The Aviary

Chefs Grant Achatz and Craig Schoettler looking at In The Rocks

I admit it; I’m a sucker for a good drink. More importantly, I’m a sucker for a good drink in an awesome atmosphere. And having lived in Chicago for as many years as I have, I can say that we’ve come across some pretty amazing watering holes in our day.

Every person who lives in a city has their favorites list. Favorite dive bar, favorite mixed drink place, favorite best kept secret (and I promise, I will have an entire post on Chicago’s best kept secret Watershed). But what most people who live in cities don’t have is Grant Achatz, a 3 star Michelin chef opening a lounge.

The Aviary is doing things with cocktails that no one else has ever imagined. To start, they have an ice chef, someone who dedicates their entire job to making the 32 (that is not a type-o) different types of ice, that the restaurant has. My husband and I were fortunate enough to get invited down to meet the ice chef in his kitchen. You would imagine that working with ice all day and night, the space would be cold? You would imagine wrong. It’s hot as hell in a tiny room that is about 10 feet long and 5 feet wide. In this space he makes everything from the ice cylinders for the In The Rocks (made from freezing water inside balloons and then using a syringe to take out the water inside and inject the drink….see photo below), to the tiny balls of celery ice that are found in the deconstructed Bloody Mary.

Now, I’m sure you’re reading this and thinking, “Other than the ‘Wow’ factor, the ice just sits there. So what?” And I’ll tell you what! The chefs (they are not bartenders, they are not mixologists, and they are chefs) said that their biggest complaint while drinking is that the ice actually dilutes the drink. If you sit and speak with friends, your drink gets watered down and doesn’t taste good. So their idea? Have drinks that grow and change with time. The ice enhances the drinks because they impart different types of flavor. The vanilla ice slowly melts in the Cream Soda (photograph below) and as your drink, the taste if vanilla grows stronger.

So not only are they doing awesome things with ice, but they’re also doing great things with flavor. The Cider is inside a beautiful glass sphere. It comes out looking like a work of art, and as the drink sits, the flavors of apples, and cinnamon and cloves grow more intense. The transformation from your first sip to your last is unbelievable.

And any good lounge would serve up bites. The bites at Aviary are impeccable. Whenever we have gone, we’ve asked our waiter or waitress to have the chefs pair whatever bites they think will go best with our drinks, and we’ve never been sad. From the world’s best tater tot to waygu, the bites are out of this world.

The Aviary isn’t a bar you just go to in order to grab a quick drink, although we have seen people come in for only one drink and leave. There can be a line, however they do take reservations. I however recommend committing an evening there. Sit in the comfy chairs, enjoy the atmosphere, drink some amazing drinks and eat some fabulous bites. And if you’re lucky, the manager will walk over to your table and say “Hey, I have a great idea….” and all of a sudden, you find yourself whisked downstairs to the invite only Speakeasy known as The Office…

The Bloody Mary

In the Rocks, creation

The Cream Soda with Stout Bites

The Cider with Waygu Bites

Oooooh Spicy Meatball!

Okay, so many not so much a spicy meatball, but an Italian Wedding Meatball?

As fall has kicked into high gear, my soup and stew making has as well. I’ve always been a huge fan of Italian Wedding Soup; I can’t get enough of it. And I know for some people, spending all of the time making the tiny little meatballs is exhausting. The first time I made the soup, I spent a good hour rolling teeny tiny little meatballs out. It was exhausting. And honestly, had it not been for sheer laziness, I don’t think I would have stumbled upon the greatest realization in Italian Wedding Soup history….bigger in this case IS better!

So with the recipe below that I borrowed and tweaked from Ina Garten (it’s turkey meat, so it’s even healthier!) you can use a teaspoon as your meatball making gage. It’s quicker, easier and makes some delicious bites!

I should warn, I like my soup with lots of spinach and not a ton of pasta, but if you feel differently, go ahead and change it up.

Meatballs:

7-8 links of sweet Italian turkey sausage, removed from casings

1 lb of ground turkey

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup good grated parmesan cheese (I prefer Locatelli)

1 cup of plain bread crumbs

A handful of flat leaf parsley (I just get a bunch from the store and rip a handful from the top) chopped

1 tbs milk

Salter and Pepper to taste

Broth:

1 onion, chopped

1 bag of baby carrots, cut into rounds

15 cups of low sodium chicken broth

1 cup of pastina (or any small pasta)

2 bags of spinach

Preheat oven to 400, line two baking pans with tin foil

In a bowl combine all of the meatball materials. Take a teaspoon and fill roughly 1/3 of the spoon with the meat mixer, and lay on the foil lined trays. Meatballs should be about 1.5 inches in diameter, however if they’re smaller or larger, it doesn’t really matter. Fill both lined trays with meatballs and put in oven for about 15 minutes, or until meat is starting to brown.

While meat is cooling, place carrots and onion in a large stock pot over medium with olive oil and a pinch of salt and sweat them. You want the carrots to soften, but you don’t want any of the ingredients to brown. Once the carrot mixture is softened, about 10 minutes, add the broth.

When meatballs are finished, add them to the broth mixture and cook together for an additional 15-20 minutes over low heat.

At this point, add the pasta and let cook for an additional 15 minutes. Then quickly add in the spinach and stir. Let the soup cook with all of the ingredients for an additional 5 minutes before serving.

Grate parmesan cheese on top of bowl and a pinch of pepper and serve!

A little Thomas Keller in the Kitchen

Many many years ago my husband and I went to see the Pixar film Ratatouille and not only fell in love with the character, but with the food as well. I mean, if digital food looked that amazing, why can’t the real life stuff look that way too? We did some research and found out that Thomas Keller of French Laundry and Per Se fame, was a consultant on the movie. Furthermore, we learned that the recipe that they used in the end of the film was based off of his own Confit Byaldi. So my husband found Thomas Keller’s recipe waaaay back in 2007 and it has sat in my inbox since then.

However, this past Saturday, after spending way too many evenings eating out, I was inspired to put in about 4 hours of work (yes my friends, this isn’t a quick throw together type of meal) and finally make it. It was more of a challenge to myself than anything else, but really it wasn't that hard, just a whole lot of mise en place. I upped the veggies count in a lot of places and tweaked a few other things, but in general this is pretty close to Chef Kellers recipe.

Other than looking at the beautiful finished product and feeling extremely proud, it tasted pretty delicious as well. So enjoy!

Confit Byaldi or Ratatouille Top of FormBottom of Form

FOR PIPERADE

1 red pepper, seeds and ribs removed

1 yellow pepper, seeds and ribs removed

1 orange pepper, seeds and ribs removed

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion

4 tomatoes (quickly blanch so you can peel seed and finely dice, juices reserved)

2 sprig thyme

1 sprig flat-leaf parsley

Kosher salt

FOR VEGETABLES

2 zucchini (4 to 5 ounces) sliced in 1/16-inch rounds

2 Japanese eggplant, (4 to 5 ounces) sliced into 1/16-inch rounds

2 yellow squash (4 to 5 ounces) sliced into 1/16-inch rounds

5 Roma tomatoes, sliced into 1/16-inch rounds

2 teaspoon minced garlic 2 teaspoons olive oil

2 springs of thym (remove leaves from the spring)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR VINAIGRETTE

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oi

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Assorted fresh herbs (thyme flowers, chervil, thyme)

Pan

Have an oval pan, about 12 inches long and 8 inches wide

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

1. For piperade, heat oven to 450 degrees. Place pepper halves on a foil-lined sheet, cut side down. Roast until skin loosens, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest until cool enough to handle. Peel and chop finely.

2. Combine oil, garlic, and onion in medium skillet over low heat until very soft but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, their juices, thyme, parsley, and bay leaf. Simmer over low heat until very soft and very little liquid remains, about 10 minutes, do not brown; add peppers and simmer to soften them. Season to taste with salt, and discard herbs. Reserve tablespoon of mixture and spread remainder in bottom of an 8-inch skillet.

3. For vegetables, heat oven to 275 degrees. Down center of pan, arrange a strip of 8 alternating slices of vegetables over piperade, overlapping so that 1/4 inch of each slice is exposed. Add a pinch or two of salt to each layer. Around the center strip, overlap vegetables in a close spiral that lets slices mound slightly toward center. Repeat until pan is filled; all vegetables may not be needed.

4. Mix garlic, oil, and thyme leaves in bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle over vegetables. Cover pan with foil and crimp edges to seal well. Bake until vegetables are tender when tested with a paring knife, about 2 hours. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes more. (Lightly cover with foil if it starts to brown.) If there is excess liquid in pan, place over medium heat on stove until reduced. (At this point it may be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Serve cold or reheat in 350-degree oven until warm.)

5. For vinaigrette, combine reserved piperade, oil, vinegar, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl.

6. To serve, heat broiler and place byaldi underneath until lightly browned. Slice in quarters and very carefully lift onto plate with offset spatula. Turn spatula 90 degrees, guiding byaldi into fan shape. Drizzle vinaigrette around plate. Serve hot.

My promise to you

I’ve been doing a fair amount of recipe writing recently, but have lacked on the “other stuff” category. Well, my plan is to make up for that.

Tonight we’re going out for a night on the town; hitting up a few of our favorite restaurants and bars. I promise to take pictures and my next post will be explaining where we are, what we’re eating/drinking and why you need to go to these places.

I mean, I didn’t get fat accidently….

All Hail the Mustard King!

For years I avoided mustard. On the grand scale of condiments, I found it to be slightly above mayonnaise, which is pretty much one of the few items on my inedible list (I regularly enjoy offal, so that has to say something). However, as I grow older and my taste buds evolve, I have found that I do enjoy certain kinds of mustard and Dijon is my mustard King. I have a recipe where I slather a rack of lamb in Dijon, panko and rosemary (to be posted at a later date) and another that pairs it with pork. I enjoy it on a roast beef sandwich and I’m always happy when I go to restaurants and order cheese plates and I find a delicious mustard and jam paired with my cheese; which is why this recipe got me very excited. A combination of both Dijon and Jam?! Is this condiment heaven?!

I give Tasting Table credit for sending me this amazing recipe. More importantly, it’s creator Marianne Sundquist at Andersonville's In Fine Spirits.

1¼ pounds green seedless grapes

1¼ pounds red seedless grapes

2½ cups granulated sugar

½ cup plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2½ tablespoons yellow mustard seeds

1¼ cups pecans, chopped

1½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves

1½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh marjoram leaves

¼ cup bourbon

½ cup Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly ground black

In a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together the green and red grapes, sugar, lemon juice and mustard seeds. Similar to making your own Cranberry Sauce, cook over medium-high heat until the grapes burst and the juices begin to gel, about 1½ hours.

Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Stir in the pecans, tarragon, marjoram, bourbon and Dijon mustard and season with salt and pepper.

Let it rest for at least half an hour before serving. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers

I’m always amazed at how many different flavors can come from the same vegetable. And I find that roasting them always brings out the most delicious taste. We’re having a birthday gathering this weekend, it appears that turning 30 warrants a party (not that I’m complaining) and I think I’m going to make one of my all-time favorite appetizers, Roasted  Pepper Salad.

It’s fairly easy, and short of the time it takes to roast, it’s quick. It’s also one of those recipes that is best made the night before so the salad can sit in its juices and marinate.

(serving 4-6)

6-7 Bell Large Peppers, the more colors the better

1 bunch of fresh basil, chiffonade 

6 cloves of garlic, minced

5 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tsp Balsamic Vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 Baguette cut into thin slices

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Add peppers and let cook until skin shrivels (it will be black in some areas, that's okay) and the peppers fall into themselves. Remove and cool until you feel comfortable touching them (warmer is better, since the flavors blend better).

Peel skin off peppers and cut into  strips.

In a bowl, mix basil, peppers, ½ of the garlic, 3 Tbs olive oil and vinegar, then mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you are serving immediately, enjoy, if you’re waiting for later, place in the refrigerator in a sealed bowl and remove 30 minutes before serving.

15 minutes before serving:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place the bread, olive oil and garlic in a zip lock back and shake until bread is covered with garlic and olive oil. Place slices of bread on a cookie sheet and bake until crisp (but not golden).

Enjoy!

Tomatoes and Basil and Scallops, OH MY!

I've been inspired by a co-workers' blog to get back on my horse and try again.

As summer is winding down, I not only have started pining for the lost days of warmth and sun (Chicago winters start unseasonably early) but also the soon to be lack of delicious summer veggies. While fall has its own set of deliciousness, summer reminds me of tomatoes and basil and happiness.

And so, I’ve decided to share with you all my new favorite summer recipe, Scallop Caprese. The substitution of scallops for the buffalo mozzarella is fabulous and the heirloom tomatoes add a pop of beautiful color.

I recently served this as a side dish for a dinner and it was a total smash. I should warn you in advance though; this is not a cheap dish, especially if you make as much as I did.

NEED:

1 lb, roughly 8, fresh (never frozen) Diver Scallops (I was generous and had two per person)

1.5 lb heirloom tomatoes, the more colors, the better

1 cup of fresh basil, chiffonade (stack the leaves on top of one another and roll them up, take your knife and cut across the leave, creating long, thin ribbons)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1-2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 lemon

Balsamic Vinegar to taste

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 Tbs butter

2 Tbs vegetable oil

Slice the tomatoes, I like to vary the size and shapes to make things different, but you can cut them however you’d like. Mix the tomato, basil, garlic and olive oil together. Add a small dash of balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Arrange on a long serving plate.

Pat the scallops dry and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper on both sides.

In a frying pan add oil and place the flame on high. Wait until the pot is screaming hot and add the butter. Wait until the butter has melted, but not browned and then drop the scallops in. The scallops should cook for roughly 2 minutes on each side. They should have a crispy brown coating on both sides and be opaque in the center.

Remove the scallops from the heat and place them on the bed of tomatoes. Cut the lemon in half and lightly squeeze the juice over the dish (should be between ¼ and ½ of a teaspoon, depending on your preference).

Serve immediately!