Taste of the Town

Office Party at Benihana

‘Tis the season for parties and other festive affairs. Scott’s office party was last week and naturally I took full advantage of the situation to try and make my pregnant-self looks as chic and festive as one possibly can while sporting a stomach resembling something more akin to a basketball. To start things off, everyone convened in the atrium of the Hyatt Hotel, where his employers had kindly reserved rooms for those who wanted to stay downtown overnight.

From there, we walked a couple of icy blocks to Benihana and proceeded to take over several hibachi tables in the room upstairs. The waitress got our drink and food orders in, and then the knife-wielding chefs rolled out their silver, food-laden cards, turned up the grills, threw down some shrimp, chicken, steak, and veggies, and proceeded to bedazzle us with their chopping and juggling skills.

                        

We sipped a mild onion soup and munched on salad while our chef masterfully sliced the shrimp into bite-sized portions while it seared to pink perfection on the grill, and was then dolled out in fair proportions to each plate, along with various dipping sauces. 

The shrimp appetizer was followed by the preparation of our entrees and grilled vegetables. Most people at our table opted for the hibachi chicken grilled with sesame seeds and lemon or the filet mignon, sliced into small pieces and grilled alongside some mushrooms. I, however, had yakisoba. Despite bearing the word “soba,” yakisoba are made from wheat flour rather than buckwheat and are pretty much the same as ramen. The noodles are then sautéed and tossed with some sauce and tiny pieces of chicken and vegetables.

                 

For dessert I also veered from the majority, who wanted the tri-colored sherbet, and chose to have the artfully arranged strawberry ice cream roll. Encased in a paper-thin layer of dough, the mildly sweet ice cream was a nice way to end the meal. And after applauding the antics of our chef and polishing off our plates, we made a mass exodus from Benihana and headed down the  block to an upstairs room reserved at Mo’s Irish Pub.

That’s where the party started in earnest. Well, for everyone but me. I tried to make myself feel festive by sipping on a wine glass filled with cranberry juice but all you other temporary teetotalers don’t kid yourself, it’s just not the same as wine! A troupe of actors from Comedy Sportz showed up and entertained us with their improv skills for a while, and by then I was done. Completely wiped out. And it was only 11:30.

I don’t know what has happened to the girl who used to be able to stay out ‘till the wee hours of the morning and then get up at 6:30 a.m. feeling just fine, thank you very much, but apparently she has been replaced by someone whose sleeping and napping needs more closely resemble that of an aging cat. Anyway, Scott and I said our goodbyes and took our leave. We waited right inside Mo’s entrance for a few moments until I spotted a cab heading our way, at which time I sprang out the door, quickly hailed the driver, and we rode the few blocks back to our hotel room in comfortable warmth. Cheers to parties. And to soft flannel pajamas and a cozy bed waiting for you afterwards.

This Explains A Lot

I have news I want to share. Big news.

I am pregnant.

I guess that’s actually old news for those of you who know me personally, but for those of you who might have been wondering how on earth a woman could crave chocolate banana cream pie and falafel all in the same hour, it probably explains a great deal.

Besides, I’m actually six months along and since my tummy is now undeniably pregnant-looking, I thought it was time to tell you.

                      
                     
Naturally Scott and are both incredibly excited. And anxious. And  while I’ve probably started to bore my family and close friends to tears with all kinds of baby-related talk (Who knew stroller and car seat selection could prove to be hour-long conversational items?), I will try not to bombard you with overabundant references to this soon-to-arrive little one or all of the new equipment purchases that the arrival of said person entails. I will, however, probably still find myself craving strange food combinations and may be inclined to make mention of them once in awhile. I may also start to sound a slight bit neurotic, but at least now you’ll understand why!

Fab Gift for Foodie Friends

If you’re looking for a last-minute hostess gift or something to impress a food-obsessed friend, consider wrapping up a bottle of ARGAND’OR Argan Oil. This organic gourmet oil, which offers twice the anti-oxidants of olive oil and has a distinct, nutty flavor, is hand-crafted in Morocco by a group of Berber women and has recently acquired something of a cult status.

While it used to be hard to find outside of Morocco or Europe, where it has been touted for its restorative and age-defying effects, of late, argan oil has become increasingly more available around the world. Savvy chefs and cooks are now incorporating the rich, tasteful oil into all manner of sophisticated dishes.

Here in Milwaukee, ARGAND’OR Argan Oil is available at Outpost, Future Green, Larry’s Market and Fair Trade for All. Be warned that although its price ($40 - $50 USD for 500ml) may seem high compared to other oils, a little argan oil goes a long way and it is certainly one of those products that any foodie would be delighted to have on their shelf.

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Recipe for Arugula Salad with Feta and Argan Oil 
Serves 2

Ingredients:
3 ounces arugula leaves
3 ounces feta cheese (any type okay, but goat cheese feta is especially good)
3 tbsp. Argan oil
Salt
Coarse ground pepper

Preparation: Dice feta cheese. Drizzle 2 tbsp. Argan oil on top of diced or crumbled cheese. Let feta cheese sit for 5 minutes. Mix arugula and feta cheese in mixing bowl. Stir in remaining Argan oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
Serve.

Recipe courtesy of the World Artisan’s Guild. For more recipes or additional information about ARGAND’OR Argan Oil, visit their website, www.worldartisanguild.com.

Buy a Bûche de Noël at Harlequin

Thanks to Ann Christenson at Milwaukee Magazine for reminding us about what Mirelle Guiliano refers to as one of the “four gastronomic pillars of the typical French holiday menu,” the bûche de Noël, available from Harlequin. The rich Yule logs go for $34 each and should be ordered at least four days in advance.                        

Located inside the Landmark Building, the Harlequin Bake Shop is owned by Sandy and Angie D’Amato (of Sanford and Coquette Café fame) and offers an array of croissants, artisan breads, French macaroons, buttermilk donuts, and other goods that will doubtlessly tempt even the smallest sweet tooth. In addition, you’ll also find a nice selection of sandwiches, soup, salad, and quiche should you want to savor something more substantial for lunch.

                                

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Harlequin Bake Shop
316 N. Milwaukee St.
Milwaukee, WI  53202
(414) 291-YUMM (9866)

       

A Big Box of Sun

My doorbell rang followed by an insistent knock on the back door. I pulled myself away from the office, where I’d been staring at the bleak white yard outside my window, and found the postman standing there with a huge box of grapefruit from Florida.

                     

Just seeing that big, white box, with bright orange citrus fruit painted on the side, made me feel a little closer to the oft-missed sunshine that I used to take for granted. And the fruit inside said box? It was divine. Large, golden orbs tinted in patches with a rosy hued glow and packed in neat rows, just waiting for me to devour it. I plucked one out, cut into the pale pink flesh and savored the fresh, citrus scent that immediately hit my nose.

                        

It was wonderful. Perfectly ripe and bursting with acidic flavor. I ate this particular grapefruit cold, but I sometimes like to cut them half and broil for a few moments to bring out more of the sweet flavor. For a special brunch, I’ll drizzle a little Southern Comfort (You can use other brands, but I think this one tastes the best.) or dark rum on each half first, sprinkle with a tiny bit of brown sugar, place a bright red maraschino cherry in the center of each half, then broil until it’s warmed through.

Delicious.

If you live in a temporarily sun-forsaken part of the country and like citrus, I highly recommend ordering some for yourself. Sure, you can get oranges and grapefruit at local stores, but there’s just something better about a piece of fruit that only a few days ago was still ripening on the tree and that has been shipped to you straight from the grove. I order mine from Indian River in Florida, but I’m sure there are others.

Cafe Hollander

Bacon makes a morning better. I had some for breakfast yesterday, along with a few slices of French toast. Later, I consumed even more. I made a huge batch of bacon wrapped water chestnuts for an afternoon Christmas party and ate half of them myself.

I always say, you can’t trust a cook who won’t eat her own cooking.

But enough about my frightfully unhealthy eating habits and what I’ve been baking. Let’s talk about another kitchen. Specifically, the kitchen at Café Hollander and the thing they serve that, in addition to bacon, can make a bad day look even brighter.

                        

I’m talking about frites, of course. Thinly sliced and cooked to a crispy, golden perfection that I naively only thought fast food places like McDonald’s could produce en masse to my satisfaction, the fries at Café Hollander are served up in true European fashion with honest-to-goodness real mayonnaise or one of their other dip selections, which rage from garlic aioli or Sriracha mayonnaise to honey mustard or basic ranch.

Occupying the corner across from the Downer Theatre, Café Hollander’s exposed brick walls, dark wood tables, and abundance of available beer (Belgian and otherwise), exudes the air of a longstanding European bar or coffee shop where you’d pop in for a drink or something to eat, and feel equally at home whether you were discussing the latest novel you read or celebrating the win of your favorite soccer team.

               

With its warm atmosphere, friendly staff, and abundance of twinkle lights lending a festive, holiday spirit to things, it seemed a natural place for us to gravitate to on a blisteringly cold evening earlier this week. Well, it actually wasn’t that warm inside. All three of the people seated next to us were still wearing their coats, and once I took my own coat off and felt the slight chill hanging in the air, I thought about putting it on again. Like a lot of restaurants, I think the thermostat is usually set to suit the staff, who no doubt works up a sweat running back and forth between tables or dishing up food in the kitchen, while patrons huddle over the single flame of a lighted candle for warmth.

But eventually the heat was cranked up, amber-hued pints of beer, were downed, paper-wrapped cones of frites ($5.00) were consumed, and the people next to us shed their heavy outwear and looked a lot more comfortable. We bit into some large, juicy burgers, and equilibrium was restored.

                               

I had the Hollander burger ($9.50), a pan seared patty of beef topped with sautéed mushrooms and Swiss cheese, while Scott tired the slightly spicy Tulip burger ($9.00), which is made with ground turkey, bell peppers, and onions then layered with some lettuce, tomato, curry ketchup and Sriracha mayonnaise.   

If burgers aren’t your thing, Café Hollander also offer a few classic breakfast items all day or you might want to go for one of the more traditional entrée items such as mac and cheese, steaks and frites, Benelux meatloaf, or the everyday fish fry.  But whatever you do – don’t miss the frites. They’ll make everything better.

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Café Hollander
2608 N. Downer Ave.
Milwaukee,  WI
(414) 963-6366

Baby, It's Cold Outside

With temperatures in the teens forcing me into hibernation mode, and the writer’s strike having pretty much eliminated anything worth watching on TV (aside from Gossip Girl which I love and which may be reruns for all I know since I just started watching a couple of weeks ago), I have returned to the stack of books that’s been collecting dust and to baking more holiday cookies than I could ever consume.

On the literary front I just started Only Yesterday, An Informal History of the 1920’s and due to my zeal for anything related to the Jazz Age, the pages are flying by; once that’s done, I’m moving on to David Mamet’s Bambi vs. Godzilla, then to Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast.

As for the baking, I needed something that would take the edge off of what has been a crazy week. Not only has there been tons of work to do, but all kinds of stressful things keep happening, the last of which was that I came out of a store in 17-degree weather to find my car battery dead. And that it would take AAA three hours to send someone over for a jump start. I guess I thought living in an urban area might make car service more accessible, but apparently I was wrong. Anyway, my faith in customer service was redeemed when I called the Valvoline service center which had just changed my oil, thinking maybe they had loosened something when working on things, and the manager offered to drive over and help me. In person. In 17-degree weather.  Amazing.

As you can now see, it seemed only natural for me to assume that a foray into the cookie department might be just what was needed to set things on a better course. Thus, I made some Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Cookies.

These amazingly good treats are packed with loads of chopped nuts, rich chocolate chips, and some toffee, and they might just be my new favorite cookie. I know I say that all the time, but this time, I really mean it. How can you not love a cookie that’s jammed full of your favorite things and which comes out of the oven having a marvelous chewy crunch to it? Anyway, I whipped those up while listening to some tunes by The Pierces with a little Eskimo Joe thrown in to keep things lively. It's not exactly a holiday-related soundtrack, but there’s still plenty of time for me to get my fill of Christmas music before the 25th.

               

There’s also plenty of time for me to hit a couple of restaurants before then, so if it’s dining-out dish your looking for, check back in a couple of days and I’ll fill you in on that front.

Happy Holidays Y'all

Check out the view outside my house last night.

                

I think winter is officially here. And it heralds in the official start of the Christmas season, which I love. Some of the things I enjoy most this time of year are:

• Looking at all the twinkle lights
• Eating fresh clementines
• Making star-shaped sugar cookies and bourbon balls
• Sipping small mugs of very rich hot chocolate
• Listening to any of Harry Connick, Jr.’s holiday CDs
• Pulling out my ever-expanding collection of Old World Ornaments to put on the tree
• Parties that necessitate getting dressed up (i.e. An excuse to wear lots of sparkly accessories!)
• Going to a candlelight church service on Christmas Eve with my family    

               

What about you? What do you enjoy this time of year? Ponder upon this while you are bored at work, err… I mean, while you are taking a break, and let us know. Also, if you’re looking for fun things to do this month, be sure to check out Karen’s recent post on Play in the City for ideas. Cheers!