Old School or New School? Eggy’s Eggless Egg Salad

To prepare for this month’s Culinary Smackdown: Battle Tofu, I knew I had to stand toe to toe with my tofu past. After an invigorating cleanse digging into the memory vault and writing about it, I thought I was ready to bring a freshly robed bean curd dish from its corner of the Smackdown ring, hosted this month by Anonymous Boxer. Or was I?

As much as I’d love to figure out how to replicate my favorite hot and sour soup, from the now-retired folks of the Szechwan Wok in Silverton (good for them, sad for me), that direction seemed too obvious – and their soup’s perfect balance too out-of-reach for me to pursue.

Then I thought of the vegan “eggless egg salad” I’ve heard nothing but raves about from Fresh Table at Findlay Market. It always looks sassy and enticing in their prepared foods case, although it’s not one of their dishes I’ve tasted yet, and I don’t have a photo of it. Here, however, are some other sprightly Fresh Table offerings.

After a little research, I confirmed Fresh Table’s eggless egg salad is made with tofu, but Chef Meredith Twombly wasn’t giving up her recipe. I was stymied at the prospect of trying to replicate a dish I’ve never tasted. But then my mind veered in another direction, to my very favorite, very old school egg salad recipe.

It’s from the 1975 edition of Joy of Cooking, a recipe that got edited out when Cincinnatian Ethan Becker – son of Marion Rombauer Becker and the grandson of Irma Rombauer, Joy’s prior authors – updated this go-to cookbook for its 1997 edition. I don’t think Asparagus and Egg Salad is nearly as far afield for a contemporary audience as squirrel recipes, for instance. But perhaps Ethan thought it was too much of a throwback to a ladies’ luncheon dish to warrant including when he wanted to make room for a whole new chapter on beans and tofu.

Aside from the inclusion of asparagus, which I love in any form, what I like best about this Joy egg salad is the dressing, made not with mayo (traditional or vegan) but with sour cream punched up with capers, grated onion, vinegar or caper juice, and a pinch of curry powder. I sometimes use this dressing for potato salad, and it makes a good dip for crudités as well.

The texture of tofu is not that different from that of hard-boiled eggs, and my theory was that the curry powder would impart a yellowish color to the dish. Some curry powders would, but I chose to use a sweet curry brought from India by a friend, which wasn’t quite so yellow, along with smoked paprika from Colonel De’s of Findlay Market (who will be opening additional outlets at the upcoming Jungle Jim’s at Eastgate and the Findlay-esque Friendly Market in Northern Kentucky!).


So how did my tofu variation on an egg salad theme fare? I was a woman on a mission to extract as much water as I could from my block of firm tofu, fearing it would dilute the dressing and rob it of its zing. So I spent darn near a whole evening pressing my paper-towel-wrapped tofu. Good thing I’d just stocked up on paper towel, because I kept rewrapping the tofu, and it just kept giving off more liquid.

I sampled a bit of pressed tofu and dressing before I went to bed that night and was disappointed. So I tried two alternatives. I marinated half my tofu cubes overnight in the dressing and the rest in a bit of sherry vinegar and olive oil, which I planned to top with dressing when I finally assembled the dish. When I got home from work last night, the dressing-marinated bean curd was astonishingly dry, having soaked up almost all the dressing, yet without gaining as much pungency as I would have liked. When I tried topping the cubes marinated in vinegar with the dressing, the balance still seemed a bit off. So I just mixed my two marination experiments together, globbed on more dressing, plunked them on a bed of spinach, and added the asparagus, sliced olives, and more capers.

Not half bad, if I say so myself. Here’s the 1975 Joy of Cooking Asparagus and Egg Salad recipe as photographed from my well-worn copy of the book.

If anyone's interested in a typed out version that includes my tofu tweaks, let me know and I'll come back and update this post. Right now, I’m scrambling to make Boxer’s deadline for Smackdown submissions. Head on over to her place to check out the other entries, and stay tuned for her announcement of this month’s winner, who will earn bragging rights and the right to select the theme or key ingredient of next month’s Smackdown and become next month’s host and judge for this friendly round-robin cooking/blogging competition.

P.S. If you really want to amp up this eggless egg salad, serve it with slices of toasted baguette slathered in truffle butter, like I did. Ladies who lunch, eat your hearts out!

Peace out, eggy

A Perfect Saturday Morning at Findlay Market + Battle Bacon Kick-Off

While all too many on the East Coast were contending with Irene's ill effects, she kept a high-pressure system in place over Cincy this weekend, with blue skies, comfortable temps, low humidity, and pleasant breezes.

Cindie and I couldn't have asked for a more lovely morning when we headed to Findlay Market yesterday to pick up ingredients for this month's Culinary Smackdown: Battle Bacon, hosted by Grumpy Granny. For my out-of-town readers, one of Cincinnati's nicknames is Porkoplis, stemming from my city's deep German heritage. We know how to embrace our nickname and have fun with it. The Cincnnati marathon is called the Flying Pig, and a few years ago, the Big Pig Gig had artfully decorated fiberglass pigs like the one in the photo above popping up all over town.

We made a point of arriving early so I could pick up some Blue Oven bread before they sold out. I took my place in the Blue Oven line while Cindie headed inside the Market House to the always-busy Gibbs to stock up on requests from her husband and father.

I was rewarded for my efforts with this hearty loaf of Blue Oven's Tortano, made with wheat flour and potato, plus some of Blue Oven's legendary English muffins, now safely stowed in the freezer for next weekend.

The Market Shed was abuzz with customers and offerings like these from LeGrand Vegetables.

Cindie and I never make a trip to Findlay Market without a stop at Fresh Table, at the east end of the Market House (just inside from Daisy Mae's, which also offers downtown delivery and a Quick Pick Produce option, where you can order ahead, then drive up for curbside delivery).

Fresh Table's prepared foods always taste as good as they look, and most are made with ingredients sourced from other Findlay Market vendors, including Daisy Mae's.

As much as Cindie and I love our old favorites at Findlay Market, we always seem to discover something new to us as well. This time we explored Skirtz + Johnson (in a store front across from Findlay's Market House on the south side). After seeing this window display, how could we not?

We treated ourselves to a couple of Skirtz + Johnson's lovely macarons on the spot. Cindie picked up a loaf of their salted rye from S+K's impressive bread selections for her father, and, powerless to resist a cannoli, I purchased their pistachio version after spying it in this dessert case inside.

Skirtz + Johnson also offers breakfast and lunch (you can find a menu on their website), including a uniquely Cincinnati goetta danish, made with goetta from Eckerlin's, Cindie's new favorite goetta.

Eckerlin Meats is another of our must-stops at Findlay, in part because Cindie's dogs love their smoked bones. Cindie passes up no opportunity to spoil her dogs (and these captivate Oscar's attention  enough to actually keep him from barking).

We were also on a quest for bacon for this month's Culinary Smackdown, and Eckerlin's was our go-to source.

Cindie had the idea we should do a bacon tasting, selecting Eckerlin's Applewood-Smoked Bacon, Hickory-Smoked Bacon, and Double-Smoked Bacon, although I wouldn't have minded trying their Cajun Bacon as well.

Knowing Cindie had a list with her, and would probably get carried away with additional purchases, I left her to her own devices at Eckerlin's while I headed to Dojo Gelato for some of their amazing Porkopolis gelato -  maple gelato mixed with candied bacon from another fine meat vendor at Findlay, Kroeger + Sons, thinking it would be a perfect way to kick off our Baconfest weekend. If you think that combo sounds odd, clearly you were not one of the people who caused Dojo to sell out of it between the time I finished in the Blue Oven line and went back an hour later. I had to console myself with memories of tasting it at Dojo's Hyde Park Farmers Market booth, and a cup of their Up in Smoke (made with a porter/ale?) and a hazelnut flavor with an Italian-sounding name I have sadly forgotten. However, it is difficult to stay sad long when tasting any of Dojo's flavors.

Thanks to all the great Findlay Market vendors I am happy to support with my local dollars, and stay tuned for more of my Battle Bacon adventures with Cindie later in the week.

Bad Girl Bread Brunch + Happy Valentine's Day

Birthdays don't take a holiday, but I like to make a holiday of my birthday. Alas, weekend getaway plans did not come to fruition. But Cindie and I had a fine food-filled morning today, an abbreviated version of the trip we'd planned to Columbus.

First stop: fork heart knife. Brunch doesn't get much better than this. Thoughtful twists on traditional dishes, made with carefully sourced ingredients, in a cozy, casual setting - just four indoor tables in the narrow storefront that also houses fhk's catering kitchen. You can taste the care put into every bite, and you feel like family as soon as you walk in the door and see the welcoming smile on Sierra's face. You could probably wear your bedroom slippers to this homey spot - although you might regret that choice if you had to wait outside for a table, even on a day as warm as this one in Cincy. We arrived when they opened at 10:00 and got a table immediately. When we left at about 10:45, the line was beginning to form.

Menus change each week for fhk's open-to-the-public Saturday and Sunday brunches and their Wednesday and Thursday dinners. I salivate every time I see a new menu, handwritten on butcher paper, on fhk's facebook page.

Today Cindie and I both opted for the Greek strata - artichokes, olives, feta and "Bad Girl" bread from local Blue Oven Bakery. (Yes, that's really the name of the bread.) It came with a salad of greens and blueberries with blueberry balsamic dressing. (Sierra and Leah, if you're ever giving cooking lessons, I would love to know how you manage to make your dressings so flavorful yet light.)

Don't let the perspective on that photo fool you. The strata portions are large and filling for just $8 or so. Cindie and I also split an order of fhk's signature potatoes bravas and had to ask for boxes for our leftovers.

Next stop: Park + Vine (a few blocks south of fhk on Main St., near 12th), a lovely shop with all manner of eco-friendly products, plus local and vegan foodstuffs, including offerings from Northside's Picnic and Pantry. I came away with a compostable birthday card (with seeds in the paper) for a friend, and the first in a series of sweets purchases, from local Chocolats Latour.

Then we hit Findlay Market, which was bulging with Valentine's Day specialties. I resisted the urge to snap a pic of heart-shaped filet mignon from one meat stall, but couldn't pass up this chocolate-covered baklava from Areti's Gyros. Seriously, could there be a more decadent dessert than baklava covered in chocolate?

Cindie and I were also powerless to resist Jean-Francois' Valentine's macaron assortment - baci (chocolate and hazelnut), mon chéri (chocolate and cherry liquor), kir royal, hot kiss (spicy chocolate), and bittersweet and passion fruit. Cindie made the mistake of trying to share hers with her husband. Me? I'm saving them all for myself.

And then there was the chocolate mousse at Fresh Table. Cindie asked for a spoon so she could eat hers on the spot. I'm trying to pace myself . . .

A couple of savory options I couldn't resist from Fresh Table were house-cured gravlox with capers and mustard sauce.

and, to be extra healthy :), a slab of Fresh Table's veggie lasagna:

Off to taste my purchases, and will report back once I come off my sugar high.

Thanks to all who commented on my refreshed look and fab new header designed by the inimitable Minx, my blogging partner over at AllTopChef. You can also find me on my new Eggy facebook page, where I'm having fun sharing tidbits and links in a different format from my blog.

Happy Valentine's Day!
eggy

Old and New - My First Blogiversary

Sorry to be cryptic with yesterday’s quick post (you'll find a better pic and fuller explanation below), but the day marked one year since I started blogging, and I wanted to acknowledge the start of year #2. While some people take to the gym or resolve to diet after the turn of a new year, it’s amazing how many people start their blogs on or about Jan. 1.

I don’t generally make New Year’s resolutions, but when I received a digital camera for Christmas in 2009, I was eager to start using it. Hoping to join in some friendly blogging cook-o-rama’s I’d been following from afar, I’d been mentioning a digital camera on my holiday wish lists for some time. Last year Dad said he and Mom finally decided I must be “serious” about wanting one, and it may be the best Xmas gift I’ve ever received (even better than both the easel and zither I received at age 5).

My camera, and blog, have led me to a new creative outlet, an expanded awareness of what other bloggers and food enthusiasts are doing, and an unanticipated experience of community. Putting together my little (or, more often, long - lol) posts has often helped me refocus my energy away from day-to-day frustrations, and I can't count how many times my spirits have been lifted by a kind word, a gorgeous photo, or a quirky story shared by my blogger friends.

It took me a while to go public – various technical blogger stuff to figure out, a number of draft posts deleted. When initially faced with page design options, I hesitated to add a tag line or try to encapsulate what I do in a pithy “about” item on my sidebar (is there anything that hasn’t already been said by the gazillion food bloggers who’ve come before me?). Besides, I wanted give my little blog a chance to grow up and see what it wanted to be. And while this remains a food-focused blog (sometimes I eat out; sometimes I cook in), I’m happy to let it continue to grow and meander where I choose to take it.

What’s been more interesting is where my blog has taken me. I’ve gained lots of new recipes and picked up great cooking tips from others. Although I still have a long way to go, I’ve learned a lot about photography from observing how other people do it, and experimenting and practicing myself. I’ve also been following the local food scene more closely, and making a point of, yes, backing away from the computer and getting out of the house to explore what some of Cincinnati’s talented, hard-working food vendors are up to.

My oft-referred-to friend Cindie has kindly aided and abetted me in these pursuits, and this fall we evolved a new ritual – our “food days out.” It started when we made reservations for an event sponsored by Buick that promised a free opportunity to see Marcus Samuelsson and taste his food in exchange for test-driving a car. We made our reservations early and arrived a little after noon on the appointed day, only to learn the event had been pushed back to 2:00 p.m., with no attempt by organizers to contact us. We were hungry and skeptical, eyeing designer waters, Sunchips, and the prospect of a long wait. So we decided to skip the shilling she-bang and head to the nearby neighborhood of Northside instead.

We had a great lunch at Melt Eclectic Deli, my first time there with camera in hand, Cindie’s first time period. We both chose "Halvies" with 1/2 sandwich and 1/2 salad portions. I went for the white-cheddar-laden Artichoke Melt on foccaccia, with artichoke-spinach spread plus artichoke hearts and sliced tomatoes, coupled with Greek salad and sundried-tomato dressing.

Cindie chose a roast beef sandwich with potent horseradish sauce and the Blue Gingered Pear Salad with toasted walnuts, blue cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette.

In much better spirits after our bellies were full, we wandered down Hamilton Avenue to the bakery/lunch/brunch spot Take the Cake (too bad I was too timid to try to snap any pics of their lovely dessert case or stylish interior and that my photos of their delicious red-velvet whoopee pie didn’t turn out). Then we walked back up the street to Melt’s sister business, Picnic and Pantry, a great little carry-out featuring fresh soups, salads, sandwiches, produce, baked goods (lots of vegan options) – and Columbus-based Jeni’s ice cream! I picked up some fresh salads and this fresh-from-the-oven lemon-pesto zucchini bread.

We were energized to sample Northside’s great food scene (across town for me, and even farther for Cindie) and delighted we’d made the trip.

On a roll, and with plenty of our allotted Buick afternoon left, we headed to Findlay Market, which we’d both frequented in the past, but, I’m sorry to say, hadn’t been to in quite a while. We’ve fallen in love with Findlay all over again!

This particular Saturday happened to be the weekend Fresh Table opened, and its stunningly displayed prepared foods were impossible for me to resist that day or on any subsequent visit.

I could kick myself for failing to pick up a slice of their updated version of a much-beloved pie from Mecklenberg Gardens' heyday (with a nutty crust and chocolate filling topped with mocha whipped cream) last time I was there. But who knows what sweets and savories I'll find on my next visit? Fresh Table offers a wide selection of rotating dishes, many made with products from other Findlay vendors, including produce from Daisy Mae's, which is open year-round and, I learned recently, delivers downtown on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Sign up for their e-newsletter to receive weekly updates of what's available.

Another old favorite we’ve fallen in love with again is Avril’s (nka Avril-Bleh’s), on Court Street, with its house-made, house-smoked sausages, hams, and more. Cindie found “real” city chicken (with veal) there for the first time in eons, got an awesome ham there for a family holiday party, and is on standing orders from her father to pick up Avril’s fresh sauerkraut whenever she can.

Since that day, Cindie and I have made a point of scheduling our “food days out” at least once a month, trying new (to us) restaurants in addition to our now de rigeur trips to Findlay and Avril's.

One glorious fall Sunday, we started with brunch at forkheartknife, which opened last summer to considerable, and well-warranted, buzz.

This cozy community spot, with only a few tables inside but outdoor seating when weather permits, features food you would make at home if you were as talented as the fhk chefs. Comfort food, locally sourced, artfully made, with thoughtful twists.

The restaurant/catering business's wildly popular brunches (now served Saturdays as well as Sundays - they’ve also shifted their two weeknight dinners to Wednesdays and Thursdays) usually include a strata or two made with bread from Blue Oven Bakery, eclectic veggie, yogurt and fruit dishes (like the apple-beet salad above lightly dressed with lemon oil), baked sweets, and awesome potatoes in various forms. Chorizo, applewood-smoked bacon, and other pork products make their way into some of the dishes as well. The menu, posted on butcher paper, changes each week and is posted on fhk's facebook page. (Click the image for a closer look.)

Another weekend, Cindie and I started our day with lunch at Terry’s Turf Club, hoping that if we arrived near the noon opening time on a Saturday, we might avoid the long waits that have only gotten longer since this little Eastern Avenue gem filled with vintage neon signs was featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.” Huzzah, there were a few people ahead of us waiting for Terry’s to open, but once it did, we were able to walk right in and take a seat.

We started with an appetizer of belotta ham from Spain, served antipasto style with greens, a rich goat cheese, and black garlic (preparations of this dish, and others, apparently change often at the whim of the chef). Then we moved on to Terry's gourmet burgers and split an order of fresh-cut fries cooked in duck fat. Cindie was a bit overwhelmed by her foie gras-topped Beef Wellington burger (the burgers themselves are enormous and rich, and we both ended up asking for to-go boxes). I ordered my burger with triple creme brie and the house burgundy wine sauce with wild mushrooms and truffle, every bit as succulent as I'd been led to hope for. The crisp, hot duck-fat fries were a knockout! Cindie's been wanting to try duck-fat fries ever since I told her I'd had them at Hot Doug's in Chicago, and these did not disappoint.

The best thing besides our burgers and duck-fat fries: the fruity "elixirs" - Cindie ordered mango; I went for blood orange.

Apparently not “house-made,” as one sign suggests (Cindie inquired of our friendly waitress and was shown a jar bottled in California), but refreshing and delicious straight-up or with a splash of club soda. No doubt these full-flavored juices would be great spiked as well. P.S. Terry's doesn't have a website, but you can find info on its facebook page, which says it's currently closed for a few days for kitchen expansion and ensuing inspections. The kitchen work sounds like it's among the expansion plans mentioned in this article. Cindie (who always requests a booth) would be happier to go back if they had more comfortable seating than tall stools at both bar and tables. I, on the other hand, would happily return to try more of Terry's menu, as long as the wait is not prohibitive.

Despite the dismal economy, I am invigorated by the many fine new local food businesses that have launched in the year I’ve been blogging, as well as established businesses that continue to thrive and hone what they do. People are focusing their businesses in all sorts of creative ways, carving out their own strategies to reach a slice of the local food-dollar pie, and often partnering with each other. It's a great time to be a food lover in Cincinnati.

But of course blogging isn’t just about who and what you cover on your blog; it’s about connecting with other people. And that’s the biggest thing I did not anticipate a year ago. Cincinnati food bloggers don’t seem to comment much on each other’s blogs. Nor, for some reason, do the readers of AllTopChef, where a lot of my blogging hours have gone since I joined that blogging team in September.

So it's been fascinating to discover that I have readers - and new friends - from across the U.S. and even around the world. This blogging thing has allowed me to meet a wider spectrum of individuals than I would ever have chanced to meet otherwise. Some share my affinity for food and cooking; many have other fascinating interests and talents. I am richer for the opportunity to glimpse the corners of the world in which they live, and the corners of their minds they choose to share. Nothing could have brought that point home more movingly than the blogger party/fundraiser this New Year’s hosted by Boxer, which raised nearly than $1500 for our various causes - and was a whole lot of fun to boot!

I thank all my friends in the blogosphere, as well as my family, for your support, inspiration, and kindness. My dad has turned out to be one of my biggest supporters, talking up my blog to friends and relatives and encouraging me to contact them - "with instructions" :) My sister reads and even comments when she can, and I am looking forward to the Ingredient-of-the-Month Club she is creating for me this year, not only for the opportunity to try some new foods but also as fun blog fodder. My aunts, who I vacationed with in California in September, could not have been more receptive to my cooking, eating, and blogging interests, and it was my very artistically inclined Aunt Jeanette who created this lovely thank-you card from hand-made paper after our trip, which I posted yesterday.

In addition to the eggplants on the front are a cluster of grapes on the back, in fond memory of our many winery visits.

Finally, thanks to Cindie for 40 years of friendship. Yikes, we're getting old. But I love it that our friendship keeps reinventing itself - and that we keep eating so well.

Looking forward to more food and blogging friendships and adventures in 2011,
eggy