Foodie Wannabe

Tabor Hill Lake Michigan Shore Chardonel 2009

Name: Tabor Hill Chardonel
Vineyard/Winemaker: Tabor Hill
Origin: Michigan, USA
Varietal: Apparently Chardonel is the variety (a hybrid between Chardonnay and Ceval Blanc)
Pairs with: Crab cakes, olives, oysters, stuffed clams, and smoked salmon (yum!)
When I drank it: I can't remember when I drank it, but I bought it driving back to Chicago from Michigan.
What I thought: Meh. I'm usually ho hum about Chardonnay, and this hybrid didn't help its cause.
What the winemaker says: This hybrid Grape has become a consistent winner for the Midwestern growing appellations and ours follows suit displaying bright citrus characters in the nose giving way to a lightly oaked fruit forward mid pallet of melon, lime, and refreshing lemon on the finish.
Approximate cost: $12.00?
Where to buy: Exit 16, I-94, Bridgman, Michigan

Real Kitchen: Uptown/Ravenswood, Chicago

When Husband and I finally got around to trying Real Kitchen, a catering and heat-it-yourself quick service cafe in our old neighborhood (or close), I was disappointed (just for a minute) that we didn't live closer. The food is fresh, and they make it right onsite. The chefs are seriously great, experienced at some of the best restaurants in Chicago (Trotter's, North Pond) and the world (Noma in Copenhagen, El Bulli in Barcelona). I only have a photo of the a-mazing lemon cupcakes that topped off our meal.

Giarola Bardolino Saint Valery 2007

Name: Giarola Bardolino Saint Valery
Vineyard/Winemaker: Giarola
Origin: Bardolino, Veneto, Italy
Varietal: 65% Corvina, 15% Rondinella, 10% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Pairs with: Roasted and grilled white or red meats, especially poultry or rabbit or appetizers of sausage, salami and ripe cheeses
When I drank it: When we had some visitors at the house, we drank this with some light bites before heading out to dinner. I'm not so sure that they were ripe cheeses.
What I thought: I like a spicy red, and this one gives me both spice and fruit. I can get behind this one for sure.
What the distributor says: This Bardolino shines a deep ruby red with violet reflections. It offers a fruity vinous bouquet with a hint of spice. Typical of reds from this region, this wine showcases classic ripe strawberry, raspberry and black cherry fruit and a pleasing finish with a character that only results from the very best vinification practices.
Approximate cost: $17.99
Where to buy: WineTasting.com, OnlineLiquorStore.com

Asian Chicken-Noodle Salad

This is the continuation of the recent Grilled Asian Chicken post. You take your Chili Mango Dressing and leftover chicken to make this super easy Asian noodle dish the night after (or a few nights after) you make the first dish. Start to finish? About 10 minutes. Sounds like my kind of weeknight meal. And it's super tasty and perfect for the summer as it's a cool noodle dish.

Restaurant Martin Stein: Vienna

On our recent European vacation, we hit some great restaurants, notably in Vienna. One place was Restaurant Martin Stein (or just Stein), which was the only time we ventured outside the main city center (Ringstrasse). 

Lutz Cafe and Pastry Shop: Lincoln Square, Chicago

I've lived within walking distance of Lutz Cafe and Pastry Shop, the German bakery extraordinaire, for many months now, visited/gorged on their offerings twice, and have been hoarding these fabulous drool-worthy photos all to myself.

Grilled Asian Chicken with Bok Choy, and Shiitake Mushrooms

Since my marathon training is well underway, and I could use some fitness in the nutrition department, I've been making a point to cook more of our dinners.  That way, I know what goes into the food since I put it there. I've been trying to ride that fine line between tasty and healthy because Husband has to eat it too, and I know he dislikes some of my healthier dinner creations. This one was pretty darn good. It's from Bon Appetit, and it's great for weeknight dinners because you cook more than enough chicken and use it for a noodle dish later in the week (more on that soon). As I mentioned in my previous post, make homemade mango chutney if you have time, if not, I hope you can find some in the store.

A word on Next (that super duper popular restaurant)

Husband and I were very fortunate to get tickets to Next during their first menu rotation, Paris 1906, Escoffier at the Ritz. In case you haven't heard of it, it's Chef Grant Achatz's new, heavily praised restaurant on Fulton Market. You buy tickets in advance for a specific date and time, everyone gets the same multi-course menu, and you can add wine pairings (regular, special, or non-alcoholic beverage pairings) to your meal (all paid in advance). The menu changes every three months, and they are already on their second menu, Tour of Thailand. I really just wanted to sit back and enjoy my dinner, so I made a point of not taking photos (and I know Chef Grant is not fond of the photo-taking either). After the fourth (or so) course, and many reserve wine pairings later, I got a little less shy.

Diet Mtn Dew Supernova

Since when did Mountain Dew need to abbreviate? I assume this is some ploy to make those "darn kids" even worse at spelling.

Mango Chutney: Let's get this party started

As I was planning out my dinners to cook during the week, Husband and I stopped at the grocery store to get the necessary provisions. A major ingredient in one of my recipes, a pre-made mango chutney, was nowhere to be found. Husband solved the problem by looking up a recipe on his phone, finding the stuff we needed, and making this fragrant and sweet/spicy/savory/salty/mango-y chutney. It was used in about five recipes over the next week and a half, which you'll see on the blog soon. If you can find it at the store, go for it, but this homemade version is VERY worth it. I even threatened to eat this as an ice cream topping.