What’s in my pantry: Black goo

This little glass jar packs the tastiest black goo you’ll ever eat: Wari goma. Wari goma is sesame paste, basically the same concept as tahini. The goopy mess in question is made with black sesame seeds, and so has a gorgeous sheen and a slightly earthier taste. I bought this jar (Kadoya brand) at Mitsuwa, although it can be found in pretty much any grocery store that carries a decent variety of Japanese victuals. It’s worth every penny of its exorbitant price.

A little goes a long way, and makes for a very easy, sophisticated-looking Japanese side dish. I learned the following sauce from a friend in Japan, and have never had any complaints. Note that all amounts are eyeballed; taste as you go along:

Mix a teaspoon of wari goma with two tablespoons of soy sauce, one tablespoon each of rice vinegar and sake (or mirin if you want a sweeter taste and less bite), and one teaspoon of black sesame seeds. You may want to throw some kombu dashi in there for a bit of savory or wasabi if pungent is more your gig. If you can buy or make suri goma (crushed sesame seeds), its addition will improve matters.

This goes well on asparagus, spinach boiled in kombu dashi, fresh tomatoes (use sake instead of mirin and consider adding the wasabi), and wakame. I’ve also used it as a dipping sauce for soba, although I prefer it watery and sans suri goma when used with noodles.

Review: Lao Sze Chuan

2172 S. Archer Ave. Chicago, IL 60616

312-326-5040

http://www.laoszechuan.com/

Have you eaten the hot pot at Lao Sze Chuan? Have you? Because if you haven't, then you should. In fact, you should reevaluate your New Year's resolutions to include "Eat the hot pot at Lao Sze Chuan." I mean it. It's that good.

Even the picture is a feast for the eyes...

It's the kind of tasty goodness that makes me want to wait until the wind builds to a scream and icicles form in my nose before I make the trek to the land down under Madison Street. Then, when the Weather Channel confirms it's the month of February, I plan for a late lunch and don't eat breakfast because I want to be good and empty so that 1) I can eat more and 2) it just tastes better when I have earned it, say through short bouts of hot-pot-inspired fasting and the extreme endurance sport that is called February in Chicago. It really is that good, I'm not kidding.

There are three choices of broth, but I've only had two: The consommé and the hot spicy. The consommé is neutral, while the hot spicy broth provides just the right amount of heat, reaching that sublime balance between pleasure and sadism that is found only in Asian cuisine. Yum. Yum, yum, yum. Oh, and, um, yum.

The list of ingredient options, much like my dating history, has great variety, is at times confusing, and has several choices of meat. (And vegetables.) I can't even begin to say, "Choose X." Once I try them all (including the pork blood cake, yippee!!!) I'll make some recommendations. So far, everything I've sampled has merited worshiping Chef Tony Hu as a demigod of hot-pot-o'liciousness. I've even considered rushing home and building a shrine.

Well, after I take a nap, of course. All that hot pot makes me warmy-swarmy inside and the only cure is a leisurely nap with the cats, so the altar will just have to wait awhile.

And now for my navel: Shannon

This post is all about me, me, and me. I thought I’d share a little about yours truly so that the foodies reading subsequent posts will know a wee teensy about the author. Hopefully, a bit of background will help fellow foodies understand my unique, and sometimes warped and twisted, perspective on all things at least nominally digestible. And, well, to be honest, the lists presented here will allow me to get a tad more acquainted with my own button o’ the belly. Always a useful endeavor, stoking the Great Flame of Narcissism.

So, without further ado…

Shameless plug: Musings of a Fat Chick is a FANTASTIC read.
Food philosophy: If it no longer moves of its own accord, I might eat it.
Chef I most admire: Homaru Cantu
Chef I’d most like to do: Anthony Bordain, OMG

God so loved the world that He gave us:

Apple: Fuji
Cocktail: Umeshu sour
Dessert: Apple tatin
Food: Matsupanis soup (family recipe, think minestra meets oregano)
Restaurant: Lao Sze Chuan
Cuisine: Fusion (Latin American or Asian) and upscale new American
Cookbook: How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman (thanks Julie!)
Grocery Stores: Mitsuwa, Fox & Obel and Dean & Deluca
Spice: Cardamom
Curse: DumbAssMotherFucker (but motherfucker will do in a pinch)

I could live without the following:

Orange foods
Mushy textures
Ben & Jerry’s
Dominick’s / Safeway
Fast food
The Olive Garden/Appleby phenomenon
Hamburgers
Uni (it’s orange)
Dirty dishes
DumbAssMotherFuckers

Welcome to 5 Star Foodie! I encourage your comments and feedback and hope you enjoy my blatherings. Thanks for reading!

Worms and ant eggs....why not?

Please don't throw up....please don't throw up...

I'd been both looking forward to and dreading my dinner at Sticky Rice Thai Restaurant all day. The Northern Thai menu was not exactly your typical Pad Thai noodles. At the same time, "Deep fried bamboo caterpillars worm" and "Thai omelets with ant eggs served with chili sauce" sound more like something out of Fear Factor than something I'd chow down on for pleasure.

Still, I knew I was going to try it, especially with the sign at the entrance taunting me. Yes, fried worms are indeed here.

As you can see, the worms aren't exactly hidden. It's a plate of, well, worms. After some hesitation, I picked one up. They were surprisingly light in weight, as the worms were hollow inside. Not sure if this is standard preparation, as the server answered "yes, nothing inside. Just worms". OK.

They had a texture and taste almost like potato chips. Quite salty, and crunchy. The salt overwhelmed any other flavors, which might or might not have been intentional. I couldn't much "taste the worm". They weren't so bad and I snacked on them throughout the meal. It wasn't even Slimey. And no, I didn't throw up.

Next on the Fear Factor food tour of Northern Thailand was the omelet with ant eggs.
On first look and taste, it appears to be a normal omelet. (It bears clarifying that the omelet itself was made of regular eggs, with ant eggs inside.) Separating a few of the small pearly white ant eggs and eating them alone, the flavor is slightly bitter and very mild. I'm not sure how much effort it takes to acquire and prepare ant eggs, but it didn't seem to add very much to the dish.

Since I ate with a group, I should mention that some of the more "normal" dishes I sampled were very tasty as well. The mango chicken was especially tasty.

As you can see from the menu, a meal at Sticky Rice is quite inexpensive. The variety offered is quite impressive and there is truly something for everyone, including the old standby Pad Thai Noodles.

Location: 4018 N. Western Ave. (near corner of Irving Park), Chicago
CTA: #49 Western bus to Irving Park or #80 Irving Park bus to Western; can access either bus line from several Brown or Red line stops.
Hours: Monday - Thursday, 11:30 am - 11:00 pm; Friday - Saturday, 11:30 AM - midnight; Sunday, noon - 10:00 PM
Cost: Most entrees under $10.
Reservations: Doesn't appear to be necessary.

Hot Doug's: a true Chicago foodie landmark

To understand the Hot Doug’s experience, you need to be aware of 3 things:

1. In January, in 15 degree weather, there was a 30-minute line OUTSIDE the place.
2. Their current “Game of the Week” special is Goji Berry Pheasant Sausage with Jerk Dijonnaise, Pappadew Peppers and Butterkäse Cheese.
3. Hot Doug’s website features a theme song performed in rock, techno, and hybrid mixes.

There is a certain irreverence to Hot Doug’s, complete with kitschy hot dog related decorations and pictures on the walls. Yet, underneath this veneer, is a man who takes his encased meats seriously and puts ingredients inside a hot dog bun that many do not knew even existed.

Most importantly, it all tastes damn good.

On a trip this past Friday, I started with the Game of the Week, which had warm cherries in place of the dijonnaise and peppers mentioned above. The pheasant initially tasted like poultry (yeah, yeah, “tasted just like chicken”), but had a bit of a meatier aftertaste. The cherries gave it a bit of tartness that complemented the meat well. The cheese was smooth and quite mild, which served to bring out the flavors of the pheasant, rather than overwhelm it. It tastes (and looks) much better than my poor camera skills would indicate.

It’s worth noting that pheasant is relatively tame, literally and figuratively, compared to some previous meats on the menu. On prior trips, I’ve consumed sausages made of alligator, rattlesnake, elk, and antelope.

Some of the less exotic items are tasty as well. The menu includes the traditional Chicago-style dog, Polish sausage, and even a veggie dog for if you have to drag an herbivorous friend.

I tend to avoid normal, so also had the Blue Cheese Pork Sausage with Pear Crème Fraîche and Smoked Almonds. On the surface, that too sounds like an odd mix of flavors that might overwhelm the meat itself. Not so. The blue cheese is served in moderation, while the smokiness of the almonds works extremely well with the pork. The pear crème fraîche is barely even noticeable, but I didn’t mind that very much. The mingling of the flavors and textures made for a party in my mouth. (I promise to never use that phrase ever again in this blog.)

On Fridays and Saturday, Hot Doug's also serves duck fat fries. Some rave about it. I've had it a few times and it doesn't do much for me. Tastes a bit salty and greasy for my liking, and I'd rather get another sausage than fill up on fries. Your mileage may vary.

Hot Doug's is a truly Chicago experience. Be aware that there will likely be a long line if you go and that line gets even longer in the summer. Lines are shorter very early in the day.

If you want to try rattlesnake sausage with a bunch of friends...or even better, with a bunch of strangers...Hot Doug's is the place to go. Doug even takes your order. And he does look somewhat like the logo of his establishment (although he has hair. If your sausage has hair, then there are some problems).

And for the record: I like the techno version of the theme song the best.

Location: 3324 N. California Ave. (corner of Roscoe), Chicago
CTA: Blue line to Belmont then 77 bus east to California OR Brown/Red line to Belmont then 77 bus west to California. Walk 2 blocks north.
Hours: Monday - Saturday, 10:30 am - 4:00 pm, closed on Sundays
Cost: Sausages range from about $2-$8. Cash ONLY.
Reservations: Not accepted. Obviously.