Your Basic BLT

During our trip to Cedar Rapids last weekend, we stopped by the downtown farmer's market scheduled the first and third weekend of each month during farmer's market season.  We didn't buy much, but there were a few things I just couldn't pass up.   Incredibly good tomatoes, for example.

Lots and lots of vendors offered tomatoes, of course, since they're pretty much a summer staple.  The vendor we bought from had samples, though, and the samples made the sale.   She had sliced up some orange tomatoes, and I was hooked from the first bite.  Those golden tomatoes were the sweetest - and just plain best - tomatoes we've had so far this summer.

When we got home with the tomatoes, it seemed only natural that we use them to make another summer staple:  BLTs.   Other than perhaps grilled burgers or hot dogs, is there any more quintessential summer food than a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich?  I can't think of one.

We used our favorite bacon, Vande Rose Artisan Dry-Cured Applewood Bacon, to make our sandwiches, but instead of frying it, I used a trick I read about in a recent issue of Bon Appetit:  cooking the bacon in the oven.   The technique is simple:  Heat an oven to 375 degrees, set a wire rack on a foil-lined baking sheet and arrange the bacon on the rack.  After about 15 minutes (turning the baking sheet once during that time), you've got crisp, flat, even-sized pieces of bacon.  Since they aren't all curled up as often happens when frying bacon, the baked bacon is great for sandwiches.  Cooking it on a rack also allows a lot of the fat to drip away.

Juli here.  I LOVE baking the bacon!  I will never fry bacon again!  If you're wondering where we got the bacon rack,  it was scavenged from a Farberware chicken rotisserie that I received as a gift about 30 years ago.  The rotisserie is ancient history and is long gone, but the rotisserie rack lives on! It is the perfect size for the thick-sliced bacon we like.   I was always puzzled why someone thought I really needed a chicken rotisserie, but apparently at least part of it was destined for greater things.  Spooky.

Oh, and another little tip- you might want to have a rack dedicated to bacon-baking, or just baked meats in general.  I would be sad if you came crying to me at some future point about your bacon-flavored cookies.

While the bacon cooked, we sliced up some tomatoes, washed and dried some lettuce and toasted some bread.   Crispy bacon, delicious summer tomatoes, fresh lettuce and toast... add a bit of ranch dressing and you've achieved simple perfection. 

BLTs... part of what summer is all about.

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

While in Cedar Rapids last weekend, we met Juli's son at the big downtown farmer's market, then took him out to lunch.   He wanted to go to the Olive Garden.   While we are not at all a fan of the West Des Moines Olive Garden (we've found the service to be indifferent and the food fair at best), from past experience we knew the food served up at the Olive Garden in Cedar Rapids was pretty good.   I had a bowl of their chicken and gnocchi soup.  It was really quite good... creamy, with nice chicken flavor, tender gnocchi and simple but balanced seasoning.  I was so pleased with the soup, I decided then and there to come up with my own version once we got home.

Olive Garden's Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

I looked around online and found a couple different recipes claiming to be like the one used at Olive Garden.  Using those recipes and my memory of the soup, I put together a working recipe, then tried it out.

As you can see, my soup doesn't look quite like the version served at Olive Garden.  The biggest difference is that in mine, the chopped spinach imparted a slight green tint to the soup.  Other than that, the two are an awfully lot alike, and what differences there are - a slight variance in seasoning, mostly - do not result in either being superior to the other.  Mine turned out a bit thicker, and I'm guessing this is because I cooked the gnocchi in the soup, vs. adding cooked gnocchi to the soup, but since I like thick soups, I consider that a plus, if anything. 

I should note that I used frozen gnocchi purchased at a supermarket.   I have several gnocchi recipes I've been wanting to try out some day, but I didn't want to put in the effort needed to make fresh gnocchi in order to make the soup.
While my version isn't identical to what I had at Olive Garden, I'm quite pleased with it.  Hopefully you will be just as pleased.

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

yield = 7-8 servings

4               boneless, skinless chicken breasts
                 table salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
2               tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2               carrots, peeled and grated on the small holes of a
                    box grater
1               small yellow onion, peeled and grated on the large
                    holes of a box grater
1               celery stalk, trimmed and finely diced
2               teaspoons minced garlic
1               tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
4               cups low-sodium chicken broth
2               cups half-and-half
2               tablespoons chicken soup base
1               pound potato gnocchi
1               tablespoon corn starch, dissolved in one
                   tablespoon water
1 1/2         cups chopped spinach

Thoroughly dry the chicken breasts with paper towels and sprinkle on both sides with salt and pepper.  Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.   Arrange the chicken breasts in the Dutch oven.   Let them cook until well-browned on one side (about 6 minutes), then turn them over and brown them on the other side.   Transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board.

Add the second tablespoon of olive oil to the Dutch oven.   When the oil is shimmering, add the carrot, onion and celery stalk.   Cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent.  While the vegetables cook, chop the chicken breasts into small pieces.

Clear a spot in the middle of the pan, add the garlic and thyme, and cook about 45 seconds, then stir in with the vegetable mix.  Add chicken broth, half-and-half-and-half and chopped chicken.  Heat to boiling, then add the gnocchi.   Boil 4 minutes, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.    Stir in cornstarch mixture.  Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if needed, to taste.

Stir in the spinach and cook 2 minutes.  Serve with a crusty bread or garlic bread. 

Our go-to ingredient for adding chicken
flavor:  LB Jamison's Low Sodium Chicken
Flavored Soup Base.

Behind the Scenes at The Class Act

Yesterday I wrote about our dining experiences at The Class Act Restaurant, located in the Hotel at Kirkwood Center.   The meals we had there were exceptional, but we got an additional treat after breakfast:  a chance to look behind the scenes.

First we toured the Class Act's kitchens.   We started with the line kitchen, which is where meals are prepared for serving by Kirkwood's Culinary Arts students.  We also saw the main or prep kitchen, where the ingredients are prepared - also by students - and some other areas used for catering and so forth. 

All of the facilities were neat, clean and very well-stocked with high-quality, state-of-the-art equipment.   We were told that most of the storage was in the basement of the building, but in the prep kitchen we did see a wide array of quality ingredients of the sort that would be used in everyday cooking.  This included a wide array of spices, many from the Frontier Natural Products Co-Op.  We were told that Frontier (another Iowa business) donates the spices. 

Next we got to check out the classrooms, where the Hospitality Arts students learn the tricks of their trades.  Kirkwood's Hospitality Arts program offers degrees in Hotel Management and Restaurant Management, but we focused on the facilities used by the Culinary Arts and Baking students.  Everything was well-organized and state-of-the-art.   The cooking labs featured a station from which the instructor could monitor what each student was doing via cameras, while the student work stations also featured monitor screens to facilitate communication between the instructor and the students. 

One of the more unusual and impressive things we saw was an auditorium set up for cooking instruction and demonstrations.  Multiple view screens were placed to allow students sitting anywhere in the auditorium to clearly see what an instructor or lecturer was doing.   We were told that guest chefs, including some international ones, have come to teach the Kirkwood culinary students about different sorts of cuisines and cooking techniques.   Some of these lectures and demonstrations are broadcast on Kirkwood's TV station. 

All in all our tour was pretty interesting.   I've seen some other culinary arts facilities, but I've never seen one quite as impressive as what we saw on this tour.   It was clear that Kirkwood's program is well-equipped with everything an aspiring chef or master baker might need to learn, and the quality of the program instructors and the real-world experience provided at the restaurant was evident in the great food served in The Class Act.

The Class Act Restaurant



Breakfast time at the Class Act. 
Each meal features a different linen theme,
such as the sunny yellow breakfast linens.

 Yesterday we wrote about our stay at The Hotel at Kirkwood Center.   That post noted that among other features, the Hotel has a gourmet restaurant.   That restaurant is the Class Act, and it lives up to its name.

As with everything else at The Hotel, the Class Act is a real-world, real-time educational experience.  The servers, cooks and other staff are students, overseen by instructors.  The restaurant features seasonal menus, uses local and Iowa products whenever possible and features exquisite glass artworks - including a chandelier - made by Kirkwood students and faculty. 

One of the featured tables, complete with
a custom chandelier made by one of
the Kirkwood art instructors.

We ate two meals at the Class Act, Friday dinner and Saturday breakfast.   On each occasion, the food was perfectly cooked, artfully presented and just plain delicious.   The service was excellent, and we were very pleased that our morning server was able to take us on a tour of the kitchen and arrange for a tour of the classrooms.

For dinner on Friday, we both had mushroom and potato soup.  The soup featured pureed Yukon gold potatoes, mushrooms, cream and bacon, plus sauteed mushrooms.   It had an exquisite flavor, due in part to the mix of various mushroom varieties, including shitake and oyster.   It was the best mushroom soup I've ever had.

For the main course, Juli had a half plate of gnocchi served with brown butter, snow peas, asparagus, arugula and shaved Parmesan.  I had scallops served atop a green bean and asparagus almondine and topped with a roasted tomato and cream sauce and heirloom tomato salsa.  We both sampled from each other's plate, and both of us found both dishes to be excellent in every way.   The gnocchi were tender, the vegetables perfectly tender-crisp and the scallops perfectly cooked.

Although the soup and main course was hearty enough a meal to be satisfying, we couldn't pass up dessert.  Juli got coconut mango frozen entremet made of a coconut-lime dacquoise, mango orange sorbet and chocolate rum cremeaux.   I got the triple berry crisp, served with a smalls serving of vanilla ice cream.   Juli's featured a more delicate mix of flavors, while my crisp was both more basic and more bold, and full of whole strawberries and blueberries and fresh raspberry sauce. 

For breakfast, Juli had an omelet with ham, tomato, mushrooms and cheddar, while I had buttermilk pancakes served with a blueberry and strawberry compote and maple syrup.  Once again, both breakfasts were perfectly cooked.  The pancakes were easily the best I've ever had at a restaurant.  Juli's omelet came with a serving of delightfully-seasoned fried potatoes and toasted bread made by the restaurant's baking students. 

Price wise, the Class Act is very reasonable, especially given the quality of the food.  If someone wants a mound of food for a low price, they're better off going to a buffet place, but if you would like to have a gourmet dinner or an excellent breakfast, you aren't going to find any better than the Class Act.  We've certainly paid as much or more for meals vastly less satisfying than what we got at the Class Act.  We recommend it without reservation, and will definitely be dining there again next time we're in Cedar Rapids.

You can see the Class Act's hours and other information here.  The link also includes links to the current menu.   As noted above, the restaurant features a seasonal menu.  Our visit came near the end of the summer menu; once classes start for the fall, the restaurant will feature a different menu, and most or all of the dinner selections will change.   We look forward to choosing from a new selection of dishes next time we visit.

The Hotel at Kirkwood Center

As I mentioned in our last post, Juli and I were on the road part of the weekend.  We went to Cedar Rapids to visit her son, who will be a senior at Coe College this year.   Since he is a college kid, with a typically small college-kid apartment and a roommate, we couldn't stay with him, so we looked around for a good place to stay overnight.  

I should note that our previous hotel stays in Cedar Rapids had been pretty much unpleasant.   The first time we went there, we got an alleged nonsmoking room that smelled so strongly of smoke one might suspect it had been an ashtray in a previous life.  We had been going cheap that time, though, so the next time around we stayed at Cedar Rapids' downtown Five Seasons Center hotel.  Unfortunately, a train station is located right behind the Five Seasons, so we were awakened night and day by the sounds of trains and train whistles. 

While doing some research online, Juli came upon the Hotel at Kirkwood Center.   We were both pleased by the result of her research, because we had a fantastic stay.

The Hotel at Kirkwood Center is an upscale boutique hotel, and it also serves as a teaching facility for Kirkwood's Hospitality Arts program.  It opened just over a year ago.  Eco-friendly and posh, the Hotel boasts a one-to-one service employee to staff ratio.  It is, quite frankly, the best hotel either of us has ever stayed at. 

The Hotel is lavishly decorated with marble, attractive carpets and a lot of art, including lots of hand-blown glass.  All of the art was created by Kirkwood college and faculty members and local artists.  The spacious rooms include king or double queen beds, custom furniture, 32" wall-mounted flat-screen TVs, large marble bathrooms including granite counter tops and even a Kurig coffee maker.  Ameneties and services include free parking and shuttle service, same-day dry cleaning, free wi-fi, high-quality complimentary toiletries, room service, a bar and a full-service gourmet restaurant.  We found the rooms to be incredibly comfortable and quiet, with virtually no noise from the hallways and no noise whatsoever from other rooms.   We didn't even hear any noise from surrounding guests using the showers or toilets, which was quite welcome.

The base rates for a stay at the Hotel at Kirkwood Center aren't cheap.  Standard rooms go for around $200 a night.  Deluxe rooms and executive and presidential suites are progressively more expensive, with a presidential suite costing about $400 a night.   However, if one does a little homework and plans ahead, you can get a standard room for a lot less.  Expedia dropped cost of our standard room to less than $100.  That's quite good for a hotel in Cedar Rapids, especially on a weekend.  As far as we're concerned, the comfort and the friendly, courteous service made it a bargain.

The living area of one of the Presidential suites.

Now, you might ask why we are writing about this hotel on our food blog.   Two reasons, really.  First, we were really impressed and pleased with our stay at the Hotel, and we wanted to put out the word about this wonderful facility.  Second, we did mention the gourmet restaurant and that the Hotel is a teaching facility for Kirkwood's Hospitality Arts programs.  That includes their Baking and Culinary Arts programs.  We'll write about the restaurant and the academic programs in upcoming posts.

Ox Yoke Inn

We were on the road Friday night and Saturday, visiting Juli's son in Cedar Rapids.   On the way back home, we stopped at the Amana Colonies and had dinner at our favorite Amana restaurant, the Ox Yoke Inn.  There are actually two Ox Yoke Inns, one in the Colonies itself and the other located on Interstate 80.   We always eat at the one in Amana.

As usual, the food was excellent, save for one small quibble this time around, but we found the service atypically poor.  Usually the service is quite good, but I wasn't quite so pleased on this occasion.

Juli started out with a cream soda brewed at Millstream Breweries, another Amana business.  Her soda was served up with a nicely frosted mug.  I had iced tea.  For our meal, Juli had a hot roast beef sandwich plate, plus some pickled beets.  Her plate included an open-faced sandwich piled high with delicious roast beef, a big serving of mashed potatoes and gravy, and a sliced fruit medley, which she chose in place of the coleslaw that otherwise comes with that meal.   I got a jager schnitzel plate.   The jager schnitzel - a thin-pounded pork loin cutlet fried in a coating of cracker and breadcrumbs - was served with spaetzle (a type of egg noodle) and green beans.  We finished our meal with a shared slice of really nice coconut cream pie.

As always, the food was excellent.   The roast beef was tender and delicious, and topped with plenty of the same gravy served with the potatoes.  Juli always loves the beets at Ox Yoke, and this time was no exception.   The fruit medley was both refreshing and quite generous in terms of portion.   My schnitzel was very juicy and tender on the inside, nicely browned on the outside and topped with a delicious mushroom gravy.  The green beans were farm-fresh and delicious, and the spaetzle was tender and buttery.   The coconut cream pie was excellent.  In fact, it looked so good we dived right into it, forgetting to take a picture first.  I would be quiet pleased if I could figure out how to make such a flaky and crisp pie crust.

The only quibble I had with the food was that my serving of spaetzle was not very generous.  It was, in fact, tiny compared to the very generous schnitzel portion.  I ordered a side of mashed potatoes and gravy to make up for the scanty schnitzel portion, and also because I like the potatoes and gravy served at Ox Yoke.  Unfortunately, I never got the potatoes and gravy.  Our server never brought it, and as far as I know, she didn't even put the order up.  In any case, by the time she returned to our table to refill drinks, I'd already finished my plate, so I didn't mention I'd never gotten the potatoes and gravy.  However, when we got our check, I noticed we had been charged for the absentee spuds.  The server was apologetic when this error was pointed out, and she did correct our ticket.   I still considered that poor service, though the error thankfully was not enough to prevent me from enjoying the meal.

The only possible excuse one might make for the service was that the restaurant was very, very busy.  We arrived a bit after 5 pm, which is the time most of the stores at Amana close.  A lot of people had arrived ahead of us, and we ended up waiting about 20 minutes before we were seated, at which time the restaurant was packed.  I don't think being busy is an excuse for poor service - one would think, after all, that being full is a good thing for a restaurant - but it might still have been a factor.   Since we'd never gotten poor service when we'd been there other times of the day, and had also never seen the restaurant that packed, next time we decide to eat dinner at the Ox Yoke, we will plan to either arrive a bit before 5 pm to avoid the rush, or go do something else for awhile before we get dinner.  

As I noted above, most of the stores close at 5, but the Millstream Brewery is an exception.  They have an outdoor beer garden, it was quite busy when we drove by on our way to the Ox Yoke.  Maybe it was busy simply because it was a warm day - and thus a good day for a cold beer or two - but we couldn't help wondering if maybe it was busy in part because some of the patrons were waiting for the Ox Yoke to be a bit less crowded.   If you plan to stop at the Ox Yoke for dinner sometime, you may want to do the same.

Grilled Potato Kebabs

Last weekend the local Hy-Vee store had a great deal on t-bone steaks, so I decided to buy some and grill them.   We often have baked potatoes with steak, but I was in a mood for something different.  Since I was planning to use the grill to cook the steaks, I decided I'd cook the potatoes on the grill also.  Considering my options, I decided to slice the potatoes, arrange them on skewers and cook them like kebabs.

From there, it was pretty easy to decide on the rest.   I'd brush the potato slices with some olive oil, then sprinkle them with seasonings.  The olive oil would provide a bit of flavor, but more importantly it would hold the seasonings to the potato slices and keep the potato skewers from sticking to the hot grill. 

I have to admit, when I tossed these together, I didn't give much thought to measuring the amounts of the various seasonings I used.  I just sprinkled on ample amounts and later tried to guess how much I used of what.  If you try out the recipe below, I'd encourage you to do the same, rather than worry too much about the amounts, as those listed are nothing but rough estimates.

I'm happy to say these potato kebabs turned out great.  They were nicely cooked - a bit crispy on the outside, tender on the inside - and they tasted great.   I served them with the steaks - which cooked up wonderfully using nothing but my Peppery Steak Seasoning - and some baked stuffed zucchini and summer squash (which I'll write more about another time).    In all, this made for a really satisfying summertime meal.

Grilled Potato Kebabs

yield = 4 servings

2             pounds red or yellow new potatoes, cut into slices
                   1/2 inch thick
2             tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2       teaspoon dried basil
1 1/2       teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2       teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1             teaspoon kosher salt

Prepare a grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat. 

Thread the potato slices onto skewers.   Brush both sides of the potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with basil, oregano, black pepper and kosher salt.  

When the grill is ready, arrange the potato skewers on the hot (direct heat) side of the grill.  Cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until browned on each side, then move the skewers to the cooler (indirect heat) side of the grill.   Cover and cook, covered, for 10 minutes, turning once. grill and cover it.   Transfer the potato skewers to a serving platter and serve immediately.