Cooking with Common Threads

As I've shared previously, this year I've had the exciting opportunity to work as a chef instructor for the non-profit organization Common Threads. You might have heard of this wonderful charity when Art Smith competed on Top Chef Masters, or maybe you saw an article in People magazine a couple years ago. The organization works to bring kids together to connect over a good meal, and to learn about cooking, nutrition, and different cultures. The kids are just amazing, and I've had a lot of fun connecting with them over our shared interest in cooking great food. It's impressive how these 8-12 year old kids can cook!

The last three weeks I co-taught field trip classes, where two groups of kids from opposite parts of the city came together for a special class. We learned about food and culture from Papua New Guinea, an island near Australia where many different tribes live together. The third class, last Friday, was the last class of the semester, which meant there were a lot of extra people in the kitchen.

Common Threads is working on a documentary to share with our leaders in Washington, D.C., to encourage more support and legislation for keeping kids healthy. Our local NBC station was filming for a segment about what we're teaching kids, too. This meant two cameras on me as I instructed the kids... talk about nerve wracking! That was only the beginning, though. We also had Bill Kim, the chef I love from Urban Belly, instructing the kids on some of the recipes. Additionally, three professional athletes from the Chicago Bears and Fire (soccer) came to cook with the kids. The extra 5,000,000 adults in the room made things a little crazy, but I was able to just relax and have fun with it! This is saying a lot for my type-A, control freak personality :) It was such a fun day, and I know the kids won't forget it for a long time!




If you want to learn more about Common Threads, check out their web site, or ask me for details. What a worthy cause to support!

The Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium!

Last week, my good friend Cathy and I decided it was time to conquer a major Chicago foodie right of passage. I've heard about Hot Doug's since we rolled into town three years ago, but the long lines on the weekends had scared me off more than once. People have sworn to me it's worth it, but I just haven't been able to bring myself to wait in line for an hour or two just for the duck fat fries and gourmet sausages. Call me crazy, but with Urban Belly right down the street, I still leave the area well fed and quite satisfied.



Last Tuesday, Cathy and I were trying to decide what to do on our day off, and I suggested Hot Doug's. She had also never been, and we agreed there was no better time than the present. There was one down side to a Tuesday visit to the "Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium"... they only serve their infamous duck fat french fries on Fridays and Saturdays. While I would still love to try these fries, I have no complaints about their regular french fries, and even fewer complaints about the practically non-existent line!

The hot dogs we had were seriously fantastic! Cathy had the "game of the week" buffalo sausage, and I had a Portugese linguisa. The have a standard menu that doesn't change, but also tons of special combos that they rotate. Check out the current specials here. There were so many dogs that I wanted to try, and I'm pretty sure I'll come back on other weekdays when I know the line will be shorter. I am still dying to try the duck fat fries, though, so maybe one of these weekends I'll suck it up and brave the line. Anyone want to visit this summer, so I have an excuse to go back?

Urban Belly

Living in Chicago, there is always plenty of good food to be had. Joe and I try to get out and sample as much as we deem financially responsible, and we have pushed ourselves to try new places frequently. One place we had heard a lot of buzz about was Urban Belly, a casual Korean noodle joint owned by chef Bill Kim and his wife. We actually went over the summer (seems so long ago!), but I never got around to actually blogging about it. I guess I was just waiting for the right time, and it seems that that time is now!

Yesterday, the James Beard Foundation announced the Semifinalists for the 2010 awards, and I was excited to see that Bill Kim was among the Best Chef nominees for the Great Lakes region. Based on the meal we had at Urban Belly, I felt like this was something he really deserved. What I really like was that Urban Belly is casual, non-pretentious, and relatively inexpensive. This restaurant is an example of a classically trained, accomplished chef doing his take on food from his childhood. You can tell this place is a labor of love, and this nomination shows that the James Beard foundation is not only focused on the kind of fancy, expensive food that none of us "real folks" can eat. If you're in Chicago, I'd recomend trying out Urban Belly for yourself. Or, if you're coming to visit me some time soon, remind me and we can go together!

YUM!

Summer in the City: Picnic Time!

Just in case you haven't figured it out yet, let me be clear: I LOVE living in Chicago! To me it is just about the perfect city... full of culture, amazing food, shopping, tall buildings, and there is always something to do! Yes, I will admit the weather is not perfect. But that is why summer is the best season here, because everyone has to get outside to enjoy the nice weather! From street festivals to picnics to movies in the park, there are tons of options for how to get your outdoor fix once the temperature warms up.

This is me and my little sister on the bridge leading to
the Art Insitiute's new Modern Wing. If you've never
been to the Art Institute, I would highly recommend
it next time you're in town!

One of my favorite places to enjoy a weekend afternoon is at Millennium Park, located in the heart of the city. While it can be quite the tourist destination, I love that this park is really a hang out spot for all types of locals as well. On the weekends you can spread a blanket on the grass at Pritzker Pavilion, and enjoy a picnic while listening to performers rehearsing on the stage. Even on a beautiful weekend it isn't too crazy crowded, so you can throw a frisbee or football to balance out all the cheese eating you might be doing.

The day of our picnic, there was a tap dancing troupe practicing.
They were fun to listen to AND to watch.

If you really want to treat yourself, you should get your picnic supplies from Fox and Obel, a fantastic gourmet market in Streeterville. The French boule with herbes had a soft interior with a chewy crust, and was the perfect vehicle for shoveling cheese into our mouths. It was huge, too, so I brought some home and used it for breadcrumbs a couple nights later. We had three types of cheese, which the friendly and knowledgeable cheese monger helped us select. We told him our picnic plan, and he picked a balanced spread which he cut into perfectly portioned pieces.
The top cheese (next to the turkey) is Taleggio, a soft cow's milk cheese from Italy. It was stinky in the way that makes cheese so tasty! The one next to it was Mona, a hard cheese made of sheep and cow milk. This cheese from Wisconsin had a texture that reminded me of asiago, and was salty and almost buttery. The third cheese, on the bottom of the picture below, was our favorite. It's Bethmale de Chevre, a washed rind goat's milk cheese from France. It was creamy and rich, and had a hint of goat cheese flavor without being as zingy and overpowering as some chevre can be. All three cheeses were quite enjoyable!

This is our idea of the great outdoors. Can you tell how happy it makes Joe?

Another trick for a kick butt picnic... wine in juice box form!
These cute little sangria boxes came from Target, and I would highly
recommend picking some up before your next visit to the park!

If you want to be an authentic Chicago 20-something, after the park you should head to a street festival. Listen to cover bands and people watch while drinking a ridiculous yet awesome pina colada in a pineapple. Also, the chicken gyro in his other hand was quite delish... I ate mine before I could document it!

Dutch Memories at the Pannenkoeken Cafe

I might have told you this before, but I love living in a big city like Chicago. It's amazing what this city has to offer. Theater, music, festivals... and of course, so much good food! The Dutch brunch we had last weekend was a perfect example of the foreign food offerings available around Chicago.

I've been so lucky to travel to Europe 7 or 8 times in the last few years, because my parents and younger siblings have been living in the Netherlands since March 2004. At this point it's starting to feel like home around their lovely little city of Maastricht, and I can't help but enjoy a good Dutch, Belgian, or German treat when I start to miss my family. Imagine my delight when we decided to move to Lincoln Square a few months back, and I saw the Pannenkoeken Cafe only a few blocks from our future condo.

I couldn't try the pannenkoeken right away, though, because on my past trips to Maastricht I had never managed to try this national treat. I decided I couldn't dine at the Pannenkoeken Cafe until I had tried true Dutch pancakes in their native country. Lucky for me, we went to the Netherlands a few short weeks later, right after we put the offer on the condo.

I wish I could have told you about the pannenkoeken I had on that trip, but without pictures it was hard to justify a post. I did write about that trip to Europe here, here, and here. But we went to the pannenkoeken place in Gulpen on our way home from the airport, and I didn't even think to pull out my camera until our plates had been cleared away. Check out their website, though... it's really cute! I did adore them, though, and couldn't wait to compare the Dutch originals to the Lincoln Square variety.

Now, about 6 months later, we finally made it to the Pannenkoeken Cafe. What can I say; it was a busy summer! I was so pleased with result. They were exactly as I remembered... eggy, thicker than a crepe, but still pretty thin. I had bacon (spek over there) with mushrooms and cheese (kaas), which was very similar to what I ate in Gulpen. The cafe is a tiny place, but it's cute and full of charm. And they are HUGE! I brought some home for breakfast the next day, and was happy with the leftover version as well.


Joe had apple and cheese with raisins, another authentic Dutch flavor combination. I hate raisins, so I only had a taste of his, but the sweet and salty flavors went well together. And notice he's wearing a Tour de France t-shirt I bought him in Paris a few summers ago... can you tell we both enjoy our travels?

If you're ever in the area, check this place out. It's tiny, though, so be ready to wait if you come at a peak time. It's on Western, just south of Lawrence. And if you stumble across pannenkoeken anywhere else, make it a point to try one out!

Chicago travels to Italy

Living in such a large city has given me a chance to experience a lot of interesting things. There is always a new band playing or an exhibit opening, and you can never complain that there's nothing to do. The summer festivals here are outstanding, full of food, music, art, and so many people. And the diversity around the city is amazing. I think if I tried hard enough, I could find food from any country or ethnic group you can imagine!



Some of the food is not quite as foreign, but is still exciting and different from what I am used to eating. Italian food is nothing new to me-- I have two full blooded Italian grandmas, after all. I've always enjoyed Italian food, and I grew up with fantastic variations of homemade sauces and freshly baked biscotti. But I have yet to visit Italy, and I have not experienced many Italian desserts beyond my ever-favorite tiramisu.





This changed about 8 months ago, when I got a job at an office in the Hancock Building on Michigan Avenue. You might wonder how this landmark building has anything to do with Italian cooking. It's not so much what's in the building as it is what's below it. L'Appetito is an Italian deli that is in the basement of the building, and it's sweet and decadent pastries and cookies are the special treat that helps me survive any rough (or regular) day at work.



One of the standouts are their amaretti cookies. I've heard about and seen packaged versions of these before, but they sounded like kind of boring, crunchy, almond flavored cookies... nothing too special. The fresh ones at L'Appetito are another story. Moist, chewy, and bursting with almond flavor. They are hard to resist, and I find myself munching on this Italian sweet at least once a week.



Summer has been busy, and I've found myself less inspired in the kitchen lately. I was explaining this to my coworkers recently while munching on my favorite aforementioned almond cookies, and I realized the answer to my kitchen dilemma was right in front of me; it was time to attempt some amaretti cookies of my own.



I searched online for inspiration, and a couple blogs led me back to the source I should have consulted right from the begining. Cream Puffs in Venice is a blog full of delicious Italian desserts, and of course she had an amaretti recipe that sounded like a perfect foundation for my first attempt. I might try to play around with ingredients more, adding candied orange, pearl sugar, or sliced almonds on top, but overall I was really happy with how the cookies turned out. Chewy, sweet, and very 'almondy'... just as I hoped. If you're in Chicago, be sure to check out L'Appetito, then go home and make your own cookies!



"My Mother's Amaretti" from Cream Puffs in Venice

1-1/2 pounds almonds, finely ground (plus extra whole almonds to garnish cookies)

2 cups granulated sugar (plus 1 cup extra sugar to roll the cookies in)

1-1/2 tbsp. cocoa

4 eggs

3 tbsp. almond extract

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Position your oven racks so that one rack is at the bottom of the oven and the other rack is in the middle of the oven; line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine ground almonds, sugar and cocoa.
4. Add eggs and almond extract and mix until well combined.
5. Using a tablespoon or your hands, scoop out enough of the almond mixture to form a ball that is roughly 1-1/2 to 2 inches in size.
6. Roll each ball in the 1 cup of extra granulated sugar and place on cookie sheet.
7. Use extra whole almonds as garnish by placing one almond in the center of each cookie.
8. Bake cookies on lower rack for 10 minutes and then move to middle rack for an additional five minutes.
9. Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Once cool, store cookies at room temperature in an airtight container. Cookies will keep for up 10 days.
11. Enjoy!

If you have a food processor, it's easy to turn these blanched almonds into ground up poweder for the cookies.

This recipe was also a perfect chance to use the Fair Trade Cocoa Powder that my mom gave me for an Easter treat.

The best birthday on record

So today I officially have been alive for a quarter of a century. The last year has been a fantastic one, and I know the upcoming year will only be better. My 25th year has started off well, with a musical and fantastic dinner. The bad news, though, was that I realized as soon as we got to the theater that my camera battery was dead. It was a shame, too, because I was wearing a freaking cute dress and there is no proof of how hot I looked ;)


First, a bit of non-food blogging. After almost a year of talking about it, we finally decided to use my birthday as an excuse to see the musical Wicked. If you're from Chicago (or New York), I'm sure you know all about this incredibly popular show. It's the story of the friendship between Glinda the Good Witch and the Wicked Witch from the Wizard of Oz. I wasn't sure if it could live up to the hype after hearing about it for so long, but I really did end up loving the show. The characters were colorful, the sets were elaborate, and the costumes were so creative and fun. And, obviously, the music was fantastic. Let me just say, those Broadway types have some impressive pipes. Go see it; you will not regret it!

We went to the matinée, because the second part of my birthday gift was a dinner that I did not want to rush through. I've heard about Avec a lot lately, in Chicago magazine, Time Out Chicago, and even when the chef, Koren Grieveson was a judge on an episode of Top Chef this season. It is a Mediterranean-inspired small plates restaurant, and it was like no other restaurant I'd ever experienced.

I'd read online that it reminded some people of a dry sauna, and I could see what they meant. It's narrow and lots of light colored wood, and it's way smaller than I expected. They don't take reservations, but we were there pretty early, so we got in without a wait. It is set up for communal dining, so the long tables are shared by multiple groups or couples. We had a group of girls on one side that kept to themselves, but the two couples on our other side were fun to chat with. It's a setting that I wouldn't always been in the mood for, but we really had fun with the intimate feeling for this night.

More importantly, let's talk about the food. This is where I'm made I didn't have the camera. I might have felt kind of dorky taking pictures of my food throughout the meal, but I think it would have been worth it to document the delicious food we enjoyed. The chorizo stuffed dates wrapped in bacon were spicy and sweet, and seemed to be a popular dish at every table in the place. I love the way the dates are like candy that just melts in your mouth, and the spicy red pepper sauce was a great contrast. We also had chicken sausage with a fingerling potato salad. The salad had snap peas in it, which made it taste light and summery, and the Green Goddess dressing was one of Joe's favorite parts of the meal.

We also had a cheese plate, which is something I always enjoy. I'm a cheese fanatic, and we had the waitress pick three cheese that she thought we'd like. I wish I could tell you what they were, but all I remember was a perfectly balance blue cheese and a creamy soft cheese.

The last thing we had was my favorite--red pepper and tomato braised cod with caperberries, pancetta, and spicy mustard greens. The cod was moist and perfectly cooked, and the combination of salty capers, smoky pancetta, and earthy mustard greens was to die for. I was pretty stuffed at this point, but I still did my best to eat my share.

The best part of the meal might have been the pleasant surprise when we got our bill-- only $80 for the four dishes and four high-quality beers. That meant we would be able to afford another delicious meal at one of my new favorite restaurants, because it was affordable enough we didn't necessarily have to wait for another special occasion.

And just because it's fun to tell, I have to tell you about the two celebrity moments of the night. First, we had the chance to chat with Koren, the chef. She was gracious and funny, and I loved having the chance to tell her how much we enjoyed the whole experience. She seems like a very cool person, and I respect her for being a rocking chef in a field dominated by men. Then, partway through dinner, Ashlie Simpson and Pete Wentz came in to meet some friends for dinner. The star power confirmed the fun and cool-factor of this restaurant, and it was a special (and random) way to end the birthday evening.

So, go to Avec as soon as you can, and I promise you'll not be sorry. You don't even have to wait for an important event, like a landmark birthday. Enjoy!

Foraging in Lincoln Park

Saturday I finally had a chance to visit the Chicago Green City Market, something I have been wanting to do for months. I was excited when I first found out they do the markets on Saturdays, because I work a typical 9-5 job during the week and have to save my foodie excursions for evenings and weekends.

I should warn you that I had high hopes going into this market, because I've had a lot of market experience on my travels in Europe. I did not get to explore any of the markets in Chicago last summer, so Saturday was my first experience around the area. While it was not a bad market at all, I was expecting a lot more out of a city this size. The fact that is was in a grassy park struck me as odd-- I picture markets to be in a square or on a blocked off street. This may be a silly thing to criticize for, but it just didn't fit with my vision of what a market is like. I also had not considered that the local crop is not that exciting so early in the season, so there was not a ton of selection. At the same time, this is also something that's cool about this market-- everything there is local, organic, and sustanible. It was interesting to check out what the various vendors had available, and I do think I'll head back to the market in the next month or so, to see how things develop as the season progresses.

Here is a sampling of what I bought this weekend, to give you an idea of what was availiable.

I bought some beautiful tomatoes on the vine, and had to eat some for lunch when I got home. I made the sandwich with organic sourdough from a bakery out of Evanston.

I love asparagus, so when I saw purple ones I knew I had to try them. Their color faded when I roasted them, but they still tasted great.

I got some fingerling potatoes that had a rich, buttery taste when roasted, and some fresh lettuce that made a beautiful salad dressed simply with a vinagrette. I was most excited about the free range chickens I bought, because Joe and I have been talking about trying to buy more naturally farmed meat. It's from TJ's Free Range Chicken in Piper City, Illinois. They're required to sell it frozen at the market, so I haven't tasted it yet, but I can't wait to see if I taste any difference. I may have given up on Omnivore's Dilemma because it felt too much like a textbook, but I still am motivated to move away from processed and corporate farmed food as much as possible. If I like this chicken, I might have an excuse to visit this market more often!