Hey Everyone,
Sorry for the delay in posting, but I don't actually think anyone reads this anyways - oh well!
As a result of my love for food, going out to eat, trying new restaurants... and unfortunately lack of $$$ - Chicago Restaurant Week might replace the holidays as "the most wonderful time of the year" in my book. (Let's also not forget that it happens to fall during Shamrock Shake season...).
I know that the idea of restaurant week is frowned upon by sooo many chef's as it is sacrificing the quality of the food delivered by some of these top notch restaurants as they are "mass producing" it for a low cost - but heck. It's still delicious and very affordable for a twenty-something like myself.
Personally, I booked my week up over a month ago with some of the restaurants I had been dying to try - under the assumption I could force my friends and/or parents to go with me. I'm currently thinking it was a good idea. Reservations are hard to come by now!
So far I have been to two restaurants and have 3 more planned before the week is up. The best thing about this restaurant week is that I can kill two birds with one stone.... multiple times! I can not only enjoy fabulous food for a fraction of the usual price, I can also knock off some of those michelin stars on my way to my new years resolution!
So here's my list:
BLT American Brasserie - went on Friday - had a "popular" reservation time, wasn't too crowded - first bad sign. The food was good, but nothing to write home about... or anywhere for that matter. It was simply fine. Service was not great - they messed up a couple times and it was slow. Decor was neat, atmosphere was meh. Overall, I was underwhelmed, but it was nothing to complain about.
Quay - went on Saturday - loved the vibe here. Surprisingly not very touristy even though it's right by navy pier. The food was fantastic - they did not skimp in creating this restaurant week menu - I had crab cakes, scallops with braised short rib (phenomenal combo) and a chocolate ganache bar type dessert. Everything was cooked and flavored well. I highly recommend this menu!
Nacional 27 - going tomorrow - looking forward to it. I love latin food.
Sepia - voted the most romantic restaurant in Chicago - heyooo! Menu looks great, and it's a Michelin Starred restaurant - so you can't really go wrong.
Boka - another Michelin star.
Those are the restaurants I'm going to... so far. That only gets me through Thursday, so we'll see if anything else pops up!
Other top picks on my list were
-Rustic House
-Vie
-Naha
-Branch 27
-Vermillion
-Le Colonial
-and the ever fabulous Table Fifty-Two
Hope you all get to enjoy restaurant week as much as I do...
Cheers!
AE
Monday, February 20, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Aly, Sara and.... Stephanie
So for my birthday (yes, it was in August) my Mom and I went to Girl & The Goat, and honestly, I cannot think of enough great things to say about that restaurant. Stephanie Izard's philosophy of making your mouth happy basically became my mantra (see very first post!). One trip and we were hooked.
When her cookbook came out, both of us were through the roof with excitement, but neither of us bought it. Obviously, at that point, I knew what I was getting my mom for Christmas. Ironically, she had the same thought, so unbeknownst to each other, we both bought the cookbook.
Since it is so hard to get a good reservation at Girl & the Goat, we decided to go for the next best thing: cooking our way through Stephanie Izard's cookbook! Kind of like a modern, more trendy, eccentric version of Julie & Julia... +1.
Our first adventure was the Scallops and Heirloom Tomatoes with a Truffle-Poblano Vinaigrette. I am also of the mantra that adding the WORD truffle to a dish makes it better. So when you actually add a good amount of well made Italian truffle oil, it is heaven.
The best thing about this cookbook is that it is so much more than a cookbook. Yeah, of course it has great recipes, but you can find that [almost] anywhere. Do I think these recipes are better than most? Yes. But that is not why I love this cookbook. I love this cookbook because it tells a story. It tells you why she first tried this, and why she is pairing a simple side of heirloom tomatoes with the spicy vinaigrette and the juicy scallops. And it tells you what drink you should pair with the meal - which is equally as important as the food you make. Nothing like a bad wine pairing to ruin a perfectly good meal.
But I also love this cookbook, because unlike other cookbooks that tell you to stock your pantry with generic foods, Stephanie expands to the foods that will make any dish pop. For example, I recently picked up some thai red bug eye chilies - because you can pop one in a curry, or a pasta, or a meat dish and it will accentuate the flavors. THAT is the kind of stuff I want to know. I know that I need various oils and seasonings and vegetables and grains. I want to know the stuff that is versatile yet evident in any dish.
Anyways, the scallops were fantastic. I kept the leftover poblano/truffle vinaigrette and have used it on just about anything - as a dip for veggies, as a marinade for chicken. So versatile and so delicious. Definitely a great Sunday meal with the family.
So Kudos, Stephanie Izard, if it wasn't evident before, I (and my mother) are officially hooked.
Stay tuned for more to come on this adventure.
Ciao for now,
Aly
When her cookbook came out, both of us were through the roof with excitement, but neither of us bought it. Obviously, at that point, I knew what I was getting my mom for Christmas. Ironically, she had the same thought, so unbeknownst to each other, we both bought the cookbook.
Since it is so hard to get a good reservation at Girl & the Goat, we decided to go for the next best thing: cooking our way through Stephanie Izard's cookbook! Kind of like a modern, more trendy, eccentric version of Julie & Julia... +1.
Our first adventure was the Scallops and Heirloom Tomatoes with a Truffle-Poblano Vinaigrette. I am also of the mantra that adding the WORD truffle to a dish makes it better. So when you actually add a good amount of well made Italian truffle oil, it is heaven.
The best thing about this cookbook is that it is so much more than a cookbook. Yeah, of course it has great recipes, but you can find that [almost] anywhere. Do I think these recipes are better than most? Yes. But that is not why I love this cookbook. I love this cookbook because it tells a story. It tells you why she first tried this, and why she is pairing a simple side of heirloom tomatoes with the spicy vinaigrette and the juicy scallops. And it tells you what drink you should pair with the meal - which is equally as important as the food you make. Nothing like a bad wine pairing to ruin a perfectly good meal.
But I also love this cookbook, because unlike other cookbooks that tell you to stock your pantry with generic foods, Stephanie expands to the foods that will make any dish pop. For example, I recently picked up some thai red bug eye chilies - because you can pop one in a curry, or a pasta, or a meat dish and it will accentuate the flavors. THAT is the kind of stuff I want to know. I know that I need various oils and seasonings and vegetables and grains. I want to know the stuff that is versatile yet evident in any dish.
Anyways, the scallops were fantastic. I kept the leftover poblano/truffle vinaigrette and have used it on just about anything - as a dip for veggies, as a marinade for chicken. So versatile and so delicious. Definitely a great Sunday meal with the family.
So Kudos, Stephanie Izard, if it wasn't evident before, I (and my mother) are officially hooked.
Stay tuned for more to come on this adventure.
Ciao for now,
Aly
Monday, January 16, 2012
New Years Resolution: 2012
First of all, Happy New Year! Sorry for the hiatus, but I've been in a post-NYC-NYE/post-move coma and have just surfaced! Now for the good stuff.
So most people's New Year's resolutions have to do with bettering themselves (i.e. - going to the gym. The worst - you are taking up my treadmill and I know you will not be here in 2 weeks.) or bettering the world.
I would like to think of mine as a little bit of both. My goal for 2012 (with a little help from my parents - thanks mom and dad!) is to visit all 21 of the Michelin rated restaurants in Chicago (Full list below). I will be bettering myself by eating some of the best food this city has to offer, and bettering the world by letting you all know about it!
Now I know that some of the best restaurants in the city (namely Next and Girl and the Goat) are not on this list, and that many people think that Michelin stars are outdated, but I think that setting a goal that is tangible and measurable is the only way you can say whether or not you abide by your resolution. And let's be honest - these restaurants are legit.
I started my journey off with a good one - L2O.
My experience at L2O started off slightly slow, but dining at L2O is a marathon, definitely not a sprint. The dinner took 3 and a half hours. The ambiance is ideal for what this restaurant is - a very upscale seafood place fit for foodies. You don't feel overcrowded, the lighting is not too dim and you almost feel like you are having your own private dining experience. Not to mention, the tables are a very beautiful thick dark wood - which I love.
The service here reminded me of the service at Commander's Palace in New Orleans but a little less plantation house and a little more upscale. There were always multiple waiters/servers/hosts/sommelier's helping us and they were all incredibly knowledgeable. There were two things that really stood out to me about the service here - and they were both good things. First - we got new silverware with every single course, and when I got up to go to the bathroom, I had a new napkin when I got back. Second - and more importantly - we asked for help on a wine selection and indicated the types of wines we liked (we tend to prefer buttery, Napa wines). The sommelier suggested a Napa wine, we got it and liked it but didn't love it (it wasn't very buttery, but slightly bitter). My dad didn't send it back, but the sommelier could tell we didn't like it, so without even a mention, he came out with a new bottle of wine that was absolutely fabulous and perfectly fitting to our taste. You can't ask for better service than that.
Now onto the good stuff... the food.
The menu at L2O is definitely not for the faint of heart - as it features quite a bit of exotic foods, for instance, tripe, foie gras and caviar. The way their menu works is by course and you can either opt for one of two tasting menus (7 courses) or a 4-course dinner where you pick your four from a selection of 3 or 4 in each course. Clearly I opted for one of the 7-course meals.
Before you even order, they start you out with Fruta del Mar - fruit of the sea. They are little melon balls filled with different seafoods. The combination of the savory seafood with the sweet melon was just delicious. Also as an appetizer, they brought out mini lobster rolls, which happen to be one of my favorite indulgences, so I was ecstatic about those. Even the bread at this restaurant was fancy. They had everything from the normal baguette to basically a bacon crescent rolls - which my little brother had at least 5 of. Now I was completely happy with the appetizers - as they were fantastic, but then came the real deal and it did not disappoint either.
My menu was as follows:
Course 1: Maryland Crab gelee
Course 2: Scallop baked in its shell (picture attached)
Course 3: Lubina (white fish) with caviar
Course 4: Maine lobster with foie gras
Course 5: Brined Ribeye
Course 6: Brown Sugar butter chestnut crepe (with 24 layers of crepe)
Course 7: Grand Marnier souffle (picture attached)
Now I could go into extreme detail about what was wonderful about each of these, but I think I would be writing a novel, so I'll spare you and just give you the best of the best.
The scallop baked in it's shell was not only one of my favorites to eat, but the presentation was beautiful. Everything was cooked perfectly and its accompaniment gave it a little bit of a smoky taste which was great with the tenderness of the scallop itself.
My favorite thing to eat, however, was the lubina with caviar. The salty caviar was a great addition to the savory fish. There were also halved and skinned grapes on the side which added just a little bit of sweetness to the dish. I absolutely loved it.
Seriously - I have never been so full in my life as I was after this meal. Even though I "only" ordered a 7-course meal, it was really like eating 12 because they kept bringing out more and more! Before our desserts, they brought us a yogurt to cleanse our pallet. Then after, they brought us macaroons and sugar coated custards - as if the crepe and souffle were not enough! I honestly did not eat anything until dinner the next night.
Overall, it was a great experience for my first Michelin Star of 2012. Here is the list of what is **hopefully** to come for the rest of the year!
Three Stars:
Alinea
Two Stars:
Charlie Trotters (better get here fast!)
Ria
One Star:
Blackbird
Boka
Bonsoiree
Courtwright's
Everest
Graham Elliot
Longman & Eagle
L2O
Moto
Naha
Schwa
Seasons
Sepia
Spiaggia
Takashi
Topolobampo
Tru
Vie
My little brother's sashimi platter - yes, that little decoration is a radish cut into the shape of a crab.
My scallop baked in it's shell
Grand Marnier Souffle
So most people's New Year's resolutions have to do with bettering themselves (i.e. - going to the gym. The worst - you are taking up my treadmill and I know you will not be here in 2 weeks.) or bettering the world.
I would like to think of mine as a little bit of both. My goal for 2012 (with a little help from my parents - thanks mom and dad!) is to visit all 21 of the Michelin rated restaurants in Chicago (Full list below). I will be bettering myself by eating some of the best food this city has to offer, and bettering the world by letting you all know about it!
Now I know that some of the best restaurants in the city (namely Next and Girl and the Goat) are not on this list, and that many people think that Michelin stars are outdated, but I think that setting a goal that is tangible and measurable is the only way you can say whether or not you abide by your resolution. And let's be honest - these restaurants are legit.
I started my journey off with a good one - L2O.
My experience at L2O started off slightly slow, but dining at L2O is a marathon, definitely not a sprint. The dinner took 3 and a half hours. The ambiance is ideal for what this restaurant is - a very upscale seafood place fit for foodies. You don't feel overcrowded, the lighting is not too dim and you almost feel like you are having your own private dining experience. Not to mention, the tables are a very beautiful thick dark wood - which I love.
The service here reminded me of the service at Commander's Palace in New Orleans but a little less plantation house and a little more upscale. There were always multiple waiters/servers/hosts/sommelier's helping us and they were all incredibly knowledgeable. There were two things that really stood out to me about the service here - and they were both good things. First - we got new silverware with every single course, and when I got up to go to the bathroom, I had a new napkin when I got back. Second - and more importantly - we asked for help on a wine selection and indicated the types of wines we liked (we tend to prefer buttery, Napa wines). The sommelier suggested a Napa wine, we got it and liked it but didn't love it (it wasn't very buttery, but slightly bitter). My dad didn't send it back, but the sommelier could tell we didn't like it, so without even a mention, he came out with a new bottle of wine that was absolutely fabulous and perfectly fitting to our taste. You can't ask for better service than that.
Now onto the good stuff... the food.
The menu at L2O is definitely not for the faint of heart - as it features quite a bit of exotic foods, for instance, tripe, foie gras and caviar. The way their menu works is by course and you can either opt for one of two tasting menus (7 courses) or a 4-course dinner where you pick your four from a selection of 3 or 4 in each course. Clearly I opted for one of the 7-course meals.
Before you even order, they start you out with Fruta del Mar - fruit of the sea. They are little melon balls filled with different seafoods. The combination of the savory seafood with the sweet melon was just delicious. Also as an appetizer, they brought out mini lobster rolls, which happen to be one of my favorite indulgences, so I was ecstatic about those. Even the bread at this restaurant was fancy. They had everything from the normal baguette to basically a bacon crescent rolls - which my little brother had at least 5 of. Now I was completely happy with the appetizers - as they were fantastic, but then came the real deal and it did not disappoint either.
My menu was as follows:
Course 1: Maryland Crab gelee
Course 2: Scallop baked in its shell (picture attached)
Course 3: Lubina (white fish) with caviar
Course 4: Maine lobster with foie gras
Course 5: Brined Ribeye
Course 6: Brown Sugar butter chestnut crepe (with 24 layers of crepe)
Course 7: Grand Marnier souffle (picture attached)
Now I could go into extreme detail about what was wonderful about each of these, but I think I would be writing a novel, so I'll spare you and just give you the best of the best.
The scallop baked in it's shell was not only one of my favorites to eat, but the presentation was beautiful. Everything was cooked perfectly and its accompaniment gave it a little bit of a smoky taste which was great with the tenderness of the scallop itself.
My favorite thing to eat, however, was the lubina with caviar. The salty caviar was a great addition to the savory fish. There were also halved and skinned grapes on the side which added just a little bit of sweetness to the dish. I absolutely loved it.
Seriously - I have never been so full in my life as I was after this meal. Even though I "only" ordered a 7-course meal, it was really like eating 12 because they kept bringing out more and more! Before our desserts, they brought us a yogurt to cleanse our pallet. Then after, they brought us macaroons and sugar coated custards - as if the crepe and souffle were not enough! I honestly did not eat anything until dinner the next night.
Overall, it was a great experience for my first Michelin Star of 2012. Here is the list of what is **hopefully** to come for the rest of the year!
Three Stars:
Alinea
Two Stars:
Charlie Trotters (better get here fast!)
Ria
One Star:
Blackbird
Boka
Bonsoiree
Courtwright's
Everest
Graham Elliot
Longman & Eagle
L2O
Moto
Naha
Schwa
Seasons
Sepia
Spiaggia
Takashi
Topolobampo
Tru
Vie
Monday, December 26, 2011
Tis the season to be.... domestic.
It's the most wonderful time of the year. Not only because you get to be spoiled with lots of wonderful presents (new iPhone 4s for me! - Thanks Santa/Mom/Dad!) but you also get to be spoiled by lots of wonderful food.
The holidays are the time of year when it is acceptable for everyone to take on the role of housewife - regardless of their "feminist ideals". Personally, I don't get it - I would LOVE to be a housewife - why would you want to go to work when you could stay at home and cook all day?? As my little brother so eloquently put it when he was in preschool - "my dad is special because he does the dishes so much". I would love for my future child to say something along those lines - though preferably something like "my mom is special because she is so beautiful and a fabulous cook". HA! Well you get the point.
Anyways - the holidays are the time to be domestic. And I love it. This way, when I come home from work every single day for a week and just want to bake - it's not weird - it's totally acceptable. I think I used that excuse at least 3 times in the past few weeks.
Some of my favorite holiday treats that I have made over the past few weeks are of course the unnecessarily large amount of Christmas cookies that are still inhabiting my kitchen counter. I am not exaggerating when I say that between my mom and myself - we made 8 different kinds of cookies/treats. What it comes down to is we have very lucky neighbors :) From what I hear the fan favorites are the "peppermint" bark that I made (note - the grocery store was out of candy canes, so I used spearmints haha - totally better!), the candied orange peels that my mom made, and the German sand tarts (topped with whipped egg whites!).
Of course holiday domesticity doesn't end with baking. We also prepared numerous feasts - especially because my daddy turned the big 6-0 on Christmas Eve!! Just to make all your mouths water... our menu was as follows:
Christmas Eve Dinner:
Maine lobster tails
Broccoli gorgonzola casserole
Roasted root veggies
Salad
Lots and lots of wine
Christmas Breakfast:
Poached eggs
Sausage
Bacon
Fruit - Harry and David Pears
Yogurt
Granola
Cinnamon Toast
Christmas Dinner:
Brie cruset with cranberries
King crab claws
Green bean bundles
Roasted root veggies
Yorkshire pudding
Prime Rib
Salad
And a partridge in a pear tree. Not really - but lot's of cookies!
Needless to say - I'm full. And ready to be a housewife :)
Happy Holidays!
Aly
The holidays are the time of year when it is acceptable for everyone to take on the role of housewife - regardless of their "feminist ideals". Personally, I don't get it - I would LOVE to be a housewife - why would you want to go to work when you could stay at home and cook all day?? As my little brother so eloquently put it when he was in preschool - "my dad is special because he does the dishes so much". I would love for my future child to say something along those lines - though preferably something like "my mom is special because she is so beautiful and a fabulous cook". HA! Well you get the point.
Anyways - the holidays are the time to be domestic. And I love it. This way, when I come home from work every single day for a week and just want to bake - it's not weird - it's totally acceptable. I think I used that excuse at least 3 times in the past few weeks.
Some of my favorite holiday treats that I have made over the past few weeks are of course the unnecessarily large amount of Christmas cookies that are still inhabiting my kitchen counter. I am not exaggerating when I say that between my mom and myself - we made 8 different kinds of cookies/treats. What it comes down to is we have very lucky neighbors :) From what I hear the fan favorites are the "peppermint" bark that I made (note - the grocery store was out of candy canes, so I used spearmints haha - totally better!), the candied orange peels that my mom made, and the German sand tarts (topped with whipped egg whites!).
Of course holiday domesticity doesn't end with baking. We also prepared numerous feasts - especially because my daddy turned the big 6-0 on Christmas Eve!! Just to make all your mouths water... our menu was as follows:
Christmas Eve Dinner:
Maine lobster tails
Broccoli gorgonzola casserole
Roasted root veggies
Salad
Lots and lots of wine
Christmas Breakfast:
Poached eggs
Sausage
Bacon
Fruit - Harry and David Pears
Yogurt
Granola
Cinnamon Toast
Christmas Dinner:
Brie cruset with cranberries
King crab claws
Green bean bundles
Roasted root veggies
Yorkshire pudding
Prime Rib
Salad
And a partridge in a pear tree. Not really - but lot's of cookies!
Needless to say - I'm full. And ready to be a housewife :)
Happy Holidays!
Aly
Monday, December 12, 2011
Restaurant Review: Grange Hall Burger Bar
Well, it looks like I've failed at writing this in FOREVER! So what better way to start back up than a good restaurant review?!
Last week, I went to Grange Hall Burger Bar with a few of my girlfriends for our "book club". Yes - we are that group of girls that creates a book club (where we most of the time read the book, but rarely discuss it) to have an excuse to go out to dinner and drink wine.
I had heard good things about Grange Hall, and it is only a few short blocks from my apartment, so I made the suggestion to the group - and boy was it a good one.
The atmosphere is great - it's got a great country farm feel (perfect - since they are feeding you grass-fed, farmed foods). Everything in the restaurant, down to the waiters, is reminiscent of being in a small, beautiful country farmhouse. The furniture, napkins, glasses do not match; yet go together perfectly. Dining is at communal tables - even further adding to the farm feel. You could see into the kitchen also - which I always love. Overall - I loved it. I would give it an A.
The service was also great. Not only do the waiters look adorable in their plaid shirts, and down-home style, they also have a down-home attitude. Within 5 minutes, we were already friends with our waiter and shortly thereafter with the chef. Our waiter (Aidan) was attentive yet not over-bearing. He joked with us, but was not inappropriate. We ordered fried vegetables as an appetizer, and after about 5 or 10 minutes, the chef, Joe, came out to tell us that they were remaking them, because he thought they looked a little bit too brown and he only wanted to serve us the best. You can't ask for anything better than that. Service: A+.
Now for the food. It is a burger bar. Nothing more, nothing less. I ordered the turkey burger which Aidan said was the best turkey burger he ever had. I was not disappointed. It was seasoned very well - which complemented the sesame/poppy bun perfectly. With all the seasoning combined - it kind of reminded me of an everything bagel but better. They have a decent amount of options, and I was tempted to get a fried egg on my burger but resisted. I kept it simple with carmelized onions (yum!) and cheese. Overall, I was very satisfied with my meal. I also got french fries, which were not amazing, but always a good complement to a burger. They have a garlicky mac n' cheese which I think I will try next time I go. Overall Food: A-
Definitely a great place to go for many occasions. Not fancy, but you can count on great service, good food and a good time.
Ciao,
Aly
Last week, I went to Grange Hall Burger Bar with a few of my girlfriends for our "book club". Yes - we are that group of girls that creates a book club (where we most of the time read the book, but rarely discuss it) to have an excuse to go out to dinner and drink wine.
I had heard good things about Grange Hall, and it is only a few short blocks from my apartment, so I made the suggestion to the group - and boy was it a good one.
The atmosphere is great - it's got a great country farm feel (perfect - since they are feeding you grass-fed, farmed foods). Everything in the restaurant, down to the waiters, is reminiscent of being in a small, beautiful country farmhouse. The furniture, napkins, glasses do not match; yet go together perfectly. Dining is at communal tables - even further adding to the farm feel. You could see into the kitchen also - which I always love. Overall - I loved it. I would give it an A.
The service was also great. Not only do the waiters look adorable in their plaid shirts, and down-home style, they also have a down-home attitude. Within 5 minutes, we were already friends with our waiter and shortly thereafter with the chef. Our waiter (Aidan) was attentive yet not over-bearing. He joked with us, but was not inappropriate. We ordered fried vegetables as an appetizer, and after about 5 or 10 minutes, the chef, Joe, came out to tell us that they were remaking them, because he thought they looked a little bit too brown and he only wanted to serve us the best. You can't ask for anything better than that. Service: A+.
Now for the food. It is a burger bar. Nothing more, nothing less. I ordered the turkey burger which Aidan said was the best turkey burger he ever had. I was not disappointed. It was seasoned very well - which complemented the sesame/poppy bun perfectly. With all the seasoning combined - it kind of reminded me of an everything bagel but better. They have a decent amount of options, and I was tempted to get a fried egg on my burger but resisted. I kept it simple with carmelized onions (yum!) and cheese. Overall, I was very satisfied with my meal. I also got french fries, which were not amazing, but always a good complement to a burger. They have a garlicky mac n' cheese which I think I will try next time I go. Overall Food: A-
Definitely a great place to go for many occasions. Not fancy, but you can count on great service, good food and a good time.
Ciao,
Aly
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
These are a few (more) of my favorite things...
So I started off "my favorite things" with the most generic fall food/flavor of them all, pumpkin.
So now it's time for round 2: Squash!
I love squash. Just about every kind. But the one that reminds me most of fall (and childhood) is acorn squash.
Growing up, we used to have halved acorn squash filled with butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and sausage ALL the time in the fall. Healthy right? Well, regardless of its health benefits, this is definitely one of my favorite things. It is such a perfect fall food AND it is super easy to make. Legitimately, the hardest part is cutting the squash in half. From there, you add about a Tbs. of butter, a little bit of brown sugar and about a teaspoon or two of maple syrup. Add the (pre-cooked) sausage, bake for about 40 minutes and voila! you have a delicious fall meal.
So I have always loved acorn squash, but have not really been aware of its versatility until this year. Acorn squash actually has a lot of nutritional value - with very low calories from fat, very high fiber and plenty of vitamins and nutrients - and unless you fill it with butter, sugar and syrup (YUM!) it makes for a very healthy and filling meal. So I decided to search for a scrumptious, healthy acorn squash recipe.
Enter the quinoa stuffed acorn squash.
I stumbled across this recipe on my friends facebook page and was instantly in love. Quinoa AND acorn squash?? Sign me up. Needless to say, I made my own version of the recipe that night.
It involved a quinoa/vegetable mix very similar to a recipe I made a few weeks back that basically consists of quinoa, whatever vegetables you like (this recipe included mostly stock vegetables, but I mixed it up with a little asparagus and tomatoes), some spices and what I thought was most interesting - walnuts. You cook the quinoa and the vegetables separately - sauteeing the veggies in a little bit of olive oil and your spices (mine were garlic, crushed red pepper, oregano and a little bit of salt) and then mix in the quinoa and walnuts. The walnuts not only add crunch, but also a nice nutty flavor to the quinoa which if you just take a bite of the quinoa is a little strange but is an ideal pair for the sweetness of the acorn squash.
This dish is not only delicious, but visually appealing as well. A great dish to serve if you are trying to impress guests as it is not very difficult, doesn't take too long, and looks and tastes great! You also get two servings per squash! This can be used as a full meal as well - but would leave the plate looking empty if you were entertaining. Check out my pics of this tasty treat!
Hope everyone and their stomach's are ready for a foodie's favorite holiday!
Happy eating :)
Aly
So now it's time for round 2: Squash!
I love squash. Just about every kind. But the one that reminds me most of fall (and childhood) is acorn squash.
Growing up, we used to have halved acorn squash filled with butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and sausage ALL the time in the fall. Healthy right? Well, regardless of its health benefits, this is definitely one of my favorite things. It is such a perfect fall food AND it is super easy to make. Legitimately, the hardest part is cutting the squash in half. From there, you add about a Tbs. of butter, a little bit of brown sugar and about a teaspoon or two of maple syrup. Add the (pre-cooked) sausage, bake for about 40 minutes and voila! you have a delicious fall meal.
So I have always loved acorn squash, but have not really been aware of its versatility until this year. Acorn squash actually has a lot of nutritional value - with very low calories from fat, very high fiber and plenty of vitamins and nutrients - and unless you fill it with butter, sugar and syrup (YUM!) it makes for a very healthy and filling meal. So I decided to search for a scrumptious, healthy acorn squash recipe.
Enter the quinoa stuffed acorn squash.
I stumbled across this recipe on my friends facebook page and was instantly in love. Quinoa AND acorn squash?? Sign me up. Needless to say, I made my own version of the recipe that night.
It involved a quinoa/vegetable mix very similar to a recipe I made a few weeks back that basically consists of quinoa, whatever vegetables you like (this recipe included mostly stock vegetables, but I mixed it up with a little asparagus and tomatoes), some spices and what I thought was most interesting - walnuts. You cook the quinoa and the vegetables separately - sauteeing the veggies in a little bit of olive oil and your spices (mine were garlic, crushed red pepper, oregano and a little bit of salt) and then mix in the quinoa and walnuts. The walnuts not only add crunch, but also a nice nutty flavor to the quinoa which if you just take a bite of the quinoa is a little strange but is an ideal pair for the sweetness of the acorn squash.
This dish is not only delicious, but visually appealing as well. A great dish to serve if you are trying to impress guests as it is not very difficult, doesn't take too long, and looks and tastes great! You also get two servings per squash! This can be used as a full meal as well - but would leave the plate looking empty if you were entertaining. Check out my pics of this tasty treat!
Hope everyone and their stomach's are ready for a foodie's favorite holiday!
Happy eating :)
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Restaurant Review: Gyu Kaku
Hi, hello, konichiwa!
Recently, I went to the Japanese BBQ restaurant Gyu Kaku. For those who are unfamiliar with Japanese style BBQ, it is where you have a grill in the middle of your table, and you grill the foods yourself.
As a co-worker recently said, it kind of seems ridiculous to pay someone else for you to cook your own food, but hey - it's all about the experience these days, right? my short answer: sometimes.
I would say that this is one of those times where it may be worth it. (Disclaimer: my friend had a groupon - so we didn't really pay full price).
The restaurant is located a little bit off the beaten path (East of Michigan Ave. on Ohio - near NU Hospital) but it has a cool vibe - reminiscent of it's neighbors in River North (dim lighting, modern asian inspired design). My first hint that it was going to be a good meal - there were a lot of Japanese people dining in the restaurant. Not to sound racist in any way, but if a person of Japanese descent thinks the Japanese BBQ is good - it must be pretty legit.
The groupon we had was for a pre-determined menu for two that included Short Rib, Filet, Skirt Steak, Basil Chicken, vegetables and a fried rice type dish - TONS of food. I am not a huge red meat eater, so I was a little bit skeptical but hey - I'll try anything once. And let's be honest - one of my favorite app's is "The Rock" at Japonais - a thinly sliced steak that you grill yourself on a rock heated in the oven to 500 degrees.
Honestly - especially with red meat, I would almost venture to say I would prefer to cook it myself because I know how I like it cooked. The seasonings on all of these steaks were fabulous and I can say that I tried each meat more than once because they were that good! They were cut up into bite size pieces, so I was able to cook each bite to my preference - and not to toot my own horn but I cooked them perfectly! The vegetables were so-so, but the fried rice dish was amazing.
The vibe of the place wasn't great - it's not somewhere that I would go to meet anybody - but I would say it is a good date restaurant. It's the right amount of dark, it's not too loud, it's reasonably priced, and you are basically sitting around a fire - could be pretty romantic if you wanted it to be.
I wasn't in love with the place, but I left very satisfied. Overall, I would give the service a 3 out of 5 stars (nothing great, but nothing to really complain about); the "scene" a 2.5 out of 5; and the food a 3 out of 5.
I would go there again, but I wouldn't list it in my top 10.
Until next time,
Aly
Recently, I went to the Japanese BBQ restaurant Gyu Kaku. For those who are unfamiliar with Japanese style BBQ, it is where you have a grill in the middle of your table, and you grill the foods yourself.
As a co-worker recently said, it kind of seems ridiculous to pay someone else for you to cook your own food, but hey - it's all about the experience these days, right? my short answer: sometimes.
I would say that this is one of those times where it may be worth it. (Disclaimer: my friend had a groupon - so we didn't really pay full price).
The restaurant is located a little bit off the beaten path (East of Michigan Ave. on Ohio - near NU Hospital) but it has a cool vibe - reminiscent of it's neighbors in River North (dim lighting, modern asian inspired design). My first hint that it was going to be a good meal - there were a lot of Japanese people dining in the restaurant. Not to sound racist in any way, but if a person of Japanese descent thinks the Japanese BBQ is good - it must be pretty legit.
The groupon we had was for a pre-determined menu for two that included Short Rib, Filet, Skirt Steak, Basil Chicken, vegetables and a fried rice type dish - TONS of food. I am not a huge red meat eater, so I was a little bit skeptical but hey - I'll try anything once. And let's be honest - one of my favorite app's is "The Rock" at Japonais - a thinly sliced steak that you grill yourself on a rock heated in the oven to 500 degrees.
Honestly - especially with red meat, I would almost venture to say I would prefer to cook it myself because I know how I like it cooked. The seasonings on all of these steaks were fabulous and I can say that I tried each meat more than once because they were that good! They were cut up into bite size pieces, so I was able to cook each bite to my preference - and not to toot my own horn but I cooked them perfectly! The vegetables were so-so, but the fried rice dish was amazing.
The vibe of the place wasn't great - it's not somewhere that I would go to meet anybody - but I would say it is a good date restaurant. It's the right amount of dark, it's not too loud, it's reasonably priced, and you are basically sitting around a fire - could be pretty romantic if you wanted it to be.
I wasn't in love with the place, but I left very satisfied. Overall, I would give the service a 3 out of 5 stars (nothing great, but nothing to really complain about); the "scene" a 2.5 out of 5; and the food a 3 out of 5.
I would go there again, but I wouldn't list it in my top 10.
Until next time,
Aly
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