The challenge: In honor of Kevin Gillespie, an executive chef and partner of Woodfire Grill in Atlanta, Ga. (and who we believe to be the future and rightful winner of "Top Chef"), we will be reviewing Kevin's specialty—good, ole' fashioned comfort food. After all, now that reading period and finals are coming up, we're all in the mood for some tasty, hearty food to soothe our nerves, satisfy our taste buds and keep us energized through the long nights of studying.
Dorothy's Review
"It looks like an apple pie," I thought, as my eyes spotted the criss-cross pattern of the cheese topping along with the glazed surface of the sauce atop "Mrs. Yormak's Southwestern Chicken," which was served Tuesday night in Thorne. The title of the dish, referring to a family recipe that was actually donated by a Bowdoin student, nicely complemented its homemade appearance.
Naturally, my thoughts began to happily drift towards memories of tasty apple pastries until a new, unfamiliar flavor was introduced into my mouth.
What did I taste in this glaze that richly coated the chicken? Barbecue sauce; it must have been barbecue sauce. Given my limited knowledge of southwestern food, I was very wrong at the time.
Southwestern cuisine actually derives much of its recipes from Mexican cuisine, given the region's proximity to the Mexican border. What I had mistaken for barbecue sauce, therefore, was actually a thick mixture of chili powder, chunky salsa, pepper and onions.
It kind of reminded me of mole (pronounced mo-lay), though I have personally never tried this supposedly "life-changing" sauce. Best described as a concoction of sorts, mole is an intricate blend of ingredients that range from several kinds of chile, garlic, onions, nuts, cinnamon and a small amount of chocolate. Even Rick Bayless, who is considered the pioneer of Mexican cuisine in the United States, took most of his life to perfect it.
Though the sauce on Mrs. Yormak's chicken was nowhere near as complex as mole, it too required a careful balance of flavors, which I believe was achieved. The sauce was spicy, sweet, salty, sour and smoky—all at once—and when combined with the melted cheese and bacon bits atop the chicken, the result, though not quite life-changing, was definitely memorable. My advice: try using mole next time.
Alicia's Review
As the semester comes to a close, stress is at a maximum, and rest is minimal at best. The result is for people to take comfort where they can—with food serving as a primary source of warmth and fuel. I will always remember doing homework in high school while in bed. It was one of the few places that provided relief amid the strain of my workload.
So I would sit with books and papers surrounding me, my back propped against pillows by the headboard, as I toiled haplessly through the evening.
But besides literally drowning in my work, I also remember that my mom would frequently bring me dinner in bed. I don't retain this memory because the food was particularly delicious, but rather because her gesture was simple and thoughtful—fairly typical of my mother. Furthermore, she usually prepared the same meal: Grilled cheese and soup.
This brings me to the dish I had Tuesday evening at Thorne: the grilled pepperjack panini with roasted tomato soup. The flavor of the soup was rich and sweet from the caramelized tomatoes, while the chunky texture added a rustic appeal that Campbell's cannot match.
The panini itself was something that didn't ask one to think too hard—just a single slice of pepperjack cheese pressed between two lightly crusted pieces of white bread. The soup's complexity perfectly juxtaposed the humble sandwich. To truly enjoy this sort of dish, I like to tear off a piece of the toasted bread and dip it into the tomato bath that waits expectantly alongside.
The interactive quality of the food inevitably compounds its whimsical nature. Given the option, I would eat all food only with my hands; it makes me feel more like a child.
And this time of year, that is exactly what I want. I want to feel like school work doesn't exist, that I'm eating a warm meal with family and friends while the cold ravages outdoors.
To eat something unabashedly plain and familiar like grilled cheese and tomato soup holds massive appeal for me. Truly loving food means understanding that food is about so much more than flavor; it's about what it reminds you of, and the love that goes into the preparation and the eating.
So, although the grilled cheese and soup were not prepared by my mom, or consumed in bed, I got to eat it with friends across and beside me, as I had the pleasure of having a comforting meal that reminded me of home.