Chow Down Chicago: Good Eats from the Windy City

What's not to love about flaming cheese? It's exciting, it's delectable, it's everything you could want in an appetizer. While saganaki is a Greek dish, the idea of setting it aflame came from Chicago.  The word saganaki comes from the Greek word for a small pan with two handles: sagani.  In Greece, cheese (usually kasseri, feta, or halloumi) is fried in a sagani and served with bread. The Chicago version of flaming saganaki that is served as an appetizer at Greek restaurants is a little more dramatic: The cheese is first coated with flour and fried in olive oil. The oil is drained off and the cheese is splashed with brandy. The cheese is then lit on fire, usually by a server who shouts "Opa!" and puts out the flame with a squeeze of lemon. As for the choice of alcohol, brandy is used because it adds a touch of flavor and evaporates quickly; ouzo is a traditional Greek liquor that is often used in the dish, but any type of brandy will do. Kasseri cheese lends ...