Archive for May, 2010

Welcome to my new feature called Fave Foods.  Here you’ll learn all about the restaurant foods that I love.  This will be my place to focus on well known and well hidden Chicagoland (and sometimes from other cities) dishes.  I’d love to hear what you think about the recommendations even if you disagree.

Besides reading, traveling, watching the Celtics (and napping, blogging and teaching) I also really enjoy food.  Cooking it, eating it, trying different cuisines. I’d consider myself a foodie, but not in a snooty way. I like cheap food, midrange food and yeah sure occasionally expensive food.

This was Jose’s birthday weekend, so of course we overindulged.  Normally, I’d cook a special birthday meal, but for some reason, maybe the hot weather and the fact that school ended Friday and I was completely wiped out, we decided to dine out for his birthday.  About 12 times in the past three days.  Ok, slight exaggeration, but not by much.

This morning we woke up early, happy to both have a day off. It’s Memorial Day 2010!  We decided it was a good time to head to Chuck’s Southern Comforts Cafe (website needs help, I know) for breakfast.  I discovered Chuck’s about a year ago from one of the best Chicago TV shows — Check Please! It’s a restaurant review show that focuses on Chicago dining.  We’ve tried a lot of restaurants we’ve seen showcased on this program and have enjoyed many of them.

(Side note…I don’t know what’s up with Italian restaurants in Chicago, but almost all the ones we’ve tried have not delivered. Maybe my standards are too high?  My grandma made the BEST gravy ever. For you non-New Englanders, gravy = spaghetti sauce)

For the first few months we went to Chuck’s, we’d have lunch or dinner.  Mostly BBQ items. I love the BBQ chicken and pork nachos.  Once in a while we’d try one of Chuck’s creations which are a  mixture of Mexican/Creole/Southern food. It’s an odd combo on paper, but really works on a plate.  His soups are incredible. My favorite is the cream of poblano with shrimp. Hello delicious.

One of my friends, Karen, got on the Chuck’s kick at the same time as me and asked if we’d tried the breakfast yet.  Whaaaat? Breakfast at Chuck’s? I LOVE restaurant breakfast.  (Really, I just love eggs.  All kinds, but especially eggs over medium.  Whites cooked, edges of yolk cooked but insides still runny. Just perfect for toast or English muffins.)  So of course at the next possible moment we drove there to try it.

Chuck’s breakfast menu. You can seen from  this menu that it contains special items as well as a traditional breakfast menu, all prepared with Chuck’s typical flair. In addition to the regular menu (breakfast, lunch and dinner) there’s a daily special AND monthly specials.  It’s impossible to keep up with the dishes that revolve around the menus.

I had the basic breakfast and thought it was good, but typical. Jose tried the Machacado omelet which had smoked beef brisket, tomato, onion, jalapeno and cheddar cheese. He liked it but it was nothing to write home about.  I was dying to try the Cafe de Olla, the Mexican coffee made with cinnamon, brown sugar and orange peel.  Turns out it’s the BEST coffee I’ve ever had. It’s served in a French press and it’s just amazingly delicious. It’s enough for 3 cups  (can be shared if you’re feeling generous).  YUM.

The next time we went to Chuck’s for breakfast, we each tried something else. I had Chuck’s Famous Bananas Foster French Toast —three pieces of Pain Perdu topped with caramelized bananas and toasted pecans.

Wow, was this good.  It was sweet and delicious and very filling.  I’ve since had the Bananas Foster pancakes and they are even better.  Giant, fluffy pancakes and a bowl of the bananas foster and pecans.  This is a special treat only and definitely something that could be shared at the table.

Over a period of a few months, we tried various items from the menu like different omelets and biscuits and gravy.  All very good.  Jose’s favorite dish is the Huevos ala Rancheros which is two tortillas stuffed with chorizo and cheese and topped with two eggs (over easy) , a spicy roasted tomato sauce and queso fresco cheese. Served with tomato chipotle rice and refried black beans.

He loves it. I think it’s tasty, but too spicy for me!

Things changed one day when Karen asked, “Have you tried the Huevos ala Frontera yet? It’s amazing.  Corn sopas filled with refried beans with a poached egg on top and covered in a poblano cream sauce, topped with crispy chorizo and diced tomatoes!”

This is not my typical breakfast fare, as I tend to gravitate toward sweeter items, but she wouldn’t stop recommending it.  She’s a food pusher like that.  :)

One day as we were driving to Chuck’s discussing what we were going to order.  (What? You don’t do that?)  Jose decided he was going to try it.  I was still in Bananas Foster mode at this time, so I said “Go ahead…it sounds too strange to me. I’ll be digging into a bowl of caramelized bananas and pecans with pancakes on the side!”

Welllll. I was wrong. It was absolutely delicious.  I tried a bite and was completely blown away. The combination of flavors the poblano, the egg and the creamy refried beans with the slight crunch of the sopa.  It worked together perfectly.

I have stopped looking for the perfect breakfast because I have found it.  Every time I order it, it’s better than the time before.  For me, Huevos ala Frontera from Chuck’s Southern Comforts Cafe is the BEST egg dish I’ve ever eaten.

If you’re in the Chicago area, try Chuck’s. I’d recommend breakfast if you only have one shot, but ALL the food is very good. I had a terrific chicken fried steak that came with mashed potatoes and a sage gravy that was spectacular.  It’s in Burbank, IL not a far drive from the city.  You won’t be disappointed.

In an effort to get move people involved in my book discussions (and reading my blog)  I’m borrowing an idea from Janssen at Everyday Reading (whom I don’t really know…I just think I do because I read her blog all the time and then I read this too because I am a curious person.)  She has another blog that she writes with her mother and sister but it’s a finance/thrifty themed one.

Anyway, each month I’m going to take suggestions on what I should read for that month.  I’ll choose a random comment and if I haven’t already read the book, that’s the one I’ll pick. If I have read it, I’ll pick another one.  I’ll read the book and report back to the Interwebs what I thought about it.  When you make your suggestion, please leave your email or blog so that I can contact you if I have to discuss your suggestion.

The titles can be for children or adults, picture book or chapter book, classics,  fluff, mystery, whatever you’d like.  I will say that I’d prefer not to read too much technical nonfiction, so please make that consideration. I will say that if you make a good enough case for your book, I will give it a try.

Here’s Janssen’s original post, the one that inspired this reading movement.  I promise not to steal all her ideas (Even though I’ve already used two of them on my blog. I did ask permission to borrow this one!)

It’s probably not the best time to mention that I’ll be out of town most of June, but I’ll do my best to read the selection. I’m helping my friend Jen from JenTastic move from one base to another while her husband is still deployed in Iraq.  She’s moving halfway across the country with just her three kids, it’s the least I could do. Plus she’s great company. I just wish she’d finish reading The Hunger Games so we can discuss it.

To my few loyal readers (that’s you Val, Jen, Lillian, Kim and the person in China who keeps visiting my blog) it’s time for you to make your suggestions!

Starting…..NOW

Happy reading!

P.S. This is totally not book or reading related but GOOOO CELTICS!!!  NBA Finals 2010 here we come!

About a year ago my sister got me started with House Party.  You sign up and apply to host parties at your home for various products, movies, tv shows, etc.  I’ve been doing mostly food ones, but my sister has done them for hair color, shampoo, toys and even a car! (and she doesn’t even drive!!)  The way it works is that you create an account and then you get notified of different parties that are scheduled. You apply for them and if you are chosen you are sent a party pack, which contains all sorts of goodies for you to use at your party.  You do have to invite people, take photos or video and post it on HouseParty.com, but it’s all free.  Free!  And the party packages are completely outrageous.

My first one was for Werther’s caramel chocolates and I came home to…..

A giant box filled with 27!!!! pounds of chocolates, post it notes, and a blanket.  The chocolates were milk and dark chocolate with caramel swirls. I had 87 bags of them.  Way more than I needed for my party, so I took them to school and passed them out.  Boy, was I popular that week.

Copious amounts of chocolate!

I’ve also done a Ziploc storage party.

Some party pics:

Having a little fun with the large storage bags, obviously not a recommended use.

I did a Wii Fitness game paired with Jell-O Mouse Temptations pudding. I got a Wii game that came with a web cam.  The game scans your body and puts you  in a split screen so you can exercise with “Jenny McCarthy” (She was kind of annoying and not just because of the no vaccine thing).  We tried the game, well my friend Andrea did.  The rest of us just watched her exercise while we ate our (free — coupons!) pudding.  The game wasn’t great because it had tracking issues and the pudding had a strange texture, but I had a great time with my friends.   I did get another free game with this party pack as a bonus, it was a Dance game where you have to match the people on the screen.  We did have fun with that, even if I have no rhythm.

I promised Andrea I wouldn’t post photos of her exercising, but here she is with Kim, trying to feed Billy a Jell-O Mousse pudding cup.  Again, not a recommended use.

The most recent one I got was today! It’s for Ball canning jars and it’s the best one yet!  I got a huge pot for canning things along with coupons and all the tools I’ll need to do it.  My friends will be bringing over strawberries and we’ll be making  strawberry jam.

I haven’t unpacked the box yet, but here pictures of the items that are in it.
Waterbath Canner

Utensil set

Ball® Canning Discovery Kit

Plus coupons for 4 FREE cases of canning jars for my party AND 150 (yes, 150) coupons for my guests to take home, along with nice cloth  bags.  I will post photos when I have the party.

So if you’re up for trying some new products, House Party might be for you.  I apply for something every week, but only get picked once every few months.  It just depends.  You do have to post photos, use their Party Central manager to send out emails and invites, and you also have to do some follow up surveys (so do guests), but it’s a great way to try new products for free.

Try it!