Chicago Style< Peruvian Flavor

 Our new pope is a Chicogoan.It's a huge honors for,the USAalong with Illinois and CHicago Pope Leo XIV is probably missing that good Chi-town food despite being in a culinary paradise.Chicago food is influence dby Italian and other ethnic groups who settled in the Windy City.

There are already POpe Leo themed dishes.An iconic CHicago  restaurant chain ,Portillo's has already created a dish for the pontiff born Robert Prevost .Its' Italian beef sandwich already has been named "The Leo".This is shredded beef smothered  with three kinds of peppers and a rich beef gravy .It's sandwiched between half a loaf of Italian bread. Bennison Bakery in nearby Evanston has baked a butter cookie with the pope;s image on it. The Pope also grew up with such CHi-town classics as deep dish pizza,  a spin on pizza rustica.It's loaded with sausage pepperoni and generous helpings of tomato sauce and mozzarella. There is also Chicago thin crust pizza which has an ultra fine thin crust and is cut into squares instead of wedges.There;s also Chicago style hot dogs or "dragged through the garden" dogs. This is a Vienna beef hot dog that;s topped with sliced tomatoes, relish, chopped white onions and a green pickle. A dash of celery salt and a stripe of mustard is added for more flavor. Ketchup is never ever used on these weiners. That's sacrilege to any Chicogoan!

The Pope spent a great deal of time in the seaside town of Chiclayo in northwestern Peru.His favorite dish was goat with beans and rice.He was also fond of ceviche, raw seafood "cooked in lime juice.Tje acid in the juice changes' the meat's composition while preserving its' raw ,briny taste.It can be made at home with either raw or cooked fish.Red onion and cilantro are also added for more flavor.Pope Leo also likes second which means dry in Spamish but is also a rich, savory stew.It's usually made from beef or kid macerated in vinegar. This is not quite marinating but softening the meat ,Yellow potatoes are added to thicken it.The recipe varies throughout South America. Ecuadorians also add avocados and ripe plantains along with achiote, a red spice sort of like cinnamon.The Pope may have also enjoyed a variety of potatoes too.A Peruvian staple quinoa is now an everyday American dish that can be made into a delicious bowl .It;s usually cooked with veggies for a healthy lunch or dinner.

POpe Leo has had a very good culinary background. First there was Chicago, then Peru and now Rome. He couldn't;t have asked for a better diet.

Happiness Is A Hot Instant Meal

There;s nothing like coming home to a hot, steaming pot pie or lasagna. Unfortunately these take a lot of time and effort to make, not to mention having all the ingredients at hand. Luckily this is the modern age where we can cook wholesome meals in just minutes. They're still the same as what our moms and grannies made - but quicker. Much quicker.

A good dinner (or even lunch) here in the States is pot pies. This American classic was one of the first TV dinners back in the Fifties and it's still going strong. Pot pies are wonderful because they has everything, They're basically meat, veggies and even bread all rolled into one crusty, yummy, juicy pie. Serve them with a salad and it's a full meal. Some fast food chains such as Boston Market offer a delicious, homestyle version that's the size of a small pizza.Another instant favorite is pizza itself. A lot of brands such as Red Baron and California Kitchen offer individual ones that you can buy in your freezer section. Nowadays they have so many different toppings, from the exotic artichoke to the much loved pepperoni, Again add some salad to instant pizza and even a glass of red wine and you've got a great meal to come home to.

Comfort food can be made in a sec these days too. There are plenty of instant baked macs out there. One of my favorites is Stop and Shop's house brand.It's a perfect blend of tiny elbow macaroni with a creamy cheddar sauce. The cheese is thick and it evenly coats every piece of pasta perfectly. I just love it and for me it's the best dinner after a tough day. Potato pancakes, another soothing comfort food are easy to make now thanks to so many brands offering instant versions. Gone are the days of grating potatoes and onions and then mixing them with eggs to form the perfect round. These are just pop into the frying pan or microwave and then serve with sour cream or applesauce.

Happiness is coming home to a hot meal. More happiness is making it in just minutes. Nowadays it's easy thanks to all the great instant dinners out there. It's nice to have homemade things if you have the time. However the frozen stuff can offer the same sort of comfort without all the fuss and bother.

A Good Labor Day

It's Labor Day here in the States, a day off to remember all our work force who keep both the national and international economies afloat.

I'd like to thanks some of the workers that I rely on. They're the cashiers and managers, along with the butchers and bakers in my local supermarkets. They're the farmers who grow my veggies and fruits as well as the pickers who pick the harvests. These people all work hard to make sure that I have good ingredients for my meals.

I also want to thank the service people, the waiters and cooks in my favorite restaurants. These people work very hard and get paid very little. They create my favorite dishes from shrimp toast to old fashioned pizza, from my fave chicken tacos to my beloved hot dogs and Hawaiian shaved ice.

Take this day and thank the people who make your eating the best. It's only fair.

The Crust Of The Matter

It's Thursday and that means a dissection of the lead article in the NY Times Food section. It was a good article devoted to pizza crust. It's more of a local article , dealing with what NY pizzerias make the best crust. (although I'm sure many other cities, especially Chicago can bake up a good crust too).


The article written by the famed Frank Bruni goes on to ask what makes a good pizza? According to Bruni it's the crust but the other ingredients plus the toppings are just as important. TO be honest NewYork pizza is the best because of the water that's used in the dough. The same can be said of New York bagels. The area is a hard water one and that plays a vital part in the making of any good NY bread dough.Another factor is the question of using a coal burning oven. This always makes the best bottom, with a tender midsection and crispy outer edge. the problem is not leaving it in so long as the crust crackles and burns. The problem is you don't want it too crunchy or too soggy, this last will give it the appearance ,taste and texture of a frozen pie.

What goes on top is also important as the article proclaims. The best topping is fresh tomatoes with a mild mozzarella and fresh picked basil. This classic Margerita style is the best and the easiest for at home pizzioli. If there are to be toppings, don't glop them on. Bruni would rather have them in little bits, and likens them to the ingredients of a perfectly made salad. After all, a salad can't be too gloppy and loaded with extras. It has to have a light, crunchy base and be infused, more or less , with the ingredients who have a cameo role.


What makes a good pizza.A crispy crust, fresh tomatoes, a smattering of cheese and the barest ingredients. Add in a good coal oven and that's all it takes.

Deep Dish Pizza In The White House

Today is inauguration day and one of the most exciting days in world history. It’s also a great day for foodies because the Obamas will hopefully bring their love of food and restaurants to the forefront.

Chicago may be the “city of big shoulders” according to our great poet , Walt Whitman, but it’s also the home of some of the best pizza and ribs in the world. Deep dish pie is a pretty recent invention , first made in 1943 by Ike Sewell for his Pizzeria Uno restaurant. The crust is usually an inch thick and extra flaky. It’s kind of like an American pizza rustica with a variety of fillings. Most traditional are pepperoni and pepper but you can also fulfill that other Chi-town passion and fold in cooked steak strips to it.

Chicagoans love their steaks and other cuts of beef. It makes sense considering Chicago housed many of the country’s slaughterhouses. There are some excellent steak houses throughout the city. Ribs and hamburgers also are big in the Windy City.

What will the Obamas bring to the White House kitchens? Their Chicagoan love of food for one thing along with the different and varied dishes that made up our new president’s childhood.