Yesterday I dined at Big Star for lunch. Big Star is a relatively new fast casual Mexican hot spot in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood (1531 N. Damen). It’s owned and operated by a group of Chicago restauranteurs (including Paul Kahan of Avec, Blackbird, and The Publican). Big Star is inside of an old gas station, still complete with large, metal garage doors. Inside is a wrap-around bar, stocking plenty of high end beer, whiskey, and tequila, with stools and booths surrounding. There’s also a quick service window where customers can walk up and order food to go. What kind of food does Big Star serve you ask? Tacos and tostadas.

The menu is very limited, and also deceivingly cheap at first. Available are a variety of tacos and tostadas with lamb, pork belly, fish, and chicken and topped with anything from pineapple to radishes. Each of the tacos and tostadas are priced at $4 or less, however they are quite small. I would suggest ordering at least 3-4 items, which can put your total well over $15/person, not including beer or cocktails. The food is quite good however. I had both chicken and pork belly tacos as well as a mouthwatering fish tostada. Our group also ordered the Queso Fundito, a small casserole dish of bubbling cheese, roasted poblanos, and chorizo served with warm tortillas.

Big Star is ideologically similar to Urban Belly (Big name chef opens small, fast casual dining spot), although I think the food at Urban Belly is far more unique and mind-blowing. Nevertheless, Big Star is an eclectic place to grab a quick taco and a beer. Although I have yet to go in the late evening, I imagine they get extremely busy as they transition from restaurant to full-on bar.

Big Star, 1531 N. Damen Ave, Chicago, IL, 60622. Opens at 11:30 AM everyday.
Big Star does not have an official website, but they do have a blog!

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Bacon has been a significant trend in all facets of the restaurant and cooking industry for the past few years. Everyone has their favorite bacon over-indulgence and bacon-mania has yet to reach its peak. Here are a few fun and almost disturbing (but still delicious) bacon-ventions:

Bacon Jam

Bacon cooked down and puréed with caramelized onions. Spread it on your morning toast. Buy it here.



Wild Turkey Bacon Sandwich

A clever play on words, this bacon sandwich is meant to peak the interests of, then severely let down, any veg-heads or pork-less eaters. Tip back the Wild Turkey and chow on this sandwich.



Bacon Floss

That’s right, we Americans have answered the age old question of “how can we incorporate bacon into dental hygeine?” Buy your bacon floss here.



Bacon USB Flash Drive

“BBQ Port:” Stay bacon-crazy with this flash drive. Other food-drives available here.



Baconnaise

“The Ultimate Bacon Flavored Spread”



The BA-K-47

The folks at This Is Freakin Ridiculous created this bacon-based AK-47. Although it won’t prevent burglaries, the BA-K-47 is effective against vegetarians and members of PETA



And of Course: The Bacon Explosion

No bacon list is complete without the ubiquitous Bacon Explosion: Two pounds of pork sausage and two pounds of bacon inter-woven, smoked, then slathered in BBQ sauce. Happy heart attack!

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We eat vegetables almost exclusively in savory dishes. Many vegetables, however, are naturally sweet and have intense aromas which work exceedingly well in desserts. I wanted to create a dessert featuring vegetables and I started by brainstorming which vegetables could work well in a dessert.

The first vegetable was an easy choice: Carrots. Carrots are one of the sweetest vegetables on Earth and they pair well with baking spices like clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice and with sweeteners like honey and molasses. We add carrots to stocks for an added sweetness and carrot cake is a staple of bakeries around the country.

Beets might seem like an odd dessert flavor but they are quite sweet. Afterall, a great portion of granulated sugar is processed and refined from sugar beets. One of my favorite side dishes is roasted beets with honey and dill. Used with restraint, the unique flavor of beets can work well in a dessert.

The final vegetable in this dessert is celery. Celery is almost more of an aromatic than it is a vegetable. It has a delightfully musty and sweet aroma. Celery is also nothing new to dessert at Garrett’s Table. With a bit of added sugar, celery can add a refreshing, aromatic flare to any dessert, along with a crunchy texture.

Ok so what the heck is the dessert??? A very soft thyme spongecake is filled with a beet and honey caramel. The caramel is quite thick at room temperature but, when baked in the center of the cake, it becomes very liquid and flows out of the cake when cut.

Next to the thyme and beet caramel cake is a spiced carrot and cream cheese sorbet. The sorbet is frozen into the shape of a carrot (a technique I’ve used previously in a Tiramisu Créme Brulée) and it is resting on some ground, candied walnuts.

A sweetened celery puree adds brightness and acidity which help to cut through the richness of the spongecake. Dollops of honey-fluff, fresh thyme leaves, and diced celery are the finishing elements of this unique dessert.

So go ahead…enjoy your vegetables!

I’m more than happy to share my secrets and my recipes. If you would like the recipe for this vegetable dessert, simply sign up for the Garrett’s Table e-mail newsletter. Signing up couldn’t be easier. Click the button below and enter your e-mail address and you’ll start receiving Garrett’s Table updates along with subscriber-only recipes and content. I’ll include the recipe for this vegetable dessert, with instructions on how to make your own sorbet mold, in my next mailing (April 1, 2010). All e-mail addresses are confidential and you can unsubscribe at any time.

These stunning photographs were taken by Mike Boehmer.

Mike is a Chicago-based photographer and a regular contributor to The Windy Pixel. Please visit www.mikeboehmer.com for more fantastic photography!

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Celery, or Apium graveolens, is an enlarged version of a bitter Eurasian herb called smallage. The modern form of celery began it’s cultivation in 15th century Italy, and it remained a rare delicacy until the 19th century. According to Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking, celery “has a distinctive but subtle aroma due to unusual compounds called phthalides that it shares with walnuts…and terpenes that provide light pine and citrus notes.”

Because of it’s aromatic qualities, celery has been used in the flavoring bases of many regional cuisines, including the French mirepoix and the Cajun trinity. Celery stalks are extremely healthy because they contain very few calories and an immense amount of dietary fiber. Celery seeds contain a high proportion of calcium, and it may not surprise you that they’ve been administered as medicine for hundreds of years. The seeds are very aromatic as well and, here in Chicago, we know them best ground with salt and sprinkled on top of our hot dogs. Celery seed and celery juice adds extra dimension of savory-ness to the classic bloody mary.

Celery is one of my personal favorite foods. When I’m in need of something fresh, I’ll peel a stalk and eat it either plain or with peanut butter and raisins. I often slice the peeled stalk, blanch it in water seasoned with sugar and celery salt, and toss the celery in a bit of melted butter to make a flavorful but healthy side dish. Celery is not limited to the savory kitchen. It’s subtle but persistent aromatic qualities work incredibly well when sweetened. Keep reading Garrett’s Table in the coming days to see celery’s sweet side.

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Scallops, because of their naturally high sugar content, sear wonderfully. The crisp, golden brown crust of a seared scallop creates texture and accentuates its sweetness. I think scallop pair exceedingly well with tropical flavors, and this dish features quite a few.

First is a puree of young coconut. Young coconut is an immature coconut, and the meat is tender and mildly sweet. The puree is both rich and refreshing, a unique quality of coconut.

The diced pineapple is tossed with fresh Jalapeño and dark rum. The pineapple is then compressed in a vacuum sealing bag. As you remove all the air, the sides of the bag apply large but equal pressure on all sides of the pineapple, compressing the cell walls and creating a unique texture along with an intense concentration of flavor.

The dish also features a smooth avocado and lime sauce. The unctuous sauce combines the richness of avocado with the bright, acidic qualities of lime juice and lime zest. It contrasts well with the richness of the scallops and coconut. Leaves of fresh cilantro add intense bursts of flavor to the dish.

Finally, a fried slice of plantain adds some much needed texture and additional tropical influence to this seafood dish.

Young Coconut Purée:

• 1 young coconut
• Kosher salt, sugar, and lime juice to taste

Carefully crack open the young coconut above a bowl or other large container. Collect the juice, then remove the coconut flesh from the inner shell. The flesh will have remnants of the shell stuck to it. Trim the brown remnants from the flesh, taking care not to remove too much of the young coconut flesh. Place the coconut in a blender and add about half the coconut water. Purée on high speed for 1 minute. Add extra coconut water as needed to achieve a sauce with the consistency of chocolate syrup. Season with kosher salt, sugar, and lime juice.

Left to right: A young coconut, un-trimmed young coconut meat, cleaned and trimmed young coconut meat

Rum-Compressed Pineapple:

• 1 ripe pineapple
• 1 Jalapeño chile
• 2 Tbsp. dark rum
• Kosher salt, to taste

Slice the rind from the pineapple then cut into medium dice. Juice (or eat) the scraps. Slice the jalapeño into quarters lengthwise. Remove the seeds and the skin. Dice the jalepeño fine. Toss with the diced pineapple and add the pineapple juice (if you didn’t eat the scraps) and dark rum. Season with kosher salt. Place the diced pineapple mixture into a vacuum sealing bag and seal on high. Store in the refrigerator until needed.

Avocado and Lime Puree:

• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 limes, juiced and zested
• Kosher salt, to taste

Place the avocado in a blender with lime juice and zest. Season with kosher salt and blend into a fine puree. Pass the purée through a fine mesh strainer or chinois. Press plastic wrap directly on top of the purée and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Fried Plantains:

• 1 plaintain
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Kosher salt and ground allspice, for seasoning

Slice the plantain lengthwise on a mandolin to 1/16 inch thick. Fry the plantain slices at 365° F until golden brown and crisp. Season with a mixture of kosher salt and ground allspice.

To Assemble and Serve (For Each Portion):

• 3 large diver scallops
• Vegetable oil, as needed
• 1 Tb. whole butter
• 2 strips lime zest
• Cilantro stems
• Young coconut purée
• Avocado and Lime Purée
• Rum-Compressed Pineapple
• Fried plantain slice
• Cilantro leaves, for garnish

Clean the scallops of the small but tough side mussel. Season on all sides with kosher salt. Rest and dry the scallops on a paper towel. Heat a cast iron sauté pan over high heat and add a thin layer of vegetable oil. Sear the scallops to a deep golden brown on one side and then flip. Immediately add the butter, lime zest, and cilantro stems. As the butter begins to melt and brown, spoon it over the scallops (A French technique called poulet).

Arrange the purées, pineapple, and cilantro leaves on a plate. Add the seared scallops and a fried plantain slice. Enjoy!

Suggested wine pairing: California Sauvignon Blanc

These stunning photographs were taken by Mike Boehmer.

Mike is a Chicago-based photographer and a regular contributor to The Windy Pixel. Please visit www.mikeboehmer.com for more fantastic photography!

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