Saag – My new favorite dish!

by Jamie Ginsberg on 31. Aug, 2010 in Jamie Ginsberg

Recently, I hit the lunch time buffet at India Garden on the Westside of Cleveland. The food is delicious and it is easy to lose control and fill your plate repeatedly with a variety of traditional Indian dishes. There are always 4 vegetarian dishes and 4 meat dishes, what got me excited was the Saag. On both visits the Saag was different yet equally delicious. But enough about their Saag, have you ever made Saag? Tonight, I made one of my favorite vegetarian dishes ever and it was really easy!

After googling Saag and looking at a few recipes, I decided this was an adventure I could try. I sliced up a large onion and started sauteing it in olive oil. All of the recipes said to saute the onions until they turned clear. BORING!!! I cranked up the heat and got them lightly browned, really bringing out that delicious onion flavor. Next, I crushed and chopped in 3 cloves of garlic and added 2 cans of organic chick peas. Ok, none of the recipes called for chick peas, but they are delicious and I have been craving protein.

This is where I cheated. Garam Masala, I have been holding onto a packet I scored from The Occasional Gourmet at the Marin Farmer’s Market 2 years ago. I have had no idea what to do with the stuff until tonight. I opened the vacuum sealed packet and a gorgeous scent wafted upwards. I took 2 heaping teaspoons and mixed them in with my chick peas, onions and garlic. Instantly my kitchen smelled like India Garden, awesome! Feeling a little wild, I grabbed the cinnamon and dashed a little in letting everything cook for 10 minutes, covered. Wow, liberating!!!

The chick peas/onions were looking good, so I moved them to half the pan and added in a massive container of fresh washed spinach from Costco, covering the pan. I then sliced 4 smallish tomatoes in half and added them to the spinach. After a minute or 2 I stirred the spinach, adding more until it was all cooked. I took out the Spinach, a lot of the onions and 1/2 the chick peas and pureed the mess in the cusinart for approximately 10 seconds. I squeezed in half a lemon, wondering if Indians used lemons (probably not). I added medium thin sliced of Firm Whole Foods Tofu to my pan, covering it in the sauce and chick peas onion mixture. I then added the pureed spinach back into the pan covering the tofu completely.

The spinach was tasting good, but looking a little to healthy. Every recipe called for yogurt, so I scooped out to nice size tablespoons of Fage 2% and added it to the spinach stirring lightly. I kept looking at the cayenne, not really feeling it but wanting that heat that makes Indian food clean out your system. In a moment of clarity, I grabbed my bottle of Crystal Hot Sauce and dumped a mess of it. Yeah, that’s a technical measurement, mess. If you don’t know Crystal, get some. It blows all of those B.S gourmet hot sauces out of the water and it is cheap, like hot sauce should be. They have the perfect blend of vinegar and heat that is addictive and delicious on just about anything. The consistency and color was looking good, so I did something bizarre, I started stirring.

As the Tofu broke up, I started wondering if soft Tofu would be even better, maybe. I pulled the bottom of the pan up into the spinach making sure I got a nice uniform consistency. As you know, Saag is not pretty to look at.yet the scent and flavor was getting me excited. I added some salt, mixing the Saag gently but firmly with a large spoon. I toasted up some Pita bread and used that to eat the Saag. Delicious. Easy. Exciting. I felt a mild euphoria as I realized I have officially made my first curry. I kept it healthy and it came out delicious. If you are a vegetarian or simply like Indian food, you must make your own version of Saag!

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Pssst. It’s a Secret Recipe.

by susannahm on 15. Aug, 2010 in Susannah Michaels

You come across people who hold on tightly to a secret recipe. Coca Cola. Your Aunt Linda. Your coworker Cindy. Those people are annoying. But not me. I’m going to share a family recipe with you and I’m fine with that. First of all, I don’t think you’re going to try it. Chopped string beans, after all, sounds pretty weird. So I challenge you — make it!

The recipe for chopped string beans comes to the Michaels family from our matriarch, Bubbi, aka Anna Michaels. Most of Bubbi’s recipes come from the Old Country. But this recipe contains peanut butter, not exactly an old-world ingredient. So I once asked her what they used instead of peanut butter in Poland. That’s when I learned that she’d gotten the recipe in this country. They served chopped string beans at a certain deli in the neighborhood. She was friends with the wife, who shared the recipe with the other women.

So here you go, Chopped String Beans from the Lower East Side (of Manhattan):

1 can garbanzo beans
1 can string beans, French-cut or whatever is fine
1 onion, chopped
4-5 hard-boiled eggs
A few tablespoons of peanut butter
Salt and pepper

Get your chopped onions good and caramelized in more vegetable oil than you’re really comfortable with. Meanwhile, de-hull your garbanzos by squeezing each one. In a wooden bowl, chop together your de-hulled garbanzos, your string beans, and your eggs with a chopper (fancily called a mezzaluna these days, not so fancily called a hackmesser by Bubbi). Add in your browned onions. Season with salt and pepper. When it’s good and chopped, add your peanut butter, chop it in and taste. Might need more salt or more peanut butter.

The chopping is really important and it’s a workout. Bubbi once grabbed the bowl away from me because in my New World sissy way, I wasn’t chopping vigorously enough. At ninety, she could still chop better than me.

A note of warning: you need to eat your chopped string beans within about four days, otherwise it starts to ferment. The above recipe makes quite a lot. On this particular day, I made a half-batch. I had garden green beans, so I just steamed a few. And with the other half-can of garbanzos, I made some hummus.

Chopped string beans is delicious served with challah bread, but any kind of bread or cracker will do.

When chopped string beans is mentioned in my family, we all go crazy with nostalgic food lust. I’d be curious to know if it becomes a tradition in yours. My nine-year-old granddaughter tasted it the other day and said, “Bubbi! I like it!”

“Good,” I replied. “It’s my Bubbi’s recipe and someday it’ll be yours.”

Chopped string beans is a great vegetarian alternative to chopped liver, and can be substituted in any way in which chopped liver is normally used, as in the following: “So what am I? Chopped string beans?”

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Hot in Cleveland – Cool Hand Cuke

by Jamie Ginsberg on 26. Jul, 2010 in Jamie Ginsberg

I am a “celebrity” Margarita maker this week at a fundraiser South of The Border party. Below is my recipe for summer fun and madness.

Hot in Cleveland – Cool Hand Cuke
1 slice fresh jalapeno chili (cut lengthwise into slices that are 1/4 inch wide, seeds removed)
1 ounce freshly squeezed cucumber (seeds removed if any are present)
1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
2 ounces Tequila
3/4 ounce agave nectar

Garnish: Rub edge of glass with left over lime dip edge of glass prior to filling in chili salt dip.

Procedure:
1. Place jalapeno and agave nectar in cocktail shaker. Muddle to break up jalapeno slice.
2. Add lime juice, cucumber juice, tequila and ice.
3. Cover and shake vigorously.
4. Pour into garnished glass.
5.Drink with friends.

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Gnocchi – You Can Make It If You Really Try

by Jamie Ginsberg on 22. Jul, 2010 in Jamie Ginsberg

Recently, the family and I traveled to Bass Lake, right below Yosemite (California). My cousin Cristian got married to Courtney and we got to enjoy a long weekend with family in the Sierra Nevadas. Besides, vistas, family time and perfect weather, I enjoyed talking food with my uncle Claudio who is a fantastic cook. What did we tlk about? Pesto and Gnocchi.

For some bizarre reason I was thinking about this conversation as I headed into Whole Foods today. I picked up some Potatoes and decided to try making Gnocchi. I made mistakes right from the start, yet still it kind of worked out. First mistake, I got Yukon Gold potatoes. Next time, I will get good old Russet potatoes. My second mistake, I used whole wheat flour. Next time, I will use good old white flour. So, what happened?

I boiled 6 potatoes, and mashed them up. Why? Because I discovered that I don’t have a “ricer.” Claudio told me to “rice” the potatoes, if you have a ricer you will get the fine consistency that will make your Gnocchi better than mine. I added a heaping teaspoon of baking soda, a splash of salt and a splash of vegetarian broth. I mixed and mashed while I added handfuls of flour until the consistency became that perfect non-sticky dough. I have fear of doing things like this, but for some reason Claudio gave me the confidence to try it. What is the secret? Put the love in.

I rolled out the dough and my line chef, Eileen cut off little chunks. Dropped the “Gnocchi” into nearly boiling water and cooked them. I added my olive oil and spices and called it disgusting. Turns out the little chunks were way too big. I didn’t account for them growing. I made six more batches experimenting with size and cooking time. The missing ingredient is the sauce. I should have made the Pesto sauce or even a red sauce.

It was really fun to make potato pasta, I am feeling motivated to make some normal pasta and even try some wild mushroom ravioli. The Gnocchi was not delicious, but it was edible. It reminded me that experimentation and the thrill of cooking something new is AWESOME. Sometimes you have to leave the books and take a risk. Screw things up. Have fun. Then hit the books, the internet and talk with your people. Next time will be delicious.

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It’s Pesto Time

by susannahm on 19. Jul, 2010 in Susannah Michaels

Thousands of years ago, Romans took ingredients they had readily to hand – basil, garlic, pine nuts, olive oil, salt, and hard cheese – and ground them together. I owe them a gigantic debt of gratitude. Pesto is a staple in my house. Every summer, we make a vat of it, freeze it, and use it all year long. You probably do the same. But if not, here is a recipe to get you started.

Basil

This is what I call "pesto on the hoof," aka basil

Ingredients:

Basil leaves, about 3 cups
1/2 tsp salt
2 large cloves garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp lemon juice
Olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts or pecans or mixed

Wash and spin

Wash and spin, sort of like laundry but without the soap

Ingredients

It's this simple

Wash and spin dry your basil. Put it in a food processor with the salt and pressed garlic and grind it up. Add cheese. Add lemon juice. While it’s spinning, add the olive oil through the top and listen for it to sound a little sloppy. Add the nuts. I like the nuts to still have some recognizable bits, so I don’t grind it that much after adding them. Throughout the process, scrape the sides down so all the leaves grind up and so all the ingredients get mixed together. Taste!

Add olive oil

I don't measure the olive oil, I listen to it

Taste the pesto

Yum. But does it need more garlic?

We make pesto on a nearly industrial scale. It takes several hours (which is an improvement from the early days, when it took a full day). For this particular batch, we harvested three or four basil bushes (of the size pictured above), used two heads of garlic, over a block of cheese, over half a pound of nuts, and about a liter of oil. Ben picked and washed the leaves. I mixed batch after batch, mixing each batch together in a large mixing bowl. Pine nuts were very expensive this year ($32/pound), so I used all pecans. I tried one batch with walnuts and when we did a taste test, Ben thought the pecans were better.

Bowl of pesto

Vat o' pesto

We let that bowl sit in the fridge for a day, so the ingredients have time to come into their flavors before we freeze it.

The final step is to top each container off with olive oil, after it has set in the freezer, to protect the product from freezer burn.

Pesto in freezer containers

Top off the frozen pesto with a protective layer of olive oil

This is about 7 pounds of pesto, and will get us through to next summer. I use a large, sharp knife to hack off a portion from the frozen block. You need surprisingly little to be plenty for spaghetti for two. Use it on pasta, pizza, lasagna, soups. Just dip crackers or bread into it!

I said the final step was to top it off with olive oil, but of course, the final step is to enjoy the fruits of your labor and your garden. Buon appetito.

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Paladar – Better you than me

by Jamie Ginsberg on 17. Jul, 2010 in Jamie Ginsberg

I am somewhat experiencing road rage against Paladar. They should be my favorite restaurant in town. They are 6 minutes from my house, serve contemporary Latin food and have an outdoor patio. Unfortunately we have an issue.

On the menu they claim to serve “Fresh Made To Order Guacamole.” On Wednesday night I watched the person at the Guacamole station bring out a VAT of Guacamole and put it under the counter in a fridge.  Suddenly the brown edges on the Guacamole started to make sense (prolonged exposure to air turns avocado brown, kind of like it does to apples). My buddy Mike put the hard questions to the waiter and he truthfully confessed the guacamole is made every 3 hours. Freash? Made To Order? Drop the BS and just call it Guacamole. It doesn’t taste fresh or look fresh (this should be embarrassing for any Latin restaurant).

I try and support restaurants that are locally owned, especially by young people. This is a deal breaker, however. The most important ingredient you put in any meal, is the LOVE. Without the love you might as well be any other crappy chain. I am officially done with Paladar. See another equally scathing review I posted about them on Yelp, my account is http://sonicallstar.yelp.com

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Safeway – Best Place to buy Wine Randomly?

by Jamie Ginsberg on 03. Jul, 2010 in Jamie Ginsberg

As I headed out to visit Tracy and Theo, I felt the urge to pick up a bottle of wine. Stopping at Safeway is a desperate attempt, it is the last stop in San Anselmo as you head out to Woodacre. Why shop at Safeway/ The deals! I picked up a 2006 Groth Cabernet for $40. Yeah, I saved $20. Is that amazing or what? This is one of many deals waiting for you at Safeway. I also saved $9 on a bottle Tequila, not bad for a Saturday. Did I mention that Groth is a spectacular wine?  We opened it and let it sit for 3 hours, it is a full bodied red that drinks smoothly. At $40, I’d drink this once a week. Thank you, Safeway, I love California.

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Migration Rose – Could Be A Love Affair

by Jamie Ginsberg on 03. Jul, 2010 in Jamie Ginsberg

In the middle of a perfect afternoon in Woodacre, California, I twisted Theo’s arm and we opened a bottle of 2006 Migration Rose. He described this as “gift wine.” Wine that he brings to people as a gift. On a perfect summer day in California, nothing works better than a delicious Rose. This is that wine. It is sweet and smooth and easy to drink. What was missing? Temperature. We pulled it out of his storage cellar and drank it (approximately 58 degrees). Chilled this wine might be perfect. If you are looking for a California Rose, give Migration a try. It is delicious and a perfect way to pass the afternoon.

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2006 Pride Cabernet – Hold for 2 more years

by Jamie Ginsberg on 03. Jul, 2010 in Jamie Ginsberg

I headed out on a Man Date with my buddy M.Deminico. We hit Fire, mostly because the food is delicious, but partly because we can sit at the Chef’s table and watch the food come out. The food was above average tonight. I hit a Beet Tart that was the perfect combination of dry and succulent with a side of greens that was exactly what I wanted. The cheese plate was good, not great but good. My finisher was Tawney’s Veggie plate. This was the second time in 5 days that I had this dish and I would have it again tonight if I could. Cumin coated eggplant with chick peas and greek yogurt is ummmmmmmmm delicious.

But the focus of the evening when Mike and I get together is usually drinking. The 2006 Pride Cabernet is not ready to drink. That is all there is to it. This wine is ok. It needs to breathe and we just drank it. Blame us, or just say let this wine sit for 2 more years and it might deliver upon the promise that lays below the muddled mess of body and soft tannins. Mike has tried this wine twice and says it under performs. For me, I think it is just a matter of time. Hold this wine for 2 years and it may be ready to drink. Or, invite me over and we can try your bottle whenever you are ready, I’ll bring the cheese.

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Kosta Browne 2008 Russian River is Delicious

by Jamie Ginsberg on 30. Jun, 2010 in Jamie Ginsberg

Last Sunday night we opened up a bottle of 2004 Duckhorn Cabernet, celebrating Amys parent’s 41st anniversary. As I looked at the bottle breathing, I realized we needed to start with something lighter yet of a similar standard. I have been itching to try the 2008 Russian River from Kosta Browne, ever since I got accepted into their wine club (yes, I did wait for 3 long years).

I opened up the bottle and could smell the richness of this young Pinot Noir. Abandoning my trusty Vinturi aerator, I recklessly poured three glasses. At first waft, I knew this wine had more body than I could handle. The first sip was glassy and gentle, cascading into a delicious lush flavor. The Kosta Browne is surprisingly full bodied for a Pinot, delivering smoothly and elegantly. I didn’t have a good cheese pairing on this night, but in my mind I could see this pairing up well with a baguette from On The Rise Artisan Breads and some Red Hawk  from Cow Girl Creamery or maybe even a Taleggio. This is the kind of wine you can drink a bottle of in a night and wake up in the morning without a hangover (not exactly proven). It was the perfect wine to start the night with, next time I’d like to compare this to their Sonoma Coast Pinot. Don’t expect to find a bottle of Kosta Browne sitting on the shelf at your local grocery store…but there is one waiting in my cellar for 2011.

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Cinderella Wine – Best Deals For Wine

by Jamie Ginsberg on 26. Jun, 2010 in Jamie Ginsberg

I have been a fan of Winelibrary.com and Gary Vaynerchuk for around 7 years now. Why? Because even in the early days when Wine Library had a crappy web site, I found great wines and great prices on his website. Their customer service is fantastic and consistently they “do the right thing.” I have not purchased from Gourmet Library yet, but eventually I will find something I have to try.

Why are you interested in Cinderella Wine? Because the deals are UNBELIEVABLE. Yeah, the truth of the matter is I like a deal. I have bough great wines on Cinderella Wine saving 25-50%. There are a lot of wines for $10 – $20 that are worth trying. Multiple deals a week go up on Cinderella Wine, usually at 9 PM EST, but sometimes at Noon. For the bargain hunters out there, like myself, you will consistently find deals worth trying. When I see a deal, I buy, knowing I can run thru a case over a few years. Be patient, but check the site when deals go live. When the deal is hot, the wine is gone quickly. If you get something good, let’s get together and try it.

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Pom = Delicious

by Jamie Ginsberg on 17. Jun, 2010 in Jamie Ginsberg

Recently, I received a case of Pom from Ryan Wilkins, blogger for Pom (Pomegrante Juice). It was nice of him to reach out to me as a food blogger, but he probably didn’t realize how much I appreciate the efforts of Pom to use Social Media, unless he reads my blog on effective social and professional networking – SonicAllstar. Note, I do not usually sell out for a case of drink, I enjoy drinking Pom and getting a free case was kind of fun. That said, the bottles were small with that typical cute shape that Pom uses for their bottles (next time send me the Costco size). These were 2 gulp drinks for me, but perfect for Olivia who is on her way to 5 and doesn’t need or want a larger bottle.

Who else are these small bottles perfect for? Bartenders. Each bottle makes 2 perfect Pomosas! Mix equal parts Pom and Champagne with a twist of Lime and your Sunday morning is off to a nutricious and delicious start. If you are detoxing, try a Buck Rodgers – Equal Parts Pom and Seltzer with a healthy squeeze of Lime. This drink is best served frequently! You can read up on all of the stuff on anti-oxidents if you are interested, but that is just marketing. If you are drinking Pom, it is because you like the sweet flavor and light consistency.

If you like Pom, then you should know that the best deal in town is at Costco. A very large bottle (same shape) is $9.99. When I am in Pomosa mode, that is where I buy my Pom. At your next BBQ, mix it up a bit and try something new (like explaining how your Pomosas are reducing your friends anti-oxidents).

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Everyone Needs Peanut Noodles

by susannahm on 02. Jun, 2010 in Susannah Michaels

A billion years ago, about seventeen, some weekend house guests left a little tub of leftovers – spicy peanut noodles with little pieces of carrot and cucumber – in my fridge. Since that time, I’ve kept it in the back of my mind that I had to learn to make peanut noodles, without resorting to buying a bottled sauce. My guess is that you could throw together a very simple peanut sauce, like my friends did, by just tossing in a few ingredients. But never one for simple, I found a lengthy recipe in a book with odd measurements (half a teaspoon of molasses? One-third cup plus one tablespoon peanut butter?!). It’s good, and I’m sure that if you were so inclined, you could omit a few ingredients and it would still be good.

Peanut Sauce

1/3 cup plus one tablespoon natural peanut butter
2 Tbl tamari
2 Tbl rice vinegar
2 1/2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp molasses
1 Tbl minced fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
Red pepper flakes to taste (about 1/2 tsp)
Cilantro, if convenient
Chopped roasted peanuts, to add later

For this amount of sauce, cook up 1/2 pound of spaghetti. When it’s drained, stir in 2.5 Tbl of sesame oil, then add your sauce and chopped peanuts and cilantro. If you don’t have time or inclination to add many vegetables, just add some grated carrot. But if you can, make this dish more substantial and well-rounded by adding whatever vegetables you have, steamed or sauted. Carrot rounds, broccoli, asparagus, zucchini – add them in. The original recipe had this served as a cold salad (in which case, make 3/4 pound pasta, to spread the sauce out more). I make it as a hot dinner.

Peanut Noodles

I usually try to set up a nice picture for this blog, but on this night, I decided, “What the hell, real life is me eating at a junk mail-strewn kitchen table.” So here you go, reality. The important thing is that this meal is yummy and satisfying. Everyone needs peanut noodles.

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Menu 6 – Who Cares?

by Jamie Ginsberg on 25. Apr, 2010 in Jamie Ginsberg

Last night, I hit a new low on multiple levels at dinner at Menu 6, the new restaurant on Larchmere. First of all, I forgot my credit cards at home. Our “free” meal was sponsored by my good friends Mike and Lauren. I have no excuse for this, beyond I must have sub-conciously wanted to punish Mike and Lauren for being friends with me. Not bringing money to eat at a typically expensive Cleveland restaurant = New Low #1.

There is plenty of press about the uniquely designed menu and approach to the food, if you are interested. As a conflicted vegetarian, there wasn’t much here for me. I ordered fries to compliment the calamari ordered by our table as appetizers to share. The fries were lukewarm at best and the vinegar aioli was well mayonnaise that tasted like vinegar (really…yes). The cress salad with a triangle of humboldt fog cheese just didn’t work. The dressing was balsamic blah and while humboldt fog by Cypress Grove is one of my top 5 cheeses in the world (if you are ok with Truffle indulge in their Truffle Tremor – I could live on this cheese), the presentation was whatever – the flavor was too sweet and the salad was just dissapointing.

For a main course I ordered three sides. The salted fingerling potatoes were placed on a plat, the end result looked like 5 little penises on my plate. Perfectly cooked, and ok tasting but I would never suggest anybody get them. The bleu spinach didn’t work. It was a good idea to keep the spinach raw, but the combination of cream and blue cheese was somewhat anonymous. The only redeeming side was the 4 cheese penne. This was a nice size serving and the penne was cooked well. I love cheese and it is hard for me to complain about too much cheese in the sauce, but excessive dressing is a trend at Menu 6. I enjoy pasta 4-5 times a week, in the end I prefer my pasta at home. This is my way of saying, if I am going to eat unhealthy pasta – it should be better than what I cook at home, this wasn’t better.

I looked at what everybody else at the table ate and I wasn’t envious. Amy felt there was a heavy hand on the spice and sauce of her scallops and ribs. Mike left most of his bowl of chowder but polished off his crab. Lauren’s dish looked the best, a large bowl with a piece of fish on top of pasta with a light red sauce. This may be the dish to get at Menu 6 as everybody agreed the sauce was delicious. Dessert was ice cream sandwiches. Amy complained the ice-cream was flavorless, whatever we dipped them in was flavorless as well. The 3 little sandwiches were cute, but most toll house cookies I have had blow them out of the water. The cookies would not hold up on their own.

What would have saved this meal? Probably good wine. There wine was drinkable in the $35 a bottle range but certainly not delicious. Mike and I split 2 bottles and the second bottle was blah (Epifany – Gypsy from the Santa Barbara Coast). This is not a problem limited to Menu 6. Cleveland restaurants charge too much for sub-par wine. It is almost as if the chefs do not understand that if you have a good bottle of wine you enjoy the food more. Rather than doubling the price of wine, kill it as a profit item and sell good wine at cost. The ends do justify the means. Serve up a great meal with good wine and you will get rave reviews. Serve up an average meal that is expensive with over-priced wine and you get a “who cares” from me. It is doubtful I will want to spend $150 per couple at Menu 6 again (or even have my friends pay that).

The only restaurant in this North East Ohio are that has a GREAT wine list is Downtown 140 in Hudson – which also has a delicious menu. Fire is improving their wine list and Dante has some reasonably priced drinkable wines. These are all expensive restaurants that have delivered great above average meals recently. We need a food revolution in Cleveland. Less restaurants delivering better experiences, or I am going to start eating at home more on Saturday night.

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Dante – A tale of heaven and hell?

by Jamie Ginsberg on 28. Feb, 2010 in Jamie Ginsberg

I was fortunate to be invited to a fundraiser at Dante for ORT. I have been somewhat hesitant to try Dante after what could only be called a disaster at Lockkeepers. Still any new restaurant in town deserves to be given a fair shot, this was not that fair shot. Why? Prefix 3 course meal on a random Sunday evening with wine pairings. The good news is I have to go back and order off the menu.

Wine selections from the cash bar were ok. I have given up on finding decent $8 glasses of red wine in Cleveland. Every restaurant thinks it is acceptable to charge $13 a glass for wine that retails at $22 per bottle. Do I get therapy for my issues related to this? No, I just prefer to drink at home…Dante kicked off the evening with a demonstration on how to cut up a chicken. Best tips of the night? Use a medium to smaller blade and remove the wishbone to preserve some of the best meat. It was nice to see a chef working and Dante did a good job at breaking down the chicken while explaining his process.

The salad was served first. I am into the Beet salads around town these days and this one had a nice light dressing. I would have enjoyed some cracked pepper, but the staff was moving quickly and never came around with any. The Vegetarian option was a perfectly cooked thicker linguini style noodle with a light sauce and lots of veggies. My kind of meal. Loved it. I could eat this 5 nights a week. Hearty and delicious without loads of fat, maybe a hint of vinegar.

Dessert was a passion fruit creme brulee. I was bummed there was no chocolate, but strangely enough truly enjoyed braking thru the crispy shell to spoon out creamy deliciousness. This was a great ending to the meal, capped off by Dante’s candy cart loaded with Lemonheads, fireballs, bubble gum and jolly ranchers rolling out onto the main floor. Excellent way to end a great evening. What about the wine pairings? Who cares…just kidding. The highlight was the St.Suprey Moscato paired with dessert. Sweet and rich, this is the kind of wine that will leave you wondering why you decided to drive to Mexico at 2 am. The white to start and red for the main course was well whatever.

I tried to take pictures, but the light was so low all I could here was my friend Simone telling me that I should not post such poor quality pictures. What I will tell you is I wish I had gotten some nice shots of Dante cutting the chicken or my pasta dish. Overall, I am looking forward to a return visit to Dante to put their menu to the test, looks like he has found a great potential home here in Cleveland and I hope he focuses on creating great dishes with exceptional service.

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Drink More Drink Better

by Jamie Ginsberg on 27. Feb, 2010 in Jamie Ginsberg

With a 3 week detox under belt in 2010 and a lot of working, I have not done my fair share of drinking this year. I am committing to drinking more wine, starting tonight! With that in mind, I thought I would share some of my sources for wine.

If you are interested in a wine club, try http://www.klwines.com – I am in their signature red club and it is fantastic. You can buy wine from any of their clubs at the discounted price. I have consistently gotten excellent wines. I try and save up my orders and have them deliver a case, instead of monthly, to get a better deal on shipping.

If you want great service, selection and prices – check out http://www.winelibrary.com – I have been a fan of Gary Vaynerchuk for more than 8 years and have gotten some blockbuster deals. Subscribe to his newer service http://www.cinderellawine.com – I have bought at least 4 or 5 times on these nightly deals since it launched. You have to be patient and buy when you see the deal you want. Every time I have bought, I have been THRILLED.

Last but not least, locally. You have to “hustle,” as Garvy V. likes to say. I hit up a variety of stores and browse the shelves. From Michael Resnick’s store at Cedar and Green to Heinens, Chuck’s in Chagrin Falls, Pat O’Briens at Lander Circle and my new favorite Colonial Beverage way out in Chesterland. Each store has an “expert” you can learn from. It is hard to buy at a store here in Ohio, because the pricing sucks. That said, when the price is right – I buy. This week, I scored a case of 2006 Simi Zinfandel at Heinen’s at $9 a bottle, when you see a blow out that is 50% off on good wine you have to buy in bulk. I can drink this over the next 3-4 years, no problem.

Last but not least, drinking with friends is fun and educational. We all taste wine differently. I am weak with my adjectives, but still enjoy tasting with my friends and hearing what they like or do not like. If you want to drink more wine this year, get a few friends together on a regular basis and try different wines together. Make the effort to rate the wines, evaluate their smell, color and flavor. Be a critical thinker. The more wines you try, the more you will find that wines are like people, unique. Celebrate their differences!

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Please tell me you’re not making brownies from a box

by susannahm on 10. Feb, 2010 in Susannah Michaels

I’m sort of aggressive about my brownies. I’ll walk up to people at work functions and parties and say, “Those are the best brownies, aren’t they?” The thing about brownies is that they are so simple. And it’s my pet peeve (well, one of them), that people do crazy things around brownies. They frost them or use a mix or buy gigantic ones at coffee shops. The best brownie, I will maintain until my dying day or until someone proves otherwise, is a simple, homemade, normal-sized brownie.

Homemade brownies:
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 stick butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Melt the unsweetened chocolate in the microwave; about 1.5 minutes. Add one the butter and continue melting for another 40 seconds or so. Meanwhile, put the sugar in a bowl. When the chocolate and butter are melted (and they don’t have to be completely melted. Give them a mix and they will finish melting from their own heat), pour over the sugar and mix with a whisk. Add the eggs, whisking after each and being snappy about it so that the hot ingredients don’t cook them. Add the salt. Add the flour. Add the vanilla. Add the walnuts if you want. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Cut them as soon as they come out, so the top doesn’t have time to crust over and crumble as you cut. If you just need a few, this recipe halves very well; bake in a 9 x 9 inch pan. They are best eaten fresh, within about 2 days. Sometimes I freeze a few and then I look like a genius for pulling a homemade dessert out of my hat. If dinner isn’t too successful, it’s always nice to be able to follow it up with a freezer-brownie.

The reason brownie mixes are my pet peeve is that making them from scratch takes just 5 minutes and the flavor is more chocolaty and delicious. Eaten with a glass of milk … mmmm, nothing better or more fundamental. Yes, that’s it, call me a fundamentalist … when it comes to brownies. Please tell me you’re not using a box.

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High Five for Vegetarian Chicken Biryani

by susannahm on 27. Jan, 2010 in Susannah Michaels

My office-mate raved about Quorn and my parents used it when I visited them in Florida; it was time for me to try it myself. Quorn is a fungus-based meat substitute. The “chik’n tenders” version of it looks, tastes and feels remarkably like chicken.

Quorn

I picked up an Easy Chicken Biryani recipe from my store, the Willy Street Co-op in Madison, WI. I followed the recipe to the t, just replacing the chicken with Quorn chik’n tenders.

Willy St. Co-op Easy Chicken Biryani
2 T ghee or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/4 t ground cumin
1/4 t ground cardamom
1/4 t black pepper
1/8 t ground cloves
1/4 t cinnamon
2 bay leaves
1 t fresh ginger, minced
1 t minced garlic
1/4 t turmeric
12 oz. chicken pieces, bite-sized, OR Quorn
1 c brown or white basmati rice
2 c water
1 t salt
1 c frozen peas
1/2 c plain yogurt

Saute your onions for about 5 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, and spices and saute for another 1-2 minutes. Add chicken and cook until it’s opaque (or just throw in your Quorn and continue immediately). Add water and salt and bring to a boil. Stir in rice. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer 15 minutes for white rice, 35 for brown. When rice is done, add peas and cook for a few more minutes. Stir in yogurt and serve.

Biryani and naan

I served it with a salad and naan. I got the naan at the Indian grocery next to the Maharaja restaurant, out by East Towne. We got a pack of 10 and keep it in the freezer for just such occasions. If you toast a frozen piece of it in a toaster-oven, it gets nice and crispy. If you like if soft and chewy, just nuke it. Either way, it’s yummy and a nice thing to have in the freezer.

This meal was everything I look for in a meal: it was delicious, it was quick and easy, it has protein, it has vegetables, and it has little or no dairy (you can use the yogurt, but you don’t have to).  Having been cooked for so long, the Quorn was just as soft and tender as pieces of chicken. And the spices are heavenly. Not only does the mixture taste delicious (the subtlety and exoticness of the cloves, cardamom, and turmeric; the sudden pleasure of a piece of ginger), but spices have medicinal qualities and it’s healthy to eat a variety of them.

“This one’s a keeper,” I said to Ben. “High five on the dinner.” He paused to the point that I thought I wasn’t going to get my high five. “It’s a high five if you make it with chicken sometimes,” he said and then he held up his hand. Poor Ben, I don’t think I’ll make it with chicken. But you can if you want to and no matter what, it will be quick and delicious and nutritious.

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The Veggie Burger at J.Alexanders – Delicious

by Jamie Ginsberg on 26. Jan, 2010 in Jamie Ginsberg

The Veggie Burger at J.Alexanders is delicious. It is Big, falls apart when you eat it. Heavy on the rice/grain factor but the consistency and flavor is perfect. Begs you to cut it in half and do your best to wrestle it into your mouth. I ask for no jack cheese, so I can feel all right about eating their thin fries piled high on the plate. The fries are perfectly balanced between crispy and soft, with a nice salty flavor. At $9 this dish is a bargain. Beef eaters seem to really enjoy the normal burgers, also cooked on a wood burning grill. My lunch mate, the chubby cook, had a good looking salad with grilled chicken, he polished it off without touching my fries (huh?).

I was hesitant about ordering this today as I haven’t gluten/bread in 3 weeks. I kind of wanted to save myself for a Fougasse at On The Rise on Saturday. But the call of the wild was just too strong for me. Next time you are at J.Alexanders, try the veggie burger, just make sure you ask for it to be well done.

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Fire Serves up a Great Vegan Dish

by Jamie Ginsberg on 20. Jan, 2010 in Jamie Ginsberg

Two weeks into my Cleanse, we head to Fire for dinner to celebrate Rosie’s birthday. What does a temporary vegan not eating gluten, alcohol or caffiene do? Party! I started with an order of sauteed olives. This is a rare treat that I have only experienced at Fire. The warm olives are delicious, despite not being able to dip bread in the olive oil. I was not feeling or looking like a salad so I ordered a side of sauteed chard, delicious. Finishing with a large portion of the curried quinoa tower, pictured above, made the meal delicious. Yes, I destroyed the tower immediately. Yes, I think a swish of pesto should be on every plate. Yes, I regretted not being able to eat the cookies that came with the bill. Beyond all of the regret, I had a fabulous meal.

So, how is the cleanse going? Great! This has been shockingly easy. There is a ton of food I can eat and I have been cooking out of my comfort zone. It may help that I am doing this cleanse with a large group of people at Cleveland Yoga, but it is more likely because I have done a few really rough cleanses in the last year (Master Cleanse & a week long Green Cleanse). Giving up my ability to control what I am eating and drinking has been quite freeing. As I have gotten older, I have come to appreciate a few rules that enable my freedom. A great side result of this cleanse has been an increase in my ability to transition, I have been seeing options instead of obstacles. If you are thinking of trying a Cleanse this year, get together a group to do it with and try this one.

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