Dagwood's

Dagwood's
Originally uploaded by joeolas

My good friends the Mustaklem's, who also own Zorba's up in Zionsville recently took over the ownership of the Dagwood's http://www.dagwoodsandwiches.com/ in Broad Ripple. For those who went to IU in Bloomington their is no need for me to explain how great a Dagwood's sandwich is. For those who have never had the experience I encourage you to make it a destination stop the next time you are in Bloomington or Indy.

I stopped in on December 26th the first day my friends took over the shop and got to be their first customer. My choice, the only thing I ever order, The Dagwood Supreme; Roast Beef, Ham, Turkey, Provolone and Colby cheeses, lettuce, tomato, onions, and Dagwood's Special Sauce. I always get it without the onions. The Dagwood's Special Sauce is what makes this sandwich really special, a great combination of mustard & mayo and some other stuff. Get is as a sub and it hurts your mouth because it is so big.

This is really a sandwich shop for all people, you will find the gourmet like Turkey with cranberry served on a croissant right next to the ham & cheese sub. I also think you get one of the best bang for your buck (and your health) here. For under $5 you can get a sandwich that is loaded with more meat and quality that you will find at the store that names itself after my favorite mode of transportation when I am in New York. It may not seem as big because of the use of less bread which therefore equal less empty calories. Quality is the ultimate key in a sandwich and I think the best in Broad Ripple is found at Dagwood's.

I always think that restaurants are at their best when the owner is on premise and you will find him there working hard. Charlie and I spent some time talking about how to improve the place and not to fix the stuff that isn't broken. After talking with him there is no doubt he wants to build on the success and take Dagwood's to the next step. Look for good things to come and stop in and support a good friend.

Stop in and support my friends on their new endeavor and tell them I sent you.

Thanksgiving Wrap Up

So it has been a busy month and I way behind on updating this blog. I promised to talk about Thanksgiving Dinner next so this is where I am picking back up before I dive into sharing some great food adventures in Indianapolis.

My Thanksgiving started off with a trip to the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade with some friends from school. I introduced Gray's Papaya to them and was able to grab some street meat and my favorite thing to find in NY Grocery stores, ready to eat pomegranates.

The after noon meal was a pitch in amongst the students. My contribution was some appetizers that seemed to go over really well with everyone. I made a date stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in bacon. Really simple, with that good salty and sweet combination. After I ran out of dates I used some raisin bread to make sure none of the cheese and bacon went to waste.

Great dishes by everyone who participated and great fellowship. Not a bad day to spend my birthday.

NY Adventure

On one of my days off I headed into New York City to check out the El Greco iconography display at the Onassis Cultural Center located across the street from Rockefeller Center. While not a great culinary adventure it was a tasty one. I got off the train at Grand Central station and headed out on 42nd street and to my joy cam across an old friend named Tim Horton.

For those who have not had the treat of visiting a Tim Horton's or are saying who? TH is a chain from our friends north of the border in Canada. They know how to make donuts. Not too sweet but full of flavor they make the best Boston Cream donuts and that is what I treated myself to.



The top is a nice layer of chocolate icing that doesn't over power the donuts that are full of a creamy custard. The donuts body is light and fluffy and allow the toppings and fillings to add the sweetness.

So with my donuts in hand I headed up 5th Ave, making a little pit stop at Saks to check out their holiday spirit, and arrived at the El Greco display. Beautiful but heretical iconography that I image will be visited by me again with some of my classmates.

Seeing that is was lunch time I decided to head over to Rockefeller Center and see what I could find. I came across a great little eatery that has a sit down section along with a take out cafeteria section called Cucina & Co. Located under 30 Rock this place offered a wide variety of dishes that looked much more appetizing then the normal take out cafeteria deli you find in NY.

My lunch today was the Chicken Terriaki Bowl. Nicely grilled chicken tossed in a traditional terriaki suace served over sticky rice with al dente carrots and squash. Yeah it was yummy. For a place full of over priced restaurants and tourist traps this place is a nice refuge were I was able to get filled and satisfied with great tastes for under $10.

Fresh Cranberry Sauce

I don't know about you but it isn't a thanksgiving meal without cranberry sauce for the Turkey. This is my quick and simple cranberry recipe that can be made today or tomorrow to save you some time on Thursday. Here is what you need...

1 Orange
1 cup Orange Juice
1 Apple
1 Lemon
1 lbs Fresh Cranberries
1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 tablespoon Honey

Zest the Lemon and Orange (make sure not to get to close to the white part of the skin) into a sauce pan with the Baking Soda, Orange Juice and Honey. Add the Cranberries and cook them just until the Cranberries begin to pop and remove from heat. Allow to cool and then place the cooked cranberry mixture into a blender with the pealed and seeded fruit of the orange and the cored apple. Blend till smooth, taste and add more honey to taste. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

I love to dip my turkey into this sauce, it always helps make the dry white meat of a turkey taste better. One sad confession to end this recipe with, I still love to eat Ocean Spray's Jellied Cranberry Sauce straight out of the can and slice into nice little circles.

Thanksgivng - It's All About ME!

My plate
Originally uploaded by joeolas

Class is done and i have some time to catch up on things other then school. I have been meaning to post some of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes and it looks like I will only end up posting one recipe, for my cranberry relish.

This is seriously one of my favorite times of year and that is because I am a selfish person. Huh? Isn't this the time of year to be thinking about others and giving thanks? Well yeah, and don't get me wrong, I am very thankful for all God has given me and I do care about others but over the years I have had some really crappy Thanksgivings. Since my father's passing we haven't really had a true family Thanksgiving, as a matter of fact more of my Thanksgivings have been spent away from my family then with them.

The point of today's ramblings isn't to give you a sob story because I realize there are many more stories worst then mine. It is because I love this time of year that I am disappointed by it. I want a perfect Thanksgiving and the truth is that will never happen for me. Instead I settle and try to make the best.

This year, I will be gathering with some of my fellow students to enjoy a meal and some fellowship and I will be okay with it when no one remembers it is my birthday (no one remembers when it falls on the last Thursday of November). This week is suppose to be about me isn't it????

I just have to learn to deal with that fact that I won't be with my family, that the turkey won't be cooked the way I like, that something will be wrong with the sides, that the wine won't be up to standard, that I won't see the largest Christmas Tree get lit up on the Circle, and that I am having to organize my own birthday party that looks like will consist of me and 5 friends.

Does anyone even read this?

Go Colts!

In honor of the Colts spectacular win over Bill Belichick and his Patriots I am going to share my variation of the "Go Horse" cocktail recipe that is one of the specialty cocktails that I use to make at the Champps Americana in the Indianapolis International Airport. I think this is an improvement on the original recipe which was a little too sweet.

1 part Malibu rum
1 part Vodka
1 part Blue Curacao
splash of Pineapple

Shake with ice, strain and serve up.

If you shake it right you should end up with a blue drink and white foam on top. We served this drink as a martini but you can change it up and serve it over ice or use it as a shooter; I wouldn't try it as a frozen drink thought. Serve up a pitcher at your next Colts tailgate! For those of my friends who own places that serve yummy drinks feel free to add this to your menu.

Gray's Papaya

Grey's Papaya
Originally uploaded by joeolas

(212) 799-0243
2090 Broadway (72nd Street)
New York, NY 10023

Recently I visited an old favorite, Gray's Papaya. A friend from north of the border was visiting and he wanted a New York hot dog and so my friend Jenna suggested Gray's Papaya's Recession Buster. For $4.45 (tax included) you get two dogs and a drink. My dogs are always plain here, they are so good they don't need any toppings. Nice natural skin that snaps, all beef quality that are made fresh and grilled on a flat top to perfection. The buns are also toasted so there is no sogginess here. My juice tonight was Papaya. Did you know that papaya is natures TUMS? Hot dogs and fresh squeezed fruit juice is just a special combination. There are several locations in the New York area but I have only been to the one on Broadway and 72nd. I make it a stop after any trip to Lincoln Center.

Legal Sea Foods - White Plains, NY

Thanks to some very generous people I was part of a group taken up to the Legal Sea Foods location in White Plains, NY. The company was great so the meal was enjoyable but you can't get passed the fact the Legal is a chain restaurant. The sad truth is that while I enjoy sea food I am often stuck eating it at chain restaurants so I will be comparing Legal to the chains out there. Decor wise I would put it inline with Oceanaire. The blues, metal and woods give it a sophisticated feel but the details really make the decor no better then a fancy Red Lobster.

The evening started off with cocktails and a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile. Every year that I try the wines from Chile I am seeing a maturity developing and this bottle was a great example. The single estate Medalla Real is a 2007 from the D.O. Maipo Valley in Chile. It presents with the classic deep ruby of a Cab and has hints of oak and currant. Very yummy wine that even had the wine novices gushing over it at the table.

Our table started of with appetizers and we choose the special for the evening the Ceviche, and the waiters recommendation of the Legal Sampler. First the Ceviche, a disappointment for me. While the tropical fruit flavors with onion and citrus were there the star of the dish, the seafood, was lacking. Instead of dicing up and using a variety of fish and shellfish, petite salad shrimp were used. It felt as if the shrimp were cooked then added to the ceviche mixture rather then allowing the ceviche to do the cooking. One last note about the ceviche was that there were not enough tortilla chips to completely finish the meal. More concern was given to being cute in presentation that practicality and that made this dish a fail. We also were served the Legal Sampler which consisted of Seared Tuna, a couple of wantons, Shrimp Cocktail, and a crab cake. Let's get the ugly out of the way, the wantons just plain sucked. Over cooked, so much ginger in the mixture that I could not identify the protein and then drenched in a soy sauce. The shrimp cocktail consisted of two giant prawns served over ice with an ok cocktail sauce. As a disclaimer, I use the Indianapolis favorite of St. Elmo's Steakhouse's cocktail sauce as a barometer for all other cocktail sauces and this one was not even close. It tasted more ketchup then horseradish and there was no kick, if Elmo's is a 10 then this one scores a 2. The seared tuna was great, a little sesame seed and not over cooked, just like I make it. The crab cake is the real star of the plate. Lots of crab and little bread crumbs make sure that it falls apart with ease. It is served with a seasoned mayonnaise drizzled on top that adds just enough to moisten the dish. What the appetizers have taught us that Legal should stick to the classic New England cuisine and leave the international flair to others who do it well.

This missteps of the first course were replaced by my favorite dish at Legal, the Lobster Bisque. One of our host recommended the Clam Chowder as being great, and I don't doubt it, everyone who had it at our table loved it, but there is just something special about the Lobster Bisque. The presentation is very simple when served in a cup but all the flavor and tastes are there. Not too much sherry and decent size chunks of lobster make this a favorite. I don't find it as creamy as the Capital Grille version but that is not a bad thing. This dish is a balance of richness and simpleness that remind me why I can eat bowls of it.

Now for the main course, back to disappointment. The menu offered swordfish in several locations and when it came time for me to order their house preparation I was very sad to learn that they were out of swordfish that evening. My debate had been what preparation of swordfish to order so I had not back up plan and thinking quick on my feet I ordered what my cohort Anthony order across from me, crab legs. Normally I don't do crab legs when I am wearing a suit or when I am with classy company. I do love to eat crab legs and have been known to eat 2-3 buckets of them in one sitting. My next recipe I will share with you all is how I make my crab legs at home. To me crab legs are bar food and something I eat with beer and my sleeves rolled up. It is hard to mess crab legs up and these were fine, just fine and that was disappointing. I really was hoping for something spectacular, but besides the size these tasted just like the crab legs I would get at Hooters or Joe's Crab Shack. What was shocking was that I was served a black leg which was uneatable. Normally I would have brought this to the attention of the staff but because of our group size I did not want to be that guy this night. My sides chosen were the the mashed potatoes and the spinach and nothing special here either. The potatoes were plain and unimaginative and quickly formed the glossy coating that tends to occur in lower end establishment. The spinach was over cooked, it developed the bitter taste that occurs when you over kill the leaves.

While I may have been negative about most of the meal I still think Legal is the best place to get seafood in Westchester County. The lessons learned are to stick with the soups, and the crab cakes and other New England specialties. I would still like to try the swordfish but I heard from those who ordered the Salmon and Mahi Mahi that their fish was overcooked. So with all that said if anyone has a suggestion for a great seafood place in Westchester County let me know so I can cross Legal off my list.

Aliada - Astoria, NY

Last night my brother arrived in NY to do some work out at JFK. I know he likes Greek food and thought I would take him and one of his co-workers up to Astoria to experience a night in Greece while they were here in NY. Thanks to recommendation of my friend Fr. Anastasios, I decided on Aliada located at 29-19 Broadway in Astoria. This place is advertised and Greek and Cyprian food and the Cyprians know how to cook so I was looking forward to the meal.

We sat down and my brother's co-worker almost got tricked into the bottle at the table routine but I spoke up quickly and said the tap water will be fine. We did start off with some KEO beer, a very typical pilsner, nothing spectacular but decent.

My brother always has to have Saganaki when we go to a Greek restaurant and last he was no exception. To complete the meza course we also had an order falafal, proving that this restaurant was Cyprian. The Saganaki was one of the better ones I have had, there was thickness while still being hot and not being overly hot so that cheese turns to liquid. I appreciated the authenticity of NOT serving this dish by flaming it table side. The falafal were palatable, they were not the best I have ever had because I have way too many Egyptian friends who are experts at making them, but better then most restaurants. The outside of the falafal was crisp the inside was soft and green (the mark of true falafal) with a good mixture of spice.

Our main entrees arrived, both my brother and his coworker ordered a combination platter of Souvlaki and Gyro with Lemon Potatoes. The potatoes were very typical of most Greek restaurants, crispy on the outside, nice and smooth on the inside but the seasoning at Aliada was par excellence with a perfect balance of salt, pepper and lemon. There is not a whole lot that can be said about the Gyro meat, it all seems to come from the same place and from the same cones. Don't get me wrong, I do like it but this seems to be the same not matter where you. Tonight I had the Souvlaki sandwich and an order of Grilled Octopus. The Octopus was tender and the best I have had outside of Greece. There was no rubberiness that is often found in the dish. My brother's co-worker might have described the texture best when he compared it to a scallop. The marinade was not over powering either, it served as a compliment to a well cooked octopi. The Souvlaki at Aliada was superb. It is a hard dish to keep tender while at the same time making sure it is cooked properly and the chef was able to do so with skill. I was able to eat the sandwich with out deconstructing because the pork was too chewy. Quite the opposite here, the pork was tender and succulent and the lettuce, tomato and onion were skillfully chosen to compliment the meal.


Overall a great meal. The damage for three people, with drinks, was $95 without tip. A note on the service, our waiter was fantastic but speed is not on the menu here, nor should it be in an establishment like this. He was very attentive and asked the right questions but he was the only waiter for the entire place and the kitchen is a two man kitchen. Food came out at a good pace and he was able to serve everyone with efficiency. Our dinner took almost two hours but with food and drink and good conversation that is perfect.

Lamb Lollipops

Last night I was at a reception and Lamb Chop Lollipops were served. This is an easy and fun way to serve lamb, great for dinner parties. Here is my recipe

Ingredients
Rack of Lamb
1 cup Olive Oil
3 tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 tablespoon Rosemary
1 tablespoon Oregano
1 tablespoon Basil
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Create a marinade by combining the Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Rosemary, Oregano, Basil, Salt and Pepper. Stir together and then rub the marinade onto the lamb, should be enough to cover 2-3 whole racks. Place foil over the bones to prevent charring and then place the lamb in a baking dish. Cook for approximately 15 minutes or until internal temp is 160, do not over cook. Pull out the lamb and allow the rack to sit for 10-15 minutes and remove the foil. Cut straight between the bones to create the individual lollipops and serve.

Just a few notes about this dish, I am a big fan of rare lamb, however this recipe should cook the lamb to medium which makes this dish easier to serve. As in all my recipes I prefer using fresh herbs, you can use dried herbs when the fresh are not available. You should plan on at least 2 lollipops a person, I once ate over 20. When serving make sure the bone is facing up so it makes it easy for your guest to grab it and eat it, no fork and knife needed.

A Note on Ingredients

Is it worth the money? When it comes to ingredients, yes! There is a difference between fresh, canned and frozen. The fresh will always taste better if it is prepared right but, if you are willing to sacrifice taste or crispness, you can use the frozen or canned to save time and money.

My last recipe calls for "Simply Limeade" which is a little bit more expensive then other Limeades on the market but there is a unique quality that the "Simply" label produces. For the last few years it is the only orange juice I would drink because it taste fresh squeezed. The refectory here at school serves us frozen concentrate and that makes you appreciate the fresh squeeze when you can get it.

THEOLOGY ALERT!!! This morning for class I had to reflect on Tertulia's writings and there is a concept that he draws out that claims that evil has to exist in order for goodness to be recognized. Part of me want to call that bull but my thoughts on orange juice just gave me a real example to help me get my mind around it. The fresh squeezed tastes amazing but I really didn't appreciate it until I was stuck drinking the concrete. The concentrate therefore exist so I will appreciate what a glass of fresh squeezed taste like. Ok, now back to the original topic...

Don't you love how my train of thoughts works? Now back to my thoughts on ingredients. Some of my recipes really require the brand or specific item I list. This is why I am bringing up the "Simply Limeade"; it is the key ingredient for the Margarita Martini. You can change out the tequila to your liking, you can replace the Grand Marnier with a lesser Triple Sec and you might not notice the difference, but use anything else but the limeade and the taste will suffer.

So how are you suppose to know what you can substitute and what you can't? Well the same way I came up with my choice, experimentation. Have fun in the kitchen and don't be scared to try new things and open your creativity. Lastly, speaking of creativity I think I just came up with an amazing idea for surf and turf, using fillet medallions and scallops, now I just need a kitchen to try it out in...

Margarita Martini

When I was bartending at the Indianapolis Airport the most popular drink was our margarita. This is not the corporate recipe I had to use! I developed this recipe while spending time with my brother Stephen and working on a drink to compliment the Dominican cuisine of my new sister-in-law. You can of course substitute the liquors to your choosing but the ones listed are the ones I recommend.

1 part Patron Silver
1/2 part Grand Marnier
1 part "Simply Limeade" http://simplyorangejuice.com/

Shake in cocktail shaker with ice, strain into salt rimmed martini glass, garnish with lime twist. Enjoy! Cut back on the Limeade and you can also enjoy this as a shooter.

Introduction

Over the years I have had a few friends ask me for recipes to some of the classic dishes I have made for them. My step-father is always telling me I am making the wrong career choice and should open a restaurant. Lastly, anyone who knows me knows I love to eat. So I am starting a blog. Yes, it may be a little passe but being back in Grad School has given me my writing bug back.

A little bit about me, I am a former bartender who is also a chef, although not classically trained. I have 10 years in the restaurant business, have taken college level course on wine and food, and did I mention I love to eat? I grew up in Indianapolis and have eaten at all the greats there who have all moved on the resturaunt heaven (Something Different, Peter's, L'Explorateur). When I travel to Vegas it is more about the food then the gambling for me. When I go to a foreign country it is all about sampling the local cuisine and visiting the McDonalds to see how the American chain has corrupted the local cuisine.And now I am in New York, the food capital of the world.

So what to expect from this blog? Well I am not going to make any promises on how often I will publish or what the content will include but the focus will be food. You will find recipes for some classic dishes and some of my creative concoctions. You will see some of my great food adventures, and speaking of that, if you own a restaurant and would like me to feature your place feel free to invite and try to wow me. I will be honest in my review even if you pick up the tab so be prepared to shine or else.

So let's see where this takes us and feel free to share my postings with those who might appreciate them.