Going Out For Breakfast

Basted eggs with bacon, whole wheat toast, preserves and whipped butter

I'm going to keep rolling on the breakfast theme since I just love it. When you want a really great breakfast, where do you go? Living in the Chicago land area, there are many to choose from. I have my own list of favorite places that I just love. Deciding which is best is no easy task. My first question is, can I eat here? This decision is determined first and foremost entirely on the cleanliness of the bathroom. If it's not clean, I won't be eating there. The same is true with dirty condiments, or worn out dirty menus are something I look for. If the front of the house is dirty, what does the kitchen look like? 

Visually a quality pork sausage

I also look at the quality of the products served as a direct reflection of how the owner feels about his customers. The type of breakfast sausage or bacon is a good starting point. Are they quality products, or just the run of the mill cheap quality, fast food fare. I also look for places that advertize the products they use in the preparation of their customers breakfast. You can tell from the names, or logos the quality of the foods they are serving.

Iron Skillet sausage eggs hash browns biscuits and gravy

As an example, every now and then I get a craving for pancakes, French toast or waffles. For me to enjoy any of these three choices I need real butter, and real honest to goodness pure maple syrup, not the artificial maple syrup served at most pancake houses. At least offer real maple syrup for an up charge. Recently I was at a restaurant that was using frozen, ready made pancakes. They're pancakes for goodness sake. How lazy can you get? 

Maybe you prefer a short stack

When it's breakfast that I crave, I will often search out restaurants that offer scratch made meals and fresh squeezed orange juice. Once I have my juice in hand, I'm going to need some really good medium roast coffee. Third on my list of must haves would have to be hash brown potatoes, shredded, not diced or sliced, and please no onions or peppers. It's morning for goodness sake. If a restaurant has corned beef hash on the menu it had better be homemade and not dumped out of a can. I like mine crispy, not steamed or soggy. Is that to much to ask? I detest restaurants that charge a lot of money for their breakfast and then serve you inferior ingredients.

For the pancake lover in you

Every now and then I need some Eggs Benedict to bring harmony to the universe. I just detest packaged Hollandaise sauce, so the sauce has to be homemade.

My favorite restaurants, in no particular order are:

Bob Evans

Walker Brothers - Highland Park, IL

Once Upon a Bagel - Highland Park, IL

Butterfields - Northbrook, IL

Southern Belle's Pancake House - Crest Hill, IL

IHOP - Anywhere

Egg Shell Cafe - Deerfield, IL

Egg Harbor - Glenview, IL

Paul Bunyan - Minocqua, WI

Denny's - Anywhere
Iron Skillet - Anywhere

Scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns

When I'm in the mood for eggs, generally it's two eggs, scrambled over medium, or basted, with bacon, shredded hash browns, or potato pancakes.

Basted eggs, smoked bacon, potato pancakes

Every now and then I get in the mood for an omelet. When I do I'll often order a bacon and cheese, sausage and cheese, or a Denver omelet.

Everyday should begin with a hearty breakfast

I'm a big fan of breakfast sandwiches and it really doesn't matter what kind they are.  Unless I'm in a hurry, I will steer clear of fast food choices. These are easy enough to make at home. While surfing YouTube I saw that you can substitute a real fresh shell egg for the folded cooked liquid eggs at McDonald's. I ordered a sausage egg and cheese biscuit with a fresh shell egg and got it. No extra charge.  

Homemade bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich

When I first heard about chicken and waffles, I just couldn't figure out if it was suppose to be a breakfast or dinner meal. So I was at Cheddar's restaurant one evening and it was on the menu I asked the waiter about it. I told him that I didn't think that sounded good. He asked me if I liked spaghetti and meatballs. I said yes and he said it is just like that. I still don't know if this is is for breakfast or dinner, but it really is good.

Chicken and waffles

Whenever my family went on vacation, it was usually to Woodruff, or Minocqua, Wisconsin. Every now and then my parents took us out to breakfast at Paul Bunyan's Cook Shanty restaurant. From the moment you sit down at the tables with red checkered tablecloths and stainless steel place settings, you know that this will be old fashioned country breakfast.

Paul Bunyan's place setting

In a blink the food is coming to your table. Since it was an "all you care to eat affair," my father made sure that we stayed long enough to get our money's worth. For breakfast you got flapjacks, scrambled eggs, camp fried potatoes, baked ham, sausage links, kielbasa, biscuits and milk gravy, donuts, coffee, tea, milk, and juice. I know that my parents breakfast was under ten bucks at the time and the kids prices were based on how old we were. Eating together as a family made this more fun.

Paul Bunyan Breakfast

Paul Bunyan's fresh buttermilk donuts

If you need another reason to enjoy breakfast, usually people eating breakfast are in a good mood, starting a new day with family and friends and enjoying a good meal. It generally goes down hill after that. After breakfast it was back to the lake

Lil smokies breakfast Iron Skillet

Sunday breakfast, especially in the summer, is where antique and collector car buffs go to socialize with other enthusiasts. You never know what you're going to see.

Packard Super Eight - Can you say heavy metal?

Finally, every now and then you're going to see something that you never expected, so get out, smell the roses and enjoy a great breakfast.

Holy Batmobile Batman!

Restaurants I'd like to try. Check out their menus and you'll know why. If you've eaten at any of these locations send your comments:
Dixie Kitchen and Bait Shop - Evanston, IL
Original Green Bay Cafe - Winnetka, IL
Hotcakes Cafe - Wilmette, IL 
Yolk Restaurant - Chicago, IL
Ann Sather Restaurant - Chicago, IL
Windy City Cafe- Chicago, IL

Denny's Grand Slam with Hash Browns

Finally if you have favorite family breakfast recipes that you love and would like to share, please click on "Comments" below and leave a comment. If you like this blog and want to help keep it alive, why not sign up to follow this blog. It's free and we never sell our email list. 

Swedish Pancakes with Lingonberry Preserves

© TMelle 2015

Basted Eggs

Room temperature eggs and tablespoon of water

If you haven't figured it out by now, I am a breakfast person. Ever since I was a little boy I was told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If I don't have something to eat for breakfast, my butt is dragging until the early afternoon. For me a good breakfast sets the tone for the entire day.
When I think about how I want my eggs prepared, I would have to say that it really depends on my mood. I like my eggs soft or hard boiled, poached, basted, fried, scrambled, or made into an omelet.  Almost everyone knows what a poached egg is, but a basted egg? When was the last time you heard someone order basted eggs? What is that little known cooking method? It is basically a cross between a poached egg and a fried egg, that usies live steam to finish cooking the top of the egg. Basted eggs are a slightly healthier way to enjoy your eggs.

Melt butter in the pan

Requesting basted eggs in a restaurant is likely to be met with a puzzled look on your server's face. It just doesn't happen that often. It's not that they're hard to make, but do require an understanding of the technique involved. 
You're going to need a preheated non-stick, or stainless steel skillet with a little butter (okay I used more), with a drop of vegetable oil mixed with it to keep the butter from burning. You will also need some water to create the steam and a lid, preferably glass to hold the steam and allow you to view the cooking of the eggs.

Slip the eggs into the pan

Once the butter and oil is melted and combined, crack a couple eggs into a glass ramekin. Slip the eggs into the pan trying to hold the yolks closely together. If the pan is hot enough, the egg whites should start to cook immediately. Lightly season the eggs with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Once the egg whites are beginning to set, add about 3 Tablespoons of water around the eggs, give the fry pan a shake to get the water moving around the eggs to all parts of the skillet. The water will begin steaming immediately.

Just about time to add water

Cover the pan and let the steam from the water cook the top of the egg. It helps if the lid is glass so that you can monitor the egg cooking progress to your liking.

The steam off the top starts cooking the top of the egg

Once the egg yolks have a white film on them and are cooked to your liking, remove the lid. The water also disperses the butter and oil from under the egg. 
To serve remove the basted eggs to a plate and serve with 3-4 slices of crispy smoked bacon and one slice of lightly buttered whole wheat toast.

How do you like your eggs?

Ingredients
2-3 teaspoons butter
1-2 drops vegetable oil
2 egg
1-2 tbsp. water
Instructions

To baste an egg, first heat 2-3 teaspoons of butter and 1-2 drops of vegetable oil in a non-stick, or stainless steel skillet over medium-low heat until hot. Then, crack the eggs into a ramekin or small bowl. Cracking your eggs into a small ramekin or bowl serves two purposes, to avoid getting shells in your eggs and to keep the egg yolks together for appearance purposes, since we eat with our eyes first. If you have a large egg ring, the egg whites will stay round too.
Once the butter is melted and blended with the oil, gently slide the eggs into the pan, and cook about 30 seconds. When the white of the eggs starts to turn opaque and lightly set add 1-3 tablespoons of water around the eggs. Immediately place the glass lid over the skillet to capture the steam, and cook 1½ to 2 minutes, or until cooked to your liking. It’s ready when the white is set and the yolk has a beautiful white finish.

Basted eggs, potato pancakes, apple-wood smoked bacon

How do you like your eggs? If you, or your family have an unusual way of preparing eggs. Please leave a comment below. A friend of mine living in Arkansas has chocolate gravy with biscuits. I just can't understand this paring. If you can convince me otherwise, please leave me a recipe below.
I just love homemade corned beef or roast beef hash with my eggs. I am looking for a great family recipe for those as well. 
Where do you like to go for breakfast? Tell me where you go and why.

© TMelle 2014-15

Chicago Style Italian Beef

Hot dogs are high on the list when talking about Chicago style comfort foods. Hot dogs are just the beginning for most of us. The list is almost endless. Hamburgers, Italian sausage, a combo (Italian beef and Italian sausage,) Chicago style pizza, and let's not forget barbecue.

Cut X's in beef for garlic cloves

According to Wikipedia "An Italian beef is a sandwich with thin slices of seasoned roast beef, dripping with meat juices, on a dense, long Italian-style roll, which originated in Chicago where its history dates back at least to the 1930s."

Garlic cloves and parsley

Whether you like it dry, wet, or dipped, with sweet, or hot peppers, how you like your beef is really a personal preference.

Just can't slice beef this thin with a knife

Making Chicago style Italian beef is really not that difficult, if you have a deli-style meat slicer. The secret to great beef is a thinly sliced (not shaved) beef. You can get a home slicer for about $100-$200.00 price.

Just got to get the right bread

What you need to make beef: 
Olive oil

5 lbs. top round

1/2 tbsp. red pepper flakes, crushed

3 tsp. basil, dried

3 tsp. oregano, dried

5-6 garlic cloves, whole

3-4 cloves garlic minced (for au jus)

8 Italian buns (D'amato's, Turano, Gonnella)

32 oz. water

1 tsp. MSG (old school beef optional)

to taste salt & pepper

1-2 green peppers, seeded
as needed jardinere (optional)

pinch nutmeg (optional)

1 tbsp. all-purpose flour (for 5 garlic cloves)

16 oz. low sodium beef broth

Place seasonings on the top of the roast

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Mix together the minced garlic, red pepper flakes, basil, oregano, garlic, MSG (if using) and a pinch of salt and pepper. 

Place the roast in a Dutch oven fat side up. Trim off any excess fat. Using a sharp paring knife cut 5 or more X's in the top of the beef, so that the hole depth is in the center of the roast. Dampen the garlic cloves with oil and roll them in flour. Using your finger press 1 floured garlic clove into each hole until the meat closes over the top. Rub the top of the roast with oil and then Rub half of the seasoning mixture on top of the roast.

Fill water

Pour the water into the dutch oven around the roast being careful not to wash the seasoning off the top of the roast and sprinkle with minced garlic  into the water. Cover with the lid and place into the oven. You may also add up to 16 ounces of low sodium beef broth if you like.

Place beef into oven

Roast the beef for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 250°F and bake for another 20 minutes. After the 20 minutes, add the rest of the spice mixture to the quart of water. Pour this into the roasting pan.  Roast for another 30 to 45 minutes, or until the temperature of the middle of the roast is 130°F. Remove the meat to a platter and let rest for 1/2 hour.

Allow beef to cool

Allow au jus to cool in the Dutch oven. Refrigerate the au jus until the fat rises to the top. Remove the fat and strain the liquid. When ready to serve, reheat the liquid (au jus) and allow to simmer.

Remove the excess fat (many restaurants don't)

Get your meat slicer ready and set on a very thin slice (not shaved)! Once the meat is sliced add enough for number of sandwiches that you sre making to the simmering au jus. This will finish re-heating and cooking the beef.

The thinner the better

Can you smell that?

If you like sweet peppers on your beef, wash the peppers. Slice the peppers in half, remove the seeds and white membrane and then slice them into eighths. Slice the cleaned pepper halves in half and place in a medium sized pot.

Saute those peppers

Begin to cook down the peppers occasionally stir them around so the skin of the peppers become blistered. Now add some olive oil and some minced garlic, salt, and turn the peppers until they are completely coated.  Cover and saute the peppers on medium heat until they are soft. Serve on top of an Italian beef sandwich.

You can save the rest for later

Place some meat on each bun, ladle with some au jus and top with jardiniere and hot peppers.

Can you smell that?

Cover and fry the peppers down on medium heat stir periodically until they are soft. Serve on top of an Italian beef sandwich.

© TMelle 2014-15

TRADITION & HOLIDAY SURVIVAL - Are family traditions just too much work?

Get the decorating done right away

As much as I hate to say it, making time to enjoy a meal with family and friends, especially during the holidays, is a tradition that just might be slipping from families due to our hectic or sedentary life styles. Keep in mind that air, food and water are three functions that a human body must have to survive. We should strive to master these three vital functions. If you have to eat, why not learn to cook well? You just can't beat homemade scratch cooking.

Get in the mood

People will give you many reasons why they don't like gatherings of friends and families, but most of them are invalid. Oh they'll come to your party, just don't want to host one. In my opinion, left to our own designs, family gatherings as we know them just might be pushed aside in favor of buying complete holiday prepared meals from the local grocer, or going out to eat for holiday’s and special occasions at your local restaurant. I actually enjoy getting together with family and friends.

Chicago Botanic Garden

This year, just before Christmas, I sprained my knee and ankle limiting my ability to help with the meal preparation. I was left to sit and do table prep rather than standing and actually cooking. This perspective gave me a unique insight into why parties are considered by many to be just too difficult to even consider. My family didn't care having a dictator in the room.

Had the butcher prepare (French) a pork crown roast

This year I had time to think about how to throw a stress-free party, if that's possible. These are my thoughts on the subject. Everything that can be done in advance should be. Your education begins today and learning just one phrase will greatly reduce your stress levels.

Season the roast

Mise en place

According to Wikipedia, Mise en place is a French phrase which means "putting in place," as in set-up. It is used in professional kitchens to refer to organizing and arranging the ingredients (e.g. cuts of meat, relishes, sauces, par-cooked items, spices, freshly chopped vegetables, and other components) that a cook will require for the menu items that are expected to be prepared during a shift. The practice is also effective in home kitchens.”

Stuff that roast

Food Safety

The next thing that you must consider is food safety. Every home kitchen should have a good quality, accurate kitchen thermometer. It should be properly calibrated by you on the day of your party, or anytime you cook meat, poultry or fish. You don't want your guests to go home, or to the emergency room sick because you served undercooked food.

Make a plan and work your plan

Create a custom music play list appropriate for the event. It should be ready to begin as soon as the first guest arrives and finishes when the last guest departs.

Crown roast ready to serve

What time should your guests arrive? If you plan on serving dinner at 6:00 pm, then you’re guests should arrive at 5:00 pm, unless they are needed to help earlier. Only those guests that will help create a stress-free party should be invited early.

Do you want a slice?

In our house it’s almost impossible to get more than 6 place settings that match. I often will buy one plate or dish just for a photograph. If it’s really special occasion, get new glassware and china, or rent it. Any decorating and house cleaning can and should be done days before your event or party. Last minute touch-ups are permitted. If you like your linens fresh, iron them in advance or RENT THEM.

Steamed cauliflower

Break up the families or friends. Assigning seats is a great ice breaker for getting people to talk to each other. Often when we go to a dinner party there's one family on one side of the room talking to each other, and the other family is on the opposite side. Tear down that wall!

Cauliflower gratin inspired by John Besh's cauliflower puree recipe

Deciding if all of the food preparation will be done in house or outsourced to your relatives or friends can make your party go easier, or harder, depending on the circumstances, equipment available, counter and dish washing facilities. If you don’t have enough refrigeration, plan on assigning someone (not you) to bring coolers and ice. 

If a family member, friend, or guest is bringing food, they should bring it completely prepped at their home and ready to serve if possible. If the dish requires any cooking, re-heating, or refrigeration once it arrives, that needs to be scheduled into your kitchen plan if space is available. If not eliminate it from your menu. Whatever you do, don't break out the cookbooks, or search the Internet for a new recipe that you've never tried before. While I try to avoid it, even recipes on this blog might have a mistake, just like the famous celebrity chef's recipes.

Dinner time

Write out your entire menu and how long each menu item will take to cook, rest, finish and serve. As an example, we were making a Pork Crown Roast, with stuffing and gravy (3 hours). Since we were eating at 6: 00 pm, the roast had to be in the oven by 2:30 pm. That gave us 3 hours to do other things in an almost stress free environment.

One half hour before your guests arrive, relax, meditate and set your mood, since it's your mood that will make or break this party. Have fun!

I know, right!

What can I say about parties and drinking? The people responsible for food prep, cooking and serving the dinner should have their first drink when they sit down at the dinner table, pop the cork on the first bottle of wine, thank their guests for coming and ask them to enjoy their meal. You also don't want your guest drinking and driving. Encourage responsible drinking. For a dinner party, have it at your home. If it’s a drinking party you’re after, meet at a bar.

Flan! A new tradition...

Now for my original thought. Who will carry forward the recipes that have been handed down for generations, if fewer young people today are not wanting to learn to cook? When we're gone whose going to make the Kartoffelklösse, or Mom's plum kuchen?

I NEED SOME HELP

Any thoughts, on family traditions, vintage recipes, or giving young people the motivation to learn recipes from the past would be appreciated. 

Tim’s Rumaki Appetizer

I was considering entering a contest using fillo dough cups. I missed the deadline and thought that it was good enough to be on my table and in my blog for New Year's Eve.

INGREDIENTS
1 box (15pc.) Athens mini-fillo shells
5-6 whole water chestnuts, diced
15   1/2 tsp. Braunschweiger, liver sausage, or mushroom pate
1/2 lb. bacon, crisp, drained, chopped
as needed chives, fresh, minced, for garnish.
Marinade:
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ginger, fresh, minced
1 tsp. sesame seeds, toasted, optional

NOTE: Add crushed pineapple for an interesting variation.

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F.     
In a small bowl mix together the soy sauce, brown sugar, and minced ginger. If you are using the toasted sesame seeds add them to the soy sauce mixture. Set this to the side. 

Cut and dice the water chestnuts into small pieces. Add the water chestnuts to the soy sauce marinade.

Pan fry the bacon until crispy but not burnt. Drain the bacon and chop coarsely (1/4” pieces) so that the bacon is small enough to fit several pieces into each fillo cup. Set the bacon to the side.

Add Braunschweiger to cups

Place the 15 fillo shells on a baking sheet. Using a 1/2 tsp. measuring spoon, place one scoop of the Braunschweiger into the bottom of the cups. Gently press the Braunschweiger into the bottom of each cup. Stir your marinade mixture to mix well. Using a spoon, scoop out the water chestnut pieces and place them into each of the cups. Repeat the process with the bacon pieces until all of the cups are filled. Finally, drizzle some of the marinade over the bacon in each cup.

Drizzle marinade on cups

Place the sheet into the center rack of a preheated 350°F oven for 7-8 minutes, being careful not to overcook the shells. Remove from the oven and garnish with chives. Serve immediately.

Serve rumaki cups

NOTE: Traditionally “rumaki” is made with chicken livers and can be made that way using chopped chicken livers if you like. You may also use mushroom pate, cooked shrimp or scallops instead of the chicken livers or Braunschweiger.

Traditional rumaki

Happy New Year! Why not sign up to follow this blog above, or leave a comment below? I also have a request to cover Chicago style Italian roast beef. Any comments or thoughts, or reviews of electric slicers would be appreciated.

What's your beef?

© TMelle 2014-15