Monthly Archives: May 2006

Morel Murshrooms

Last weekend John, Paul, Mindy, and Ken went up to Paul’s farm in Wisconsin to pit-roast a lamb and sample the home-brew Paul and John made most recently.  In addition to these culinary delights they also foraged for morels. Morel season has been upon us for a few weeks now, and thanks to a recent […]

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sam - I just made a morel and asparagus bread and butter pudding for dinner tonight and it was delicious too. Shame they cost $34 a pound though!

tokyoastrogirl - I love mushrooms on toast, and morels undoubtedly would be a nice choice for some mushroom croistini. Thanks for the wonderful closeup photos!

John - $34 a pound fresh or dried? Maybe I should go into mushroom hunting…

Dianka - Oh my goodness… how jealous am I right now?! Morels are my favorite!! It sounds so delicious the way you prepared them!

Formerly Known as the Berghoff Bar. . .

Tuesday night I had the luck to be invited by my friend Paul to the private grand re-opening party of the Berghoff Bar, or as it is now to be called — 17/West.  Name changes aside, my worries were assuaged to a large degree when we walked in.  The west wall has been taken out […]

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Stephen V. Funk - Greetings fellow Berghoff lover…
There is a link to this post at The Berghoff Memorial Blog. If you would like it removed, please let me know.
The Berghoff Memorial Blog is a place to share stories and memories of this beloved eatery. The Berghoff may be gone, but it will never be forgotten.
Cheers and auf wiedersehen.
http://berghoffmemorial.blogspot.com/

Dianka - Even though it wasn’t that great, mushroom strudel sounds amazing! What a great recipe idea… maybe I can try finding one and we can have a good replacement =)

Gabriella True - ah the Berghoff. Great memories.

The Best Pizza in Chicago

I love deep dish pizza, as all good Chicagoans do.  However, if you were to ask a few where to find the best you would likely receive a multitude of answers.  My favorite can be found in Hyde Park at Caffe Florian.  This small business nestled in between used bookstores looks quite unremarkable at first […]

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Ivonne - That is a beautiful thing!

tanvi - At my interview day at University of Chicago, they fed us Eduardo’s, I think it was. I thought it was pretty good, so now I’m excited to try Caffe Florian and do a comparison :-)

mindy - Mmmm… Florian Spinach.
You’re right Gemma. There’s nothing quite like it. Yum.

Dianka - Definitely on my list of restaurants to visit when I am in Chicago next! Thanks!
~Dianka
http://na-zdravi.blogspot.com/

john - Florian spinach is certainly the classic. Some recent favorites of mine are:
Vegetarian (choose 4 vegetables) with spinach, onion, basil, and garlic.
Vegetarian with spinach, onion, and garlic.
Vegetarian with spinach, onion, artichoke hearts, and basil.
Pepperoni, onions, and green peppers.

AuntJone - I like Gino’s East of Chicago. The pepperoni is to die for, tho my friends prefer what I call the “slab o’ sausage”- a pizza with a huge sausage patty on top. I can’t bring myself to eat it….

debbie carlos - i will pay a visit to caffe florian for sure! those pictures look delicious and i have been meaning to take a little trip to hyde park for the past weeks and i think this pizza might very well seal the deal. i also really like art of pizza up north here in lakeview. perhaps we should do a pizza exchange program?? i have never once even gotten into pizzeria uno or due, they are always packed.

Stephen V. Funk - Greetings fellow Berghoff lover…
There is a link to this post at The Berghoff Memorial Blog. If you would like it removed, please let me know.
The Berghoff Memorial Blog is a place to share stories and memories of this beloved eatery. The Berghoff may be gone, but it will never be forgotten.
Cheers and auf wiedersehen.
http://berghoffmemorial.blogspot.com/

Stephen V. Funk - I’m sorry, that comment was for your next post! I was so interested in reading about pizza I forgot where I was… cheers!

matthew - Carmen’s Pizza on Church Street in Evanston is my favorite Chicago pizza, though if ever back there, I’ll have have to try Florian’s.

Kirsten - I grew up in Highland Park and this post made me homesick (not much can still do that, so GREAT job on the photos and copy). I live in AZ now and really miss Malnati’s, Eduardo’s and other delicious stuffed pizza restaurants that I grew up eating, and spinach is absolutely the best. I must try Caffe Florian next time I visit friends in the city. Your blog is lovely and inspiring. Thank you for sharing…now I am hungry!

Miso Soup and Miso Coleslaw Salad

After eating miso soup from small dehydrated packages for the last month or two I decided it was time to make my own.  Rather than go through my method I would like to defer you to Maki’s beautiful site and her thorough miso soup lesson. I paired the soup with a miso coleslaw salad.  This […]

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John - I love that first picture.

tanvi - Oooh that’s clever! Sounds wonderful. By the way, I’m excited about all the Chicago food links you have (just noticed)- I’m moving there in September, so I figure I should start my research now, heh

Dianka - What a great recipe and pairing, so light and refreshing!
~Dianka
http://na-zdravi.blogspot.com/

May St. Café

My dearest friend Eileen recently returned from studying in Mexico.  We met for lunch at the May St. Café, a place I have been wanting to try for a year or two now.  I love Pilsen and this just added one more reason as to why.  The brightly colored exterior is impossible to miss if […]

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Dianka - Wow! Everything looks delicious! Now I have cravings for all of those entrees =)
~Dianka
http://na-zdravi.blogspot.com/

mindy - When I lived in Pilsen, I often ate at the May St. Cafe. You’re right. Its certainly worth checking out. I’ve also had the Brie and Pear Quesadilla and remember in fondly.
I’m glad you made it out there. Its a chicago favorite that I haven’t enjoyed in a while. Maybe I’ll go there for lunch today…

amanda - both of these dishes look amazingly tasty. I have never seen a sandwich with fried plantains for the “bread”. I’m definately interest. Since i don’t think i’ll be able to find such a sandwich here (in san diego) i’ll have to get off my lazy butt and reproduce it for myself! Great blog!

tanvi - That sandwich is so cool! And it’s vegetarian? Wow, I have a feeling that May St Cafe is my kind of place (those pear and brie quesadillas sound wicked good, too!)

Yasmin - The plantain sandwich sounds fabulous! I’m tracking foodie blogs for ThisNext.com out in LA and wonder if I could get my hands on one somewhere here…OR maybe I’ll have to knock off the idea…I imagine the plantain “bread” was like tostones? Made with greenish plantains?