Market fish with brown butter, almonds and haricots verts

This Monday, January 23, 2012 is the official start of the Chinese New Year. But what’s in it for you?

House-made brioche loaf

Ingrid

Dining downstairs

The Chinese New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. In China, it is known as “Spring Festival,” the literal translation of the Chinese name 春節 (Pinyin: Chūn Jié).  In the  Chinese calendar, spring starts with lichun, the first solar term in a Chinese calendar year. It denotes the end of the winter season. Because the Chinese calendar is lunar-based , in the Western Gregorian calendar, Chinese New Year falls on different dates each year between January 21 and February 20. In the Chinese calendar the Chinese New Year usually falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice.

The Chinese New Year is full of customs and traditions that carry significance for those who participate. Really, it’s a festival of presents, decorating, and feasting. One tradition includes house cleaning to literally sweep away any ill-fortune to make room for incoming luck. Windows and doors are decorated with red paper-cuts and lanterns with themes of good fortune, happiness, wealth and longevity.

On the Eve of the Chinese New Year, families feast on pigs, ducks, chicken and sweets. The night closes with firecrackers. And then early the next morning, children open red envelopes with money inside. But the end goal of the celebration and festivities is to observe the coming of spring; a fresh start, and a time of reconciliation, forgiveness, and peace.

Oh yeah

Mussels

Potato Puree in the making

Upstairs

Tried the warm marinated mushrooms yet?

Aioli on the fries

So how can you revel in the Chinese New Year?

The 2012 Lunar New Year Parade celebrating the Year of the DRAGON 4710 will include marching bands, floats, lions teams, a mystical dragon, and more. This year’s parade also kicks off celebrations of the Chinatown Centennial 1912-2012. Parade step-off time is 1:00PM

Ready to indulge in a little feasting of your own? The Eater Chicago has compiled a list of spots to scope out.

And if you’re ready to roll your sleeves up and dive into the action, there’s no better place than the Chicago Chinese Cultural Institute. They offer walking tours of Chinatown, kite-making classes, Chinese courses, dumpling making and more.

Or, you can be utterly untraditional, and just come have dinner on Monday night at Maude’s and celebrate the Chinese New Year with a nice bottle of bubbly and a raw tower.

Red wine on a cold night

Unpacking a meat delivery

Creme brulee and drifting burnt sugar smoke

Slicing brioche

Sprouts

What is traditionally the most dreaded day of the week is about to get a bit brighter. Maude’s is now open on Mondays.

“Moon day”, as it was called in Old English was, of course, named after the cycle of the moon. In paegan culture this day was devoted to the goddess of the moon, as Sunday was to the sun.

Later the day became the start of the work week, and thus much detested and affiliated with the travails of life. Mondays in New York City tenements were famously known as washing days— laundry was strung up all across the streets in zig-zagging patterns, thick with linens. Then there came Blue Monday, a much-disputed “mathematical” equation that defines a Monday in January of each year to be the most depressing day. So, it’s easy to see how this day of the week has gotten a bad rap.

Au jus

Tony works a Lyonnaise

Bottles of spirit at the upstairs bar

Burning sugar on the brulee

Whatever the etymology and pop-culture connotations, as far as we’re concerned, Monday is looking up. The tinker of glasses, the clatter of ice in cocktails being shaken, the clink of silverware, and the voices in conversation sharing stories under the chandeliers and among the cozy spaces are just a bit of what’s about to make Mondays better. Not to mention the scents of warm melting cheese on the fondue, steak sizzling on the grill, the salinity of fresh oysters, burnt sugar on the brulee— yeah, bring on Mondays.

Pouring wine at the downstairs bar

Typical night

Shaved vegetable salad with blue cheese crumbles

Dustin on the garde manger station

Aaryn

Working on pigs feet

Delicious

At the host stand

Triple creme Delice de Bourgogne

Decisions, decisions

Wine glasses on the shelf

We all love a flute of bubbling, effervescent Champagne now and again, but how often do we consider the producers behind the delicate floating bubbles or tingly flash on our tongues?

Champagne production has traditionally been old-world craft passed down through family generations from father to son. While this is changing, with some Champagne houses being publicly or corporately owned, it is still tradition that rules the Champenois. There are however, exceptions, and Maude’s pours a Champagne from a history-changing house.

Escargot

Brussels sprouts with perfectly blackened edges

It’s a rare thing to see a Champagne house run by a woman, but that’s precisely what Carol Duval-Leroy has been doing since 1991. Seeped in history, the house of Duval-Leroy has been producing Champagne since 1859, when two growers merged to create the company. Subsequently and was handed down from father to son without interruption. That is until the sudden death of Carol’s husband, when she took over as CEO of the company. In an interview given to Wine Korea, she spoke of being a woman at the helm of a Champagne house, “In the beginning it was very complicated. All the champagne houses were dominated by men who expected me to fail. They made offers to buy the company.  I had to prove I could lead my company. At a party in front of one thousand people I publicly stated, ‘I’m not for sale.’” 1.

Early on a December evening

Close up on the crab legs

Rising to the challenge, Carol Duval-Leroy invested heavily in modernisation and it has paid off.  Quality has notably improved during Carol Duval-Leroy’s reign. Duval-Leroy is, today, one of the top 10 Champagne producers. It is also among the larger Champagne houses. Based in Vertus, the 200 hectacre vineyard produces mainly Chardonnay grapes and also purchases grapes from 48 different villages. 30 people manage the vineyard year round, and during the harvest time, 500 grape pickers join the permanent staff. In-house presses receive the grapes as they are picked along with those purchased from other wine growers.2

On the rocks

Dapper gents behind the bar

Upstairs

It’s a busy operation and one that requires a more than deft and capable CEO.  Perhaps surprisingly, 43 percent of the Duval-Leroy employees are women— and the company employs the only female cellar-master in Champagne. 3

Marrow

Jeremy

Martin talks with guests

The Duval-Leroy Rose Cuvée Prestige, Brut, Non-Vintage Champagne is elegant and nuanced enough to be a fantastic pairing with all raw bar items at Maude’s but it also has enough structure to accompany richer dishes like the steak tartare, bone marrow and escargot. Not perhaps unlike its maker. Next time you raise your glass of Duval-Leroy Champagne, know that there’s a woman behind those bubbles.

1. http://www.winekorea.asia/?p=865

2. http://www.duval-leroy.com/

3. http://www.sevenstarsandstripes.com/wine.asp?pagetoshow=content/wine/DuvalLeroy/index&sl=

Pigs feet soak in the kitchen sink

Bar tools

A gift to Maude's from a grateful guest

Stan

Iron to the sugar on a creme brulee

A hearty Lyonnaise salad

The upper flame bends and bows above the racks

Tis the season, and we couldn’t help but notice that there are several holiday markets happening this weekend. And, yes, it’s massively sappy to walk around drinking glogg from a ceramic boot, watching Christmas trees light up and shopping for presents; but dare we admit, it’s kind of fun, too. And hey, it only happens once a year, so we’re embracing a little sap, just this once.

The hip-hip-hipster Logan Square neighborhood is even getting in on the markets this season. In a sure sign of its gentrification, Logan Square is hosting its 1st annual Holidays on the Square.  Participating businesses will be celebrating the season with sweets, treats, tastings, delicious pop up shops, trunk shows, cupcake food truck, Santa, a tree lighting and more.  Saturday, Dec. 3. www.holidaysonthesquare.net

Jeff

Stirring a drink at the bar

Aaryn behind the bar

Cocktail

The German-American enclave of Lincoln Square is hosting its 4th annual Christkindl Market that “blends Old World traditions with New World twists to create a unique event that has something for everyone, including Christmas carolers and choirs, local folk musicians and bands, Kids Korner with St. Nick; young-adult mix and mingle, and perennial favorites hot chocolate, gluhwein, and craft beers.” We like the last one on that list.  Friday, Dec. 2, – Sunday, Dec. 4. www.chicagoevents.com

Zach at the host stand cracking jokes

A beautiful bibb

Upstairs reflected

Pic Saint Loup

Get the gift shopping out of the way at the Renegade Craft Fair. At the Pulaski Field House, it’s free and open to the public with workshops, food, booze and unique gifts made my local artisans. What’s not to love? Saturday, Dec. 3, – Sunday, Dec. 4. www.renegadecraft.com

Sharing a dessert is nice, but having your own is better

A little something that the kitchen is trying out

Huitres

Working toast on the grill

Anthony

Lounging upstairs

Candle-lit table

Oh, Zach...

Measuring cups out of the dishwasher

Up for a little beverage Q & A? Here we go: What’s up with the multi-vintage label on the Krug Champagne at Maude’s, you ask? Well, we answer, multi-vintage is a term crafted by Krug itself. But what it indicates is that it’s a Champagne blended from the best vintages, a combination of the meilleures annees from the region, whereas a non-vintage indicates being blended as an introductory bottle, the juice not deemed quality enough for a vintage cuvee. Other houses have followed suit releasing their own multi-vintage Champagnes.

The multi-vintage Krug is produced in the traditional Method Champenoise with extended lees again and barrel fermentation. The grape make up is largely Chardonnay (about 45%), finished with Pinot Noir and small amounts of Pinot Meunier. The result blends tastes of sweet fruits such as apple crisp, pear pie, and lemon meringue with white flower, toasted hazelnut, and vanilla brioche. This Champagne also has a great chalky minerality. The bottom line is that this is incredibly rich, full and dry— a perfect Champagne to drink throughout an entire meal. And as added incentive, this is a bottle that pairs well with steak tartare, country terrine, lobster cocktail, foe gras mousse at Maude’s.

Short rib with herbed gnocchi

The large, make that, very large, new stove

Working on a tower

Decisions, decisions

Paillard

Expanded seating upstairs

Tony working on a raw tower

Anthony steers a raw tower out to the dining room

Whitney putting a little muscle into the smash

Hanging out at the bar

Cocktail time

Stacks of old books in the front curio

Salmon

Chicken

Another tower in the making

Wine pour

Upstairs dining

Garde manger station

Abbie

Halloween parties are in full swing, and what could be a better way to celebrate the macabre, goblins, ghosts AND the harvest season than to don a costume and hit up the  Green City Market Junior Board’s Masquerade de Mercado Oct. 30.

A dozen chefs are participating in the event and there will be live drawings for dinner packages, theater tickets and more. There will be plenty to eat, drink with chef DJ’s spinning music and sharing food.

Proceeds from this fundraiser go to support Green City Market’s educational programming and upcoming winter market at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.

Green City Market Junior Board’s Masquerade de Mercado, 4-8 p.m. Oct. 30 at Carnivale (702 W. Fulton Market). Tickets are $65.

Bar tools

Shaved vegetable salad

On the line

Table-side

At the bar

Spices in the kitchen

Blood sausage

Mussels

Tables through the garde manger station

Seeing double

Aaryn

Fondu

Drinks for a table

If you’re into food and good writing, and haven’t heard of Lucky Peach, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. And if you have heard of, and even read the first issue of Lucky Peach, you’re also in for a pleasant surprise. The Eater.com has reported the second issue is at the printers and should be coming out in mid-November. The team at Maude’s are big fans of the first issue, which was largely devoted to all things ramen. And according to the Eater.com, the second issue has taken up the sweet spot as its mise a point.

Shaved vegetable salad

Maude’s

Awaiting drinks

In the kitchen

 Lucky Peach, could just as easily have been called the Gilded Peach as it’s the progeny of so many amazing talents. If you’re not familiar, Lucky Peach is published by the literary gods at McSweeney’s, which was founded by one of America’s most eulogized  authors, Dave Eggers. Now Lucky Peach is the creation of David Chang, of the Momofuku restaurant fame along with writer Peter Meehan, and Zero Point Zero Production who are the producers of Anthony Bourdain’s popular show No Reservations.

Two plates, one hand

Whitney behind the bar

Escargot

Danielle at the garde manger station

Shrimp

Dining upstairs

Lentils

According to the Lucky Peach website, “Each issue will explore a single topic through a mélange of travelogue, essays, art, photography, interviews, rants, and, of course, recipes. The journal will be full color and perfect bound, with an eye toward exploring new recipe designs. The aim of Lucky Peach is to create a publication that appeals to diehard foodies as well as fans of good writing and art in general.” Auspicious, right?

Housemade jam dribbles out of its cup

Looking out wet window panes at a rainy evening

Still not convinced that you need Lucky Peach in your life? take a peek at the first issue on their website and we’re willing to bet that you’ll soon be devotees like us, waiting patiently at the mailbox for issue two.

http://www.mcsweeneys.net/luckypeach

Salad Lyonnaise

Dessert time

Kitchen stacks

Blood sausage

Martin expedites

Perfectly blackened Brussels sprouts

Steak tartare

The latest from Maude’s is perhaps best stated in images.

Fall sunlight hits Maude's exterior

In the kitchen

Sprouts are back on the menu

Busy dining room

A picture perfect Old Fashioned

On the lighter side— the bibb salad

Terrine with toast

Slicing through a juicy steak

More banquette seating scoops around the farm table upstairs

Jeremy reaches for a pot above the line

Rebecca

Line caught Scottish salmon, anyone?

This Old Cuban makes a splash

Katie dishes on the evening's menu at Maude's

At the host stand

Shrimp cocktail

A few of the guys from Bangers and Lace stopped by for drinks

Smashin' it up

Paillard with baby heirloom tomatoes

A few mouth watering photos to tide you over until your next dinner reservation.

At the tap

Finely sliced salmon for the tartare

Chocolate chunks

Dinner under the chandelier

Menu options

Seasonal corn won't be on the menu for much longer, get it while it's still here

Lindy

Curio through the mirror

Diners

Cool tie clip, Martin

So there!

Blood sausage in the early phases

Conversation at the bar

TJ works on a cocktail

Sexy salad

This week in the kitchen the conversation turned to sexy salads, like the one you see above. Speaking of sexy, everyone knows that certain foods are aphrodisiacs. We’ve listed 10 aphrodisiacs for your consideration. Our picks run the gamut, from classics like oysters to the always popular cobra blood.

Next time you’re scanning the menu on a hot date, you’ll know how to order. And by the way, Maude’s has 2 of the 10 on their menu.

At the bar

A magnificent raw tower

Champagne wishes

1. Oysters. Everybody’s favorite and a classic aphrodisiac.

2. Chocolate. Another easy one, and again who doesn’t love chocolate?

3. Asparagus. A great source of folic acid, which can increase histamine production, which in turns helps out with getting to the big O.

4. Avocados. Another folic acid gem.

At Maude's

Bright green on the escargot

5. Basil. This little herb not only smells amazing, it also helps with circulation.

6. Chilies. They release endorphins and make everything tingly.

7. Honey. There’s loads of Vitamin B in the bees by-product which helps out with testosterone levels.

Danielle

Dining upstairs at Maude's

Martin expedites

Golden and crispy

8.Figs. These teardrop shaped fruits are symbolic of fertility in a few cultures and loaded with antioxidants

9.Bananas. They’re a good source of vitamins and the phallic shape doesn’t hurt either.

10. Cobra Blood. Yes, that’s right, nothing like some good old-fashioned cobra blood to get your mojo on. There’s no known science behind this alleged aphrodisiac but in parts of Vietnam and Thailand you can order up a cobra blood cocktail. So next time you’re there….

Tony checks marrow as his family was dining downstairs

Matt peers around the kitchen corner

Chocolate morsels end the meal

And if all this isn’t enough for you, there’s a whole cookbook devoted to the subject, Cook to Bang, Recipes to Get You Laid.