With all the glitz and glamour of the Oscars, I wanted to make a dish that would perfectly complement the dazzling gowns on tv and our pink sparkling wine in tall crystal flutes. Beef and barley stew. Perfect, right? Actually, it was perfect for the chilly Chicago night, the slow-cooker convenience of having everything ready to go, and because sparkling wine goes with everything, it became the fanciest pot roast ever.
Name: Falesco Vitiano Umbria 2009
Vineyard/Winemaker: Falesco
Origin: Umbria, Italy
Varietal: Merlot
Pairs with: lamb... or beef stew (like we had!)
When I drank it: Oscar night with pot stew
What my friend Erin thought (after cleansing her palate): Nice bouquet, nice medium mouth-feel, tastes goooood. Very drinkable.
What the minemaker says: Deep ruby-red in color with sensual aromas of blackberry, tobacco and vanilla, which carry through on the palate into a lingering finish.
Approximate cost: $15.99
Where to buy: Wine.com, Saratoga Wine Exchange, Buy.com
I've met far too many people in my adult life who don't like mushrooms. Don't like mushrooms?!? I wouldn't want to live in a world without mushrooms! In honor of my love of mushrooms, here's a recipe that puts these fungi in the spotlight.
Husband and I were lucky enough to get seats at the hottest ticket in town last Friday night. And by lucky, I mean we spent the Saturday before stalking Next's Facebook page, and Husband's quick clicking got us into the "waiting room" for tickets. Six hours later, and we had our seats at the revival of El Bulli, the famed Spanish restaurant that closed before we had a chance to get there. Now, thanks to Chef Grant Achatz and the rest of the staff at Next, we not only got to experience one menu at El Bulli, but over 20 years of cuisine.
Anyone who knows me knows that I love a sampler. Specifically, I love getting to try a lot of different things, especially when it comes to food. If you weren't aware, the classy version of the sampler is a flight. And up until now, I've only had flights of wine and cheese (and actually tacos, if you can believe that). Sono Wood Fired, a pizzeria in Lincoln Park, takes the idea of flights across their menu. Because I'm such a lucky duck, I was invited to dinner where Chef John treated me and a group of other Chicago-area food-focused social media peeps to a generous dinner of all kinds of flights!
My knowledge of Chicago's north side is limited to the Edens expressway and the magnificient Inovasi restaurant that we ate at once upon a time. The chef (John Des Rosiers) at said restaurant recently opened two take-away, prepared food locations, called Wisma. I asked Husband (who travels north for work) to bring dinner home multiple times, but my request was never fulfilled. Lucky for me, the food came to me when Wisma opened a new location in the French Market. Now I can walk by their selection of salads, soups, sandwiches, and full entrees every day and drool. It didn't take long for me to grab something for dinner on the way home.
Did you miss me?
I am very aware that it's been about a month since my last post, and I'm very sorry. However, I'm pretty sure my dad is the only one who's been crushed by my hiatus. I know that you're dying to know what I've been doing since late December. Here it is:
1. We took a trip to St. Lucia. The food was so uninspiring that I worked out every day and took to a much healthier diet.
2. Husband and I have been glued to our workplaces since our return from the trip though I've also stuck to working out and cooking nearly every night (meaning that we haven't had time for much else). I sit down on Sunday, find a few recipes, and shop for the week.
But sometimes, the planning isn't so awesome, and I'm left saying, "Well, I have frozen shrimp and some barley... what can I make?" Thank goodness for Google because instead of turning to GrubHub on Saturday night, I made this great dish!
I know that a calzone with lots of cheese isn't the healthiest option available, but darn, it's so good, warm, and gooey. And for once, Husband thinks that I made something great for dinner. Let's just say that the spinach in this chicken, artichoke, and spinach calzone (with lots and lots of cheese) makes it ok?
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Husband and I are lucky enough to have the freedom and frequent flier miles to take quick weekend trips when we're not working or feeling too attached to our cats. Such was the case a few weekends ago when we had the opportunity to visit my father-in-law out in LA. After a fun day of sightseeing and a Kings/Canadiens hockey game, we geared up for a schmancy dinner at Providence, which received two Michelin stars in 2009. They have a killer-looking tasting menu, but being on Pacific time and starting dinner at 9:30 pm, meant that Husband and I would have had to essentially pull an all-nighter. Taking in two courses was not disappointing at all and just means we'll have to go back one day for the full shebang. We first received a few amuse bouches, a soup (with a straw!) and a cute box of salmon skin topped with roe and a little seafood puff pastry.
