Food Trucks in the City

I recently attended a unique dinner event with the Chicago Dietetic Association hosted not at a sit-down restaurant per usual, but instead featuring food truck cuisine in an outdoor venue.  On this lovely late-summer evening, 100 members arrived on the campus to find options from famous food trucks in the city of Chicago:  Falafel Brothers, Beyond Borders, and Gigi’s Bake Shop.  I couldn’t help but wonder – is the food truck phenomenon here to stay?

 Food trucks have gained popularity in the past several years; flourishing even in the questionable economic condition.  Chicago hosts food truck festivals in several neighborhoods during the summer where people come to check out their favorite mobile-cuisines.  However, food trucks are not a new invention; they have been around for more than a hundred years.  Early models include “Chuck Wagons” or mobile kitchens catering to laborers.  Today’s laborers certainly are not the railroad workers of the old days.  Instead, food trucks have been hugely popular with urban office workers.  These traveling restaurants on wheels have exploded in popularity in big cities with the metropolitan lunch crowd due to their quick service, affordable prices and variety of offerings.  Los Angeles boasts the largest selection of food trucks in the nation, but cities across the US including Portland, Austin, New York and Boston have embraced the food truck culture.

 Chicago is finally starting to open their roads and parking lots to food trucks.  This past summer, the Chicago City Council approved a food truck ordinance. These new food truck laws will allow food trucks to cook and assemble food on their trucks instead of having to prepare and package them beforehand. Previously their operating hours were between 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., but now food trucks will be able to operate from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m seven days a week. They will be able to legally park in the same location for two consecutive hours. The drawbacks for this new ordinance are a 200-foot buffer zone, truck owners are required to use a GPS tracking system, and $1,000 fines will be applied for parking violations. The 200-feet rule is to protect all brick and mortar retail food establishments, but in some parts of downtown Chicago meeting that requirement may pose an extra challenge for these vendors.

Hungry for more on food trucks and where to find them? Check out the Food Truck Freak at http://foodtruckfreak.com/food-truck-freak-dashboard! 

Co-writer: Brooke Schantz , CDA Program Committee Chair

Summer Fresh Rolls - its not too late....

I was recently at a wedding where these were served as appetizers:  easy to grab, delicious, light, and most everyone likes them.  They can be vegetarian and are dairy and gluten-free.   Prepping is the most time-consuming part.  I’d say that even though it was my first time making them, it turned out very well.  Give it a try-summer’s almost over!

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Ingredients

• 1 package spring roll skins (look in the International section of the grocery store)
• 6 leaves Romaine lettuce – wash leaves and cut in half down the spine
• 1/3 cup Hoisin sauce
• 2 carrots – sliced into long, thin slivers
• 1 jalapeno – seeds removed; sliced into thin slivers
• 1 medium cucumber – sliced into long, thin slivers
• 1 package tofu – slice into thin rectangles and bake or fry in coconut oil  -or-           20 cooked shrimp – cleaned and split in half down the middle
• 1 package rice Vermicelli noodles
• 1 cup peanut sauce (3/4 cup peanut butter, 1 T sugar, 3 T soy sauce, 1 T rice vinegar, 1 T sesame oil, 1 T  fresh lime juice, 1 clove mashed garlic – blend well
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 1 large bunch cilantro – chopped 

Instructions

1. Prep your veggies and sauces and place them in easy-to-reach bowls.
2. Cook the noodles by dropping them in boiling water for 2 minutes, then rinse with cold water.
3. In a large bowl on the stove, keep ~2-3 inches of water lukewarm/body temp.
4. Work with 1 skin at a time - they are very fragile.  Submerge the shell in the hot water and wait for it to soften completely.  Lift it carefully and place it on a clean, dry cutting board.
5. Place a piece of lettuce diagonally on the shell.  Spoon some hoisin as the base sauce.  Layer in some carrots, cucumber, jalapeno and tofu/shrimp to taste.  Place a thin section of noodles on top.  Sprinkle with cilantro and peanut sauce. 
6. Fold the left corner of shell across the lettuce and veggie mixture.  Tuck it tightly around the lettuce.
7. Tuck both top and bottom (like a burrito).  If the lettuce is poking out too much on 1 side, it can be open on top if needed. 
8. Continue to fold the lettuce tightly under while rolling the wrapped side firmly over the remaining right corner.
9. If rolls won’t be served immediately, keep in the refrigerator with a wet paper towel on top.  They will hold very well. 

Original Recipe by Ginger Hultin 9/2012

(Per Serving)  Calories: 200, Total Fat: 5 g, Protein:  7 g

Yields 12