Glass City Gourmet

Shawn's Irish Tavern

2010-04-18T10:54:00.007-04:00

Shawn's Irish Tavern
105 S. Third Street
Waterville, OH
Open daily from 11:30am
419-441-1081

Shawn's Irish Tavern in Waterville is the little sister of the infamous "Shawn's Back Door" (now also called "Shawn's Irish Tavern") that has been a landmark in South Toledo since 1968. The Waterville location was once an IGA and has been home to a series of restaurants. The Larks remodeled the space adding wood paneling, stained glass chandeliers over the bar, and enough large flat screened televisions to be able to see one from any seat in the place.

I was there on a Thursday night that featured Johnny Rodriguez playing classic and modern rock on his guitar accompanied by his beat box (aka, "Tiny"). He is there every other Thursday from 9:30pm to 11pm.

We began our adventure by perusing the menu for Irish classics like potato soup, fish and chips, shepherd's pie, and Irish stew. What we found were American bar standards like chicken quesadillas, fried Reuben Balls, and other frozen appetizers cooked in the deep fryer. In an effort to keep with the Irish theme, the "Pot of Gold Combination" ($8.75) bundles fried pepper jack cheese balls, fried potato skins, fried mushrooms along with battered and fried onion rings.

In an effort to focus on house made specialties, we ordered the fried grouper strips ($7.25). Served with tartar sauce and cocktail sauce, we requested malt vinegar and enjoyed these fish sticks for grown ups. The soup and salad list does not include potato soup or any other Irish fare, but we were enchanted by Shawn's Famous Chili ($2.85/bowl, $2.35/cup) and Shawn's Chop Salad ($6.95 for a dinner portion). The chop salad includes iceberg lettuce, ham, shredded cheddar cheese, tomatoes and cucumber tossed with a creamy dressing. This salad is an ideal way to get your kids to eat a few vegetables. Besides, who can resist the salty corn crunch of crushed Frito's on top of the chop?

The dinner entrees served from 5pm to 10pm range from Liver and Onions ($9.25) to baby back ribs ($15.25 full slab, $9.95 half slab) to a 14 oz ribeye steak special ($12.95). We sampled the Shepherd's pie and two sandwiches. The "Danny Boy" is grilled deli ham and melted swiss cheese on a kaiser bun ($6.25). The reuben ($6.95) is light on corned beef and Russian dressing but heavy on sauerkraut and melted swiss. It is served on seedless rye. It can also be ordered with turkey instead of corned beef. All sandwiches come with a choice of chips or fries. The chips have a pleasant seasoning. I think they are "Crunchers". The Shepherd's pie is served fresh from the oven in a "don't touch this plate" oval dish. What the ground beef and gravy base lacks in vegetables the whipped potato topping compensate for with a lightly browned layer of cheddar cheese on top.

The menu also includes "Casa Made" pizza and ciabatta wraps. Rumor has it that "Shawn's Back Door" bought a next door pizza parlor and keeps their recipes on the menu at both locations.

Shawn's Tavern is a friendly place to take your family for a casual American meal. It's a neighborhood bar that is perfect for a beer with friends and to watch a game. If you are looking for Irish pub food and a grand selection of on tap beers, this isn't your joint.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Swig: Charcuterie and Suds for The Curious

2010-03-08T20:04:00.012-05:00

SWIG
219 Louisiana Avenue
Perrysburg, OH 43551
419-873-6224

Kitchen Hours: M-Sat 11am to 11pm
Sun 12am - 9pm

Fri/Sat nights: the bar stays open til 1pm with acoustic live music at 9pm
Starting in May...the patio will feature live music on Thursday nights from 7-11pm (weather permitting).

What has 19 beer taps, 50 assorted bottled beers, 11 varieties of homemade sausage, Scotch eggs, two types of homemade french fries, and the friendliest service in Northwest Ohio? SWIG, that's who.

What SWIG lacks in interior charm, it more than compensates for with it's diverse menu and extensive beer options. The restaurant looks like a cross between a retro-diner and a small town road house. It's charming in a no frills way. My dining companion and I ordered one of each of the house specialties, a few draft beers and quickly determined that SWIG needs to become a habit. We are both looking forward to a warm summer evening on the patio drinking beer, listening to live music, and eating the best homemade sausages this town has ever seen!

I had to find out how the partners of this humble establishment chose to open a charcuterie in Perrysburg (Charcuterie is a French word that translates to "cooked meat" or refers to a place where processed meats are made and sold). The on-premise partner, Tony Bilancini, comes from a life in the kitchen including years with Chez Francois, in Vermillion Ohio. Tony learned the art of charcuterie from this experience and others during his unique and varied career path.

My dining companion and I sampled the gyro sausage ($3.95) and the Chicago style hot dog ($2.50). Both were served on a traditional hot dog bun. The Chicago dog is an all beef dog served with Chicago style sweet pickle relish, tomato, "sport pepper", onion, and mustard. The first thing you notice is that a homemade beef hot dog tastes like beef - not like it's ball park cousin that is more like a salt lick. The next thing you sense is the kick from the "sport pepper". It's subtle against the sweetness of the relish but perfectly balanced by the savory mustard. The gyro sausage combines lamb and beef with Greek seasonings and is served on a bun with shaved lettuce, onion, tomato, and tzatziki sauce (sour cream and cucumber sauce). Again, it bears no resemblance to the lackluster flavor of gyro meat that has been spinning on a spit for a week and a half before being shaved in to a typical American version of this Greek classic. The lamb sausage at SWIG tastes more like a slice of butterflied lamb.

From there, we moved on to the "reversed hot wings" ($6.75 for 10 wings). We were both a little skeptical of tossing fried wings in ranch dressing and then dipping them in to the house made barbecue sauce...and we were oh so wrong. The hot Parmesan garlic sauce (HPGS) is out of this world. Order a basket of wings and a side of the HPGS ($.50) the minute you are greeted by your server. It will blow you away and make the cold beer taste even better.

The fish and chips ($7.99) are made from fillets of white fish dipped in a London pub worthy batter and deep fried to piping hot and crunchy bliss. The french fries are hand cut and crispier than you might expect from fresh fries. We also tried the hand cut sweet potato fries ($2.95). They are a particularly good choice if you are a woman that MUST have the lusty combination of salty and sweet flavors to satiate your premenstrual or pregnancy food cravings. No joke. I suspect if you order a "skinny bi%$* beer and a basket of PMS treats" they will smile knowingly and get your order to you very quickly.

Swig is a great place to enjoy a mid-week casual dinner with friends, coworkers or family and an ideal spot for a moderately priced "date night". If you know how to savor a great beer and appreciate a more healthy twist on traditional pub fare, you will love SWIG. If your hormones are raging and your family is worried that you might turn in to a werewolf if you don't get some relief...this is the place to soothe your soul with comforting tastes and quench your thirst with the best beer selection in the area (N.B., The Glass City Gourmet is not a physician and all pregnancy disclaimers apply!).

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Ambrosia

2010-02-15T20:23:00.010-05:00

Ambrosia Grille & Lounge
1500 Holland Road
Maumee, OH 43537
Lunch, dinner, carry out
419-891-9400
M-Th 11am to 10pm
F/S 11am to 11pm
Sun 11am-10pm

Ambrosia is the reincarnation of Mezzmerize, a short lived Mediterranean and Lebanese restaurant that captivated Toledo with it's elegant interior, beautiful wrought iron embellished patio and impressive wine list. This time the Detroit based property owners, Amin and Aida Beshara, decided to bring their combined experience and talents to the restaurant instead of leasing the space to another entrepreneur. This difference is immediately noticeable as the couple and their daughter are on site during business hours, ready to answer questions and ensure friendly and conscientious service.

The result of this family effort is a broader menu with moderately priced Syrian-Lebanese favorites and other popular dishes from Southern European countries along the Mediterranean Sea. The new menu offers lunch and dinner portions for most dishes with a price reduction for the lunch size (The prices listed in this article are dinner prices).

On my first visit, we ordered the "Middle Eastern Sampler" which included hummus, baba ghannnouj, tabbouli, and a spicy herb infused olive oil ($8). It was served with small pita bread that arrived at our table warm and freshly puffed up from the oven. We also had a well seasoned, piping hot, crispy order of falafel patties served with tahini ($6).

I also sampled the crushed lentil soup ($3 cup/$4 bowl). If you've never had Middle Eastern lentil soup, you are in for a sensory delight. It is a hearty combination of whole and crushed lentils as well as finely chopped vegetables. My dining companion ordered the house salad ($5) which is served with a lemon juice, pomegranate, olive oil and sumac dressing that is so uniquely refreshing you will want the staff to bottle it so you can take it home with you.

For dinner, I ordered the Chicken Shawarma ($15). While the chicken was flavorful, the vegetable medley could be upgraded to fresh Lubia for the same healthy and colorful balance on the plate. The couscous was molded in to a small dome and contained peas and carrots that had lost their color before reaching the table. My friend ordered the roasted lamb shank ($17). It arrived perfectly braised and falling off the bone. The Mediterranean combination of rosemary, garlic, tomato and red wine was divine.

All entrees are served with a choice of soup or salad and accompanied by a vegetable blend and your choice of roasted red skin potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes, french fries, or Couscous.

While none of the desserts is prepared in house, the baklava ($3.50) is a safe bet for sweet, flaky, nutty bliss. I would like to return to sample the variety of pizzas, sandwiches, and fish dishes on the menu.

The restaurant is quite lovely with back lit art glass installations, stone masonry, granite table tops, and contemporary lighting. There are also enormous framed color photographs of Mediterranean landscapes (see www.ambrosialounge.com) The Beshara family's attention to detail extends to the lovely table service composed of stoneware dishes and platters, over-sized stemware, and weighty silverware. It is a great place for "date night", entertaining clients, or an intimate conversation as the booths offer privacy and the space really is special. The secondary dining rooms can be made smaller for groups of eight to twelve or expanded to accommodate large parties. The family style meal service and variety of menu items will also make Ambrosia a great place for private events on any budget.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Plate 21

2010-01-12T19:36:00.007-05:00

Plate 21
3664 Rugby Drive
Toledo, OH 43614
419-385-2121
6:30am - 4:30pm M-S
Closed Sunday

Looking for a fun, relaxing, warm atmosphere in which to meet a few friends for breakfast, lunch or a snack? Need a quiet space where you can sip a perfectly brewed cup of coffee and use free Wi-Fi to check your emails? Desperate for fresh baked goods and too tired to make them yourself? Ready to while away a Saturday afternoon playing dominoes, chess, or Scrabble with a pal while sipping a Mexican Spiced Hot Chocolate ($2.75)? Plate 21 is the answer!

Sandy Spang of South Toledo opened Plate 21 on Rugby Drive near Detroit and Glanzman in September of this year. The lime green and pine wood interior is a sunny and cheerful alternative to the forgettable interiors of chain coffee houses in and around Toledo. Tracy Ladd, of the Toledo Museum of Art, designed vibrant colored fused glass installations that are featured in wall niches on one wall. The joyfulness of the interior is nothing compared to Sandy and her staff. Everyone is knowledgeable about the full variety of items on the menu and especially the coffee and tea drinks.

The first time I visited, I grabbed a quick cup of Tanzania Zanzibar Peaberry coffee ($1.70 for a 16oz medium). The barista was quick to explain that the coffee comes from Flying Rhino Coffee, a local purveyor that delivers the beans to Plate 21 on the same day on which they are roasted. He also shared that a "peaberry" is when a single coffee bean grows inside a cherry rather than the usual two beans. He was charming, he was smiling, he was telling me about my coffee beans and I was really trying to pay attention. But Toledo's newest coffee house happens to employ its best looking barista. Ladies, drive out of your way for the barista, stay for the great atmosphere, fabulous coffee and wonderful menu items. No harm intended, Josh. Give that man a raise...

Whew. I just got a little distracted remembering his smile...Anyway, on my second visit I decided to dive in to the pastries, house made soups and the sandwich specials of the day. I chose a cup of the Tuscan Bean with Sausage soup and a half portobello mushroom panini ($5.95). My dining companion chose the pesto chicken panini ($5.95). Both sandwiches come with ruffled potato chips. The sandwiches were filled with high grade ingredients and the pesto was rich, green, basil perfection. The soup was delicious with plenty of beans and just a little spice to the sausage. We couldn't stop our menu sampling there. We ordered the Plate 21 Pistachio muffin ($1.95), a palmier cookie (.75) and an order of Russian Tea Cakes ($1.00). You will like the muffin so much you will want to place an order to pick up a dozen and share them with friends, and family. Please call ahead if you want more than one or two muffins and Sandy will make sure she has them ready for your pick up time. If you've ever had Russian Tea Cakes (also known as Mexican Wedding Cakes) you know that underneath the powdered sugar exterior is melt in your mouth, buttery, nutty goodness. Plate 21's version does not disappoint.

While the hours for Plate 21 are still limited the friendly service, great specialty coffee drinks, teas, and confections are worth making a bend in your schedule. If you don't already live in the neighborhood, take a drive to South Toledo and enjoy Plate 21. For many reasons, ahem, it is worth the trip.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

The "Hungry I" Returns

2009-12-16T16:41:00.016-05:00

The Hungry I
6060 Renaissance Place
Toledo, OH 43623
419-517-5571

Even in the midst of a tough economy, talented restaurateurs can revitalize a strong brand. Gus Nicolaides and Moussa Salloukh recently reopened the "Hungry I" in the space on Holland-Sylvania that was built for the short-lived "Rouge" restaurant. They made a few minor changes including repainting the walls sage green and adding glass partitions between the bar and formal dining areas to break it up a bit. There is still a small private dining room but the communal bar table that was a massive split log is gone. The hard wood floors, leather chairs and white table cloths covered with butcher paper, create a welcoming atmosphere.

On my first visit, we sampled the french onion soup ($4.99) and the crab cakes ($11.99) as starters. According to a local expert on crab cakes hailing from twenty plus years in Virginia Beach, the best crab cakes are "more crab than cake". If this is the criterion, the Hungry I crab cakes are first rate and served with a tart remoulade sauce. The French onion soup is every bit of the warm, gooey, cheesy heaven that we've all come to expect. For dinner, we split the chicken Caesar wrap ($7.99) and a Southwestern burger ($9.99). The wrap was delicious. The burger did not come out as described on the menu with guacamole, bacon and spicy pepper jack. However, the server quickly offered to take it back and provide a substitute. I suspect that this, along with the array of kitchen shortages of featured items on the menu that night, is just a small hiccup during the opening weeks of the restaurant.

I returned a week later, and ordered the mushroom and Swiss burger ($8.99) that was cooked on a charcoal grill to a perfect medium-rare. The fries were crispy and good. I also sampled the shrimp soft taco entree ($11.99). The shrimp were a little undercooked but the spicy blend of avocado, red onion, cilantro and jalapeno pepper has just the right amount of kick to demand a dollop of the house blended cilantro and green onion sour cream that is served with it. Again, I'm sure that Chef Brandon will bring all of the line cooks up to speed on this very quickly. I also enjoyed the tossed salad that comes with all entrees. The house lemon vinaigrette has a delicate flavor.

The last dish we tried was the "Ultimate Mac and Cheese" ($10.99). It is prepared with a blend of four cheeses and a bit of bacon served on penne pasta in a fun, over-sized pasta bowl. Although the flavor is good, it felt like the order had been sitting for too long as the cheese had congealed and the pasta had lost all of it's texture. Once the kitchen team gets in to the groove of making it creamy and serving it quickly, the "Ultimate Mac and Cheese" will become a staple shared at every table in the restaurant. You get a one pound box of pasta cooked for each order. I'm really not exaggerating here. It's enough pasta to share as a side dish for four people or a full meal for two. Order one "Ultimate Mac and Cheese" for your table - no matter what everyone wants to eat. If it arrives congealed tell your server that the Glass City Gourmet told you to, "send it back 'til it comes out creamy"! The concept is too good here to ever miss the mark again.

Our kind and attentive server, Kelly, informed us that none of the deserts available that evening were made in house. We tried the carrot cake ($5.50). Although it was a good quality, I had the feeling I was eating a slice of a cake that started its day in the freezer. My suggestion: skip dessert and try one of the currently featured cocktails. A "gingerbread martini" sounds like the perfect sweet treat to end a meal.

The Hungry I is a great spot to have lunch, go on a week night date, take your family for a quick bite, or meet your parents and grand parents for a strong drink and food that they will remember fondly from the first round of the Hungry I (circa 1975-84). There are a few interesting items on the menu for the more adventurous diner, but the focus is really on American classics: steaks, cedar plank salmon, ribs, salads and very hearty sandwiches. For old fans of the Oaken Bucket, the giant Reuben on marble rye is here and Gus didn't mess with a good thing.

While there is no dress code, seeing Gus walking the floor and running plates from the kitchen to tables demands respect. Leave your baseball cap in the car and change out of your sweats as someone will inevitably be sharing a special occasion at the Hungry I when you are there.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Avenue Bistro Anew

2009-09-29T21:20:00.009-04:00

Avenue Bistro
6710 W. Central Avenue
Toledo, OH 43617
419-841-5944
Monday through Saturday
Lunch starting at 11:00am
Dinner M-Th 4:00pm to 10:00pm, Fri 4:00pm to 11:00pm

When was the last time you went to Avenue Bistro? Unless it was within the last three weeks, you haven't experienced the Avenue Bistro under chef Chris Burchell. Coming from a catering company in Pittsburgh by way of Genoa, Chef Burchell immediately added specials to the lunch and dinner menus to showcase his talents.

On my recent visit, the specials included potato latkes with smoked salmon and a baby greens salad ($12), a Cuban sandwich ($9) featuring braised pork and ham served with thinly sliced pickle, Swiss cheese and a honey whole grain mustard mayo on flat bread, a turkey and roast beef sandwich served "Pittsburgh Style" with Swiss cheese and cole slaw on grilled sourdough bread ($9) and sweet cheese stuffed crepes served with Chambord sauce ($9). Chef Burchell is already making his mark with these signature dishes.

For dinner, I ordered the 8 oz. fillet Mignon ($26) and was pleased with the cut of beef and perfectly seared steak. My guests ordered the Caesar salad with salmon ($14) and the special Neapolitan Steak Wrap ($14). The Caesar salad can be ordered with grilled chicken, shrimp or salmon. The salmon fillet is cooked to an elegant medium rare temperature and the Caesar dressing is mild but tasty. The Neapolitan Steak Wrap was enough for two people and was filled with sliced steak, sauteed mushrooms, fried onion straws, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomato and horseradish sauce and then grilled. My friends chose the home made Cajun potato chips as an accompaniment. Although the chips were a little bit burnt that night, I suspect Chef Burchell will set a standard that will be hit even when he is not in the kitchen.

The salads at Avenue Bistro are the best in the city. There is no other restaurant with as broad or gourmet selection. Each salad combines a perfect balance of flavors, textures and visual contrast to delight the senses of a hungry diner. The salads taste as delicious as they look and this is the only place in town where ordering a salad as an entree means you will not be hungry before your next meal. Seriously. This is not a plate designed for those among us who order a salad and push their forks around the plate to avoid ingesting any calories. This is a hearty and health conscious meal.

On another visit I sampled the salmon salad($14) and the Stilton Steak Salad ($15). The salmon salad has an Asian twist with a combination of crunchy rice noodles, radishes, scallions, mushrooms, sesame seeds and almonds over mixed greens and features a 6oz grilled salmon fillet served with Teriyaki vinaigrette. The Stilton Steak Salad is served with house made Stilton bleu cheese dressing, Roma tomatoes, chopped red onion, enoki mushrooms and candied walnuts. It is a sensory delight. Both the lunch and dinner menus include the full variety of salads. I can't wait to get back and try the Grilled Pear Chicken Salad ($12) and the Grilled Tuna Steak Salad ($14).

With all this eating, the Glass City Gourmet uses her gym membership regularly and sometimes is just a little too misty for the dining room. So tonight I ordered carry-out and tried the Pizzas. Keep in mind that the restaurant is owned by Pat Giammarco, Chuck Mirra, and Dr. Ashraf Banoub. There is no question that Pat and Chuck take pizza very seriously and installed a stone oven for the sole purpose of making a thin and lightly browned crust. The Margarita ($11.00) and the Mediterranean Bistro Pizza ($12.00) are terrific. For the Bistro Pizza, the slim crust is coated with garlic butter and topped with chicken, onions, tomatoes, Greek olives, mozzarella and feta cheese.

The desserts are all made on the premises. This is a rarity in Toledo and a real treat. The night I was there with friends for dinner, we tried everything and passed the plates twice. Everybody wanted more, more, more. I have to say the cranberry and orange bread pudding was my favorite.

Avenue Bistro is new again. The prices are reasonable, the portions are generous, the atmosphere is relaxing, and the service is friendly and helpful. Go for lunch, go for dinner, go to the bar and meet Nikki for a stiff drink or advice on the wine selections. If you decide to make a dinner reservation, ask to sit in "Little Debbie's" section. She's a mother of five and a career waitress who can read the mood of the table to pace your meal and interact with you appropriately. She kids with the kidders and works formally and quietly around a business meeting. Do your part to support the Toledo economy by dining out at this locally owned suburban treasure.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Masala Cuisine of India

2009-08-26T07:21:00.004-04:00

Masala Cuisine of India
1855 South Reynolds Road
Toledo, OH 43614
419-724-0525
Mon – Sat 11:00am to 3:00pm, 5:00pm – 10:00pm
Sun – 11:30am to 3:00pm, 5:00pm – 9:30pm

Masala is the word used to describe a mix of spices used in Indian cooking either dried or as a paste. True to the essence of its name, Masala delivers a broad mix of Northern Indian specialties. Located in a strip mall near the corner of Reynolds and Glendale, the restaurant is inconspicuous and the interior is completely forgettable. This is in sharp contrast to the food, which explodes with scent, texture and flavor.

I started out with the assorted appetizers ($6.99). A plate of traditional Indian fried savories arrived at the table within moments. It included samosa, pakora, meat samosa and chicken pakora and was served with a spicy and sweet tamarind dipping sauce as well as a tart coriander (cilantro) sauce. If you’ve never had Indian food, this is a great way to sample the wonders of the North.

The menu includes Tandoori Chicken (4pc $8.99, full $15.99) as well as lamb kababs ($9.99) and other meat dishes prepared in a clay oven.

My table shared the lamb korma ($9.99) and the chicken tikka masala ($9.99). Both dishes were served with basmati rice. The lamb was cooked in a creamy curry blended with a mix of Indian herbs and spices. The combination of flavors was both elegant and delicious. The chicken tikka masala was also a creamy tomato based sauce but was spicier than the lamb. In spite of the similar appearances of the two dishes, the tastes and textures were distinctly different. We also ordered a side of raitha ($2.99) to cool our palates. For the uninitiated, raitha is yogurt mixed with a combination of chopped vegetables such as tomatoes, onion and/or cucumber.

To make the most of every dish, we ordered a basket of naan (soft, Indian bread $1.99) to soak up the remaining curry and the piquant tikka masala sauce. I’m not entirely convinced that this isn’t a really ugly habit I’ve carried from the universal sauce mopping Italians to the more culturally diverse subcontinent…but it’s impossible to savor every drop of sauce without sliding a piece of naan across your plate a few times. We also ordered palak paneer kulcha, an Indian bread stuffed with cheese and spinach ($3.99). It had a cooling effect in our Midwestern mouths.

No Indian meal in America is complete without a lassi ($2.99). I ordered a mango lassi, which is typically cold, blended yogurt and mango pulp served over ice and with a straw. There aren’t as many varieties of lassi as there are versions of masala, and I’m pretty sure you have to eat in the home of Indian-Americans if you want to try other flavors. And yes, this is a not so subtle hint to any of my Indian American friends looking for an appreciative diner at their next home cooked meal.

The waiters at Masala are particularly friendly and willing to explain the menu to anyone who has never had Indian food before. I noticed our waiter taking his time to describe the various dishes to other customers who were struggling with what to order and very apprehensive of the spice intensity. I couldn’t help but ease drop to hear that these adventurous neophytes enjoyed their meal.

Masala is a welcome addition to the group of Indian restaurants in Toledo.

If you’ve never had Indian food before, I encourage you to grab a group of friends and go discover the sensual delights of Indian cuisine. It is just another way to support the local economy with a moderately priced meal, while possibly trying something new.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Petit Fours - Chic. Simple. Delicious.

2009-07-18T09:47:00.016-04:00

Petit Fours Patisserie and The Cafe
The Oliver House
27 Broadway Street
Toledo, OH 43604
ph: 419-724-4477
fax: 419-724-4478

Monday through Saturday
Breakfast 7am-10:30am
Lunch 11am-3:00pm

In March of 2006, Karen Lucas opened Petit Fours Patisserie and cafe in Downtown Perrysburg. Karen's culinary background includes time with LadyFingers, a high end catering business that thrived a few decades ago and was eventually acquired by Gladieux. She has also had the opportunity to travel extensively to major cities in both the US and Europe where she gained exposure and familiarity with specialized products and techniques.

Recently, Karen sold the business to the Oliver House. While Karen still maintains an advisory role with her esteemed attention to every detail, the day to day operations are handled by pastry chef, Liz Grosjean.

The breakfast menu features "savories", "signature organic granolas" and "pastries". While the pastries can vary, European standards are the norm. The Croissant and Pain au Chocolat are the perfect consistency of flaky, buttery heaven and come in regular ($2.50) and petit ($1.50) sizes. Scones ($.85), cheese strudel($2.50), Almond Kringler ($2.00) and Almond Cherry Jalousie ($2.00) are nothing less than melt in your mouth perfection.

For those seeking a heartier breakfast, there is frequently a Quiche of the Day
($5.50). If the last time you ate a quiche was in 1975, and you swore them off after the publication of "Real Men Don't Eat Quiche" - make a trip to Petit Fours just to try one again. Real men DO eat quiche, especially when they are prepared in the traditional French method with a combination of eggs, egg yolks, milk and heavy cream. The texture is more like custard and the result is magnifique! If you learn to love quiche, you can take home a 6" round ($10.95) or a 10" round ($24.95) and feed your family.

The house made signature granola is crunchy and delicious. Flavors include maple cherry walnut, honey peanut, and lemon ginger. The Signature Organic Granolas are served with yogurt ($4.25 petit/$5.50 regular) or cold milk ($4.00).

The lunch menu at Petit Fours is concise and well portioned. The signature tomato basil soup is thick and chunky with a chiffonade of basil sprinkled over the top. The soup du jour when I visited was a sherried mushroom soup that was divine. Both soups are available in a cup ($3.25) or a bowl ($4.25). I sampled the Croque Monsieur ($7.50), cold Curried Chicken salad sandwich ($7.25) and a "Parma Pasta" salad (side $5.25, regular $7.25).

The Croque Monsieur is made with brown sugar ham and smoked mozzarella on a Parmesan crusted bread. The combination of flavors is subtle and elegant. The cold curried chicken salad sandwich was a savory blend of roasted chicken, bamboo shoots, white raisins and a creamy lemon curry sauce served with sliced cucumber and alfalfa sprouts on a whole wheat bun. All sandwiches are served with thin and crispy, lightly seasoned, homemade potato chips. Ooh, la, la! They are so naughty.

The "Parma Pasta" salad contains walnut and basil pesto, fresh tomato slices and black olives. This is the only true pesto available in any restaurant in Toledo. If you've never tried pesto, or you've only tried that dreadful watered down version available in most Toledo Italian restaurants you MUST sample the Parma Pasta and find out why the Glass City Gourmet gets so grumpy when she doesn't get the real thing! Pesto is an unmistakable earthy blend of fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts and olive oil. The Petit Fours version contains walnuts which is a worthy enhancement to the perfection of pesto.

After all of these wonderful options, it is impossible to resist the Patisserie that is the headliner at Petit Fours. The sweets range from cakes, cupcakes, pies, tarts, cookies, brownies, bar cookies, cream pastries and tea breads to puddings and cobblers. The selection is vast and changes daily. When I visited, I tried the peach cobbler ($3.25) and was pleased with the topping and not too sweet peaches. There is a Belgian Chocolate Brownie ($1.50) available. What else do you really need to know about that? I couldn't resist the caramel, almond and cherry bar ($1.50) or another round of Karen Lucas' signature Bourbon Balls (5 for $2.50).

Keep in mind that Petit Fours is a bakery and specializes in extraordinary wedding and special occasion cakes. Chef Grosjean has an album of her work to spark ideas and can work with almost any budget and theme to create a memorable and savory confection for any occasion. Call to set up an appointment.

If you want to have a cosmopolitan gourmet breakfast or lunch, while supporting the local economy, take time to find Petit Fours at the back of the Oliver House. If you crave the specialty pastries you ate the last time you were traveling, this is the best place in the area to fulfill your need.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

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Old Time Toledo Dining

2009-06-03T21:00:00.007-04:00

Ask anyone in Toledo what the longest running locally owned and operated restaurant is and you will get a myriad of answers. Ask someone what the oldest full service restaurant in Toledo is that is 1) still open for business 2)still owned by the same family and 3) in the same location as where it started - and the list dwindles down to three.

"The Toledo Trio", as I like to call them:

Mancy's Steakhouse - 1921
953 Phillips Avenue
Toledo, OH
(419) 476-4154‎

Inky's Italian - 1957
3945 North Detroit Avenue
Toledo, Ohio 43612
(419) 476-0500

The Seafood - circa 1958
5504 Alexis Road
Sylvania, Ohio
419-882-9920

When I decided to check out these Toledo landmarks, I found out very quickly that the only thing these restaurants have in common is longevity. Mancy's is rated by Esquire magazine as "one of the top 40 steakhouses in America." Inky's is an old fashioned neighborhood Italian restaurant and The Seafood specializes in deep fried Lake Erie yellow perch, pickerel (a.k.a walleye) and battered and deep fried onion rings.

If you are looking for a place to impress out-of-town guests, a date, your parents, a client or anyone else for that matter - go to Mancy's. It's the kind of place where men can be men and women are treated like ladies. The service is always impeccable.

The steaks are "premium grade corn feed Midwestern beef that is aged and hand butchered on premise and charbroiled at temperatures exceeding 1200 degrees." You simply can't do anything this good at home.

It's easy to pair a Mancy's steak with a glass, carafe or bottle of wine from one of the most comprehensive wine lists in the city. Mancy's Steaks and seafood entrees are all served with a house salad that is presented on a chilled pewter plate. It's a nice touch from a more genteel time. Although, I wish they'd bring back "Green Goddess" dressing. Seriously. I double-dog-dare you to ask Mike Mancy when they plan to "go green" and put Green Goddess dressing back on the menu...That's right. Ask him. And when he doesn't laugh at that lame joke, you can tell him you're just part of a Glass City Gourmet caper to bring back the Green Goddess!

All dinners at Mancy's come with home made bread and a choice of a 1 lb. baked potato, hand cut fries, hash browns (I typically order them well done with onions), wild rice pilaf, boiled redskins or vegetables. You can also order classic steak house favorites such as an iceberg wedge salad, steamed asparagus or broccoli served with Hollandaise sauce, and sautéed spinach with wild mushrooms. If you grew up in Toledo and haven't been to Mancy's since your grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary or a company holiday party...go back. It's worth the splurge and so are you.

Mancy's is a tough act to follow.

It took thirty plus years for another restaurant to open with staying power. Enter Inky's. There is something charming about the original neon sign above the door, the white trellises, the leather booths, and the old straw wrapped Chianti bottles that decorate the restaurant. There is something quaint about the waitresses who've worked there for years and will steer you to the house favorites. There is something very 1950's about an Italian menu that features: pizza, lasagna, eggplant Parmesan, spaghetti and meat balls, house made ravioli, etc. With the exception of the pizza, everything is covered in ladles of Inky's famous homemade tomato sauce. If your kids won't eat here, they don't deserve to go out to eat! The prices are family friendly and the dining room is brightly lit so you won't miss anything. This is not a place for romance, but it sure is fun. Grab a crowd and order enough for the table to eat "family style". You won't have to worry about getting enough food for the whole soccer team or cleaning all those dirty dishes.

The third restaurant in this "triad of timelessness" is The Seafood. It is located in an old house that was converted to a full service restaurant in Sylvania. If fried food is comfort food for you, this is your home away from home. The restaurant is moderately priced and a great place to take your parents if they like a stiff drink and a plate of locally caught and fried fish. The onion rings are a house special and come in a high stack. All meals are served with bread and house salads. The ambiance is pleasant, but not memorable. The Seafood is a safe place to take family members who use "different" as an adjective to describe anything that wasn't a part of their early childhood.

As Toledo continues to suffer the pains of a downward economy please find the time and a little bit of cash to support locally owned restaurants. We owe it to our community to keep them around for the next generation.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Kyoto Ka

2009-04-15T19:39:00.005-04:00

Kyoto Ka
6801 West Central Avenue
Toledo, OH 43615
419-841-2070

Monday thru Thursday
11:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M
4:30 P.M. to 9:30 P.M.

Friday
11:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M
4:30 P.M. to 10:30 P.M.

Saturday
Noon to 10:30 P.M.

Sunday
3 P.M. to 9 P.M.

Visa, Mastercard, American Express

As Toledo suffers the blows of the economic downturn, it's hard to even contemplate dinner on the town. My completely biased and unsubstantiated theory is that people will go out to eat a meal they can't possibly cook at home. For this reason, sushi restaurants seem to be staying busy.

Kyoto Ka opened in November of 2007 on Central Avenue near Meijer's. It is a pleasant space with red walls and bamboo accents. Chef Joe spent seven years perfecting his ability to please the American palate at Cleveland's number one sushi spot "Sushi Rock". Most recently, Chef Joe brought on Chef Chun who helped open YOKO and also worked at Kotobuki before coming to Kyoto Ka. The two chefs have created an extensive menu featuring traditional sushi, cooked entrees, and Americanized maki rolls to suit the public. The menu also includes a few Korean favorites such as Dol Sot Bi Bim Bop ($13.95) and Korean Chirashi ($16.95).

On my first visit, I ordered the seaweed salad ($4.25). It was delicious and a nice sized portion. I also sampled the rainbow roll ($10.95). The fish was fresh and the texture and color were perfect.

Last weekend, I dined with a friend and we ordered more of the house specialties. We started with the Kani Su Maki ($3.95). This is a maki roll that consists of a cucumber rolled around crab, a chunk of avocado, and served with a tasty sesame sauce. It was delicious. We also tried the gyoza ($5.95). These are Japanese fried dumplings that arrived at the table crazy hot. In my haste to sample these little treats, I scorched the roof of my mouth. I'd better get on my game before I start looking for Toledo's best Pizza or I will be unfit for the job. Needless to say, once they cooled to a more reasonable warmth the gyoza were delicious.

We split the black dragon roll ($13.95). The roll contained shrimp tempura,
cucumber, crab, avocado with toasted eel and a sweet sauce on top. The eel had a mild flavor and was more like a flaky white fish, which we thought was a plus. We also shared the caterpillar roll ($12.95) This roll also contained eel, crab, cucumber with
avocado on top. For those who are fans of Japanese mayo and cream cheese in their rolls, there is a full assortment of that style of rolls. The cooked entrees include, salmon steak ($21.95), tuna steak ($21.95), and spicy seafood pasta ($14.95).

For dessert, Kyoto Ka offers mochi ice cream. Mochi is a soft dough like outer shell with a golf ball sized piece of ice cream on the inside ($2.50 each). We sampled the green tea, red bean, strawberry and mango flavors. If you've never tried green tea or red bean flavors, order at least one. You will not be disappointed. These are more common tastes for Asian sweets and they are wonderful.

Kyoto Ka has something for everyone: the sushi connoisseur, the sushi novice, the cooked fish and cream cheese lover, and the steak fan. Bring a group of friends or your family and enjoy this special place.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Toledo's Best Guacamole

2009-03-17T18:53:00.012-04:00

The search for "Toledo's Best Guacamole" sent me all over the city to find locally owned Mexican restaurants.

It was a "challenge" that became a "quest" and ended up as a full scale "caper". I spent two lunches and one whirlwind afternoon hunting for Mexican restaurants around the Toledo area. Nothing could stop me: not my poor sense of geography, not the fear of consuming over 5,000 calories of guacamole in 24 hours, not the strength of the margaritas, nor the redundancy of eating nine plates of guacamole. Nothing and no one could keep me from my irrational search for the perfect guacamole.

For the uninitiated, guacamole has its roots in the Aztec culture of Mexico which flourished from about 1428-1521 A.D. At that time, the avocados were mashed with a mortal and pestle called "molcajete". The earliest known recipes contained chopped tomatoes and salt. The word “guacamole” comes from a native dialect from Central Mexico. The literal translation is "avocado sauce". Over time, recipes evolved and changed so that guacamole recipes are as unique as the chef or home cook who prepares them.

With this in mind, I began my tasting experience by comparing ingredients, texture, and flavor. Every restaurant was gracious enough to give me a list of ingredients. Frank Villa of El Tipico went so far as to give me an enchanting lesson in purchasing a perfect avocado and demonstrate the proper technique for making authentic guacamole.

The ten finalists and three winners represent the full geography of our community and the diverse backgrounds of the owners of each establishment. Prices for guacamole appetizers are all priced between $1.95 and $4.95 depending on if it is served as a 2oz condiment or a full appetizer.

The Glass City Gourmet Guacamole Champions:
1. El Tipico (1444 S. Avenue - S. Toledo) - Winner of the most authentic and traditional guacamole
2. Mi Hacienda (Glanzman - S. Toledo) - Winner of the best "homestyle chunky" guac and best presentation.
3. Pepe's (Sylvania Avenue - W. Toledo) - Winner of the gourmet "Guacamole Nuevo"

Other finalists (in alphabetical order):

Casa Baron (209 Louisiana Avenue - Perrysburg)
Carmel's (2947 Tremainsville - W. Toledo)
Dos Hermanos (1705 S. Wheeling - Oregon)
El Camino Real (2500 W. Sylvania Avenue - W. Toledo)
El Nuevo Vallarta (3330 W. Central Avenue - Toledo)
Loma Linda's (10400 Airport Highway - Swanton)
Ventura's (7742 W.Bancroft - Toledo)

If you like a mild, smooth and creamy guacamole head to Casa Baron, Dos Hermanos, El Camino, El Nuevo Vallarta, or El Tipico. These recipes all contain avocado, chopped tomato and salt. Dos Hermanos and El Nuevo Vallarta also add a little cilantro for extra flavor while Casa Baron's version has a black pepper kick.

If you like a chunky guacamole with small pieces of avocado still in the mix, Carmel's, Loma Linda, Mi Hacienda, Pepe's, and Ventura's will give you what you're after. Pepe's wins special honors for it's unique recipe that includes avocado, chopped tomato and onion, a bit of garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and both salt & pepper. The addition of garlic is a European twist I suspect came from Becky and John Skiadas, the Greek original owners of the restaurant. James Foster is running Pepe's now. I'll admit I had not been to Pepe's in years and was delighted with this rediscovery. I hope the patio with the strings of white lights over head and the running fountain is still intact this summer.

Mi Hacienda distinguished itself by serving the guacamole in a small taco chip bowl. It was a nice touch and I enjoyed finishing the last bits of guacamole as I cracked the bowl into bite sized pieces.

Toledo retains it's reputation for great Mexican restaurants and there is a guacamole dip or guacamole salad for every preference.

Until next month, Viva Guacamole!

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Executive Diner

2009-02-08T12:14:00.012-05:00

Executive Diner
2516 Sylvania Avenue
Toledo, OH 43613
419-472-EGGS

Monday-Saturday 6:00AM - 2:00PM (Winter Hours 7am - 2pm)
Sunday 7:00AM - 2:00PM (Winter Hours 7am - 3pm)

Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover

Building upon the great success of El Camino Real, El Camino Sky, and El Camino Ann Arbor local restaurateur Jesus Angel brought together a team of professionals to create "Executive Diner". House manager Jennifer Hurst and executive chef, Jared DeBlaere worked with Jesus to develop a standard diner menu accented with Mexican specialties. They also have a liquor license that allows them to serve beer, mimosas, Bailey's and coffee and Bloody Mary's.

The restaurant features an open air kitchen that is elegantly appointed with hand laid mosaic tiles, a stained glass drop ceiling, and a polished copper partition. The dining room is comfortable with both tables and booths dressed with copper salt shakers and pepper grinders. Decorated with custom built wood paneled walls and a library in the entry, Executive Diner has a welcoming home-like atmosphere. The decor, combined with a wait staff dressed tastefully in black shirts and pants, makes Executive Diner a family and business friendly alternative to the "eggs and legs" diners of Toledo.

The food at Executive Diner is as good as it reads on the menu. The "Firecracker Shrimp" ($9.50) includes ten shrimp coated in a special blend of tortilla crumbs, cheese and chipotle peppers and deep fried to crispy perfection. It is served with El Camino's homemade salsa and tastes delicious with a Bloody Mary ($4.00) featuring a dash of Chohula hot sauce and a fresh celery stalk. Order "Firecracker Shrimp" for the table the minute you are seated.

Mexican breakfast specials include Yucatan Eggs/Huevos Motulenos ($5.50), Submarine Eggs/Huevos Submarines ($5.50), Divorced Eggs/Huevos Divorciados ($5.50), and a choice of a Mexican Burrito ($5.50) or a Tex-Mex Burrito ($5.50). All are served with home fries and contain traditional house made Mexican ingredients such as red and green salsa, chorizo (spicy Mexican sausage) and fresh Mexican cheeses all provided by the kitchen staff at El Camino.

One of my guests tried the waffle ($5.50). It was cooked perfectly and served with tasty syrup. Another friend tried the traditional Eggs Benedict ($6.50) The hollandaise was a sunny yellow color, smooth and had just the right amount of lemon juice. However, it seems that the chef that morning was still working on his timing for the poached eggs. The Mexican omelet ($6.50) is fluffy and features El Camino's home made chorizo and Mexican style cheese. It is also served with home fries and toast.

Executive Diner is popular with neighborhood regulars, breakfast fans, and even clergy from local parishes. As Jennifer Hurst explained, "Executive Diner is a gift to the neighborhood that has been so supportive to El Camino." She added, "We wanted to price the menu so someone can have breakfast and a drink for $10, tip included." At these prices, you can afford to leave a bigger tip.

I look forward to heading back and sampling the Executive Diner lunch menu soon.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Koreana Brings Fine Korean Cuisine to Toledo

2008-06-03T13:48:00.010-04:00

Koreana
"Fine Korean Cuisine"
536 S. Reynolds Road
Toledo, OH 43615
Tuesday-Friday 11am to 2:30pm, 4:30pm-9:30pm
Sat/Sun 12pm-10pm
Closed Monday
Visa, Mastercard

Koreana is a new addition to the culinary options in Toledo. It is the only authentic Korean restaurant in our area offering a pleasant dining room as well as a full carry out menu.

Owned and operated by Ivie and Don Kline, Koreana is the fulfillment of a dream by Ivie's sister, Young, to own a small family style Korean restaurant. Young is trained in classic Korean cuisine and worked in Manhattan as chef for a hotel featuring Korean dining. When Dan retired after a forty-one year career with General Motors, he agreed to help the sisters start their own restaurant with both financing and sweat equity.

The sisters and other family members successfully provide the uninitiated with an understanding of Korean flavors and food preparation. While Young prepares the meals, Ivie circulates the dining room to answer questions and offer menu suggestions.

Our group sampled some traditional dishes including Tuk Bok Ki ($6.95) rice cakes and vegetables in a spicy red sauce, Bul Go Ki ($13.95) sliced tender prime beef marinated in a ginger sauce, Seafood Pa Jun (11.95) Korean style potato pancakes with mixed seafood and green onions, along with Chap Chae ($9.95) clear vermicelli noodles served with shredded beef and vegetables in a flavorful sauce.

Every meal is served with complimentary Ban Chen. This consists of assorted small side dishes that may include pickled radishes, spicy kim chee, fish cakes, sweet cuttlefish, as well as individual portions of cooked and chilled watercress, bean sprouts, and broccoli. Ban chen is served with meals and is a fun way to get a sense of the unique colors, flavors, and textures of Korean food.

I returned the following week to sample the Good Mandu ($4.95) which is Korean fried dumplings stuffed with meat, mushrooms, stir fried zucchini and bean sprouts. These delicious appetizers were served with a spicy soy based dipping sauce. For dinner, we ordered the Gob Dol Bi Bim Bab ($9.95). This is a one dish meal that consists of marinated cooked beef and assorted vegetables over rice with a fried egg on top. It is served with a spicy red sauce that can be added according to diner preference before mixing all of the contents of the bowl together. Gob Dol is served in a heated stone bowl that cooks the rice on the interior surface of the bowl while you are eating the mixture so that you have a crispy rice treat at the end of the meal. For those who have never tried Korean food before, this is a great place to start.

Koreana is a welcome addition to the Toledo dining scene. If you've never experienced this type of cuisine, let Ivie know and she will graciously lead you through the menu. Fans of Korean food will be pleased that Koreana offers both international Korean favorites and authentic specialties for the more adventurous diner.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Mad Brothers Spices

2008-05-04T13:22:00.010-04:00

Mad Brothers Spices...because if we were rich and had a lot of money, we'd be called "eccentric". So begins the adventure of Mad Brothers Spices a story of three brothers whose love of travel, adventure, and people influenced their unique spice blends.

Bill Eggleston serves as the front man for Mad Brothers. Last Saturday afternoon I had the chance to see Bill in action. He provided a cooking demonstration and product demo for about fifteen people in a private home. The demo featured steaks seasoned with "Really Righteous Rub for Flesh", Sazon and lime grilled chicken along with a "Carefully Crafted Consortium of Curry" used to season roasted kielbasa with vegetables. While preparing these dishes, Bill charms his audience with his encyclopedic knowledge of spices and incomparable story telling. Weaving fact and fiction into stories of pride and heroism among the brothers, his style only adds to the charm of the products. Bill's brother, Dan, attended the demonstration and enthusiastically answered questions about the products and the partnership.

As Bill educates and entertains, guests learn of his love for cooking that gained momentum when he would spice up the celebration barbeques at the completion of the construction of a new Home Depot store. Faced with a grill and a stack of frozen hamburger patties, Bill used his spice blends to make the meals special. With ongoing encouragement and interest from building contractors working on these projects, he decided to start packaging his spice blends for sale.

He partnered with his brothers, Dan and Ed to move forward with Mad Brothers Spices. The Mad Brothers are currently using an industrial kitchen to manufacture and package the blends. Their labeling states, "ingredients: Yup!". While humorous, I asked Bill about this and he explained that they need to reach $65K in sales for a product to be required to provide a full listing of ingredients. For now, their products have gone for laboratory testing to be able to incorporate nutritional information into the packaging as well.

In the meantime, the products are terrific. Each spice blend sells for $8 and comes with serving suggestions. However, Bill encourages friends of Mad Brothers to experiment and be creative.

Spice blends include:

Bodacious Blackening Bouquet: A traditional blackening seasoning made without salt.

Really Righteous Rub for Flesh: An unusual sweet rub designed to create a crust of flavor around grilled meats.

Potent Pulverized Pepper Dust: Hot and spicy flavor that can be used to enhance other seasonings with adjustable heat!

Sazon: (Spanish for Seasoning) is a common spice found in Spanish markets that combines dried coriander, garlic, salt and other flavors.

Carefully Crafted Consortium of Curry: A light and mild curry flavor for the Western palate.

For more information, to schedule a product demo party, or to order these locally developed seasonings for your own kitchen, contact Bill at: 419-450-2162.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Long Over Due

2008-02-26T21:34:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the big break in entries. I started the year with the best intentions to write a weekly post and fell behind with the obligations of full time employment...stay tuned. I will be back in mid to late March with more.

Also, coming soon, you will be able to find restaurant reviews and other Toledo-specific food writing from "Glass City Gourmet" on Toledo.Com.

I am honored and grateful for this opportunity. Thanks for your continued interest and encouragement.

Cheers!
Glass City Gourmet

Iron Chef Artichoke, Salmon Pasta

2008-01-04T10:28:00.000-05:00

Remember the Iron Chef? The chefs are assigned a group of fresh ingredients and expected to develop a new creation with just the items at hand.

While I may not have the academic credentials or the restaurant experience of a true Iron Chef, every American housewife and wannabe gourmet chef eventually learns to "make do" with whatever is available.

Last night I had leftover salmon fillets as the main ingredient. Upon searching my cabinets and fridge, I came up with a jar of artichoke hearts, a head of garlic, white wine, fresh basil, fresh parmesan cheese and a box of pasta bow ties.

In about 20 minutes I dropped artichoke, salmon, basil pasta on the table. Light, flavorful, easy to make and well received.

Serves 4

2 salmon fillets (grilled or broiled)
2 cups dry pasta
8 oz chopped artichoke hearts (marinated or just in water)
3-5 leaves of basil (washed, chopped or made into a chiffonade)
1-3 cloves of garlic (chopped)
3 tbs. olive oil
3/4 c. white wine
salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large sauce pan filled with water to a rolling boil. Add kosher salt. Add pasta. While pasta is cooking, saute garlic in olive oil until it becomes fragrant. Add white wine and stir. Add chopped artichoke hearts and stir gently until warmed. Add salmon in bite sized chunks. Toss carefully so the salmon chunks stay intact. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and reduce heat to low to heat through. When pasta is finished, throw basil in with salmon saute and put cover back on top of saute pan. Drain pasta. Put pasta in bowls, sprinkle with cheese and carefully spoon salmon saute and accumulated broth over each bowl. Serve immediately.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Hannukah Happening

2007-12-12T14:58:00.001-05:00

Last night I hosted my first "Hannukah Happening". I was happy to dive into my two favorite Jewish cookbooks "Shalom on the Range" and "The Foods of Israel Today", by Joan Nathan and put together an ethnic delight.

For the uninitiated, Hannukah is the "festival of lights". In 165 B.C.E., the Jews led by the Maccabees evicted the Syrian- Greeks from Palestine. Religious freedom was restored and the Temple in Jerusalem, which the Syrian-Greek king Antiochus IV had converted into a pagan shrine, was cleansed, restored and rededicated. Hannukah means "dedication".

Every temple contains an eternal flame and it takes approximately eight days to prepare ritually permitted oil. Hannukah commemorates the miracle of a small amount of uncontaminated olive oil, lasting for eight days while more oil could be prepared. Hannukah is a minor Jewish holiday that seems to gain momentum in the United States the closer it occurs to Christmas. There is no biblical mandate for the celebration of Hannukah.

Nonetheless, I was glad to be able to share this holiday with friends.

The menu:
Herbed potato latkes served with sour cream
salad with basil shallot balsamic vinaigrette
Moroccan Brisket with Olives, tomatoes, onions, and preserved lemons
Moroccan rice
fresh green beans
non-dairy pear torte

This was the best brisket I've ever had. Honestly. Moist, flavorful and pretty on the plate.

10-12 servings

5 to 6 pound beef brisket
5 garlic cloves
salt and freshly ground pepper
5 tbs vegetable oil
4 large onions, sliced (about 8 cups)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
2 bay leaves
1 celery stalk, diced
3 large tomatoes
1 cup water
1 1/2 c. green Moroccan olives, pitted
2-3 preserved lemons, diced
1/4 c. coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 c. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. With a knife, pierce the skin of the brisket in 5 places and insert the garlic cloves. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbs. of the oil in a heavy skillet or roasting pan; add the meat , sear on all sides and remove.
3. Add 2 more tbs of the oil to the same pan and saute 3/4 of the onions (6 cups) until they are limp. Add the turmeric, ginger, white pepper, bay leaves, celery, 1/3 of the diced tomatoes, and water to the pan. Stir fry a minute or 2 and let cool.
4. Place the brisket in a baking pan and surround with the cooked vegetables. Roast, covered in the oven for 3 hours or until a fork goes in and out of the meat easily. Remove, cool, and refrigerate, reserving the vegetables. You can prepare this a day ahead of time.
5. The tomato-onion sauce can be done a day in advance as well: heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the frying pan; add the remaining onions and saute until the onions are translucent. Then add the remaining diced tomatoes and simmer, covered for a few minutes. Set aside or refrigerate overnight or until ready to serve the meat.
6. When ready to serve,remove any fat that accumulated on the brisket as it cooled. Cut, against the grain, into slices about 1/4 inch thick. Return the slices to the baking pan along with the reserved vegetables in which the meat was cooked in step 4.
7. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and reheat the brisket, covered, for about a half hour.
8. Add to the tomato-onion mixture the olives, preserved lemons, and 2 tablespoons of each of the parsley and cilantro, and heat in the saucepan.
9. Remove the brisket and some or all of the vegetables to a serving platter and serve, covered with the tomato-onion sauce and garnished with the remaining parsley and cilantro.

I did not use preserved lemons. It takes about a week to make preserved lemons. I used the zest of two lemons, instead. This did not inhibit the flavor.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Fall from Grace

2007-12-09T15:50:00.000-05:00

Last Thursday night I went out to a cocktail party in a downtown restaurant. While the evening included a beautiful spread of hors d'oeuvres, I got caught up in mingling and ended up drinking three glasses of Zinfandel with little or no food.

By the time I got home, I was definitely tipsy. I felt like a college girl after a late night bender. So, I acted like one. I ordered a medium thin crust pizza with sausage, green peppers, onions and mushrooms.

While waiting for the delivery, I had a rush of amorous energy. With clothes flying in all directions and all my best intentions...it just didn't work. In the meantime, the pizza driver got into the building without using a buzzer. I didn't hear him knocking on the door. Hoorah for the cell phone, or I might have starved. We had to scramble to get enough clothes onto one of us to be able to pay for the pizza.

The evening ended with bed spins, half a box of pizza on the floor of the bedroom and a steady pattern of two Tums alternated with large gulps of water.

Adding to the madness was the fact that the water in my building had been shut off earlier in the day and the tap water was brackish. My forgiving boyfriend was kind enough to empty an ice tray and use the microwave to keep up with my re hydration project.

So THIS is the "Glass City Gourmet"? I may never live this down. Please leave a comment if you attended the event on Thursday evening and want an apology. I will give you the benefit of the doubt, no questions asked.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Dinner for Eight Chez Moi

2007-12-03T17:27:00.000-05:00

The first Saturday night in December, while fresh snow coated the tree branches and dusted Toledo's roads I put the finishing touches on a cozy French inspired dinner for eight at home.

During cocktail hour, I served a cheese platter of St. Andre triple cream, Gouda, and an extra sharp cheddar with sliced, peppered dry sausage and a small bowl of cornichons. It was a pleasant blend of flavors to accompany beer, wine and champagne served by a roaring fire in our den.

For dinner, I whipped up a batch of Coq Au Vin and served it with basmati rice and tender crisp green beans. The salad contained mixed greens, fresh pomegranate seeds, toasted pine nuts and was lightly coated in a basil and shallot vinaigrette.

One of our guests is an avid baker and brought a gorgeous loaf of homemade bread. Somehow we managed to drink five bottles of Cote du Rhone and a half a bottle of Malbec...not bad for a table of eight!

A dinner party is only as much fun as the friends who join you at your table. I was blessed to be surrounded by both new and old friends who all seemed to be connected. It was an easy meal to prepare which left me with plenty of time to be part of the conversations during cocktails and dessert.

For desssert, I served coffee and a Calvados apple galette with rum raisin ice cream.

I liked this menu because I could prep all of the ingredients ahead of time and only needed to spend about 20 minutes in the kitchen just before dinner was served.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

La Scola

2007-11-25T14:27:00.000-05:00

La Scola
5375 Airport Highway at Reynolds Road
419-381-2100
Monday through Friday.: 11 - 10
Saturday: 11 - 11
Sunday: 4 - 9

Owned by legendary Toledo restaurateur Gus Nicolaidis, with management by Moussa Salloukh, and culinary leadership of Chef Chris Dewart, La Scola combines the talents of these three restaurant veterans in a new and warm setting.

The team transformed the former "Bungalow" into a romantic and friendly space with the addition of dozens of black and white photographs featuring well known Toledo families. The bar is large and, along with a lounge area with comfortable leather seating, accommodates the crowds waiting for a table.

We called ahead to advise the staff that we were running late on an 8:30pm reservation. We waited in the bar for about twenty minutes for our table. It was fun to check out all the old photographs and all of the people who came to La Scola for the Saturday night of a holiday weekend.

Once seated, we were a little disappointed to be moved to the meeting room in the back. Typically, those with reservations get prime seating and we would have preferred to wait a little longer to be able to be seated in the main dining room. Also, as Toledo is a pretty casual town, other restaurant owners in Toledo have reserved back dining rooms as a great place for those patrons who prefer to wear athletic attire to fine dining establishments. This option allows everyone to be served, but it honors the "special occasion" diners by putting them in the main dining room and surrounding them with other guests who prefer to dress up a bit for fine dining. With all of that said, we found the meeting room to be pleasant, with a soothing fireplace in the background.

We started the meal under the recommendation of our server to try the Calamari la Padella ($8.95) and the Bruchetta Formaggio ($7.95). The calamari came in a light red sauce with roasted bell peppers, shallots, herbed olive oil and fresh tomatoes. We asked our server to bring us some bread to mop up the savory remnants of the sauce. The bruchetta is a signature version and should probably be renamed "Ciabatta Formaggio" as it was made with thick slices of ciabatta, rather than the thinly sliced and toasted pieces of bread that are typical of bruchetta. It included pesto sauce as well as alfredo sauce. My table mates enjoyed this new interpretation of a classic Italian favorite.

After placing our order, we were quickly served our salads. We sampled the house salad, made with mixed greens, grape tomatoes, croutons and Gorgonzola cheese with a sweet white balsamic vinaigrette ($3.95) and the Caesar salad ($3.95). While the portions were ample, none of the salads came with the home made croutons listed on the menu. With the heavy traffic that evening, I would suspect the kitchen simply ran out of croutons earlier in the evening. I'm sure this will be resolved quickly.

For dinner, I ordered the pasta vognole ($15.95). Described as "Chopped fresh sea clams in garlic and olive oil (white) or garlic and tomato (red) with linguini and crostini", I was again surprised with a variation on the dish. Typically, white clam sauce is clear. It is made with olive oil, garlic, parsley and a little red pepper. The clams are sauteed in the seasoned olive oil and then some of the water from the pasta is added at the last minute to thicken the sauce. At La Scola, the clam sauce was made with cream. My plate did not arrive with the promised crostini. One of my dining companions noticed that the pasta had been broken in half in the kitchen (sacrilege in Italy) and we agreed that the noodles were not served al dente. This is the first month that the restaurant is open and I suspect that the pasta consistency will improve as the chef gets accustomed to the timing for feeding these large crowds.

I noticed that with the exception of the marinara sauce, all of the pastas are made with cream sauce. Again, this is a spin on classic Italian. Pesto sauce and Bolognese sauces are not made with cream in Italy. Ever. On my second visit, I asked the waitress about this, and she explained, "This is how they make bolognese in the North of Italy". It would be more honest to say, "Toledo diners prefer more subtle flavor and adding cream accomplishes this". Adding cream to standard pasta sauces is a trick Chef Dewart probably picked up while working at Ciao! or Rosie's Italian Grille and while it is neither authentic nor my preference, it does sell more pasta in Toledo.

My friends ordered the Veal Piccata ($18.95), Bistecca Toscana ($24.95), Filetto di Manzo ($26.95) and the "Costolette di Agnello", a special Australian double-boned lamb chops with chanterelle and morel mushroom demi-glace, served with Gorgonzola polenta ($24.95). The veal piccata was terrific and all of the beef and lamb entrees were served exactly to the temperature preferences requested.

I returned for lunch a few weeks later. I ordered the Margherita Pizza ($8.95) and a Caesar salad ($3.95). The pizza was less than adequate. The crust was soggy. I would expect this to be improved as the kitchen staff gains more experience. On this visit the Caesar salad came with the homemade croutons. However, the dressing does not have the distinguishing essence of lemon or anchovies found in Caesar dressing. My dining companion ordered the Manicotti ($7.95) which is rolled pasta filled with herbed ricotta cheese and served with a trio of marinara, alfredo, and pesto sauce. The presentation resembled the flag of Italy and was charming. However, the earthy blend of fresh basil, garlic and pine nuts that defines pesto sauce was completely absent. The pesto at La Scola is a light green alfredo sauce with a hint of basil flavor.

The dessert menu is extensive. None of the desserts are made on site. We ordered the Torta di Cioccolata ($6.95) and the special Tiramisu served in a balloon wine glass ($6.95). The torta was attractive and tasty. The tiramisu was a marscapone and chocolate frappe, however it looked pretty in the glass with two lady fingers sticking up out of it. I recommend saving your calories for the entrees.

Coffee at La Scola is strong, rich and served in a coffee cup with a paper liner and a saucer garnished with three whole coffee beans. Chocolate covered coffee beans or a traditional biscotti would be even better.

La Scola is a great American restaurant with an Italian theme. The steaks and chops are terrific, and the menu contains clever Italianized names for American dishes such as "Reubenetta" (Reuben Sandwich) and "Il Cuneo" (wedge salad). Eating real Italian food at La Scola is like looking for real Australian cuisine at Outback Steakhouse. That doesn't make it bad. I just hope to manage expectations for Italians or Italio-philes looking for the real thing. Regardless, American steakhouse cuisine is always a winner in Toledo. La Scola will be packed with long waits and a loyal group of regulars for many years. I will return to enjoy the ambiance and its virtues as a steakhouse.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Chocolate Challenge

2007-11-22T15:28:00.000-05:00

I love a challenge. I am a competitor. As much as I hate this label and the evil connotations often associated with it there is no denying my genetic predisposition to win.

When the opportunity to compete for the "Top Chocolate Chef" arrived with the prize being a seat as an official judge for the Junior League of Toledo's first "Chocolate Soiree", I knew I had to make a run for it.

I spent a few days intermittently contemplating my options. After scanning a few cookbooks for chocolate confections, I decided to try my hand at Champagne Truffles. My recipe comes from the James Beard Foundation Book Award winner, "Savor the Moment: Entertaining Without Reservations" from the Junior League of Boca Raton. It was a Junior League contest, and I figured this might be a good fit.

After several botched batches I learned that in making truffles:
1) temperature counts
2) don't second guess a call for "semi-sweet" chocolate - ever
3) fine champagne makes great truffles

Here's the recipe and the adjustments I made:

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 c (1/2 stick butter, chopped
3 tbs. heavy cream
1 egg yolk beaten
3 tbs champagne
1/4 c. unsweetened baking cocoa mixed with 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Combine chocolate, butter and heavy cream in a medium saucepan. Cook over low heat until the chocolate melts, stirring constantly (I found that a double boiler is a better choice for better control of the heat). Stir a small amount of the hot chocolate mixture into the egg yolk; stir the egg yolk mixture into the hot mixture. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and stir in the champagne. Spoon into a small mixing bowl. Chill for 1 hour or until completely cool, stirring occasionally.

Beat at medium speed for 1 minute or until the color lightens and the mixture is slightly fluffy. Chill for 3 minutes longer or until the mixture holds its shape.

Shape into 1 inch balls by scraping a small ice cream scoop, melon baller or spoon across the surface of the chilled mixture. Place on a tray lined with waxed paper. Chill until very firm.

Roll truffles gently in the cocoa and cinnamon mixture. Place in decorative cups to serve.

A few tips:
1) I used Belgian chocolate and Moet & Chandon White Star Champagne. After all, you should never use champagne you wouldn't drink or chocolate you wouldn't eat!

2) After rolling the ganache into small balls, freeze it. When it comes out of the freezer it is easier to get a smooth round, globe-like shape before coating it.

I did my best to set up a pretty display and "sell" my confection by explaining the origins of the truffle and the joys of chocolate ganache. Unfortunately, I didn't win. I was told that I lost by 1 vote to a chocolate and strawberry struedal bar. Oh, well. It was a fun challenge and great to catch up with old friends.

Second place. C'est la vie.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Great Sushi at Sori Sushi

2007-11-12T21:07:00.000-05:00

Sori Sushi
5236 Monroe Street
Toledo, Oh
419-720-7640

There is nothing more exciting than a new and fabulous restaurant opening its doors in Toledo. In a town where sushi restaurants are becoming as common as falafel shops, it is always exciting to find a star.

Enter Sori Sushi and prepare to be dazzled. Chef Kenny Ro is a 25 year veteran to Sushi preparation. Chef Ro shared the highlights of his career include working for the top rated sushi restaurants at both the Luxor Hotel and the Tropicana in Las Vegas. Most recently, he worked for five years at Yoko Restaurant in Toledo.

Sori Sushi features a large and diverse menu. Sushi, teriyaki, bento boxes, soups, Asian appetizers, dessert and a variety of other special items complete the ambitious menu. Chef Ken Ro and Sori get fresh fish from Chicago and Columbus, daily. You can see, smell and taste this high quality immediately.

Upon being seated at the sushi bar, Chef Ro presented us with a complimentary amuse-bouche. This delicate combination of crab meat, cucumber and a light nutty sauce was a preview of the sublime flavors to come. My dining companion and I started our meal by ordering the spicy tuna bowl. This was a special preparation of fresh spicy tuna, roe, and a light portion of finely sliced green onions. It was served with a second bowl containing sticky rice. It was an extraordinary mix of tastes and textures.

Next, we sampled the house Sori Roll ($8.95). Named after Chef Ro's wife Sori, it contains spicy tuna, salmon, red snapper, and crab all artfully arranged and wrapped with cucumber. The cucumber provides a subtle crunch and delicate flavor contrast to the sashimi. We also ordered a Spicy Tiger roll ($9.50) that contains shrimp tempura and is topped with spicy tuna and avocado. It was excellent. Finally, we ordered the white tuna sashimi. The pieces were served on a bed of shredded daikon. The presentation was beautiful and the fish melted in my mouth. On Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, sashimi is .99 per piece for dine in orders.

Second only to the cuisine is the artwork in the restaurant. Sori Ro studied Asian Art techniques while attending college in Seoul, South Korea. Her art ranges from modern mixed media, to traditional script paintings, and more traditional crafts. There are beautiful prints, paintings, as well as small framed leaf arrangements that form whimsical animal shapes. I particularly enjoyed the alligator and elephant dried leaf compositions near the sushi bar. It will be tough to keep the restaurant open and not end up selling the art from off of the warm, butterscotch colored walls.

Sori Sushi provides great sushi at reasonable prices in a pleasant atmosphere.

You will be seeing me regularly at Sori Sushi.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Sakura Saga Continues

2007-11-02T06:06:00.000-04:00

It's been over a month since my last entry and a variety of opinions on my review of Sakura continue. I spent the month of October traveling through Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. Articles to follow.

Recently, it was pointed out to me that a number of the dissenting posts had come from the same "IP" indicating that a group of friends sharing the same computer has been writing comments. Suspicions aside, I'm glad that my honest and personal opinion has led to dialog on this new restaurant.

Glass City Gourmet is not a commercial website. I am not compensated for my opinions. Therefore, I am not beholden to advertisers who might expect only generous reviews.

I did return to Sakura on Wednesday, October 3rd to meet a friend at the bar for lunch and found the strong smell of fish and lackluster sashimi still present. I would agree with one of the comments that Fujiyama and Kotobuki offer superior sushi in clean and odor free environments. This is my opinion. You don't have to agree with it. You are welcome to post other opinions.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Sakura: Japanese Steakhouse

2007-09-15T15:38:00.000-04:00

Sakura Japanese Steakhouse

5294 Monroe Street

Toledo, OH

419-843-1300

Toledo shines with the simple elegance of sushi restaurants! For years, Kotobuki was the only Japanese restaurant in the area that served sushi. If you are over 30, you may remember En Japanese Steakhouse that opened and closed in the 1970s, only to come back as a strip mall steakhouse and sushi spot a few years ago.

Now, there are about 10 sushi restaurants, a few take out locations and sushi has been added to the menus of most steak and fish restaurants around town. Add the grocery stores offering fresh sushi and one would assume that maki rolls and tempura are surpassing hamburgers and french fries as the great American meal. This doesn't necessarily qualify any of us as experts in sushi, but I think we are all learning more about the properties of raw fish.

Recently, Sakura opened on Monroe Street near Franklin Park Mall. Locally owned and operated, Sakura offers a full sushi menu and the showmanship and fun associated with a Japanese steakhouse. The owner, Vince Li, is originally from Hong Kong but he has lived in Toledo for the last 12 years. He also owns the China 1/Tokyo Grill in the strip mall between Monroe Street and Sylvania Ave (where they meet near Secor), and the China 1 in Sylvania in the Major Magic's strip mall.

Li and his team did a terrific job converting the space from a sports bar to a Japanese Steakhouse, with a pleasant and Eastern influenced ambiance. At the entrance, guests cross a small wood bridge over a Japanese fish pond with a stone fountain. The bar is directly in front of the door and the sushi bar is to the left. I suspect that the layout is well designed and conducive to a quieter dining area when the bar is full at night.

The main dining area is surrounded by lacquered bamboo fencing with Asian inspired arches. The raised and semi-private tatami eating area is charming for those who don't mind removing their shoes and sitting at these special low tables. However, this area does not include the hibachi grills. There is also a private dining room with four hibachi stations to accommodate up to 50 guests.

My companions and I sat outside of the main dining area in a booth and decided to try the sushi. We ordered the Kamikaze ($9.25) , Volcano ($10) and Toledo rolls ($10.25), some white tuna sashimi ($2.75/piece), as well as an order of Chirashi Sushi ($13.50). There was a $2.50 additional charge for each soup. I ordered the mushroom broth which was rather salty but featured thinly sliced mushrooms and scallions floating in the broth. The miso soup was standard fare. The green tea was a lightly steeped brew and served hot in traditional stoneware cups.

The sushi was adequate. While the rolls and sushi were artfully arranged the color, texture, and quality of the fish in the Chirashi was uncertain. There is a vibrancy to the color and a particular shine on fresh sushi that is unmistakable. These qualities and the expected texture of raw fish were absent from the sashimi. It should be noted that Sakura uses white pickled ginger, rather than pink, so the lack of color should not be a concern for diners accustomed to the pink version. After the meal, we decided to walk over to the sushi bar to inspect the fish and found the smell of old fish present. Just as it is in American fish houses, the scent of raw fish in a clean sushi restaurant should be imperceptible.

Unfortunately, Sakura falls short as a sushi destination. I am optimistic that the Japanese Steakhouse menu is much better as it is the central focus of the restaurant. While we ate our lunch, there were three or four families sitting at the Hibachi tables enjoying the slicing and dicing and interactive entertainment that is so much a part of the Japanese-American steakhouse tradition.

For my next visit, I will try the steakhouse menu or enjoy a bowl of soup in the tatami seating. However, I am reluctant to send anyone here for sushi.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

9/21/07: The Glass City Gourmet wishes to thank Kango for his comments about this review (See comments). The text in green reflects efforts to make the original message about my experience at Sakura clear to readers. In the original text, I had NO concerns about the color of the pickled ginger. I mentioned it because one of my dining companions had not seen white pickled ginger before, and I hoped to make it clear to readers that this is not a problem. I apologize for not stating that clearly. As for the consistency of the sushi, there are many terms to describe sushi. "Firm" is a relative term and I now know to be less specific in describing sushi that does not match my previous experiences.

Yo Yo Girl

2007-09-13T10:18:00.000-04:00

The annual physical.

For some, this evokes dread. For me, it generally signals the start of allergy season or the need for a laundry list of prescriptions for a pending overseas adventure.

I decided to knock mine out in a one day flurry of appointments. I starting first with the snatch quack, moved on to the primary care physician at lunch and ended with a stop at a podiatrist's lair after work ended. I'm proud to report that I am blessed with good health...low blood pressure, low sitting pulse, low LDL cholesterol, elevated HDL cholesterol, seasonal allergies well controlled, and female functions in line. My feet look pretty good. I managed to end up with a big fat shot of cortisone on the top of my right foot for some inflammation and nerve pain. While it was most unpleasant to take the shot, I feel much better now.

Here's the bad news: my weight is fluctuating too frequently. I've never claimed to have a stable body weight. I gain and lose the same 10 lbs over and over again. But this time I was busted. Caught by the pros. Not one, but two clinicians picked up on this and declared, "no more yo-yo-ing". The definitive order: Get that last ten pounds off and keep it off. For good.

This is not good news to a girl who loves to cook and eat.

I always thought that keeping the weight radius tight would work. Not so.

"The term "yo-yo dieting" was coined by Kelly D. Brownell, Ph.D., at Yale University, in reference to the cyclical up-down motion of a yo-yo. In this process, the dieter is initially successful in the pursuit of weight loss but is unsuccessful in maintaining the loss long-term and begins to gain the weight back. The dieter then seeks to lose the regained weight, and the cycle begins again."

Oh, crap. That's me. I'm fortunate not to have this compounded by obesity. I know this. However, the impact of these weight fluctuations on the metabolism, mood, digestive system and the heart occurs regardless of the size of the person.

So, this time I guess I'm going to have to get serious about making permanent lifestyle changes. Ugh. I've struggled with this stuff since I was a teenager. I was a pretty serious athlete and my high school coach used a caliper to check body fat percentages and declare necessary weight loss amounts. I'm not blaming him for this problem. But it definitely set the stage for life as a woman obsessed with numbers.

On many levels it pains me to think that while so many people in other parts of the world worry about whether a next meal might be available, I'm regulating intake in a land of abundance. It's ethically and maybe even ethnically embarrassing. I am Jewish. There are whole generations who would find this situation offensive.

As I start the new year, I wish my friends and family a year of peace and happiness. I pledge to restore my health with dedication to a new lifestyle.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Tailgate Revisited

2007-09-12T09:29:00.000-04:00

Friday night was a shopping and cooking fury as I made preparations for the big tailgate. I got a late start, heading to the store at about 7:30pm to fill a basket with all the necessary ingredients.

A trick I learned from my favorite caterer of all time is to write your shopping list on a piece of paper divided into quadrants for each section of the grocery store. In other words, instead of just writing the list of ingredients (one recipe after another), you take the time to put the dairy items from each recipe in a list of dairy stuff, the veggies in the produce list, etc. This makes for fairly speedy shopping and prevents me from having to go back and forth for ingredients that somehow got missed along the way.

By 9pm I was unloading groceries at my Mom's house. As anyone who has ever been to my place knows, it is a galley kitchen and there is no multi-tasking in a galley kitchen. So, with the mega granite kitchen at my disposal I had enough space to work like an octopus on methamphetamine. Simultaneously, I boiled red skins, blanched green beans, baked chicken for my sandwiches, cooked up the marinade for the artichoke and mushroom salad, sliced and marinated the veggies for my roll ups, whipped up the sauces for the roast beef sandwiches, and sliced and diced like a pro.

Presto!

In two hours I had three prepared salads and all the trimmings for the interior of three different kinds of sandwiches. Oh, how I love a large kitchen...six burners, two ovens, a large double sink for fast clean up, a vegetable sink with disposal, about 15 yards of solid granite counter top and a double door stainless steel fridge to hold everything! Yowsa!

The next morning, all I had to do was buy some booze. The list of salads is on the last entry. For the sandwiches I ended up making:

1) Roast beef with horseradish/cream cheese/sour cream spread, alfalfa sprouts, and cranberry/orange relish on Italian bread.

2) Turkey, pepper jack cheese, sprouts, and guacamole on pumpernickel bread

3) Roasted chicken with marinated mixed vegetables rolled into either tomato basil or spinach basil flat bread.

I served water, iced tea and do-it-yourself cocktails of lemonade, raspberry vodka, ice and a handful of fresh raspberries to float.

The menu was a hit. Coupled with a basket of enormous homemade chocolate chip cookies from my cousin, Gail and a tray of assorted mini brownies (chocolate toffee bars and the good old fashioned nine layer bars you may remember from childhood!) made by my Mom - this was one helluva tailgate!

Too bad the weather didn't cooperate. I ended up serving the whole thing indoors...and then caravanned over to the theater to watch the BF perform in Harvest Theatre's "Taming of the Shrew" at the Ottawa Park amphitheater. For those of you who love Shakespeare, you can catch the show this Saturday or Sunday at 3pm (The amphitheater is located at the corner of Midwood and Kenwood, behind the Police Station in Ottawa Park).

Party Preparation

2007-09-02T11:07:00.000-04:00

I've decided to have a little party. My friend is playing Baptista in Harvest Theatre's presentation of "The Taming of The Shrew" for the next two weekends. I thought that the best way to draw a crowd to Shakespeare in the park was with a clever invitation and a tailgate party.

It's been awhile since I've had to compile the names and addresses of sixty happy people...and it always takes longer than you expect it to take. I found some cute invitations at Hallmark and sent them through the printer. I finished the cards and realized that no one has any idea where the Ottawa Park amphitheater is and probably wouldn't know to bring a chair. I took a road trip to find the theater and create some decent directions. I can only pray that this left handed genius typed up the directions in a way that others can follow.

I was foolish enough to think that 5 boxes of 8 cards would be adequate for my ever-growing invitations list. I ended up making a second batch using pre printed stationery from Kinko's. Half way through printing the Kinko's version my printer got testy and decided to start eating invitations. I'm not kidding here. This happened six times when I realized that this could only be a six round bout or I'd end up short a few invitations again.

So I packed up the whole mess and went to Kinko's to beat on one of their printers. Copy, cut, paste, and use the tray feed to print two invitations at once. Brilliant. I wondered why I'd spent so much money and time on the Hallmark kind. This is the joy of entertaining when you don't do it all that often. Honestly, it is fun to play with this stuff and problem solve on the fly.

Now that the invitations are in the mail (less one or two that ended up purely as emailed attachments because I couldn't find current snail mail addresses...) I could move on to the menu.

Here's what I'm thinking:

pesto potato salad (contains red skins, green beans, green onions, grated parm, and pesto)
corn and cherry tomato salad (contains corn, cherry tomatoes, chopped celery & red onion, fresh arugula and a lovely balsamic vinaigrette with chunks of bleu cheese)
2 types of sandwiches (these are still open for debate)
fresh baked cookies (I might cheat on these!)
bottled water, iced tea, and a premixed lemonade, vodka and floating raspberry combination

Now I'm thinking about props:

Borrow a six foot table and linens
Borrow a few baskets to line and fill with half sandwiches
borrow a big tub for the soft drinks
borrow a big cooler for the loose ice
borrow a big cooler for the lemonade concoction

Oh, no. Who has parties that doesn't already own all the props? I DO! That's who! I didn't register for practical entertaining gear. Park Avenue table service doesn't play in a parking lot.

Anyway, tonight having a test run on the salads. I'm taking them to a pot luck for the holiday weekend and making sure they gain approval from the discerning palates of gourmet friends before I make them in bulk. Stay tuned for more...

Peach Melba

2007-08-12T13:19:00.000-04:00

The luscious combination of poached peaches with raspberry coulis and vanilla ice cream was conceived by Auguste Escoffier, the French chef most noted for updating and popularizing traditional French cooking methods - as well as serving techniques - in the 1920's and 30's. He named the dessert after opera singer Nellie Melba, an Australian born soprano.

The story goes that Mr. Escoffier heard her perform in London and was inspired to create a desert in her honor. Rumor had it that Ms. Melba loved ice cream but didn't eat it very often for fear of damaging her vocal chords. The warmed sauce and peaches were combined to take the cold edge off the ice cream and present a special treat for the opera singer.

While descriptions indicated that the original Peach Melba sauce was made with raspberries, currant jelly, sugar and cornstarch, I found a recipe from Nigella Lawson and followed it to the letter.

Peach Melba

For the Peaches
3 cups water
3 1/2 c. superfine sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
8 peaches

For the raspberry sauce

3 cups raspberries
1/4 c. confectioners' sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon

to serve
1 large container of vanilla ice cream

Put the water, sugar lemon juice and vanilla bean into a wide saucepan and heat gently to dissolve the sugar. Bring the pan to a boil and let it bubble away for about 5 minutes, then turn the pan down to a fast simmer.

Cut the peaches in half, and, if the pits come out easily remove them, if not, then you can get them out later. Poach the peach halves in the sugar syrup for about 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on the ripeness of the fruit. Test the cut side with the sharp point of a knife to see if they are soft, and then remove to a plate with a slotted spoon.

When all the peaches are poached, peel off their skins and let them cool (and remove any remaining pits). If you are making them a day in advance, let the poaching syrup cool and then pour into a dish with the peaches. Otherwise, just bag up the syrup and freeze it for the next time you are poaching peaches.

To make the raspberry sauce, puree the raspberries, confectioners' sugar and lemon juice in a blender or else a food processor. Sieve to remove the seeds and pour this fantastically hued puree into a jug.

To assemble Peach Melba, allow two peach halves per person and sit them on each plate alongside a scoop or two of ice cream. Spoon the raspberry sauce over each one, and put the remaining puce-tinted sauce in a pitcher for people to add themselves at the table.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Lamb is Love

2007-08-12T13:10:00.000-04:00

Maybe I'm getting so attached to food that I'm substituting romantic feelings for a Pavlovian response to rare meat? Or, maybe there's nothing tastier or sexier than a perfectly grilled lamb chop. Either way, I had a half a dozen small lamb chops waiting in the fridge and had no intention of freezing them.

Bone Sucking Worthy, Grilled Lamb Chops with Fresh Herbs

1/4 c. olive oil
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 c. red wine
1 bunch fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
6 baby lamb chops, 1 inch thick (I prefer the French cut)
salt and freshly ground pepper

In a glass dish, mix all of the ingredients. Add the lamb chops and marinate at least 4 hours, turning after 2 hours to marinate both sides.

Prepare the grill. Season the chops with salt and pepper to taste. Grill over high heat until medium rare, 2-3 minutes per side.

Eat immediately. Put down your knife and fork and use your hands while you gnaw the meat off those bones like a robust man playing Henry VIII in a B movie!

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

NY Times #93

2007-08-01T18:35:00.000-04:00

If you caught the "Dining In" section of The New York Times, on Wednesday, July 18th you saw Mark Bittman's article,

"Summer Express: 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less".

It's a real winner! It was first forwarded to me as an email from the Calphalon g-ddess, and then the newspaper section was passed to me by my grandmother. The email noted #93 as a recipe of interest and my grandmother pointed out her favorite ideas, so I skimmed the list and decided to try some of these recipes during the next few weeks to see what I like best.

Honestly, they are all healthy and hearty meals made from summer produce and basic food staples.

Recognizing that my friend had probably forwarded the article to others with the mention of #93, I thought it would be a nice gesture to start there first.

93: Cut up Italian sausage into chunks and brown in a little olive oil until just about done. Dump in a lot of seedless grapes and, if you like, a little slivered garlic and chopped rosemary. Cook, stirring, until the grapes are hot. Serve with bread.

This is it. Easy and it literally took 10 minutes to finish the whole project. It smelled absolutely divine. I used spicy turkey sausages, seedless red grapes, chopped garlic and fresh rosemary from my patio herb garden.

Stay tuned for more adventures from the Summer Express 101 list.

Culinary Crush?

2007-07-23T15:57:00.000-04:00

I think I've developed a "culinary crush". Or, maybe it's a "culinary infatuation"? There's nothing romantic or even malicious about it (If my vocabulary serves me well, this would exclude "culinary envy" as a label). It can best be described as meeting someone with superior culinary skills, tools and entertaining flair...and hanging on her every word.

About a month ago, I was introduced to a woman who is a marketing executive at Calphalon. (http://www.calphalon.com/) Check out the "history" section of their website.

She has a tiny kitchen equipped with Calphalon pieces from every line . A few weeks ago, I got to enjoy a dinner party at her house. It was a casual barbecue but it included some fabulous salads, grilled veggies, seasoned burgers, and a gorgeous array of home baked pies and cupcakes. I was particularly entranced by the enormous cutting board on which she artfully arranged cheeses, nuts, dried fruit and crackers as an appetizer. In all honesty, the Glass City Gourmet has never even attempted entertaining for a crowd. It all looked so beautiful, and yet she did it all in one day. GASP!

Last weekend, I invited my heroine, her husband and son to join us for Thai night. After dinner, we went back to her house and she performed on the fly, with beautiful chocolate martinis and an array of fun cookies. I was tickled to be given a new "Calphalon Kitchen Essentials 6 Cupcake Pan with Silicone Liners". It turned out that while distribution is underway, this is a piece not yet available in stores. I was giddy with excitement.

As quickly as possible, I tested this in my own kitchen with a recipe for Blueberry Crunch Muffins. These muffins freeze well for up to 3 weeks.

Blueberry Crunch Muffins

Topping
1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1.2 c. unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

Muffins
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1 large egg
2/3 c. buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup blueberries (picked over for stems)

To make the topping, put the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse to combine. Drop the butter on top and pulse until the mixture begins to form small, pebble like nuggets. If you don't feel like cleaning the food processor, combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and use two knives or a pastry blender to work the mixture into the crumby nuggets.

Preheat oven to 400F. Line 12 muffin tins with silcone or paper liners.

To make the muffins, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar. Blend in the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla. Sift the flour and baking powder into the mix, then drop the blueberries on to of the dry ingredients and stir until just blended, being careful not to break up the blueberries.

Spoon 1/4 c. of batter into each muffin cup and top with 1 tbs of the crunchy topping. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 17-20 minutes.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Back on the "Calcium Diet"

2007-07-07T10:03:00.000-04:00

I popped a pants button this week. Ugh. It used to be that my stomach muscles were so strong that the contraction of abdominal muscles that accompanies a sneeze could pop a button. Not so, anymore. One of the problems of making cooking a hobby is that the pounds can creep up on you...

I got on the scale and found out that I had gained 8 pounds since February. No wonder I popped a button! In honor of my decision to get back on a diet, I ate a half a pint of Ben & Jerry's and finished every other sweet delicacy in my home (Yup, a half a bar of Scharffen Berger 60% cacao went down nice and easy along with the remnants of a peach cobbler). It just seemed like the most worthy thing to do before the deprivation started.

If you've followed my blog, you may know that I'm a big fan of Dr. Jana Klauer's diet, "The New Calcium Diet". Basically, there is a three day jump start that involves eating a ton of dairy, protein, and veggies and then drinking gallons of water and green tea. This gets most of the water weight off before hitting the more moderate phases of the diet where carbohydrates and fruit come back into your life. It's actually an extremely healthy way for women to eat and I was able to follow it for about a year before I "fell off the wagon" and started eating too much food and too many refined carbohydrates (see the Fage yogurt entry of 04/06).

Anyway, day two of the jump start and I'm a little sluggish. Last night, I prepared my 4 oz of fish with as much flavor as I could pull together.

Broiled Fish with Fresh Herbs and Lemon Zest

5 tbs. olive oil
1 1/2 tbs. finely minced garlic
1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
grated zest of one lemon
2 tbs. lemon juice
4 firm fish fillets (halibut, sea bass, swordfish)

In a small saute pan, over low heat, warm 5 tbs. of the olive oil. Add the garlic and herbs and simmer for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice. Let cool completely.

Place the fish fillets in a shallow glass baking pan, salt & pepper the fish to taste, and pour mixture over the fillets. Cover and marinate for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat the broiler. Place fish on a the broiler pan or on a grill rack. Broil or grill, turning once, until opaque throughout when tested with a knife, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a warmed platter and garnish with lemon wedges. Serve at once.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Breakfast in Bed/Le Petit Dejeuner en Lit

2007-07-03T21:49:00.001-04:00

Have you ever put sauteed tomatoes into scrambled eggs? Conceptually, the idea of sauteed tomatoes with maybe a few chopped onions and green peppers sounds pretty tasty. However, because tomatoes are soooo juicy, the extra water can cause the texture of the eggs to get rather grainy. That's the best way I can describe it.

With this in mind, I thought it might be best to add the eggs to the tomato - rather than adding the tomato to the eggs. I whisked up some scrambled eggs with a little fresh grated Gruyere cheese (sprinkled on just as the eggs are finished cooking) and then spooned the cheesy eggs into a tomato. I had made cuts in the tomato, and cleared out the pulp and seeds to open it up enough to hold the eggs. Then I put a few fresh snipped chives from my garden on top for a little extra color. I underestimated how far the tomato would spread open with the eggs inside, so I used a couple of Soy Sausage patties to prop the sides up and make the plate prettier...oh, dear. A "near miss" for the Glass City Gourmet.

It was a hit! And a very neat and tidy way to serve breakfast in bed on a lazy Saturday. I put it on a tray with some fresh cut fruit and all the accompaniments e Voila! Le petit dejeuner en lit!

Terrific Tofu?

2007-07-02T20:15:00.000-04:00

It's back. Just when you thought I had enough of this wacky food stuff. I sent the BF to the grocery store with a list of necessities and he threw in a block of firm tofu. Sometimes I feel like the "Iron Chef" with the less than savory ingredients that sometimes make it into my kitchen...

Once again, I reached for Nina Simonds' James Beard Award winning cookbook, A Spoonful of Ginger:Irresistible, Health-Giving Recipes From Asian Kitchens. After comparing a few recipes to the contents of my pantry and fridge, I decided on "Braised Cinnamon Tofu". I didn't have any anise seed so I substituted fennel seed and it worked well. I also realized that this would end up being a soup, so I decided to make brown rice to create a more hearty meal.

The broth has a wonderful scent that will fill your kitchen. It is an interesting combination of flavors and braising the tofu for a full hour infuses the tofu with flavor. The best part about braising tofu is that you don't have to do that whole bit with the towels and the cast iron skillet to drain the water out of the tofu. You can eliminate that step because of the way this is cooked.

Braised Cinnamon Tofu with Brown Rice
Serves 4.

1 tsp. safflower or corn oil

Seasonings
6 whole scallions, ends trimmed, smashed lightly with the flat side of a knife and cut into 1 1/2 in. sections
6 garlic cloves, smashed lightly with the flat side of a knife and sliced thinly
4 slices fresh ginger, about the size of a quarter, smashed lightly with the flat side of a knife
1 tsp. hot Chile paste
2 sticks cinnamon
1 tsp anise seed (fennel seed works just fine)

1/2 c. soy sauce (I prefer the reduced sodium kind)
6 cups water
2 lbs firm tofu, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 lb. spinach, stems trimmed, rinsed, and drained

3 tbs. minced scallion greens

1 cup brown rice (rinsed)
2 1/4 c. chicken stock

Heat a large pot or casserole over medium-high heat, add the oil, heat until hot, about 30 seconds, and add the Seasonings. Stir fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds, then add the soy sauce and water. Heat until boiling, add the tofu, and boil again.

Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, skimming the surface to remove impurities and fat. Cook for 1 hour, until the tofu is drenched and with the flavors of the braising mixture. Remove the ginger slices and cinnamon sticks and discard.

While the tofu was simmering, I brought 2 1/4 cups of chicken stock to boil in another saucepan and added a cup of long grain brown rice. I put a lid on the rice and turned the heat down to low to simmer the rice while the tofu cooked.

Add the spinach, clump by clump to the tofu and heat until boiling. Put a half cup of brown rice in the bottom of a soup bowl. Ladle the tofu mixture over the rice, and sprinkle scallion greens on top to serve.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Fisherman's Etiquette

2007-06-26T18:31:00.000-04:00

I believe there is an unwritten rule for sportsmen...bring me something I can cook. My Wasband was a serious sportsman and always made sure to hand me a bag of fillets, a packet of freshly butchered and labeled elk meat, a plucked and cleaned bird, or any other "ready to cook" version of whatever happened to be the catch or kill of the day.

Last Saturday night, I was invited to come over to someone's house to prepare fresh rainbow trout. Imagine my surprise to find 10 whole fish looking at me from inside of a plastic bag.
Well, not entirely whole. The fish had been gutted. Definitely dead. But heads, tails, skin and eyeballs were all intact. Ugh. Couple that with a package of brand new knives and a drawer full of very old dull ones, and I was less than excited.

Fortunately, the person who invited me to this little fish fricassee is fast on his feet. He was smart enough to grab a camera and insist that this was a challenge for the Glass City Gourmet. Ok. He got me. My ego loves a challenge...it also loves a "food stylist" (check out the final frame, careful plating compliments of my loving photographer).

While I sorted through the various knives in search of the perfect blade, his mother called a chef at a local country club to confirm the process. Hold the tail firmly with one hand, and using a slanted knife, use the other hand to slice from the tail to the head in a sweeping motion to remove the fillet.

I can do this. I had actually watched my Wasband do this a number of times. He always worked outdoors on piles of newsprint. I had a cutting board, a knife and a sink nearby.

The first few incisions were sloppy. I missed the bulk of the meat. Damn. After about four fish, I hit my stride. I was filleting like a real fish monger. I had thrown all of the leftover parts into a plastic bag when the lady of the house started asking about fish stock. In all honesty, I've never used it in a recipe. Not that I don't enjoy these challenges...but I thought I had already tempted the kitchen g-ds once tonight with the filleting adventure. So I flashed back to life with the sportsman and remembered him using fish parts to fertilize his rose bushes. BINGO! No more fish stock.

Once I had a nice stack of fish fillets, I contemplated cooking them. With a roll of aluminum foil and an assortment of savory vegetables and white wine, I was ready to make these fillets sing!

Fresh Trout Grilled in Foil

6 fresh fish fillets
1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1 cup chopped artichoke hearts (packed in oil is best)
1/4 c. capers
1/2 c. chopped green olives
6 leaves of basil (chopped)
1 small onion (sliced and separated into rings)
a few sprigs of fresh oregano (washed, stems removed)
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary (washed, stems removed)
2 cloves of garlic (sliced thinly)
1 1/2 c. white wine
olive oil

Tear off one sheet of aluminum foil large enough to create a packet around each fillet. Pour a small amount of olive oil onto the foil. Place the fillet inside with the skin touching the foil. Add a little of each of the ingredients and pour a 1/4 c. of wine on the fillet. Fold the ends of the foil into triangles. Bring up the sides evenly and push the triangles within the two standing sides. Roll the edge until you have a neat, tight packet around the fish that will hold all of the liquid and ingredients within the foil. Repeat for the remaining fillets.

Preheat the grill to about 350 F. Place the fish packets on the grill for about 8-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets. Remove from grill. Serve immediately. You may serve the packets on plates. This allows each diner to open the packet and get the great aroma of the baked herbs and seasonings. Or remove the fish from the packets and serve.

I served these fillets with grilled corn and sauteed spinach. The dish was a hit! It could also be made with any other flakey whitefish.

Pasta Primavera

2007-06-07T17:59:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, you just have to wing it with whatever ingredients you have in the house. Earlier this week, I had leftover prosciutto, frozen peas, a pint of half and half and a hunk of parmigiano reggiano. With a little garlic, olive oil, butter and most of a box of penne...I knew my best option. Pasta Primavera!

After a quick glance at a few recipes, I decided to "wing it". Here's an easy and healthier version of this authentic Italian dish.

3/4 lb. dried whole wheat penne

4 oz sliced prosciutto

4 leaves fresh basil (washed and chopped)

2 tbs. half and half (cream is ideal, though)

grated fresh parmigiano reggiano cheese

1 tbs. olive oil

2 tbs. butter

1 tsp. crushed garlic

1/2 c. frozen peas (baby peas are nice)

Bring a 2 qt. saucepan filled with water to a boil. While it is heating up, prep the basil by washing it and chopping it (see directions for creating a "chiffonade" in last entry). Use the same technique to slice up the prosciutto. Once the water is boiling, add a little kosher salt and a splash of olive oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together, the water from boiling over, and to keep the pasta from over cooking. While the noodles cook, saute the garlic with 1 tbs. olive oil. Add two tbs. butter for flavor, if desired. Once the garlic is cooked, but not brown, add the frozen peas, basil and prosciutto. Continue to saute over medium heat to warm the ingredients. Add the half and half and turn the heat to low. Once the pasta is done, strain it. Return it to the cooking pan and add the contents of the saute pain. Return to the stove with the heat at low. Once the primavera is mixed with the noodles, add the fresh parmigiano to thicken the sauce and intensify the flavor.

Serve immediately with extra cheese.

Savory Steak Salad

2007-06-06T14:32:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure where the trend originated. Someone came up with the idea of combining dried fruit, nuts, bleu cheese and red onions with varieties of lettuce to create a more interesting salad . The farthest back I can go in my own cookbook colletion is to a salad with blue cheese, pear, and a walnut vinaigrette from the Silver Palate Cookbook published in 1989. I do know that once this combination hit mass production at national chain restaurants and got drowned in sweet raspberry vinaigrette dressing, it lost it's zing.

Last night, I had a few people over for a light summer dinner. I served this hearty salad, an assortment of cheeses and crackers, along with some fresh cut fruit and a glass of wine. Starting with a few ingredients I already had in my apartment, I did my best to update the unique combination of strong cheese, sweet dried fruit, and earthy nuts. I hope this leaves the McDonald's version in the dust...

Savory Steak Salad

(Serves 4)

1 - 1lb. sirloin steak (grilled or broiled to preference, and sliced into 1/2" strips
1 1/2 bags of European lettuce mix, rinsed and dried (yup, I'm a cheater!)
3/4 lb. asparagus spears (lightly cooked, and plunged in an ice bath to cool and keep the crunch)
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/2 c. crumbled bleu cheese
1/3 c. toasted pine nuts
1/4 red onion (sliced thinly into rings)
3-4 leaves of fresh basil
balsamic vinaigrette to taste
crushed black pepper

Pepper the steak on both sides, to taste, and then Broil or grill the steak to preference. While it cools for a few minutes, wash the asparagus spears. Clip off the tough ends. Bring water in a large saute pan to boil. Add asparagus spears. Turn off heat and let sit for 2-3 minutes or just until asparagus is "tender crisp". Plunge into a bath of ice water to cool and retain bright green color. Cut asparagus into 1 inch length pieces and chill. Return to the steak, and slice it against the grain into 1/2 inch thick strips. You may refrigerate until just before serving.

Toast pine nuts. I prefer to use a small saute pan over a medium flame, or spread the nuts on aluminum foil and put into a toaster oven on 325 F until the nuts get lightly browned. Remove and put in a glass cup or bowl to cool to room temperature.

Crumble bleu cheese into another small container and refrigerate. Slice the onion and store in a Ziploc plastic bag until ready to serve. Wash and dry basil leaves. Stack them on top of each other and roll it up legthwise, like a jelly roll (could also look like a green cigarette). Using a sharp pairing knife, hold the roll steady and slice every 1/8 inch starting at the tip of the leaf and ending with a slice to cut off the stem). This is easier done than typed. It is known as creating a "chiffonade" of basil. Set the basil aside. It may be refrigerated in a closed container or plastic bag until ready to serve.

When ready to serve: Rinse and dry the lettuce leaves. Place them in a large salad bowl. Add all of the other ingredients and spread evenly across the top of the lettuce pile. I started with the beef, then the asparagus, the onions, then the cherries, then the nuts, the basil, and finally the cheese. I prefer a light amount of dressing, so I tossed mine with a quarter of a cup of salad dressing and left additional dressing on the table for people to add as needed.

Salad ingredients may be prepared, and chilled, for up to 6 hours in advance of serving.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

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Brunch with "The Girls"

2007-05-18T10:39:00.000-04:00

This weekend my boyfriend treated me to a trip to Virginia Beach to meet his kids. This might seem like a low key event, but after six months of dating it seemed a little scary. Anyway, day one we were driving through his old neighborhood and I thought it would be fun to see the house in which he lived. As we were driving around the cul de sac, we could see his two boys shooting baskets and his former spouse standing on the driveway....yikes! Worlds collide! Actually, it went surprisingly well. His former spouse was perky and pleasant.

We ended up having dinner with his boys and eighteen year old daughter at a local Italian restaurant. I let the kids know that I was fully aware that dinner with their father's girlfriend was about as appealing as eating bugs as a contestant on "Fear Factor" and that seemed to help. Somewhere between appetizers and the main course, the BF blurted out something about my cooking skills. He invited them to dinner at his place on Sunday night. His two older kids immediately announced other plans were in place already. By the end of the night, his daughter offered to have a few friends over to his place to have brunch on Sunday morning and I agreed to whip up something special. The request was for French Toast. Thank goodness for the Internet...clearly, I did not travel with my cookbook collection and I felt the need to do something a little unique after the build up on my culinary skills. So, here it is:

Grand Marnier, Cheese Stuffed French Toast

12 slices firm-textured white bread
1/4 lb. butter
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
4 tbsp. Grand Marnier or orange juice, divided
1 1/2 tsp. orange zest (rind), grated
1/2 c. pecans, chopped (optional)
8 eggs or equivalent amount of egg substitute
2 1/2 c. milk
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
Strawberry or maple syrup
Powdered sugar (optional)

Butter 1 side of each bread slice; lay 6 slices flat, buttered side down, in lightly buttered 13 x 9 x 3 inch pan. In small bowl mix cream cheese, 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, orange zest and pecans, if desired. Spread evenly over bread in pan. Place remaining bread slices over top, buttered side up. In medium bowl, beat eggs, milk, granulated sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier until well blended. Pour over bread slices in pan. Refrigerate overnight. An hour before you are ready to serve brunch, bake bread at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Serve hot with warmed maple or strawberry syrup. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

The dish was a hit. I served it with turkey bacon, roasted potatoes, and pineapple boats with strawberries. The girls had fun and enjoyed the brunch.

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Frozen Lemon Torte

2007-05-15T10:23:00.000-04:00

Spring is in the air and a warm night is the perfect time to indulge in something sweet and refreshing. This frozen lemon torte takes minutes to make, but is always a crowd pleaser. I typically go to a locally owned Italian market (Sofo's) to buy the gourmet lady fingers. These should not be confused with the yellow, cake like lady fingers sold in most chain grocery stores as 'lady fingers'. They are NOT the same thing. The Italian version looks pretty with the light glaze and dusting of extra fine sugar on one side, and their crunch holds up during baking.

2 (3 oz.) packages of ladyfingers

2 (14 oz.) cans of sweetened condensed milk (OK to use 1 low fat can)

8 egg yolks

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

8 egg whites

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

confectioner's sugar

1 thin lemon slice (twisted) or one large strawberry for garnishing the top of the finished dessert

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line the bottom of a greased 9 inch spring form pan with some of the ladyfingers, trimming the lady fingers to fit if needed. Stand the remaining lady fingers around the edge of the pan, with the pretty side facing out. You will need to cut the bottom ends so the tops of the lady fingers are EVEN with the top of the edge of the pan. This is important! I missed this little clue the first time I made this and it just looked silly to have the tops of the lady fingers towering over the lemon part.

Whisk the condensed milk, egg yolks, lemon juice and lemon zest in a large bowl. Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar in a mixing bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold into the lemon mixture. Spoon into the prepared pan. I've always found that this recipe makes more filling than you need...so maybe you can use some leftover ladyfingers and a small souffle pan to make a mini tart? Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the top of the torte is light brown.

Cool pan on a wire rack. Freeze, covered with foil, for up to three months.

To serve, remove the side of the pan and place the torte on a cake plate. Dust lightly with confectioner's sugar and arrange the lemon slices in the center of the torte. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. I like to fan a strawberry on each plate. Leftovers may be refrozen.

Gotta be honest about that picture of the torte...I don't suppose I'm fooling anyone that the photo is a half a torte! I used it as the end of a dinner party before remembering that I wanted to put this lovely dessert on the blog. Oops.

Humpty Dumpty Egg Salad

2007-04-29T14:40:00.000-04:00

Once in awhile, we all crave the simple pleasures of childhood. Easy living when decisions pertained to what to eat for lunch, whether to run around outside or create some indoor fun. Right now, I'm juggling tight deadlines on a new community service project, the normal demands of my work schedule and efforts to maintain other ongoing activities. This afternoon, while doing some serious multi-tasking I got a hankering for an egg salad sandwich. Somewhere between running the vacuum cleaner, typing up a media release, and painting my toes for a job as a hostess during a fundraising event tonight...my brain shifted to egg salad.

Using just what I had in my kitchen, I whipped up a batch and I think it bears repeating.

3 hard boiled eggs (chopped)
2 tbs. low fat plain yogurt
1 tsp. Country Dijon Mustard
dash of Tobasco
1 tbs. chopped leeks

Combine all ingredients and stir until the egg salad starts to bind. Cover and chill for one hour or more until cold. If you want more crunch, diced celery is an old fashioned favorite. I like to serve egg salad on toasted whole wheat bread with sliced tomato and lettuce.

Rouge Bistro...Mais Oui!

2007-04-26T14:40:00.000-04:00

Rouge Bistro
6060 Renaissance Place
(off Holland-Sylvania Road btwn Sylvania Avenue and Brint Road)
Toledo, OH 43623
419-824-5890

(Due to technical issues with Blogger, this is a reprint from 1/07) Dinner on New Year's Eve is always a festive occasion. It was a pleasant surprise to enter a well decorated space and be transported to the ambiance of a contemporary French bistro.

The entryway contains a large fountain surrounded by four large columns papered with black and white photographs. The main room is divided into two areas, the elegant dining room and the bar with ample seating. The main dining room features white table cloths and modern leather chairs. The banquettes are dark wood with large black framed mirrors on the walls behind them. Dividing the bar area from the restaurant is another wood banquette decorated with large candelabras and an enormous vase with a grand bouquet of fresh flowers. The tables on the bar side are uncovered but the comfortable leather chairs remain. The bar also contains a communal table. Throughout the restaurant there are sensual large scale line drawings of female nudes on the ceiling. The red silk covered chandeliers, wood accents, red walls and black and white photographs are lovely and complement the subdued lighting.

There is something nice about leaving the bar traffic at the door on your way to a fine dining experience. However, the idea of providing a more informal atmosphere near the bar is chic for diners who prefer to dress causally. It will be a great asset for separating the business crowd from the very casual "regulars" on weeknights. We were seated on the bar side, near the front door and next to the piano and found that we were the official greeting committee as everyone heading for the bar needed to pass our table, and many others, to get there. If you watched closely, it was like seeing the diners at a row of tables doing "the wave" all night as each local celebrity entered the restaurant and headed to the bar.

The chef at Rouge is John Wesley. Most recently, found in the kitchen at Mancy's Italian. However, he is best known as the chef de cuisine at J.D. Wesley's: a locally owned fine dining establishment with an open kitchen that closed in the late '90's. Wesley's had many regulars, who were often spotted mid-week dining at the bar in jeans or sweatsuits and enjoying banter with the chef. Chef Wesley has a devoted following that will ensure the success of Rouge.
With this in mind, my dining companions and I were surprised by the ho-hum menu with entrees ranging from a slow cooked lamb shank in a citrus tomato au jus ($14) to two 8-10 oz cold water lobster tails ($58). No tantalizing essences, reductions, or unique flavor pairings to tempt us. Just the standard fare of beef tournedos, salmon, steaks, and chops. Personally, I'm bored with mashed potatoes as a featured side dish.

The salads were a la carte $5.50-$6.00. I enjoyed a roasted beet salad with haricot verts(French green beans), goat cheese and the mildest sliced fennel I've ever tasted. The dressing was a pleasant citrus vinaigrette. For dinner, I ordered the poached and braided salmon. It arrived virtually unbraided with three strands of salmon askew on a pile, and I mean a PILE, of wild rice. The Dijonnaise sauce was a sunny yellow pool sans gout. The accompanying sauteed vegetables were tender crisp but drowning in butter. My tablemate commented, "it looks like a plate slapped together for a banquet of 1,000 people".

The service was excellent. Our waiter, Jake, was previously a service star at The Vineyard. He is well versed on the menu and wine selections. He is extremely knowledgeable and attentive. It is always a special treat when the waiter can accurately describe the specials, wines on the menu and serve both the wine and the meal properly.

As it was near midnight when we finished our meal, we passed on the infamous chocolate "sac du bon bon" ($9) and other desserts to watch the ball drop over Times Square in a private home. For the uninitiated, the sac du bon bon is chocolate mousse inside of a chocolate sac with the shape and thinness of a paper bag. The sac is placed on a puddle of raspberry coulis and garnished with a little whipped cream and fresh raspberries. C'est magnifique!

I am apt to give new restaurants the benefit of the doubt during the initial weeks of being open. However, Rouge Bistro has the makings of a special place for dining in Toledo.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

PS. I returned this week to sample the appetizers. Accompanied by two friends, we ordered the fresh mussels, steamed with white, wine, garlic, shallot, and served with "thyme enhanced fries". I enjoyed using the fresh bread on the table to mop up the savory broth. The fries were sprinkled generously with a sea salt and herb mix and served in the traditionally French footed wire cone lined with parchment paper. The plate of three cheeses included St. Andre, Brie and Roquefort($9.50). While the menu suggests that the plate also contains sliced apple, the apples were replaced with chopped cucumber on an endive leaf and butterfly shaped crackers. I can only assume that a more varied assortment of cheeses and more refined crackers will come with subsequent menu updates and enhancements.

"Lime in Da Coconut"

2007-04-22T09:19:00.000-04:00

Hot weather demands cool refreshment. There's nothing more light and refreshing than the flavors of lime and coconut together. This is a fun recipe to make while listening to Harry Belafonte CDs..."You put da lime in da coconut and drink it all up..."

Crust
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 c. confectioners sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) cold, unsalted butter
1 cup Baker's angel flake coconut
1/2 c. chopped macademia nuts

Filling
1 1/4 cups superfine sugar
3/4 c. fresh lime juice
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 large eggs

Confectioners' sugar for dusting.

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 13x9 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. To make the crust, combine ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles small peas. Press into the bottom of the pan, using your knuckles to press down. Bake until browned (about 20 minutes). Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
3. To make the filling, combine the ingredients in the food processor and process until smooth. Do not let it get frothy or the bars will be pocked from the bubbles popping during baking. Pour over the baked crust and bake until the filling is set, another 20 minutes.
4. Let cool completely, then cut into twenty four 2 inch squares and dust with confectioners' sugar.

These can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

Bodacious Black Bean Dip

2007-04-22T09:14:00.000-04:00

Great recipes often come from friends, and should be shared with other friends. Last night, I was invited to a "kick-off the barbeque season" party and brought Jana's Bodacious Black Bean Dip. This is a great recipe because you can adjust the ingredients to taste and modify the consistency to please your own palate.

2 Cans black beans (rinsed and drained)
1/2 to 3/4 c. crumbled feta
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. salsa
juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup cilantro leaves
salt to taste

In a food processor, mince garlic. Add black beans, salsa and lemon juice. Puree until almost smooth but still a bit lumpy. Remove from processor. Add feta and cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips.

Typically, it takes about a large bag and a half of tortilla chips to eat all the bean dip this recipe makes. So if you're planning on taking it to a party, bring lots of chips. Bodacious black bean dip is also good to use for making Huevos Rancheros. However, I've never had leftovers!

Leeky Adaptation

2007-04-11T22:04:00.000-04:00

I've heard that for a chef to own a recipe, and not be violating copyright laws, at least one item in the ingredients must deviate from the original. This was passed on to me by my mother. I'm guessing it was something that Good Housekeeping used for recipe competitions in the 50's.

Going to the official website http://www.copyright.gov/. Article Fl122:

"Mere listings of ingredients as in recipes, formulas, compounds or prescriptions are not subject to copyright protection. However, where a recipe or formula is accompanied by substantial literary expression in the form of an explanation or directions, or when there is a combination of recipes, as in a cookbook, there may be a basis for copyright protection.
Protection under the copyright law (title 17 of the United States Code, section 102) extends only to “original works of authorship” that are fixed in a tangible form (a copy). “Original” means merely that the author produced the work by his own intellectual effort, as distinguished from copying an existing work. Copyright protection may extend to a description, explanation, or illustration, assuming that the requirements of the copyright law are met.
To register the directions or instructions of a recipe or cookbook, send the following three elements in the same envelope or package to the Library of Congress, Copyright Office, 101 Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20559-6000.

1. A completed application Form TX;
2. A nonrefundable filing fee (Current Fees)
3. A nonreturnable deposit of the work. The deposit requirements depend on whether the work has been published at the time of registration..."

Nothing in there about the number of items one needs to change in order for this to be copy written. So, I guess I can start publishing recipes as my own...as long as there is commentary around it?

That said, I'm taking the recipe from my previous "Artists make the Best Chefs" entry and sharing my most recent adaptation. Moving forward the name of the recipe will now be:

Penne con Gamberi, Asparagi e Porri
or GAP Penne

1/4 c. olive oil
Zest of 1 orange
2 garlic cloves minced
4 leeks, white part only, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. fresh chives
2 tbs dry white wine (or leftover champagne from Sunday Brunch!)
2 tbs. butter
1/2 lb. whole wheat penne
3/4 lb. pre cooked shrimp
Fresh grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

In a saute pan, combine zest, garlic leeks, salt/pepper and simmer 4-6 minutes covered. Slice 1/2 asparagus into 1 1/2 inch lengths. Add to saute pan. Also, add chives, wine, and butter and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add remaining asparagus to a 2 qt. saucepan or small stock pot of boiling water. Cook pasta with remaining asparagus. Rinse and drain shrimp then toss in sauce to heat thoroughly. Do not cook shrimp to long or it will get chewy. Drain pasta while reserving 1/2 c. of liquid. Remove overcooked asparagus from the colander and discard. Return pasta to the empty pot and add asparagus leek sauce & reserved liquid. Toss to combine. Top with cheese and serve. Serves 4.

The orange zest, champagne and the shrimp made this dish a beautiful combination of colors, textures and flavors.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

"No Bunny Blues"

2007-04-08T09:41:00.000-04:00

It's Easter Sunday. You are probably licking melted chocoloate bunnies off your lips wondering how anyone could miss this candy coated holiday. Perhaps you're grabbing another handful of jelly beans, sucking the sugar coating off some Peeps, or just chasing your kids around the house/yard while they look for Easter Eggs. The lamb is roasting in the oven and all your favorite dishes are sitting on the sideboard waiting for the hunt to end and the feasting to begin.

Ugh. I'm Jewish. No such luck for me.

When I was a little kid, my parents took the Bunny as a secular privilege and we were afforded the joys of an Easter basket. They even went far enough to let us join Christian friends for the feast...and the Easter egg hunt, of course. My best memory is in college...three of us were home from school and we got to hunt for eggs loaded with quarters! Nothing is a better treat to a college student than bright, shiny quarters for the laundry machines.

Now I'm an adult and I have to pretend Easter isn't happening. I'm having a typically Kosher buffet (sans wheat...because it is still Passover). This includes scrambled eggs with dill, lox, cream cheese, and a few slices of "Kosher for Passover" Matzo. I woke up this morning and whipped up a citrus salad featuring oranges, pink grapefruit, blood oranges, pineapple, kiwi and a few blueberries for contrast. Coffee is brewing and I'm contemplating opening up a bottle of champagne to drown the "no bunny blues" out of my chocolate obsessed mind...

Happy Easter to my chocolate coated, Christian friends!

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Artists Make the Best Chefs

2007-03-10T22:16:00.000-05:00

It's probably no surprise that artists can translate creativity to the kitchen. Recently, I made a recipe from a 3x5 card given to me by a combined media artist living and working in Toledo. Kay is a talented artist, well respected teacher, and a fabulous chef. A few days after making her recipe, I ran into her at the gym to thank her for the "gift that keeps on giving" and she didn't remember the recipe. So I shared some of the ingredients with her, offered to send her a copy and learned her spontaneous recommendation to substitute whole wheat pasta for the original capellini. I had actually substituted penne when I made it this week...

This particular recipe is easy to make on a weeknight, mild in flavor and a light dish for the health conscious among us.

Capellini with Asparagus

1/4 c. olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 leeks, white part only, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. fresh chives
2 tbs dry white wine
2 tbs. butter
1 lb. capellini (or whole wheat shapes of your choice)
Fresh grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

In a saute pan, combine zest, garlic leeks, salt/pepper and simmer 4-6 minutes covered. Slice 1/2 asparagus into 1 1/2 inch lengths. Add to saute pan. Also, add chives, wine, and butter and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add remaining asparagus to a 2 qt. saucepan or small stock pot of boiling water. Cook pasta with remaining asparagus. Drain pasta while reserving 1/2 c. of liquid. Remove overcooked asaparagus from the collander and discard. Return pasta to the empty pot and add asparagus leek sauce & reserved liquid. Toss to combine. Top with cheese and serve. Serves 4.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Wild Mushroom Warmup

2007-02-20T08:27:00.000-05:00

There is nothing more warming than a hot steaming bowl of risotto in the middle of winter. Last night, I went to our local Italian grocer (Sofo's) to pick up the essential ingredients to make a batch.

I was blessed to have a semester abroad in Italy and live with a family while I was a junior in college. Every night, my Italian mother would rush through the door at 8:00 to begin making dinner. She and her daughter owned a lingerie boutique that closed at 7:30pm. She literally ran into the house and went straight to the kitchen to start preparations. I always put my homework aside to talk to her while she cooked and try to pick up some of her recipes. This was something she served as a "primo piatto". She would probably be a little surprised that I serve it as a winter meal with a nice crisp salad with balsamic vinaigrette. However, I did learn that wild mushroom risotto tastes best with a glass of Orvieto Classico.

Wild Mushroom Risotto

32-48 oz chicken stock
2 tbs olive oil
1 cup arborio rice/risotto
.5 oz mixed wild mushrooms (dried)
2 tbs fresh rosemary leaves (or 1 tbs. dried) - thyme also works well
4 oz sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 medium yellow onion
1 clove garlic
2-3 tbs. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Begin by placing a large, deep saute pan on a medium high burner. Add olive oil. Saute onions just until they are clear and start to soften. Add the garlic to the pan. As the onions are softening, pour 1 cup boiling water over the dried mushrooms and soak in a separate bowl (not on the stove). I like to just use a glass measuring cup for this project and just microwave the water.

Return to the pan and add the risotto and stir briskly to coat each piece with oil. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the edges of each kernel start to become clear. Add the chicken stock about a half to 3/4 cup at a time and stir briskly until it is almost full absorbed by the rice...keep adding a little at a time while the risotto is fully cooked. After about twenty minutes, drain the mushrooms that were soaking in water (reserving the liquid). Add the reserved liquid to the pan and keep stirring. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once the risotto starts to absorb the mushroom broth, it will start to turn a light brown. At this point is is safe to throw in all of the mushrooms and thyme or rosemary. It usually takes about 40-45 minutes of constant stirring and adding the liquid to full cook the risotto. Once it is cooked, it will have a creamy consistency. The risotto will be mostly translucent with a small white cloud if you like it a bit al dente. At this point, you can grate Parmesan cheese on it, stir gently while still in the pan. Divide among four bowls and serve with additional grated Parmesan cheese.

Bon Appetito!

More Fun With Tofu

2007-02-17T12:24:00.000-05:00

After my first experiment with tofu, I decided that the second pound deserved the courtesy of a great recipe. I immediately reached for the James Beard award winning cookbook, "A Spoonful of Ginger: Irresistible, health-giving recipes from Asian kitchens" by Nina Simonds. Every recipe is carefully explained and fool proof.

As the cookbook states, "This hearty and delicious entree incorporates the best of Sichuan cooking: The spicy sauce plays off the contrasting textures of the tofu, crisp peanuts and crunchy broccoli."

"Tofu stir-fried with vinegar is a traditional folk remedy for malaria and dysentery. Peanuts are believed to improve the appetite and lubricate the lungs. An age old remedy for hypertention is ground peanut shells that is steeped in water to make a tea that is drunk three times a day for at least 20 days."

Vegetarian Kung Pao with Broccoli and Peanuts

1 1/2 lbs. firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch slabs

1 pound broccoli, ends trimmed and stalks peeled

5 1/2 tbs. canola or corn oil

Seasonings

3 tbs minced scallions, white part only

2 tbs minced garlic

3 tbs minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon hot chile paste

1 cup 1 inch lengths scallion greens (about 5 scallions)

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced water chestnuts, blanched 10 seconds in boiling water, then refreshed in cold water and drained

Sauce (mix together)

1 cup Classic Chicken Broth (canned or boxed is an ok substitute)

1 tbs. soy sauce

3 1/2 tbs. rice wine or sake (cooking sherry works in a pinch)

2 tbs. sugar

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 tbs Chinese black vinegar or Worcestershire Sauce

1 1/4 tbs corn starch

1. Wrap the tofu slabs in paper towels or a cotton towel, and place a heavy weight, such as a cast iron skillet, on top. Let stand for 30 minutes to press out the excess water/ Cut the tofu into slices about 1/2 inch thick and 2 1/2 inches long. Place them in a bowl.

2. Cut away the broccoli florets and separate into bite-sized pieces. Cut the stalks on the diagonal into 1 inch pieces. Heat a large pot of water until boiling. Add the broccoli and boil for 3 minutes. Drain, refresh under cold water, and drain again.

3. Heat a large, heavy skillet and add 2 1/2 tbs of the oil. Arrange some of the tofu slices in the pan and sear over high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove with a spatula and drain in a colander. Reheat the pan and add 2 more tablespoons of oil. Continue frying the rest of the slices. Remove and drain.

4. Reheat the skillet or a wok, add the remaining tablespoon of oil, heat until hot and add the Seasonings. Stir fry briefly, about 15 seconds, then add the scallion greens and water chestnuts, and stir fry over high heat about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the premixed sauce, and cook, stirring continuously to prevent lumps, until it thickens. Add the broccoli, fried tofu, and peanuts. Toss lightly to coat and heat through. Scoop the dish onto a serving platter. Serve with steamed rice.

Drifting Away...on St. Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T18:40:00.000-05:00

As Toledo emerges from a Level 3 snow emergency**, I await the preparation of a Valentine's Day dinner with my Valentine. On the menu tonight: filet mignon, polenta with a portabello mushroom ragout, a light salad, and a sinful dessert involving large amounts of dark chocolate. Perhaps the dessert is wishful thinking on my part?

I have to admit that I have a really poor track record when it comes to romance. I managed to order some Teuscher champagne truffles on line, and they arrived in a timely fashion. Perfection. Given that the nearest Teuscher chocolate shop is in Chicago, this was well received as a thoughtful gesture. However, my attempt to write a sweet and sentimental message on a greeting card ended in tragedy.

My Valentine is house sitting for parents in Florida. Unknown to me, all mail is being forwarded to the sunshine state. While I am not ashamed of my affection, the idea of his octogenarian parents seeing my romantic sentiments by inadvertently opening the envelope leaves me a little apprehensive. What if they read it? What if they decide I'm a little "over the top" or slightly deranged? Or worse yet, they are not sympathetic to my sloppy sentiments and less than perfect spelling!

For now, I will direct my attention to the preparation of polenta. Ciao, bello!

8:54PM Dinner was a tasty as it looks. The portobello ragout included rosemary, garlic, a splash of red wine and a yummy cream sauce. Dessert exceeded my wildest expectations. My Valentine secretly steamed open a handful of fortune cookies and put in some homemade fortunes. So kind, so thoughtful, so delicious! I am in lust, in love, in culinary bliss. The Glass City Gourmet can drift away in a gust of gourmet delicacies and romantic mischief.

** For those in more temperate climates, during a Level 3 snow emergency all "non-emergency" traffic is forbidden by law. It's not that law enforcement wants to issue tickets to offenders, it's just that extraneous traffic will prevent road crews from efficiently cleaning up roads and increases the probability of accidents. This is serious business. Level 3 emergency status is rare...even in the snow belt.

Tofu...Who Knew?

2007-02-13T14:19:00.000-05:00

I'm the first person to admit having a fear, and perhaps even a suspicion, about tofu. In defense of tofu, it is a low cost, low fat and high protein staple. In the interest of culinary research, I bought a 16 0z. package from Claudia's Natural Food Market (3344 Secor Road - Toledo, OH).

After spending a few minutes in the parking lot googling "tofu" I found a seemingly innocuous recipe:

Tofu Stir Fry with Broccoli and Carrots
1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. dry sherry
2 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs cornstarch
1 tsp chicken seasoning
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1 cup sliced carrots
1 clove garlic
3 cups broccoli florets
6 oz. tofu (cubed, MoriNu Lite)

Stir fry carrots and garlic in a small amount of cooking oil for 2 minutes. Add broccoli and continue to stir fry for 3-4 minutes or until the broccoli starts to soften a little. Push the veggies to the side to create a well in the middle of your wok. Add the sauce and stir until the sauce becomes thick and bubbly. Add the tofu and toss all ingredients for an additional minute (to heat the tofu and season the vegetable mix). Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and serve with a side of cooked rice.

I have absolutely no idea what "chicken seasoning" is. Sounds to me like something that people buy to season the flour before whipping up some fried chicken. Or maybe its something you can sprinkle on a breast before grilling? Regardless, I substituted "Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute". This is always flavorful and does not contain salt. I also prefer to use Lite soy sauce to save a few grams of salt. I drained the tofu of water and cut up the pieces into 1/4 inch thick rectangles. I suppose 1/2 inch cubes would have been good looking, too.

The recipe tastes a little bit too much like the sherry. I think next time I'll cut it back a bit. Otherwise, its a great recipe. Easy to whip up with minimal ingredients and a pleasant flavor.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

A Taste of Thai in T-Town

2006-12-29T07:56:00.000-05:00

Bangkok Kitchen
582 Dussel Dr. Maumee, OH
419-897-7777

One of my favorite evenings in Toledo involves a large table at Bangkok Kitchen and an ecclectic group of people sharing dishes, passing hot tea and laughing together.

Our host is a glass artist and metalsmith with an international reputation both for her work and vivacious personality (www.labinostudio.com). Among her friends, she is known for being a great chef and an exceptional hostess. Thai night is always full of surprises...

Last night, she brought the "Stump" family. We toasted their reunion and the coming new year with a chilled bottle of blanc de blancs champagne. I was delighted to recognize one of the Stumps as my favorite, former yoga instructor. I was so sad when she and her family moved out of town. Her husband is an accomplished painter (www.jasonnikel.net) . Her brother, a talented chef based in Jackson Hole. I was in heaven. This is my idea of perfect dining companions. In one conversation I was learning about using coffee grounds as part of a seasoning rub for seared elk...in the next we were talking about the permanent collection at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute in Utica, NY. I was totally blissed out!

The assorted dishes flew fast and furious around the table. Laab, drunken noodles, curries, spring rolls, more spicy cold salads, steamed fish, roasted duck and more. 15 people, at least a dozen dishes, and it ended up costing $14.00/person with tip. This is just another joy of Thai night.

Get a nice group of friends and head over to Bangkok Kitchen for sensory overload. If your only experience of Thai food is a plate of greasy, tasteless Pad Thai noodles - ask for help. The waitstaff knows the menu well and will be able to help you broaden your horizons with more interesting and authentically Thai flavors...thai basil, lemon grass, cilantro, red chili pepper, and curry.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Oo-La-La, Rugelach!

2006-12-19T17:50:00.000-05:00

Happy Chanukah, Toledo!

In honor of the festival of lights and the annual cookie exchange with my book group, I decided to take on a few rugelach recipes. Rugelach literally means “little horn”. The first recipe, comes from Joan Nathan, the best of Jewish cookbook authors. The second comes from Martha Stewart, the woman who provides America with the best of everything.

Rugelach is not as easy to prepare as it is to pronounce. Yes, it rhymes with oo-la-la. The dough is a combination of 8 oz of cream cheese and two sticks of butter with a little bit of flour to hold it together. It is creamy, sinful, and delicious. If it is done right, it melts in your mouth. However, if you’ve ever worked with butter and cream cheese, or tried to make a homemade pie crust, you probably know the challenges associated with this type of dough. If not, suffice it to say that butter and cheese melt easily and render the combination a sticky goo.

After whipping up each of the doughs, I had to refrigerate them. Martha Stewart recommended waiting six hours for the dough to chill. Joan Nathan, clearly the superior chef in this instance, only has to wait an hour. While waiting, I decided to shave my Scharfen Berger chocolate for the chocolate rugelach. At the end of an hour I pulled out the dough and found that it was too warm and too gooey for me to handle. Joan Nathan has probably been making rugelach for 50 years and is willing to ice her hands to create perfect pastry. I am a complete novice and a bit of a wimp. I chose to give the dough 24 hours to chill thoroughly and begged my Mom to let me use her kitchen. She has top of the line appliances and yards of granite counter tops. I needed any advantage I could find for success with this project.

For those of you who are blessed to have granite countertops as a decorative touch to an unused kitchen, I urge you to try out a rugelach recipe or anything involving filo dough to see the benefits for which you paid dearly. Some luxuries are very practical.

Sunday afternoon, I went to my Mom’s kitchen to make the batches. I decided to use the Joan Nathan dough to make the traditional rugelach “little horn” shape. This was more challenging than I expected. While the dough was cool enough for me to handle it easily, rolling it into a perfect circle to cut identically sized wedges was a little more stressful. After the first two batches, I realized that my circles would never be symmetrical. The easiest solution was to cut the circle in half and then use a pizza wheel to cut each wedge with an even 1 ½ inch outer edge. Perfection. Once I made this adjustment, the batches turned out with identically sized cookies. Presentation still counts in the world of cookie baking.

The Martha Stewart recipe worked somewhat differently. I had to roll the pastry into 8” x 12” rectangles, add the filling, and then roll the pastry into a long roll for baking. This was a helluvalot easier than the “little horn” method. I ended up using her apricot jam, dried currant, walnut and cinnamin filling for three of the rolls. I had leftover chocolate from the Joan Nathan recipe and decided to try this shape with chocolate and pecans…just to see if I preferred one dough over the other.

In the end, the Martha Stewart rolls look fabulous…but the Joan Nathan dough tastes much better. For a novice, I would suggest using the Joan Nathan dough and the Martha Stewart fillings.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Sushi in Suburbia

2006-12-08T21:46:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure when, or even how, it happened but Sushi has taken a huge turn to the West and gone completely mainstream. In an effort to seduce the Midwestern palate, Japanese sushi chefs have developed a variety of maki rolls to suit even the most sushi-shy of Midwesterners. Cream cheese, artificial crab meat, and even "Tasuda Age" (fried chicken nuggets) are now part of this hybrid cuisine. "McMaki Rolls" must be in product development as I type this.

Restaurant Pacific
7629 Sylvania Avenue
Sylvania, Ohio 43560
419-841-8484

Upon entering Restaurant Pacific, it is clear that the restaurant is designed to appeal to the masses. It features bright yellow walls adorned with flat screen tvs that display looping videos of tropical fish swimming in their natural habitat. The videos are mesmerizing, and I couldn't help but stare at the walls while waiting for my dining companion.

In an effort to sample the menu, we ordered the "House Dinner for Two" ($29.95). This is described as "Our famous boat dinner for two, now served with chef special Sashimi, Sushi Roll, Vegetables Tempura, Lobster Tail, Teriyaki Steak, Seaweed Salad and daily side in boat style dish. In addtion, it also includes miso soup, house salad, Yakisoba and choice of ice cream."

The first dish is the Yakisoba. These are cold soba noodles in a peanut sauce. The sauce is rather salty and somewhat bland. We were both underwhelmed with the first course. The miso soup and house salad are standard Midwestern sushi house fare. I'll never really know how a bibb lettuce salad coated with an orange, ginger, and rice wine vinegar dressing made it to the Midwest sushi house menu, but it is wildly popular in this town. The miso soup is hot and predictably pleasant.

As soon as we finished the starters, the infamous boat dinner for two docked at our table. The boat is beautiful. Each piece is artfully arranged and the presentation is certainly Japanese. One of the unique features of the meal is a boiled lobster tail filled with teriyaki grilled chunks of lobster meat. While I found the meat to be a bit dry and chewy, my dining companion had no trouble finishing the remaining pieces. She was equally pleased with the assortment of tempura vegatables. I managed to find a couple of small pieces of sushi grade tuna in the tip of the boat and promptly devoured them.

Surely there is a place for a Japanese restaurant that serves Americanized dishes. Judging by the crowd that night, and the number of stir fry dishes on the menu, this is what Toledo wants.

If you are looking for "Sushi light" this is a lovely restaurant with a great mix of Americanized Japanese and Chinese dishes. It is probably a good place for family dining as well. The cooked dishes outnumber the sushi dishes about 8:1 so it may be a great place for someone who has never tried Japanese cuisine of any kind.

For now, I will continue my quest to find a sensuous plate of sashimi in Toledo, Ohio (hira giri, please). In the meantime, there's always NYC....

Any Given Sunday

2006-09-28T18:08:00.000-04:00

Another Sunday night and I'm hoping to clean out my fridge of the week's leftovers. Tonight, I'm bringing back the notorious "Sunday Salad". Today's random assortment of produce and seasonings includes:

romaine lettuce
skinned and grilled chicken breasts
black bean corn salsa (Trader's Joe's Fresh Salsa)
shredded sharp cheddar
tomatoes
red pepper chopped avocado
sliced leeks (no green onions available!)
a few tablespoons of Marzetti's Southwest Dressing

chopped cilantro

a few white corn chips (for crunch!)

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and toss before serving. Nothing fancy, just a quick easy combination of the leftovers in my kitchen and an easy Sunday dinner is prepared.

Ole!

Another Reason to Go Organic

2006-09-18T21:48:00.000-04:00

You've heard the news: Ecoli found in Spinach is killing people...or, at the very least, giving a few people a bad case of diarrhea.

In the last 24 hours I've witnessed wide spread panic in the food service industry. Last night, I ordered an Italian chop salad and was advised that spinach containing dishes would not be served. It took me about 5 minutes to convince the waitress that the Italian chop contains arugula, radiccio, and romaine lettuce (rather than spinach). This morning, I went to a breakfast meeting and was greeted at the door of a local egg cafe with a sign that read: "In response to the ecoli warning, we will not be serving spinach in this restaurant".

In all honesty, I never really considered spinach to be such a staple of fine dining.

Prior to going to the breakfast meeting, I was pleased to wake up and hear on NPR that Organic Spinach is not likely to be affected by this bacteria. From All Things Considered:

All Things Considered, September 18, 2006 · The California produce company that's been linked to a widening nationwide E. coli outbreak is at odds with the Food and Drug Administration over what's causing the illness. Natural Selection Foods said Monday that its organic spinach has been cleared as the source of outbreak. But government health inspectors disputed the company's claim and said nothing has been ruled out. I recommend tapping the link and learning all about the ins and outs of ecoli and spinach.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6098858

I'm not an alarmist by nature. I happen to have a recycled plastic container filled with triple washed organic spinach in my fridge right now. I also happened to eat a chopped tomato, cucumber, garlic and balsamic vinaigrette salad decorated with a chiffonade of organic spinach with my dinner tonight. 3 hours later and I'm still doing fine.

No hang gliding, high speed motorcycle riding, or repelling necessary to validate my zest for life. I'll just whip up a mushroom, spinach and jarlsberg omelet in the morning. But, just to be safe, I'll wear a helmet and "Go Organic".

NB, Since publishing this article there have been several deaths linked to the ecoli bacteria. I deeply regret making light of this situation and extend an apology to anyone reading this after these deaths occured.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

A Slice of Heaven

2006-09-11T22:00:00.000-04:00

On Thursday night, I went to the Ball Park to watch the Mudhens. Munching on peanuts and sipping a beer was not enough to keep me going. After the game, I split a piece of salmon and some crab cakes with a friend. This was still not enough food for me. So a little later, I met up with other pals at a local watering hole and found out about another new secret in Toledo...

Home Slice
28 S St. Clair Street
419-724-PIES
Downtown Delivery is free ($10 minimum order)
Toledo, OH

This is an original, New York style pizzeria. It is furnished with just a few sticky tables and chairs with a clear view of the pizza ovens behind the counter. This is not a place for a romantic date. This is a place to quench a late night appetite and soak up some of the deadly toxins in your tummy. Regardless, it's exactly what I remember from college on the East Coast...a real slice of NY "Za" in a simple pizzeria. In college it was $3 for three slices or $3 for 2 slices and a soda. Yes, "soda" is the term that is still used in the East for what Midwesterners commonly refer to as "pop".

The price has changed but nothing beats a skinny, bubbling pizza crust with hot mozzarella and sweet tomato sauce. A true "slice" is always served on a plain, white Dixie paper plate. The paper pulp soaks up some of the cheese grease. Plastic or china wouldn't work. I always liked to add a dash of garlic powder, a sprinkle of dried basil and a few of the crushed red peppers available in disposable plastic shakers on the counter of "NY ZA" in Hamilton, NY. I didn't see these at Home Slice, but I wasn't looking either. I was too much in awe of the properly shaped slice, its consistency and the wonderful smells around me.

The beauty in a slice of Za is that the crust is thin enough so that you can fold the slice in half to eat it. This serves the purpose of keeping all the cheese grease in one place and preventing the diner from burning his/her mouth on the bubbling cheese. Somehow, the crust manages to cool off just enough between the oven and the service counter to spare the roof of your mouth. Leave the slice open, and you risk spending a week playing with the raw, hanging flesh on the roof of your mouth.

It is still the perfect antidote to an empty stomach and one too many pints of cheap beer. Upstairs is another throw back to my college days, the skinny bar. The space is long and narrow with elbow high tables and plenty of bar stools. It is the ideal setting for not-so-serious beer drinking. We hung out long enough to hear a set of cover tunes from a cute guitar player who was not afraid to use his notes to sing lyrics written before he was born. He added to the charm of the place, really.

I will definitely go back soon in yet another attempt to recapture lost youth with heavy drinking and the joys of a hot slice of fresh Za.

N.B., On the 5th year anniversary of the 9-11 attacks, sharing a little slice of New York within Toledo is a small recognition of the simple pleasures of life that we so often take for granted.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Rhodes Garden Fresh Market

2006-09-03T19:04:00.000-04:00

Every once in awhile, I stumble upon a hidden treasure in Toledo. A few weeks ago, it was Rhodes' Garden Fresh Market. In all honesty, it has probably been around since before I was born. But I missed it. The worst part is that I lived within walking distance of this fine produce oasis for almost two years. It is on a busy road, hidden behind a chain link fence and tons of outdoor garden supplies. I always assumed it was a nursery. But, thanks to the Food Momiac...www.foodmomiac.com, I now know better!

The beauty of Rhodes' is the fresh produce and special labels to designate locally grown products. Apparently, government assistance programs for seniors and WIC favor locally grown produce. This is refreshing news. It also affords Rhodes' to have a large selection of these delicacies.

On my first visit, I stuck to the local products and managed to bring home a few pounds of Catawba Island free stone peaches, some healthy looking broccoli, Michigan blueberries, a pint of raspberries, and some vine ripened tomatoes. The peaches and raspberries were transformed into a fresh baked pie. The rest became a part of a very healthy week of menus at my apartment.

Today, I went back to Rhodes' and picked up some leeks, fresh basil, more of the succulent vine ripened tomatoes, and a nice compliment of locally grown berries. Recipes to follow.

Rhodes' Garden Fresh
4171 Monroe Street
Toledo, OH 43606

http://www.flickr.com/photos/glasscitygourmet/233218813/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/glasscitygourmet/233218810/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/glasscitygourmet/233218809/

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

A Semi-Sweet Secret

2006-08-29T22:27:00.000-04:00

This secret is probably not going to make the headlines, but I love chocolate. DARK CHOCOLATE. I always have a bag of semi-sweet morsels in my freezer for weekly cravings. A quick handful is usually enough to quench this desire.

Monday night I went shopping for a hostess gift at Churchill's, a locally owned gourmet grocery store on Salisbury Road. While I managed to pick up a lovely bottle of Cote du Rhone, I also decided to check out the chocolate aisle in the name of "blogging research". I found a great selection of baking and eating chocolates. European, South American and eco-friendly brands are available. But I honed in on the Scharffen Berger and managed to walk out of the store with a 9.7 oz box of semisweet, 62% cacao, pure dark chocolate.

Scharffen Berger is very special chocolate. It has not been around very long. Founded in 1996 by wine and champagne maker John Scharffenberger and physician turned chocolatier Robert Steinberg, it is the first American chocolate manufacturer founded in the last fifty years. However, it is consistently rated as one of the best cooking chocolates on the market for its properties when tempered.

Terrific! Great to know!

I make chocolate souffles on rare occasions. Usually as a finale for a small dinner party. I still haven't tackled a recipe for pot de creme. The box clearly says, "perfect for baking & eating". So I can just eat it, right?

I barely made it through the party that night. I was there for three hours, drinking wine, laughing and eating as little as possible. After three hours, I couldn't wait another minute and graciously exited. I was able to make it back to the privacy of my own home before ripping open the box and nibbling on this giant bar of chocolate heaven.

I managed to consume about an ounce of chocolate during the first sitting.

I feel great. I feel happy. I feel patriotic eating premiere American chocolate. I feel like a crazed lunatic who gave up a social occasion to sit quietly by herself and savor a new box of chocolate.

I need to keep my semi-sweet secret to myself.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

BananaRama

2006-08-10T07:37:00.000-04:00

I must admit that I have a unique relationship with the banana, and it's NOT sexual. As a small child, I collected bananas...Specifically glass, wood, pottery, limoges, kitchen utensils, magnets, ceramic jars, just about anything shaped like a banana or with a banana on it. There are no monkeys in this collection. Something about the sunny yellow color of a banana and the fact that they are shaped like a smile really appeals (horrible pun!) to me. Now that you know someone who collects banana crafts you will start seeing them everywhere. My collection of nearly 60 bananas is now carefully wrapped and boxed. As an adult, it's just too weird to keep around the house. The last time I had it displayed, circa 1994, my boyfriend at the time called it "quaint". Needless to say, that relationship lasted for awhile.

It's been a very long time since I've let any bananas get brown. Usually, I slice them up on a bowl of Grape Nuts or put them on toast with cream cheese and cinnamon. This week was one of those weeks. So I mashed them with a fork and whipped up a loaf of banana bread. This is an old recipe from my Mom who swears that the sour cream is what keeps the bread moist. She also throws in a little lemon juice so the bananas don't turn totally brown. I recommend slathering a slice with cream cheese or canned chocolate frosting (Yup, I said "canned". Duncan Hines is best!) before eating.

1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 cup (or one stick) of sweet butter
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
3/4 c. mashed bananas
2 tbs. sour cream
1/2 c. chopped pecans

Mix together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside. Work the butter until soft, then work in the sugar, a little at a time, until smooth. Beat eggs, one at a time, add the vanilla, lemon juice and bananas. Stir into the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream. Last of all, mix in the nuts. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake in a preheated 350*F oven for 1 hour or until a toothpick tested in the center of the loaf comes out dry. Remove from pan and cool on a rack. Cut in thin slices and serve.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Argeeleh Adventure

2006-07-26T17:05:00.000-04:00

One of the most wonderful gourmet experiences is to have a meal in someone else's home. There is nothing else quite like the love and attention most people place on cooking for friends and family. I am blessed to have friends from a variety of backgrounds and truly enjoy the opportunity to sample cuisines from around the world and immerse myself in the experience.

Last Sunday, I got to join my friend Nancy's family for what she termed, "A Big Fat Lebanese Birthday Party". This involved several dozen of her relatives and an enormous buffet of Middle Eastern delicacies. I volunteered to be the photographer for the day as a chance to meet everyone and capture this fun afternoon (btw: My flickr sight is clogged with 50+ photos from the party...so stick to the links on this one!)

Her mother spent the entire afternoon in the kitchen! She only left once...to watch her grandson open his birthday gifts.

The menu included...

Boiled fava beans lightly salted and served with lemon wedges. I think this is the Lebanese equivalent of Edamame.

Lubia: Green beans and tomatos. I don't have a recipe, but it appears that the tomatoes and green beans are stewed and then chilled before serving.

Fatoosh: The super salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, a tart vinaigrette with sumac and topped with fried pita chips.

Tabooli: A great salad of parsley, tomatoes, cracked barley and another great vinaigrette.

Hommos: Chick peas, garlic, tahini, and olive oil blended into a heavenly spread.

Shish Tawook: Mostly grilled chicken that was marinated in tahini

Shish Kafta: My Wasband refers to these as "donkey dicks". Not a very nice way of describing such a scrumptious blend of ground lamb and spices, shaped according to his description, and baked to meatloaf consistency.

Fatayer: These are little square or triangle shaped pies that hold either ground and seasoned lamb, spinach and pine nuts, or cheese. I love them. Often they are lined up like little soldiers on a serving tray, which makes them look particularly smart, and they are delicious.

Rice: My friend's family serves their rice pilaf with corn in it. Yummy.

Baked Kibbe: More ground lamb shaped into mini footballs and fried. Somehow they managed to conceal a few pine nuts in the center of each little orb.

It didn't end with the buffet. Once dinner seemed to be officially over, the pastries started flying on large silver trays...variations of baklava and others that I couldn't name but had no trouble trying...then came the Turkish Coffee...served from small pots into demi-tasse.

That's when they broke out the Argeelah. Each pipe was stuffed with fresh tobacco leaves that had been stewed in rose water and/or apple essence. It took me a few tries to learn how to puff on the Argeelah without inhaling the smoke and choking. Once I got it, I was unstoppable!

I, of course, had to pause to ask for a lesson in Argeelah etiquette. I learned:

- Hold the hose and mouthpiece with your right hand, as the left hand is viewed as being unclean in some cultures.
- When passing the mouthpiece, pass it with your right hand, and make sure the face of the mouthpiece is facing you. If the mouthpiece is facing the recipient, this can be viewed as a sign of disrespect.
- When lighting the coal, hold it in midair with the tongs. It should spark for a few seconds. After the coal has finished sparking place it back down on top of the tobacco.

Got it? So there I was, sipping Turkish Coffee and joyously puffing on the Argeelah. If I could have learned a little Arabic you would have come upon the scene and thought I was part of this wonderful family.

Just when I thought I couldn't take on anything else, trays of fresh cut fruit arrived at the table. It's summer, so they had watermelon, pineapple and yellow cherries.

As the sun started to set behind the house, I departed with a flurry of hearty handshakes and cheek kisses (Left, Right, Left! Three quick kisses in each good-bye) feeling very full and very loved.

The good news: The family owns the Middle East Market on 2222 North Reynolds Road. Many of Nancy's family members work there and cook there. I will be using the Market to cater a meal for one of my customers next week and reliving this fabulous, sensuous experience - minus the Argeelah.

N.B., I am not insensitive to the timing of this article and the current crisis in Lebanon. Keep in mind that the afternoon included intimate stories from one of the family members present who had to flee the country with her children as the military conflict began. In addition, there was an ongoing broadcast of a Lebanese news station via satellite television.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/glasscitygourmet/199065405/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/glasscitygourmet/199065408/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/glasscitygourmet/199066853/

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Red, White & Blue Breakfast

2006-07-06T20:15:00.000-04:00

As long as I can remember, my family has celebrated the July 4 holiday with a "Red, White & Blue Breakfast". Complete with hand flags and other table accessories, the "Red, White & Blue Breakfast" was something that my older brother and I took very seriously.

Early on my Dad made the decision that bananas would be the only means of portraying white in breakfast foods. Red could be raspberries or strawberries. Blue was only blueberries. But the decision to forego whipped cream in favor of bananas was out of respect for me...a true banana lover.

Some years, we had pancakes filled with each of the three patriotic fruits. Like the crisp lines of Old Glory, it is not appropriate to mix different fruit in a single pancake. One strawberry pancake. One blueberry pancake. One banana pancake. The three were stacked high and held in place with an American Flag toothpick. Other years, we ventured to waffles. Same rules for mixing fruit. At one point, we hit the crepe craze and my Dad used the back side of a Revereware saute pan as a crepe maker. We quickly determined that crepes were somehow un-American, and went back to the pancake and waffle staples in future years.

Decorations were an essential part of the holiday. In addition to the standard flag waving outside our home, my Mom scouted for table favors, placemats, napkins and other accessories to strike a festive mood. One year, after seeing the movie 1776, my brother and I decided to create our own fife and drum band using an empty paper towel roll as a fife and a coffee can as a drum. We both wore the appropriate colors, including a bright red pair of swim goggles on my brother and a hand towel as a head scarf. We marched through the kitchen to entertain our parents. I will try to find that photo for this article. It is priceless!

Another year, I think it was the year that Christopher Reeve played Superman in the blockbuster movie, I dressed up as "Super Four" and jumped off of our kitchen countertops wearing a blue towel as a cape. Again, using items around the house, a costume was born.

I still look forward to the "Red, White and Blue" breakfast and hope that at some point I can pass this festive tradition on to my niece and nephew who live far away from me.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/glasscitygourmet/186740810/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/glasscitygourmet/186740809/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/glasscitygourmet/186740811/

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Cool as a cup of cucumber dill soup!

2006-06-22T15:48:00.000-04:00

Humidity is the one thing that characterizes summer in Northwest Ohio. Hot, sunny, sticky days. Those from the South may laugh at these claims, but everything is relative. I grew up in a house without air conditioning. 90 degrees with 80 percent humidity for at least a full month. I remember my family going to the movies or just hanging out in the freezer aisle of a local grocery store to cool off. I also have laughable memories of trying to get to sleep with the rumbling sound of an attic fan and an ice cube melting in my belly button.

It's late June in Toledo, and we're already there. Thank goodness for central air.

Tonight I'm meeting up with my book group and bringing a tureen of Cold Cucumber Soup. Once again, this is someone else's recipe. This time from the Moosewood Cookbook: A classic vegetarian cookbook published in 1977 by Mollie Katzen and friends. Published by 10 Speed Press, it is "compiled, edited, illustrated and hand-lettered by Mollie Katzen". The worn, dog eared pages and Mollie's tidy handwriting make it feel like a gift from a friend.

Chilled Cucumber Yogurt Soup

4 cups peeled, seeded and chopped cucumber
2 cups water
2 cups yogurt*
1 clove garlic
several fresh mint leaves
1 tbs. honey
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. dill weed
chopped scallions or chives

Puree everything together in the blender (save the scallions for garnish).

I use 2 whole cloves of garlic, 1 tbs. fresh dillweed (instead of 1/4 tsp. dried), and use Fage yogurt for this recipe. It isn't too big of a deviation from the original, but I like the extra creaminess that comes from using Fage and I can never get enough garlic in anything.

I typically ladle the soup into chilled mugs or bowls and garnish with a whole mint leaf and chopped up scallions and dill.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/glasscitygourmet/186744341/

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Variety is The Spice of Life

2006-06-15T22:28:00.000-04:00

A spice rack says more about a cook than a trip to the medicine cabinet says about a bachelor.

My new kitchen is a galley kitchen. There just isn't enough space in the cabinets to store my spice jars so that I may read them and grab what I need in a hurry. Elevation between rows is critical, and the built in shelves that can't be moved are a real hindrance.

I ended up putting my spice rack on a counter, next to the stove. Handy for cooking, but probably a bit intimidating for visitors. I am proud to report that there are 39 jars of herbs, spices and other seasonings on this rack. Starting with Whole Alspice (back left) and ending with Fancy White Pepper (front right), this is what I affectionately refer to as the "A" Team.

The "A" Team ranges from the ordinary: Basil, Rosemary, Thyme, and Parsley Flakes. To the obscure: Spanish Mancha Saffron Strands, Ground Moroccan Coriander and Ground Szechuan Pepper. The Moroccan Coriander label will tempt you with, "..hints of orange, anise and cumin lend depth to savory and sweet recipes". The Saffron Strands are worthless without a hot bath. I learned in a cooking class at The Greenbrier that the best way to cull both flavor and color from Saffron is to put a splash of white wine in the hot water. It works. I've used the Saffron water in Milanese Risotto and as a stock for cooking white rice.

I've read that you shouldn't keep spices for more than a few months. I do my best, on occasion, to clean out the jars and replace the contents with more freshly dried herbs. Yet, the fact remains that these are no more than dehydrated plant life with no stamped expiration dates. So I ask myself, how stale could they really get?

There are three members of the "A" Team that don't sit on the rack: 1) The olive oil. I keep mine carefully stored in a hand painted glass bottle with a whiskey pour top. I feel very talented pouring without a drip. 2) My rock salt and whole peppercorn grinders. This is yet another affectation for a wanna-be chef and 3) A small ceramic canister of kosher salt that has a Barbie sized wooden spoon attached to it.

Then there is the "B" Team. These are stored in the cabinet above the counter. They include things like pine nuts, sun dried tomatoes, sesame seeds, dehydrated oyster and shiitake mushrooms and baking essentials. These are all great to have around when you don't feel like shopping but want to whip up something really tasty. However, I don't reach for these things every day, so they are stored off the counter. The "B" Team also includes spices I don't want anyone to know that I have...

No, I'm not talking about Spanish Fly here.

I'm talking about pre-fab rubs, pastes and marinades (a.k.a "RPMs"). A dear friend of mine, who is an outstanding cook, refers to RPMs as "cheaters". On occasion, the Glass City Gourmet will grab a jar of the Trader Joe's "21 Seasoning Salute" instead of creating her own masterpiece. Ditto for "Old Bay Seasoning", "Herbs de Provence", and the ever popular "Lawry's Salt". Sometimes, I'll even buy an overpriced marinade that was mass produced for a celebrity chef. No matter how good, or how beautifully packaged it may be...it will remain part of the "B" Team. When I use it in a recipe and take it to a someone's house, I always add a pinch of something to try and disguise it. I try not to admit that some portion of my offering came from a jar. I can't bring myself to do it. I hope you are thinking, "I'm sure that doesn't happen very often, does it?". Not really. I'm not very good at being dishonest. Even if I tried to lie about my ingredients, my closest friends would be able to identify the offending "cheater" and lovingly give me a hard time for pretending it was my own creation.

"Cheaters" aside, the beauty of my spice rack is it's efficiency. With all this on hand, it is a rare occasion that I need to buy spices for any recipe I might choose to prepare.

If variety truly is the spice of life, the Glass City Gourmet is one spicy gal.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/glasscitygourmet/171652660/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/glasscitygourmet/171652661/

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Bang! Bang! Chicken Salad

2006-06-11T19:46:00.000-04:00

Bang! Bang! Chicken Salad is a close cousin of Dan Dan Noodles, a dish named for the sound of Chinese street vendors banging their metal pots to attract attention to themselves and sell their noodle dishes. If you like the Ameri-Thai combination of peanuts and chilis as well as the summer flavor of fresh mint and cilantro, you will love this recipe.

I have to admit, this is a derivative of a fine recipe by Nigella Lawson from her cookbook, FEAST: Food to Celebrate Life. If you don't own it, buy it. She's hip, she's smart, she's beautiful and she inherently understands the connection between food, love and sensuality. Although I've never heard her say anything about sex, some of her photos are downright erotic.

On to the recipe:

Bang! Bang! Salad Dressing

2 tsp. peanut oil
3 tbs. smooth peanut butter
2 tbs. Chinese chili bean sauce*
1 tbs. superfine sugar
1 tbs. light soy sauce**
1 1/2 tbs. Chinese black vinegar***
2 tbs. water

*A blend of chili and fermented broad beans, a.k.a Toban Djan, not likely to be available at your local mega-grocery chain. Get to an Asian grocery store. Look at the labels carefully, it's easy to accidentally pick up "bean sauce", which does not taste the same.
** I prefer to use light soy sauce. It contains less sodium than regular soy sauce. You will get the sodium from other ingredients anyway...
***Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce is an OK substitute.

For the salad:
3 c. cold shredded chicken (About 4-5 half breasts)
1 medium head of iceberg lettuce (6 cups finely shredded)
1/2 c. fresh cilantro (chopped)
1/2 c. fresh mint (chopped)
4 oz. cucumber
4 scallions
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

To make the dressing: heat the oil in a small saucepan to release the peanut flavor. Let it cool and pour it into a medium sized bowl. While it is cooling, put the saucepan back on a low temperature burner, with whatever peanut oil remains, and add the sesames to toast them to a golden brown color. Cool the toasted sesames on a plate and store in an airtight container or plastic bag. Now that the oil is cool, you can add all of the other dressing ingredients (not the toasted sesames!) and stir or whisk it until it is smooth. Refrigerate. Will still be good for at least a week.

Bake the chicken breasts until they are full cooked. Let them cool. Then use the back of a fork to shred them. Toss in a small bowl with 4-5 tbs. of the Bang! Bang! dressing and store until ready to serve the salad.

Arrange the shredded lettuce over the base of a large flat plate, or in a deep and wide salad bowl. Sprinkle chopped cilantro and mint everywhere. Drip 4-5 tablespoons of the Bang! Bang! dressing over the lettuce and herbs. Place the shredded chicken mix as a row up the center of the lettuce and herb mix. Peel, seed and chop up the cucumber into matchstick sized pieces. Prepare the scallions by removing most of the bland green part and the roots at the white end. Then slice each scallion in half, the long way, and slice again and again until you have shreds of white scallion. Spread scallions and cucumbers over the salad. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

...Bang! Bang! It's ready to present to your family or guests. Show everyone your glorious creation, toss and serve.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/glasscitygourmet/171652658/

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Bistro Wasabi

2006-06-10T20:06:00.000-04:00

Bistro Wasabi
3150 Chappel Drive
Perrysburg, OH 43551
419-872-1988

Bistro Wasabi is an oasis of local sophistication in the midst of a synthetic culture shopping area. Tucked on a side street of "Levis Commons", Bistro Wasabi offers an eclectic mix of Japanese sushi house favorites, Asian fusion creations, and the Toledo staple of steaks and chicken. Chef John Kim, formerly of the Toledo based Fujiyama, shines in this Zen-like ambiance.

During my first visit, I dined with "the girls" on assorted Maki rolls ($5-$18 per roll), the seaweed salad ($6), and a spring roll ($10). The seaweed salad was a delicate mix of seaweed, sesame seeds, chopped peanuts, curly & crispy rice noodles and a gentle rice wine vinaigrette. My dining companions were surprised, but pleased, with the addition of small pieces of red onions in this salad. The spring roll, wrapped in rice paper, was served chilled and featured julienned vegetables with shrimp, as well as two unique dipping sauces. One was a spicy, vibrant red Southwest chipotle pepper sauce and the other a hot and sweet combination of orange marmalade and chili peppers. If this is how Wasabi Bistro does fusion...I want more!

I returned within the week for lunch with other friends. This time I ordered the "3-Course Lunch Express" ($15/four options) to sample more of the sushi. The miso soup was pleasant, the Asian salad luscious, and the nagiri zushi did not disappoint me. While I prefer to eat sashimi as hira giri (big, perfectly cut, unadorned pieces of fish), the nagiri zushi alternative was excellent (Nagiri zushi literally means "squeezed sushi" and is sashimi pressed onto a small, oval rice ball often with a small amount of wasabi between the rice and the fish.). I am anxious to return and see if hira giri may be requested.

My companions ordered the Teriyaki sampler ($9) appetizer that included marinated and grilled skewers of chicken, beef and shrimp and a perfect cylinder of the richest mashed potatoes I have ever tasted. Although I detest mashed potatoes in fine dining establishments, the heavy cream and butter ladden treat on our table sent my chopsticks flying while I used my fork.

In the interest of additional research, I also sampled the "Sosun Steak Hoggie" ($9), as well as the Sapporo maki roll ($6) and spicy tuna rolls ($10) on the plates of my friends. The hoggie tasted like a Teriyaki version of a Philly cheese steak and certainly offers an acceptable alternative to those who don't care for sushi.

On both visits, my friends noticed that the menu is void of iced green tea or the ubiquitous, non-alcoholic "ginger-beer" favored in Asian fusion restaurants. I inquired with the owner, who assured me these options are being investigated. However, the restaurant features a full bar with both an ample wine and sake list.

As for the decor, it is a simple combination of hardwood floors, Japanese screens, and contemporary furniture. With museum white walls, a zinc bar and subtle blue neon accents, it has a "Sex and the City" feel. The space is extremely loud when the restaurant is full. The walled off sushi bar may offer a more quiet place for intimate dining. Although my table mates on both visits felt that the mostly black and white interior could use a bigger splash of color and some cieling or wall fabric to absorb some of the noise, everyone agreed that Bistro Wasabi is a welcome addition to an otherwise predictable mix of chain restaurants.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Buried in Boxes

2006-05-24T17:04:00.000-04:00

The sound of packing tape unrolling is a squeak, squeak, squeak. Sometimes I forget to leave myself a neat end and then it's nearly impossible to get the roll started again. Maybe it's old tape that got left in a hot trunk for too long, but when the piece I'm trying to use sticks to the roll...the trouble begins. I find myself using a fingernail to pry up a corner and ending up with shreds of tape rolling off of the dispenser after I've lost a clean end. Almost like an oversized roll of toilet paper in a public bathroom, it's hard to recover from shreds of tape. Around and around you wind the darned thing and you still get shreds, or a triangular piece of tape that won't spread to the full width of the roll.

Tonight I'm packing up cookbooks. This is as painful as packing the kitchen was. So many memories of recipes gone well and total failures... There are the two three ring binders with the original Craig Claiborne newsletters. My grandmother saved every issue that was ever published. I wonder how they'd do on Antiques Road Show? Next is my paperback Moosewood Cookbook, literally printed from handwritten recipes, that is always accompanied by The Enchanted Broccoli Forrest, its cousin with more sophisticated artwork and typeface. The Joy of Cooking is still a handy reference tool for comfort foods like tuna noodle casserole, homemade lemonade, and chicken divan. I often use it when I'm crafting my own recipes just to confirm oven temperature or cooking time for more standard fare. The Silver Palate Cookbook is totally tattered. So many great recipes for entertaining in this one. Many things that I can whip up early in the day and then pop into the oven right before the guests arrive. There is a rice dish with lots of chopped vegetables, slivered almonds, raisins, chicken stock and cinnamin that goes great with lamb and creates a welcoming smell when guests arrive.

I also have the original New York Times International Cookbook, another book snatched from grandmother, this one is personally inscribed by Craig Claiborne...the spine is cracked, the pages yellowed, and there are identifiable stains next to certain well loved recipes (think: curry stains near the curry recipes).

I'm so sentimental when it comes to my kitchen and its essential tools. I could talk about these cookbooks and favorite recipes within them for hours...another day. Back to my boxes, please.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Wrapped for Shipping

2006-05-09T21:53:00.000-04:00

I'm moving into a new space. As excited as I am to start another chapter of my life, packing boxes is always emotional. It's probably no surprise that I started in the kitchen. I need to make sure that everything I want and need is ready to go with me. Certain pieces, left unused recently, bring back great memories.

Last night I packed up my cast iron skillet. This heavily seasoned piece was a gift from my grandmother. A French blue 11" Le Creuset skillet with a lid, the set probably weighs ten pounds. I'm not sure how she used it. But on one of her own moves, she offered it to me and I accepted without any hesitation. Right before the gift, I had come back from a trip to the Greenbrier and attended a cooking class that featured salmon fillets seared on a cast iron skillet. I couldn't wait to use hers for the first time. The salmon was marvelous! Shortly thereafter, Hunter brought back rainbow trout from Colorado and they were equally delicious. Before packing it away, I gave the skillet a final and tender wipe with a few drops of vegetable oil for good luck and added protection during the move.

I also can't part with my Toaster Oven. I'm not even sure that this piece of equipment is legal anymore. There's nothing better for making a baked potato with a really crispy skin than a Toaster Oven. I also love to heat up pita sandwiches in it. Cheese always melts gently while the pita becomes super crispy. This is something that microwaves can't do. Ditto for using the "top brown only" feature on a tuna melt. The tuna salad stays cool, the muffin stays crisp, but the cheese oozes. Have you ever had a decent tuna melt that came out of a microwave? I didn't think so. There is nothing more gratifying than serving someone a treat from the Toaster Oven...especially, someone skeptical of the device.

Enough typing for now as I go back to my boxes...

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Dinner at Rosie's Italian Grille

2006-05-03T21:06:00.000-04:00

Rosie's Italian Grille
606 North McCord Road
Toledo, OH 43615

Since 1983, the Barone family has operated Rosie's in Toledo. Originally, a family style pizzeria known for "hot mamma bread" and rectangular thick crust pizza, Rosie's had three locations and even a frozen foods line in local grocery stores. Times have changed. While the original pizzeria on Sylvania Avenue remains Rosie's Italian Grille on McCord Road takes a swift turn from pizzeria to trattoria as executive Chef, Chris DeWart, attempts to create a more authentic Italian menu in Toledo.

For purists, Toledo offers few options for true Italian cuisine. Chef DeWart comes to Rosie's from Ciao and a stint as an executive chef for Dana Corporation. The menu at Rosie's Italian Grille features Florida grouper and yellow tail snapper with a choice of eight tempting preparations. I chose the grouper ($23) with "tomato caper salsa", as it seemed closest to Mediterranean cuisine. It was both light and delicious. Pasta's range from baked rigatoni ($14) to a seafood with mushrooms pasta ($20) featuring shrimp, scallops, fresh mushrooms, asparagus, capers and white wine. Rosie's still allows diners to choose their own pasta shape to accompany the selection of sauces. Carne includes a stuffed bell pepper with an undefined "meat blend", rice and tomato sauce ($16) as well as New Zealand baby lamp chops ($22), and a 14 oz. veal porterhouse ($27).

My party was particularly pleased with the Caprese salad appetizer and noted that the mozzerella was as fresh as the sliced tomatoes and basil leaves. We inhaled the Zingerman's bread on the table, eagerly mopping up the balsamic vinaigrette remaining on our Caprese plate. While many of the entrees are creative departures from an Italian menu, Chef DeWart manages to avoid the themed chain restaurant cliche of serving some version of garlic mashed potatoes with the selection of carne. The list of optional side dishes includes sauteed spinach ($5), an Italian classic. For hometown traditionalists, Rosie's signature pizzas and "hot momma bread" are still on the menu. When we learned that none of the desserts were made in-house, we opted for coffee and cappucino. The dessert list includes tiramisu ($4), key lime pie ($4), cannoli ($3) and some form of chocolate cake ($4).

The McCord Road building is completely redone and includes an intimate bar with brightly colored Venetian style glass lighting and Thursday through Saturday night, features live music. We appreciated the subdued volume of a talented Jazz trio. The main dining room is comfortable, with simple booths, tables and quietly tasteful decor. It also features a lovely ceramic tiled fireplace but the wall mural and institutional cieling tiles are tacky remnants from the pizza parlor days. With the new Rosie's patio in clear view, I could easily imagine myself dining al fresco during the summer months.

The wait staff was pleasant, but unknowledgable about the menu or proper wine service. The waitress asked, "Have you ever had this wine before?" in lieu of pouring a small taste for me to check for the condition of this particular bottle. With this preface, it is probably no surprise that she flopped the bottle onto my glass as she poured it.

In spite of the need to increase the transition to fine dining with more service staff training, this is a bold departure from the old Rosie's and, with such an ambitious chef and sous chef, it should continue to become more refined as the menu evolves.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

It's a bird, it's a plane...

2006-04-22T16:49:00.000-04:00

No, it's SUPER WHISK!

I will readily admit that I love my whisk and deem it a superhero of the kitchen. There is nothing that makes an amateur chef feel more classically trained than the sound of steel wires beating against a chilled metal bowl in an effort to make homemade whipped cream.

My whisk, probably made by OXO, sits quietly in my ceramic tool vase on the edge of my stove. Like Clark Kent, no one really notices the wisk until it is ready for action. Or, when it is put to work whipping up eggs for a fluffy omelette, whisking eggs and sugar together for a "Super" confection, or preparing egg whites for use in a souffle.

Alas, every superhero is subject to a form of Kryptonite! Oxidation is the enemy of the whisk. Whether it comes from being put back in its storage container before it is really dry, or from hanging out in a drawer with unsavory wet tools, rust is hard to avoid. A trip through the dishwasher is not always the best cure. When it happens to my whisk, I gently wipe it down with a wet scouring pad and rinse with hot water to return it to its original stainless steel gleam.

At the risk of sounding like a sexual cliche, bigger is better with whisks. I'm not sure why mini-whisks were developed. Other than looking really cute, they are hard to hold and make it difficult to make anything really fluffy.

If you don't already own one, I urge you to buy a big whisk and fight the forces of evil by tackling a recipe for chocolate souffle.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Panko, thank you.

2006-04-10T22:16:00.000-04:00

I don't know why, but to me, "panko" sounds like someone having a hard time saying, "thank you". Or, maybe it sounds like a sneeze? Perhaps the correct response to the word should just be, "bless you".

Regardless, panko is Japanese bread crumbs. Available at most Asian markets, it is basically coarse white bread crumbs that are much lighter than traditional European or American bread crumbs.

Tonight, the Glass City Gourmet attempts to use Spiced Panko Bread Crumbs on salmon filets for a quick and tasty dinner.

The recipe for Spiced Panko Bread Crumbs comes from "Simply Ming" by Ming Tsai and Arthur Boehm. A list of ingredients follows:

4 cups panko

2 tbs. dried thyme

2 tbs. dried basil

1 tbs. powdered ginger

1 tbs. coarsely gound black pepper

1 tablespoon ancho chile powder or regular chile powder.

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix well. Use or store.

I cut the recipe in half and stored the left over mix in an airtight plastic container. Hopefully, I'll come up with more and more uses. Tonight, I dredged salmon fillets through flour, dipped them in a beaten egg, and then coated them in the Spiced Panko. I placed them on a greased baking sheet and baked for 10 minutes at 325F. This left me with medium rare salmon fillets (my personal preference) and a lightly browned panko crust.

While the fillets were cooking, I dropped a half dozen frozen gyoza into my bamboo steamer and let the steam do the work. Then, I tossed a small salad of mixed greens and broccoli coleslaw with a soy ginger vinaigrette dressing (Ok, I cheated and used Newman's Own here). The Glass City Gourmet is not above buying prepared ingredients from time to time.

Arrigato. This meal looked great on the plate and tasted terrific. Total prep time: 20 minutes from start to finish. My very hungry husband got a little upset when I decided to photograph his plate for my blog. "Listen, Martha Stewart. A man's gotta eat!" Perhaps I'm taking this blogging too seriously. . .

Sunday Salad

2006-04-09T20:50:00.001-04:00

7:30pm. My husband and I are snuggling on the couch watching 60 Minutes and he whispers in my ear, "whasfordinner?".

"I don't know. Let me go downstairs and whip something together."

I amble down to our kitchen and open the fridge. A week's worth of leftovers and new groceries from today stare back at me. Without hesitation, I decide to make "Sunday Salad". This is a dish that takes the best leftovers from the week and fresh mixed greens and veggies to make a hearty meal.

This batch of Sunday salad includes:

Mixed greens
grilled fennel (leftover from Wednesday night)
red skin potato salad (leftover from Tuesday night/burger night)
broccoli coleslaw mix (fresh from grocery shopping today)
haricot verts (from the freezer/quickly defrosted in a bowl of cool water)
chopped red onion
chopped red bell pepper
fresh snipped parsley leaves

The red skin potato salad defines the dish. Small chunks of potatoes with their skins, chopped egg, chopped celery and white onion, parsley, dijon mustard and a small amount of sour cream. Tossing the salad with a little bit of homemade honey dijon dressing makes this a real treat. There is nothing that makes a salad hearty quite like chunks of potatoes and hard boiled eggs.

I pair this with fresh grilled shrimp and a side of reheated brown basmati rice and we have a meal, here.

20 minutes prep time...and just enough time to clean the dishes before watching the Soprano's.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

You say, "Tuna" and I say "Tonno"...

2006-04-06T20:57:00.000-04:00

Another day, another item on the "New Calcium Diet" that I can't find at my local grocery store. To honor some outdated health trend, the Cincinnati based mega-grocery chain only stocks tuna packed in water. For the "jump start" to this diet, otherwise known as three days of protein and calcium loading, I have to suffer through cans of tuna packed in water as my protein hearty lunch. In all honesty, it was the first time I'd ever eaten tuna straight out of the can. Dr. Klauer offers helpful tips along the way. I followed her advise to grind whole peppercorns over the tuna and squeeze lemon wedges on top of it and found that this killed the strong odor coming out of the can.

Fortunately, there is an Italian wholesale distributer with a small retail market in Toledo called "Sofo's". There I found a few lovely cans of "Tonno" packed in olive oil. This made the lunches bearable. More taste and a firm texture.

The tonno is ready and available for my tavolo.

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Fage 0% Yogurt

2006-04-06T17:35:00.000-04:00

My husband is dieting again and in defiance of his latest fad diet I bought myself what I percieve to be a more sensible diet book. I am not really in need of weight loss. I oscillate 5-7 pounds up or down every year. No one knows the difference except me. The size 8 pants get loose, the size 8 pants get snug in the waist.

He's following "Body for Life", a book lined with 2" x 2" photos of regular people who moved from soft and average to six pack abs and thin. This is not a diet for the Glass City Gourmet to follow. While he's eating six meals a day, including powdered shakes and protein bars, I rebel. If this house must be on a diet, I will pick a diet with meals I can tolerate. Myoplex shakes and Myoplex bars are not real food. Sorry, "Body for Life". This stuff is disgusting.

I complimented my loving mate on his drive to reshape his body, and bought a copy of "How the Rich Get Thin: Park Avenue's Top Diet Doctor Reveals the Secrets to Losing Weight and Feeling Great" by Jana Klauer, M.D. Like the Scarsdale diet and the Beverly Hills diet before it, this promises to be something that the Glass City Gourmet can take on as a culinary challenge and enjoy.

Day 1. I can't find Fage Yogurt in the Glass City. I substitute plain Stoneyfield Organic yogurt, which has a faint yellow color. In spite of the code date, it tastes sour and it seems very runny to me. I sneak a few extra calories and improve the 1 cup snack with a drop of vanilla and a few toasted, slivered almonds.

Week 2: Fortunately, Trader Joe's is in nearby Ann Arbor. Trader Joe's is a haven, or perhaps a heaven, for the Glass City gourmet. Oh, no. This is my first entry and I'm already sourcing in Ann Arbor? I must find Fage in Toledo or sacrifice my purpose...In the meantime, I left a message with the only Greek citizen I know to find out how to pronounce Fage properly.

However you say it, Fage Yogurt is museum white, mild flavored, and the consistency of sour cream. WOW!!! Long live the "New Calcium Diet" and Fage Yogurt. No need to add anything to this lovely treat.

PS 4/7/06: Sweet Success...Fage yogurt available in 7oz containers at the locally owned Italian market!

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".

Glass City Gourmet

2006-04-06T16:58:00.000-04:00

April 2006
Toledo, OH

Toledo is more than the Mud Hens, Tony Packo's, and the birthplace of Gloria Steinem. A city of approximately 304,000, Toledo is small enough for me to bump into someone I know every time I leave the house but large enough to have one of everything (Ex., A single skyscraper in our downtown view, one Vietnamese restaurant, one world class museum, etc.). Maybe this is an exaggeration, in some cases we have two or even a few, but it is a point I frequently make to natives who have never lived anywhere else and are apt to complain.

Urban legend states that Toledo has more chain restaurants per capita than any other comparably sized town in the United States. Toledo is also alleged to be a "testing ground" for new menu items for national chain restaurants. I have no proof to substantiate either of these claims. But ask anyone from Toledo who remembers "McRibs" or recalls seeing more than 31 flavors at the Baskin-Robbins and they will share similar stories.

This is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to eat, cook, diet and entertain with flair and whimsy in a place that offers many challenges. I encourage you to read on, as the Glass City Gourmet attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the "Glass City Gourmet".