Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love crunchy,crisp cookies. I made some today with this recipe. The key was flattening the cookie dough mounds with my palm.
Also, i used aluminum foil instead of parchment or wax paper.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Chip-Cookies-108703

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (16 ounces)

Preparation

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or wax paper.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.

Beat together butter and sugars in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Lightly beat 1 egg with a fork in a small bowl and add 1 3/4 tablespoons of it plus 2 remaining whole eggs to butter mixture, beating with mixer until creamy, about 1 minute. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and mix in flour mixture until just blended, then stir in chips.

Scoop 1/4 cup batter for each cookie, arranging mounds 3 inches apart, on 2 baking sheets. Flatten mounds into 3-inch rounds using moistened palm of your hand. Form remaining cookies on additional sheets of parchment.

Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool and continue making cookies in same manner using cooled baking sheets.

Violet Hour -"One of the best bars in the world"

Quite literally, the bar was named one of the best bars in the world by Conde Naste and Esquire magazines, and we went last night. It was fun! I had the:
Hush & Wonder: Matusalem, Créme de Violette, Lime, Grapefruit Bitters

Jason had some fancy whiskey. (I dont know why my font suddenly went to italics, but we'll keep it)


Mmmmmmmm. Doesnt that sound good? It was. We also shared the goat cheese and duck wontons with rhubarb dipping sauce.
Check out their cocktail menu. It's pretty adventurous. I almost had the drink with Cruzan Rum Black Strap, just for supporting Cruzan Rum sake, but I'll save for next time...
http://theviolethour.com/menu.php

Montrose Harbour

I worked at Montrose Harbour today. I was taking photos of a fish floating when I caught a bird catching it. :)

Cornish Hens Again

I combined a few recipes the other day to make these yummy cornish hens. I added apples and asparagus to mine. I found this recipe and worked from this:
http://www.lifesambrosia.com/2009/02/roasted-cornish-game-hen-recipe.html

• 2 cornish game hens
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/8 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon butter, cut into 1/4 inch squares
• salt and pepper
• 1 apple
• 6 stalks of asparagus
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Rinse the game hens, remove the giblets if present. Season the cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff with apple slices and garlic
   
3. Place the game hens in a baking dish large enough to hold both of them. Lay the sliced onions around the game hens, sprinkle with granulated garlic, pepper and kosher salt (Note: Go easy on the salt since you will be using soy sauce). Sprinkle butter cubes around the hens. Pour soy sauce over. Place asparagus spears next to hens. Cover hens with foil and bake for 50 minutes.
   
4. Remove foil and cook 30 more minutes or until the hen is golden brown. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.
5. Cut game hens in half. Spoon sauce over the top.

Scallops/Raisons/Cauliflower

I made this recipe the other day. I took photos and I think they got deleted. Anyhow: easy and good.

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/seared-scallops-with-cauliflower-capers-and-raisins

Roasted Pork with Sticky Tamarind Mango Glaze

I was browsing the Food & Wine website the other day and HAD to try this recipe. It came out a little spicy(I might avoid the red pepper flakes next time), but overall flavor was really good! I found Tamarind balls in the market next door. The one time that place comes through for me! Jason told me i am making this again.
I served it with cous cous and plantain.
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/roasted-pork-with-sticky-mango-glaze

1. 
   

   1. 1/2 large mango, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks (1 cup)
   2. 2 tablespoons sugar
   3. 1 1/2 teaspoons tamarind paste
   4. 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
   5. 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
   6. 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
   7. 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
   8. 1 garlic clove, minced
   9. Salt and freshly ground pepper
   10. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
   11. One 4-pound pork loin roast, tied
   12. 1/2 cup dry white wine
   13. 3/4 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
   1. Preheat the oven to 300°. In a blender, combine the mango chunks with the sugar, tamarind paste, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and crushed red pepper and puree until smooth.
   2. In a small saucepan, heat the vegetable oil until shimmering. Add the garlic and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the mango puree, season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
   3. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Season the pork roast with salt and pepper. Add the roast to the skillet and cook over high heat, turning occasionally with tongs, until browned all over, about 7 minutes.
   4. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the pork for about 45 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 130°. Brush the mango glaze all over the roast, turning to coat it evenly. Continue to roast the pork until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 135°, about 5 minutes longer.
   5. Light the broiler. Brush some of the mango glaze and pan drippings over the pork and broil 8 inches from the heat for 5 minutes or until the glaze is slightly sticky and golden. Transfer the roast to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes.
   6. Meanwhile, pour off the fat from the skillet and set the skillet over moderately high heat. Add the wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits. Transfer to a small saucepan and simmer the jus until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes longer. Season the jus with salt and pepper.
   7. Discard the strings from the roast and slice 1/3 inch thick. Serve with the jus.

Margarita Pizza

We made pizza last night! My half is the one without meat or onion. I bought a pre-made Boboli pizza dough. We dont own a pizza stone(but now I want one) so we used a cookie sheet instead. Turned out better than most pizza we get delivered!
I found this on the Food & Wine website:http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/perfect-pizza-margherita

TOPPINGS

1. One 14-ounce can peeled whole San Marzano tomatoes, drained
2. 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
3. 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4. Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper
5. 2 pounds buffalo mozzarella, thinly sliced
6. 32 large basil leaves, torn into pieces

1. PREPARE THE TOPPINGS: Preheat the oven to 500°, allowing at least 45 minutes for the stone to heat. Pass the tomatoes through a food mill set over a medium bowl or pulse them in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Stir in the oregano and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
2. Spread 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce over the dough to within 1 inch of the edge. Spread one-fourth of the cheese over the pizza and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with sea salt and pepper and slide the pizza onto the stone. Bake until the bottom is charred and the cheese is melted, about 8 minutes. Scatter one-fourth of the basil on top and let stand for 3 minutes before serving. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings.

It has been a busy week.

I'm really tired. I started off the week with a cold, causing me not to work Monday,Tuesday, and Wednesday. Tuesday I had an interview at a High School in Englewood. Thought it went well...we'll see. Wednesday night I attended the opening of the Modern Wing at the Art Institute. That was lively and I felt proud of Jason for accomplishing all of it. (Hes been working hard on this project!) Thursday I had a fairly pleasant day subbing, and Thursday night I attended my first practice for the softball team Jason and I are on. (Ive been a wimp about the cold so havn't gone to any practices yet). Friday I subbed for a Music and Movement teacher so hopped, twisted, and clapped for 7 hours with about 200 Pre K-2nd graders. And now it is Saturday at 2:30, and I have already finished a 7 hour shift for the Environment job, meaning I was up at 5am to catch the bus.
Heres some Modern Wing photos. The husband installed all the artwork shown. :)

Squash Soup and Eggplant Caponata

The squash soup recipe is from Art Smiths' Back to the Table. The Eggplant Caponata came from Food & Wines website, http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/eggplant-caponata.

I've had a cold the last few days so wanted a hot soup. I hadn't scoured some cookbooks in a while, so I did that the other day, marking recipes I wanted to try. I wanted a cold and mild side dish in case the soup was too spicy. I thought the Caponata was a little too sweet. Next time I might leave the sugar out, but otherwise it went nicely with the rest of the meal. The soup was very good, but I didnt think the pumpkin seeds did much for it.

Snake bracelet

I saw this amazing Snake bracelet at BCBG last week. I had time to kill so was wandering through stores I cant afford. It was only $75, but that's a lot of money right now. I've been looking for another version to put on my wish list, and of course only found a Robert Cavalli version.

Adorable Tea Pot

I have no need for this, but I think it's really cute.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24583522&ref=sr_list_2&&ga_search_query=peacock+&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

Perfect dress

I saw this dress on Etsy.com this weekend, and i want it so bad! It's a little pricey for me now, but it's on my wish list.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22890054

I like this one too

http://zulema.deviantart.com/art/Balancing-Act-99729151

Isnt this a nice photo?

It's not mine.
You can buy it here:http://tiaramia.deviantart.com/art/sunset-balloons-92971057

Our 1 year anniversary is in about a month

English peas pureed into a fun design, with prosciutto powder and radishes, at Avenues.

Les Nomades, tucked away into an old Chicago mansion.

Smith and Wollensky, lit up on the river.
Otom's "Bacon and Egg Cocktail"


So, I emailed Jason a list of restaurants I really want to go to, with the option that if he has a better place or idea, then by all means to go with that. I love surprises. But I've also always wanted to try out these restaurants.
Avenues, Otom, Les Nomades, and Smith and Wollensky(not as foodie as the 1st 3, but it's a chicago favorite on the river...i always thought it looked pretty swanky.)
Anyone been to any great chicago restaurants lately?

http://www.peninsula.com/Chicago/en/Dining/default.aspx

http://www.otomrestaurant.com/

http://www.lesnomades.net/lesnomades2/menu.htm

http://www.smithandwollenskysteakhouses.com/locations/chicago_steakhouse.htm