The Berghoff Cafe, now in its fourth generation of family ownership, is a Chicago tradition. In The Berghoff Cafe Cookbook, author (and great-granddaughter of the founde)r Carlyn Berghoff offers recipes for beloved Berghoff dishes that have been faithful servants to a hungry clientele over the course of a century. Respecting the foundation on which the cuisine was built, but welcoming the contemporary, Carlyn adapts the recipes, eliminating laborious steps taken by generations that had time on their hands, and reducing calories to please a more health-conscious generation. "If it's prepared the way my grandmother cooked it, it is very labor intensive and often high in fat. I like the flavors and simplicity, but not the work and the calories." This is comfort food at its best.
Working with three principles - reuse, recycle and reinvent - that are used in the restaurant as well as in Carlyn's home, the recipes are masters of efficiency and economy as well as of taste. The delicious Herb-Roasted Turkey Breast yields enough to be transformed into Turkey Reuben, and/or Turkey, Okra, and Rice Soup, one of the most popular year round soups at the Berghoff Cafe. The classic pretzel has similar manifestations (see Carlyn's article on pretzels), and even the simple chocolate chip cookie takes an imaginative turn when Carlyn divides the dough in thirds and changes the flavors in each piece of dough. Simple!
Pizza has become a trademark dish at the Berghoff Cafe, though, as Carlyn tells us, "when the cafe first opened, there were no pizzas except in Italy." Today customers flock to Berghoff for their signature pizzas, many made without red sauce and with flavors added to the crust. Carlyn has included recipes for the dough which can be doubled yielding enough for two pizzas, one piece of dough in the freezer waiting for another day. We want to double the recipe to try the many variations of pizza offered in the book: Smoked Sausage and Potato Pizza; Cafe Onion and Bacon Pizza; Brat, Kraut, and Swiss Cheese Pizza with Caraway Crust; Four-Cheese Pizza; and the delicious Berghoff Veggie Pizza.
The Cafe works from sun-up to sun-down and Carlyn has included recipes to represent a full day's meals. The home cook can savor such recipes as Berghoff Nachos or Berghoff Bar Nuts Four Ways when wanting a snack. If soup is a starter, try Alsatian Onion Soup or Cafe Manhattan Clam Chowder. For main course dining try Classic Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Jus Lie and Spaetzle or Beer-Braised Pork Loin. Accompany your main course with sides of Green Beans cooked the Berghoff way or Lyonnaise Potatoes or Asparagus Vinaigrette.For dessert try Carlyn's Classic Brownies or Apple Pie Squares with Cheddar Crust, possibly Walnut-Applesauce Coffee Cake or the Berghoff Bourbon-Prune Bread Pudding. Don't forget lunch and make a hearty sandwich or a salad. Carlyn offer recipes such as a Hamburger with Beer-Braised Onions, Corned-Beef Sandwich, the Berghoff Sub or the The Real Thing Frankfurter. For salads you can whip up an Asian Chicken Salad, the original Berghoff Cafe Coleslaw or a modern Pear Salad with Greens, Candied Walnuts, and Sun-Dried Cherries.
There are color photographs by Ally Gruener throughout and the book is laced with sidebars that inform, give tips, or entertain.
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