Pop-up restaurant? What’s that? A restaurant which pops-up somewhere of course. Seriously though, a pop-up restaurant is when a chef takes over a space for a night, takes reservations, and has a dinner service for that night and the next day it’s gone. The concept has been around for a while but I think it’s only really taken off in the USA in the past few years. Last Saturday evening Cheryl and I had the pleasure of dining at Chef Julius Russell’s pop-up restaurant at Westminster Hot Dog’s West Loop location for a New Orleans Dinner. It was a great event and well worth it!Continue reading “A Chicago Pop-Up Restaurant Experience – Chef Julius Russell’s New Orleans Dinner”
Curried Apple Fritters – Fall Flavors
We’re all moved in and the kitchen has been unpacked so I’m back! We’ve changed seasons since we closed on our new home at the beginning of September and I couldn’t be more happy about it. I love fall. One of the reasons I love it so much is apples. Nothing says fall to me like the overflowing bins of apples in the markets. There are so many things you can do with apples. Since I’m just getting settled in the new kitchen I thought I’d ease back in and try my hand at something extremely simple: curried apple fritters. Simple, yet reflects the new season. And yes fritter batter is one of those easy to remember ratios.Continue reading “Curried Apple Fritters – Fall Flavors”
Still here! Just Swamped. Reason: We Bought a House
Just a quick note to my valued readers, I haven’t gone anywhere. Just been crazy busy! Cheryl and I purchased a nice brick 2-flat over in the North Center neighborhood of Chicago, about 10 blocks west of where we currently live, and have been crazily prepping it for the big move this coming Saturday. For you non-Chicagoans a 2-flat is a multi-unit building with…2 units in it. I bet you can guess how many units a 3-flat has. Well legal ones at least. As a Chicago realtor I see all kinds of “off-the-radar” units tucked into basements and attics where Dr. Richard Kimball would feel right at home. Thankfully, ours does not have any of these. It is a true, legal 2-flat with no fugitives.Continue reading “Still here! Just Swamped. Reason: We Bought a House”
Spanish Tortilla – Another Delicious Treasure from our Barcelona Adventure
A couple of weekends ago Cheryl and I were in San Francisco for a wedding and we were reminded of many good memories from our joyous day. My thoughts usually end up thinking about our honeymoon and inevitably about what we ate. I’ve previously posted about a cooking class Cheryl and I took while on our honeymoon in Barcelona (see Sopa de Tomate) and how much fun it was to bring back the recipes that would always remind us of that trip. Last week green peppers were on sale so I decided to make a Spanish Tortilla, which was one of the recipes we came back with. It’s something you can find in pretty much any café or tapas; they had especially large tortillas at the food stalls in La Boqueria, and is a great snack any time of the day. Making a Spanish tortilla requires a little more extra work than an omelet but is totally worth it.Continue reading “Spanish Tortilla – Another Delicious Treasure from our Barcelona Adventure”
Pesto: An Easy Summer Sauce
If your back porch basil plant looks anything like mine then it means you have a bush instead of a plant. The plant seems to grow back two leaves for every one I use. What to do with all this basil? Make some pesto. Pesto is a delicious summer sauce and your basil plant won’t mind you taking all those leaves for it. It’ll be back to its bush size in no time. Trust me!Continue reading “Pesto: An Easy Summer Sauce”
The Chicago Air and Water Show – Beginning of the End of the Chicago Summer
In mid-August every year the roar of jets and buzz of planes over Chicago means one thing: Air and Water Show weekend! This is a great Chicago summertime event and unlike that other big summer event, Lollapalooza, the Air and Water Show is free! Just get over to the lake shore on the weekend and watch. It’s the last big event of the Chicago summer before we hit Labor Day and the official end of the season and it’s one Chicagoans love gathering for.Continue reading “The Chicago Air and Water Show – Beginning of the End of the Chicago Summer”
Stuffed Cabbage – Comfort Food the Way Grandma Made It
I know I’m in the minority here but stuffed cabbage is my all time favorite comfort food. I could eat it all day every day for a month and not get sick of it. I kid you not. Like the Porlos Testa and the Green Bean Salad this is my grandmother’s recipe which she probably learned from her Hungarian mother. My mom picked it up from her and that’s who I learned it from. Four generations at least! I love love love this stuffed cabbage! Of all the things I’ve written about so far this is the one which really carries me home to Grandma’s and my Mom’s kitchens. I really can’t decide if the stuffed cabbage is my favorite part or the bits of cabbage which get stewed in the bottom of the pot. Together they’re great.Continue reading “Stuffed Cabbage – Comfort Food the Way Grandma Made It”
Simple Homemade Dill Pickles Using Basic Brine
As you may have been reading, lately I’ve become a bit obsessed with curing food. I’ve made bacon (and successfully done it a second time) and duck prosciutto which both turned out well. From reading through Ruhlman’s Charcuterie I’ve found it amazing what salt can do. Behold the power of salt! Ok, next up in the salt lessons, simple brine. Salt and water. And yes, there’s a ratio for basic brine. What can you do with brine? Lots of things, but for starters since I’m easing my way into this whole curing thing I thought I’d make some simple dill pickles. All you need is salt, water, cucumbers, some dill, and patience.Continue reading “Simple Homemade Dill Pickles Using Basic Brine”
Couscous Salad (don’t worry, summer’s almost over)
Ok, back to summer salads! This particular couscous salad is Cheryl’s favorite. I’m not sure if there’s a special ingredient in it she really likes or if it’s the combination of everything, but whatever it is she gets very happy when I make it. As with most of my summer creations, this couscous salad is very easy to make, can be made ahead, and is perfect for hot evenings when you don’t want to do much cooking.Continue reading “Couscous Salad (don’t worry, summer’s almost over)”
Nhu Lan Bakery – Delicious Bánh Mi in Lincoln Square
With all of the summer recipes I’ve been posting I noticed it has been a while since I wrote something about a Chicago neighborhood eatery. I think I may have said this before but being a real estate broker is great for exploring Chicago and uncovering little gems you normally wouldn’t know about. And there are so many out there! Up on Lawrence Avenue just west of Western in Lincoln Square sits a tiny little Vietnamese bakery called Nhu Lan, and they have some fantastic, out-of-this world delicious Bánh Mi sandwiches.Continue reading “Nhu Lan Bakery – Delicious Bánh Mi in Lincoln Square”
The Roaming GastroGnome 