Pilsen Window Shopping

Last Sunday, some friends and I decided to make a day of it in the lovely neighborhood I call home, Chicago's Pilsen. We took a trip to the National Museum of Mexican Art to see their Day of the Dead exhibit. The museum is free, comes highly recommended, and has an amazing gift shop!. After looking at beautifully made (and a bit morbid) shrines to those who have passed on, we headed to Halsted and 18th, the edge of the East Pilsen Gallery district. The neighborhood was hosting the 39th annual East Pilsen Art Walk, with open galleries, wine and cheese and special deals for all the browsers. While most of the art was way (way!) out of my price range, we took in some really creative pieces and enjoyed our day of window shopping.

A new friend, the art gallery courtyard cat.

Post art-browsing, we walked over to Simone's on 18th Street, to grab a cocktail and a bite. Being inside Simone's is like living inside a pinball game - large glass light fixtures made out of old bottles, creatively sized seating, and bright colors really make this a treat for your eyes, as well as your stomach. The order of mixed empanadas (banana and black bean, spinach and artichoke and chipotle chicken) came with a side of maple aioli that was surprisingly great.

To top that, their cocktail menu is full of exotic flavors and mixtures. Cocktail menus with ingredients ranging from mint syrup to jalapeno-thyme infused pickle brine = my kind of place. Some drinks worked - some did not but one that caught our eye was cleverly called "Breakfast For Dinner". Created with Ketle One vodka, tomato water, sage syrup, salt & pepper rim with a bacon garnish, we had to order it. Take a look...

I may or may not have eaten that strip of bacon...anyway, I expected a saltier cocktail, more akin to a bloody mary but it was a little on the sweet side and could have benefited from a bit more sodium. I did enjoy the creativity of the drink and hope to head back to Simone's soon to try more of their interesting drink concoctions. Ranging in price from $7 - $11, and only $6 on Mondays, these are not Roof prices, and left a bit in our pockets for that next gallery run.



*Photos by Javier Ayala

National Museum of Mexican Art
1852 W 19th St
Chicago, IL 60608
312.738.503

Simone's
960 W. 18th St.
Chicago, IL 60608
312.666.8601

Tigercity Dinner Party

Smitty is back with another dispatch from LA, and hanging with our boyfriends in Tigercity! This looks like the perfect dinner party...if only I could have attended. From the looks of the pics, the night was a blurry one, which is normal when Tigercity is in town. Take it away Smitty.

---

Last week, our friends Tigercity spent a whole week in the fine city of Los Angeles, and in between all the rock shows and the whiskey, they even found time to make their hosts a delicious dinner, courtesy of chef Andrew and grill master Joel.

Here's what was cooking:
• Grilled Salad of radicchio, endive, romaine and fennel with olive oil, lemon juice, fresh grated Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper
• Grilled asparagus with a sauce of garlic, wine, shallots, butter and lemon juice
• Trout fillets with homemade salsa -- grilled poblano, serrano, jalapeno peppers, sesame oil, olive oil, soy sauce and garlic.

Chef Andrew prepares the salad


Radicchio, endive, romaine and fennel on the grill


Grilled salad


Grill master Joel tending to the asparagus


Dinner!


The party's done, the plates are cleaned


Cheers to the City Vegetable!


TC at the Viper Room

The Mean Beef in Montreal

I was recently in Montreal for a quick 2-day business trip and was delighted to discover a beautiful, European-feeling city full of sharply dressed Canadians and gorgeous old buildings. We stayed in Old (Vieux) Montreal, which is exactly what it sounds like - the oldest and most classical part of the city, lined with cobble stoned streets that wind around the historic buildings, creating a picturesque maze of trendy shops and restaurants.

Our first night in the city, we headed to Mechant Boeuf - which roughly translates to the "Mean Beef" - for a hearty meal, and I hoped, some poutine. I had heard of the famous Canadian dish of gravy, cheese curds and french fries but never had the pleasure of trying it myself so this was a goal for the evening ahead.

As we approached the restaurant, the cow's head on the side of the building gave the restaurant away and we walked in to find a large space with a trendy feel - a large waterfall on the back wall, deep red lighting, a ceiling of windows and a friendly DJ who goes by the name DJ Fake Jake.

The view from our table. I wonder what sort of interesting exchanges the people who live in those apartments have seen down below.

A beef-decorated waterfall wall.

DJ Fake Jake kept the party going well after our food was gone.

So...while the rest of our meal was hearty and delicious, the only item I felt was photo and blog worthy was this delicious pile of poutine. Mission accomplished! Yes, this was beef gravy (when in Rome...) but I didn't care! The delicious mix of salty gravy and creamy cheese curds was enough to sell me on poutine as my new favorite comfort (junk?) food. I think I consumed 2 more orders of the good stuff over the course of my stay in Quebec, and I don't regret a single bite! Now, I'm on the hunt for poutine in Chicago - any leads?

Mechant Boeuf, Bar*Brasserie
124, rue Saint-Paul Quest
Vieux-Montreal, QC H2Y1Z3
514.788.4020

Vegetarian Challenge 2009: Chris Loses on Day 4 to a Tuna Sandwich!

Sooooooo. A few weeks (months) ago, I posed a challenge to my dear friend Chris Daniels* to eat vegetarian for one week, and one week only. Chris, the heartiest meat-eater I know, gladly took me up on the challenge and here, I am finally getting around to posting some of his reflections (we're going to get deep here people!). This took so long because Chris and I are both extremely busy (drinking). Enjoy...

*Last name changed to protect Chris' privacy.

Day 1:

Now were cooking....oh actually no I'm not. These foods are raw! Except the eggs and toast I had for breakfast. Lunch as you can see is vegetable sushi which they call "snack pack". hmmm....interesting. I should have saved the avocado ones for last.


And Fresh fruit.


By now my body might start to notice 1 key ingredient
missing from all these food items. Can you guess what it is......?
That's right! Jack Daniels!
No joke just spilled all the soy sauce on my shirt. Has nothing to do
with the diet change.....or does it?



1 day down. Stay tuned for day 2.

Day 2:

Breakfast: 11:30 AM

Now it's getting interesting because I'm beginning to see what the vegetarian goes through in regards to "Menu Choices". Don't think I needed quotes there but what the heck "right"? So today I was a wee hungover. I mean probably a 5 on the 1-to -10 scale but traditionally this has been "THE" meat meal in my life. The hangover meal.

But I think I made a very good choice because I had a bean burrito from Taco Bell (see picture).


I thought it odd that it already had those two bites in it but man I was freaking hangover hungry and all bets were off so I ate it as is. Now this is a seriously underrated American meal. $1.59? My meat eating eyes had just never considered it an option before. Now it was the "ONLY" option. It's funny because I now think if it was as hard as it is to get meat as it is to get veggie options on any given menu, people would probably eat less meat. It's all about numbers.

Lunch: 2:30 PM (Chris time is different than other people time)

Vegi Pot Stickers
Vegi Rice Bowl



I'm now realizing that if you put soy sauce on anything, it's going to taste better. If I was given the choice of giving up meat or salt, I think I'd pick meat. I loves me some salt.

So this lunch was good. Not much to write about though I s'pose.

Day 3:
Chris sent me no reflections because he is a busy executive but promised no meat was eaten.

Day 4 and A Meat-eaters Vegetarian Conclusion:

So the streak ended at four full days. I wronged a lot of people (well not a lot) by thrashing my way through a heavenly tuna fish sandwich….sounds kind of anticlimactic I know. In the beginning of the endeavor I envisioned a nice big juicy Italian beef in all its spotlighted glory as my prize at the finish line….but no, I settled for a freakin tuna fish sandwich from Subway, exactly 14 hours short of the finish line. Oh well - easy come, easy go I suppose.

Actually it wasn’t meat I craved so much on my fast from carnivorous things, it was just a general lack of menu items to choose from in general. I like almost all the same things that most vegetarians like. I just figure hey why not throw a little meat on the experiment.

I think the real issue at hand is the morality issue - how often we eat it and where our meat comes from in this country. The process of force feeding countless animals things which we wouldn’t let our house roaches eat much less the animals we intend to eat, is really a tough pill to swallow even for the fiercest of meat eaters. And yet a meat eater I still is….

I honestly think we would have less vegetarians (at least the ones who only do it for health reasons) if we had BETTER, more humanely produced meat to choose from. More organic choices at more reasonable prices perhaps? Maybe, but for now I guess the word of the day is moderation. For me at least. I don’t think I’ll ever completely give up red meaty fun, but I think my arteries could probably use a vacation or two from sausage world.

And I never claimed to get along with Will Power.

Liquid Gold

After a particularly grueling workday, my officemates (yes, mates) and I head to Tavern at The Park for a post-sitting-at-our-computers-all-day cocktail. Yes, Tavern at the Park is a bit on the pricey side but they pour the perfect dirty martini (with blue cheese olives) and once you've had the best, it's just hard to go back to Oldtimer's.

In addition to the classic dirty martini, they offer an array of other creative specialty cocktails - from gimlets and margaritas to the 20-Sixtini - Mandarin Vodka, Vanilla-infused simple syrup, Blue Moon beer, authentic ginger beer and edible gold. Yes people, GOLD. I think $12.00 is a small price to pay to drink this valuable metal! And the name of the drink, as you may have figured out, shows their support for the 2016 Olympics landing in Chicago. No matter your opinion of the 2016 Olympics arriving in Chicago(the CTA would really need to step it up), the drink is creative and did I mention, golden?

In addtion to a cocktail, we usually munch on an order of "Straws and Strings" - basically, a large plate of paper thin onion slices and potatoes, fried to golden (ha) perfection, and served with truffle aioli and spicy ketchup. The price on this delicacy? $6! Add in the steakhouse like atmosphere and cozy booths, and all the sudden this trip to Tavern at The Park seems like a bargain! (or this is what we tell ourselves). See you there.



Tavern at The Park
130 East Randolph Street
312-552-0070
tavernatthepark.com

Keen-Wah (Quinoa For You)

Finally, LA-guest blogger Smitty is back with stories from her recent trip to South America and a recipe for that elusive grain, Quinoa. Say it with me, Keen-Wah. Enjoy!

---

A few months ago, I took an amazing trip to Peru, Bolivia and Chile with my friend (and Shannon's Brooklyn roommate) Tamara. We went on a 3 day Jeep tour to the high plains and the salt desert in southwestern Bolivia; an amazing magical journey that took us to lagoons, hot springs, volcanoes, geysers, a surreal desert landscape littered with giant boulders (Dali's desert) and the largest salt flats in the world (Salar de Uyuni). And every now and then in between these breathtaking vistas there would be small towns quite literally in the middle of nowhere which made me wonder -- what do these people do all day? Answer: raise goats and farm quinoa.

Apparently quinoa was a staple of the Incan diet, and it thrives at high altitudes which made it perfect for growing in the Andes. Quinoa is a grain that is very high in protein, so it's great for all you vegetarians out there who need to get your protein fix but want to eat something other than beans! Trader Joes shoppers may already be familiar with quinoa, and actually I had started experimenting with cooking quinoa before I went to Bolivia because I found boxed quinoa at my local TJs.

Here's an easy recipe for quinoa with black beans and cilantro:

1) In large pan, heat some oil, add a chopped onion, sautee until it begins to soften.

2) Add 1 box Trader Joe's quinoa (it's important to note that most boxed quinoa is pre-rinsed, however if you buy quinoa in bulk or from a nature market you'll need to soak it for a few hours and strain to remove it's natural coating which is somewhat bitter), 2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp ground cumin and some salt and stir. You cook quinoa like rice, 2 parts liquid to 1 part grain. I like to use vegetable stock to give the grains more flavor but you can use water if you prefer, and now's the time to add your liquid and bring to a boil.

3) Cover, reduce to medium, and simmer until quinoa is almost tender, 10-15 min.
4) Add 1 can rinsed black beans, 1 cup green peas (blanched if fresh, or thawed if using frozen peas), and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. Cook until liquid is fully absorbed.
5) Transfer to a bowl and garnish with more chopped cilantro and crumbled feta or cotija cheese. Delicious!

And here's some non-quinoa-related Bolivia pictures. More are here. Highly recommended!

Fancy Tuna Melt

One of my favorite hearty sandwiches to bite into after a long day is that ole' stand by, the tuna melt. The fact that cheese and tuna, which by all means shouldn't taste good together, combine so effortlessly to create a protein-filled grilled cheese, is so wrong that it's right. I like to fancify this humble sandwich up sometimes though - with exotic (oh la la) cheeses and heirloom tomatoes. I say there's nothing wrong with putting a bit of a new twist on an old classic. Try this version, I think you'll like it.

2 slices, whole wheat bread
Heirloom tomatoes
Feta Cheese
Chihuahua cheese, thinly sliced
1 can of solid chunk tuna
Celery Stalk
One small white onion
Dijon mustard
Mayo
Dill
Salt & Pepper

1) Mix together the tuna, mayo and mustard (to taste), diced celery pieces, and a few pieces of diced onion. These are raw, so trust me, don't overdo it.
2) Line the bread with the tuna mix, add sliced tomatoes, feta cheese and top with a thin slice of Chihauhua (cheese, you weirdo). Season with salt and pepper
3) Toast in the over for 15 minutes or so, until the bread is crispy and the cheese is perfectly melted.
4) Enjoy your fancy comfort food.

Abuelo's = Awesome

While Abuelo's Grand Opening wasn't quite as exciting as a Macy's Glamorama party, it was a great day when I saw this new restaurant, half a block from my apartment and right across the street from the Damen stop of the Pink Line, open up for business. About a week after, I stopped in for a pre-Lollapalooza bite.

The meal started with chips, served with thick fresh green and red salsa, which were both a bit different from the other local taquerias in the area. The chef also brought out a delicious little amuse - stewed pork on chips, with pickled red onions. Different but also delicious. The green salsa was heavy on the cilantro, which works for me. (sidebar: do you know that genetically, some tongues interpret cilantro to taste like soap. Weird.)

Then came burritos, chilaquiles and tortas galore! Above, you'll see my roommate's vegetarian burrito, served with a side of jicama slaw. By his accounts, it was quite good (and large - only $5.50 for all that), and you'll notice that there was some thought put into the nice presentation.

Because I am a breakfast enthusiast, I went with the chilaquiles, which was invented as a smart(delicious) way to use up stale tortillas. This version came with fresh tortillas chips, a lovely green sauce, a fried egg, and beans. I think I like this dish because it reminds me of what I usually make for breakfast on the weekend - eggs with anything else I have in the fridge. It just works and it worked for Abuelo's too.

Next up, Peen's steak torta: also huge, also cheap. The best part, according to her, voice of meat, was the grilled green onions, cebollitas, layered throughout the sandwich. All in all, a hearty success.

So at Abuelo's - the food was great and very affordable, but they've also taken great pains to have a (for lack of a better word) cute interior. No offense to the other taco joints in my hood, I love you still too, but decor was never your strong point. Painted in reds and yellows, with clever art and National Geographic covers lining the walls, the look is more cafe than taqueria. Free wi-fi and flat screen TVs tuned to soccer games will hopefully bring the crowds in as well, but the food, if this meal was any indication, will keep 'em coming back. See you there!


2007 S Damen Ave
(at Cullerton St)
Chicago, IL 60608
312.733.0329
Open Mon - Sat, 7am - 9pm
Closed Sundays

Maxwell Street Market

The Maxwell Street area in Chicago has a rich history as a bustling metropolis for Russian, Italian, Greek and African American immigrants, and at the turn of the century, became know for its large open-air market where anything and everything was sold. Over the years, the market has grown considerably smaller and moved locations many times, due to the impending dominance of UIC in the neighborhood. But every Sunday morning, hundreds of vendors still setup shop - and for a culinary-enthusiast like myself, a trip to the Maxwell Street Market is pure heaven.

The majority of the vendors we saw this Sunday, we're actually peddling food, made on the spot. Many of the stands sell tacos, tortas, and other Mexican delights. Here we found a stand that deep fried little papusas (round dough) and sliced them open to make a sandwich. You pick the filling.

I had to get a shot in of Peen's Warriors shirt, just because it rules. WARRIORS!!!

And this was quite the treat - a mushroom and Chihuahua cheese quesadilla with all the fixings for $2.00! Each stand has a few tables where you can rest your weary shopping legs, and the best part, usually a few homemade salsas to taste.


A handful of masa gets pressed into the shape of a tortilla, and grilled to perfection.

The scene on the street.

Grilled corn.

There were many sellers of dried fruit, nuts, and various spices. Here we see dried Jaimaica flowers.

More sauces for tacos.

What looks like tree branches at this spice stand, is actually cinnamon bark.

Maxwell Street Market
Desplaines Street and Roosevelt Road
640 W. Roosevelt Road

Fake Mexi Meat! Muy Super!

In the heart of Little Village, a neighborhood even more southwest than Pilsen, there lies a vegetarian paradise. Anyone who knows me, knows of my cravings for fake meat - Boca Burgers, Soyrizo and Tofurkey - I can't get enough of the stuff. It's not that I even necessarily think that these treats taste like real meat - they don't and that's not the point. It's that they easily give a vegetarian something extremely hearty to chow down on, while simultaneously expanding our options for yumminess. I am, to say the least, a fan.

So I was so happy to find El Faro, on the corner of 31st Street & Pulaski - a Mexican restaurant that serves fake "chicken", "ham", and even "steak" alongside the real stuff. This is a place for everyone and can easily solve the "where to go to dinner" dilemma for a half-vegetarian couple!

We started out with some jamaica flower water, and an order of molletes - toast with beans and cheese. I've apparently been making and enjoying molletes for years, I just never knew what it was called.

Then, on to the main course, Peen represented the meat eating people of the world by ordering 2 carne asada quesadillas, which were, according to her, quite delish. Her face says "oh yeah."

I had a fake-steak taco and a Cuban torta - which came with fake ham, fake bacon, fake steak, a fried egg, mayonnaise, avocado & tomato slices and queso. Um yes, it was a lot of food, but I enjoyed every last bite of it. And was super full. I think that fake meat may expand once it hits your stomach...

Lailah, also on team vegetarian, enjoyed a trio of tacos - soyrizo, fake chicken and fake steak. She loved the soyrizo version so much, she ordered an extra one and gave me her leftover "chicken".

El Faro also has breakfast specialties - pancakes and chilaquiles, and an entire portion of the menu dedicated to healthy juice drinks. So really, regardless of your preferences for meat or no-meat, any fan of Mexican food can be happy at El Faro. This place...brings people together!

Something is so funny.

Hee Hee.

Fake meat causes the giggles.

Texas Vegetarian Feast

Every time I come home to Dallas, my mom has my fab Aunt and Uncle, Pat and Sheila and their kids over for a big cook out. This one, just happened to be vegetarian. We decided to do a meal of appetizers and it was a doozy. I wasn't even hungry the whole next day...yes, I over ate. But that's what you do when you're home eating mama's cooking right?

This was a pesto panzanella salad. We grilled ciabatta bread, cherry tomatoes, and fresh plump balls (heh) of mozzarella, tossed with pesto and then garnished the dish with grilled avocados. Apparently, if you get an avocado that isn't quite ripe, grilling it is a good way to soften it up. It worked here.

Sheila brought these bite-sized rye toasts, which had were toasted in the oven to crispy goodness and had olives and Bac-O Bits in the cheese mixture! Yes, fake bacon bits. Amazing.

Sticking with the appetizer theme, we prepared a large Caesar salad with homemade low-fat Caesar dressing. This one is actually delicious and the secret ingredient is anchovy paste - with other components of the recipe being plain yogurt and lemon juice. That's all I can divulge at this time, as my mom closely guards all of her recipes.

Corn, Mexican-style. After charring the ears on the grill, we slathered them in a mayonnaise-lime juice sauce, sprinkled with red pepper and Queso Chihuahua. My specialty is making otherwise healthy vegetables, like corn, really fattening and delicious.

Homemade hummus rounded out the "meal" of appies. I don't hold it against my mom that this recipe actually came from the Rachael Ray magazine, because it's actually delicious - with a lot of Tahini, lemon juice and red pepper.

And for my last trick, I will turn this...

...into this! Grilled potatoes and zucchini with roasted tomato and goat cheese dip. You can't go wrong with some sort of crispy potato and a delicious dip. Enjoy the recipe below. It's sure to be a hit at your next Texas Vegetarian Feast!

Crispy Potatoes with Roasted Tomato & Goat Cheese Dip
2 pounds new potatoes
Red pepper or Cajun seasoning
Olive oil
2-3 pounds tomatoes
2 small logs of Texas goat cheese
Foil-lined pan

1. Slice the tomatoes thin, place on the foil lined sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt (lots) and pepper. Roast at 350 for 1 hour or until nice and caramelized.
2. Cube the potatoes, coat the bottom of a baking sheet with olive oil (lots) and toss the potatoes in the oil. Season heavily with red pepper or Cajun seasoning and S & P. Roast on high (400 or so) until crispy and golden brown.
3. Combine the roasted tomatoes, goat cheese, & 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic in a food processor. Pulse until smooth and serve with the tots!

Texas, the brand

When I was down in Dallas last week, visiting my mom and preparing for my 10-year high school reunion, we took a trip to the local grocery store to stock up on grillables. Wandering up and down the aisles of the massive store, I began to notice a trend in the food marketing. Big declarations of "Texas Grown!" or "Go Texan!" or even "The Beer From Here!" rang out at me from the shelves.

I just don't see that many "Illinois-style" potato chips at my Chicago-area grocery store.

Flavors From Texas!

The beer from here! McKinney, TX's very own beer - Franconia.

Go Texan!

Texas watermelon. Also from the USA.

Peanut brittle, proudly made in Ruby, TX

Texas Style!

Cheesecake-on-a-Stick

Yes, I have died and gone to heaven. At a recent wedding party here in Chicago (held at the lovely A New Leaf event space), we were served a variety of delicious bites from local caterer, Food For Thought. The favorite of the evening was the Cheesecake-on-a-Stick, served "thoughtfully" (ba dum dum!) in a square of grass, with real dirt! Not only did the presentation "wow", but the cheesecake, covered in a chocolate shell, was rich and delicious. Hands down, some of the best passed party food I've had in a while.

You can see someone doing the YMCA in the background here.

Food For Thought
500 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
P: 312.572.7234
info@fftchicago.com

And with that, I'm off to my 10-year high school reunion in Dallas. Hope to have some BBQ and southern food updates for you upon my return!

*Photos by Javier Ayala

Vegetarian Challenge 2009

My dear friend Chris, consummate meat-eater, preparer, and appreciator, has agreed to participate in The City Vegetable's Vegetarian Challenge '09. For one week, Chris will only eat vegetarian - that means no ribs, no steak and definitely no duck-fat fries! Check back next week for what's sure to be an interesting post by Chris, on his week of vegetable joy. (ps - I'm not doing this to prove a point or anything. It's really just for my entertainment)

Old Timers: For Sure

In Chicago's Loop, a neighborhood full of fancy hotel bars and chain fast food restaurants, Old Timers Bar is refreshingly cheap, divey, and full of a character all its own. Bar stools, booths, and cheap beers are their specialty. Just don't order a dirty martini - this is a whiskey and PBR joint - and I like it that way.


Old Timer's
75 E Lake St
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 332-3561

Being Witty at theWit

My work team was invited to the chi-chi Grand Opening of theWit, the trendy new hotel located at the intersection of State and Lake, that has been making waves with it's fabulous rooftop bar, Roof. The opening night consisted of tours of the various properties within the hotel - the Spa, the two restaurants, State and Lake and Cibo Matto, the Screening room, and of course, Roof. The food was artistic bite-sized portions of some of the dishes available at the hotel's restaurants and the drinks, from cucumber mojitos to vanilla infused vodka cocktails, showed the creativity of the 'tenders manning the property's many bars. Oh, and did I mention, everything was free? Photo recap of one fabulous night below...

One of two avian-inspired chandeliers, hanging in the grand lobby. The super high ceiling really gives the room an air of sophistication and creates a great "wow" moment when you enter the hotel.

We were taken up to the 26th floor to see some sample rooms, and they were are all extremely well-done, trendy and spacious. Here, sir Javier is lounging on one of the rust-colored chaise lounges in the double suite.

This is Screen, a 40-seat mini movie theatre. You can rent it out for everything from corporate presentations to Super Bowl parties. The plush reclining seats were the epitome of comfort, and popcorn and wine (is there a better combination? I don't think so) was served while we saw a short sample movie on the big "Screen".

Now we get to the good stuff. The food started out with a seafood bar.

Crab claws, pre-cracked so all the fabulous party attendees didn't have to put much effort into eating the succulent meat.

Ceviche shooters.

These crudite cups were a favorite of ours. Consisting of asparagus, patty pan squash, baby carrots, and broccoli with a delicious (and I'm sure, fat free!) dressing in the bottom of the cup, this was a creative way to serve veggies and dip.

Caviar!

The presentation was gorgeous - an all ice bar (I felt like I was at that ice hotel in Iceland) with flowing vodka cocktails and all-you-can-eat caviar. Yes, please.

Now, to the dessert bar. Nothing gets me going like mini-desserts! These were pannacotta cups with orange gelee.

And mini lemon meringue pies. Delicious and cute!

Next up, to Roof! Waiting in line for the elevator...I think Javier was doing the robot.

Once again, I can't get over this view.

Fun times, had by all.

Summer people! (with cucumber mojitos)

Cheap Eats: BEANS

I often get teased for my love of beans. That's right bean-haters, I LOVE beans! Healthy, tasty, and filling, the humble legume is one of my go to foods and if you're on a budget, a friendly-on-your-wallet meal. One can refry beans, make them into a dip, hummus or the filling for a taco, create a soup or puree, or even form them into patties for a healthy vegetarian burger. But this City Vegetable usually just sticks to the basics by making a big pot of well seasoned beans from scratch. Sure, I'll use canned beans in a pinch but that's not quite as rewarding (or delicious) as making your own. Gather 'round and I'll tell you my secrets...

Go to your local grocery store - preferably Pete's, and buy one large bag of dried beans. I usually go for black or pinto beans, but by all means, if you see a bag of pigeon peas, go wild! You can usually get 10-12 servings for around $3.00 - a super steal. Now that you've secured a bag of beans for only a few bucks, you can start infusing them with a flavor, all your own.

Mama's Beans
One large bag of dried beans
One large white onion
One large tomato
2-3 cloves of garlic
One stalk of celery
Olive Oil
Chicken or vegetable stock
Cilantro
Cumin, Red Pepper, Salt & Pepper
1 or 2 chipotle chilies, with a few teaspoons of adobo sauce, for an ever so slight smoky flavor (optional but recommended, you can get these canned at most grocery stores)
**secret ingredient***A few splashes of Italian dressing

FOR GARNISH(the more, the better):
One Avocado
Diced pickled jalapenos
Cotija or Chihuahua cheese
Cilantro
Tortilla crisps

1. Rinse and soak the beans overnight in a large pot of lightly salted water. If I forget to do this, I often soak my beans while I'm at work. It just helps them cook faster.
2. Drain beans, add to pot of vegetable (or chicken) stock and bring to a boil.
3. Add diced onion, tomato, celery and garlic. No need to precook - they will cook with the beans. If you're using the chipotle chilies, finely chop these as well and add to the pot.
4. Bring to a rolling boil and cook until the beans are soft. This takes some time.
5. Read a book or watch Access Hollywood.
6. Add your seasonings and continue to taste during the process. Adjust the liquid level depending on your preference. I usually like to leave a little liquid so that the beans are a bit soupy.
7. Add chopped fresh cilantro and a few tablespoons of Italian dressing to the pot.
8. Serve and garnish with any or all of the above listed accoutrements.
9. Ask your bean-hating friends to taste the dish and watch as they love it! Boo-ya!

Dinner Party Disaster

My dear friend Kate (also City Veg contributor and "Voice of Meat" for this blog) recently bought a brand spanking new condo in Humboldt Park, and decided to have a few friends over for a summer dinner party. Well, what started out as fun for all, ended with one broken heirloom, 7 years of bad luck and possibly, a few broken hearts. (OK, I'm exaggerating about the broken hearts...or am I?)

The food itself was great, and Kate, ever the hostess, even did vegetarian because she knew my non-meat ass was joining.

Kate and Walter, enjoying the company.

We started out with this simple and classic salad - mesculan greens, fresh, blanched green beans, and new potatoes with a simple vinagrette. It is easy being green!

Tim really wanted that cheers from Hannah.

The main course was a recipe that Kate got from her brother (culinary goodness must run in their genes). For lack of better words, I'd call this Eggplant Roll-up. It was simply eggplant, sliced thin, stuffed with cheese, rolled up, dipped in batter, pan fried, covered in red sauce & mozzarella cheese and baked until crispy. Phew! Ok so maybe it's not so simple, but hearty vegetarian comfort food at its best. To go along with the meal, Kate also had HOMEMADE BREAD. Yes, it was amazing.

You may be wondering where the disaster came. Towards the end of the meal, somehow (I blame Desi), one of Kate's fancy-pants heirloom bowls got knocked off of the side table and shattered. As the pieces of ceramic were being cleaned up, I decided to shake things up a bit and knocked over Kate's mirror in the bathroom - shattering it into tiny shards of sharp glass. Yes, I am an amazing dinner guest and yes, I am now expecting 7 years of bad luck. But this, my friends, was a small price to pay for a great dinner with great company. See you all in 7 years!

Oops.

Walter was so broken-hearted by how the night unfolded, he hit the bottle.

Abuelo's Opening in Pilsen

New restaurant alert! Right across the street from the Pink Line Stop at Damen (and conveniently located one block from my apartment), Abuelo's is opening at the end of July. It's not like my neighborhoods needs another Mexican food restaurant but I am excited nonetheless. While they were loading in building materials last night, I took a quick sneak peek into the restaurant and saw a very modern space, decorated with National Geographic magazines and various album covers, making me wonder if this isn't going to be your standard taco shop. More to come soon...

The Well-Traveled Palate

I took another trip to the Chicago Downtown Farmstand last week, and found that they were featuring locally made items from Kamdar Plaza on Devon Avenue. I was glad to get to try some items from the uptown Indian grocery store, as a trek from Pilsen to Devon without a car, isn't exactly a quick one. (I do need to try to get there in person soon, as I just accidentally spent an hour on their web site, and I'm sure could kill a few hours in the actual store.)

So while at the Farmstand, I picked out some Chappati, a light Indian flatbread, a container of parsley-heavy tabouleh and a tub of hummus. All I needed for a perfectly light dinner.

When I got home, I was upset to realize that I had no cheese in the fridge. Basically, as a rule, I need cheese in everything I eat so I had to remedy this right away. But the grocery stores next to my apartment only sell Mexican cheeses, so I ran out and picked up a container of Cotija cheese. Crumbly like Parmesan, it's similar in flavor to Feta and adds a nice saltiness to any dish.

So with the Mexican grocery store and Cotija as my inspiration (I was thinking tacos), I put together a hummus and tabouleh flatbread sprinkled with Cotija. A little Mexican, a little Indian, and a little Middle-Eastern - it was a multicultural meal to please the most well-traveled of palates!