bonjour, little cookie.

We have found that it's always helpful to know a few basic words or phrases in a handful of different languages. Aside from hello, goodbye, yes, no, thank you, where is the bathroom, how much does this cost, and do you have a girlfriend, we'd like to add one more to the French list: macaron. It remains to be seen if these little cookies will catch on in the same way that cupcakes and frozen yogurt have, but given the trend's migration from Paris to New York, it seems as though a mini merengue sandwich storm may be headed our way.
So before the midwestern masses begin forming lines á la Sprinkles and Pinkberry..

..we highly recommend that you get your tush on over to Pierrot Gourmet. In addition to having fab food for a normal meal, this extension of the Peninsula Hotel is also quite dependable when it comes to macarons. On this past misty Saturday, we took advantage of the fact that PG is located in our 'hood and grabbed one of each flavor -- lemon, pistachio, dulce de leche, strawberry, coconut, chocolate mint, nutella, and chocolate. Since we couldn't be seated immediately, we took our 11am snack to Starbucks for a caffeine accompaniment, and while awkwardly sitting at the large communal table with a few other patrons who shot us judgy looks, we played food critics. We can't say one bad thing about the technique or texture, but a few of the cookies went a little too far into what we could only describe as "American." The dulce de leche and chocolate mint were like glorified candy bars with unnecessary ingredients stuffed in. A macaron is supposed to be light and airy, and that was muddled by the blob (technical term) of caramel in one and the taste of toothpaste in another. All of that aside, the lemon and pistachio were by far the best and most authentic, and we will most certainly be back for more.

We took K's canines for a stroll afterwards, and here's Chloe, strutting her tiny little waistline,
easily maintained due to the fact that we did not include her in the taste-testing.

going green [tea].

Let me preface this by saying that I've spent a significant amount of time trying to convince people that I am not Japanese. It's an amazing culture, but it's not mine. My ancestors came from the lands of borscht, pierogi, rugelach, potatoes, bratwurst, and baguettes.
Yes, I think that more or less encapsulates my mutt pedigree from a culinary standpoint.
However, moving forward with this post, I'm about to completely diminish my credibility.

I shall make the sacrifice for the sake of my beloved green tea.

It's delicious, smells good, looks good, and is good for you. Harvard even says so. Okay, so maybe the green tea macarons and cupcakes don't contain enough antioxidants to make a difference, but we can pretend. For the real thing, I recommend a hot or iced green tea latte, which uses matcha powder and is laden with some seriously potent EGCG stuff. Don't let the color fool you, it's wonderful. And you'll love the silly looks that people give you if you're drinking it iced, i.e. in a clear cup. Have I hooked you yet? Tough crowd. Alright, there's a restaurant in Chicago appropriately called Waffles that apparently serves up a green tea version of - you guessed it - waffles! Everyone loves waffles. That will be happening some Sunday in my future, you can count on it. And outside of the edible, Bulgari makes a green tea perfume that has a fresh and slightly citrusy scent to it. Bottom line, it's about time that you embrace this versatile little leaf.

all images via pinterest

a dose of dose.

This probably isn't breaking news to any of you Chicagoans, but there is now a great way to inject some variety into your weekend on one Sunday each month, and they call themselves Dose. It's a marketplace with various sellers hawking (not to be confused with 'hocking') their merchandise, be it housewares, fashion, food, or miscellaneous, and it's difficult to walk out empty-handed (yesterday's damage: jasmine tea and French macarons, on the tame side because we were so overwhelmed by the amount of goodness). The line-up changes every month, meaning you can justify going every month. Works for us, since there aren't many things we love more than a good justification!

Vendors of note include Babushka Bakery, Mineralogy Jewelry, Dinner Party Shop, Zora Jewelry, and Industrial Evolution. There was also complimentary beer on hand, but it was 10:45 in the morning and we are no longer those carefree and perpetually tipsy girls in Boulder, Colorado. Cue sad face :( We concluded the morning by taking a short stroll along the river (it was 65! and sunny! in March!), and upon B's arrival home Penny insisted she get some relaxing outdoor time as well, so the little princess claimed a deck chair. And ate a small spider.

And so begins another week.

veg 101: sorry in advance.

Are you ready for my mini-novel? Don't worry, I'm not about to go all PETA on you.

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We don't even need to talk about these little guys. They're purely there for decoration. I will, however, give you a very brief history of my quick and painful journey from carnivore to herbivore, whether you wanted to know or not. Rewind to November in Nashville during a weekend trip with a friend - the setting was a local BBQ joint, the meal was smoked chicken, and for reasons that I'll leave out for fear of grossing y'all (that's what they say in Nashville) out, let us just say that I did not enjoy the look or the feel of my dinner. I had to stop eating before I passed out (which I've done many a time before, so no one's to say that I won't do it again), and ever since that night I have been meat-free, except for the very sporadic fish.. which has been pared down even further since a post-Bahamas ciguatera diagnosis in the family. I'll just apologize again right now because this is reading like a Debbie Downer skit. Bottom line, the idea of eating an animal is not really an option for me since my brain has completely rejected the idea, so it's been my mission to find other things to eat aside from celery with peanut butter, and also to remain healthy and proteinized. I'm not trying to change any opinions about eating meat, just documenting my own voyage into the land of herbivores.

Correction: I would be an ABYSMAL hunter.

STEP ONE - GO COLD TURKEY (GET IT?!) OR EASE ON OUT
Decide which way is best for you. Stop full-stop or set some kind of a schedule to phase meat out of your diet.

STEP TWO - PREPARE YOURSELF
Unless you're tofu's biggest fan (which I consider to be an impossibility), you'll miss out on some key nutrients from this point forward. A good list to go by is here, and below is my own personal arsenal of horse pills. About three months into this lifestyle change my reserves of D and B12 had been emptied and I was practically falling asleep at work. Whoops.. take your supplements, yo! And then the Biotin was something I added in after hearing a horror story about someone who went veg and lost their hair. No gracias.

STEP THREE - MEAL PLAN

Time to get creative, or at least it's time to start relying on the creativity of others. In the last few months I've found a few fab resources, and between a magazine, a couple of veg-heavy websites (here and here), and a bible of a cookbook, I feel like I'm covered for the time being. Also, it's not difficult to find a frozen vegetarian meal in a pinch, my personal favorite being Amy's.

STEP FOUR - ENJOY IT
Benefits include better heart health, lower blood pressure, cancer prevention, and you're even less likely to get osteoporosis. Aside from all that mumbo jumbo, I've heard that meat-eaters consume an average of one hundred animals per year, so it's a nice little bonus to know that you're no longer a part of it. But if none of that works for you, at least you'll be able to compare yourself to some well-known faces, like Gandhi, or.. Pam Anderson? Sorry.

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for the kitchen impaired, part one of many.

Welcome to the first installment of something I am maybe a little too familiar with.

photo via moi / spice jars via anthro

I know for a fact that I actually can cook, I just don't.

Do you have a food processor, a working finger to hit a button a few times, and an oven that will stay at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes of time? Please say yes, because if you don't then you're far worse off than I am, and that's saying a lot. While you'll hear all about fancy slow-cooking and sautéing stuff and boiling water from Kaya, I am at the other end of that spectrum. I am excellent at having food delivered. However, there are times when what I want isn't something that can be ordered in, and when having it actually homemade instead of store-bought is also preferred. Typically this means baked goods of some kind, and today it means cookies. My mom is a master chef, but even she has her shortcuts. The following recipe is courtesy of her, and while our family has loads of secrets, this recipe isn't one of them. It's ideal for a quick solution to gift-giving, potluck parties, or, you know, a casual Sunday evening. The best part is that it's not at all evident what a cinch it is.


THE EASY PEASIEST
CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

       INGREDIENTS

• 1 EGG
• 1/2 CUP SUGAR
• 1/2 CUP BROWN SUGAR
• 1 STICK (SALTED) BUTTER, SOFTENED AND CUT INTO 8 PIECES
• 1 TBSP VANILLA
• 1 1/3 CUPS FLOUR
• 1/2 TSP SALT
• 1/2 TSP BAKING SODA
• 1/2 TSP ESPRESSO POWDER
• 1/2 CUP WALNUTS/PECANS/WHATEVER
• 1/2 CUP OATMEAL (REGULAR, NOT INSTANT)
• 1 CUP SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Preheat oven to 350°F. Buzz the first 5 ingredients in food processor for 30 seconds. Scrape down and buzz for 5-7 seconds more.

Distribute flour, salt, baking soda, and espresso powder over mixture in processor. Scatter nuts, oats, and chocolate chips on top of that. Buzz on/off 10 times. Do NOT over mix. Just use a spatula to swipe any flour that looks unmixed.

Drop by teaspoonful 2 inches apart on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 10-12 minutes. Let stand for 1 minute on sheet, then transfer to wire racks to cool.

And scene.

chilaquiles.

We came home exhausted and starving after an evening workout, and the last thing I wanted to do was brainstorm something inventive, healthy and delicious to cook for dinner.  Since I’m only a weekend gourmet, J’s talents are limited to the grill, and our take-out rotation has gotten stale, it was up to my wifely powers to get us through the crisis.

Luckily, Chilaquiles, a long favorite brunch item, also makes for a quick and easy dinner solution. What could be better than a simple yet flavorful Mexican dish that can basically be made with anything you have in your fridge?  Go investigate what's in your kitchen, and if you find a half-empty, crumpled bag of tortilla chips, you're golden:

Cover the bottom of a casserole dish with broken tortilla chips 
Layer on any/all of the following:
Shredded chicken, beef, or pork (leftovers are perfect)
Black beans (I’ve used refried beans, and even black bean soup!)
Fresh spinach, tomatoes, peppers, onions, corn
Top with a few more chips, salsa and finish with a layer of cheese

Bake for 15-20 minutes on 350 degrees

 

I like to serve it with a fried egg on top, but that’s up to you!

Works perfectly without the meat if you are a vegetarian, or skip the cheese and go dairy-free.

My recipe above is a free-for-all, but there are thousands of respectable ones online.

If you're looking for the real deal, try this one.

Enjoy!

eat up: chicago restaurant week.

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I toggle between considering myself quite the foodie, and eating cereal and a string cheese for dinner when J is not around. But every year, Restaurant Week presents the perfect opportunity to awaken the iron chef judge in all of us, and give those new or slightly out-of-reach places a whirl. Not to mention, anything to avoid doing dishes!

My line up includes:

A birthday lunch at David Burke's Primehouse:

A lady brunch at bistronomic:

A dinner date at iNG:

And, a finale at Perennial Virant:

Are there places you wish were participating this year, but aren't? Which are you looking most forward to?