Back from the dead….

Just in time for Halloween (my personal favorite holiday) I have taken a moment to reacquaint myself with my blog.  My absence is shameful.  My apologies for being lax.

Sadly, I can’t say I’ve eaten anything faboo recently to share.

Went to the wine tasting on the 18th to benefit Mills Breast Cancer Institute at Lincoln Square.  Good stuff.  Went with some friends, had a laugh or two and thankfully spent very little since the Lucky & Charmed cellar overfloweth.  I know there are plenty of you out there that will help me take care of that little problem.  If I ever get furniture to fill this barn, I’ll call.  Promise.

Last night went to Crane Alley after buying furniture. Had lackluster tempura vegetables (more like battered in the same thing the fish are) and decent beer.  It’s the ever-changing beer selection that keeps me coming there - that and the occasional “wow” special.  Had a frank discussion regarding religion with Charmed.  That NEVER happens.  That made up for the soggy veggies right there.

Tonight drove all the way to Buckley for a fundraising German dinner to benefit the Lutheran high school.  For buffet and a free-will donation, it rocked.  Was it on par with Aunt Minnie’s?  Notsomuch, but that’s not why I was there.  The beer bread was excellent, the potato salad pretty good (even though the nice but LOUD lady next to me thought it had too much vinegar) and the desserts tasty.

Now, about German desserts.  This is my pet peeve.  Really, really.  Repeat after me:  There is no such thing as German Chocolate Cake.  It’s German’s Chocolate Cake - it’s named after a man - not the country and it should never, ever, ever be found on a German menu.  Find me the naturally growing coconut in Germany and I’ll reconsider my stance.  Danke!

Otherwise, Crave in Danville is serving up really good microlot coffees that are roasted to specification of the buyers.  Good stuff.  Doesn’t taste burnt.  I swear the Holler Mountain blend that was in there a couple of weeks ago had cream in it even though I know it didn’t - it was that smooth.  It’s worth your time to investigate if your Danville travels bring you to West Fairchild St.  Don’t let the grocery store or the neighborhood scare you.  The espresso bar has been created as a little oasis of civility.  And it has free Wi-Fi so how can you go wrong?

New job is going well, new house is going well, and other than that…..I just can’t complain.

The kidlets are all well and really need to get back into Weekend Cat Blogging.  They read but have so much to share if the crazy lady with the opposable thumbs would just take some pictures.

Ahh, life!  Happy autumn everyone!   

Once Upon a Time….

….there was a girl who shared her culinary and dining experiences.

Then she got a new job.

Then her husband lost his office (but not his job!)

Then she committed to buy a new house.

And THAT, dear readers, is why I have been noticeably silent for the past month.  Please know that I read everyone’s blog updates (thank you Google Reader!) and keep up with the happenings here and elsewhere.  I will sincerely attempt to develop a more regular schedule soon.  Really.  I hope.  Probably.  Maybe? 

As a glimpse into my bizarre life, I’m sitting here listening to Barbra Streisand do a duet with Judy Garland in the 60s and I wish I had seen it.  *sigh*  I was born entirely too late. 

Food as an educational experience PART ONE

I recently had the opportunity to wander to the Windy City for a weekend of food education and fun.  Who wouldn’t go?  Thanks to a benefit auction for Gilda’s Club Chicago, I had two tickets in hand to the French Pastry School for a day.  WOO HOO!!!  (Another blog….hopefully soon….part two of this trip!)

I packed up my friend Brad and away we went!  First stop, our lovely hotel, the Palmer House Hilton.  Except….their power had been out and only recently partially restored.  The Grande Dame of Chicago was filled with squatters baking in the lobby sans A/C.  The staff was AMAZINGLY gracious and offered bottles of Evian and wet towels to attempt to cool the nerves of their guests.  Brad and I checked our luggage, decided that it was going to have to be our traveling clothes for dinner and we were off! 

We started by wandering the streets - State Street specifically - and shopping a bit as we wandered.  Soon it was time for our journey to dinner at The Backstage Bistro.

The Backstage Bistro is an extension of the Culinary Arts program at Illinois Institute of Art.  The restaurant is run by students and has been featured on Food Network.  You watch classes in session through the glass while your meal is prepared.  I can’t imagine what it must feel like knowing that people are watching your every move ASIDE from your instructor!

 

Essentially this means you should be able to get fine dining at a fraction of the price.  I wasn’t disappointed. 

Brad chose the stuffed pork chop because he wasn’t crazy about the sides for the other entree. 

 

Our slightly-shy server, Ramona, was VERY positive about the pork, so I hoped that he would enjoy it.  He did.

I thought the Pescado Veracruzana was more to my liking.  Red Snapper filet with tomatos and olives on a bed of pilaf with rice and corn. 

 

They recommended the Fife Zinfandel with this dish.  Zinfandel with fish?  Really?  Okay…..!  It was VERY tasty.  Fruity, soft and against the tomato and olive stood nicely.  Granted, at that point the fish was more texture than flavor, but that was just fine.

 We also received a dessert of chocolate “brulee” (their word - I would call it more mousse…no crispy top) and a brownie gratis.  YUM!!

I highly recommend that if you want tasty food at less than “upscale” dining prices, give these college kids a try if you find yourself wandering the Windy City with Central IL cash…..

A taste of history…. Dom’s Patio Villa

I am a U of I grad and I had never been to Dom’s Patio Villa.

Apparently I’m strange, or, at the very least, in the minority.

A friend and I took Swing lessons at the U for six weeks (as I wrote about previously.)  One of the things that she and I (or she and I and our spouses, if available) liked to do was get something to eat prior to class.  We ventured to Chili’s, Escobar’s, Boltini, The Great Impasta….and last Wednesday, the final night of our class, we went to Dom’s. 

I always mix up Dom’s and Manzella’s and I did it again on Wednesday.  I turned off University onto First, then sidled up to Manzella’s when she said, “Um, you’ll probably need to pull up a bit more.”  Foiled again!  (Two Italian restaurants shouldn’t be this close together….I’m sorry…at least I don’t mix Minneci’s into this!)

We went inside the windowless restaurant (after I found the right one!) and were asked whether we wanted a booth or a table.  We didn’t care, so we got a hybrid of the two in the second room.  I sat on the booth side, she on the table.  My booth rocked.  It was hilarious!  I should have just asked her to scoot forward and pull the table toward me but noooooo…..  I have to sit on the edge of my seat.  Not recommended!

Our waitress was prompt and courteous.  I got my friend’s recommendation and ordered a half and half of spaghetti and ravioli.  I asked for the Marinara sauce.  My friend ordered a half order of spaghetti with meatball.  Well, good thing I have no allergy to meat, because my ravioli were meat filled and my sauce had nice chunks of meat as well.  I might have said something if we hadn’t been in a time crunch, but due to that, I ate what I was served.  It was very flavorful, even though it wasn’t quite what I planned on!  The garlic bread was also very good.  The prices were reasonable - her half order was $6.75 and my half and half (at least the marinara!) was priced at $9.00.  We got a LOT of food and the bread was included with our meals.  Again, our waitress was attentive, ensuring that my diet with no ice was full to my liking.  That’s usually a big plus if you can even remember that I asked for no ice, so to ask if I want a refill and remember again…..  Bonus points!

If you’re looking for quaint, flavorful “Momma’s home cookin’ ” Italian food, then I believe Dom’s might be the place.  Don’t go for romantic decor - don’t get me wrong the place has ATMOSPHERE - it’s just like a building that time forgot.  Some things I couldn’t even explain, but that had no bearing on my meal other than to entertain me as to why concentric blue circles were painted on the ceiling and there was a couple painted on a mural that didn’t particularly look happy.

Dom’s Patio Villa      301 S Locust St.     Champaign     352-8444

And then there was silence…..or…..Why did Lucky shut up?

My apologies for being quiet lately.  Even the guyzos haven’t had a chance to speak as I’ve been too busy to translate.  My life is in a wonderful, fantastic, overwhelming upheaval at the moment. 

I recommend you listen to the Josh Groban song “Mai” from the “Awake” album to attempt to feel what I’m experiencing these days.  Or, better yet, just enjoy the entire album.  It’s worth your time to explore.  If the world is piddling on your parade - I recommend “You Are Loved” from the aforementioned.  If the previous are a little too highbrow, Bananarama’s “More, More, More, Pt. 3″ from Gregg Diamond’s “Discotech” album is also spinning in my brain.

I promise, when the life becomes rhythm again, I will write.   Although, ironically, life is ALL about rhythm these days….

The Wisdom of the Cookie

I’m not one to put a lot of stock into oracles of any kind, however, for some reason, I’ve had a penchant for saving my fortunes from cookies recently.  I’m easily amused, perhaps, but the random prophecies have been eerie as of late. 

I offer you the following sage bits (lucky numbers not included):

1 - “Your example will inspire others”

2 - “You will never be last in line, you will always excel!”

3 - “Sometimes traveling to a new place leads to great transformation.”

I interpret these in the following way…. 

The first is a pat on the head that leaving my old job was a good idea and others would see my (belated!) wisdom and find a new path.

The second gave me a push to continue to seek new opportunities and not always believe that I would “always be a bridesmaid” (although I’ve never truly been one, but I digress….)

The final one tells me that my new daily journey to the mall will create a new and improved ME! 

It’s a lot like any other writing…..  it’s all in the interpretation. 

Back to regular programming.

WCB: Oh the irony!

So yeah….  Lucky’s been at our grandmother’s house trying to move her “breezeway kitties” into “house kitties.”  I think that makes them our aunt and uncle kitties….maybe….or not…  We’re cats and have no time for genealogical pursuits!  In her absence we’ve been hanging out with Charmed who works from home a lot now (booooooring!)

Lucky came home and thought our nap location was ironic.  We’re not stupid, ya know.  We’re cats.  We’re very evolved.  We “get” the Gorey bag, already.  Duh.  It says (under our gorgeous fur for those of you not familiar….) “Books. Cats.  Life is good.”

 

Oh, and it was really comfy and didn’t already have cat hair on it.  That helped too.

Drowsily,

Wyatt and Egbert

P.S.  Don’t forget to check out the rest of our furry friends who are lining up at Sher’s this weekend!  Those tasty squirrels are back again!!  Woo hoo!

Chocolate Malt Cake

I was drawn to try this because the recipe (taken from The Baker’s Catalogue) was simple and looked gorgeous.  It was worth the time and effort!  When I make this, I bake the cakes the night before, as well as add the malted milk to the cream and put that in the fridge overnight to chill. 

Cake
1 3/4 cups (12 1/4 ounces) sugar
1 3/4 cups (7 3/8 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 tablespoons (3/4 ounce) Instant ClearJel or cornstarch
3/4 cup (2 1/4 ounces) Dutch-process cocoa
3/4 cup (3 3/4 ounces) malted milk powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1/2 cup (4 ounces) water
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon chocolate extract, optional
1 cup (8 ounces) hot water

Filling
1 3/4 cups (14 ounces) heavy cream
1/2 cup (2 1/2 ounces) malted milk powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon Instant ClearJel*
1/4 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated or finely chopped semisweet chocolate
2 teaspoons chocolate extract, optional

Glaze
1/4 cup (2 ounces) heavy cream
1 tablespoon corn syrup, light or dark
1/4 cup (1 1/4)malted milk powder
1/2 cup (3 ounces) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped into 1/4″ pieces
crushed malted milk balls, for garnish

*Instant ClearJel stabilizes the whipped cream. If you choose not to use it, prepare the filling and finish the cake just before serving.

To make the cake: Stir together the dry ingredients, then add the eggs, water, oil, and extracts; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in the hot water, and pour the thin batter into two greased and floured 9″ round cake pans. Bake the cakes in a preheated 350°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes for 10 minutes, then turn them out of the pans to cool completely on a rack.

To make the filling: Warm 1 cup of the cream and stir in the malted milk powder. Add the remaining cream and chill completely. Stir ClearJel and sugar together, then sprinkle over the chilled cream. Beat on medium-high speed just until peaks begin to form. Fold in grated chocolate and chocolate extract.

Stir together the glaze ingredients (except the malted milk balls) over low heat until melted and smooth.

To finish the cake: Trim cake layers to flatten them. Place one layer on a serving platter. Spread with half the filling. Top with the second layer, and spread with the remaining filling. Drizzle the lukewarm glaze on top, then sprinkle with crushed malted milk balls. Yield: 10 servings.

 *ClearJel is modified food starch. 

WCB: Celebrating Gotcha! for the Brothers…..?

So, seven years ago, Lucky was having kitten urges.  It’s about as maternal as she gets.  She conned Charmed into letting her go to the Humane Society and look for a baby.  Baaaaad idea.  She found a baby alright….

Oscar, Toby and Emmett - Summer of 2000

She actually found FOUR babies…..  we were orphans and we had a momma kitty that was looking out for us.  Lucky was in looooooove with my racing stripes but she was afraid to take me away from momma and she didn’t want to take momma away from my brothers so she just piled all of us into a box and we came home!

Toby, Emmett and Oscar

Charmed was not amused.  But he had held her captive in the sauna of Texas for two years, so his heart was softened to her plight.  We all came upstairs to live in the old house.  Our furniture wasn’t even here yet - but we were!  Our foster momma (Lucky named her Lily) started to get sick not long after we came home.  Lucky tried to nurse her through the night but it just didn’t matter.  Lily was gone before daylight.  Lucky was torn apart.  She now had three little mouths to bottle feed.  With no bed.  No furniture.  No foster care.  Lucky slept on the floor with us and woke up every few hours to nurse us.  She worried that whatever befell Lily was going to take us too.  She spoiled us rotten.  It wasn’t long though, that we were on to kitten chow and starting to wean.

You can see my snazzy stripes really well in the pic above.  Well, long story short, it’s now seven years later and we’ve gone from being less than a pound to over 15 pounds each!  We thrived!  Perhaps a bit too much!  We’re still Lucky’s babies, though…..sometimes more than she would like.  We’re, um…..attached.  We rotate in her lap.  We get jealous if any of the other kitties are in OUR space.  That’s our momma! 

So, Happy Gotcha! Anniversary to us…. the brothers of the fruitbat ears, the brothers pushy, the brothers Grimley.  We’re Bobo, Phlegmy, Ed…..um, no……we’re Flowbee, Flemmet and Oogie….no….uh….well, we’re loved.  That’s all we really need to know, isn’t it?

Sentimentally yours,

Toby (Oscar and Emmett, too!)

P.S. - Go see Tigger, Sir Woody and Sonny Bob at Pet’s Garden where they’re hosting this week’s Weekend Cat Blogging.

 

 

June 15…. Happy 50th Birthday…..

Don’t get excited.  T’wasn’t my day.  Let me tell you a story……

There once was a little girl.  There hadn’t been another little girl since her mother.  The family, well, they weren’t sure what to do with her.  They wanted to dress her in frills and lace but her role models were two brothers who embodied the farm life.  What to do?

This girl grew up in the shadow of these two men.  She emulated and idolized them.  They became everything she hoped to become…. until…. one day…. they didn’t love her anymore. 

She rode on his motorcycle.  He used to take her, after work at Esco, when his bike cooled, for a ride on the tank in front of him.  She felt like such a princess.  So important!  So loved!  She begged and he made her a part of his life. She amazed him with her knowledge (after all, she at 6 knew that Pink Floyd came out with “The Wall” the day he went to buy it on vinyl) because she didn’t know any other way to win his heart.  He and his fiancee became her aunt and uncle even though they were no more than cousins….  He showed her love - the best way he knew how.  She never forgot it.  She read the quality of race tracks with him and a pocket knife; then she videotaped his and his brother’s accomplishments on those same tracks all over the state.  She kept her maroon satin jacket in the back of the closet from 1990, embroidered with her name because she was a part of that life….  once….

She’s never stopped caring about him and the family she once knew.  She invited him to her wedding…. but he wouldn’t come.  She’s still here…and she still remembers summer lunches with her belated aunt and the Young and the Restless in the trailer.  She remembers him pacing on the phone, his pinky in his mouth as he talked. 

Happy belated 50th birthday, Uncle Mike.  I still love you.  I think I probably always will.