Culinary Historians of Chicago
SPRING 2002
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NEWSLETTER OF THE Culinary Historians of Chicago |
SPRING 2002 |
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In Bruce Kraig's "President's Letter" in this issue, he mentions a breed of dog called Saluki, the mascot of Southern Illinois University athletic teams and says, parenthetically, that he has yet "to see one in the flesh here in the American Egypt." While I have not seen one in the flesh, I have seen one in a frame. On April 5, a friend and I were standing in a small gallery at the Art Institute -- one of two housing the captivating exhibit, "The Holy Cow," consisting of drawings, paintings, scrolls and sculpture of animals from ancient India -- directly in front of a watercolor painting of a slender, Greyhound-like dog. I commented how very modern it looked and wondered about the name -- which I remembered as "Saluki" -- because I had never heard of one. A woman standing behind us volunteered that these dogs were bred for hunting, were extremely affectionate but very energetic and demanding. And she said that she owned several. As frequently happens in such chance encounters I didn't ask for her name nor did I pursue the subject with her. But, when I came across the name Saluki in Bruce Kraig's letter, I rushed to write the above.
Then I called up the Art Institute to check my facts with Betty Seid, curator of the exhibit, and she set me straight. "The dog in the picture you describe is a Rampur, not a Saluki," she said. "Ah!" I replied, "So my anonymous dog owner has Rampurs, not Salukis. But I wonder how I got the idea it was a Saluki?" It turns out that I saw not one, but two Salukis in the exhibit, both in a banquet scene titled, "The Marriage of Cana," based on a European theme. The Salukis are on the floor at a banquet table presumably waiting for scraps from the guests. So if you wish to see one Rampur or two Salukis, all await you at the Art Institute -- until this wonderful exhibit leaves. - Nancy Ryan
Cafe Demir 2964 N. Lincoln Avenue 773-755-6721 Open daily from 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. BYOB
Real Hungarian Cooking at Among Chicago's many gracenotes is a wealth of affordable ethnic restaurants, awaiting discovery in every direction. Travel north on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood to Cafe Demir, a modest storefront, and look for street parking -- side streets are your best bet. Step inside to a somewhat quirky decor. Highlights are four small Turkish rugs tacked up on opposite walls that awaken cupidity in the bosom of anyone who loves Oriental rugs. The restaurant offers about 30 seats, a nonstop Turkish television station broadcasting unfamiliar variety shows from a TV hung above the back deli case, an utterly charming hostess/server -- and food so fabulous that after a half-dozen visits I still cannot balance my desire to repeat by-now beloved flavors with insatiable curiosity to try new ones. I over-order, I over-eat, and I have almost devoured the entire menu. The restaurant is named after the owner, Mr. Demir. He usually presents himself mid-meal to make sure you are enjoying the food -- which ranks among the best Middle Eastern food I have ever tasted. When you are seated you are greeted with a large basket of sliced pide -- soft, leavened not-so-flat Turkish bread -- and a dish of olive oil in the middle of which is a slice of lemon and a generous sprinkling of dried oregano. There is humus -- and then there is Cafe Demir's humus: Pale, near white in color, light and smooth in texture almost like whipped cream, and so delicate and seductive in flavor that I suspect there must be a secret ingredient beyond chick peas, tahini, lemon and olive oil. Demir has a magic touch. His red lentil soup -- he insists there is no poultry or meat stock, just lentils and vegetables -- is both exotic and fundamentally satisfying. Do squeeze the accompanying wedge of lemon into the soup and stir. Stars among the starters are Piyaz -- a delectable mixture of perfectly cooked white beans with fresh chopped onions and parsley, olive oil and? Again the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. Among the eight appetizers, all are heavenly except for the Dolma and Sigara Borek -- which are by no means bad, merely mundane. The menu lists three good salads -- the Coban Salata of chopped tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, and parsley in olive oil and lemon is king -- five sandwiches and eleven entrees. Among the entrees the Karadeniz Pide is the crowning glory: fresh pide bread stuffed with your choice of ground beef; feta with parsley; mixed vegetables; Kashar cheese; or Turkish beef sausage, then baked to order. It is addictive. Turkish coffee, fresh, dense and sweet, is delicious. There is also Turkish tea and soft drinks. Desserts are usually in shorter supply than the menu suggests. (What is Kazandibi, yet to be available?). Dinner companions and I have enjoyed good baklava and a respectable rice pudding. Prices? Unreasonably reasonable for the quantity, quality food. What you won't find: Seafood.
Dishes to die for:
Go West -- far west -- on Diversey Avenue to Paprikash Hungarian Restaurant. After my first visit (an event of ChicaGourmets!), I consider the trip worth making. The owner of seven years, Tamas Bosze, explained that Paprikash's cuisine was like good Hungarian home cooking, hard to find in Chicago and even harder now in Budapest where international restaurants are the trend. The Hungarian wines, for the most part floral, went excellently well with the food, and the dry spicy red wine, Egri Bikaver, could accompany most hearty savory fare in any cuisine. The appetizer, Sult Kolbasz, a housemade spicy sausage, was accompanied with cold red cabbage salad and warm Hungarian peasant garlic bread -- delicious but so redolent of garlic that vampires need not apply. Halaszle, a traditional, spicy fish soup fragrant with hot paprika, was a show-stopper. Although Hungary is land-locked, freshwater fish comes from lakes and streams. Baked pork loin was edged with tender pillows of golden spaetzle; and the traditional Hungarian cucumber-sour cream-garlic salad that followed was crunchy and creamy, a pleasing combination. Veal Paprikash and Beef Guylas, both with spaetzle, were outstanding: meat so tender and succulent and sauce so aromatic that they raised my standards for "stews," and made me wish my feeble past attempts to cook these traditional dishes came even close. The dessert, homemade Hungarian crêpes flambČed, were served with a 3 Puttonyos Tokay -- sweet but not cloying, delicate but with enough structure to keep one interested in drinking (perhaps a second glass). As Mr. Bosze commented, "There are only about 70,000 Hungarians in Chicago, so we look to you to be our customers." I plan to fulfill my obligations to the preservation of real Hungarian cuisine by dining often at Paprikash. -- Nancy Ross Ryan
On Friday, the tour bus will be at a downtown Chicago site to be announced, where you will board the bus to begin your whirlwind weekend vacation. Travel to southern Illinois in comfort, convenience and conviviality -- we are planning an entertaining evening while our bus rolls through Illinois' flat lands to our destination hotel. On Saturday, there will be a wine tour of Vonjacob Winery and, during dinner, a murder mystery performance. On Sunday, we'll tour Owl Creek Winery and then on to Alto Pas Winery for a tour and lunch. On Sunday afternoon we'll head back to Chicago.
For registration and deposit, contact:
By Wanda Bain Scott could well be described as a younger version of humorist Woody Allen -- just his wit, not his personal life. Scott attributes his sense of humor to his mom's side of the family, and when he was growing up he wanted to be a stand-up comic. However, as fate would have it, Scott is now the co-editor of Chicago Medicine, the journal of the Chicago Medical Society, where he writes, edits and takes photographs for the Society's various publications. With his love for food and humor, Scott became involved with the Culinary Historians from its start almost 10 years ago. At first, he wondered if he should join because he wasn't sure he would fit into the mix of food academics, but after the encouragement of members such as Louis Szathmary and Bruce Kraig, he joined and found himself at home with this eclectic group of food lovers. His passion for food has grown into something more than just a hobby and has paid off in dough -- the green paper kind. He is so enthusiastic about the world of cooking that he writes about chefs, food events, and new trends in the food industry for several food publications. He is the Chicago correspondent for the James Beard newsletter and is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. He has many wonderful stories to tell about his meetings with famous names in the food industry including Julia Child and Rick Bayless -- and some that turned out to be infamous and not so pleasant. We all await his memoirs. With this background, he was asked to become the program chairman for CHC about five years ago. He gets ideas for programs from attending the Food Writers Conference held every year at the Greenbrier in West Virginia, and from press releases about new restaurant openings and food industry happenings. He discusses potential programs with CHC President Bruce Kraig and other members of the Board of Directors prior to booking the speaker. Once the speaker is booked, Scott starts writing his introduction for the program flyer that is sent out to members and the media. Then, he begins in earnest to pen his delightful program openers replete with sly puns and clever quips. "I tried to be a serious writer, but it didn't work. So many people know me for my wit, that when I didn't include it, they were offended," says Scott. Ah! To write in a way that brings a smile to an audience would be as heavenly as angel food cake. Scott Warner's flair for the spoken word is like spun frosting on a rich cake. Scott's other credits as a freelance writer include articles written for the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, the Houston Chronicle, Chef magazine, The National Culinary Review and Epicurean Magazine. Scott has a B.A. in English from Roosevelt University in Chicago, and has earned credits toward his M.S. in Journalism at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.
The Shell-Shocked History of Peanuts
(or "How I Survived My Apprenticeship") presented by Chef Jacquy Pfeiffer Co-owner, French Pastry School, Inc., Chicago Saturday, March 16, 2002
Presented by Pamela Fitzpatrick Executive Baker, Fox & Obel Food Market Saturday, January 12, 2002 |