Russian Tea Time, Chicago

As regular readers will know, I have just completed Route 66 from one side of the US to another - by coach.  Yep, that's right folks, I did it in comfort and style, and someone else did the hard thinking for me.  As our tour director told us at the start of the tour, "No, we are not doing what Billy Connolly did."  That set us straight up front. 

Here is a sign marking the start of Route 66 in Chicago, Illinois:

It may be spring in Chicago, but you would never know it.  It is absolutely freezing by my standards, though clearly not by the standards of the native dwellers.  I think Chicago is a fabulous city and I want to go back there to explore (we were only there for a day and a bit), but I'll go in the height of summer so that my poor old Queensland thin blood can cope with the temperature.

Purely by coincidence, right next to the sign marking the start of Route 66 is Russian Tea Time.  My friend E said that she had the best time ever dining there, and recommended that I check it out.  Being a bit time poor and not really having a good grasp of my bearings, I wasn't going to seek it out, but there it was, magically appearing on Day 1 of my Route 66 tour where we all stopped to pose with the sign.  Neat!

Fate having played its hand, Tim and I went to dinner that night at Russian Tea Time.  The premises have an old world feel, with dim lighting, red leather booths, chandeliers, white tablecloths and dark wood panelling.  It also does high tea in the afternoons.  Russian music plays in the background to remind you that it is a Russian restaurant.

On arrival, Tim and I were presented with a lovely bread basket full of delicious rye bread, and a "garden salad".  I was to learn that the garden salad is ubiquitous at US restaurants, and is your standard salad of lettuce, carrots, tomato and cucumber with vinaigrette.

For entrée (called a starter in the US), Tim and I both ordered the Ukrainian Borscht ($12), made from beets, carrots, cabbage, onions, potatoes, tomatoes:

It was served piping hot with a dollop of crème fraiche in the centre.  It was really delicious and a great way to start our meal.

For main (called entrée in the US!), I ordered the Moldavian Meatballs ($23), made from ground chicken and onions in a sweet and sour sauce with buckwheat kasha, marinated beets and sauerkraut:

The name of this dish reminded me of the fictitious travel guide, Molvania, by Santo Cilauro.  These meatballs were different and tasted just fine, but I preferred the sides, which were all fabulous.

I washed my meal down with a glass of Italian red (yeah, I know, but there weren't many US wines on the list and I am a pinot noir fan), and Tim had a beer.

The service was charmingly eccentric, and certainly prompt and attentive.  The people on the next table were having a laugh-out-loud good time, so that is a ringing endorsement.

Verdict - I'd go back - it was a fun experience.

Russian Tea Time

77 E Adams Street

Chicago IL USA

Ph: +1 312 360 0000

FFWD - Food Revolution Day - Lemon Steamed Spinach

Today is French Friday with Dorie and it is Food Revolution Day, so Mardi has asked us all to join in to "get kids excited about food".  She has asked us to choose a recipe from Around My French Table that we think every child should know how to make, and explain why.

My choice is not going to be necessary popular with children, but I think it is one every child should know how to make.  I chose the Lemon Steamed Spinach from p331 of Around My French Table because (a) it is super healthy; (b) it is tasty; (c) it is bright and colourful; and (d) it is easy to make.

I used baby spinach as I think it is easier to swallow and nicer than fully grown spinach, which I believe is a plus for children.  It is definitely easy to make - you just boil a pan of water, put a steamer basket over it, fill the basket with spinach flavoured with olive oil, lemon zest and salt and pepper, and steam it for around three minutes - and ta da, ready to serve. 

Spinach counts towards your "five a day" target for veges, and it tastes really good cooked like this.   

To see what the other Doristas  made for Food Revolution Day, check out the LYL section of the FFWD website.

Cinnamon Sugar-Coated Maple Apple Cakes

 
This is my first blog post back from my Route 66 trip.  I scraped in making this week's recipe for Wednesday with Donna Hay the night before it was due.  The last thing I wanted to do was to peel, core and grate six apples, as I am still suffering from jet lag.  But hey, Cinnamon Sugar-Coated Maple Apple Cakes was my pick, and I had to do it.  You can find the recipe online here.  It is out of Donna's Seasons book. 

The recipe calls for 12 x 1 cup mini bundt pans - unfortunately I didn't have these, so I made one huge bundt cake instead.

Here's a peek inside the cake:

The verdict: delish.  Warm and comforting and sweet, this is the perfect tea-time cake for any time of the year.

To see what Kayte, Margaret, Chaya and Sarah thought of this recipe, go check out their websites  tomorrow (Wednesday their time).

WWDH - Baba ghanoush

This week for Wednesday with Donna Hay, Sarah chose a popular Middle Eastern dip - baba ghanoush, on p86 of Modern Classics I.  Baba Ghanoush is a dip made from roasted eggplant, tahini, garlic and olive oil.  I roasted my eggplant in the oven rather than on the stovetop.

I found this homemade version of baba ghanoush tastier than its commercial counterparts.  I would cut down on the garlic if I made it again, as it seemed a little overwhelming, but otherwise, I really enjoyed this dip.

To see what Margaret, Sarah and Kayte thought of this dish, visit their websites.

WWDH - Asian Mushroom Omelette

This week's Wednesday with Donna Hay is a little taste of Asia, as Margaret chose Asian Mushroom Omelette, the recipe for which is online here.

I made a third of the recipe for breakfast.  This omelette was OK, but a little dry for my taste.  It really needed the sauce (Donna suggests oyster sauce, I used hoisin sauce.)

To see what Margaret, Sarah and Kayte thought of this dish, visit their websites.

FFWD - Green as Spring Veal Stew - er, Beef Stew

This week's French Friday with Dorie recipe is Green as Spring Veal Stew - except that in my case, I used beef, so that makes it Green as Spring Beef Stew.  The green comes from a mix of rocket (arugula), spinach and herbs in the sauce.

I am not sure what I was expecting with this one, but I imagined something green and pretty - whereas this looks like  a stew, and hence not pretty, although tasty.  I didn't throw away the vegetables with which the meat was cooked - I saved them and ate them on the side.

I really don't have a lot to say about this stew.  It tasted OK, if rather grassy, but it didn't grab me enough to make it again. 

To see what the other Doristas thought of this stew, visit the LYL section of the FFWD website.

As you read this, I will be winging my way to Chicago for the start of a Route 66 coach tour, so no FFWD for me for a while.  See you when I get back!

WWDH - Potato, Rosemary and Goats Cheese Tarts

For Wednesday with Donna Hay this week, Kayte has chosen Potato, Rosemary and Goat's Cheese Tarts from p158 of Modern Classics I. These are little puff pastry rectangles topped with slices of boiled potato, dollops of goats cheese and sprinkled with rosemary.

These tarts are simply but effective.  I think a sprinkle of some spices would really lift these, but they are fine as they are.

To see what Kayte, Margaret and Sarah thought of these tarts, visit their websites.