Food thread/what are you eating?

iowamcnabb said:
Chapli kebabs for staff meal tonight. Maybe my favorite type. Seasoned with coriander, cumin, pomegranate arils, ginger, garlic and chunks of bone marrow. Served with pomegranate raita, cucumber tomato salad and some pita.

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I'm sure this has been asked, and I'm sure this has been answered, but I just don't feel like going through 7 pages of messages in order to find the answer, so please forgive me for asking...:):):):)

How long have you been a chef for?
How long has your restaurant been open? (if not the same answer as the one to the previous question)
 
QWERTYLICIOUS said:
I'm sure this has been asked, and I'm sure this has been answered, but I just don't feel like going through 7 pages of messages in order to find the answer, so please forgive me for asking...:):):):)

How long have you been a chef for?
How long has your restaurant been open? (if not the same answer as the one to the previous question)
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I don’t consider myself a chef in the sense that I didn’t rise up the ranks in scratch kitchens as is traditionally done before opening a place. Having said that, I have a lot of cooking and baking experience including Jamaican cuisine, Filipino and multiple styles of pizza. I often cook Indian/ Pakistani dishes and Middle Eastern/ North African. The pizzeria has been open for 8 years. I love it but it’s a grind and emotionally draining with the up and down nature of the service industry.
 
iowamcnabb said:
I don’t consider myself a chef in the sense that I didn’t rise up the ranks in scratch kitchens as is traditionally done before opening a place. Having said that, I have a lot of cooking and baking experience including Jamaican cuisine, Filipino and multiple styles of pizza. I often cook Indian/ Pakistani dishes and Middle Eastern/ North African. The pizzeria has been open for 8 years. I love it but it’s a grind and emotionally draining with the up and down nature of the service industry.
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What are some of your favorite Indian dishes to cook?
 
iowamcnabb said:
I don’t consider myself a chef in the sense that I didn’t rise up the ranks in scratch kitchens as is traditionally done before opening a place. Having said that, I have a lot of cooking and baking experience including Jamaican cuisine, Filipino and multiple styles of pizza. I often cook Indian/ Pakistani dishes and Middle Eastern/ North African. The pizzeria has been open for 8 years. I love it but it’s a grind and emotionally draining with the up and down nature of the service industry.
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What are some of your favorites to bake?
 
QWERTYLICIOUS said:
What are some of your favorites to bake?
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probably pizza. Neapolitan style was what sparked it all. I do a sourdough crust, room temperature fermented. It’s taken years to understand all the variables which means every day is a new challenge. Temperature, humidity, time, winter vs spring wheat. I can leave a dough out in the back of our restaurant over night and it will turn out differently than dough left out in the front. Same thing with the bake. How dry is the firewood? How warm is the dough? Pile of coals vs rolling flame. Constant learning and evolving
 
iowamcnabb said:
probably pizza. Neapolitan style was what sparked it all. I do a sourdough crust, room temperature fermented. It’s taken years to understand all the variables which means every day is a new challenge. Temperature, humidity, time, winter vs spring wheat. I can leave a dough out in the back of our restaurant over night and it will turn out differently than dough left out in the front. Same thing with the bake. How dry is the firewood? How warm is the dough? Pile of coals vs rolling flame. Constant learning and evolving
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Do you bake cakes/desserts?
 
QWERTYLICIOUS said:
What were/are the names of the dishes you had? And which was the radish-based one?
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Pink picture was the radish. They were just named according to the chief vegetable(s) involved, so not too interesting. Written, as pictured:

jerusalem artichoke / tatsoi, bay leaf
tropea / suave, lemon
chioggia / radish, juneberry
king oyster mushroom / pumpkin, elderflower

10 or 11 courses total. Too lazy to write them all out ;)
 
Sluggah said:
Pink picture was the radish. They were just named according to the chief vegetable(s) involved, so not too interesting. Written, as pictured:

jerusalem artichoke / tatsoi, bay leaf
tropea / suave, lemon
chioggia / radish, juneberry
king oyster mushroom / pumpkin, elderflower

10 or 11 courses total. Too lazy to write them all out ;)
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I’ve noticed some of these high end tasting menu places have moved plant based. Is that particular restaurant entirely vegetarian/vegan?
 
iowamcnabb said:
I’ve noticed some of these high end tasting menu places have moved plant based. Is that particular restaurant entirely vegetarian/vegan?
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Yes, entirely vegetarian; optionally vegan. Definitely increasing in popularity. This place also offered a non-alcoholic drink pairing…another rising (& appreciated) trend.

And as much as I love vegetables, I must confess my lunch that day was this:
IMG_6082.jpeg
 
iowamcnabb said:
didn’t realize you were Indian. Do you cook Indian and if so what dishes?
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I assume the question is directed at me, although you quoted your own post...
Cooking and me are like a divorce gone bad. I don't like to cook. I've tried to, but it wasn't enjoyable enough to motivate me to get back in the kitchen for more.
My mom, on the other hand, cooks a lot. She loves it.
 
Also, a little surprise yesterday for dinner. If you are ever down in the Galt area, we highly recommend our favorite local Italian restaurant, Pastosa by Lucia. The owner is from Italy and everything is made from scratch. They also locally source just about everything. The food is delicious.

Our Story — Pastosa By Lucia

The special yesterday was a pulled pork cannelloni. It seemed like an odd pairing, but it was great with a mild pork flavor augmented by the rich marinara and just a little kick. I have half of this saved to polish off today.

IMG_9715 small.JPG

@Vinny Basketballerino - their lasagna is also top notch. They even have a special "Crazy Lasagna" with "homemade sausage, salami, pepperoni & pepperoncini added" I thought you might appreciate.
 
Warhawk said:
Went back to Squeeze for the burger with a cheese skirt, bacon, and onion rings. I shouldn't like these as much as I do.View attachment 13412
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Those onion rings look top notch.

I went to Squeeze many years ago because it's such a legend, but I will go so far as to say not only did I not like the cheese skirt, I disliked it. It's burnt! "We're going to give you so much cheese you can hardly pick it up!" :D "And it's going to be burnt until it's ruined!" :mad:
 
T
Warhawk said:
Also, a little surprise yesterday for dinner. If you are ever down in the Galt area, we highly recommend our favorite local Italian restaurant, Pastosa by Lucia. The owner is from Italy and everything is made from scratch. They also locally source just about everything. The food is delicious.

Our Story — Pastosa By Lucia

The special yesterday was a pulled pork cannelloni. It seemed like an odd pairing, but it was great with a mild pork flavor augmented by the rich marinara and just a little kick. I have half of this saved to polish off today.

View attachment 13413

@Vinny Basketballerino - their lasagna is also top notch. They even have a special "Crazy Lasagna" with "homemade sausage, salami, pepperoni & pepperoncini added" I thought you might appreciate.
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That place looks LEGITIMATE. I'll have to stop by next time I'm in the area. Great find!

Also - little tip for pizza and anything else where sausage is an ingredient. Find places that put the sausage in raw, and let it cook with the dish. Pizza for example, when topped with raw (bulk) sausage will drain all the fat and flavor into the pizza. Same with lasagna. I assume this is what they do there.
 
Vinny Basketballerino said:
T

That place looks LEGITIMATE. I'll have to stop by next time I'm in the area. Great find!

Also - little tip for pizza and anything else where sausage is an ingredient. Find places that put the sausage in raw, and let it cook with the dish. Pizza for example, when topped with raw (bulk) sausage will drain all the fat and flavor into the pizza. Same with lasagna. I assume this is what they do there.
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Lots of folks swear by their Pink sauce - a combination of the cream (alfredo) sauce and the Red Velvet. I like the flavor of the marinara so much I haven't even tried it yet.

They only have their chicken parm on Friday and Saturday nights, so that's typically my go to if we go then.

They don't have their lunch menu up there, but their meatball sub is fantastic as well.

Seriously, give it a shot if you are in the area.
 
Capt. Factorial said:
Those onion rings look top notch.

I went to Squeeze many years ago because it's such a legend, but I will go so far as to say not only did I not like the cheese skirt, I disliked it. It's burnt! "We're going to give you so much cheese you can hardly pick it up!" :D "And it's going to be burnt until it's ruined!" :mad:
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Yeah, I personally like a crispy cheese skirt (like the one in the photo). I peel it off first and munch on that and then dive into the burger itself.

You can also get a mini skirt, a much smaller version. Or no skirt at all.
 
A doctor friend of mine had a fellow doctor friend get his green card and wanted to celebrate at our restaurant. He asked us to do something off the menu. 4 of the guests were from India and the other from South Africa. I did Chana chaat which is a popular street food in India. Black chickpeas, tamarind chutney, black salt, chaat masala, tomato and onion. We then did Vetkoek which is a fried dough filled with curry mince and another filled with apricot jam and sharp cheddar. (South Africa) For the entree we did a masala pizza wood fired red onions and cherry tomatoes and mozz. Things got really busy so I forgot to take pictures of the rest of the food haha
IMG_9149.jpeg
 
iowamcnabb said:
A doctor friend of mine had a fellow doctor friend get his green card and wanted to celebrate at our restaurant. He asked us to do something off the menu. 4 of the guests were from India and the other from South Africa. I did Chana chaat which is a popular street food in India. Black chickpeas, tamarind chutney, black salt, chaat masala, tomato and onion. We then did Vetkoek which is a fried dough filled with curry mince and another filled with apricot jam and sharp cheddar. (South Africa) For the entree we did a masala pizza wood fired red onions and cherry tomatoes and mozz. Things got really busy so I forgot to take pictures of the rest of the food haha
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I'd imagine Qwerty will be approving of this
 
iowamcnabb said:
A doctor friend of mine had a fellow doctor friend get his green card and wanted to celebrate at our restaurant. He asked us to do something off the menu. 4 of the guests were from India and the other from South Africa. I did Chana chaat which is a popular street food in India. Black chickpeas, tamarind chutney, black salt, chaat masala, tomato and onion. We then did Vetkoek which is a fried dough filled with curry mince and another filled with apricot jam and sharp cheddar. (South Africa) For the entree we did a masala pizza wood fired red onions and cherry tomatoes and mozz. Things got really busy so I forgot to take pictures of the rest of the food haha
View attachment 13416
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I guess this would be a good time to also reveal that I was born in South Africa...:):):)
 
iowamcnabb said:
A doctor friend of mine had a fellow doctor friend get his green card and wanted to celebrate at our restaurant. He asked us to do something off the menu. 4 of the guests were from India and the other from South Africa. I did Chana chaat which is a popular street food in India. Black chickpeas, tamarind chutney, black salt, chaat masala, tomato and onion. We then did Vetkoek which is a fried dough filled with curry mince and another filled with apricot jam and sharp cheddar. (South Africa) For the entree we did a masala pizza wood fired red onions and cherry tomatoes and mozz. Things got really busy so I forgot to take pictures of the rest of the food haha
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Having the kitchen be able to prepare something off the menu is usually the sign of a good restaurant. But, I forget what kind of restaurant you said you had: do you normally keep those ingredients in house (talking specifically about, like, the masala, chickpeas and curry) for what you normally prepare? Like, I thought you said you made pizzas, do Iowans normally ask for chickpeas on pizza?
 
Mr. S£im Citrus said:
Having the kitchen be able to prepare something off the menu is usually the sign of a good restaurant. But, I forget what kind of restaurant you said you had: do you normally keep those ingredients in house (talking specifically about, like, the masala, chickpeas and curry) for what you normally prepare? Like, I thought you said you made pizzas, do Iowans normally ask for chickpeas on pizza?
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Our menu consists of three styles of pizza: Neapolitan, Detroit and Chicago thin. We have been known over the years to do specials that are often inspired by International cuisine. This particular customer had given me a heads up about the group coming in a week in advance and had asked we do something different so that’s what I came up with. Chickpeas and Indian spices are typically on hand because it’s one of my favorite cuisines to cook.
 
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