Category Archives: Chicago food and drink

Nomacorc revolutionizes wine bottle closures

You probably know that the argument about screwtop wine closures has been resolved. They work. They preserve the wine exactly where it is when the winemaker puts it in the bottle, according to Don J. Huffman, a farmer-turned-winemaker who’s now traveling the country to educate consumers about wine closures.

Part of the reason they do, he says, is that they are completely impermeable—no oxygen gets into that wine after it’s bottled, unlike how it does, very gradually, enter the bottle when a wine is sealed with a cork. That cork leakage is what’s behind the idea of “cellaring” your fine wines. The winemaker knows the rate at which oxygen will be entering that bottle, and so s/he calculates how many years in the cellar will continue to make it eminently drinkable. Complicated, eh? Yep, those winemakers are pretty much geniuses when it comes to this stuff.

But Huffman admits, lots of consumers don’t want a wine closed with a screwcap. He says he personally always uses an aerator to decant a wine closed with a screwcap. And his concern about these things is why he works with a company called Nomacorc. They market a new type of wine closure—a permeable cork that has several distinct advantages over regular cork, including giving the winemaker the ability to call the shots on when a cellared bottle is at its absolute prime.
 
Nomacorc says there are 10 reasons you can be glad that your wine is closed with one of their corks. And here are 5 of them:
 
  1. Eliminates faults and returns. You’ll never have to take back a bottle with a Nomacorc or deal with a broken or crumbling cork.
  2. Your wines will taste the same, from bottle to bottle, because Nomacorc uses the latest technology to control oxygen ingress.
  3. They’re easy to extract.
  4. Nomacorcs are recyclable and have a very low carbon footprint, especially compared to screwcaps.
  5. You get to experience the traditions connected with opening fine wines–smelling and looking at the cork and hearing that lovely “pop” when you open the bottle. 

Read more in a separate post about the environmental impact of Nomacorc compared to other types of closures.

 

Move over Chicago Gourmet, here comes Chicago Food + Wine Festival

Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) in Chicago...
Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) in Chicago as seen from the Chicago river (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

There’s a new kid in town. Coming this August 28 to 30 the Chicago Food + Wine Festival will offer residents and tourists a selection of culinary events over three days in our beautiful downtown and Lincoln Park areas. The Festival includes:

  • Grand Taste tents offering food, wine and cocktail samples from local and regional artisans
  • Chef Showcase, where 40 Chicago chefs will serve tasting portions of their restaurant’s signature dishes in the Grand Taste tents
  • More than 30 interactive cooking demonstrations and
    intimate tasting sessions
  • Toast & Taste, the festival’s signature Saturday night tasting event featuring 16 of the country’s best chefs and live music
  • Last Call, late-night dessert and nightcap party; book signings; and more

Tickets go on sale today at 10 am. For tickets and more information, visit www.chicagofoodandwinefestival.com.

The Chicago Food + Wine Festival marks a compelling collaboration between C3 Presents, Tim Love (Iron Chef Champion, the co-host of CNBC’s Restaurant Startup, and the owner/chef of The Lonesome Dove Western Bistro, Love Shack, TLC Catering, White Elephant Saloon, Queenie’s Steakhouse, and The Woodshed Smokehouse in Ft. Worth, TX), and FOOD & WINE Magazine.  C3 Presents is the Austin-based event company that produces Lollapalooza in Chicago’s Grant Park, Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin’s Zilker Park, Austin Food + Wine Festival, Music City Food + Wine Festival in Nashville and more than 800 shows nationwide.

Speaking of cupcake recipes…

As we were in the last post, how about his astonishing recipe? For Oreo-addicts (you know who you are) who love wine, this just might constitute dessert nirvana.

Wine, Nutella and Oreo cupcake with wine filling and frosting

Oreo Nutella Nuvino filed  cupcakeFor the cupcakes:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup Nuvino’s Red Blend Wine
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup Nutella
  • 10 Oreos

For the filling:

  • ½ cup Nutella
  • 5 Oreos

For the frosting:

  • 1 cup red wine, any kind you like
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • salt, to taste
Wine-frosted Oreo wine cupcake
Wine-frosted Oreo wine cupcake

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 10 muffin cups with cupcake liners. Set aside.
  2. The cupcakes: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add the egg and beat to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract. Stir in Nutella and Nuvino’s Red Blend until evenly combined. Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Place an Oreo cookie on the bottom of each cupcake liner. Pour batter over each Oreo cookie and fill each cupcake liner about ¾ of the way full. Bake the cupcakes for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
  3. The filling: In a ziplock bag, place the Oreos and use a mallet to crush the cookies into small pieces. In a small bowl, combine Nutella with crushed Oreos. Set aside.
  4. The frosting: In a small saucepan, combine Nuvino’s Red Blend (see below) and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves and wine comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes (until the liquid is reduced to about ¼ cup or a light syrup texture). Let to cool.
  5. Beat the butter until until smooth and creamy. Slowly add in powdered sugar (1/2 cup at a time), vanilla, and ¼ cup of prepared wine syrup. Beat until no lumps remain. Taste the frosting and add salt to cut the sweetness, if you prefer.
  6. Assembling the cupcakes: Cut out the center of each cupcake with a sharp knife. Fill the cupcakes with Nutella & Oreo filling. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a decorative tip. Pipe frosting into a swirl on each cupcake. Enjoy!

Brought to you by Nuvino, makers of single-pouch wines that might just be the future of wine packaging (right after those increasingly popular multi-liter boxes). If you live in California, you can buy their pouches of Chardonnay, Malbec, Red Blend, and Sauvignon Blanc  in lots of outlets. If you live in Chicago, order online through Liquorama.com or try one of their various wine club options.

Buttercream glories at Magnolia Bakery

Okay. They have absolutely no redeeming nutritional value. But who cares? Made with tons of unsalted, sweet cream butter, these  gorgeously iced cupcakes and more definitely qualify as “close your eyes” food (more about that in my upcoming cookbook 17 Ways to Eat Your Way to Happiness).

Magnolia Bakery started out in New York, has a bunch of locations there, and now makes a Chicago home at 108 N. State St. at Randolph in the Building 37 structure. I attended one of their “icing and wine” classes the other day and fell in love with not only the frosting but also the vanilla cupcake itself. Read a full Magnolia Bakery review–including the recipe for their scrumptious vanilla buttercream icing–on my Chicago Restaurant Examiner site. Get some of these for Easter/Passover.  Your guests will love you for it.

And here, for your enjoyment, I reproduce the recipe for Magnolia Bakery’s wonderful vanilla cupcakes (they said it was okay!):

Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cupcakes

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups self-rising flour
  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers. In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredient are incorporated but do not overbeat.

Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about three-quarters full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Food and drink news you can use

Donuts for Grownups at a party
Donuts for Grownups at a party

Irish-Whiskey-infused donuts. “Donuts for Grownups” brings you the best of all possible worlds–luxurious sweet treats with a touch of spirit. They’ll cater these things at your event—fresh out of the donut-making thingamajig. OMG, they’ll even let you pick your liquor (vodka, bourbon, Bailey’s and more). Brought to you by Sweet Dreams Mini Donuts and Uisce Beatha (ish-kia-ba-ha) Real Irish Whiskey. Just in time for St. Patty’s Day, people.

Farmers Fridge fresh mason-jar snacks and salads
Farmers Fridge fresh mason-jar snacks and salads

Farmers Fridge. A vending machine with super-healthy, fresh foods? Yep, put in your dollars and out come nutrient dense, locally grown salads, meals and snacks that taste great and fill you up. The salads and snacks are handcrafted in portable Mason jars each morning in a local Chicago kitchen and then stocked in over 14 locations around the Chicagoland area daily. Starving before or after the gym or need a quick lunch? Their Cheater Salad sounds fabulous (romaine lettuce, turkey bacon, white cheddar, hard-boiled egg, sunflower seeds, corn, carrot, organic cucumber, grape tomatoes and honey mustard dressing) at under 400 calories.

Italian olive oil, both oil and an oil bottle ...
Olive oil & bottle from Northern Italy, at the lake Garda (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Olive oil is like gold these daysExtra virgin olive oil in Spain and Italy has doubled in price in the course of a single year, according to experts at Sol&Agrifood. Still, prices in Spain, at 3.40 €/kg (vs.  1.80 €/kg a year ago), are just half that of Italy, where wholesale price is consistently quoted above 6 €/kg (vs. 3 €/kg in 2014). Get the straight dope here from the good folks at some of these Chicago vendors: City Olive, Oh, Olive! at the French Market, Old Town Oil, and Eataly’s Olive Oil specialists.

 Divine Chocolate Bars. Fair-trade, fabulous and non-GMO, this stuff comes in milk and dark and in flavors like raspberry, toffee & sea salt, hazelnut truffle, mango coconut and more. Several of the dark versions have the levels of cacao you need to get all the antioxidant benefits of serious chocolate.
Divine 70% dark chocolate bar
Divine 70% dark chocolate bar

New online TV show “America Cooks with Chefs” highlights tasty, healthy eating

A lot of us busy Americans battle with weight while we also struggle to find time to cook. It’s a tough combination to overcome.

Ora TV, a new television platform that puts out some unique and fun shows (love William Shatner’s Brown Bag Wine Tasting), now brings life to the concept of pairing healthy, chef-made recipes with tips from America’s most popular weight-loss program, Weight Watchers. In the first season, a lucky few folks got picked to cook simple dishes with James Beard award-winning chefs on live TV–and we get to learn along with them. What’s not to love?

Check out this episode where Chicago’s own Chef Tony Mantuano of Spiaggia, one of America’s finest restaurants, shows Victoria Phillips (Lake Forest, IL) how to dazzle her two kids with a quick and easy-to-make pasta/zucchini/tomato salad with pan-seared salmon.

Casual comfort food, fast, at Red Robin’s newest Chicago Burger Works

A burger with fries from Red Robin Go...
A burger with fries from Red Robin Gourmet Burgers (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Red Robin has just opened a new Burger Works location at Madison and Wells, and the place was already jumpin’ only 3 days later, in the middle of a workday afternoon. You can easily satisfy your hungry-man-woman appetite here with a nice selection of hefty, fire-grilled hamburger sandwiches, all in the $6.50 to $7.00 price range. The turkey burger is fat and juicy like a real burger, with the feel and texture of a piece of sausage. Try a Guacamole burger with guacamole, swiss, bacon, tomato, onion, and lettuce.  French fries, ordered a la carte, are crisp, salty and tasty. Sweet potato fries are delicious, though very thinly cut, and served with their signature Thai Chili Ketchup, a gently zingy mix (homemade chili sauce mixed with regular ketchup).

They offer cheeseburgers and chicken tenders for the kids anytime, and burritos and sandwiches and potatoes for breakfast, plus even oatmeal and orange juice.  And if you want a hamburger for breakfast, this is the place to get it.

Red Robin’s got 500 restaurants in the US and has been serving hungry folks for 40 years. At the Burger Works locations they take the most popular items from the full-serivce Red Robin locations and make the menu from those. The point is good food, served fast (under 5 minutes). The day we visited the average time from order to service was 3 minutes and 45 seconds.

To keep the menu fresh, RR rotates the regular menu with new items. The goal is to be great at a few items rather than just okay with a lot. They make some lovely shakes – soft serve whipped up with other flavors and ingredients. The Salted Caramel was very nice; the strawberry tasty. So thick and slow to melt, they’re more like dessert than a drink.
The new location plans to be open weekends for all the downtown denizens who live nearby and perhaps want to satisfy a craving for tasty, filling food at a cozy, comfortable corner shop instead of going out to a fancy restaurant. You will feel welcome here, and and their Red Robin Burger Works menu offers nice options to get yourself well-fed.

Surprising pleasures at Frontier Restaurant

Frontier's weathered front door
Frontier’s weathered front door

I’d been hearing about Frontier restaurant, 1072 N. Milwaukee, for quite a long time. I’d driven by it a few times and noticed it sat seemingly all by itself on an unprepossessing stretch of Milwaukee Ave. Guess that in itself made me tend not to want to rush over. But a friend liked the unusual menu they were featuring for Chicago Restaurant Week (CRW) so we decided to give it a try.

First, I was very surprised at the warm ambiance, the double-tall ceilings, the straight lines of handsome medium-toned wood columns and the generally spacious feel. But it felt cozy at the same time. I think the large, round chandeliers with straight-sided opaque hurricane glass conveyed a comfortable atmosphere and the carefully placed spotlights created pools of warm light rather than hotspots. Plus I think there was at least one fireplace. I liked the variety of seating options, too – long, tall tables where folks can face each other, bar seating, and regular tables.

The chef is New Orleans-born and you can see that influence in the regular menu. We both liked the same choices and wine pairings for the CRW menu, but also wanted to try their broiled oysters first. The oysters were fresh and the topping just crunchy and cheesy enough to satisfy.

The rabbit and frisee salad with fresh cranberries was set off nicely with delicate sprinklings of a balsamic reduction dressing. Just the right touch.

Next we tucked into a big haunch of smoked boar meat. I was delighted at how delicious it was. Seasoned with brown sugar and housemade spices, it had a beef-life texture but a darker flavor and came with a little bit of sauce-y juice underneath. I took some of the generous serving home, too, and I’d order it again anytime. The side of collard greens was nicely cooked and seasoned, and the little lardon-shaped chunks of chestnut gnocchi made a surprising and tasty side note.  When we asked our server about the lardons, she assumed we were asking about another item the chef uses often. So she went to the kitchen and brought us each a little terrine of their deep-fried bacon lardons. Nice.

Service was very friendly, if occasionally a bit lax. We had to ask the kitchen not to bring out the courses so quickly after each other so we could have time to enjoy the wine and savor the food. They graciously complied, and we were able to relax.

This is your grandma's version of Pineapple Upside Down Cake
NOT like this, your grandma’s version of Pineapple Upside Down Cake (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The sweets course of pineapple upside-down cake–a dessert that’s a throwback to the 50s–was another surprise: a big, thick disk of baked sweet dough, almost like a super-thick, soft and slightly chewy cookie–great mouth feel–and served in its own little skillet. It was sparked with a few pineapple bits inside and surrounded by a luscious pool of creamy sauce. This is definitely not your grandmother’s old standby. I’d order this again, too, any time.

The wine pairings were just right, and for beer lovers, it’s nice they’d laid out beer pairings as an option. I love the fact that the beverage menu also contains Frontier’s “whole animal service” menu. Yes, you can bring your whole family or work group or whoever and dine on things like smoked wild boar, alligator stuffed with chickens, goat leg, and more. You get family-style sides like 5-cheese mac, jalapeno & cheddar cornbread and other. Check it out.

The place was fairly busy for a Wednesday night, though it might have been extra diners taking advantage of the dying light of CRW. Anyway, it was a very comfortable place with very good food. Four stars all around. I’ll be back.

 

2 exciting developments on the cocktail/juice/mixers front

 

Cosmopolitan (cocktail)
Cosmopolitan (cocktail) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

These days people, especially women, appreciate lower calories and sometimes even portability in their cocktails. Happily, we’ve had some experts working on those very concepts. Here are two unique ideas that fit the bill perfectly.

Let’s start with Slim Lizzy prepared light alcohol, low-calorie cocktails. I love the story behind the brand. Sean McGirr, CEO and Founder of Slim Lizzy’s, had over 35 years of experience in the juice beverage industry, including 19 years at the helm of North America’s largest bottler of store brand juices and drinks.

One night in early 2013 after he’d retired, Sean took his wife out to dinner. Without a thought, he ordered his usual beer, but his wife was having trouble choosingc. She knew beer would make her feel bloated, wine would make her sleepy, a strong cocktail would leave her feeling too tipsy, and a sugar-infusedy drink would make her feel full. It was that moment when Sean decided that if there was ever an industry in need of disruption, it was the alcoholic beverage industry. They needed to learn to cater to their female customers.

After two years, Slim Lizzy’s 80-calorie pre-made cocktails in cans went to market. The Margarita has 2% fresh lime juice (with just the tiniest bit of metallic aftertaste), but it’s my favorite. The Cosmopolitan has 2% white grape juice and is a delicate pink with cranberry flavor—sweet like a Cosmo should be. Extra sweetness comes from a modest dose of sucralose.

Compare the 80 calories in these drinks to the 150+++ in a typical Margarita or Cosmo. These little guys are also malt and gluten-free. These make good bases, too, for blending with other juices. A 5% alcohol cocktail alternative to high calorie, sugar-infused, bloat inducing beer and vodka drinks. What’s not to love?  Get ’em at select Binny’s or check with your local liquor store or favorite tavern. And see what fun you can have mixing with these Slim Lizzy cocktail recipes.

____________________________________________

And here’s another fresh idea. LO!  Fruit Blend beverages are the perfect fix for a little sweetness and fruity flavor. Drink ’em simply as juice or mix with your favorite spirit. Either way you get great flavor but don’t have to load up on calories and sugar (only 35 to 40 calories per 10-ounce bottle). These non-alcoholic juice blends come in recyclable plastic bottles in four varieties: Mango Mojito, Pomegranate, Acai-Blue , and Pomegranate Mojito. What makes these special is that the calories are low because they’re made with agave nectar and stevia, both nature’s sweeteners that’ve been around for centuries. Plus, each variety has a low-glycemic index (great for diabetics and anyone else who likes to avoid sugar or artificial sweeteners). Get ’em at select Walgreen’s, Meijers and online.
Delicious juices with low-glycemic index and low calories
Delicious juices with low-glycemic index and low calories
The flavors are lively and fresh-tasting on their own, and they all make delicious cocktails. Here are simple recipes for a couple of delightful pre- (or during or post-!) Lenten cocktails:
LO! pomegranate juice makes the Scarlet Starlet tangy
LO! pomegranate juice makes the Scarlet Starlet tangy

Scarlet Starlet

  • 2 oz. white rum
  • 4 oz. LO Pomegranate Juice

Shake with ice and strain over fresh ice. Top with a slash of coconut milk and a few pomegranate arils.

LO Fat Tuesday refreshes with mango and lime
LO Fat Tuesday refreshes with mango and lime

LO Fat Tuesday

  • 1 oz vodka
  • 1/2 oz Mango Mojito Fruit Beverage
  • 1/4 oz fresh lime juice
  • pinch of cayenne pepper
Combine all in a glass with ice and garnish with lime wedge. You’ll be delighted.

 

Last-minute SuperBowl food and drink ideas

SuperBowl Sunday is reputedly one of the biggest television viewing days of the year in the United States. I’m guessing that might depend on which teams are playing and how big the rivalry is (Wikipedia gives interesting biggest-TV-audience stats here).

And for sure, this is also a day people tend to say the hell with the diet. So whether you’re making stuff at home, or heading out to let someone else do the cooking and cleanup, here are a few last-minute ideas for your enjoyment and edification.

Like to keep the dirty dishes to a minimum on SuperBowl Sunday? Try Nuvino wine in portable PreservPak pouches. Comes in Chardonnay, Malbec, Red Blend, and Sauvignon Blanc. If you don’t drink ’em all up at the party, they’ll keep fresh up to 18 months. Just think of all the glasses you won’t have to wash.

If you like to make your own finger foods for the party, here’s a new product, Just Mayo, that lets you make healthier versions of your favorite Super Bowl dishes. It’s non-GMO, gluten-free, soy free, dairy-free, lactose-free, and cholesterol-free product and comes in sriracha, chipotle, and garlic spreads (burger toppers, anyone?). You can get it at Safeway, Whole Foods Market, Walmart, and select Costco locations. Recipes at http://www.hamptoncreek.com/just-mayo/recipes/

A few quick notes on SuperBowl specials around town:

  • Commonwealth Tavern, 2000 W. Roscoe St., has brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with $6 bloody marys and $12 mimosas. $5 stadium cups, $15 Miller and Coors buckets, $4 Tecate cans, $5 Lagunitas drafts, and $10 themed food specials created by Chef Donny Farrell. Hold your spot ahead 773.697.7956.

  • Compass Bar, 433 W. Diversey offers a $10 Super Bowl Chili Frito Pizza along with 200 different beers plus line cards and prize giveaways each quarter.

  • Lottie’s, 1925 W. Cortland, has a Half-Time Competition. Kick a field goal to win a $250 prize. Meanwhile enjoy the game on multiple screens, drink up $4 Jameson, $15 Miller and Coors buckets, and dig in to a $15 party platter (14-inch cheese pizza and bucket of wings and tots).

  • LM Restaurant Group:
    Brasserie by LM, 800 S. Michigan Ave. Bratwurst with Fries and a Miller Lite $10
    Troquet River North, 111 W. Huron. Troquet Burger with Fries and a Miller Lite $10

  • MAK,1924 W. Division has BOGO wangs on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 1. Crispy fried with a sweet and spicy sauce, get in all sizes, to go, dine-in & delivery.

  • ROCKS Northcenter, 4138 N. Lincoln, and ROCKS Lakeview, 3463 N. Broadway, $20 Bud Light Towers + 50¢ Wings. Plus discounts, raffles and giveaways.
  • The Pony, 1638 W. Belmont, has a free Jameson’s half-time competition – kick a field goal to win a $250 prize. Deals on Jameson, beer buckets and a $15 Punxsutawney party platter (16-inch Clydesdale grilled cheese plus wings and tots).
  • Tavern on Little Fort, 4128 N. Lincoln, has a Chili Cook-off starting at 3 pm, with judging at half-time. Prizes are as follows: $200 cash (1st place), grill set (2nd place) and Coleman picnic chairs (3rd place). Bring your own crock-pot with your best chili. Ten bucks buys any patron a “judgeship” and the right to enjoy chili samples, wings, sausage, dips, chips, and veggies. $3 domestic specials, $5 microbrew drafts, $4 well drinks and $4 Fireball shots.