Food Blog

Check out this gallery of the Tribune’s food photography.
Speaking of galleries, Gapers Block has one about the closing of the Hyde Park Co-Op Market (see link at the end of the article).
LTHForum also has a gallery of the last days of the Co-Op entitled: Groceries That People Won’t Buy Even at 40% Off

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I’m way behind around here. For now I’ll just put up some pictures of stuff I’ve cooked/eaten in the past couple of months.

Asian Pear Crepes, with ricotta. The Asian pear was lightly carmelized in butter, sugar and real vanilla bean.

Black Forest Ham, with raisin sauce. I wish I had noted how I made the raisin […]

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I spent the week on Lake George, in the Adirondacks, so I got the chance to sample some local stuff. I always enjoy the beers from Saranac, including their aggressively hopped Pale Ale, and malty Adirondack Amber.

Another excellent local brew I found was Vermont’s Long Trail Blackbeary Wheat. This light wheat beer is one of […]

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Found in my comments was sweatnspice.com, one of many hot sauce web vendors. Normally I ignore requests for ‘reciprocal links’, (I don’t sell anything so reciprocal links have no value to me) but these guys are selling this million scoville unit pepper extract! and it’s not even their hottest product! This stuff is weapons grade.
For […]

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This post is out of order, it tells the story of shopping I did before the Pork Tenderloin with Burghul meal.
I stopped in at Lincolnwood Produce (Lincoln and Touhy in Lincolnwood) on the way home last week and picked up some stuff for a Veggie Millet pie. The store is a supermarket-sized independent grocery, full […]

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Sahr, from the Cotton Tree asked a good question in my comments - What should a novice chef have in their pantry?
The simple answer is - the ingredients you need to make the base of the type of food you like. Tomato paste if you like Italian, coconut milk if you like Thai etc. However […]

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I got some Raz El Hanout spice for Christams (thanks Mom!) and used it on some chicken the other night. It’s a Morrocan mix of ginger, anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, peppercorns, and cloves. Like curry, the mix can vary, but my brand is heavy on the cinnamon and ginger. I took 4 lbs. of chicken thighs […]

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I almost never cook breakfast, but sometimes, on the weekend I’ll be hungry enough. Last Sunday’s included a sheep’s cheese omelette, some hungarian bacon, some pan-fried tomatoes, okra, mushrooms and a croissant. I had some hot sauce I had made the night before for something else made with sauteed tomatillos, tomatoes, mushrooms, a little […]

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The Nobody’s Fool Eating Journal has a short post on ajvar, one of those little know food items that should be in everybody’s frig.
I thought I’d share with you my favorite ajvar. Ajvar for those of you who don”t kinow is an eggplant and red pepper spread. Adjika is the same sort of thing […]

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Tonight, at my local pub, I heard one of the other locals talking about making a run. Several other locals feigned either interest or disgust. I side stepped next to him and asked how much I could get. He gave me several choices of quantity and potency. I agreed to his terms and we shoke […]

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