Pizza Dough!

Due to a combination of both delicious looking flat-bread recipes on my food blogs, and my co-worker's mention of making her own pizza dough last week, I have taken it upon myself to try a home-made pizza dough as well. And I'm throwing a pizza party to test it all out.

Before the party, though, I first must pre-make the dough. That's what tonight's adventure shall be about.

Here's what you'll need:

1 package dry active yeast (2 tspns)
1 cup warm water
3 cups flour (I used whole wheat again)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and set aside.
2. Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
3. Make a well in the center of flour mix and pour olive oil and yeast mixture into it.
4. Mix dough until a ball starts to form, then knead on lightly floured surface for 4-5 minutes.


5. Lightly oil a glass bowl and the ball of dough, cover, and let rise for about an hour. Set in warm location.

I let my dough sit for an hour, walked my dogs, and when I came back I was very happy to see that my pizza dough had indeed risen. I have read about other bloggers not having the same luck. Then...I poked it down and let it rise for one more hour.


Roll your dough out on a lightly floured surface. Trying to achieve a nice, round, pizza-like shape is probably the hardest part of this whole process.
Then spread your sauce and add your toppings. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbling!

2nd Annual Bacon TakeDown

This past Sunday my mother competed in the 2nd annual Bacon Takedown--"the world's best-tasting bacon competition". Fifteen participants competed for the best bacon recipe. The event was held at Howlin' Wolf on S Peters from 3-5pm.

Here is a list of the entries:

1. peanut butter stuffed chili bacon chocolate covered rose

2. mini bacon, green chili, and shrimp cheesecakes

3. bacon baklava (my mother's recipe)


5. american sushi--bacon wrapped around rice, vegetables, and mango

6. bacon wrapped andouille sausage and fried green tomato poppers

7. autumn vegetable gratin with bacon

8. dark chocolate krispy kreme donut bread pudding with bacon and a citrus cream sauce

10. bacon fudge

11. pork belly confit over piece of bread

12. bacon cupcake with maple butter cream frosting

13. praline bacon ice cream with a strip of candied bacon

15. bourbon bacon bread pudding

My mother won 3rd place!

I'd have to say that my two absolute favorites were the praline bacon ice cream and the dark chocolate krispy kreme bread pudding. Never thought bacon could taste better than it already does.

Uncommon Ground

If you know me well enough, you know that my favorite restaurant of all time is Uncommon Ground, the Devon location. The one on Clark existed first, but I never knew about it and I still have yet to go there. However, the Devon-Edgewater branch impressed me from my very first visit. I am into everything about this place: from the evolving seasonal, local, and organic menu, to the green building and rooftop garden, to the art on the walls and live music, and above all else, of course, how well everything there tastes. I have not had one dish that disappointed me.


During my latest visit to Chicago I had the pleasure of dining there twice.

My friend Erin and I went there for brunch on a Friday. Brunch is available every day starting at 11am weekdays and 9am on the weekend. As I mentioned earlier, the menu--drinks included--changes with the season and available stock of all the fresh ingredients. I remember one time getting a fabulous iced mocha with fresh coconut, but I haven't had the luck of seeing it on the menu again since. I opted for a cappuccino instead. For a starter we chose the baked spinach, roasted garlic & goat cheese dip with olive oil crostini. The goat cheese makes this dip incredibly savory and I could just eat it up with my bare hands.


For my main course I went with the Summer Scramble. Zucchini, corn, tomato, basil, and fresh mozzarella cheese. The flavors blended so nicely and tasted so fresh and straight from the garden. I loved the little yellow, orange, and red heirloom tomatoes, and I finally had my first sweet corn of the summer (little late, I know). I would have cut the serving of side potatoes in half, but I could have just been full from the goat cheese dip.


On my last night in town I had a lovely dinner on the outside patio.


We ordered an Uncommon Chopped salad for the table, which consists of romaine, grilled gunthorp farm chicken, bacon, black river gorgonzola, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, scallions, and smoked tomato ranch dressing. Oh. My. God. So good that I could have eaten the whole thing for my dinner.

For my entrée I went with the pork confit: peaches, market vegetables, polenta spaetzle, peach & thyme pork jus. I try not to eat pork because I loves pigs, but who am I kidding? Pork is delicious. The meat just melted on my fork and in my mouth. The market vegetable was zucchini, which I enjoy, but I know a lot of people who don't care for it too much. The polenta spaetzle was my second serving of summer corn, and peaches always go well with pork and duck.

By the time dessert came around I was ready to burst, but since I was on vacation I couldn't pass up on another uncommon course. The table split two dishes: a peach and blueberry crumble with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and these beignets with a vanilla sauce. The crumble was my favorite of the two, but I think I would have chosen the lemon ginger cheesecake if I could do it over again. I'm a lover of cheesecakes.

If you're ever in Chicago, go to this restaurant!

Banana Bread (Muffins)

Every time my sister and I buy bananas at the grocery store, there are bound to be one or two that start going brown before we get to them. Personally, I like to eat my bananas when they are still a little green, so in order to not waste the fruit, I peel the brown ones, pop them in a ziploc bag and store them in the freezer. Any time I have a craving for banana baked goods, I can (almost) instantly satisfy that craving because of my stock of old 'nanners.
I've been locked indoors all day while workers cut down an old oak tree in the back yard and I decided to make some muffins for breakfasts next week.

I modified and combined two different banana bread recipes and poured the batter into muffin tins instead of a loaf pan. Here's what you'll need:

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour (or regular flour if you're a baby)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup of butter (room temp, or zap it in the microwave like i did)
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs (beaten)
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
3 overripe and mashed bananas
1/2 cup chocolate chips (original recipe called for 1 cup, but i'm trying to be "healthy")

1. Mix dry ingredients in one bowl
2. Cream the butter and sugar in a separate bowl
3. Beat eggs, bananas, and yogurt into wet mixture
4. Combine wet and dry
5. Mix in chocolate chips
6. Pour into muffin cups and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes


This recipe made me 18 muffins. If using a 9x5 loaf pan, bake for an hour or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Maple Street Patisserie

Maple Street Patisserie opened up back in April and ever since I first stepped foot in there I've been hooked.
When I was working at CVH, going to PJ's and the patisserie was a once in awhile special treat. Now that I'm working just half a block away, I get something from here at least twice a week. The cheese puffs and cheese danishes are my favorite because i'm a sucker for cheese, but I have also tasted and enjoyed the guava and cheese turnover, chocolate croissant, ham and cheese croissant, regular croissant, peach brioche, and much much more!

Not a very flattering picture on my part, but the cheese puff looks delicious as always. At 2 bucks, how can you resist??



Their newest addition are the lunch time sandwiches. From chicken salad to Ham/Turkey and cheese, the sandwiches have not failed to please me. Below is my ham and brie on croissant with a cheese crisp and dessert crisp made from raisin bread. The sandwiches are a little pricey for my tight lunch budget ($8-9), but it's nice to have something tasty nearby in case I forget to pack my lunch for work.



They don't have a website at this time, but here is their yelp page.

Coté Sud

Cory and I went to Coté Sud, formally Ciro's, a couple of weeks ago for dinner.

I had been there once before with my family back in March. I think it was for my brother's birthday dinner. I can no longer remember what I got, but I do remember being satisfied with everything and tasting the other dishes on the table as well. My parents frequent the place quite often.



This time I started with a cocktail called the French 75. Best invention ever. And I'm pretty sure it was intended for me: mixing my two favorite drinks into one delicious blend. Champagne plus gin plus a slice of lemon.

Next I had a small Salade Maison consisting of lettuce, tomato, black olives, and mozzarella cheese with a house vinaigrette. I forgot to take a picture of it.

For my entrée I had one of their daily specials. Veal with potatoes and asparagus. The sauce was creamy and the asparagus had a nice crunch to them.


Cory had the Magret de Canard aux Pêches (duck breast with peaches, prune, apricot, and Bourbon sauce on a bed of mashed potatoes)
I think I might have liked his dish more...doesn't that always happen...but that didn't stop me from eating mine.


We of course had to peruse the dessert list and there were about 3 or 4 that I wanted to try. Both of us glanced at a table across the way and that's how we decided to go with the layered chocolate mousse cake. Because I'm my father's daughter I also had an after dinner coffee.
The chocolate cake was very good, but honestly it was a little bit too rich and chocolate-y for my likings. If you're a chocolate person, by all means go for it. I found myself wishing I had gotten the puff pastry or upside down apple tart, but there's always next time!

The next day my sister finished the chocolate cake and I had a lunch of gourmet left-overs.

Would I go back? Of course. I hear they make wonderful pizza, which I must try.
Diners beware: cash and check only

let's second breakfast

the idea for this blog just popped into my head all of a sudden during my latest visit to Chicago.
i was eating at a thai restaurant downtown, taking pictures of the appetizers with my phone (something i often do) when i thought 'why don't i pair these food pictures with a little restaurant review?' so simple and obvious.

case in point, i love food. i try to eat healthy, but sweets are delicious too. this blog will be part restaurant review, part recipe review, and part me just loving food.
welcome.