Gastrorgasm: Pan-seared Scallops with Greens & Balsamic Reduction

Definitely not a dish you'd expect from a bar, but yes my friends, Pilsenites like myself and Carla are blessed with Skylark. Cheap beer, $4 glasses of Chardonnay, and $7.50 for impeccably-prepared scallops. Scallops are really easy to f*ck up, and I rarely have them while out because I have seafood-trust issues, but I trust Skylark, a divey-looking bar in my neighborhood, totally unassuming, with a superstar in the kitchen.

You can expect good food anytime you go to Skylark, you can expect to get a deal, but you might get yelled at if you play on the attractively lit Playboy pinball machine, or if you ask the tiny bartender man to charge you and your equally-financially-independent-friend separately (eye roll... pass the tots).

I'm going back tonight for the same dish, its that good. I'll take my camera this time and post the food porn as a follow up to this blog.

El Milagro tortillas

Everyone I know has a different brand of tortilla that they prefer my favorite corn and flour tortillas are from Chicago's own El Milagro. No one compares to these. They are the best!!

Try the varieties I have pictured above. You can find them in most stores or you can visit one of their locations in Chicago and treat yourself to some great food while you're at it.

What is your favorite tortilla brand?

Did you know: TORTILLAS

A friend recently expressed their hatred for corn tortillas. I was surprised to say the least. I thought to myself "No Way! Who doesn't like tortillas de maiz??? He must have had microwaved tortillas!" Therefore, I was inspired to set the record straight about the authentic types of tortillas, how they are suppose to be prepared and various ways to eat them.

corn tortilla = tortilla de maiz: these are the most common type of tortillas that are eaten in daily Mexican cooking. These tortillas are paired with all Mexican food and are the staple of tacos, enchiladas, flautas and chilaquiles.

You will often find two types of corn tortillas. There are white corn and yellow corn varieties. My favorite are the yellow corn.

The correct way to heat up a tortilla is on a comal. A comal resembles a griddle pan but it not one. Comales are made of cast iron and are set on top of either a single or double burner. These are found in all Mexican kitchens and are most commonly used for warming up tortillas, roasting tomatoes, peppers and tomatillos for salsas and sometimes for grilling meats. If you don’t have a comal the next best way to heat up your tortilla is by placing it directly on top of an open flame on your burner for a few seconds on each side. Doing so ensures that your tortilla won’t crack and will have a little more life when up against saucy or salsa drenched meals.

Flour tortillas = tortillas de harina (the H is silent): are typically used for quesadillas, the American born burrito, and occasionally paired with a dish. I think tortillas de harina taste better if paired with smoky chile de arbol sauces which is a red sauce or maybe a dark smokey mole. It is okay to make tacos with this type of tortilla but is less common in traditional cooking. When I was a little girl my grandma sometimes made homemade tortillas de harina. Homemade tortillas are the best! My grandma would put a little butter on homemade tortillas fresh off the comal, wrap it and hand it to me. So yummy!!

Tortillas de harina are much more delicate. They cook very, very fast so just a quick few seconds on each side and they are done. Don’t walk away from it because just as soon as you turn your back it will burn.

Please don’t microwave tortillas!! It is disrespectful to the tortilla and disqualifies the great corn or wheat taste that the comal is known to awaken. Microwaving will ensure that you will have a soggy tortilla that will fall apart just as soon as you put anything on top of it and attempt to pick it up. Don’t do it!!

Ted Kennedy's Favorite Lobster Salad

I'm really sad that Ted Kennedy has passed away. It wasn't a surprise, he was really sick and it was just a matter of time. However, I knew that his imminent death would mean that we would be losing a great lawmaker, who simply did the right thing, and he did it with vigor and passion. He supported an all-inclusive ENDA, supported ADA, always voted for and supported the DREAM Act, attempted to repair a broken immigration system with the failed McCain-Kennedy bill, and fought hard for healthcare reform.

Keeping with the theme of this blog, I've attached a link to something I found when googling, "Ted Kennedy favorite food", this is what I found. I've never had it, but it sounds great.

Ted Kennedys Favorite Lobster Salad

Movie: Woman on Top (2000)

Penelope Cruz plays Isabella. Suffering of constant motion sickness, Isabella is severely limited in her activities. She is raised in the kitchen, learns to cook and taking pity on her, the sea goddess Yemenja gives her the gift of amazing cooking. She meets a man, Torinho and they fall in love, but he's an asshole. Because of her motion sickness, Isabella always has to drive, lead while dancing, take the stairs, and be on top during sex. Feeling demasculated, Torinho cheats because he likes to be in charge. Isabella leaves him, goes to San Francisco, stays with Monica, a transsexual woman and incredibly selfless and supportive friend. She lands a job as a cooking instructor, catches the eye of a tv producer, Cliff, and enchanted by her beauty, Cliff offers her a cooking show. Torinho follows her and begs for forgiveness. There's a good line where Isabella is talking about how miserable she is that she can't forget her husband, she says something along the lines of, "We are not in love, it is a curse!"

Eh. I wanted to see more food, and I didn't want Penelope to go back to her husband. The movie was very one-dimensional, none of the other characters had any depth. I would have liked to see more food. There's a brief moment of food porn where Isabella and Torinho stuff a fresh fish with a cornmeal like mixture, wrap it in banana leaves and bake it. They pull it out and cut into the leaves to reveal the fish... but we never get to see the completed fish!

Some parts were really cheesy, not cheese cheesy, plain ol' cheesy. It was failed magical realism.

I like that Isabella essentially got what she wanted in the end, to be with the man she loved and standing on equal ground. She finishes every cooking show with a tag line, "and for the most important ingredient, share it with someone you love", I guess its cute.

Food Porn: Plum Galette

Has anyone seen the plum galette in September's Everyday Food? Oh my goodness. I'm gonna make it, it probably won't be as beautiful, but I'm gonna do it, and when I do, there will be a blog about the gastrorgasm that ensued.


(I had to take a picture with my phone, sorry. I couldn't find this picture on EF's website.)

Plum Galette (Everyday Food, September 2009, Issue #65)
Serves 8, Prep Time: 30 min, Total Time: 1 3/4 hr + chilling

2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for rolling
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ice water
1/4 cup almonds, toasted
5-6 plums, halved, pitted, and sliced 1/4 inch thick (keep slices together)
1-2 tablespoons heavy cream

In a food processor, combine 2 1/2 cups flour, butter, 1 teaspoon sugar, and salt; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 1/4 cup remaining ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Don't overmix. Remove dough from processor and shape into a disk; wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour. Meanwhile, wipe bowl of food processor clean and add almonds, 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons flour; pulse until ground to a coarse meal.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet; sprinkle almond mixture over dough. With a spatula, transfer plums to dough; press lightly to fan out, leaving a 2-inch border. Fold edge of dough over fruit. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Brush crust with cream; sprinkle galette with 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until crust is golden and underside is cooked through, about 70 minutes.

Saturday's Feast

My parents' birthdays are within days of each other's, so we celebrated both on Saturday. Its usually a feast when its just immediate family, but my parents invited some extended family and friends as well, so the feast was ridiculous. I personally had a lot of fun with my mom, helping her keep the kitchen clean, discussing ingredients and looking at food porn together (in particular, a plum galette in September's Everyday Food). As long as food is involved, there is peace between my mom and I, so I covet these moments, then my sister's and I hate on each other when one of us is in my mom's favor, its rarely all three of us. My one sister prepared some 20lbs. of arrachera, some chicken & a few hot dogs for the occasion, my other sister brought a chocolate cake and my mom prepared an endless array of other goodies (rice, refried beans, frijoles charros, taquitos de huevo verde, chorizo, nopales, cebollitas, 2 salsas, and arroz con leche for dessert) . My favorite was the frijoles charros. The next day there was little left, but I managed to make it home with some beans and tomatillo salsa.

Did you know: EGGS

How do you know when you've got a rotten egg?

Submerge your egg in a big bowl of cold water. If your egg lays on the wider end at the bottom it is fresh. If it lays at the bottom but sways a little it is probably a week old but still good. An egg that stands up vertically on its small end is about three weeks old. Lastly, if your egg floats then, my friend, you've got a rotten egg.

If you already cracked your egg onto a pan and have doubts take a look at the whites. If the whites stay coagulated around the yolk then it is still good. But, if a lot of the white runs away from the yolk then it is bad. Probably best to toss it.

Things You Can Look Forward to on Quiche Lorraine

1. "Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants." - I just bought In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan, so look forward to a few blogs about that.

2. BBQ Drama - This weekend, I'm getting together with my family for my parent's birthdays. The guest of honor, as always, is food. I'll take pictures and maybe throw in a recipe or two, and I'm sure a story about the wild adventure that is my family.

3. Feminists in Aprons - I'm researching for a blog about feminism and cooking. This is where you say, "Riveting!"

4. Woman on Top, get your head out of the gutter - Carla and I are gonna watch Woman on Top with Penelope Cruz. Its about food... mostly.

5. "New Look... Same Great Taste" - In about mid-September or so expect a re-vamped QL blog! I won't reveal what we have planned, but I will tell you that it'll include a green dog.

That's all for now, a lot on my plate, I just made a lot of promises.

-Gracie

Welcome from Carla

Welcome to Quiche Lorraine (title inspired by the green poodle/B52's song and my love for eating quiche....yummm), a food blog created by two friends, Carla and Graciela. Our bond is grounded by our passion of food and music and we hope to share our foodie adventures with all other food nerds. Things to look forward to: restaurant reviews, recipes, food facts, deals, kitchen tools we want, hate and love, pictures of food and a look into our dinner parties.

Food and Carla: I enjoy eating, cooking and learning about food. I see food as art. You eat with your eyes first and then with your mouth. I also believe that texture is an important contributor to taste. Spices and herbs are like paint...you must mix a variety until you get the desired tone...you're meat or vegetable is your canvas. Every day is a learning experience. As an artist I was taught early on to think about color any time I saw the way light played on objects and think about the colors I would mix to recreate what I see. I've learned to apply that habit with everything I taste and always consider what combinations and techniques work and apply that when I am in the kitchen. Doing so makes cooking fun.

'styrofoam boots it's all nice on ice, alright'

Quiche Lorraine: B-52s, Food, and My Friend Carla

The B-52s remind me of my darling friend/roommate/co-worker (in that order) Carla. Something that Carla and I have in common is an obsession with food. It seemed fitting that a blog that we'd work on together about it, would have such a title. Hopefully this is as fun as I've been imagining it for the past two days.

Food for me is a lot of things. Its some of my most memorable and favorite experiences, comfort, fun, and peace broker between my mother and I. Everyday Food is like porn to me, the produce section is one of my favorite places in the world and I covet my knives, blender & comal. I will pay irresponsible amounts of money on good food, because to me, its a small price to pay for the wonderful experience that lingers for days.

Hopefully you'll enjoy my emotional descriptions of the foods I like, make & hate. I don't think that I'm on to something, or that I can teach you anything, but I'm enthusiastic about it and if you're enthusiastic about it too, perhaps you'll engage with us. If you enjoy it, comment and keep up; it'll be the best motivator. There's nothing I love more than to make something for others and watch them enjoy it, its a gratification like no other.