Yum!

Some recent kitchen creations......

Caprese Salad
Garden-fresh tomatoes, mozzerella cheese, basil, olive oil, cream of balsamic, salt and pepper ..... It tasted like perfection!

Asian Eggplant & Portabello Mushroom on top of Morrocan Couscous
The eggplant/mushroom dish is one of my favorites from the cooking class that I took at The Chopping Block last fall, so simple, yet so much flavor! The couscous was something new that I tried....who knew adding a few spices and raisins could add so much!

Stewed Zucchini & Tomatoes on top of Blue Cheese Polenta

This is one of my kitchen-sink dishes.....no recipe, just trying to use up some ingredients in the fridge. This night, it was the blue cheese and zucchini that was asking to be used....so, I started by sauteeing some onions and added in the zucchini. Next came a can of italian stewed tomatoes. It wasn't as liquid-y as I would have liked, so I added a can of condensed tomato soup. A few spices (herbs de provence and french seasoning salt) ....and voila! For the polenta, it was just a base of chicken stock and ground cornmeal with the added touch of crumbled stilton blue cheese. Yum!

Reasons Why I Love Chicago

There are countless reasons why I love Chicago......the lake, the museums, the great concerts, baseball games, festivals, etc, etc. But, many of the reasons why I love Chicago come down to the diversity of our fine citizens......

On Friday night, I went to the Chicago White Sox game and in order to get there, I took the blue line to Jackson, where I was to transfer to the red line (which would take me to my desitnation of Comiskey Park, aka The Cell).

While waiting for the train at Jackson, I saw one of Chicago's finest...the Eye of the Tiger man. Here's a clip of one of his performances....in this clip he has a very small, stuffed tiger. He must be doing well with tips because on Friday, he had a very large and pimped out tiger that puts this little guy to shame.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZdyLa7zeLI&feature=related

Window Seat

The other day, I was doing some organizing in my bedroom and my shadow (a.k.a. Otis) was not by my side. I walked out into the hallway figuring I would find Otis by the back door on his cozy rug....nope. So, then I looked in the second bedroom...nope. The living room couch?....nope. Under the dining room table?...nope. As a last resort, I peaked into the sun room thinking that I might find him on my cozy leather chair....nope again!

Where was he? In the window "seat". I swear....sometimes I wonder if he's really a cat.

Nature's Goodness

I visited my parents this weekend, and since it is summer gardening season, they sent me back to Chicago with bursting bags of veggies from their garden. So as not to waste any of this fabulous & fresh produce I have been cooking a lot! Check out some of my latest creations!

Zucchini Pancakes topped with low-fat sour cream. Yum!

Sweet Corn & Chorizo Rissotto - I got this recipe from the Chopping Block and it was absolutely wonderful. I've saved a few servings in my freezer to pull out sometime past sweet corn season. Oh, and since it was Sunday, I figured it warranted having a Bloody Mary on the side.

Bacon, Lettuce and Basil Sandwich (I didn't have lettuce on hand, so I figured basil would be a nice, fresh substitute....and it was!) On the side are servings on mom's potato salad and taco salad.

And finally, tonight's creation was serendipitous! I knew that I wanted to make something with eggplant....I opened up the Good Eating section of today's Tribune, and what was being featured???...eggplant! Feast your eyes on Spicy Stewed Eggplant. The recipe called for lots of ethnic spices like cumin, corriander, tumeric and curry powder. I also added a bit of sambal (spicy chili paste) for some heat.

Squirrel Watch!

Otis has a love/hate relationship with the neighborhood squirrels. This morning, a very brave squirrel got up close & personal with Otis. They literally had a 5 minute stare-off with each other.

Saturday Morning, I love you!

I love lazy Saturday mornings. My definitition of lazy still involves getting up at 6am, but that's okay.....I absolutely love just putzing around in the kitchen in the wee hours of the a.m. with a cup of coffee.

Today, I was trying to use up a few leftover ingredients and actually made quite the creation for breakfast! Toasted Baguette with low-fat cream cheese, center-cut bacon, fresh tomato & basil.....a bowl of juicy cantalope......and the piece de la resistance, a big cup of coffee with pumpkin spice creamer. Divine!

Green Thumb?

Both my dad and brother were blessed with amazing green thumbs. Me? Not so much. But, it hasn't been for lack of effort. This year, I took a stab at the horticultural arts yet again and have had a bit of success. Check out my tomato plant, pepper plant and basil.... (and please ignore the dead chives...I said that I've had a bit of success, not a ton of success!)

So far I have yielded one tomato (yes, just one) and my pepper looks prime for the picking. The basil has been a convenient window accessory, as I've used it to garnish many of my dishes.

Favorite "New" Artist

I recently discovered singer/songwriter David Berkeley while listening to an episode of "This American Life." All I can say is, what an amazing voice!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4FWk47w1XM

Victory!

Well, it only took two months and a bunch of persistent emails and phone calls, but my name is finally on the front gate buzzer at the condo! And here, all this time, my guests thought that I was such a polite, fabulous host when I would greet them personally at the front door!....well, they are in for a rude awakening! Let yourself in!

What's for dinner?

Tonight's dinner was so wonderful! Spicy Shrimp Stir-fry with a side of Fiery Asian Slaw. And a double dose of Pinot Grigio was a wonderful, cooling compliment to all the spice.

Otis & Clara, Round 2

Last night, Otis had his second play date with my friend Erin's dog, Clara. A grand time was had by all.....well, until I got into protective mommy mode and worried that the "kids" were playing a bit too rough. Next time, I will take my "chill pill" in advance so it has time to kick in.

Yum!

One of my passions and mode of relaxation is cooking. The other night, I tried out a new recipe and it was FAB-u-lous! Here is a pic of my Barley Risotto with Roasted Eggplant & Tomatoes topped with Pine Nuts, Feta Cheese and Basil. The wine and bread on the side wasn't too shabby, either!