Ay Ay Picante – Discovering Peruvian Cuisine in Albany Park

If I found out my ancestors are from the Andes I would not be shocked based on my lifelong love of anything with chilies, corn, avocados, tomatoes, and potatoes. Ay Ay Picante is an exciting mix of traditional Andean, with a splash of influence from Spanish and Japanese immigrants that have made Peru their home. […]

Coming Home to the Mission and Delfina – San Francisco, CA

I wrote about my celebration weekend in San Francisco earlier this month and wanted to follow-up with my trip to Delfina. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for Delfina. I’ve been on dates there, had heart-to-hearts with friends, and celebrated many occasions. Each time it has always felt like I was coming […]

Tom Yum Goong Soup Straight from Thailand

I’ve been sick for the past 10 days so soup has been on my mind. Well, soup and tropical beaches since it’s February in Chicago. This is what I dream of: It’s no surprise that my mind drifted to my honeymoon in Thailand and the wonderful cooking lesson I took with the head chef of […]

Cozy Winter Night @ Girl and the Goat & The Aviary

It’s been a couple of years since I have been to Girl and the Goat, Stephanie Izard‘s wildly successful restaurant. Having great memories I was excited to go back. I usually don’t have the patience to get reservations at places like The Aviary but I was lucky my friend Dana did so off we were […]

I Left My ♥ in San Francisco

I called San Francisco my home for almost nine years and miss it to this day. I have not been back since 2010 but I had the chance last weekend with some friends for a friend’s weekend/SF reunion/bachelorette party. It was impossible to get in everything I wanted to in less than 72 hours but […]

What To Eat/Drink/Do/Make on Valentine’s Day/Fat Tuesday

Whether you are a fan of Valentine’s Day or not it is a good excuse to get out and eat some good food and enjoy some good company. Or stay in and invite a date or friends over and share some food and drink. In fact, none of this requires a holiday to do but […]

Fresh Ideas for Super Bowl Sunday Eats

There are a million recipes out there for the Super Bowl so I wanted to save you some time and pass on some delicious and interesting recipes that will make you the perfect guest or host. If the Super Bowl is not for you these recipes will still work for any potluck party this winter. […]

Chicago Restaurant Week Starts Feb 1st!

It’s that time again; Chicago Restaurant Week kicks off on February 1st and will run through February 10th. You don’t have to join anything just-show up, however, reservations are strongly recommended, as this is a very popular week. The prix fixe menus start at $22 for lunch and $33/$44 for dinner. Here is a handy […]

Hold That Mini-Burger: Restaurants Forecast Food For 2013 : The Salt : NPR

Food trends are like fashion trends to me, some are good, some are bad and some are just ridiculous. Out this year: Bacon-flavored chocolate Gazpacho Sliders Got that? According to the National Restaurant Association, sourcing and sustainability will be what consumers are going to look for and value in 2013. This of course would fall […]

Chocolate and Peppermint Candy Ice Cream Sandwiches

This is my first time making ice cream sandwiches and I’m happy to report this is an easy and delicious recipe that is perfect for the winter/holidays. Don’t let “homemade” scare you off, there are only four ingredients: 1 pint premium vanilla ice cream, 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract, 1 cup finely crushed peppermint hard candies, […]