News From North Pond December '08 - January '09 Current (and upcoming) Events This month marks the end of 2008, our tenth year in business! It also marks the last newsletter for this year - but at the same time, the first of '09! We'll re-publish our next newsletter at the beginning of February and hope you'll all eat well and stay warm until then. Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for the New Year. ·      The middle of December-the 17th for those of you keeping score-I'll be doing the demo at the Wednesday Green City Market at 10:30 a.m. Sure to be a real bell-ringer. Jingle Bells, most likely. Please consider stopping into the oh-so-circusy tent outside the nature museum to join in the fun. ·      And in January, we'll mark the maiden voyage of the Green City Market's year-round schedule! Beginning on Saturday, the 17th of the month, inside the walls of the museum itself, the market will be open for a special pork-themed extravaganza. After that time, the market will be open for business the first and third Saturdays of each month. Mark your calendars now!   ·      The December holidays will allow us to open the restaurant for exceptional service (pun intended) on the Mondays of the 22nd and 29th of December. Not many people in the city or country can claim to have dined at North Pond on a Monday. Be one of the few, the proud...call and reserve now. ·      And on New Year's Eve we'll be cooking an extra-special 7-course tasting menu to ring in (with those pesky bells again) 2009. Consider joining the special festivities here on the pond before we close for... ·      Our annual holiday will keep our doors closed through the 22nd of January when we will reopen for winter dinner service. The time off will allow us to refinish the floors, polish the walls, repair the chairs, and recharge our creative batteries. You get the picture. Our amended winter hours will include dinner service Wednesdays through Sundays, beginning at 5:30 p.m. and weekly Sunday brunch from 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. There's really no better time to be with us on the pond than the doldrums of mid-winter when one can truly enjoy the comfort and serenity of our fireplace-warmed century old building. ·      And while we're closed for the sprucing up, I'm planning to take the family to our nation's capital for the historic inaugural festivities; if anyone's got tickets...   Tips from the Green Market Quince This time of year, we like to have quince on the menu. Many unfairly stigmatize quince in the same way they do holiday fruitcake, but each can be delicious when prepared well! Quince heralds from western Asia, and is commonly found in many Mediterranean dishes -- though the quince we use at the restaurant tends to come from California. And although its "season" is typically mid-fall, quince fruit stores quite well into the new year. Yellow-gold when ripe, quince carries an intense, almost tropical perfume redolent of pineapple, pear and guava, and its prepared flavor has distinct undertones of all those plus apple. But don't try to eat this fruit raw unless you're looking to peel the film off your teeth. Its natural astringency demands preparation time in order to render it wonderfully full of flavor. Most varieties - Smyrna and pineapple quince among them - magically transform in color to a rich magenta when cooked.  Though great with cheese, we're currently serving it with our house-made charcuterie plate. Cocktail of the Month North Pond Nog Serves: two The time comes but once a year to enjoy this rich seasonal warmer. Merry Merry.   1 egg (yolk and white separated) 1 orange, zested then juiced 1/4 c. sugar 1 1/4 cups whole milk ½ cup heavy cream ¼ tsp. cinnamon pinch of nutmeg pinch of salt 2 oz. Brandy 2 oz. Cointreau ·      Place the egg yolk in a bowl with sugar and whisk until creamy. ·      Add heavy cream, whole milk, orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir well. ·      Then add the brandy, Cointreau, and splash of orange juice. Mix lightly and chill. ·      Pour into chilled glasses and garnish with a dollop of lightly beaten egg whites and cinnamon -and cinnamon sticks, if available.   Views from the Pond   Farm of the Month Mint Creek Farm 815.256.2202 Over fifteen years ago, Harry and Gwen Carr began rotationally grazing sheep on but 50 acres. Today they farm on 220 acres in Stelle, Illinois, a rural suburb just southwest of Kankakee. While they concentrate on lamb, their "product line" has grown to incorporate meaty Boer goats, and even turkeys this past Thanksgiving. Firmly and philosophically rooted to revitalizing over-farmed land, Harry and Gwen are keen proponents of planting perennial grasses and legumes to improve soil fertility and help prevent erosion and the growing Dead Zone at the mouth of the Mississippi. Most of all, though, Mint Creek Lamb is delicious. Stop by and pick some up at Saturdays' Green City Markets, or visit their website for more info: Mint Creek Farm   Charity of the Month Greater Chicago Food Depository 773-247-3663 Each year, we accumulate donations through our wine program for four deserving organizations. Their inclusion on our list is based on their work to help preserve diverse food choices, contribute to the local community, support local farmers, and help commit to a more sustainable future. This year, more than any in recent history, as the holidays approach it's especially important to remember those who have not.  With the stock market in the tank and the newly unemployed flooding the market, consider giving to the hungry, those prone to suffer even more from the economic downturn. This month's local organization strives to end hunger in the community by providing food for many who can't and won't be able to afford it themselves. Consider a financial or in-kind gift to allow others to enjoy one of the most basic of human rights. Greater Chicago Food Depository Tips from the Fish and Meat Market Stone Crab One of the healthiest (and tastiest!) crab fisheries around is that of the Stone Crab. While indigenous to a broader swath of the Gulf of Mexico, 98% of this country's catch comes from off the coast of Florida. The season only runs from mid-October to mid-May, and there are strict limits to the size of the claws legally allowable. One of the most interesting facts -- at least I think so, anyways -- about these crustaceans is that they regenerate the claws that have been clipped:   The crabbers pull the pots from the deep, clip off (most-often) but one claw per crab (and no egg-bearing females allowed) then toss them back to grow the appendage back. When the stock is managed properly, crabs can grow 3-4 claws over their lifetime.  At any one time, 20-25% of the legal-sized crabs are regenerating a claw! Most often the crab claws are cooked dockside, then chilled immediately. What prior to thirty years ago was considered mosly a local industry has since grown into a nationally known delicacy.   Still, though, relative to many of the other domestic crab fisheries - king or dungeness, for example - stone crabs are small potatoes. We're not serving ours with fingerlings, though, instead with shaved apples, fennel, smoked caviar, Meyer lemon and a shellfish gelee. Come in and have a taste for yourself.   Recipe of the Month Sauteed Skate, Squash-Apple Brown Butter Serves four This month's recipe is for a wonderful winter fish (skatewing). Please ask your fishmonger how and where the fish was caught to avoid buying and serving immature, irresponsibly-caught fish -destructive to the natural habitat.   4  (5oz-6oz) Skatewing filets ¼  c flour 3 T grapeseed or canola oil salt and white pepper 6 T unsalted butter, cubed 16 sage leaves, fresh, finely minced ¼  c toasted, chopped Hazelnuts ½  c  apple, peeled, ½" dice ½  c  butternut squash, ½" dice, steamed 1 lemon, seeded, juiced parsley, chopped tomato, diced   ·    Place heavy skillet over very high heat on stovetop. While heating, season fish then dredge lightly in flour, making sure to pat off any excess. ·    When very hot, add oil, then carefully place fish in pan. Do not shake. Let fish lightly brown for two minutes before carefully turning. Finish cooking another two minutes. ·    Remove fish to absorbent towel (temporarily) then pour off any excess fat in pan. ·    Place pan back on high heat then quickly drop in cubed butter. It should smoke and sizzle. ·    When butter has melted and browned, sizzling will stop.  Immediately add sage; wait five seconds then drop in hazelnuts.  Shake pan to coat nuts. ·    Next add apples and squash and shake pan again.   ·    Add in 1 tablespoon lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and finish by adding pinch of parsley and 3 tablespoons diced tomatoes. ·    Place reserved warm fish on plates and place fruit and nut brown butter atop.   Another Pithy Article / Think Piece Here are a couple lighthearted acoustic pieces you might have missed -- Vienna Vegetable Orchestra VVO on youtube And lastly, in the event you missed this wonderful short but sweet op-ed piece by Marcella Hazan, enjoy! No Chefs in my Kitchen   Cheers, Bruce Sherman North Pond Make reservations online or call 773.477.5845 Green City Market Chefs Collaborative