Weeknight Cooking:
Spanish Tortilla with Chorizo

"At the age of barely three, I would rush outside whenever I heard Julie, our family hen, cackling to announce that she was about to lay.  I would gently collect the still warm new-laid egg and hurry to the kitchen with it.  My mother collected the eggs in a large bowl, which would be kept full during the summer; in winter Julie laid only one or two eggs a week – but we loved her just the same"
– Michel Roux, from Eggs





Quarry Lane Blog Relocation:


1) On the Yahara:     http://riversidedrivefive.blogspot.com


Other Blogs by Troy Hess:


2) Quarry Lane Bistro:     http://quarrylanebistro.blogspot.com

3)  Quarry Lane Cafe:     http://quarrylanecafe.blogspot.com

4)  Founding Gardeners:     http://ontheyahara.blogspot.com

Having finally (hopefully) mastered the delicate art of the soft two egg omelette, it seems natural to move on to other forms of cooking eggs, which Roux describes in the introduction to his book on the subject, "an undervalued food, invariably overshadowed by expensive, luxury ingredients."  What I found out while cooking the Tortilla was as an important a lesson as any with eggs – it still seems that there will be those eaters who are attracted to the plain and natural taste of eggs themselves, and those who might want the added variety of seasoning and ingredients to enjoy.  The traditional French omelette, for example, is an interesting case: it calls for

eggs, butter, Gruyere cheese and fresh chives, but the extras very sparingly, so that the egg most certainly still stands out as the primary flavor source.  The Spanish Tortilla, on the other hand, is a dish that not only offers a variety of substantial extra components to an egg dish, but what it really does is invite the addition of just about anything you can think of.  The recipe calls for chorizo, a Spanish style sausage, but one could

see adding just about any kind of meat you could think of, depending on taste or what is on hand.  The recipe calls for parsley leaves, but why not spinach for the green?  I diced up zucchini into cubes...asparagus?  The other egg trick I gathered was how to cook a much larger volume of eggs than what you get used to for the 2-3 egg omelette.  Even though the Spanish Tortilla called for only 6 eggs, I used ten because I was

feeding five of us and I wanted my dish to be thicker than the picture shown.  The process in Roux's book calls for a pan fry, cooking from the bottom up, then a flip to fry the top portion.  Because my dish was 10 eggs, I decided to go ahead and watch the eggs begin to cook from the bottom up on low heat for around 8 minutes, then I decided to go ahead and bake it in the 8-inch diameter, four-inch high deep pan for the rest of the time needed.  I knew the bottom would already be close to done from the stove top heat; I would then check the top layer while in the oven for any of the standing egg liquid to firm, and then assume that it was done.  It was, and done perfectly.  The end product of my dish was somewhere around four inches high, it peeled from the non-stick pan, and cut and kept its form in pie shaped pieces for serving.  Although there was much luck with this first time approach for the tortilla, the understanding of cooking eggs still centered around the hundreds of omelettes that I have cooked and those hard lessons learned in heat control while pan cooking thin linings of eggs.  If I would have turned my stovetop dial to anything beyond my number three at low, there is no doubt that the bottom would have browned and rubberized.  Any time after that in the oven would have made this condition worse.  I kept the temperature low and watched the heat bubble up through the center and slowly firm up.  This yielded a soft textured bottom that maintained shape and egginess.  In the end, the tortilla was a wonderful pie 'mold' that held great ingredients: potatoes cubed and fried with red onion as base; polska kielbasa quartered and fried briefly with diced garlic and a dice of red pepper; a zucchini dice

added towards the end to add a crisp and moist green.  I piled all of these cooked ingredients into the deep 8-inch pan, then dumped a bowl of 10 whipped eggs over the top, flattened it out, and let it sit.  Throughout, I made sure to salt all of the ingredients, but if there was one obvious complaint to the dish, it would be that the three potatoes and 10 eggs still needed one more heavier touch of seasoning. Because I used kielbasa instead of chorizo, I lost some spice in the mix, and we all know potatoes generally need some help.  Next time I could see slipping in olives or even a small hint of anchovies

to liven the dish, but what I did learn was one more step in perfecting the art of eggs.

On the Yahara: A-Z

Quarry Lane Blog Relocation:


1) On the Yahara:     http://riversidedrivefive.blogspot.com


Other Blogs by Troy Hess:


2) Quarry Lane Bistro:     http://quarrylanebistro.blogspot.com

3)  Quarry Lane Cafe:     http://quarrylanecafe.blogspot.com

4)  Founding Gardeners:     http://ontheyahara.blogspot.com

B.

Basic Pie, Grampa's Pizzeria.

Grampa's on Williamson Street has taken on one of the most difficult culinary challenges in the 'good' food industry: how to separate oneself from the hundreds of others that find a good location and try

 to make the best pizza in the city.  We've visited Grampa's only twice and sampled only three pizzas, but it would be an understatement to say that we might very well have found the best pizza the city will offer.  As we sat down in the small main dining room we knew that we were in a very neat and stylish 'joint.' We could even see from our table the cooks behind the serving wall diligently working toward perfection topping off salads with herbs.

But really there's no way to evaluate the beauty of za until the moment it arrives, is stacked on the table, and sampled.  We ordered one basic pie of cheese and pepperoni, one of a basil and tomato base, and the Puerto, which was supposed to be tomato sauce, pork confit, and gorgonzola.  I asked if the gorgonzola could become the standard house blend of cheese instead so to avoid gonzola overload, and each of these came out looking thin, slightly brown and not overdone in any way.

There was something happening with these pizzas that all the greatest recipes share: something exclusive, something perfect in both taste and texture.  It is written that the new owner of Grampas had loved his own grandfather's pizza recipe growing up and decided to put it to true commercial use.   It works.  The pork confit on the Puerto was perfectly placed and not overdone, the cheese not gushing and broiling over every inch of the crust, and the tomato underneath it all an authentic, nearly decadent, rich paste.  Pizza, when done like this, is as close to dessert as dessert.  It is very difficult to stop eating the best.  When the three pizzas were placed on our table, we pictured multiple boxes necessary for take home, yet we left with only one box of a mere handful of pizza.

The owner and head chef at Grampas is a trained chef whose lineage in family restauranting runs deep.  The care that is put into each piece is obvious indication.  Hundreds of pizzerias try; only one, here and there, become what all the others hope to be.

Quarry Lane Blog Relocation:


1) On the Yahara:     http://riversidedrivefive.blogspot.com


Other Blogs by Troy Hess:


2) Quarry Lane Bistro:     http://quarrylanebistro.blogspot.com

3)  Quarry Lane Cafe:     http://quarrylanecafe.blogspot.com

4)  Founding Gardeners:     http://ontheyahara.blogspot.com

Lemony Asparagus-Prosciutto Ravioli

Set aside the jarred alfredo and in only a few simple and fast steps make an even more delicious batch of ravioli in white sauce.

As with so many other semi-gourmet products at the grocery store right now, there are more and more refrigerated (fresh non frozen) ravioli products to choose from.  Where there used to be one main brand of frozen, now there are at least four located in most stores near the butter and cream cheese.  This recipe calls for one package of cheese-filled, but one new product in particular stood out, the chicken and cheese stuffed selection.  The recipe also calls for prosciutto, but the stuffed chicken allowed me to skip the tougher meat option.  Asparagus, cut into four inch pieces, is dropped into the boiling pot of ravioli with four

minutes left, just enough to tenderize the cut spears.  Meanwhile, in a larger skillet, sauté a shallot or two in oil, then add a cup of heavy whipping cream and 3tbsp of chicken stock in with shallots, letting simmer until some thickening at six minutes.  At this point the tender ravioli and asparagus, drained and oiled, is set in the skillet of the milky sauce, 1/4 cup of Romano cheese added to the top and folded in, left to simmer 2-3 minutes.  Just before serving, grate as much lemon peel as desired but try not to fold in.

The final product with this fairly simple recipe from the big book of weeknight cooking, is a thinly creamy, bright, and dynamic layering of vegetable and pasta textures.  The richness of the milk, shallot and cheese sauce is contrasted nicely by the asparagus and lemon zest.

The Humble Art of the Dumpling

"For a creamy or thick soup, ask yourself if the texture is right.  You are evaluating the soup as you would any other dish or preparation. Does it have balance of textures? Soups are soft, but we love crunchy (that's why we have soup crackers). Perhaps your soup would be delicious garnished with some croutons or fried tortilla." from Ruhlman's Twenty






In his section on soup, Michael Ruhlman gives us a series of straightforward advice on how to cook good and simple soup.  He reduces all of the potentially technical intricacies by suggesting that "The most important skill in making delicious soups of any kind is learning how to evaluate a soup.  Think about it. Taste it, and think some more..." Later down the line, he asks whether a soup might use a bit

of acidity? Take a spoonful of whatever type of soup and add either a drop of lemon juice or vinegar.  If that spoonful tastes better and brighter, then add a dash of the acid to the rest of the pot.  If the soup is bright and tasty, but lacks any real substance, consider beans, pasta, or meats certainly will always do.  Soup, in this way, once its base it set (water, stock), truly comes down to either what the recipe demands or what the cook sees fit.

After cooking a great recipe for chicken and dumpling soup for years now, I would like to add my assessment that is not included in Ruhlman's Twenty: consider the dumpling.  One

of the great beauties of a dumpling is that no matter how plain the dumpling is made (generally a milk, flour, and baking powder mixture), it will always soak up the soup or stew that it simmers on.  In this way, it is like the dipping biscuit that has already been dipped for you.  For the recipe that I commonly make, for example, the dumpling is added after all of the stock, vegetable and chicken components have already boiled and reduced to a simmer, then the mix above is dolloped onto the surface of the soup and, because of its consistency and make-up, it suspends on the top layer and begins to take its shape as it cooks.  In addition, my standard dumpling recipe calls for chopped dill, which adds a very complimentary, fresh

addition to the soft biscuit.  Based on the type of soup that is being cooked, one could easily substitute dill for virtually any other full bodied herb.  Tarragon, parsley, basil, rosemary all come to mind and would be quite hard to go wrong.  The dumpling takes about another 20 minutes to fully cook – so some additional cooking time is about the only downside to considering the dumpling for any given soup – but because the dumpling consists of mostly milk and flour, eating it in a rawer state isn't in any way harmful.

The humble art of the dumpling is a throwback to slow cooked comfort food.  It is one more stage in the progression of the soup maker: consider your ingredients on hand; know you will have to have a water / stock base; consider the vegetables you have on hand; think about how much more substance you want in your particular soup...would a bean, pasta, or meat do?; season to avoid a diluted flatness; check if you can brighten the base with acid; and add to this list the unlimited possibility of whether a simple dumpling could be added?  If you have 20 minutes, the answer could be yes every time.

Minestrone Revisited

The ingredients list is long but fortifying and strikingly simple.  Minestrone is one of those 'leftover' soups in which one could see substituting virtually every part for something at least close to it, and it would turn out quite well regardless.

In essence, this recipe for Minestrone (not quite as formally pure as others that I have cooked), is simple tomato and water base underneath a bunch of vegetable and protein.  Prep time, if in a rush, is really no more than half an hour if you know what you are doing. The first stations necessary are to boil the desired type of pasta for the soup.  This recipe calls for elbow macaroni, but I happened to have what is called Ditalini pasta handy, – and happen to love it as a favorite because of its small  gourmet size.  In a large pot, a chopped onion, chopped leek, sliced carrot and garlic is sautéed until soft. To that stir in one sliced zucchini, 1/4 head of sliced cabbage and pinch of rosemary if handy.

Add one can of diced tomatoes in their juice and enough water to the pot to fill over all vegetables, cover and bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, season with plenty of salt.  Near the end of the cooking process, dump in the desired amount of pasta and one can of kidney beans, continuing to cook

for as long as it takes for those items to warm.  If tasted and a bit too dull for taste, scratch off some fresh parmesan cheese over the top, considerably salty by nature.  Toast and braunschweiger on the side if looking for sandwich. This is pure comfort food, quite easy and hard to ruin -- the perfect weeknight soup.

Wisconsin Restaurant of the Year Award

"So we sit on our hill beside a new-blown pasque, and watch the geese go by. I see our road dipping gently into the waters, and I conclude (with inner glee but exterior detachment) that the question of traffic, in or out, is for this day at least, debatable only among carp." Aldo Leopold, Sand County    Almanac


Eleven point four miles south of the Aldo Leopold Foundation in Baraboo, from the Wisconsin River down to the Baraboo River, is the brand new Driftless Glen Distillery and Restaurant, what I would make the claim as the best new restaurant I've been in for the last year (maybe all-time) in the state. Just as the great perennial Ishnala restaurant inside the carved hollows of the Wisconsin Dells sandstone captures the essence of an area of the state, so does Driftless Glen as it stands in purposeful stationing directly on the sandy soil of  the Baraboo River.

With only seeing brief snapshots of this place, opened up last April by a native Illinois couple who had relished a dream of a distillery somewhere significant for six years, there would have been no way to predict that along the very same path as old small town farm buildings this gem would have stood, the river cascading in the background as if built to feed the thirst of the distillery.

The owners had always wanted to create a distillery of purpose, beyond the mere mass making of bourbon or whiskey. They became attracted to the language and place of Baraboo through words and experiences of Aldo Leopold, and the kind people of the city.  The city wanted the new business but also hoped for a restaurant; the owners agreed and created a venue for high end spirits and excellent food.The tower at the front of the building was – as the owner now admits with humor – an 'oops' moment: he constructed the shell of the building but then realized that it was not going to fully house the distillery apparatus so had to add-on the beautiful front tower.

The water quality is near perfect here for distilling – clean and well filtered through the sand county soil.  The fog that lifts up off of the river daily is a healthy condition for the casks.  Local farm grains are used in the creation of the rye and vodka products.  Local beers are served.  Most of the menu items infuse some form of bourbon.  The meatloaf sandwich that I ordered was one of the best pieces of meat, coated with a mushroom bourbon sauce, that I have ever had.  The panini and roasted chicken salad also close to perfect.  Two miles up the road stands the cliffs that offer the best hikes in the state at Devil's Lake.

Some restaurants are great for very small reasons – maybe they offer the best burger, or a favorite kind of seating arrangement.  Maybe it's cute looking on the outside or in.  Great service, great customers might be the draw.  But Driftless Glen is virtually all things built into not just the restaurant 'place,' but that the restaurant itself is a part of the place of the entire region.  In my mind, it deserves, with ease, restaurant of the year award in Wisconsin.