsp (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted
30 bite | spring 2021
DO
For the Filling: 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray. 2. In a large bowl, combine the chopped fruit, brown sugar, flour (and cinnamon if necessary), and stir until the fruit is well coated. 3. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. For the Topping: 1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, (and cinnamon if necessary). 2. Once mixed, form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the egg white. Gradually stir with a fork until the mixture becomes crumbly. 3. If using, add the chopped pecans at this point. 4. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the fruit and drizzle the surface with the melted butter. 5. Bake for about 35-38 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. 6. Let cool slightly before serving. *Adapted from The Sprinkles Baking Book by Candace Nelson
31
TOFU & OTHER BANCHAN BY VERONICA CHANG PHOTOS BY OLIVIA XIONG
A lot of vegetarian dishes aim to provide meat substitutes rather than their own distinct flavor; the following recipes, each tackling different Korean banchan, or side dishes, aim to change that. A mixture of sweet, spicy and savory, the recipes highlight three Korean vegetarian staples: tofu, eggs and bean sprouts. Balanced, nutritious, and easy to make, this is a meal for even the laziest and least kitchen-competent individuals.
prep
15 minutes
cook
20 minutes
makes
2 servings
GET 1 1 1 tbsp 1 ½ tbsp 1 tbsp 1 ½ tbsp ½ tbsp 1 tbsp ¼ cup
Spicy Braised Tofu block firm tofu green onion, chopped soy sauce vegatarian oyster sauce minced garlic honey Gochugaru sesame oil water
½ lbs ½ tbsp 1 tsp 1 ½ tbsp 1 tsp ½ tsp 1 tsp 1 tsp
Mung Bean Sprouts mung bean sprouts minced garlic soy sauce green onion, chopped sesame oil sesame seeds (optional) black pepper garlic powder chili powder
3 1 cup 1 1 tsp 1 tsp
Steamed Egg eggs vegtable stock green onion, chopped soy sauce sesame oil
32 bite | spring 2021
DO
For the tofu 1. Gently press the tofu block to squeeze out the water, then chop into bite-sized pieces 2. Fry the tofu on medium heat, around five minutes on each side 3. While the tofu fries, mix the sauce using the rest of the ingredients 4. Cover the tofu in the sauce once cooked, then let reduce for around two minutes and serve. For the bean sprouts 1. Blanch the sprouts for around 1 minute in boiling water, then strain and rinse 2. Mix the sprouts with the rest of the ingredients and serve. For the eggs 1. Boil vegtable stock in clay pot over medium high heat 2. Beat eggs together with soy sauce and green onion 3. When stock starts boiling, lower to a simmer and add eggs 4. Stir together, then let simmer with closed lid for five minutes 5. Drizzle sesame oil on steamed eggs and serve.
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bite | winter 2021