The Best Thing I Ate This Week

Meals like this rebuild my confidence in my ability to cook, because they're the kind that are thrown together from what (little) I have in the fridge at the time, they're usually made when I'm exhausted and don't feel very inspired, and then, miraculously, they turn out to be delicious.

I sautéed some escarole & garlic in olive oil, then added slices of radish & some fleur de sel.  I tossed all of this with a little linguine and voila -- yummy dinner in a pretty bowl.

Believe it or not, I think I got a sunburn today.  It makes sense, because I spent hours sitting in the sun... that kind of thing happens, I suppose... it's only strange because it's April in Chicago, and that usually isn't sunburn season.  The Cubs home opener was Thursday, and of course I was working, but I got to spend Saturday and Sunday at the park with my 'fella.  Ike came with us on Saturday, but proved to be a little high-strung, so today we left him at home.  I had my pendants out, and got a few new sign-ups for the newsletter -- yay!  I also received a message about a cool opportunity this Summer, but I won't say anything about it until it's set in stone.

All in all, it was a nice weekend, and I hope yours was the same!  Back to the grind tomorrow, and pretty soon I think I'll just go to bed.  Sitting in the sun is surprisingly exhausting (I know, what a rough life I have) and I'm just about ready to fall asleep.

The Best Thing I Ate This Week: Spinach Pesto

Super-yum!  I found this recipe on MarthaStewart.com, and it did not disappoint!  Martha rarely does disappoint, though.  ;)

Linguine with Spinach Pesto

12 ounces fettuccine

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)

2 tablespoons pine nuts, plus more for serving (optional)

1 garlic clove

1 teaspoon grated zest plus 2 tablespoons juice from 1 lemon

1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; immediately drain pasta, and return to pot.

While pasta is cooking, place spinach, Parmesan, nuts, garlic, and lemon zest and juice in a food processor. Process until a paste forms. With motor running, add oil and 1/4 cup cold water; process until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Add to pasta; toss, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time until sauce is thinned slightly and coats fettuccine (you may not need all the water). Serve, sprinkled with additional Parmesan and nuts, if desired.

I only had about 1 tbsp. pine nuts, so I substituted in some walnuts, and they worked great!  As always, if you make it, let me know how it turned out for you!

The Best Thing I Ate This Week

The reality of eating in my house... there will always, always, be a cute lil' doggy watching, waiting, hoping to get a tasty morsel.

Ooh, this cheeseburger hit the spot!  Mayo, onions, bacon & mustard for toppings.  Oh, and fries, cooked in bacon fat.  Mm-hmm.  That's right.

I realize that I'm calling this "the best thing I ate this week", and it's only Monday.  It was really that good!

Ike agrees, it was tasty.  :)

Homemade Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

The Best Thing I Ate Last Week

Homemade Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

I found this recipe via thekitchn.com (one of my favorite places to fine yummy recipes that never let me down), and I thought I should give it a go.  After all, I live in Chicago, so I know as well as anyone here that ordering in a pizza, enough for even two people, is going to set you back about $25 or more.  Now don't get me wrong, it's worth it (Chicago, by far, has the BEST pizza!), but it might be fun, as well as more affordable, to make it at home.

Lucky me, this recipe turned out to be fantastic!  I went ahead and baked it in a cast iron pan (featured in the pictures, but not in the directions) and I was not disappointed!  The crust was crispy & buttery on the outside, and perfectly chewy throughout.  I got to add whatever ingredients I wanted (without paying an extra $1.50 each, hello money-saver), and when I told my 'fella what I was making, I got a kiss, a huge smile, and a really heart-felt "I love you".  Motivation!

I ended up halving the recipe featured on the site, and then halving that to make one pizza for two people.  The rest of the dough is in the freezer, and my boyfriend said next time he wants to make the pizza for me -- double-motivation, all the way!

We topped ours off with Italian sausage and mozzarella cheese.

The recipe from thekitchn.com, as found in the book Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François, follows:

Source: thekitchn.com

Makes about one 8 × 2- inch deep-dish pizza or four 6 × 1- inch individual deep-dish pizzas

There's no question that deep- dish pizza was invented in Chicago, although there is some dispute over which pizzeria came up with it first. The pizza varies around Chicago, but for all, the crust is remarkable for its tender, almost buttery flavor and its luscious golden color, courtesy of cornmeal. Baking the pizza in a butter- coated cake pan fries the outside edge and makes for a crispy crust.

Ingredients

3/4 pound (large orange-size portion) Cornmeal Olive Oil Dough (recipe follows)
4 large Italian sausages (about 3/4 pound), cooked and broken into small pieces
11/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup thick tomato sauce
Butter for the pan
Cornmeal for the pan

Directions

1. Prepare and measure all toppings in advance.

2. Preheat oven to 500°F. Generously butter an 8 x 2- inch spring- form cake pan and coat with cornmeal. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 3/4- pound (large orange- size) piece. Dust with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter- turn as you go (if making individual pies, divide the dough into 4 pieces and shape into balls).

3. Roll out and stretch the pizza crust: Flatten the dough with your hands and a rolling pin on a work surface to produce a 1/8- inch- thick round. Dust with flour to keep the dough from sticking to the surface. Use a dough scraper to unstick the dough as needed. Transfer to the cake pan. The dough should hang over the edge of the pan, which will prevent it from "slouching" while you fill it

4. Add the fillings: Mix together the sausage and two-thirds of the cheese in a bowl. Spread the meat mixture onto the dough, then top with the sauce and the remaining cheese. Trim the overhanging dough with kitchen shears so there is about 1/2 inch of dough that will flop down over the filling.

5. Slide the pizza into the preheated oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F. Check for doneness in about 45 minutes (20 minutes for the individual pizzas). The pizza should be bubbling and the cheese evenly melted.

6. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, preferably on a wire cooling rack. This allows the filling to set slightly before removing from the pan and slicing. When cooled, cut into wedges and serve.

Cornmeal Olive Oil Dough
Makes enough dough for at least eight 1/2-pound pizzas or flatbreads (about 12 inches across). The Recipe is easily doubled or halved.

Ingredients
2 3/4 cups (1 lb 6 oz/625 g) lukewarm water
1 tablespoon (.35 oz/10 g) granulated yeast
1-1 1/2 tablespoons (.63-.94 oz/17-25 g) kosher salt
3 tablespoons sugar, honey, malt powder, or agave syrup
3/4 cup (6 oz/165 g) olive oil
6 cups (1 lb 14 oz/850 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (4 oz/125 g) yellow cornmeal

1. Mixing and storing the dough: Mix the yeast, salt, and sweetener with the water and oilve oil in a 5-quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.

2. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients without kneading, using a spoon, a 14-cup capacity food processor (with dough attachment), or a heavy-duty stand mixer (with paddle). If you're not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.

3. Cover (not airtight), and allow it to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and ncollapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.

4. The dough can be used immediately after its initial rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate it in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 10 days. Or store the dough for up to 3 weeks in the freezer in 1/2-pound portions. When using frozen dough, tahw it in the refrigerator overnight before use.

5. On pizza or flatbread day, roll out or stretch the dough into a round and finish with your favorite toppings, using any of the recipes in this book.

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So, if you try it, and like it (or don't), let me know how yours turned out, and what ingredients you used!  This could turn into a very creative and fun pizza, and a great stay-in recipe for you and yours.  Believe me, it's almost more fun -- and more tasty -- when you make it together!

Throw it together broccoli soup

I love soup, but I always end up making too much.  Today, I was desperate for a bowl, just one bowl, of broccoli soup.  I didn't want to make a whole batch, I didn't want to go to the store, I just wanted the bowl of soup as quickly and easily as possible.

Turns out, it's really not that difficult to make an awesome bowl of soup, for one.

Unofficial Ingredients:

Whatever is left in that bag of broccoli in the freezer (we'll estimate about 1/2 cup, here)

1 carrot, peeled and sliced thin

1 cup water and a chicken bouillon cube (or about 1 cup chicken stock)

Cream, as much or as little as you like

I boiled the water with the bouillon cube for about 3 minutes, then added the frozen broccoli and sliced carrots.  If you have a little extra onion, or garlic, throw that in too.

Boil, boil, boil until the veggies are mushy.  This way you can avoid blending or pureeing all the ingredients together, and just go to town on them with a potato masher.  Is it perfect?  No... but it's easier, creates less mess, and makes the soup delightfully chunky and homemade-y.

Once you have poured the soup into a bowl, add a little bit of cream, and stir.  Dip bread and butter into the soup, and mmm... enjoy.

What I'm Eating... Dinner at Pho 888

Pho 888 is awesome, that's all there is to it.  I went it to get an avocado smoothie, with bubbles, to go, but then we couldn't resist the spring rolls (beef, and shrimp), and once I saw the hot bowl of steaming pho going to another table, I just had to order some for us.  I left positively stuffed, and holding my belly and moaning with all the fullness, but it was just SO good!

If my Momma or my friend Marika are reading this -- this place is a definite for when you visit this year!  It's best in the Winter, anyway, when you just need a bowl of delicious pho to warm you up.

Mmm, bubbles!

Beef Spring Rolls

Shrimp Spring Rolls (w/ plum sauce, and crushed peanuts)

One of my favorite things in the world -- a hot bowl of Pho (this time with meatballs)

What I'm Eating... Last Week of July

It was, to say the least, another busy week/month.  I'm a little overwhelmed, honestly, but it should start slowing down soon.

I had a half-day off earlier in the week, so I did a little shopping Andersonville, and enjoyed this yummy crepe at Icosium.  This was one of my favorite spots when I lived in Andersonville, so it was nice to visit again after over a year.

Banana & Chocolate Crepe w/ Mint and Whipped Cream
Icosium Kafé

Breakfast has been consumed, rather quickly, at my desk every morning, and these Greek yoghurts with fruit on the side have been a really nice treat.

Do you know how much Mr. Brown costs?  Only 69-cents, at the Asian market.  Yup.  I'm stocking up on these, for sure.

A quick visit to Starbucks yielded this fantastic little peanut butter mini-cupcake.

Mmm, Indian food!!  Yes, the dish there on the bottom really was fluorescent pink.  ;)

A wonderful pasta dish, with fresh tomatoes, and purple basil from my window garden!

Eating pizza and watching Harry Potter night -- this one was with mozzarella, basil & oregano, and Summer sausage.

You know how sports teams have mascots, right?  Well... I think this dish might be mine and Dave's mascot.  We love it, finger-lickin' lip-smackin' love it.  :)

Beef ribs with coriander and oregano, garlic, onions, and bacon; dipped in a Greek yogurt with fleur de sel and ground coriander.  zomg seriously, the ribs that changed everything!!

Oh, yeah, with squash and zucchini on the side.

What I'm Eating... Third & Fourth Weeks of July

My 'fella and I visited the Windy City Rib Fest -- just a few blocks from our apartment!  Mmm, tasty and convenient...

We can't all be good, all the time.  ;)

It's been hot in Chicago these last few days, in the high 90s (with a heat index well over 100-degrees).  Olivia agrees.... hot.

So in Chicago you keep cool however you can, and sometimes that's by running through the "sprinkler" system set up by the fire department across from Wrigley Field.

Believe me, even in my work clothes, I ran through this a few times.

Being a country girl, if the temperature goes above 80-degrees, I immediately have to make sweet tea, and lemonade.  It's like I go on auto-pilot.  ;)

Good hot-weather food?  Fish... paired with a chilled white wine... mmm!

Salmon w/ herb butter, olive oil potato salad, sauteed purple cabbage with pepper & fleur de sel.

Steamed mussels (zomg, SO good!!)

Steamed artichoke... yes, I did eat this entire thing by myself.  :)

Sauteed purple cabbage, tilapia w/ arugula & cherry tomatoes.

Tilapia w/ arugula, orzo w/ dill.

I paired the tilapia w/ arugula & cherry tomatoes, and the salmon w/ herb butter, with this wonderful Riesling from Germany (purchased from Lot18, which you need to check out immediately!).

2009 Manfried Riesling trocken (Germany, Franken)

This bottle had a wonderful flavor, a little grapefruit-y, not too sweet, but certainly not too dry.

The mussels and steamed artichoke were paired with a chardonnay I picked up at Whole Foods last night -- for only $8.99!

2009 Bodegas Nekeas Vega Sindoa Viura Chardonnay (Spain, Navarra)

The Vega Sindoa had a drier finish than what I would typically pick out, but I'm learning that when it's paired with the right dishes, it can be really fantastic.  I ended up drinking more than I should have... hehe, but hey, today is my day off!  I'm allowed to be a little headache-y in the morning.  ;)

Typically once or twice a season, various managers etc. are invited to eat in the United Club (formerly the Stadium Club) at Wrigley for lunch, or if you're really lucky, dinner.

I'm so pleased that they are introducing more locally grown ingredients in their dishes!  This was probably the best lunch I've had in the Club, in all of my three seasons!

As usual, I demolished the cheese table...

From the menu that day, I sampled the Brie, Maytag Blue, St. Andre, and Manchego cheeses; the chef prepared elotes, the cucumber, avocado, and red onion salad, the 18-hour smoked short ribs, the traditional mac & cheese, and of course, the signature 6-layer carrot cake!

Oh, and we can't forget that I made chicken one day, at 10am, before a night game... as well as my now-favorite olive oil potato salad.

Chicken w/ fresh herbs -- rosemary, oregano, sage; olive oil potato salad.

Mmm, fresh oregano might be my new favorite thing!

It's going to be another busy two or so weeks for me... Paul McCartney will be playing two concerts at Wrigley Field, which means I will be running around like a mad-woman the whole time, jealous of the people lounging and enjoying the music and their drinks...  Then the Cubs will be returning for another homestand, and near the end of August, I will be starting school again!  Its a good thing that, no matter how frustrating it is, I really do love my job.  :)

If you also want to enjoy great wines at a significant discount (do I sound like a commercial, hehe?), then start shopping on Lot18!!  After a week or so, they sent me a $10 credit, which allowed me to get that German Riesling I mentioned for only $4.99, no shipping charges... You can't argue with that!

What I'm Eating... Portobello Quesadillas, Corn & Avocado Salad

Portobello mushrooms always surprise me -- they're so, well, meaty!  They make eating vege a little easier on me, when my 'fella usually only has one question about dinner, "Is there meat?"

Corn tortillas, portobello mushrooms, Jack cheese, and a lil' salt & pepper.

Roasted corn, avocado, scallions, and a lil' more salt & pepper.  :)

What I'm Eating... Steak w/ Tomatoes; Corn w/ Cilantro

My recent visit to the Green City Market (finally!) must have really inspired me, because lately I'm cooking up a lot of fresh, yummy meals... instead of ordering in.  Good for me, I'm patting myself on the back.

I seasoned the steak (thin slices, lighter on the stomach and the budget!) with salt and pepper, and pan-cooked them for a minute or so on each side.  Then I cooked the grape tomatoes in the same pan, also seasoned with salt & pepper, as well as fresh oregano.

Steak w/ Grape Tomatoes, Fresh Oregano

I boiled the corn on the cob, then "grilled" it in the oven for a few minutes.  After removing the corn from the cob, I tossed it with the juice of a lime, red cayenne pepper (as much as you prefer), salt & pepper, and fresh cilantro.  You could serve this hot or cold -- my 'fella preferred it hot, I didn't mind one bit that mine was cold.

What I'm Eating... Tilapia & Orzo

Yum yum yum, this was SO fresh and tasty!

Tilapia w/ lemon-pepper butter, topped with arugula & sea salt; orzo w/ lemon and dill

I followed it with a perfect glass of sweet tea.

Sweet tea w/ lemon & mint

What I'm Eating... Rice, & Crab Rangoon

After a particularly heavy lunch, yesterday (cheeseburger w/ everything, fries, & root beer float), I opted for something a little more simple for dinner: rice w/ scallions, soy sauce, and sesame oil; and, crab rangoon with sweet & sour sauce.

What I'm Eating... Grilled Cheese & Sweet Potato Fries

I'm not going to make a bunch of apologies for not updating in days, weeks, months?... I'll just jump right back into it, here.  :)

My 'fella and I walked down to our Lakefront beach yesterday, and enjoyed sitting outside at the Dock, sipping on cool drinks, and munching on the yummy "grown-up" grilled cheese (with avocado & pico de gallo) and delightful sweet potato fries.

And while I'm on the topic of the Lake, why yes, yes I did have a lovely Fourth of July, thank you!

It was my first day off in about nine days, so I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I hope you enjoyed yours, too!