Bake some potatoes at your next participatory dinner. Photo by traveling.lunas on Flickr, licensed under the Creative Commons.

While I love cooking for my friends, multiple dinner parties a month doesn’t really do wonders for my bank account. Though potlucks are great in theory, they can often be hard to organize on the spot and are better left for when you have time to plan them out. And so I’ve found that the happy medium is what I like to call participatory dinners. You make one or two dishes that your guests can contribute to in some way by bringing an ingredient of their choice. You provide the theme and let them do the choosing. I’ve had participatory dinners with pizza, ice cream and quesadillas, to name a few, but my latest conquest is potatoes.

Oh, potatoes. They’re so versatile and yet so, well, boring. Or at least that’s what I used to think. And then I saw this Idaho potatoes commercial, and perhaps I was a little delirious because I was battling the swine flu, but damn, did those potatoes look good! They were baked to crisp and golden perfection and topped with a mountain of different garnishes from sour cream to cheese to scallions to bacon. Then came the “aha” moment — a baked potato participatory dinner! It’s cheap at $1.49/pound for potatoes at Whole Foods Evanston, it’s easy and you can dress those baked babies up in any which way.

The Plan

Figure out how many people are coming to your dinner and budget one large Idaho or Russet potato per person, plus a few extra in case there are any mishaps or particularly hungry eaters. You will be in charge of baking all the potatoes and providing a few of the basic toppings, like butter, sour cream and chopped bacon, since that requires cooking. Tell your friends to bring a topping or two of their choosing.

How to Bake a Potato

There are a million different recipes for how to bake a potato, and the end result varies slightly. Here’s my recipe and feel free to tweak it to your liking:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and make sure that one of the racks is directly in the middle of your oven.
2. Wash and scrub each potato thoroughly with water, and fully dry.
3. Use a fork to pierce holes in the potato to allow some of the steam to escape.
4. Lightly coat the exterior of each potato with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt.
5. Place each potato on the middle rack(s) of your oven, and try your best to evenly space them.
6. Bake for approximately one hour until the skin is crisp and the potato is very tender to the touch.

Topping Suggestions

You should encourage your friends to be creative, but you can also make some recommendations about what to bring. Here are a few ideas:

• Shredded cheese: Cheddar and Monterey Jack are crowd pleasing faves, but most sharp and tangy cheeses will do.
• Fresh herbs: Herbs with a bite like scallions or chives are my favorite, but cilantro, parsley and tarragon also work well.
• Spreadable cheeses: My favorite way to eat a baked potato is with a slathering of Boursin cheese. Flavored cream cheeses and Laughing Cow cheese also taste delicious when paired with your spud.
• Chopped vegetables: Chopped tomatoes, chopped steamed broccoli, chopped olives, chopped artichoke hearts and chopped avocado are all great.
• Salsa and/or guacamole
• Some funky options: alfalfa sprouts, hummus, toasted sunflower seeds, pesto, blue cheese dressing, chopped sun-dried tomatoes.

Serving Suggestions

While one baked potato per person is filling, I’d recommend that you have something else just to give your guests a little variety. Throw together a simple salad to pair alongside or whip up a batch of brownies to end your starch fest on a sweet note.

Nutella et Banane — Bon Appetit! Photo by corsi photo on Flickr, licensed under the Creative Commons.

A friend and I took a giant Eurotrip this summer. Along with visiting England and some of Finland, we spent two weeks in France. I realize that spending a couple weeks in France doesn’t exactly make me an expert on the cuisine; during that two-week period, my entire crêpe intake totaled a whopping zero. It was our last day in Paris and we were about to leave the land of butter and chocolate when I realized that I’d done the unthinkable: I’d forgotten to eat a crêpe while in France.

My friend and I set off to get the quintessential French culinary experience that we’d been told a million times that we “absolutely must have.” We found a small street stand, excitedly ran up to the server, and ordered the most delicious combination known to mankind: Nutella et banane. Fantastique.

Crêpe literally translates to “pancake” in French, and that’s essentially what they are. The crêpe as we know it today originated in the western area of France called Brittany. They were made with buckwheat flour (because that was cheapest) and used as bread for sandwiches (much like the wheat flour variety at Crêpe Bistro at Northwestern). As the farmers of Brittany became wealthier, they invented the desert crêpe, replacing the buckwheat with white flour. In Brittany, it is customary to tap the handle of the pan and make a wish as you turn over the crêpe. They don’t do this at the Bistro (I checked).

I can still taste the melting hazelnutty chocolate combining with the slightly hot banana and the butter from the crêpe dough as I walk up to the register of Crêpe Bistro in Norris. In my head, I’m trying to tell myself not to have such high expectations. I walk cautiously up to the counter and order the “Banane au Nutella.” I feel a bit silly watching the cashier and chef in their puffy red hats hustle and bustle around the crêpe pan, and since the coffee here is cheaper than at Starbucks, the line gets pretty long and the wait takes maybe seven minutes (a lifetime when there’s a crêpe at the end).

Though you may be well acquainted with the Norris franchise, the Crêpe Bistro has another location in the Loop that also serves alcohol (it also offers three courses of crêpes for $20 every Friday night and was mentioned in the Chicago Tribune’s 25 “Loop Lunches We Love”). It is also much more expensive (Crêpe a la Tomate is $8.75 in Chicago, compared to $4.75 at Norris), though the Chicago branch probably has a nicer presentation. There are normally two chefs at a time on duty and, according to Shanena Graves, who has been working at the Bistro since its opening, they were trained by a true Parisian chef.

To me, the perfect crêpe is one that is just tasty enough to enhance the flavor of the fillings without overwhelming. It should be light, thin, but not too airy. A crêpe needs to be delicious on its own, but should above all serve as the perfect compliment for the ingredients inside (like bread). I generally look for a golden brown color, and (though this is debatable) a slight crisp around the edges. Though my favorite crêpe is the Nutella/banana combination, I also love the simple cinnamon sugar ones, or just plain chocolate if you’re in that kind of mood.

If you’ve had your fill of the Crêpe Bistro, why not check out some of Chicago’s offerings? In Chicago, there is Crêpes de Paris and Crêpe and Coffee Palace. While nothing compares to the satisfaction of that perfect French crêpe you eat by the side of the road, as hot Nutella drips down your arm and bitter Parisians curse at you to get out of their way, the Chicago area has done its best to provide us with some amazing alternatives.

Every Saturday morning on the corner of University Place and Oak Avenue, white tents flutter in the wind as folk music floats through the surrounding area. The Evanston Farmers’ Market is a weekly delight, presenting a festival of fresh organic produce, creamy milks, savory cheese and hearty bread.

The market, which has been around for almost 30 years, is open from 7:30 am to 1 pm every Saturday until November 7. More than 30 vendors sell the fruits of their labor there, bringing a variety of products to their tables; you can find produce and dairy as well as fresh flowers and baked goods. Everything is 100 percent organic and ethically made.

Evanston actually has one of the city’s more vendor-friendly farmers’ markets. Chad Proctor, owner of Lake Breeze Organics, experienced difficulty when he attended the Green City Market where all the vendors are not necessarily organic.

“I’d say only 15 to 20 percent of the people there are organic, and the consumers are under the impression that everyone’s organic there. So we would get lost in the shuffle, and people wouldn’t purchase from us because our prices might be a little higher than a factory farm. You can’t compete against that if people think that they’re organic too. This market has a more educated consumer, so we get to know our customers here a little better, and they understand the different levels of working in it, too,” Proctor says.

The farmers at Evanston’s market make sure the process of creating their products does not harm the earth. In fact, some vendors actively help the environment. According to Rick Hoskem of the River Valley Ranch, their mushrooms grow in a combination of horse manure, chicken manure, waste from distiller’s grain and drywalls. As the mushrooms grow, the combination of different wastes turn into nutrient rich soil — perfect for gardens.

“The mushrooms have eaten all of this stuff that was bad or toxic in the soil and given you back nothing but nutrients for your garden. So we sell a lot of that to customers who then use it in their garden. So the whole cycle of when it comes through the door till it comes back out the door, it’s completely being recycled all the way through,” Hoskem says.

Evanston resident Sarah Begor appreciates the nutritional benefits gained from buying and eating products at the farmers’ market and makes it a point to get certain items there.

“I try to make a list, and then I buy other things that I see. So, today I’ve got things to make a beef stew — so fresh herbs, onions, some pears and apples to make a tart, eggplant, flowers occasionally, fresh fruit; always fresh fruit… I really like the vendors; it’s nice to have a smile when you buy your food,” Begor says.

Chain entities such as Whole Foods cannot ensure quality, freshness and a stable green environment with their organic products like farmers’ markets can. Though the pricing of the produce is comparable, farmers’ markets are better for your health, the environment and the local economy. Chad Proctor of Lake Breeze Organics says that organic food sold at the farmers’ market is fresh, pure and goes directly to the consumers.

“You don’t need to ship across the country or halfway around the world to get the products from New Zealand or Australia. If they’re organically grown they’re substantially better for the soil, for everybody. It’s a win-win situation for the people who buy the organic products,” says Proctor. “The consumer is so oriented to the Wal-Mart approach where they buy it for cheap. They don’t really realize they’re missing out on some terrific flavors that you’ll get buying heirloom, organic type products.”

Whole Foods does sell organic produce and products; however, the level of freshness just doesn’t match up to the farmers’ market. The apples at the farmer’s market shine with their flawless colored peel while the apples at Whole Foods tend to have bruises. Enormous, glistening and vividly purple red onions dominate the smaller, dull ones at Whole Foods. Just looking at the food, it’s easy to see which produce is fresher.

“I do go to Whole Foods sometimes, but what I really like about coming to the farmers’ market is that I like the idea of eating locally. Also, the stuff here is generally just more fresh, versus being in the case and being sprayed every couple of seconds with water to make it look fresh. Here, it actually is fresh,” Weinberg senior Liz Och says.

This Saturday, treat yourself, the environment and the local economy to some organic treats. Make sure to stop by the organic milk booth — they give free pints of milk to “starving” Northwestern students. Saturday is the last day that the farmers’ market will be open until May 16, so make sure to wake up just a little earlier and take in the splendor of the outdoor market.

I could probably live on pasta: it’s cheap, it’s versatile, and it’s ever-so tasty. But the health-conscious side of me refrains from too much pasta intake; I constantly search for more nutritious whole grain options to fill that void. As a result, I’ve fallen in love with quinoa, millet, amaranth, wild rice, kamut, buckwheat, and others. My newest love is farro.

Rumor has it that farro was one of the world’s first domesticated plants and a grain enjoyed by the ancient Egyptians and Romans. Today the grain is widely used in Italian cooking and recently has become a favored grain among healthy foodies. Farro is not only delicious and filling, it’s also high in fiber, vitamin B, and protein. You can easily find it in Whole Foods, and try it in these recipes.

Farro and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

I originally made this dish for a big group of friends and family. It was a huge hit and the leftovers were even better. I am always looking for new ways to use squash during the fall; this is a great way to use squash and other fall flavors.

What You’ll Need:
• 1 medium-sized butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced into ¾ inch cubes
• 1 cup farro
• ½ cup walnuts
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup chopped parsley or basil
• Juice of ½ an orange
• Walnut oil*
• Honey

*Walnut oil can be expensive, so you can substitute for another light oil like grapeseed or safflower oil.

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the butternut squash in an even layer on a baking sheet and drizzle with walnut oil, salt, and pepper.
3. Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, turning once, until the butternut squash is tender.
4. Meanwhile, place the farro and 4 cups of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, until the farro is tender but still has a bite.
5. Drain well and pour into a large bowl.
6. Top the farro with the squash, cranberries, walnuts, and herbs. Drizzle with walnut oil, the orange juice, and honey and mix all of the ingredients until they are fully combined.
7. Taste, and adjust seasonings accordingly. This dish can be served immediately or left to marinade and served at room temperature. Serves 4-6 depending on portion size.

Hearty Tomato Soup

I used to tease my roommates because of the amount of soup they ate. Now I have somehow turned into the soup addict. This soup is a great weeknight meal and is perfect alone or served up with a classic grilled cheese sandwich.

What You’ll Need:
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup chickpeas, drained
• 1/3 cup cooked farro
• 1 ½ cups tomato soup (Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Pacific Natural Foods, and Imagine all have natural and tasty versions)
• Handful of baby spinach (arugula also works well)
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Sauté the garlic in about a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat until it is tender.
2. Add the chickpeas and farro and stir until the ingredients are fully heated through.
3. Add the tomato soup and simmer.
4. Just before serving, add the spinach and stir until the spinach wilts. Season with salt and pepper and serve with crusty bread or a grilled cheese sandwich.

Go Italian with this yummy Pasta Carbonara. Photo by the author.

Back when I was a freshman, the Evanston dining scene was all the rage. Between Joy Yee’s, Flat Top and Lulu’s, I couldn’t get enough. But my affinity for the restaurants in our lovely suburban college town has faded.

I now find that I’d much rather cook for my friends than go out to eat. And even if I don’t have an abundance of ingredients to whip up a gourmet feast, I know that I can always fall back on these last-minute recipes using ingredients I have in my fridge and pantry. They’re guaranteed to please my friends and save us all a pretty penny.

1. Pasta Carbonara

Pasta Carbonara is a classic Italian dish that is essentially pasta with ham and egg. The dish is traditionally made with guanciale, or cured pork jowl, but I can guarantee you won’t find pig jowls just lying around in any college kitchen. Luckily, bacon is an easy substitute for the guanciale and the dish will be just as delicious. Pasta Carbonara is a real crowd-pleaser because, let’s face it, who doesn’t love bacon? Well, me. But that’s a story for another column.

What You’ll Need:
• 1 lb. pasta (I prefer to use spaghetti, fettuccine or egg noodles, but any pasta will do)
• 6 slices bacon, chopped into bite-size pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ¾ cup grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. While the water is coming up to a boil, heat a medium skillet over high heat and add the bacon, continuing to stir so that the pieces do not burn.
3. Once the water is boiling, add a generous amount of salt and the pasta and cook for the amount of time listed on the box.
4. When the bacon starts to render and begins to crisp, add the garlic and reduce the heat very slightly.
5. Add the beaten eggs, a generous sprinkling of pepper and ½ cup of the grated cheese to the bowl you will serve the pasta in.
6. Right before the pasta is done cooking, add the garlic and bacon mixture to the bowl and then immediately drain the pasta and add it to the bowl.
7. Mix all of the ingredients together. The heat of the pasta will cook the eggs and create a creamy sauce.
8. Finish the dish by garnishing it with a bit more pepper and the remaining ¼ cup of cheese.

2. “Method” Salad

I believe that learning to cook is much more about learning methods than memorizing specific recipes. This is especially true when it comes to making salads. There are a million different ways to make a salad, but you can’t go wrong when you combine something crunchy, something crispy, something chewy and something cheesy. And no iceberg lettuce!

• Lettuce: Leafy greens are the way to go. Field greens and baby spinach are a safe bet, but if you want something with a spicier kick, try baby arugula or watercress.
• Crunchy: Toasted nuts are always great. Walnuts and pecans will definitely work, but you can experiment with sunflower seeds or pistachio nuts.
• Crispy: I prefer to use something that is slightly sweet, such as sliced crispy apples or pears. If you want something more savory, try sliced bell peppers or sliced red onions.
• Chewy: Dried fruit is a lovely complement in any salad. Raisins or dried cranberries work well, but you can also try dates or dried figs.
• Cheesy: For creamier cheeses, go with goat cheese or bleu cheese. If you want something saltier, try feta, ricotta salata or shaved parmesan.

3. “Method” Dressing

You can really take this dressing in any direction you want, depending on what vinegar and oil you use, what herbs you add to it and whatever else you might throw in. Here’s my recipe for the most basic version, but you can dress it up any which way you like.

What You’ll Need:
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
• ¼ cup vinegar (red wine, white wine, champagne and cider will all work well, but I would avoid using balsamic)
• 2/3 cup oil (olive oil, grapeseed oil, safflower oil and walnut oil will all do)

1. Mix the mustard, honey and vinegar together.
2. Whisk vigorously as you slowly add the oil so that the dressing emulsifies.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.

But here’s the thing. There’s only so much stir-fry a body can eat. There’s a better way: a healthy, cheap way to eat that also tastes good. It’s possible — even easy — to eat healthy for under a hundred dollars a week.

Most of the tips floating around have merit. The darker the green, the richer the vitamins. Lentils or beans and rice make a complete protein. And a lot of healthy eating comes down to portion control. Just because something is ‘healthy’ does not mean eating four servings is an acceptable approach.

All costs are estimated by prices from the Evanston Jewel-Osco. The costs per recipe are for all servings, so they’re cheaper for just one!

Pantry Basics

One of the ways to make preparing healthy, low-cost meals easy is to stock a simple and effective pantry. With just these few ingredients, you can make flavorful marinades, dressings, and seasonings. Granted, that first shop might be a little steep and, perhaps, shocking, but it’ll be worth it and the ingredients will last about a month.

• Olive Oil
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Soy Sauce
• Honey
• Butter
• Salt
• Pepper
• Dried Oregano, Rosemary, and other spices
• Garlic

Cost: $32.42

The Recipes

Here are some simple recipes that are healthy, satisfying, and cheap! With just basic pantry and cooking staples, it’s easy to stay under the $1,683 per quarter base dining hall meal plan. So by the time it’s finals and you’re really in need of a quick meal, you’ve got cash — and calories — to spare.

Try this one from Danby. Photo by richkidsunite, licensed under the Creative Commons.

1. The fridge. There are some items every college student should have that should just go without saying. A refrigerator is one of them. According to dorm bylaws, these must be no bigger than three cubic feet (though honestly, who’s going to notice a few extra inches?) which makes getting one with a built-in freezer almost impossible. Though it’s true that most dorm kitchens come with a fridge, food theft is rampant. Even if you duct tape and Sharpie your left-overs, there is a high chance some punk is going to grab it for his midnight snack. It’s probably best to just buy your own mini-fridge and keep it in your room. Inside every dorm fridge there should be some form of: soda, chip dip (yes, hummus counts), fruit or veggies (can be hoarded from a dining hall), yogurt-type snacks (includes pudding), deli meat (for the dedicated) and milk.

2. The toaster oven. Toaster ovens are the ideal cooking device for a college student: all the simple benefits of an actual oven without all that space. The only downside to the toaster is that it can get messy, so remember to clean it out after almost every use. Toasters make bread last longer, buttered bagels greasier and turn plain pita bread into something magical: pita chips. I first discovered pita chips this summer and have been hooked ever since. They are cheap, easy, go perfectly with any dip (especially hummus) and are healthier than regular chips. Try ‘em out!

3. Tupperware. Though it may hark back to housewives of the ’50s, Tupperware is the perfect space-saving storage solution. You can store fruit, snacks and even leftovers without stinking up your room (and pissing off your roommate) or having your food go bad prematurely. The best part is that it can go directly into the microwave. Your best bets are these from Bed Bath & Beyond.

4. The electric kettle. If you like a cup of tea before bed or with your morning oatmeal, the electric kettle is essential. Even if you’re not a tea person, the electric kettle makes Easy Mac even easier. It also comes in handy for making Spicy Late-Night Noodles, perfect for those midterm munchies. A cheap (but good) option is the Presto Electric Tea Kettle, available at Target.

5. Popcorn. The most basic dorm kitchen necessity. The perfect midnight snack, it can be simple, quick and light. If you’re more daring, you can experiment by adding almost any spice, condiment or dessert sauce imaginable to make your popcorn fancy.

Other essentials to keep in stock:
• Utensils (not plastic; be good to the environment)
• A relatively large bowl
• A mixing spoon
• A mug
• A sharp knife
• Paper towels
• Dishwasher liquid
• A sponge (you’ll want your own)

For the “pantry”:
• Salt (kosher or table) and pepper
• Curry powder
• Hot sauce (Sriracha or Tabasco)
• Sugar
• Cinnamon
• Peanut butter
• Olive oil
• Butter
• Garlic
• Tea or hot chocolate for when the weather gets colder

The Hamburger. What was once pedestrian Americana, the territory of backyard barbecues and fast food chains, has enjoyed a rebirth of late. Thanks to chefs like Daniel Boulud — whose $120 signature burger combines sirloin, braised short ribs, black truffles and foie gras — the burger has been elevated to gourmet status.

Now I’m not suggesting you break out the black truffles, but these home gourmet burgers are delicious, easy to make and can take on a range of flavors depending on what you put in the herb butter.

Rosemary-Garlic Burgers

What You’ll Need: (makes 4 burgers)

• 1.5 lbs 80/20 ground chuck beef. (80/20 means this ground beef has 20 percent fat content. The fat content keeps the burgers from drying out when they cook)
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 or 3 cloves of garlic*
• 1 tablespoon of Rosemary*
• Salt and pepper
• 10 mushrooms, sliced
• Half an onion, sliced
• Lettuce, only the green, leafy part
• 4 slices fontina cheese
• 4 buns, either brioche or potato rolls

*You can use whatever herbs and spices you want in the butter, just change the toppings to suit. For instance, put Middle Eastern spices in the butter and serve the burgers on pita.

1. Put the butter in a small mixing bowl, add pressed garlic and rosemary and stir well.
2. Roll the herb butter in a sheet of plastic wrap, forming a log and refrigerate until solid.
3. Put the ground meat in a mixing bowl, sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper, mixing with your hands to make sure there’s even seasoning.
4. Divide the meat into 4ths and lightly form into balls.
5. Cut 4 ½ inch slices of herb butter and push them into the center of the burgers. You might have to re-form the balls around the butter pats.
6. Heat up a large frying pan, place the burgers on the pan, then immediately flatten them into patties with a spatula.
7. Cook until done, 4-5 minutes per side. During the last few minutes, put the cheese on the burgers.
   Right after you take the burgers out of the pan, add the mushrooms and sauté 1-2 minutes until soft. Top the burgers with mushrooms, lettuce and onions.

*Note: you will definitely have herb butter left over, so optionally, you can spread some on both inside faces of the buns, top with the cheese and toast in the oven while the burgers are cooking.

Photo by Katie Chen / North by Northwestern.

On a crisp Saturday morning, the Taiwanese-American Student Club made an outing down the El to Chinatown. There were only two items on the agenda: eating as much dim sum as possible and shopping for any must-have Asian groceries. Happy Chef was the restaurant of choice; the members of the group sat down at large, white round tables to order their eagerly anticipated lunch. Dim sum restaurants offer more than a meal; eating dim sum is a little journey of its own.

Why eat dim sum when you have all you can eat dining halls? First of all, eating dim sum is fun in itself to order and choose. Secondly, and most obviously, it tastes so damn amazing! There are so many choices that you can have the best of all the world’s cuisine. You can get whatever you want, be it spicy, fried, boiled, steamed, simmered, broiled, stir fry, roasted, or drenched in sauce. Since the dishes come in little portions, you can either get a lot of something you find delicious or choose to stuff yourself with a number of different, equally delicious appetizers. When your parents visit, you can take them to a dim sum restaurant and show them how cultured and skilled you are.

The History and Background

Dim sum is a Chinese form of cuisine whose name literally translates to “a little bit of heart” or “a little delicacy.” In other words, dim sum doesn’t consist of huge entrées, like pasta or steak. Customers are expected to try a little bit of everything they want, like having a series of small appetizers. Serving portions are usually around three to five pieces of each delicacy. Ingredients range from meat (beef, pork, chicken), seafood (crab, shrimp, clam), and fried goods to fruits (cantaloupe, oranges) and vegetables (bok choi, Chinese broccoli). There’s no standard form to the dishes. They range from porridge to pastries, dumplings and buns. Local restaurants frequently create their own unique specialties, so the dim sum catalog is ever-expanding, but most restaurants carry common staples.

How to Eat Dim Sum

Most dim sum newbies get confused during the ordering process. There are two ways to order your food and depending on the style, each restaurant generally sticks to one method or the other. The first and more traditional type of restaurant has the waiters push around two-tiered carts that have the dishes out on display. The customer is presented with an array of food sitting in a little circular tin or bamboo containers. They can pick and choose as much as they want. Other places, like Happy Chef, have a menu already set up on the table with a pencil for the customers to check off how many of each dish they want.

Since there are so many appetizers to create, dim sum is rarely home-cooked. Instead, visiting the restaurants on occasion gives families a chance to congregate together in a comfortable setting. On weekends, they can take breaks from their busy lives to bring family and friends together around one table.

Yum Cha, Cantonese for “tea drinking,” begins the meal. When sitting down for dim sum, it is respectful for the people who first get the teapot to serve everybody else at the table before pouring a cup for themselves. The tea beverage is a crucial part to the overall experience since it can help cleanse the palate between each dish and add a soothing drink that complements each appetizer. Oolong, jasmine, and chrysanthemum are some of the varieties of tea usually offered.

A little saucer is also placed on the table for customers. Some restaurants provide chili paste and Chinese hot mustard, while others give soy sauce with chili. If the restaurant is very dedicated, then it might supply extra dipping sauces for specialized dishes.

Top Ten Classic Dim Sum Dishes Everyone Should Try
(* = Vegetarian)

1. Shumai: This is the ubiquitous appetizer that comes to everyone’s mind when dim sum is mentioned. The steamed dumpling is filled with pork with a dash of cabbage, mushrooms, shrimp or prawn.
2. Char Siu Bao: The best ones have light, fluffy white buns that melt into sweet bliss when you bite into them. They surprise you with a chunk of smoky, drool-worthy barbecued pork slathered in sauce in the center.
3. Savory (Salty) dumplings: This dumpling isn’t soft and chewy, like normal: the rice-flour is deep fried to a golden crunch on the outside and has delicious, salty meat inside.
4. Spring Rolls: Spring rolls come with a special soy and vinegar blend that brings out the juicy taste of cabbage, carrot, pork and the crispy fried outer shell.
5. Roasted Duck: The duck is sliced into medium-sized pieces with the skin still hot and the meat still steaming. The sauce it comes in is one of the best. It also has a tangy sweet and sour dip that comes as a side.
6. Lotus Leaf Rice*: The moment you open the lotus leaf, the wonderful aroma wafts from the wrap, enticing you to eat the whole thing at once. The tea leaf smell is the most amazing part. The sticky rice has mushrooms and pork hidden inside, depending on the restaurant.
7. Dumplings and Pot stickers: Try them all.
8. Rice Noodle Roll*: This is fairly self-explanatory.
9. Egg Tart*: This tart works well as a sweet dessert. It has a creamy, yellow center and a warm, baked, flaky exterior.
10. Sesame Seed Balls*: This can be considered a dessert as well. Each ball of dough is deep fried on the outside and chewy and sweet, with a sesame seed cover.

You can feel good about this sustainable sandwich. Photo by the author.

My ideal Saturday begins with a morning workout and a trip to the local Farmers’ Market. I flew back to Northwestern this weekend and made it a point to take a trip to the farmers’ market located on Oak Avenue and University Place. I had plans to cook lunch with a good friend and created a little challenge: Our meal would be prepared using only ingredients from the farmers’ market. Here’s proof that taking advantage of local and seasonal products is not only environmental and health conscious, but lots of fun, too.

What I bought:

• 1 loaf of sourdough wheat bread – $5
• 1 bunch of wild arugula – $2
• 1 4 oz. package of Wisconsin goat cheese – $4
• 1 head of garlic – $.50
• 1 lb patty pan squash – $2
• 2 small bell peppers (1 red and 1 purple) – $1
• 1 medium cippollini onion- $.50

Total Cost: $15. It may seem expensive, but it’s cheaper than if the two of us had gone out to lunch.

Roasted Red Pepper, Arugula and Onion Panini

When my friend Mike showed me his sweet panini press, I knew we had to use it. This sandwich works well without heating the bread, but if you want a warm sandwich and don’t have a panini press, you can just place the sandwich in a skillet over medium-high heat and weigh it down with another skillet and a few cans.

What You’ll Need:

• 4 thick slices of rustic bread (i.e. sourdough, ciabatta or a boule)
• 8 arugula leaves
• 1 medium cippollini onion (or another sweet onion variety), sliced into ¼ inch rounds
• 2 small bell peppers, roasted*
• 2 oz. goat cheese

1. To roast the peppers, turn a gas burner on to the highest heat and place the peppers directly over the flame. Leave the peppers until the side begins to blacken and blister and continue to turn until all the sides look like that.*
2. Immediately remove the peppers from the heat and place into a brown paper bag, making sure to fold over the top so that the peppers can steam.

While the peppers are steaming, place the onions on the panini press and cook for about 5-10 minutes until they are browned on both sides. You can grill the onions or lightly sauté them in the pan until they are tender and translucent if you don’t have a panini press.

3. After the onions are finished, set aside and remove the peppers from the paper bag. Peel the skin from the peppers and slice each pepper into four large slices, cutting the flesh from the ribs and seeds.
4. To assemble the sandwich, spread an ounce of cheese each on two of the bread slices and divide the rest of the ingredients in half, layering arugula, onions, and finally the peppers. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place the second bread slice on top of the peppers and place under the panini press for 5-10 minutes until the bread is crisp and browned. Serve immediately!

*If you have an electric stove, you can just slice the peppers into long strips and sauté them in a bit of oil until tender.

Sautéed Patty Pans

The best kind of UFO. Photo by the author.

Patty pan is a delicate squash varietal that looks like a flying saucer and tastes similar to yellow summer squash. I always seek it out when I go shopping at the farmers’ market because it looks so intriguing and tastes delicious even when simply sautéed with a little bit of butter, salt, and pepper. I was thrilled when I discovered some on Saturday, and later turned them into a delicious side dish to serve alongside our paninis.

What you’ll need:

• 1 pound of patty pans, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup water
• 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Salt and pepper

1. Place the chopped patty pan into a sauté pan and cover with the 1/2 cup of water. Cook covered over medium-high heat until the water has dissolved and the squash is tender.
2. Add the oil and garlic to the pan and increase the heat slightly.
3. Sauté the squash until they are golden brown and slightly caramelized, about 7-10 minutes.
4. Add the butter and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Serve as soon as the butter is completely melted and coats the patty pan.