June 2008 Archives

Todd & Holland Tea Merchants in Oak Park is a frequent destination for tea lovers all over the Chicagoland area. Since 1995, Todd & Holland has offered superior, unique teas handpicked from all over the world. Owner Bill Todd's lifelong passion for high quality teas inspired this special store. He and fellow owners Janet Todd and Marianne Richards offer a wealth of tea knowledge (and product!) for their customers.

Stop in Todd & Holland on West Madison Street to taste and peruse to your heart's content. You'll receive superb service from Janet or Marianne to select from among their numerous varieties of exquisite teas. When Tastybeat visited, Janet and Marianne shared their favorite picks for summer. This selection of black, green and herbal teas is perfect for enjoying on ice:

Black
Serendib Garden -- named after a Sri Lankan garden, this is a straightforward black tea that is clear, crisp and bright

Summer Solstice -- this green/black combination tea bursts with apricot, lemon and hibiscus, resulting in a refreshing and smooth iced tea

Green
Morning Dew -- this Japanese green tea is mixed with sunflower, cornflower and rose to offer a surprisingly fruity and fragrant concoction that smells exactly like a strawberry patch but tastes light and flavorful

Herbal
Sunburst Orange Tisane -- a beautiful mix of apples, hibiscus, lemon grass, orange edges and strawberries that brews to a magnificent magenta color and tastes like fresh fruit

Cold Brew
Peach or Pear Sencha -- these silk, ready-to-use pouches are perfect for overnight cold-brewed iced teas

When you visit Todd & Holland, be sure to check out their wide array of teapots and equipment.

A lovely teapot and selection of teas makes the perfect hostess gift (and a nice treat for your own home). Steep, pour, and enjoy!

Happy Brewing,

Tastybeat

Todd & Holland Tea Merchants
7311 West Madison Street (map)
Forest Park, IL 60130
Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday: 10am-6pm
Thursday: 10am-8pm
Saturday: 10am-5pm

Owners Rose and Bob Piccheitti of Red Hen live up to their credo "to bake great bread". Tastybeat considers Red Hen a special gem. Their bread is truly a step above the rest. Red Hen uses only the finest ingredients and even makes their own starters! And each and every single tart, muffin, and loaf of bread at Red Hen is lovingly made by hand. Once you try Red Hen, it's hard to eat bread from anywhere else.

Red Hen makes two dozen varieties of bread daily, from a classic baguette (Tastybeat's favorite) to the more creative types including sourdough, herb, and ciabatta. Tastybeat also recommends their flaky, buttery croissants, plain or oozing with chocolate. Truly delicious! And Red Hen offers outstanding deli sandwiches all day.

Happy Eating,

Tastybeat

Red Hen Bread
1623 N. Milwaukee (map)
Chicago, IL 60647
Phone: 773-342-6823

Monday-Saturday 7:00 am to 6:00 pm
Sunday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Red Hen Bread
500 W. Diversey (map)
Chicago, IL 60614
Phone: 773-248-6025

Monday-Saturday 7:00 am to 6:00 pm
Saturday-Sunday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

For an outrageously delicious summer treat, it's time to head to The Spice House (The Spice House a previously featured Tastybeat gem) for vanilla beans. They're the key ingredient in Amanda Hesser's Vanilla Bean Loaf Cake. This super moist cake contains pure saturated vanilla bean, homemade vanilla syrup, and juicy summer berries. It's a stunning but surprisingly simple-to-prepare dessert.

For a very special cake, Tastybeat recommends The Spice House's high-quality Tahitian vanilla beans. These beans are much plumper, have many more seeds per bean than most vanilla beans, and are favored for their depth and complexity by many pastry chefs. And here's a fun Tastybeat tip to get some more life out of your Tahitian vanilla beans--place the empty pods in your sugar jar for a special flavor boost.

Happy Baking,
Tastybeat

Vanilla Bean Loaf Cake
(This recipe is from Cooking for Mr. Latte, A Food Lover's Courtship, with Recipes, by Amanda Hesser. Amanda says she adapted this recipe from the Hi-Rise Bread Company in Cambridge, Massachusetts.)

3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 vanilla bean
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
8 large eggs, room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 batch vanilla syrup (see recipe below)

Heavily butter or spray two similarly sized loaf pans, and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using a paddle attachment in your mixer, cream butter and sugar until mixture is pale and fluffy. Scrape the vanilla bean and flick its seeds into the mixer, along with the vanilla extract and eggs. Beat to mix.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into another bowl. Add to the batter and mix just until smooth. A few turns of the paddle should do it. Take the bowl off the mixer and use a spatula to scrape the bottom and fold the mixture a few times, to make sure everything is blended.

Divide the batter between the two prepared pans. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn the pans, and bake an additional 25 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester or skewer comes out almost clean.

While the loaves bake, prepare the vanilla syrup.
When loaves are done, cool for 10 minutes on baking racks, then turn loaves out of their pans and set back on the racks. Place the racks, with loaves, over parchment paper or a baking sheet and brush bottoms, tops, and sides of loaves generously with vanilla syrup. Brush a couple more times as loaves cool. Serve with fresh summer berries. Cakes may be wrapped and frozen, if you can resist eating them right away.
Makes 2 loaves.

Vanilla Syrup
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 cup water
2 vanilla beans, split and seeds scraped

In a small pan, dissolve the sugar in water over medium heat. Add the vanilla beans and stir a little so the seeds and fragrance disperse. Take the pan off heat.

Who doesn't crave scrumptious gelato to temper these hot summer days and evenings? Linz & Vail in Evanston is just the relaxing Italian ice cream gem you seek, with its inviting chocolate-brown and bubblegum-pink walls, happy service, and real-deal gelato. When traveling around the world, Linz and Vail owner Susan Dejanovic loves indulging in gelato. She especially loves how gelato merchants customarily welcome their guests to select more than one flavor at a time, as deciding on just one is so difficult. Susan's stores carry on this tradition by encouraging you to try new flavors and select two or three for your cone or dish.

Chocolate is Linz and Vail's bestseller, but Tastybeat's favorites are Nutella and Pistachio. Exceptional! With over 10 flavors of daily-made gelato to choose from each time you visit, you'll want to return. And Linz and Vail now carries gelato-style frozen yogurt! The refreshing key lime is wonderful.

You'll find Linz and Vail in two locations. The small Noyes Street store is just a few doors down from featured Tastybeat gem Al's Deli and across from the Noyes Cultural Center, which houses the well-respected Piven Theatre, Next Theatre, and Actors Gymnasium. Linz and Vail's other Evanston location is in the center of the bustling shopping Central Street shopping district.

Be sure to check out the update on past gem, Amidei Mercatino.

Happy Licking!

Tastybeat

Linz and Vail
922 Noyes Street
Evanston
847. 491.1381
Hours:
Monday -Friday: 7am -10pm
Saturday: 8am-10pm
Sunday: 9:30am-10pm

2012 Central Street
Evanston
847.475.1381
Hours:
Monday-Saturday: 6am-10pm
Sunday: 7am-10pm

Tastybeat Readers: Here's an update on Amidei Mercatino, a featured Tastybeat gem. It's time to stop in to Amidei Mercatino! They're open for the season with a plentiful supply of local produce including asparagus, green onions, lettuce, radishes, peas and beans. Owner Ermanno Amidei and his daughter Ruthie are always thrilled to help fill your take-home box with fresh handpicked selections. And Tastybeat advises you consider purchasing a bottle of their superb Lake Forest honey- a very special item Ruthie keeps under wraps because it goes so quickly. Enjoy!

Amidei Mercatino
235 Southgate
Lake Forest IL
847.295.5890
Hours: 8am-5:30pm Monday -Saturday

For all you adventurous foodies out there, Tastybeat recommends a gem on West Armitage Avenue: Bonsoiree! Partner chefs Shin Thompson and Kurt Chenier have created a stimulating, intimate restaurant that showcases their innovative talents. Bonsoiree's always-changing menu features seasonal American cuisine with French and Japanese influences that result in an unpretentious, one-of-kind culinary experience.

This summer, look for Bonsoiree's special grilled Kobe beef entrée or call ahead to request their Scallop Motoyaki -a fresh scallop baked in its own shell and broiled with a ponzu aioli. On Saturday evenings, Thompson offers an underground five-course tasting menu. Simply sign up online at bon-soiree.com to reserve a table and view that week's menu. Sign up as early as Monday because tables go quickly. This is truly one of the best gourmet deals in town.

And for a special dining occasion at home, Bonsoiree offers fine catering, headed up by Chef Chenier.

Happy Eating,

Tastybeat

Bonsoiree
2728 W. Armitage Avenue (map)
Chicago, IL 60647
773.486.7511
Hours:
Dinner 5-10pm Tuesday-Thursday
Saturday Underground invitation only
Sunday 5-9pm
Closed Monday

Tastybeat was honored to be involved with the 10th anniversary celebration of the Green City Market on Saturday May 17th. Abby Mandel and all those affiliated with Green City Market have worked tirelessly to provide a diverse range of high quality foods, and to connect local producers and farmers to chefs, restaurateurs, food organizations and the public. Check out the Green City Market website for weekly events, including chef demonstrations, recipes, events and more! And, don't forget to make a trip to the market -they are open every Wednesday and Saturday 7am-1pm. We share with you some pictures of the rally at Green City Market on May 17th.

Now available, Chicago Cooks is a cookbook celebrating Chicago's food history over the last 25 years, told through the eyes of the Chicago Chapter of Les Dames d' Escoffier Chicago. Innovators and trailblazers from Chicago's rich culinary landscape have contributed recipes, reflecting the many ethnic and cultural influences that make up our great city. With a focus on simple, fresh cooking, it's a practical resource for any home kitchen. Tastybeat especially likes the everyday recipes from brunch to dinner as well as the fun dinner party concepts. What's more, a portion of the royalties from Chicago Cooks will go to the Community Kitchen Program at the Chicago Food Depository.

On Friday, June 6, join some of Chicago's top women culinarians at Now We're Cookin' in Evanston as they demonstrate recipes from Chicago Cooks. Book signing to follow. Reservations required at nwcookin.com.

Now We're Cookin'
1601 Payne Street
Evanston, IL
847.570.4140

Chicago Cooks was edited by Carol Mighton Haddix, Chicago Tribune Food Editor and Les Dames Escoffier member.

Chicago Cooks, Agate Press 2007

Now that summer is officially here, it's prime time to add some vim to your next get-together with a cocktail your friends will love. Try mixing up a sangrita, a traditional Mexican aperitif. This zippy drink was originally created as a chaser for tequila, to mellow the Mexican liquor's strong fire. These days, this spicy-sweet concoction is popular in many Mexican homes, and can be found in many variations.

Carlos Reyna--owner of Humboldt Park's Mexican restaurant Maiz (a previously featured gem)--has shared his favorite sangrita recipe with Tastybeat. Reyna's customers, family and friends think it's quite delicious. And if you'd like some vigor with your vim, accompany your sangrita with a choice tequila. Danny Passaglai, owner of Di Carlo's Armanetti liquor store at Grand and Western, offers his recommendations for premium tequilas.

Carlos Reyna's Sangrita Recipe

3/4 cup tomato juice
1 1/2 ounces Worcestershire sauce
1 ounce pineapple juice
1 ounce fresh lime juice
splash *Maggi Seasonings dash of crushed pepper and salt

Mix all ingredients and serve at room temperature, or chilled in a shot glass alongside tequila.

*Maggi Seasonings is an extremely versatile condiment similar to steak sauce

Sangrita (big batch) -This is a chunkier version

6 medium tomatoes, peeled and seeded
3 oranges, juiced
2 limes, juiced
1 small onion, chopped
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. chili pepper (or to taste, but sangritas are typically pretty spicy)
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1) Mix all the ingredients in a blender and whiz until tomatoes and onions are pretty well chopped up.
2) Pour into a shooter glass and sip with tequila.

This recipe from www.suite101.com

Sangrita article from April 2007 by Timothy Dzurilla

Danny Passaglai's Tequila Recommendations

Corralejo Reposado - Danny's favorite; a slightly aged tequila that grabs some color from the barrel. This small distillery in Mexico gives their tequila lots of hands-on attention and maintains excellent quality control over their end product. Corralejo Reposado retails for about $30 a bottle.

Zapopan Reposado - Danny's recommendation for mixed drinks; this tequila is a great price, retailing for about $15 a bottle.

Herradura Seleccion - Suprema - A blend of premium tequilas aged for over five years; this high-end tequila is a great but pricey choice. It drinks like a cognac and is meant to be savored. Danny has a bottle waiting just for you, retailing for about $300 a bottle.

Salud!

Tastybeat

Di Carlo's Armanetti
515 N. Western Avenue (map)
Chicago
312-226-4600
Hours
Monday - Saturday 9:00am - 9:00pm
Sunday 11:00am- 6:00pm