12/19/13 Adventure #2: 2013 Christkindlmarket Chicago

Now why would I title this Adventure # 2 when I haven't posted Adventure #1 yet? Yes, I know that sounds strange, right? I actually had two adventures last Thursday. This was the second part of my adventure. Adventure #1 is going to take some time. I also went to a very new and very popular market place. In fact, I tweeted about it a few times over the week. I was so blown away by the first adventure that it may be the most detailed posting I've done. It will be VERY hard to do this. In fact, Adventure #1 will take 2 to 3 parts to do it and I still may not scratch the surface. So, with this being the easier Adventure to write about, I did this one first (although it was the second of the Adventures). I DOUBT you'll be disappointed.

This is somewhat a new tradition for me. About 10 years ago (through a chain of events), I decided to learn German. I had actually wanted to learn German for some time but never pulled the trigger. So I signed up for the class and for the next 3 years, I would take the effort to learn this interesting but difficult language. Right now, I'm a bit rusty but through modern technology I will refresh myself. After the quarter ended (the local college was still on a quarters system), we ended the class with an unofficial field trip. We had dinner at the legendary Berghoff and then went to the Christkindlmarket not far away. The market is located in downtown Chicago in Daley Plaza, which is 3 blocks west of legendary Chicago landmark Macy's (aka, the old Marshall Fields building) on State Street.

I noticed how similar English and German are and in more ways than one. Some of our words are similar but with different spellings (e.g., jogging VS joggen, the sea VS der See, I congratulate VS ich gratuliere, etc.). As I went along, I also took a moment to see how similar our foods are as well. I am a Chicago-area native and this is a melting pot of all people. Not to mention my neighbors to the north (aka, Wisconsin) keeps that old world flavor. Food a prepared the same way as they were done over many generations. Maybe living where I live gives me a greater appreciation for this. In one way, shape of form, the foods meet almost at a crossroads. One will keep a more traditional approach, and others will go a completely different route as the pictures will see. I hope you'll enjoy these pictures. If you go to this market, BRING PLENTY OF CASH (most of the vendors don't accept credit cards now).

I noticed one thing over the years. Germans, like Americans, love their sweets. Above are a variety of peanuts. Some salted and some sweetened. We'll revisit this a bit later. 

Ok, ladies. This is for you. You see chocolate above. Strawberries were the main item of attraction. These were quite popular among attenders. I saw several of them purchased that day. All done fresh!! More chocolate on the bottom as well.  

Looking good, right? I thought so. I can tell you they did taste good as I had them previously.  

Santa's House. What good Christmas Market would be right with out one? Strange that I started with sweets first but that's how the market was laid out.  Now, it time for the meat of the matter. It starts now. 

The closer sausages in this picture are weisswursts. If you're not familiar with weisswurst, it got its name because the sausage is white (more than the bratwurst or knockwurst). This sausage is made with veal (fairly coarse grind) and pork back bacon, normally seasoned with parsley, salt, pepper and onions (some use lemon powder). The texture is MUCH smoother than bratwurst. The German bratwursts served here were a bit smaller than their American cousin. Regardless, they tasted fantastic.  You can have it served with or without sauerkraut. 

Now don't adjust your eyes. You're seeing exactly what you think you seeing. This may be a shock for some of you.  Did you ever associate curry with German food? The name is just what implies. Currywust was born somewhat by accident. As legend has it, a woman named Herta Heuwer created this dish. Not long after World War 2, Heuwer obtained some English curry from British soldiers. At this time, spices were pretty rare to obtain. She managed to experiment with it and the currywurst was born. The modern currywurst has taken some Middle East (specifically Turkish) as well as Indian influence. (1).

In America, we have the fried potato (as do they). In Germany, it's the potato pancake (kartoffelpluffer, if I'm remembering correctly, the literal translation is potato buffer).  Most of them are made with grated potatoes, mixed with spices and sour cream. Sour cream is also served on the side. Also served with applesauce. I found 2 recipes that could serve as a point of reference. The links are below the next picture. This is another German food staple.

I found 2 recipes that might be of interest to some of you,:

http://www.bavariankitchen.com/sides/kartoffelpuffer.aspx (2).

http://www.germany-insider-facts.com/german-potato-pancakes.html#.UrdkJtJDt8E (3).

Now how can a leave such a happy face off this page? She was actually very nice. Bratwurst, potato pancakes among the main features again. 

Stollen from Dinkel's. Chicago Illinois. They served a few different flavors as you can see here. You can buy slices but for future reference, bring enough cash where you can buy a whole one. 

You like Pretzels? You'll get more than your fill here.  Pretty hard to miss, right?

There were SIX pretzel flavors. I kept mine simple but if I recall, there were 

Menu board and one VERY hard working vendor!! It was pretty wild that day. 

Brats galore again. 

 Here's one of my personal favorites in Helmut's Strudel (right and below). I've enjoyed them for a number of years. I try to support the people who come from a long distance and Helmut's delivers consistently. As I touched on earlier, you can buy either a slice of strudel or a whole one. Do the latter and you won't be sorry. What began as a frozen food business grew into something better. I chose the cherry.

 Potatoes anyone? On the left, the price on the menu board. On the right, the actual fried potatoes being cooked. I think this was quite a treat.

Above are nuts, being prepare with sugar. 

The finished product.................

More sausages!!! I bet since they knew they were in Chicago, they knew they BEST stay ahead of demand. Served with Dusseldorf mustard (show below). This style of mustard gets it name from the city in Germany. Some compare it to Dijon, only a but stronger in taste and darker in color. This is more my speed. Some versions have a little more "bite" (or spice) than others. They must contain both brown and yellow mustard seeds. This article does a nice job explaining Dusseldorf mustard: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-09-05/entertainment/sc-food-0831-dusseldorf-mustard-20120905_1_dijon-mustard-works-national-mustard-museum (4)

Dusseldorf Mustard..... and ketchup?!?! I hope it's not going on any sausage. 

Germknodel.  Until last week, I had never heard of this. It's a yeast dough dumpling mixed with poppy seeds and sugar. Then it's filled with a jam (normally plum). I didn't get to try this but if did look pretty good. Maybe I should try to make this one day. 

OK. There it is in a nutshell. There was a bit I left out. I decided to do this from a couple of angles. The first is to focus on what I didn't do last year. I felt no need to touch on the beer garden since if you've seen one, you probably seen them all. I touched on the chocolate (INSANE amounts of chocolate) and non alcoholic drinks last year. I started a post on last year's market and hope to do it in two parts. So part two never came. Maybe this could serve as part 2. I may post some of those pictures in a different post.Since the is a food blog, I would just focus on food. There is so much to find at a market like this. There are vendors who sell all things German and I do mean just that. Steins, blown glass, Ku Ku Clocks, toys. gifts, you can name it. I got lucky. It was pretty warm the say I went (about 40 degrees Fahrenheit or about 5 degree Celsius). Prepare for the weather.  I wish there was a bit more space. It can get pretty crowded fast and people (sadly) like to sight see instead of walking.  That's my only complaint. Other than that, it's a good time for all. I know I had fun. It's close to public transportation (especially for people like me who took a suburban train into the city). 

 Works Cited:
1. "The Craze over the Currywurst", Roman Kessler, Wall Street Journal Online, August 29, 2009, http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052970204884404574364600782551292
2. "Bavarian Kartoffelpuffer, Reidekuchen, Reiberdatschi- Potato Pancake Recipe", Bavarian Kitchen Blog.
3.  "German Potato Pancake", Germany Insider Facts Internet site.
4. "Pass The Dusseldorf", Bill Daley, Chicago Tribune Online, September 5, 2012.

2013 Thanksgiving Dinner

OK. No cleaver titles this time around!! I know it's been a while since I posted something. So what better subject to discuss is my Thanksgiving Day dinner. A time for family and gratitude for those who came before me. As usual, the dinner was fantastic!!! You may have you mind blown when you see the amount of food we had (you'll at least see the main courses). As is customary, my family had dinner at my parent's home. Someone will bring something to eat. Mom did the turkey & dressing. While I can't give out the recipes used (since I don't know them), I'll try to share something close and properly cite where I took the recipe from. Most of them anyway.

This is what happens when you arrive just a tad late. As you can see, mac & cheese, cranberry sauce, ham, & turkey (dark & white meat). Mom made the turkey and the cranberry sauce, my cousin made the mac and cheese (and thank goodness he's no longer a vegan) and my Aunt did the ham. One thing of note. Mom did 2- 15 pound turkeys. She finds there's much less margin for error. She cooked it to 165 degree internal temperature and used a brine. She NEVER stuffs the turkey either. Again, reduces any potential for under cooking the bird or whatever the bird will be stuffed with. Here are some recipes that may be of help:

Brines: http://lifehacker.com/5860136/this-is-how-you-should-cook-your-turkey-next-thursday-or-you-could-waste-hours-of-your-life (1)

http://bbq.about.com/od/turkeybrinerecipes/tp/10turkeybrinerecipes.htm (2)

 Above is the cornbread dressing. This is a staple at holiday dinner (specifically Thanksgiving & Christmas). It's more of a Southern staple as well (I spent all but 4 years of my life living in the Chicago area but many member of my family are from the South). My immediate family lineage is more spread throughout Southern Illinois. This is fairly simple when it's all said & done. Once you eat a good cornbread dressing, forget it!!! You WON'T want anything else. VERY filling and hearty. As a matter of fact, I'll be eating some of this after I finish this post!! Below are links to some good cornbread dressings for your review. You'll notice that the basic steps are the same but slight differences in what goes into it. Mom's includes mushrooms:
 Southern Style Cornbread Dressing.
        http://menumusings.blogspot.com/2011/12/southern-style-cornbread-dressing.html (3)
        http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/southern-cornbread-stuffing-recipe/index.html (4)
        http://www.deepsouthdish.com/2009/11/southern-cornbread-dressing-stuffing.html#axzz2mMMh4nYy (5)

Gravy. I won't waste time with a recipe itself but I'll tell you how I doctored my dish up a bit. I found some fresh garlic heads so I added some on my plate and mixed the garlic, gravy and dressing together. I also added some habanero sauce for some kick. It worked like a charm!!

Yams or sweet potatoes. If there's one dish where there's a tight rope/balancing act, this is the one. You can go from not sweet enough to way too sweet. This version of sweet potatoes, also done by my Mom, doesn't have marshmallows. Did you know that the yam and the sweet potato come from 2 different plants? 

 Yes they are: http://www.freep.com/article/20131128/FEATURES02/311280006/sweet-potatoes-vs-yams-rinsing-turkey (6).

Sweet potatoes: http://www.southernliving.com/food/entertaining/10-sweet-potato-recipes-00417000075762/ (7).

Baked ham. My Aunt did this one. If only time permitted, I might have gone out and smoked on on the grill. No brown sugar or honey. Just the pure taste of ham itself. Some clove, salt, pepper and a dash of sage. This ham was about 5 lbs so the oven cooking time is about  2 1/2 hours as it was bone in. The version you see here was done similarly to this. Included is a reference chart that may be helpful. 

http://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/handling-meat/how-to-bake-ham/ (8)

http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/hamcookingchart.html (9)

The turkey was actually cooked whole. Mom let it rest after cooking and then cut it the following day. In an ideal world, you could do what she does. The turkey was done 2 days ahead and warmed. She also put it in a brine for at least 24 hours (she may have done it a bit longer). 

OK. The finished product. I didn't realize I had this much food on my plate. Clockwise from the top. cornbread dressing, sweet potatoes, ham, mac & cheese, dinner rolls, green bean, turkey & cranberry dressing. People ask me why I don't go out for Thanksgiving dinner? If you think you can top this meal (all 8 courses of it), I'd love to see you try. The above picture is my "before" as it relates to this meal. I'd love to share a cranberry recipe, but I don't have one as of yet and would be lying if I said I knew how my Mom did this. 

I decided to add some other recipes I will suggest. It's similar to some of the things done here. 

Green Beans. Pretty easy. Get some fresh or frozen green beans and boil. For me, it's salt an pepper. We had enough heavy food on the table where a casserole might have been overkill. You can add bacon or some smoked meat. You could also chop some onions, garlic or something of the like. This version below is like the one I would make. http://www.southyourmouth.com/2013/04/southern-style-green-beans.html (10)

 It's great to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner with family and spending time together is great. I look forward to this meal every year. The picture you see below reflects the after.

Any questions?! I didn't think so!! The empty plate explains itself!! Thanks to my Mom and family members for creating such an incredible meal.

Cited works: 

1. America's Test Kitchen's, taken from Lifehacker.com.

2. bbq.about.com 

3. Menu Musings of a Modern American Mom: http://menumusings.blogspot.com/

4. Food Network courtesy of Paula Deen (foodnetwork.com)

5. Traditional Cornbread Dressing, Deep South Dish Internet site, (11/12/2009) 

6. Ask the Test Kitchen's column via Detroit Free Press (11/28/2013)

7. "19 Ways with Sweet Potatoes" via Southern Living Internet site. 

8. "How To Bake Ham" via Better Homes and Gardens Internet site. 

9. Chart taken from Foodsafety.gov. 

10 . "Southern Style Green Beans" via "South Your Mouth" blog. 

The Independence Day 2013 Feast

This is a simple journey in to my Independence Day dinner. I am one who appreciates the importance of Jul;y 4th, the day the United States of America declared itself a free, independent republic. I enjoy those freedoms and realize how easily these freedoms can be lost. Not to mention those who want to enjoy the same freedoms we do, but can't. I'm thankful that I'm free.

Now, I'll share the meal I had with my family. It starts like this:

Brats, anyone? They were amazing!!!

                                             

Green beans. My cousin actually started these but I wound up watching them (the dinner was at my mom & dad's house). 15 minute boil. Add salt and ground pepper. No pork this time (some family members don't eat pork). Perfect. I decided against adding garlic as well. 

Cupcakes for the sweet tooth. These were made by my aunt!!

Now 2 things need to see here. First is the spaghetti, made by my cousin. She said she simmered the sauce for about an hour. Tomatoes, herbs cut fresh for the sauce. Outstanding. The potato salad was store bought but do you notice anything? Notice how the potato salad is resting on a bed of ice. The covers for both were close by. That way it won't go bad and no one will get sick (from the dairy going warm). 

The brats & hot dogs revisited, alone with BBQ baby back ribs. Maybe next time, I'll do St Louis spare ribs instead. Dad did the ribs over about a 4 hour period (and did it the day prior).  

Chicken and baked beans. Mom did the chicken in a smoker. She cooked them for about 2 hours at 275. She didn't like how they looked (skin wise) so she finished the chicken in the over. Absolute tenderness. Everyone like the chicken very much. Baked beans also made for a nice compliment. 

Green beans (finished) and more chicken. Needless to say, no one went hungry that day. In fact, we had food left over for a few days. It was nice to enjoy a nice dinner with family. 

This is my plate. The first of a few!!!!

I'll end this post in a way I feel is best. This post is a celebration of America's Independence so I think there's a perfect way to end this post. Below are the words of John Adams, taken partially from a letter to his wife, Abigail, prior to the Declaration of Independence:

"But on the other Hand, the Delay of this Declaration to this Time, has many great Advantages attending it. -- The Hopes of Reconciliation, which were fondly entertained by Multitudes of honest and well meaning tho weak and mistaken People, have been gradually and at last totally extinguished. -- Time has been given for the whole People, maturely to consider the great Question of Independence and to ripen their judgments, dissipate their Fears, and allure their Hopes, by discussing it in News Papers and Pamphletts, by debating it, in Assemblies, Conventions, Committees of Safety and Inspection, in Town and County Meetings, as well as in private Conversations, so that the whole People in every Colony of the 13, have now adopted it, as their own Act. -- This will cement the Union, and avoid those Heats and perhaps Convulsions which might have been occasioned, by such a Declaration Six Months ago.

But the Day is past. The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America.

I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.

You will think me transported with Enthusiasm but I am not. -- I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. -- Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will triumph in that Days Transaction, even although We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not."

Happy 237th Birthday, America!! I'm proud to be an America........ God Bless the USA!!!!!! 

Anaphylaxis: Not Something to Joke About

It's been a while since I posted anything. In fact, I put off a couple of posts since it didn't flow like I wanted to. This is a subject I've wanted to deal with for some time. The subject is also personal. If you noticed the open page on my blog, I have two videos posted towards the top of the page on each margin. If you keep reading this article, I would ask you watch the Trace Adkins video, located on the top left column on this blog. If you watch both videos, all the better but the Adkins/Doctors video will help make more sense of this (especially if you don't have a loved one or friend with food allergies). The subject I am going to touch on is anaphylaxis and food allergies. You will see from my story how quickly things can change with these two subjects.

Before I go on with my story, I think I need to give a definition and the symptoms of anaphylaxis. I think the Mayo Clinic did a nice job with this:
Definition:
"Anaphylaxis is a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. It can occur within seconds or minutes of exposure to something you're allergic to, such as a peanut or the venom from a bee sting.

The flood of chemicals released by your immune system during anaphylaxis can cause you to go into shock; your blood pressure drops suddenly and your airways narrow, blocking normal breathing. Signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis include a rapid, weak pulse, a skin rash, and nausea and vomiting. Common triggers of anaphylaxis include certain foods, some medications, insect venom and latex." (1)

Symptoms:
"Skin reactions, including hives along with itching, and flushed or pale skin (almost always present with anaphylaxis).feeling of warmth, the sensation of a lump in your throat, constriction of the airways and a swollen tongue or throat, which can cause wheezing and trouble breathing, weak and rapid pulse, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, dizziness or fainting

I was about 7 years old and up to that point, I never had any form of food related allergic action. That all changed one spring day. I was never a big fish fan and never really had to eat it before. For whatever reason, it was a special meal (what I can't recall) and my Mom cooked the meal that could have killed me. The main course was red snapper, a shell fish. I took a one or two bites and something didn't feel right. You may notice that under the symptoms, some of them are bold and italicized. Those are the symptoms I had that day and what happened over the next hour changed my life forever. I did start to itch my arm though it wasn't that pronounced. Almost minutes later, I began to vomit but as it happened, I didn't know why. I had no clue what was happening. At that point, the worst was yet to come. Just after that, I felt like my tongue was swelling. My folks and I went for a ride. About 5 minutes into that ride, I felt like my chest and throat were closing on me. I felt that way because that was exactly what happened. It was almost like I was choking, even though I wasn't (due to anything I did). My face also began to swell to the point where my eyes were nearly shut. My parents looked and to this day, I will never forget the look of horror on their faces. We went straight to the emergency room and the Doctor knew exactly what happened to me. I got a shot and almost as fast as I got it, the symptoms went away. This happened in about 30-40 minute time frame. Any longer and I might not be typing this today.

This was not my first bout either although the handful I had were no where near as bad as the story I just share. There was the time I had some shrimp at a family friends house. My folks didn't realize I ate a few (I had maybe two). I had not reaction at that point but when they knew what I did, I had to take an  antihistamine tablet immediately (if symptoms don't begin, it will prevent reaction).  I can recall I was around 10, my grandparents had some catfish sitting in sink full of water. I somehow knocked a fork into that sink and some water got onto my forearm. Within about 10 minutes, my forearm was swollen, broken out into a rash from my wrist to elbow. Oh, then there are some Asian restaurants that say "oh, we didn't handle the beef with seafood" story (note: Asian restaurants are the places I've had the biggest problems but many are probably the most vigilant as it relates to this subject). If seafood is cooked in my parent's home, either the windows need to be opened or I have to be out of the house.

Maybe that experience is why I used Trace Adkins promotional video he did for the Doctors. He and his wife had that same experience with their youngest daughter. She and I are allergic to different things (in her case, it's dairy) but the results were also the same. As my parents, the Adkins took immediate action even though they had not idea what was happening. Straight to the ER. It doesn't just happen with kids either. It was brought to my attention that my cousin, who is a little older than I am, also developed an allergy to seafood a few years back. During a recent visit to my local health club, a guy had gone into anaphylactic shock not long before I got there. As guys told me what happened, I knew that's exactly what it was although I didn't ask what he had.

I guess I decided to write this for a few reasons. One is to share my story. When I go out to eat and there's even a hint of cross-contamination, I do one of two things. I make them aware of it and watch what they do to solve it. When in doubt, I don't. This is also a first hand account of what its like living with a food allergy. Right now, I don't carry an epipen although that may change soon. I will also consider getting a medical bracelet that will show my condition. I would encourage you with children to get the bracelet if you haven't already. It's not so bad. Since my allergy was found when I was young, there aren't foods I miss. Add the reaction factor to it and that makes it all the easier. My family and most of my closest friends know I have this allergy and they know how to handle it. The thing about dealing with food allergies is caution and vigilance. if you see the potential for a reaction, take the steps to make sure it doesn't happen. It's not as hard as it may seem.  If you have any questions, refer back 3 paragraphs and read it again. That will remind you how serious it is. It also shows how fast things can go south. Time is the enemy of anaphylaxis. I would also encourage you to check out FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) at http://www.foodallergy.org/.  I hope my story will help someone else. Hopefully, you may recall what I shared here down the road. More importantly, you'll know what to do should this happen around you.


1 & 2. Mayo Clinic Internet site:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/anaphylaxis/DS00009/DSECTION=symptoms
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/anaphylaxis/DS00009

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Nachos on the Fly

I'm a big fan of Mexican and Tex-Mex food and nachos are very high on my list. Think about it for a second. They're VERY easy to make. You can put just about anything on a nacho platter. Did I mention how good they taste? This is a sample of how easily a plate of nachos can be built. You can do all of it fresh or, as I did here, using leftovers. Really. It works like a charm. As you see by the pictures below, you'll see what I mean.  This will be a pretty short and sweet post. 

First things first. You obviously need tortilla chips. I found these at a local store. The problem is that sometimes a chip can be either too thick, over flavored or just too thin. When I make nachos, I prefer using plain tortilla chips. I think with the toppings you don't really need the extra flavoring. I placed these in the microwave for about 1 minute. I just wanted to warm them up a bit. You'll be amazed what a bad chip can do to a nacho platter. 

Now the next obvious thing is what will you top them with? For this exercise, I used leftovers from a recent lunch. Chicken chili verde and refried beans make the initial layer. I also added some cilantro, garlic and some onions as I put this together. The chicken came from a local market Hot Bar (that's gone up in price almost $1.50/lbs in the last year, but that's another story). Instead of just heating and eating the chicken and beans,  I took this perfect opportunity to make some nachos. 

The finish. I topped it with some sour cream, guacamole (a must in my opinion) and some chopped tomatoes. All done in under 10 minutes and I took my time doing this. Only one mistake here. I forgot to add olives and shredded cheese (actually, the cheese melted in the chili). The olives might have made for some more color on the plate. For this man, no lettuce on this day. That was intentional. One, the lettuce can wilt pretty easily and nothing worse than eating soggy lettuce. This doesn't have to be a rewrite of "War & Peace" at all. See what you can do with some leftovers? You can create a feast fit for a king!! Yes, these turned out perfectly.

This was not a Super Bowl food I ate but I could have used a good nacho platter. If you have some guest pop in or maybe you want a quick snack, a plate of nachos is your answer