Update

No new recipes or anything today, just wanted to post an update of what's been going on with me. I am starting a new job down in Wilmette, IL at Michigan Shores Club. It's a private social/country club with two restaurants so I am very excited about that. Also, be sure to check the blog next week sometime for pictures of the dinner that Chris De Santis and I are creating and preparing on Tuesday night for my birthday. I'm getting old, 25 this year.

My take on some Kenosha restaurants...

I've lived in Kenosha my whole life and I obviously love food and have strong opinions about such. Just wanted to share my thoughts on a few area restaurants.

Favorites
1. Mangia Trattoria: I worked here for nearly two years and as a chef I have a great deal of respect for the Mantuano family and Jose Burgos, the head chef there. Because I worked there I know that these guys do everything the right way; top of the line and fresh ingredients and they pay attention to detail. The menu may be a bit pricey for Kenosha norms but it's all worth it. Pizzas from the wood-burning oven, which is the only one in a city that claims to have great pizza, are fabulous. Thin, crispy crusts with just the right amount of chew to the dough make these special. I recommend the Pizza Quattro Formaggi, if it's not on the menu just ask and they will take care of you. Also from the wood-burning oven, Gamberi al Sambuca, is a mainstay on the menu. Shrimp cooked in olive oil with oregano, chili flakes, and flamed with sambuca is excellent as an appretizer. Can't go to Mangia without checking out some pasta dishes; Rigatoni della Nonna is absolutely delicous. Tender pork shoulder braised in tomato sauce with rigatoni is simple yet refined. Be sure to check out the Raviolis and a nice dessert menu as well. You wont regret it.
2. Los Taquitos: I've been frequenting this place on 22nd Ave. because they have the best authentic Mexican food in town. Be sure to Al Pastor (marinated pork with pineapple), Barbacoa (steamed and shredded beef), and Lengua (cow tongue). It doesn't matter if you put any of them on a taco or torta or fill a burrito with it, I promise you won't be disappointed. Please make sure to order your tacos Mexican style with cilantro and onion, a little squeeze of lime, and some salsa verde. Cheap and delicious.
3. Big Star: Sure it's a drive-thru burger joint, but those little bastards are so damn good. Cooked in onions, smothered with oh so melty cheese. Irrestible.

Overrated
1. Captain Mike's: I've given this place numerous opportunities to cook me a Kobe beef burger correctly and I am convinced they can't. First off, with such a high quality product as Kobe, there should be no option to order it well done. When I order it rare, I want it rare; not medium-well. The macaroni and cheese dishes are ok. Velveeta cheese does has it's place in cooking but if you need it in every macaroni and cheese dish, you should learn how to cook. Sadly enough most of the general public finds their food really good. I'll open my own place sometime and show em what's up.
2. Tacos El Rey: I hate Americanized Mexican food and I lump these guys in with the likes of Taco Bell. I might get murdered for saying they're overrated but oh well. THEY ARE. If you want some Mexican food check out Los Taquitos or La Fogata. 

Honorable Mention
La Fogata, Soon's Sushi, Ashling on the Lough.


Also if you think any chain restaurant should be in the favorites or honorable mention categories, get a clue.

Please check out:
www.kenoshamangia.com
www.ashlingonthelough.com or check either of them out on Facebook.

Would you eat here?

As a chef I obviously would like to own my own restaurant one day, hopefully sooner rather than later. I have been toying with some ideas as to what exactly I would serve. I basically want to create a place that is not pretentious and serve food that goes good with a drink or two. I've come up with numerous menu ideas and I think the following one is a good representation of what I would like to do. Please give me any feedback/suggestions that you may have.

APPETIZERS
Cheese Fries: Hand-cut fries topped with fresh herbs, bacon, green onions, and smothered in a smoked-provolone cheese sauce.
Mussels: One pound of Mussels steamed in white wine with garlic, cilantro, and Thai chilis; served with a curry aioli.
Grilled Cheese Bites: Four mini grilled cheese sandwiches with bacon, tomato, and Wisconsin brick cheese lightly battered and deep fried. Served with a spicy tomato sauce.
Flatbread: Homemade flatbread topped with duck confit, spinach, grilled pears, and goat cheese.

BURGERS AND SANDWICHES
The "RD": 1/2 pound burger topped with beer braised onions, honey & black pepper bacon, Wisconsin cheddar, and homemade burger sauce.
The "Dirty Sanchez": 1/2 pound burger topped with cream cheese, jalapenos, and homemade chipotle ketchup.
The "Cardiologist": Two 1/3 pound burgers, topped with Wisconsin cheddar, honey & black pepper bacon, fried onions, and a fried egg in between two grilled cheese sandwiches.
The "Colonel": 8 oz. chicken breast breaded and deep fried, topped with crispy pancetta, arugula, and a dijon mustard aioli.

ENTREES
Ribeye: 16 oz. Ribeye steak, pan seared and oven roasted, served with caramelized onions and sauteed crimini mushrooms, topped with herb butter. Served with hand-cut fries.
Mac 'n Sleaze: Penne pasta with a white cheddar and provolone cheese sauce, pancetta, green onions, and tomatoes. Baked with a parmesan crust.
Pork Chop: 12 oz. pork chop, pan seared and oven roasted; served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and honey & dijon mustard cream sauce.
Duck Breast: Pan seared and oven roasted, served with a scallion risotto, and an apple cider & beer reduction.

The Only Way to Make Red Sauce, In My Opinion

This one goes out my uncle, Chris DeSantis. Probably the coolest guy I've ever met. Be sure to check his blog out at: www.alla-tavola.blogspot.com. Growing up definitely not-Italian in a city full of Italians, I was lucky enough to have an uncle from New York City share his family recipes and ways of doing things with me. This is an adaptation of one of them:

Sugo di Pomodoro con Maiale
1. Start by browning 1 pound of pork neck bones that have been seasoned with salt and pepper in a couple Tbs. of olive oil.
2. After the neck bones have sufficiently browned, discard used oil and add a few more Tbs. Saute 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 large onion,, 1 bay leaf and a pinch of crushed red pepper until onions are soft.
3. Add 2 28 ounce cans of plum tomatoes and bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Add neck bones back to sauce.
4. Occasionally stir the sauce to break the tomatoes apart. 
5. Simmer for 30-45 minutes, do not overcook the sauce. Taste to check seasonings. Add salt or pepper if necessary. Discard neck bones if you wish, I like to pick at them.
6. Stir in a few Tbs. of fresh basil right before serving.
7. Toss with fettucine pasta, top with a little more fresh basil, parmigiano-reggiano cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy with a glass or two of wine.

Mac and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese is of things that no matter how I'm feeling, and I've been out there before haha, I'll never turn it down. Whether it's the crap out of the box or that toxic orange stuff from the Colonel-I don't care, I'll eat it. If I'm making my own I do have some preferences; I prefer a penne regate pasta and I like to add other ingredients. For today's recipe I'll be doing Mac and Sleaze, a tribute to my days at Ashling in Kenosha. For this recipe I'm just going to make suggestions as far as what cheeses to use; but in the end, the cheese and the amount are really up to you.

1. Start by building a roux, equal parts flour and butter and cook until all the raw flour is incorporated, should be a blonde color. Set aside.

2. Next begin cooking off your pasta. Don't overcook the pasta, it will be cooked again.

3. Bring 1 qt. of milk up to a simmer, season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Begin to whisk in the roux a little at a time avoiding clumps. 

4. Once the milk has thickened enough begin adding your cheeses, small handfuls at a time. I like to use white cheddar, pecorino romano, cream cheese, fontina, and parmesan. But by all means go nuts.

5. Once all the cheese is melted in I like to add 1-2 Tbs. of dijon mustard to give the sauce a little more kick.

6. Take your cooked pasta and finished sauce, whatever leftover cheese you have, crumbled bacon, diced tomatoes, and green onions and mix. Portion out into buttered individual serving dishes or into a casserole dish, top with parmesan cheese and bread crumbs and bake at 400 degrees until nice and brown on top. Enjoy!

Asparagus

Today I am going to focus on one of my all-time favorite vegetables: Asparagus. I figure since it's spring, why not? I particularly like asparagus because it is a versatile ingredient. It can stand up on it's own and also play well with other ingredients. Whether simply grilled with olive oil, salt, and pepper; or as an accompaniment to a pizza or pasta dish, I will show you a few asparagus inspired dishes and hopefully inspire you to go out and create your own.

Pizza with Aspargus, Pancetta, Goat Cheese, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
This dish is a prime example of how asparagus both can assert itself flavor-wise and yet coexist with other dominate flavors.
1. Begin by preheating your oven to 450 degrees and by preparing pizza dough (either make your own or buy frozen). Roll out crust, using a bit of flour to prevent sticking, into two 10-inch crusts. One pound of dough is plenty for two 10-inch pizzas.
2. Using 1/3 of a pound of pancetta that is sliced no more than 1/4 of an inch thick, dice into small pieces. Preheat a pan with a small amount of olive oil and render the fat out of the pancetta (until crispy). Drain on a paper towel and set aside. 
3. Trim the woody ends off of 1 pound of fresh asparagus and slice on a bias into 1/3 of an inch thick slices. Saute over medium heat with olive oil, salt, and pepper until just tender (4 or 5 minutes). 
4. Brush pizza crusts with olive oil and top with mozzarella cheese, pancetta, asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, and goat cheese.
5. Bake at 450 degrees until crust is nice and crispy and the cheese has sufficiently browned.
6. Slice and enjoy.

Asparagus Soup
1. Start by dicing 1 pound of fresh asparagus, 4 carrots, 3 cloves of garlic, and 1 yellow onion into a fine dice.
2. In a heavy bottomed stock pot add 4 Tbs. butter and saute all vegetables just until tender. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Once sauteed, deglaze pan with 1 1/2 cups of white wine. Reduce the wine by half.
4. After the wine has reduced, add 2 qts. of homemade or low-sodium chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer the liquid until all vegetables are tender (20 minutes or so).
5. In a separate pan, saute 1/2 of a pound of fresh asparagus in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender but still with a slight crunch left in the asparagus.
6. Remove chicken stock and vegetable mixture from heat and puree until completely smooth. At this point taste the soup and adjust seasonings if need be.
7. Return soup to low heat and whisk in 2 cups of heavy whipping cream and 2 cups of sour cream.
8. Serve in soup bowls and top the soup with sauteed asparagus and freshly cracked black pepper.

My Idea of a Great Burger

   Growing up, my father used to make us peanut butter and bacon sandwiches on toasted Italian bread. These sunday-morning treats are the inspiration for a burger that I would like to dedicate to my father. Daniel Brian Dwyer 6/25/56-6/24/02 Love and Miss You Always Dad.

    PB&J BURGER
1. Get your grill started and start by making patties out of your ground beef. I prefer to use a blend of 80/20, the fat content ensures a juicy and flavorful burger. For this burger, an eight ounce patty is what I would recommend though you can make them as big or small as you would like. This recipe is for four 8 ounce burgers.
2. Julienne 2 large red onions and set aside.
3. Over medium heat, heat 3 Tbs. of olive in oil in a heavy-bottomed fry pan and add your red onion. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Saute onions for 3-5 minutes until just tender and deglaze the pan with a half of a bottle of red wine. (Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot).
5. Allow wine to reduce by half and add 2 Tbs. sugar, 1 sprig of fresh Thyme, and 1 1/2 cups of Grape preserves.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer until onions are very soft and the liquid has thickened. Be careful not to burn as this condiment has a high sugar content and can do so very easily, so keep stirring it.
7. In separate pan start cooking off 8 slices of your favorite bacon.
8. Season burger patties with salt and pepper and cook on charcoal grill until medium, about 4 minutes per side. Set aside and let rest.
9. Grab your favorite hamburger bun, toast with butter, and smear 1 1/2 Tbs. of peanut butter and 1 Tbs. of cream cheese on either side. Top burger with 2 bacon slices and braised onions. Enjoy!