chicago restaurant – In Good Taste

Five Things You “Knead” to Know About Homemade Pasta

Maris Callahan — Wed, 30 Aug 2017 06:06:51 +0000

The first time I tried making homemade pasta I was sure I was going to break it, drop it or roll the delicate sheets so thin that I could barely lift them without poking finger sized holes into the pliable dough. I wish I could finish this anecdote with a heroic tale of how I hit my linguine out of the park but actually? I did all three of those things and at the end of my class, still ate some magically delicious pasta. I’m sure it had nothing to do with the fact that I was cooking the pasta with a dozen other people considerably less clumsy than I am in the controlled environment of a recreational cooking school, so please try not to kill my fantasy. Despite plenty of bumps in the road (and in the dough) I can crank out a halfway decent sheet of lasagne and make just enough not-screwed-up wontons to stuff a melt-in-your-mouth ravioli, but I’m far from a master pasta maker. Enter, our friend Phil Rubino, former sous chef at Cicchetti Restaurant in downtown Chicago, now helming the kitchen at Dusek’s in Pilsen. Rubino has just a tad more experience handling fresh-Italian focused ingredients than […]

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A Conversation with Christine Tully Aranza

Maris Callahan — Sat, 29 Oct 2016 00:50:07 +0000

You read a lot about women who are chefs: boss ladies at the helm of the kitchen, following in the footsteps of Lidia Bastianich and Alice Waters to dominate the culinary scene one James Beard Award at a time. You don’t hear as often though, about the women who keep the ships running smoothly (I really don’t know why I’m using all of these boat metaphors right now) behind the scenes. Christine Tully Aranza has worked in almost every facet of the restaurant business: she worked her way up from hostess to server to Maitre d’ to manager throughout Chicago’s restaurants, eventually landing at Spiaggia & Café Spiaggia heading up all operations. While at Spiaggia she also shaped the marketing program and acted as the project manager for the award-winning Spiaggia Cookbook, so it’s safe to say that she understands what it takes to please diners and keep them returning again and again. So, in 2010 she and her husband John purchased a small storefront with the idea of collaborating with some of their most talented former colleagues to bring a vibrant neighborhood café to an underserved area. After a complete renovation of the space, Autre Monde Café opened in 2011 with Dan Pancake & Beth Partridge in the kitchen creating inventive Mediterranean […]

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Chicago: Pork Shoppe – Andersonville

Maris Callahan — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 02:43:37 +0000

Most people flock to Chicago for the deep dish pizza, the Chicago-style hot dogs or the even a taste of Rick Bayless’ Mexican food – beyond what you can get at Tortas Frontera at O’Hare airport, which I will come right out and admit I like a lot. What many people don’t expect to find when they visit Chicago is a range of barbecue options, from North Carolina-style to low and slow Texas ‘cue. If you only have time for to hit one barbecue joint, or if you live here and are looking to broaden your horizons, Pork Shoppe pretty much has you covered no matter what it is you’re after. Pork Shoppe, in Chicago’s Andersonville neighborhood, arrived in spring 2015 following its first location in Avondale. It isn’t your typical barbecue joint, with an eclectic design that feels special but still comfortable with a vibe that would be appreciated by the neighborhood. “We wanted the rustic feel, but to incorporate a ‘shabby chic’ element, said owner Steven Ford. “The banquettes are made of wood with a caramel colored vinyl. We added some plaid table and plaid fabric to the other banquettes to make them pop. We also added the art around the room to tell […]

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Luxbar Salmon with Farro

Maris Callahan — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 05:00:57 +0000

In the winter, it’s easy to succumb to rich and heavy comfort foods that stick to your ribs, and unfortunately, stick to other parts of your body too. One of the best ways to give into your heartier cravings is to make a hearty, filling dish with healthy grains and seafood. Gibsons Restaurant Group’s Corporate Executive Chef Randy Waidner. Among other duties, Waidner oversees operations in the kitchen at Luxbar, a neighborhood tavern in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood. A lot of delicious things emerge from the kitchen but one favorite is the seared salmon with farro salad. Chef also offered us a few tips for cooking salmon perfectly, every time. Waidner recommends using fresh, wild caught salmon whenever possible. “Wild salmon contains more nutrients and the finished product is not only better tasting, but a brighter, more vibrant pink color,” said Waidner. “When buying salmon from the store or local fish monger, try and request a fillet from the thickest and center part of the part of the fish. If it smells fishy, it will taste fishy, so make sure it doesn’t have an unpleasant odor.” Before preparing, remove the skin and the dark fat/blood line (which we call deep […]

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How-To: Make a Lobster Roll

Maris Callahan — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 14:01:20 +0000

For me, lobster is proof that some of the most delicious things in culinary life are the simplest. Though there are plenty of opulent ways to eat lobster, from from thermidor to Newburg and from scampi to bisque, but the best way to enjoy lobster is plain, cooked fresh and tasting slightly salty like the Atlantic ocean. The next best way to enjoy lobster is far and away in a lobster roll. Some claim the lobster roll first popped up on the menu at Perry’s in Milford, Connecticut, in the 1920s, as a riff on lobster salad; but Bon Appetit says no, it was Red’s of Wiscasset, Maine, that became the first in the 1970s, serving shucked, one-pound lobsters on buttery hot dog buns, with creamy mayo served in a cup on the side. Today, the lobster roll isn’t much different, though you’ll find variations on every menu across the country, even in the least likely places you’d expect to see lobster. When we visited chef Ashley Elech at Joe Fish in Chicago, she gave us a few quick tips for building the perfect lobster roll. The Buns “The most important part are the components, beginning with a New England […]

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