Windy City Cooking: Week 31

(Ed.'s Note- Every Monday, Chicago's Jason Hissong writes Windy City Cooking, a column whose title says it all. Note: this column was originally scheduled to be posted last week. Enjoy! -Max)

Opening Day
by Jason Hissong
5 April 2010

I have been to so many Major League Baseball games in my 28 years that I can't remember them all. When we moved to St. Louis in the late 80s, I remember Dad would turn on the tv to watch the Cardinals, but listen to the radio so we could hear Jack Buck. There was the game I attended my sophomore year of High School in which Mark McGwire tied Roger Marris' home run record at 61. There was that scorcher of an afternoon the day after my sister's wedding. The sun was so hot in the middle of July, in St. Louis, that I remember not enjoying the game much. There was that first, cold cold April day a few years ago that was my first ever trip to Wrigley with three of my best friends. There are the games in Houston's Astrodome, and Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium that I don't remember because I was so young. There was Mark Buerhle's first no hitter- another cold April evening in Chicago, on the south side. That season I think I went to 15 games between Wrigley Field and The Cell and Buehrle's no hitter was the only ticket I actually paid.

Windy City Cooking: Week 31

(Ed.'s Note- Every Monday, Chicago's Jason Hissong writes Windy City Cooking, a column whose title says it all. Enjoy! -Max)

On Pizza
by Jason Hissong
22 March 2010

The photo you see is my attempt at making a pizza from scratch. I created this two years ago, maybe, when my friend Aaron came over one night. This pizza had chorizo as its protein, and I loaded it with cheese and an imperfectly shaped crust. I remember it being delicious in that 'this is really bad for me but I love it' delicious kind of way. It's becoming more and more evident to me that somewhere hidden in my genetic code is a deep, eternal battle with pizza. I hate pizza. I love pizza. What is pizza? What makes pizza, pizza?

Windy City Cooking: Week 30

(Ed.'s Note- Every Monday, Chicago's Jason Hissong writes Windy City Cooking, a column whose title says it all. Enjoy! -Max)

Yes, I Cook
by Jason Hissong
15 March 2010

On Thursday night I cooked for the first time since Sunday night. This is a common occurrence. Thursdays are usually my first day during the week that I have no post-work obligations. This is all by choice, of course, but those choices make me better in other areas of my life. So Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are usually leftovers or a stop at Potbelly's, or a Clif Bar, or cereal. Something that's not cooking.

Ray's Braise: College Towns - Princeton

[Every other week, Ray takes us on a culinary tour of the tri-state area and treats us to some of his favorite recipes. Enjoy! -Max]



Illustration by Donal DeLay

Every University has its own culture, and the towns surrounding them tend to match. Where Rutgers is casual, Princeton is blue-blood. Where New Brunswick is urban, the city of Princeton is touristy. I never attended Princeton, but I've had the pleasure of visiting the city many times and sampling its culinary offerings. While you won't find the same cultural diversity or great cheap eats you'll find in New Brunswick, what you will find is a surprising amount of fine dining and some classic restaurants that can transport you to a bygone era of dining - as well as possibly the finest ice cream parlor in New Jersey.

Windy City Cooking: Week 29

(Ed.'s Note- Every Monday, Chicago's Jason Hissong writes Windy City Cooking, a column whose title says it all. Enjoy! -Max)

Questions and Answers
by Jason Hissong
08 March 2010

My favorite sports writer, Bill Simmons, writes a reader mailbag column every five or six weeks or so. Since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, this week I'm doing the exact same thing. I've solicited questions for a few weeks, and now, finally, the question askers receive their answers. So, without further ado, off we go.

Windy City Cooking: Week 28

(Ed.'s Note- Every Monday, Chicago's Jason Hissong writes Windy City Cooking, a column whose title says it all. Enjoy! -Max)

$3,770.47
by Jason Hissong
01 March 2010

A few weeks ago I read Sam Walker's Fantasyland. Reading a book about his foray into the world of fantasy baseball elicited a couple of reactions. First, it made me hungry for baseball season. Second, it made me hungry for statistics consumption.

Windy City Cooking: Week 27

(Ed.'s Note- Every Monday--and occasionally on Tuesday--Chicago's Jason Hissong writes Windy City Cooking, a column whose title says it all. Enjoy! -Max)

The Thin Place
by Jason Hissong
22 February 2010

I asked my friend Larissa what she means when she uses the term "thin places." She gave me a quote. I didn't ask her where this quote is from, but this is what she wrote me, "These are places along one's spiritual path where God's spirit feels especially near." There's more to the quote, but for my purposes today that portion is enough. If forced to paraphrase, I would say that thin places, or moments, are when the tangible and the spiritual intersect, and are inseparable.

Ray's Braise: College Towns - New Brunswick

[Every other week, Ray takes us on a culinary tour of the tri-state area and treats us to some of his favorite recipes. Enjoy! -Max]



Photo Courtesy Monyca White

My eight-year stint as a college student will come to an end for now come this May, as I prepare to graduate from Rutgers University with my Masters degree. Being on the cusp of this accomplishment has caused me to reflect back on the time I've spent there - and of course, the meals I've eaten! When we think of the dining habits of college students, we usually think of ramen noodles, crowded dining halls, and student centers filled with the usual array of fast food chains. But by wandering outside the university grounds, there's usually a whole world of great, reasonably priced food to be found.

Greek Revised: Chicken Pastitsio

[Editor's Note: Please welcome new columnist Maria Koumentakos, who will take us through her own spin on Greek cuisine, highlighting a different classic Greek dish every month. Enjoy! -Max]



Greek Revised 01
February 16th, 2010
by Maria Koumentakos

Hey guys! This is my first article here on Beach City Cooking. I’m very excited and honored to have been asked to write it. I’ll be writing a monthly column featuring a Greek recipe I like that I’ve modified to my tastes or one that I’ve never made and always wanted to try. A little background info about me:

I’m a Panamanian born Greek, I’ve been raised on Greek and Panamanian food and being interested in cooking from a very young age, I’ve had extensive experience with Greek cuisine. By living here in Panama, my style of Greek cuisine had to adapt and mold to the ingredients available (or unavailable) to us here as well as the personal changes we have made over time to otherwise traditional meals. I’m looking forward to be showing you guys every month the things I’ve learned from my mother, my main teacher of Greek cooking, and also anything I’ve learned on my own as well.

Windy City Cooking: Week 26

(Ed.'s Note- Every Monday, Chicago's Jason Hissong writes Windy City Cooking, a column whose title says it all. Enjoy! -Max)

Changing Tastes
by Jason Hissong
15 February 2010

Sunday evening I found myself at home enjoying the company of two of my favorite people; my roommate Jason and his girlfriend Elizabeth. While watching Planet Earth reruns on Discovery and establishing our game of Monopoly, we decided to get food. And the decision came down to two types of cuisine: pizza or Chinese. The pizza would have come from Fornello or Carreno's. If we went with the Chinese, on the other hand, there was only one choice. Orange Garden.