Disappointing Dining in Omaha

In yesterday's post, I mentioned that our recent trip to Omaha featured a visit to an old favorite restaurant of ours, Indian Oven.  The next day, we took a break from a day of shopping to eat lunch at a restaurant we hadn't tried before, then went to Omaha's historic Old Market District for dinner.   I'd like to report that we had excellent meals that day and evening, but that is unfortunately not the case.

For lunch we stopped at another Indian restaurant, Tanduri Fusion.  It had gotten good reviews at a trip advisor website, so we decided to give it a try, not really expecting to find an Indian restaurant in Omaha that would top Indian Oven, but hoping for something that would still be both good and perhaps a bit different than what we could get at Indian Oven. 

Things started out pretty promising.  We ordered an appetizer sampler, which included two samosas (one meat, one vegetarian), vegetable pakora (battered and fried pieces of potato, eggplant and other veggies), chicken tikka (grilled bits of chicken) and papadam (crispy, flat wafers made from flour, ground lentils and seasonings), along with a delightfully tasty cilantro and mint dipping sauce.   All of the appetizers were quite good, and the papadam was an especially nice surprise.  Neither Juli nor I is usually a big fan of papadam, as most of the time it tends to be rather bland, but this example was full of flavor, in part due to lots of fragrant seeds (sesame, mustard and cumin, we think) being cooked into the papadam. 

If we'd just eaten the appetizers, we'd really have nothing bad to say about Tanduri Fusion.  Unfortunately, we were hungry, so we also ordered some main courses.   Juli had the gobi masala (a vegetable curry featuring chunks of potato and cauliflower), while I selected a lamb curry.   Both dishes were flawed in pretty much the same way.   Namely, they were way too hot.

Now, keep in mind, Juli and I are both fond of spicy food.  I cook a fair bit of spicy stuff, and we both like a lot of dishes from cuisines that feature hot peppers.   We can both handle a fair bit of heat, so long as the heat is an element of the seasonings, as opposed to be the sole or most prominent aspect of a dish. The latter, unfortunately, was very much the case with both of the dishes we purchased.   In both cases, the food was hot in a manner that completely overwhelmed the flavors of the vegetables, meat and other seasonings, and rendered the two dishes almost inedible.   The lamb was really moist and tender, so much that I'd say it was perfectly prepared if I'd actually been able to taste it, but in reality, all I really noticed was the heat.

After such a disappointing lunch, we decided to go somewhere really nice for dinner.  Omaha Prime is a very highly-rated restaurant in the Old Market, renowned for excellent steak.  We knew the dinner would be fairly expensive, but we wanted to really enjoy the meal, and expected that would be the case at Omaha Prime.  We each ordered a 14-ounce New York strip steak with sauteed mushrooms.  Juli got hers with a peppercorn sauce, while I selected a roasted garlic demiglaze.   The sauces were both fine, though Juli ended up liking my sauce more than the one she'd selected, and the mushrooms were incredibly good.  Sadly, USDA prime or not, the steak was nothing special.  It was quite flavorful, but it was also more than a little bit tough at the ends.   Honestly, I cook up much more satisfying steaks on a pretty regular basis, and at $38 a steak, we expected a lot better than we got.  While I can't say the meal was bad, it wasn't even close to being worth what we paid, and that made it among the most disappointing restaurant meals we've ever had. 

Juli here:  I want to add that the service and waitstaff at Omaha prime are wonderful.  Maybe we just got bad cuts of beef at this particular meal, but it really was painful to pay so much for meat we had trouble chewing!  I kept cutting mine thinner and thinner to make it chewable. 

After the disappointing dinner, we went walking around the Old Market District.  Mostly we just looked around, but we decided to have some ice cream for dessert.  We went to Ted & Wally's, which is a long-time fixture of the Old Market.   They make their own ice cream and feature an ever-changing range of unusual flavors in addition to more traditional choices like vanilla and strawberry.  Juli got a single scoop of black cherry ice cream, while I went with a double scoop of strawberry, both in waffle cones.   The ice cream was a fine example of a homemade ice cream, and I found mine quite refreshing, but it wasn't really anything special. 

Given our experience, we can't really recommend either Tanduri Fusion or Omaha Prime, and while the ice cream at Ted and Wally's was fine, it wasn't special enough to warrant a special trip.  We still managed to enjoy our weekend vacation to Omaha, but we couldn't help but be disappointed with most of the culinary part of our vacation. 

Juli again.  I think if a person had never tasted home-made ice cream, they would have loved Ted and Wally's...but we do make our own ice cream on occasion, so we weren't quite as impressed.  I liked Jeffrey's strawberry ice cream a lot more than my black cherry scoop.  That might have been because there were only 2 tiny bits of black cherry in my ice cream.  I like more fruit bits (and flavor) in my ice cream.

Beef Tacos

I was in a mood for tacos one evening last week, so I decided to make some, and to use my own mix of seasoning instead of one of the store-bought seasoning packets. 

In designing my own recipe, I first checked out an old one from Cook's Illustrated back in 2002.   The basics of that recipe gave me something to start from in designing my own recipe.  I also found something else good in Cook's Illustrated:  how to make home-fried taco shells.

The taco shell method is pretty straightforward, really.   Heat 3/4 cup oil (I used canola oil) in a small skillet to 350 degrees.  When the oil is ready, use tongs to slip half of a tortilla into the oil, folding it partway over and using a spatula to keep the frying part of the tortilla flat.  When the first half of the tortilla starts to stiffen, flip the tortilla, holding it open a bit.

Fry the second side until it is lightly browned, then flip again until that side is lightly browned, then transfer the shell upside-down on a baking sheet lined with paper towels.  Continue with as many shells as desired.  

I used store-bought (Mission brand medium-sized) tortillas.  They worked great, although they did have something of a tendency to puff up sort of like fry bread.   This made for a nice change of pace from the hard shells one gets in a store, or from going the soft-shell route.

I decided to make a large batch of taco meat, even though I was cooking for just Juli and me, since I had an idea what to do with the leftover meat.   The recipe below is for a large batch; if you want less taco meat, just halve the recipe. 

The tacos were really, really good.  Juicy, nicely-seasoned meat, crisp lettuce, garden-fresh tomatoes and sharp cheddar cheese (as usual, we grated up some Cabot extra-sharp cheddar) inside a crisp (but not crunchy) shell... they were well worth the effort of going the do-it-yourself route instead of relying so much on store-prepared ingredients.  Juli used some of what was left to make a taco salad for work the next day, and I had plans for the rest of the meat.  Stay tuned!

Beef Tacos

yield = enough meat for 16 tacos (serves 8)

3                   tablespoons canola oil
1                   large yellow onion, diced
2                   teaspoons minced garlic
4                   tablespoons chili powder
2 1/2             teaspoons ground cumin
2                   teaspoons coriander
1 1/2             teaspoons dried Mexican oregano, crushed
1/2                teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/4                teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4                teaspoon table salt
2                   pounds 90% lean ground beef
1                   cup tomato sauce
3/4                cup low-sodium chicken broth
2                   teaspoons light brown sugar
2                   teaspoons cider vinegar
8                   taco shells
2                   cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2                   cups shredded lettuce
4-5               small tomatoes
                     sour cream (if desired)

Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.  Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened.  Stir in the garlic and spices and cook, continuing to stir, for 1 minute.  Add the ground beef and cook until the meat is no longer pink (about 5 minutes), using the wooden spoon to break up large pieces of meat and to scrape the bottom of the skillet to prevent burning. 

Add tomato sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar and vinegar.  Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has cooked off (about 10 minutes). 

To serve, spoon portions of the meat mixture into each taco shell, then top with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream (if desired).

Jalapeno Cheseburgers

This past weekend, I was in a mood for burgers, and I also wanted to use some of the wonderful hot peppers we've been growing, so I tossed together a new recipe:  Jalapeno Cheeseburgers.   They turned out great:   Lots of flavor with just a bit of mild, pleasant heat.  Juli and I both enjoyed them for lunch, and we had the leftovers for lunch the next day.   They were almost as good warmed up in the microwave as they were fresh off the grill.

I used fully ripe, red jalapenos in these burgers.  The red jalapenos impart a more complex, mellow and slightly sweet flavor than you get with green jalapenos, but burgers with green jalapenos would still be great, just in a different way and with a bit more heat.   Either way, you'll end up with a tasty, very memorable burger.

As usual, I used Cabot extra-sharp cheddar, which is our go-to cheddar cheese.  Big bricks of this cheese are available at Wal-Mart stores, and while the Cabot cheddar is a bit more expensive than your basic supermarket cheddar, the difference in flavor is more than enough to make up for the slightly higher cost.

Jalapeno Cheeseburgers

yield = 4 servings

1 1/2               pounds ground chuck (85% lean) beef
3                     ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1                     large (or two small) jalapeno peppers, seeded
                          and finely minced
1                     teaspoon ground cumin
1/2                  teaspoon minced garlic
1/2                  teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/2                  teaspoon Mexican oregano, crushed
1/2                  teaspoon table salt
1/4                  teaspoon onion powder
4                     hamburger buns, sliced
                       lettuce leaves and tomato slices to garnish
                          (if desired)

Add the ground beef to a large bowl, breaking it up to increase surface area for seasoning.  Add the cheddar cheese, minced jalapeno, cumin, garlic, pepper, oregano, salt and onion powder and mix the ingredients with your hands.  Separate the meat mixture into four even-sized portions.  Form one portion into a ball, then flatten it into a patty.  Press the center of the patty down with your fingertips, leaving an indentation.  Repeat with the remaining portions of the meat mixture.

Prepare the grill for medium-hot, direct heat.  When the coals are ready, cook the burgers for 4 1/2 minutes on each side for medium-rare.  Transfer cooked burgers to a plate, cover with foil and let them rest for a couple minutes, then serve.   Serve on buns, topping each burger with lettuce and tomato or other toppings of choice. 

Garden Fresh Broccoli! Plus Spicy Ginger Beef with Broccoli, Revisited

The first broccoli from this year's garden was ready to harvest last weekend, and since then, we've been eating lots of garden-fresh broccoli.  I decided to start off by brushing one of my old-standby recipes, Spicy Ginger Beef with Broccoli, and ended up further fine-tuning the recipe, using stuff I've learned over the past year of cooking to make an already-great recipe even better. 

I also used a bunch of the hot peppers we've been growing.   We're getting a bunch of ripe ones now.

I made a really large batch (about 12 servings total), but the revised recipe, below, reflects the standard (already large) batch.  Either gives you a lot of good leftovers, and this dish freezes really well.   The broccoli does get a bit soggy when reheating, but the flavor is great.   Don't freeze the chow mein noodles, though.   Just add them after reheating.

Spicy Ginger Beef with Broccoli

yield = 8 servings
2           pounds beef (steak or stew), thinly sliced
2-4        red chili peppers, seeded and minced
1 1/2     teaspoon ground mustard
2           teaspoons minced garlic
1           teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1           teaspoon ground ginger
2           teaspoons sesame oil
1/3        cup light soy sauce
2 1/2-3 pounds broccoli florets
1 1/2    tablespoons peanut oil
1 1/2-2 tablespoons peeled, diced ginger
2          cans sliced water chestnuts, 1 drained, 1 undrained
2          tablespoons oyster sauce
2          tablespoons corn starch dissolved in 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken
                       broth, or water

Mix sliced beef with ground mustard, ground ginger, black pepper, chili peppers, garlic, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and soy sauce in a bowl or Ziploc bag.  Cover bowl/close bag and marinate at least two hours, preferably eight or more hours or overnight.

Steam broccoli until it is almost done; remove from heat.

Add peanut oil and 1 teaspoon sesame oil to wok, large skillet or Dutch oven.  Heat the oil over medium heat.  When hot, add the ginger and fry it, stirring often, until it is just starting to darken. 

Add the beef and marinade mixture. Stir-fry until the beef is nearly browned, then add water chestnuts, including the liquid from one of the cans.  Stir fry for a couple more minutes, then add oyster sauce and corn starch/broth (or water) mixture.  Stir until the liquid thickens.  Add the broccoli, stir to mix. 

Serve over rice, topped with chow mein noodles.

Notes: 
1.  The best way to slice the beef into nice, thin slices is to put it in the freezer for about 45 minutes before you're ready to prepare it.  The beef will then be stiff enough to easily cut as thinly as you  might desire.

2.  I don't specify a cut of meat to use because I've found it honestly doesn't matter if you marinate it sufficiently.  If I don't have time to let it marinate a long time, I tend to use sirloin, but round tip steak, chuck steak and stew beef work just fine.

3.  How many chili peppers one should use for this recipe depends on the heat of the peppers and personal taste.  That being said, the purpose of the peppers in this recipe is to add some heat, but they shouldn't overwhelm the other flavors.   I've gotten the best results from cayenne, serrano and red Thai peppers.  If you like things spicier, don't seed the peppers.

Italian Burgers with Basil and Provolone + Grilled Vegetables

We've both been in the mood for burgers lately.  Juli wanted me to make some simple burgers with BBQ sauce, but I was in the mood for something a bit more novel than that.   I ended up making some Italian-seasoned burgers and topping most of them with melted provolone and fresh basil leaves from our garden, other than the one that I just covered with BBQ sauce while the burgers were still grilling, so Juli could have what she'd been craving.  These burgers were good.  Really, really good! 

Along with the burgers, I grilled some zucchini, summer squash and tomatoes.  I made the squash as I've previously described, save that I used only olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper and fresh chives as seasonings.  I topped the tomatoes with nothing but olive oil, salt and pepper.  All of the veggies grilled up really nicely, and they went great with burgers and a Caesar salad.

I used Barilla Spicy Marinara in and on these burgers, but any store-bought or homemade marinara would work just fine.   You could warm up the marinara before topping the burgers with it, but we found they tasted great without warming up the sauce. 

These burgers are fast and easy to make, they're really tasty, they're a great way to use fresh basil and they make for a nice change from ordinary burgers.   There's not much else to say about them, other than to include the recipe below and encourage you to give them a try sometime.

Italian Burgers with Basil and Provolone

yield = 6 servings

2 1/4           pounds 85% lean ground beef (chuck)
1/4              cup fresh-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2                 tablespoons marinara sauce
1 1/2           teaspoons freshly-ground black pepper
1                 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4              teaspoon kosher salt
1/2              teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2              teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
1/4              teaspoon onion powder
18-20         medium to large fresh basil leaves
6                slices provolone cheese
6                hamburger buns or other large, round sandwich rolls
                  additional marinara sauce for topping

Prepare grill for medium-hot, direct grilling.

Add ground chuck, Parmigiano-Reggiano, 2 tablespoons marinara sauce, black pepper, garlic, kosher salt, red pepper flakes, oregano and onion powder to a large bowl.  Mix ingredients thoroughly by hand, then form the meat mixture into six large patties.  Indent the middle of each patty slightly by pressing with fingers.

Place the patties on the grill, cover and cook for 5 minutes.  Flip, cover and cook for another 4 minutes, then top each burger with 3-4 basil leaves and one piece of provolone.   Cover and cook another minutes or so, until the cheese has melted. 

Transfer the burgers to a serving platter.  Top with marinara and serve on buns.

Grilled Tomatoes

yield = 2-3 servings

2                 large, ripe tomatoes
                   olive oil
                   freshly-ground black pepper to taste
                   kosher salt to taste

Core each tomato, then slice the tomatoes sideways into 3 or 4 slices of equal thickness, with the number of slices depending on the size of the tomatoes (I cut ours into three slices each).

Brush on both sides with olive oil, then season on both sides to taste with kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper. 

Grill over direct, medium-high heat for 5 minutes, then turn and grill another 5 minutes on the other side.  Transfer to a serving platter and serve immediately.

More Thrilling Grilling - Better-Than-Ever Southwestern Burgers

I recently wrote about my first time cooking Cheesy Bacon Burgers on the grill.   Those turned out great, so I decided to try another burger recipe I'd originally developed for pan-fried burgers, but once again on the grill:  Southwestern Burgers.

In preparing this batch of burgers, I decided to modify my original recipe a little bit.  Specifically, I boosted the amount of chipotle and adobo sauce.   The modified recipe is presented below.

These turned out great, every bit as well as the Bacon Burgers had.   This didn't surprise me - when I originally designed the recipes, I figured they'd be even better grilled than pan-fried - but it was nice to have that supposition confirmed.  

Southwestern Burgers
 
yield = 6 servings

2 1/4      ounces pounds ground chuck beef (85% lean)
1            tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1            tablespoon chipotle pepper, minced
2            teaspoons adobo sauce
1            teaspoon ground cumin
1/2         teaspoon Mexican oregano, crushed
1/2         teaspoon table salt
1/2         teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/4         teaspoon onion powder
6            hamburger buns, sliced
6            slices pepper jack cheese
              toppings as desired

Add the ground beef to a large bowl, breaking it up to increase surface area for seasoning.  Add the cilantro, chipotle, adobo sauce, oregano, salt, pepper and onion powder and mix these ingredients with your hands.  Separate the meat mixture into six even-sized portions.  Form one portion into a ball, then flatten it into a patty.  Press the center of the patty down with your fingertips, leaving an indentation.  Repeat with the remaining portions of the meat mixture.

Prepare the grill for medium-hot, direct heat.  When the coals are ready, cook the burgers for 4 1/2 minutes on each side for medium-rare.  Transfer cooked burgers to a plate, cover with foil and let them rest for a couple minutes, then serve.   Serve on buns, topping each burger with one slice of the pepper jack cheese and other toppings of choice (lettuce and taco sauce are my favorites for this burger).   Or, if you wish, top the burgers with slices of pepper jack cheese for the last minute or two of cooking.

Thrilling Grilling, including Summer Squash with Spring Herbs

I've done a lot of grilling over the past couple days.  Two batches of burgers, some incredible steaks, and more to come in the near future.   This is part of why I love this time of the year.

Juli had been asking for burgers for awhile, so I decided it was time to finally pull out my recipe for Cheesy Bacon Burgers and try it out on the grill.   Unsurprisingly, they turned out great.  As I'd predicted, they were even better grilled than they were pan-fried. 

Last week we got our first CSA delivery of the season.   It wasn't very large, but it's still fresh-from-the-farm vegetables, so there's nothing to complain about there.  This week's box included a couple of tomatoes, a single summer squash and a really tiny zucchini.  Since I was already going to be grilling, I decided to grill the squash and serve that up with the burgers.  We've got tons of chives and dill coming up, so I decided I'd feature those with the squash.  The squash also turned out excellent. 

The burgers and squash, served up with some baked beans and chips, made for a really satisfying summer meal.

While shopping for some other planned recipes, I saw some excellent Amana t-bone steaks and decided on the spot that the other stuff was going to have to wait, because I couldn't pass up those steaks.  I mixed up a batch of my home-brew steak seasoning, rubbed the seasoning mix onto both sides of the steaks and tossed them on the grill and cooked them for about 4 1/2 minutes on each side, which put them on the rare side of medium-rare. 

The steaks were incredible - melt-in-your-mouth, buttery-tender, full of beefy flavor - and the seasoning complemented the beefy flavor without competing with it.  

Those were some of the best steaks Juli or I have ever had, period.  I served them up with baked potatoes (topped with more of our chives, naturally) and a Caesar salad for yet another really great meal.

Summer Squash with Spring Herbs

Ingredients:
summer squash or zucchini
extra-virgin olive oil
freshly-ground black pepper
kosher salt
fresh, minced dill
fresh, finely minced chives

Instructions:
Slice the squash (or zucchini) lengthwise into 1/4-inch pieces.   Lightly brush both sides of the squash pieces with olive oil and sprinkle to taste with pepper and kosher salt, then sprinkle with ample portions of dill and chives.   Press the herbs onto the surface of the squash pieces, to help them adhere and stay in place during grilling.

Grill over medium-hot direct heat for 4 minutes, then flip and grill on the other side for 4 minutes.  Serve.