Category Archives: Cool Cooking Techniques

Chicago Dining, Part I: Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres

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Caviar cones with horseradish creme fraiche at Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres.
Caviar cones with horseradish creme fraiche at Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres.

Chicago, IL — With about 40 acclaimed restaurants nationwide and in the Bahamas, plus awards galore including a Presidential Medal of Freedom for his global humanitarian work through his World Central Kitchen, Jose Andres cuts a large swath in life.

So, when you step inside one of his restaurants, you know you’re in for a big, bold time.

That’s definitely true at Bazaar Meat by Jose Andres. It’s operated by the Emmy-winning and multi-James Beard Award-garnering chef, and owned by the Chicago’s Gibsons Restaurant Group. It may be five years old now, but you’d never know it from the crowd on a recent Thursday night when I dined, which appeared to be a mix of tourists and business people alike.

Primo cuts aging.
Primo cuts aging.
Another refrigerator holding the goods.
Another refrigerator holding the goods.

Take the elevator up to the second floor of the Bank of America tower to get to the restaurant, where you’ll walk past glassed-in refrigerator cases of Japanese Wagyu beef and American prime, aged for a minimum of 28 days.

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One Potato, Two Potato — Plus What?

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When it comes to Pigs in Blankets, what's old is new again.
When it comes to Pigs in Blankets, what’s old is new again.

Meet “Pigs in Blankets” — meat and potatoes version.

With a big emphasis on the potato.

The usual frozen crescent roll dough or puff pastry is swapped out from this nostalgic dish for a whole russet potato instead that gets stuffed with an entire sausage, then wrapped in bacon.

It turns this throwback from an hors d’ouevre into a hearty main dish.

This rather zany and absolutely delicious dish is from “Retro Recipes” (Countryman Press), of which I received a review copy.

The cookbook was written by Bobby Hicks, a Florida-based bartender-turned-culinary-historian, and creator of the popular YouTube series, “Retro Recipes Kitchen.”

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Fragrant & Fabulous Candy Cap Granola

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I like topping my yogurt with granola made with mushrooms. How about you?
I like topping my yogurt with granola made with mushrooms. How about you?

Ever thought about making granola with mushrooms?

It’s not as wacky as it sounds.

Because when it comes to dried candy cap mushrooms, their beguiling maple syrup-curry flavor is a natural for your favorite mix of oats, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit.

So, when I spotted a recipe for “Candy Cap Granola,” I was all over it.

This fun recipe is from “The Mushroom Hunter’s Kitchen” (The Experiment, 2025).

It was written by the Bay Area’s Chad Hyatt, a chef and expert forager. It is filled with information on varieties of both cultivated and wild mushrooms, with tips on best ways to cook and preserve each one.

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When the Name Doesn’t Do It Justice

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A one-pot chicken and rice supper with Chinese flavors.
A one-pot chicken and rice supper with Chinese flavors.

Yup, that’s right: “Roast Chicken and Rice Casserole” is the name of this dish. It sounds so basic. But it is so far from that.

The title might make you think of an old-school Americana dish. But it’s really one with a delicious Chinese flair to it with coconut milk enriching the rice, and lemongrass and ginger perfuming everything.

This easy one-pot dish is from “Down South + East” (Abrams), of which I received a review copy.

It was written by Ron Hsu, the culinary director and partner in Michelin-starred Lazy Betty in Atlanta., with an assist from Hugh Amano, a writer and chef at the now-shuttered Fat Rice in Chicago.

A Chinese American who grew up in Atlanta, Hsu grew up helping his parents at their chain of seven Hunan Village restaurants on the outskirts of the city. His own restaurant is affectionately named for her.

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These Cookies Get A Little Bling

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Cookie stamps give these cookies a showy appearance. But you can also flatten the dough balls with the bottom of a drinking glass.
Cookie stamps give these cookies a showy appearance. But you can also flatten the dough balls with the bottom of a drinking glass.

“I Want to Eat Cookies.”

That’s the title of this cookbook (Hardie Grant, 2025), of which I received a review copy.

But it could just as easily be my daily mantra.

Because left to my own devices, I would eat cookies every day — morning, noon and night.

Good thing this purse-sized book has more than 90 recipes to tempt should I ever make good on that.

The cookbook is by Ellen Morrissey, a New York City-based writer and editor who is a former editorial director for special projects for Martha Stewart Living.

You’re sure to find just the cookie to satisfy your sweet tooth from a collection that includes “Brown Butter and Toffee Chip Cookies,” “Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Meringues,” “Whisky Currant Shortbread,” “Sugar-Spiced Grahams,” and “Yo Yos with Berry Buttercream.”

With a half-full bag of masa harina in the freezer, I couldn’t help but want to give “Glazed Masa Harina Cookies” a try.

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