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IronGAF Cookoff (hosted by OnkelC)

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OnkelC said:
yay, fill up th old page with random stuff-sunday morning!
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BE CREATIVE

I guess this isn't so random, but here's a couple good places in Chicago.

Semiramis4.jpg


Semiramis5.jpg


Lamb and Beef Shawarma Special w/roasted eggplant, red cabbage, tomato, pickle, tahini and harrissa:

Semiramis11.jpg


Marinated rotisserie chicken, served with thin lavosh bread and toum (garlic sauce):

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Italian Beef W/Giardinaire:

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Garlic Fries:

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Buffalo bratwurst with extra pomegranate sauerkraut, grilled onions and stone-ground mustard:

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OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
Fuckin' A! the A is for awesome. Thanks very much for sharing, heavy. I'm planning our 2008 holiday with the wife atm, the greatcher Chicago area is a hot contender, at least food-wise. I never saw an indian "Gyros" style grill before- another first for me. Again, thanks for sharing, great pics as usual.
 
OnkelC said:
Fuckin' A! the A is for awesome. Thanks very much for sharing, heavy. I'm planning our 2008 holiday with the wife atm, the greatcher Chicago area is a hot contender, at least food-wise. I never saw an indian "Gyros" style grill before- another first for me. Again, thanks for sharing, great pics as usual.

Thanks! And let me know if you go, and maybe my wife and I could meet you for an IronGAF lunch! :)
 
warm spinach salad w/ mushrooms and pancetta. tasty, easy, and *sorta* healthy. :D

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btw, onkel: what cheeses do you put in your fondue?
heavy liquid: that half rotisserie chicken looks divine. do the bones get in the way?
 

gray_fox224

Junior Member
heavy liquid said:
I guess this isn't so random, but here's a couple good places in Chicago.

Semiramis4.jpg


Semiramis5.jpg


Lamb and Beef Shawarma Special w/roasted eggplant, red cabbage, tomato, pickle, tahini and harrissa:

Semiramis11.jpg


Marinated rotisserie chicken, served with thin lavosh bread and toum (garlic sauce):

Semiramis8.jpg


sign.jpg


menu.jpg


fred.jpg


fd1.jpg


fd2.jpg


Italian Beef W/Giardinaire:

beef.jpg


Garlic Fries:

garlic_fries.jpg


Buffalo bratwurst with extra pomegranate sauerkraut, grilled onions and stone-ground mustard:

296860041_7bfb1dd993_o.jpg



0___0

O M G
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
smirkrevenge said:
warm spinach salad w/ mushrooms and pancetta. tasty, easy, and *sorta* healthy. :D
btw, onkel: what cheeses do you put in your fondue?
very nice salad indeed!
I use every full fat cheese I can et a hold of, the more different flavors, the merrier!
 
braised beef shanks tonight. on top of some polenta w/ fresh parm and crispy pancetta.

first time with both of these items tonight -- easy and perfectly hearty for a nice fall night. feel better onkel!
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OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
smirkrevenge said:
braised beef shanks tonight. on top of some polenta w/ fresh parm and crispy pancetta.

first time with both of these items tonight -- easy and perfectly hearty for a nice fall night. feel better onkel!
Thanks and thank you for sharing. The beef stew looks interesting, mind sharing the recipe?
 

pxleyes

Banned
beef.jpg

Giardiniera!!!!!!

Though I've bought MUCH better Giardiniera than that before. Still not bad to see someone else loving it.
 
braised beef shanks

first i seasoned the shanks with salt and pepper, then covered with flour. browned in olive oil for a few minutes, and took out to rest. then i added chopped onion and leeks. salt and pepper. then celery and garlic. season again. added some red wine, beef stock, tomatoes, a bay leaf, and a few sprigs of thyme. then i put the meat back in. brought to a boil, then simmered for 2 hours. basted while cooking.

i didn't have any carrots in the fridge, otherwise i would have added those. i think i'm going to modify the recipe the next time i make it...it wasn't hearty enough? but...mmmm that marrow! i love that stuff.

the polenta was a standard recipe, but i added some leftover pancetta i fried, fresh parm, and a pat of butter.
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
smirkrevenge, nice recipe, thank you for it. beef stew is a really good soul food for the autumn.

Grecco said:
Thats an interesting Tartare. No Worsherstire sauce/mustar?
yup, I like the tartare plain, so no mustard, worchestershire and no capers either. It should taste like beef IMHO.
 

Hooker

Member
Starter: Crab ravioli with tomato-saffron sauce

serves 4
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2 crabs (make sure they are alive!!) or otherwise 200 gr. crabmeat
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1 lemon
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little parsley and chives
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1 egg, 1 eggyolk
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1/2 tbs oliveoil
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125(pasta-) flour
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pinch salt
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leek
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fennel
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tomatoes
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onion
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bayleaf
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thyme
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carrot
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white wine
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celery
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chilli
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3 cloves of garlic
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fish bouillon cube

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Cut the leek, carrot, celery, 2 cloves of garlic, and half a bulb of fennel in large pieces and fry them off in a little oil. Stir for 3 min. and add about 2 to 3 glasses of white wine.

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Once the alcohol is burned of (takes 1 to 2 min) fill the pan with water. Once it comes to the boil, kill he crabs (by stabbing them between the eyes) and boil them for 15 to 30 min. depends on the size.

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Once boiled, let the crabs cool and throw away the broth. Crack the crabs open and take out the white meat.

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In the meanwhile, make the tomato-saffron sauce. Cut the tomatoes, chilli, remaining fennel and garlic and the onion in large pieces. Fry them off in oil and add (again :p) 2 glasses of white wine, some water and the bouillon cube.

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Let it simmer until it turnes into a thick, sloppy, chunky sauce (about 30 min). Strain the sauce and put it back into the pan. Add the saffron and keep warm for serving.

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For the pasta, combine the flour, salt and the rind of half a lemon. Make a hole in the middle and add the egg, the eggyolk and the olive oil.

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Stir the dry mix into the wet mix untill a wet dough forms. Take out the pastamaker, sprinkle dough with additional flour and make your pasta!

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For an extra touch... when you have rolled the pasta add chives and parsley to one half, place the other half over it and pass it through the highest setting of the pasta machine. The pasta is ready!

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Now make your ravioli... you should be able to make about 12 to 15.

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Boil some salted water and boil the ravioli... 3 to 4 at the time. Fry of some samphire and heat the sauce.

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Serve at once.

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Hooker

Member
Main: Jamie's chicken in pastry with potatoes and salad

I trust you with the potatoes and salad so only the recipe for the chicken

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3 chickenbreasts
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200 gr. of mushrooms
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125 ml. cream
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1 teasp mustard
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1/2 tbsp mustardseeds
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1 garlic clove
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handful of parsley
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1 glass of white wine
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1 egg
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pastry

Pre-heat the oven to 200C

Cut the mushrooms in small cubes and fry them off in oliveoil with the mustardseeds.

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Add the garlic clove after 3 min and the parsley after 5 min.

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Let the mixture cool. And take the pastry out of the freezer to thaw

Cut open the chickenbreasts and flatten them by bashing them with something. Add the mushroomfilling and roll them up.

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(editors note: Sorry for the lack of pictures in this part. Football was on :lol)

Cut the pastry into 3 rectangles. 'Package' the chicken with the pastry and cook in the oven for 35 min.

You prolly didn't use all the filling. Just reheat it, add some mustard, wine and cream and let it simmer. Sauce is made!

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Serve while hot hot hot!

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And here's me (editor) eating it :D

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Hooker

Member
Dessert: Cantuccini with icecream
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2,5 cups of flour (320 grams)
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1,5 teasp baking powder
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1/2 teasp. salt
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1/2 cup sugar (100 gr.)
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2 tbsp honey
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2 eggs
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1/4 cup oliveoil (55 gr.)
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1 teasp lemon rind
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1 tbsp lemonjuice
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1 teasp vanilla (or just add vanillasugar)
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1,5 cup of nuts (pistachio, almonds, hazelnuts... whatever you want)

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Pre-heat the oven to 175C

Combine the flour, baking powder and the salt. Combine the wet ingredients in another bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients little by little. Mix in the nuts al the last minute.

Form an ovalshape of the mixture and put it on a baking tray in the middle of the oven. Bake for 25 min.
Take it out and let it cool for 15 min. Cut the cantuccini loaf into slices and bake them for 10 on each side.

Eat warm or cold :D

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Again, not a lot of pictures... :(

We do have some pictures left of the time we made a huge birthday cake for a little girl who turned 3.

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OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
what can I say, thank you for sharing those awesome dishes, Hooker! Thanks to Joya, too!
How did you crack the crabs? Meat tenderizer?

Convenience cooking this weekend here, some chicken strips with lemon sauce today and a "Haluschka" (romanian pasta dish with sour cream, feta cheese and bacon) tomorrow. Stay tuned and share your weekend dishes, folks!
 

tnw

Banned
well, I haven't been in here for quite awhile.

I've been eating out with my roommate pretty frequently as of late. here's a run down of what we've been eating:

a donburi resturant that specializes in tuna. I usually get the bakudan domburi which has lots of 'neba neba' (sticky) foods in it. It has grated yamaimo, okra, negitoro, natto, and takuan in it. It is delicious.

There is a chain tempura eatery in Tokyo called Tenya. They have an awesome vegetable tempura domburi for 450 yen! So cheap and the tempura is fresh and tasty!

Saizeriya is a 'family resturant' here that has amazingly good Italian food for it's Denny's like setting/pricing. They procuitto, buffalo mozerella, and 100 yen glass wine. Great for eating on the cheap but still decent. Not some place to bring a date, but nothing to avoid for a casual meal.

Hiroshima style okonomiyaki. We also had shrimp chili and mapo dofu monjya yaki. Lots of okomomiyaki resturants here often have 'butter yaki' on the menu, where they give you some fresh ingredients to cook on the hot plate. We got some eringi mushrooms with a little bit of soy sauce and course ground pepper, and my god it was so delicious! Yummmmmm. :O.......

Gyuu kaku is a chain yaki niku resturant here, and even though I'm vegetarian, these places usually have quite a few good vegetarian options. I got a small bi bim bap and a set of veggies for the grill. My roommate got some meats and also a chijimi souffle, which was kind of interesting but not very good. For dessert I had ice cream witht Shiratama and kuromitsu on it. So very very delicious.

We've also been going to some izakayas lately. Izakaya is essentially like a tapas resturant where you order lots of small dishes. We found a good chain izakaya called Tengu. I got some really tasty korean chigae. They also had horse and whale sashimi on the menu. My roommate ordered the whale sashimi, he seemed to like it.
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
valtox, thanks for the preview. I'm looking forward to the recipe, italian sammich sounds intriguing!

tnw, thanks for the overview to you, too. Pics would be nice as I am uncommon with most of the dishes you posted.

My dinner (made the Haluschka tonight) turned out as an epic failure, pics tomorrow. Keep sharing, folks!
 
We went out to eat last night and had a Piedmontese burger along with a thin crust pizza. The pizza was split into quarters: cheese, ham, mushroom and artichokes.

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OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
tasty burger! The pizza looks nice too, an interesting variation of the "quattro stagioni". Zhanks for sharing, heavy liquid, I appreciate it!

Here's the epic failure that's called Haluschka.

I read the recipe for this plain dish a while ago, but didn't had an opportunity to try it out yet. It's made up from very few ingredients, being sour cream, roast bacon strips and Feta cheese. I imagined the taste would be similar to a carbonara, but I was soooo wrong.
Ingredients:
Feta Cheese:
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roast bacon:
smallP1020612.jpg


melt sour cream in the bacon oil, add feta, add bacon strips and pasta, add ground black pepper, then serve:
smallP1020614.jpg


Tastes like nothing.
 
I'm sorry about the failure, OnkleC. :( They can't all be masterpieces, eh?

We made some dishes tonight to eat over this coming week. I've made these dishes before and think I've posted these recipes in earlier IronGAF threads.

Mujadara:

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Chicken Biryani:

DSCF1533.jpg


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Baked Ziti (with ground turkey instead of beef):

DSCF1537.jpg


DSCF1535.jpg
 
I'd like to give a heads-up to any Chicago IronGAFers about a great new Cuban sandwich shop.

Wikipedia said:
While there is some debate as to the contents of a “true” Cuban sandwich, most are generally agreed upon. The traditional Cuban sandwich starts with Cuban bread. The loaf is sliced into lengths of 8-12 inches (20-30 cm), lightly buttered on the crust, and cut in half horizontally. A coat of yellow mustard is spread on the bread. Then roast pork, glazed ham, Swiss cheese, and thinly-sliced dill pickles are added in layers. Sometimes the pork is marinated in mojo (a Cuban garlic/citrus marinade) and slow roasted.

The main regional disagreement about the sandwich’s recipe is whether or not to include salami. In Tampa, Genoa salami[2] is traditionally layered in with the other meats, probably due to influence of Italian immigrants who lived side-by-side with Cubans and Spaniards in Ybor City. In Miami, salami is left out.

In Key West, mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato are usually added. These additions are often available in restaurants in Tampa and Miami, but are frowned upon by traditionalists there.

When assembled, the sandwich is lightly toasted in a sandwich press called a plancha, which is only somewhat similar to a panini press but without grooved surfaces. A traditional Cuban sandwich is never made with a panini grill. The sandwich remains in the plancha until the bread is crisp and the cheese is melted, the press both heats and compresses the sandwich which is then usually cut into two diagonal halves.

This is definitely the real deal!

El Cubanito
2555 N. Pulaski, Chicago, IL

exterior.jpg


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El Cubanito Cuban Sandwich:
cubano2.jpg


cubano.jpg


El Cubanito Steak Sandwich:
steak.jpg


cubanito.ropavieja.jpg


El Cubanito Ham & Cheese:
cubanito.jamonqueso.jpg
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
heavy liquid, those are some awesomely crisp looking sammiches! In fact, they made me do "Ze German" sammich par excellence, the Toast Hawaii, tonight. Stay tuned for some fusion cooking of the ugly kind.
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
So, let's cook. The Flagship and grandmother of german sandwich tradition, Toast Hawaii.
I did a small writeup on that dish here, so let's get it on. As for the "fusion" part, I combined the infamous 50s sandwich with the infamous frozen local 1970s "meat" product, Steaklets.
Ingredients:
smallP1020634.jpg

Toast,
canned Pineapple slices,
cooked ham,
cheese of choice,
butter.

Preparation steps now in one pic:lol :
smallP1020636.jpg


Slap in the oven, roast til cheese is runny, serve!
smallP1020639.jpg

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Steaklets, panfried and served with ketchup and mayo:
smallP1020641.jpg


Doesn't match at all, but I talked about those with a colleague today.

Enjoy!
 
made a simple NY strip with caramelized onions. roasted shallots and red potatoes to accompany. i am laughing at the toast hawaii! and those cuban sandwiches...man...so jealous...

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OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
Nice steak! Caramelized onions go with everything IMHO. Thank you for sharing, smirkrevenge!

The wife is out for business appointment tonight, so solo cooking here. Any ideas, GAF?
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
Made some basterdized Spaetzle tonight, just fry some chopped onions in butter, add some sugar to caramelize them:
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Add fresh Spaetzle:
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and grated emmental:
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Serve hot:
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Enjoy!
 

Cardon

Member
heavy liquid said:
I'd like to give a heads-up to any Chicago IronGAFers about a great new Cuban sandwich shop.



This is definitely the real deal!

El Cubanito
2555 N. Pulaski, Chicago, IL

I've actually driven by there a few times but didn't think of checking it out but based on those pics I'll be dropping by soon. Looks like an excellent place to get an authentic cuban sandwich.
 

tnw

Banned
mmmm, spaetzle :O......

hey onkel, I was at the supermarket today, and they had some land brot on sale. I decided to pick it up. It toasted up quite nicely, and I had it with some nice jam. Got any background on land brot and how I should use it? :D
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
tnw said:
mmmm, spaetzle :O......

hey onkel, I was at the supermarket today, and they had some land brot on sale. I decided to pick it up. It toasted up quite nicely, and I had it with some nice jam. Got any background on land brot and how I should use it? :D
sure!:lol

"Landbrot" (lit. "country bread") is a common "Weizenmischbrot" ("wheat mix flour", meaning using rye and wheat flours for the dough in an aproximate in a 3 to 1 ratio), which is made with sourdough instead of yeast as the leavening agent. It's a standard bread for breakfast and dinner in Germany, switzerland and Austria.

It is categorized as "Graubrot", lit. "grey bread", other categories being "Weißbrot" (white bread, only wheat flour used for the dough), "Graubrot" and "Schwarzbrot", made from coarsely ground rye and wheat grains in varying ratios.

It should have a hearty and slightly sour taste with a firm outer crust and is usually eaten without toasting it beforehand. Graubrot can be used with every topping from sweet (PRO TIP: butter and Nutella) to cold cuts or cheeses. A slice of Graubrot is a vital ingredient for the German dinner classic "Strammer Max":

630px-Strammer-Max.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strammer_Max

Leftovers of all grey bread variants can be used for making "Brotsuppe" (lit. Bread soup), which is a traditional polish dish. Simply grate the old bread, boil it in broth with fresh or roast onions, add a shitload of various herbs and spices and serve with stirred-in egg and/or cream.

Edit:
Also nice and a great hangover cure is to fry one or two slices of the bread in butter, then scrambling some eggs with some milk, adding salt and pepper to the mix (maybe some velveeta, soo), pouring it over the frying bread and let it get firm, then serve with a Virgin Mary or a Prairie Oyster for maximum damage. To the hangover, that is.
 

tnw

Banned
thanks onkel!

it's just as described, slightly sour because of the sourbread instead of yeast. interesting!

some of your suggestions aren't really my....style, but it has been quite good with jam as well as tapenade. it would probably make a much better sandwich bread than schinkenbrot...
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
well, post-WWII german cuisine is heavy on the meat and dairy products side, so the bakery and pastry produce is to cater that demand...:lol
 

OnkelC

Hail to the Chef
two more classics from ze ages, baked camembert with lingonberry jam:
smallP1020658.jpg


and mini creampuffs:
smallP1020659.jpg


That's it from me for this week, I'm off to holding a lecture until late saturday. Keep the thread going, folks!:lol
 

Flynn

Member
Heavy Liquid, that Cuban place looks hot. I noticed they don't serve a Media Noche, which requires a yellow bread rather than the typical "pan de agua."

I recommend trying the Ropa Vieja -- it's pulled beef roast simmered in tomato. Great comfort food when the weather starts getting cold.

Do they have the soft drink Iron Beer at the shop?
 

Flynn

Member
heavy liquid said:
They sure do! :)

cubanitoironry5.jpg


Thanks for the Ropa Vieja recommendation... I'll have to try it out when I'm there next!

Sweet! That soda brings back tons of memories every time I drink it. I had a tia who kept it in the fridge for when we visited. I wish I could find a decent Cubano in Minneapolis.
 
So I guess I'll pimp another great place in Chicago:

Pasticceria Natalina
5406 N. Clark Street

It's a fantastic Sicilian bakery owned by a young couple, Nick and his wife Natalie.

From Metromix:

"Natalia" is Natalie Zarzour, a Chicago area native who trained in classic French pastry techniques in Lebanon. Her Sicilian heritage--and memories of the Italian-American bakeries in Melrose Park and Elmwood Park--inspired her to open her own shop. "I looked around and realized, you can't get this stuff around here," says the current North Sider. The seasonally inspired menu will offer tarts, cookies, cakes and prepared-to-order canolli, among other delicacies.

Some of the things you can find there:

* Almond paste cookies
* Pizzelles
* Sesame cookies
* Chocolate biscotti
* Pistachio cookies
* Dried candied orange peel
* Lemon custard in a chocolate shell, topped with fruit
* Tiramisu
* Rice pudding with rose water
* Rice pudding with pistachio
* Honeydew gel
* Cuccidatti (fig cookies with white icing, traditionally for Christmas)
* Fruit tarts, including cherry, lemon, and pistachio
* Pine nut coffeecake

PasticceriaNatalina1.jpg


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PasticceriaNatalina3.jpg


Cannoncini ("Little Cannons"):

PasticceriaNatalina4.jpg


Barca di Crema Pasticciera con Frutti del Bosco (Puff pastry custard boat with fresh berries):

PasticceriaNatalina8.jpg


Baba al Rum gets a second rum application before boxing:

PasticceriaNatalina15.jpg


Cannoli:

PasticceriaNatalina11.jpg


PasticceriaNatalina13.jpg


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