Chicago Brauhaus Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives

Okay, I'll admit it, I am a Guy Fieri, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives (triple D) fanatic. A couple of years ago I was able to visit Guy's Johnny Garlic's restaurant in Santa Rosa, California. Much to my disappointment Guy was not there. I just loved their coconut shrimp. I loved it so much I just had to have it again. On my second visit I was given a very rough recipe for the coconut shrimp.

Coconut Shrimp with Sweet Chili Sauce

So one day, as I often do, I'm watching triple D when an episode comes on featuring the Chicago Brauhaus, located in Lincoln Square, in Chicago. In this episode (Coast to Coast Chow), Chef Harry Kempf makes his Sauerbraten and Rouladen. Two of my very favorite foods! The episode was so good that I began salivating immediately. Since I have never been to the Chicago Brauhaus, I called two of my sisters, made a reservation, and off we went a couple of days later. 

Lincoln Square

From the outside you don't get a real feel for the size of this restaurant. When we entered the front door I was pleasantly surprised with the size of this restaurant, or the fact that they had a band playing.

.

The hostess said that the restaurant seats about 180 guests. Within moments we were greeted by the chef himself. I explained that I saw him on triple D and just had to come. We were promptly shown to our reserved table and given menus. This was getting interesting. 

I opened the menu and immediately noticed something that you won't find on many menus these days. On the appetizer menu Hackepeter was on the menu. If you are unfamiliar with Hackepeter, it is non-other than Steak Tartare. The menu description was: "Steak tartar bowl - fresh ground lean beef accompanied by a farm fresh egg yolk, onions, capers, anchovies and paprika." I enquired about the portion size since nobody at my table was interested in trying, or sharing my Hackpeter.  The waitress said that it was a generous portion and we could share. I'll have to go back and try it some time. When we make Hackpeter  (once in 20 years) it just brings back memories of my father.

My Hackpeter

Our waitress took our order. The waitress offered a choice of soup or salad. The waitress said that they made their own house salad dressing. My sisters had the lentil soup and raved about it. My brother-in-law, my wife and I had the salad. The house salad dressing was so good that you could drink it.

What to order? I came for the sauerbraten and rouladen, but the gebackene ente (half crispy roasted young duckling) and the wiener schnitzel also looked good. These would just have to wait. I was on a mission. My wife ordered the rindsroulade (thin sliced sirloin of beef rolled with mustard, bacon, onions, and pickle) with spätzle, and red cabbage (rotkohl). I ordered the sauerbraten (marinated beef, served with potato dumplings (kartoffelklösse) and red cabbage. The plan was simple, my wife and I would each eat half of the Sauerbraten and Rouladen and then switch plates. 

Rindsroulade

When I was served the rouladen and spätzle the smell and the presentation reminded me of meals at my grandmother's house so many Sunday's ago.  Other than the addition of a dill pickle spear, this was almost exactly like our homemade version. 

Sauerbraten with potato dumplings

The sauerbraten, on the other hand was not at all like the one that we make. In Germany there are many sauerbraten recipes, each unique to a region, although not uncommon to vary in the same family. The Chicago Brauhaus uses cinnamon and cloves in their recipe, which is an acquired taste. In our family, the flavor of the sauerbraten comes from ginger snaps. The dumplings were not at all like our kartoffelklösse, but still very good. If you've never had German red cabbage (rotkohl), you're in for a real treat. They serve it family style and it is slightly tart. I loved it.

After dinner our waitress cleared our plates and while we were all very full, we decided to order two desserts.

Apple Strudel (Apfelstrudel) 

After dinner Chef Harry came to our table and asked how the food was. I told him that I was full. He said that was good because when you're full, you don't get wrinkles. The fact that an owner or chef takes the time to see that his guests are enjoying their meal, is often lacking in many restaurants. 

Upon our arrival the restaurant was about half filled. When we departed the restaurant was full and people waiting outside to walk in. How Lincoln Square and the Chicago Brauhaus escaped me for all of these years I'll never know. If you're looking for a German dining experience give it a try.

Guten Appetit!

© TMelle 2012

The Ultimate Omelet Bar

If anyone is paying attention, I spent nearly 20 years of my life traveling for work, going from one hotel to another all over this great country of ours. I always felt safe ordering breakfast while on the road. How do you screw up breakfast? 

I quickly learned that the fixed price breakfast buffet was not always your best choice. How do you screw up scrambled eggs? Easy! There are commercial products on the market to use in place of butter. These products, their marketing claims aside, just don’t taste like butter. 

Real Butter

I just love omelets. They are, in my opinion the perfect breakfast food. The best part is that they’re made to order, or should be. Whenever I stayed in a hotel with an “omelet bar,” or “ultimate omelet bar” as part of their breakfast buffet, I just had to go. An omelet station requires a table, a portable cook top, non-stick 8” omelet pans, mixing bowls, small whisks or forks, a silicone spatula, room temperature eggs mixed with a little water or milk, butter, margarine, or cooking oil sprays, and an assortment of fillings. The choice of fillings really is unlimited by your imagination. Don’t forget the toaster. Making toasts keeps your guests busy while you prepare their omelet.

Some omelet ingredients

Chopped lobster would be nice

For an American omelet bar, individual ingredient bowls filled with cheeses like American, cheddar, and Swiss might be a good start. For the meat filling section of your omelet bar, precooked ham, bacon, and sausage might be good choices. Sliced mushrooms, diced tomatoes, onions, green, red, and yellow peppers, or spinach are great fillings as well. To raise the bar on your omelet bar you might consider adding cooked shrimp, crab, or lobster for that truly east coast theme. An assortment of fresh fruit slices make great garnishes for your breakfast omelet bar.

Got to have some bread

I recently went to a local restaurant and ordered a bacon and cheddar cheese omelet. When it was served to me it was the fluffiest omelet I had seen in a very long time. I approached the cook and inquired how they got their omelets to be so big and fluffy. I wondered if they added flour to give it some lift. “We use seven eggs in our omelet.”  He replied. OMG! I had just consumed a seven egg omelet with bacon and cheese! Please don’t tell my cardiologist that. You don’t need to use seven eggs to get great  fluffy omelet.  For the average person a 1, 2, or 3 egg omelet should do it.

Seven egg omelet with cheese

I think many people are intimidated when it comes to making omelets. You don’t need to be if you know some simple steps to making perfect, or nearly perfect omelet every time. Many people say an omelet should not be brown at all. The French come to mind. I prefer my omelet with some golden brown on it. My perfect omelet!      

My perfect omelet

So how, do tell, do you make the perfect omelet? I'm glad that you ask. There are many theory's on what ingredients to use when making an omelet. Obviously you need some room temperature eggs, some milk, cream, and/or a little bit of water, some salt, a fork or a whisk. 

Break some eggs

Melt some butter

Break your eggs into a glass bowl. Add a splash of milk, cream, or a little bit of water. Sprinkle a pinch of salt into the egg mixture. Whisk the eggs together for a couple of minutes to add some air to the eggs. Place an 8" inch skillet on the cook top and turn on the heat. Melt some butter in the pan. When the butter begins to bubble the pan is hot enough to start making an omelet. 

The omelet begins

A silicone spatula works well here. Pour the beaten egg mixture into the heated skillet. The minute the egg mixture hits the hot skillet, the eggs will begin cooking. Using the edge of the spatula push the eggs away from the sides towards the center of the skillet. You will notice the uncooked eggs from the top will immediately fill in the bottom of the skillet previously occupied by the cooked eggs with the uncooked eggs from the top. 

See the curds forming in the center?

Tilt the skillet to get more uncooked eggs

Continue using the edge of the spatula to push the eggs away from the sides towards the center of the skillet until the eggs no longer flow into the empty area. If you like your eggs soft and a little runny, then begin adding your favorite toppings now. 

Add crispy bacon now

You are now ready to flip your omelet.  You could simply flip your egg in the pan, or if you're not up to that, carefully slide the spatula under the egg, rock the skillet to loosen the egg from the pan, and in one swift motion flip the omelet over and then add your toppings.  Once the toppings are on your omelet you are ready for the fold. Some people roll them and some fold.

Crab meat filling

The fold

Back in the late 60's, I worked as a short order breakfast cook. Hey you've gotta eat right? It was here that I learned to decorate an omelet with good old fashioned American cheese. 

Cut the cheese diagonally into 3 or more pieces

Place the cheese on your omelet so that when it melts it will mold to the omelet. In a restaurant kitchen you would place this under a broiler  (salamander) until the cheese melts.

Ready to melt

One the cheese melts remove the omelet from the broiler, place it on a plate, add a garnish and serve. Fresh fruit, or grilled tomatoes make excellent garnishes. 

Enjoy

Your choice of omelets is endless. Omelet making is a skill that is not difficult to master and will certainly impress your family, or your guests.  

© TMelle 2012

Francheezie Retro Hot Dog

The Deep-Fried Francheezie

If you’re from Chicago, or the Midwest then you’ve probably tried, or at least heard of a hot dog called a “Francheezie.” Some people say that the Francheezie originated in Chicago. A Francheezie is a jumbo all beef hot dog that has been split up the middle, stuffed with cheddar cheese, wrapped in bacon, secured with toothpicks and dropped into a deep fryer. The francheezie is cooked to golden perfection and then served with mustard, or ketchup.

Cheese Stuffed Hot Dog wrapped in Bacon

My mom never had a deep fryer and had to use the broiler. The only problem was that often the cheese would melt and ooze out before the bacon was cooked. It didn’t matter, they were good anyway.

Francheezie out of the broiler

One day I got to thinking about my mom and got a craving for a Francheezie. I still don’t have a fryer and my Moms method just wouldn’t produce the result that I was looking for, so I just had to reinvent the Francheezie. Then all of a sudden it struck me... "Francheezie en croûte." Why didn't I think  of that before?

All Beef Hot Dogs and Cheddar Cheese

The first thing that I'm going to need is the hot dogs. Being from Chicago I will use a Vienna, or Nathan's brand hot dog. I will also need a good quality cheddar cheese (American cheese won't work here). You can use any cheese that you like. I used cheddar and Swiss for mine. I'm going to need a good quality hickory or Apple wood smoked bacon. Finally, I'm going to need some puff pastry dough sheets (any brand will do). 

The first step is to fry some bacon, drain it, chop it and set it to the side. The next step is to split the hot dogs deep enough that you can open them without cutting through. The next step is to cut some cheese pieces about 1/4" x 1/4" and the length, or half the length of the hot dog. 

Keep cheese cold until ready to use

Grill both sides of the hot dog

The next step is to grill bot sides of the split hot dog. Once grilled, remove them from the pan and set to the side until ready to assemble. When ready put some of the chopped bacon on the inside of each hot dog, followed by the cheese logs that you have cut. Roll these prepared hot dogs in plastic wrap for about 15 minutes in the refrigerator. 

Prepared hot dogs wrapped in plastic

While the hot dogs are chilling roll out the puff pastry dough using a little bit of flour. Using the tines of a fork poke holes in the dough (docking) to avoid air bubbles when baking.

Roll out puff pastry dough

 The next step is to prepare an egg wash to seal the dough around the hot dog and to give it that shiny,  golden brown color. To prepare an egg wash just mix together 1 tablespoon of water and one whole egg yolk. Set this to the side until ready to use.

Place prepared hot dog on puff pastry dough

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Once the hot dog is in place on the puff dough, brush the egg wash around it. Roll up the dough around the hot dog, tucking in the sides as you roll.  When finished rolling place the rolled hot dog seam side down on the baking sheet. Brush the egg wash all around the dough. 

Egg washed hot dogs

Using any left-over scraps of dough you may decorate the hot dog any way that you like. 

Ready for oven

Preheat the oven to 350°F and place the sheet into the oven. Bake until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve. 

Francheezie out of the oven

Let's serve them up. What would go good with a Francheezie en croûte? French fries, cottage cheese and a pepperoncini.

Do you want a bite?

I think that my mother would have loved this version of the francheezie.       

 © TMelle 2012

Sliders

Photo source: http://www.whitecastle.com

Growing up in the northern suburbs of Chicago, I never heard of White Castle or their miniature hamburgers and cheeseburgers called “sliders” or “slyders,” until I was in my late twenty’s. That’s because there were no White Castle restaurants in the suburbs at that time. While working in Chicago late one evening I walked into my first White Castle. I was about fourth in line. The guy ahead of me ordered twelve cheese sliders, one French fry and one soft drink. I remember thinking how strange his order was. When I was able to place my order the cashier seemed shocked. "One cheese slider, one order of French fries, and a soft drink." “One slider?” He replied. He immediately knew that I had never had a slider before as he pointed to the grill. “That’s a slider sir. Now how many do you want?” If you don't already know, a slider bun is about 2-1/2"x2-1/2" The square meat on that bun is approximately the same size with the meat being about 1/8" thick. There are about five round holes punched out of the meat, apparently to allow the steam to come through the hamburgers, cooked on a bed of onions, allows the heat to steam the top of the bun too.

Homemade Sliders - I know they're not square

Looking at the grill and these very tiny hamburgers and cheeseburgers with holes cut out of them, I knew right away that one or two of them just wasn’t going to cut it. “I’ll take six.” I replied. I proceeded to my car with my dinner in hand and proceeded to scarf down each and every one of those sliders. I thought about going back to order six more but didn’t. Like most foods that have withstood the test of time, there will always be controversy as to who made the first slider and when. The most common belief is that it was White Castle. The people that love sliders, and there are many are called "Craver's." There is actually a whole "Craver Nation." If you've never had a White Castle slider be sure to add it to your bucket list. Does a slider fit the criteria of "comfort food?" I think it does for many Craver's. To better serve their customers you can buy sliders in the freezer section of your local grocers. For more information about White Castle sliders, visit them at http://www.whitecastle.com/.

To thick I think. Back to the drawing board

It seems that the older I get the more concerned I am, or supposed to be about my health. In America we are all familiar with the phrase “super-size it” when ordering fast food and getting the most food and calories, or “bang for your buck.” Today, if we are trying to be politically correct, we are supposed to be downsizing everything to keep fit. Not just the food or drinks that we order, but the size of our plates, and glassware as well. The theory is that a 9 inch plate full of food will satisfy your cravings visually without the calories of a 12 inch plate full of food. The USDA's new food icon is a brightly colored plate that breaks a healthy diet into four main sections: fruits, vegetables, grains and proteins, with a small side of dairy.

Over the past ten years “sliders” have popped up on restaurant menus across the country. Not content with just hamburger and cheeseburgers anymore, the “slider” has been born-again in many forms. Today restaurants everywhere are capitalizing on the slider craze by offering every form of slider they can come up with. There are hamburger sliders, cheeseburger sliders, tenderloin, meatloaf, crab cake, fish sliders, fried-chicken sliders, buffalo chicken sliders, pulled pork sliders… The list is endless. 

Kobe Beef Sliders

Today a slider can be served as a snack, a meal, or in a fancy-schmancy restaurant as a “Amuse Bouche,” pronounced ä-müz-'büsh. But in America we like to “super-size it.” So we don’t just settle for one slider. We want bigger, better and a whole plateful of them.

Three Sloppy Joe Sliders

So one day I entered one of those stores that I am forbidden from entering alone and found a square slider press. I just had to have it and my wife would just have to understand that I needed to make square sliders.

My new slider press

What can I say? It is the perfect tool for making perfectly square sliders. You wouldn't tell a mechanic that he can't have a wrench. Would you?

Right shape, we're getting there

It is starting to smell pretty good around here. I used ground chuck that was 80% lean to make these bad boys. Oh, I forgot the bed of onions. 

Square sliders almost finished

So now that I've made them, how do I fit my homemade sliders on the USDA's new food plate? I guess I could stack all of the buns in the grains section, the meats in the protein section and the onions in the vegetable section. The beer will just have to go in the dairy or fruit section. Better yet leave the plate at home, go to White Castle, grab a sack of sliders and enjoy. Problem solved. I wonder how lobster sliders would taste?

© TMelle 2012

Father's Day

Father's Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Many countries celebrate it on the third Sunday of June but it is also celebrated widely on other days. Father's Day complements Mother's Day, a celebration honoring mothers and motherhood^[1].

I found the grill and it fits

Why is it that children often will take mothers out to eat on Mother’s Day, but they expect their father’s to cook on Father’s Day? It’s just not right! Is it because our families think that typically the kitchen is the mother’s domain, and that we should give them a second night off from cooking every year and cook our own damn food?  Is it because our families think that we want to be outside grilling, maybe drinking beer and socializing!? I don’t know the answer but why can’t we be taken out for a nice dinner! 

My wife's patio herb garden

Personally I don’t mind because I do enjoy cooking and I just bought a new grill so why not! This Father’s Day I will be outside grilling some food for my family and enjoying it in the comfort of my own home. Let’s just hope that my kids don’t stick me with dish duty as well!

BBQ beer can chicken?

Now what to make on my miniature grill? Beer can chicken would be nice. Will it fit on the grill? Lobster would be nice. Then again I could keep it simple and stupid (KISS).

Brats taking a beer bath

Maybe a slab of ribs

Now on the topic of gifts…I don’t want yet another tie or a pipe or smelly cheap cologne that I will never wear! How about if this Father’s Day my kids chip in for the grill that I just bought just to cook them food? How about a grill cover, or a electric rotisserie for my new grill? I think all of these would be nice gift choices! 

^[1]From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

© TMelle 2012