“Grilling, broiling, barbecuing – whatever you want to call it – is an art, not just a matter of building a pyre and throwing on a piece of meat as a sacrifice to the gods of the stomach.”
James Beard, ‘Beard on Food’ (1974)

Potential clients came into town from New Jersey and suggested dinner at one of the prestigious franchised steak houses well known for expensive cuts of beef and potatoes grown by the Green Giant. I have entertained at these places, and find that I feel the need to be wheeled out due to the gargantuan portion size. As an alternative, I have visited the Weber Grill Restaurant three times in the past five months, and the joy of seeing those fiery kettle drums and tasting smoky meat grilled to perfection cannot be denied.

In our family, we grew up with Weber Kettle Drums practically cemented into the patio – rain or snow could not keep us from our appointed grilling. Amongst the four of us, we have at least nine grills, and all but one or two are Webers. Why? Because there is nothing like the incredible smokiness that soaks into the meat in such a loving way. My brother Chris became so enthralled with grilling that he’s truly become a Weber master … sought after for his amazing brine chicken…cooked “low and slow” … indirect, of course.

Back to the restaurant. So, the gentlemen from New Jersey were pretty darned excited by the row of fiery hot grills and the aroma of grilled meat. We started off with the Weber Sampler – which is a potpourri of great, flavorful choices: Rib Fingers, Beer Can Chicken Tenders, Steak Skewers and BBQ Shrimp, served on Onion Curls. The flavors of the shrimp and rib fingers make one’s tongue dance with the impact of the smoke and their seasoning combined. Weber also has a great romaine wedge salad that I order every time. Their genuine smokey bacon bits are almost sweet, and the blue cheese dressing is top drawer. This particular evening – as an entree, I ordered the rib eye – medium rare. It was cooked to perfection, and had a hint of seasoning that did not deny the cut or suppress the grilling technique.

The gentlemen both ordered the skirt steak marinated with ginger-soy and surrounded by smoky grilled onions and peppers. The sweetness of the ginger soy is the perfect companion for this thin cut of meat. One almost wishes that the skirt steak would stand up to longer, indirect grilling to let that smoke really get inside the meat.

Their “smart marketing” gift on the way out is a sample of one of their famous seasonings. On the way out (we were at the Schaumburg, Illinois location) we noticed a very well placed exercise facility across the street. It makes all the sense for the Weber regulars to saunter over and try to work off all of those delights. My intention (on the next trip) is to try the Asparagus Salad and their classic burger…. after I sign up for the work out!

Chris Hansen’s World Famous Mahogany Brine Chicken Recipe

1) 1 quart cold water

2) 1/3 cup Kosher Salt (Must be Kosher)

3) ¾ cup plain white sugar

4) 5-7 fresh whole garlic cloves crushed

5) 1 bunch fresh rosemary

6) 1 handful fresh sage

7) 6-8 pieces fresh chicken skin on

Combine all ingredients in large pan and bring to steep. Let brine rest to room temperature and add chicken pieces. Brine in solution 3 to 5 hours. DO NOT BRINE OVERNIGHT.

Prepare Weber charcoal grill and place chicken pieces INDIRECT of coals. Add water soaked fruit wood chips to charcoals. I prefer lump wood chunks like hickory or apple. Keep lid on and this should take 45 to 60 minutes based on the size of the chicken pieces.

Remove from grill and place plate or bowl. Cover w/ foil and let rest for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

By: Laura Hansen LHansen99@comcast.net

BEST SUSHI?

This healthy and delicious food continues to grow in popularity. Sushi now appears world wide with a United States popularity increasing all the time. As in art, Japanese Sushi continues to grow, change and blossom. The most common forms are: Nigiri -Sushi (hand shaped sushi), Oshi-Sushi (pressed sushi), Maki-Sushi (rolled sushi) and Chirashi-sushi (scattered sushi). The changes are not in form or preparation as much as they are in the ingredients and the atmosphere where it is served. These adventurous and tasty creations can be found in the most elegant of settings or the grocery market counter.

In and around Chicagoland, sushi spots pop up everywhere! Currently, SUSHI WABI (824 W. Randolph) COAST (2045 N. Damen) and TANK (4515 N. Lincoln) are all very popular. Tank was just voted the number one favorite by TIME OUT CHICAGO Magazines readers. Besides their tasty sushi, Tank also offers some great cooked dishes like their signature panco salmon and ginger duck breast. The atmosphere is total minimalist – which I don’t care for, but the food is great!

KAZE (2032 W. Roscoe) also gets high marks from me. Working with the freshest fare, Kaze’s chefs apply their culinary passion to spotlight fish in season with an impressive offering of sushi and specialized cooked dishes.

KANOK SUSHI (3422 N. Broadway) is the place to dine on Tuesdays! It’s always good, but $22 for all you can eat, on Tuesdays with a huge selection to pick from and it’s BYOB! AMAZING choices – not a bunch of maki rolls, like some all-you-can-eat places. Sure, you can have maki rolls, but also soup, appetizers galore, great salads and NIGIRI & SUSHI! Salmon, Tuna, White Tuna, Squid, Bass, Tamago – it’s all here! You can’t beat that deal anywhere in town! I am here at least 2 Tuesdays a month!

DID YOU KNOW….Unusually for Japanese food, sushi can be eaten either by hand or by chopsticks. Traditionally, one should start with white-fleshed or milder-tasting items and proceed into darker, stronger-flavored varieties later. Only the fish (not the rice) should be dipped into soy sauce, which should be used sparingly.

THE COOKING GODDESS DIPS INTO CUPCAKES!

Lincoln Park is known for great places to eat, eclectic and unique stores and beautiful two and three flat buildings on shady tree lined streets. Now, it’s also known for sumptuous cupcakes!

Just off Lincoln Avenue on Belden, Swirlz Cupcakes is owned by Four Unlikely Friends who turned a love of the tasty treats into a flourishing business. Cupcakes are now “hot” all across the country – due in part to boomer nostalgia and the insatiable human need for a daily treat.

Pastry Chef Jeremy Sher’s passion for cupcake perfection is reflected in the use of top shelf ingredients such as Euro style butter, premium French chocolate and Italian buttercream frosting.

There’s not only love and beauty in the cupcakes – they also make their way across the street to Children’s Memorial Hospital. These treats always put a smile on the faces of children and their parents – a welcome oasis from daily adversity. The cupcakes are made fresh every day, so any unsold cakes also are donated to Deborah’s Women’s Shelter, the 18^th District Fire Department, and other local non-profit organizations. This community good will attracts more customers! There’s such loyalty to “the goodness” of Swirlz that people often board flights at O’Hare with a box or two of cupcake comfort in hand.

One of the unique aspects of Swirlz is their Gluten Free (GF) offerings. For those with this allergy, the search for food products that taste good becomes an obsessive quest. Customers come from as far as Wisconsin and Iowa to buy the flavorful treats. They are rice-flour based, moist and cakey. The GF cupcakes are available every day (with a different flavor each day). GF Flavors include Chocolate Grasshopper Mint, Lemon Twist and Chocolate Peanut Butter.

Swirlz has reduced sugar cake offerings every day, flavors include chocolate on Vanilla, Chinese 5-Spice and Lemon on Chocolate – a “Weight Watchers friendly” cupcake that will only cost you 4.5 – 5.5 of your daily points!

My friend Julie and I sampled the red velvet, carrot, chocolate, vanilla and the “surprise” cupcake of the day, mango. My personal favorites were the vanilla, carrot and red velvet. What’s interesting about these cupcakes is that the overall taste of the two key components is not “overwhelmed” by sweetness, as many cupcakes can be. The cake itself is rich, moist and dense. The two fabulous frostings: buttercream and the cream cheese based are silky smooth. The depth of the quality ingredients is apparent by taking the time to really taste each frosting. One is tempted to lick off all the frosting and go for more. The cream cheese frosting (which I confess is traditionally not my favorite) – is a perfect accompaniment to both the carrot and red velvet offerings.- It is blended with whipped Italian Buttercream!

Swirlz can produce cupcakes for catered events, weddings and showers. Traditional size cupcakes are $3 each, with mini’s priced at $1. Minis are made only for special events. Swirlz even delivers!

Chef Jeremy Sher was kind enough to share this recipe with us:

Swirlz Lemon Curd

Yield: approx. 1 cup

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a glass or stainless bowl just until combined.
2. Make a double boiler by placing bowl over a pot of simmering water (do not let boil) and stir occasionally for approximately 20-30 minutes until the mixture starts to thicken. It should coat the back of a spoon evenly when tested.
3. Strain and let cool (discard the zest).
4. Store in fridge for up to 1 week. Use on top of cupcakes, inside layer cakes or even on toast or pancakes in the morning. Enjoy!

BY LAURA HANSEN – THE COOKING GODDESS

I was at a well known Chicago restaurant the other night and the wine I ordered was corked.

When I brought it to the waiter’s attention, he didn’t even know what I was talking about. Neither did 2 guests at my table. They whole reason you “taste” the wine is to check the quality – not to see if you like the flavor or not. So I thought I would present a little educational item.

A corked wine is a wine that has been bottled with a cork that is contaminated with TCA (2,4,6-Trichloroanisole). TCA contamination usually comes from corks but can also come from barrels, other cooperage or even, apparently, from wood within the cellar including walls or beams.

The wine industry estimates that as many as 3% to 7% of all wines have TCA contamination at levels that can be detected by consumers. Because most people are not trained to recognize the smell and taste of TCA, only a very small fraction of these bad bottles are ever returned to stores or sent back at a restaurant.

Even a very tiny amount of TCA in a wine can ruin a good wine. When TCA is present in quantities high enough to be evident to a person, it comes across as ‘musty’ aromas and flavors.- TCA does not pose a health risk (at least in the levels found in wines). It just imparts the aromas and flavors that are objectionable when found in sufficient quantity.

A great deal of work continues in the cork industry as well as at wineries to develop methods to eliminate corked wine. We are seeing more and more synthetic corks and a return also to corkless, screw-off caps.

If you get a ‘corked’ wine, you should return it to the store from which it was purchased or refuse it at the restaurant. Most wineries completely stand behind their wines and will work to ensure customer satisfaction. Do make sure that you check the wine when it is opened and before it is poured around the table. Wineries and stores are less likely to accept the return of an empty bottle with your claim that it was bad! The tasting ritual of a freshly opened bottle of wine developed over the years to allow the host to check and make sure that bad (corked) wine was not poured for guests.

Another potential problem with wines is a cooked wine. Poor storage conditions lead to cooked wine. Wine that lays in the loading bay on hot summers day, or spends days sweltering in the back of a truck or a cargo bay of a ship, is at risk. I see it frequently with wines from Chile. Usually, the cork will expand with a poorly handled wine. Never buy a bottle where the top of the cork doesn’t sit flush with the mouth of the bottle. Also, there won’t be any freshness to the fruit aromas or flavors.

WHATS THE BEST WINE BAR IN CHICAGO?

I think everyone would have to agree, POPS FOR CHAMPAGNE is the best in town!

After spending nearly 25 years in the subdued, elegant and charming spot in Lakeview, owners Tom and Linda Verhey decided to bring the well known lounge to River North. Pops is the nation’s most acclaimed champagne bar and Chicago’s most elegant live music club. And now they are in a spacious bi-level space which is the historic Tree Studios on the corner of State and Ohio.

The new space has everything! Champagne bar, adjacent retail space called Pops Shop(selling an eclectic selection of champagnes and sparkling wines from around the world, as well as unique service and gift items), raw bar, charming outdoor spaces including a courtyard and sidewalk cafe, plus a hip downstairs haven for music lovers. The downstairs space has low ceilings with great sound and a modern feeling.

Andre Christopher, a former chef from Japonais, is in the kitchen here now. Even though most people come for the amazing Champagne selections (125 Champagnes and sparkling wines), the tastings are pretty delightful as well! Contemporary small plates and desserts are mouth-watering. Selections include items from their state of the art raw bar, a caviar selection, hot and cold antipasti, cheeses and unique desserts made in-house.

Whether you stop in for lunch, an after work drink, tasting event , or stop by for the jazz, Pops is the place!

601 N. State St., 312-266-7677