Thank You!!! We have hit 12,000 hits lifetime.

I just want to take a minute to thank my readers.  When I started this blog, I did not know if anyone would ever read it.  As of today I have over 12,000 hits.  This blog would not matter without you guys.  Please let me know how I can improve this blog.  What do you want to see more of? What do you want to see less of?  Feel free to be brutally honest.  In return I ask one thing, please share this blog with your friends, via Facebook, Twitter, other social media outlets, and word of mouth.  I have big plans for my humble little blog, but I cannot do it without you guys.  Please feel free to sign up for updates via email or subscribe to the blog, and please comment on posts.  I love to hear from you guys.

Thanks,

Daniel Peikes

Disappointing Pizza and Service at EJs

I was at EJ's Pizzeria in Skokie tonight.  I ordered a mushroom, pepper, and onion slice.  They took an existing mushroom slice, warmed it up and then added the peppers and onions on it afterwards.  The peppers and onions were still completely raw and not integrated with the cheese at all.  When I showed it to the girl who was helping me behind the counter, the response I got was "I'm not the one who made it."  
Seriously, take pride in your product and learn how to speak to your customers!!!

Full Review of Hamachi Sushi Bar

Full Review of Hamachi Sushi Bar

Hamachi is the newest kosher restaurant in Chicago. It is a fairly small restaurant with about 5 tables and another 5 or so seats at the sushi bar. The restaurant has a sleek modern Asian look with a lot of solid red and black.


They offer a full range of kosher sushi options from basic vegetable rolls to complex rolls with multiple types of fish topped with multiple sauces. It looked as if there was only one waitress and no bus boys, but it was not too busy when we got there so she took our order almost immediately.

I started with the miso soup and shared an order of edema-me with my wife, both of which seemed on the bland side. The water seemed a bit tepid like it had just come out of the tap and there was no ice. For the main course I ordered their "Blue Man Group" and "Rainbow" rolls, while my wife had the "Sweet 2" and the "Sake Goma Tempura." The sushi tasted decent but their rolling technique could be a bit better. I had a few pieces fall apart on me when I picked them up.

I did have to ask for more water, the soup and edema-me were slow to come out, and people who ordered after us received their food before we did.

The prices seemed reasonable for what was being offered, comparable to Shallots, and maybe a dollar or two cheaper per roll. I generally find that higher end kosher sushi places suffer from a severe case of gilding the lily, in that they over complicate their signature rolls, and Hamachi is no exception.

On a scale from 1-10:

Food: 7

Service: 5

Ambiance: 8

Overall: 7

Roasted Eggplant With Crushed Tomato

Roasted Eggplant With Crushed Tomato

Roasted Eggplant With Crushed Tomato

7-1/4 inch Eggplant Rounds

1/4 Cup Crushed Tomatoes

Olive Oil

Salt

Black Pepper

Italian Seasoning

Red Pepper Flake

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Spread the eggplant rounds on a sheet pan drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Bake at 350F until browned on both sides.  Plate in a circle with one round in the middle.  Top the middle round with the crushed tomatoes.  Season the dish with Italian seasoning, red pepper flake and Parmesan cheese to taste.

Leave out the cheese and this is vegan, gluten free, an paleo friendly.

Why I Love Mexikosher

Why I Love Mexikosher

For those of you who don't know what Mexikosher is, it is a kosher Mexican restaurant run by a half Mexican, half Japanese chef.  They make pretty much everything, with the exception of their tortillas, from scratch.  I am no expert, but to me it seemed just about as authentic as you can get for Mexican food this side of the Rio Grande.  I had the privilege of eating at this fine establishment back in March on a trip to Los Angeles.  Their food was so fresh, and the flavors were vibrant.  The chef took the time to talk to me about all of their offerings.  They have real daily specials like braised goat and burgers made from home ground chuck, beef bacon, short rib, and brisket.  In a move to expand they just announced that will have a food truck rolling soon.  They also are big on giving back.  Today they gave away a taco to everyone who voted.  Last week if you brought a boarding pass to prove you were stuck in LA due to Hurricane Sandy they fed you you for free.  Chicago kosher restaurants take note!!

There address is:

8832 W. Pico Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90035

Phone Number:310-271-0900

Web:http://mexikosher.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mexikosher

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mexikosher

"Mexican" Pizza

"Mexican" Pizza

Mexican Pizza

I rolled out some pizza dough and topped it with salsa, mozzarella, although you could use a more authentic Mexican cheese, jalapenos, and red onion. This is a great way to spice up pizza night!

Kosher Restaurant Update: Milt's Barbeque for the Perplexed in Lakeview

I hear from an inside source that the new kosher resaurant in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago Milt's will likely be opening in early December.  They will be doing authentic kosher barbeque.  By that I mean they are actually planning on smoking their meat.  Their plan is to make everything from scratch in house, including their homemade pickles.
Their website is http://www.miltsbbq.com/ although there is not much on it yet.
Their facebook page is: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Milts-Barbeque-for-the-Perplexed/119924381409229
Their address according to their Facebook page is:
3411 N. Broadway
Chicago, Illinois 60657

Cinnamon Buns

Cinnamon Buns

Cinnamon Buns

I took the recipe that came with my bread maker for danish rolls and modified it slightly to make some non-dairy (parev) cinnamon buns.

Cinnamon Buns

Makes about a dozen

For the dough:

2 1/8 cup bread flour

1 1/8 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup of dark brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp of salt

1 stick of margarine

3/4 cup of apple juice

1 egg

2 tsp of active dry yeast

1 tbsp of vanilla

2 tbsp of good cinnamon

For the dough put all the ingredients in my bread maker on "dough" mode and let it do its magic.

After the bread maker is done put the dough in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least half an hour up to over night.

For the filling:

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup of roughly chopped nuts(I used candied walnuts because I had them in the house, but I think pecans are traditional)

2 tbsp of good cinnamon

1/4 cup of raising(optional)

Then roll the dough out to a 12"X16" rectangle.  Mix all the ingredients for the filling and spread evenly across the dough.  Roll the dough from the shorter side. Slice into 12 even pieces.  Place the cinnamon rolls on a greased cookie sheet, being careful not over crowd them.  If you would like you can brush some egg wash on them at this point.  Let the cinnamon rolls rise in the warmest part of your kitchen for half an hour.

Bake at 375F for 10-15 minutes or until they are golden brown and delicious.

Cooking with Color: Four Color Roasted Cauliflower Medley

Cooking with Color: Four Color Roasted Cauliflower Medley

Four Color Roasted Cauliflower Medley

I love cooking with color.  Never forget we eat with our eyes before we ever taste food and colorful food looks more appetizing.  Also, while I am not a doctor or nutritionist, my understanding is colorful food has more vitamins and minerals.  That being said you can imagine how excited I was when I found four different colors of cauliflower at my local fruit store. (Note: I almost never buy produce at a grocery store. You will usually find higher quality produce and better variety at a lower price at your local fruit store. And now back to our regular  scheduled program.)  I love roasted cauliflower.  It has a nutty flavor and it is nice and filling without being to high in calories.  It is super easy:

Four Color Roasted Cauliflower Medley

1/4 head each of white, yellow, green, and purple cauliflower

Olive Oil

Salt and pepper taste

Toss the cauliflower in the olive oil and season with the salt and pepper.  Spread out the cauliflower on a sheet pan and bake at 425F until starts to brown, making sure to flip it about half way through.  If you want to kick it up another level sprinkle some hot curry powder or red pepper flake before you bake to heat things up. 

Let's Talk About Shnitzel

Let's talk about the schnitzel, specifically chicken schnitzel.  This a staple dish on most Sabbath tables.  This apparently simple simple dish is really a minefield.

1. Breading technique:  You need to go with the standard 3 step breading process.  First flour lightly, then coat in egg, then a light breading.  Make sure both the breading and the flour are well seasoned.  Don't be afraid to make your breading interesting, plain bread crumbs are boring.  See my recipe at the end of the post.

2. Shape and size:  Your pieces should be uniform in shape and size, and not too thick.  This ensures even cooking of all pieces.  If your pieces are too thick the breading will burn before you chicken finishes cooking.

3. Don't be  afraid to fry:  I find baked schnitzel dry and tasteless.  Use a good amount of vegetable oil and make sure it is up to temperature.  I use medium heat but it may vary based on the stove you are using.  If you find your breading is getting too dark before the chicken is cooked though either adjust you temperature down or finish your schnitzel in the oven.

 Breading Recipe:
For 2-3 packs of boneless skinless chicken breast
3/4 of a box of panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup of sesame seeds
3/4 cups of French's Onions
2 Tblsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of black pepper
1 Tbsp of salt
1 Tbsp of paprika 

Other things you could add: Cereal(Crispix, Chex, Corn Flakes), Coconut, Potato Flakes (if you want to go gluten free or kosher for Passover)

One last note, dipping sauces can really jazz up you schnitzel.  Some options are, spicy Buffalo wing, honey garlic, honey mustard, BBQ, and Teriyaki.