The West Loop is on fire! Well, not literally, but it seems that a great new restaurant is opening up nearly every week, from Japanese to small plates, to Italian. When I was searching for good birthday-appropriate brunch and lunch options, my search led to many options in the West Loop, where we landed on the relatively-new Bar Siena (832 W. Randolph, Chicago, IL), a venture from Top Chef’s Fabio Viviani.
What is Dyngus Day?
Happy Dyngus Day! Dyngus Day (Easter Monday – from the Polish Śmigus-dyngus ) is huge celebration in Cleveland (music automatically plays) and throughout Polish American communities, especially in Buffalo, New York . Typical Dyngus Day celebrations include pierogies, polka, free-flowing krupnik, a parade and all things Polish. Similar celebrations occur. Food and drinks are of course a focus, but so are other traditions – like attempting to soak the neighborhood girls with water and swatting them with pussy willows (yikes!). Traditionally, the girls retaliated by doing the same to the boys on Tuesday, but nowadays the retaliation occurs on the same day (how could you wait until the next day anyway?) If you are not in the area of a Dyngus Day celebration, why not celebrate with some pierogies, Bigos (Hunter’s) Stew, Haluski and Polish sausage.
Dyngus Day Parade in Cleveland by lgbeebe2
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Oh my, NOLA!
We are going to New Orleans this weekend to enjoy some St. Joseph’s Day Altars, the Congo Square Rhythms Festival and Super Sunday. Moreover we are going to eat a lot, do you have any favorite New Orleans food recommendations?
Filed under Note
Louis Armstrong: Red Beans and Rice-ly yours
We are going to New Orleans at the end of this week, one of our favorite food destinations! To prep for our journey we’ve been doing a lot of of research into what food we want to eat, and what music we want to hear (answer: EVERYTHING). Appropriately, we unearthed a food story at the junction of food and music that involves one of New Orleans’ favorite sons, Louis Armstrong. It turns out that along with being the lauded musicians that he was, Louis Armstrong was a major foodie. In fact, he often signed his letters, “Red Beans and Rice-ly yours,” after his favorite dish. In 1971, Louis Armstrong gave one of his final performances, which was then released as an album, also called Red Beans and Rice-ly Yours with a booklet of his favorite recipes. The rare album has been recently reissued with recipes intact: red beans and rice and all.
Red beans and rice have long been an iconic part of New Orleans cuisine, and every cook makes them a different way, though ham hocks and the holy trinity of onion, celery and bell peppers are the traditional flavorings. NPR details Armstrong’s international food adventures, including finding the only Chinese restaurant in Nairobi, and also provides and transcribes his original, personal recipe for red beans and rice, which you can see below. It turns out the Armstrong isn’t the only one musician who loved Red Beans and Rice, other New Orleans musicians and residents have adopted the dish as their favorite meal to share for years. 
Filed under history, World Eats
Carageen / Irish Moss Pudding for St. Patrick’s Day
So we have heard of Irish Moss before – but it turns out it is actually an edible plant natively found off the Atlantic Irish coast. When hunting for Irish recipes for St. Patrick’s Day, we saw a variety of Irish Moss-based dessert recipes – and we were intrigued! The Irish name for “Irish Moss” is Carageen (from the Irish carraigín, which means “little rock”) – and you may have heard of Carageenan – a product derived from the moss that is often used in ice cream as a thickener. Irish Moss can be found in many health food or natural stores as a powder, and it is sometimes even still foraged by hand. Nessa’s Family Kitchen has a recipe for a simple Irish Moss pudding, or try one with raspberry coulis.
Vintage Irish Moss Ad – by Rich Luhr
Fireman Derek’s Pies in Miami
Happy Pi(e) Day everyone! When we are traveling in the US we love to give a visit to the local pie shops in the area, and sample some of the regional favorites. Fireman Derek’s (2818 N. Miami Ave., Miami, FL), is known particularly for its key lime pie. Fireman Derek’s is a tiny storefront opened in 2014 by actual Miami Fireman Derek Kaplan. There are only two tables inside the shop, but many take their orders to go. You can order a whole pie ($25-30) or pie by the slice ($5-6). There are seasonal flavors like pumpkin, and pies always available include the signature Krack pie (salted caramel custard that was named one of the best pies in Miami), key lime, apple, pecan and s’mores. You can also get some tasty coffee drinks made with Panther beans, cheesecake, milkshakes made with Azucar ice cream, as well as savory pies and quiches.
On our visit, we sampled the coconut custard and the key lime, trying to keep with the tropical vibe of our surroundings. The key lime pie had a perfect graham cracker crust and was light and tangy – so good! The coconut cream was equally delicious and was light and fluffy and packed full of real coconut flavor. We highly recommend stopping into Derek’s if you are looking for key lime pie in Miami. Part of the fun is checking out the awesome pie mural on the side of the tiny shop (seen above), good preparation for all of the other amazing murals in Wynwood.
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What is a Cholado?
Our over-the-top icy treat of choice in Chicago was the Mangonada, but on a trip to NYC (I think we were driving by this place) we recently learned of a Colombian answer to this fruit/ice/cream/sugar concoction – the Cholado. A cholado consists of shaved ice, topped with fruit syrup, fresh fruit, coconut flakes and sweetened condensed milk (and maybe even a cookie). Though the cholado recipe can vary by region (or country) the traditional syrup flavors include passion fruit and mora (Colombian blackberry). Cholados are also found all over Jackson Heights, Queens if you can’t make it to Colombia, and Serious Eats has a power ranking. Find a recipe for a DiY cholado at Sarepa (if you have access to tropical fruit) or Ezra Poundcake and My Colombian Recipes (if you don’t).
Cholados by lorenalreyes
Filed under Finer Things Club, Pastry Post-Poc, Reviews
Den Den: Eritrean Cuisine in Chicago
Believe it or not, we had actually already been to a few Eritrean places (not to mention many more Ethiopian ones) before sampling Den Den in Chicago (6635 N. Clark). Our first experience with Eritrean food was at the venerable Dahlak, way back in Philadelphia, before we had this blog. Philadelphia was where our foodie explorations really went into full swing, so we have a special place for the foods we learned to really like there (Vietnamese, Thai, Eritrean). Since then we have also sampled Eritrean in Washington DC at Keren, the ultimate hotbed of East African food in the US. But back to Chicago – Den Den is a quiet, inviting restaurant with a lot of light coming in from wraparound windows and big wooden tables. The Eritrean menu had a lot of overlap with Ethiopian restaurants in the area, but there were definitely some differences, and we noticed an absence of Wat dishes. And there was even spaghetti with meat sauce, something of an odd duck, but usually available at Eritrean places (and some Ethiopian) due to lingering Italian colonial influence.
Filed under Reviews
The History of Frybread and Navajo Tacos
Navajo Taco in California by A culinary photo journal
Frybread (which is what is sounds like – a delicious fried, savory dough) is now a food associated with Native American culture and celebrations, and it had found its way into a number of popular dishes (especially in the Western US), most notably the “Navajo taco.” The Navajo taco is simply frybread topped with whatever taco toppings you like. You can find Navajo tacos throughout the west, and though they may seem like a novelty, they actually have a sad history. According to the Smithsonian:
Navajo frybread originated 144 years ago, when the United States forced Indians living in Arizona to make the 300-mile journey known as the “Long Walk” and relocate to New Mexico, onto land that couldn’t easily support their traditional staples of vegetables and beans. To prevent the indigenous populations from starving, the government gave them canned goods as well as white flour, processed sugar and lard—the makings of frybread.
Navajo tacos and frybread also remain somewhat controversial because although they have become a widely-accepted symbol of Native American pride, they are not particularly healthy (similar to most fried foods). If you are not lucky enough to live near a place that has Navajo tacos on the menu, you can find recipes for making your own with ingredients you probably already have on hand, or a more complex version with Osage hominy salsa.
Filed under World Eats
Sampling Sicilian Food in Siracusa: La Gazza Ladra
Up and down the picturesque old town – Ortigia – in Siracusa, Sicily, tiny osterias line the alleys, and it is nearly impossible to choose which one to visit. In Osteria La Gazza Ladra (Via Cavour,8 – 96100, Siracusa, Sicily) or “Magpie” we found a spectacular hole-in-the-wall serving up tasty, homemade Sicilian food at reasonable prices. The moniker osteria used to refer to an inn, but now just refers to a rustic bar or restaurant where you are likely to get a good home-cooked meal. The menu is small and consists mainly of specials that are updated daily. The restaurant had only 8 tables and we had the sheer luck to arrive at about 9:30 PM JUST as a table was vacating. Sicilian food is very different than what most Americans associate with typical Italian food, and Sicilian cuisine focuses on fish, nuts, citrus and olive oil. 
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Swedish Gooey Chocolate Cake – Kladdkaka
Who doesn’t love flourless chocolate cake? We certainly love it, and apparently the Swedish do as well. One of the more popular cakes in Sweden is Kladdkaka, which basically translates to “sticky/gooey chocolate cake.” The recipes for this cake seemed too easy NOT to try, and were uniformly beautiful, so on a whim we decided to whip up our first Kladdkaka last night. The cake we made really was a dream – that is, if you like chocolate (don’t talk to us if you don’t). We followed the Kladdkaka recipe on Call me Cupcake (as pictured above), which is flourless and gluten free, but other Kladdkaka recipes sometimes incorporate some flour, too. You probably already have all of the necessary ingredients in your fridge/pantry, so there is no excuse not to make this cake!
Filed under Finer Things Club, Recipes
Pastry Post-Doc: Dobos Torte at Farkas Pastry Shoppe in Cleveland
We have recently realized that we are big fans of Dobos Torte, a classic Hungarian cake composed of thin layers of cake and chocolate. After having a supremely delicious Dobos Torte at Ovy Bakery in Skokie, we were pleased to find out that there was a bakery that specializes in Dobos Torte right in our neck of the woods – Farkas Pastry Shoppe (2700 Lorain Ave., Cleveland, OH). Farkas is an old-school Cleveland institution that has been around for 50 years, not really changing much in the process (which in terms of a bakery is a good thing!). Farkas specializes in Hungarian and Eastern European cakes and sweets including Esterházy Torte (an almond and apricot layered cake), Nut Rolls, and Linzer Tortes. Another great pick at Farkas is the Kréme, a Hungarian take on a Napoleon, which is vanilla creme between two sheets of puff pastry.
However, we were there specifically for the Dobos Torte (pictured above), so we made a beeline to the cakes. There is a special case at Farkas specifically for cakes – and you can get either a whole or half Dobos Torte ($25 for a whole). We bought a half cake to bring to a friend’s house, and with 5 pre-cut slices, it was perfectly portioned for the occasion. The Dobos Torte was delicious, and a little different from the traditional formulation since it had a marzipan top layer instead of caramel. The cake was a big hit at dinner – and we were impressed by the flavors as well as the expertly even layers. If you haven’t tried Hungarian pastries or cakes yet, Dobos Torte is a perfect introduction!
Filed under Pastry Post-Poc, Reviews
Detroit: City of Coney Island Restaurants
We spent last weekend in Detroit which is an awesome food city we are just beginning to explore. While driving around we noticed (often brightly-colored) restaurants called “Coney Island” all over the place. We had heard of the famous Coney Island dogs themselves, hot dogs topped with beanless chili, which have become the quintessential food of Detroit (with variations throughout Michigan). However, we also learned that the name, “Coney Island” refers to a whole genre of restaurants. The name “Coney Island” dates back to the early 20th Century to a Greek restaurant started by Greek brothers Bill and Gus Keros in 1914, which served Coney dogs. The two brothers split in 1917 and each created their own rival “Coney Island” restaurant, Lafayette Coney Island and the American Coney Island. The format of serving Coney Island dogs and other American foods alongside Greek dishes like gyros and souvlaki worked, and other Coney Island imitators began popping up all over town. The restaurants can still be found throughout the state today, under the leadership of Greek and Macedonian restaurateurs, as well as newer arrivals. To learn more about the history of the Coney Island, there is now an entire book about them, Coney Detroit. Who serves the best Coney is a matter of taste – do you have a favorite?
The Two original rival Coney Island joints by SB Tuska
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Southern food at SOHO in Cleveland
Cleveland seems to be experiencing an uptick in Southern food joints, and we have to say, we like it! We didn’t set out to go to SOHO (1889 W 25th St), but after the bar next door, Townhall, proved to be too packed and noisy we decided wanted a more relaxing evening. And boy were we glad we stopped by SOHO, right next door. SOHO specializes in elevated southern food in a comfortable restaurant with a relaxed ambiance and good Motown tunes on the jukebox.
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Calabria Pork Store: Soppressata Paradise in NYC
Okay, vegetarian and vegan readers, now is the time to look away. So you probably already have, given the leading picture on this post. If you were wondering about that pictures, yes, the entire ceiling covered with meat, spicy Calabrian dried and cured salami, soppressata, to be exact. The Calabria Pork Store (2338 Arthur Ave., The Bronx) in the heart of the Bronx’ Little Italy, is a real throwback, and is one of the only places you can see meat hanging up at a butcher (a practice that used to be common). The soppressata, for which the shop is rightly famous, comes in mild and spicy varieties, and you can buy a whole or half link. However, the soppressata is only half the story, you can buy all manner of other fresh sausage and cuts of meat behind the counter, by unit or weight. To make a meal of it you can also buy provolone, olives and other cold deli items. M got a tub of sliced, cured Calabrian sausage to eat throughout the day in the manner of potato chips. It’s worth it to visit for the atmosphere alone, but the soppressata is the real deal, and is a must-try for any lover of cured meats.
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Pastry Post-Doc: What are Chinese “German Cookies”?
We were doing a search for “German cookies” in Instagram when we came across a series of photos of near-identical cookies with the same fork impressions, with Chinese captions. Come to find out that the name for these Chinese cookies, popular around Lunar New Year, is “German Cookies” (德式酥饼). German cookies require little more than potato starch (which can be found in most Asian groceries) and sugar, and you can find easy recipes at Goody Foodies and Bake for Happy Kids (seen below). As far as I can tell, they have no real association with Germany beyond the name. If anyone has any insight into their unusual name, let me know!
Filed under Finer Things Club, Pastry Post-Poc
Our favorite local butcher: Homestead Meats in Evanston
Being a major carnivore, M is always on the lookout for the best meats around. Though we are no longer close by, we wanted to highlight what we think is one of the best butchers in Chicago and on the North Shore: Homestead Meats (1305 Chicago Ave, Evanston, IL). Homestead Meats, ever since it opened in the summer of 2014, quickly became our go-to butcher shop. Homestead meats is a small family butcher run by Ehran Ostrreicher, who comes from an Austrian-Israeli family with extensive butchery experience.
Batuqui: a Taste of Brazil in Cleveland
Having lived in Northeastern Brazil for a while (in the foodie paradise of Salvador) we developed a pretty healthy taste for the cuisine of the region, steeped in a unique combination of European, African and native Brazilian flavors. It is rare to find that kind of cuisine in the US, where the Brazilian steakhouse reigns supreme, so we were floored that we found such a place – Batuqui (12706 Larchmere Boulevard) – right in our new hometown of Cleveland.
What do you mean it doesn’t look like Brazil?
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Our Favorite Italian Bakery in Philadelphia: Isgro Pasticceria
When I went to school in Philadelphia, an essential component to my foodie explorations was a monthly pilgrimage to Isgro Pasticceria in South Philly (1009 Christian St., Philadelphia). I used to bring home a box of cannolis from there on the holidays, despite some major flak from the TSA (the major question: Is ricotta a liquid?). Year in and year out, I still think Isgro has the best cannolis, and I think it’s about time they were featured on ETW. Isgro’s is the type of old-school Italian bakery that once graced most major Northern metropolises, and they have been doing business in Philly since 1904. The difference is, Isgro’s is still here, and they are baking up pastries and cookies like it is still 1940. 
Stepping into Isgro’s is like stepping back into time, from the retro store, to the gruff but friendly service, to the shelves piled high with cannoli shells. There is definitely too much to chose from, so long story short, get the cannoli. The traditional type, filled with ricotta with chocolate chips my favorite, but you can also get special chocolate or mascarpone varieties. However, I think the ricotta strikes the perfect balance of a sweet, but not too sweet, filling and super fresh crispy shell, which is filled to order. The filling to order is essential – as it preserves the integrity of the crispy shell. M pointed out that Isgro’s website is Bestcannoli.com and while that is pretty somewhat boastful – we think it’s true!
Beyond that, Isgro’s serves a huge variety of Italian-American favorites like pignoli, biscotti, Rum Baba, Sfogliatelle and tiramisu. On the American dessert side they have heaps of fruit tarts, brownies and spritz cookies. On our last visit, there were even special pastries and cookies dedicated to the Pope’s 2015 visit (and Isgro’s was even tapped to make him dessert). Everything we tried there has been excellent, but we keep coming back for the cannoli. If you are in Philly, definitely give Isgro’s a try, if you like cannolis it is an absolute must.We wish we lived closer!
Filed under Finer Things Club, Reviews
How to make your own chocolate bar
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner – which means that all things chocolate are now “seasonal.” Whether or not you are into Valentine’s Day, you are probably a fan of chocolate – we certainly are. Really good chocolate is a pleasure year round, and we were fascinated by this video from Eater’s How to Make Everything series about how chocolate is made at a Mexican chocolate farm, starting from growing the cacao pod, through drying, fermenting and roasting the beans. Honestly, it is much more of an involved process than we expected, which makes us appreciate our precious chocolate bars even more!
Filed under Finer Things Club, Holidays, video, World Eats
Eating The World 