Last week, sitting beside the Ohio river and listening to the Cincinnati Reds beat the Yankees (yay) I consumed as much sea food as I could possibly fit in my stomach (then had carrot cake just to even it out in there.)

The meal was really lovely, but more than the bright and bracing flavor of the oysters, or the balance between sweet crab and garden fresh tomato, I was struck by how the meal made me think. Sipping my glass of cheap white wine, I realized that the taste was so good because I don’t drink wine much any more. And I’m not cooking the way I love to, spending hours in the kitchen just because it makes me happy. I miss inventing and making strange concoctions that sometimes work and sometimes don’t (beet terrine with herb gelatin? awful).  I am scared that in this new job, which affords me so many opportunities (restaurant exploration and work-wise)  that I might be losing a little bit of myself.

Now, this was pretty heady stuff for a glass of mediocre pinot gris (my studying oenophile self is angry that I liked it so much), but one never knows when your subconscious will decide to strike. So it’s time to get back to the kitchen, back to the bottle and back to what I love.

So here is my goal, two posts a week and cooking not just to eat, but to play, to learn and to dine.

All this said, the salmon with king crab salad and pear vinaigrette were really fantastic and deserve their time in the spot light. Enough pontificating Ellie.

Crab is a beautiful thing. Last week, I ate more crab than over the past 2 years. And I liked it. Next week i’m going to make Hearts of Palm Salad with Red Grapefruit and Dungeness Crab. Miss Erica Everage, you are responsible for my love of palm, looking forward to Dining in LA with you soon!

I had my first 3 Way this weekend…and yes, it was good for me.   

I have been traveling to Cincinnati Ohio for nearly 8 month now seems time to do a little experimenting: I finally decided to have a 3 way. Heck, I’m an open minded person, why not.

 Skyline Chili is to Cincinnati as Starbucks is to New York:  from any vantage point in the city, you can see two Skyline Chili “restaurants”. Ok that is a bit of an exaggeration, but only a little. The blue and red logos are everywhere: pasted across billboards, sponsoring little league teams or welcoming you into one of the 100+ culinary establishments.

So it isn’t really chili; it least as most of the country (me) think of it.  The recipe has to be the worst kept secret in food franchise history: no fewer than five people this weekend told me the two “secret ingredients”—“Chocolate and cinnamon” they would half whisper as if bequeathing me the keys to ultimate life enjoyment.  The odd ingredients and smoother texture place Skyline chili somewhere between diner style chili and Mexican mole– a truly unique taste.

 This little stunner in the picture above is the signature dish– The Three Way. (Some might say the cheese coney- chile+cheese+hotdog is the true classic, but I respectfully disagree based on my unofficial poll of locals.)

 There is a strict protocol when you have your first three way— and at no time does it involve girls or boobs. In fact despite the innuendo in its name, skyline might be the unsexiest food of all time. (Cincinnatians, you might disagree I guess….) Anyway, here are the rules.  

To eat:

1.       Remove a pinch of the cheese with your fingers before even lifting your fork.

2.       Don’t even think of swirling the pasta: cut and swoop.

3.       Add an oyster cracker for a needed texture change.

4.       Enjoy, really probably will like it more than you expect!

5.       Don’t get on a plane or any small enclosed area with lots of other people for at least 5 hours afterward.

 If you’re really into Skyline, or if you are in a situation where you need to impress a Cincinnati native (and gently coax them to alternate culinary habits) try making your own Cincinnati Style Chili. Bon Appétit, I love you.

Back home for a weekend to show off my city, and what was I most excited to do? Well, eat of course. Starting with a Kramarczuk’s Hungarian sausage loaded with onions and sauerkraut at the Twins game on friday, every meal was a delight from my past.

From lunch at Lucia’s and wine before 3, to Sebastian Joe’s twice in one day, opulence was the word of the weekend. I rediscovered Spoonriver on a long bike ride down around the lakes and along the river. Brenda, of the beloved Cafe Brenda works wonders with the simplest ingredients sourced from around Minnesota.

We started with the Spoon Dips: Preserved Lemon Hummus and Roasted Red Pepper - Walnut Paté, accompanied by a cadre of Vegetables, Olives, and toasted Foccacia.

Here is a riff on the delicious red pepper bowl of love in the photo

Six red bell peppers
1 cup bread crumbs from a baguette or similar bread
1 cup toasted walnuts
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 cup olive oil

Stem, seed and quarter bell peppers.  Place on a cookie sheet under the broiler skin side within 3 or so inches of the element. Roast, with the oven door closed for about five minutes. Turn the ban 180 degrees then roast for 5 more. Peppers should be blackened and beginning to soften. If too hot to handle (as I frequently feel) place in a class bowl and cover with plastic wrap until skin easily  falls away from the flesh.

When cooled, purée roasted red peppers, bread crumbs, walnuts, vinegar, cumin, chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the sesame oil in a food processor until almost smooth. With the motor still humming away, add in the oil in one slow stream until the whole mixture is smooth.

Garnish with black sesame seeds and enjoy with market fresh veggies. The radishes were my personal favorite.

And then there was my real lunch…..I couldn’t help but feel healthy after eating this plate of perfectly cooked chicken gently swathed in a peanut sauce, cozied up next to some soba noodles. I mean really, look how great this look!

And if chicken and vegetables aren’t your thing, you can always nom on a Sunshine Farm Hamburger with house-made ketchup! (Grass fed and sustainable of course!)