Prep 15 min; Cook 12 min
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 lbs carrots, halved lenghtwise and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1. Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cumin; cook 1 min. Cool.
2. Fill large pot with water. Add carrots to a steamer insert; place in pot. Steam carrotts covered for 8-10 min or until crisp-tender. Drain.
3. Combine vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper in bowl. Gradually add garlic mixture, stirring with a whisk until blended. Pour over carrots; sprinkle with parsley and cilantro, and toss gently to coat.
Yeild: 8 servings, 1/2 cup each, 81 calories
This recipie is also from the same unknown magazine as the Chorizo-White bean soup.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Chorizo-White Bean Soup
Prep 10 min, Cook 20 min
2 Whole links chorizo sausage or Italian sausage, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 carrott, thinly sliced
2 (14-oz) cans fat free, less sodium chicken broth
1 (6-oz) package fresh baby spinach
1 (15 or 16-oz) can Great Northern or Navy beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Heat a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage, pepper, carrot; saute 5 minutes or until sausage is browned.
2. Add broth; bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 min until vegetables are tender.
3. Add spinach, stir until wilted.
4. Add beans, cook for 5 min or until thoroughly heated.
Ladel soup into each of 4 bowls; top with 1 tbsp cheese.
Calories 324 per serving (although it depends on what type of chorizo you purchase)
I clipped this recipe from a magazine and unfortunately I have no idea what magazine it is from! Sorry I can't give credit where it's due.
2 Whole links chorizo sausage or Italian sausage, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 carrott, thinly sliced
2 (14-oz) cans fat free, less sodium chicken broth
1 (6-oz) package fresh baby spinach
1 (15 or 16-oz) can Great Northern or Navy beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Heat a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage, pepper, carrot; saute 5 minutes or until sausage is browned.
2. Add broth; bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 min until vegetables are tender.
3. Add spinach, stir until wilted.
4. Add beans, cook for 5 min or until thoroughly heated.
Ladel soup into each of 4 bowls; top with 1 tbsp cheese.
Calories 324 per serving (although it depends on what type of chorizo you purchase)
I clipped this recipe from a magazine and unfortunately I have no idea what magazine it is from! Sorry I can't give credit where it's due.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Cranberry-Pear Sauce for Turkey Day!
We recently had "friendsgiving" at The Connelly's home this past Saturday. It was a great event chock full of laughing and singing - with a special Thanksgiving song written by Mr. Connelly himself. It was quite a catchy tune!
We made the Cranberry-Pear sauce which is FAR better than the canned excuse for real fruit. Fresh cranberry sauce is delicious and easy to make. According to Women's Health, "studies have found that they contain organic acids that may help dissolve fat deposits, plus enzymes that may bosst metabolism." I pulled this recipe from the November issue of Women's Health. It was by far the best dish I made all weekend (which also included GF Chocolate bread pudding, GF Pumpkin Turtle Pie, and GF frosting filled chocolate cupcakes). The other recipies are so bad that I won't even waste your time by posting them.
Cranberry-Pear Sauce
1/2 cup Sugar (I used organic cane sugar)
12 oz fresh cranberries
3 Bosch pears, peeled, cored and chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
Step 1: In a large saucepan, bring 1 cup water, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil. stir well.
Step 2: Add cranberries, pears, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; stir well to combine. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25-30 min until cranberries burst.
Step 3: Remove from heat. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Makes 8 servings
Per 1/3 cup serving: 112 calories, 0g Fat, 29g carbs, 4g fiber, 0g protein
compare to canned cranberry sauce:
Per 1/3 cup serving: 225 calories, <1g Fat, 57g carbs, 4g fiber, <1g protein
We made the Cranberry-Pear sauce which is FAR better than the canned excuse for real fruit. Fresh cranberry sauce is delicious and easy to make. According to Women's Health, "studies have found that they contain organic acids that may help dissolve fat deposits, plus enzymes that may bosst metabolism." I pulled this recipe from the November issue of Women's Health. It was by far the best dish I made all weekend (which also included GF Chocolate bread pudding, GF Pumpkin Turtle Pie, and GF frosting filled chocolate cupcakes). The other recipies are so bad that I won't even waste your time by posting them.
Cranberry-Pear Sauce
1/2 cup Sugar (I used organic cane sugar)
12 oz fresh cranberries
3 Bosch pears, peeled, cored and chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
Step 1: In a large saucepan, bring 1 cup water, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil. stir well.
Step 2: Add cranberries, pears, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; stir well to combine. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25-30 min until cranberries burst.
Step 3: Remove from heat. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Makes 8 servings
Per 1/3 cup serving: 112 calories, 0g Fat, 29g carbs, 4g fiber, 0g protein
compare to canned cranberry sauce:
Per 1/3 cup serving: 225 calories, <1g Fat, 57g carbs, 4g fiber, <1g protein
Monday, November 15, 2010
Gilt Bar
What was supposed to be a Party People Reunion turned into dinner with two friends. We all met at our former place of employment, but none of us work there anymore. Tejus was in town for a few days so we set up a dinner to celebrate his visit! Unfortunately at the last minute, Chris and Louisa could no longer join due to a sad passing in Louisa's family.
Sindhu, Tejus and I noticed a serious void in our dinner group with just the three of us. The last place setting remained unused and a reminder that our dinner group was not complete. What really shocked us was our inability to order sharing dishes without our fourth-partner-in-crime. Tejus is lactose intolerant, Sindhu a pescitarian, Chris a non-fish eater and me, the gluten-free one. You would think that the four of us would have many challenges with dinner menus, however, do not be fooled! It has been surprisingly easy in the past! Two would share a dish that a third could not eat and there was always this natural balance among friends. With our missing one, we resorted to the only things left on the Gilt menu that we could all three eat.
Set in a dark, rustic atmosphere, Gilt was packed at 7pm on a Thursday evening. Patrons were even sitting at the lounge chairs and couches to snack on appetizers and sip on drinks. Two overdressed gals in way too much make-up sat to our right along the exposed brick-painted-white wall to the east side. A fanciful modern chandalier hung above the dim lit room.
The food was delicious and at a great value for an upscale lounge downtown across from the Merchandise mart. By process of elimination, here's what the three of us were able to eat:
Hamachi is a light flavored white fish. This plate was served sashimi style with small slivers covering a plate much like a traditional German prosciutto dish. It only had a hint of mint but the curry vinagrette added a nice aroma. Don't look for a large portion or a meal in it's on with this choice - it's definitely meant to be shared so each person can have a little taste of hamachi.
Mussels are mussels. When they're fresh and cooked well you're happy, but when mussles are old or over cooked they're nasty. I always enjoy eating mussels and this was no different. The large bowl filled with mussles was enough for all of us to share, and then some extra. The most noticable flavor was the white wine. Nothing extraordinary to report on the mussels but nothing to complain about either.
We picked the two sides of cauliflower and smashed potatoes because honestly there wasn't another main dish we could order to satisfy our dietary restrictions! The sides were woth it though - excellent portions with enough for four people to share. I can't say I've ever had blacked cauliflower before but I don't know why more restaurants don't offer it! The hit of smokey flavor really added to the normally-bland vegitable. The potatoes come with chicken jus so if you're a strict vegitarian, this dish isn't for you. But the savory jus on the melted buttery potatoes was the perfect balance of flavor.
For a final tab of $30/each, we really had an excellent variety of dishes, a well rounded meal and 2.5 hours of fantastic company. Definitely worth a trip to Gilt Bar. I'm looking forward to the menu refresh so I can try new creations from the master chef.
Gilt Bar
230 W. Kinzie Street
312-464-9544
http://www.giltbarchicago.com/
Sindhu, Tejus and I noticed a serious void in our dinner group with just the three of us. The last place setting remained unused and a reminder that our dinner group was not complete. What really shocked us was our inability to order sharing dishes without our fourth-partner-in-crime. Tejus is lactose intolerant, Sindhu a pescitarian, Chris a non-fish eater and me, the gluten-free one. You would think that the four of us would have many challenges with dinner menus, however, do not be fooled! It has been surprisingly easy in the past! Two would share a dish that a third could not eat and there was always this natural balance among friends. With our missing one, we resorted to the only things left on the Gilt menu that we could all three eat.
Set in a dark, rustic atmosphere, Gilt was packed at 7pm on a Thursday evening. Patrons were even sitting at the lounge chairs and couches to snack on appetizers and sip on drinks. Two overdressed gals in way too much make-up sat to our right along the exposed brick-painted-white wall to the east side. A fanciful modern chandalier hung above the dim lit room.
The food was delicious and at a great value for an upscale lounge downtown across from the Merchandise mart. By process of elimination, here's what the three of us were able to eat:
- roasted beets, clementines, feta cheese, toasted pistachios, arugula & pink peppercorn vinaigrette $10
- Sindhu and Tejus also shared the "on toast" sweet balsamic roasted garlic & olive oil $5
- chilled hamachi crudo with green apple heirloom radish, mint & curry vinaigrette $15
- bouchot mussels with white wine, shallots, herbs & salsa verde $18
- blackened cauliflower with red onion, capers & chili $7
- smashed red potatoes with roasted garlic & chicken jus $5
Hamachi is a light flavored white fish. This plate was served sashimi style with small slivers covering a plate much like a traditional German prosciutto dish. It only had a hint of mint but the curry vinagrette added a nice aroma. Don't look for a large portion or a meal in it's on with this choice - it's definitely meant to be shared so each person can have a little taste of hamachi.
Mussels are mussels. When they're fresh and cooked well you're happy, but when mussles are old or over cooked they're nasty. I always enjoy eating mussels and this was no different. The large bowl filled with mussles was enough for all of us to share, and then some extra. The most noticable flavor was the white wine. Nothing extraordinary to report on the mussels but nothing to complain about either.
We picked the two sides of cauliflower and smashed potatoes because honestly there wasn't another main dish we could order to satisfy our dietary restrictions! The sides were woth it though - excellent portions with enough for four people to share. I can't say I've ever had blacked cauliflower before but I don't know why more restaurants don't offer it! The hit of smokey flavor really added to the normally-bland vegitable. The potatoes come with chicken jus so if you're a strict vegitarian, this dish isn't for you. But the savory jus on the melted buttery potatoes was the perfect balance of flavor.
For a final tab of $30/each, we really had an excellent variety of dishes, a well rounded meal and 2.5 hours of fantastic company. Definitely worth a trip to Gilt Bar. I'm looking forward to the menu refresh so I can try new creations from the master chef.
Gilt Bar
230 W. Kinzie Street
312-464-9544
http://www.giltbarchicago.com/
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Mirai Sushi
I know sushi is expensive, but really? THIS expensive? Mirai Sushi is hands down the most expensive sushi place I've been to - ever.
We went to sushi with Chris & Abby before an engagement party for Matt & Aliy. It was just across the street from the bar hosting said engagement party so we thought we'd give it a whirl.
I walked in and realized I had been here before on a date with a wealthy Australian banker. I knew it was pricey, but I wasn't prepared for our final tab.
For the table, we ordered edamame, 3 rolls, a sashimi plate and 2 pieces of nigiri for each of us. I really only remember the "tuna tuna salmon" and the octapus special rolls. The selection was small with a handful of Special Rolls and the normal selection of spicy tuna, et al.
The portions are small - 6 pieces per specialty roll and cost us quite a high price of $15+ each. The otoro tuna nigiri was fatty but delicious but cost a small fortune as well. You could tell that the fish was extraordinarly fresh and my Soho Lychee flavored martini was the best part of the meal.
In the end, I had some edamame, 4 pieces of sushi, 2 pieces of nigiri and 2 little slices of sashimi to eat. Would you guess that the final bill per couple was $120? I definitely left hungry... and with a mental note to not come back. I'd rather go to Sushi Wabi if I'm going for upscale sushi. Even Japonais's specialty rolls that are priced about the same offer several more pieces per roll.
Mirai Sushi
2020 W Division
Chicago, IL
773-862-8500
http://www.miraisushi.com/
We went to sushi with Chris & Abby before an engagement party for Matt & Aliy. It was just across the street from the bar hosting said engagement party so we thought we'd give it a whirl.
I walked in and realized I had been here before on a date with a wealthy Australian banker. I knew it was pricey, but I wasn't prepared for our final tab.
For the table, we ordered edamame, 3 rolls, a sashimi plate and 2 pieces of nigiri for each of us. I really only remember the "tuna tuna salmon" and the octapus special rolls. The selection was small with a handful of Special Rolls and the normal selection of spicy tuna, et al.
The portions are small - 6 pieces per specialty roll and cost us quite a high price of $15+ each. The otoro tuna nigiri was fatty but delicious but cost a small fortune as well. You could tell that the fish was extraordinarly fresh and my Soho Lychee flavored martini was the best part of the meal.
In the end, I had some edamame, 4 pieces of sushi, 2 pieces of nigiri and 2 little slices of sashimi to eat. Would you guess that the final bill per couple was $120? I definitely left hungry... and with a mental note to not come back. I'd rather go to Sushi Wabi if I'm going for upscale sushi. Even Japonais's specialty rolls that are priced about the same offer several more pieces per roll.
Mirai Sushi
2020 W Division
Chicago, IL
773-862-8500
http://www.miraisushi.com/
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
The battle of the Burger Bars
Hip-Urban style burger bars are popping up all over the city. I've finally made it to the big Three: The Counter, DMK Burger Bar, and Burger Bar.
Each burger joint has it's own concept that comes along with pros and cons, particularly for the Glutoids that have to forego the buns. Why can't any of these places carry gluten-free buns? I'm going to give you a quick rundown of each place and share my likes/dislikes.
1) The Counter - Best versatility for gluten-free eaters
The idea behind "The Counter" is that you can build any combination your little heart desires. The website says there are "312,120+ different burger combinations" so if you ate a different burger here for every day of your life, it would take 855 years to eat one of every combination. Too many options you say? Not for me, the gluten-free gal who loves the option to put her burger atop fresh salad greens a la "burgers in a bowl" rather than get a greasy patty served up on a plate.
There are also signature chef selections for those of you who don't know how to combine roasted garlic aioli with the best toppings and cheese selections.
I love all of the options you have, from the type of meat, to the size of meat to cheese, sauces and toppings. The combinations are endless. I love that I can choose whether I want 1/3 to 1 pound - this place gets that girls don't need the same serving size as boys! Also, the meat is hormone and antibiotic free. Burgers range from $7.50-$10.50.
Best yet, the sweet potato fries are my favorite of all three burger places. And the serving size is enough to feed two or more.
The Counter
666 W Diversey Pkwy
Chicago, Illinois 60657
(773) 935-1995
http://www.thecounterburger.com/
2) DMK Burger Bar - Grass fed beef a huge PLUS!
At DMK, you can choose one of 9 burgers offered on high quality grass fed beef. It's not often you find that in a restaurant. There are also 5 "alternative" burgers served on turkey, lamb or veggie burgers.
All burgers run $8.00 but the patties are pretty small. I'd venture to guess about 1/4 lb or maybe 1/3 lb at the most per patty. You can double the patty for another $3.00. For gluten-free eaters, couldn't we just order two patties for $6.00? There aren't any gluten-free buns and the patty comes out on a sheet of wax paper dripping in grease. I don't know about you, but it wasn't all that appetizing to look at.
While I like the freshness and taste of grass-fed beef, I didn't feel like this place gave me the best value on food. I had Burger #1: Aged cheddar, Smoked bacon, charred balsamic red onions, rufus teague's BBQ sauce. The combination of flavors was unique and kept my taste buds in high-gear yearning for more. I quickly finished my patty-on-the-plate and was still feeling hungry.
The portions for the fries are also rather small and not really for sharing. But there are so many yummy flavors! The sweet potato fries could be passed on, they weren't that great. Do try the parmesan fries and the truffle cream!
You might be mistaken from the outside of DMK and think it's a hip club, but once you're beyond the red brick wall and dark tinted windows, you'll see an exposed brick loft that seats enough to make the place feel crowded on a Tuesday night.
DMK Burger Bar
2954 North Sheffield Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 360-8686
http://www.dmkburgerbar.com/
3) Burger Bar - Bison Burgers are for real
Is this place called "Urban Burger Bar" or simply "Burger Bar"? I think everyone gets it confused and keeps calling it Urban Burger Bar.
I had a tough time picking which burger I wanted and ended up going with a custom option which wasn't very delicious. It was hard to pick one burger because there were so many options available with interesting combinations. There were also several alternative options like turkey, chicken, tuna and veggie burgers. The special of the day was a goat burger but none of us in the 8 person group tried that.
Though there were many pre-selected combinations, you can still opt to make your own. I ended up with a plain bison patty with avocado slices and the house sauce. I like that I could order bison patties because it's way more healthy than beef. On the plus side, they had sweet potato tater tots!! On the minus side, their sweet potato fries were too skinny, burnt and greasy.
I can't remember how much the burgers cost, but they were definitely over $10 per burger which is overpriced in my book. I think the bison was even an upcharge and so was the avocado. All I know is that Ernie and I walked away paying $39 for 2 burgers and Ernie had 2 beers. That's ridiculous.
Burger Bar
1578 North Clybourn Avenue
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 255-0055
http://www.burgerbarchicago.com/
My ideal burger bar would include the following:
1) Gluten-Free buns as an option. If you can supply veggie burgers, you can supply gluten-free buns
2) Delicious sweet potato fries, enough for 1. Ernie doesn't like sweet potato fries (he only recently confessed it to me after I'd been making him eat them with me for 2 years!)
3) Burgers under $10. McD's can whip 'em out for a buck. Are you really 10 times more premium?
4) Grass fed beef, bison, turkey and veggie (gluten-free) options please! A lot of veggie burgers actually have flour so GF friends, please beware!
5) Option to make the burger bowl (like The Counter)
6) Suggested combos but the possibility to make your own!
Is this too much to ask?
Each burger joint has it's own concept that comes along with pros and cons, particularly for the Glutoids that have to forego the buns. Why can't any of these places carry gluten-free buns? I'm going to give you a quick rundown of each place and share my likes/dislikes.
1) The Counter - Best versatility for gluten-free eaters
The idea behind "The Counter" is that you can build any combination your little heart desires. The website says there are "312,120+ different burger combinations" so if you ate a different burger here for every day of your life, it would take 855 years to eat one of every combination. Too many options you say? Not for me, the gluten-free gal who loves the option to put her burger atop fresh salad greens a la "burgers in a bowl" rather than get a greasy patty served up on a plate.
There are also signature chef selections for those of you who don't know how to combine roasted garlic aioli with the best toppings and cheese selections.
I love all of the options you have, from the type of meat, to the size of meat to cheese, sauces and toppings. The combinations are endless. I love that I can choose whether I want 1/3 to 1 pound - this place gets that girls don't need the same serving size as boys! Also, the meat is hormone and antibiotic free. Burgers range from $7.50-$10.50.
Best yet, the sweet potato fries are my favorite of all three burger places. And the serving size is enough to feed two or more.
The Counter
666 W Diversey Pkwy
Chicago, Illinois 60657
(773) 935-1995
http://www.thecounterburger.com/
2) DMK Burger Bar - Grass fed beef a huge PLUS!
At DMK, you can choose one of 9 burgers offered on high quality grass fed beef. It's not often you find that in a restaurant. There are also 5 "alternative" burgers served on turkey, lamb or veggie burgers.
All burgers run $8.00 but the patties are pretty small. I'd venture to guess about 1/4 lb or maybe 1/3 lb at the most per patty. You can double the patty for another $3.00. For gluten-free eaters, couldn't we just order two patties for $6.00? There aren't any gluten-free buns and the patty comes out on a sheet of wax paper dripping in grease. I don't know about you, but it wasn't all that appetizing to look at.
While I like the freshness and taste of grass-fed beef, I didn't feel like this place gave me the best value on food. I had Burger #1: Aged cheddar, Smoked bacon, charred balsamic red onions, rufus teague's BBQ sauce. The combination of flavors was unique and kept my taste buds in high-gear yearning for more. I quickly finished my patty-on-the-plate and was still feeling hungry.
The portions for the fries are also rather small and not really for sharing. But there are so many yummy flavors! The sweet potato fries could be passed on, they weren't that great. Do try the parmesan fries and the truffle cream!
You might be mistaken from the outside of DMK and think it's a hip club, but once you're beyond the red brick wall and dark tinted windows, you'll see an exposed brick loft that seats enough to make the place feel crowded on a Tuesday night.
DMK Burger Bar
2954 North Sheffield Avenue
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 360-8686
http://www.dmkburgerbar.com/
3) Burger Bar - Bison Burgers are for real
Is this place called "Urban Burger Bar" or simply "Burger Bar"? I think everyone gets it confused and keeps calling it Urban Burger Bar.
I had a tough time picking which burger I wanted and ended up going with a custom option which wasn't very delicious. It was hard to pick one burger because there were so many options available with interesting combinations. There were also several alternative options like turkey, chicken, tuna and veggie burgers. The special of the day was a goat burger but none of us in the 8 person group tried that.
Though there were many pre-selected combinations, you can still opt to make your own. I ended up with a plain bison patty with avocado slices and the house sauce. I like that I could order bison patties because it's way more healthy than beef. On the plus side, they had sweet potato tater tots!! On the minus side, their sweet potato fries were too skinny, burnt and greasy.
I can't remember how much the burgers cost, but they were definitely over $10 per burger which is overpriced in my book. I think the bison was even an upcharge and so was the avocado. All I know is that Ernie and I walked away paying $39 for 2 burgers and Ernie had 2 beers. That's ridiculous.
Burger Bar
1578 North Clybourn Avenue
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 255-0055
http://www.burgerbarchicago.com/
My ideal burger bar would include the following:
1) Gluten-Free buns as an option. If you can supply veggie burgers, you can supply gluten-free buns
2) Delicious sweet potato fries, enough for 1. Ernie doesn't like sweet potato fries (he only recently confessed it to me after I'd been making him eat them with me for 2 years!)
3) Burgers under $10. McD's can whip 'em out for a buck. Are you really 10 times more premium?
4) Grass fed beef, bison, turkey and veggie (gluten-free) options please! A lot of veggie burgers actually have flour so GF friends, please beware!
5) Option to make the burger bowl (like The Counter)
6) Suggested combos but the possibility to make your own!
Is this too much to ask?
Girl and the Goat
Girl and the Goat is the simply best Chicago restaurant we've been to in a really really long time. I can't believe it's taken me this long to post a review. I made the reservations about a month in advance since we wanted a Thursday night at 7pm, a highly coveted dinner time.
I must say, this restaurant is worth the wait and lives up to all of the hype. I don't watch Top Chef or whatever show this master chef was on, but I heard about this place through several friends who raved about the eats (one even sat next to The Allstate Guy/President Palmer from 24!).
Ernie and I arrived a little early for our reservation but the table wasn't quite ready yet. The dark room was dimly lit by low hanging lights over wooden tables. It was vibrantly loud inside with voices bouncing off the walls and slick un-carpeted floors. The scent of burning firewood filled the air. Our friends Amy and Eugene and fellow foodies joined us and we were seated at the front of the dining room near the wall of windows that looks to out to the pedestrian sidewalk.
The staff was overly attentitive and made sure my water glass never got less than half full. The sommelier recommended a nice blended red wine for the table, I believe it was a pinotage but my memory escapes me.
Let's get on to the food... We had the most amazing collection of small-medium sized dishes. It's suggested to order 2-3 plates per person. The menu is split up into "V" for Veggie, "F" for Fish and "M" for Meat. Our cheerful server dressed in a black t-shirt with a cartoon goat screened to his lapel made fantastic suggestions. My highest recommendations are for the chickpea fritters and the pigface. The frittars were deliciously crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. It just melt in your mouth with a buttery warm sensation. The frittars are served on a bed of heirloom tomatos as fresh as those in grandma's backyard and mildly flavored mozzarella cheese.
Though the term "pig face" sounds disgusting, I assure you it looks like nothing more than 2 round slabs of wood oven roasted meat. The pork was extremely tender and did not need a knife to cut since it simply fell apart at the tines of your fork. It's served with a sunny side up egg and potato stix which rounds out the amazing southern-influenced dish.
Other dishes we tried were:
1) Roasted Cauliflour - great if you like cauliflour but go for the chickpeas if you're only getting one V dish.
2) Hiramasa crudo - a flaky white fish served with a small piece of crisp pork belly.
3) Skirt Steak - a good choice, but if you only have one red meat option go for the...
4) Short ribs - meat so tender it cuts so easily and served with edamame out of the pod.
5) Oysters were a special of the day and totally worth it!
The table also ordered some bread, but nothing to report from me, the gluten-free one!
I absolutely loved this restaurant and is easily the best place we've dined all year. For those special occasions, this is a perfect place to go with a few friends so you can try more dishes. My only suggestion is that the menu items be re-named so they don't sound so disgusting. I'm not sure how many people are willing to eat "whipped back fat", which I hear is actually quite delicious.
Bon appetite!
Girl and the Goat
809 West Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 492-6262
I must say, this restaurant is worth the wait and lives up to all of the hype. I don't watch Top Chef or whatever show this master chef was on, but I heard about this place through several friends who raved about the eats (one even sat next to The Allstate Guy/President Palmer from 24!).
Ernie and I arrived a little early for our reservation but the table wasn't quite ready yet. The dark room was dimly lit by low hanging lights over wooden tables. It was vibrantly loud inside with voices bouncing off the walls and slick un-carpeted floors. The scent of burning firewood filled the air. Our friends Amy and Eugene and fellow foodies joined us and we were seated at the front of the dining room near the wall of windows that looks to out to the pedestrian sidewalk.
The staff was overly attentitive and made sure my water glass never got less than half full. The sommelier recommended a nice blended red wine for the table, I believe it was a pinotage but my memory escapes me.
Let's get on to the food... We had the most amazing collection of small-medium sized dishes. It's suggested to order 2-3 plates per person. The menu is split up into "V" for Veggie, "F" for Fish and "M" for Meat. Our cheerful server dressed in a black t-shirt with a cartoon goat screened to his lapel made fantastic suggestions. My highest recommendations are for the chickpea fritters and the pigface. The frittars were deliciously crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. It just melt in your mouth with a buttery warm sensation. The frittars are served on a bed of heirloom tomatos as fresh as those in grandma's backyard and mildly flavored mozzarella cheese.
Though the term "pig face" sounds disgusting, I assure you it looks like nothing more than 2 round slabs of wood oven roasted meat. The pork was extremely tender and did not need a knife to cut since it simply fell apart at the tines of your fork. It's served with a sunny side up egg and potato stix which rounds out the amazing southern-influenced dish.
Other dishes we tried were:
1) Roasted Cauliflour - great if you like cauliflour but go for the chickpeas if you're only getting one V dish.
2) Hiramasa crudo - a flaky white fish served with a small piece of crisp pork belly.
3) Skirt Steak - a good choice, but if you only have one red meat option go for the...
4) Short ribs - meat so tender it cuts so easily and served with edamame out of the pod.
5) Oysters were a special of the day and totally worth it!
The table also ordered some bread, but nothing to report from me, the gluten-free one!
I absolutely loved this restaurant and is easily the best place we've dined all year. For those special occasions, this is a perfect place to go with a few friends so you can try more dishes. My only suggestion is that the menu items be re-named so they don't sound so disgusting. I'm not sure how many people are willing to eat "whipped back fat", which I hear is actually quite delicious.
Bon appetite!
Girl and the Goat
809 West Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 492-6262
Monday, November 1, 2010
Homecoming!
Cheer Cincinnati, Cincy will Win!
A fun weekend with many of my college friends. Thanks to Lisa & Justin for hosting us! I don't know how they do it, but these two make parenting look easy. Both of their daughters are super adorable and well behaved.
A few pictures from the big Homecoming Day:
A fun weekend with many of my college friends. Thanks to Lisa & Justin for hosting us! I don't know how they do it, but these two make parenting look easy. Both of their daughters are super adorable and well behaved.
A few pictures from the big Homecoming Day:
Nippert!!!
(ugh. I have no idea why this image won't rotate)
Sometimes your seats can be too good... We had first row behind the Bearcat line. We basically only saw spandex.
We amused ourselves...
And hung out with the bearcat.
Robbie & Jenn's wedding in Lake Tahoe
Another fun Chen Family Wedding this year! Looks like next year will bring three more happy Chen reunions! These are my sis's pictures. Isn't Tahoe a lovely place to get married?
Chiang Family (Not long before Ernie asked dad for permission to marry me!)
Robbie's Family - So many Chens!
Brown's Orchard & Farm Market
I was recently on a business trip out east to Hunt Valley, near Baltimore. I was so pleasantly surprised to learn that the catering group went out of the way to pick up delicious gluten-free desserts for me! There was a variety of treats including Pumpkin bread, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and Brownies. While I am a huge lover of pumpkin bread, I would actually recommend the Chocolate Chip Cookies over anything. These cookies were very similar to the original kind! One of the guys in the meeting was eating the pumpkin bread and when I asked him if it tasted gluten-free, he said he didn't even realize it.
Definitely keep this bakery on your list if you're traveling in the Baltimore area. It's actually about 45 min from Hunt Valley in Pennsylvania. Info is below. Enjoy!
Browns Orchard and Farm Market
http://www.brownsorchards.com/
BROWN'S NORTH
3100 North George Street
Emigsville, PA 17318
Phone: (717) 767-4142
Email: infonorth@brownsorchards.com
BROWN'S SOUTH (Original location)
8892 Susquehanna Trail South
Loganville, PA 17342
Phone: (717) 428-2036
Email: info@brownsorchards.com
Definitely keep this bakery on your list if you're traveling in the Baltimore area. It's actually about 45 min from Hunt Valley in Pennsylvania. Info is below. Enjoy!
Browns Orchard and Farm Market
http://www.brownsorchards.com/
BROWN'S NORTH
3100 North George Street
Emigsville, PA 17318
Phone: (717) 767-4142
Email: infonorth@brownsorchards.com
BROWN'S SOUTH (Original location)
8892 Susquehanna Trail South
Loganville, PA 17342
Phone: (717) 428-2036
Email: info@brownsorchards.com
Gluten-Free Guide to Paris
I was worried that I wouldn't be able to enjoy Parisan food. The last time I was in Paris was in 2002 and I was certainly munching away on the crusty baguettes and buttery croissants every moment we walked past a patasserie. But now, having converted to the gluten-free lifestyle, I was definitely concerned.
Aside from breakfast which I found to be the most challenging meal of the day, I was alright for the bigger meals of lunch and dinner. There are a lot of gluten-free options available. We LOVED the French food and it's difficult to find really bad food, but here are a list of GF-Friendly places for you to check out! I also wanted to provide recommendations for three restaurants that weren't necessarily GF but totally amazing and worth finding.
Des Si et Des Mets
It's the first FULLY gluten-free restaurant that I've ever found! I was so excited to find it online and HAD to try it. We even planned some of our sight-seeing events around getting to this restaurant since it's a bit out of the way.
We went for lunch on Saturday and were the first to arrive at the restaurant. Shortly after, several other couples trickled in for lunch. We sat next to a nice couple from DC that the wife was gluten-free and had also found this restaurant online.
Let's just say, it's exhiliarating to be in a restaurant and NOT have to explain that you can't eat 90% of the menu. The bread slices they brought to the table was GF bread. Leave it to the French to figure out delicious breads! Sure, it wasn't spongy or crustly like the baguettes, but it didn't have the sharp aftertaste of most GF breads and it wasn't super crumbly either.
The portions were enormous. I couldn't even finish. In fact, Ernie and I could have split one plate and we would still be stuffed. Plus, we got desserts!
The owner served us and speaks English though prefers French. She even thought I was fluent in French and handed me a menu I couldn't read. She was quiet and mild-mannered but very polite. We even got parting gifts of GF yellow cakes individually wrapped. I saved mine for the flight home!
63 Rue Lepic
Metro: Lamarck-Caulaincourt
Near: Montmartre
http://www.dessietdesmets.com/
contact@dessietdesmets.com
Briezah Cafe
Go for the amazing buckwheat crepes, or known locally as 'galettes'. Normally, galettes are the savory version of crepes and served with eggs & meat or some variation. Traditional flour crepes are the dessert versions because they are a bit sweeter and softer in texture. At Briezah, they had no problems subbing the buckwheat crepe in for the regular. I got a buckwheat crepe filled with apple sauce and drizzled with a caramel sauce. It was topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. A delicious treat!
Buckwheat crepes are good substitutes of the originals. They have a deeper flavor, a stiffer texture and a darker color but overall, it's totally worth it. You might miss the light, fluffyness of the original crepe but honestly, this will make you pretty happy as well. (The GF crepe is the bottom one in the picture)
Briezah is also known for their varities of hard cider. They have several pages of different flavors. Try a jug while you're at it!
49 Rue Vieille du Temple
Metro: Saint-Sebastien-Froissart
http://www.breizhcafe.com/
Near: Picasso Museum (which is closed until 2012)
3rd Arr.
Note that the website says they open at 9am but they really open at noon.
Other crepe places that serve Galettes:
Lepic Assiette
35 Rue Lepic
Metro: Abbesses Blanch
Near: Monmartre
Creperie de Josselin
67 Rue du Montparnasse
I also hear that along Rue d'Odessa and Rue du Montparnasse are countless Creperies.
Naturala Grocery Stores
This is a chain of grocery stores that are speckled throughout Paris. We happened to walk by one near our first hotel and another one near our second hotel. (We stayed in two different parts of town to experience as much of Paris as we could!) Try the Quinoa bread loafs. They're made fresh everyday.
Don't expect something that tastes similar to your regular white Wonder Bread loaf. It's definitely more dense, crumbly and has a darker flavor than the white breads. Think of it closer to the flavor of a multi-grain or even a dark rye bread. I was more-or-less happy about the flavor and the moist and consistent texture. I yearned for a little more, maybe something a bit sweeter rather than savory. The bread wasn't amazing but when you're walking around scouring for breakfast options that are GF, you'll be happy you packed a few slices of Quinoa bread in your purse or bag.
The staff was friendly and helpful to find the gluten-free bread loaves and they're even marked in English by the bread baskets. Let them select and pack it up for you to take on your way! Loaves run about 4-5 Euros each.
Biogeneration Grocery Store
I read that there were gluten free croissants (heaven!!!) and chocolate chip mini cakes, etc. But after trekking all the way out to this store, I was dissappointed to only find that they have dry packaged GF goods. If you do decide to make this a destination during your trip to Paris, head down stairs to find a full GF section filled with pastas, cookies, biscuits, crackers, etc. I bought some lasagne noodles since I've never seen them in the US. I'll let you know how those are once I make my first gluten-free lasagne! It cost me 10 Euros for 2 packages of pasta. Packages are smaller than those sold in the US.
70 Rue de Cherch Midi
Paul's
It's a chain (like our Panera Bread) so they're all over town.
Get the Macarones that are made of almond flour and are gluten free! They are very sweet cookies with filling in the middle. Paul's has large sized ones. You can find smaller sized ones all over town at the Patisseries (bakeries). I liked the Raspberry flavor best. Vanilla was delicious but the Pistaschio was not very good. It just depends what flavors you like.
Other noteable places for Macarones:
Laduree (also a chain)
75 ave de Champs Elysees (flagship store)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some restaurants that are not necessarily Gluten Free, but have great GF options and servers willing to help:
Willi's Wine Bar
It may say "Bar" in the name, but this was way more up-scale than I imagined. As one of our most expensive meals in Paris, this is totally worth it for the quality of the food and the friendliness of the staff. This waas a recommendation by Ernie's Uncles Lee & Bill who swear it's their favorite place in Paris.
Our server was actually from Singapore though she could have fooled us with her French accent and pale caucasian skin. Nevertheless, she was amazingly helpful and totally willing to find GF options for me. We also went by her recommendations for starters, main plates and desserts.
The Wine selection (as you may infer by the restaurant name) was vast. We had a light white wine from the Loire Valley on the south-western area of France. It was a perfect pick since we spent the day visiting the Loire Valley Castles that are better described as Chateauxs.
13 Rue des Petits Champs
Metro: Pyramides
http://www.williswinebar.com/
Near Jardin du Palais Royale
1st Arr
Le Chalet des Iles
This restaurant is not easy to get to. You have to take the metro to the closest stop and either walk 15-20 min or cab it. I'll tell you that the walk would have been really difficult due to the topography of the area and just plain getting lost in the round-about. One cab driver refused our business and it took another 15 min to get another cab driver to take us. We ended up being 30 min late for our reservation. I felt really bad because we were meeting up with a friend from Kellogg and Kraft and he was waiting around without any way of us contacting him.
Once we got there, it was much smoother. You take this little ferry across the pond to an adorable pond-side restaurant kind of like Tavern on the Green in NYC's Central Park. The food was unbelievable. I'd recommend the heirloom and tomato mozzarella salad for starters. I had the shrimp cocktail with greek yogurt and a tomato jelly paste. It was good, but the tomato salad was so much more delicious.
My main dish was the walleye fish with a salty/crusty exterior and a moist and flaky white fish interior. It was served with Quinoa on the side. Ernie had steak served with potato croquettes. The potato was the highlight of his meal. The outer shell was fried crispy and the inside was soft, mashed potato puree. Olivier, my friend, had the lobster. I don't think you could pick something that wasn't satisfying.
Dessert options are limited to ice cream for GF people. Otherwise, there's a caramel cake option that you MUST get. It's like a molten chocolate cake but it's caramel vanilla cake with soft warm caramel inside rather than the chocolate. I did have a bite and it was heaven.
Port de La Muette
http://www.chalet-des-iles.com/
TRAVEL CARD
Print this card before you go. It tells servers/chefs that you have a gluten intolerance and it's written in French!
Aside from breakfast which I found to be the most challenging meal of the day, I was alright for the bigger meals of lunch and dinner. There are a lot of gluten-free options available. We LOVED the French food and it's difficult to find really bad food, but here are a list of GF-Friendly places for you to check out! I also wanted to provide recommendations for three restaurants that weren't necessarily GF but totally amazing and worth finding.
Des Si et Des Mets
It's the first FULLY gluten-free restaurant that I've ever found! I was so excited to find it online and HAD to try it. We even planned some of our sight-seeing events around getting to this restaurant since it's a bit out of the way.
We went for lunch on Saturday and were the first to arrive at the restaurant. Shortly after, several other couples trickled in for lunch. We sat next to a nice couple from DC that the wife was gluten-free and had also found this restaurant online.
Let's just say, it's exhiliarating to be in a restaurant and NOT have to explain that you can't eat 90% of the menu. The bread slices they brought to the table was GF bread. Leave it to the French to figure out delicious breads! Sure, it wasn't spongy or crustly like the baguettes, but it didn't have the sharp aftertaste of most GF breads and it wasn't super crumbly either.
The portions were enormous. I couldn't even finish. In fact, Ernie and I could have split one plate and we would still be stuffed. Plus, we got desserts!
The owner served us and speaks English though prefers French. She even thought I was fluent in French and handed me a menu I couldn't read. She was quiet and mild-mannered but very polite. We even got parting gifts of GF yellow cakes individually wrapped. I saved mine for the flight home!
63 Rue Lepic
Metro: Lamarck-Caulaincourt
Near: Montmartre
http://www.dessietdesmets.com/
contact@dessietdesmets.com
Briezah Cafe
Go for the amazing buckwheat crepes, or known locally as 'galettes'. Normally, galettes are the savory version of crepes and served with eggs & meat or some variation. Traditional flour crepes are the dessert versions because they are a bit sweeter and softer in texture. At Briezah, they had no problems subbing the buckwheat crepe in for the regular. I got a buckwheat crepe filled with apple sauce and drizzled with a caramel sauce. It was topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. A delicious treat!
Buckwheat crepes are good substitutes of the originals. They have a deeper flavor, a stiffer texture and a darker color but overall, it's totally worth it. You might miss the light, fluffyness of the original crepe but honestly, this will make you pretty happy as well. (The GF crepe is the bottom one in the picture)
Briezah is also known for their varities of hard cider. They have several pages of different flavors. Try a jug while you're at it!
49 Rue Vieille du Temple
Metro: Saint-Sebastien-Froissart
http://www.breizhcafe.com/
Near: Picasso Museum (which is closed until 2012)
3rd Arr.
Note that the website says they open at 9am but they really open at noon.
Other crepe places that serve Galettes:
Lepic Assiette
35 Rue Lepic
Metro: Abbesses Blanch
Near: Monmartre
Creperie de Josselin
67 Rue du Montparnasse
I also hear that along Rue d'Odessa and Rue du Montparnasse are countless Creperies.
Naturala Grocery Stores
This is a chain of grocery stores that are speckled throughout Paris. We happened to walk by one near our first hotel and another one near our second hotel. (We stayed in two different parts of town to experience as much of Paris as we could!) Try the Quinoa bread loafs. They're made fresh everyday.
Don't expect something that tastes similar to your regular white Wonder Bread loaf. It's definitely more dense, crumbly and has a darker flavor than the white breads. Think of it closer to the flavor of a multi-grain or even a dark rye bread. I was more-or-less happy about the flavor and the moist and consistent texture. I yearned for a little more, maybe something a bit sweeter rather than savory. The bread wasn't amazing but when you're walking around scouring for breakfast options that are GF, you'll be happy you packed a few slices of Quinoa bread in your purse or bag.
The staff was friendly and helpful to find the gluten-free bread loaves and they're even marked in English by the bread baskets. Let them select and pack it up for you to take on your way! Loaves run about 4-5 Euros each.
Biogeneration Grocery Store
I read that there were gluten free croissants (heaven!!!) and chocolate chip mini cakes, etc. But after trekking all the way out to this store, I was dissappointed to only find that they have dry packaged GF goods. If you do decide to make this a destination during your trip to Paris, head down stairs to find a full GF section filled with pastas, cookies, biscuits, crackers, etc. I bought some lasagne noodles since I've never seen them in the US. I'll let you know how those are once I make my first gluten-free lasagne! It cost me 10 Euros for 2 packages of pasta. Packages are smaller than those sold in the US.
70 Rue de Cherch Midi
Paul's
It's a chain (like our Panera Bread) so they're all over town.
Get the Macarones that are made of almond flour and are gluten free! They are very sweet cookies with filling in the middle. Paul's has large sized ones. You can find smaller sized ones all over town at the Patisseries (bakeries). I liked the Raspberry flavor best. Vanilla was delicious but the Pistaschio was not very good. It just depends what flavors you like.
Other noteable places for Macarones:
Laduree (also a chain)
75 ave de Champs Elysees (flagship store)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some restaurants that are not necessarily Gluten Free, but have great GF options and servers willing to help:
Willi's Wine Bar
It may say "Bar" in the name, but this was way more up-scale than I imagined. As one of our most expensive meals in Paris, this is totally worth it for the quality of the food and the friendliness of the staff. This waas a recommendation by Ernie's Uncles Lee & Bill who swear it's their favorite place in Paris.
Our server was actually from Singapore though she could have fooled us with her French accent and pale caucasian skin. Nevertheless, she was amazingly helpful and totally willing to find GF options for me. We also went by her recommendations for starters, main plates and desserts.
The Wine selection (as you may infer by the restaurant name) was vast. We had a light white wine from the Loire Valley on the south-western area of France. It was a perfect pick since we spent the day visiting the Loire Valley Castles that are better described as Chateauxs.
13 Rue des Petits Champs
Metro: Pyramides
http://www.williswinebar.com/
Near Jardin du Palais Royale
1st Arr
Le Chalet des Iles
This restaurant is not easy to get to. You have to take the metro to the closest stop and either walk 15-20 min or cab it. I'll tell you that the walk would have been really difficult due to the topography of the area and just plain getting lost in the round-about. One cab driver refused our business and it took another 15 min to get another cab driver to take us. We ended up being 30 min late for our reservation. I felt really bad because we were meeting up with a friend from Kellogg and Kraft and he was waiting around without any way of us contacting him.
Once we got there, it was much smoother. You take this little ferry across the pond to an adorable pond-side restaurant kind of like Tavern on the Green in NYC's Central Park. The food was unbelievable. I'd recommend the heirloom and tomato mozzarella salad for starters. I had the shrimp cocktail with greek yogurt and a tomato jelly paste. It was good, but the tomato salad was so much more delicious.
My main dish was the walleye fish with a salty/crusty exterior and a moist and flaky white fish interior. It was served with Quinoa on the side. Ernie had steak served with potato croquettes. The potato was the highlight of his meal. The outer shell was fried crispy and the inside was soft, mashed potato puree. Olivier, my friend, had the lobster. I don't think you could pick something that wasn't satisfying.
Dessert options are limited to ice cream for GF people. Otherwise, there's a caramel cake option that you MUST get. It's like a molten chocolate cake but it's caramel vanilla cake with soft warm caramel inside rather than the chocolate. I did have a bite and it was heaven.
Port de La Muette
http://www.chalet-des-iles.com/
TRAVEL CARD
Print this card before you go. It tells servers/chefs that you have a gluten intolerance and it's written in French!
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