“I add lemon confit to so many dishes—from broiled fish to pork and beans.”
Eric Ripert of New York City’s Le Bernardin
butternut squash lasagna, tomatillo sauce
roasted butternut squash & corn lasagna
layered with corn tortilla, shredded mozzarella, and tomatillo sauce
Already? The school year is winding to a close. It’s time to thank the parent volunteers for their energy, support, and dedication in helping maintain the library at Rolling Hills Country Day School. As is tradition, our librarian recognizes all the parent volunteers at a special “Luncheon in the Library” held in their honor. Not only is Mrs. Love an inspiring passionate librarian and mother of three Country Day students, she is also a fabulous cook! I’m thrilled to have her share her recipe here, it was a smashing success (vegetarian & gluten-free too)!
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Gourmet Picnic with Spicy Cold Soba Noodle Salad
Gourmet Picnic
Spicy Cold Soba Noodles with Peanut, Scallion, and Cilantro
Radish, Tofu, Shiitake, Carrot, Cucumber, Edamame, Shrimp
Natasha, the 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks! host the 5 Star Makeover Cooking Group, a fabulous monthly event for “sharing ideas and creating gourmet makeovers of selected classic dishes or flavor combinations.”
The 5 Star Makeover assignment for May is Gourmet Picnic Food, perfect for the Memorial Day holiday. “Take your favorite picnic food for a ride and make something special. Lots of leeway and freedom, you choose the ingredients. Just make sure it is 5 Star.”
My contribution to May’s Picnic is a makeover of the ubiquitous pasta salad. This one is portable, delightfully colorful, bursting with flavor, healthy, and since guests compile the salad themselves can be made vegan (just skip the shrimp).
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What makes a classic Chicago-style Hot Dog?
Classic Chicago-Style Hot Dog
A Hot Dog – preferably Vienna Beef, simmered in water (never boiled) until nice and hot
A Steamed Poppy Seed Bun – warm and soft
Yellow Mustard – not Dijon, not brown
Neon Green Relish – do not be afraid of the color, it’s classic
Diced Onion – sprinkle onion along the length of the dog
Sport Peppers – medium-hot, two peppers are the standard
Fresh Tomato – fit two half-wheels between the bun and the dog, skin-side out
Kosher Pickle Spear – crunchy and mild, not too thick, about the same length as the dog
A Dash of Celery Salt – without this final condiment, it would not be a Chicago Hot Dog!
Ordered like this: “I’ll have a Chicago Dog with the works.”
Wrapped up in a sheet of waxed paper. Eaten while standing at a counter. With fries.
By the way, any Chicagoan over 18 will tell you that putting ketchup on a Chicago hot dog is completely unacceptable. Save the ketchup for the fries. This fine specimen pictured above with their popular hand-cut fries is from Man-Jo-Vin’s on Damen near Belmont.
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Doenjang Chigae with Bison
Doenjang Chigae 된장 찌개
A Korean Fermented Soybean Paste Stew with Bison
and
Zucchini, Shiitake, Tofu, Red Chile, Green Onion, Garlic, Sesame Oil
I make this intensely-flavored savory Korean soybean paste stew with bison. Bison might be a bit more flavorful and a little sweeter, and is naturally leaner than beef. It has more protein and iron too. Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones in bison. The herd is raised without antibiotics as well.