Summertime Sales and More by Teri Hiben July 23, 2018 by Jenny Chang Leave a Comment Summer slows us down. The days take on a casual and fun-loving flavor. We’re ready to jump in and get outside to go for a bike ride and stroll around the farmer’s market to pick up some of summer’s bounty. We enjoy outdoor concerts, parades, food on the grill, lightening bugs… In Glen Ellyn, one sure sign of the middle of summer is the annual Sidewalk Sale (this year from July 26-28). And the weather forecast is looking good! Historic Main Street is closed to traffic, there’s music in the air, tents and tables full of bargains line the street. The stage is set for a Glen Ellyn street party! It’s a great time to grab a friend, put the kids in the wagon and head downtown to wander among the tables loaded with discounted merchandise. You’ll run into friends and neighbors and have time to catch up for a bit. Maybe you’ll discover a new store or two in the process. I know at Marcel’s we’ve been carefully selecting merchandise for the sidewalk sale this year. We’re motivated to generously discount items to make room for fun new merchandise coming this fall, so our tables will be full of bargains. We’ll be offering some summery accents for your home you can use right away for the rest of the summer or you may find seasonal decorations for the holidays ahead. Be sure to stop by our tent to discover some especially tempting surprise discounts awaiting you. You’re sure to find a few treasures for your home. Don’t miss the fun! We’re looking forward to seeing you there!
Garden Bounty by Julie Szimon August 10, 2017 by Jenny Chang Leave a Comment I love vegetable gardening! Well, let me rephrase that. I love to get organic plants or seeds and plant them in my garden with organic soil, water them, weed them and see what happens. I don’t know what the PH level of my soil is. I don’t use any chemicals to make things grow bigger. I just plant. Growing up in the city, we never had a garden. We lived in a two-flat on the north side of Chicago. We did have an apple tree in the back yard that took up most of the space. Each year I was allowed to climb up the tree and pick the apples on top that no one could reach. Those apples were then cooked down by my grandmother and made into applesauce. She would can the applesauce in mason jars so we could enjoy it all winter long. When we moved to the suburbs I started a small 4’x8’ vegetable garden. As time went on, my vegetable garden grew to a 25’x35’ enclosed area with 8 raised beds and an open space for berry bushes. Each Spring I plan out what worked well last year and I try to add something new. I love to see how the new plants grow and what culinary creations I can come up with when they are ready for harvest. I like to plant peppers and the garden always produces an abundance of them. Some sweet ones and some hot ones. I have used them in salsas and salads and I have even pickled them. Last year I decided to make hot pepper jelly with them. It was so good! I made several batches and canned it for myself and gave some as gifts. My favorite way to enjoy the jelly is on toasted bread or crackers along with some goat cheese. It’s sweet and hot and delicious! It also came in handy over the winter months when friends dropped in for a glass of holiday cheer. This year the peppers are looking good, so another batch of hot pepper jelly will be coming. The recipe I use is great just the way it is but don’t be afraid to be creative with the pepper mixture. I added some red peppers for color, cracked black pepper, fresh thyme and some dried lemon peel. Hot Pepper Jelly 2017-08-09 20:47:03 Print Ingredients 12 oz. of jalapeno (or variety of) peppers 2 cups cider vinegar, divided 6 cups of sugar 2 - 3 oz. pouches of liquid pectin 5 - 8 oz. half pint glass-preserving jars with lids and bands Instructions Prepare/sanitize glass jars, lids and bands per manufacturers directions. Puree peppers in a food processor with 1 cup of cider vinegar until smooth. Do not strain puree. Combine puree with remaining 1 cup of cider vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add liquid pectin and continue to boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Ladle hot pepper jelly into hot jars leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe rim. Secure lid and band. Process in boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when pressed in the center. By Julie Szimon Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Food As A Gift by Deb Forkins July 9, 2017 by Jenny Chang Leave a Comment After lamenting my less than stellar rhubarb harvest last year, a dear friend brought me over this homemade rhubarb treasure. She is a fabulous cook, and the pie was delicious….but it was the big D on that pie that was the most delish! Edible friendship! One Sunday, I came home from working at Marcel’s to dinner in the oven. Marc had made his specialty quiche, adding zucchini to my half. Again, the best part of that dinner was my name on my half of the quiche in zucchini peel. Edible love. Sharing the gift of food is a universal gesture of love and friendship, compassion and kindness. A meal to a family struggling with challenges, chicken soup to a sick friend, cookies to your new neighbor…food has always been a way that we reach out to one another, to connect. We all know this. The food itself may or may not be a fabulous culinary creation, but the gesture speaks volumes. In her cookbook, Food Gift Love, author and chef Maggie Battista shares some tips to make you the quintessential food gifter: Know your recipient. (always best to play to the audience.) Master a signature food gift so you can make it quickly and have the ingredients in your head. Embrace imperfection. (my favorite tip!) Put a label on it. (ingredients and date created) Summer and fall are the best time to make gifts when fruits and vegetables are plentiful and it’s a less hectic time of the year. Reuse old jars, cups and boxes that can be cleaned and repurposed. At risk of sounding corny, “what the world needs now is love.” And edible love is just the best. (Check out Chef Kelly Sears’ “Pickling and Preserving Workshop” on Sunday, August 27th to learn the tricks of canning and preserving in anticipation of Christmas 2017 Food Gift Giving!)
A Repertoire by Amy Patterson June 8, 2017 by Amy Patterson 1 Comment A peek inside of a recipe collection is revealing. Each recipe a star, a collection that inks out a distinct constellation over time – a personal roadmap of traditions, travels, relationships and memories. My file after 20 years in my own kitchen is scattered amidst pages of heavily annotated cookbooks, dog-eared pages of Fine Cooking, vintage cards in my grandma’s ornate script and a healthy pinch of recipes gathered online. Of the thousands of recipes that could be unearthed in my home, there are a handful that reappear time and again – a motley mix that is a representation of my family’s tastes and sensibilities. Years of experimentation have mined out our shining stars: an endlessly adaptable loaf of peasant bread, a dead-simple before school pancake recipe, an aromatic chipotle and cumin burger… Eggplant Dip is my favored appetizer for a party. Every time I whip this up, I am reminded of my Aunt Lois, who clipped this from the Chicago Tribune in the early 90’s. Or if there is a chill in the air, I’ll appear with a retro batch of Hanky Pankies ready to slide into the oven – a dish that could only be reproduced by someone time traveling from an early 80’s avocado-green kitchen in Minnesota. It invariably requires a dash to the supermarket in a clandestine search of Velveeta. (Not an ingredient that Daniel sources at Marché…) Nothing makes me happier than sipping a glass of wine, tending a dish braising on the stovetop and daydreaming of the French countryside. Thus a Sunday dinner chez nous is likely Beef Bourguignon with mashed potatoes or a velvety celery root purée (a relatively recent addition to our repertoire). Another (Italian) candidate would be a long-simmered Bolognese with fresh ribbons of fettuccine helped along by my daughter Lily. A frenzied weekday often culminates with Salsa Chicken. Chicken thighs, 2 bottles of salsa – one red, one green. Gloriously simple and requested often; so little effort for a tasty taco. The award for most requested weeknight dinner is tied between my “signature” Sausage Pasta or Lily’s favorite – Korean Bulgogi Steak with Coconut Jasmine Rice. Almond Cake from my battered and beloved copy of Cooking for Mr. Latte is my go-to dessert. This most delicious of cakes can be topped with seasonally appropriate fruit that improves with a leisurely nap on the countertop. If it is up to Gage, he will request Kahlua Vodka Cake, a nice slice of boozy and boxed Americana from my old colleague’s mother out East. Open my fridge in the summer and you will find a pitcher or two of my Gazpacho – a vibrant melange of fresh vegetables lightly tempered by the addition of country bread and fruity olive oil. This never fails to transport me back to Southern Spain and is perfect for al fresco entertaining on the patio. As we are heading into summer, this is the recipe from my collection that I would love to share with you below. Next week, we are moving to Idaho. As I pack up our home, I am paying extra care to my cookbooks and recipes. I’ve found several snippets from Marcel’s and I know that many of these recipes will slip into my time-honed repertoire and forever remind me of my connection with this magical and delicious little place. These are the things that I will hold onto. Editor’s Note: All of us at Marcel’s and Marché are going to miss Amy and her charming family in our midst. Amy has been with us since the doors opened and her passion for food and eye for the creative have contributed so much. A bientôt, Patterson family! Gazpacho 2017-05-26 18:18:04 Print Ingredients 2 cups day-old country bread, torn into pieces 2 garlic cloves, chopped pinch of cumin (or more to taste) 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt 3 pounds ripe in-season tomatoes 1 English cucumber, peeled and chopped 1 red pepper, chopped 2 tablespoons red onion 1/4 cup mild extra virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar 1/4 pound ham (or pancetta), cubed 1 thick slice of country-style bread, little cubes for croutons Instructions Place the bread in a bowl, add cold water to cover, and let soak for 5-10 minutes. Drain the bread and squeeze out excess liquid. Place garlic, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt in a mortar and, using a pestle, mash them to a paste. Place the tomatoes (lightly sprinkled with kosher salt), cucumber, red pepper, red onion, soaked bread and cumin/garlic/salt paste in a large bowl. Toss to mix and massage everything together. Let stand for at least 15 minutes. Add to blender (it may need to be in 2 batches) along with olive oil. Purée until smooth. Transfer soup to a large bowl and season with sherry vinegar and salt to taste. Refrigerate the gazpacho, covered, until chilled. At least 2 hours. Heat a small skillet to medium heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and cubed ham and fry until crisp. Remove to bowl leaving olive oil behind. Add cubed bread and fry until browned. (No need for oil with pancetta) Garnish soup with cubes of ham, croutons and a drizzle of olive oil. By Amy Patterson Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Kebabs May 25, 2017 by Jenny Chang Leave a Comment Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Kebabs 2017-05-25 15:30:19 Print Ingredients ½ cup olive oil 2 tablespoons Lemaster Family Kitchen TOSA seasoning mix* 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs 1 medium onion 1 zucchini 1 red pepper Instructions Whisk together oil and seasoning mix. Add chicken cut into chunks. Marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hour or overnight. Heat grill to medium high heat. Cut vegetables into chunks and toss with some more olive oil and TOSA mix to coat. Thread chicken and vegetables on skewers. Grill until chicken is cooked and vegetables are crisp tender. Serve with saffron rice. *Lemaster Family Kitchen TOSA seasoning blend available at Marcels By Teri Hiben Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/