tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40768649445917419422023-11-16T09:50:47.756-06:00STL Deliciousbecause it doesn't begin and end with toasted ravioliThe Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-62619844583633399672008-10-14T12:57:00.004-05:002008-10-14T13:59:09.758-05:00To Stiff or Not To Stiff<a href="http://www.chow.com/stories/11332">Chow</a> recently ran a column advising whether or not it is ever okay to withhold a tip based on a bad meal. The general concensus was no, it<strong> is never okay to leave zero tip</strong>. Chow's reasons for discouraging non-tipping range from logistical (it's probably not just the server's fault) to karmic (it's "emotionally unsatisfying"), but the main point is that refusing to tip won't really fix anything.<br /><br /><strong>As for me, although I have experienced many bad meals, I have never not tipped.<br /></strong><br />That's not to say I'm a holy beacon of gratuity and every server is blessed by my presence. I don't think I'm much different from anyone else who has worked in the industry (and doesn't harbor an "I got out, why can't you?" complex). For me, <strong>20% is always -- <em>always</em> -- the standard.</strong> Do a mediocre job and you're still getting that. Do a stellar job and you'll get more. Do an absolutely crappy job and, well, let's just say that once <em>your</em> standard goes down, so does mine.<br /><br />It's very rare that I'm driven to tip below 20%, but it has happened, but there are things I cannot excuse, namely, total trainwrecks of attitude or execution that should never be displayed to a paying public.<br /><br /><div align="center">***</div><br /><strong>Example 1 - Blackthorn Pub</strong><br /><br />(I'm hesitant to write this up for a couple of reasons. One, Blackthorn is a St. Louis institution with truly awesome pizza. Two, the guy involved isn't alive anymore. Perhaps I'm only trying to explain my own actions, but here goes...)<br /><br />On a Tuesday night, my boyfriend and I go to Blackthorn and sit at the bar. We order a pizza and a pitcher of Schlafly. 35 minutes later, the pitcher is empty and the pizza is nowhere to be seen. Although the bartender wasn't assisting any of the other dozen people in the bar, he was too busy talking on the phone to notice us. Hmmm.<br /><br />After 10 more minutes pass, he glances over, sighs audibly, and tells the person he's on the phone with to hold on. He walks over, grabs our pitcher, and gives us a look that could be translated to "What the fuck?"<br /><br />"Another one, please," my boyfriend says.<br /><br />The pitcher is refilled and the bartender walks away. It's now 45 minutes after we placed our order and still no pizza. At least we've got some begrudgingly served booze, but at this point, we're hungry and he's rude and beer isn't comforting enough.<br /><br />Once we've been sitting there for a full hour after ordering, we're starting to wonder what the eff is going on. A pizza gets placed on the bar every 20 minutes or so, but the bartender shows no sign of caring and no one is picking them up. We've given up on trying to flag him down, because he seems completely absorbed in his phone conversation.<br /><br />After an hour and fifteen minutes pass, I think I might explode.<br /><br />"Excuse me" I say, probably with what my parents would call "a tone" but I don't care. The bartender rolls his eyes and walks over.<br /><br />"Yeah, so, where's our pizza? It's been nearly an hour and a half."<br /><br />The bartender rolls his eyes, walks down to the kitchen, and comes out with a pizza. He puts it down in front of us and starts to walk away.<br /><br />"Pitcher's empty," I add.<br /><br />I am beyond manners at this point. It's not that our food took forever. It's not that we had to wait for beer. It's that the bartender was so odiously rude and never <em>at any time</em> said, "Hey, guys, pizza's going to take awhile. Sorry." NOT ONCE. This has nothing to do with the general atmosphere of Blackthorn or a crowded house; it was all about a total jackass who barely deserved the $1.00 I tipped.<br /><br /><div align="center">***</div><br /><strong>Example 2 - Shangri-La Diner</strong><br /><br />My boyfriend and I decided on Shangri-La for lunch because it was on the way to his work and neither of us wanted anything very complicated. Plus there was an artsy pink-painted cow in front, so I assumed the burgers would be decent.<br /><br />I should have known.<br /><br />Perhaps the burgers <em>were</em> decent, but I never found out because I don't eat burgers unless they're made of meat. Nothing at Shangri-La is made of meat, not even the "pulled pork sandwich" (calling imitation meat anything resembling the word "pork" is a sin, okay, a <em>sin</em>). We didn't know the place was vegetarian at first, but we're adaptable. We can handle it. They still used <em>cheese</em> made from real milk.<br /><br />In addition to the Pepto-Bismol acid trip theme and the completely unintelligle server, it took more than 30 minutes to receive our grilled cheese sandwich and cheese quesadilla. <em>We were two of only four people in the entire place.</em><br /><br />Look, Shangri-La employees, it's perfectly acceptable to do whatever you want on your own time, but please refrain from smoking massive amounts of marijuana at work. At least, of course, unless you're okay with being tipped a dollar. Dirty hippies.<br /><br /><div align="center">***</div><br />Now that I've attempted to redeem my non-tip episodes, I hope that Chow and myself have brought some clarity to the issue. Also, at least I've never been driven to this....<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKtxEBN6bQIzGge80Pn-E9iGUGFZT_8Xe8ugic3iuPnDwxXtpA-c8J3dHYw0FvtO0iYScAZgtskPFtHnB9WDaf3NLpqopNRpI0oKfYZrwOUjupxUtKVi5S1NbKFT4xUYdqoUYm7Ufjn9o/s1600-h/no-service[1]+(2).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5257075159977032594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghKtxEBN6bQIzGge80Pn-E9iGUGFZT_8Xe8ugic3iuPnDwxXtpA-c8J3dHYw0FvtO0iYScAZgtskPFtHnB9WDaf3NLpqopNRpI0oKfYZrwOUjupxUtKVi5S1NbKFT4xUYdqoUYm7Ufjn9o/s320/no-service%5B1%5D+(2).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>The Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-29416091181536648892008-09-27T15:46:00.007-05:002008-09-27T16:16:12.032-05:00RECIPE - Baked Mostaccioli with Pork Sugo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZOYECjyx6EHXt9MOXJnCAbMss63ASxWZObkQ8QJR4ytDrP9gZiO1rkwMedZl1W_5-luMfwt0UbwGDc3WXFxF4dyQcmACpEHXKMHdOtprcz9p9BQf_osPBe06sps_Kzr25CipmnnJztdl/s1600-h/P9260492.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlZOYECjyx6EHXt9MOXJnCAbMss63ASxWZObkQ8QJR4ytDrP9gZiO1rkwMedZl1W_5-luMfwt0UbwGDc3WXFxF4dyQcmACpEHXKMHdOtprcz9p9BQf_osPBe06sps_Kzr25CipmnnJztdl/s320/P9260492.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250811596969661202" border="0" /></a>Until this month’s issue of <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/">Food & Wine</a> was delivered, <span style="font-weight: bold;">I had no idea what <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">sugo</span> was</span>. I don’t think many people did, but a recent browsing of <a href="http://foodgawker.com/">Food Gawker</a> (a favorite food blog and glo-or-<span style="font-style: italic;">orious</span> source of daily food porn) indicates that the magazine has made the food geek rounds. I should mention that I didn’t actually use the recipe, but I got the gist and below is what I did with it.<br /><br />For starters, <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">sugo</span> is a <span style="font-weight: bold;">thick Italian sauce made with meat and vegetables</span>. It’s actually sort of similar to a Spanish sofrito, but with meat blended into the vegetables. Food & Wine recommended braising the pork for two hours, but like I’ve said before, time is tight. <span style="font-weight: bold;">I can’t very well braise for two hours at night, but I can turn on a CrockPot* before I leave for work</span>. <br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">*sorry, I meant slow cooker. I’m clearly not being paid by the CrockPot people.</span><br /><br />In addition to a slow cooker, <span style="font-weight: bold;">here’s what you’ll need</span>:<br /><ul><li style="font-weight: bold;">1 pork shoulder or loin</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 medium-sized onion</span>, halved and quartered</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 bulb garlic</span>, cloves peeled and ends trimmed</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">3 stalks celery</span>, cut into 1/4 inch pieces</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 bell peppers</span> (I used green because they’re a whole dollar cheaper than red or yellow), but into ½ inch pieces</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 ½ cups carrots</span>, cut into 1/4 inch pieces</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 fistful spinach</span>, stems trimmed</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">1 large can</span> (umm, 16 ounces?) <span style="font-weight: bold;">crushed San Marzano tomatoes</span></li><li style="font-weight: bold;">4 leaves basil</li><li style="font-weight: bold;">2 sprigs thyme</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 pinches dried oregano</span> (I don’t use enough of it to buy fresh)</li><li style="font-weight: bold;">kosher salt</li><li style="font-weight: bold;">black pepper</li><li style="font-weight: bold;">1/4 cup vegetable stock</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">2 1/2 cups red wine</span> (I used Cabernet, I find pinot noir, malbec, and syrah too berry-like for this)</li><li style="font-weight: bold;">olive oil</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">2-3 cups dried mostaccioli pasta</span> (I guess it's ziti for non-St. Louisans)<br /></li><li style="font-weight: bold;">grated Parmesan cheese</li></ul>Because I don’t feel like doing all my prep in the morning, <span style="font-weight: bold;">I took about 30 minutes the night before to cut the <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">celery, bell pepper, carrots, onion, and garlic</span></span>. At the risk of getting all Jessica Seinfeld and being sued for the following sentence, <span style="font-weight: bold;">this recipe is an excellent way to jam a lot of vegetables into a dish</span> without it tasting like crap. See?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjas93NOE0v5bjHYNLFbI5VWN9FEcMTDpApitUE4aNgIKvMOutLnObmsc3f0waJoyiwha2GLWjStn5os4ZoSpnOs9M8LeNLDR7GHGb3AYkQHR3DSVoRMiu_N9wu1q-3TJ2rZv8nFwhlsuAu/s1600-h/P9250448.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjas93NOE0v5bjHYNLFbI5VWN9FEcMTDpApitUE4aNgIKvMOutLnObmsc3f0waJoyiwha2GLWjStn5os4ZoSpnOs9M8LeNLDR7GHGb3AYkQHR3DSVoRMiu_N9wu1q-3TJ2rZv8nFwhlsuAu/s320/P9250448.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250807117140211298" border="0" /></a>By the way,<span style="font-weight: bold;"> you don't need to cut anything precisely</span>. You're going to smash it into a mess later on, so don't bother with bite-sized pieces or with getting everything even.<br /><br />After cutting the above-named vegetables, <span style="font-weight: bold;">place everything into Ziploc bags and stick them on the same refrigerator shelf</span> for easy access in the morning. I cannot be trusted to select from different shelves before I’ve finished Pot 1 of coffee.<br /><br />The next morning, <span style="font-weight: bold;">turn the slow cooker on low and pour a shallow pool of olive oil in the bottom. Season the <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 51);">pork </span>with salt and pepper and throw it in.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqzlb5nQCHsKjuAiSCscSX9qA21sYwD0tQKWp_ZIL11spli5TpuFgHbAanTuIXf6PwGE2eUkxILAfNl7HDxzKduYdwpZ8uXS649oRW2xPhm5OPqEjzEkpL-W6v9gOUdb7koklMuPO0gTC/s1600-h/P9260452.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNqzlb5nQCHsKjuAiSCscSX9qA21sYwD0tQKWp_ZIL11spli5TpuFgHbAanTuIXf6PwGE2eUkxILAfNl7HDxzKduYdwpZ8uXS649oRW2xPhm5OPqEjzEkpL-W6v9gOUdb7koklMuPO0gTC/s320/P9260452.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250807118702361378" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cover the <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 51);">pork</span></span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">with last night’s <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">vegetables, the thyme, oregano, and 2 leaves of basil</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">. </span><br /><br />Then <span style="font-weight: bold;">pour in half of the <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">tomatoes</span></span> and keep the other half in a container for later.<br /><br />Lastly, <span style="font-weight: bold;">pour in the <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 0);">vegetable stock and red wine</span></span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NX5KrUrZ-KmsTBwf4cLyVn0f9yFwx0f-GOwbAHxD9WR4PSyduVDUaW1ct6Q2A1JzaiLkvgi3IK7yUeWg-u8JGqtejzQrVT6RPEIpCpm3cmvSGYJ96HdH4guCvkyPQTNaMj9C7tiNMTJ3/s1600-h/P9260454.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7NX5KrUrZ-KmsTBwf4cLyVn0f9yFwx0f-GOwbAHxD9WR4PSyduVDUaW1ct6Q2A1JzaiLkvgi3IK7yUeWg-u8JGqtejzQrVT6RPEIpCpm3cmvSGYJ96HdH4guCvkyPQTNaMj9C7tiNMTJ3/s320/P9260454.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250807124309053778" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">*Those purplish things in the picture are cubes of frozen demiglace from a previous recipe. More on that later.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cover the slow cooker</span> and go to work.<br /><br />(Work sucks, doesn’t it?)<br /><br />Two hours of braising in the oven is about the same as 8 hours of low slow cooker time, so <span style="font-weight: bold;">turn off the slow cooker as soon as you get home</span>. I took the lid off because it smelled amazing and nothing is sexier than smelling food when you’re changing out of your work clothes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_GQgeoEaDym14x3oWTPsQKwfPC70IttgOwwdlR2dH27XZcsi7jDEYOtcfLKBkjEu5vAEHrbhvLyW0zicHgHByFRBOSWYrgLZnJAb2r6N5u_jMhKmKNM2avfi-76Kjx903Jzk6uwaHJ1kl/s1600-h/P9260463.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_GQgeoEaDym14x3oWTPsQKwfPC70IttgOwwdlR2dH27XZcsi7jDEYOtcfLKBkjEu5vAEHrbhvLyW0zicHgHByFRBOSWYrgLZnJAb2r6N5u_jMhKmKNM2avfi-76Kjx903Jzk6uwaHJ1kl/s320/P9260463.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250807133566774754" border="0" /></a>Once you’ve changed (and possibly cracked open a happy-hour-at-home beverage), <span style="font-weight: bold;">use a slotted spoon to get the vegetables and pork into a bowl</span>. Tearing the pork as you go is fine, because you’ll be blending it anyway.<br /><br />*** Food & Wine also recommended a food processor to fully blend the meat and veg, but I don’t have one. I suppose I could request one as a gift, but my mom rolls her eyes when I request Season 2 of No Reservations on DVD. Guess how successful the food processor will be. <span style="font-weight: bold;">I originally planned to use my blender, but it’s difficult to wash and I’m sort of in love with my potato masher</span>. I think it’s an Oxo, but I bought it at Target and it’s freaking amazing. ***<br /><br />If you decide to use a potato masher like I did, <span style="font-weight: bold;">start wailing on the vegetables and pork</span>. Actually, be careful. They’ve absorbed a lot of liquid and could squirt you in the eye if you’re overzealous.<br /><br />But now you have <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">sugo</span>....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITChBRIp6eDzA-pQhIEATCkrGhto631ATIm_qF-51Zo2rws17eVDSH0YXStCZwiVLivOBUxGFGDzRYveeQAPB0M-ERm_OjIg7oEZlNbcTWkXiJiU3qM7K02kfaM50L5x4-Xia9sYHCJAK/s1600-h/P9260468.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITChBRIp6eDzA-pQhIEATCkrGhto631ATIm_qF-51Zo2rws17eVDSH0YXStCZwiVLivOBUxGFGDzRYveeQAPB0M-ERm_OjIg7oEZlNbcTWkXiJiU3qM7K02kfaM50L5x4-Xia9sYHCJAK/s320/P9260468.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250806454271602898" border="0" /></a>Once you’re done mashing, cover the bowl with some plastic and set it aside. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Put some salted water on to boil for the pasta and preheat your oven to 400</span>.<br /><br />***While you’re waiting for the water to boil, spoon the liquid left in the slow cooker into some empty ice cube trays. <span style="font-weight: bold;">This is an excellent way to ensure that you’ll always have some kind of broth, demiglace, or stock on hand.</span> (You may want to store the trays in a freezer bag once the liquid is solid; there’s no need for fatty stuff rattling around in the freezer.)***<br /><br />Food & Wine's recipe called for orechiette, but this is St. Louis and we rock it mostaccioli-style. Mispronounced, of course. Anyway, <span style="font-weight: bold;">cook your pasta until it’s <span style="font-style: italic;">just firm</span></span>. Anything further will result in mush, and mush doesn’t taste good no matter how hard you bake it. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Drain.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Combine the <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">sugo, <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">pasta,</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">spinach, <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">and the</span> remaining basil leaves</span> </span>and pour into a casserole dish. Pour the remainder of the <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">crushed tomatoes</span> on top.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RlGTg8dxv3_wXIXle9W43n0ESxrzCVNInVEX1AGEZbFeXdkMywjWHeo3BBvgyyHKbn1uqeN5dZOfKFSXHPr6fD5rjgVPHvBeZ7Lwhs_E1Pz5sKPBvbgdJVmVd_6i8OmwmM0TELyMxaWW/s1600-h/P9260479.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RlGTg8dxv3_wXIXle9W43n0ESxrzCVNInVEX1AGEZbFeXdkMywjWHeo3BBvgyyHKbn1uqeN5dZOfKFSXHPr6fD5rjgVPHvBeZ7Lwhs_E1Pz5sKPBvbgdJVmVd_6i8OmwmM0TELyMxaWW/s320/P9260479.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250806465174878722" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Place casserole dish in oven and leave it there for about 35 minutes</span>. After then, pull it out and <span style="font-weight: bold;">top with <span style="color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">grated Parmesan</span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">. </span>Put it back in the oven for about 7 minutes, <span style="font-weight: bold;">turning the broiler on for the last 1 or 2.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxK0a-G0dZ_ABuHF05BaMmN0F0scyAbeihmOQ5RzgUFCDtTLZTHFU9C9s2svCMDePIOq_kEf2HqoQ-JZNYnJqfA35YbjlsxrCURDX8lfhVihH6u8WSSIcK1A4w1iHBEtLqRiw3n9oDiYNl/s1600-h/P9260484.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxK0a-G0dZ_ABuHF05BaMmN0F0scyAbeihmOQ5RzgUFCDtTLZTHFU9C9s2svCMDePIOq_kEf2HqoQ-JZNYnJqfA35YbjlsxrCURDX8lfhVihH6u8WSSIcK1A4w1iHBEtLqRiw3n9oDiYNl/s320/P9260484.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250806466681072162" border="0" /></a>I like to let the casserole dish to sit for at least 5 minutes after I take it out of the oven. It’s less likely to hemorrhage liquid and, you know, scald my tongue. Plus <span style="font-weight: bold;">all that flavorful porky goodness has a chance to marry with sharp, tangy Parmesan and sweet tomatoes.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy3MAiyrwBGi-H7QTzfZSZFaTEVsJ_186hl8Bwa8h1j6FWDKnrJfx4I_PIG-7P_H5MIX_QlabncH0avGZmv5FACFKkWyVXnheZT9SJ4Nd920QCdClJjWqY9GhWrZtCCl2hIRe5QLhncOld/s1600-h/P9260492.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy3MAiyrwBGi-H7QTzfZSZFaTEVsJ_186hl8Bwa8h1j6FWDKnrJfx4I_PIG-7P_H5MIX_QlabncH0avGZmv5FACFKkWyVXnheZT9SJ4Nd920QCdClJjWqY9GhWrZtCCl2hIRe5QLhncOld/s320/P9260492.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250806477155578290" border="0" /></a>The End.<br /></div>The Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-75015517563485654902008-09-25T21:24:00.001-05:002008-09-25T21:26:15.978-05:00HiatusedYou may have noticed that STL Delicious has been on hiatus for the past month and a half or so, but hopefully everyone who noticed that<span style="font-style: italic;"> also</span> noticed when I wrote about how time is tight and money is tighter at the moment. While I can’t commit to going out every week like I used to, I’ll try my best to at least cook something every now and then.<br /><br />With this in mind, expect a Pork Sugo and Pasta recipe this Saturday.The Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-2306617199850054582008-08-09T10:24:00.002-05:002008-08-09T10:26:35.826-05:00Surely You Jest<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXUVFNFfWYLhpiROc9Ov3oiC8CwGyX7ovsAckvTjmgVBcXnp0GtQyMvDGSSrwy4z2ZvMR3ZZg8D9INUJNS-Y7WLrWjrfFvp2IUjxWtq99o3lguQ8Zstq88cs8L4ZLcs5XcWQ9ION4QldD/s1600-h/ice2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXUVFNFfWYLhpiROc9Ov3oiC8CwGyX7ovsAckvTjmgVBcXnp0GtQyMvDGSSrwy4z2ZvMR3ZZg8D9INUJNS-Y7WLrWjrfFvp2IUjxWtq99o3lguQ8Zstq88cs8L4ZLcs5XcWQ9ION4QldD/s320/ice2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5232539677873543410" border="0" /></a><br />This is why people continue to resist food "trends" in favor of things like Velveeta and Tang. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/10/fashion/10ice.html?ref=fashion">Designer ice?</a> You've got to be kidding.The Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-41376017979894474482008-07-31T19:13:00.005-05:002008-12-09T13:54:25.899-06:00Don't You Recognize Me?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjntQbLQO0skgjzResTt-ow62crA57HG5nxeUlxoaOiHXXXLPG68IgqaUUpbNcWSzkl10nhTVO9d4G29wJSxu2UwVz2NJEW7jQcwuI4usI7K8OpIr7g2FsI-24y_iyxW3jL6heNXmuKqrLY/s1600-h/greedy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjntQbLQO0skgjzResTt-ow62crA57HG5nxeUlxoaOiHXXXLPG68IgqaUUpbNcWSzkl10nhTVO9d4G29wJSxu2UwVz2NJEW7jQcwuI4usI7K8OpIr7g2FsI-24y_iyxW3jL6heNXmuKqrLY/s320/greedy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229339271068354178" border="0" /></a><br />Apologies for the lull. Money is tight and time is tighter.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.chow.com/stories/11221">Chow</a> recently ran a column about <span style="font-weight: bold;">how restaurant regulars should expect to be treated</span>. The advice seeker said that he and his wife visit the same bistro about three times per month and leave a large tip. Not only does the staff not comp the occasional glass of wine, they also don't remember if his wife prefers sparkling or still water and show no sign of recognizing them. <span style="font-weight: bold;">The advice seeker wanted to know if his expectations were valid</span>.<br /><br />While the advice giver was diplomatic and correct, as with most Internet forums, I found the comments to be the most entertaining and, more importantly in this case,<span style="font-weight: bold;"> spot-on</span>. Most Chowhounds (including myself, nerd alert) <span style="font-weight: bold;">are either industry or are very familiar with how it operates</span>. Instead of posting a buttload of flames about some silly typo, Chowhounds provide helpful, thoughtful, and honest advice.<br /><br />You can click-and-read them if you want, but because this is my blog, <span style="font-weight: bold;">I'm sharing my own thoughts on the expectation that bothers me the most - that restaurant and bar staff should comp you just because you've been there before.</span><br /><br />Okay, so I'm industry. I've spent 9 hours a night lugging cases of beer, reaching into slimy cooler depths, and dealing with drunken idiots who think I'm a waitress, wench, and mother in addition to the bartender. My boyfriend is industry, too. He stands behind a stove in a cramped, 104-degree kitchen. My friends are also industry. They make money by hustling between tables, slinging orders, parking cars, and all other manner of getting stuff down your throat and making sure you have a good night.<br /><br />We have things to do. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Do not expect us to give you anything for free</span>.<br /><br />No matter how frequent a customer may be, <span style="font-weight: bold;">no one should ever enter an establishment </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">expecting</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> free stuff</span>. It's presumptuous, rude, and totally contradictory to the whole <span style="font-style: italic;">commerce</span> thing. Let's not forget Homer Simpson's brain's sage advice about how money can be exchanged for goods and services.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sure, I might give out a free beer or two over the course of a night</span>. I might not. Depends on my mood and how busy I am. Restaurants are the same way. Your server shouldn't be expected to give you a free glass of wine for coming in (especially considering how <span style="font-weight: bold;">most people's booze preferences magically upgrade when they're not paying</span>), but she might if there's only one glass left in a decent bottle. <span style="font-style: italic;">Might</span>.<br /><br />Tipping is certainly appreciated. But it's also expected. I don't work for free; tipping is part of my pay. <span style="font-weight: bold;">It doesn't guarantee you free stuff.</span> Also, an unusually large tip, while nice, is grounds for suspicion. No, you cannot stare at my boobs for money. No, I will not fall all over you with gratitude. No, you do not get top shelf for the price of rail every time. <span style="font-weight: bold;">I'm more likely to pour heavily for you than the cheapskate who never tips, but giving away the bar is not in my job description.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">do</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> believe that everyone should be recognized.</span> It's just polite. I know I can't stand it when the power-tripping door guy at the place I go all the time acts like he has no idea who I am. He doesn't need to know my name, birthdate, or waive the cover, but still, dude, say hi like you've seen me before. Be reasonable, though. If I'm slammed and you unobtrusively order a couple of beers before leaving, I may not know your face the next time you come in. Nothing personal.<br /><br />The bottom line here is that <span style="font-weight: bold;">while regulars should be treated as they are -- valued customers -- there's no reason for anyone to expect restaurants, bars, valet lanes, etc. to be transformed into VIP gift suites at the sight of a familiar face.</span>The Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-6623531807918032342008-07-11T18:51:00.001-05:002008-12-09T13:54:26.121-06:00Real Good<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKpu9klWpZjFK9iqSx4YxMpdEmhgA59vcxH1VjJZcaUCZme9BNTpsFL-53hQ-6tldYrrVHjRkTGIJeUVacsN9xGRkHysVTurPZDJKFt5jbAQuMxX3sLQ4QBVQTqay9whP3WVRIDUke6MU/s1600-h/tastes-of-the-swine.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZKpu9klWpZjFK9iqSx4YxMpdEmhgA59vcxH1VjJZcaUCZme9BNTpsFL-53hQ-6tldYrrVHjRkTGIJeUVacsN9xGRkHysVTurPZDJKFt5jbAQuMxX3sLQ4QBVQTqay9whP3WVRIDUke6MU/s320/tastes-of-the-swine.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221909904386800146" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.marriedtothesea.com/">Married To The Sea</a>The Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-13436862841509974002008-07-08T16:17:00.004-05:002008-12-09T13:54:26.603-06:00DOUBLE POST! The Trade *and* The Fashionability of Bacon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZd-QyU93mIUc8ORkVId7JXYvzUck6iaq93G22-PYa2uLn0FGdduxBpfeVpFPyyVEMl-8Jg4cMw69MQZNxBMCf2yAHd6ofmBZaaV_klPyeW630_wD5-B3dZmKIS4KYQ7eCZFuPry9N9pU/s1600-h/P7070323.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZd-QyU93mIUc8ORkVId7JXYvzUck6iaq93G22-PYa2uLn0FGdduxBpfeVpFPyyVEMl-8Jg4cMw69MQZNxBMCf2yAHd6ofmBZaaV_klPyeW630_wD5-B3dZmKIS4KYQ7eCZFuPry9N9pU/s320/P7070323.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220756486570464338" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">No Douchebags Allowed</span></span><br /></div><br />It's not on the door of <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=371599903"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">The Trade</span></a>, but it certainly should be. <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">The Trade</span> isn't the sort of place that accepts douchebags, even the kind that wears a popped collar and keeps its mouth shut. That's not to say it's hard to get in; although the <a href="http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/atoz/2008/05/the_trade_st_louis_new_rock_ro.php">RFT has named The Trade as St. Louis' new rock n' roll bar</a> (perhaps the hammered-together look or poster of Sid Vicious have something to do with it), it's more like <span style="font-weight: bold;">a place that accepts anyone who can put their head down, their elbows out, and drink like, well, okay, a rock star. </span><br /><br />Finding <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">The Trade</span> takes some doing. It's officially listed at 3515 Chouteau -- the same building currently housing longtime gay bar The Complex. However, <span style="font-weight: bold;">it's best to enter from Papin</span>, one block north of Chouteau and home to not much more than industrial buildings and gravel parking lots.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">It's called setting the mood.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">The Trade</span> doesn't feature rock bands per se. It's simply too small. In addition, the concrete, diamond-plate steel, and haphazardly assembled everything else don't exactly make for ideal acoustics, either. Instead of the thrash bands you'd expect to play under the aforementioned Sid Vicious poster, <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">The Trade</span> plans on hosting a few acoustic acts and DJs and advertising for other local bands for now.<br /><br />While live music isn't the main draw, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">the staff's iPod tastes and drink specials are definitely selling points</span>. Cans of PBR are $1.50 all day every day, High Life specials are $2.50 and under, and the <span style="font-weight: bold;">3 o'clock license</span> is a big boost to an area with not much more than college bars and gay bars (and let's be honest, neither is known for great music).<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">*<br />***<br />*****<br />***<br />*<br /></span></div><br />I've made no secret of <span style="font-weight: bold;">my hedonistic love for bacon</span>. The texture, the flavor, the aroma, and the fact that it has felled many a vegetarian engender within me a fetishistic desire that has a tendency to disturb others, especially when <a href="http://www.vosgeschocolate.com/product/bacon_exotic_candy_bar/exotic_candy_bars">chocolate is also involved</a>.<br /><br />Anyway, <a href="http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/07/07/bacon_mania/index.html?source=newsletter">Salon</a> reports that in addition to stimulating the appetites of food lovers everywhere, it appears as though bacon is making delicious, chewy waves in the fashion world, as well. I bought my friend bacon Band-Aids a few years ago, but I don't think even I could have predicted the below <span style="font-weight: bold;">bacon-printed (</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">and</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> scented!) tuxedo</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiehfs9r2D-a0Alov3wN1AQIGMVgYkZ5dsPmN6F26aczSusv1-yS8kUt9jRvSlQblBOPYuws3FU01sRsLNjiwbdHU9vd9YrayDLzLnQNpcoF0FVjkRCJ0r42vrYQ85b7EzKMSkcUmnnU-tv/s1600-h/baconsuit.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiehfs9r2D-a0Alov3wN1AQIGMVgYkZ5dsPmN6F26aczSusv1-yS8kUt9jRvSlQblBOPYuws3FU01sRsLNjiwbdHU9vd9YrayDLzLnQNpcoF0FVjkRCJ0r42vrYQ85b7EzKMSkcUmnnU-tv/s320/baconsuit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220756491662173794" border="0" /></a>The Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-7519634498380568932008-06-19T20:39:00.004-05:002008-12-09T13:54:27.490-06:00A Pre-Grand Opening Look at The Stable!I'm not supposed to officially write about The Stable....yet. <span style="font-weight: bold;">The grand opening isn't until Saturday (6/21)</span> and I believe in giving a restaurant time to find its feet. I'm also friendly with the owners and kitchen.<br /><br />In any case, <span style="font-weight: bold;">I strongly recommend that all of you visit when you can</span>. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">taps are very micro-heavy</span>, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">food is spectacular</span> (especially the <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">pappardelle with smoked chicken, roasted red peppers, feta cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes</span>), the decor is classic Jones (<a href="http://stldelicious.blogspot.com/2007/11/review-rotten-apple-ciderhouse.html">see Rotten Apple review</a>), and hopefully, the few service burps will work themselves out within a couple of weeks.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Soooo</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> worth the short trip to the Falstaff brewery complex at Lemp and Cherokee.</span><br /><br />Here are a few pics to get you excited....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRMJ02J1ZvS0UHOmCM5-BWza0A3Tj-Qckwfrh7MnIFwWR2Vsc9RQ2tH5jbka0dTLSFEWvF1Tr5M4UO1cL_6x9tXUnc03o3FONkA42RDvPfN4SXl9JJPy2jKj1qTwokvkr96McKhSM1klBW/s1600-h/P6130183.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRMJ02J1ZvS0UHOmCM5-BWza0A3Tj-Qckwfrh7MnIFwWR2Vsc9RQ2tH5jbka0dTLSFEWvF1Tr5M4UO1cL_6x9tXUnc03o3FONkA42RDvPfN4SXl9JJPy2jKj1qTwokvkr96McKhSM1klBW/s320/P6130183.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213774391950749810" border="0" /></a>...Left Hand milk stout, O'Fallon 5 Day IPA, Scrimshaw Pilsner, and Hoegaarden<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDOhX_kZpozxG9Ect_leXUYu7wAf0dg2cELYDHDMU5KwYNMp9zsnOPGQvXPu8Q_lL5bKgtdXruKTz0qWgMD0fISp8PRg73gl5EKi9SEiLHG5DUG1pqZfk7zBLp5ge5qyFIRFU2WY8JHvA-/s1600-h/P5170079.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDOhX_kZpozxG9Ect_leXUYu7wAf0dg2cELYDHDMU5KwYNMp9zsnOPGQvXPu8Q_lL5bKgtdXruKTz0qWgMD0fISp8PRg73gl5EKi9SEiLHG5DUG1pqZfk7zBLp5ge5qyFIRFU2WY8JHvA-/s320/P5170079.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213774394147831650" border="0" /></a>...The still, currently in the process of making local whiskey<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6F_vfwnruuOtCfZoI0Fdr_Abo5mbOTHJ_SDuzthpPMw86Hx8Rcs81wJAUqgVhbK79neLHG9pMhtDoAT1nvZEOfxk1JKZomRifDjUZzDWdsw34Xf7bmqaXCW1rrboqb3E40puHxDtYz8dU/s1600-h/P5170082.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6F_vfwnruuOtCfZoI0Fdr_Abo5mbOTHJ_SDuzthpPMw86Hx8Rcs81wJAUqgVhbK79neLHG9pMhtDoAT1nvZEOfxk1JKZomRifDjUZzDWdsw34Xf7bmqaXCW1rrboqb3E40puHxDtYz8dU/s320/P5170082.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213774406382275922" border="0" /></a>...An at least two-story chandelier, assembled in pieces from salvaged stuff in the brewery complex<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSOoHzJppEYQNdcWVcJ68v9QTnwbM8_wUzq1coDLLBoGXys_LL8ykrjI2_4A5b3Hs9Rf-F06cHaB68rVviWErfnEdEKsmfbD74m54LLN_nUEpw85dm9tkn514Vy36jB4_dLMsFwAHuiEZ4/s1600-h/P6130186.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSOoHzJppEYQNdcWVcJ68v9QTnwbM8_wUzq1coDLLBoGXys_LL8ykrjI2_4A5b3Hs9Rf-F06cHaB68rVviWErfnEdEKsmfbD74m54LLN_nUEpw85dm9tkn514Vy36jB4_dLMsFwAHuiEZ4/s320/P6130186.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213774410108967042" border="0" /></a>...That means booze!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxU9eVH1ZOVsXW7N0kthTa_z-aNcvZ1lYzfnPsOnhEqENM5NUBxF2InBCYWp0lwVetKkC124E3l_esM7WJOztX88S4O7TUmnT2fBgsjVA94o91Yu0KG4HaxGcILvWiQsoNuNStYzb6yw5n/s1600-h/P6130193.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxU9eVH1ZOVsXW7N0kthTa_z-aNcvZ1lYzfnPsOnhEqENM5NUBxF2InBCYWp0lwVetKkC124E3l_esM7WJOztX88S4O7TUmnT2fBgsjVA94o91Yu0KG4HaxGcILvWiQsoNuNStYzb6yw5n/s320/P6130193.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213774411277999458" border="0" /></a>...Another one of the chandeliers. Much like the huuuuge one, most of the features at The Stable were salvaged from old, falling down buildings.The Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-17557423287910507532008-06-10T19:16:00.006-05:002008-12-09T13:54:27.683-06:00Drink It, Black<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2yCesHM56qWJsvH65X1XxtDAJectOCcqb9X15_LqOhyphenhyphenE6Q5A4ha-xIVhelpWXkCRdK83bCa6V99Qa1anqv4IM6lSRCtMkCcNGDfhdzegEa-fcm1RgIfL-kD-qxJH4QBTHAYO7Er5YiL1Q/s1600-h/coffeeregular.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2yCesHM56qWJsvH65X1XxtDAJectOCcqb9X15_LqOhyphenhyphenE6Q5A4ha-xIVhelpWXkCRdK83bCa6V99Qa1anqv4IM6lSRCtMkCcNGDfhdzegEa-fcm1RgIfL-kD-qxJH4QBTHAYO7Er5YiL1Q/s320/coffeeregular.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210420717246037698" border="0" /></a><br />Or not. In <a href="http://topics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/coffee-pollutant-no-1-cream/index.html">this recent New York Times post</a>, Oliver Schwaner-Albright writes about how <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">cream and all its dairy siblings pollute -- pollute! -- coffee</span>. He says "<span style="font-style: italic;">the flavors of an exceptional cup of coffee can be as layered and complex as a glass of pinot noir.</span>" To this, I would like to say the following to Mr. Schwaner-Albright:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bitch, please.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">How you take your coffee is a preference issue.</span> My father takes his with sugar, no cream. My mother takes hers with cream, no sugar. My boyfriend takes his black. I take mine "regular," an East Coast term meaning with small, equal amounts of milk and sugar that, sadly, the Midwest has never adopted in language or practice. Perhaps we should thanks Starbucks for running "regular" into extinction with endless variations on "-ccino."<br /><br />Why isn't preference ever enough for food snobs? I appreciate that people labeled as food snobs are <span style="font-style: italic;">educated</span> about what they're consuming, but the key word there is "consuming." Paying money for cupping sessions wherein participants compete to identify flavors and aromas undetectable by uneducated sensory systems is <span style="font-style: italic;">work</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">What's so wrong with <span style="font-style: italic;">enjoying</span> something for once?</span><br /><br />I enjoy coffee. My ideal cuppa consists of <span style="font-weight: bold;">dark French roast (preferably Kaldi's or Chauvin, both local and delicious), muscovado sugar, and whole milk.</span> Perfect. I breathe deeply over my cup and immediately feel more alert, calm, and satisfied. I don't think about nutty aromas or spicy flavors.<br /><br />But again, that's just me. I know all about standards and such (like, um, Folgers sucks?), but everything enjoyable is open to interpretation. Few booze experts will deny that a true martini is made with gin, but I can't think of many who would deny that <span style="font-weight: bold;">vodka martinis can be just as tasty and inebriating</span>.<br /><br />I'm not buying the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_luwak">coffee beans that come from a fox's asshole</a>. I haven't invested insane amounts of money and time to make myself feel special. I just like my coffee the way I like it. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bitter balances sweet. Milk softens acidity. Neither ruins quality coffee's essential robust character.</span> I don't break it down into science, I just enjoy it.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(Though if I were to dissect my love for coffee into more elemental terms, I'd use the outstanding Grant Achatz article in the August 2008 issue of Food & Wine....go buy it if you're not already a subscriber and read all about Gerard Craft [whose </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/smoky-pork-pappardelle">Smoky Pork Pappardelle recipe</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">is today's top choice!] in the process!)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pollution rules.</span>The Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-39514449684025152732008-06-07T12:41:00.004-05:002008-12-09T13:54:28.866-06:00RECIPE - Chili Garlic OilThis is possibly the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">easiest recipe ever</span>. It's also cheap to make, lasts a long time, and lends a distinct flavor to everything it's added to.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" > What You'll Need....</span><br /><ul><li> 1 empty glass bottle, thoroughly washed</li><li> 1 wine bottle stopper</li><li> olive oil</li><li> 1 bulb garlic, all cloves peeled and trimmed</li><li> red chili flakes</li></ul><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:130%;" >What You'll Do....</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Peel and trim</span> all of the cloves from one bulb of garlic so that they fit into your glass bottle.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3Gw_ROhRKhDNfphqN13NeHeaHz0ZxGfN6CH7Fs-AcA19DQH38tk4fBBMnEjunuWVZyxx9RL7QHBFbjiW0gM2ipUTUtACQE43FCg_gsGdXVLFdARvGY6_LwSW-MgPZAXUyKF3TqoZp4e5/s1600-h/P4190606.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3Gw_ROhRKhDNfphqN13NeHeaHz0ZxGfN6CH7Fs-AcA19DQH38tk4fBBMnEjunuWVZyxx9RL7QHBFbjiW0gM2ipUTUtACQE43FCg_gsGdXVLFdARvGY6_LwSW-MgPZAXUyKF3TqoZp4e5/s320/P4190606.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209197652274556498" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-iGcVXXg9mCt_eZxdUDyrP-fcJg0aXYybZKsu1YFR8bLo66qui5CXsK2gTMriic-0MOoPv6jUdrYJ6qgzw2OwbzbJ2H-BaBnaEvTZW31o7IJCQBi2s4MBmWrBm2g8PvNaWHu94UEGa9S/s1600-h/P4190608.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-iGcVXXg9mCt_eZxdUDyrP-fcJg0aXYybZKsu1YFR8bLo66qui5CXsK2gTMriic-0MOoPv6jUdrYJ6qgzw2OwbzbJ2H-BaBnaEvTZW31o7IJCQBi2s4MBmWrBm2g8PvNaWHu94UEGa9S/s320/P4190608.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209197661786794418" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Add red chili flakes.</span> I have no idea how much I used. Probably a tablespoon or so.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPNhsvqm0z9ccTw1jlsAN3XqkXMuvX73eXsZEarTX3xyNBxRoRnklqyUhqPB0_sZG_8-3WHE1cyPmS0CDrO_CHS6yhH72NTlMM8pobLd6RlBJszzmTbVmgNZE2i2PkgPKanVJ7x-2xeZM/s1600-h/P4190612.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPNhsvqm0z9ccTw1jlsAN3XqkXMuvX73eXsZEarTX3xyNBxRoRnklqyUhqPB0_sZG_8-3WHE1cyPmS0CDrO_CHS6yhH72NTlMM8pobLd6RlBJszzmTbVmgNZE2i2PkgPKanVJ7x-2xeZM/s320/P4190612.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209197665205730194" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Add olive oil. </span>Fill nearly to the top (your wine bottle stopper should have a dry base when it's plugged into the bottle; <span style="font-weight: bold;">if the oil gets inside the threads, it can turn rancid and the oxygen will rot the garlic</span>).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsATPvzVNgGwHVu3X3SmNRI5v47EIWJ1QECEZlR_nyAZg0amUHMNBPzFA5Hcbt76VM2Nx3AwwKlPQTlxhwAiZGK5zvMTQfgaXGvm02ReAhtnyBKiCBYQB1nYljmimKiVXidWSbQwfZx3d/s1600-h/P4190615.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsATPvzVNgGwHVu3X3SmNRI5v47EIWJ1QECEZlR_nyAZg0amUHMNBPzFA5Hcbt76VM2Nx3AwwKlPQTlxhwAiZGK5zvMTQfgaXGvm02ReAhtnyBKiCBYQB1nYljmimKiVXidWSbQwfZx3d/s320/P4190615.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209197676611959266" border="0" /></a>I suppose you'd call it "cellaring," but put the filled, closed bottle in your pantry and <span style="font-weight: bold;">leave it there for at least a couple of weeks</span>. The flavor gets stronger the longer it sits, so keep that in mind when you're dipping your bread into it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwE4HYd_3T4CRHPs5L7EcnAXK1WOpcVpuZ0JxTQgb98wnf046DyIrd_q2QcJmBvKYF00e4U4OLbiZMDDgtsysMj3_5jp9Xbq_rMX6cZv3zey7TghLtCmdCpStC2gMbmyT5JNuBaRG3k0Jd/s1600-h/P4190623.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwE4HYd_3T4CRHPs5L7EcnAXK1WOpcVpuZ0JxTQgb98wnf046DyIrd_q2QcJmBvKYF00e4U4OLbiZMDDgtsysMj3_5jp9Xbq_rMX6cZv3zey7TghLtCmdCpStC2gMbmyT5JNuBaRG3k0Jd/s320/P4190623.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209197681119168370" border="0" /></a>The Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-80070988252445140452008-05-31T15:13:00.009-05:002008-12-09T13:54:32.245-06:00RECIPE - Chicken Tortilla Stew<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb751TK1MLiZjIl1pK1vGbRaEKsurdwhZnSq2YgINrlHdsb7FP70sawdq6HmkJu5Go5cXn9GCVqJMZdXljqy1TyG8QsCdDr-ptLeAWij9VyfcmiHNt6T3P6oFXDqf1XaQXm1Xj5ymI5RNA/s1600-h/P5210153.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb751TK1MLiZjIl1pK1vGbRaEKsurdwhZnSq2YgINrlHdsb7FP70sawdq6HmkJu5Go5cXn9GCVqJMZdXljqy1TyG8QsCdDr-ptLeAWij9VyfcmiHNt6T3P6oFXDqf1XaQXm1Xj5ymI5RNA/s320/P5210153.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206643506654481170" border="0" /></a>I've written before that <span style="font-weight: bold;">I usually fall on the wrong side of the fine line between soups and stews</span>. I try to make a stew and it ends up as a soup. I try to make a soup and it ends up as a stew. In this case, the more widely-known Chicken Tortilla Soup is now <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Chicken Tortilla Stew</span>. I haven't yet learned how to apply reverse psychology techniques to my own cooking, but here's hoping.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">What You'll Need.....</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Stew Stuff</span><br /><ul><li>4 chicken breasts</li><li>1 red bell pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces</li><li>1 green bell pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces</li><li>2 jalapeno peppers, minced</li><li>1 white onion, rough-chopped into small pieces</li><li>6 cloves garlic, minced</li><li>2 medium tomatillos, husked and minced</li><li>1 can black beans (I actually don't prefer frijoles negras, as they're less likely to be organic and usually come in flavored broth and/or sludge)</li><li>1 can diced tomatoes</li><li>1.5 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed</li><li>2 quarts chicken stock</li><li>7 white flour tortillas</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Seasoning</span><br /><ul><li>kosher salt</li><li>black pepper</li><li>cayenne pepper</li><li>chili powder</li><li>1 tsp. coriander</li><li>1 tsp. cumin</li></ul><span style="font-style: italic;">(You could also use 1 tbs. garam masala in place of the cumin and coriander...I had to because I forgot that I was out of both and didn't feel like going to the store.)<br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Other Stuff</span><br /><ul><li>olive oil</li><li>canola or vegetable oil</li><li>mild white cheese such as queso fresco or panchego</li></ul><span style="font-style: italic;">***When I'm making something that requires a fair amount of vegetables, <span style="font-weight: bold;">I usually prep my vegetables the night before</span>. In this case, I chopped my bell peppers, jalapenos, and onion the night before and stored them in separate baggies.***</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">What You'll Do....</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.</span> While your oven is preheating, c<span style="font-weight: bold;">hop your bell peppers and onions</span> (if you haven't already). Combine them for a sort of mirepoix. Set aside.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipYCPkeVgGTzicldUT4GqmXHy80qQKdSH0vA_jZh44YH1Ufngpmq0M5gI9Yg-1A1HAgL-CTCo0awB0_iphl6gSIzLQ256BT5wU2CUtJOTyYTX8wjoNOeXi5PJqKUUhhmsSvePpp8ZIOsig/s1600-h/P5210099.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipYCPkeVgGTzicldUT4GqmXHy80qQKdSH0vA_jZh44YH1Ufngpmq0M5gI9Yg-1A1HAgL-CTCo0awB0_iphl6gSIzLQ256BT5wU2CUtJOTyYTX8wjoNOeXi5PJqKUUhhmsSvePpp8ZIOsig/s320/P5210099.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206642982668470994" border="0" /></a>Spread your thawed corn kernels on a sprayed baking sheet. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Season liberally with kosher salt, black pepper, chili powder, and cayenne.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>Set aside.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnJtdzabAYndhOLjoD2OTjFQW0j5q8GlQktokwQ-KTryrAbKf_2qUAVJSqb6umY-wejj3j-ISybmnM0lifzqKbVNVVPeSv08KBsCOZ-71RwYgf-UP7YI9h0n38x9JIM6fIsllOyOhDcF-/s1600-h/P5210092.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxnJtdzabAYndhOLjoD2OTjFQW0j5q8GlQktokwQ-KTryrAbKf_2qUAVJSqb6umY-wejj3j-ISybmnM0lifzqKbVNVVPeSv08KBsCOZ-71RwYgf-UP7YI9h0n38x9JIM6fIsllOyOhDcF-/s320/P5210092.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206643515244415778" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rub chicken breasts with olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirypwLJtz5xv4fcAhNMvG7bGTZWuX-PFEeDt0_zL_AP5xuizF3pU-dvxxbCsO0I7RbhrmBrpy81bqOzq3Row3KmbXTWNrOdG2cf2OLrQwxUo9CfIcuJZjOM3ABVllqQ2RJ2eMsWw_EBw9K/s1600-h/P5210097.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirypwLJtz5xv4fcAhNMvG7bGTZWuX-PFEeDt0_zL_AP5xuizF3pU-dvxxbCsO0I7RbhrmBrpy81bqOzq3Row3KmbXTWNrOdG2cf2OLrQwxUo9CfIcuJZjOM3ABVllqQ2RJ2eMsWw_EBw9K/s320/P5210097.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206643519539383090" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Place both corn and chicken in the oven.</span> My oven was built in 1955, so it has two small racks and the heating element from the bottom is strong enough to fight the Russians. Because the chicken needs higher heat and I don't want the corn to burn, I place the chicken on the bottom rack.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(You may want to check the corn at least once and toss the kernels for even roasting. Whatev.)</span><br /><br />While your chicken and corn are in the oven, <span style="font-weight: bold;">prep your tomatillos, garlic, and jalapenos.</span> Pick firm tomatillos with tight husks. Peel and clean them well; I don't know what the sticky stuff is on tomatillos but it's not pleasant.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPiKjqT7kk0zJrGc44EpgU9LpUG7f5TOp45UTVDR3c4VkcxLOI-xc-5-i0vK5_Mpw8B4iK7dzYCdXug9PBW2oG2vA9-L_rPwa3ZYdeftBT0PIWC4lP9Thvn5q-22sUcYbtIOGwsUO3hht/s1600-h/P5210100.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPiKjqT7kk0zJrGc44EpgU9LpUG7f5TOp45UTVDR3c4VkcxLOI-xc-5-i0vK5_Mpw8B4iK7dzYCdXug9PBW2oG2vA9-L_rPwa3ZYdeftBT0PIWC4lP9Thvn5q-22sUcYbtIOGwsUO3hht/s320/P5210100.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206642991258405602" border="0" /></a>Okay, so I said 6 cloves of garlic. I probably used 6 regular cloves and two more smaller cloves because, <span style="font-weight: bold;">like butter and booze, I believe garlic makes everything better and I always use a lot of it.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6GfmpuEDNyzw3SD8J0v3fcjwHX1AjXQQ3lGENMDIzTvoDuKK91YY0twK-iNJsKIbJ2soIbucnZdVbybzzud00Rf0JbBudwB-wkFgS7qvd9CNZmV4P4IOZ4mBnZsSzV7sFqhS6NPV1sAu_/s1600-h/P5210102.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6GfmpuEDNyzw3SD8J0v3fcjwHX1AjXQQ3lGENMDIzTvoDuKK91YY0twK-iNJsKIbJ2soIbucnZdVbybzzud00Rf0JbBudwB-wkFgS7qvd9CNZmV4P4IOZ4mBnZsSzV7sFqhS6NPV1sAu_/s320/P5210102.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206642995553372914" border="0" /></a>Once your tomatillos and garlic are minced, <span style="font-weight: bold;">combine them with your jalapenos</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRcO2CQKUDhutK3fIUOMrde3J6Mfam2BELDPsbqRe3kmtwlsfZ8eVwi3cwy2WVwhw83lbSu59_ULCFZ5QiWSScAtna4j8DcUJgDTMiK5vGduiwA-t4b2gofyAqfuZRyqU_f9VtYSuq4kdo/s1600-h/P5210104.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRcO2CQKUDhutK3fIUOMrde3J6Mfam2BELDPsbqRe3kmtwlsfZ8eVwi3cwy2WVwhw83lbSu59_ULCFZ5QiWSScAtna4j8DcUJgDTMiK5vGduiwA-t4b2gofyAqfuZRyqU_f9VtYSuq4kdo/s320/P5210104.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206642999848340226" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">WASH YOUR HANDS</span> after you chop your jalapenos. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Wash them three or four times.</span> I am not kidding. Trust me, my eyes have suffered enough.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Separate your tortillas into two stacks -- one stack of 4 and one stack of 3</span>.<br /><br />Cut the <span style="font-weight: bold;">4-stack into bite-sized pieces</span>. These will be used to <span style="font-weight: bold;">thicken your stew</span> and add a soft, pasta-like texture.<br /><br />Cut the <span style="font-weight: bold;">3-stack into strips</span>. These will be <span style="font-weight: bold;">fried and used as garnish</span> (and create a terrific crunch for your stew).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMwkycUYHG_ryziCqik6ZF5y7lXebRtW-lroVu8RRJ62H3XgOh0nq0IovElNt6-kP7_h-LdFnlqpwbxxfSu3IgJcJcCEN6LNna8xzs4P5iDE4vjFeP4GhIrPuF7P6K-r9M8gYPDIdPi3k/s1600-h/P5210106.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMwkycUYHG_ryziCqik6ZF5y7lXebRtW-lroVu8RRJ62H3XgOh0nq0IovElNt6-kP7_h-LdFnlqpwbxxfSu3IgJcJcCEN6LNna8xzs4P5iDE4vjFeP4GhIrPuF7P6K-r9M8gYPDIdPi3k/s320/P5210106.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206642407142853266" border="0" /></a>Remove corn from the oven. It smells pretty awesome.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLNDD5KZHl-eqBS-_kxs_2vw_Lf4Fwc7BGeybsanzwiCTB76w4eEj5VUF2E6BRTwY93-qqZlCZWWlYvSW_CdOGzdfmN-YvujzoBgU5WTBfeAIMIyNVxROB9c-INWaAsxtIAqa30yLGtix/s1600-h/P5210119.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtLNDD5KZHl-eqBS-_kxs_2vw_Lf4Fwc7BGeybsanzwiCTB76w4eEj5VUF2E6BRTwY93-qqZlCZWWlYvSW_CdOGzdfmN-YvujzoBgU5WTBfeAIMIyNVxROB9c-INWaAsxtIAqa30yLGtix/s320/P5210119.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206642420027755186" border="0" /></a>Toss corn and its seasoning with the jalapenos, garlic, tomatillos, cumin, and coriander (or garam masala).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3SZWky5Zuo-AOop7zicfhcaj7u12Ch3_1O6y9WOzYFyVrxfkz7tOcatwtSfBtQ5KdeXUCn3JZ7-SuSnTEkl0Qth9xKKZjKbORVf6uS5hzMQI-Z8ZCXnq8xrlEffN9LvRO_R7zyPytIfdC/s1600-h/P5210123.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3SZWky5Zuo-AOop7zicfhcaj7u12Ch3_1O6y9WOzYFyVrxfkz7tOcatwtSfBtQ5KdeXUCn3JZ7-SuSnTEkl0Qth9xKKZjKbORVf6uS5hzMQI-Z8ZCXnq8xrlEffN9LvRO_R7zyPytIfdC/s320/P5210123.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206642428617689794" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Remove the chicken when its done but before it starts to get dry (about 45 minutes)</span>. Turn oven down to 200, but don't turn it off. You'll need it later.<br /><br />Shred chicken.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-W5w6egQ16tUkPXdHalRe0s_iLYigXX93LcnydB05HdUCAtJPnXtF9XXO_q23uxYuKFOhKECvyAsW7JnWVDqXG12wbsfxeIdASqBzLhvZwXiOEhSbXdybKdIp6VkrDiAw_BJS7gC1yI_v/s1600-h/P5210128.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-W5w6egQ16tUkPXdHalRe0s_iLYigXX93LcnydB05HdUCAtJPnXtF9XXO_q23uxYuKFOhKECvyAsW7JnWVDqXG12wbsfxeIdASqBzLhvZwXiOEhSbXdybKdIp6VkrDiAw_BJS7gC1yI_v/s320/P5210128.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206641492314819154" border="0" /></a>In a stock pot, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over Medium High heat. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Once the oil is hot, add your bell peppers and onions</span>. Stir to coat evenly with oil. Cook until the onions are soft.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(If you happen to be distracted by an episode of Clean House and your onions burn a little bit, reduce the heat and hope no one will notice. If people do notice, <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">tell them your vegetables were fire-roasted</span>.)</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAXgjbK6ERaCm58Yloc3QQy6xdYj_Wh5QWYyFdg0V0g3AXHfFEh_QCbIGnvzo-XRvsmYkk0GeVxjp_IRn8WbhHTjAs6pd23rDQ0A0Bp2IjWA-XfBGLzryCSaFMD2vZEt9jweJcshfVcPg/s1600-h/P5210132.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAXgjbK6ERaCm58Yloc3QQy6xdYj_Wh5QWYyFdg0V0g3AXHfFEh_QCbIGnvzo-XRvsmYkk0GeVxjp_IRn8WbhHTjAs6pd23rDQ0A0Bp2IjWA-XfBGLzryCSaFMD2vZEt9jweJcshfVcPg/s320/P5210132.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206641500904753762" border="0" /></a><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>Once your sort-of mirepoix is soft (and possibly a little burned), <span style="font-weight: bold;">add canned diced tomatoes, black beans, jalapeno-tomatillo-garlic-corn mixture, and chicken. </span> Stir to combine flavors.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyewYR4n8fC1w-g4sW2UJL4lAJxFx1dCNMeFeBwoSvRElG5IQCb4NCyT7Gnrgeybjp15_3Du70EwebnbyxCYrSCgkHRhWG9rS6KqAczEJjx79fL66Na1T38R4OiTQfXZqC4WFBtm9iIHN/s1600-h/P5210137.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyewYR4n8fC1w-g4sW2UJL4lAJxFx1dCNMeFeBwoSvRElG5IQCb4NCyT7Gnrgeybjp15_3Du70EwebnbyxCYrSCgkHRhWG9rS6KqAczEJjx79fL66Na1T38R4OiTQfXZqC4WFBtm9iIHN/s320/P5210137.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206641505199721074" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Add two quarts of chicken stock</span>. See those fire-roasted vegetables????<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lower heat to Simmer</span> and go watch more crappy TV shows for 45 to an hour or so. It's stew, so you can get distracted all you want. Big deal.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXeY9k-c9mpKEZ0O8ZC4oSMMEhL1t1SPqkAR27Bm3jAJB1BVwPklfYueLVB9FoJE9mQP8aOR0I0D5ytPQujdTKnK0rvqK8WpgbxvIv-UXAC9g355c9f-MKJT6JeQp4gELQMxyNjyUgnvSu/s1600-h/P5210143.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXeY9k-c9mpKEZ0O8ZC4oSMMEhL1t1SPqkAR27Bm3jAJB1BVwPklfYueLVB9FoJE9mQP8aOR0I0D5ytPQujdTKnK0rvqK8WpgbxvIv-UXAC9g355c9f-MKJT6JeQp4gELQMxyNjyUgnvSu/s320/P5210143.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206641513789655682" border="0" /></a>After about an hour,<span style="font-weight: bold;"> add your bite-sized tortilla pieces</span>. Stir to combine. Cover and wait until the stew has had a chance to thicken (maybe another 30-40 minutes).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-UTIyvzIIwA9Hblv5xc2v_77qT0Ny69nWaiPFUya_fMRGysfDt5U23d6xheRR-ythuF9ITlVAceqb0_REg5kJFtt58PpMv4p8tKyvVjip_-VnB6oWd1E4gCAaDfWqO3MwUhyphenhyphenVMPGN6iJ/s1600-h/P5210147.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-UTIyvzIIwA9Hblv5xc2v_77qT0Ny69nWaiPFUya_fMRGysfDt5U23d6xheRR-ythuF9ITlVAceqb0_REg5kJFtt58PpMv4p8tKyvVjip_-VnB6oWd1E4gCAaDfWqO3MwUhyphenhyphenVMPGN6iJ/s320/P5210147.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206638679111240210" border="0" /></a>While you're waiting for the stew to thicken, start frying the tortilla strips.<br /><br />Pour a thin layer of vegetable or canola oil into a saucepan and turn to high. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Once the oil is hot, fry the strips</span>. Depending on the size of your saucepan, you should <span style="font-weight: bold;">do this in phases</span>. Only a single layer of strips is going to fry properly.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_toNupTzxY5oBpbjMnqHm9CfoCAu3YZcMWrxqQ7yLPu1HLURJg0FgjtrBd_Ljpo0kOnRpKMrkW0CM0WPE5ulWXXiQ2AOOLix7cVjWcNl3vw3tvdBcMLTFC7XxbfdlNX0Thi1mhAMlHl5/s1600-h/P5210148.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR_toNupTzxY5oBpbjMnqHm9CfoCAu3YZcMWrxqQ7yLPu1HLURJg0FgjtrBd_Ljpo0kOnRpKMrkW0CM0WPE5ulWXXiQ2AOOLix7cVjWcNl3vw3tvdBcMLTFC7XxbfdlNX0Thi1mhAMlHl5/s320/P5210148.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206638696291109410" border="0" /></a>Once the tortilla strips are fried to a golden brown, <span style="font-weight: bold;">spread them on a baking sheet and place in the oven until the stew is done</span>. This will keep them crisp.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOTwDbRsBSRN-0uoZCt9zDROUMUtjvIyozmx-wZPRuC-UzNSp7bjwCG6HgQrsYOVmRdiFpgnbvxPlVh4Jni9vvje75BRGmB2rS3I3AtlOd4oU-4o338rspkn-b1vXzwYSKyAFafW8V37uC/s1600-h/P5210152.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOTwDbRsBSRN-0uoZCt9zDROUMUtjvIyozmx-wZPRuC-UzNSp7bjwCG6HgQrsYOVmRdiFpgnbvxPlVh4Jni9vvje75BRGmB2rS3I3AtlOd4oU-4o338rspkn-b1vXzwYSKyAFafW8V37uC/s320/P5210152.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206638704881044018" border="0" /></a>Once the stew is done, turn off the burner and oven heat. Remove the tortilla strips from the oven so they don't dry out.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(When you store the strips for leftovers, use a baggie with a paper towel inside. This can soak up excess oil.)</span><br /><br />Some people serve <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">Chicken Tortilla Stew</span> (or soup) with garnishes like <span style="font-weight: bold;">salsa, avocado, or other vegetables</span>. I'm a meat-and-tortillas kind of person, and I think I put enough vegetables into the stew already.<br /><br />For me, <span style="font-weight: bold;">crispy tortilla strips and some mild, creamy panchego cheese crumbles provide the ideal textural contrast</span> to the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">meaty, spicy, smoky, toothy, and, yes, veggie stew</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsQDQI_GV2HkSSrpYAUMAcKsvkhOKNZQ3jRkedpHko9sAKiyBOTi82HH9W3tjSaYXXH87jiefNuoYGovVhaOpxvvPZWSOxVlQXP1T0VX6P4YPb_Y9ywgE5RZrBuyrUSf3m5FpLMeEfDJI/s1600-h/P5210156.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCsQDQI_GV2HkSSrpYAUMAcKsvkhOKNZQ3jRkedpHko9sAKiyBOTi82HH9W3tjSaYXXH87jiefNuoYGovVhaOpxvvPZWSOxVlQXP1T0VX6P4YPb_Y9ywgE5RZrBuyrUSf3m5FpLMeEfDJI/s320/P5210156.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206638709176011330" border="0" /></a>The Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-21616993686333467762008-05-30T18:06:00.002-05:002008-05-30T18:09:45.406-05:00How To Sound A Gulp...BarbaricallyAlert for a pretty little St. Louis food blog....<br /><br /><a href="http://kags99.blogspot.com/">Sounding My Barbaric Gulp!</a> by Kelly Schmickle (met her at a sneak preview of The Stables, can't wait to have another drink with Peg....you'll see).<br /><br />Go there. Read her. Learn about fiascos.The Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-34259066744269513182008-05-29T21:25:00.005-05:002008-12-09T13:54:32.467-06:00The Best Sandwiches in St. Louis<span style="font-style: italic;">For the best-looking version of this post (including one containing working links), please visit the MySpace home of STL Delicious. Also featured on that site are answers for Best Gyro (The Gyro Company on Gravois, per Julia Gulia) and Best Veggie Sandwich (Adrianna's on The Hill, per Lizzzzzzzz). Anyway....<br /><br /></span><br />After reading a recent <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3Lm55dGltZXMuY29tLzIwMDgvMDQvMzAvZGluaW5nLzMwc2FuZC5odG1sP3BhZ2V3YW50ZWQ9MSZyZWY9ZGluaW5n" target="_self">New York Times article</a> about the best new sandwiches in New York, I was inspired to write my own list of what I find to be the <span style="font-weight: bold;">best sandwiches in St. Louis</span>. I'm not sure how these rank with everyone else; if the RFT's Best Of list has taught me anything, it's that most St. Louisans don't share my tastes. My apologies to Tin Can. I heart your meatloaf but who the hell thinks that's the best mac n' cheese in the city? <span style="font-weight: bold;">Cheese don't need sugar, people.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">STL Delicious List of the Best Sandwiches in St. Louis</span></span><br /></div><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">1. </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Best Overall Sandwich</span> -- <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Cubano Sandwich</span> at <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmxhdHJvcGljYW5hLmNvbS8=" target="_self">La Tropicana</a>. Pulled pork roasted mojito-style (with rum!), ham, cheese, and pickles on pressed bread. I love pork, cheese, and bread. I hate pickles. But at La Tropicana, I eat the crisp, briny slices anyway. And I like them.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Best Burger</span> -- <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnNhdWNlbWFnYXppbmUuY29tL29jb25uZWxscy8=" target="_self">O'Connell's</a>. I've heard they simply throw them in the deep fryer, but I don't care.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Best Chicken Sandwich</span> -- <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich</span> at <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnNxdWFyZW9uZWJyZXdlcnkuY29tLw==" target="_self">Square One Brewery</a>. I admire any restaurant that can take something so simple, plain, and often abused and make it downright great. This sandwich comes on chewy ciabatta bread with thick bacon, scallions, a blend of cheeses (don't know which ones, don't care), and the absolute best honey mustard sauce ever. Seriously. It converted my formerly honey mustard-hating friend with a single bite.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Best Turkey Sandwich</span> -- <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">Southwest Turkey</span> at <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vc3RsZGVsaWNpb3VzLmJsb2dzcG90LmNvbS8yMDA3LzA5L3Jldmlldy1tYWNrbGluZC1hdmVudWUtZGVsaS5odG1s" target="_self">Macklind Avenue Deli.</a> Ah, my first ever STL Delicious review and the very first thing I tried on their menu. It still gets my vote for the cool lettuce, fresh red onion, and the addictive chipotle sauce.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. Best Hot Roast Beef Sandwich</span> -- <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnJpdmVyZnJvbnR0aW1lcy5jb20vbG9jYXRpb25zL21hbWEtdG9zY2Fub3MtcmF2aW9saS1hbmQtc2FuZHdpY2hlcy00NzU0OTQ=" target="_self">Mama Toscano's</a>. Despite the wonky hours of this Hill classic (perhaps better known for supplying area restaurants with my nemesis, toasted ravioli), the Hot Roast Beef is a tender wonder that moistens and flavors the bread without drenching it in salty, manufactured broth like you'll find in some other delis.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. Best Meatball Sub</span> -- <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnNhdWNlbWFnYXppbmUuY29tL3Jlc3QvMzQ1Nw==" target="_self">Gioia's</a>. It's not only the fat meatballs that make this sandwich great, it's the luscious marinara and the gooey, milky cheese. Extra points for eating it across the street in Berra Park.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7. Best Fish Sandwich</span> -- <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Grilled Salmon</span> at the <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vc2NobGFmbHkuY29tLw==" target="_self">Schlafly Tap Room</a>. Simple. Tasty. Not fried (don't get me wrong, I do love me some fish and chips on occasion). Super red pepper sauce. Now, if they'd only put the same amount of energy into running their frequently-down Web site.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8. Best Seafood Sandwich</span> -- (because there's a difference between freshwater fish and food from the sea) <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Louisiana Crab Cake Sandwich</span> from <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnNhdWNlbWFnYXppbmUuY29tL3NhZ2Uv" target="_self">Sage</a>. You'll read all about it in the review I'm writing this weekend.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9. Best Muffaletta</span> -- <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmJsdWVzY2l0eWRlbGkuY29tLw==" target="_self">Blues City Deli</a>. I'm sure you've seen them near the top of my friends list. Trust me, they wouldn't be there if their sandwiches weren't spectacular. A good portion of my newer friends were culled from their list, too, and I've had more than a few of you write to tell me your favorites on their menu.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">10. Best Falafel</span> -- <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnVyYmFuc3Bvb24uY29tL3IvMjgvMzIwMDMxL1VuaXZlcnNpdHktQ2l0eS9Vbml2ZXJzaXR5LUNpdHktcmVzdGF1cmFudHMvQWwtVGFyYm91c2gtRGVsaS5odG1s" target="_self">Al-Tarboush</a>. As a sucker for independent, family-owned, dead honest places in St. Louis, I cannot get enough of Al-Tarboush in The Loop. It helps that their falafel is crisp, warm, spicy, cool, and tangy at the same time. It helps that it goes so well with their lemony hummus platter. Lastly, it super helps that the owner is a nice guy who recognizes a girl in need and kindly lifts the "No Public Restroom" rule.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">11. Best Burrito</span> -- <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Chicken Mole Verde</span> or <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Pork in Red Sauce with Spicy Potatoes</span> at <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vZWxidXJyaXRvbG9jby5iaXov" target="_self">El Burrito Loco</a>. Available in small, medium, or large sizes. Two mediums last me a couple of dinners. Another family-owned place that I'm thrilled to see doing well.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">***Yes, I'm aware of the taquerias on Cherokee, but in this blog, tacos aren't sandwiches. Some other time, okay?***</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">12. Best Gyro</span> -- I honestly don't know. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Suggestions?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">13. Best Breakfast Sandwich</span> -- I'm about to lose any shred of credibility I have and <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnJvb3N0ZXJzdGwuY29tLw==" target="_self">Rooster</a> is way cooler, but I'll always go for <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Hardee's Bacon Egg and Cheese Biscuit</span>.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">14. Best Breakfast Sandwich That Really Isn't a Breakfast Sandwich</span> -- <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Bacon and Eggs Sandwich</span> at <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3Lm5pY2hlc3Rsb3Vpcy5jb20vYWJvdXQuaHRtbA==" target="_self">Niche</a>. Damn you, Gerard Craft, damn you for being so good. Congratulations on the Food & Wine Best New Chef nomination and everything, it's just that reservations will be hard to come by now. Just keep on with that so-super-succulent pork belly, okay?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">15. Best Banh Mi</span> -- Umm, <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmJhbmhtaXNvMS5jb20v" target="_self">Banh Mi So</a>. Duh. Another one of those Al-Tarboush-like local suckerpunches to my belly. Banh Mi So is a place I'll probably never review because I love it so much. It's difficult to get me away from the pho, but their banh mi with crunchy veggies, peanuts, and juicy pork on french bread is my second favorite menu item.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">16. Best Sandwich I Can't Categorize</span> -- <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Peppered Pork Sandwich</span> at <a href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3Lmlyb25iYXJsZXkuY29tLw==" target="_self">Iron Barley</a>. Bring a napkin. Better yet, bring eight.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Oh, I heart you Macklind Avenue Deli....<br /></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlX3N9VwQXN6OIDX3Ai3a2ik9Iz4uBA3bALopZ3p-Sbv739pZWNiNLRASRRVovXhcLxWfxk7xWujCiI86lvvVkX_aPsGAZsfljeLIcrVPH52lucL3jLeHtDN5HxEgDvqVMWY6fECpH6ifU/s1600-h/P9140337.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlX3N9VwQXN6OIDX3Ai3a2ik9Iz4uBA3bALopZ3p-Sbv739pZWNiNLRASRRVovXhcLxWfxk7xWujCiI86lvvVkX_aPsGAZsfljeLIcrVPH52lucL3jLeHtDN5HxEgDvqVMWY6fECpH6ifU/s320/P9140337.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205992097554631170" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>The Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-86773749521382330362008-05-29T16:12:00.006-05:002008-12-09T13:54:33.121-06:00Where I've Been -- Excuses, Other Stories, and a Double Review!Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's been awhile. Aside from the usual excuses (work, friends, laziness, fickle wireless connection), I've also been building the <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.myspace.com/stldelicious">STL Delicious MySpace page</a>. One of the MySpace posts, "<a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=361597910&blogID=389008502">Best Sandwiches in St. Louis</a>," was unfortunately posted on MySpace before Blogger, meaning that it'll be a pain in the ass to re-type. Damn Ruper tMurdoch for poor formatting.<br /><br />I'll post it here. I promise. Sometime.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Go out to MySpace if you just can't wait</span>.<br /><br />Anyway, I was all set to post a review of <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Sage</span>, someplace I went nearly a month ago and just haven't gotten around to writing about yet. Then I realized that I'd been quite a few places and perhaps my inability to hammer out the entire Sage review wasn't such a bad thing. It was looking a little long, besides.<br /><br />With this in mind, here's a rundown of where I've been lately and what I've been eating....<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sage</span></span><br />1031 Lynch St.<br />St. Louis, MO 63118<br />(314) 256-1203<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">www.saucemagazine.com/sage</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Sage</span> is located in the old Lynch Street Bistro space and <span style="font-weight: bold;">looks about eight billion times better.</span> The colors are softer. The bar is more welcoming. The crowd, at least the one that gathers around 7:00pm, isn't as business-heavy.<br /><br />The bar itself stocks a decent wine selection, your typical liquors, and, of course, is heavily leaning towards the A-B portfolio for beer. I've got a wide range of tastes, so I was glad to order an elegant tulip glass of <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">Shock Top Belgian White</span>, a new seasonal-turned-year-round brew that's good enough to shut up the beer snobs. At least from what I've seen on the Internet, anyway.<br /><br />The appetizer menu at Sage isn't particularly inspired, but it skews comfortably far from the toasted ravioli list so typical of just about every joint in Soulard. Our choices, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Trio of Mini Sandwiches</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Cha-Cha Calamari</span>, were pretty superb.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDc_SHD9XZCJcqdFWbcvgQdf5Gkbr5Fg4EnQ_i6R0WPO3r1Zy9Mnrxykbcb0Phdlri_Zo1sPczGwQE0oCxepl-SNnkEJySmaJyRngexvNXT6edS9cOARdqYAsUVfuEnot-p-AMpOuyehg1/s1600-h/P4290696.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDc_SHD9XZCJcqdFWbcvgQdf5Gkbr5Fg4EnQ_i6R0WPO3r1Zy9Mnrxykbcb0Phdlri_Zo1sPczGwQE0oCxepl-SNnkEJySmaJyRngexvNXT6edS9cOARdqYAsUVfuEnot-p-AMpOuyehg1/s320/P4290696.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205914719423826370" border="0" /></a><br />Sort of.<br /><br />The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Trio of Mini Sandwiches</span> includes the following sandwiches: <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;">Beef Tenderloin with Horseradish Cream</span> (hot-tangy horseradish butter, peppery beef, <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0);">surprisingly tender</span> for such a small piece), <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">Louisiana Crab Cake with Roasted Red Pepper Spread</span> (<span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">silky crab</span> meat seasoned perfectly and not drowning in mayo or breadcrumbs), and <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 51);">Tuscan Chicken with Honey Mustard</span> (kind of <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 51);">pointless</span>, tasted like something from Wendy's).<br /><br />With the exception of the "Tuscan" Chicken, <span style="font-weight: bold;">the sandwiches were just fine...until we got to the calamari</span>.<br /><br />The <span style="font-weight: bold;">Cha-Cha Calamari</span> is listed on the menu as tossed in a Asian cream sauce, but it really tasted <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">more like a honey and ginger glaze</span>. While there were <span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">hints of fire and a subtle, lingering heat</span> from the chiffonaded chilis, the real selling point of the calamari was its size and texture. The <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">thick, meaty tendrils</span> were cooked until just done, the light breading hadn't gone gummy, and the scallions provided just the right amount of crunch to keep the dish from turning leaden after one too many chews.<br /><br />Which wouldn't have been necessary, anyway.<br /><br />Forgive the poorly-lit picture, but below are our entrees, <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">Boursin and Sun Dried-Stuffed Chicken Breast </span>(foreground) and <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 51);">Sage Seafood Capellini </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 51);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">(background)</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNIOkCgC_4hUIyXyQh5VdKinOJ4qhb2Ahw5GbW78Bwy0wqgm-LfkeWWCKLmH-SjedS7pts9e8-vn48IBHMDwISXGhyuGs6OvcC70ZdDi-O8jEIHvDovoEn7_jjxYf6XIvQ3QWuPehYwOh/s1600-h/P4290697.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNIOkCgC_4hUIyXyQh5VdKinOJ4qhb2Ahw5GbW78Bwy0wqgm-LfkeWWCKLmH-SjedS7pts9e8-vn48IBHMDwISXGhyuGs6OvcC70ZdDi-O8jEIHvDovoEn7_jjxYf6XIvQ3QWuPehYwOh/s320/P4290697.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205914728013760978" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">I don't normally order chicken.</span><br /><br />It's not that I don't like it, it's just that I rarely see the point. Chicken is boring. Chicken is bland. Chicken's got no cojones, at least not in 99% of the restaurants I've been to. But this one is made with <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 0);">pancetta gravy.</span><br /><br />Mmmm, pancetta. Mmmmm, gravy.<br /><br />After checking with our server, I was told that the <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 0);">pancetta gravy</span> was not a "lame sauce" as I'd feared, but that it was indeed <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 0);">meaty, smoky, salty, and creamy</span> enough to make me like chicken. Our server's assurance combined with the promise of boursin made me slightly disappointed when I actually tasted it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The <span style="color: rgb(51, 0, 0);">pancetta gravy</span> was incredible, okay?</span> Shredded pancetta studded the velvety gravy and caused me to reconsider my problems with breakfast gravy. <span style="font-weight: bold;">The rest of the dish, however, was pretty underwhelming</span>. The boursin might as well have been Philly cream cheese and the "sun dried tomato" was as neon orange and flavorless as cheap tomato powder.<br /><br />What I tasted of my friend's <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 51);">Sage Seafood Capellini</span> was decent. The <span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 51);">pasta was slightly overcooked</span>, but the <span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 51);">clams, lump blue crab, and lemony artichokes</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">lots</span> of artichokes) provided a<span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 51);"> double wallop of flavor and texture</span> for a satisfying dish.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Sage's</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">dessert menu relies on the shooter concept</span>, that is, tiny shot glasses of dessert cakes, sauces, puddings, etc. that can safely be enjoyed after a huge meal. My decision, the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 153);">blueberry bourbon brioche with a small puddle of vanilla cream</span>, was FREAKING. FANTASTIC.<br /><br />Onward.....<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">La Tropicana</span></span><br />5001 Lindenwood<br />St. Louis, MO 63109<br />(314) 353-7328<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">www.latropicana.com</span><br /><br />This isn't really a review.<br /><br />How can it be? Everyone in St. Louis has been to <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">La Tropicana</span>. They know about <span style="font-weight: bold;">the outstanding pernil, the roasted chicken, the cubano sandwich, and the charming patio. </span> What does anything I have to say matter?<br /><br />Well, it doesn't, but I feel guilty about the laziness and feel compelled to include a few things here. So here goes.<br /><br />My most recent visit to <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">La Tropicana</span> was Cinco de Mayo. Luckily, Cinco de Mayo is the day before my birthday, a happy little circumstance that gives me double license to enjoy the hell out of some margaritas. <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> La Tropicana</span> gives me license to enjoy the hell of of them along with the <span style="font-weight: bold;">very best sandwiches and roasted meats in the city.</span><br /><br />As you'll see when you visit my <a href="http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=361597910&blogID=389008502">Best Sandwiches in St. Louis post on MySpace</a>, <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">La Tropicana</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">has the very best all-around sandwich in St. Louis.</span> To quote myself....<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">Best Overall Sandwich</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> -- </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-style: italic;">Cubano Sandwich</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> at </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LmxhdHJvcGljYW5hLmNvbS8=" target="_self">La Tropicana</a><span style="font-style: italic;">. Pulled pork roasted mojito-style (with rum!), ham, cheese, and pickles on pressed bread. I love pork, cheese, and bread. I hate pickles. But at La Tropicana, I eat the crisp, briny slices anyway. And I like them.</span><br /><br />I was all sandwiched out by Cinco de Mayo, so below you can check out the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">gorgeously caramelized roasted chicken</span>, the blurry-yet-<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">unbelieveably moist pernil</span> (like I said, margaritas), and the addictive maduros, yuca, and spicy rice and beans paired with each one.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_o9Alslig59sEGE2AR8FaSg4NL1DKAPwvLso4_upH1UKG1KncN2l8eBKZRwYPFw5KWcdHfO_medkgirBYWAXxvuY6z9TycWI3ZdP-yDx2ba_Uv34XirBJAUR1zjSWqOSRaM7BiEPHCqLP/s1600-h/P5050066.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_o9Alslig59sEGE2AR8FaSg4NL1DKAPwvLso4_upH1UKG1KncN2l8eBKZRwYPFw5KWcdHfO_medkgirBYWAXxvuY6z9TycWI3ZdP-yDx2ba_Uv34XirBJAUR1zjSWqOSRaM7BiEPHCqLP/s320/P5050066.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205914732308728290" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Terrific pane</span>, too.<br /><br />And I honestly don't remember how many of La Tropicana's margaritas I'd had by this point. I was with people, there were pitchers, I can't be expected to keep track of these things. I will say that <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">La Tropicana's</span> margaritas are far and away better than Chimichanga's, not quite as tasty as Lily's, but certainly bigger than both and absolutely heaven when paired with the food.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1MdxeztZNW9eLZCrYdYcyuR-OIS-4xroVxNiz_wnUcfzPlqlG4Yf64Go0gtk-_-TYrrcZO_jnDIjHaa0nE0cfvfur6n8db5sw8wVqedDP7ecH2GJZ7YKlyDK1hqg3bRyYCq4dwxE4D-Zr/s1600-h/P5050070.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1MdxeztZNW9eLZCrYdYcyuR-OIS-4xroVxNiz_wnUcfzPlqlG4Yf64Go0gtk-_-TYrrcZO_jnDIjHaa0nE0cfvfur6n8db5sw8wVqedDP7ecH2GJZ7YKlyDK1hqg3bRyYCq4dwxE4D-Zr/s320/P5050070.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205914736603695602" border="0" /></a>The Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-47928012215828575822008-04-13T19:43:00.004-05:002008-12-09T13:54:34.638-06:00RECIPE - Basic Flavor RubYes, you <span style="font-style: italic;">could</span> always shake a bunch of <span style="font-weight: bold;">dried mystery dust from a jar</span> on whatever it is you're planning to cook. It's not going to kill you. It might taste satisfactory, at least depending on what you're used to eating.<br /><br />It's fine. I guess.<br /><br />Or you could assemble a <span style="font-weight: bold;">few simple ingredients</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">mash</span> yourself up a <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">Basic Flavor Rub</span> that works awesomely on <span style="font-weight: bold;">fish, chicken, lamb, beef, pork</span>, or whatever other crazy meat you happen to find in your neighborhood. It works well on <span style="font-weight: bold;">vegetables</span>, too, or at least ones with <span style="font-weight: bold;">strong flavors</span> like asparagus or nearly anything you put on the grill.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">Here's what you'll need:</span></span><br /><ul><li>A few cloves of <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">garlic</span>. I'm addicted to the stuff (Greatest. Flavor. Ever.) so I used 4 cloves.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Black pepper</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 51);">Kosher salt</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Thyme</span></li><li><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Red chili flakes</span></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">Olive oil</span></li></ul>Quantities aren't really important here. It's a <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">Basic FLAVOR Rub</span>, so the amount of flavor you put into it really <span style="font-weight: bold;">depends on your taste</span> and how much food you're about to make. I live by myself and usually cook for 2 people tops, so I use only enough ingredients that fit in <span style="font-weight: bold;">my mortar and pestle</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQS4xGknY40RAk88yFUIb06ld3mPFwAaCtnlHpHOck5qGVtUOOl8dtJkUH545J1GpMwDLWYVr0yfUpAq_OwlpSb3_p1Jzc7iKKqRqfdJg2MAcToISXKeDKRDQ3aG51EOdzxw2yXoffEs8x/s1600-h/P4130501.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQS4xGknY40RAk88yFUIb06ld3mPFwAaCtnlHpHOck5qGVtUOOl8dtJkUH545J1GpMwDLWYVr0yfUpAq_OwlpSb3_p1Jzc7iKKqRqfdJg2MAcToISXKeDKRDQ3aG51EOdzxw2yXoffEs8x/s320/P4130501.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188902219820842114" border="0" /></a>Ohhhh, <span style="font-weight: bold;">my mortar and pestle</span>. So pretty. So hefty. So <span style="font-style: italic;">sexy</span>. I never had one until about 6 months ago, and now I can't understand how people live without them. Okay, so maybe they buy food processors. Yawn. I'll admit that a high-end food processor would be pretty cool for some things, but there's a sense of accomplishment that comes from owning and using a mortar and pestle to create <span style="font-weight: bold;">super combinations of flavor</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">Alright, here's what you should do....</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Trim the ends of your garlic and smash the cloves</span>. If you're using a mortar and pestle (or a food processor, <span style="font-style: italic;">I guess</span>), you don't need to mince it. A gentle beating is enough to make your garlic nice and <span style="font-weight: bold;">mashable</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QcbqAGPFy0XiCal1bu99fGktY9-E6snapvcv7PId5BW7oFb_9NOOdnYObwW44LYvvL7vw3v6ADtWfCF23ccdV0WECpBcYMhWqoPCVp3bsHr-PxcvA91ow6fDJHuim81BJV4ZxZhPS_-t/s1600-h/P4130512.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0QcbqAGPFy0XiCal1bu99fGktY9-E6snapvcv7PId5BW7oFb_9NOOdnYObwW44LYvvL7vw3v6ADtWfCF23ccdV0WECpBcYMhWqoPCVp3bsHr-PxcvA91ow6fDJHuim81BJV4ZxZhPS_-t/s320/P4130512.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188902228410776722" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Add </span>your <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">black pepper</span>, <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 51);">kosher salt</span>, <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">thyme</span>, <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">chili flakes</span>, and <span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">olive oil</span>. These ingredients make this a <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">BASIC Flavor Rub</span>, as each of them complements a wide variety of food.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFoYWdz7A4M1YIE5HQBO-ZMA8DXi96gfUE37IESVftU_fEz_k1n4Awc9SQfHmmB2Cr7Y-A_JF3E6buyD-Wuvh1yF6EcjexLZFf2dS_V_brx9mG7-HBnNh46frUMJ9y7XGgwguVwX-NEEIu/s1600-h/P4130529.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFoYWdz7A4M1YIE5HQBO-ZMA8DXi96gfUE37IESVftU_fEz_k1n4Awc9SQfHmmB2Cr7Y-A_JF3E6buyD-Wuvh1yF6EcjexLZFf2dS_V_brx9mG7-HBnNh46frUMJ9y7XGgwguVwX-NEEIu/s320/P4130529.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188902232705744034" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Start mashing</span>. The amount pictured here took about <span style="font-weight: bold;">20 minutes to mash</span> to my satisfaction. This sounds like a lot of work, but it's more about sort of <span style="font-style: italic;">smooshing</span> the flavors together. <span style="font-weight: bold;">It's not labor intensive and crushing those bits of <span style="color: rgb(153, 102, 51);">garlic</span> into a tasty mess is pretty satisfying.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW_d947LEQz7vI5W9VkoIXDZDmlCgzElNc0-MmX5SWvMYLh8-B0R-umLiNVNM2ZMtFsR5pew26-UxOVTHILF1JecjjxDf-fVPWacZR1YtQ6yPgJ4r_EDB4153Hs3DvMnJtzLZypD07qRIo/s1600-h/P4130531.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW_d947LEQz7vI5W9VkoIXDZDmlCgzElNc0-MmX5SWvMYLh8-B0R-umLiNVNM2ZMtFsR5pew26-UxOVTHILF1JecjjxDf-fVPWacZR1YtQ6yPgJ4r_EDB4153Hs3DvMnJtzLZypD07qRIo/s320/P4130531.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188902237000711346" border="0" /></a><br />So aromatic I could wear it....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VyaIB0E6GYBsU1eSLW_K5YX9zWYoHwyQH1TojrRoSy2BsAVtALwH10ZkBXJ_cyGwy69BN2TG7OR2PC4yxy-Z8yw2JllTbcVuDwehZRTDxNMP9mYZdMLreOxtHNseSXqi07YTnRUUr1Z-/s1600-h/P4130540.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VyaIB0E6GYBsU1eSLW_K5YX9zWYoHwyQH1TojrRoSy2BsAVtALwH10ZkBXJ_cyGwy69BN2TG7OR2PC4yxy-Z8yw2JllTbcVuDwehZRTDxNMP9mYZdMLreOxtHNseSXqi07YTnRUUr1Z-/s320/P4130540.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188907090313755842" border="0" /></a><br />Below is what my finished <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">Basic Flavor Rub</span> looks like. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">garlic isn't totally pulverized</span>, but it's small enough to make a <span style="font-weight: bold;">paste</span> with the other ingredients. It's <span style="font-weight: bold;">easily spreadable</span> on whatever you're cooking and<span style="font-weight: bold;"> not so runny</span> that it drips off to burn in the bottom of whatever you're using.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVqlF8wU7g9GErcz-oovN4krzF6RqU_lszgo7QFsqr24cF-3wx_z9c7eChSITTJXugY-rBkxC4y4XQKG8I7BiMoc8aBciWJBPIkoGA1TzgfttiV5rwm0ccpJd4_gZE3FXhyYPj_oc7YzRc/s1600-h/P4130541.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVqlF8wU7g9GErcz-oovN4krzF6RqU_lszgo7QFsqr24cF-3wx_z9c7eChSITTJXugY-rBkxC4y4XQKG8I7BiMoc8aBciWJBPIkoGA1TzgfttiV5rwm0ccpJd4_gZE3FXhyYPj_oc7YzRc/s320/P4130541.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5188907094608723154" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The End.<br /></div>The Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-75526962257259279632008-04-09T18:11:00.002-05:002008-12-09T13:54:34.806-06:00Guess I'm a Meanivore<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6krr8rk0qHrz3SnAuE4m_2_3MiN6K0cUTqdX9lmohFSYmph_PD04lqxMwcArUyC_ezfS3Z4qwkO0h1NIW7LaNy_dcsfAWooWU718mt1xPzA-j3vjFaJjpp-aBcxtdtu5wrxmPtE4py2lY/s1600-h/the-eating-spectrum.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5187387465670587202" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6krr8rk0qHrz3SnAuE4m_2_3MiN6K0cUTqdX9lmohFSYmph_PD04lqxMwcArUyC_ezfS3Z4qwkO0h1NIW7LaNy_dcsfAWooWU718mt1xPzA-j3vjFaJjpp-aBcxtdtu5wrxmPtE4py2lY/s320/the-eating-spectrum.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><div>-- <a href="http://www.toothpastefordinner.com/">Toothpaste for Dinner</a></div>The Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-20889938387928521212008-04-05T19:12:00.005-05:002008-12-09T13:54:35.735-06:00REVIEW - Murdoch Perk<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Murdoch Perk</span></span><br />5400 Murdoch<br />St. Louis, MO 63109<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(314) 752-9126</span><br /><a href="http://www.murdochperk.net/index.html">www.murdochperk.net</a><br /><br />I admit to having a preconceived notion of what <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Murdoch Perk</span> might be. I mean, come on. A coffee place in South City with a name not even cleverly stolen from a sitcom? Jeez, at least Central Perk made <span style="font-style: italic;">sense</span>. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">Murdoch Perk</span> doesn't mean much of anything.<br /><br />But they do serve <span style="font-weight: bold;">breakfast, lunch, and coffee</span>, and they have outside tables. I cannot be held responsible for the places I go when the weather is nice.<br /><br />Speaking of nice weather, I'll say that <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Murdoch Perk</span> does have a <span style="font-weight: bold;">nice patio</span>. It's accessible from outside the building and from inside the store, and much like the side, it's simple, comfortable, and pretty. Each table has an umbrella, and if you can't manage stairs, you can always camp out on the small deck.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Murdoch Perk</span> is sort of a <span style="font-weight: bold;">coffee place/restaurant hybrid</span>. You order at the counter, receive a tiny number card on a metal stand, and take your seat. The employees bring your food to your table, so you can claim an outside table without worrying about when to run back inside for your food.<br /><br />The menu itself is understandably limited. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pastries, crepes (sweet and savory), sandwiches, salads, and coffee drinks</span> that are recognizable but not pointlessly ambitious (do we really need more made-up words ending in "-ccino?"). <span style="font-weight: bold;">Two large soft drinks, two side salads, and two sandwiches set us back about $22.00</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvrIZ_XFK6jH8zjTzPSNMgu9ErnamGq3bilNfDyCdHK2YMGFNbfr6PIefOssSkbdAnvfe8B_w3C4Zv3hBlPelc1TcxePWFLNRBGedL791KVNVkQFF0qo5N01AT6oEjaMV2lcaYb7sJTqHu/s1600-h/P4050449.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvrIZ_XFK6jH8zjTzPSNMgu9ErnamGq3bilNfDyCdHK2YMGFNbfr6PIefOssSkbdAnvfe8B_w3C4Zv3hBlPelc1TcxePWFLNRBGedL791KVNVkQFF0qo5N01AT6oEjaMV2lcaYb7sJTqHu/s320/P4050449.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185922876641497410" border="0" /></a><br />It only took about five minutes to receive our food, which (much like Macklind Avenue Deli, about 10 steps down the street) was thankfully <span style="font-weight: bold;">served on real plates with actual cutlery</span>. My sandwich, <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 0);">Hawaiian Ham with lettuce, pineapple-mango salsa and teriyaki mayonnaise</span>, was served alongside the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">spinach salad with red onions, goat cheese, toasted almonds, and a raspberry vinaigrette</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5BGepTKkW-KEGKH6cWZoxfrMWXLsPg90SbktmoeAdeKWVJYXYTFbVb0suVbdb3trzdvYx39sdnWiVCqkOW10KA3q7cGsk7fh8rfyHTaPJDnez8EAdEHmLUFMkZzPGI0IxE-YW3d-8lsi/s1600-h/P4050451.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5BGepTKkW-KEGKH6cWZoxfrMWXLsPg90SbktmoeAdeKWVJYXYTFbVb0suVbdb3trzdvYx39sdnWiVCqkOW10KA3q7cGsk7fh8rfyHTaPJDnez8EAdEHmLUFMkZzPGI0IxE-YW3d-8lsi/s320/P4050451.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5185923293253325138" border="0" /></a>It's not a good sign when your salad is better than your sandwich.<br /><br />To be positive, let's start with the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">salad</span>. Because I laugh in the face of e. coli (and haven't eaten a vegetable for probably two days), I ordered the<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"> spinach salad</span>. Another bonus was the goat cheese, which I could probably eat from a trough every single day for the rest of my life. This salad was topped with <span style="font-weight: bold;">creamy goat cheese crumbles</span>, not the dry, pebbly industrial stuff the Schnuck's in Hampton Village seems so fond of selling. The cheese also provided a <span style="font-weight: bold;">textural counterpoint to the</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">crunchy almonds and onions</span>, and it's <span style="font-weight: bold;">pungency was balanced by the sweetness of the vinaigrette</span>.<br /><br />Okay, I'm done being positive. It hurts my teeth. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Onto the <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);">sandwich</span></span>....<br /><br />I've got nothing against <span style="font-weight: bold;">messy</span> sandwiches. In fact, I usually prefer them. But when your sandwich is falling apart on your plate <span style="font-style: italic;">before you've even touched it</span>, perhaps there's a tad <span style="font-weight: bold;">too much liquid</span> involved. This suspicion was confirmed when I attempted to lift up half of the sandwich. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Fail.</span> Sweet, orange-ish juice from the salsa had already pooled at the bottom of the plate, soaking most of the bread into mush.<br /><br />The <span style="font-weight: bold;">ham</span> itself was moist enough, v<span style="font-weight: bold;">eined with soft fat without being greasy or gristly.</span> It was missing some salt, though, and almost totally overpowered by the pineapple-mango salsa.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Worst. Salsa. Ever.</span><br /><br />It was allegedly made with <span style="font-weight: bold;">pineapple, mango, and red peppers</span>, but with the exception of a few pulpy sections in my teeth, I didn't see or taste much pineapple. The peppers tasted like...well, they tasted like nothing, which makes me think they were Cuisinart-ed from a jar. The mango was most prevalent, and it's <span style="font-weight: bold;">syrupy sweetness was so cloying</span> that I have no problem assuming<span style="font-weight: bold;"> it all came from the same fruit cup</span>.<br /><br />The<span style="font-weight: bold;"> teriyaki</span> should have provided a salty/sweet note to the ham, but I honestly couldn't detect any of it in the <span style="font-weight: bold;">glop of mayonnaise</span> (more unnecessary wetness, and yes, that sort of thing<span style="font-style: italic;"> can</span> exist).<br /><br />If I had made the sandwich, I would have kept the <span style="font-weight: bold;">lightly-toasted, multigrain bread</span>. That was good, and the crusts had been mercifully saved from the fruit juice on my plate. I'd have included <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">more pineapple</span> in the salsa, less mango, and chosen <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 51);">fresh cilantro</span> instead of the wilted, soaked leaves</span> slimily clinging to the fruit I ate. I also would have drained it before serving, and maybe dressed it up with a hit of <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);">serrano</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I'll be back to Murdoch Perk someday for the Kaldi's and the patio</span>. Instead of eating there, though, I'll stick with Macklind Avenue Deli.<br /><br />-- The Eater.The Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-18045930880534202892008-03-27T21:00:00.002-05:002008-03-27T21:02:19.472-05:00STL Delicious is on MySpace!STL Delicious now has a <a href="http://www.myspace.com/stldelicious">second home on MySpace</a>. Blogger will still be its primary home, but I think it will be a bit more accessible to the locals. Prepare to get friend requested like MAD, everyone!The Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-82911196615672977842008-03-17T16:09:00.009-05:002008-12-09T13:54:38.435-06:00RECIPE - Pancetta-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Sauteed Swiss Chard and Cannellini Beans<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-FcMZyVqDeDNwXK4X9EHRdnx6h-4fLxLj3wIoBHQExuNdSkjslrRC8X1JXYxLXqCSXPTzlDkMSJn1Z5Wv8R9PmMNaicWLSF_N28z4yEBL9-QXAUQvrpg_ydYnEAO0mvpZ7P4zdnrdAdw/s1600-h/P3130333.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-FcMZyVqDeDNwXK4X9EHRdnx6h-4fLxLj3wIoBHQExuNdSkjslrRC8X1JXYxLXqCSXPTzlDkMSJn1Z5Wv8R9PmMNaicWLSF_N28z4yEBL9-QXAUQvrpg_ydYnEAO0mvpZ7P4zdnrdAdw/s320/P3130333.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178824221541862050" border="0" /></a><br />This was, by far, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">very <span style="font-style: italic;">best</span> recipe I've come up with so far</span>. The most important reason is because it's <span style="font-weight: bold;">delicious</span>. Although it has three parts, it's incredibly <span style="font-weight: bold;">simple</span>. It also sounds pretty impressive. To make my <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">Pancetta-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Sauteed Swiss Chard and Cannellini Beans</span>, you'll need the following.....<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">For the Pork</span></span><br /><ul><li>1 <span style="font-weight: bold;">pork tenderloin</span></li><li>1 small package <span style="font-weight: bold;">pancetta</span> -- I like Volpi because it's local and the package sizes are perfect for this type of thing. You could also use bacon, but I prefer the air-cured flavor and pliant texture of pancetta</li><li>1/4 cup <span style="font-weight: bold;">apple cider vinegar</span></li><li>1 tbs. <span style="font-weight: bold;">soy sauce</span></li><li>4 tbs. <span style="font-weight: bold;">brown sugar</span></li><li style="font-weight: bold;">cayenne pepper</li><li style="font-weight: bold;">kosher salt</li><li style="font-weight: bold;">black pepper</li></ul><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">For the Swiss Chard</span></span><br /><ul><li>1 bunch <span style="font-weight: bold;">swiss chard</span></li><li>3 cloves <span style="font-weight: bold;">garlic</span>, minced</li><li>1/2 <span style="font-weight: bold;">lemon</span></li><li>2 tbs. <span style="font-weight: bold;">olive oil</span></li></ul><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">For the Cannellini Beans</span></span><br /><ul><li>1 can (12 oz.) <span style="font-weight: bold;">cannellini or other medium-sized, soft white beans</span></li><li>3 cloves<span style="font-weight: bold;"> garlic</span>, minced</li><li>1/2 <span style="font-weight: bold;">lemon</span></li><li>1 tsp. <span style="font-weight: bold;">crushed red pepper flakes</span></li></ul><br />Okay, let's start with the <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">pork</span>. You'll want to <span style="font-weight: bold;">marinate this for 3 to 4 hours</span>, so plan accordingly. My marinade is made with apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, and 2 tbs. brown sugar.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlqyh0YWAVPWV-Zj-iIFPQgTH3q9SPCOCtzvpAPQDcYLOfgckYZtAXOEYAVmQO4MEqsgr4jlOjejzM-w5anedgQsstxJNsDzkORtxDJ3oCOXftSuckIIV0Lv8TKiMtLi7LeO142pnxif3/s1600-h/P3130262.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlqyh0YWAVPWV-Zj-iIFPQgTH3q9SPCOCtzvpAPQDcYLOfgckYZtAXOEYAVmQO4MEqsgr4jlOjejzM-w5anedgQsstxJNsDzkORtxDJ3oCOXftSuckIIV0Lv8TKiMtLi7LeO142pnxif3/s320/P3130262.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178824234426763954" border="0" /></a><br />I combine all of these in a Ziploc freezer bag, squeeze out the air, and stick in the fridge. I think I marinated this one for about 3 and a half hours, but <span style="font-weight: bold;">anything less than 6 is fine</span>. After that, the vinegar will start to "cook" the pork, making the outside dark and unpleasantly chewy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTEWW5xzETUADA-W7Uw6CssLcbxVHyOl1NcAgBPTugub9MhpEtP98AOO_-OfabMX49zdxHh4LbA8AousfkUCYTfjf3xFdCMHS2zNi9nMoHzChq1isSZbgebllqWEyJAKcs_dJLJ4jwn-V/s1600-h/P3130270.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTEWW5xzETUADA-W7Uw6CssLcbxVHyOl1NcAgBPTugub9MhpEtP98AOO_-OfabMX49zdxHh4LbA8AousfkUCYTfjf3xFdCMHS2zNi9nMoHzChq1isSZbgebllqWEyJAKcs_dJLJ4jwn-V/s320/P3130270.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178824243016698562" border="0" /></a><br />Yargh, let's set sail for Pork Island!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx52OpEWDvIJhYNmSkhyphenhyphen5LseRuUzbrUfApXhDcakELR-ywseCkJHQXuK3jNxyIfNk30c5Ol_RkJfd4ca1b_iaKQOC0Rs5QHbliayqr_KN10nbFJDEi8tWSwL6k-E_GfxqhMsBXF6-_5XWN/s1600-h/P3130275.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx52OpEWDvIJhYNmSkhyphenhyphen5LseRuUzbrUfApXhDcakELR-ywseCkJHQXuK3jNxyIfNk30c5Ol_RkJfd4ca1b_iaKQOC0Rs5QHbliayqr_KN10nbFJDEi8tWSwL6k-E_GfxqhMsBXF6-_5XWN/s320/P3130275.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178824247311665874" border="0" /></a><br />While your pork is marinating, you can <span style="font-weight: bold;">prep your swiss chard and beans</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Swiss chard</span> is what makes this recipe impressive because so few people are used to eating it. A leafy, spinach-like vegetable, swiss chard also comes with <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">brightly colored stalks</span> that are not only tasty to eat, but they're <span style="font-weight: bold;">so beautiful on the plate</span>.<br /><br />To cook swiss chard, you'll just need the <span style="font-weight: bold;">very basic ingredients of olive oil, garlic, and lemon</span>. Crushed red pepper flakes are optional, but in this recipe, I'm using them in the beans.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwVrJSKOB6XY7uG6s4iMXuofWiCMUEgjXsRJ5viSRJKlU9SEFUsd1SVMRpKxsLbjKyGS-LFX5NNEBCl2jpSgx7a1XHtry8_fEXSOBVGfGLLaUOdGOV9HftdbsSgjgxVg_nZbVsY8X990Z/s1600-h/P3130290.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcwVrJSKOB6XY7uG6s4iMXuofWiCMUEgjXsRJ5viSRJKlU9SEFUsd1SVMRpKxsLbjKyGS-LFX5NNEBCl2jpSgx7a1XHtry8_fEXSOBVGfGLLaUOdGOV9HftdbsSgjgxVg_nZbVsY8X990Z/s320/P3130290.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178823585886702162" border="0" /></a><br />To start, <span style="font-weight: bold;">cut the stems</span> off of your swiss chard. They're tougher and will need to cook a little longer than the leaves. Cut the stems into 1/2 inch pieces and set them aside.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0LXu_VLcFMHmhMQePeIGodCQ8sGx73cm8zKgXzXnP_0mwtKyS18_fnOmsI5qqDr7ozwN0ipOm0l9kOKBgofly56JXqRxFf14DB8dSNGN2MIvtOXSSsq1DFQfCAmEg-HLDrDw1x_NwqQL/s1600-h/P3130298.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM0LXu_VLcFMHmhMQePeIGodCQ8sGx73cm8zKgXzXnP_0mwtKyS18_fnOmsI5qqDr7ozwN0ipOm0l9kOKBgofly56JXqRxFf14DB8dSNGN2MIvtOXSSsq1DFQfCAmEg-HLDrDw1x_NwqQL/s320/P3130298.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178823594476636770" border="0" /></a><br />Next, <span style="font-weight: bold;">chop your leaves</span>. It's okay to keep the upper stems attached, because as long as you chop them well, they'll be mostly separated from the tender leaves, anyway. Set the leaves aside.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> I placed the separate bags of the stems and leaves in the fridge to use later</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4pdIa7MF2kYBSV_6QEjHIhrd5Q41CT6-2_vZKp1RrSBsFE5_yLptxmz9CdSwGzBNFNBqZuWySP5znQAAlEChGtND3n5n-_tzHN20Q5gYmQYcLAL53gLG3fIz_wQNRohIZ5e7r1_suRY8/s1600-h/P3130301.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd4pdIa7MF2kYBSV_6QEjHIhrd5Q41CT6-2_vZKp1RrSBsFE5_yLptxmz9CdSwGzBNFNBqZuWySP5znQAAlEChGtND3n5n-_tzHN20Q5gYmQYcLAL53gLG3fIz_wQNRohIZ5e7r1_suRY8/s320/P3130301.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178823603066571378" border="0" /></a><br />Next, <span style="font-weight: bold;">prep your <span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 0);">beans</span></span>. Like I mentioned in the ingredients list, any medium-sized, soft white beans will do. There's nothing wrong with canned beans. I prefer them because I don't have time to soak. Loosely <span style="font-weight: bold;">drain</span> the beans and <span style="font-weight: bold;">place them in a bowl along with the juice of 1/2 a lemon, 3 cloves of minced garlic, and 1 tsp. of red chili flakes</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyg0A76Tlm7z6dKem_npIUuIUJBDw_aLicqEMLczr7l_9lxA9w1m8k3ZEGS1WdrQeAeTLcXJlF36GDQs62QRt_mEMBoZqrJMTfhFZXGJtt_9qWFQZeUJDQsTitbRcx06qIUP6nujnldgX/s1600-h/P3130307.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyg0A76Tlm7z6dKem_npIUuIUJBDw_aLicqEMLczr7l_9lxA9w1m8k3ZEGS1WdrQeAeTLcXJlF36GDQs62QRt_mEMBoZqrJMTfhFZXGJtt_9qWFQZeUJDQsTitbRcx06qIUP6nujnldgX/s320/P3130307.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178823607361538690" border="0" /></a><br />Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator. It's important to marinate the beans just like you're marinating the pork. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Beans soak up a lot of flavor, and the garlicky, lemony heat will be a perfect addition to the swiss chard</span> later.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wait for 3 to 4 hours.</span> Watch the Food Network Recipe Challenge and laugh at the people who worked really hard only to end up with an appetizer at TGI Friday's.<br /><br />Once you've waited patiently<span style="font-weight: bold;">, pre-heat your oven to 360 degrees</span>. <br /><br />Remove your <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 51, 0);">pork</span> from the marinade (<span style="font-style: italic;">SAVE</span> the marinade!) and pat it dry. This is so your dry rub ingredients -- <span style="font-weight: bold;">brown sugar, cayenne pepper, kosher salt, black pepper</span> -- will adhere to the pork while it cooks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qVUCljNUpdSKylL98G1cgJAixGcujgnbeGKtdHqxRTJlsfOQzF7HuThmthsk8QlYX5TcqTgb22wXaaN3ItRJSOMUG7FNS2gg4Q926gD0ZPVreLt6IzXUfgwkDh62cWSxtwlYWax9Y-us/s1600-h/P3130314.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6qVUCljNUpdSKylL98G1cgJAixGcujgnbeGKtdHqxRTJlsfOQzF7HuThmthsk8QlYX5TcqTgb22wXaaN3ItRJSOMUG7FNS2gg4Q926gD0ZPVreLt6IzXUfgwkDh62cWSxtwlYWax9Y-us/s320/P3130314.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178823620246440594" border="0" /></a><br />Once you've thoroughly rubbed your pork with the dry rub, <span style="font-weight: bold;">wrap it with your pancetta</span>. I do this on top of a wire rack sprayed with Pam (great stuff, don't let anybody tell you any different) inside of a foil-covered pan. After you've wrapped it, <span style="font-weight: bold;">spoon a little of the marinade on top</span>. This will allow the pancetta to caramelize with some of the marinade's flavor.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGKg-i-RmQ_vwFzHsPSV6xpYNaHXq3z_i35Oh1Ndt-fTLYukul13JiqeUqr6GERPPPyF-mvWFYv_tlrDSv6myGAqceQJts67SEN0VEg-7z3HgkwwtDeJr8tRwIBkBH6Vs_Be-ROnemgny/s1600-h/P3130321.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgGKg-i-RmQ_vwFzHsPSV6xpYNaHXq3z_i35Oh1Ndt-fTLYukul13JiqeUqr6GERPPPyF-mvWFYv_tlrDSv6myGAqceQJts67SEN0VEg-7z3HgkwwtDeJr8tRwIBkBH6Vs_Be-ROnemgny/s320/P3130321.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178822744073112130" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">After your pork tenderloin has been cooking for about 35 to 40 minutes</span> (depending on your oven, mine was built in 1955), start on your <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">swiss chard</span>.<br /><br />Remember how I said that the stems need more cooking time? <span style="font-weight: bold;">Heat 2 tbs. of olive oil over Medium High</span>. Once the olive oil is hot, <span style="font-weight: bold;">add your <span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">stems</span></span>. This only takes about <span style="font-weight: bold;">10 minutes</span>, but stir them frequently to avoid charring.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJaIn5N426_LLVkuQHtwvlAGLljgHea1ARwdn1CJP0yvB-rX5sKqlmPaTFYWbT-j_XRDp_aC5-KKYM-NYZHFHxeiQfeooBpW0NkHQr-X2_UohbLsSIHZbvi-sf3y48tihsyZrvHJxHo-y/s1600-h/P3130322.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJaIn5N426_LLVkuQHtwvlAGLljgHea1ARwdn1CJP0yvB-rX5sKqlmPaTFYWbT-j_XRDp_aC5-KKYM-NYZHFHxeiQfeooBpW0NkHQr-X2_UohbLsSIHZbvi-sf3y48tihsyZrvHJxHo-y/s320/P3130322.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178822258741807602" border="0" /></a><br />After 10 minutes over Medium High, <span style="font-weight: bold;">reduce heat to Medium and add your marinated <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 0);">beans</span></span>. They will have released some garlic, lemon, and chili-infused liquid by this point, which will slow the cooking of the stems.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUIXqTTcNmi1bddwG2nX8ZYcTGrhPtL3G9dWJwtobGojRo6q8O3bB4vpYpLaN0HTY93nJqWksXTwsx6y3h9jr185jmFfRmkj9Fx5xJwnHZfNSB-LxDWrgLoW5yGXCgAjmlM13jb_50fW0/s1600-h/P3130323.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUIXqTTcNmi1bddwG2nX8ZYcTGrhPtL3G9dWJwtobGojRo6q8O3bB4vpYpLaN0HTY93nJqWksXTwsx6y3h9jr185jmFfRmkj9Fx5xJwnHZfNSB-LxDWrgLoW5yGXCgAjmlM13jb_50fW0/s320/P3130323.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178822267331742210" border="0" /></a><br />After only a couple of minutes (<span style="font-style: italic;">always stirring!</span>), <span style="font-weight: bold;">add your <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">leaves</span></span>. Stir a few times to <span style="font-weight: bold;">coat the leaves with the olive oil and liquid from the beans</span>. Much like spinach, swiss chard will reduce significantly in size as it cooks.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cook swiss chard for about 5-7 minutes</span>. Add a <span style="font-weight: bold;">pinch of kosher salt and the juice from 1/2 a lemon</span> towards the end to add flavor and further tenderize the stems and leaves.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41PNV1eMywcpKyQ67gUPUFgEdN-9Y5ppnhIeuCkeL3tIRK7AhG_WIfHoO7n-fcUcD7D4eiqB_X9Qh2A5Hl9_a-7dE-Vtn_1FPWISPJepr64kZr-FwCrVlmzD72PJPnhU1FI_n-erEMCNk/s1600-h/P3130326.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41PNV1eMywcpKyQ67gUPUFgEdN-9Y5ppnhIeuCkeL3tIRK7AhG_WIfHoO7n-fcUcD7D4eiqB_X9Qh2A5Hl9_a-7dE-Vtn_1FPWISPJepr64kZr-FwCrVlmzD72PJPnhU1FI_n-erEMCNk/s320/P3130326.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178822275921676818" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">After you remove the swiss chard from the heat, remove pork tenderloin from the oven</span>. The pancetta should be brown and caramelized in some places but not all.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwXtWAnbqjyTIA4pnrm4I9HPC66MK4JyNigvprvV-HcpwMZzf6Cqadgq9sNkeXgp6_3E41hfGi6QzK70fuQP4EH_AnxrsgJDm5M-vFBWa0BrbiDOpdIK3TOeag3WyJ_Hitbf3OTmB67ZDD/s1600-h/P3130332.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwXtWAnbqjyTIA4pnrm4I9HPC66MK4JyNigvprvV-HcpwMZzf6Cqadgq9sNkeXgp6_3E41hfGi6QzK70fuQP4EH_AnxrsgJDm5M-vFBWa0BrbiDOpdIK3TOeag3WyJ_Hitbf3OTmB67ZDD/s320/P3130332.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178822284511611426" border="0" /></a><br />To see if it's done, <span style="font-weight: bold;">slice the tenderloin at its thickest point</span>. It should be juicy and slightly <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">pink</span> in the middle.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">YES</span>, pork can be served medium!</span> Today's pork is raised to be far leaner than it was in the days when cooking it less than well was a health risk. Medium pork is tender, moist, incredibly flavorful, and almost silky in texture.<br /><br />If your pork is done, <span style="font-weight: bold;">slice it width-wise and serve on a bed of swiss chard</span>. Top with pancetta. Although I'm sure you <span style="font-style: italic;">could</span> enjoy wine with this, the beans are going to be pretty fiery. I recommend a <span style="color: rgb(51, 204, 0);">bracing, hoppy beer</span> like <a href="http://www.newbelgium.com/">New Belgium</a>'s Springboard Ale.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgM7whKqiHVF6rjhdPl1V62ZAkGmsYkI_70HlxAjLTMLPRuEd_TvNZvFXvYcY-W1OYU2dXVnOjoKhWec2354lBGA-xPUn5KbpicTkQYyPTk5u5WMapR3sEopz8jjN-R70MV7AdwYIWzW0/s1600-h/P3130337.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgM7whKqiHVF6rjhdPl1V62ZAkGmsYkI_70HlxAjLTMLPRuEd_TvNZvFXvYcY-W1OYU2dXVnOjoKhWec2354lBGA-xPUn5KbpicTkQYyPTk5u5WMapR3sEopz8jjN-R70MV7AdwYIWzW0/s320/P3130337.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178822293101546034" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">The End.<br /></div>The Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-22880387915162223572008-03-13T21:55:00.003-05:002008-03-13T22:11:29.162-05:00Chain Restaurants Attack the Suburbs!I may be a proud resident (and customer!) of St. Louis City, but a part of me is amused weekly by <span style="font-weight: bold;">Bob Rybarczyk's Suburban Fringe</span> column. This week's column, <a href="http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/lifestyle/columnists.nsf/suburbanfringe/story/72C7A7227545F21F8625740800795029?OpenDocument">West County's Great, As Long As You Don't Like Food</a>, reads like a hilarious dispatch from the hell I've avoided (gladly, considering the rent) for all my years in St. Louis.<br /><br />It's not just the rent that deters me from the county. It's the stultifying <span style="font-style: italic;">sameness</span> of everything planted like daises alongside the interstate. There aren't any independent restaurants. No business that doesn't have a professionally-designed Web site. Unlike the proprietors of my favorite neighborhood pho joint or burrito takeout, no server at Applebee's could ever be expected to recognize my face and say hello without fear of a reprimand from the district office.<br /><br />I get Mr. Rybarczyk (oh, hell, he seems like the kind of guy who would insist on Bob) when he complains about gas prices and the hourlong round trip drive for a meal made with integrity. I wouldn't fault him for being apprehensive about $3.09 a gallon for a decent plate of food. I may never be willing to submit to the suburbs, but in a show of appreciative solidarity, I'll gladly buy Bob a beer if I ever see him in my neighborhood.The Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-22101179031781965732008-03-10T21:47:00.002-05:002008-03-10T21:50:23.468-05:00No Reservations Is PornGod DAMMIT I love this show. I'm currently finishing a 6-pack and watching the "Into the Fire" episode, a sort of behind-the-scenes look at Brasserie Les Halles and the fun, fucked-up, glorious mess that is the kitchen life.<br /><br />I'm not sure if I'll regret this one day or not, but at the moment, I think I'd rather have a drink with Anthony Bourdain than with Mick Jagger.The Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-71289482736752887872008-03-05T19:18:00.004-06:002008-12-09T13:54:38.890-06:00REVIEW - Iron Barley<span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:180%;" >Iron Barley</span><br />5510 Virginia<br />St. Louis, MO 63111<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">(314) 351-4500</span><br /><a href="http://www.ironbarley.com">www.ironbarley.com</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Iron Barley</span> is one of those places everyone has heard about but will get around to visiting "one of these days." Well, "one of these days" is becoming less and less of an excuse, especially when you hear that it's been in the same <span style="font-weight: bold;">unassuming location at Bates and Virginia</span> for five years now.<br /><br />Although it's hard to find someone who's been there, this disappears once you walk through the door. Once in, you find yourself looking into the faces of<span style="font-weight: bold;"> relaxed regulars</span> who could probably amble back to the nearly open kitchen and dip a pinkie finger into the sauce. Just for a taste. The staff at <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Iron Barley</span> could either crack the interloper over the head with a frying pan or just tell them to grab a spoon. It's hard to tell, because they look perfectly capable of both.<br /><br />That's the thing about <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Iron Barley</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">What would seem odd in most places isn't here</span>, and it's those kind of either/or paradoxes that are satisfying, well, <span style="font-style: italic;">either</span> way.<br /><br />A 20-minute wait in a place with <span style="font-weight: bold;">no more than 15 tables</span> might seem claustrophobic were it not for the <span style="font-weight: bold;">genuinely welcoming atmosphere</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Iron Barley</span>'s rough-hewn bar, strange collection of bric-a-brac, and <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 0);">well-edited beer selection</span> make waiting a pleasant stopover to the eventual meal. The taps of Schlafly, O'Fallon, New Belgium, Goose Island, and the single A-B beer (Bare Knuckle Stout) were front-and-center, but <span style="font-weight: bold;">the bottled menu on each table was nowhere to be found near our stools</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Like the bartender, our server embodied the apparent spirit of Iron Barley: casual, friendly, and humble.</span> If you're looking for cleavage or giggles over light beer, this is not the place for you. Our server was able to speak like the very accommodating owner of a house we happened to stumble into after smelling good food from the street.<br /><br />She also rattled off the specials menu without pause, no small feat considering it seemed as long as the regular menu. <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> Iron Barley's</span> standard<span style="font-weight: bold;"> appetizer list isn't too varied</span>; there are only two options, and both are shellfish. I've no problem with BBQ shrimp or mussels with tomato cream sauce, butI was discouraged by the lack of effort on paper.<br /><br />Part of the <span style="font-weight: bold;">specials</span> menu, a <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">crab cake</span> appetizer with roasted pepper sauce and field greens</span>, arrived only about five minutes after we'd ordered it (a bonus, as we were now in the middle of our second round). A single cake, it was <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">dense</span> without being loaded with soggy bread crumbs and mayonnaise typical of most Midwestern crab cakes. I would have preferred more lump crab, but the <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">meaty flavor</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">fiery bell pepper-and-chili sauce</span> were well-balanced with the <span style="font-weight: bold;">silky texture</span>, <span style="font-weight: bold;">cool greens</span>, and <span style="font-weight: bold;">crisp breading</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYBatA1gTZs-9_TS19dKOtQ3wcPbU8uyPGtBUlt4Cr2jRJjT5Ai4GPdpRfFFEt0WVf3N4gyEOBGXVNalcs_qpnZvdcxMtcGybdrxEI0pYNg2uyVt9-KX2NaRMyXM6NBqjaAumPtybOvCM/s1600-h/P2290124.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYBatA1gTZs-9_TS19dKOtQ3wcPbU8uyPGtBUlt4Cr2jRJjT5Ai4GPdpRfFFEt0WVf3N4gyEOBGXVNalcs_qpnZvdcxMtcGybdrxEI0pYNg2uyVt9-KX2NaRMyXM6NBqjaAumPtybOvCM/s320/P2290124.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174432231322624882" border="0" /></a>The entree menu at <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Iron Barley</span> is longer than the appetizer list and <span style="font-weight: bold;">predictably straightforward</span> for a South City joint. Perhaps too straightforward. There are no descriptions, so I had no idea that my <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 51); font-weight: bold;">Oak Roasted Pork </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 51);">"Pruner"</span> (an already large portion that I assume is even smaller than the more expensive "Lumberjack" option) came resting on a <span style="font-weight: bold;">toothy red wine-barley risotto with mushrooms</span>. This wasn't explained by the server, either, which I found odd. The risotto went <span style="font-weight: bold;">beautifully</span> with the <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">smoky, sweet, and tender pork</span>. Why not say something about it?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVon_f-3kQFZgAFjZaf7qqw_t5aYjL4_VfYwJU4TzJYFHUEcW02QVi4RngiokfBitVzq82bKuxXk9b4AoQlFpBuB4f0s87I2Zgx2kqIRYHjXXtJJaJR1gCUdmZlGLIVOLUNAMflj1sGVE/s1600-h/P2290125.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVon_f-3kQFZgAFjZaf7qqw_t5aYjL4_VfYwJU4TzJYFHUEcW02QVi4RngiokfBitVzq82bKuxXk9b4AoQlFpBuB4f0s87I2Zgx2kqIRYHjXXtJJaJR1gCUdmZlGLIVOLUNAMflj1sGVE/s320/P2290125.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5174432244207526786" border="0" /></a>Our other entree was chosen from the <span style="font-weight: bold;">much more descriptive</span> specials menu - <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 0, 51);">Beef Tenderloin Medallions with Spinach, Bearnaise, and Roasted Bleu Cheese</span>. Our server pointed out that another version is listed on the menu as "Tenderloin of Beef Pepper Steak," but true to specials form, a few tweaks created a different dish every night.<br /><br />I'm not sure if I have a talent for ordering the best thing on the menu, but <span style="font-weight: bold;">the beef entree was excellent</span>. It's a classic dish, really, when you consider that Entrecote Bearnaise with Creamed Spinach is a warhorse of old-school steakhouses. <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Iron Barley's</span> version is simpler. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">spinach is flash-sauteed with butter and soft onions</span> and serves as a bed for the tenderloin slices. The <span style="font-weight: bold;">bearnaise is covered with bleu cheese</span>, which is the passed under a broiler instead of the more menu-friendly term "roasted."<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 0);">Bearnaise</span> is an overlooked sauce in most home kitchens and, increasingly, in restaurants. Few people understand how <span style="font-weight: bold;">perfectly it complements something with little inherent flavor like beef tenderloin</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Iron Barley</span> uses an old sauce in a smart, modern fashion. Instead of being used to drown the tenderloin, the bearnaise <span style="font-weight: bold;">lends moisture without ever taking away from the ideal char</span> of the meat.<br /><br />Deconstruction is fun, but only when a restaurant doesn't talk about. And <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Iron Barley</span> doesn't.The Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-13064377108970967582008-01-31T09:58:00.000-06:002008-01-31T10:00:02.658-06:00Balaban's Has CLOSEDSad. What a great restaurant in a beautiful space.<br /><br />"<a href="http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/entertainment/stories.nsf/dining/story/DFF4825BF6A20588862573E10012BAEE?OpenDocument">St Louis Restaurant Scene Loses A Legend</a>," St. Louis Post-DispatchThe Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-43945640701616837642008-01-29T00:05:00.001-06:002008-12-09T13:54:39.486-06:00RECIPE - Roasted Broccoli with Garlic and ParmesanAwhile back, I wrote that <span style="font-weight: bold;">every vegetable I've been eating lately was roasted</span>. I do it because it smells and tastes better than steaming and there's less cleanup than anything else. I don't feel awesome about creating a sheet of aluminum foil waste, but I do <span style="font-weight: bold;">recycle</span> nearly everything else.<br /><br />No one I grew up with ever ate <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">roasted broccoli</span>. As a result, everyone I recommend it to reacts like I'm telling them to make their own stock (difficult, no matter what <a href="http://blog.ruhlman.com/elements_of_cooking/">Michael Ruhlman tells you</a>) or slaughter their own chickens (icky, no matter how <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/01/09/nfood109.xml">noble</a>).<br /><br />What they're missing is that roasting broccoli brings out a <span style="font-weight: bold;">sweeter, nuttier taste</span>, and that throwing some <span style="font-weight: bold;">garlic and parmesan</span> into the mix actually makes me <span style="font-weight: bold;">not hate a vegetarian meal.</span> Here's how I does it....<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">What You'll Need:</span><br /><ul><li>3 heads of <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">broccoli</span>, or however many of that sort of thing (florets, etc.) you need</li><li>1 or 2 cloves <span style="color: rgb(153, 102, 51); font-weight: bold;">garlic</span>, depending on taste</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 204, 0);">olive oil</span>, just enough to barely coat broccoli</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">black pepper</span>, to taste</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">kosher salt</span>, to taste</li><li>grated <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 51, 0);">Parmesan</span> cheese (please not the kind that comes from a can)</li></ul><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">What You'll Do:</span></span><br /><ul><li>Preheat oven to <span style="font-weight: bold;">400</span> degrees</li><li>Cut <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">broccoli</span> into<span style="font-weight: bold;"> florets</span>, small enough to be manageable bites</li><li>Mince <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">garlic</span></li><li>Toss florets and garlic with olive oil, black pepper, kosher salt</li><li>Place florets on baking sheet (I spray mine with Pam because it's easy and tasteless), place in oven.</li></ul><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZmFfloep0hJNI0Y13InWhefIuXa5n3NKa3KLoIdk6O_mk9CfH-eQPQW-jjKVLnsHUZzQCi1wjXs739Gjb1NxkmycNTSHvAfnn4_hfgat8qeWvaN8nYq7LzLvNVScTPhyphenhyphenB3yzNkUhMVQQ/s1600-h/P1280027.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZmFfloep0hJNI0Y13InWhefIuXa5n3NKa3KLoIdk6O_mk9CfH-eQPQW-jjKVLnsHUZzQCi1wjXs739Gjb1NxkmycNTSHvAfnn4_hfgat8qeWvaN8nYq7LzLvNVScTPhyphenhyphenB3yzNkUhMVQQ/s320/P1280027.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160776679379093474" border="0" /></a><br /><ul><li>Roast for <span style="font-weight: bold;">10-15 minutes</span>, or long enough so that the broccoli has just started to crisp and brown.</li></ul><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> ***I like my broccoli just past <span style="font-weight: bold;">al dente</span>. It's a product of growing up in a household where every vegetable was cooked to mush***</span><br /><br /><ul><li>7. Once your broccoli is al dente, <span style="font-weight: bold;">turn oven to broil and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese</span>. You'll only need to broil for a minute, possibly 90 seconds, before it's barely melting and starts to smell <span style="font-style: italic;">verrrrry</span> good.</li></ul><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fonipl3yf-hhZCvxelEMx23nCNAfuyH5n0iUsOblm-n9cKuiNFGjAxh2P7b9p2xl2wGnhFUif7jBRFVeUaBupepxknmmzhBsIKkTrDsilFG06diraJYSaMQ1Y1drB-uMupJ7vdXj3u08/s1600-h/P1280031.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fonipl3yf-hhZCvxelEMx23nCNAfuyH5n0iUsOblm-n9cKuiNFGjAxh2P7b9p2xl2wGnhFUif7jBRFVeUaBupepxknmmzhBsIKkTrDsilFG06diraJYSaMQ1Y1drB-uMupJ7vdXj3u08/s320/P1280031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160776709443864562" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">This is what happens</span>. It's not burnt, it's <span style="color: rgb(102, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;">browned</span>. It's not bitter, it's <span style="font-weight: bold;">sweet and nutty</span> and (possibly, it's a vegetable) <span style="font-weight: bold;">healthy and tasty</span>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJOp1RTl3wYt51RDPnBqsu_YmPjmqzrZcEK1CZ3VvR3hCh8U37oj8K05yf5onLden5sDP27wcScy9ebfK-Mpa38YLsK2798IUCL4nfAWNVACdMHmFSw5q7rhd1cNEwHtKJMHPnHatGIHs/s1600-h/P1280032.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJOp1RTl3wYt51RDPnBqsu_YmPjmqzrZcEK1CZ3VvR3hCh8U37oj8K05yf5onLden5sDP27wcScy9ebfK-Mpa38YLsK2798IUCL4nfAWNVACdMHmFSw5q7rhd1cNEwHtKJMHPnHatGIHs/s320/P1280032.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5160776726623733762" border="0" /></a>The Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4076864944591741942.post-743510826927347152008-01-12T19:15:00.001-06:002008-12-09T13:54:39.622-06:00An Open Letter to the Vegans of the WorldDear Vegans,<br /><br />Hello. How are you? Actually, I'm only asking to be polite, as I know from experience that the majority of you are sallow, pallid, malnourished, unhappy little grouches. I honestly don't care how you are, but you probably don't care that I don't care. According to you, I'm a bloodthirsty evildoer intent on decimating cute and cuddly creatures all over the world.<br /><br /><strong>Please.</strong><br /><br />Seriously, Vegans, who do you think you're kidding? You're so kind, so just, and so fucking <em>evolved</em> because you don't eat anything produced by a being that can blink. You're convinced that eating meat is cruel, and that by loving me some bacon, I'm participating in the worldwide slaughterhouse conspiracy to ruin the planet for tree nymphs like you. By not buying varying shapes of bean curd (it's <em>just like</em> you're eating meat, only squishy and tasteless!), I've become nothing more than a humanoid collection of carcasses.<br /><br />Maybe the correct question isn't "who do you think you're kidding?" Maybe it's "<strong>what are you so afraid of?</strong>"<br /><br />Look, it's not like the animal agriculture industry is ideal. I've seen the PETA videos, too. <strong>On the whole, the meat-producing industry in the United States is a giant, unsanitary, killing machine built with the single purpose of providing the worst quality for the cheapest price. </strong> I'll agree that most Americans are content to chaw on flavorless, factory-farmed crap as long as it costs less than a free-range chicken. Well, Vegans, I hate to burst your "I am so smart" bubble, but I'm not most Americans.<br /><br /><strong>I'll gladly pay more</strong> for pork chops if they came from a fat, free-to-turn-around, grain-fed pig. I've got no problem with $3.00 extra if I know I'm not ingesting scary amounts of growth hormone. But even though these options are widely available in nearly every major city, you're still terrified of <em>polluting</em> yourself with meat or its by-products.<br /><br />And speaking of polluting your bodies, what must you think of societies that evolved around the necessity of killing animals and eating them? Would you decry an indigenous village in the Amazon because they spear fish? What about a family in Nepal whose <em>entire livelihood</em> -- food, clothing, shelter -- depends on the yaks they raise? Are they somehow barbaric because they still depend on animals for sustenance? They might not have iPhones, but there's something to be said for a culture that has survived for a millennia without toilet paper. You have a full-on meltdown if Whole Foods doesn't carry your particular brand of spelt (don't lie, I've <em>seen</em> you).<br /><br />How <strong>arrogant</strong> can you be?<br /><br />Let's not stop at arrogance. How about <strong>joyless?</strong> Tell me with a modicum of honesty that any one of you actually gets excited about food. Foie gras (responsibly farmed, STFU about the torture of <em>gavage</em> because these geese come to be fed...that's one video PETA doesn't want you to see) has rendered me speechless, but <strong>I've never experienced a near-transcedental moment with mung beans</strong>. You're not monks, for Chrissakes. Don't act like shunning eggs is a holy act of sacrifice.<br /><br />In case I've managed to offend vegetarians with this, <strong>I apologize</strong>. I know several vegetarians. I won't go to their barbecues, but they're decent people. They've chosen their path for health reasons or because they truly do care about animal rights. They're also not <strong>stupid</strong> enough to claim that a wool sweater was made from the exploitation of the noble sheep.<br /><br />Okay.<br /><br />Vegans, do the world a favor and keep your eccentric fears about food to yourselves. Don't you scoff at me for my cheese, my omelets, my sirloins, or my floor-length mink coat (<em>I kid</em>, I kid). Don't claim to be silent until someone asks about your choice, either. I know a disapproving look when I see it. <br /><br />I don't want your Tofurkey. I don't want your disdain. I don't want you at my table, either, because <strong>even the potatoes have pork fat in them</strong>.<br /><br />Sincerely, <br /><br /><span style="color:#330033;"><strong>The Eater</strong></span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VKu7T9oyE5mDAskvSmxPLPrJRIBKK8vgqwQ3ZfAeHSIeKZAhDnoTwEuV-vLYCHFpnEZRakLiclQv40sK9nSWBJtXFEjVf-bM8sTGS7Gx3xOB9YBxCGv_5l5ihfF8Mu6TJcj8j2gtJN9Y/s1600-h/zoom.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5154763777009070898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VKu7T9oyE5mDAskvSmxPLPrJRIBKK8vgqwQ3ZfAeHSIeKZAhDnoTwEuV-vLYCHFpnEZRakLiclQv40sK9nSWBJtXFEjVf-bM8sTGS7Gx3xOB9YBxCGv_5l5ihfF8Mu6TJcj8j2gtJN9Y/s320/zoom.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div><span style="font-size:85%;">Logo by Stu, available in T-shirt form at </span><a href="http://www.threadless.com/product/490/Meat_is_Murder_Tasty_Tasty_Murder#zoom"><span style="font-size:85%;">Threadless</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;">.</span></div>The Eaterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05717114434507346754noreply@blogger.com1