MacArthur's, or Thank You Barack Obama

I posted this review of MacArthur's in Chicago on Yelp ages ago. In honor of Barack Obama's historic nomination, I thought it would be nice to add it to This Man's Kitchen:

I think that most people who read Barack Obama's "The Audacity of Hope" take away some very important lessons on how to make themselves better people and make the world a better place. I took away the name of a restaurant. Don't get me wrong, I learned lessons and think that Obama would make a fantastic president. However, the most important thing in his book is that his favorite place to eat in Chicago is called MacArthur's. This I took very seriously.

MacArthur's is located off the beaten path, in a fairly rough neighborhood. Don't let that deter you. You'll be rewarded.

I don't mess around with my food, so take it to heart when I say this is one of the best (and inexpensive) meals I've had in my life: smothered, fork tender pork chops; golden fried chicken; stewed, spiced yams, which perfectly complimented the pork chops; and, though lacking in bread crumbs, soul-warming mac-n-cheese. This place is as close to eating a southern grandma's home cooked meal as you can get without being cooked by a southern grandma (mmm, country ham and fried corn). If you're ever anywhere near Chicago, go here. By "anywhere near," I mean anywhere. Go here, now.

For more information on the story of MacArthur's, read "The Audacity of Hope".

Market Comparison #1: Albertsons Los Feliz

This marks the start of an ongoing series exploring markets around (and out of) town. There is a wide variety of price and quality, and I want to get to the bottom of it. Hopefully, by making smarter choices myself, it will help you to make smarter choices, too.

So, let's start closest to my apartment- the Albertsons located on Hillhurst in Los Feliz. The store itself has recently undergone a top to bottom renovation. Overall, the look is much improved- lots of wood decor, and a much more open feel then it previously had. Still, it retains a low-budget look throughout many of the center aisles. Guess you can't dress a wolf in sheep's clothing, eh.

MEAT & POULTRY

Selection here is sparse, both in terms of quality and variety. Standard chicken is offered- breasts, wings, whole birds, etc., and a small selection of commercially raised turkey is on sale, too. Coastal Range Organics provide the only organic chicken choice, with breasts going for $8.69/lb. The company is certified by the Organic Tilth, which is a promising endorsement. Personally, I'd rather the chicken come from Southern CA, rather than OR & WA, but you can't have everything. Not bad.

I wish I could say 'not bad' for the rest of the meat selection. Sadly, all I can say is 'bad'. Pork choices are very limited, and nearly all are processed with solution for 'added tenderness'. I prefer my pork to be tender thanks to good breeding and mother nature, not thanks to commercial horrors and chemicals. Nothing organic or free range. Pass.

The beef selection is nearly as poor, with most of the sick looking cuts in the 'choice' and 'select' categories. They do have a 'steakhouse choice' selection, which looks a little better. I have no idea where the meat comes from or how it was raised. New York Strip goes for $11.99/lb. Also on offer is a tiny selection (ribeye and lamb) of Wild Harvest 'Natural'. The beef was clearly more marbled than the other ribeye cuts, and fed a better diet. Not great, but the best in the bunch. $12.99/lb.

Grade: D+. Albertsons has a long way to go in order to improve its meat & poultry. With the exception of the Coastal Range chicken, not much is worth buying here.

CEREAL

Happily, the store improves in the cereal aisle. We love our cereal in the U.S.A.! Albertsons celebrates that love by dedicating an entire aisle to the stuff. All the standards are here, as well as a fairly impressive array of whole grain options. Honey Nut Cheerios sells for $5.69, and Kashi Autumn Wheat (a favorite of mine!) for $4.49

Grade: A. Hits all the standards and show good promise in healthy choices. Kids and adults rejoice.

SPICES

Again, Albertsons does a decent job here. Just about any herb/spice can be found, with several varieties to choose from. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but a solid selection. There are some organic options on the shelf. Fair trade options were not to be found. Spice Island Garlic Powder is $6.99, and McCormick Gourmet Vanilla Beans are $12.99.

Grade: B. Check elsewhere for gourmet & fair trade choices. If you live nearby and need something, you'll have no problem.

DAIRY & EGGS

Since we're on a roll with good thoughts, let's start with the eggs. I was pretty surprised to find a good selection on cage free organic eggs. Four choices in fact! Not bad, Albertsons. For $4.49/dozen, you could do worse.

Of course, the reason I was surprised at the good egg selection was the sad state of affairs in the rest of the dairy case. Oh, poorness. There were three choices of organic milk- the very commercial & not very cow friendly Horizon, Wild Harvest, and Heritage. All three are ultra-pasteurized, and only the Heritage is local. Wild Harvest is cheapest at $3.99/half gallon.

Things get worse with the yogurt. The only 'organic' choice was a large jug of Horizon. After that, we were left with standard processed faire, containing more high fructose corn syrup than goodness.

Grade: Eggs- A / Dairy- C-. Happy with the egg selection. In fact, you'll probably only do better for freshness at a farmers' market. Dairy scores a bonus for having at least one locally produced organic milk, but looses points for ultra-pasteurization, and sugar-laden yogurt.

DELI

The deli here is standard supermarket. There is a decent variety of processed meats and pre-made rubbish on sale at the counter. In the case nearby, all the meats are very highly processed. Go to the counter if you have a craving. Cheese choices are poor. Very poor. A few varieties of smoked cheese grace the cold case, but don't expect much. One of the things I plan to compare in each segment was Parmigiano Reggiano. Can't do it here. They don't have it! There is a small, nice selection of pre-made sauces, like the organic pesto above, which sells for a pricey $6.99

Grade: C-. Standard stuff. Nothing special.

PRODUCE

I will admit full bias here. In the last year, I've purchased at least 85% of my produce from the farmers' market. There's no reason not to. I'll do my best to be generous.

Well, there is certainly bounty aplenty here. You can get just about anything you'd like. Most of it looks very 'standardized,' by which I mean grown for hardiness and generic look, rather then for quality of flavor. There is a small selection of locally grown, organic produce. It's limited to what's in season, plus, strangely, kiwis flown from New Zealand. I love kiwis, so I can't really complain. Ha. Peaches sell for $2.49/lb- comparable to those at the farmers' market, and only 50c more than conventional. Organic raspberries go for $3.99 per package. Everything in the produce section is well labeled and contains a little description. I like that.

Grade:C+. Pretty standard, but improving. I think this is really up to us. The more organics we buy, the better quality we ask for, the more they'll do to improve the selection.

BREAD

I'm getting angry just writing about it. Just don't buy sliced bread here. It's all crap. Crap crap crap. Crap in bad packaging, crap in packaging the makes it look like it's not crap, which in my opinion makes it even crappier. I think the crap crap crap we call 'bread' in America is a huge contributor to what makes us fat. Crap. It's disgusting. Read about it in an earlier post.

The one salvation is Milton's bread, which you can find at the far right end of the section, buried under crap. It contains good stuff, and at $4.39 per loaf, is the same price as everything else in the bread section. Confusing.

Grade: F- - - -.

OTHER OPTIONS

There is a nice organic aisle across from the produce section. Though limited in selection, you can do a pretty good job of grabbing some less processed choices of you need to run in quickly. Rice Dream is $2.29/32oz, Knudsen Just Blueberry is $9.29/32oz, Tea's Teas (yum!) at $2.25 for a small container, and most Naked Juices are $3.99.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

Albertsons isn't bad, it's standard grocery store. If you work real hard and read a lot of labels, you can get a decent amount of food for a pretty good price. In a pinch, it's a fair option. However, you're not going to find anything high quality here. At best, you'll find 'good'. We should eat better.

Plus, this is assuming you're educated about food. For those that don't know, or don't care, there are just too many poor, processed choices available with better marketing displays for cheaper prices. That's where the problem lies. Are supermarkets will only improve as we work to improve them, or go to stores that are already on the right path, thus hurting the mega-mart's bottom line.

Final Grade: C

Simple Grilled Pork Chops

I picked up some really nice looking pork chops from the Hollywood Farmers' Market yesterday. Since they looked so good to begin with, I went with a very simple preparation.

In a medium sized bowl, combine:
2 Cups Warm Water
1/4 Cup Sea Salt
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
1/8 Cup Bourbon

Add:
1 Cup Ice Cubes
2-4 Bone-In Pork Chops

Leave on counter for two hours, or refrigerate for up to 24.

Grill chops over hot direct heat for 5 minutes per side.

Easy as pie. Hell, much easier than pie. Pie making is hard.

Idea: Meet the Bloggers

Last night, for the first time ever, no one busted my balls about snapping a photo of my dinner. In fact, nearly everyone at the table did the same thing.

The wonderful people behind foodbuzz.com organized a fantastic event at Newport Beach's Blanca for the SoCal featured publishers. We were treated to a great meal, tasty wine, and a chance to meet fellow food writers.

I really enjoyed the diversity of people there. Some, like I, are fairly new at food blogging. Others have been doing it for quite some time now. There were foodies, cooks, creaters, reviewers, all at the same table. We all come from different walks of life- programmers, scientists, mothers, etc. As different as we might be, we all shared a passion for good food, and, it seems, taking pictures of the said food.

Here's the blog roll of attendees:
An Easy Recipe
Art and Aioli
Eat in OC
Food Destination
Go Eggless
Gourmet Pigs
Griffin Eats OC
I Nom Things
L.A. & O.C. Food Adventures
Orange County Mexican Resteraunts
Panini Happy
Pleasure Palate
Rasa Malaysia
RumDood
The Delicious Life
Wandering Chopsticks

It was a really killer experience. Meeting the other SoCal featured publishers was really exiting and inspiring. I learned something from everyone there.

Special thanks to Kirsten and Ryan for organizing the event and taking great care of us!

Baked Ziti (actually Penne!)

This one holds a special place in my heart. The food in college was bad. Very bad. On top of that, I was a very picky eater. Even at the tender age of 18, I knew that hot dogs and cereal were not a healthy diet. A quick call to mom was all it took. This Man's Kitchen was born with this dish.

Cook, according to package instructions:

1/4 Lb. (Quarter Box) of Penne Regate

Drain pasta.
Add drained pasta to a standard-sized pie tin, or to your toaster's baking pan.
Top with:
One Cup Tomato Sauce
3/4 Cup Mozzarella Cheese
3 Cloves Garlic, smashed & chopped
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese (the good stuff)

Bake at 450 until the cheeses begin to melt- around 6 minutes.
Then broil until cheese bubbles and turns golden brown.
*Be careful, it can go from beautiful to black in minutes, so keep an eye out.

Top, if desired, with:
4-5 Basil Leaves, cut

Cold Tomato Soup

2 lbs. Ripe Tomatoes

1/2 lb. Cherry Tomatoes

4-5 Cloves Garlic

1/4 Cup Basil

1/2 Serrano Pepper
Salt & Pepper

Summer in a bowl, made by the sun.

At this point in the summer, you've probably grown tired of using tomatoes for the same things again and again. Quick sauces and caprese salads are wonderful, of course. But there comes a time for something new. Here's something you can make that will use your tomatoes in a different way, and cool you off during the dog days of summer. You don't even have to do any cooking.

Begin by peeling and seeding 2 lbs. of tomatoes. I used a combination of beefsteak, Japanese, and roma. The important thing here is to use only the most bursting with ripeness fruit. Tomatoes at the hight of tomatodom. Chop the garlic, snip the basil, and dice the serrano. Add a little salt & pepper to the mix, and, using your hands, squish it all together.

Transfer to a cookie sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and place under the hot sun for three hours. The sunshine will gently break down the tomatoes, releasing the natural sugars. The plastic wrap will enhance this by creating a mini-greenhouse!

After three hours, bring back inside and puree. Transfer to a bowl, and add the cherry tomatoes. Refrigerate for at least an hour. I like to serve this slightly below room temperature for best flavor.

Idea: Failure

I had an improv teacher who, whenever your scene went haywire, would have you exclaim, with utmost joy and enthusiasm, "I FAILED!". Sometimes, he'd have the whole class join in the celebration of failure. The point being, even if you fail there is something to gain.

I find this to be especially true when it comes to food. Cooking is about experimentation. You have a great idea, find a killer recipe, and you make it. Sadly, the flavors didn't come together as expected. It tastes like poop. We've all done it.

Once, when trying to impress a girl, I decided to make smoked pork chops. The brine tasted great. The smoke was wonderful. The chops had a deep mahogany color. When it came time to eat, they tasted like a salt lick and had the texture of plastic. Not so good. Unimpressed.

The picture above is corn, recently harvested from my garden. Corn, that is the size of a baseball. Ever seen corn the size of a baseball before? Probably not, because corn is meant to be a whole lot bigger. Your corn is also probably covered with rows of tasty kernels. My corn was not. Not at all. Well, I FAILED!

Life goes on. As it turns out, you have to grow a lot of corn for the ears to grow as they're meant to. Ten ears in an overturned shed is not enough. I put a lot of love into it, but it didn't work out. One day, I'll have my own field of dreams. For now, I'll take a third run on growing dragon carrots. Yup, failed twice on those, too! Maybe this time I'll get it right.

Everybody, all together now, with joy: I FAILED!

Julia Child: Spy

Hail to the Chef!

The government released documents today confirming a long-standing rumor that the Godmother of TV cooking shows was a spy during WWII. Ms. Child was on of thousands of Americans who worked abroad for the Office of Strategic Services, the predecessor to the CIA.

One more notch on Julia Child's bedpost of amazing.

To read more:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080813/ap_on_go_ot/spies_revealed

Herbed Potato Salad

1 lb. Waxy Potatoes

7 Tablespoons Olive Oil

3 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

1/4 Cup Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped

1/8 Cup Fresh Dill, chopped

2 Cloves Garlic, chopped

1 Small Shallot, diced

1 Red Anaheim Pepper, diced

Pinch of Salt and Pepper

This vegan (gasp!) potato salad can be served warm or cold.  I like to make extra, serve the first portion warm, then have it cold from the fridge the next day.  If you feel like adding a little bacon, I say go for it.  Of course, your vegan friends might be a little sad.  

Boil potatoes until fork tender, about 15 minutes.  It's important to use waxy potatoes, as they will hold their shape much better than fluffy baking potatoes.  The texture will be way better, too.  I really like using fingerlings for this.  They have a wonderful flavor, and hold up well both hot and cold.

While potatoes are boiling, make the dressing.  Add vinegar, garlic, shallots, salt/pepper, mustard, and half of the fresh herbs.  I find the best way to blend the olive oil in is by using a hand blender.  Add oil a tablespoon at a time, blending between doses, until the dressing is complete.  If you don't have a hand blender, you can whisk the oil into the vinegar mix.  Make sure to go slowly so the oil incorporates.  

After potatoes are cooked, drain and place in a large bowl.  Chop potatoes into large chunks.  Pour dressing over the chunks.  Best to leave about 1/3 of the dressing on the side- you don't want to over-dress.  Add more if needed.  Add remaining herbs to the mix, and toss.

Technique: Grilling Corn

Sweet corn is one of the joys of summertime.  As we enter August, corn is in high season.  The tasty, giant stalks of grass are plump with sweet kernels.  My favorite was to enjoy corn this time of year is to grill it.  Screw wrapping it in foil, I've a better way.

First step is to peel the husk back, all the way to the bottom, but not off.  Remove the silks, and a layer of the outermost husk.  Dispose of the silk, but save the husk.  Tear the husk into a few long, thin strips.  Rub corn with butter and salt.  Return the husk to first position, and secure it by tying with the strips.

Submerge the corn in cold water for 30 minutes to an hour.  Pat dry and place over hot coals.  The husk will begin to brown, while the corn steams in it's on deliciousness, aided by butter.  After ten minutes, remove corn and tear off the husk.  Careful, it's hot!

Apply more butter (if desired) and return to grill.  As the kernels brown, turn the corn.  Remove, adding salt/spices to taste.  

Summer!

Idea: Sun Tea

I am a tea addict.  I am also not a big fan of the heat.  Thus, during the summer, I'd much rather my tea be iced.  Now, you can go the traditional way.  Hot tea + ice = iced tea.  Simple.  It works, but, I find this way can mute some of the flavors in the tea.

Sun tea is a great alternative, especially when you're making a flavored iced tea.  Letting the sun do all the work brings out the natural flavors of fruit, herb, and nut.  You'll discover flavors in the tea you didn't know were there.  Plus, it's easy!

Put one tablespoon whole leaf tea per cup of water into a glass pitcher.  Set in the sun for 4 hours.  Sweeten, as needed, with simple sugar or agave.  Serve over ice, refrigerating any remainder.  I fact, you might just want to make a big pitcher of it and keep in the fridge!  Even when drinking cold, still serve over ice, as the tea is strong.

This works best with white, green or black teas, especially flavored ones.  Oolongs generally don't taste as nice this way, though there are exceptions.  My favorite teas to use are white blueberry, genmaicha, and black peach.

Flank Steak, Southern Style

A southern steak, eh? Indeed. However, despite my love of U.S. southern cooking, this isn't from there. This flank steak comes courtesy of the Southern Hemisphere. I've blended south Asian with South American, and the result is great.

1 Flank Steak, 2-3 pounds
1/3 Cup Light Soy Sauce
1/3 Cup Water
1/3 Cup Mirin
1/4 Cup Ketchup, try to use ketchup without High Fructose Corn Syrup!
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1 Teaspoon Ground Coriander
1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
2 Hot Thai Peppers, seeded and diced

Combine everything. Marinate steak for 8-24 hours. Remove from marinade, pat dry. Take to the grill.

Now, here's the South American part. Instead of cooking over coal, I used whole wood mesquite wood chunks. Working this way allows for a combination of direct high heat grilling and smoke. Start the wood as you would your charcoal. The chunks will be ready in about fifteen minutes (time saver!). You want the smoke to still be fairly heavy, but the chunks to be burning hot. Oh, you might want to warn the neighbors, too. This style, while producing great flavor, will also make it smell like you have a camp site in your yard. Make sure you have a good amount of space, and a lot of ventilation. Might want to keep a bucket of water handy, too!

Cook for 5-6 minutes per side. You want the outside caramelized, the inside nice and pink. Let rest for 10 minutes, then carve against the grain.

Your fire will still be going pretty strong. Use it to grill some pineapple, or, even better, make some smores. I mean, if your already making the neighborhood smell like a bonfire, better put it to good use!

Go See Bottle Shock

Self-promotion plus wine.

Bottle Shock releases tomorrow, August 6, in many cities. Over the next few weeks, it's going to release wider. You can help by going to see it!

Bottle Shock is based on the events leading up to the famous 'Judgment of Paris' wine tasting in 1976. The story focuses on wine merchant Steve Spurrier's (Alan Rickman) journey to Napa Valley to select a few upstart wineries to compete against the best French wines. The world was shocked when Napa won.

It's a beautiful film, shot on location in Napa and Sonoma counties. The all star cast includes Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman, Chris Pine, Eliza Dushku, Freddie Rodriguez, Denis Farina, and your favorite food blogger, me. Randall Miller's terrific direction, Mike Ozier's cinematography, and Mark Adler's amazing score make wonderful magic.

So go out and support independent film while you revel in some fine wine.

Check out Bottle Shock's website for all the screening locations.

Technique: Freezing Bacon

When you read my blog, you probably think all is great in my kitchen. Pretty true, but I have a problem, a big problem. I have too much bacon. You see, I'm a fella who lives alone. Sure, sometimes I'll cook a big meal that involves a fair amount of bacon, but, the reality is, I usually have more bacon than I know what to do with. More than four slices of bacon per serving is gluttonous. Bacon every day isn't very good for you. But leaving extra bacon to go bad in the fridge isn't very good for you, either. Have a problem, find a solution. My solution: freeze the bacon.

I don't know why I'd never thought of this before. So much bacon gone to waste or waist. Poor tasty pigs. Poor gluttonous belly, overstuffed with bacon. Well, that's not a problem anymore. This simple solution will allow you to have bacon on hand whenever you need it. Whether you just need a slice to enhance a dish, or if you're going for a full breakfast, just open your fridge!

Here's what you do:

1: Set aside two to four slices of bacon. You'll see why soon.

2: Lay out a sheet of parchment paper.

3: Place bacon on paper, leaving a slice-sized space in between each one.

4: Roll parchment over each slice, stacking on top of each other.

5: Wrap parchment roll in heavy foil. This will prevent freezer burn.

6: Place the wrap in a plastic freezer bag. This will keep nasty smells away from tasty bacon!

7: Place in freezer. The roll will keep for three months, but I doubt it will last that long. Use as needed.

8: Cook the bacon you set aside and eat it. You can't work with bacon without enjoying some!

Idea: Empty Your Spice Rack

You know you have it. Somewhere in your kitchen, taking up lots of space, is a stack of old-ass spice jars. Oregano that smells vaguely of mint, paprika that smells like sawdust, and a can on some sort of celebrity spice mix that sits nearly full. My solution, dump it.

Now, these herbs and spices are still technically 'good,' by which I mean they are safe to eat. Dried herbs don't go bad, they just wither away. You know the shirt you have, the one you love, the one your girlfriend desperately tries to make you throw out? That's the rosemary sitting at the back of the second shelf. Trust me, you might think it's good, but it isn't. Toss it. Now.

Dried herbs have a potent shelf life of about six months. After that, they begin their slow fade. By the one year mark, they are a shell of what they used to be. What's the point of using a shell? If you're working with high quality fresh ingredients, it makes no sense to season it with something past it's prime.

So here's what you do. Take everything out. That's probably a good idea regardless, because, if you're like me, you probably need to do a little dusting there anyway. Next, take any jars you know are old- the ones with faded labels and dust- and chuck them straightaway. If you have any herbs you know you bought recently, they can stay. As for the rest, use your senses. Does it look faded? Smell like what it's meant to smell like? Anything that seems old, let it go. It's OK. You'll get more.

Next time you go to the store, buy what you need in the smallest possible package, unless you know you use a lot of something. A lot of better grocers are starting to sell miniature sized supplies. This is good.

You'll feel better for doing this. The spice rack is an often overlooked section of the kitchen. Give it a little attention, and your belly will thank you for it.