Posts Tagged ‘salt’

Friggin Awesome Burgers in Toledo!

// June 14th, 2011 // No Comments » // Blog, Restaurant Reviews

Tin Chef Chuck

I recently had the opportunity to try out two new burger joints in Toledo.  What is really newsworthy here is not how great they were, nor how awesome the service was or even how good the food was.  What really has excited me is that we now have two new restaurants that are pushing the culinary envelope.  Places that really have something unique to eat.  These are not another cookie cutter place that reheats generic burgers bought in bulk from a large restaurant supply house.  Rather each uses really high quality meat, makes handmade patties and then creates truly unique flavors by using really fresh ingredients.  Before I really dive into these new places, I need to mention one of my all time favorites.  Not quite as hip as Bar145, and not quite the gourmet experience you get at BurgerBar419, but if you are looking for an honest to God, greasy spoon awesome burger- you need to go to the Green Lantern on Broadway.  Don’t let the appearance fool you.  The Green Lantern has been around since the 1930’s for a reason.  It’s not heart healthy, but it is a great greasy cheeseburger place.  Stop in for breakfast and lunch.  Try a double Goopy, and tell Mo I sent you.  You go there once and I promised you will be hooked!

The first new place I want to talk about is Burger Bar 419.   Burger Bar 419 is located in South Toledo on 4400 Heatherdowns Blvd. or across from the Distillery in the old Matthews.  The first time we went there, we had almost every appetizer!  Start with the basic, good old fashioned French Fries.  The battered fried onion petals were good but nothing special, but then cam e the roasted marrow bones with sweet onion marmalade.  The first time we had this- it wasn’t perfect.  In fact it was almost raw.  But for crying out load- bone marrow in Toledo, minutes from my house.  Yes there were several errors in technique- but the concepts are there.  We were there a day or two after the place just opened.  The execution has gotten better and this really has become my favorite hangout in Toledo.  The pickled vegetables are awesome.  The chipotle pickled pineapple and goat cheese is great, I personally love the crispy pork belly with homemade kim chee!  This was another dish that was undercooked on our first go around, but the flavors and potential was there.  It was spectacular the next time we went.  Make sure you try the sriracha-soy deviled eggs with bacon and arugula.

The Burger Bar 419 has 15 or so burgers and they are all $9.00.  The offer a wide selection of home made mayonnaise and aolis, as well as several unique ketchup’s and mustard’s.  The Heater, Italian, Pate Melt, and Vintage Bleu are all awesome.  You can’t go wrong when you use all fresh ingredients and combine great flavors.  I can’t wait to try all of them.

We had the milkshakes for desert.  So far, this has been the biggest shortcoming of Burger Bar 419.  They were small, over priced and nothing memorable.  Personally, I would save your money and go to Handel’s!  Don’t let the deserts stop you from checking this place out though; I am sure it will become one of your favorite Toledo hangouts.

The other place we recently went to was Bar145° on Monroe Street.  Bar 145 is very different from Burger Bar 419.  First, it has a totally different atmosphere.  It seems more like a club than a burger place.  They have live music, a dance floor and a large bar.  There appetizers include fried pickled green beans, fries, artichoke gratin, a baked potato waffle, bourbon onion straws, mac and gouda, pretzel chips, and smoked salmon with garlic flat bread. By the way- any idea how Bar 145 got it’s name?  Overall the appetizers were pretty good, but nothing spectacular.  Most were served with generic salted/peppered flat crackers, which I think detracted from the flavor of several of the dips.  They have a few burgers on the menu, but they do a build your own menu.  What is nice here is that they use really high quality ingredients and do a pretty good job of creating your custom burger.  I may be splitting hairs, but I wish they would create a few more signature flavors by combining the awesome ingredients that they offer.  Surprise me, don’t make me think- create that special, signature burger for me!

We didn’t really try out the bourbon, but did have several of their gelato’s.  They had some nice flavors- but I am really partial to my salty caramel, so make sure you read TC Josh’s reviews as well.

In the end these are 2, no make that 3 great places.  If you are looking for breakfast during the week or on Saturday, the make sure you try the Green Lantern.  The Green Lantern is also a great place to grab lunch during the work week.  Once you meet Mo (Maurice), you will fall in love with the Lantern!  I look at Burger Bar 419 more as my local neighborhood hangout, where I can sit at the bar and talk to the chef as he cooks my next burger.  Bone marrow, pickled vegetables and cold Heineken and an awesome burger- can it get any better? To me Bar145 is that place you go to on a Friday or Saturday night, have a great burger and take in some great music.  All 3 places offer unique atmospheres- each may be more appropriate depending on your mood or day of the week.   But all 3 of these places need to be experienced.  If I hear one more person complain that there is nowhere to go, nothing to do, no where to eat in Toledo- I swear I am going to slap the #@%& out of you!  Places like these 3 restaurants would have waiting list in any other city- if they struggle, it’s your fault!  Take a walk on the wild side and try one of these places this week, in fact, try all 3 and leave a comment on which one you think is best.

 

Tin Chef Chuck

 

Homemade Marshmallows

// June 5th, 2011 // No Comments » // Blog, Recipes

Tin Chef Chuck

It’s summertime and there is nothing better than sitting around a bonfire outdoors.  Adult beverage in hand, it doesn’t really get nay better.  Well, except for roasting marshmallows over the open fire.  Why not try your hand at making your own? Homemade marshmallows are pretty easy to make, but they can be messy.  But don’t let that scare you, it’s well worth the effort.  Be creative with the flavoring and food coloring as well.

This recipe will make about  about 96 1-inch cubed marshmallows.

 

Ingrediants

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin

1 cup cold water, divided

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large organic egg whites

1 tablespoon vanilla or ½ of a fresh vanilla bean**

1 tablespoon of cornstarch

 

Directions

Sprinkle a combination of corn starch and confectioners’ sugar on a 13- by 9- by 2-inch rectangular metal baking pan.  To be safe you can spray the pan with non-sticking cooking spray first.

In  a mixing bowl sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water, and let stand to soften.

In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, 1/2 cup of water, and salt over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved.  Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240°F, about 10-12 minutes.  Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.

Beat the mixture on high speed until white, thick, and nearly tripled in volume, about six minutes or so.

In separate medium bowl with cleaned beaters, beat the egg whites until they just hold stiff peaks. Beat whites and vanilla (or your choice of flavoring, about 2 teaspoons) into sugar mixture until just combined. Pour mixture into the baking sheet. It’s easiest to smooth with your hands.  Sift 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar evenly over top. Chill marshmallow, uncovered, until firm, for at least three hours or overnight.

Run a thin knife around edges of pan and invert pan onto a large cutting board. Lifting up one corner of inverted pan, with fingers loosen marshmallow and ease onto cutting board. With a pizza cutter, cut the marshmallows into one inch squares.  Sift confectioners’ sugar back into the baking pan and roll the marshmallows through it, coating all of the sides, gently shake off the excess.  Enjoy!

TC Chuck

Why I ask.

// December 16th, 2010 // No Comments » // Blog

Tin Chef Chuck

Is sea salt healthier than regular salt?  Why does “Italian” watermelon taste better?  Why do tomatoes taste like crap?   Is “salt” really bad for you?   Is “fat” bad for you?  Why do we spend billions on nutritional supplements and why hasn’t any study shown them to work?  What is a phytonutrient?  Why is it that the French eat real butter, rich foods, fried foods, animal fats,  drink wine every day and smoke incessantly, yet the we (The  United States) have one of the highest mortality rates in the world from cardiovascular diseases?

Do you know that since 1950 that the humble  potato has lost 100% of its vitamin A, 57% of its vitamin C and iron, 28% of it’s calcium, 50% of it’s riboflavin, 18% of it’s thiamine and of 7 key nutrients, only niacin has increased.   The story is the same in most fruits and vegetables.  Why?

Think about it.  In the mean time, I am really thinking about a road trip to Cleveland to eat at Sterle’s Country House.  It’s been a few years since I have been there, but it was amazing.  I am also planning my menu for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  I am thinking something traditional for Christmas Eve- classic Italian 7 fish menu.  May have to add a carrot for my vegetarian daughter, some red meat for my oldest daughter that hates seafood, and a few cheeseburgers (plain, ketchup only) for kids 4 and 5.  Looks like only one of 5 kids (oldest son) will eat the “traditional” Italian food- back to asking why again!

Tin Chef Chuck

Spinach Ravioli with ricotta cheese and quail eggs

// December 16th, 2010 // No Comments » // Blog, Recipes

Tin Chef Chuck

Every now and then you hit one out of the park.  Not sure if it’s luck, good karma or what, but this was one of those nights.  It started out like any other ordinary evening.  I went to Churchill’s to pick up a few things and stumbled across a box of quail eggs.  I had been looking for these for at least a year.  I had a few steaks in the frig already and picked up a few walleye fillets for my son.  I didn’t have anything special in mind, but I picked up some organic baby spinach and ricotta cheese as well.  My brother-in-law Jimmy came over and we worked on the short bus for a while.  He really rocked out with the grinder…  but that is a different story and web site.

I decided to make ravioli.  I filled my food processor with as much spinach as I could jam into it.  I drizzled in a few teaspoons of olive oil, changed the blade to the dough mixer and added my pasta mix.  Four cups of flour, four eggs and a pinch or two of salt.  The dough was a little sticky, so it took another half cup of flour or so.  I then ran it through my Kitchen Aid with the past attachment.

Quail egg & Ricoota filling

For the filling, I mixed up the ricotta with some dried basil, salt, pepper and really good fresh parmigiano reggiano cheese.  I put it in a piping bag and piped out small rings on the pasta, about an inch and a half or so across.  I then cracked the quail eggs into the center of the ring.  I put another layer of spinach pasta on top and used a little water to seal the raviolis.

I dropped them into salted boiling water and cooked them for about 2 minutes, just until they began to float.  I couldn’t come up with a good idea for sauce, so I served them with a little bit of goats cheese.When I cut into one and tasted it- wow.  If I ever open a restaurant, these will definitely be on the menu.  The yolk was still soft and when mixed with the goats cheese, the ricotta filling and the fresh spinach pasta- just amazing.  I only wish the pictures could do it justice.  I really wish I would have made pictures of each step.  I definitely will next time.  This was actually really easy to make, but was one of those out of this world dishes- and I made it!  Give it a try, you’ll be hooked!

Tin Chef Chuck

Tin Chef spinach ravioli with ricotta and quail eggs

Columbus Again… Plus a few other things

// December 9th, 2010 // No Comments » // Blog

Tin Chef Chuck

First there’s Lola’s.  Then last night I had to pick up my son in Columbus.  OSU is finished for the Christmas break.  So my wife Carolyn and I do the familiar Columbus road trip last night.  We made it in time to hit some of our old favorites.

First we managed to stop by Vincenzo’s just before they closed.  I love this place.  We used to get take out there all the time when we live in Columbus.  Now it always seems when we make it to Columbus, they are closed.  Anyway, we made it.  I ordered my old standby, the ”Italian Sub”.  It seems expensive at $14.99-  but it is an entire loaf of delicious homemade Italian bread.  Well worth it.  We also picked up a bunch of stuff for the kids, lasagna, eggplant parm, etc.  If you are in the Dublin area, and lucky enough to be there during business hours, stop by. 
We then stopped by the Gallery Art Center in Upper Arlington.  We have been going there for years.  I took my oldest daughter there when she was a few days old.  Wow time passes by in a flash.  It was great to see our old friends again. 
We finally picked my son up and then we had to check out Jeni’s Ice Cream  after Josh’s post.  I ordered the cocoa zin (awesome), sweet cream with Appalachian elderberries (Didn’t like this one so much), and the salty caramel (SPECTACULAR!!)  Chuckie and Carolyn had some other neat flavors which I can’t remember right now…  I was parked illegally and the tow truck was circling, so I had to run back to the truck!  Josh was right, over the top flavors. 
For all of you in Northwest Ohio-  good news!  I spoke with Walt Churchill and he carries Jeni’s Ice Cream, so you can pick it up locally at Churchill’s Market. 
Speaking of ice cream, Handel’s  will always be on of my all time favorites.  Call it nostalgia-  but Handel’s started in Youngstown and I remember going there during my high school and college years.  Their chocolate pecan will always be my favorite.  They’ve franchised and we now have them here in Toledo.  It’s almost as good, but I am not sure it can ever surpass the original location- although I admit it may all be in my head.  Handel’s was founded by Alice Handel in 1945  and the original location is still in Youngstown,  located on Handel’s Court on Youngstown’s South Side.  Handel’s has been  recognized as “One of the Best Ice Cream Parlors in the Country.”  In 2002, USA Today rated Handel’s as one of the top ten best ice cream businesses in the country.
You know, it’s really never too cold for good ice cream.
Tin Chef Chuck

 

Tin Chef Chuck’s Homemade Pasta…

// July 29th, 2010 // No Comments » // Recipes

Tin Chef Chuck

Ingredients

  • 1 pound semolina or all-purpose flour (about 4 cups)
  • 4 whole eggs, plus 1 yolk
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons water

Directions

Put the flour on a clean dry cutting board. It should look like a small mountain.  Now, flatten it out to a height of 2 inches or so.  Now create a hole or well in the center.  Make sure it is wide enough to accept all of the eggs, bigger is better!   Crack all of the eggs and the yolk into the hole and add the olive oil, salt and water.  If this is your first time, you can break the eggs into a bowl and beat the wet ingredients first, then pour it into the well.

Use a fork to beat the eggs together with the olive oil, water and salt. Begin to incorporate the flour into the egg mixture.  Take your time and try not to break the “flour bowl”.  If this happens, no biggie, just use a dough knife to push it back into the flour.  Once you get it to the point that the eggs will not run all over the place, wet your hands and start to mix it by hand on the board.  Once it is well mixed, you can start to knead it.  You can use a mixer and dough hook to do all of this, but personally, I prefer to do by hand.

A small flour well with eggs

Now this has been the part that has been a learning curve for me.  Some common mistakes is to either not knead the dough enough or to have too wet or too dry of a mixture.  It should be smooth and supple. Kneading the dough creates the important gluten structure that holds the pasta together.  If it’s too flaky, add a little water, and if too sticky, add a little flour.  Use a small amount at a time.  I have used one of those automatic mixing pasta machines in the past, and the dough needed to be on the dry side.  This will not work for an old fashion crank machine or one that you attach to your mixer.

Using the heels of your palms, roll the dough to create a smooth, supple dough. When done the dough should look smooth and feel almost velvety. Plan on working the dough for 8 to 10 minutes, but it may take longer, especially if this is your first time.

When the pasta has been kneaded to the perfect consistency, wrap it in plastic and let rest for at least 1 hour. If you are making the dough ahead of time, place in the frig, otherwise just let it rest at room temperature.

Tips for using a pasta machine

After the dough has rested, you need to decide what to do with it.  You can role it by hand and cut it into what ever size you desire.  I suggest using a dough knife and cutting the ball of dough into quarters first.  If you’re working with only a portion of the dough at a time, keep the remainder wrapped in plastic to prevent it from drying out.

Kitchen Aid Pasta Attachment- works great!!

If you use a pasta machine, then I sprinkle the cutting board with a little flour.  I also sprinkle flour into the machine and onto my hands.  Use the machine for the final kneading. Set the pasta machine to it’s widest setting (usually 1).  Turn it on low speed or start cranking and feed the dough into the rollers.  When it comes out, fold into thirds, and roll again. Continue this process until the dough is shiny and elastic.

Now, keep repeating the process, each time moving the rollers a setting closer.  Keep doing this until you reach your desired thickness.  If you are making ravioli, you should try to go to a setting of at least 6, although it’s personnel preference here.

Be aware that the dough can be several feet long and a helper can make things a lot easier.  I have used a lot of recipes and tried this many times before it worked well, so don’t feel bad if it doesn’t work perfect the first time.  However, if you follow the recipe and advice, you should be pretty close.  If your pasta dough tears, develops holes or comes out messy, the consistency wasn’t right.  Another hint, if you are using the pasta attachment for a Kitchen Aid® mixer, make sure that it is fully seated.  There is a small notch in the mixer and a small table sticking out of the pasta attachment.  If it is not pushed in far enough, the whole attachment will start to spin and roll up all of your pasta!  Maybe I should of read the instructions….yeah right.  Fortunately, we weren’t filming for a video!

Once you get this down and are comfortable- the whole process takes less than half an hour (not including the rest time).  In a pinch, you can skip letting the dough rest, but it may just be a little more difficult to get it perfect.  Just don’t skimp on the kneading!

Fresh pasta cooks quickly, small angel hair  can take less than a minute, while ravioli might take up to five minutes, or until the filling is heated through.  It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days, or frozen for up to a month, but  it is raw dough, so any moisture can easily damage it. Freeze it carefully, but why wait,  just eat it all now!

Enjoy!

Tin Chef Chuck