Vicissitude.

First, I'd like to apologize to my theoretical audience for my momentary hiatus. Quite a bit has happened in the past few months and I haven't had the time or equipment to post!

I'm not going to get into the nitty gritty of things, but I will say that along with a new apartment, roommates, and a few kitties, I also have a new kitchen, and I love it! It is a more open space than my previous kitchen, but I did lose a little bit of countertop. I'm sure I will deal. On top of having a new kitchen, I also inherited a new neighborhood - Noble Square. After 6 years in Logan Square I am finally getting a change of scenery.

While I will miss living close to the Dill Pickle Co-Op, I now live within walking distance of the Green Grocer. I stopped by on the way home from work today and picked up a ton of organic produce - eggplant, shallots, tomatoes, basil, portabellas, a cute little hungarian sweet pepper, and a bottle of my favorite wine! I intended to purchase fresh pasta from Pasta Puttana, but they are closed on Tuesdays and Green Grocer was out of stock. The lovely woman working the counter at GG even went out of her way to text the lady from Pasta Puttana to see if she would run some to the store for me, but she must've been busy (I'm sure she has much more important things to do than run over one package of her pasta to the store, haha).

So this is what I came up with:

Pappardelle With Vegetables And leftover Roasted Chicken.

This is a very simple and lovely thing to throw together. I used my leftover roasted chicken in this but it would be delightful without it, or with a substitution such as italian sausage or pancetta.

Ingredients:
8.5 oz of Pappardelle noodles
1 small eggplant, chopped into 1/2" pieces. To prep eggplant you should sprinkle it with coarse salt and set it aside while you chop the other vegetables. This drains out a brown liquid and takes away some of the bitterness. This is a very simple step and it is totally worth it.
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 hungarian sweet pepper (or red pepper, or other sweet pepper)
2 medium portabella mushrooms
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup of dry (at least semi-dry) white wine
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste, olive oil
fresh basil and pecorino romano for garnish

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large sautee pan. Add in shallots, and cook until slightly translucent. Add in a few tbsp of the wine and scrape any browned bits. Boil water for the pasta.
2. Add in another tbsp of olive oil, and then add eggplant. Cook eggplant until it starts to soften up a bit. 3. Add mushrooms and peppers. Cook until mushrooms soften. Might be a good time to add some salt and freshly ground pepper.
4.  Add in garlic and tomatoes and chicken (I used shredded roasted lemon tarragon chicken I made the night before) and combine everything. Once combined, add in the rest of the wine. Let this mixture simmer together while the pasta is cooking (according to directions on package).
5. Melt the butter into vegetable mixture and stir well.
6. Serve with lots of fresh basil and ground pecorino romano cheese! Eat! Enjoy!

Xoxoxoxoxo.

Rick Bayless is a genius.

I don't have a story to tell about this, I just want you to know that making this dish is not a choice, it is a requirement... 

BEST CHICKEN RECIPE EVER, stolen from Rick Bayless. I adapted it from the recipe posted on this site: http://www.chefs.com/RecipeDetails.aspx?RecipeID=17592

Ingredients:

• 1 dried ancho chile, rehydrated
• 1 tsp. dried oregano, preferably Mexican
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, preferably Mexican canela
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped or crushed through a garlic press
• 3 Tbsps. apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tsp. salt, plus a little more for the onions
• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions: 

Add all ingredients except for chicken to a food processor. Blend until smooth. Pour over chicken and marinate at least 30 minutes, preferably for an hour or two.

Throw it on a charcoal grill. Serve with grilled vegetables, salsa, and tortillas. It is best to cook it with the indirect method so that it stays super juicy.

Eat it. Smile. Love it. Hide some in the fridge so that you can have leftovers.

LOVE,

Karlye.

Mussels Mariniere

In fifth grade our teachers decided to set up a nifty little science lab for us.

Dissecting mussels.

Bad idea.

Or rather, bad timing. This was one of our final science projects of the year, which meant that we were in the heat of early summer.

Our school didn't believe in air conditioning. And mussels stink. Especially mussels in heat.The smell didn't leave for about a week, and it grew worse day by day.

That being said, you should all be very, very proud of me for attempting to make mussels at my apartment today, with no air conditioning, in early summer.

I am now obsessed with mussels. It all started last Monday when a friend and I went to have a cocktail and apps at a wonderful restaurant named Elate (http://www.elatechicago.com/). Appetizers were 1/2 off since it was Memorial day, so we got a delicious pizza and P.E.I. MUSSELS. Their menu describes them as this: P.E.I. Mussels - green garlic / verjus / smoked black grapes. I don't care if you live across the country, you need to make your way over to Elate to try this dish alone. While you're there, do yourself a favor and grab a few cocktails, the elate burger, and some charcuterie.

I made a more traditional version of steamed mussels in broth today, but it is both simple and outstanding. With mussels usually priced around $5/lb. or less, this is one recipe where you truly get your bang for the buck.

Without further ado:


Mussels Marinere

• 2 lbs fresh mussels, make sure they are tightly closed. Ours were already prepared, but here is a guide to cleaning and debearding them if necessary: How to clean/debeard mussels via thekitchen.com
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 large shallots, finely chopped
• 2 garlic scapes, finely chopped (If you don't have garlic scapes, green onions or chives would be a nice touch.)
• 2 cups white wine (I used chardonnay because that's what I had at home)
• 4-6 tbsp butter

1. Rinse mussels in cold water for a few minutes.

2. In a wide pan that has a tight fitting lid, melt butter over medium heat. Add in garlic, shallots, and scapes, and sautee for a minute or two until aromatic. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
3. Add in white wine, let come to a boil, and then simmer for about 6-8 minutes.
4. Add in mussels, give them a quick stir in broth, then close lid. Simmer over medium / medium-low heat for 8 minutes, or until all shells have opened.
5. Stir well. Using a slotted spoon, scoop all mussels into a large bowl.
6. Pour broth over mussels and serve.

I served this with chive compound butter, and a baguette from the french bakery at the farmers market!

Enjoy!

Love, Karlye.

Chicken Curry Soup

One May afternoon, two thousand eleven, we were blessed with a day that was only moderately freezing. I believe it was somewhere between 45 degrees and 55 degrees fahrenheit. On this unseasonably warm day I decided to make this chicken curry soup.


This ended up being a great way to enjoy a typical day in the delightful month of May. After this I probably went out to run errands wearing a parka and snow boots. 


Don't worry, our 8 month winter has officially ended as it is now June 5th. Expect its return on September 1st.


Anyways, here is the recipe:

Serves 4

1lb chicken pieces, I shredded a store bought rotisserie chicken to save time.
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 zucchinis, sliced in half lengthwise and into 1/4' slices
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp crushed ginger
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp each nutmeg and cloves
1 bay leaf
1 tsp crushed chillies / 1 red chilli, finely chopped (optional)
1 tsp sugar
1.5l chicken stock
3 tbsp cream
salt & pepper to taste

**I also ended up adding some additional curry powder to this and allowed it to cook for an additional 30min-1hr so the flavors had more time to come together. Tweak it until it works**

1. In a large pot, fry the onion, carrots and celery in a bit of oil until soft and translucent.
2. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for another minute before adding the tomatoes and spices. Allow to cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the sugar and stir into the spicy mixture.
4. Add the shredded chicken and stir to coat the chicken in all the spices and vegetables.
5. Carefully pour in the stock and allow the soup to come up to a simmer. Simmer gently for 10 minutes until the vegetables are cooked and the soup looks rich and fragrant.
6. Add the cream and season to taste.

Hope you love it as much as I did! It only gets better as the days pass.

A lemon and blueberry mess!

Sometimes things just don't turn out the way you want them to.

You have dreamy ingredients.

You have a recipe from a trusted, tried, and truly classic cookbook.

You don't take any shortcuts or make any substitutions.

It may even turn out pretty, but it's what's on the inside that counts, after all.

Regardless of all of these things, you end up with a hot mess in the kitchen.

I can't bear to show you pictures of what this looked like once I cut into it. It was a tasty and soupy blob of lemony-blueberry goodness, but it certainly wasn't easy on the eyes.

You know what's funny? I was worried about the meringue! I had never made meringue before (shame on me, it is so easy and wonderful!), and I was actually concerned it wouldn't turn out. The last thing that crossed my mind was that the filling wouldn't set up. It ended up runnier than pudding!

I'm not going to blame the recipe, because it was from the beloved Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book.


You can buy a used one here for a dollar or two if you'd like: http://amzn.com/069621881X


Instead, I'll take the blame on this one. I probably missed a step, or undercooked, or over something-d. I'm not going to share this recipe on the blog, but let me know if you'd like to take a whack at it and I'll email it to you.

Has anybody else had this experience making this type of pie?

XOXO.

Brunch Party!

On Sunday I had a small brunch party at my apartment. My friend and I woke up early to make a Whole Foods run and managed to sneak in a mimosa while we were there (shhh! don't tell!). Having a full bar at the front of a grocery store is the most brilliant marketing scheme ever! See, you get a beer/glass of wine/mimosa on your way in. Once you make it past the produce section and into the more expensive items (for me it's usually around the bath/beauty section) it starts kicking in. You find reasons to purchase items you never thought you'd have a use for, you start getting really,  I mean, REALLY adventurous with your groceries. Like "I'm totally going to go home and make a Russian-Mexican-Japanese fusion dish using this chorizo, sauerkraut, and wakame that I'm buying".  Then you realize that your little double decker cart isn't really big enough for all of these items, so you decide to head back up to the front to trade up to a bigger cart. Oh, and my gosh, you're almost done with your drink at that point, so you might as well grab one more while you're up there... Next thing you know you've accumulated 7 different varieties of goat cheese and you're standing helplessly in front of the gelato counter. Brilliant.

Speaking of cheese, this stuff is HEAVEN! It's called Barely Buzzed and it comes from the Beehive Cheese Co. out of Utah. The rind is rubbed with espresso and french lavender.

You can find it here: Barely Buzzed Cheese








We cooked together for several hours and came up with a chard/mushroom/goat cheese quiche, chipotle and brown sugar roasted butternut squash, a shaved brussel sprout and bacon salad, and a TON of leftover bacon.

The pictures we snapped of the quiche or squash didn't turn out that well, but that picture has a little bit of everything in it.

 In my opinion, the tastiest of all of them was the chipotle and brown sugar roasted butternut squash. It was simple, spicy, and sweet, and those are three of my favorite things! I urge you to make this, you will not regret it.

Chipotle and Brown Sugar Roasted Squash
You need:
1 butternut squash, peeled and seeded, cut into 1/2-1" cubes
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chipotle powder
2-4 tbsp brown sugar, depending on how sweet you want it to be
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Note: I usually just eyeball these ingredients because I make roasted vegetables frequently and know what I like and dislike. If this sounds too spicy, too sweet, etc, then adjust the quantities!



1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Place chopped squash into a large mixing bowl (choose one that has a lid)
3. Add all ingredients to bowl
4. Cover bowl and shake it all up until the squash is evenly coated
5. Place a sheet of parchment/waxed paper/aluminum foil on a cookie sheet or roasting pan and pop them in the oven. My oven is posessed and unpredictable, but I'd say these typically take between 20-40 minutes. Just check them at 20 minutes and increase cooking time in 5-10 minute increments from there, depending on doneness.
6. Remove from oven and enjoy!


The shaved brussels sprout salad was delightful as well. I know that many of you probably turn your nose up at the mention of a brussels sprout, but this dish may change your mind!

 
















Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad With Bacon
You will need:
about a pound of brussels sprouts, shaved with a mandoline or finely sliced
about 3 strips of bacon, chopped, more if you'd like but I felt this was a good balance
2 medium sized shallots, chopped
a dash or two of sherry vinegar or rice vinegar
salt and pepper


1. Cook bacon
2. Add in shallots, cooking for about 3 minutes
3. Add in shaved brussels sprouts, season with salt and pepper. Saute over medium heat for 3-5 minutes
4. Add the sherry or rice vinegar and let it all cook for another minute or two.

ENJOY!

My friend Kerri also made a very delicious homemade bloody mary mix! They were so fantastic that I think we will have to spend an entire afternoon experimenting with different versions in a week or two. Brunch party part deaux???? I think yes.

(Mr. Boyfriend just peeked over my shoulder and mumbled "You know that brunch was only invented to give girls an excuse to get drunk on Sundays, right?")

A Little Bite of Summer

I think it's safe to say that annually, around the beginning of March, Chicagoans start getting anxious. Everybody has had it up to HERE with the weather. We get sick of people claiming parking spots with lawn furniture, skyscraper icicle injuries, and the generally bone chilling wind and temperatures. We occasionally are blessed with a day over 42.37645564 degrees and triumphantly toss aside our scarves for more favorable items of clothing. It is always swiftly taken away from us with a vengeance when another 8 inches of snow is dumped upon our already impassible side streets. This is when everybody begins daydreaming about summer.

Speaking of summer...

On a Beautiful day last June, two of my favorite people in the world were wed. It was a gorgeous DIY wedding straight out of any modern couple's dreams. The venue, Salvage One, provided the picturesque setting for what turned out to be a perfect day. From the morning-of pampering in their enormous vintage ladies dressing room to the sunny outdoor ceremony, every moment shared was cinematic (to say the least). The evening was capped off by lots of dancing, champagne, and delicious food. I assure you that anybody in attendance, especially the wedding party, will never forget this lovely day.




Memories from that day will never escape me. This is, however, a blog about food, so I should keep on track and talk about my favorite dish from that evening. There was a dish composed of papaya, avocado, and shrimp that I have been craving ever since. The bride informed me that she actually came up with the recipe and gave it to the caterers herself (this shows the extent of how involved she was in the DIY process!).  It was basically larger pieces of papaya, avocado and succulent shrimp dressed with a chili lime vinaigrette. Simple and delicious.



Because this was one of those bitter and anxious Chicago days, I decided it was a perfect time to recreate this lovely dish.

 
















Summer Papaya, Shrimp, and Avocado Salad
Serves 4 as an entree
Prep time: 5-10 minutes depending on how deft you are with a knife
Cook time: 0 minutes!!! No cooking involved!

Ingredients:
1 medium papaya, peeled and seeded, cut into 1" chunks
3-4 avocados, peeled and cut into 1" chunks
1 lb. bag of pre-cooked, frozen shrimp (at least 51-60 count per lb.. defrosted and de-tailed
Thinly sliced white ends of 3 green onions
Juice of 5-6 limes
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp agave nectar (honey will do just fine if you don't have agave!)
1/2 tsp cayenne (or more if you like it hot!)
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp red wine vinegar (this is kind of optional)
salt and pepper to taste


1. Put chunks of papaya and avocado in a bowl and add the shrimp.

2. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a separate, smaller dish to make vinaigrette.

3. Pour vinaigrette over papaya/avocado/shrimp mixture. Add in green onions and gently toss.

Enjoy, preferably within an hour or two. We all know that avocados are not half as appealing once they've browned.

Is anybody else currently reminiscing about your favorite summer dishes?