tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84399191148448781232024-03-12T22:27:20.866-05:00GreenSugareating, scavenging and growing my way to better foods in ChicagoGreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-58334756785928446772013-02-13T10:58:00.000-06:002013-02-13T10:59:14.117-06:00Mardi GrasHello old friend. It's good to be back.<br />
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Mr. K and I have been on quite an adventure since I last buzzed in here, but here's the short of it: I've made my first real meal, in our adorably convenient coach house, on loan from a friend who recognized a friend in need and provided a roof. And for that, I am abundantly grateful.<br />
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Since our downsize, I only allowed myself 6 cookbooks and the rest joined our dining room table, new china and 90% of my clothes in storage. John Besh's My New Orleans made the cut. I do sincerely promise to post about Besh's other book fellows but for now let's stay focused. This book is phenomenal. It spent the first year of its residence sitting on my coffee table, with me looking at it askew as if to ask it, are you a coffee table book or a cookbook? Three recipes sampled later, I can whole-heartedly confirm it the latter. <br />
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So here we are in a 1 bed coach house with as little counter space to rival Smitten Kitchen, and I've made my first, from scratch, deliciously head shaking, fist-pounding, "oh my gosh you need to cook from this cookbook every day" husband groaning meal.<br />
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It was Mardi Gras. Rebirth, Hot 8 and Soul Rebels were blaring, I'm running around in my bachelorette crown and beads, husband rocking a stray mask atop his ski cap and shrimp and lemongrass wafting through the place.<br />
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It's good to be back. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Shrimp Creole</b></span><br />
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2 pounds jumbo Louisiana or wild American shrimp, peeled and deveined<br />
Salt and freshly ground black pepper<br />
1 tablespoon minced fresh lemongrass<br />
1/4 cup olive oil<br />
1.5 medium onions, diced<br />
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced<br />
1 stalk celery, diced<br />
1 bell pepper, red, green or yellow, seeded and diced<br />
2 cans of crushed tomatoes, or 2 lbs fresh tomatoes, peeled<br />
1 bay leaf<br />
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice<br />
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes<br />
Leaves from 2 branches fresh basil, chopped<br />
Leaves from 1 sprig fresh mint, chopped<br />
Sugar<br />
3 cups cooked white rice<br />
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Put the shrimp into a large bowl, season with salt and pepper, then
mix in lemongrass. Heat 2 T of the olive oil in a large, deep
skillet over moderate heat. Add shrimp, stirring and tossing them with a
spatula. Saute until they turn pink, about 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp
from the pan and set aside.<br />
In the same skillet, add remaining 2 T olive oil, onions, garlic,
celery and bell peppers. Cook, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes.<br />
Add tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low and when sauce comes to a
simmer add bay leaf, allspice, and red pepper flakes. Simmer 10 minutes.<br />
Add shrimp back to the skillet along with basil and mint. Cook for a
minute or two. Season with salt and pepper. If the sauce tastes too
tart, add a little sugar to balance the flavor. Remove bay leaf. Serve
over steamed white rice.GreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-18515038541557152062012-07-17T13:49:00.001-05:002012-07-27T12:20:34.968-05:00Confused metaphors<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We had 10 glorious days of holy matrimony before the barrage began. But hang on, let's back up a second.<br />
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Damon and I got married. Originally called <a href="http://www.greensug.blogspot.com/2010/04/crop-mobbing.html">here </a>Trodimon, my crop-mobbing, taste testing, card-carrying-Greek, we tied the knot up on a mountain top surrounded by friends and family, just over 10 days ago. We didn't have a big fat Greek wedding. Instead it was a perfect mix of Swedish and Greek traditions, protestant and orthodox,<span style="font-size: small;"><span dir="auto"> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bl%C3%A5b%C3%A4rssoppa">blåbärssoppa </a>an</span>d <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiropita">tiropitas</a>.</span><br />
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After a short jaunt on the coast, we returned to Chicago to many boxes and cards filled with kind things said by loved ones, but especially among the bunch, this one stood out. "To the new Mr. & Mrs. K! The secret of love is to keep mixing things up before you get a bundt in the oven!" and enclosed were mixing bowls, measuring cups and a lovely bundt pan.<br />
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Now I know a lot of folks tell tales of not using their wedding gifts but let it be known that I am not that girl. I already have dates on the calendar to make hand-cranked pasta, grill pizzas on our new stone and am a raving infomercial for our grill basket for veggies. (Seriously! Amazing! <a href="http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11257076">Get one</a>! Any kind! I'll never skewer again!)<br />
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Not unsurprisingly, I've managed to use this pan two times in as many days.<br />
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And today, day three wherein I did NOT bake a bundt cake, my mother has begun the barrage for a real bundt in the oven. It's like she knew I had been baking, confused the metaphor and thought, "well she's on day three, must be the real deal by now!"<br />
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Seriously. We have had a lot of <a href="http://www.greensug.blogspot.com/2012/03/ella-oliver-and-georgia.html">really fabulous bundts </a>come out of the oven in the past few months, and Mr. and Mrs. K don't need our own, just yet. <br />
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As an aside, Damon is demanding that I bring a bundt cake to Christmas. Things probably won't unfold quite like this, but one can always hope.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Chocolate Bundt- no it's not a baby- Cake</span><br />
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2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1/2 cup semisweet cocoa<br />
2 1/2 t baking powder<br />
1 1/2 t baking soda<br />
1 t salt<br />
1 t cinnamon<br />
1/2 cup softened butter<br />
2 cups sugar<br />
3 eggs<br />
2 t vanilla<br />
2 cups shredded zucchini<br />
1/2 cup milk<br />
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Preheat over to 350. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, powder, soda, salt and cinnamon. Using an electric mixer in a large bowl, cream sugar and butter. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Add remaining wet ingredients and slowly incorporate dry in with the wet. Pour batter into a well greased bundt pan and bake for 70 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.<br />
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Glaze: whisk together 2 cups of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Drizzle aggressively over the cake once it's cooled.GreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-68023593248720985122012-05-18T12:30:00.000-05:002012-05-18T15:48:32.195-05:00Godfather<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Isn't it funny how you just find those ruts in friendships? I have with those friends to get cocktails with, those friends to have <a href="http://www.greensug.blogspot.com/2012/03/oscar-night.html">cook off duels</a>, those friends to do dorky <a href="http://www.greensug.blogspot.com/2012/05/bike-adventure-date.html">bike dates</a>, those friends to <a href="http://www.greensug.blogspot.com/2012/03/deathly-hallows-part-deux.html">watch movies </a>with, you get the idea. Right around when Harry was starting to grow facial hair in the films, our cinema-friendly clan discovered that our dear friend Chad had yet to see the Godfather series. Lest we get accused of throwing stones, I myself just saw the films 2 years ago, but still. Epic film series? Culinary-theme easily tied in? Excuse to make cocktails? Count me in.</div>
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Here we are, on a dreary Saturday night, cooped up in a lovely apartment with a creepy Italian man begging for vengeance. Side note: Can you see our little heads reflected on the screen? Note that they are all upright. I think this is the first film we've watched (out of 8) that none of us fell asleep. That confirmed any doubt that we are indeed muggles. And tired ones at that.</div>
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On the menu: an adaptation of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Essentials-Classic-Italian-Cooking-Marcella/dp/039458404X">Marcela Hazan</a>'s simple Meatballs and sauce, asparagus, and of course panare. Appolonia cocktails (I'm liking the sound of Appolonia Kanakis) and Chianti were drinks of the evening, sans <a href="http://www.greensug.blogspot.com/2011/10/potters-pizzas-harry-potter-chamber-of.html">dry ice</a>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hazan's meatballs</span> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Essentials-Classic-Italian-Cooking-Marcella/dp/039458404X">adapted</a>)</span><br />
1 slice of old white bread, crusts removed<br />
1/3 cup milk<br />
1.5 lbs ground chuck<br />
1 lbs ground pork<br />
2 T finely diced onion<br />
1/3 c Parmesan cheese, finely shredded<br />
2 T fresh Italian parsley, chopped <br />
A couple grates of nutmeg, fresh (approximately 1/8 t) <br />
2 eggs<br />
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salt and pepper to taste<br />
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In a small saucepan, heat milk and soak bread just until softened. Remove from heat and mash the bread with a fork. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, and milky bread, with your hands, just until it comes together. Form into balls, larger than a golf ball, smaller than a tennis ball, and place in a pan to rest in the fridge.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Tomato Sauce</span><br />
1/2 an onion<br />
3 garlic cloves, pressed<br />
2 cans San Marzano tomatoes<br />
2 T fresh Italian parsley <br />
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While meatballs rest, saute onions, then garlic until yellow and softened. Add tomatoes and simmer on low. <br />
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Heat a large sautoise over medium heat with vegetable oil, enough taht when you put the meatballs in the pan, the oil will come up about 1/4 of an inch. Once oil is heated, fry meatballs, just until crisp on the outside. Set aside. Once all the meatballs have been crisped, add enough to your red sauce and finish the meatballs. Serve atop toothsome pasta.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXFQZi_swrw">Appolonia </a>cocktail</span><br />
2 parts Campari<br />
1 part Fernet Branca<br />
1 part real cranberry juice (not cocktail)<br />
2 parts grapefruit juice<br />
1 part simple syrup<br />
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Serve over ice, topped with a splash of Proseco.GreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-57529217807473328432012-05-15T07:50:00.003-05:002012-05-15T09:57:48.307-05:00Bike adventure date<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There are Friday afternoons when I find myself in need of an adventure, but bridal checklists, Godfather viewing marathon, and mothers day keep me from running to the fields of the land north of Chicago.In such a pickle, my dear fiance usually recommends a bike date. It goes like so:<br />
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Jo emails DK: <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>ideas for tonight: <br /><br />- Humbolt Park: <a href="http://www.wttw.com/main.taf?erube_fh=cp&cp.submit.restaurantDetail=1&cp.id=343">Cemitas Puebla</a>. I think we saw a check please on this place, right? </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>- Pilsen: bike along the lake down to Pilsen. I've always wanted to check out this <a href="http://chicagoartsdistrict.org/events_main.asp">Second Fridays </a>event down on 18th and Halstead at the galleries there. dinner at Nuevo Leon or maybe a <a href="http://chicagoist.com/2008/01/28/restaurant_revi.php">new spot</a>? </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>- Andersonville/Uptown/Lincoln Square: bike along the lake north to Aville; dinner at Great Lakes Pizza or <a href="http://www.ethiopiandiamondcuisine.com/">Ethiopian Diamond </a>and maybe get a drink in Lincoln Square afterward? Or at Fountainhead?? Or Moody's Pub is really closeby. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>- Bridgeport: Check out the <a href="http://chicagoist.com/2012/01/10/chicago_magazine_gives_bridgeport_i.php">Chicagoist </a>overview or <a href="http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/January-2012/A-Guide-to-Bridgeport-Where-to-Eat-Shop-and-Play/">Chicago Mag</a>. I've always wanted to try some of those <a href="http://pleasanthousebakery.com/">famous pasties</a>. <a href="http://community-bar.com/">Maria</a>'s looks great. <br /><br />For Pilsen or Bridgeport, we could even stop by the <a href="http://www.fandango.com/showplaceiconatrooseveltcollectionreserve_aavnk/theaterpage">Roosevelt theatre </a>on the way home and catch a movie.(Dark Shadows, Hunger Games, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) <br /><br />PS. mike is <a href="http://www.wttw.com/main.taf?p=1,49,1">famous </a>on the front page of WTTW :) </i></span><br />
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DK emails J: <br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Oh my gosh, these all look such great ideas. Thank you! <br /> <br />We have a groupon for Ethiopian Diamond so we shouldn’t go there till we have it on us. <br /> <br />I like the idea of going south. Let’s maybe try dinner at Azteca and then ride down to Maria’s afterward for a drink? Then we could stop by the Roosevelt on the way back and catch a movie? Does that sound good? </i></span><br />
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Jo emails DK<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">sounds perfect. I can't wait! </span></i><br />
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And off we go. Thankfully the wind was coming out of the south which made the ride down to Pilsen quite tiring, but the bike home, post burritos, an easy cruise. We even survived the 18th street underpass.<br />
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All this to say, you should try this sometime. Keep a list of adventurous places in new neighborhoods that you'd like to try and on quiet Friday night, go adventure. Or....<br />
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DK emails Jo again:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Geeze. Those cemitas sandwiches look amazing. I
want to go there sometime, but please, let’s share one. I don’t think my
stomach could handle it otherwise.</i></span><br />
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Anybody game for hitting up Cemitas on bikes this weekend? we'll go halvsies! <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s4GiVDrUEFM/T7JQWPFSJmI/AAAAAAAAHEQ/14iY89CWkK0/s1600/nave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s4GiVDrUEFM/T7JQWPFSJmI/AAAAAAAAHEQ/14iY89CWkK0/s320/nave.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>GreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-16298684959233104342012-05-10T08:32:00.001-05:002012-05-10T08:32:16.385-05:00A Grownup MealOur very first grown up, matchy-match meal.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Ramen</span><br />
Bring 4 cups of chicken stock to a simmer in a big pot. Toss in 2 packages of ramen, simmer for 1 minute. Crack in four eggs and stir to break up the whites as they cook. Add in shredded carrots, bok choy, shaved celery, sliced mushrooms, anything you may have on hand. Simmer for 2 more minutes. Ladle out into bowls and serve alongside homegrown spinach drizzled with soy sauce and rice vinegar. <br />
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I swear food tastes better on beautiful placemats and newly gifted everyday ware.GreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-18355058837311735792012-03-21T08:00:00.000-05:002012-03-21T08:00:03.024-05:00Ella, Oliver, and Georgia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bzsAZS61QKw/T2OV3GCtjZI/AAAAAAAAHCs/hh1epp2FSmk/s1600/IMG_1386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bzsAZS61QKw/T2OV3GCtjZI/AAAAAAAAHCs/hh1epp2FSmk/s400/IMG_1386.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">These warm southern spring winds that blowing into Chicago have been springing crocuses, daffodils and magnolias sooner than normal. Despite a sneaking suspicion that this won't be good for the ground and the garden, these warm days have leant me the opportunity to begin biking to and from work, sending my happy/productive/efficiency juices into overdrive. When biking home last Wednesday, I spotted this smile-inducing bumper sticker in the middle of River West, snugged up near some of the best restaurants spots in our fair city. It's nice to see that I have some kindred spirits in neighborhood.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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Truth be told, flowers aren't the only thing these warm spring winds have brought. In a span of eight days, three of Damon's friends added to their family count. In order to help welcome Ella, Oliver and Georgia into this great world of ours, I thought the best and most appropriate way was to feed their exhausted parents. Rounds of <a href="http://www.lottieanddoof.com/2011/12/day-5-mathew-rice-and-gooey-butter-cookies/">cookies </a>from Nightwood via Lottie and Doof were baked and dusted, rounds of mac and cheese were roasted and bubbled, and a little red pepper brie quiche thrown together to help remind the parents of these little ones that they still need to be cared for and well fed.<br />
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Just in case you know of more spring babies that are on their way (we still have one more that we're expecting will arrive in early May), I thought I'd share the recipe for this killer mac and cheese. It's warm and sweet and comforting and healthy-<i>ish</i>. And above all, its tasty.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Roasted Butternut Squash Bacon Pasta</b></span><br />
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1 medium butternut squash, peeled, chopped into large dice (approximately 3 cups)<br />
2 T fresh rosemary, chopped<br />
1/2 pound smoked bacon<br />
1 medium shallot, finely diced<br />
8 oz mini penne pasta, uncooked<br />
1/4 t salt<br />
1/2 c flour<br />
2 c milk<br />
3/4 c shredded Provolone cheese<br />
1/2 c shredded Parmesan cheese <br />
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salt and pepper<br />
olive oil<br />
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Preheat oven to 425. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread chopped butternut squash in a single layer, lightly toss with olive oil, sprinkle rosemary, salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 20 or so minutes, tossing frequently until the squash is tender and lightly browned. Set aside.<br />
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Cook pasta according to package directions. Set aside<br />
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In a large saute pan, cook bacon until crisp, set aside to cool. Pour off most of the bacon fat, reserving about 1/2 teaspoon. Cook shallots in bacon fat until soft and golden, about 4 minutes. Crumble bacon into bite size pieces and combine with shallots and squash mixture. Set aside.<br />
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In a large stock pot, begin whisking salt and flour together over medium high heat. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly until the milk just barely starts to simmer. Turn flame to low and add Provolone cheese, continuing to whisk. Once incorporated, remove from heat at add cooked pasta to sauce. Stir to combine.<br />
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Coat a 13x9 casserole dish with cooking spray, and pour pasta mixture into dish. Top with squash bacon mixture and finish with Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-68U9qc-mTpY/T2dJ9Pw7IcI/AAAAAAAAHDE/5ITAsA-iEWA/s1600/IMG_1389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-68U9qc-mTpY/T2dJ9Pw7IcI/AAAAAAAAHDE/5ITAsA-iEWA/s400/IMG_1389.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>GreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-14688975209216697202012-03-15T15:12:00.000-05:002012-03-15T15:12:53.147-05:00Gapersblock: Ada Street<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zbrl9baXFXs/T2JNFItWjgI/AAAAAAAAHCk/N59mbrxUQYM/s1600/IMG_1378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zbrl9baXFXs/T2JNFItWjgI/AAAAAAAAHCk/N59mbrxUQYM/s400/IMG_1378.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
In the interest of shameless self promotion, I'd like to draw your attention to a review I wrote that was posted this week on Gapersblock...<a href="http://gapersblock.com/drivethru/2012/03/09/opening_ada_street/">Check it out!</a>GreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-66774220033151009152012-03-08T18:10:00.001-06:002012-03-08T18:10:00.488-06:00Swedish Pork<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NUf_FhVbpNI/T1gOE8d3sEI/AAAAAAAAHB8/w-6vzNvvKDM/s1600/photo%283%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NUf_FhVbpNI/T1gOE8d3sEI/AAAAAAAAHB8/w-6vzNvvKDM/s640/photo%283%29.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7bF--t2mH1M/T1gNL44cs4I/AAAAAAAAHB0/FoYXRE0Kkm0/s1600/photo%288%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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<i>What from your family of origin do you want to bring with you into this marriage? </i><br />
<i> What from your family of origin do you not want to bring with you into this marriage?</i><br />
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These questions have <strike>haunted </strike>resided with me over the past few weeks. Maybe something magical will happen in four months from today when I leave Ericson behind and become a Kanakis but I find myself watching and waiting to see how these two become one. Can we decide which parts we bring to a marriage and which we don't? The more I learn about this step in my life, the more I realize how much hard work it will be. Of course, there will be easy days when we bike to the south end of the lake and have a picnic and feel like we're trapped in a romantic comedy film where the couple just seems to so naturally love each other that you can't help shrieking at the screen "of COURSE you love each other!! Stop worrying and fussing and messing it up!" Even now, I want to just sit in that kind of warm, happy projection, and not worry so much about him crossing my t's and me dotting his i's.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fNl6clbJc18/T1gOTBLdzMI/AAAAAAAAHCE/Rg8o4qGjJLw/s1600/photo%282%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fNl6clbJc18/T1gOTBLdzMI/AAAAAAAAHCE/Rg8o4qGjJLw/s640/photo%282%29.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
This period of engagement is a funny one. The New York Times just days before Valentines Day ran a piece entitled "I love you! Now the difficult stuff" which details the hard questions that couples <u>must</u> ask each other before they get married. Create a "relationship vision statement" and that will help you stay the course in this muddy field. The Knot.com is telling me that I have approximately 122 days until my wedding with 123 to do's left and 5 items overdue. My body is telling me that I need to work out at least four times a week, or my Sunday afternoons will inevitably begin with a big weeping session, followed by a good three hour nap. My sister is telling me that it's ok if you don't figure it all out before you get married, <i>really</i>.<br />
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</a></div>While I continue to reside with those questions above, there is one thing I'm sure of. I like my pork and potatoes and will continue to cook with dill and winter vegetables well into the oncoming spring, knowing that real produce isn't about to show up on my doorstep for a good two months. This is the first recipe I've attempted from "Cooking the Scandinavian Way" by Elna Alderbert. Published in 1961 it opens<br />
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</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Scandinavians take the pleasures of eating very seriously. There is nothing they enjoy more than the gathering together of friends and family for a festive meal...The food is always excellent and abundant without being heavy-- so you really can enjoy it without worrying too much about your waistline!"</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">For today, I know that my family of origin can get behind that opener, and that I will bring with me into my new family.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mSPDMg__KuA/T1gM7OQBemI/AAAAAAAAHBk/CY--aJeZysU/s1600/photo%285%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mSPDMg__KuA/T1gM7OQBemI/AAAAAAAAHBk/CY--aJeZysU/s640/photo%285%29.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Stuffed Pork Rolls: Swedish</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">6 butterflied pork chops, bones removed, pounded thinly</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 apple, peeled, sliced</div><div style="text-align: left;">dried prunes, about a handful</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/4 t ground ginger </div><div style="text-align: left;">1 T butter</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 pint water</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 cube bullion, or 1 t Better than Bullion</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 T flour</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 T heavy cream</div><div style="text-align: left;">salt and pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Lay out butterflied chops on a cutting board, season with salt and pepper and ginger. Place a slice or two of apple and a prune or two in the middle of the chop. Roll up and secure with a toothpick. Brown butter in a large cast iron baker, sear meat on all sides. Pour in water with boullion. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes on low. Remove pork from remaining broth, remove toothpicks, set aside and cover. Mix flour with a little cold water and add to boiling stock, whisking vigorously to prevent lumps. When the sauce is smooth and thick, add cream and simmer for a minute or so. Pour sauce over meat and serve with pommes anna potatoes and vinegared cucumber.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Vinegared cucumbers</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">slice 1/2 a cucumber on a mandoline 1/16 inch thick. Place in a small bowl and sprinkle in 2 t grapeseed or other neutral oil, 1/4 c white wine vinegar, a few pinches of salt and a shake or two of dried dill. Allow to rest in the fridge while the pork is cooking. </div>GreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-22303225677938122172012-03-06T14:01:00.000-06:002012-03-06T14:01:36.649-06:00Deathly Hallows, Part DeuxI am here to draw to an end a fabulous tradition, started back in July, continuing through the sticky months of summer, into dreary wet fall and on through dark February. While it took a 8 whole months to get through all 8 Harry Potter films, our goblets are not the worse for ware and plans are afoot for a Godfather series. If <a href="http://www.greensug.blogspot.com/2011/10/potters-pizzas-harry-potter-chamber-of.html">Basilisk Blood </a>can be imbibed from such a glass, can't a good Chianti too? <br />
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Rather than drink to specific thematic event or person in HPDH2, we opted for a general celebration of all things British and grown up. Pimms, Bombay Saphhire, and Crispin were on hand with, as always our gigantic block of dry ice. As Harry and Ginny were on their way to making other little Potters, we felt it wasn't quite appropriate to be sipping away at such childish cocktails. We have grown up haven't we?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Gf58db9pS4/T1ZkhzSuXvI/AAAAAAAAHA0/XhCfFZ6RcdY/s1600/IMG_1310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Gf58db9pS4/T1ZkhzSuXvI/AAAAAAAAHA0/XhCfFZ6RcdY/s640/IMG_1310.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-46dVmCn9BOk/T1ZkzN5xWnI/AAAAAAAAHBE/dxl22loFHsE/s1600/IMG_1316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-46dVmCn9BOk/T1ZkzN5xWnI/AAAAAAAAHBE/dxl22loFHsE/s640/IMG_1316.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
Unfortunately poor Fea still hasn't learned her lesson and is convinced that an adorable English bulldog stare should elicit some pity. Scraps were tossed her way since she can claim the most British bloodline of us all.<br />
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So here we leave you friends. With a table decked with a stout-braised roast, butter smeared red potatoes and more bread. The Brits don't believe in vegetables after all. Underneath that lovely cheatah'ed foil is the largest mother f-ing chocolate trifle you've ever seen. If you ever ask Lorien to make a trifle she doesn't mess around. You've been warned.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SFDjAEOjClk/T1ZmNABFFqI/AAAAAAAAHBU/DA6V5gezA3Y/s1600/IMG_1320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SFDjAEOjClk/T1ZmNABFFqI/AAAAAAAAHBU/DA6V5gezA3Y/s640/IMG_1320.jpg" width="640" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x-NvZnw-JWI/T1Zk2Pac5AI/AAAAAAAAHBM/JQuhBa3_sik/s1600/IMG_1313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x-NvZnw-JWI/T1Zk2Pac5AI/AAAAAAAAHBM/JQuhBa3_sik/s400/IMG_1313.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
Hopefully we'll have tales of horse head and pasta for you next time.GreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-77607590360440453042012-03-01T09:30:00.017-06:002012-03-01T11:37:13.633-06:00Oscar NightI've never been one to gawk at celebrities. I try to spend my time in the grocery aisle watching the shoppers ahead of and after me to guess what they are eating for the week. Even at the dentist or doctor, I'd rather check twitter than pick up People. But somehow, the Oscars feel different. It's a graceful event, and unlike other award shows, most aren't there for <a href="http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1679164/nicki-minaj-grammys-2012-performance.jhtml">shock value</a>. I loved the Oscar's reflective tone this year. Doesn't it seem that we've become a little more serious and a little more reflective as a culture? Am I dreaming that or does it seem that public times and spaces like the Oscars are being used to think about what these experiences mean to us?<br />
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Maybe I am giving too much meaning to something that is at it's core entertainment to be consumed, enjoyed and forgotten. If so, at least I promise not to follow suit with the foods we ate while being thoroughly entertained.<br />
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A dear friend from Kendall and I decided to do a smattering of <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/oscars/bestpicturemenus12">Epicurious' Best Picture Inspired Menus</a>. No one menu particularly stood out, and really, it seemed like a better idea to do a smattering of dishes, each representing the best film nominees. Here were our selections:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NjPHhvK7aVw/T0xGIhj5nCI/AAAAAAAAHAM/dfyuQgnwgXY/s1600/IMG_1336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NjPHhvK7aVw/T0xGIhj5nCI/AAAAAAAAHAM/dfyuQgnwgXY/s640/IMG_1336.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/260517/southern-comfort-punch">SoCo Punch</a>: I yanked it from Martha but can I awkwardly give homage to <i>the Descendants?</i> It was based in Hawaii right? With plenty of citrus and plenty of booze, these little sippers seem like the perfect accompaniment to large land trust legal battles...We doctored up the recipe by dashing some angostura bitters at the top of each glass to give it a little more depth.<br />
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<a href="http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/oscars/bestpicturemenus12/recipes/food/views/Caramel-Corn-Clusters-230488">Carmel Corn Clusters</a>: (<i>Moneyball</i>) a lighter, airy take on an old favorite. Perfectly reminiscent of baseball. Forgive the pun but the homemade caramel knocked it right out of the park.<br />
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<a href="http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/oscars/bestpicturemenus12/recipes/food/views/Jamaican-Beef-Dumplings-352858">Jamaican Beef Dumplings</a>: (<i>Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close</i>) Not quite sure how Jamaican dumplings tie back to a little boy in NYC but the dumplings themselves were fantastic. Salty, spicy, crunchy... Homemade fried food is my new favorite.<br />
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<a href="http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/oscars/bestpicturemenus12/recipes/food/views/Deviled-Eggs-232600">Deviled Eggs</a>: (<i>The Help</i>) Perfect representation of the film and Epicuriuos didn't mess with the old classic recipe.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x7mAkmjZ0Qw/T0xGMOB9CjI/AAAAAAAAHAU/Wvi4jFMKm0E/s1600/IMG_1338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x7mAkmjZ0Qw/T0xGMOB9CjI/AAAAAAAAHAU/Wvi4jFMKm0E/s640/IMG_1338.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/oscars/bestpicturemenus12/recipes/food/views/Oven-Baked-Chicken-and-Slow-Roasted-Tomatoes-on-a-Baguette-239171">Oven-Baked Chicken and Slow Roasted Tomatoes</a>: (<i>Hugo</i>) Despite an over crisped bread base, the sandwiches themselves came together nicely. Yogurt marinade kept the thinly pounded chicken moist and light, roasted tomatoes sweet and arugula for a peppery kick. I think I seriously tweaked out my oven leaving it on for 8 hours for the tomatoes since everything we baked in it afterward came out oddly charred but unevenly cooked.<br />
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<a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/truffled-pommes-anna-50400000116753/">Pommes Anna</a>: (<i>The Artist</i>) Alright so this wasn't part of the Epicurious menu but I've always wanted to try this method for potatoes and it's an all out stunner. Truffle oil, thyme and salt is about as French as you can get.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C4xRAutF-7k/T0xGQn90seI/AAAAAAAAHAc/k_tTbaUd3oU/s1600/IMG_1337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C4xRAutF-7k/T0xGQn90seI/AAAAAAAAHAc/k_tTbaUd3oU/s640/IMG_1337.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<a href="http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/holidays/oscars/bestpicturemenus12/recipes/food/views/Pear-and-Almond-Tart-231612">Pear and Almond Tart</a>: (<i>Midnight In Paris</i>): Pears, tarts, and almonds all are spot on classique francais.Unfortunately the oven did further damage to this lovely little tart (see note on the chicken above) but the almond filling and crumbly crust stood up well next to simple syrup poached pears.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W4p7Mr2N4zs/T0xGUgc67FI/AAAAAAAAHAk/pMmGncvrYq4/s1600/IMG_1341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W4p7Mr2N4zs/T0xGUgc67FI/AAAAAAAAHAk/pMmGncvrYq4/s640/IMG_1341.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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Damon drank a new <a href="http://www.stpetersbrewery.co.uk/">gluten-free beer </a>which I'm counting as a nod toward the War Horse (British right?) but Tree of Life missed out entirely. Interestingly enough, not unlike the award recipients themselves. All things considered, I think we focused on the important. And as we decided last night, they should cut back down to 5 selections for Best Film anyway. 10 is just a bit superfluous. As was Angelina's leg. And J Lo's chest. In fact, I'll go back to focusing on my neighbors grocery purchases and leave the star gawking to <a href="http://gofugyourself.com/">those who do it best</a>. Cheers!GreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-91453085811646247012012-02-27T21:05:00.001-06:002012-02-29T08:04:05.502-06:00Catch up: Potato Pancakes, Orange Walnut Cake and Scandinavian Cooking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--7XPzLaXc_0/T0xCKi_ED7I/AAAAAAAAG_c/5xiaZHQSltg/s1600/Jan12+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--7XPzLaXc_0/T0xCKi_ED7I/AAAAAAAAG_c/5xiaZHQSltg/s640/Jan12+006.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
There is much to say. Between December and January, I<br />
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- got engaged <br />
- spent a culinarian's dream weekend in Austin<br />
- celebrated Christmas with my fiance's family<br />
- mourned Yia Yia's <a href="http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/chicagotribune/obituary.aspx?n=amelia-kokoshis&pid=155328081&fhid=2021">passing </a>(Damon's grandma)<br />
- mourned my grandfather's <a href="http://www.covchurch.org/news/2012/01/10/memorial-service-saturday-for-l-daniel-ericson/">passing</a><br />
- began wedding planning<br />
- flew to Portland to plan our July 7 (!!) wedding at Timberline Lodge<br />
- moved out of my beloved 4 year-long residence in Old Town with my dear roommate of six years<br />
- moved in with Damon<br />
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That's a lot right? I feel heavy chested just reading it. Life sometimes smacks you over the head and you land on the ground, slowly blinking up at a whole new world around you. I think I'm still blinking heavily these days, though what I see is growing ever more familiar. Loving and losing always go hand in hand, don't they?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zi84yBclTjM/T0xCqJsKRVI/AAAAAAAAG_k/rPBSLYCPPNw/s1600/MexWed+2012.02+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zi84yBclTjM/T0xCqJsKRVI/AAAAAAAAG_k/rPBSLYCPPNw/s640/MexWed+2012.02+001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
An early Saturday morning in February, I awoke to freshly laid snow. I think it one of two snows that have kept overnight all winter. In the spirit of blanketing warmth, I always reach for carbohydrates but with Damon dipping his toes in the gluten-free pond I embarked on my first ever crusade with a potato pancake. My <a href="http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=moosewood+low+fat+favorites+cookbook&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=dr9&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=imvnse&resnum=2&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1054&bih=721&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=13062295390114926224&sa=X&ei=-_5LT8yzMNOasgLWpvDqCA&ved=0CEoQ8wIwAA">Moosewood cookbook </a>is still my go-to favorite to use up odds and ends in my cupboard and still feel that I'm feeding myself well. These cumin-scented potato pancakes were no exception. Sometimes masala and coffee and freshly fallen snow is exactly what I need to get my head screwed on straight.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4DybrkNjgnQ/T0xDBqkDuII/AAAAAAAAG_s/WBRAHrwfOTs/s1600/IMG_1306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4DybrkNjgnQ/T0xDBqkDuII/AAAAAAAAG_s/WBRAHrwfOTs/s640/IMG_1306.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Then there was a <a href="http://www.lottieanddoof.com/2012/01/orange-walnut-cake/">Orange-Walnut cake </a>from Lottie & Doof, which I used as my own personal welcome home present. Because it's been so warm this winter, I haven't craved citrus like I usually do. Typically, fresh oranges and grapefruits in the dead of winter take me right back to Florida vacations at my grandparents. Grandpa would start sizzling up bacon for eggs benedict and in the meantime, slice up backyard-grown ruby grapefruits. I can still see his super bent thumbs cutting each piece of fruit from the pith.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-beaoQjBmOwI/T0xDc8pVazI/AAAAAAAAG_0/GEVDtjsut38/s1600/IMG_1325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-beaoQjBmOwI/T0xDc8pVazI/AAAAAAAAG_0/GEVDtjsut38/s640/IMG_1325.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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On a sunny Sunday morning I found myself vicariously living through a treasured friend. She is pushing her own professional limits to the edge as she takes over the helm of <a href="http://www.infinespirits.com/">this kitchen</a>. I'm inspired and impressed and jealous that she's being pushed so hard in a kitchen newly her own. Big things are ahead. Big things. After detailing her Valentine's Day menu for 60, she brushed this treat across the table for me. Maybe big Scandinavian things could be in store for me too.<br />
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I've also celebrated the final installment of our <a href="http://www.greensug.blogspot.com/2011/10/potters-pizzas-harry-potter-chamber-of.html">Harry Potter marathon</a>, which I do solemnly swear to show you the delicious feast that bookended the series. And, another dear Kendall friend and I cooked our way through the Oscars. To be released later this week...GreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-16858717487953189022011-11-23T15:28:00.001-06:002011-11-23T15:43:22.543-06:00Next Generation Apples<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have Steve Job's Stay hungry, stay foolish speech saved in my inbox. A work colleague sent it to me upon his death and every now and again, on a slow Wednesday afternoon, I take another stroll along with the 2005 Stanford graduates who received the speech that day. I'm not a huge fan of lifting individual quotes from the text so rather than insert a inspirational one-liner I'm just going to ask you to take 4 minutes and read <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2011/10/05/stay-hungry-stay-foolish/">the whole thing</a> yourself. It's worth it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rSlkUDNf8Dw/Ts1d8luZDHI/AAAAAAAAGpc/35Ob1WyB8lc/s640/apples+1.JPG" width="640" /></div><br />
I've been thinking about generations a lot lately. #OWS seems simply, and probably unfairly put, a fight between an older generation who played the game while it still worked and a younger generation who was told how to play the game, played it and it hasn't worked. There is a lot of anger out on those streets and it seems that more and more, we're better at finding things that divide us rather than pull us together. But as the entire nation reflecting on Jobs death and the role that Apple products played in my generation's lives, for a brief moment, we came together, across generations.<br />
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My mom and I celebrated Thanksgiving last weekend and in accordance with tradition we planned to do a million things, and only accomplished a cherished few. We glitter frosted acorns <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/267565/glittered-acorn-ornament-box">ala Martha</a>, made a delicious <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/greensug1/6391283615/">pizza </a>with my <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/05/roman-style-pizza-with-roasted-cherry-tomatoes">favorite crust </a>discovered last summer, and played with apples. To be specific we baked two apple pies for two separate upcoming Thanksgiving celebrations.We scavenged Mer's two old standbys: 1970's editions of Joy of Cooking with hand drawn illustrations and The Complete Betty Crocker replete with orange and brown clad kids enjoying cookies.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-riPXRMQgONM/Ts1eAfPanII/AAAAAAAAGp0/G0zY_z6q9_k/s1600/book.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-riPXRMQgONM/Ts1eAfPanII/AAAAAAAAGp0/G0zY_z6q9_k/s640/book.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Mom made these baked apples for breakfast and I'm not sure where she picked up the recipe but I'm a fan. Simply carved out, stuffed with good things and then left to hang out in the oven while you sip on coffee and discuss the world's problems.<br />
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I'm going to go out on a limb here and bet that you just may have a stray apple or two hanging around from the fall that are too old to eat raw but too lovely not to use. Plus I'll bet that Friday morning you'll be a little bit interested in breakfast and if you're not gunning for leftovers, you should be gunning for these.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cSqH3yq_CfU/Ts1d9igyniI/AAAAAAAAGpk/Xy0HZWCWPlI/s1600/apples+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cSqH3yq_CfU/Ts1d9igyniI/AAAAAAAAGpk/Xy0HZWCWPlI/s640/apples+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><i>Side note: Mer wanted me to position <a href="http://www.artshopgallery.com/Barbara%20Lavallee.htm">this </a>perfectly, "Do you think people will be asking you what those tiles are? I bet everyone will want to know. I just love those."</i><br />
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So here we are, on the cusp of my absolute favorite holiday (as it should be for any home cook) and I just wanted to leave you something here to inspire you. No matter what draws your generations together, whether technology or food or football or any combination therein, here's wishing a warm and happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Mer's Next Generation Apples</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MLJVaa8Q3xM/Ts1lUd9QlDI/AAAAAAAAGp8/1pCy8OgDMPI/s1600/apples+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MLJVaa8Q3xM/Ts1lUd9QlDI/AAAAAAAAGp8/1pCy8OgDMPI/s400/apples+3.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>Core out as many apples as you need, 1 per person<br />
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Stuff with a good mix of chopped nuts and raisins (Mer likes the fancy mixed kind with golden and purple varieties of varying sizes)<br />
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Sprinkle with cinnamon and just a pinch of nutmeg<br />
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Pour maple syrup into the apples until they overflow, just barely<br />
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Place in a cutely photographable oven safe dish and pour 1/2 inch of water into the bottom of the dish<br />
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Bake for 1 hour at 350GreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-5850646252602429062011-11-15T15:34:00.001-06:002011-11-15T15:50:13.950-06:00A New Cookbook: Eleven Madison ParkI spent a good chunk of last evening sitting on the well-tailored white pleather sofas in the lobby of the Allegro, chatting with a pair that has taken the New York restaurant scene for a spin. Will Guiarda and Chef Daniel Humm are on their first stop of a multi-leg cookbook release tour to talk about their 16 word menu, their come-back kid style turnaround, and what a true New York restaurant really looks like.<br />
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Will and Daniel are quite a pair. Brought in separately to steer the 7 year old Eleven Madison Park into a new direction, when these two started working together they felt that something sparked. Five years later, proof of that spark is blazing before us in the form of the holy trinity for New York establishments: four stars in the New York Times, and a Michelin star (three to be exact), and now a cookbook. The book itself mirrors the restaurant's menu: first divided seasonally, as eighty percent of Eleven's produce comes from their local farmers markets. Then, within the season, we essentially peruse the menu which typically looks something like this:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3IAWOKaTWBY/TsLGLzkrMNI/AAAAAAAAGpU/tcGYsBnrbRE/s1600/elevensamplemenu-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3IAWOKaTWBY/TsLGLzkrMNI/AAAAAAAAGpU/tcGYsBnrbRE/s640/elevensamplemenu-1.jpg" width="584" /></a> </div>You have your choice between selecting your own prix fixe four course meal (selecting one word under each leaf) or traversing through the chef's choice tasting menu. "We want our guests to be able to fulfill their cravings if they come in hungry for foie gras, but wanted to keep the element of surprise alongside the feeling of control." And in some ways, this delightfully thick cookbook does just the same. We playfully drift through each season, but as we go we are guided with precision that only a well-trained chef can provide. Recipes of this caliber certainly require advanced techniques and equipment but Chef Daniel does want you to cook from it. Recipes have stand in methods, just in case your sous vide is still being shipped from Sky Mall. The result is a book that takes us on a pristine walkabout New York's top restaurants and into the creative minds of a wildly successful pair of restauranteurs.<br />
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Nestled amongst the recipes is the story of the restaurant itself. How an unknown chef in small town Switzerland went to San Francisco and then was snagged to turn around an aging bistro in New York. How an entrepreneurial-spirited general manager found himself under the tutelage of Danny Meyer and when asked to do a stint at Eleven, he found a space for collaboration, a place for no "front-back" language but an entirely new philosophy. They slashed the number of seats in the restaurant, found inspiration from Miles Davis, and began shaping the restaurant into an icon in and of itself. This pair is seeking to honor the placehood of New York. Nestled in the MetLife building, in a ceiling soaring, old school type setting, it already sits in an iconic mainstay of New York buildings. Currently they're playing with quintessential New York dishes like the Long Island clambake, smoked fish like at your neighborhood deli, and the cocktails created 80 years ago by a handful of bars within striking distance of Eleven. "Someone needed to create a New York restaurant. So many others want to be somewhere else: Paris, Tokyo, London, but we want to represent the amazing melting pot we have, right here in the city." They're breaking rules by serving parsnip skins, but sticking close to the long established rules that work. And what results? Like Miles Davis a cool stream of soothing dishes, punctuated by the well-earned surprise.<br />
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So will I cook from it? I'm going to have to go with Chef Daniel's quote when asked if people could, "Yes-ish." I'll use ingredient lists to be sure; I'll use the images as inspiration to better visually balance my own plates; and perhaps, on days I'm feeling very adventurous think about new methods in cooking. For me at least, that is precisely what any good cookbook should do for the home cook. Cookbooks should inspire, rather than be copied by rote. And inspire, it does.GreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-60371800276455759472011-10-23T09:27:00.001-05:002011-10-23T09:29:04.298-05:00Autumn in and out of ChicagoIt's hard to be a Chicagoan in October and not feel the pull of hazy yellows, irreverent oranges, dusky reds and mushroom cap browns. Admittedly, there are few times of the year when I wouldn't rather be out in the middle of a field somewhere, somehow particularly in autumn I crave the outdoors. I want to be decked with a thick pair of boots, with ruddy cheeks and an opened mouth smile that only eye-tear-jerking, flippant fall winds can bring.<br />
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We try our best to bring fall into the city in a variety of ways. We throw an impromptu weekday pumpkin ale <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tokissthecook/6226663540/in/photostream">tasting party</a>, complete with furry friends, ghosting and <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pork-Stew-with-Fennel-and-Butternut-Squash-107648">pork fennel stew</a>. <br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tokissthecook/6226654084/" title="The Contenders! by ToKissTheCook, on Flickr"><img alt="The Contenders!" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6055/6226654084_18a85ee476.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tokissthecook/6226137469/" title="Chef and her bowls of fall by ToKissTheCook, on Flickr"><img alt="Chef and her bowls of fall" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6055/6226137469_9d15563e9a.jpg" width="500" /></a> <br />
We have our annual pumpkin carving ladies evening, wherein our inner artist, starved all year long finally has a night to exhibit. Replete with the roasting of seeds and little bowls of roasted squash soup. This year's carvings were Sarah Palin, A Ghoulish Fiend, Animal and Kermit the Frog.Charming aren't they?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C6fPYRgNEbs/TqQkli-7oxI/AAAAAAAAGpI/igVawdPR1sg/s1600/pumpkins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C6fPYRgNEbs/TqQkli-7oxI/AAAAAAAAGpI/igVawdPR1sg/s640/pumpkins.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>We took the last long bike ride of 2011 up to Evanston's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwestern_Wildcats_football">Ryan Field</a>, a full 29 miles round trip. Leaves crunched along in the bike lane as we cruised home victorious, sporting <a href="http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-footbl/sched/mich-m-footbl-sched.html">maize and blue</a>.<br />
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The truth of the matter is though, no matter how hard we try, there's something about autumn that you just can't create here in the city.. You have to go to a farm, pick apples, take a hay ride. You have to find a new little town, drink some local brew, and chat with total strangers because they're wearing the same colored clothes as you. And so we did. <br />
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We took our annual trip to <a href="http://ironcreekfarm.com/default.aspx">Iron Creek</a>, to stand in the soil where our produce is grown, to see the barns that have been raised, in part thanks to our business, and see the new little piggies grow as our farm expands.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/greensug1/6203398797/" title="Tamera Mark of Iron Creek Farm by GreenSug1, on Flickr"><img alt="Tamera Mark of Iron Creek Farm" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6151/6203398797_749e743d64.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/greensug1/6203915436/" title="Iron Creek bacon by GreenSug1, on Flickr"><img alt="Iron Creek bacon" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6002/6203915436_544c96ef3b.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
We dropped by <a href="http://www.garwoodorchard.com/">Garwood Farm</a>, a massive U-Pick paradise just outside of Michigan City and collected 2 bushels of apples, tomatoes and peppers all for canning and pie-ing and tarting. Yum.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/greensug1/6203430563/" title="Honey Crisp makes everyone happy by GreenSug1, on Flickr"><img alt="Honey Crisp makes everyone happy" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6157/6203430563_d70ce91580.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tokissthecook/6204121516/" title="Picks a Pepper by ToKissTheCook, on Flickr"><img alt="Picks a Pepper" height="375" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6135/6204121516_1d5f1b275e.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
And last weekend, we rented a tiny, no indoor plumbing <a href="http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=516&type=SPCG">cabin </a>off Lake Michigan in a charming little Dutch town and drank local <a href="http://www.newhollandbrew.com/">brews</a>, watched the sunset and read this thrilling <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kite-Runner-Khaled-Hosseini/dp/1594480001">book</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CbzgOl3qGqg/TqQjbl24WbI/AAAAAAAAGow/5hYkuLgkxgs/s1600/2011-10-04+Oct11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CbzgOl3qGqg/TqQjbl24WbI/AAAAAAAAGow/5hYkuLgkxgs/s640/2011-10-04+Oct11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UepBG_c42_k/TqQji2q3usI/AAAAAAAAGo4/By1Z-zefRT4/s1600/photo%252828%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UepBG_c42_k/TqQji2q3usI/AAAAAAAAGo4/By1Z-zefRT4/s640/photo%252828%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Much too often, fall can last only for a day or two in Chicago as we vacillate between 80 degrees and 20 but this fall, and I always feel hungry still as we slide int November. But this year I've had a full serving of college football, squash, ale and boots.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qgLDqcEhQdk/TqQj8geZCpI/AAAAAAAAGpA/x4y5RwgIy0s/s1600/photo%252827%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qgLDqcEhQdk/TqQj8geZCpI/AAAAAAAAGpA/x4y5RwgIy0s/s640/photo%252827%2529.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>GreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-62624550951142763212011-10-20T21:06:00.000-05:002011-10-20T21:06:32.772-05:00Potter's Pizzas: Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PFpnsoBxllA/TqDK6JxViDI/AAAAAAAAGnY/By9HoHfy8_4/s1600/MPS+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PFpnsoBxllA/TqDK6JxViDI/AAAAAAAAGnY/By9HoHfy8_4/s640/MPS+018.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PMT_BuTdUZY/TqDRj2GV_NI/AAAAAAAAGoY/w7FgWriJAz0/s1600/July2011+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>Harry's growing up right before our very eyes. In CoS, Harry's manning up a bit: his voice is lower, albeit cracking frequently (especially when <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPsIU9BTbcQ">driving </a>). And well, we're growing up a little bit too. In watching this round, I'm realizing that our first party wasn't quite the well-oiled machine we thought it was. For example, Lucius Malfoy and Moaning Myrtle aren't introduced to us until this second movie, so we probably should have been drinking Unicorns Blood or Gringots Ginger Beer. Oops. Just like Harry (and Neville), things will only improve over time.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PMT_BuTdUZY/TqDRj2GV_NI/AAAAAAAAGoY/w7FgWriJAz0/s1600/July2011+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PMT_BuTdUZY/TqDRj2GV_NI/AAAAAAAAGoY/w7FgWriJAz0/s640/July2011+021.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
I realized also that the most exciting part of this cocktail is not a thing to be captured in still photos. So for your viewing pleasure, this week's Truth Serum bubbling for you:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" data="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377" height="300" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400"> <param name="flashvars" value="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=71f39f468a&photo_id=6264893193"></param><param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377"></param><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=71f39f468a&photo_id=6264893193" height="300" width="400"></embed></object><br />
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</div>That weekend we made: <br />
Potter's Petrified Pepperoni Pizza<br />
Basilisk Blood : Hurricanes<br />
Truth Serum: vodka redbull<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PjUdD5s2rKE/TqDLeCoG4SI/AAAAAAAAGns/dvDSAYNS6hA/s1600/MPS+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PjUdD5s2rKE/TqDLeCoG4SI/AAAAAAAAGns/dvDSAYNS6hA/s640/MPS+012.JPG" width="640" /></a></div> *** Since the writing of this post, we have since powered through the remaining 6 films available on DVD in 5 weeks. Driven? Yes. Entertained? Absolutely, though possibly more with our ever-evolving menu than the films themselves. Wait, no I take that back. This is Harry we're talking about after all. We've made: <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--VUzEHVsehg/TqDLj5hxOjI/AAAAAAAAGoA/UNyWUfzd6R4/s1600/MPS+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--VUzEHVsehg/TqDLj5hxOjI/AAAAAAAAGoA/UNyWUfzd6R4/s640/MPS+024.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Potters Perfect Peanut Butter Popcorn (pictured above): equal parts sugar, natural peanut butter, light corn syrup, simmered until consistent and poured over freshly popped corn.<br />
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Hippogriff Hamburgers<br />
Maurauder's Map Mojitos<br />
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Whomping Willow Whiskey: secretly <a href="http://www.imbibemagazine.com/Charentes-Shrub-Recipe">Imbibe's cover recipe</a>. <br />
And probably some others that I've neglected to write down but will occur to you as flashes of genius when you do your own Harry Potter viewing. Because you will, won't you? My sister told me my last post inspired her and she made some Potter's Purple Potatoes. See friends? This blog does do good in the world.<br />
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I do solemnly promise to give you the full report on the finale. There has been talk of prime rib, yorkshire pudding, shephards pie and countless other British delights.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a4x9wDLFz_g/TqDMs6Ck5VI/AAAAAAAAGoQ/VVcm3vPbFpM/s1600/MPS+027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a4x9wDLFz_g/TqDMs6Ck5VI/AAAAAAAAGoQ/VVcm3vPbFpM/s640/MPS+027.JPG" width="640" /></a></div> Either way it will be delightful....GreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-85682706371081217932011-09-28T11:48:00.000-05:002011-09-28T11:48:18.048-05:00Media pass for Chicago GourmetWoah two posts in one week?! I rarely get to that many in a month. So what's all the flurry over there you may be wondering? This little badge here is by far the coolest thing I've done all year:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EnD4xOlMQ7w/ToNM7ItRmnI/AAAAAAAAGhw/lL4miEW3pcA/s1600/media.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EnD4xOlMQ7w/ToNM7ItRmnI/AAAAAAAAGhw/lL4miEW3pcA/s320/media.bmp" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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Media. Me? Really? I've been writing for Gapers Block for just over a year now and my oh my how we've grown! This year, I got a media pass to cover Chicago Gourmet-- a two day extravaganza of food, wine, spirits and celebrities in Millennium Park last weekend. And, as I'm learning that writing well and writing more often means I have to be shamelessly self-promoting (so as to increase readership and therefore accountability), these are the two pieces up on GB.<br />
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Andie, my colleague sketched up <span style="font-size: large;">"<a href="http://gapersblock.com/drivethru/2011/09/27/things_we_saw_and_ate_at_chicago_gourmet/">Things we saw and ate at Chicago Gourmet</a>" </span>including a bunch of my photos...<br />
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and I wrote up <span style="font-size: large;">"<a href="http://gapersblock.com/drivethru/2011/09/28/shaking_stirring_at_chicago_gourmet/">Shaking and Stirring at Chicago Gourmet</a>.</span>" <br />
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There you have it. That's what all the flurry is about in these parts. It's exciting!!!!!!GreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-38417444676930645322011-09-26T17:08:00.002-05:002011-09-27T09:21:00.170-05:00Think like a chef, with leftovers<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gj74B2sIwIw/TnjfVN6VRCI/AAAAAAAAGho/GN1yns4B6OQ/s1600/book.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gj74B2sIwIw/TnjfVN6VRCI/AAAAAAAAGho/GN1yns4B6OQ/s1600/book.jpg" /></a>Let's first off clear up any misconceptions. I am not a chef. Yes I went to culinary school and yes I graduated, but that does not qualify me to be called chef. A chef is one who has earned the title by working in a kitchen and was hired to the job. A chef is affirmed by his/her community. Sous chefs, line chefs, prep chefs, dishwashers, managers, servers call the chef, "Chef." It's those people who actually decide who is deserving of that name. And as it happens, I am not one of them. I may make good food, and can probably chop an onion faster and more neatly than you can, without crying, but trust me on this one, I am no chef.<br />
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One of the best cookbooks I own is this one. My sister Katherine gave it to me in 2004, before I knew anything about Top Chef, or celebrity chefs, food writing or even had a glimmer of hope that I would go to culinary school. I was a junior in college with one foot of counter space in my tiny Albany Park-college provided apartment who was sick of <a href="http://www.yesthaichicago.net/">Thai</a>, <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=5200+w+foster&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl">burritos </a>and <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=5200+w+foster&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wl">pizza</a>. Confession: I've never cooked any recipes from this cookbook. But I've thought about the techniques, studies and triads for years. <br />
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What is it that makes a good chef, or a good home cook for that matter? To me, one of the most important things is being able to work well with ingredients that are given to you. That's the challenge with cooking seasonally, or the challenge of cooking well with the ingredients that are in your fridge. That's why we are fascinated with shows like Iron Chef. It's the whole, "but how did he <i>just know </i>what to do with that???" I promise you, most chefs don't have a catalog of recipes in their head. And if you really want to be able to do what chefs do, Colicchio's book is a great place to start.<br />
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Last weekend, I made some a really <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Short-Ribs-Braised-in-Coffee-Ancho-Chile-Sauce-107596">killer ribs recipe</a>.* A small note at the bottom read, "to allow for further flavor development, cook the ribs 2 days in advance and reheat for service." Tell you what-- something in these chiles and coffee completely mellowed out and seeped into the meat to hit all of the good fibers of muscle. They were GOOD. After devouring all 6 pounds of ribs, I still had about 2 pounds of bones left over. What to do with bones, neatly seasoned with chipotle, adobo, ancho and coffee? Colicchio (and Chef Pierre from Kendall) would say, make soup!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hw_JPUEIOjU/ToD21jeMAlI/AAAAAAAAGhs/qZW3paRzI6o/s1600/ChiG+044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hw_JPUEIOjU/ToD21jeMAlI/AAAAAAAAGhs/qZW3paRzI6o/s400/ChiG+044.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Into the pot went 1 onion largely chopped, a handful of baby carrots chopped, a handful of celery chopped (this proportion should be 2:1:1 for onion:carrot:celery) and my bones. I sauteed them all together until the onions softened, and then squirted in about 2 T tomato paste. Then added enough water to cover the bones, and plus a little extra to get the most out of my bones and lightly simmered my stock for an hour. Add in a bay leaf and any fresh herbs you have on hand that you like (thyme or oregano) You want a foam to form atop the stock that you can scoop enough, so don't boil so hard that you break up that foam, but simmer enough that small bubbles do rise to the top of your pan. After an hour taste your stock, decide if you want to keep going, or turn it off. Once I made a beef stock but left it on during a football game for three hours and I ended up with the most acidic, tart weird stock that I ended up throwing the whole thing out. But other than doing that, you really can't screw up stock. Typically for brown stocks (lamb, beef) you should roast the bones to add a brown color to your stock, but since my bones were already roasted as full ribs, I skipped that step. Remove your stock from the heat, allow it to cool a bit and then pour it through a colander, into a big bowl with a pour spout. Then pour your stock into 1 quart or smaller freezable containers. Voila. You've done it. You've taken your first step to becoming a chef-quality cook. You can do this with chicken bones, beef bones, fish bones ANYTHING! <br />
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I plan to make some kind of mexican flavored soup with my stock, sometime mid-winter and I may even tell you about it. Until then, try it out, and after a time or two, you'll be surprised how your thinking patterns change and how chef-like you're becoming. Step by step.<br />
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*Seriously if you're looking for gameday fare (it is autumn after all) and wanted a step up from brats on the grill these ribs are SUPER easy with little upfront prep and great results.GreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-36530604033838330542011-09-16T08:37:00.002-05:002011-09-19T09:57:07.723-05:00Herbs in the ApartmentI'm not one to think that I've truly grown up quite yet. It's not that I don't like where I am or where my life has lead me, but most often, I feel like I still am just playing at this grown up thing. I feel as if I have flung myself in a zillion different directions and haven't decided to commit just to one. My identity, is more a sum of all these things I have running, rather than a solid character base, which interests spring from. Am I getting too philosophic? Probably. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NAzEZG6A5wk/TnNLHe7kL7I/AAAAAAAAGhU/tg2FkBZo1HQ/s1600/chives.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NAzEZG6A5wk/TnNLHe7kL7I/AAAAAAAAGhU/tg2FkBZo1HQ/s640/chives.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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Much of the time, I feel like a mash up of identities: am I a working professional or a farmer? Am I athletic or horridly clumsy? Am I a city girl or do I need the slow pace of the country? I have all of these far flung, often conflicting interests. Is there any unison in them? And then one day, something inconsequential happens and everything seems to come together and make perfect sense.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UhVXaHpAOvE/TnNMWt3nD0I/AAAAAAAAGhc/_t2sCMmzL_w/s1600/parsley+stems.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UhVXaHpAOvE/TnNMWt3nD0I/AAAAAAAAGhc/_t2sCMmzL_w/s640/parsley+stems.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
The other day I was let out of work early, which is a nice treat after working on a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_Day">holiday</a>, dealing with the repercussions for <a href="http://www.greekdefaultwatch.com/">these guys </a>and otherwise spending my day calming down stressed out <a href="http://www.cmegroup.com/">folks</a>. I biked out of the loop with bright sunshine over my head and energy pulsing through me. What to do with the extra 2 free hours? Pick herbs and preserve of course; we only have a few more days before the frost hits.<br />
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So I popped by the garden and grabbed handfuls of green that has been left wanting. I piled them neatly on my kitchen table: parsley, sage, thyme, oregano with peperoncini and kale awaiting their fate as well.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3IAPoepFVt4/TnNLDDaJ66I/AAAAAAAAGhI/7BYsAHaIeAQ/s1600/bunches.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3IAPoepFVt4/TnNLDDaJ66I/AAAAAAAAGhI/7BYsAHaIeAQ/s640/bunches.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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And then looked up:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lbm8F0OiMwA/TnNNl_Xo4zI/AAAAAAAAGhg/DHIazGt05Y8/s1600/art.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lbm8F0OiMwA/TnNNl_Xo4zI/AAAAAAAAGhg/DHIazGt05Y8/s640/art.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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On the left is a tea towel, purchased from my favorite <a href="http://www.theswedenshop.com/">heritage shop </a>on the north side. You may not be able to read it from where you are sitting but these are little colorful pots, full of herbs with their names neatly written in Swedish on each jar. On the left is a poster collected from my neighborhood <a href="http://www.greerchicago.com/shop/">print/civility shop</a>. I popped in two years ago, looking for funny birthday cards and walked out with my favorite piece of home. So you can see these two visuals, but all I could see that afternoon was cohesion. A certain togetherness of who I am. That sum of me isn't just my parts but the ways that they work together and all of the bits in between. Months ago I had decorated my apartment and here I am, living out my decorations. And so I sighed and laughed a little to myself and kept chopping.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gdn4aHIaXKE/TnNN23Ak6HI/AAAAAAAAGhk/AFCgfZIjW80/s1600/sage.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gdn4aHIaXKE/TnNN23Ak6HI/AAAAAAAAGhk/AFCgfZIjW80/s640/sage.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Herbs and urban farming. I decorate my house with it and live it. Maybe I've grown up more than I give myself credit for. This winter as I reach into my freezer and pull out little ziplock bags with PARSLEY scratched big with a thick point Sharpe, I'll remember that afternoon and smile.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>How to:</b><span style="font-size: small;"> don't know about you but I NEVER use the entire plastic box or bundle of herbs when I buy them from the store. You can always freeze them and then use the same measurements for frozen herbs as you do for fresh. It's a great way to save money and get the most out of your $4 box of herbs!</span></span><br />
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- Wash your herbs and spin dry in a salad spinner, or pat between two clean cloth towels.<br />
- If you are preserving finer-leafed herbs like oregano, chives, basil, mint, parsley, cilantro, dill, thyme you can chop your herbs really really really finely and freeze them either in zip lock bags, or make herb ice cubes by cramming your herbs into little compartments and filling your cube tray with water. These days, post culinary school, I like to just use ziplocks since then I don't have added liquid in my cooking and can more accurately measure my frozen herbs for use.<br />
- For larger, thick-leafed herbs like sage, some thyme, bay leaves, rosemary you can freeze them in the same manner but they may turn brown. I still do this for leftover 'boxed' herbs that I buy in the store and use them, even if they're brown. The flavor is the same, but the herb has lost its chlorophyll. If I'm preserving large amounts of there herbs, I bundle up the stems, as shown above with sage and dry them for at least a week in a cool, dry, non-sunny spot. Then crush lightly with your fingers and store in an old jar.GreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-23532034600031741122011-08-16T14:30:00.000-05:002011-08-16T14:30:59.799-05:00Happiness from Onions<div class="tab-content active" id="poem-top"> <h1 style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">I <a href="http://dashandbella.blogspot.com/2011/08/love.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wwwdashandbellablogspotcom+%28new+post+on+dash+and+bella%29&utm_content=Google+Reader">ran across </a>this today and thought you all would like it. I did.</span></h1><h1><span style="font-size: small;"> </span>Onions</h1></div><span class="author">By <a href="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/william-matthews"> William Matthews</a> </span> <div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">How easily happiness begins by </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">dicing onions. A lump of sweet butter </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">slithers and swirls across the floor </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">of the sauté pan, especially if its </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">errant path crosses a tiny slick </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">of olive oil. Then a tumble of onions. </div><br />
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">This could mean soup or risotto </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">or chutney (from the Sanskrit </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;"><em>chatni</em>, to lick). Slowly the onions </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">go limp and then nacreous </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">and then what cookbooks call clear, </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">though if they were eyes you could see </div><br />
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">clearly the cataracts in them. </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">It’s true it can make you weep </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">to peel them, to unfurl and to tease </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">from the taut ball first the brittle, </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">caramel-colored and decrepit </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">papery outside layer, the least </div><br />
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">recent the reticent onion </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">wrapped around its growing body, </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">for there’s nothing to an onion </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">but skin, and it’s true you can go on </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">weeping as you go on in, through </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">the moist middle skins, the sweetest </div><br />
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">and thickest, and you can go on </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">in to the core, to the bud-like, </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">acrid, fibrous skins densely </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">clustered there, stalky and in- </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">complete, and these are the most </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">pungent, like the nuggets of nightmare </div><br />
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">and rage and murmury animal </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">comfort that infant humans secrete. </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">This is the best domestic perfume. </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">You sit down to eat with a rumor </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">of onions still on your twice-washed </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">hands and lift to your mouth a hint </div><br />
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">of a story about loam and usual </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">endurance. It’s there when you clean up </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">and rinse the wine glasses and make </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">a joke, and you leave the minutest </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">whiff of it on the light switch, </div><div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">later, when you climb the stairs. </div>GreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-59108259748867220532011-07-28T13:28:00.001-05:002011-08-26T13:02:46.902-05:00Magical Goblets: HP & the Socerer's StoneIt was the kind of morning when you wake up, and all of your adult plans start evaporating. Me and two silly friends decided upon the first look of rain streaming down the window that Sunday was not going to be a day for grownups.<br />
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Damon and I had been <strike>house-sitting</strike> stay-cationing at Chad and Lorien's condo while they were in the burbs for the day. Really, it was a good excuse to play with their charming bulldog Fe, spend the afternoon watching the ManU-Fire game on the Soldier Field JumboTron viewable from their sunny pool deck, and catch a couple minutes of Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban. Upon their early arrival back home, we declared that we were not leaving. The stay-cation must continue!<br />
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The next morning over coffee, we realized our adult selves had vacated the apartment and 3 silly middle school party planners were left in their stead. (Sadly Damon had grown up duties to attend to so he vacated the premises pronto). Chad, Lorien and I were left with a rainy morning and Peter Pan syndrome. Scratch that. Harry Potter fever. None of us had any serious responsibilities and how better could three adults spend a Sunday afternoon than watching Harry Potter, drinking HP themed cocktails and eating HP themed foods?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GVrQeiFMc4I/TjBPa7o4WwI/AAAAAAAAGI0/5o48fMRACIw/s1600/July2011+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GVrQeiFMc4I/TjBPa7o4WwI/AAAAAAAAGI0/5o48fMRACIw/s400/July2011+026.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Chad immediately jumped onto his iPad and began googling. Not surprisingly, we were not the first thirsty adults looking for some Hogwartian-inspiration. Though the <a href="http://backyardbartender.blogspot.com/2010/11/harry-potter-cocktails.html">Hermione Granger </a>did seem tempting (mostly in its resemblance to a French 75), we were all smitten with the <a href="http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/835833/harry-potter-themed-cocktails">Moaning Myrtle</a>. Vodka and champagne all bubbling and blubbering just like Myrtle herself. As a backup, we also stirred up a Lucius Malfoy, deceptively sweet lemonade with a kicker of rye whiskey underneath. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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For snacks Lorien did her best to make wands: thick pretzel rods, dipped in chocolate-butterscotch chips, rolled in Snickers and Twix, and re-dipped. I always thought that the real wands used in the HP series were a bit thick but now I know why. You've got to have a thick want to get some decent magic out of it. (keep it clean kids). Our wands were decidedly thick but if shaken hard enough little bits of magic would fall off (aka Snickers). We decided the next go around, we would need some more dainty toppings.<br />
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The idea for golden snitches sprung from my wizardry wit.. Mashed potatoes, allowed to cool and rolled into palm sized balls, covered in cheddar and mozzarella and baked at 400 for 15 minutes. We also needed something a bit more substantial and Hufflepuff stuffed peppers fit the bill. The food was really just something for me to do. Our fab foursome often have dinner parties and the deal is, Lorien takes the lead on cocktails and I take the lead for food. Damon and Chad eat, drink and do cleanup while Fe curious inspects all that we have made and decides if it is consumable or not.<br />
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After one very large and very sweet and very bubbly Myrtle for each of us, Lorien declared, "I'm throwing the rest of this Moaning Myrtle down the drain." And we all fell into fits of laughter. It was a little kiddie day, with grown up accoutrements. By the time we actually turned on the movie, we had shopped at 4 different stores, called 12 in search of dry ice, purchased <a href="http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11330216">obnoxiously large goblets</a>, whipped up some magic in the kitchen, wished desperately for costumes (in vein), and successfully located said <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/place?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=polar+ice+chicago&fb=1&gl=us&hq=polar+ice&hnear=0x880e2c3cd0f4cbed:0xafe0a6ad09c0c000,Chicago,+IL&cid=9627579654320741156">dry ice</a>. We watched HP Episode 1 and plan next week to continue in the series. Perhaps a <a href="http://backyardbartender.blogspot.com/search/label/Harry%20Potter">Severus Snape </a>may be the ticket and some sort of black roasted Death Eater. And who knows, maybe by the 7th movie we'll have this down to a neat science complete with cloaks and scarves to boot. Cheers to the first of an 8 part series.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aPSaan0-g2c/TjBQCtEmOyI/AAAAAAAAGI4/O_cwWeQLxOA/s1600/July2011+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aPSaan0-g2c/TjBQCtEmOyI/AAAAAAAAGI4/O_cwWeQLxOA/s400/July2011+014.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<b>Moaning Myrtle</b><br />
2 oz Champagne<br />
1 oz vodka<br />
2 oz white grape juice<br />
purple food coloring <br />
green sugar (for rim dusting)<br />
dry ice<br />
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<b>Lucius Malfoy</b><br />
4 oz <a href="http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/ourcompany/wn20060317_simply.html">lemonade</a><br />
1 oz Templeton rye whiskey<br />
slice of lemon for garnishGreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-20077141241270382612011-07-25T08:35:00.019-05:002011-07-27T07:24:54.701-05:00Sunday Night Detox: Fish Tacos & Agua Fresca<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LXDr8kCRuvI/TiguHgfqymI/AAAAAAAAGEs/UdMonYOx32k/s1600/photo_roof1_full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LXDr8kCRuvI/TiguHgfqymI/AAAAAAAAGEs/UdMonYOx32k/s400/photo_roof1_full.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Why is it that every Sunday night, I feel the serious need for hydration and a detox and a light, easily digestible meal? Actually, I know the answer to that question. It's because we are in the full swing of summer which means festivals, barbeques, weddings, birthdays, concerts, parties, parties, parties outside all weekend long. This is what we live for. In the middle of February you ask yourself why you live in Chicago and suddenly an image of yourself on the patio at <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://brookevstheworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/sheffields-outdoor.jpg&imgrefurl=http://brookevstheworld.com/essential-features-beer-garden/&usg=__TXjSwit2YFv8DNMraGlvHi5_rdY=&h=382&w=600&sz=204&hl=en&start=32&zoom=1&tbnid=cy8_dQWQ_6G3aM:&tbnh=98&tbnw=154&ei=mCwoTrzEGMXfsQLt_aU7&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dchicago%2Bsheffield%27s%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26hs%3DCnZ%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D976%26bih%3D724%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=461&page=3&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:32&tx=67&ty=28">Sheffield</a>'s, <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/place?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=iSu&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=976&bih=724&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=el+cid+2+chicago&fb=1&gl=us&hq=el+cid+2&hnear=0x880e2c3cd0f4cbed:0xafe0a6ad09c0c000,Chicago,+IL&cid=16583302666695472551">El Cid 2</a>, or <a href="http://www.genessausageshop.com/rooftop">Gene's Sausage Shop </a>(pictured above and my favorite new rooftop of 2011), pops into your head. We live to dine and imbibe al fresco. Ok, perhaps that's a bit over stated but I don't think I'm alone when I say that when freezing at a bus stop, a little <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4MXo7cW_e0">summertime </a>imagining goes a long way.<br />
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Needless to say, I've found myself in serious detox mode come Sunday night. Plus, with a plethora of veggies from my <a href="http://ironcreekfarm.com/default.aspx">CSA</a>, that's usually about the time that I realize that I have 20 pounds of vegetables to contend with and a 60 hour work week ahead of me. Anybody with me?<br />
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Fish tacos have been the dish of the summer. If they're on the menu, I'm ordering them, and if the vegetables on hand at home can be finagled into a slaw, it's on. I had always been nervous of making fish at home, maybe because I've always lived in the Midwest and, until culinary school, believe those devious folk who say good seafood can't be made well in Chicago. It's not true! Any white fish (I've used tiilapia and halibut) lightly seasoned, dredged in corn meal and fried in a little vegetable oil is just about the easiest fresh prep there ever was. Plus this slaw is just about the easiest thing you'll ever grate. The recipe below is for 2, but you'll easily have leftovers and can double ingredients to your own taste.<br />
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<b>Fish tacos</b> <br />
1 lb white fish (halibut, tilapia), cut into 1 inch chunks <br />
3 limes, juiced <br />
1 t dried oregano, cumin, onion powder, coriander <br />
3/4 t Tabasco, divided <br />
pinch of salt and pepper <br />
8" flour tortillas <br />
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<b>Slaw</b> <br />
1 kohlrabi (or 1/2 head of cabbage), grated <br />
1 red or orange pepper <br />
1 medium zucchini, grated <br />
1 clove garlic, pressed <br />
dash of white wine vinegar<br />
1 T dried oregano<br />
pinch of salt and pepper <br />
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Place fish in a medium bowl. Sprinkle herbs, 1/2 t Tabasco, salt and pepper over fish and toss to coat. Pour over juice of 1 lime. Cover and refrigerate for 10-30 minutes. <br />
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Set oven to broil. Set whole pepper (red or orange) just below the broiler a top a small piece of foil. Blacken on all sides, then remove from oven. Allow the pepper to cool slightly, and then put it in a ziplock bag, sealed. Set aside. (Click here for help on how to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmx4_XSXJCk">roast</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Abo9hwL_jk&feature=related">peel</a> your own peppers). <br />
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Peel kohlrabi with a paring knife, just under the surface of the skin. Using a large sized grater, grate kohlrabi and zucchini in a medium sized bowl. Add juice of 2 limes. Once cooled, remove pepper from bag and cut out stem and seeds.Peel the skin off and cut into half inch strips. Toss with kohlrabi and zucchini, season with herbs, 1/2 t Tabasco salt and pepper to taste. <br />
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Top with cilantro, cheese, and additional Tabasco if desired. <br />
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If you are feeling hard pressed for more refreshment going into Monday morning, try your hand at this super easy <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2009/09/cucumber_agua_fresca">agua fresca </a>from last year's Bon Appetit. Best enjoyed on a balcony.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q3RqBD6JqBg/TjADMtj8gcI/AAAAAAAAGII/TLWpCfaqLaY/s1600/P4K+2011+020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q3RqBD6JqBg/TjADMtj8gcI/AAAAAAAAGII/TLWpCfaqLaY/s400/P4K+2011+020.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>GreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-74531306560553285122011-07-20T19:15:00.000-05:002011-07-20T19:15:31.726-05:00Simple Kale ChipsSometimes the simplest thing is the best thing. I'm finished with <a href="http://greensug.blogspot.com/2010/08/culinary-school-2-stocks-soups-sauces.html">culinary school </a>and if my <a href="http://greensug.blogspot.com/2011/01/culinary-school-3-methods-of-cooking.html">lack of posts </a>about that <a href="http://greensug.blogspot.com/2010/08/culinary-school-1-intro-to-professional.html">experience </a>is at all telling, it was a serious time commitment. Culinary school is challenging, exhausting, sometimes monotonous, often times infuriating, and invigorating. So now what? Do I make bechamel and beurre blanc every night? Hell no. Sometimes the simplest thing is best. I introduced these chips to a dear group of friends last summer who kept saying, "Jo, you need to put things like this on your blog." And so here I am, culinary school over with and if I learned anything, it's that you've got to listen to your friends. They were the ones who encouraged me to go to school in the first place and boy oh boy were they right. So here you go Erin, Abbie and Melanie, who first had them last summer. Kale chips, step by step for you.<br />
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Preheat oven to 400. Peel the leafy greens from the thickest part of the stem.<br />
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Then rip leaves into palm size and spread in one layer over your biggest cookie sheets. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with coarse salt* and finely grated parmesan or romano cheese.<br />
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Bake at 400 for 8 minutes or so. Listen for sizzling, and then watch so that the greens start to turn dark like this, but if they aren't quite crispy yet, keep cooking.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lp3wwZkdu-M/Tidsh3irP1I/AAAAAAAAGEY/Z6f0S60cbnU/s1600/P4K+2011+053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lp3wwZkdu-M/Tidsh3irP1I/AAAAAAAAGEY/Z6f0S60cbnU/s400/P4K+2011+053.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Till they look something more like this. Notably shrunken right?<br />
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Stack on a plate and add more cheese if desired. When you take a bite, first you'll get a crunch. Kind of like when you take your first bite of Crispix <i>just</i> after pouring milk in your bowl. Then a mouth full of salt; they are chips after all. Then a nutty sweet bite of cheese. Then the charcoal-ish, sweet, peppery bite of kale.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YfzQTkhe5zk/Tidsqt_1lxI/AAAAAAAAGEk/sItyjtnbxgc/s1600/P4K+2011+057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YfzQTkhe5zk/Tidsqt_1lxI/AAAAAAAAGEk/sItyjtnbxgc/s400/P4K+2011+057.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
*A note about your salt. Use real salt. I mean, at least a Kosher coarse grain salt, but the last go round, I used some French grey sea salt and it makes a huge difference. See how big those grains are above? Yum.GreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-26412494088325439402011-05-24T15:26:00.006-05:002011-05-26T18:05:03.340-05:00PDX: A Wishlist<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">I think the first night I met Damon, he told me I would love Portland. Culinary destination, snowy mountains and clean streams nearby, wine country, oceans, and bikers galore, Portland grew over the years to be Damon's dream city. When markets grew frenetic, work became taxing and life just felt overwhelming, Portland was Chicago's perfect anithesis.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xxRqy73n9Y8/TdbHobuE6UI/AAAAAAAAFX8/ZLLF0pKmhoE/s1600/May+106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xxRqy73n9Y8/TdbHobuE6UI/AAAAAAAAFX8/ZLLF0pKmhoE/s640/May+106.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
I've been long overdue. For the past three years, I've been crossing never-before-visited cities off my list: Ann Arbor, Las Vegas, New Orleans, plus countless little spots in Wisconsin and Michigan that are a short drive away after a weary work week in Chicago. But ultimate getaway town Portland, just hadn't made the cut. Until now. Credit card deals that were too good to be true (as it happened they were true) and the itch to get out of our concrete world were too overwhelming come late March. So we scratched: bought tickets and sealed the deal for four nights at the <a href="http://www.acehotel.com/portland"> Ace Hotel </a>in downtown Portland. Food trucks, wineries, music and sleep were on the horizon.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><o:p></o:p>We took off prepared: an excel spreadsheet, 45 lines deep with restaurants, cocktail lounges, breweries and gardens to visit. We had been gathering recommendations from pretty much anyone who would be interested to give them: Bon Appetit, Imbibe, friends like <a href="http://tokissthecook.blogspot.com/">Jessi </a>and her blogger posse (<a href="http://thebakingbird.blogspot.com/2011/04/foodlandia-broder_30.html">click </a>on <a href="http://www.blogger.com/:http://www.shutterbean.com/joy-retreat-day-1/">each </a>of <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://porkknifeandspoon.com/2011/01/27/naomi-pomeroy-and-beast/">these</a>, they're <a href="http://eatwellwithjanelblog.com/portlands-portobello-and-potato-champion/">gems</a>!), Terri from Schubas' friends, a girl I bought a new chicken from just two weeks prior, anywhere. It was a full wishlist, but treated as just that. "We can't get too crazy Jo," he knows me so well. I inherited the genetic disposition to over schedule and typically find myself planning for too much with too little time to relax and breathe.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BGv0vGsI9iQ/TdbR_TGwg_I/AAAAAAAAFYw/G3AeRtNfk3A/s1600/May+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BGv0vGsI9iQ/TdbR_TGwg_I/AAAAAAAAFYw/G3AeRtNfk3A/s640/May+013.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">A delayed connection in Dallas had us spending our Thursday night dinner plans at TGIFriday's, watching the Bulls clinch game six. As we checked into the Ace at 1 am, the stools along the <a href="http://www.clydecommon.com/">Clyde Common </a>bar were turned legs up, patrons long gone, shakers cleaned, ovens off. Rats. It's just a wishlist. Just a wishlist.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;">Friday we hit the ground running. Literally. 7:10 am found us jogging along the Willamette, then we rented bikes and found <a href="http://japanesegarden.com/">gardens</a>, breweries, <a href="http://www.viamagazine.com/destinations/portlands-nw-23rd-avenue">shopping </a>and a good nap. Dinner that night was the one firm reservation of the weekend. <a href="http://www.beastpdx.com/">Beast </a>is a 26 seat, prix fixe, open kitchen, communal dining gem of a spot. It's a sort of dance to be in such an intimate space and watch Chef Naomi and her team create and present, then create and present as we nod and chew and give thanks. We strolled over to the <a href="http://www.mcmenamins.com/427-kennedy-school-home">McMeniman</a>'s Kennedy school, a 1920's elementary school turned bar/hotel/restaurant/soaking pool. How is it that every spot thus far can just seem so...Portland? We danced our dinner off to <a href="http://trampledbyturtles.com/">TBT </a>at the Wonder Ballroom, with loudly tapping feet and spins to bluegrass banjo, violin and guitar in overdrive. Thrash grass is one good dance party.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jXB8gt9xOtM/TdbKv9wMQjI/AAAAAAAAFYE/QqRcA2z85Vs/s1600/2011-05-19+May+Portland1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jXB8gt9xOtM/TdbKv9wMQjI/AAAAAAAAFYE/QqRcA2z85Vs/s640/2011-05-19+May+Portland1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">On Saturday we settled into a more manageable pace. <a href="http://www.kennyandzukes.com/">Kenny & Zuke's </a>a causal Jewish delicatessen round the corner from the Ace provided the perfect breakfasting spot to meet a dear friend en route from Seattle to San Fran as she was driving her life down just that weekend. Afterward, a <a href="http://web.pdx.edu/%7Enac/pdxdirtcheap/">long shot </a>from a google search turned out to be one of the highlights of the weekend. Hidden <a href="http://web.pdx.edu/%7Enac/pdxdirtcheap/#tours">stairways </a>weave throughout <a href="http://www.washingtonparkpdx.org/"> Washington Park</a>, scurrying up through and between the graceful old houses precariously perched above the Rose Test Gardens, we toured the back allies of one of the most beautiful bits of Portland. Next time someone asks for foodie recommendations of where to go, I'll give them this. With all the food places I had to visit, stairs were what I craved already on day 2. Phew. After feeling exercised and digested what's next? <a href="http://www.pokpokpdx.com/">Pok Pok</a>. Thai street food elevated to James Beard excellence, drinking vinegars (honey and grapefruit), black grilled prawns, huddled over a picnic table with formica pale green roofing loosely juxtaposed to keep the drizzly afternoon cold out.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5n69i5xNoTo/TdbLu-LpxxI/AAAAAAAAFYM/s8GCISG_xTQ/s1600/2011-05-19+May+Portland3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5n69i5xNoTo/TdbLu-LpxxI/AAAAAAAAFYM/s8GCISG_xTQ/s640/2011-05-19+May+Portland3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">More naps, more breweries to discover and then another surprise, not on the wishlist. At a friend's wedding last summer, Damon made friends with some folks that are always looking to recruit new transplants to join them in the getaway city. We noshed at <a href="http://www.thefarmcafe.com/"> Farm Cafe</a>, D and I much too full to give the menu a proper tasting but toasted hazelnuts in rosemary and Tabasco was a true highlight, while cooling my mouth on a GINger fizz, ie gin and tonic splashed with ginger liqueur. They took us around the corner to the Roadhouse where the jukebox is loaded with free plays of Ella Fitzgerald, Slayer, Beach Boys and Cat Stevens and a whiskey with beer back is $3.75. <a href="http://www.ifc.com/portlandia/">Portlandia </a>hit it right on the head. This is where young people go to retire. <a href="http://www.potatochampion.com/">Potato Champion</a>'s poutine and PB&J fries had been mentioned by two cab drivers and our new hosts as the <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/slideshows/2009/09/the_art_of_the_street_cart#slide=1">best food truck food </a>in the city and knowing we would head out of the city early Sunday morning, they had to be sampled post-Roadhouse.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-foykqPKgxbQ/TdbMkWWTMkI/AAAAAAAAFYQ/JdIpo-AnUfk/s1600/May+050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-foykqPKgxbQ/TdbMkWWTMkI/AAAAAAAAFYQ/JdIpo-AnUfk/s640/May+050.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Sunday cracked open with thunder and a constant drizzle that everyone told us would surely inhibit our fun, but we wouldn't hear of it. We hopped in an obnoxiously red rental and whisked out to the Dundee Hills to find the land of Pinot Noirs. Arriving too early for tastings, we cruised along the hillsides, stopping at one of D's favorites, <a href="http://www.toriimorwinery.com/">Torii Mor</a> for a breathe of fresh rain in a Japanese garden. I had in my head that I needed local honey, for what better gives one a taste of the land than a combination of all the sweet flowers and fruits that can grow in one place? We found Beverly's roadside stand, in front of her house. "We've been keeping for, gosh 40 years and you've gotta be crazy to do it. Sure all of us have been hit by that disappearance of hives but you just get new ones and move on." Her honey today was raspberry honey, her second favorite to a legume that grows as a purple vine, "but nobody grows that anymore. These wineries have pretty much eaten up all the good farming land out here." Luckily that monoculture hasn't hurt the bees too much. Our one tasting of the day was at <a href="http://www.domaineserene.com/">Domaine Serene</a>, a suggestion from our Saturday hosts, and judging from the package that's due to arrive at Damon's office by the end of this week, we were quite impressed with their selection. Wine fridges should never be as empty as his has been as of late.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TDiW3lLwDfQ/TdbLsJPLF2I/AAAAAAAAFYI/0Y2fN3r_o6I/s1600/2011-05-19+May+Portland2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TDiW3lLwDfQ/TdbLsJPLF2I/AAAAAAAAFYI/0Y2fN3r_o6I/s640/2011-05-19+May+Portland2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">We asked the folks at Domaine for a lunch spot and stumbled upon one of the best meals of the weekend. Surprising find number three not on the wishlist. <a href="http://www.redhillsmarket.com/">Red Mills' Market </a>is precisely the kind of place I could see myself owning, loving, running. A small selection of charcuterie and cheeses, wood-fired pizzas and craft sandwiches, local brew and wine for carryout or to be enjoyed with lunch, and shelves full of <a href="http://www.mcclurespickles.com/">McClure's</a> pickles, more honey, olive oil (who knew Oregon grew those too), kiddie foodie placemats, and pottery. Kitchen herb pots with six little herbs tucked in a hand-thrown pot line the sidewalk outside. I'm enamored. D & I couldn't leave without dragging those two brew mugs with us, plus a teeshirt or two, a set of 4 breeds of bull coasters, and a little ginger-sea salt chocolate. It was perfect. The kind of perfect where you're so comfortable and so happy you say, "if this is what it means to be with you, I want to be with you forever" and then realize what you've said, blush and look back up to see the biggest smile returning your gaze. It was a good find.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NYh8kxog9pw/TdbOYQ_1RkI/AAAAAAAAFYU/uTRIGUyqP48/s1600/2011-05-19+May+Portland4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NYh8kxog9pw/TdbOYQ_1RkI/AAAAAAAAFYU/uTRIGUyqP48/s640/2011-05-19+May+Portland4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">So, we got romantic. And whenever D is feeling romantic he thinks about the Oregon coast. Off we went 2 more hours spent in the car but cruising through thick pine forests didn't for a minute feel like a chore. Radio coverage was too sparse, trees too thick so a quiet, thoughtful ride was had to the shore. <a href="http://www.cannonbeach.org/">There </a>it was still drizzly, still chilly but wide open beaches and huge monolithic rocks in the distance make you just want to run in the cold air like a happy dog does in a big open field. We ran, arms out wide, hoods up to cover our red ears, and grins wide. This is vacation. We called a real estate 800 number to find out about a little cottage on the market and after hearing 1.8 million decided that this item on the wishlist should probably stay there for a few more years.<br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X0MZu-qSf9I/TdbPcGTtE2I/AAAAAAAAFYc/mVs1aUpGwmg/s1600/2011-05-19+May+Portland5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X0MZu-qSf9I/TdbPcGTtE2I/AAAAAAAAFYc/mVs1aUpGwmg/s640/2011-05-19+May+Portland5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Clyde Common was waiting for us upon our return. And only after a nap and long shower did I feel ready to enter back into the civilized world. Bon Appetit <a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/blogsandforums/blogs/bafoodist/2011/03/where-to-drink-in-portland-bars-coffee-travel-guide.html">wrote up </a>Jeremy's Barrel aged negroni and at one sip, I felt like we were just back in Chicago, comfortably perched at <a href="http://longmanandeagle.com/">L&E</a>. But the reminder of Portland sprung back to my mind at our food's arrival. Spring is much further along in Portland so asparagus, peas and fava beans were a welcome fresh bite.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KD1Zs_S3uL4/TdbPUxalkDI/AAAAAAAAFYY/22-TsQfaxis/s1600/May+097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KD1Zs_S3uL4/TdbPUxalkDI/AAAAAAAAFYY/22-TsQfaxis/s640/May+097.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Sunday morning we opted for a light, healthy breakfast: hiking up on Mount Tabor with Voodoo Doughnuts and Stumptown and a sun-shiny morning to send us on our way.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tatdbF_Fnw4/TdbPt2ZUu1I/AAAAAAAAFYg/Alqjriq5mNU/s1600/May+100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tatdbF_Fnw4/TdbPt2ZUu1I/AAAAAAAAFYg/Alqjriq5mNU/s640/May+100.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">What a runaway. I hardly cracked my list, and have a whole slew of places to discover for next time but I wouldn't have had it any other way. I'm including my wishlist below, just in case any of you may be inspired to have your own getaway in lovely Portland and need some recommendations. It can sit there, ready for me to pick it up again when the next cheap flight comes my way. But I won't forget that the highlights were the unknowns, the unanticipated conversation with a farmer, the little herd of piglets running away from our car as we cruised up to Torii Mor, running/flying on the beach in the cold, salty air, the moments I found myself just looking at Damon, thinking my own thoughts and smiling. Good life happens in those unexpected things that aren't part of a wishlist.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">the Wishlist: (those underlined are the places we actually made it to)</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Breweries: <u>Bridgeport</u>, <u> Deschutes</u>, Rogue, Amnesia, Green Dragon, Belmont Station, Hair of the Dog, McTarnahan's, Lucky Lab</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Bars: <u>Kennedy Shool</u>, <u> Gilt Club</u>, Teardrop, House Spirits Distillery, The Bye and Bye, Holoscope</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Restaurants: <u>Clyde Common</u>, <u>Pok Pok</u>, Ping, Broder, Screen Door, Nostrana, <u>Beast</u>, <u>Kenny & Zukes</u>, Bunk Sandwiches, Le Bistro Montage</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Food trucks: any at SE Morrison & 12th, <u>Potato Chamion </u>(PB&J fries), Crown Q, Schnitzelwich, </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">Wineries: <u>Tori Mor</u>, <u> Domaine Serene,</u> Erath, Anne Arnie, Cristom</div>GreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-51326446085416139382011-04-26T06:52:00.005-05:002011-04-26T18:34:41.350-05:00Gerasimus the Trucker Tripel: DIY beer brewingMy dear mother always told me that once her girls grew up she wanted them to have accomplished two things:<br />
1. get through college and find a career to support yourself; and<br />
2. learn how to drive stick so that we could drive a truck to save our life.<br />
#1 makes good sense to me but #2 has always been a head scratcher. Why a truck? Why could <i>that </i>save my life? You can ask Mer next time you see her because I've never gotten a legitimate hypothetical for when that could come to pass. Moral of the story is my mom was always a DIY'er and wanted her girls to take on in similar fashion. When we couldn't afford big fancy birthday parties at Discovery Zone, my mom would create elaborate homemade forts, with the perfect-almost-store-bought-looking Barbie skirted birthday cake. She sewed all her own clothes up through college and to this day has some knitting project in a brown wicker basket at the foot of her bed ready to pick up and work on when she has a few spare hours.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nP0BQEVS7BQ/Ta48fD85gYI/AAAAAAAAFPc/o_e2M68ynZc/s1600/April+food+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nP0BQEVS7BQ/Ta48fD85gYI/AAAAAAAAFPc/o_e2M68ynZc/s400/April+food+002.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Her daughters' apples haven't fallen far from the tree. B is an avid knitter, felter (one who felts, you know) and sewer (my birthday request was homemade handkerchiefs) while K had some bouts with pottery, weaving and knitting and has settled on quilting. Everyone makes new babies in the family clothing, blankets and toys. And then there's Aunty JoJo. Yes, she'll make <a href="http://greensug.blogspot.com/2009/07/first-fruits.html">zuc-choco bread </a>for kiddos when they're in town, but presents in the mail come from Amazon and housewarming gifts usually come in the form of a 750 mL bottle.I'm working on that.<br />
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Christmas 2009 I launched my accommodating boyfriend in his own DIY direction. Damon got a full homebrewer kit and for your perusal, below are his experiments, thus far:<br />
<span dir="ltr" id=":1x7">Freckled Nose IPA... Double IPA</span><br />
<div class="km" role="chatMessage"><div class="kk"><span class="kn" dir="ltr"></span><span dir="ltr" id=":1x5">E-I-Ale... American IPA</span></div><div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":1x4">Baba's Rice Pudding Stout... Stout</div><div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":1x4"><span class="kn" dir="ltr"></span> <span dir="ltr" id=":1x3">Pinballhead Wizard American Wheat</span><br />
<div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":1zd">Skeletor Stout</div>Ole Chipotle Ale </div><div class="kl" dir="ltr" id=":1x4"></div></div>I've always played brewers assistant, helping stir the boiling 5 gallon pot of wort, hold feed lines, and cap bottles one they've been filled with our fragrant brew. Out of 37 Saturdays spent working on some part of the brewing process, my guess is on at least 20 Damon's apartment reeked of hops.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DYsPWXNQ0hA/Ta48h8OEJ6I/AAAAAAAAFPg/rY9wJtaihgs/s1600/April+food+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DYsPWXNQ0hA/Ta48h8OEJ6I/AAAAAAAAFPg/rY9wJtaihgs/s400/April+food+004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Last month's trip to Brew & Grow to pick up a <a href="http://greensug.blogspot.com/2011/03/seed-starters.html">seed start kit </a>tempted me to take the reins and play head brewer, just this once. I picked up a Belgian Tripel kit and kicked off the process four weeks ago. The Tripel is a widely popular Trappist brew. Brewer law says I can't name my beer "Monk" or "Trappist" anything because Damon's place isn't <i>technically </i>a monastery (though by the amount of beer that's brewed in it one could argue that it could qualify as such). So my extra malty, big headed, creamy, sweet brew will be called Gerasimus the Trucker Tripel. Gerasimus is the Patron saint of Kefalonia who always has his eye over Damon's apartment and the Trucker bit is a simple nod to the random skill that could get me out of a bind someday.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kBlk3ZB3dO0/TbJ-7NJfQjI/AAAAAAAAFPs/GrtqNAs2-2A/s1600/April+food+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kBlk3ZB3dO0/TbJ-7NJfQjI/AAAAAAAAFPs/GrtqNAs2-2A/s320/April+food+006.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
The whole brewing process takes about 4 weeks until the beer is just barely ready and goes something like this: boil wort (grains as pictured above with water) and add malt, hops, sugar and yeast. Let that whole deal sit for a week, then transfer it to a fresh carboy (as pictured above) after one week, leaving the sediment that's collected in the bottom of the old one. Then after a week more of bubbling, bottle and sit for another week. Then we pop a bottle in the fridge and after two days, pour it out into a clean lovely piece of stemware.<br />
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I'll be enjoying these brews, all 42 of them, for up to year as it improves with a bit of age. While I probably won't be sending my new niece a 6 pack for her 1 year old birthday, I like the idea of little food gifts that I can preserve, put up and dish out through the year. Plus with this <a href="http://www.imbibemagazine.com/In-the-Magazine">new subscription </a>on my coffee table, I'm thinking my next beverage challenge will be a <a href="http://www.imbibemagazine.com/Charentes-Shrub-Recipe">syrup</a>, <a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/foodday/index.ssf/2011/04/for_a_sweet_taste_of_spring_ma.html">liqueur</a>, or some such thing. Ahh the DIY adventures to be had. Despite my projects being slightly different than those of my sisters, I think my mom would be proud. I've checked #1 and #2 off the list and am off to find my own sort of creative home activities: non-traditional, non-Michael's/Joann Fabrics-based, not super kid friendly but me. They're appropriate to who I am and where I am at right at this moment. Barbie cakes and knitted sweaters I'll save for another day.GreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439919114844878123.post-17754545984783738982011-03-28T21:46:00.000-05:002011-03-28T21:46:47.290-05:00Seed starters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There's a lamp on 15 hours a day on my three season back porch again. Didn't it just seem like yesterday that I had <a href="http://greensug.blogspot.com/2010/03/eggs-to-chickens.html">fuzzy chicks </a>on my back porch, cheeping away under a heat lamp and <a href="http://greensug.blogspot.com/2010/05/our-hens-are-growing-up.html">growing exponentially </a>every day? These days the girls are all grown up and have taken to each laying one egg a day, giving us endless delight in the form of surplus protein. If you haven't gotten eggs yet from us, ask. Last I counted, we had 4 days last week where we found 3 eggs in our little nest, compared with all winter where we'd maybe find 1.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gwPkjK5dfPc/TZFFPNJz_NI/AAAAAAAAFNk/XZvIPxbYr-8/s1600/March+2011+031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gwPkjK5dfPc/TZFFPNJz_NI/AAAAAAAAFNk/XZvIPxbYr-8/s400/March+2011+031.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6EUq3lUztIY/TZFEiZEZvlI/AAAAAAAAFNc/x6N2IqwRZ_A/s1600/March+2011+034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
This time around the growing things under our heat lamp aren't chirping, they're just growing steadily, quietly, faithfully under a serene piece of plastic. Seeds. Beautiful heirloom vegetables and herbs are getting their start a little early this year. Over on <a href="http://gapersblock.com/drivethru/2011/03/11/thinking_spring_seeds_csas_and_cycling/">Gapers Block</a>, I recommended to Chicago that they get moving on their seeds for the season and promptly heeded my own advice. I hauled myself up to <a href="http://www.altgarden.com/store/cart.php">Brew & Grow</a> and, after getting a bit distracted in their beer kits and picking up a Belgian Tripel kit for next weekend, I was persuaded by B&G's knowledgeable staff to pick up <a href="http://www.discount-hydro.com/productdisp.php?pid=790&navid=34">starter plugs </a>(last years peat pots and starter mix failed miserably), a one piece lighting system (that actually doesn't produce heat, rather economically efficient wavelength light for growing), and a little indoor watering pot. We picked up a few brewing freebies too-- a taste of the alt beer they had on tap and a half gallon of their house made compost tea.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nMCs9nR63PQ/TZFEuF2UVII/AAAAAAAAFNg/JKUWlI1abDs/s1600/March+2011+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nMCs9nR63PQ/TZFEuF2UVII/AAAAAAAAFNg/JKUWlI1abDs/s400/March+2011+006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
On that drizzly Monday night, Melanie and I plopped ourselves down in the middle of our kitchen floor, scattered seed packets in logical planting order, readied Melanie's handmade grid and began to plant. We had 98 spots, 17 packets of seeds and felt ready to make some tough decisions. How many chive plants do we really need? And will we have room for 5 different kinds of tomato plants if we want to grow 4 of each variety? We're going to need some serious yardage. Last time I checked, little to nothing grows in my back yard (save chickens) but luckily, I snagged a spot at a newly established community garden plot just a few blocks away. Check out our grid below--I made it extra big for your reading ease. I know, we got a bit over zealous on the tomatoes but is there anything better than a tomato straight out of the garden? I could swoon just thinking about it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-waWj94xWpzw/TZFEY8moQ2I/AAAAAAAAFNU/jTpMyTXg7IY/s1600/March+2011+030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-waWj94xWpzw/TZFEY8moQ2I/AAAAAAAAFNU/jTpMyTXg7IY/s640/March+2011+030.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Plugs are brilliant. You drop the seeds into their little pot, and voila! You're done. No mucky soil under your nails, no soil all over my kitchen floor, just seeds and plugs all neatly tucked in their little tray. I am really really hoping that these plugs prove to be the brilliant hydroponic miracle plugs that they claim. So far, things are looking fantastic.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6EUq3lUztIY/TZFEiZEZvlI/AAAAAAAAFNc/x6N2IqwRZ_A/s1600/March+2011+034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6EUq3lUztIY/TZFEiZEZvlI/AAAAAAAAFNc/x6N2IqwRZ_A/s400/March+2011+034.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I turn on the light on at 6 am when I leave for work and then off again just before bed to give the seeds their full 16 hours of daylight, plus keeping their plugs moist with some organic grower <a href="http://www.altgarden.com/store/cart.php?m=product_list&c=10">feed</a>. For all the work, I'm delighted that spring has come early in my little apartment. I like having <a href="http://greensug.blogspot.com/2010/01/turkey-chili-my-slow-cooker-infomercial.html">projects working </a>quietly at home as I work and if there is anything I can do to lengthen the uber-short growing season in Chicago, I'll do it. Thus far the cucumber is winning by a long shot, followed by beets and carrots. I'm not quite sure what to do once these guys outgrow their plugs but aren't quite ready for the cold Chicago outdoors but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Actually, let's be honest. I'll probably run up to Brew & Grow and ask them what to do, and pick up another beer making kit, have another little sampler and be inspired to keep growing. That's what we should be feeling inspired to do come springtime. Keep growing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n7JlWCoN1jY/TZFEfHKWp7I/AAAAAAAAFNY/uTiPJjj6u3A/s1600/March+2011+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n7JlWCoN1jY/TZFEfHKWp7I/AAAAAAAAFNY/uTiPJjj6u3A/s400/March+2011+033.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>GreenSughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07351627179910402758noreply@blogger.com1