ComaToast

Leisa, Jen, Lisa and I attended an underground dining event put on by Xmarx on Sunday. I'm intrigued by the whole underground dining / supper club scene and was excited to try it out. Our event was a "ComaToast" brunch - a play on the word comatose, which, I was by the end of this amazing five-course meal!

First course was a Foie Gras filled Wonton in a Maple & Sage Broth.

Second course was a BLT of Farm Bacon, Sprouts, Heirloom Tomato, Avocado Mayo on an Old Fashioned Doughnut Roll

Third course was a Thai-inspired Cereal. It was a base of Peanut Butter Captain Crunch with Diced Apple, Jicama, Boiled Peanuts, Thai Basil and some other "flavor bombs" - served with a generous pour of Coconut Milk.

Fourth course was Steak 'n Eggs: Grilled Sirloin with an Hour-long Poached Organic Egg and Bearnaise Sauce served over a Gnocchi Potato Pancake with Corn Salsa and Chimichurri. This was my favorite course, and also when my food coma started to set in. :)

Final course was a Toaster Strudel of Prune Plums and Goat Cheese Glaze.

Ray Lay!

Ray Lay is the nickname that Dave has given my favorite singer - Ray LaMontagne. :) I saw Ray in concert this past Wednesday at the Pritzker Pavilion (Millennium Park). Oh, and David Gray played, too. I was surprisingly pleased with his performance - but nothing can beat my man, Ray. What a wonderful night!

Ray's Set List:

For the Summer

New York City's Killing Me

Trouble

Let It Be Me

Beg Steal Or Borrow

This Love Is Over

Repo Man

Hold You In My Arms

Old Before Your Time

Henry Nearly Killed Me (It's A Shame)

Like Rock & Roll and Radio

You Are the Best Thing

Encore: Jolene

With David Gray Dig A Pony (The Beatles cover)

David Gray's Set List:
Fugitive
Draw the Line
The One I Love
(Not sure how much is missing here)
Harder
This Year's Love
Jackdaw
Babylon
Please Forgive Me
Encore:
Say Hello Wave Goodbye. (Soft Cell cover)
Sail Away
Dig A Pony (w/ Ray LaMontagne) (The Beatles cover)

It's a Dog's Life

I walked in to the sun room yesterday to this sight - Otis perched on the windowsill. He certainly does lead the charmed life. :)

Eggplant, Zucchini and Tomato Tian

Last night I made this wonderful dish - an "Eggplant, Zucchini and Tomato Tian" - basically a gratin dish of these fabulous vegetables. The dish begins by roasting eggplant and zucchini with salt, pepper and olive oil. Then you layer a dish with these veggies (plus a layer of tomatoes). Top them with a blend of bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic, oregano and parsley - and repeat with another layer. Finally, you pour a bit of chicken stock on top for moisture. I could barely wait the hour that this cooked in the oven because it smelled so good!!

Gearing up for Wednesday!

I downloaded the new Ray LaMontagne album yesterday - and am loving it! I cannot wait until Wednesday's concert. I love this man!

A Little Sodom for your Gomorah

Went to Revolution Brewery the other night to try out their new Russian Imperial Stout - Sodom. It had a deep flavor and was very smooth. And it was a perfect compliment to it's partner in crime - Gomorrah - a small batch, dry stout.

Squash Soup Duo

Mom & Dad gave me a lot of summer squash and zucchini from their garden - so on Saturday I tried out two new recipes for squash soups. The first was a "Spicy Zucchini Soup" - made with a base of chicken stock, squash and jalapeno peppers. The second was a "Summer Squash & Corn Chowder' - made with summer squash, zucchini (I added this b/c I had so much), corn, and milk - and then topped off with bacon and cheese. Yum!

Cubs Fest

Larry and Leia arranged for a group of 50 to cheer on the Cubs this past Friday (an annual tradition, aptly named Cubs Fest). While the game was a bit disappointing (Braves beat the Cubs, 5-3) - there was some excitement in the fifth inning. Congratulations, Larry & Leia!

Rick's Garden

Tara arranged for a group of us to go on a guided tour of Rick Bayless' garden last week. The produce section of the garden was actually much smaller than I imagined it would be - but it was still amazing - and it yields over $25,000 in produce annually!

I think I took over 50 pictures - here a few of my favorites. The third to last picture is a humongous, lush basil bush - this makes me sad that I can't even keep alive a pot of basil! But, the tour did inspire me to continue cooking - and perhaps try gardening some day (need to turn that black thumb into a green thumb)!

Garden Pasta

Fresh zucchini and peppers served as a base for this pasta dish - I added in some onion, garlic, and tomato sauce to round it out.

Fall Fashions

My work friend, Cheryl, bequeathed some of her old doggie outfits to Otis. He will be stylin' this fall! I especially love the middle outfit - in which I think he looks like a gay lumberjack (and I say that in the most loving way!!)