You don't have to eat sawdust

This week’s topics include a review of Ricobene’s in South Chicago, it is often the case that the best food is in suspect neighborhoods, I make a true foodie mac ‘n cheese (mmm… goat cheese…), and your food doesn’t have to taste like sawdust.  There are options!

 
What am I working on?  Mac ‘N Cheese.  To be more precise, goat cheese mac ‘n cheese.

Yes.  You read that correctly.  Goat cheese mac ‘n cheese.  And, yes, it was awesome.

Here’s the basic ‘recipe’.  It comes from a Michael Symon recipe, which I tweaked a little.  Keep in mind that I said it was good.  I didn’t say it was healthy.

Heat one quart of heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh rosemary to a slow boil.  Let it simmer and reduce by 1/3-1/2.

While the sauce is simmering, bring a pot of water to boil.  Make sure you salt the water so that it tastes like the ocean.  Cook the pasta to a somewhat firm al dente.  You’re going to cook it a little more in the sauce, so you don’t want it completely cooked at this time.  When you drain the pasta make sure you run cold water over it until it’s completely cooled down.  Otherwise, it will keep cooking and your al dente will turn into mush. 

Once the cream has reduced, fold in 8 oz of fresh goat cheese and 2-3 cups of smoked or roasted chicken.  If you want to cheat, a Costco rotisserie chicken would work well.  Throw in a couple good pinches of kosher salt as well.  Let the sauce simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.

Throw the pasta back in the pot your cooked it in and fold in the sauce.  Stir over low heat for a few minutes until it’s steamy, creamy goodness.  Serve in your favorite pasta bowl with a little flat leaf parsley on top. 

This is rich, so you’ll need something to cut the richness.  I made a salad with a homemade lemon vinaigrette.  We also drank a tart Sauvignon Blanc with the meal. 

The review?  Awesome.  The tart earthiness of the goat cheese really goes well in this dish, and it’s rounded out well with the floral notes of the rosemary.   The Things loved it.  Thing  2 ate 2-3 helpings.  Go figure.  Teenage boys eating goat cheese mac ‘n cheese, and liking it!

Restaurant Review – Ricobene’s in South Chicago.  I travel a fair amount for work.  Actually, more than a fair amount.  Whenever I’m on the road, I go out of my way to find good, local food.  I refuse to eat at a Chili’s while I’m on the road unless absolutely necessary.

I recently went to Chicago for a few days.  A friend of mine, E, is from Chicago and E said I had to go to South Chicago for a breaded meat sandwich at Ricobene’s.  “It’s not the best neighborhood, but you’ll be fine.  Lots of cops eat lunch there.” 

A local joint in a suspect neighborhood?  I’m so in.  This has WF written all over it!

So a friend of mine and I grab a cab and head there to lunch.  The cabbie, as though he wanted to remind us that this wasn’t the best neighborhood, said “You’ll have to call a cab to come get you.”  Nice. 

So we walk in and this is the counter.  The lady who took our order must have worked there no less than 30 years.  She was pleasant.  Enough.  Perhaps pleasant adjacent…

I order a regular size breaded meat sandwich, some fries, and a water.  When I saw the size of the sandwich, I was shocked to think that there was a king size version of it.  It was a couple pounds of breaded and fried beef, some sort of marinara sauce, hot peppers, and cheese.  It was the kind of sandwich that makes you wonder how you’re actually going to eat it, let alone finish it.  Seriously, you have to give some thought to how you’re going to take your first bite. 

In short, it was a hot mess.

My buddy who joined me proceeded to take the sandwich out of it wrapper.  Rookie move.  Never unwrap a sandwich like that.  You only unwrap as much as you need to eat it.  Otherwise, more of the sandwich will be on your lap than in your mouth.  Keep it wrapped, and lean over while you eat it so if anything drops or drips, and it will, it falls on your tray and not your lap.  He quickly learned the error of his ways.

The review?  Fabulous.  Sweet marina sauce, hot peppers, and a slightly salty breaded piece of beef.  Great combination.  It hurt a bit, but I finished mine.  My buddy D did not, though he put forth a valiant effort.  The fries were also fabulous, but let’s face it, it was all about the sandwich!

Well worth a cab ride from downtown Chicago. 

The Gospel According to the Wannabe Foodie – Chicken Breasts.  Ok.  I’ll admit it.  I hate chicken breasts, particularly boneless chicken breast.  90 percent of the time, they’re dry and tasteless, no matter what you do with them.  Yes, I know they’re lean protein (that doesn’t even sound tasty!), but they usually taste like saw dust.  The only exception I’ve found is if they’ve been brined, like I do with my smoked chickens.  Seriously – how often do eat a chicken breast and think “Damn!  That’s tasty!”  Rarely, methinks.    

If you must eat boneless chicken, I suggest boneless thighs.  Yes, they have some more fat, but it’s not like you’re eating bacon or butter.  It’s still chicken.  But, they have a LOT more flavor than chicken breasts and they rarely dry out.  You can get them in any grocery store. 

The next time you make something that calls for boneless chicken breast, try boneless chicken thighs.  I think you’ll like them. 

Happy cooking.

WF