Sunny-side down: Breakfast for dinner
Ritz-Carlton Chicago executive chef Mark Payne and the culinary team at Tabasco are providing irresistible recipes for Swap Shop readers M.F. of Olympia Fields, T.C. of Chicago and D.M. of Oak Park. Our readers requested new ideas as they join the economy-spurred trend of serving breakfast/brunch foods for evening meals.
Payne's Buckwheat Pancakes with Blueberries and his Ham and Brie Open-Faced Sandwich with Sunny-Up Egg are two of the four items starring in the hotel's new Breakfast Bento Box.
Tabasco's easy Eggs Benedict Casserole is made with packaged hollandaise sauce (though you can substitute your favorite from-scratch hollandaise) and, like Payne's dishes, is perfect any time of the day.
British-born Payne serves his buckwheat pancakes with a blueberry topping, a garnish of creme fraiche with fresh chopped thyme and lemon maple syrup (which needs to be prepared ahead for the best flavor). To duplicate his Ham and Brie Open-Faced Sandwich -- made at the hotel with organic, free range ham from Gunthorp Farms in Indiana -- Payne recommends substituting high-end, already cooked ham.
For each sandwich, shave 3 small (2-ounce) portions of ham. In a small skillet, heat 1 cup of water with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar (or enough to taste the salt and sugar flavor). Place shaved ham in water and just heat through, being careful not to keep on heat too long or the ham will become tough.
Toast half of an English muffin, slice Brie cheese (as much as desired) and begin to cook a sunny-side-up egg. Quickly, place the warmed ham on top of the toasted muffin half; add the Brie slices and, finally, the sunny-side-up egg. Payne suggests ring-cutting the egg before placing it on the sandwich to present a cleaner look; garnish with snipped chives.
I would like a recipe for kidney bean salad as is served at some salad bars.
L.W., Romeoville
Does anybody have the recipe for pasta e fagioli that was made at Jumbo John's at Grand and Damen.
R.P.S., Chicago
Please print a recipe for authentic Italian beef sandwiches and gravy that starts with raw beef as opposed to leftover cooked beef.
G.K., Chicago
Send recipes and requests to: Swap Shop, Chicago Sun-Times, 350 N. Orleans, 9th Floor, Chicago 60654 or by e-mail, swapshop@suntimes.com. Include a daytime phone number. Sorry, requests can't be answered personally.