Taste of the Town

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!

Roots Restaurant and Cellar

There’s no better place to linger over a leisurely dinner or Sunday brunch than Roots Restaurant and Cellar. Nestled atop the rapidly-evolving Brewers Hill area, Roots not only offers one of the most spectacular views of downtown Milwaukee, but it also serves up some of the most creative culinary fare in town.

In fact, Roots’ back-to-earth approach and their flavorful food have garnered attention both locally and beyond, earning acclaim from magazines like Gourmet and Bon Appétit. It’s one of those places you want to visit again and again, and that you want to recommend to every single person you know.

The evening we went was bracingly cold, rainy and wet, but the minute we stepped inside the softly lit upstairs dining room the chill melted. The clean, modern lines of the interior, decorated in that chic, eco-inspired style so prevalent on the West Coast lent things an air of casual-elegance. We hung up our coats and settled into our seats, looking out upon a sublime view of lights twinkling in the ever-deepening dark.

Our waiter arrived soon after, offering us a small plate of lemon, lime, or cucumber (!) for our water, and filled us in on the evening’s specials. Since the menu already included a number of items that piqued my interest, the addition of a few new things complicated my selection process a little. Really, how does one choose between duck confit made with gingersnaps, chicory mascarpone, filbert candies and shaving cream, and seared sea scallops with spiced pumpkin and pepita empanadas for starters? And what do you do when you’re torn between an entrée of truffle seared tenderloin with chevre whipped potatoes and black truffle mushrooms, and the grilled dates with cranberry served alongside some kasha and wild rice with pumpkin foam?

I’ll tell you what you do. You change your mind entirely and decide to go with something completely different just as the waiter arrives to take your order. Thus we ended up sipping a spicy, warm bowl of artichoke and red pepper soup, followed by house salads tossed with tomatoes, English cucumbers, and a well-balanced vinaigrette.

A plate of olive oil poached Mahi, with some cardamom-smoked couscous mixed with a handful of cured olives found its way in front of me next. To be honest, the fish seemed a little on the dry side, but the couscous was excellent. Scott’s bowl of Southwestern-inspired beef tip stew was also flavorful.

                     

For dessert we split a rich, chocolate confection with a small scoop of pumpkin ice cream. It was a divine way to wrap up a beautiful meal, after which we reluctantly bundled up and headed back out into the cold, Wisconsin night.

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Roots Restaurant and Cellar
1818 N. Hubbard St.
Milwaukee, WI  53212
(414) 374-8480

Happy Thanksgiving

With temperatures dropping and holidays approaching, I find myself spending more and more time in the kitchen. This week, I’ll be whipping up a couple of pies for Thanksgiving with my in-laws. My favorite is this gingered pumpkin pie recipe that I found several years ago, but I couldn’t possibly have Thanksgiving without at least attempting to recreate my mom’s pecan pie as well.

The other item I absolutely must have on Thanksgiving is Yams Mousseline, a somewhat more sophisticated sweet-potato casserole. If I feel really industrious, I may also make some cranberry bread beforehand. I found some “fresh from the bog” cranberries at Fresh Market the other day, and need a good excuse to use them. That said, feel free to share what you’ll be bringing to the table in the comment section. Happy Thanksgiving!

Mader's Restaurant: A Taste of Old School Milwaukee

Milwaukee’s deep ties to German heritage permeate so many aspects of this city’s culture. Some argue we should play it down and focus instead on all the new and trendy restaurants and cultural offerings in town. While I’m certainly grateful to have a nice variety of food and shopping options available, after living here for a couple of years I disagree with those who want to focus only on what’s new. I can go to LA, Chicago, or Miami to get a truly hip and cutting edge cultural fix. But beer and brats? Friday night fish fry? Those are pure Wisconsin.

Oh sure. You can find men with thick My Name is Earl-type mustaches cruising on a Harley Davidson, as well as beer and gluttonous platters of fried fish in other places. But in Milwaukee, they are a distinct part of what fuels the heart and soul of the city. And I think they should be celebrated. And so should the more traditional cultural underpinnings of the culinary scene. With that in mind, I decided to check out a restaurant that is a veritable icon of Milwaukee’s German culture.

Mader’s started serving up steins of “Cream City” beer and plates of hearty German fare way back in 1902, and has been a must-stop for both locals and visiting celebrities ever since. In addition to the food, stein collectors will find a great assortment on display and available for purchase, and those who can relate to Dwight Schrute and his ardor for weapons will be entertained by the $3,000,000 collection of medieval German weaponry housed within the cavernous walls. 

Located on Old World Third Street, it’s worth noting that Mader’s offers complimentary valet parking, which although becoming more common here, is an especially appreciated amenity when the place you are going is located in one of the busiest sections of central downtown. Inside, the décor is, fittingly, reminiscent of an ornate German beer hall; however, here you’ll find the traditionally rugged tables are covered by crisp white table linens and adorned with softly glowing candles.

                  

On our visit for dinner, we started with a basket of traditional breads, followed quickly with a couple of house salads topped with the signature hot bacon dressing. If we had been feeling more adventurous, we could have ordered the oxtail soup, but the hot bacon dressing just sounded too good to pass up.

                        

Salads were followed by warm plates of stuffed beef tenderloin "Rouladen style," a traditional German recipe of beef stuffed with a mixture of bacon, mustard, dill pickles, and onion. The last time I had this dish, I was actually in a tiny little German village, visiting a friend, and since rindsrouladen was my friend’s favorite dish, her mother had prepared some for dinner. Anyway, Mader’s was every bit as good and the sautéed spinach and spaetzel served alongside it made for both colorful and tasteful pairings.

                        

We also ordered one of the Bavarian platters, which came with grilled bratwurst and simmered knockwurst. As you know, I personally don’t care for brats AT ALL and left the tasting of these items to Scott, who assures us they were excellent. Along with the brat and knockwurst, the Bavarian platter also included a slice of kassler rippchen (smoked pork loin), potato dumpling and some sauerkraut.

                         

For dessert we tried the apple strudel. While I will never claim to be an authority on strudel, there just seemed to be something missing, flavor-wise. I can’t quite put my finger exactly on what it lacked, but we left more than half on the plate.

                        

Overall though, dining at Mader’s was a nice experience. One that shouldn’t be missed by anyone searching for a little bit of old school Milwaukee culture.

More Cookies for You to Try

Since we are on the subject of cookies, I have to tell you about this recipe I tried yesterday. It’s for these absolutely delicious Chewy Cocoa Cookies with Chocolate Chips. They turn out delightfully chewy with a dense chocolate flavor.

I found the recipe on the Orangette blog and since her pictures turned out much better than mine, I’m not going to post any here. But if you like chocolate and cookies, or better yet, a rich combination of the two, then I encourage you to head to your kitchen right now and give these a try.