ethnic food

The Great Chicago Pizza Debate and Where are the Best Chicago Pizza Places

August 26, 2014 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Best Chicago Pizza Places

4 Lou Malnati’s Chicago-style Deep Dish Pizzas (2 Sausage & 2 Pepperoni)

Mention food in Chicago and many people automatically think pizza. The discussion and debate on what is the best Chicago pizza places in the city.

I grew up in Connecticut and we had some pretty mean pizza there. You know the kind, deep dish pizza from a family owned pizza restaurant, rich in tradition and so big it had to be cut in squares?

The difference between Chicago and New York pizza is the crust and how thick the pizza pie. The Chicago deep dish pizza restaurants basically compete for bragging rights.

Start a conversation on the Chicago metro on where the best Chicago pizza place in the city is located and you can start an all out war. People are passionate about pizza in Chicago. With good reason.

Chicago: Best Pizza Places

People love to talk about food and when you mention you are from out of town the conversation normally goes like this

Best Chicago style pizza chicago — Giordano’s Meat More Meat pizza

“Are you going to get some pizza”,

“Of course, but I haven’t decided yet from where”,

“Well you can’t go wrong with Giordano’s or Pizano’s“

Those two places are mentioned the most, which makes sense, both are ranked highest on Chicago’s 10 Best Pizzas list by Thrillist.com. So on my weekend trip to see my son the deciding factor was who would deliver to his apartment. Giordano’s won.

My Review of Giordano’s Famous Stuffed Pizza

We decided to get Giordano pizza delivery.

This is a massively thick double crust pizza, you can tell it has some meat just by the weight. I judge the cheese quality by how an individual piece pulls apart from main pizza.

It should leave a string of cheese trailing back to the pizza and you should have to grab it to claim that mozzarella for yourself.

This is a massively thick double crust pizza, you can tell it has some meat just by the weight. I judge the cheese quality by how an individual piece pulls apart from main pizza. It should leave a string of cheese trailing back to the pizza and you should have to grab it to claim that mozzarella for yourself.

The crust should be soft and moist, not dry and hard. You should want to eat the last bit of crust as if it were a stand-alone Italian bread. Last but not least, the toppings should stay on the crust, not slide off (that’s a sign of a cheap pizza). On all these accounts Giordano’s passed with flying colors.

It is expensive, our large Meat & More Meat stuffed pizza pie (with tip) came to $30, but it did feed four of us with leftovers for the next day.

This pizza is so popular they will even ship Giardano pizza nationwide to anyone missing that “back home” pizza they remembered living in Chicago.

Yes, you can get Giordano mail order pizza!

Now that’s some serious pizza dedication. The price actually isn’t bad. A four pizza pack is $89 (not including shipping), packed in dry ice and delivered in two days.

Lou Malnati Pizza

Since I published this article I’ve gotten several other additions to this list and Lou Malnati’s keeps coming up as another favorite.

2 Lou Malnati’s Chicago-style Deep Dish Pizzas (1 Sausage & 1 Pepperoni)4 Lou Malnati’s Chicago-style Deep Dish Pizzas (4 Cheese)

You can also order and ship Lou Malnati’s pizza anywhere in the country. Ok, you may have to plan a little bit, but if you order on Tuesday you can have Chicago pizza for your weekend party. I

I’m actually surprised it’s not as expensive as I thought. We ate a Pizano’s in Lincoln Nebraska and paid the same for one Primo pizza as having two Chicago pizzas delivered. So if you are native Chicagoan, have moved, and crave your favorite pizza, you can still get your fix.

Favorite Chicago Pizza From People Who ACTUALLY LIVE in Chicago

What Chicago Pizza is Your Favorite? Add a comment below and I’ll add it to the list.

Giordano’s
Bacinos
Lou Malnati’s
Rosati’s
Leona’s
Suparossa
Connie’s
Pizano

Make the Best Homemade Pizza

If you can’t get to Chicago or New York then check out my best homemade pizza recipe. It’s not hard and it’s a lot of fun.

The Great Chicago-Style Pizza Cookbook Gebardi Deep Dish Chicago Pizza Kit Ironwood Gourmet 28214 Pizza Peel, Acacia Wood Beginner’s Pizza Making Kit Chicago Metallic Non Stick 14-Inch Deep Dish Pizza Pan Pan Gripper Deep Dish Model

My Favorite Homemade Salsa Recipe

August 27, 2012 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Tomatoes are in season and ripening at an amazing rate. Time for me to break out the stew pots and start cooking up some homemade salsa, stewed tomatoes and chopped tomatoes for future recipes.

One way to process tomatoes is the hot-cold water bath method. This is how my Mother put up tomatoes and I did this for years.

Clean tomatoes in sink, cut off the stems and bruised spots
Dunk in boiling water for about 30 seconds until the skins start to wrinkle
Remove from boiling water and dip in a bowl of cold water
Skins should then easily slip off the tomatoes

I can’t tell you how many hours I have stood over a hot stove during the summer slipping skins off tomatoes. Years ago Beth and I bought a BOGO deal at the state fair for the Salsa maker and I have used it to chop onions, peppers, and tomatoes for years. I love this thing, it works absolutely great for small batches of salsa and the mandolin slicer attachment is perfect for zucchini.

Manual Food Processor – Chop, Blend, Whip, Mix, Slice, Shred, Julienne, and Juice – by Kitchen Plus

A Better Way to Process Tomatoes

However, when I’m make a LOT of salsa or spaghetti sauce, there is a better and faster way to prepping tomatoes and I don’t know why I haven’t listened to my friend Beth before, she kept telling me to get a food mill. This tomato press will take off the skins and either chop for salsa or process for spaghetti sauce.

NapaStyle Italian Tomato Mill Press

All you have to do is a search on Pinterest for salsa and you can find more recipes than you can handle; everything from hot and spicy to sweet and mild, even recipes for watermelon salsa and mango salsa. My hubby likes traditional chips and Mexican salsa and just about everything you need can be found in your garden: tomatoes, sweet peppers, jalapeno peppers and onions. Since I don’t like cilantro, I don’t grow it.

Hot Salsas: 40 Simple, Quick, Easy and Spicy Authentic Mexican Salsa Recipes (The Mexican Food Cookbooks Book 8)Salsa: The Ultimate Guide for making homemade salsa

Homemade Salsa Recipe

Remember, cooking is not a science it’s an art, so use the following as a guideline, don’t get hung up on exacts. experiment and if you like spicy and hot, add more jalapenos, if sweet is your thing, add more sugar. Before preparing your ingredients sterilize prepare your jars. I like the dishwasher the best.

Ingredients (makes 4-5 quarts)

10-15 lbs of tomatoes (chopped fine, skins removed)
4 large sweet peppers
2 large onions
6 jalapenos
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup vinegar (or lemon juice)
3 TBSP canning salt
3 TBSP cilantro (optional)
2 TBSP cumin (optional)
3 TBSP ground garlic (optional
14 oz can Tomato Paste (for thickening)

Instructions

Chop your tomatoes, onions, and peppers with the tomato mill or salsa maker food processor
Add to large stock pot and stir together
Stir in sugar, vinegar, salt and seasonings
Add tomato paste, enough to thicken to desired amount
Bring to boil on med high heat, stirring often
Reduce heat to simmer (low) and cook for another 15 minutes
PREPARE lids now by placing in about an inch of water and bring to boil, then turn off and let sit
Lay a towel on the counter and place warm clean jars from the dishwasher on towel
Place funnel in jar and using a large soup ladle spoon hot salsa into jars leaving 1″ of space at the top
Use magnet stick to remove lid from water and place on jar, screw jar lid tight

The jars will be very hot, remember you just poured boiling tomatoes into glass, use the rubberized jar holder found in the canning tool set below to hot jars and a pot holder to tighten the lids. Now wait for the popping of the lids to assure the seal.

Ball Canning Regular Mouth Half Pint Canning Jar 8 oz. 12-Count Tattler Reusable Wide Mouth Canning Lids & Rubber Rings – 12/pkg Bellemain 6 Piece Canning Tool Set Salsa Picante Small Peppers Lime Fabric

Because tomatoes are acidic a hot water bath or pressure cooking the salsa is not necessary. Since I really don’t follow a recipe when I cook, and I don’t measure the amount of vegetables I use my stock pot as a gauge of how many quarts of salsa I will be canning. I have a 5 qt pot so that when it’s full to the top I have 5 qts of salsa.

I can a variety of sizes some for home use (quarts) and pints (for gifts), I also always use wide mouth jars, but that is a personal preference.

Chinese Anyone?

July 31, 2012 by info@3QuartersToday.com

My version of “Happy Family” Chinese at home. We were running short on rice I used spaghetti noodles for chow mein. Very easy recipe and fun at the same time. The chopsticks pictures are my favorite and it’s a requirement that I eat as much as I can with chopsticks before resorting to a fork.

I find eating with chopsticks people slow down, and I enjoy my food a whole lot more. besides, it’s fun!

Ingredients

Shrimp
Sliced chicken breast
Beef (or venison, I still had some from last winter)
Powdered Ginger
Garlic Powder
Cracked Peppercorns
Sea Salt
Sliced onion
Mushrooms
2 TSP Sesame Oil (remember I don’t measure, I just add)
2 TBSP Wok Oil
Sweet peppers (green, yellow and orange for color)
2 TSP Soy Sauce
1/4 Cup Dorothy Lynch Salad Dressing (French dressing will work too)
1 TBSP Cornstarch

Wow, I guess that’s a lot of ingredients. As far as vegetables you can use anything you have handy, broccoli, slivered carrots. REMEMBER: Measurements are not important, you add to your taste and desire.

Directions

Season meats with spices and toss to coat
Prepare rice ahead of time according to directions.
Heat a combination of above oils in wok on high
Add chopped or sliced onions and cook until clear
Add chicken and beef (in my case venison)
Cook and stir on high until cooked through
Push ingredients to the side of the wok away from the center and direct heat
Add vegetables and shrimp on top of the cooked meat on the side
There should be some liquid in the bottom of the wok, add soy sauce and salad dressing. Then add water until total liquid amount is approximately 3/4 cup.
Cover with lid and let liquid boil and steam cook the vegetables.
Mix a tablespoon (or so) of cornstarch with 1/4 cup water until creamy
When vegetables are tender pour cornstarch mixture into the liquid and stir. Liquid should thicken slightly.
Quickly stir the liquid and all ingredients until coated in the sauce.

Eat and Enjoy!

Homemade Pizza, I’m In Heaven

July 10, 2012 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Pizza night at our house may never be the same. Although I grew up on homemade pizza I have yet to be able to master the dough. That was the sticky point. The solution, Rotellas Frozen Dough. I don’t know if you can buy it in the standard grocery stores, I am fortunate enough that the Omaha plant has a retail bread store at the plant and anyone can buy bread (0.75) or frozen “blobs” of uncooked dough for a dollar.

How to Make Homemade Pizza

Rolled Pizza Dough — Step1: Roll Pizza Dough (this is already rolled and baked)

Homemade pizza recipe — Step 3: Mushrooms and Peppers

Mozzarella Cheese on Pizza — Step 4: Mozzarella Cheese

Home made Pizza, hot out the oven — Hot out the oven

Home made Pizza, ready to eat — Step 6: Eat and Enjoy!

I love my pizza stone, it cooks more evenly than a metal pan and even though I don’t have a stone oven to cook my pizza pies the stone does seem to give the same results. Although for a brief time I did work at an Italian restaurant, who made their own dough from starter, I never got good at hand tossing. So I use my wooden pastry roller from Pampered Chef instead.

I’ve never had good success with pizza dough mixes, maybe I over mix, don’t know. Prepared frozen pizza dough from Rotellas is my favorite, but if you don’t have a local source your can order Della Suprema’s pizza dough balls and keep them in your freezer.

Norpro 3077 Wooden Pastry Roller Rich Della Suprema Pizza Dough Ball, 23 Ounce — 24 per case.Wilton 2105-0244 Perfect Results Ceramic Stone, 15-inch Pizza Cutter Wheel – Pizza: Award-Winning Pies for the Home Kitchen Mama Leone’s Pizza Crust Mix With Rosemary & Basil

What is Your Favorite Pizza Recipe?

Do you have a favorite pizza pie recipe, dough or even a favorite place to order direct? Share your pizzeria secrets, ok, not your family secret, but tips and suggestions to make the best pizza ever.

More Recipes for Homemade Pizza

Homemade pizza makes for family fun time

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How to Cook Corned Beef

March 19, 2012 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Even though I grew up in a heavily Irish area of Connecticut I never ate corned beef. So when my husband asked me to cook it, I was a little lost, he is part Irish and Corned Beef was a family tradition on St. Patricks Day. When I said I didn’t know how to cook it, and wasn’t planning on adding it to the menu a pout appeared and he mentioned driving home to his Mom’s. That wasn’t going to happen.

So, I started asking around for recipes and my co-worker Kelly told me about this awesome recipe on, where else, Allrecipes. Have to admit, even for someone with no Irish heritage I did pretty well. On second thought, since I’m adopted, I don’t know what mix I am and the freckles that appear in the summer might have some “Touch of the Irish” , but I’d like to think I’m just a good cook.

I bought the already packaged and brined corned beef, I guess I cheated a little. I did learn a little trivia about corned beef. It’s not named because the beef are fed corn, but because the brisket was cured with corns of salt.

Omaha Steaks 1 (30 oz.) Rustic Corned Beef Underwood Corned Beef Spread, 4.25 Ounce (Pack of 12)Homemade Pastrami and To-Die-For Corned Beef Corned Beef Hot Sandwiches: 101 Delicious, Nutritious, Low Budget, Mouth Watering Cookbook

For more of my favorite recipes check out my Pinterest Food page

Corned Beef Recipe

Ingredients

2 (3 pound) corned beef briskets with spice packets
2 (12 fluid ounce) bottles beer
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup peppercorns
1 bulb garlic cloves, separated and peeled (didn’t have, used freeze dried garlic)

Directions

Place the corned beef briskets into a large pot (I used a crock pot). Sprinkle in one of the spice packets, and discard the other one or save for other uses. Pour in the beer, and fill the pot with enough water to cover the briskets by 1 inch. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns and garlic cloves. Cover, and bring to a boil.
Once the liquid comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 4 to 5 hours, checking hourly, and adding more water if necessary to keep the meat covered. (which I didn’t do, still turned out great)
Carefully remove the meat from the pot, as it will be extremely tender. Set on a cutting board, and allow it to rest until it firms up a bit, about 10 minutes. Slice or shred to serve. I discard the cooking liquid, but it can be used to cook cabbage and other vegetables if desired.

Cabbage, Potatoes & Onions

1/4 of a cabbage, cut into 1-2″ chunks
1 onion cut into 1″ pieces
4 potatoes, cubed
Olive oil
Butter
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

Cube all ingredients and place in shallow baking dish
Drizzle with olive oil and melted butter
Liberally sprinkle with salt and pepper
Bake for 45 minutes

Favorite Irish Foods

There is more to Irish food than Corn Beef and many people who have moved from Ireland, or have Irish history remember distinctly Irish brands such as Barry’s Irish Tea or Irish Stew. If you’re craving a taste of Ireland, or just wanting to throw an Irish Themed party then check out the pantry items at Amazon and have them delivered right to your door.

McCann’s Quick Cooking Irish Oatmeal, 36-Ounce Canister Really Great Food Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread Mix 25 Oz Boyle’s Irish Scream Irish Biscuit Pack – Orignal Kimberley Biscuits, Chocolate Kimberleys, Jam Mallows and Irish Shortbread Biscuits Thompson’s Punjana Irish Breakfast 80 teabags (8.82oz) x 1 pack Tayto Irish Cheese & Onion Crisps – 6 Pack ( 6 x 25g bags)Follain Irish Rhubarb & Ginger Jam 370g Barry’s Tea Irish Breakfast, 80-Tea Bag Boxes (Pack of 6)Princes Irish Stew (400g)Garvey’s Organic Traditional Irish Soda Bread Mix, 16-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 5)

Here’s Your MMMM Delicious Mustard Sauce For Super Easy Crockpot Corned …

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corned beef cabbage Attention leprechauns: St. Patrick’s Day is just 12 days away. Do you have your corned beef recipe ready? How do you like yours? We happen to like ours easy, nice and easy. That’s what slow cookers are for. So go ahead and have fun …

Brian Scott’s Favorite Corned Beef Recipe

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St. Patrick’s Day: Modernized Corned Beef recipe

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