Ms Cook’s Table

Make no little plans. Daniel Burnham

Delight takes root. Ideals grow and magnify ambition. For some of us, the subsequent journey is best informed by those who were born to inherit the future. I am talking: fearless youth.

I know two such folks who work me into an optimistic frenzy. In seven years of marriage, they have harvested their quaint roots for use in a splendid city salad.

When we visit our Chicago guides, we relax in knowing that our old fashion criteria of a good time will be surpassed by the results of their urban research. We find that “Paris on the Prairie” (Chicago reference to the 1909 Plan) is hopping with exuberance.

They have introduced us to Bucktown, a Chicago neighborhood, settled in the 19th century by Polish immigrants. The area is now hip home to galleries, boutiques and a dining standout – Antique Taco.

Ashley and Rick Ortiz, owners of Antique Taco, are idealists. They have the lines to prove the value of such mental gymnastics. “I think for us, we wanted Antique Taco to be an extension of our home. We wanted people to feel like they are dining at a friend or family member’s house,” says Ashley.

Beam me up, back to the future. I crave that kind of old world, creative intellect – ambiance of wonder, exceptional food and good manners. Such a vibe lingers with a customer and makes a body want more.

As Eric Weiner, author of Man Seeks God, states, “I’m drawn to places that beguile and inspire, sedate and stir, places where, for a few blissful moments I loosen my death grip on life, and can breath again. It turns out these destination have a name: THIN places.”

In the case of Antique Taco, Rick’s heritage lends thin: Corn OFF the Cob Salad, Habanero Popcorn, Chili Cheese Curds, Meatball and Mole, Rosemary Margaritas, Masa Biscuit & Lobster Gravy, and Tacos of the Mushroom, Shrimp, Goat or Sweet and Spicy Chicken varieties. Aqua Frescas, House Made Palentas, and Mexican Chocolate Marshmallow House Made Pop Tarts – each dish streaming from the Antique Taco kitchen is an unending perk from Rick’s frequent trips to the market.

In step, Ashley provides a context that also makes for thin – unrepeatable vintage china, cloth napkins, paper straws. She keeps the place stocked with antiques for sale that jog a memory here and perpetuate a reinterpretation there.

“We keep it casual, effortlessly cool and unique,” she says.

Horchata Milkshake – an Antique Taco specialty

Horchata is a term referring to several kinds of traditional beverages made of ground almonds, sesame seeds, rice barley or tigernuts. As Rick says, “Here you go!”.

White Rice 1 quart
Water 3 quarts
Sweetened Condensed Milk 2/7 ounce cans
Evaporated Milk 1/7 ounce can
Canella (Mexican Cinnamon) 4 sticks
Sliced Almonds 1 cup
Sugar if needed
Vanilla Ice Cream 1 quart
Banana 1 each

Soak rice in water with cracked cinnamon sticks for 2 hours.
Blend mixture with toasted almonds, then strain through fine mesh strainer
Add sweetened and condensed milk.
Check sweetness level, add sugar if needed.
Chill Horchata for 24 hours.
Place 1 cup of Horchata, 2 large scoops of vanilla ice cream and 1 ounce of banana and pulse in blender.
Place a few ice cues in mixture while blending to keep frozen.
Pour into 12 ounce cup and garnish with cinnamon sugar.

RESOURCES

Antique Taco
1360 N. Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, Illinois
773-687-8697
Closed on Monday – No Reservations

A people watching legacy

No man is an island. John Donne

I read that curiosity is not an instinct, instead it is an innate basic emotion. Too bad that I did not have that piece of information when my aunt reported to my mother that I had been rifling through her chest of drawers. While I have no memory of doing so, most likely because I was shamed; the event was not uncommon for me in my younger frame.

Made for exploration, quite a pity that my package did not also contain a scientific mind.

As an adult, I took my petty vice to a high road and focused on good old fashioned people watching, a prototype mentored by my grandfather. Circa 1899, he would recuse himself from shopping in order to case the joint. When we retrieved him, he was happy as a lark, on duty with “people”.

I learned from him that as long as one remains unobtrusive, trying to guess another person’s story can be good creative fun. Often the results cause me to investigate my own behavior and make changes for the better. Other times the pursuit offers relief and creates a broader sense of being human, drawing me into worlds outside my head.

The byproduct is a heart opening, mini download of empathy.

These days I try to be a people watching role model for my granddaughter. We are working on the good manners that must accompany such an amateur social science, but just the same, there is much to gain.

Watching her become the watcher is a kick in the pants. By the sparkling eyes, I know that her tiny wheels are turning as she makes the story work for good.

Liver Casserole

For me, liver is a treasure – delicious and unique. I first ate it because I wanted to emulate a liver lover who I observed and revered. She said that occasionally, the iron content of liver was vital for life.

1 pound lamb liver
1 cup flour
1 large onion or 2 if no mushrooms or bacon are used
2 or 3 tomatoes
1 handful of button mushrooms or 2 portobello mushrooms
3 or 4 slices bacon or 3 tablespoon vegetable onion
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of beef broth; use part wine if desired

Cut the liver into about 8 similar sized pieces, discarding any tough veins or membranes. Dredge it in the flour, and set it aside; discarding any excess flour.

Peel and slice the onion or onions and set them aside. Wash, core and slice the tomatoes. Clean and slice the mushrooms. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Next, fry the bacon briefly in a skillet until softened but not crisp. Remove it and set it aside. Fry the onion slices, taking care to keep them whole. Remove them and set them aside. Finally, fry the liver pieces on each side, just to brown them. You may need to add a little more oil or bacon fat.

Arrange the onion slices, tomato slices, mushrooms, and liver in overlapping layers in a casserole dish. Lay the bacon on top.

Put the sage, mustard, salt and pepper into the skillet, using the broth and/or wine to deglaze the pan. Cook and stir, scraping up any brown bits until the broth is reduced to half. Pour over the liver and vegetables.

Bake the casserole for 20 to 30 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and the liver is done to your liking – pink at 20 minutes, well done at 30 minutes. Serve with rice or potatoes to soak up the juices.

RESOURCES

Lamb Liver – Glendale Farms – glendalefarmtn.com

Tomatoes and Onions – Farmers Fresh Market – Columbia, Tennessee – www.columbiamainstreet.com

What stands beyond place and time

The thousand pink blossoms of the peach tree fade away in spring. But their color is one. Zeizan Zenji

In 1990 I was faced with a query so earnest and over my head that it took my breath. My youngest child had lived her first 7 years with awesome assurances – fortunate gifts to be sure.

Just the same, the ravages of adult-sized fear waited at the door and were blown open by the inexplicable death of a constant in her life – a vital and beloved caretaker, her grandmother.

Swimming in the water of my own anxiety, I gave little thought to my children’s grief stricken images. One night as I put her to bed, the tears began to flow and in sobs, she said that she was afraid that I would die too.

In that moment I knew inadequacy. The truth of it weighed more than I could bear alone so I said – “Yes, I will die one day, but I hope not for a very long time. If it happens before we are ready, you should know that you will have many more people to love in life, but some things stand. I’ll still be your mother and you’ll still be my daughter.”

I would like to think that she instantly felt better, all the same, I know it took a while. Requirements in the name of ‘I’m here – are you there?’ had to be tested. The mundane did the trick – cooking meals, escorting to and from school, laundering clothes, indulging creative urges, and something that I had to perfect – perpetual listening.

In the end, pushing her outside her self imposed limits proved to be the most worthwhile.

Now she can do it all without me. The responsibility of nurturing children has lifted, but the affection has not. Just the same, in a couple of weeks, we will release her from the south as she and her fine young husband make their way to Utah.

Not knowing a soul, she’ll push away from fear and experience adventures in the disguise of a newly married, school librarian. At close range, she will observe the Mormon faith and encounter spectacular scenery. Perhaps, she will even learn to ski.

If she has an uncertain moment, she can remember that some things stand ……. I’m still her mother and she’s still my daughter.

Chicken Spaghetti
A frequent deposit inside Mimi’s freezer , a casserole of chicken spaghetti was found there after she left.

2 large chickens
2 large chopped green peppers
2 large chopped onions
1 pound box Velveeta cheese
1 large can of mushrooms
1 stick of butter
1 (7 ounce) package of vermicelli
1 can Rotel tomatoes
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
1 cup tiny green peas

Boil chicken and save at least 1 1/2 quarts of strained broth. Cook vermicelli in broth. Do not drain. Skin and bone chicken, shred into bite sized pieces. Saute onions and bell peppers in one stick of butter. Add Rotel tomatoes, mashed. Add Worcestershire Sauce and cook 5 minutes. Add drained peas, mushrooms, onions and peppers. Add cheese, cut in chunks and stir until cheese is melted. Add cut up chicken and stir thoroughly. Cook 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

RESOURCES

Chicken – Glendale Farm – www.glendalefarmtn.com – Sam Kennedy – Columbia, Tennessee

Peppers and onions – Farmers’ Fresh Market – Riverside Drive, Columbia, Tennessee – 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday