Feast of the Seven Fishes by Austin Kleon
Have a Merry Christmas this year – and especially a Merry Feast of the Seven Fishes.
Tiny Gingerbread House
Christmas is right around the corner and that means gingerbread houses. Who could resist these Not Martha mini gingerbread houses made to perch on your mug [of hot cocoa].
The Ultimate Carnitas in Pilsen: Carnitas Uruapan
Carnitas Uruapan
1725 W 18th St
Chicago, IL 
Here at ETW, we have noticed a couple of trends in our many years of restaurant-going. Food value in relation to quality goes up when owners and employees are primarily speaking a language other than English. Smaller places are better – street places are the best. And the fewer items on a menu, the tastier those items will be. So, if you have a small place with one menu item where nobody is speaking English, you will probably have a great time. Such is the case at Carnitas Uruapan, a small, unsuspecting establishment in Chicago’s predominantly Mexican neighborhood of Pilsen, that serves up only one menu item – carnitas – and serves it very well.
The protocol: after walking in, the man behind the counter will greet you in Spanish. Greet him back, and ask for a number of libras (pounds) or carnitas, either mixta (mixed with skin and ears) or not. Say thanks, grab a table, and in a few minutes a large plate of carnitas will appear in front of you. Your server will also bring you a few small Mexican staple extras: the necessary 
complement of corn tortillas, pickled jalapenos and carrots, as well as two salsas: a thinner one with tomatoes and cilantro, and a much spicier, thicker version. After that, the combinations are up to you. We tended to be big fans of throwing everything together in a tortilla and scarfing it down, but then again, the carnitas are wonderful, juicy, and flavorful just on their own. The single pound we ordered turned out to be too much for both of us, so we had some for lunch the next day. Total bill for this feast? $10.
Just as well, the food is accentuated by two factors: the quick, efficient, no-nonsense service (always a plus in our eyes), and the absolutely fantastic pig murals and assorted decorations all around the restaurant.
On a final note, we are yet to be disappointed in Pilsen, either in terms of cultural institutions or eating establishments. Add Carnitas Uruapan to the ever-growing list of must-tries.
Latkes for Hanukkah
The delicious holiday of Hanukkah is underway, and of course this means latkes! Being the starch lover – I am all about latkes, and am always on the hunt for a new spin on a classic dish. The New York Times presents a recipe for red latkes (thanks to the addition of beets). Flickr user TimTom.ch presents a matzo and cottage cheese recipe which sounds (and looks) great. Also at the NYT, Joan Nathan answers readers’ most pressing Hanukkah food questions – Q: What type of oil should you fry up latkes in? A: Olive oil is probably the historically correct way to cook latkes.
Latkes by TimTom.ch
Serbia: Three Brothers
Three Brothers Bar & Restaurant
2414 S Saint Clair St
Milwaukee, WI
Somehow, after following sprawling and oblique Google Maps directions through the spaghetti-highway maze that is Milwaukee, we arrived at the inimitable Three Brothers. It’s a bit tricky to get to, but you’ll know you are in the right place when you see the Victorian building with the blue and green Schlitz globe on the roof. The weather-worn corner building in fact was once a Schlitz tavern.
Once inside, there are a row of formica tables and chairs topped with mismatched china and vintage lamps. A wooden bar runs the length of the rest of the space, though there are in fact no bar stools. Though it may have a humble appearance, Three Brothers is actually a 2002 James Beard winner, and has been run by the Branko Radicevic and his family for over 50 years. We were greeted by a friendly server with a slight accent, perhaps part of Radicevic clan, and we quickly placed an order for burek (more on that later). The menu had a variety of Serbian dishes including pljeskavica, akin to a type of Serbian hamburger, roast pork, cevapici (a blend of grilled beef and veal) and sarma (stuffed cabbage).
We started off the meal with a Serbian Salad, which is not a “salad” in the proper sense of the word – it consisted primarily of salty feta, some green pepper, onions and tomatoes. Not that we had any objections to a salad consisting mostly of cheese. M ordered the Chicken Paprikash, which like most everything at the restaurant was completely over-sized. The dish came with 2 pieces of falling-off the bone chicken, and a rich creamy sauce, with a hint of paprika. But of course the star of the meal was the burek, which every review we have ever seen, raves about. Since we had ordered it when we sat down, it arrived right along with the other entree.
As you can see above – this Burek was no joke. It arrived at our table as big as a dinner plate, and probably about 4 inches tall. Think Greek Spanakopita on steroids. We ordered the cheese burek, which arrived piping hot with loads of feta and spinach sandwiched between layers of buttery phyllo dough. Between the 2 of us we barely ate 1/2 of the burek, which meant we had quite a lovely lunch for the next day. We think it’s garnered its glowing reputation with reason. Though it was hard to get to, making the trek to Three Brothers was definitely worth it for some delicious Serbian food in a friendly family atmosphere. We can understand why it’s been a Milwaukee institution for all these years.
Filed under Reviews
Sweden: Sweet treats for St. Lucia’s Day
It’s that time of year again – St. Lucia’s Day. Up here in Madison the weather has been particularly chilly and snowy – no wonder Scandinavian immigrants were able to thrive here! Reading Sweden’s official website – it was quite entertaining to hear Sweden described as “a culture of food storage.” I guess that makes sense, given the generally inclement weather. If you’re house-bound like us, baking some sweet treats for a traditional St. Lucia’s day feast is a fun way to get into the holiday spirit. The Thrifty Fun site has some recipes for Braided St. Lucia’s Day Bread, Pepparkakor and Julglogg. Perhaps the most iconic treat for St. Lucia’s day is Lussekatter, saffron-scented rolls.
Pepparkakor by ProBonoBaker
Filed under Holidays, Recipes, World Eats
Best Places to get Empanadas in Chicago
Chicago Magazine has a feature about the best places to get empanadas in Chicago. Offerings from Mexico, Argentina and Brazil all make an appearance.
Filed under Links
Tea Tuesday: Social Media sites for Tea
I’m a regular reader of Lifehacker and recently they’re had a spate of interesting articles about Tea. Check out RateTea for reviews of literally hundreds of types of tea, or check out Steepster, a site with tea information, reviews and even blogs. Or if you’re feeling particularly crafty you can even make your own DiY travel tea bags.
Bienvenue, French Market
The French Market is now officially open, and TimeOut Chicago has some great photos. Hope to get there soon!
Nomi macaron boutique reopens
As they did last year, NoMi in the Park Hyatt (800 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago) is opening a temporary holiday Macaron boutique. ‘La Boule de Noël’ is open December 7th through December 24th from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily I missed out last year – hopefully I can make it this time around
Macarons at Ba Le
Filed under Note
Which painted feast would you eat?
Since we are now firmly sandwiched in between all of the most gluttonous holidays I thought it would be appropriate to share this photo gallery of some delicious food paintings from the Art Institute in Chicago. Personally, I think I’d go for the Strawberries by Peale.
Filed under Design and Photography, Links
Italy: Bagna Càuda
Bagna Càuda (or Bagna Calda) Piemontese for “hot dip” is one of our family holiday favorites, so perfect to share on Thanksgiving. It’s a traditional recipe from the Piedmont region in Northern Italy and is replete with – wait for it – anchovies. So maybe a pungent dip made out of garlic and anchovies is not your thing, but I swear, barely any of us like anchovies even a little bit, and we all love this dip. It’s perfect for sopping up with bread, and if you feel ‘healthy’, veggies. I was intrigued to see a reprint of a 1960s recipe for Bagna Cauda in the New York Times. I’ve only seen it prepared freestyle at home, and as you can see the recipe is basically made to be tinkered with.
Bagna Cauda by Rowena
The recipe is as follows (directions and all from 1960):
Ingredients (Serves 10):
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced tissue-thin
- One 2-ounce can anchovy fillets, drained
- Salt, if needed
- Fresh vegetables, for serving.
Procedure
- Combine the butter and oil in a saucepan and add the garlic. Cook over the lowest heat for 15 minutes without letting the mixture boil.
- Chop the anchovies and add to the oil. Stir until the anchovies dissolve. Do not let the sauce boil or brown. Season with salt if needed. Keep hot over a candle or spirit lamp. (See note.)
- Prepare an assortment of raw vegetables, like cucumber, cauliflowerettes, strips of green pepper, celery, carrots and endive. Serve separately for dipping.
Filed under Recipes
Malawi: Mustard Greens and Peanut Sauce
We got a lovely e-mail from fellow food blogger Lena Nozizwe telling us to check out one of her mother’s recipes. We checked out her blog and were impressed by all of the beautiful food photography, so do go check it out. The recipe Lena shared with us was for Mustard Greens and Peanut sauce. M is basically obsessed with Peanut sauce – so this recipe is pretty much perfect. Moreover, we have never made any Malawian food and are really looking forward to trying it. Thanks, Lena!
The Obamas: ETW Fans?
We read today, with much interest, that the Obamas chose Marcus Samuelsson to be guest chef at their first state dinner. We found this surprising, because from our vantage point he didn’t seem like the obvious choice. Samuelsson was drubbed by Bobby Flay on Iron Chef America (27-15 in the taste category – ouch) back in 2008; and we noted in October that the line at Chicago Gourmet for an autographed copy of his new book consisted only of ETW representative L, while Rick Bayless’ line stretched for blocks. The Obamas had said previously that Bayless’ Topolobampo is their favorite Chicago restaurant – so why the switch to Samuelsson? There can only be one explanation: they read our endorsement of Samuelsson’s book and work. The Obamas must be ETW fans.
Thanks, first family!
Is the French Market finally happening?
It seems that the ‘French Market’ space in the Ogilvie Transportation Center has been ‘in the works’ for years, but it finally seems like something is going to happen. I’ve been hearing buzz about new vendors being signed up for the French Market in the past few month, and the list of the vendors sounds really good including Pastoral Cheese and Vanille Patisserie. We are also intrigued by the French fry cart from the Netherlands. Check it for yourself at Chicago French Market.
Filed under Links
Mexico: Xoco
Xoco
449 N Clark St
Chicago, IL
The buzz around Rick Bayless’ new quick service Mexican restaurant, Xoco (located right next two his other two creations, Topolobampo and Frontera Grill) has been almost deafening – so we knew we had to check it out. Unquestionably, a good portion of that buzz comes from his recent victory on Top Chef Masters (we called it!), but even with such great anticipation, Bayless has a lot to live up to. Xoco does not take reservations – quick service only – so when we found ourselves in the loop for a conference on a rainy October night, it was the perfect opportunity (so we thought) hoping that the freezing rain would wash out the crowds. No such luck though: at 9 PM on Friday there was a line out the door. Not that the wait was particularly long, and even if it were, the extensive menu gives the thoughtful diner a lot to mull over. Caldos, tortas, empanadas, six varieties of chocolate – we had a tough time deciding.
The cold night made the hot chocolate a logical choice, as did the restaurant’s Nahuatl name. We had heard that the house-made hot chocolate was excellent, so we sampled 2 varieties. The servers came out with a little carafe of chocolate and pour it right for you (though we wish they would let us keep the carafe at the table!). We opted for the thick and creamy Barcelona, and the spicy Aztec. Ironically, a blend of both would have been perfect: the Barcelona was thick and creamy, but lacking the spicy punch of the Aztec; while the Aztec needed a thicker blend like the Barcelona. Not that either one was disappointing – both were excellent – but next time we will stage a reconquista and mix the two.
Entrees were a tougher choice. After a lot of debate, M settled on a caldo: the “Wood-Roasted Chicken Pozole,” ($11.50) while L got the Cochinita Pibil sandwich ($12.00). We had high expectations for the caldo, but at the end of the day was slightly underwhelming: the red chiles meant to flavor the dish never found a way to fully integrate their flavor into the broth, and the resulting mix seemed slightly disjointed. The added lime juice helped, but the potential marriage of strong flavors had a tendency to seem more like a shouting match without a moderator than Bayless’ usual seamless flavor marriages. L’s sandwich was much better. The simple ingredients packed big flavors. The perfectly spiced shredded pork was melt-in-your-mouth; garnished with pickled onions on top and Xoco’s delectable habanero salsa, all on a crusty bolillo roll: the sandwich was a masterpiece.
Overall, we’ll declare our experience at Xoco great – and as two poor students, we certainly appreciated the lower price point. Rick Bayless himself is often in the open kitchen, especially mornings, and takes great care to use local, fresh ingredients, something we definitely tasted and appreciated.
Filed under Reviews
Israel: Mekupelet
Thank goodness for the internet. I recently was the recipient of an assortment of snack-sized Israeli chocolate bars, and none of them, and I mean none had any sort of roman letters. Since I don’t read any Hebrew, and I was curious as to what type of log-like confection I was eating, I turned to Google. All I typed into Google was “Israeli candy” “chocolate” and “log” – but somehow I still got directed to the right place! The candy I had was Mekupelet, a famous Israeli candy similar to the Cadbury Flake bar – milk chocolate specifically extruded in a flaky form to look like a log. Markos Kirsch attempted to compare the two, but they were pretty much running neck and neck, with no clear winner.
Filed under World Eats
Guest Post: Triple X Drive-In
This guest post comes to us from the ETW family, who recently visits a burger landmark in Indiana.
Triple X Drive-In
2 N Salisbury St
West Lafayette, IN
We drove right past Triple X Drive-in on our way to a women’s lacrosse game – Illinois vs. Purdue. We immediately recognized the orange and black striped building, which is unlike pretty much any diner (or building, for that matter) you’ll ever see. After the game we all agreed we had to try this place. Needless to say, it was very easy to find.
On the inside, it looks like the typical university burger dive. The seating is a series of 4 u-shaped counters surrounding the grill area. After a brief wait our large group (20+) was seated at the counter in separate groups. Service was fast and friendly even though all of us were wearing some form of orange University of Illinois apparel. Naturally, we all opted for burgers, many of which are named after sports stars.
The “Bernie Flowers All Pro” is a 1/4 lb. burger with lettuce, tomato, onion and Miracle Whip on a sesame bun. A side of fries and a pickle were included. The “Bert Burger” is the same with bacon. General consensus was the burgers were very good – juicy and a nice, fresh beef flavor. As an added touch, the meal did not arrive in the typical basket, but was served on a bright orange Triple X frisbee. The only negative to our meal was the french fries. Although they looked perfect – crispy, not too thick or thin – they were cold. Burgers are clearly the main draw here and worth a return trip for a good meal and little piece of the college experience.
Filed under Reviews
A recipe for Argentine Empanadas, direct from Tokyo
An unlikely recipe from a blog called Tokyo Terrace – a recipe for Argentine empanadas. Expat foodie Racheal shares here experiences cooking in Tokyo on her blog and shares some pretty great recipes. We were definitely intrigued by this simple-sounding beef empanadas, alongside with Racheal’s great stories and photos.
Feliz Dia De Los Muertos
Sugar Skulls for Sale in San Francisco by Digiyesica
Feliz Dia De Los Muertos! Today is the 2nd day of the Day of the Dead celebrations, which gastronomically means a proliferation of pan de muerto and sugar skulls.
Filed under Note
Eating The World 