Have you ever wondered about what they actually eat in Japan? Your initial answer might be “Sushi” or perhaps even “Tempura.” Sure, that makes sense, but it’s also like telling people that you eat Porterhouses in America. It’s true, but it’s not really what you eat on a day-to-day basis (hopefully).

“So what do Japanese people eat?” you might ask. Well, you should go and find out for yourself at Ginza. First let me tell you what you shouldn’t be expecting from Ginza. You shouldn’t go expecting to chow down on the best sushi you have ever had. You shouldn’t go in there expecting a chic atmosphere. You really shouldn’t walk up to the place expecting to find a classy exterior. Ginza, in true hole in the wall form, looks like a dump from the outside.

Don’t be afraid, though, because you’re really in for a treat. Ignore the fact that the Tokyo Hotel looks like it will crumble down around you before you finish your meal. Just walk right in. What you’ll find is a small oasis of Japan in the heart of Chicago. Ginza is not a first class restaurant, mind you. The decor looks more like that of a neighborhood Japanese restaurant than the zen interiors you might be accustomed to at Kamehachi. Still, Ginza’s as authentic as it gets around here. For a really Japanese experience, see if you can get a seat at one of the private Tatami rooms in the back. You’ll have to sit on the floor, but that’s the way it’s traditionally done over there.

The real reason you should go to Ginza is the traditional Japanese food. Really, skip the sushi and go straight for the traditional home cooked stuff. As an appetizer try the Yakitori, essentially marinated grilled chicken on a stick. On a colder day you might try the Ochazuke where you take a bowl of rice and mix it with a serving of green tea. This is a dish that you aren’t going to find in most Japanese restaurants around here. On the main courses, you generally can’t go wrong. If you want a real home-style meal, try the broiled fish dinner, where you get your choice of fish along with some tasty Japanese sides. If you’re in the mood for something light and cool, go with the Zaru Soba, which is simply a tray of buckwheat noodles with a delicious dipping sauce.

Finally, don’t rule this place out for lunch. I would venture to say that Ginza offers one of the best deals in this part of town. For nine dollars you get your choice of main dishes ranging from Japanese Curry to Deep Fried Chicken Cutlet along with your choice of side. Delicious!

Details
Name: Ginza Restaurant
Location:  19 E Ohio St, Chicago 60611 (Between State and Wabash)
Telephone: (312) 222-0600

I was in the Logan Square neighborhood and knew that the Dill Pickle Food Co-op was nearby and decided to make a quick stop before going home.

The small but deep store had everything from fresh breads to vegetables to loose leaf teas to canned tomatoes.  The narrow aisles take some side-stepping and several “pardon me’s” to/from other customers.  There is a good mix of local companies and producers in addition to the usual suspects of grocery brands. I liked the variety of fruits & vegetables as well as the special deal on tortilla chips.  The co-op employees mentioned the bakeries deliver fresh bread very early each morning.

Customers are a mix of members and non-members; prices are the same for both groups.  Speaking of pricing, the store isn’t any more expensive than Whole Foods or other smaller grocery stores.  For shoppers that mainly make purchases from national grocery stores, there might be a bit of a surprise.

While I would not make the Dill Pickle Co-op a regular store on my list as I don’t live in the neighborhood, I would go the next time I am in the area.  It is a wonderful and welcomed addition.

Store Details:

3039 W. Fullerton Ave (near Sacramento)

773-252-2667

http://www.dillpicklefoodcoop.org

Looking for a great Mexican restaurant? Well head to the River North neighborhood in Chicago where you will find Zocalo Restaurant and Tequila Bar located at 358 W. Ontario. My husband and I wanted to dine out on a Saturday evening, and since his favorite cuisine is Mexican, we decided to eat at Zocalo. This was not our first time dining there either. Well we didn’t have reservation, and it was crowed. However the hostess, said honestly to my husband, that she could seat us at a corner table but we needed to be finished in an hour and 15 minutes. We said no problem, because the food is that good.

I ordered  Enchiladas Suiza de Pollo with black beans, chihuahua cheese, chicken and sour cream. My dish was deeeelicious. My husband ordered Tacos Zocalo, which was equivalent to good chicken fajitas, but nonetheless good. For drinks we had mango margaritas with a lime, mine blended and my husband’s on ice. Both drinks were tart, but mine tasting better as a blended drink. The ambiance was nice, with not-so loud music playing while we ate.

Zocalo is a traditional, modern take on Mexican, with the average meal around $12-$15. Service was good and the food even better. Street parking is limited since there are permit signs on the streets nearby, but valet parking is available. For more information, full menu, hours, dinner specials and events, visit http://www.zocalochicago.com/.

Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium is offering an incredible program called Right Bite Dinners, a dining series held throughout the year at renowned Chicago-area restaurants and culinary training facilities and featuring full-course upscale dining experiences. But, they are far more than just dinner events. Attendees are served sustainable seafood choices and educated through the course of the evening on how our seafood choices can help protect our oceans and environments. Each participating host restaurantprepares a unique environmentally-friendly menu created especially for the Right Bite events, with special focus placed uponsustainable food choices from our very own Great Lakes region.

As another awareness-building step in the Right Bite program, anyone may download the brand-new Right Bite wallet card (PDF format) featuring answers, information, and an easy-to-reference guide so sustainable choices can be made easily when dining out anywhere, and the guide features many choices often available here in the midwest such as whitefish and yellow perch.

Inspired by a similar program at the Monterrey Bay Aquarium called the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watc, Shedd worked closely with the team in Monterrey to develop a similar sustainability program ehre in Chicago, too. The Shedd Aquarium website has a list of resources, as well, of Chicago-area caterers, grocers, fishmongers, culinary schools and restaurants who support and comply with Shedd and Monterrey Bay’s sustainability seafood standards. 

 Upcoming Right Bite Dinner:

Robert Morris College – Tuesday, Nov. 18
$75 per person, per dinner
To register, call 312-692-3123

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Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday after Halloween and New Year’s Eve because the entire reason for this day is the feast.  Being with family is wonderful, the absence of the frantic need to shop for gifts is even better, and of course we’re all told that the point of the day is the giving of thanks for our blessings, hence the name.  But let’s be honest: the thing we’re most thankful for is that after hours of waiting, that blasted turkey is finally done and we can stop having Cheese-Its for lunch. 

 This was my third or fourth time making dinner for my roommate and parents.  Since Christmas is zooming up sooner than we’d like, I thought I’d list some of the things I’ve learned to assist those trying to host their own holiday feast. 

  1.  Appetizers, Pfft!

Appetizers need not be fancy.  Put out some nice bowls of chips, a few dips or salsas, and you’re set.  If you put things in nice bowls people will overlook the fact that the dip is still in the same shape as the plastic tub it came in.  For something a little more exciting, I recommend ordering bacon jam from Skillet Street Food, a mobile restaurant based in Seattle.  This delightful concoction (high on Santa’s naughty list) is meaty, sweet, and pretty addictive.  Smear it on wheat crackers if you’re watching your weight. 

  2.  Cooking the Turkey.

·      Always defrost the bird way ahead of time.  You may think that turkeys stored in the fridge for five days will spoil, but you’ll likely be brushing ice chips from it, even after all that time. 

·      Always remove the bag of guts.  Really, it’s in there – check the other end.

·      Pop-up timers are a gag gift from the meat industry and are akin to hood ornaments – pointless excuses to raise prices.  (The holidays haven’t made me bitter!)  Whole turkeys come with their own, nature-made timers: when the bones of the legs start to protrude, dinner’s ready.  You can use a meat thermometer to check – when the stem is inserted into the thigh, it should read about 175 degrees.

·      Don’t bother using a roasting rack – noshing on the bits of meat that sat for hours in their own juices is one of life’s greatest pleasures.

·      Metal roasting pans can be a godsend.  Just set it inside a rimmed baking sheet to make lifting easier and carving less messy.  Invert a second pan over it to keep leftovers warm.  Which brings us to the next tip… 

  3.  Covering the Cooked Turkey Does Nothing to Deter the Cat.

A kitty that once seemed terrified of aluminum foil thinks nothing of pushing a foil pan away from a freshly roasted turkey.  Some people think cats are dumb.  I disagree.

4.  The Absence of Pumpkin Pie Makes People Cranky.

5.  Starve Your Guests.

If you burned the meat, your gravy ended up with more lumps than the taters, the pie overflowed and you somehow made a complete failure of canned cranberries and boxed stuffing, have no fear.  Sit back with a glass of Scotch and wait.  Eventually your guests will be so hungry, they’ll be grateful to be served anything that resembles food.

After living only one mile away for the last seven years, my dining companion and I decided it was about time we tried Smak-Tak!, a tiny Polish restaurant on the northwest side.

The dining room was just as adorable as my drive-by encounters hinted: the cozy, ski-lodge motif and warm lighting made it look like the perfect place to curl up with a book and a warm bowl of czarnina. Mistletoe and pine garlands adorned the ceiling beams, a tiny fireplace sat in the corner, and each table was decorated with bank lamps, vinyl placemats, a wooden duck napkin holder, and rubber coasters-—very much the way I remember my grama’s kitchen table. I half expected her to come out of the kitchen with a pack of cards and a Hershey bar.

Although I’m not much of a beet lover, I thought I’d try something different: Red Borscht with Mushroom Pierogi. The bright red broth (which stained the perfectly cooked pierogi a cheerful, rosy pink), was a little sweet, a little sour, and very addictive.

I decided to try one of the two entrée specials: Pork Meatballs with Dill Sauce. The two sizeable meatballs were accompanied by (counterclockwise) scoops of mashed potatoes sprinkled with parsley, a delicious carrot slaw, and cabbage slaw that was even better the next day.

My companion’s rich Hunter’s Stew was chock full of onions and veal and was especially tasty accompanied by the complimentary light rye bread.

We both received slices of chocolate-cherry cake for dessert. Sadly, this was not the highlight of the meal. It tasted bitter and was soaked a little to heavily in liqueur for our tastes.

At just over $30 for two mighty tasty meals, we decided we could overlook the non-so-tasty cake and come back soon for pickle soup and sausages.

Smak-Tak! (that’s Polish for Delicious—Yes!)

5961 N. Elston Ave.

Chicago, 60646

(773) 631-6171

www.smaktak.com

Open everyday 11am-9pm

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Thanksgiving was over for only three days, I was running out of turkey leftovers, and I was planning to come home to a nice, fairly healthy bowl of canned soup for lunch. Oh, what I good girl was I! But I had a bit of a downfall, and I blame my boss.

As a Christmas gift last year, I was given a collection of the best food writing of the previous year. The silly editor of this book put three articles about taquerias and taco trucks in a row! The pressure was too much. The ever-present voices in my head screamed taco! taco!

On the way home from work, I spotted 4 Hermanos Too, the second location of the storefront Mexican diner in Jefferson Park. This location is much smaller than the original, but just as homey and welcoming. I never really noticed this location before, which sits directly across from Target and the Leaning Tower of Niles. (It’s like the Leaning Tower of Pisa but smaller and more mysterious. The reason for its existence is the mystery).

The prices are the best part of 4 Hermanos. I decided to try two tacos—one chorizo and one seasoned pork—and the total came to $3.31 with tax. They may be small (about 4 inches in diameter), but they pack a wallop. They are piled so high with meat, fresh onions, and fresh cilantro that you can’t close the tortilla around the filling. Do not attempt to eat these on the car ride home. Trust me.

The pork was quite good, but the chorizo was definitely the highlight – drippy, highly seasoned, and a perfect match for the onions and cilantro. This particular nosh was what brought me back with a group of friends in tow. The special of the day, three tacos with rice and beans, came to a grand total of $5.51. The beans and rice could have used more seasoning. But the portions were huge, much bigger than you’d expect for lunch, and the tacos were as good as they were the first time.

4 Hermanos Too

6145 W. Touhy Ave., Chicago

(773) 775-2550 or (773) 775-3130

4 Hermanos

5239 N. Central Ave., Chicago

(773) 545-2294 or (773) 545-9596

Never one to pass up free chocolate, I was the first person to snatch up some truffles donated by a coworker from Cacao, a ritzy European chocolate company based in Maryland.

The truffles were beautifully decorated and showcased Chocolatier Jacques Poulain’s artistic talents. My first sample, Armagnac Thyme Ganache (not shown), had an incredibly delicate, decadent filling encased in rich bittersweet chocolate.

I allowed a day to pass before my next taste (such restraint!) but made up for it with a White Chocolate Raspberry heart (pictured top left), which surprised me with a dark chocolate filling…

…and Dark Chocolate Ganache with Fresh Pear Puree (middle right), a rich, satisfying bite enrobed with milk chocolate. I much prefer this to the real fruit.

Although by now it’s too late to order for the holidays, these cold months make chocolate perfect for shipping. A four-piece box is only $5.50, and you can choose the pieces yourself or have the chocolatier choose for you. Either way, it’s a steal.

When my roommate’s sister requested I bring Thai-Style Roti for Christmas dessert, I scratched my head and thought, whaa?

We were having a multi-national celebration with traditional ethnic dishes. This particular one is a standard treat during Loy Krathong, an annual holiday held to thank the water goddess and float away ill fortune.

I’ve had roti, a crispy, fried flatbread, with Indian meals, but I never heard of a sweet version. The dough for both is almost identical, but the sweet version is sprinkled with sugar and drizzled with sweetened condensed milk. The dough is made much like a pie dough, rolled in oil and formed into balls, then left to rest for about three hours. Then, each ball of dough is rolled flat and pan-fried, making a slightly puffed disk that shatters into layers of flaky pastry. I cheated and bought the frozen kind at an Asian grocery, but the result was just as good. The roti was then drizzled with a spoonful of sweetened condensed milk (we omitted the sugar). It was delicious! Here is the recipe in case you want to try it from scratch:

Thai-Style Roti
2 cups wheat flour
1/4 cup ice cold water
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
oil for rolling and frying (veggie or canola oil will do)
sugar for sprinkling
sweetened condensed milk for drizzling

1. Sift flour into large bowl. Make a well and add ice water, egg, melted butter and salt. Use your hands to incorporate mixture into dough. Knead until soft; form into balls about the size of small eggs. Roll lightly in oil; let rest three hours.
2. Roll balls of dough as thinly as possible on lightly floured surface, forming flat disks.
3. Warm frying pan at high heat; add oil to depth of 1/2 inch. Add roti, one at a time, flattening with tongs. Fry until light golden brown; turn and repeat (about 2 minutes each side). Remove roti from the pan; drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with sugar and drizzle with sweetened condensed milk.