Columbus Foodie

I read today in ThisWeek News that The Dog Joint in Westerville closed last month. I visited it once, last summer, and found it to be fair to middlin’. Not bad enough to slaughter them in a review, but not good enough to recommend. I had wanted to go back and give it another try before writing a review (which I like to do, if I can afford it), but it looks like I’ll never get the chance.

So this post is for people who were fans.

Their Windy City dog was pretty great….as good as many other Chicago dogs I’ve had in town.

Didn’t like the Southern Belle at all, because the cole slaw was pretty flavorless.

The Chili Cheese Fries were pretty good – between me and my dining companion, we polished them off in no time flat.

My beef with the South of the Border dog is that if I have cheese on hot dogs, I like it to be melted. Otherwise, a decent offering.

But whose bright idea was a Hawaiian dog? Absolutely disgusting.

I’m looking forward to trying the restaurant they put in its place. Did you enjoy this restaurant? Are you sad to see them go?

Somehow, in the past couple of years, I developed a love for Vietnamese sandwiches – the Banh Mi at Mi Li Cafe on the North Side are a staple for me whenever I can get up that way. When I saw this recipe, I knew I’d have to try it. Don’t get the wrong idea – this isn’t anything like a traditional banh mi, with it’s pate and two kinds of pork. That sort of banh mi is better left to the professionals. This does have a bit of the vibe, though – because it uses many of the same ingredients and condiments.

Personally, I felt it was a bit too spicy for my mild tastes – but your mileage may vary. Paul absolutely loved it at is, although he did say it set his ass on fire.

Pork Meatball Banh Mi Sandwich
recipe courtesy Bon Appetit magazine

Hot Chili Mayo:

* 2/3 cup mayonnaise
* 2 green onions, finely chopped
* 1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (such as sriracha)

Meatballs:

* 1 pound ground pork
* 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 3 green onions, finely chopped
* 1 tablespoon fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)*
* 1 tablespoon hot chili sauce (such as sriracha)
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 2 teaspoons cornstarch
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Sandwiches:

* 2 cups coarsely grated carrots
* 2 cups coarsely grated peeled daikon (Japanese white radish)
* 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
* 1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
* 4 10-inch-long individual baguettes
* Thinly sliced jalapeño chiles
* 16 large fresh cilantro sprigs

Hot Chili Mayo:
Stir all ingredients in small bowl. Season with salt. do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Meatballs:
Line rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Gently mix all ingredients in large bowl. Using moistened hands and scant tablespoonful for each, roll meat mixture into 1-inch meatballs. Arrange on baking sheet. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Sandwiches:
Toss first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour, tossing occasionally.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Heat sesame oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of meatballs. Sauté until brown and cooked through, turning meatballs often and lowering heat if browning too quickly, about 15 minutes. Transfer meatballs to another rimmed baking sheet. Place in oven. Repeat with remaining meatballs.

Cut each baguette or baguette piece horizontally in half. Pull out enough bread from each bread half to leave 1/2-inch-thick shell. Spread hot chili mayo over each bread shell. Arrange jalapeños, then cilantro, in bottom halves. Fill each with 1/4 of meatballs. Drain pickled vegetables; place atop meatballs. Press on baguette tops.

Once in a while, you stumble upon one of those rare recipes where once you’ve made that particular dish that way, there’s no use in looking any further and then there’s just no other way of making it for you. This roast chicken recipe will be my “go to” recipe from now on. Not only was the meat (including breast) unbelievably tender and juicy, but the skin was crispy too. I usually get one or the other, but not both. I have no idea why they call this “sticky” chicken, though – there was nothing sticky about it.

To serve as a side, we tossed a pound or so of halved or quartered fingerling potatoes and peeled cloves of garlic with a bit of olive oil and lots of seasoned salt, pepper, and garlic powder. We roasted the potatoes in the oven at 400F for about 45 minutes while we had the bird in the convection oven. The bird made some wonderful drippings, which we strained and defatted and made a nice gravy (thickened with Wondra), which we finished off with a touch of cream. One of the best dinners we’ve had in a long time. By the way, don’t be put off by the two day directions – this is a breeze to prep.

Roast “Sticky” Chicken
recipe courtesy Recipezaar

4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 large roasting chicken
2 large onions, peeled and quartered

Day 1:

Blend all spices together and set aside. Remove neck and giblets from chicken cavity, rinse well inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Rub with spice mixture, both inside and out, then stuff cavity with onions. Wrap in a resealable”food grade” plastic bag, tie closed, and refrigerate overnight.

Day 2:

Remove from plastic bag and place in a shallow baking pan. Roast uncovered in a 250 F oven 5 hours. (This is not an error, I repeat, 250 F for 5 hours!) If the chicken contains a pop-up thermometer, ignore it. According to the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service, a whole chicken should reach an internal temperature of 180 F. Baste with drippings every 30 minutes after the first hour. If there are no drippings in the pan, use chicken broth to baste. Let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

As I mentioned yesterday, we really don’t do a ton of cooking in the winter. I think part of it has to do with the lack of fresh ingredients – there’s only so much squash and citrus you can eat before it gets old. And since a lot of the cooking responsibility falls on Paul in winter, his main criteria for meals are that they are quick and simple.

He blogged last week about a childhood favorite of his called Big Burger, and while I liked the filling well enough, I thought the crust was a little overwhelming. So I mentioned that it probably would be great on pasta, and sure enough, it was.

It kind of reminds me of Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni, but without all the additives, preservatives, and excess sodium. And it took hardly any time at all to prepare. If you want to make it a bit healthier, use extra lean ground beef or ground turkey, 2% dairy, about half as much butter, and whole wheat pasta. Best of all, it’s extremely economical – getting all the items on sale, it cost all of about $5

Cheeseburger Macaroni

8 oz. elbow noodles
1 lb. ground beef
1 tbsp. ketchup
1 tbsp. prepared mustard
¼ c. chopped onion
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper

Cheese Sauce:
3 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. flour
1 c. milk
1 c. grated cheddar

Set water for pasta on the stove to boil. To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the flour and form a thick paste (roux). Allow to cook for a couple of minutes to lightly brown. Add the milk a little at a time, whisking to thin out. When the milk is incoporated but not especially thick, start adding cheese a little at a time and whisk through until melted. When cheese is completely incorporated, set aside.

Bring the pasta to a boil while you are making the meat. Cook to al dente, according to package instructions. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta water.

Brown the beef and onion in a skillet, and then drain. Add the mustard, ketchup, salt, pepper and cheese sauce. Thin out slightly with the pasta water if necessary. Add the pasta, adjust seasoning, and serve.

We’re in the thick of winter, so I’ve been feeling really out of sorts lately, not able to find much joy in anything, instead biding my time until the sun starts shining again. Some of you may not know this (although most of you do), but I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, and in January and February of most years deal with incapacitating depression – so bad that I rarely leave the house during the winter, and when I do I get extremely anxious and claustrophobic and short tempered.

Knowing this, I stay at home as much as possible, depending on the kindness of my wonderful husband to bring the good stuff to me. And he doesn’t let me down. Just today he surprised me with a lunch of a corned beef sandwich and matzoh ball soup from Danny’s Deli. He does the grocery shopping most of the time, too. He’s a keeper.

A keeper who brings me something for breakfast that actually manages to lift my spirits. I’m quite particular about certain things, and bagels and smoked salmon are two of those things. My dear husband loves me enough that at my request, he got up at the ass crack of dawn to get me super fresh water bagels from Block’s (BTW, a pox on Panera, who wouldn’t know a good bagel if it bit them in the ass, yet charges you a king’s ransom for a subpar product – stick to bread, salads and soups, folks), then hauled his cookies across town to go to Trader Joe’s to get me the one kind of smoked salmon I like (for the record – their sockeye, which is more smoky than fishy, and is a steal at $4.99 for 4 ounces).

So thanks to my sweetie, my breakfast today was a garlic bagel with scallion cream cheese and a nice thick layer of smoked salmon. I don’t tell him nearly enough how much he means to me – I honestly don’t know how I would get through the winter without him. A lot of people expect grand romantic gestures as a proof of love, for me, it’s about the small things – about him being thoughtful enough to go out of his way (and with very little sleep) to do something that he knew would be a bright spot in not only my day, but my entire week. I love you, Paul Hope to return the favor this summer when I’m feeling like myself again.

I’ve been making at least a half hearted attempt to eat healthier. I’ve been focusing a lot on making better choices – lots of protein, veggies, and fruit, less refined carbs. I don’t know if it’s working at all, but as time passes, I’m getting less of a desire for the bad stuff.

This recipe is a great compromise between healthy eating and great taste. It’s hard to believe that this is “light”, and we made it more so by using whole wheat egg noodles. The toasted bread crumbs that you sprinkle on top add great texture. This one is definitely one we’ll eat again. We kept most of her recipe intact, and just made adjustments to the topping to use panko bread crumbs, which have a bit of natural crunch to them. Enjoy!

Creamy Tuna with Tarragon and Egg Noodles
modified from a Rachael Ray recipe

Salt
3/4 lb. whole wheat extra wide egg noodles
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 small onion or 1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 c. chicken stock
1/2 c. whole milk
1tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tbsp. dried tarragon leaves
2 (6 oz) cans tuna in water, drained and flaked with a fork
1 c. frozen peas, thawed
Freshly ground black pepper

For topping:
1 c. panko bread crumbs
1 tbsp. butter

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the egg noodles and cook al dente; they should still have a little bite left to them.

While you are waiting for the water to come to a boil, heat the EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions or shallots to the oil and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then add the butter to the pan. Once butter has melted, sprinkle in the flour and stir, letting the butter-flour mixture and cook for about 1 minute. Whisk in the stock and cook until it thickens, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and the mustard and bring the mixture back up to a bubble. Turn to low and add the tarragon, tuna and peas. Mix well. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Drain the noodles and combine with the sauce. Adjust the seasonings if necessary.

To make the topping, melt the tablespoon of butter in a small skillet and add the bread crumbs. Saute until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes.

Serve in a bowl with bread crumbs sprinkled on top.

In anticipation of the Hills Market starting up the 2010 season of Cooking Classes, I’ve decided to finally get around to posting about the events I attended there in 2009. Better late than never! Stay tuned at the end of the post for information on upcoming classes and events.

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I’ve been a regular shopper at the Hills Market (on Rte 315 in Worthington Hills, just north of 270) for a while now, but I had never attended an event there. It wasn’t even until earlier this year that I was aware that they had events there. So, when fellow food blogger Lisa the Waitress (of Restaurant Widow fame) was scheduled to teach a cooking class there last spring, I decided to attend as a show of support and solidarity.

I think Lisa has a natural knack for teaching, and a lot of knowledge to share. Years of working in the restaurant industry has taught her lots of tips and tricks that she encompasses in her everyday cooking. The menu she came up with rivals any good meal I’ve had in a restaurant.

Recipes given throughout this post are provided courtesy of Lisa. Please visit her blog to see some of her other great recipes.

Her husband Chris (who also has an impressive restaurant resume of his own as manager or sommelier at places such as The Refectory, Burgundy Room, Rosendales, Sage American Bistro, etc) acted as her sous chef, and took on much of the task of doing the grunt work of finishing dishes as Lisa talked. They work together wonderfully, though – I would love to see these two with a restaurant of their own one day.

The classes are held in the back of the store in the kitchen area behind the bakery case, which accommodates a fair number of people. The actual meal is served in the wine department, at a long communal table that is very conducive in letting you get to know a bunch of different people from all walks of life. We were greeted with a sparkling pink wine and an amuse bouch of Risotto Fritters, which everybody absolutely loved. What a great way to use leftover risotto!

Risotto Fritters

2 c. leftover risotto
8 small balls mozzarella, cut in half
flour
1 egg
panko bread crumbs
peanut oil, for frying

Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop a ball of risotto into your hand and gently roll it into a ball. Press the mozzarella piece inside and cover with risotto.

Whisk the egg and place it in a shallow bowl. Place the flour and panko in shallow bowls as well. Roll each ball in the flour, and then the egg wash, and lastly in the panko bread crumbs and fry until golden.

If you don’t have a deep fryer, you can fry these in a frying pan on the stove top. If you do the stovetop method, it will be easier to form them into a slight patty shape.

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She also showed as an extremely easy to prepare sausage bean soup – which allows a little sausage to go a long way – good news for those of us trying to eat healthier. The great texture and flavor makes it seem more complex than it really is.

White Bean & Andouille Sausage Soup

2 fresh andouille sausage links
3 (14 oz) cans white beans
4 c. chicken stock
salt and pepper

Remove the casing from the sausages and crumble into a large soup pot over medium heat. Break up the sausages with a wooden spoon and brown the sausage until it’s fully cooked. Drain off any excess fat.

Add 2 of the cans of white beans – along with their liquid, being sure to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the soup pot, then add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat off and puree with an immersion blender.

Add the remaining can of white beans and turn the heat to medium and bring back to a simmer. Taste to correct seasonings and add salt and pepper as needed. At this point, you could serve the soup or you can turn the heat to low and let the soup simmer 1/2 hour to let the flavors mingle. I like to top the soup with croutons and serve it with a little Tabasco on the side. Serves 4.

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I’m not usually a big fan of citrus in salad, but this one may make me change my mind – I’d probably use blood orange instead of grapefruit, though – just because I don’t like grapefuit. She gave us a great tip of sprinkling salt on citrus making it sweeter. Interesting.

Refreshing Winter Salad

8 very thin slices of prosciutto
4 handfuls arugula, watercress, mache or a mix thereof
1 large celery root, grated or cut into julienned strips and then sprinkle with lemon juice to keep it from browning
lemon juice
2 large pink or red grapefruits, sections removed with sharp knife
good olive oil
sea salt

Lay 2 slices of prosciutto on each plate. Place the greens in a bowl and drizzle very lightly with olive oil, the juice of one lemon, and sprinkle with just a touch of salt. Place a pile of greens on each plate.

Place the celery root strips into your bowl and drizzle very lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place a small pile on each plate.

Cut each section of grapefruit into thirds and add a small handful to each salad. Serves 4.

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As someone who loves to make risotto, it was interesting to see how her method of risotto preparation differed from mine. Hers is a much more classic preparation, though – and a great base recipe.

Risotto

Olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped into small dice
1 rib celery, chopped into small dice
1 c. Arborio rice
1 c. white wine
4-6 c. chicken or Parmesan stock
1/4 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
2 egg yolks
salt and pepper

To properly make risotto, you will need 2 pots. A soup pot for the stock, and a wide pan or Dutch oven to make the risotto. Put the stock on to simmer on the burner behind your risotto pot.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions and celery, stirring as they soften – about 5 minutes. Add the rice to the pan and stir for about 2 minutes, or until the rice has begun to “pearlize”, or turn translucent around the edges with a white spot in the middle. Add a large pinch of salt.

Turn the heat to medium-high and add the wine. Stir and keep stirring until the wine has mostly reduced, then begin to add the stock. Add about 6 ounces at a time (use a ladle), stirring in each ladleful until it has cooked down. Continue this process about 25 minutes, or until the rice is to your preference of softness.

In a small bowl, combine the cream, Parmesan and egg yolks and grate some black pepper over; stir together and add to the risotto, stirring for about 1 minute. You may also add butter at this point if you would like to. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Serve with more Parmesan. Serves 4.

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This flourless chocolate date was to die for. And again, a much simpler recipe than I expected. Good enough to make any home cook seem like a pastry chef.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

8 oz. hazelnuts
1/4 c. sugar
8 oz. chocolate (dark but not too dark – about 60%)
8 oz. butter
1/4 c. Frangelico
5 eggs

Heat your oven to 350 and line a 10-inch springform pan with parchment.

Place the hazelnuts in a baking sheet and place in a 350 degree oven. Roast for about 10 minutes or until they are shiny and aromatic. Keep an eye on them, because they will burn and catch on fire before you know it! Allow the hazelnuts to cool completely.

Place the hazelnuts and the sugar into a food processor and blitz until they resemble a fine meal. Set aside.

Place a large metal bowl over a pot of simmering water and add the chocolate and butter. Stir together until they are melted, then remove from heat. Add the hazelnut and sugar mixture to the chocolate and stir in. Add the Frangelico and stir. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring in completely before adding the next egg.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the cake is firm. Cool completely before removing the springform ring. Serve with whipped cream and fresh berries. Makes 10-12 slices.

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The store’s wine genius, Constance Begue, paired wines with each course. Even though I’m not much of a wine drinker myself, here they are for your edification:

Arrival/Fritter: Taltarni Brut Tache NV, Victoria
Soup: Hermanos del Villar Ipsum 2007, Rueda
Salad: Guigal Cotes du Rhone Rose 2007
Risotto: Prunotto Dolcetto d’Alba 2007

I absolutely loved this class at the Hills Market, and at $35 (including wine) it was well worth every penny. They regularly offer cooking classes during the winter, with the couple that are scheduled in the near future listed below. If you’ve never attended an event there, this is a great introduction.

UPCOMING EVENTS (click through for more details and menu):

January 19th, Anthony Shulz from the Inn at Cedar Falls, 6:30PM, $35

January 26th, Anthony Shulz from the Inn at Cedar Falls, 6:30PM, $35

February 2nd, Erin Chittum from M at Miranova, 6:30PM, $45

March 11th, Chef Kent Rigsby of Rigsby’s Kitchen, 6:30PM, $35

You can reserve your spot for these classes by calling 614.846.3220 or e-mailing manager@thehillsmarket.com. The Hills Market is located at 7860 Olentangy River Road (Rte 315 just north of 270) in Worthington Hills.

Many times, I’ll take something out of the freezer to thaw in the morning with no concrete plans on what we’re having for dinner. We’ll flip through some recipes, and come across something that we can make with what we have on hand. We’re lucky enough to have a packed pantry (even Mormon’s would be envious of us), so this recipe was a natural choice. It was very flavorful, and plain orzo was a perfect starch – if you want to make the dish a bit healthier, keep your eyes out for whole wheat orzo. The sauce is aggressive enough to stand up to it.

Chicken Thighs with Balsamic and Garlic Sauce
recipe from For the Love of Cooking

5 boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of any fat
1 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp butter, softened
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar
1 cup of chicken broth

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large OVEN PROOF skillet over medium high heat. Season the chicken thighs with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Lay the chicken thighs smooth side down in the pan and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn the chicken over and place in the oven. Cook for 8 minutes or until cooked through.

Remove chicken from oven and set aside on a platter to rest with a tinfoil tent to keep warm. Return the skillet to the stove over medium high heat (add more olive oil if needed) and add minced garlic. Cook, stirring constantly for 60 seconds then add the balsamic vinegar. Stir, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan for about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Mix the butter and flour together making a paste. Whisk in the flour and butter mixture and let the sauce return to a boil. Simmer until the sauce gets thick – about 1-2 minutes. Pour the sauce over chicken and serve. Enjoy.

If you’re anything like me, the cold weather outside has prompted you to try to keep warm with lots of hearty soups and stews. There’s nothing quite like hunkering down in front of the fireplace with a huge steaming bowl of something that’s been cooking all day. Gravy-based stews cry out for a nice hunk of bread.

Here in Columbus, we’ve got snow coming down like gangbusters today. Since we can’t get out to get a fresh loaf of crusty bread from Omega, and we didn’t have hours to bake a yeast bread, we put together of this loaf of beer bread – since it’s a Cooking Light recipe, it’s healthier than beer bread usually is, and you can indulge in a slice even if one of your resolutions was to eat healthier this year. I honestly couldn’t tell the difference between this and much higher fat recipes. Enjoy!

Basic Beer-Cheese Bread
recipe courtesy Cooking Light

1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. finely chopped yellow onion
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
13.5 oz. all-purpose flour (about 3 cups)
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup (4 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 (12-ounce) bottle lager-style beer (such as Budweiser)
Cooking spray
2 tbsp. melted butter, divided

Preheat oven to 375F. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; cook 10 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in pepper and garlic; cook 1 minute.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk; make a well in center of mixture. Add onion mixture, cheese, and beer to flour mixture, stirring just until moist.

Spoon batter into a 9×5 inch loaf pan coated with cooking sprayDrizzle 1 tablespoon butter over batter. Bake at 375F for 35 minutes. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon butter over batter. Bake an additional 25 minutes or until deep golden brown and a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Yield: 16 servings.

Per 1 slice serving: 144 cal (28% from fat), 4.4g fat (2.4g sat, 1.6g mono, 0.2g poly), 4.3g pro, 20.6g carb, 0.7g fib, 10mg chol, 1.3mg iron, 257mg sod, 89mg calc

For the past couple of months, my slow cookers and Dutch oven have been my best friends. It’s been all about convenience in these parts, and the responsibility for any meals that require anything resembling work has fallen squarely on the shoulders of my wonderful husband Paul. Can I just say for the record that I love having a husband who not only cooks, but cooks well?

This is another one of those simple recipes. The sauce comes out a little thinner than I like for pasta, but is perfect for making sausage sandwiches on sub rolls.

Baked Sausage, Peppers and Onions
recipe courtesy Recipezaar

3 sweet bell peppers, sliced use any color
1 hot pepper, sliced
4 onions, sliced
6-8 sausage links
1 tablespoon mixed Italian herbs, dried or 3 tablespoons fresh herbs
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
4 ounces tomato paste

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large Dutch oven place peppers onions, sausage and bake covered for 1 hour. Place on stove top removing sausage and set aside. To the peppers and onions and juices (there will be lots of liquid) add the remaining ingredients and simmer till a thick consistency.

Meanwhile slice sausage lengthwise. When sauce is to desired thickness and the sausage to reheat and serve over pasta or on a fresh roll.