Yogurtsoda – Page 70 – Eating my way around the world by Mariam Hosseini

48 hours in Chicago: Where to eat and what to do

April 11, 2013

I’ve always associated two things with Chicago: The 1980’s sitcom Perfect Strangers (Balki!) and the enormous O’Hare International Airport, where I’ve had many a stopover (and hot dog). Last year, I spent a quick 48 hours in the city for a conference and while most of my time was spent indoors, I got some good eating and sightseeing packed in too.

On the Near North Side of Chicago lies Sable, a sleek, no-nonsense New American restaurant serving up classic cuisine with a Midwestern vibe. Salad? What’s that? At Sable, my colleagues and I ate meat. And fried things. Delicious, delicious fried things. I also sampled my first-ever deviled eggs and fell in love. Granted, they were truffled and garnished with trumpet mushrooms, but man were these creamy and decadent. We also split a plate of duck fat steak fries doused with pecorino romano alongside white truffle aioli, for good measure.

Since indulgence appeared to be the theme of this meal, I had the buttermilk fried chicken waffles with bourbon maple syrup as my entree. This dish was a little over the top for my taste, but I can’t say I wasn’t warned. Sable isn’t playing around, and while my dinner was delicious, I found myself craving a plate of greens afterward.

Chicago is an architectural gem, and during my second evening in town, I ducked out of the conference for a quick boat tour that guided our group through the Chicago River and highlighted the city’s historical buildings like the Tribune Tower, the Wrigley Building, and Willis (Sears) Tower. I learned more than I could absorb, but I do remember learning that the reason why parts of Chicago smell like chocolate is because of the Blommer Chocolate Company’s factory alongside the river.

My trip was over almost as soon as it had begun, but I couldn’t leave without sampling an infamous Chicago hot dog. I stopped at Gold Coast Dogs at O’Hare International Airport and ordered a beef hot dog with all the usual toppings, including what makes a Chicago-style hot dog unique: celery salt and pickled sport peppers. Not bad at all for a quick airport dinner.

This trip was so quick that I didn’t make it to many of the sights I’d wanted to see or any restaurants that I’d wanted to try, like Alinea and Hot Dougs. I barely scratched the surface and if this trip was any indication, there’s still lots and lots of ground to cover.

Mast-o-Khiar (Persian Yogurt with Cucumber and Mint)

April 6, 2013August 17, 2023

Call it Greek tzatziki, Turkish cacik, or Indian raita, but to me, it’ll always be mast-o-khiar. It’s part of nearly every Iranian meal and couldn’t be easier to prepare. English translations will often call it a dip, and while it can be (raise your hand if you dipped your potato chips into mast-o-khiar while growing up), it’s really eaten as a side dish alongside a complete meal.

Mast-o-khiar can include variations like dried rose petals (how Persian, I know) or dried shallots (in which case it becomes mast-o-musir), but my favorite is this classic version, garnished with a light sprinkling of walnuts.

Ingredients:

2 cups Middle Eastern or Greek-style yogurt, plain
2 or 3 Persian cucumbers, finely chopped or grated
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons ground dried mint
2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl, reserving half a tablespoon of walnuts for garnish. Chill and serve cold.

Tov Tofu

March 11, 2013

Santa Rosa isn’t exactly synonymous with Korean cuisine, but I’ve noticed a slow, albeit steady rise in the number of Korean restaurants in Sonoma County these past few years. Tov Tofu may be the most authentic, especially for a restaurant 50 miles north of San Francisco.

Tucked away in a shopping center on Yulupa Avenue, Tov Tofu is a bit of a misnomer. The restaurant serves much more than just tofu (not that it’d be a bad thing — one can never have too many jigaes or soondubus). During my first visit with my family, we tried a little bit of everything.

We started with the Korean restaurant standard: bulgogi. The bulgogi here is especially tender, with great-quality beef on a generous bed of onions. Tov Tofu doesn’t have tabletop barbecues, but I doubt you’ll be missing that element with bulgogi this delectable.

Next, we had a plate of bibim naengmyun, or what’s billed as “chilled buckwheat cold noodle.” Whereas a Korean restaurant in Oakland or Santa Clara will usually list the menu item in transliterated Korean, Tov Tofu lists most dishes in English. Korean cuisine is still relatively new in Sonoma County, after all. The naengmyun here was good: chewy noodles with a great bite, although the sauce was sweeter and less spicy than what I’m used to.

We ended our meal with a bowl of bibimbap, which comes in a stone bowl so that the rice forms a crunchy, golden crust. For good measure, we also ordered a flamingly hot bowl of spicy beef soup, flecked with bits of egg, green onions, and bean sprouts. Crunchy, vinegary tastes of banchan helped cut through the heat between bites. So good, so fiery.

There are a few variances from your standard Bay Area Korean menu at Tov Tofu: the bibimbap comes with a fully-cooked shredded egg omelet, and the bibim naengmyeon is vegetarian. But it’s still delicious, and that’s really all that matters. Okay, service matters too. It’s super friendly and down to earth at Tov Tofu, making it one of my new favorite restaurants in Sonoma County. Who knew great Korean cuisine could be found north of San Francisco?

Kotlet (Iranian Cutlet)

February 27, 2013October 31, 2024

Kotlet, or Persian minced meat and potato croquettes, are an ubiquitous picnic meal in Iranian households. Growing up, I’d look forward to these in warm lavash sandwiches for lunch and now that I’m older, I prepare them as an appetizer or light meal. Kotlet are easy to make and can be frozen for reheating later on.

Serve these with pickled vegetables and sliced tomatoes, or simply on their own. Lightly spiced and crispy on the outside, it’s nearly impossible to eat just one kotlet.

Ingredients:

2 potatoes, peeled and grated
1 pound ground lamb or beef
1 onion, peeled, grated, and squeezed to drain the onion juice (this will make the kotlet crispier)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 cup vegetable oil, for frying
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced, for garnish
4 Persian pickled cucumbers, sliced, for garnish
An assortment of herbs (Persian chives/tareh, Persian basil/rayhan, and young green onions work well)
Lavash bread

1. In a bowl, combine meat, onion, eggs, potato, salt, pepper, coriander, cumin, saffron water, and turmeric. Knead for 5 minutes to form a smooth mixture.

2. Using damp hands, shape the meat mixture into balls the size of eggs. Flatten them into oval patties. Brown the patties on both sides in hot oil over medium heat until browned on each side and cooked through. Add more oil if necessary.

3. Arrange the patties on a serving platter. Serve with tomatoes, pickles, herbs, and lavash.

Namu Gaji

February 6, 2013February 6, 2013

Namu Gaji was one of San Francisco’s most anticipated restaurant openings last year, especially after its predecessor Namu closed up shop in the Richmond District in 2011. I visited their new Mission District outpost with my friend Penny last fall soon after their reopening, eager to try out their New-American-meets-Korean fare.

I wasn’t disappointed. We started with the grilled octopus, served with onions and coated in a spicy-sweet sauce. The octopus was tender and and slightly smoky, and we nibbled on bites of banchan to accompany this dish. (Speaking of which, banchan is not complimentary at Namu Gaji as it as at traditional Korean restaurants. It’s also less varied, albeit still tasty.)

Next, we shared a plate of the beef tongue. The tongue isn’t on the menu at the moment, but I’m crossing my fingers that it’ll be back soon, since this might be the best beef tongue I’ve ever hand. This was just wonderful: so tender you could cut it with chopsticks, but browned to a slight crisp on its exterior. A garnish of lime and ground red pepper made this a simple yet satisfying dish.

Lastly, we had the ramyun, which is purportedly a must-eat at Namu Gaji. Handmade noodles, a hot dog, a panko crusted egg, and kimchi make up this dish, and while it was good, it was actually my least favorite dish of the evening. The noodles were wonderful, but huge breaded egg wasn’t needed (gooey, runny egg, please!). Still, I love the riff on budae jigae.

Namu Gaji was worth the wait and I know I’ll be back for more. It’s worth the nearly constant crowd (make sure to make reservations) and the friendly waitstaff along with a solid menu make dining here an instant favorite. Just bring back the beef tongue, guys!