Talk To the Cart

What's on the menu, trade secrets, and what's worth stopping by to try at the food sample carts.

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Sample of the Day - Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Mayo (traditional)

 Mayo please! Give this one a try. It’s an oxymoron in a jar; healthy mayonnaise. Made with 100% avocado oil. It’s Kosher, gluten free, non-GMO, cage free eggs, paleo, peanut-free, and nut-free. It’s got more good stuff in it than should be listed in a tiny blog. Suffice it to say, it has all the benefits of avocado oil while tasting like a light, fresh and creamy mayo.

 Those looking for mayo that tastes like avocado will be disappointed but it really is a great mayonnaise.

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Sample of the Day - Kasia’s Pierogi (Potato & Cheese)

 Pierogi? What are pierogi? They seem to be everywhere here in Chicagoland.  Believe me, there are a lot of pierogi lovers here. The basic pierogi consists of a small, half-moon-shaped, noodle filled with mashed potatoes. Seemingly, every food culture has a stuffed dumpling, or handpie of some sort, and the pierogi is eastern Europe’s version. They are most closely associated with Poland, although they can be found in other places as well. If you haven’t yet introduced yourself to pierogi, you should give them a try. 

Now, about cooking pierogi...

There are a few schools of thought on this. 

A. Let someone else cook them. (usually works out well )

B. Traditional method;  boil them first, and then pan fry them.

C. (My preferred method)  Pan fry them in oil/butter over medium heat, turning them as needed so they don’t scorch. Use an oil that won’t fight them. This is eastern European cuisine, so go with a sunflower oil if you can.

Pierogi come in a wide array of flavors and filling combinations, I even have some blueberry filled ones in my freezer as I write this. Do give them a try. Potato and cheese is a nice, simple way to start. Oh and don’t forget the sour cream, or sausage, or vegetables...

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Sample of the Day - Kevita Master Brew Kombucha (Tart Cherry)

  Kevita makes quite a few flavors but I can only give my opinion about things I actually sample myself; so Tart Cherry it is. This is, by far, my favorite Kombucha yet. The Tart Cherry flavor is very close to one of my favorite Belgian Lambics; Lindeman’s Kriek Lambic. Since Kombucha is alcohol free, I can now enjoy the flavor of a lambic anywhere.

  There are health claims floating around about Kombucha; I cannot speak to any of those. But I can tell you a bit about the good and the not so good.

  The good: It has B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, B12, and the probiotic cultures B. Coagulans MTCC5856 and L. Rhomnosis. It’s organic, vegan, non-GMO, and kosher. Each bottle has 2 servings (8oz). Only 8 grams of sugar per serving.

 The not so good (because there’s really no bad here): It has calories and it has sugar, along with caffeine and stevia. Stevia is normally a problem for me because it’s very sweet, but I cannot taste it here at all.

 I bought this one the same day.

 Try it. You just may like it and it might also be good for you.

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Cart Lady Tips and Tricks - Keep it Cold

It seems pretty obvious that when you’re serving food you want your hot food hot and your cold food, well, cold. Keeping your food at the right temperature not only helps it taste its best, but it can also keep you and your guests healthier.

Between 39F and 140F  is referred to as the Danger Zone. It’s where bacteria grow happy.   To quote the USDA website; “ Leaving food out too long at room temperature can cause bacteria (such as Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella Enteritidis, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Campylobacter) to grow to dangerous levels that can cause illness. Bacteria grow most rapidly in the range of temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F, doubling in number in as little as 20 minutes.”

1. Use that thermometer. (make sure it’s calibrated of course)

2. Don’t leave food out without some way to regulate its temperature.

3. Pack a mixing bowl with ice and tuck your container of dip etc... neatly inside the ice. (Make sure you don’t cross-contaminate by letting ice get into the container)

4. Don’t refreeze items like ice cream once they’ve thawed. Not only is it less than healthy, it also never comes out like the lovely ice cream you purchased or made.

5. Use a wee bit of science and make your ice colder. Anyone who lives where there’s snow and ice knows about salting the pavement. Salt lowers the freezing point of water to below 32F. A pinch of salt isn’t going to do the trick because you need something akin to the salinity of the ocean for it to work. Try a handful to start and see what works to lower that thermometer temp to under 32F. It will be slushy and very, very cold.

6. Careful with any leftovers. Anything not brought down to below 40F within 2 hours of cooking needs to be either thoroughly reheated, (at least 165F) or tossed.

7. Finally, Don’t store items like uncut melons in the same ice you’re using to cool drinks and other food.

 Most humans are pretty tough. We can handle exposure to many bugs, and illnesses, and survive. But really there’s no need to test the system, when with a few simple things you can make life easier. Enjoy the rest of summer and don’t forget the ice.

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Sample of the Day - Honey Smoked Salmon

 This a great smoked salmon made in Colorado. They don’t put the honey on the fish itself, instead, they put the honey on the wood and let the flavor of that smoke permeate the salmon. We’ve sampled it out in many forms but my favorite is with Hass Avocado.

No need for any extra spices, if you want to go ahead and make guacamole feel free. Once you get your avocado mashed, put it aside in a bowl. Then, take your salmon and score the fish in long rectangles so that it peels apart into strips about 1/4 in wide and maybe an inch long.

Use a favorite cracker with a bit of crunch to it. Top the cracker with a nice dollop of mashed avocado and a piece of the salmon. It looks beautiful and tastes delicious. Play with the process a bit; a little twirl with the salmon and you’ve got a professional looking appetizer.

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Sample of the Day - Daily Greens

These juices pack in a serious amount of nutrients in each bottle. They don’t come in flavors exactly, instead they are varied juice blends that have unique flavor profiles and nutritional benefits. While most people are not quite prepared for so much green flavor, these all taste fresh and you have no doubt about that 4.5 lbs of organic produce squeezed into each bottle. Try the Elevate first if you’re not already a follower of all juices greened up. Elevate is a sweeter blend that contains pear juice and vanilla for a smoother start.

 I don’t know about most people, but the probability of me being able to actually eat 4.5 lbs of produce in one day is highly unlikely. I can’t eat that much of anything (not even counting chocolate and coffee) in a single day. The calories are amazingly low, the nutrients and vitamins are packed in, and it’s only a 12 oz bottle; pretty amazing stuff actually. Try it with an open mind,

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Sample of the Day - Rojo’s Black Bean & Cotija Cheese 6 layer Dip

  With black beans, 2 types of salsa, 2 types of cheese, avocado, and sour cream, it’s hard to beat the flavor of this dip. Mexico is a country with a wide range of cooking styles, this is a tasty version of a layered taco dip. Of course it’s great piled on a corn tortilla chip. Be careful though, this is another one of those that’s hard to stop eating once you start. 

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Sample of the Day - Angelic Bakehouse Sprouted 7-Grain Bread

If you look at the advertisement you might think it’s free of everything, including taste. It’s Kosher, non-GMO, peanut free, tree nut free, egg free, dairy free, HFCS free, soy free, and vegetarian. Okay, even with all that lack of stuff, they make excellent bread. It’s supposed to be better for you than regular bread, that’s not the most important thing for me when choosing food; it has to taste good. Granted, most food that uses quality ingredients already has a running start ahead of the competition, but they can still mess it up. Angelic Bakehouse makes some very good bread. An item well worth stopping by to try.

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Sample of the Day - Tortilla Land Uncooked Flour Tortillas

 These are to cooked Tortillas as sliced, white, store bread is to fresh bread. Only 30 seconds a side gets you a hot, fresh tortilla. You can cook these in a skillet on the stove, on an electric skillet, or even on a grill. If you get a big bag, remember they can be frozen like uncooked dough and thawed in the refrigerator. Give these a try, there really is a big difference with that freshly cooked taste.

Tip: For the freezer, package them in small batches and wrap them in wax (or parchment) paper before you seal them in plastic.

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Sample of the Day - Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt

If you haven’t already tried these, they’re wonderful. They come in a wide variety of flavors, and have a deliciously creamy texture. Only 100 calories per bar, but you wouldn’t know it. What else is there to say? They’re cold, creamy, delicious, and it’s summer.

https://www.yasso.com/

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Sample of the Day - RYC Arrachera Seasoned Skirt Steak

RYC’s Arrachera seasoned Inside Skirt Steak is one of the more popular samples. Unlike most of our samples though, we actually can’t demonstrate it at its best. This item is meant for an open flame, we generally fry it in a skillet. It still sells out when sampled. If you decide to cook it like we do at the store, keep in mind that the marinade is very salty and the skillet should be cleaned thoroughly between each round of cooking. Otherwise, you can get too much salt in the flavor. Just follow the directions on the label and it’s a very simple, yet excellent, component of many dishes. 

Tip - Skirt steak really needs you to cut @ 45 degrees across the grain to be its most tender. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcUfgqmSt_Y

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Sample of the Day - Sartori Cheese’s BellaVitano Merlot

  Wisconsin Cheese!  The only experience, until moving to the Midwest, I had with Wisconsin cheese consisted of one, not-so-good Wisconsin cheese gift basket/sampler. I was completely taken aback when I tasted the Sartori cheeses. They have well-crafted cheeses, with a product line that has something for almost everyone. This one is my personal favorite. The Sartori cheeses are worth sampling (more than once).

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Cart Lady Tips

 I work all day in a space that’s about 2ft x 3ft. Two of the most important things when you’re cooking for hours are organization and cleaning. Everything you need has to be in reach because you simply don’t have time to wander around looking for stuff. With such a small space, that means you have to limit what you use to the bare essentials. The longer I cook, the fewer tools I rely on to make most food. I am beginning to understand why chefs often show a strong adverse reaction to sharing their kitchen space.

Equally, or maybe more, important is cleaning. Clean as you go. Don’t leave stuff on the floor, wipe up your spills immediately. Constantly clean your workspace and your tools (including the handles - ick). I read this great quote from a chef that had me nodding in agreement, to paraphrase; your work area should be cleaner when you’re done cooking than it was when you started. Sloppy cooks put out sloppy product. The better you get at making different food items, the less you will make a mess (hopefully).

See that kitchen in the picture above? Yeah, that’s my happy cooking place. Don’t even get me started about that 2 second rule...

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Sample of the Day - G.H. Cretors “The Mix” Popcorn

  I’ll leave you with this for a Friday night. Chicagoland has never been shy of a bit of excess in its food. This company has been making popcorn for over 100 years. They not only make the popcorn but they also sell patented poppers. I’m not from the Midwest. This mix was over the top to me until I tasted it. But, and it’s a big but, the cheese has to be just right, and the caramel corn can’t be anything other than perfect for it to be great. Cretors nails it. There are others in the area that are more famous and much pricier but I’d go with this one every time. So pull up a bag, and a movie; enjoy the weekend.

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Sample of the Day - MyMo Ice Cream

 MyMo Ice cream is a dessert created by a fusion of Japanese and Western treats. MyMo has taken a traditional rice dough cake, called Mochi, and wrapped it around ice cream. It comes in a wide variety of flavors, some more traditional than others.  As with standard ice cream treats, don’t let it melt and if it does don’t refreeze it. They say you can pop a whole one in your mouth but that’s a bit more toward brainfreeze than most people enjoy. There’s no need for a knife and fork, just let it soften out of the freezer for a minute to reach its best consistency. The flavors are excellent, but the texture of the dough can throw first time tasters off a bit. Give this one a try, especially while summer is here.

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Sample of the Day - Wild Planet Albacore

(Image from Greenpeace) 

  A delicious tuna that even Greenpeace approves of! It ranked #1 for 2017 on their list of tuna companies that used responsible and sustainable methods and sources. As the label states it’s 100% Tuna, no added water or oil. There’s no need to drain this tuna, any liquids in the can are reabsorbed by the fish upon breaking the steak apart. 

Tuna and Crackers:

1 can Wild Planet Albacore

2 Tbsp good quality Olive Oil

1/8 tsp Salt 

1/8 tsp Pepper

 The key to an excellent tuna salad is time and patience. Break the tuna into small, even pieces with a fork (don’t get lazy and let the big chunks win). That was the hard part. Add your dry ingredients and stir, then finish off with your oil and mix it until the ingredients are evenly saturated.

Serve on any cracker that’s crispy, and sturdy, enough to not get sogged down by the tuna salad. (yep just made up that word - sogged - but I like it)

Enjoy!

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Cart Lady Tool Tips

  Everyone has their favorite, handy cooking tools. The Bench Scraper/Dough Scraper is one of my favorites. Inexpensive, flexible, easy to maintain, it’s a tool that I can cut with, and then use to clean the cutting board. The edge is surprisingly sharp and works best if you keep the corners unbent.

  Cooking scissors/Chef scissors are another favorite. They have a standard bypass shearing cut. They come apart for easy cleaning. Between the handles, they have an area that’s designed for cracking nuts or shells. It’s surprising just how many uses these have in the kitchen.

 The handy meat thermometer. Small enough to fit in a pocket, easy to calibrate and test, and best of all, inexpensive. It’s sensitive to hits and bumps though, so check it every day before use and after you drop it. The easiest way to check it is; fill up a cup with ice, and then add water to make it a nice 32 degrees. Drop your thermometer in, making sure to cover the sensor dents and wait. Each one calibrates a little differently so check the instructions.