Fun Celebrating 5 Tasty Years with Food Trucks and Momocho!

This was the scene last evening in the parking lot of Ohio City's Momocho. Chef-Owner Eric Williams decided to celebrate his restaurant's five-year anniversary by giving his staff the night off, and throwing a big, old fashioned, play-with-your-food party in his restaurant parking lot with these behemoth guest chefs. The restaurant and patio were open, and staff from Chef Eric's other restaurant, The Happy Dog, tended bar, dispensing cold Tecate beer, zippy Margaritas, and wine, at celebratory prices.

Chef-Owner Rocco Whelan (Fahrenheit) Surveys the Scene From His Food Truck

Reading Facebook posts about the event earlier today inspired me to corral my husband and just go after I got home from work! And we were both glad that we did. The scene buzzed with positive energy, with total strangers enjoying one another's company as they played with their food.

Since we've both enjoyed Dim and Den Sum before, and I've sampled some of Umami Moto's food, we decided to start with the two trucks neither of us had yet tried. First up - Rocco Whelan's Fahrenheit - the name of both his brick-and-mortar Tremont restaurant and his food truck.


Fahrenheit's Menu


Leoncini Country Ham Fontina Sandwich and Pear Arugula Salad



I'm not always a big fan of ham - but this sandwich rocked! The gooey fontina cheese played nicely off of the salty ham, which had just the right amount of chew and a beautiful porkiness. With the buttery toast around the fillings, the sandwich melted in the mouth. The salad provided both crunch and astringency; a perfect counterpoint to the sandwich (and who doesn't love the combination of pear and fontina cheese?).


Crispy Potato Wedges Basil Parm EVOO

We loved this offering also - creamy, with a little bit of crispy texture, big potato flavor and just enough sharpness from the Basil.


Fruit Satay - Truffle Honey, Cashews, Captain Crunch

This inspired bit of fun playing with food combined warm fruit with both sweet and savory flavors, and a variety of textures. Yum.


Jibaro Menu

We shared a burrito.




Tangy Carrot Pickle and Jalapeno Slices


Caribbean Burrito - Barbacoa Braised Pork, Jibaro Yellow Rice, Jerk Spice, Kale, Black Beans, Mango Salsa

This burrito = simply delicious. It hit all of the right notes - savory, spicy without being too hot, intensely flavorful, cooling sweetness from the mango, and textural contrasts - heck, it even had green leafy vegetables in it that tasted good! This was our first taste of Jibaro, but it will not be our last.


Umami Moto Menu (or what was left of it by the time I photographed it)

The item at the bottom that is blocked is "Vietnamese Meatballs." Speaking of which:





We really enjoyed these flavorful, meaty bites together with the dipping sauce, which as advertised offered a tantalizing combination of sweet and hot.


Fish Taco - Marinated Tilapia, Romaine Lettuce, Cilantro, Mint, Red Onion, Cucumber and Lime Aioli on Handmade Corn Tortilla

I would normally not buy tilapia in a street food setting (I'm not a huge tilapia fan in any setting), but as you saw above, the choices were limited. As Bob had never tried Umami Moto's food, I really wanted us to get two dishes, but we felt that the Pad Thai would have been too much food. I loved everything about this taco (especially the handmade corn tortilla and the Lime Aioli), except for the fish, which tasted like, well, frozen tilapia to me. Ironically, Dim and Den Sum ran out of food moments after Bob placed his order there, so we probably could and should have tried the Umami Moto Pad Thai instead, but that is sometimes how the tomato bounces. (The Pad Thai looked and smelled delicious as two of our impromptu table-mates enjoyed some; our loss).

Speaking of Dim and Den Sum:



Bob tried to get a Beef Sandwich and a Veggie Taco, but moments after he ordered - the white board was wiped mostly clean (BLT sandwiches were the only savory left) and his money was returned to him. Missed it by that much.

He was offered the following consolation prize:


Chocolate Cupcake with Minty Frosting

We tend to fill up on savories and not have room for dessert - but as it all worked out, this last sweet, chocolaty, creamy bite ended our meal perfectly.

Cleveland has spent a lot of time and effort fussing over food trucks lately; it was wonderful for Eric Williams to open up his place and his parking lot to showcase four of Cleveland's best. The perfect weather and expertly mixed margaritas added to the fun, and the food was almost all sold out by 8pm. But more than food and fun, we enjoyed a fabulous sense of community tonight in Momocho's parking lot - and that made the evening all the more tasty.

Speaking of tasty - be sure to get your tickets for a very special Dinner in the Dark to be held at AMP 150 on Monday, May 23, 2011 at 6:30 PM. This event is a benefit for the Matthew Finkel Scholarship Fund, and will offer food from fifteen of Cleveland's premier chefs and beverages from premier micro-breweries as well as wine. The benefit will also offer some amazing prizes for raffle, including the opporutinity to join the audience for filming of Iron Chef America this summer! Please visit DITD's Eventbrite page for all of the details, and to purchase your tickets.

Final Fun Playing With Passover Food 2011

And so, another Passover is in the books. Here are a few final notes and photos.

For our second Seder, we did a blind taste taste, pitting Mister Brisket's Meyer Natural Angus sustainably raised, USDA Prime Brisket (finished on corn) against Farmer Aaron Miller's 100% Grass Fed, Pasture Raised, Brisket. The results were very interesting (and of course, Bob and I knew which was which).

The Meyer brisket, which I acquired for the Cleveland Plain Dealer photo shoot for the Taste section (with more content on-line; click here and here to read all about it!) prior to the actual Passover holiday, was a whole brisket. We cut off the point (it's in the freezer waiting for the chili pot) and went to work on the flat.

Meyer Brisket Seasoned with Hot and Sweet Paprika, Salt, Black Pepper and Garlic Granules

 

Manischewitz Tomato Mushroom Sauce Is Added  

Cooked Halfway or so, then Sliced 

 

Miller's Brisket (the biggest flat I've ever seen!)

Seasoned

And the moment of truth - can you tell which is which?

(Photo (c) Edsel Little, used with permission)

(Photo (c) Edsel Little, used with permission)

Our table of 10 diners was split almost down the middle as to which brisket was preferred. I liked the taste and texture of the Meyer beef (the first of the two plates shown here) just a little better than the Miller beef (immediately above). Bob felt the opposite. Both were delicious.

Carrot Tzimmes
(Photo (c) Edsel Little, used with permission) 

 I don't make this dish often, but the chilly weather (and the score of Miller Farm shortrib at the West Side Market) convinced me. It's not much to look at, but it tastes so good - flanken is browned, then cooked for many hours low and slow with carrots, sweet potato, diced prune and a bit of salt and sweet paprika.

I also made Maztoh Pancakes this year - Bob doesn't care for them, but I just had a craving:

Separating the eggs really made a difference in the taste and texture. The pancakes consist of egg, matzoh meal, milk (Snowville Creamery rocks), and a pinch of salt.

Matzoh Pancakes Topped with Herbthyme Bing Cherry Jam

 

As much as I enjoy the Passover holiday and the wonderful culinary traditions - I confess that I really, really enjoyed my pizza at Flour tonight. I hope that you all enjoyed the Spring holidays of your choice and I'll have a post about Flour shortly!

More Fun Playing With Gefilte Fish

As Passover continues, I hope you enjoy these reposts from 2008 on how I make some of my favorite things! Next up - Gefilte Fish! Once again, in 2011, Mister Brisket outdid himself with splendid raw fish mixture that we are now finishing. It seems to get better every year!

Fun Making Gefilte Fish

I make no secret of the fact that, as a child, I foolishly missed out on sharing the joys of Jewish holiday cooking with my grandparents, older sister and mother. At that time in my life, it just didn't interest me. It was not until about 1990, after I had finished school and moved out to New Jersey, that my mother's Multiple Sclerosis worsened to the point where she could no longer cook her traditional holiday meals. I had just begun to explore the joys of cooking, having taken my first Chinese cooking classes through the Montclair Adult School, and I was determined to keep my mother's traditions alive by learning how to cook her dishes.

Every year, I consider changing my Passover menu. And other than tinkering a little with the spices, I always wind up keeping my preparations true to the tastes and smells I grew up with. For mom.

Since I moved to Cleveland, Gefilte Fish has been a challenge. Is it well neigh impossible to purchase any quality fish at retail here. However, when I first moved here over 12 years ago, there was a supermarket called Gale's located in Beachwood that catered to the Jewish community, and which could be counted on for all of the raw ingredients I would need to recreate mom's dishes. Gale's left us a number of years ago (and became a Wild Oats - feh!). There is a fish store in the Orthodox part of town that became my source for a few years - but they weren't interested in serving my needs. Yes, they'd get and grind my fish - but no onion ground in and no carp. My mother's recipe calls for 1 part whitefish, 1 part pike, and 1/2 part carp (for fat and texture more than taste). But their rules were not negotiable.

So, I tried another recently (at the time) opened local fish store that the newspapers raved about, in Cedar Center (long gone now). I will never forget the time I ordered 5# of fish according to the formula - and they handed me a bag with over 20 pounds - the kid who took the order had written "20" instead of "2" for one of the fishes - it was a disaster!

Finally, about 5 years ago, I learned that Cleveland's storied Mister Brisket (AKA Sanford Herskovitz) had begun to offer ground fish for the Jewish holidays. The first time I ordered from him, he said "no carp" - I guess there is an aversion to carp in Cleveland! But after I explained that "this is how my mommy makes it" - he relented. As you will see below, the fish he special orders, fillets, and grinds is pristine. And - Mister Brisket delivers - such a deal!

And so, yesterday, I made my 2008 Passover Gefilte Fish. I began with five pounds of fish fillets, which were ground with an onion by Mister Brisket, and one whole fish (sans fillets). I neglected to photograph the fish before I put it in the pot, so that is where we begin:



The first step in making this dish is to create a fish stock. The fish parts are placed in a large pot with sliced onion and good water, and brought to a gentle boil. After skimming, salt, pepper and sugar are added. How much? I don't know - I never measure.


Plumps When You Cook 'Em!

While the stock is simmering (for about 30 minutes), I make the fish ball mixture.


2# Whitefish, 2# Pike, 1# Carp Fillets, Ground with Onion


Blue Eggs from Breychak's Blue Egg Farm


Kosher-for-Passover Matzo Meal, Sugar, Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt

I only use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt (which is so prevalent in professional kitchens, it even got a cameo in the film "Ratatouille"). The other major player, Morton's, contains a chemical anti-caking agent (and I think it tastes nasty).


White Peppercorn from Heather's Heat & Flavor


Organic Carrots

That's all there is to it, folks!

First, de-shell the eggs. For five pounds of fish, mom used 6 eggs; I used 7 because many of the Blue Eggs are a little smaller than USDA "large":



Beat until frothy; I use a handmixer:



Add the ground fish, and remember to treat it as you would ground meat for meatballs - you want to work it as little as possible.



Here is where I made a small mistake - it is easier to incorporate the seasonings into the mix with less handling if you whirl them into the eggs. But I forgot - so I added the seasonings here and gently mixed them in. How much? I start with a tablespoon of sugar, and I eyeball the salt and pepper.



I am always conservative with the seasonings and matzoh meal at first, because every batch of fish is different, and there is only one way to know if it is right - taste it (and too much matzoh meal will turn the fluffy balls into lead ballons)! The matzoh meal is next - and again, I add a bit at a time and work it in, until the mixture "feels" right.



Once the mixture feels right, it is time to taste. Unfortunately, it is no longer safe to taste this kind of fish raw, as my mother and grandmother did (even though I know that these farm eggs are safe!) - and really, tasting it raw wouldn't give you the best feel for it anyway. So, I boil water in a small saucepan, pinch out a small ball of the mixture (which lets me test the matzoh meal-iness) and cook it for a few minutes. After tasting the cooked fish, I adjust the seasoning to taste - this time, I got it perfect on the second try!

No photos of the next step, because it takes two hands and makes a mess of them! I put some Kosher for Passover cooking oil in a dish, and dip into it periodically to keep the mixture from sticking to my hands. (Its not even Seder night and I'm dipping already!) I form the fish into ovals, which is how mom made them, and gently deposit each oval into the fish stock, which is now at a strong simmer. Once all of the fish balls are in the pot, I put on the lid and cook 1.5 hours.



During the first cooking time, I prep the carrots. After 1.5 hours, I add the carrots to the pot and re-lid. The fish balls are floating happily! I cook it another 1.5 hours (which is longer than mom cooked it, but I saw an elderly grandma make fish with Joan Nathan on PBS a few years ago, and she swore by a 3 hour cooktime). When cooking time is over, I use a slotted spoon to carefully remove the fish and carrots, taking care to examine for shrapnel from the skeleton. My mother said, as a girl, nibbling fish bits off of the bones was her favorite part of making this dish - me - even though I'm always tempted to save the stock and meaty bits for another use - they always wind up in the compost. The house just smells too much like fish after the cooking is done for me to find it appealing.






Cooking for the Jewish holidays brings me great joy; my only sadness is that I cannot share this food with mom, who still lives in NY 450 miles away. But, as this post demonstrates, making your own Gefilte Fish is not so hard as you might think (provided you have a good fishmonger, or a moonlighting butcher!), and you will never eat jarred fish again after you have tasted this!

More Fun Playing With Passover Food Memories

As my feet continue to recover from four days of non-stop action on my ceramic-tile floored kitchen, I offer another Passover re-run from 2008; one which I need to review, since I wasn't happy with my Matzoh Balls this year.

Please enjoy!

Fun Playing with Matzo Balls

Growing up, the Master of the Matzo Balls was my sister, Chaya. To this day, she makes the lightest, most ethereal Matzo Balls, always perfectly round (and they stay that way). I've gotten pretty good at making them too, but I owe it all to Chaya!

The base recipe our family always uses is from the quintessential Jewish Cookbook from 1956, Love and Knishes by Sara Kasdan, which I am pleased to see is back in print. It is a very simple recipe. I will never understand the concept of "matzo ball mix." What's the point?

There is also a bit of debate as to the preferred texture - sinkers or floaters? Dense or fluffy? My research indicates that the way your mother made them probably influences your taste in this regard more than anything (as explained brilliantly by Ms. Kasdan at pps. 113-115 of the 1957 printing). We prefer the fluffy, floating kind in my family.

I begin by setting up the mise:



For every 6 eggs, Chaya uses 1 cup of matzo meal. The recipe also calls for 2 TB schmaltz (rendered chicken fat), but since no one in my family ever used it, I do not. Here, I did a double batch, 12 eggs, 2 cups matzo meal. Since these were the fabulous Blue Eggs, which vary in size, I added a 13th egg. A little salt (2 tsp for 12 eggs, according the recipe, reduced a bit to account for the strength of Kosher Salt) and fresh ground white pepper (1/4 tsp), and that's all there is to it, though you can gussy it up with seasonings like nutmeg or parsley, or whatever else you want. But I am a purist with my Passover cooking. And I always wind up glad I didn't mess with the recipe!



First step - separate the eggs. Not so easy when they've only been out of the chickens for about a week! But worth it - look at the yellow of those beautiful yolks!



Next - beat the yolks until light, then add the salt and pepper. In the Kitchen Aid, beat the egg whites until stiff. Then, add the yolk mixture on top, and gently fold in.







Next - add the matzo meal a little at a time and gently fold in.





Once the ingredients are folded together, cover with a dishtowel and refrigerate for at least an hour. This allows the matzo meal to absorb the liquid, which is essential.

Prior to removing from the fridge, I put my biggest pot (the 20 quarter) on the stove, with water up to about the 15 quart hash mark. I want the matzo balls to have plenty of room to expand, which they will. Since my stove only gets about 9,000 BTU's on a good day, I give the pot a little help to get it to the boil:



This commercial bucket warmer does wonders.

After about 3 hours in the fridge, the batter looked like this:





When forming the balls (and forgive the lack of photos - that operation requires two hands and makes a mess of them!), it is necessary to lubricate the hands to keep the batter from sticking too much. Until this year, I always used a little bowl of water. This time, I tried coating my hands with oil instead - and I think that is why, for the first time, my Matzo Balls held their shape so well. So - everybody in the pool!



I cook them for about an hour, then scoop them out to cool.





And here it is - served in the chicken soup I blogged about here:



Passover is in many ways the ultimate "play with your food" holiday - even though the ingredients are simple and limited - the final products are simply wonderful.