Jo A. Kaucher - The New Chicago Diner Cookbook: Meat-Free Recipes from Americas Veggie Diner

The New

Chicago Diner

COOKBOOK

The New

Chicago Diner

COOKBOOK

Meat-free recipes from Americas veggie diner

Jo A. Kaucher with Kat Barry

& The Chicago Diner Crew

AN AGATE IMPRINT

CHICAGO

Copyright 2014 Chicago Diner, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without express written permission from the publisher.

Ebook ISBN 978-1-57284-732-3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kaucher, Jo A.,

The new Chicago Diner cookbook : meat-free recipes from Americas veggie diner / by Jo A. Kaucher with Kat Barry and the Chicago Diner crew.

pages cm

Summary: The second collection of recipes from The Chicago Diner, the citys premier vegetarian restaurant-- Provided by publisher.

Includes index.

1. Vegetarian cooking. 2. Chicago Diner. I. Barry, Kat. II. Kaucher, Jo A., 1952- Chicago Diner cookbook. III. Chicago Diner. IV. Title.

TX837.K2599 2013

641.5636--dc23

2013031522

13 14 15 16

Midway is an imprint of Agate Publishing. Agate books are available in bulk at discount prices. For more information, go to agatepublishing.com.

To our loyal customers and dedicated team

August 1982, pre-opening street fair

Contents

THE WAY A DINER SHOULD BE

Meat free since 83 is the no-bones-about-it slogan of the Chicago Diner, an unassuming vegetarian haven in a city chock-full of meat eateries. Way back in 1983, the idea of serving classic diner fare without meat seemed absurd. That the Diners tradition has withstood the test of time is a triumph of optimism, creativity, and tenacity. The Diners menu sounds familiar: burgers, fries, and shakestypical American comfort food, right? The twist: At the Diner, these classics are prepared with a side order of humanity.

Husband and wife cofounders Marshall Mickey Hornick and Chef Jo A. Kaucher first met in 1979, when they worked together at the Bread Shop Kitchen, a granola and sprouts health food eatery located at 3411 N. Halsted Street, Chicago, that had seen better days. They spent more than a year working together there, but by 1981, the Kitchen had run out of steam. The restaurant shut down, and the budding duo went their separate ways.

When he learned that Jo was leaving for California, Mickey pledged to her, Someday Ill find you, wherever you are, and well open a restaurant together. At the time, Jo wasnt entirely convinced of his sincerity, but after a year living out West (coincidentally, she was Bob Dylans next-door neighbor), she returned to the Windy City...and Mickey followed through on his promise.

Marshall Mickey Hornick and Jo A. Kaucher, Thanksgiving 1983

The location search for their new restaurant brought them to the verge of leasing a space next door to the beautiful Music Box Theater on Southport. But then the 3411 N. Halsted location, the place where theyd met a few years earlier, fortuitously became available at the last moment. There was something special about the place that just felt right. On April 2, 1983, the Chicago Diner opened in the historic painted lady edifice that it is known for today.

Jo, a self-taught chef with experience in many restaurant and hotel kitchens, drew upon her innate talent to create the menu from scratch. At age 19, she gave up meat on a lark; it turned out to be a lifelong commitment. In 1984, she was asked by notable vegetarian chef Ron Pickarski to join the sole vegan team in a field of 900 competitors in the International Culinary Olympics. They came away victorious, with two silver medals and a sense of pride and accomplishment.

3411 N. Halsted Street dining room, circa 1984

As the decades passed, word spread about the veggie diner and vegetarianism in general. The Internet helped open peoples eyes to new perspectives on health and diet, factory farming, and ecological sustainability. With good reasons, people were looking to eat less meat without feeling deprived. The Chicago Diner delivered meat-free comfort food, and then some.

At the end of 2012, on the cusp of The Chicago Diners 30th anniversary, a second location in the Logan Square neighborhood opened to an enthusiastic reception. The 2333 N. Milwaukee Avenue location serves the same menu as the original Diner amidst a contemporary mix of reclaimed wood furnishings, local artwork, and stylish fixtures. The facility also boasts a LEED Gold green building certification, evidence of the Diners mission to conduct business sustainably in a world with dwindling resources.

Both Chicago Diner locations share a spirit of warmth and kindness that perfectly compliments the comforting cuisine. Jo Kauchers passion is evident in the food; the heart of the place is inspired by her other half, Mickey Hornick, an idealistic and hopeful dreamer, Chicago native, and devoted Cubs fan (as hopeful as dreamers get). Hornicks founding principle that this is the way a diner should be lives on to this day, and now the next generation is continuing the family tradition. Hornicks nephew, Michael, became manager of the restaurants in 2011.

3411 N. Halsted Street dining room, circa 2010

Since 1983, vegetarianisms trickle has grown into a movement. American meat consumption is in decline. Environmental sustainability is increasingly a part of the collective consciousness. Riding this wave of progress, the Chicago Diner is still meat free since 83 and going strong. This kind-hearted, eco-friendly diner and its hungry fans, both new and old, are keeping the dream alive.

Over the years, the Chicago Diner has developed a reputation for surprising and delighting visitors, including skeptics and passersby who were drawn in by the promise of diner food. In the old days, a patron might stroll in, take a seat, spend a moment looking at the menu, and then head for the door...with urgency, as if caught in a strange alternate universe. Eventually, word got out that something innovative and delicious was happening, and there were plenty of folks who were eager to embrace the concept.

Fast forward a few decades. The Chicago Diner has become an internationally recognized mecca for vegetarian dining, a landmark visited by travelers from around the globe. They join the throngs of locals who also have a fond attachment to the Diners unique brand of food. In response to countless customer requests to revisit dishes from the past,