Thyme Flies

Turkey leftovers

2010-11-30T00:03:00.002-06:00

Leftover caramels from our non-existent caramel apples at Halloween and leftover sweettart bones made the perfect turkey drumstick dessert for Thanksgiving. I came up with this one on my own, and I'm quite proud.

Simply score the corner of the carmel with a knife to make an opening to stick in the candy bone. Then press the carmel around it and shape it by molding in the corners (pressing it against a plate was a quick solution).

Cute!

Halloween Spooktacular 2010

2010-11-28T18:21:00.002-06:00

Our first Halloween party went eerily well. Mua ha ha ha...

A few looks at some of the food goodies:

Brain Cupcakes

Cheese Brain Dip

Broken Heart (Fennel bulb with celery stalks in dyed water)

Baby Mummy Fingers (ginger in dyed water)

Pickled Brains (Cauliflower in dyed water)

Can't wait until next Halloween!

In Vino Veritas

2010-08-22T09:38:00.004-05:00

A recent vacation in Wisconsin provided the opportunity to visit Wollersheim Winery in Prairie du Sac, WI. I took the $3.50 tour - and it was well worth it! The actual tour had a few interesting stops, but I would have liked to wander around more of their facilities. The tasting was great though -- I think we ended up tasting nearly 15 different wines.

Aren't the grape vines beautiful? I can't imagine what a winery tour would be like in Napa Valley. Must be breathtaking!

Stow your banana in a bunker!

2009-11-01T19:12:00.003-06:00

Hate when your banana gets banged up in transit? Or even worse - you end up with banana glue?

I found the solution for all your bruised bananas - a Banana Bunker!

I'll admit, it looks pretty hilarious, but what can I say? I'm sure it does the job! You can buy yours from the very cool MoMA Store.

Lil' Pumpkin Baby Shower

2009-10-19T19:36:00.000-05:00

I believe today is the day the world will welcome a new baby into Jake's family. We're so excited to see you, baby!

Just 2 weeks ago we had a baby shower for your mom with a cute little pumpkin theme.

Uncle Jake made the food and I baked lil' pumpkin cookies to give away as favors.

Everyone got to take home two yummy pumpkin cookies as well as a mini pumpkin.

Your daddy's Auntie S even made a cute Pumpkin Bear cake!

Ultra Violet Mt. Dew

2009-10-18T19:28:00.000-05:00

I like the color purple just as much as I like a good sale, so when I spotted Mt. Dew's new Ultra Violet on sale I decided to try it. The pop is really pretty - a light lavender color in the bottle. But when I poured it into my glass all the fizz and bubbles turned a sky blue color. Disturbing.

The taste? Not so great - much too sweet and syrupy for my liking. I couldn't drink the whole bottle.

Dear Mt. Dew,

Please bring Mt. Dew Throwback back.

Love,

Me.

Smak-Tak!

2009-09-14T22:01:00.007-05:00

5961 N Elston Ave

Chicago, IL 60646

773.763.1123

www.smaktak.com

A cute and cozy, cabin atmosphere creates a comfortable setting for some good polish food at Smak-Tak on North Elston in Chicago. Jake and I have had to drive by this small restaurant a few times now, but yesterday it worked for us to stop in and have a bite to eat.

Smak-tak translates to Taste-Yes!

Jake ordered the special platter and I ordered the stuffed cabbage rolls (a favorite of Jake's family, called golumpkis in Polish, pronounced go-WHOMB-keys). They were quite tasty - the tomato sauce was nice and thick and coated the golumpkis just right.

We each received two side salads of coleslaw and warm shredded beets with onions, too. The coleslaw was more pickled tasting than traditional mayo-laced American coleslaw. Very refreshing after a warm afternoon. In fact, I bought some at our neighborhood polish grocery store tonight because I enjoyed it so much.

I hadn't realized how much of a role dill plays in Polish food. I can't say that I eat dill all that much, other than in pickle form, and that doesn't really ring true to the taste of fresh dill sprinkled on a cabbage salad or freshly mashed potatoes.

Angus Burgers

2009-09-10T21:11:00.001-05:00

McDonald's doesn't top my list for places to grab a good burger. Until now. On a late night cruise with a friend he recommended I try McDonald's new 1/3lb. Angus Burgers. Up for a challenge, I accepted.

Verdict? The Mushroom Swiss Burger is good. Really good. It has mushrooms, swiss, and mayo on it, but we swore the mayo was enhanced somehow. Like... some sort of cream cheese mayo maybe? Maybe it was late night delirium - regardless - Ronald, you got my vote.

[Image from McDonald's]

I'm nuts for these nuts!

2009-09-09T21:01:00.000-05:00

Check your grocery aisles (or Walgreens) for True North's Pecan Peanut Almond Clusters. They're 100% Natural, 100% Delicious, and 100% Free after Rebate (make sure it has the red rebate sticker on it)!

[Image from Frito Lay]

No Monkeyin' Around: Bananas are Blue!

2009-09-08T20:56:00.000-05:00

Blue bananas? Apparently so. I was reading an article here about how ripe bananas emit a blue glow when lit with UV light. So what does that mean?

“In contrast to humans, many of the animals that eat bananas can see light in the UV range. The blue luminescence of the banana fruit could give them a distinct signal that the fruit is ripe.” says Bernhard Kräutler.

So put away those crazy psychedelic posters, and party like a monkey -- Break out those black lights and throw an electric blue banana party.

In an Absolut world there are no labels

2009-08-19T18:35:00.002-05:00

In an Absolut world there are no labels.

And come September Absolut Vodka bottle will be label-free for their global launch of a limited edition bottle.

"No matter what’s on the outside, it’s the inside that really matters. We do it in support of the people who spend their entire lives, stamped with a label by other people," says their Global PR Manager.

Instead of the the Absolut Vodka label and logo the bottle will feature a removable sticker with information on their campaign -- one intended to discard labels and prejudice about sexual minorities.

Good for you, Absolut.

To learn more, visit their blog.

Colonel Mustard greens

2009-06-15T22:03:00.000-05:00

Colonel Mustard, in the kitchen, with ... the greens! Yesterday Jake and I tended to the garden and brought home a lot of mustard greens. To start using them up I made stir-fry tonight. I combined carrots, red peppers, broccoli, egg, chicken, and mustard greens and then made a hodge-podge orange sauce with fresh squeezed orange juice, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, a bit of flour and some oil. Not too shabby for a throw together meal!

The greens have a very distinct flavor. I like them in small quantities, but there is definately a LARGE quantity of them remaining in the fridge. Maybe I'll try wilted mustard tomorrow. Copious amounts of bacon make anything wonderful, right? :)

Chocolate turtle

2009-06-11T23:36:00.000-05:00

One thing I love about living here in the Chicago burbs is that I can run to Mitsuwa Marketplace and grab some sushi and dessert like it's no big deal. What a great feeling! So cultural. So... delicious! I had never tried anything from the bakery in Mitsuwa, and boy, I wish I had sooner. This cute little turtle was like a soft bread/donut and had a yummy chocolate pudding inside. Next time I think I'll try a loaf of bread. It was probably the softest bread I've ever come across.

Sugar, sugar...

2009-06-04T20:17:00.001-05:00

[Image from Pepsi-Cola North American Beverages]

Pepsi has provided some taste treats recently with their new Throwback sodas: Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback. Both are good, though the Mountain Dew is especially tasty - it actually goes down smoothly - without making me feel like I'm drinking crazy sugar syrup. (I remember drinking numerous Mt. Dews during slumber parties... ah.. to be young... and on a sugar high)

Prior to Throwback I found these glass bottles of Pepsi Natural. It has an interesting taste - kind of like Coke in that it is more "rooty" tasting. I liked it, but unfortunately I found that the kola nut left a bitter aftertaste. Not cool. I suppose if you like coffee it'd be ideal.

I'm wondering if this temporary Throwback line will become more permanant. Especially with fuss over high fructose corn syrup. Jones Soda and Boylan may just have new friends [enemies] in the soda aisle.

Square roots

2009-03-03T21:32:00.000-06:00

Unfortunately I've been too busy this week and didn't have the chance to come up with a "square root" food for today. Root Veggies - you'll live to see another day!

Watch out, pie. Your day is coming...

[Image from Merriam Webster Visual Dictionary Online]

She put in her thumb and pulled out a plum-a-granate...

2009-02-26T19:30:00.001-06:00

“I am putting real plums into an imaginary cake.”

- Mary McCarthy (American novelist and critic,1912-1989)

Unfortunately no cakes, imaginary, or real, are being made today.

Plum is on the menu though - in the form of Snapple's "Plum-a-granate Diet Tea." I had it at work the other day, and it's really good. It's got more plum than pomegranate, but in my opinion, that's the way it should be. Try it!

Under the Sea

2009-02-21T09:24:00.000-06:00

Shrimp, walleye, clam strips, oh my! Don’s Dock has been a favorite of mine since I moved to the area a few years ago – but with my recent move, I’ve become much closer to the tasty seafood hangout. I’m already tempted to sneak down there and buy some of their delicious Hush Puppies…

Radish Me

2009-02-14T22:36:00.000-06:00

They call me pomelo yellow...

2009-02-06T21:42:00.000-06:00

Pomelos look like beefy grapefruit, but they taste sweeter - like a combination of grapefruit and strawberries. I found them to be "drier" too. They are the largest citrus fruit ranging from extra-large grapefruit size up to the diameter of a basketball (thanks Wikipedia)!

Pomelos are also known as Chinese grapefruit, pummelo, pommelo, Lusho Fruit, jabong, pompelmous, and shaddock.

[Photo by John Panzarella]

My cookies were gobbled up!

2008-12-09T22:16:00.000-06:00

My turkey cookies were a hit this Thanksgiving! I definately need some more practice in the kitchen though. At my current pace (3 dozen cookies baked and iced in... 4 hours!) I will never be a force to be reckoned with in the cookie world. Must. Learn. To. Decorate. Faster.

Try Dry

2008-12-06T08:22:00.001-06:00

New Dry Soda flavors!

Soup's On

2008-12-05T10:28:00.000-06:00

I bought this soup at Mitsuwa Marketplace in Arlington Heights, IL. It had been setting in my cupboard for awhile now. Even though it sounded tasty, I'll admit, I was apprehensive. I found nothing else to inspire me food-wise last night, so this soup got its chance.

My initial impression? Salty! But mmm... tasty. Very tasty. Very, very tasty. I would have eaten it all, but at 44% RDA of sodium per serving, I controlled myself. This soup was like gourmet ramen.

This little piggy had acorns...

2008-12-04T21:49:00.000-06:00

The most delicious meat in the world is pata negra (or black hoof in Spanish and Portuguese) from the Black Iberian pig. Pata negra is a type of jamón ibérico de bellota, ham from free-range pigs that roam oak forests along the border between Spain and Portugal, and eat only acorns (thanks wikipedia!).

Jake and I tried pata negra while visiting the Marion Street Cheese Market in Oak Park, IL. Wondering how much this fine ham will set you back? We found it for $160.00 per pound. Our 6 or so thin slices rang in at $10.00. It's very worth it though if you're a foodie-type and enjoy prosciutto.

Pata negra is the best prosciutto you can imagine. It's texture is very similar, but it is so much more deliciously oily. The thin slices exude a rich oil as a result of the acorn diet. Definitely something to try if you have the chance!

[Image from su-lin]

Can't Decide What To Eat?

2008-11-25T23:22:00.000-06:00

I just saw a commercial on tv for the Nintendo DS game The Cooking Guide: Can't Decide What To Eat. Are enough people willing to go consult their game console when they feel indecisive about their next meal? The concept is cool, but I can't imagine the people that would actually use this even have a DS to begin with.

An apple a day...

2008-11-11T11:00:00.000-06:00

On October 4, Jake and I traveled up to Oriole Springs Orchard with Joe and Melissa to pick some apples and pumpkins. Tasting an apple straight from the tree is so much better than an apple bought in a grocery store. There's a certain crispness... juiciness.. and satisfaction that the fruit came straight from the source. Although we were too late for Honey Crisp (a great apple we found - but also missed last year at the orchard), we picked a bushel and a half of other tasty varieties.

Afterward we drove down the road to the cider house where we tried these fresh donuts. They were so good! We sampled an apple cider shake and were just in time to get an unexpected taste of homemade apple wine made by the orchard owners.

And the beet goes on...

2008-11-10T10:00:00.000-06:00

Fresh beets! These beauties were my first attempt at roasting beets. I washed them, trimmed the greens and any long roots, and placed them in some tin foil on a baking sheet. I sprinkled them with some kosher salt and covered them with another piece of foil, making a pocket. They cooked at 350-400 for about 45-50 minutes - I don't recall - just until they were tender. After they cool the skins slip right off, and you have delicious beets!

Next time I think I'd have kitchen gloves or something when peeling them. My fingers were an interesting brownish-red color for a a day or two.

Snap, crackle, marble pop!

2008-11-09T15:27:00.001-06:00

Ramune is a brand of pop from Japan. It's sold in Codd-neck bottles and sealed with a marble that is held in place by pressure from carbon dioxide. To open it, you push the marble into the drink, where it rattles as you drink, or you catch it on two little nodes to prevent the rattling. Very cool. I have yet to try it, but I saw an ad for it in World Market and found it really interesting.

Election Night

2008-11-05T00:35:00.000-06:00

What were you doing when the historic announcement was made that Barack Obama will be our new President? I was in the kitchen, making Obama cookies.

Tasty treats

2008-10-31T19:33:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween! Jake and I celebrated last night by making a bunch of donuts with his family. In total we made four different kinds: pumpkin, apple, vanilla, and chocolate. Yum! Of course Jake spruced up the frostings... the white is white chocolate with chambord and the other is chocolate cognac icing. What a tasty treat.

About 5 years ago I decided to start a tradition of making creepy finger cookies for Halloween. This year they continued to impress. Here's a picture of my handiwork from one of the first few years of making them...

Malt O' Momma Milk

2008-09-26T22:29:00.000-05:00

Ben and Jerry's makes a wicked Cherry Garcia ice cream. I'd say it's probably my favorite in their line-up, despite the fact I haven't ventured to try that many others. It's that good.

What ISN'T good is this. I hope I'll never see "Malt O' Momma Milk" hit store shelves.

Think you have the knack for delicous ice cream combos? Make your own!

Bakin' with Bacon

2008-09-15T21:53:00.000-05:00

From the good home-cookin' Bacon and Eggs to the fast food industry (the Bacon-ator!) to the finer Bacon-wrapped scallops - Bacon is everywhere. And now it's in my bread. I found this Bacon Onion Bread in the bakery at my grocery store and figured it deserved a chance. Can bacon be bad? I wouldn't say it was the best thing ever, but definitely not bad. Just... different. It's not everyday I eat bread with bits of bacon in it. And that's probably a good thing.

I heart cake!

2008-09-14T23:46:00.000-05:00

You know what's really great? When your boyfriend comes over after work and brings you a big slice of red velvet cake. Mmmm mmm!

Teriyaki Salmon

2008-09-10T11:00:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday was Jake's night off so we went to Whole Foods for a treat. The result? A delicious homemade meal! Teriyaki Salmon, fresh cooked spinach, and penne/farfalle and prosciutto with an heirloom tomato salsa.

Congratulations on your weeding

2008-09-09T12:00:00.001-05:00

Cake Wrecks is a great blog for two reasons.

1. I love cake. check. I really love cake.

2. The mistakes are funny, the misjudgments amusing.

[Image from Cake Wrecks]

The All-Thyme Wurst Robber

2008-09-08T17:55:00.000-05:00

Apparently a robber entered some Fresno, California, farmworkers' home, stole some money, rubbed spices on one guy in his sleep, then proceeded to hit the other guy with an 8" sausage before fleeing. Yes, this was an actual event.

In light of the sausage weapon, here's a pic from our very own sausage making event last year. Of course, Jake was at the reigns of this project, but his sister and I were very good sous chefs.

[Image from April 3, 2007]

Croutons

2008-07-30T18:52:00.000-05:00

C routons are
R eally quite the
O nly food that
U sually taste great and
T ake the place
O f chips when I
N eed a
S easoned snack.

Food Pairings

2008-07-22T20:41:00.000-05:00

I've spent many hours considering interesting flavor combinations, so I was really excited when I stumbled upon the Food Pairings website. Click here for a brief history of food pairing and how to use the Food Pairing charts. Basically the flavors that make up the complete food item are broken down and then matched with foods that share similar flavor components.

Select an ingredient (banana shown) then read the chart to see what foods share a flavor component with your selection. The foods are grouped by category and the closer it is to the center ingredient the stronger the similarity.
[Images from foodpairing.be]

Tacos, anyone?

2008-07-21T22:29:00.000-05:00

Growing up we always knew if Mom went grocery shopping, we could expect frozen pizza or tacos for dinner that night. Looking back, it's sort of sweet just how predictable Mom's grocery shopping trips were.

Last week I found this picture that a friend drew for me a few years ago. Every time I see it I can't help but laugh. This is my college friend "Bonfig" and me playing Bocce Ball. The Sun has the right idea (and yes, I loved using the word uber)!

I'd love to live in a Carl Warner world...

2008-07-14T11:00:00.000-05:00

Who wouldn't want to live on the edge of the great Prosciutto River? This is just one of many amazing "fotographics" by London-based photographer Carl Warner.

Fish and Fennel

2008-07-13T22:41:00.000-05:00

I felt the urge to make myself something healthy for dinner, so I cooked a salmon steak with a touch of lemon. In the background is my side of sauteed onion, apple, and fennel (with garlic, parsley, and a squeeze of lemon juice - quickly becoming my fave side dish - jake tipped me off to it), rosemary portabellas, and herbed goat cheese on crustinis. Not too shabby for a quick meal. It's amazing how much better good food makes you feel. Half of the salmon steak was enough for a meal, so hurray for leftovers!

Supreme supreme

2008-07-08T18:36:00.000-05:00

Supreme - (su-PREMM) v. to remove the skin, pith, membranes, and seeds of a citrus fruit and separate its wedges. Also as noun, a wedge of citrus fruit.

After watching Jake concoct so many salads with orange supremes, I decided to try my hand at it. I did fairly well I think! I mixed these with some roasted beets, and apples for a fresh little taste treat.

Camping coulis

2008-07-07T23:02:00.000-05:00

Most people would associate hot dogs, brats, and potato chips with camping food. While at the cabin up in Wisconsin this past weekend, I helped Jake make this meal of noodles with gremolata (parsley, garlic, and grated lemon peel) and pork chops from a local farm, served with a mango coulee and balsalmic reduction.

After dinner snack was Beet Carpaccio with orange supremes, goat cheese, and balsalmic reduction.

Dessert was homemade bread pudding with fresh peaches and a butter topping.

Yes, this is considered just another everyday meal. Aren't I lucky?

The Indian Garden

2008-06-22T15:11:00.000-05:00

247 E. Ontario Street, 2nd Floor
Chicago IL 60611
http://www.indiangardenchicago.com

Friday marked my first taste of Indian food. I'll admit I was a bit apprehensive, but one our interns at work is from India and she was a great help in explaining her native cuisine. She suggested I would really like Murg Makhani (Chicken pieces roasted in a clay oven & then folded into a creamy tomato sauce). In one word - delicious! I loved it! It wasn't spicy, but had just enough 'pep'. I also tried some of her rice dish, also great. I'm sure our carry-out food was toned down from her usual meals, as she said her family's food is generally much hotter. Regardless, it was fun to try a new cuisine!

The garbage on Food Network

2008-06-16T20:19:00.000-05:00

Literally. I mentioned Rachel Ray's "Garbage Bowl" in a previous post, but I didn't know it was actually sold at stores! I was passing through the kitchen/cookware aisles at Kohls last week and caught glimpse of a goofy looking bowl. Since it was orange, I had the fleeting thought that it'd be funny if it was a Rachel Ray garbage bowl. Not actually seeing the garbage bowl before on her show, I was amazed to see that it WAS the Garbage Bowl. What?! Pay $20 for a garbage bowl? What sense does that make? I understand paying for a garbage can - people don't have 13 gallon buckets setting around in their cupboards... but bowls? Wow.

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!

2008-06-13T16:00:00.000-05:00

Salmonella is no laughing matter. However... I can't help but find a tiny bit of humor in the warnings about the tainted tomatoes. Does anyone remember the cartoon "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!"? There was a movie as well, but I believe the cartoon was around in 1990 or so. Classic.

A Wedding Shower to Devour!

2008-06-10T19:44:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to the "Bride and Groom"-to-be!

Jake jumped at the opportunity to cater the wedding shower for his brother and future sister-in-law. After much planning - including numerous conversations revolving around millions of food ideas - the food turned out amazing. It was great that Jake recruited some top-notch Sous Chefs to aid in the kitchen that weekend, and during the shower (yes - this is a nod to Sous Chef K and myself).

Guests were dazzled with an impressive spread - all homemade and from Jake's heart:

Olive Medley in olive oil, lemon peel, fennel, and garlic
- gaeta, kalamata, picholines, niCoises, arbequinas, moroccan oil cured, and green olives.

Cheese Platters, Fruit Platter, Vegetable Platter

Hors d'Oeuvre Trio
- Pepper-crusted filet with chive flower butter
- Whiskey-glazed ham, mustard butter, sour pickle
- Cucumber and curry butter

Faux Sushi Due
- Amaretto fig gelee, marscapone in risotto with prociutto wrapper
- Asparagus, portobello, and goat cheese in truffled risotto

Mesculn Basket - baby salad greens in homemade bread bowl
- served with bleu cheese crumbles and candied almonds

California Chicken Salad sandwiches

Pulled Carnitas sandwiches slow roasted chili-rubbed pork shoulder cook with oranges
- served with cilantro pesto and pineapple salsa on mini hawaiian roll

Cucumber Mint Shrimp

Goat Cheese Crustini

The latest in Fast Food

2008-05-25T14:56:00.000-05:00

White Castle: As I was driving by a White Castle I noticed their sign about new Flavored Chicken Rings. This seems very unnatural and a little bit disturbing.

McDonald's: Ronald has added chicken to his menu. While I find the Southwestern Chicken Sandwich to sound quite boring, I've heard from a few people that it is actually pretty good. I don't understand why a person wouldn't just buy the Value Menu Chicken Sandwich? I think the Southwestern only has the chicken and two pickles... ?

Another recent change for the Golden Arch is the elimination of Trans-Fats in a number of their products. I read an article about how they made the change a few weeks ago but didn't advertise it to the consumer. Basically, it sounded like they wanted to make the change to appear as if they are striving for healthier fast food, yet they don't want to compromise their image or lose customers who enjoy artery-clogging goodness.

Wendy's: The Frosty has been an old favorite of many folk - the classic chocolate ice-cream-like "shake" thick enough to require a spoon. Wendy's will now also offer the new Frosty Shake - that can be consumed with a straw and topped with whipped cream and a cherry. I can't help but feel disappointed. I'm sure the new drink and flavors (chocolate fudge, vanilla bean, and strawberry) are tasty, but why couldn't they just keep it simple? What was wrong with offering just the original Frosty?

Cakes On Walnut

2008-05-13T20:03:00.000-05:00

114 N Walnut Street
Champaign, IL 61820
http://www.cakesonwalnut.com

Delicious! We stopped here after walking around Champaign and eating at Cowboy Monkey (cool place, not so cool food). The cupcakes were delicious! Jake and I shared a salted caramel cupcake - so moist - and the creamiest, buttery frosting. Yum!

Jake noticed they had Dry Soda as well. He had read about it in a magazine article, so we decided to try the Rhubarb soda. Wow - completely awesome. It was really interesting - the dry texture made an interesting mouthfeel. It was refreshing and light; I felt kind of like I do after eating sushi. Currently there are only three locations in Illinois where you can purchase Dry Soda, and low-and-behold - Cakes on Walnut was one of them (the other two are in Chicago). Although it's still new and a bit pricey, I definitely recommend trying it.

E-V-O-Oh you have to be kidding me!

2008-05-07T23:13:00.000-05:00

I can't honestly say I'm a big fan of Rachael Ray, but to each their own. I do, however, draw the line when a ridiculous expression by a "food celebrity" is added to a dictionary. EVOO apparently made the cut and as of 2007 is now included in the Oxford American College Dictonary. I'm speechless. Personally, I think this idea belongs in the G.B. (oh.. that's Rachael's abbreviation for "garbage bowl").

Smoke Daddy

2008-05-05T21:26:00.000-05:00

1804 W. Division Street
Chicago, IL 60622
www.thesmokedaddy.com

For those of you who haven't yet been wowed by Smoke Daddy in Wicker Park, you're really missing out! They offer delicious homemade BBQ sauces that rival my favorites from other establishments. The ribs are amazing - and the mac 'n cheese is great! The price is reasonable as well - a full order of Rib Tips with 2 sides is just $14.95.

Great causal bar atmosphere and super food makes Smoke Daddy's my favorite BBQ spot in Chicagoland.

Dinner In The Sky

2008-04-09T18:11:00.000-05:00

Literally. No bathroom, no floor. Eight hours of nothing but the horizon to distract you from your food while 50 meters above ground.

Dinner In The Sky delivers - and the food looks pretty delicious- just don't drop your fork. Of course, all this fun doesn't come without a price. The basic meal will cost you $11,000.

If you'd like a little extra mood setting (think piano, violin, etc), your cost doubles. Although, there is something to be said for a grand piano in the sky...

[Images from Dinner In The Sky]

Ain't that sweet!

2008-03-16T12:25:00.000-05:00

I challenge you to a Candy Bar Quiz!

Try to beat my score - 14 out of 20 correct.

Friendship is like whisky, the older, the better...

2008-03-16T11:18:00.000-05:00

"Jen's Imajen Juice" has been born! I received the announcement from Maker's Mark yesterday, including the history behind my American white oak plank barrel. (click on each image to read)

My barrel information

Jen's Imajen Juice has been born!

You're probably wondering, "what the heck?" Well, in my "Sign up for everything free in 2007" spree, I came across the Maker's Mark site that allows you to sign up to be an Ambassador. I have to admit, they have some very nice mailings. When I signed up I put my name on the waiting list to have a barrel branded with my choice of name - and yesterday it was born! Now my baby gets to settle in for a nice 6-7 year nap.

To be honest, being an ambassador is kind of fun. I've gotten some nice gifts from Maker's Mark - for Christmas, my birthday, my "ambassador anniversary": Metal shaker, metal cup, party napkins, a maker's mark stamp and wax seal, address labels, etc.

Sugar, sugar...

2008-03-10T19:56:00.000-05:00

Jake's latest dessert creations:

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Baba Pita

2008-03-06T19:04:00.000-06:00

1032 W. Lake St
Chicago, IL 60612
www.babapita.com

Today was my first taste of Lebanese food. This was a welcome change to the greasy chinese take-out we got last week for lunch.

The Victuals:

Beef Shawarma Plate
Grilled, sliced marinated beef served with onion, rice, salad, hummus, pita bread & tahini sauce.

Shawarma (SWHWAR-muh) - usually a sandwich made with shaved meat
hummus - blended chickpeas
tahini - sesame seed paste, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley

The Verdict:

Fresh, satisfying. The salad was great - resembled mesclun with other fresh veggies added. The beef was good, if not a wee-bit overcooked. The rice was cooked perfectly with a touch of dill and a few fava beans I think. I can't say that I was a big fan of the hummus; I've had flavored hummus before and it was ok, but I can't do plain hummus. Sadly, they did forget my tahini sauce but I was able to try a taste of a co-workers - yum! Pretty good overall.

The King has gone too far.

2008-03-03T19:07:00.000-06:00

Burger King has entered the chip aisle with two new flavored potato snacks: Ketchup and Fries and Flame-Broiled.

If I "had it my way" I'd pull these snacks from the shelves. Oddly enough, the only place I've seen them so far was a big display near the checkout aisles in Menards (of all places!). Number one, any type of snack that advertises yummy ketchup flavor is just... weird. Secondly, if you're craving a hamburger, do you really think you'd grab a bag of these? "Mmmm... I could really use a great hamburger. Oh wait - I think I'll eat some burger-flavored potato snacks instead. They'll really hit the spot!"

Yes, there are some parts of a fast food meal that make a good chip. Cheese? Definately! Pickle? Yes! Veggie? Sure! Salt/Vinegar? Of course! Juicy burger? Not a chance.

We Fondue, do you?

2008-02-20T23:50:00.000-06:00

It was a retro fondue pot kind of Valentine's Day. Jake surprised me with the idea to fondue at his house (BEFORE he knew if he still had a fondue pot!). We had quite a few tasty veggies and thinly sliced pieces of aged beef to fondue in some rosemary-garlic infused oil. Dessert consisted of quite possibly the best chocolate ever with fresh fruit and angel food cake.

Fondue - from the French "fondre" (to melt); past tense "fondu" (melted)

Watermelon Carving

2008-02-11T21:45:00.000-06:00

J's first fruit carving. This is a small watermelon he carved based on traditional Thai fruit and vegetable carvings. The aesthetic appeal is just as important in Thai cuisine as the balancing of flavors; Food should please the eye as well as the palate.

Meiji

2008-02-06T19:45:00.000-06:00

meiji
623 W. Randolph
Chicago, IL 60661
http://www.meijirestaurant.com/

I had the pleasure of dining with a coworker for lunch at meiji restaurant in West Loop this week. I'm still somewhat new to the world of sashimi, makimono, and japanese food in general, but if this is any indication of what I've been missing, I've been missing a lot!

I started with Miso soup - a great broth with tofu, scallions, and wakame (a type of edible kelp, it sort of looked like flat spinach pieces). We opted to try three different makimono:

Honey Fire
tamago (egg), shiitake mushroom, masago (smelt roe), yuzu (citrus fruit) sauce topped with tempura flakes, spicy crab, unagi (eel), jalapeno, red tobiko (flying fish roe) and sweet chili sauce

Philly Crunch
smoked salmon, wasabi cream cheese, scallions, and cilantro wrapped in wonton skin and topped with spicy salmon

Yuri
shrimp tempura, avocado, and spicy mayo topped with spicy shrimp, masago, tempura flakes

Delicious! I love the way I feel after eating this type of food. Energized. Alive. Happy. My favorite was the Philly Crunch, though they were all great. Honey Fire definitely had the most variety of flavors in each bite.

At this point in the meal we were basically praising the waitstaff for their attentive service and enjoying the occasional visit from the manager and waitress as they stopped by to ensure we were having a pleasant time.

Upon request of the dessert menu we were notified one item was sold out, but the manager was quick to recommend another dessert and ended up bringing us Green Tea Mille Feuille with raspberry coulis (layers of puff pastry and sweet pastry cream with a thick raspberry sauce), on the house! This was the perfect ending to a great lunch. The green tea cream was amazing - my coworker said "delightful" and "this is to die for!" about 10 times during dessert.

To top off the experience, we chatted with the manager as we were leaving. She was very friendly and told us how the restaurant is family run and managed by her and siblings. After mentioning their upcoming specials, and the hours for the lounge above the restaurant, she invited us to come back and gave us a gift certificate to use on our next outing. Needless to say, we'll be going back very soon!