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I think the bbq would be improved if they let the chefs prepare anything they wanted, provided some element was from the market. When we first started this event, there were only really a few chefs that were dedicated to buying from the market. If they were told to use products available at the market, most did, but still got there inventory from their regular vendors, not the actual farmers. Many simply made their garnish a herb from the market. I remember one year, when I had tried very hard just to recruit chefs to donate their food and time to this cause, many got calls from Abby Mandel asking questions like in which river in Illinois did they catch the baby octopus? We thought at the time, that was kind of rude of Abby, dictating to the chefs who were making an expensive donation, to tell them what they could and could not do. But that was Abby, being Abby, and she was not wrong at all. Now, however, the whole concept has come a really long way. If you shop the market on Saturdays, the chefs and restaurant folks are everywhere, buying large flats of produce. We all get the local thing now. I believe if you have 80 chefs, to have them all cooking with the same market products, you just can't avoid a lot or repetition. Letting them make anything they want would make for a lot more enjoyable variety for all of the guests. A few soft shelled crab or seafood dishes would have been great. Chocolate too. Just mho.

This was a magnificent event, one of the highlights of the summer, no doubt, yet I felt guilty dumping one-third or more of just about everything I tasted because the servings were just too large, and I wanted to try more.

Not sure if it's possible, but I would actually try to limit chefs to, say, a 2 oz. serving of whatever they're doing. May 2 oz. is unrealistic, but if a quantity cap of some kind could be imposed on servings, there would be less waste...and more taste.

I suggest this across-the-board limitation because I think if there's no cap, chefs will continue to be generous with their offerings, and no one will want to be one of the few who seems to be skimping.

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“We all have to stand before the kitchen gods.” Chef Jacob Sahaya Kumar Aruni

I have also suggested that they could divide the chefs in half and have two events, one at the beginning of summer, one at the end. They could then divide the cost, so each could be $50, or even $60 to cover the cost of expenses. (the fence, port-o-potties, band etc would also be doubled) However this would be hell on Rita Gutekanst, owner of Limelight Catering, who does all the layout work. She does an amazing job of organizing all this, and I would highly recommend her if you ever need a good caterer.

I really don't want to criticize anything... but boy I would have loved it if I could have gone back fresh the next day, and tried all those things I never got to try at the other end...

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Watch Sky Full of Bacon, the Chicago food HD podcast!
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This would also showcase the different foods available earlier and later in the season.

My fiancée and I brought tupperware. It might sound cheap, but I really enjoyed my re-toasted banh mis last night!

I love & 'third' the idea of offering early and late Chef's BBQs to highlight different market produce -- although I'm sure it would really ramp up the work on the poor organizers!


I couldn't get into mado's prepared heart, but all the comments I have read on here are so positive about it. To me, it tasted like salty, meat-flavored chewing gum. I didn't get any sense of richness or gaminess ... but I also have never had heart before, so maybe that's just what it tastes like? Any tasting advice that might help me better enjoy some internal organs in the future?

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pizza fun

I wasn't in love with Mado's heart either. I liked the texture, but the taste was a little too funky for me.

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-Josh

An amuse bouche at breakfast is called a Bloody Mary - Scott Manlin

Nah, you don't need the advice. Cow hearts just suck. Other animal organs are better.

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...defended from strong temptations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions." Screwtape in The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

Fuckerberg on Food

I thought about Kenny when I bit into this heart (having witnessed him spitting anti-heart invective at Mado). I like heart in general, and at Mado in particular. I did not like this heart. Maybe I was there late, but it was tough (one of Kenny's complaints), cooked through and through, and not a weird, livery match with the slaw.

When I stopped by to eat heart, Rob mentioned that he was wondering what internal organ to feature next year. I pushed for pancreas...

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“We all have to stand before the kitchen gods.” Chef Jacob Sahaya Kumar Aruni

I enjoyed the serving of heart I had at the BBQ, but not at much as the preparations I normally enjoy at Mado. At the restaurant, Rob usually serves the heart rare, which I think is the way to go.

The heart I shared with ronnie_suburban last October, served rare with bitter greens and pickled padron peppers, along side cornbread topped with whipped suet, was a study in how delicious heart can be.

As far as Kenny's dislike of heart in general... well... he's just wrong.

-Dan

Ah, cheers all -- interesting to hear the variety of views on heart-munching. I'm open to trying it rarer, if it means it has a softer texture. I was just wondering if I was perhaps being totally taste-blind to something that others knew enough to pick up on, from their experience.

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pizza fun

I had it very early on, and it was very tender. But entirely possible it toughened up over time.

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Watch Sky Full of Bacon, the Chicago food HD podcast!
New episode: Soil, Corn, Cows and Cheese
Watch the Reader's James Beard Award-winning Key Ingredient here.

Maybe so -- I don't think I had it until some time after 7:00. (Time becomes a blur with all that Bourbon Co. Stout -- I couldn't believe they were offering that!)

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pizza fun

As promised upthread, here are some random shots of a few of things I enjoyed, as well as some folks who made the event such a success . . .


Yellow Truffle enjoys a strawberry and thyme popsicle from Limelight Catering



Fire & Ice Cocktail from Park Grill
A very successful combination of jalapeno and peach



Big Jones' rack o' house-made andouille sausage



Big Jones' plated dish - charred andouille with hominy, pickled slaw and bacon-sorghum pralines
One of my faves.



Mon Ami Gabi's outstanding 'Banh Mi'
Another favorite



Mado's barbecued beef heart with mustard seed slaw



Sable's wild mushroom veggie Dog



Franks 'N Dawg's pork and caramelized onion sausage



Goose Island's boudin blanc with grilled summer squash and parsley pistou (paired with White Jacket Wit)
I really loved this one and the pairing was excellent.



Nomi's beer can chicken, in progress



Nomi's beer can chicken lettuce wrap



Paul Virant of Vie serves up some of his Italian beef with house-made gardiniera on house-baked rolls



Balsan/Ria's grilled lamb with corn and cherries (and anise hyssop)



The Smoque crew working their stall



Smoque's BBQ Tri-Tip Sandwich
A little drizzle of butter never hurt anyone.



Socca working the whole-smoked pig
A very ambitious undertaking.



Belly Shack/Urban Belly's corn with caramelized shallots, togarashi and herbs



Chris Pandel of The Bristol flipping some of his awesome burgers



Prairie Grass Cafe/Prairie Fire's George Bumbaris and Ricky having fun working the grill



A view of the throng from behind the PGC/PF stall
Yes, it was crowded but the line here moved pretty fast.



PGC/PF's bbq brisket with house-made spicy gardiniera and vegetables



Dale Levitski of Sprout passionately describes his dish



The Chilam Bilam crew



Chilam Bilam's squash blossom quesadilla with jack cheese, epazote and spicy heirloom tomato salsa



Old Town Social's "Kasekrainer"
I had 2 of these.



Fox & Obel's miniature peach upside down cake and hand pie with sweet goat cheese cream
Really nice stuff!



Lockwood's chef Phillip Foss and wife
Chef Foss' wife's miniature breads were possibly my favorite starch of the night.



Carnivale's meatball slider with spicy vegetable escabeche, served with mixed berry aqua fresca (not pictured)
Loved the light and very flavorful meatball but I was just too full to eat the rest of this massive plate.

It could turn out that these are the last pictures ever taken with this camera. I sweated so much during the event, I think I destroyed the thing. The next time I went to use it, it wouldn't even power up. Canon's having a look at it but this may turn out to be my long-trusted 20D's swan song. We shall see . . . (still worth it, either way)

=R=

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I just wanna live until I gotta die. I know I ain't perfect but God knows I try. --Todd Snider

Twitter: ronniesuburban

Awesome little story about the camera Ronnie. Reminds me about the time
my record player went kaputzky playing Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels. You've made good use of it!

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Think Yiddish, Dress British - Advice of Evil Ronnie to me.

The Local Beet's very big list of 2013 Farmer's Markets

Really beautiful pictures Ronnie. And since I didn't get to try all of the items, it's really nice to at least get to see what they looked like. Thanks!