The Hungry Hoosier

City Market Frittata

This month's Indianapolis Monthly Hungry Hoosier column includes a recipe for a City Market Frittata using ingredients found at the Indianapolis City Market - farm fresh eggs from Moody Meats, Italian sausage, vegetables, and imported provolone from Constantino’s Market Place. Constantino's Executive Chef Concetta Mascari has the sausage made using her grandfather's recipe. Moody makes it for her, but it is only available from Constantino's. Pick up a copy of the magazine to get the recipe and then stop by City Market to pick up the ingredients!

Bacon: The Gateway Meat

I was breezing though a magazine last night and saw a photo of someone wearing a shirt that said, "Bacon: The Gateway Meat." I love that! I looked for it online but didn't find one. I did however find a bacon bracelet. That's pretty cool as well. If interested, you can find the bracelet here.

Speaking of bacon, a few days ago I picked up a pound from Goose The Market. Theirs comes from locally-raised hogs and Chef Chris smokes the stuff himself over applewood. I prepared some of this bacon using one of my absolute favorite techniques - Brown-Sugar Glazed Bacon.

The recipe comes from the folks at Everyday Food. It is pretty simple - bacon cooked in the oven with some brown sugar crumbled on top and cracked black pepper. With Goose's bacon this was nothing short of sublime - smoky, sweet, spicy, bacon-y. It is times like these when I'm sooo thankful I have low cholesterol. You can get the recipe here.

Patel Brothers

The Lafayette Square neighborhood is hands-down the best place in Indy for international flavor. There are so many great restaurants and small markets. One of the latest is Patel Brothers, an Indian grocery store. I have a curry planned for this weekend and needed to stock up on some spices. Patel Brothers is where I headed. This is actually a family-owned (brothers Mafat and Talashi) chain with 40-plus stores nationwide. The first opened in Chicago in 1974.

The January 2007 Saveur 100 listed Patel Brothers as #17 and I can see why. Tons of dry goods (beans, rice, spices, etc.), frozen foods, and lots of fresh produce. I found all the spices I needed and lots more. If you're cooking Indian, check out Patel Brothers at 4150 Lafayette Rd. They can be reached by phone at 317-293-8354.

Joe Won't Say "No"

Joe Lazzara, of Joe's Butcher Shop and Fish Market, is like the girlfriend I always wanted. Let me explain. As a sixteen year old boy I wanted a girlfriend how never said "no." I never found that girlfriend and in the hindsight of responsible adulthood, I'm glad I never did. At the time, however, that was the ultimate quest. Joe is like the butcher equivalent of the girlfriend who never says no.

I am doing some writing on the "mother sauces" and I'm currently working on espagnole (brown sauce). I needed about seven pounds of beef bones cut in two-inch pieces. I was hoping to find these somewhere in the Lafayette area but after four calls, I got four "no's." One place needed two-weeks notice for an order like that. Another place had the bones but would only cut them in six-inch pieces. I decided a drive to Carmel would be needed. So, I called Joe and all he said was, "What time do you want to pick them up?"

Well, the stock is at a lazy simmer this evening and I have Joe to thank. I'm so glad to have a go-to butcher who doesn't know how to say "no."

Pizza Mortadella

If its Friday night at the Hutcheson's that often means pizza, movie, and popcorn. We occasionally get delivery pizza but we usually make our own. Tonight was a make-our-own night. Oliver (almost 3) and I made the pizza for the rest of the family. Last night, after the boys were in bed, I made a double batch of pizza dough (recipe here) and stuck one in the freezer for later and the other in the fridge for tonight.

To top this evening's pizza, I turned to the Indy foodies' latest darling - Goose the Market. On a visit earlier in the week, I picked up amazing bacon that Chris cures and smokes himself using Indiana-raised pork, but that is for another post. I also brought home some imported mortadella. This stuff is like bologna of the gods. It has an incredible feel on the tongue, its gently spiced, and is studded with pistachio's. Cut into wedges, this made for a terrific pizza topping. I love that my son, not yet three years old, knows words like mortadella!    

November: Time to Talk Turkey

Originally published in moist and juicy newspapers on November 1, 2007

For those of us who like to cook, much of our spare time in November will be spent planning for and procuring needed supplies for Thanksgiving Dinner, the Super Bowl of cooking and eating holidays. In years past, I’ve encouraged readers to bypass the grocery store birds to try a farm-fresh turkey. This year, your hearing more of the same from me.

Here in central Indiana we have several options for local birds, from both farmers and now a couple retailers. Here are a few of those options.

Promised Land Farms (9781 W 275 N Thorntown) offers free-range birds that can be ordered and picked up a couple of days before Thanksgiving. You can arrange a pre-Thanksgiving visit to see the turkeys in action and meet Jim and Nancy Whelan. It is a fun trip for the whole family. They can be reached by phone at 765-483-9268. Their website is www.promisedlandfarm.us.

Humphrey Family Farms (3981 S. Grant St, Williamsport) raises all sorts of birds - geese, ducks, chickens, and turkeys. The Humphreys take orders at the Traders Point Creamery Winter Market in Zionsville (www.tpforganics.com) and deliver the birds there for pick up. The Humphreys can be reached by phone at 765-762-3160. You might want to also keep them in mind for a Christmas goose if you want to have an old fashioned Charles Dickens sort of holiday.

Purple Rock Farm (2282 E. 250 N, Frankfort) is also selling an all-natural bird. Gina and Travis Sheets have already processed their birds. They are frozen and ready to pick up anytime. Proceeds from Purple Rock sales go to support the Sheets’ missionary work in third-world countries. Gina and Travis can be reached by phone at 765-659-5310.

Joe’s Butcher Shop (111. W. Main Street) is Carmel’s butcher extraordinaire and Joe is selling all-natural free-range turkey’s raised across the state line in Ohio. Even though it is not an Indiana farmer, I think this is a good choice. Joe has a commitment to quality and sustainable practices. This is guaranteed to be a delicious bird. Joe is taking orders until November 10, 2007. He can be reached by phone at 317-846-8877 and online at www.joesbutchershop.com.

Goose: The Market (2503 N. Delaware St., Indianapolis) is a brand new retail shop in Indy’s Fall Creek Place specializing in top-rate foods from both near and far. They have a terrific year-round selection of meats, cheeses, and all sorts of delicious foods. For Thanksgiving, they too have gone to Ohio to procure all-natural, pasture-raised turkeys. You can count on Chef/Owner Christopher Eley to provide you with a quality product. Goose is taking orders through November 5th. They can be reached by phone at 317-924-4944 and online at www.goosethemarket.com.

The last several years I’ve gotten my bird from an area farmer. I can honestly say these have been the best turkeys I’ve ever had. This year I decided to order from Joe’s Butcher Shop in Carmel. I wanted a whole bird and an extra bone-in breast for plenty of white-meat turkey sandwiches! Joe was able to handle that request. Next week, I’ll provide some tips for how I’ll be preparing my bird this year.

Birky Family Farms Country Market, Valparaiso‎

Jake and Emma Birky established their Porter County farm in 1919. Now, the third generation of Birkys is leading the operation. They have built a reputation for offering high-quality pork raised with, as they put it, “No antibiotics, no growth hormones, no animal by-products, and no bull!” Their convenient Country Market features a wonderful selection of their products, including meaty ribs, thick-cut pork chops, a staggering variety of sausages, lean hot dogs, tenderloins, country bacon, smoked hams, pork steaks, and pork burgers. Birky also has a Pork Patty Wagon that provides catering and on-site grilling for events. Their products can also be ordered online. Call (219-766-3270) for market hours.

Fair Food All Year Round at Wiggles, Danville

The Indiana State Fair might be over but fans of fair food can rest easy knowing that some of their favorites are now available year-round at a new place in Danville - Wiggles located at 71 South Washington Street features deep-fried candy bars, funnel cakes elephant ears, freshly-made cotton candy, sno-cones, and lot's of other fair foods. Proprietors Jennifer and Clint Riggles (that's Riggles which rhymes with wiggles) opening in June 2007 serving mostly these snacky/dessert-type offerings. Four weeks ago they began serving lunch and dinner items - jumbo tenderloins, corn dogs, hot dogs, walking tacos, spiral cut fries and lots of other guilty pleasures. Like the 2007 Indiana State Fair, they too fry only in non trans-fat oil.

Wiggles also features a great selection of retro candies, mini melts ice cream, and some kitschy novelties. They are open Monday through Thursday from 11 am to 9 pm and Saturday from 11 am to 10 pm. They also host birthday parties! They can be reached by phone at 317-718-7189.

The Mouse Oil Company

I'm consistently amazed at how love of food and entrepreneurship come together. On this weekend's visit to the Zionsville Farmers Market, I met David Rowe. David is a hoot to talk with and he is making a terrific product - Mouse Oil. There is a story behind the name, but I'm not going to share it because Dave is a much better story teller than me. Show up at the Zionsville Farmer's Market and hear it first-hand from him.

David's The Mouse Oil Company does one thing - herb-infused olive oils - and they do it masterfully. David starts with imported cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil he gets from a Chicago distributor, his own home-grown herbs, and the magic happens. His oils come in seven varieties - basil, oregano, garlic, sage, rosemary, thyme, and one that combines all of the other six. I sampled them all and each and everyone are amazing. The oils come in 4 ounce bottles and sell for five bucks.

I walked away with garlic and rosemary. I made pizza crust (recipe here) and used the garlic oil. It provided a beautiful new layer of flavor and aroma to an already pretty good pizza crust recipe (I must say). In talking with David, he mentions that he likes to scramble a simple egg using his oils. Although I've not tried it yet, I plan to use the Rosemary for that purpose.

Mouse Oil is currently available only at the Zionsville Farmer's Market but David can be reached by email here. The market is located in the parking lot at the corner of Hawthorne & Main Streets. It operates June through September and the hours are 8:00 to 10:30 am. 

The Ultimate BLT

Originally published in quality newspapers on July 19, 2007

I’ve spent a good part of July traveling the state visiting farmer’s markets - from the shores of Lake Michigan to the banks of the Ohio River and a lot of places in between. These have been research trips for an upcoming book, Home Grown Indiana: A Food Lover’s Guide to Good Eating in the Hoosier State. Visiting markets, talking with farmers, and the best part - eating. Pretty sweet gig, huh?

This past weekend, some of the spoils from my journey included a few round zucchini. I had never seen these before. About the size of a softball, these round zucchinis are great for stuffing - we stuffed ours with wild rice and cherries. Maybe more about that later. I also picked up some organically-grown shallots and the jewel, of the July market - Indiana tomatoes.

There is nothing quite like a locally grown tomato, whether from you own garden or from the fields of an Indiana farmer. There’s something absolutely magical about the way sunshine and soil cast their spell to conjure up the tomato. This is about the only time of year I’ll eat tomatoes. The rest of the year, I’ll pick them out my salad, 86 them from my burger, and have my BLT minus the T, thanks you very much.

Summertime is a different story and for me, the BLT is the perfect sandwich and I could eat them three meals a day. Even before the tomatoes are ripe, I’ve been known to make a BL(FG)T, lightly breading and frying a green tomato and using it in a sandwich for an unusual twist on the traditional favorite.

This weekend, with ripe tomatoes in hand, I went for the standard version but got a bit creative with the organic shallots I had picked up at the farmers market and some basil we have growing in our herb garden. The distinctive part of this version is in a shallot and basil-laced mayonnaise that is very simple to make. The flavor-infused mayo adds an unexpected layer of flavor to an already delicious classic. If you are not familiar with shallots, you can think of them as a sort of cross between an onion and garlic. When sautéed, they are sweet like an onion with the slight sharpness of garlic. I thought the results were fantastic, so I wanted to share the recipe. Not much of a recipe, really, just some preparation tips.

BLT with Shallot Basil Mayo

Shallot Basil Mayo

• 2 Tablespoons shallots, finely chopped
• 2 Tablespoons basil leaves, finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 4 Tablespoons good store-bought mayonnaise
• Salt and Pepper to Taste

Sandwich

• 8 slices of think-sliced cooked bacon
• 4 pieces of bread, toasted
• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
• Several pieces of green leafy lettuce
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat a small sauté pan to medium and add the olive oil. Add the chopped shallots, stirring them until they are lightly brown. In a small bowl mix together the sautéed shallots, basil, mayo, and salt and pepper to taste. Place in refrigerator until ready to use.

My preferred method for cooking bacon is in the oven. I heat it to about 325 degrees and put a wired rack on a rimmed baking sheet. I place the bacon on the wired rack and cook at 325 for about 20 minutes. I like this method for a lot of reasons. It does not leave your stove tip splattered with bacon grease and the bacon does not curl up once cooked.

Whatever method you use, the rest is pretty simple from this point on. Spread the mayo on each piece of toast and stack on the bacon, lettuce, and tomato. I add a little salt and pepper. This will make two sandwiches. Double or triple the mayo recipe if you are making more. This mayo is best made as needed.