FOOD GROUPS

Northeast Ohio Restaurant Reviews and Food Tidbits

Fun Playing With Turkey Leftovers

by Nancy Heller

Tuesday November 25, 2008, 11:27 AM

Please do not adjust your set - the title is referring to "Turkey Leftovers" two days before Thanksgiving. A few words of explanation - since Bob and I have no offspring with whom to share the holiday, we have always been guests of family or friends for Thanksgiving - most often, Bob's brother. Dave has always knocked himself out to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with all of the trimmings. However, he's always used the cheapest frozen turkey available. And, he stuffs it - which makes a dry beast even drier. So, about ten years ago, Bob and I started our own tradition of getting a fresh killed turkey (that's what they were called when I was a kid) and cooking it on Friday after Thanksgiving.

This year, for the first time, we reserved a turkey from Blue Egg Farmer Kathy Breychak. Kathy's is a small, family owned and operated farm. As such, she has one "pick up day" for all of the Thanksgiving turkeys, and it was Saturday. Bob came home with a 32 pound behemoth of a turkey! We decided - why wait? Lets get cooking!

Continue reading "Fun Playing With Turkey Leftovers" »

Kitchen Impossible

by Linda Griffith

Wednesday November 19, 2008, 4:05 PM

"What's for Dinner Tonight?"

Hard to believe that these are fighting words in our household lately!
We've been in our 1400 square-foot apartment for about 2 months, and almost every dinner, now, is dictated by our "stove from hell."

Fred and I had gas Wolf stoves for nearly 28 years, as well as Kitchen Aid built-ins, that never failed us. Now we are in a gas-free building. We inherited an old, glass-topped Kenmore with partially melted burners, which at least work, But the oven is totally dysfunctional.

The service man told me there is nothing to fix...the controls are self-contained! To replace that box is as much as a new stove. We don't know why the temperature keeps changing once it reaches what we set. But it seems to do so unpredictably.

The right replacement doesn't seem to be available at the moment, either, which is even more frustrating.

So don't ask "What's for dinner?" Please, just bring it.

Paula power at the Fabulous Food Show - She's Elvis, y'all

by Marie Andrusewicz

Monday November 17, 2008, 12:38 PM

Here are some things I learned from Paula Deen at the Fabulous Food Show, followed by actual quotes from Paula:

1. Ohioans visit her Savannah restaurant "The Lady and Sons" in higher numbers than any other tourist group..."Y'all are good eaters!"

Continue reading "Paula power at the Fabulous Food Show - She's Elvis, y'all" »

Iron Chef Michael Symon at the Food Show

by Denise Polverine and Noelle Bye

Sunday November 16, 2008, 3:41 PM

cleveland.com editor-in-chief Denise Polverine caught up with the Iron Chef and local hero at the Fabulous Food Show.

Michael Symon Interview

Fun Playing With Hartzler's Family Dairy and Egg Creams!

by Nancy J. Heller

Monday October 20, 2008, 10:38 PM

We are fortunate to have the fabulous dairy products produced by Hartzler's Family Dairy of Wooster Ohio available at several local stores, including the Heinen's supermarket chain. Recently, inspired to make cornbread out of the last of the season's sweet corn, we picked up a half gallon of Hartzler's non-homogenized, not "ultra" pasteurized (but of course, "regular" pasteurized) whole milk. Though we are fat conscious, we figured if we were going to spend the money to get a non-homogenized product - gosh darn, it oughta have some fat!

One of the best things I did with this fabulous product was to recreate a delicacy of my youth - the Egg Cream!

Continue reading "Fun Playing With Hartzler's Family Dairy and Egg Creams!" »

Food Groups Video: Dante Boccuzzi

by Eliza Wing, Marie Andrusewicz and Noelle Bye

Friday October 17, 2008, 11:37 AM

Cleveland.com food bloggers Eliza Wing and Marie Andrusewicz trekked to Dante's restaurant where Chef/Owner Dante Boccuzzi showed Eliza how to fancy up a fish fry with arugula and pickled fennel.

Dante Boccuzzi charts his path from dishwasher to internationally renowned chef.

Trick or Treat; Eat my Sweets.

by Maybelle's Mom

Wednesday October 15, 2008, 10:05 PM

Halloween season is upon us. Pumpkins are being carved, costumes are being sown (alright, at my house, they are lying unsewn at my feet), and tricks are being played. I have always adored Halloween for its kid-centric, sugar-dazed fun. But, I have never been able to really pull off a good trick. But this year, I did it. And the trick was on my mother in law.

Continue reading "Trick or Treat; Eat my Sweets." »

The Tsukiji Fish Market, A Chefs Adventure

by Dante Boccuzzi

Friday October 10, 2008, 12:29 AM

The first week of August, I went on a culinary journey to Japan. After working for Nobu Matsuhisa, I have been fascinated with the cuisine and determined to learn it. My tour guides were a sushi chef from Nobu Milan and his wife. I worked along side Hide Shinohara many nights at the sushi bar. I consider him my sushi master. Hide did his mandatory 10 years of training in Tokyo. The entire week in Japan we spoke Italian, being that Hide does not speak any English. This only made the trip even more enjoyable.

After 14 hours of traveling, I was checked into a hotel in the Akasaka Mitsuke part of Tokyo. Due to the jetlag, we all were up at 4:00 am and ready to go to Tsukiji. We went on the amazingly clean subway to the Ginza station where we changed trains. After 2 stops, we arrived. We walked 2 blocks, turned left and entered into massive market. Tsukiji can easily be compared to the Browns Stadium or any Cleveland shopping mall. Visitors are welcome, but there are many times when you feel that you are in the way and not welcome. After all, people are working earning a living. When walking through the market, you need to be very cautious and watch were you are going and always be on the alert. There are many transport cars and buggies zipping around. With work on their minds, they really won't stop for anyone. Tsukiji is known as one of the largest fish markets in the world, housing hundreds of companies. There are over 450 varieties of fish and seafood shipped out daily around the world.
The first stop in the market was at a shellfish stand. Just in time for breakfast. We each at an oyster weighing about 8oz. The next stop was the tuna auction. When entering the room, the first thing I saw was about 200 frozen tuna laid out on the ground for inspection. There were slices made at the end of the tails to check the quality of the fish. The quality and grade of the fish is then painted on the carcass. I saw about forty men participating in the bidding of the tuna. Immediately following the auction, the tuna were brought to the companies' individual stands where they cut them down for shipping. Some of the most interesting fish I saw were the hairy crabs, and the famous deadly blow fish.
The vegetable and restaurant equipment markets are located right next to the fish market. There I purchased all kinds of sushi bar knick knacks, cook books and an amazing sushi knife.
After all this shopping, it was time to eat again. It was 7:00am. Time for sushi. We went away from the touristy area to a carousel sushi bar. In these bars the sushi is served on a conveyer belt moving in a circle throughout the restaurant. You are charged by the amount of plates you consume, and by the color of the plates. Each color having a different value. There are no waiters involved. My kind of restaurant. The sushi was amazing. The presentation was simple but the freshness was impeccable. I ate 22 plates. (42 pieces) On one occasion, I thought I ate the most red, soft, high quality tuna around. So I said to Hide, "Wow that tuna was amazing!" He looked at me with a grin "Tuna? That was Whale!! " He then told me, " If I paid for his breakfast, he promised not to call Greenpeace."