April 12, 2009
Cookbook: A Homemade Life, Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table, by Molly Wizenberg
Not every cookbook has more to read than recipes and pantry stocking ideas. So in a way this reminded me of Nigel Slater's Kitchen Dairies (love that book!) which also, in a different way, gives you context around the recipes. In this book, however, the context for each recipe is a memory.
It's a eulogy to her father, a memoir of her childhood, a record of courtship with her now husband, and a engaging testament to the importance certain meals can take one due to the events surrounding them.
Great quote (I'm sure you'll know why I like it):
I soon learned that Sam consumes books the way most of us consume food, which, though I do prefer to eat, is a quality I much admire.
A discussed, but not present recipe I hope is on her web site somewhere: the chocolate "rad" (cookie).
Recipes I have dog-eared to potentially try first: Bouchons au Thon, Rum Cream Pie with Graham Cracker Crust, Chana Masala, Custard-Filled Corn Bread, Pistachio Cake with Honeyed Apricots.
Place I need to go in Paris: L'As due Fallafel, "purveyor of some of the finest fried chickpea balls this side of Israel."
Posted by Duff at 01:07 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Books, Food, Readin'
December 07, 2008
Last Meal on Earth.
So KC and I took a cooking class once where they made everyone say what their last meal would be (or desert island meal, either way). EVERY person in the class, sans moi, said "Steak". Seriously? Steak?
COME ON!
1. Chocolate Cake. (preferably using my grandma's chocolate sheet cake recipe, but I'm open to others.) And if there were no chocolate cake left in this world...
2. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. And if there were no...
3. Pam's Sweet Potato Casserole (there's brown sugar and pecans and all kinds of goodness. It's out of this world.)
4. Pizza. Pepperoni preferably. Sausage and green pepperolives (wow, that was SOME typo) alternately.
5. Then, I guess, MAYBE, steak. Although I'd probably prefer a big juicy bacon cheeseburger with avocado or fried egg, depending on my mood.
Posted by Duff at 12:29 PM | E-Mail | Comments (3) | Permalink | filed under Food, Lists
October 01, 2008
Oh, the torture.
1) Au Bon Pain has suddenly, and without any type of notification (such as certified letter to me), stopped carrying Nantucket Nectars Half & Half, my most beloved bottled drink (half Ice Tea/half Lemonade, what some would call an "Arnold Palmer").
Problem the first: This is the only reason I even went to ABP today.
Problem the second: This drink is almost impossible to find in Chicago. (Even in NYC, I used to make special trips to Penn Station as there was a very reliable vendor of it there.)
Dear ABP,
You've just been banned from my lunchtime rotation for at least a month. So there.
Sincerely,
My entire life is falling apart, and NOW THIS?
Are you kidding me,
Duff
2) I for some unknown and clearly completely ridiculous reason ordered brown rice in my otherwise deliciously dependable Mayan Chicken Harvest Rice Bowl.
Problem the first: This brown rice thing? Has a shall we call it very distinctive....flavor? We are not fans.
Dear White Rice,
I am missing the shit out of you right now.
Sincerely,
The big loserly lover of blandness in her food,
Duff
Posted by Duff at 12:41 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Food, Letters
August 21, 2008
Finally.
I think this is the best (baking) cookbook review I've ever read.
I'm so OVER stupid people going on and on about how hard things are. Or patronizing, say for random example, SHITTY bakeries that sell SHITTY TASTING BLAND AND STUPID cupcakes* and oohing and aahing over them because good lord cupcakes are just sooooo hard to make FROM SCRATCH.
People are idiots. I'm so over them. Baking is a stress reliever. Just ask Maida Heatter.
*If you've ever walked to my apartment, I THINK YOU KNOW THE SOURCE OF THIS FRUSTRATION.
Posted by Duff at 12:22 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Books, Food
July 09, 2008
Chicago's Famous Tamale Guy!!
Check it out, yo. (link via DJ BIll)
I myself have run into him numerous times* at Ten Cat and I will tell you those tamales are Damn.Good.
*Once when Gotvald was in town and had started drinking at noon with no food (he was wasted by the time I saw him) and even though we had tapas at Cafe Iberico early in the evening, by the time we wound up at the pool tables at Ten Cat, he was in serious need of those tamales. Yum.
Posted by Duff at 02:34 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Food
July 03, 2008
580-Calorie Breakfast.
McDonald's Southern Chicken on a Biscuit (like you've died and gone to Heaven): 410 calories.
12-oz. can of Mt. Dew: 170 calories.
Yum. Yum. Motherfucking yum.
Posted by Duff at 10:42 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Food
April 03, 2008
New Sbux Snack:
Petite French Vanilla Scones. SO YUMMY!
Posted by Duff at 01:23 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Food
July 20, 2007
Latest (Food) Addiction
The Loaded (LOADED!) Baked Potato Soup from Corner Bakery. It's pretty hefty calorie-wise, as far as soups go with 420 (!!) for a small and 650 (!!!!!!) for a large. [I mean, your typical soup from Au Bon Pain is generally only 200-300 calories tops in the small size, and often only that in the large size.] It's got cheese and green onions (or chives?) piled on top and it's full of chunks and skins and is soooo hearty and good. I've had it three days running and I know my weekend will be bereft without it.
Posted by Duff at 12:32 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Food
June 22, 2007
Best Late-Night Burrito EVER.
On Ashland, just south of Division (less than a block), there are THREE places called La Pasadita. Apparently they are owned by three different brothers. They all have a very similar dive-y look.
You want the side of the street with two (the west side) and you want to go to the one that's further south, and you want to order the steak burrito (and then if you're me you want to have someone with you to split it with because it is GINORMOUS and you've already had way too many calories of beer before you got there anyway) and then you are ready to die and go to heaven because you've just had the best burrito of your life.
p.s. this was the second time this burrito has blown my mind. I had to make sure the first time wasn't just a drunken fantasy before I recommended it. oh my buddha, it was even better the second time.
Posted by Duff at 12:21 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Food, Recommending, Remember
March 06, 2007
Who's going to Tulsa with me?
And how hard are you laughing that I am actually pricing flights there just to go to a fish restaurant?
White River Fish Market, 1708 North Sheridan Road, Tulsa, OK 918-835-1910
Recommended with a full page article in the March issue of Gourmet. It sounds A LOT like a great brisket place Ginger once took me to on the outskirts of San Antonio somewhere (I should find this out, no? Doh!). And by "great', I mean, the most amazing meal I've ever had included creamed corn made with REAL CREAM.
Obviously this place may not have creamed corn, but apparently they have fried onion rings, gumbo, cornmeal hush puppies, and buttermilk pie (hello!). You walk in, pick your fish, and say "fried, broiled or grilled." And that's it.
Sounds delish!!
Posted by Duff at 07:48 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Food, Remember
February 25, 2007
The Best Chinese Food I Personally Have Found in Chicago.
Lao Sze Chuan in Chinatown.
Kite in Lakeview.
And Joy Yee's in either Chinatown or Evanston (which is usually where I get it) or Naperville, where I used to get it before Monica and Charlie moved away and left me all alone!!!
Posted by Duff at 12:05 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Food, Lists, Remember
October 11, 2006
Melbourne Dining Recommendation
Sel de la Terre. 74 Tookrak Road, South Yarra.
Expensive but very delicious French food, even to a native Frenchman (Christophe, no less! A man of high-class tastes).
Posted by Duff at 01:52 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Food, Remember
Chicago Dining Recommendation.
De Cero. 814 W. Randolph.
Their taco list is awe inspiring and oh so yummy.
Posted by Duff at 01:51 PM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Food, Remember
August 25, 2006
NYC Dining Recommendation.
Nan and Lear and Grace and I once had a fabulous meal at this tiny little place:
Itzocan. 438 East 9th street. Between First and A
Very good guacamole.
Posted by Duff at 08:19 AM | E-Mail | Comments (0) | Permalink | filed under Food, Remember
