Breakfast Find - Refrigerator Oatmeal

*Guest post by chicago foodie girl contributor, Diana

My boss recently shared a link to this website, which contains recipes for making "Refrigerator Oatmeal." I've never eaten my oatmeal cold, so I was intrigued. Additionally, I was getting bored with my regular oatmeal (which was currently on hiatus), so this had perfect timing.

I'm posting the website's picture below, because it's way prettier than my end result (although it WAS delicious):



I had a majority of the ingredients at home, minus the chia seeds (I was too lazy to run to Whole Foods just for that, so figured I'd try with chia seeds next time), so I thought I'd give a couple of these a whirl, and I'm glad I did! Plus I love that each recipe is one serving, so I can make as many as I want!

I have the Ziploc screw top containers (2c size), so I used those rather than the Mason jars as noted in the recipes. It all worked out fine, plus the Ziploc containers are stackable, so they take up less room in the fridge and I don't have to worry about breaking a glass jar! :)

Blueberry Maple Oatmeal (click for the recipe)
I followed the recipe for the most part, but I don't really like milk, so I went with my go-to milk substitute, almond milk. I used an almond/coconut blend, which is the Blue Diamond brand and it's really great, low calories and calcium fortified. I also used non-fat Greek yogurt and bumped up the fresh fruit by a little bit.

Below is the calorie count based on my ingredients. Not bad, I say! Next time I will use agave or even a sugar free maple syrup to keep the carb count down.

Screen grab compliments of MyFoodDiary.com (click to enlarge):



Blackberry Vanilla Oatmeal: (click for the recipe)
The recipe calls for raspberries, but I prefer blackberries and I had some in the fridge, so I used them instead and it came out great. I used the almond/coconut milk blend and a sugar free blackberry preserve.

Instead of imitation vanilla or vanilla extract, I used vanilla bean paste, which has the same ratio to vanilla extract when you're using it. The paste is a little more expensive, but has the lovely flecks of vanilla bean in them, plus it smells amazing. (The list below shows imitation vanilla, it was just easier to use for the sake of putting the list together.)

Screen grab compliments of MyFoodDiary.com (click to enlarge):



The verdict? Both were equally delicious. My only issue was that I like my oatmeal a little on the looser side (that sounds dirty. lol), so I may bump the liquid up by a bit either during preparation, or when I'm ready to eat it. I think I may mess around with other flavors, especially with spring and summer on the way and so many wonderful fruits will be in season!

Enjoy!

NYC Cupcake Crawl

Six days in NYC, three cupcake joints...





Cupcake stop #1: Crumbs Bake Shop (Bryant Park)
Likes: large selection, clever/fun cupcake names, and multiple cupcake sizes
Our cupcakes: Elvis (banana flavored yellow cake filled with banana cream, topped with a swirl of banana butter cream and peanut butter frosting) and Brownie (chocolate cake filled and frosted with chocolate fudge, drizzled with chocolate, and topped with walnut brownie bits)

The experience: We had been in NYC for less than five hours when we happened upon Crumbs. After we waited on line for ten minutes (just to get into the crowded, sweaty shop), I discovered they were all out of Vanilla/Vanilla Sprinkle (I loooove a good vanilla cupcake!) AND my second choice, the Black and White Vanilla. Boo. After much hemming and hawing, I finally chose the Elvis over the Grasshopper. The banana cake was like a sweet banana bread in cupcake form (so delicious!), but the frosting (peanut butter & banana cream) had a slight chemical taste and was a bit on the stale side. It didn't help that the cupcake was so friggin' big; of course the size wouldn't have been so much of an issue if I had liked the frosting. I ended up scraping off 90% of the frosting, which greatly improved the taste. Mario enjoyed his Brownie cupcake, but said it wasn't any better than any other specialty brownie dessert he's had elsewhere. I tried his cupcake and thought it was way better than mine, although between the filling and the frosting there was just too much chocolate for me.

Worth the visit?: I wouldn't make a special trip there (the Bryant Park location was just a few blocks from where we were staying), but I'd say it's worth a try if you're in the area. Although I didn't have the best cupcake experience, I'd be willing to try some of the other flavors.




Cupcake stop #2: Magnolia Bakery (Rockefeller Center)
Likes: adorable shop (it's an old-fashioned pastel dream!), the palpable excitement of people waiting in line (everyone was so! excited! and! happy!), free samples of the most amazing banana cream pudding, Sex and the City connection (okay, that's a little lame, but I am a unapologetic SATC girl)

Our cupcakes: Vanilla Vanilla (buttery old-fashioned vanilla cupcake with a light crumb and vanilla buttercream), Vanilla Chocolate (with chocolate buttercream), and Devil's Food (with chocolate buttercream)

The experience:  I was prepared for a long line, so the 20 minutes we spent waiting to get in wasn't a huge deal. However, I wasn't expecting it to take another 20ish minutes to order and pay for the cupcakes - this was due to overwhelmed/cranky workers and  their lack of available cupcakes (three flavors). Now I understand that Magnolia is a popular place, but the lack of selection was seriously disappointing! Luckily, I was able to grab the last available Vanilla Vanilla cupcake (again, how can you already be out of your most famous cupcake at 11:00am? poor planning!). Mario chose the Devil's Food with chocolate frosting and we added in a Vanilla Chocolate to share. The Vanilla Vanilla was delicious - the cake was moist and fluffy and the buttercream frosting was the perfect consistency. Mario said the Devil's Food cupcake was good, but it was far too rich (he also said he far prefers the cupcakes from Sugar Bliss). The Vanilla Chocolate was a huge disappointment - the cake was dry and the frosting was a bit hard around the edges (perhaps it was a leftover from the first batch of the day?). Also, as with the Devil's Food, the frosting was just too rich; it was sickeningly sweet and overpowered the vanilla cake.

Worth the visit?: Yes and no. While it's definitely part of the NYC experience to visit Magnolia and the shop is totally adorable, the cupcakes did not live up to the hype. The Vanilla Vanilla cupcake was delicious, but honestly, it wasn't anything better than what I've had in Chicago or Austin. On the other hand, the banana cream pudding sample we had was AMAZING (I really wish we purchased some!). A few native NY friends mentioned that Magnolia was once a fabulous bakery, but as its popularity increased, the quality decreased. I also think Magnolia suffers from its own reputation - it's a good bakery (with amazing banana pudding!), not a mind-blowing cupcake heaven.





Cupcake stop #3: Eleni's (Chelsea Market)
Likes: excellent displays, friendly workers, wandering employees with free samples, location (Chelsea Market is a food-lovers dream)
Our Cupcake: Vanilla-Vanilla (vanilla cupcake with vanilla buttercream and rainbow nonpareils)

The experience: We stopped at Eleni's at the end of the fabulous foodie morning (brunch at Colicchio & Sons and wandering through the gourmet food shops in Chelsea Market). The shop was super cute - pink! everywhere! and perfectly arranged cookie, candy, and cupcake displays as far as the eye can see. Unfortunately, there were also several packs of screaming children tearing through the store and knocking over the displays while their snooty mothers pointedly ignored them (ugh). We were offered samples of the Everything cookie (oatmeal with coconut, walnuts, cranberry, and chocolate chips) and their signature Oatmeal Raisin cookie. Both of the cookies were chewy and flavorful - Mario actually ended up leaving with another OR cookie over a cupcake. Although I loved the Everything cookie, I picked the Vanilla-Vanilla cupcake after the salesgirl raved about them. The cupcake was good, but it was nothing to write home about. It was your standard vanilla cupcake that you could get from just about any random bakery (Magnolia had far better vanilla cupcakes). I wish I had left with an Everything cookie instead of a fine, but slightly boring, cupcake.

Worth the visit?: As with Crumbs, I wouldn't make a special trip there, but it's worth checking out if you're at Chelsea Market. I wouldn't recommend the cupcakes though - the cookies are definitely the standouts!
---------------------------------

Places I would like to visit during the next trip: Sweet Revenge, Billy's Bakery, Cake & Shake

Places I've been told to possibly avoid (I've heard more negative than positive reviews about these - I definitely wouldn't rule them out completely, but on the other hand, I probably wouldn't seek them out either): Cupcake Cafe, Two Little Red Hens, Baked by Melissa

What do you think of the cupcake shops in NYC? Were your experiences any better/worse than mine? Are there any shops on your must visit list?

Tuesday LTP: The Hunger Games!

If you haven't already figured out by my lack of posting (I missed Meatless Monday!), things have been a bit crazy around here. In fact, things have been so crazy that I managed to lock my entire bag, complete with keys, wallet, and lunch, in my car when I got to work this morning (thankfully, I caught Mario before he left for work and he was able to come downtown & rescue me with the spare key). Oy.

On the bright side, the craziness isn't *all* negative - some of it is just the fallout of an extremely packed (and fun!) weekend. If you're my friend on facebook, you already know that I am obsessed with all things The Hunger Games... and I know I'm not the only one (in fact, judging from my fb feed, I would say you're in the minority if you're not!).

I'm currently in love with the Cupcakes on Fire from fictional food. Seriously, how awesome are these cupcakes?! I really think I'm going to have to make some for the Catching Fire premier (because I'm just a big nerd like that). Oooh, maybe I should I have HG party with food from the books. Perhaps some Lamb Stew with Dried Plums and Bone-Pickin' Big Game Soup? Thanks to the The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook, that's definitely a possibility! :-)

Today's poll: Did you see The Hunger Games? If so, did you read the books beforehand and were you pleased/displeased with how it played out on screen? What did you think about the casting (especially Peeta)?

*Needless to say, there will be spoilers in the comments... don't read them if you haven't seen the movie & don't want to know anything! 

Duck Fat Fries

Duck Fat Fries at The Bristol (with house ketchup and garlic aioli)

Potatoes fried in duck fat... garlic aioli... duck fat... aioli... fried to perfection. Oh my. Most amazing fries EVER!

When A Mexi-Rican Goes Irish

*Guest post by chicago foodie girl contributor, Diana

Yeah, you read that right, this Mexi-Rican went Irish this year. What? I think Diana O'Hernandez has a nice ring to it, no? :)

Anyway, just for fun, Tom and I decided to prepare a lavish-ish Irish feast this weekend. The menu consisted of:

Corned Beef - I bought a semi prepped 5 pounder at Trader Joe's. It came with the seasonings and everything, which made it easy to throw in the crockpot with a can of Guinness (thank you Sarah for that tip!) and bit of water. I cooked it on high for three hours, then on low for another 3. It came out perfect! The flavors of the seasonings coupled with the beer made the flavors come together nicely. Slightly peppery with a hint of tartness, in my opinion.



Braised Cabbage - we used a Tyler Florence recipe that I highly recommend! Anything served with butter and olive is ALWAYS delicious! I just didn't want plain old boiled cabbage, and I think we stumbled upon a great recipe!



Roasted Mini Yukon Potatoes - Same as the cabbage, we didn't want just plain old boiled potatoes. We tossed them in garlic grapeseed oil, dried thyme, sea salt and fresh ground pepper (my favorite preparation). I forgot to snap the potatoes on their own, so here they are with everything else:



Fresh Pumpernickel Rye Bread, store bought and very delicious, didn't even need butter:



Guinness Chocolate Cake - I totally cheated this year, didn't make this from scratch because I didn't want all of those leftover baking ingredients in my pantry. It's too tempting to make additional cakes and I don't need that right now!!

I made mini bundt cakes instead of a one large cake, which was fun. All I did was add Guinness Stout wherever the recipe called for water:



I love my toaster oven!!!

I don't have tons of experience cooking with beer, so the cake just tasted like chocolate cake to me. I guess if I had regular chocolate cake to compare it to, I may have tasted the difference. But two chocolate cakes equals a lot of trouble for me! Ha ha!
Magner's Irish Cider - I found this just by chance as I was picking up last minute items at Whole Foods. I've recently become a cider fan (the Crispin brand is the best!), and given the occasion, I thought it would be fun to try. It was good, but I think I should have put it on ice or allowed it to get colder in the fridge. Ice cold cider tastes SO good!



It was certainly a lot of work, but dinner was great. We ended up sharing with Tom's dad, my family and we even had leftovers! I learned from my mother that you always cook for an army...sometimes that's a good thing, but sometimes it isn't, especially if dessert is involved! :)

Tuesday LTP: Easter Candy

It's almost Easter and everyone knows what that means... it's time for the best holiday candy! Now, while Halloween is my favorite holiday by far, it doesn't warrant much excitement on the candy end - it's all about the pumpkin donuts, pumpkin pancakes & apple cider. The same goes for Christmas - peppermint bark is delicious, but really, there's no candy that compares to the awesomeness of the seasonal cookies and pies. Easter? It's straight up candy heaven.

My top three Easter candy picks:

1) Peeps. Yes, they've now infiltrated other holidays, but they'll always be Easter candy to me. I'm especially fond of the new dark chocolate chocolate dipped chicks (although Mario did point out that they look like they're sitting in a pile of their own crap). :-)

2) Cadbury Mini Eggs. Milk chocolate eggs on their own? Eh. I could totally live without them. Take those same eggs and cover them with a hard candy shell? Holy deliciousness. They're crunchy, chocolatey, and totally adorable!

3) Cadbury Creme Eggs. The crème de la crème of Easter candy. I love, love, love Cadbury Creme Eggs... well, it's more like a I have a love/hate relationship with them (I try to resist eating too many, but the Easter candy season is soooo long and they're soooo yummy!). Gooey pure sugar goodness encrusted in sweet chocolate - the perfect combination.

Honorable mention: Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs

create a free poll on pollsb.com

If your favorite is something other than what I listed, please answer the poll in the comments! Also, I'm interested in hearing what everyone thinks of Cadbury Creme Eggs - love 'em or hate 'em? 

Meatless Monday: Collard Green Burritos

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. It was (and still is) unseasonably warm here (as in 70s/80s versus our usual 40s/snow); as much as I'm an autumn and early spring weather girl, I have to say that the brief bit of summer weather we're having is quite nice. How could you not feel good when you're able to walk along the beach in sandals/sans coat in the middle of March? :-)

Although I know it won't last long (the temperature is actually supposed to drop back down to the 60s by the end of the week), this warm weather is making crave some of my favorite summer dishes (lighter meals, mostly comprised of fruits and veggies). Today's Meatless Monday dish is the perfect warm weather meal - it's packed with flavor, easy to assemble, and as a bonus, both vegan and gluten-free!

Collard Green Burritos
makes 4 servings















INGREDIENTS
8 large collard green leaves
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 avocado, sliced
1 cup salsa

Seasoned Black Beans:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
4 Tablespoons water
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS
1. Wash collard green leaves well, trim off thick stem (will look like tortilla), and with a fork mash the center vein to make it more pliable.

2. In pot, sauté oil, onion, garlic, cumin, and bell pepper for 6-8 minutes (until almost tender).

3. Add beans & water. With a potato masher, mash half the beans and heat thoroughly.

4. Stir in cilantro.

5. Construct burrito. Wrap (like a burrito): 1/4 cup cooked rice, 1/8 avocado, 2 Tablespoons salsa, and 1/4 cup seasoned beans in each collard green leaf.

The burritos are quite filling as they are (thanks to the rice & beans), but you could add in a meat substitute if you want something more - I think seitan would be the perfect addition!


*recipe via Dawn Jackson Blatner at The Chopping Block

Ouch!

One must handle these bachelorette party cookies with special care... otherwise, you might end up like the poor fellow in the upper left hand corner (aka Mr. Detached Balls).

Guest Post: Introducing Sarah

Hey all! Starr is kind enough to allow me to occasionally invade her foodie blog with my own thoughts, recipes and food experiences! But first, let me tell you about myself.

I'm a college instructor who teaches public speaking and various communication courses. A common how-to speech? Making some sort of food. (Advice to future students: don't lick your hand during the how-to part and then offer us the food you've been touching with the same hands. Because suddenly I'll claim a food allergy! And some of you? Can't cook or bake. Please just don't.)

I wouldn't call myself, or my husband, a foodie, but we do enjoy good food and wine and we try to be adventurous. We know a lot of food snobs that end up missing out on some great meals because it's not "fancy" enough for them.

My favorite food is probably Indian, though I feel like we're always on the hunt for "the best pizza." We currently live in downstate rural NY (originally from Western NY) and there is no "best Indian," no decent Indian even. :( I love cheese, but have some mild lactose intolerance issues, so out of courtesy to those I'm around  I try to limit my dairy intake. We're currently on a tight budget, but even when we're not we like to find restaurants/wine that are a good deal for your money. We don't eat at too many chains and are strong supporters of local stores and wineries. (Looking for a good New York State wine? I've got you covered.)

 I hope to share some restaurant reviews in case you're ever traveling in my general area or anywhere else we've travelled and found a gem worth sharing, in addition to some of our favorite recipes. They aren't exactly fancy, but they're easy enough to make, so hopefully you'll enjoy them.

Tuesday LTP: Favorite Candy Bars

I loved Whatchamacallits when I was a kid, but stopped eating them in the late 80s (when I discovered the joys of the vastly superior KitKat). After watching a slew of commercials from the 80s on YouTube a few years ago, I was hit by a wave of nostalgia and picked up a Whatchamacallit the next day. Um, gross. I don't know if it's because of the change of ingredients (Hershey stopped using cocoa butter in Whatchamacallits & replaced it with vegetable oil in 2008) or if I just had really bad taste when I was a kid, but that candy bar has nothing good about it. Ick.

These days, I'm really not much of a candy bar eater (I'm more likely to reach for a cupcake or Sour Patch Kids when I want something sweet). When I do indulge in a candy bar, I'm a lot pickier about the quality of the chocolate than I was when I was younger. I admit that I've become a chocolate snob - I would much rather spend my money and calories on something really delicious, rather than wasting either on some cheap chocolate (although I do still have a slight weakness for Snickers & KitKats). I love just about anything from Vosges (especially the Black Salt Caramel Bar and the Red Fire Bar), or anything from Cocolove (Raspberries in Dark Chocolate and Orange Peel in Dark Chocolate are my favorites). Dagoba's Lavendar Blueberry Bar and Chai Bar, and Ghiradelli's Dark & Sea Salt Caramel round out my list.

Today's Lunchtime Poll: What are your favorite candy bars - past/present?

Meatless Monday: Shaved Brussels Sprouts Pasta with Warm Walnut Vinaigrette

You voted for it, so here we go... welcome to the first edition of Meatless Monday! 

As with beets and okra, I think the key to Brussels sprouts lies in the preparation - I've had many soggy, bitter, and/or underseasoned dishes, which led me to believe for years that I didn't actually like Brussels sprouts. The recipe that changed my mind came from one of the many cooking classes I've taken with Dawn Jackson Blatner at The Chopping Block.

Dawn focuses on easy-to-make flexitarian dishes that are both healthy and delicious. All of the dishes from her classes are fantastic, but there a few that really stand out for me - this dish is definitely at the top of that  list. It's a great side dish or can stand as a meal on its own. Highly, highly, highly recommended (especially if you're on the fence about Brussels sprouts!).

Shaved Brussels Sprouts & Pasta with Warm Walnut Vinaigrette
Makes 4 servings (3 cups each)

INGREDIENTS
6 ounces uncooked whole grain linguine noodles (I use Racconto whole grain)
1.5 pounds Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced/shaved - about 8 cups
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

Walnut Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
4 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons fresh chives
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt & pepper, to taste

Toppings:
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
1-2 lemons, juiced
Salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Cook pasta according to directions.

2. In food processor, combine vinaigrette ingredients until smooth.

3. In skillet, sauté Brussels sprouts in olive oil and garlic for 12-15 minutes, until tender and caramelized. Pour in vinaigrette, toss, and take off heat.

4. Combine cooked & drained pasta with Brussels sprout-vinaigrette mixture.

5. Top with toasted walnuts, lemon juice, and salt.

Tuesday Lunchtime Poll

Now that we have almost two weeks of posting under our belts, it's time to bring a little structure to the foodie girl world. I want to establish a a few regular posting categorizes that will correspond with specific days.

So far I'm settled on having a Lunchtime Poll (LTP) each Tuesday, as I'd like to make things a little more interactive around here. Today's poll is about the blog itself, but normally it will be focused on some sort of food question/discussion. I'd also like to continue with the Monday Foodie Porn post - this will be a monthly round-up highlighting some restaurant visits from the previous month that didn't make it into any other posts.

I have several other categories in mind, but haven't decided yay or nay on any of them... this is where you come in! Would you be interested in seeing some regular posting in any of these categories? Also, is there anything in particular you would like to more/less of (e.g. recipes, photos & step-by-step instructions of meals we've cooked, restaurant visits, food travel posts, baking/decorating, meal planning)?

Possibilities:
1. What I Ate Wednesday: weekly post detailing (photos/write-ups) an entire day of meals
2. Recipe Round-Up: weekly post linking to some awesome recipes found online
3. Meatless Monday: vegetarian & vegan meals (recipes, photos, meal planning)
4. Healthy Living: monthly or weekly post discussing healthy choices (recipes, photos, meal planning, workouts, etc)
5. Five Things Friday: weekly post discussing five things I'm loving that week (food-related & other)

Restaurant Week 2012: Chicago Q

*Guest post by chicago foodie girl contributor, Diana

February 17-26, 2012 was Chicago's Restaurant Week. It's an exciting time for a foodie, I tell you!

The Restaurant Week site describes the program perfectly:

"Chicago Restaurant Week is a member-based program designed to promote the restaurant industry and drive traffic to participating establishments during a typically slow time of year. For ten days, diners can enjoy value pricing for lunch and/or dinner at dining establishments throughout the city.

Organized by the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau, Restaurant Week gives local foodies and visitors an opportunity to enjoy prix fixe menus from more than 200 participating restaurants ($22 lunch, $33/$44 dinner). "

For the fixed price, it's a great deal. You get three courses and they feed the crap out of you. One may think it's a bit much, but I'm a leftovers girl, and if it's a great dining experience, I don't mind leftovers one bit.

Last year, I went to Mercat de la Planxa, which was great. I was disappointed that I wasn't able to try additional restaurants, so I promised myself I'd try several more the following year.

And boy, did I keep that promise! I hope to write about all of my experiences, but I'll start with the standout, Chicago Q, located in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood, which I went to with my boyfriend, Tom. You get a very lovely, homey, yet elegant feeling when you walk in, but wow, it's LOUD and a bit distracting when they're busy.

We had a 7pm reservation, the wait was only seconds, which made me SO happy, because the place was hopping when we walked in, and usually in those cases it's almost a guarantee you'll have to wait a minimum of 20 minutes for your table. If a restaurant does that to me, it pretty much sets the tone for the entire evening. And I'll just tell you, it's not pretty.

We were seated right away and were presented with menus, along with bowls overflowing with homemade seasoned kettle chips and bread and butter pickles. Tom ordered a glass of wine, and I ordered the "Southern Belle", which was strong, not very sweet, which was a great choice. (Made with Absolut Vanilla, Ginger, Simple Syrup, Lemon Juice, Sprite, Club Soda, Mint Garnish)


Service was slow, but given it was 7pm on a Saturday night during restaurant week, I didn't hold it against the restaurant. The bus boy was definitely keeping us entertained by filling our water glasses, refilling the chips and pickles, and making sure we were happy, so I have no complaints. Heck, I even tipped him 20 bucks at the end of dinner, because I was so pleased (and slightly drunk).

The appetizers were delicious and were seriously meant to be shared or eaten as their own meals. Tom ordered the shrimp & grits and I ordered the BBQ flight. The BBQ flight was a sampling of pulled pork, pulled chicken and chopped Kobe brisket, served with four types of barbecue sauce and a generous helping of honey cornbread.

Now let's talk a sec about condiments. At Chicago Q, you could choose from mild, spicy and South Carolina flavors, one was mustard based, the other was vinegar based. I love choices! My absolute favorite was the mustard based barbecue sauce, as I'm a HUGE fan of anything mustard (with the exception of those pretzel nuggets you find at the grocery store. I just can't get into them.). Mustard is also my condiment of choice, I will basically put it on anything. If you look in my fridge there's usually 4-5 different kinds of mustard in the door. Mayonnaise is just wrong!



On a side note, the photography is a little weird, as I'm still a little shy to use the flash on my camera (iPhone) for fear of looking like a tourist. I ran the pictures through a photography app to fix the lighting issues and as you can see, I'm still learning how to use it. Please bear with me! :)

Dinner turned out to be a calamity of confusion that resulted in us ordering THREE entrees. As I mentioned before, the restaurant was crazy loud, so add that plus the waiter a bit of a low voiced fast talker, and not doing a very good job of realizing that we were having a hard time hearing (I mean, could he not have told two people at a table, "you realize you're ordering three entrees?" Oh well.) I got tired of saying "excuse me?" every 10 seconds, so I attempted to piece together what he was saying by catching every 4th or 5th word, but that ended up not being a very good plan.

But then again, we ended up with TONS of leftovers, so who cares!

Now when I say that some of these restaurants feed the heck out of you, Chicago Q is no exception. I had leftovers for three days and my sister even got to sample the goodies I brought home!

I ordered the St. Louis ribs and fries. The ribs were served dry rubbed, and not slathered in barbecue sauce, which I appreciated, because again I had a choice of four sauces on my table to experiment with! The ribs were meaty, tender, fall off the bone and not greasy by any means. I'm drooling just thinking about those ribs again! Jeez, look at that plate!! That plate alone could easily feed two or three, right?


Tom ordered the Kobe Brisket (which was awesome) with poblano cornbread (and awesome) and now is a good time to explain the three entree debacle. As we were discussing options on the Chicago Restaurant Week menu with the waiter, we didn't realize that he was also talking about the regular menu selections (RW menus are separate from the regular menu, but most restaurants will present you with both) and then he kept mentioning, "we only have 5 servings of Kobe left."

 For a few minutes the waiter went on about "the Kobe." It was Kobe this, Kobe that, and while the waiter spoke, both Tom and I looked at each other, thought the waiter was referring to the brisket, and since that was Tom's choice for dinner, he told the waiter to place the Kobe order for us now before they ran out. The waiter returned to tell us he was able to successfully able to secure the Kobe order, and that it was going to be served with mashed potatoes. Tom had already ordered the cornbread with his brisket, but we figured it was an additional side, so we shrugged and dug into our appetizers.

So imagine our surprise when three entrees suddenly hit the table. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), the waiter was referring to the shortage of KOBE RIBS, which were an item on the regular menu. OOPS. I'm not a girl who likes to make waves at restaurants, plus we had reserved Kobe ribs, so we agreed to let it go and added it to the pile of leftovers. :)


Those Kobe ribs in the picture look small, but I kid you not, they reminded me of the closing to The Flintstones, when they put the rack of ribs on Fred's car then car turns over on its side. Ha ha!

But seriously, dinner was amazing. I absolutely intend to return to Chicago Q, but during a slower time of day (if that exists) and plan to order A LOT LESS FOOD.

Oh dang, I forgot dessert! I ordered Key Lime Pie, Tom ordered Carrot Cake. Both homemade, and apparently the owner's grandmother's recipe. The KLP was creamy, dreamy and heavenly. I loved that Tom's carrot cake did not have a thick coating of cream cheese frosting. It was a lovely balance of cake and frosting. YUM!

Monday Foodie Porn

Happy March! The highlight of my
weekend? Mario's guitar class recital! ♥

I can't believe it's already March. While February is usually intolerably long (and my least favorite month by far), it flew by surprising fast this year. Despite an emotionally rough start to the month and a wicked twisted ankle (which kept me out of the gym for three weeks - ugh!), February actually managed to end on a high note, thanks to some lovely visits to new (to me) restaurants during Chicago Restaurant Week.

I'm determined to continue the happy vibes through the rest of this month, as March can often come in a close second to February in terms of suckiness (the weather in this part of the Midwest is such a dark hole of depression during this time of the year). My ankle has finally healed enough and I'm jumping back into my gym schedule today; I have a meet-up with a friend at Bandera planned for the end of the week; later in the month Diana and I have tickets for a super-awesome event with Jen Lancaster (along with reservations at an amazing Italian place afterward) and The Hunger Games will finally be here (!!!); and by the time we reach the end of the month it will be time for the start of hiking season! :-)


A few random food highlights from February...

Strawberry Stuffed French Toast Bites at Brunch: Stuffed with strawberries and whipped cream cheese... quite delicious, but maybe a little too sweet to eat as a meal on its own. Diana and I split an order at the beginning of the meal (dinner has appetizers - why can't brunch?), which gave us each the perfect amount.








Lunch at Mercat a la Planxa: This is what it's like to share a meal in a restaurant with foodie people. Between the two of us, we had two iPhones, a Sony Cybershot point & shoot, and a fancy Canon Rebel T3i... and yes, we took multiple photos with all four devices. :-)

Serrano Ham & Fig Salad at Mercat a la Planxa: This is truly the mother of all salads... La Peral, Baby Spinach, Serrano Ham & Sherry Vinaigrette. Salty, crunchy, tangy, sweet - it has it all. It's so good that Mario proclaimed it to be the best salad he has ever tasted.

Peanut Butter Nutella Cupcake at Molly's Cupcakes: Mario and I ducked in there for cupcakes after shopping for new glasses across the street (they have the best frames!). Molly's is adorable, but I have a to say I was a bit disappointed with my cupcake. Each bite of the cupcake that included the Nutella was delicious, but the cake sans Nutella was dry and a bit bland. I'm not sure if we just got there too late in the day or if their cupcakes really aren't all that. I have to pick up my new glasses in a week, so I'm planning to give Molly's another try then.

Lunch at Sushi Samba Rio: The decor is a bit over-the-top, but in the best way possible. The restaurant has a vibrant atmosphere and the Japanese/Brazilian fusion is evident in everything from the color scheme to the funky layout of the restrooms (I love that the sink area is behind clear glass - if you're seated on the restroom side, you can see exactly who did/didn't wash their hands. Germaphobes unite!).




Chilean Sea Bass Gyoza at Sushi Samba Rio: With parsnip purée, shaved mushroom, and black truffle-chicken jus. This was definitely my favorite part of the meal - it was so fresh & bursting with flavor. I must have uttered some variation of "this is SO good" at least ten times. Surprisingly, my main course (sushi platter) was my least favorite part of the meal - while it was good, it wasn't any better than the sushi I've had at multiple other restaurants. However, the amazing appetizer and the dessert more than made up for it.

  

Warm Fiji Apple Tart at Sushi Samba Rio: If the words apples and ice cream appear together in a dessert description, I'm almost guaranteed to order it. Apples and ice cream thrown in with some caramel and vanilla-rum? Holy deliciousness in a bowl.

Dining New Orleans Style

*Guest post by chicago foodie girl contributor, Diana

In 2008 I had the crazy idea of walking in the New Orleans Marathon. I barely did any training, I was scared out of my mind (to the point where I almost backed out at the last second), but I attempted the 1/2 marathon and made it to 11 miles. Thanks to a giant blister on my right foot I was unable to finish the full 13 miles, but in my mind, it was a huge accomplishment. I got this crazy little (well, not so little) tattoo to celebrate the event and every time I look at it, it gives me a great sense of pride and reminds me that I need to get back out there again and finish the full 1/2 the next time around!

My sister traveled with me and we wrapped a little vacation around it, which was a great time. My sister's soul mate city is New Orleans. She absolutely loves that town and everything that it has to offer. You mention NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana) to her, and her eyes light up like a beacon in the night. She looks forward to traveling there as often as possible.

I have to say, going to NOLA with my sister is like taking your own tour guide. She knows practically everything NOLA - neighborhoods, music, shopping, tours, off the beaten path interesting things to do, and my favorite, dining. She lived there for a time, made some wonderful friends and tries to get out there as often as she can. Additionally, she's a fan of New Orleans chefs, such as Emeril and John Besh (and I'm sure many others - maybe she'll comment on this post and tell us about a few more!), and on this trip we made it a point to try a few places we'd never been to before.

But then again, there are a few places that you MUST go to every time

you're in town, such as Cafe du Monde for those lovely powdered sugar laden pillows of happiness otherwise known as Beignets. And the coffee. The coffee! The local coffee contains chicory, which gives their coffee a nutty smoky flavor that adds great richness.

But you just don't go for the beignets, you go for the experience. It's an outdoor cafe, the dining area is in the heart of the French Quarter, facing Decatur street, which is hustling and bustling with shops, restaurants, live music and people that range from locals to travelers from all corners of the world. I'm a people watcher, so this is a great spot to do that.

Oh and on a side note, just a small word of advice - when you eat beignets, as you bring that loveliness up to your face, don't exhale. Trust me. If you do, you will shower yourself and your travel mates with powdered sugar, and if you're wearing black, it's not a pretty sight. I speak from experience!

And then there's Central Grocery, for the famous Muffaletta sandwich, (which they invented), which is laden with wonderful Italian meats, cheeses and a delicious marinated olive salad. It's so so bad, but so so good. Other restaurants in NOLA have created their own spin on the sandwich, and I'd try them regardless, but we always make a stop at CG for the most authentic version. It's a must try!

On one of our travel dates, we decided to have breakfast at Luke's, located in the Central Business District, which is owned by Chef John Besh (and my sister's mega chef crush). Besh prides himself on using local and sustainable ingredients, and I believe some of his menu items come right from his own farm!

On the day we were there the restaurant was virtually empty, which was nice, but the service was making me laugh a bit, because you could tell that the kids working there were not morning people. It is a party town, right? If I were in their shoes, I wouldn't be a morning person, either.

Anyway, we placed our orders and enjoyed our morning coffee and each other's company until this vast land of deliciousness showed up:

I went for the pancakes, which were light and fluffy, dusted with powdered sugar:

My breakfast also included warm maple syrup with an assortment of fresh berries, served in the cutest copper pot (I didn't have my big purse with me that day, otherwise they would have been short one small copper pot - I'm kidding!). I also ordered some sausage links on the side, which were chicken, if I recall correctly.



Verdict? DELISH. I'm not a big pancake eater, but when the mood strikes me, I gotta have 'em. And that was a great choice. The presentation was lovely and the the food even lovelier.

My sister opted for an omelet prepared with local blue crab, homemade cheeses and some veggies. I should have waited for her to cut the omelet open, but I was busy with my breakfast. I love that they served it with a little salad of dressed mixed greens:


She also ordered the "home fries", which I think we expecting to be prepared in a hash brown style, but instead were presented with a cone of pomme frites! Every single one was cripsy and well seasoned, which to me is important for any type of french fry (or pomme frite).



We really enjoyed our breakfast and agreed we'd return on our next trip (Sis! It's been FOUR years, it's TIME!!!) to try other items on the breakfast menu, or perhaps try their dinner menu. Can't wait!

We also stopped for lunch the following day at Emeril's NOLA, located in the French Quarter. Going to that restaurant also reminds me of a funny and cool memory. My sister and I were ooh'ing and aah'ing over the food, ambiance and when I started snapping pictures of my food, a lovely older woman sitting next to us and asked me, "Excuse me, are you a foodie?" I thought about it for a second, since that term was kind of new to me, and then I responded, "Why, yes, WE ARE!"

The restaurant was beautiful, and I don't know why I didn't snap a lot of pictures of the restaurant, but I managed to snap a picture of my lunch, which was my first taste of shrimp and grits, and my dessert, which was Emeril's take on a root beer float.

The shrimp were cooked perfectly, and the grits were creamy and delicious. I remember eating it and being concerned about it just tasting like bland cornmeal, and wow, was I wrong! It was seasoned well and the sauce gave it a really nice flavor.


The "Root Beer Float" was a fun surprise. The cake tasted like root beer pound cake, with a light root beer sauce and vanilla ice cream. I still daydream about this dessert. :)


NOLA is great restaurant - the location is in a fun spot, the decor is gorgeous and the service just as stellar as the food. I'll definitely return in the future!

There are so many amazing restaurants in and around New Orleans, ranging from mom and pop shacks to elegant fine dining. I was early in my foodie-ness, so I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked to at every place we stopped at. I promise to be better about it next time around!!

As I type this, I've been hitting my expert with a series of questions confirming details and locations. She just sighed and said, "We need to go back to New Orleans."

I AGREE!