Dance party

My official dance like no one's watching song.

The Last Supper

So I dropped Chef off at the airport last Friday for his six week stay in San Diego.  I love him so much and will miss him dearly.  Not only will I miss him and his ability to make me laugh hysterically but his food is so dang good.  I have been fortunate to eat at some of the best restaurants in the country.  Many of them have been awarded by James Beard but let me tell you, I have yet to find anyone that cooks better than my man.  For our last meal together, which just happened to be brunch, he made a quick but delicious batch of Chilaquiels.

Chilaquiles is basically a tortilla chip casserole made up of salsa, tortilla chips (obviously), queso anejo, broth, and chicken (we used a fried egg for protein), garnished with sour cream, oninons and cilantro.  Rick Bayless has a quick and easy recipe on the back of his Frontera Thick + Crunchy tortilla chips. 

Caution: This ain't fat free folks!

Why going for a run is sometimes better than going to the bar

As someone who is relatively new to the sport of running and an All American pro at happy hour drinking, I thought I would share some of my thoughts with you that about why going for a run just might be better than going to the bar:

1. Almost everyone smiles at me as I pass them
2. The guys usually don't have beer bellies and are commonly found shirtless (and for you guys out there, the same goes for the ladies on the trail)
3. The runners high doesn't make me crave tacos stuffed with meat like substances
4. Burning calories rather than consuming calories
5. I can make it home on my own two feet - although I have thought about calling a cab or being carried home once or twice
6. Comfortable clothes and shoes
7. I have not even once dialed up a friend, coworker, ex boyfriend, or crush and professed anything to him/her while on a run
8. It feels better to say "Last night I ran (#) miles" rather than "Last night, I had (#) beers."
9. I get to choose the music I listen to without dropping 5 bucks in an automated machine filled with greatest hits albums and soundtracks
10. There is no embarrassing website called texts from my run last night

Living single

So my Chef is off to San Diego for six weeks leaving me alone to, wait for it, cook.  I have been lavished with five star food for the last several years and have lost the simple ability to boil water without burning it.  I am feeling all kinds of  things such as fear (fear that he won't come back, fear that I will eat take-out every night for six weeks) and excitement to have a little me time.  I have planned Italian classes, golf lessons, and lots and lots of yoga and meditation to keep me occupied.  Among other things I will be running in my first ever half marathon this Sunday!  In preparation for being the master of my own culinary destiny, I have been leafing through some of my favorite cook books and dog earring recipes that I plan on attempting:

Paris - Part Deux

I need a moment.

I don't know if I have mentioned my love for cheese, but it is deep.  It is the kind of unconditional love that would make me run into oncoming traffic to save it.  If it is stinky, I love it.  If it is melting, I love it.  If it is filled with delicious moldy blue chunks, I really love it. 

Chef and I saw many fromageries while in France but when we came across Marie-Anne Cantin near Rue Cler, we knew this was, as the kids say, the shit.  Just take a look:

Did I mention that they age the cheese in caves beneath the shop?  I was like a kid in a candy store.  Overwhelmed with smell and stimulation, we still managed to narrow it down to three cheeses.  The selections were, the 11 year aged Comte (I have never seen this cheese offered with such wisdom), a goat cheese with an ash rind and a classic French creme cheese.  We picked up a bottle of Pomeral, mouth-watering pate and a baguette and headed back to the hotel.

Baby hold on to your Beret because:

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I will bet you are drooling a little right now.  The cheese had been in my bag all day ripening while we were sight seeing and was at the perfect temperature. This is naughty food that makes me feel so good in my core that it should be illegal to publish this.  The creamy cheese tasted like the best, slightly salty, butter you have ever had while the Comte had a sweet but tangy flavor and crumbled in our mouths.  The goats cheese was firm but soft and the rind was so incorporated with the cheese that we didn't even notice it.

We did have a twinge of guilt that sent us searching for a salad - which is really hard to find in Paris believe it or not.  Yin and Yang was in effect because we both had the most disgusting salads imaginable this night. 

I dreamed about baguettes anyway......

Paris - Part I

We made it to Paris after a very long red-eye flight and once checked in to our hotel, we were welcomed to a magnificent garden view:

After a quick nap, we awoke to the sun shining through our window and went off to explore Paris.  The first sight we saw was the Arch de Triomphe and then walked down the Champs de Elysee.  Our initial meal in Paris was at a sidewalk cafe where I got to show off some of the French that I had learned.  This will be the last time for an entire week that I feel comfortable speaking any French at all.  My roasted duck leg with mashed potato was excellent and I have no words for what it was like to eat the butter laden escargot in that moment.

The next day we boarded le rouge bus (the big ass, red, double decker bus full of tourists) and proceeded to make our way through the magical city of lights.  We saw Notre Dame (every city in France has one), the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and all the other "things to see in Paris".  The reason that Chef and I like to take these tours is that you get an insight to the city in its entirety, and its history, for a set price.  When the urge strikes to use the restroom, have a drink or a bite of food, just hop off the bus, explore a neighborhood and then get back on.  Voila.

We really were taken back by the beauty of the Eiffel Tower. Neither of us thought we would give a crap but it was truly breath-taking from every view.  We decided to go back to the area at night to see the light show and have dinner. 

Once we got off the Metra that evening (we knew exactly where we were, thanks to the big red bus) and wandered the neighborhood.  We found a place that looked classic french and must have looked at the menu five times.  Chef and I have been picky in the past and wondered for hours looking for the perfect restaurant, only to be disappointed, and decided that on this trip we were not going to go that route.  Neither of us wanted to go in but neither of us wanted to be the picky one. 

We agreed to walk the block one more time and ended up at Les Cocottes.  We didn't even know how good of a meal we were in for. It ended up to be a very casual restaurant with top notch food where everything is served in Le Creuset pots. Chef ordered the pigs feet in potatoes and I ordered the cod with vegetables in an aioli sauce.  I swear, this was the first time I have ever eaten a carrot and I have never tasted fennel so sweet.  Truly, this was a wonderful meal that I will never forget.

After dinner, we headed back to the Eiffel Tower, where others waiting to see the sparkling light show popped open champagne and picnicked with cheese and bread that they picked up along the way.  What an alluring sight.

European Vacation: Staring the Chef as Clark Griswold

The Chef and I recently took a trip to France and Spain for 15 days and I have some amazing food stories to share.  We not only had some of the best meals of our lives but some of the worst!  We almost literally broke our backs carrying around souvenirs of wine, olive oil, escargot, mustard, spices and honey, and it was so worth it.  The bread was as good as you have heard as well as the coffee.  The Chef and I used to enjoy a pot of drip Intelligentsia coffee every morning at home but now we find ourselves sitting outside at the neighborhood coffee shops with our dog, drinking a cappuccino - out of a cup - because the homemade stuff just isn't as good.  I hope this lasts because I really enjoy it.  It's not about the caffeine.  It's about taking pleasure in a really good cup of coffee with a beautiful foam cloud and basking in the excitement of the city.

With that, I will leave you a shot of espresso that I enjoyed at a sidewalk cafe on Rue Cler in Paris.

Staying in the season

This morning while the chef and I were at our local coffee shop and bakery, we looked over the sandwich menu while waiting for our cappuccinos.  I though out loud how good the Caprese one sounded and he looked at me with that sarcastic look and said "Yum.  Tomatoes are really in season".  His remark clearly matched his expression.

As lunch approached, I thought about how I could fulfill my craving while still not having to eat a tomato that is white on the inside.  I headed to one of my favorite stores in Chicago, Pastoral, for some ideas.  First let me start by referencing Wikapedia for their take on a Caprese salad:

Insalata Caprese (salad in the style of Capri) is a simple salad from the Italian region of Campania, made of sliced fresh buffalo mozzarella, plum tomatoes and basil. It is seasoned with salt, black pepper, and olive oil. [1] This dish is also known as a Tricolore salad due to its three colors, which mimic the Italian flag. However, a Tricolore salad typically includes avocado in addition to the ingredients found in a Caprese Salad.

Here is a picture of what I ended up with:

I bought a fresh demi baguette which Pastoral gets from Bennison's Bakery as well as a basil pesto from Provence France, fresh Buffalo Mozzarella from Italy and some lovely oven roasted tomatoes.  For those of you who cannot buy roasted tomatoes, they are easy to make and really give a great deep flavor to tomatoes that aren't necessarily in season.  All you have to do is take a paring knife and cut a little x at the bottom of the tomato.  Throw them in boiling water until the skins begin to peel off.  Next you peel them and take the seeds and juice out (I like to reserve the seeds and juice and use it to make vinaigrettes).  Next you place them on a sheet tray lined with parchment, drizzle with olive oil and herbs and toss them in a 350 degree oven until your house smells delightful.

I also had some pea tendrils in the fridge which scream spring and tossed them in a quick vinaigrette made with whole grain mustard, good olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

I have to say my sandwich was delicious and with the salad, I really got a taste of the season.  Thanks for the challenge, Chef.

Morels are brainy

The first time the Chef bought morel mushrooms at the Green City Market in Chicago, I thought what a brainy looking little guy; I wonder if he knows something that I don't know. What it was that I didn't know, was that my life was about to change. I mean, come on, I know my mushrooms - porcini, chanterelle, hen of the woods - but I have never feasted on something that tasted so amazing served in a little jus on a roasted chicken with a side of asparagus. They have a rich, nutty, earthy flavor that makes my mouth water. 

Since three years ago, when my love affair began, it has become such a special thing because it truly means spring is here! There are so many cultivated mushrooms sold as "gourmet" that you can buy year round at Whole Foods and while they are great in their own way, there is not that race to the mushroom stand with my heart beating fast wondering, are they here yet?!!? Sadly though, the season is short and the abundance will actually depend on the air temperature, ground temperature and rain levels - meaning they could be around for a week or for months.

Last weekend the chef and I were at a local Chicago grocery chain called Treasure Island, who boasts themselves as "America's most European Supermarket", looking for some veg to serve with our grass fed steaks.  I squealed with excitement when I saw them - MORELS!! What a perfect accompaniment to a beautifully marbled piece of meat. They were sexy, gorgeous, little beauties and looked even better than the last time I had seen them.  Hello lover.

Get your morel recipes here.

My moment of the crazies

We'll everyone. I have finally made a decision that is truly worth committing me to the loony bin. I have signed up to run the Chicago Marathon. Yes, all 26.2 miles of the Chicago Marathon. I am not a runner. I repeat, I am not a runner. But, I will tell you that since I have made this decision, I have been running, and enjoying it. This year when the masses pass my house at the 9.5 mile marker, I will be one of them and that makes me so excited that I just can't stand it!

Korean BBQ tacos

I was in Austin two weeks ago (yes I know this means that I missed SXSW by one week) and since it was so beautiful outside I spent most of the week walking around downtown from appointment to appointment. After having lunch with my brother and his wife at an adorable little hot dog joint called Frank's, I walked my brother back to work just to prove that chivalry isn't dead. We were on Congress near 2nd and just as we were about to cross over the bridge, I noticed a little trailer truck offering Korean BBQ tacos. My heart beats lumpy custard for bulgogi so I couldn't imagine what a delicious treat this must be done Texas style!

The next day, I prepared myself all morning for the feast and returned to the scene of the crime. No freaking BBQ taco truck was in sight anywhere. Being the psycho that I am, I got on my Iphone and started to google until I found it - www.chilantrobbq.com - and I rushed over to their location of that day. I couldn't pick which one I wanted so obviously I tried all three options. The beef taco was amazing. All the goodness you would expect from bulgogi beef with a Texas twist. It comes wrapped in a corn tortilla and is topped with salsa, cilantro, onion, green onion and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Make sure to ask for it with kimchi if that is your thing. The spicy pork and and chicken tacos were delish as well and I couldn't honestly tell you which one was better. I washed the tacos down with a local Full Moon Pale Rye Ale from the Real Ale brewing company which was quite refreshing.

Who knew that I would be having one of the best lunches that I have ever had in Austin at a picnic table for under $10?