Uncategorized – Page 2 – Nicole M. Markle

Short rib rigatoni

The price of short ribs seems to be increasing with their popularity. I’ve heard them heralded as “economical.” I paid $4.69 a pound. I’ll let you decide whether that’s cheap or expensive. Either way, this cut of beef makes a delicious, meaty sauce that coats pasta perfectly.

Short rib pasta — Short rib rigatoni with roasted Brussels sprouts

Short rib rigatoni
Adapted from FoodNetwork.com | Serves 2-3

1.5 pounds short ribs (about 6 hunks)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
4 Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup dry wine (I had Pinot Grigio on hand; red would be even better)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
1 cup beef stock
1/2 pound rigatoni, cooked al dente

Preheat oven to 325.

Heat olive oil in cast iron Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Salt and pepper short ribs and place, fat side down, in single layer on bottom of pan. Sear on all sides until brown. Remove meat from pot. (You’ll have a lot of fat left in the bottom of the pot. Don’t get rid of it — it’s what makes the sauce yummy.)

Add onion and garlic to pot and sprinkle with salt. Saute until onions are clear. Add tomatoes, mustard, wine, red pepper flakes and bay leaf. Stir to combine, then bring liquid to boil. Scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add short ribs back to pot. Pour in beef stock. Cover pot tightly with foil, then lid, and transfer to oven. Cook 3 hours.

Remove short ribs from pot. Pull the bones from meat (they should slide right out) and discard. Separate any big hunks of fat from meat and discard. Shred meat. Toss with rigatoni.

Meanwhile, remove bay leaf from sauce and discard. Transfer sauce to food processor and puree. (You can add the sauce back to the Dutch oven and keep it warm on the stovetop, if desired.) Add about a cup of sauce to the pasta and meat. Toss and top with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs.

Get the roasted Brussels sprouts recipe here. I added a touch of maple syrup to them just before serving. They were a big hit.

Almond cakes with berries and cream

I can’t get enough of almond-flavored pastries. My mom used to make blondies with almonds on top, so treats such as biscotti or amaretti always have a familiar, nostalgic taste.

A couple weeks ago, I had a wonderful Gâteau de Beurre d’Amande (almond-butter cake) at Bistrot Zinc. And when I was jonesin’ for some baking last weekend, I knew I wanted to recreate it at home.

Almond Cake 1 — The restaurant presentation wasn't quite as frou-frou ...

Almond Cake 2 — ... But I do what I want in my kitchen!

I’d never worked with almond paste before, but David Lebovitz’s Almond Cake was easy to make, as it’s all done in the food processor. Individual “cakes” (made in muffin tins) are just the right size dessert with your favorite berries and homemade whipped cream.

This is definitely a new favorite.

Kuma’s Corner

Here’s a break from the deep dish drivel.

kumas2 — The Lair of the Minotaur: This ain't your average burger.

Kuma’s Corner, 2900 W Belmont Ave., serves up humongous burgers with gourmet toppings and heavy metal names. The creations are served on a pretzel roll unless otherwise specified.

Part of the experience is trying to decide whether to order the ‘Slayer’ or the ‘Plague Bringer’ as Mastodon blares from the speakers.

As you walk in, you’ll notice stickers on the front door touting Kuma’s popularity — Michelin, Zagat, “People love us on Yelp!” The place was packed early on a Monday evening — 30 minute wait for a bar seat — but worth it for the extensive beer list and high-quality beef.

I managed to consume half of the Lair of the Minotaur burger (caramelized onions, pancetta, brie and bourbon-soaked pears; see photo above), cooked to medium doneness and enjoyable with hard pear cider and waffle fries. Tip: Skip the ketchup; go for the garlic mayo.

My dining companion cleaned his plate after ordering the Iron Maiden burger (avocado, cherry peppers, pepperjack and chipotle mayo), which was washed down with vanilla porter.

As we dined, we watched several peers bring in parents for the experience. The thought of being there with my parents or in-laws made me cringe. (“Why can’t they turn down that music?” “You mean to tell me I waited 30 minutes to pay $13 for a burger?!”)

But it could be worth it, if only to hear one of them order the Goatwhore burger.

Bulgur, roasted red pepper and chickpea salad

I don’t always eat pizza, pastries and pork. Believe it or not, I try to eat healthfully most days. This recipe from Everyday Food is a good example. As written, it’s a great side dish with dinner. With a few shortcuts, it’s lunch.

bulgursalad — This dish is good warm, cold or room temperature.

Bulgur, roasted red pepper and chickpea salad
Adapted from marthastewart.com | Serves 2
1 cup water
1/2 cup bulgur
1 red pepper
1/2 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 roasted chicken breast, chopped into bite-size cubes
Salt, pepper
Lemon wedges, for serving

Bring water to boil. Pour in bulgur, cover pot, and remove from heat. Let sit 30 minutes, until bulgur is soft and all water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, roast red pepper over gas burner, or under broiler in oven. Turn every couple minutes, until skin is charred all over, about 15 minutes. Place cooked pepper in bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit until cool, then use paper towels to rub off skin. Remove stem and seeds, then chop roasted red pepper into bite-size pieces.

Stir roasted red pepper chunks, chickpeas and chicken into bulgur. Add salt, pepper and generous squeeze of lemon juice. Serve.

Lou Malnati’s – guest post!

I asked the hubby write the review for this week’s Deep Dish Decision 2011. He had strong opinions about this wedge, so please pardon his language.

Lou Malnati’s | Lincoln Park Location: 958 West Wrightwood Ave.

There’s an old saying that goes something to the effect of, “No matter how bad they are, sex and pizza are still pretty good.” I thought of this phrase while thinking about a review for this week’s deep-dish pizza franchise. That’s not to say Lou Malnati’s pizza is bad, because it’s not really. But it’s not good either. It just sort of exists. There’s a reason Nicole asked me to guest-post this one, and it’s sure as hell not because she loved it so much. When I go out for pizza and the thing I enjoy the most was the salad appetizer, you know there’s something wrong with this picture.

Malnatis2 — Cheese: stringy but not too oozy.

Sauce: Sweet and tasty, with just a hint of herbs, and by far my favorite part of this pizza. My only problem was there wasn’t enough of it.

Cheese: Nothing to write home about. A thin layer of good ol’ mozzarella, with minimal salt (read: flavor) content.
(Note from Nicole: I loved the cheese, which tasted like it had some provolone melted in. I thought it was the tastiest so far.)

Sausage: Ugh, the disk o’ sausage makes another appearance. Much better than the Gino’s disk, but not as good as Uno’s. The squishy texture gets to be a bit much in every single bite, and there wasn’t nearly enough cheese and sauce to cover it up. Why can’t they offer a crumbled option?

Crust: The reason that I didn’t get enough cheese or sauce for my liking. This guy was tiny (relatively speaking, of course). If you sat a Malnati’s deep dish next to Uno’s or Gino’s, I’m guessing it’d measure about a ½-inch shorter. Good enough, with a nice bit of cornmeal mixed in with the flour, but lacking in overall flavor.

Atmosphere: If Gino’s has a dingy bar vibe to it, and Uno’s is a pizza-centric Applebee’s franchise, the most apt comparison for Malnati’s would be a cafeteria. It was bright, clean (almost too clean) and unbelievably quiet. You can tell this is the family-friendly suburban pizza franchise around town.

Oatmeal pancakes

It’s old news by now, but I’ll miss Mark Bittman’s The Minimalist column in the New York Times. I should’ve known change was in the air when his Bitten blog was rolled into Diner’s Journal last year.

Anyway, this was his last ‘real’ column, and I had to try one of the recipes. Not as a tribute, really, but because it’s a way to make pancakes more healthful and interesting. So I spiced up a weekend breakfast with these oatmeal pancakes.

Oatmeal pancakes with lemon zest and honey
Adapted from this recipe by Mark Bittman | Serves 2
2 tbsp. whole wheat flour
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. rolled oats
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup milk
Zest from one lemon
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup cooked oatmeal
Butter, for frying
Honey, for serving

In large bowl, combine flours, oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

In another bowl, beat together egg yolk, milk, lemon zest and vanilla. Stir in oatmeal. Pour wet ingredients into flour mixture. Fold to combine.

Rub hot griddle with butter. Using 1/4 cup measure, spoon batter onto griddle. Fry 3-5 minutes per side, until browned on both sides. Serve with drizzle of honey.

Valentine’s wine

Looking for something to sip tonight? Last weekend I stumbled upon a unique wine that’s perfect for a couples or singles celebration.

On Saturday, I was at the corner grocery searching for a robust red to go with a steak dinner. But the description of Ca’ De’ Medici’s Lambrusco Cubista caught my attention and wouldn’t let go (“Classified as ‘dolce,’ but not overly sweet,” “purple color,” “gentle fizz,” and “hints of cherry and plum”).

I’m no wine snob, but I certainly enjoy a glass of Cabernet or Pinot Grigio with dinner a couple nights a week. The hubby is partial to beer, but he loved this light, sparkling red from the Emilia region of Italy. We both enjoyed it so much, in fact, that we drank the entire bottle with our dinner of ribeyes, sauteed mushrooms, roasted potatoes and lemon-dressed spinach.

The post-dinner Lambrusco haze brought back memories of our honeymoon in Italy, where the wine was so cheap and delicious that finishing a bottle (or two) at dinner was expected. Afterward, we’d stroll around Rome happy, half-drunk, in love, and feeling like the luckiest people in the world.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Pumpkin spice chocolate chip muffins

These muffins have been my obsession for the past week. They’re great with coffee for breakfast. Or with hot tea as an afternoon snack.

pumpkinmuffins — They're relatively healthy, too.

Pumpkin spice chocolate chip muffins
Makes 10-12 muffins
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. mace
1 cup pumpkin puree (about 1/2 can)
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup applesauce
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 bag (about 1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tin.

In large bowl, sift together flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices.

In separate bowl, beat together pumpkin, oil, applesauce, sugars, egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in 3/4 cup of chocolate chips. Reserve 1/4 cup for tops of muffins.

Using a 1/4 cup measure, scoop batter into muffin cups. Place 4-5 chocolate chips on top of batter. Bake 22 minutes, until muffins are still moist on top but cooked through inside.

Slow cooker pulled pork

Sometimes, in the dead of winter, with no grill and no smoker, you just have to make pulled pork.

pulledpork1 — Pork 'n' beans. And cole slaw.

If you’ll indulge me, I’m taking another trip down food memory lane ….

The best ‘pulled’ pork I ever had was a couple summers ago, at a pig pickin’ in Carolina Beach. After cooking all day, the whole pig kept its perch on the grill as hungry people lined up to pull the succulent meat straight from its bones. A drizzle of Carolina Treet, and it was perrrrrfect.

Mine didn’t turn out quite as swoon-worthy, but I highly recommend this spice rub and mop sauce. And cooking it in the slow cooker. Sure, I missed out on the smoky flavor, but I also didn’t have to worry about baby-sitting the oven for 8-10 hours (or paying the price of a higher gas bill).

pulledpork3 — Check out the crust on this baby!

Flip a small plate and set it face-down in the slow cooker. Place the spice-rubbed pork shoulder on top of the plate, to let the fat drain off without boiling the meat. Cook on low about 8 hours, drizzling the meat with mop sauce whenever you can (I did it 3-4 times).

The rub
1/3 cup freshly cracked black pepper
3 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons granulated garlic powder
2 tablespoons granulated onion powder
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup chili powder
1/4 cup ground cumin
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup hot dry mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne

Mix all ingredients. Rub on pork.

The mop sauce
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons canola oil

Mix all ingredients. Brush on pork during cooking. Drizzle over shredded pork before serving.

Pizzeria Uno

You’ve probably been to an Uno franchise, as they’re scattered across the U.S. I’ll admit, I wasn’t too thrilled about eating at a chain restaurant. But I gave it a go, since this is where deep dish supposedly began.

Pizzeria Uno | 29 E. Ohio St.

Uno1 — The plate makes this wedge look small. It's not.

The sauce: Tart and salty. The chunky texture of real tomatoes is commendable, but the ketchupy flavor made me question their quality. Something about the taste brought to mind Chef Boyardee.

The cheese: Proportionate to the amount of sauce. Didn’t ooze everywhere and didn’t dominate the overall flavor.

The sausage: Surprising. I was wary of the disk after the experience at Gino’s East, but Uno’s disk was much more appealing, with a firm texture and a slightly spicy bite.

The crust: Bland. Had the taste of a flour-based quick bread. Didn’t have that buttery flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture I love. It was, however, softer and easier to cut with a knife and fork.

The atmosphere: Touristy and cramped. The decor is 50s-style diner meets your neighborhood Applebee’s — black and white tile on the floor and walls, forest green wainscoting, blue Christmas lights and framed photos of days gone by. If you’re unlucky enough to have a party of two, you’ll get jammed into a small table placed in extremely close proximity to two booths. To distract yourself from the back of your chair getting pushed every time the server squeezes by, listen in on the booth-dwellers’ intimate dinner conversation and watch as they order two large deep-dish pizzas for a family of four (read: WAY TOO MUCH PIZZA).