Corn on the Cob

They don't eat it in France but we love it in the Midwest. Boiled on a Tuesday for dinner with from the box macaroni and cheese. Sounds modest but its great.

Little by Little

As I was making myself a refreshing salad last night in our 90 degree apartment, I found myself becoming a little overly-ambitious with the ingredients. To make a long story short, I ended up with a mushy mix of hard-boiled eggs mingling with raisins and blue cheese, walnuts schmoozing with cilantro, plus a few other laid-back vegetables that can hang at any party - vegetables like cucumber, lettuce, and red pepper. I topped off this mess of flavors with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

In my attempt to create a tangy combination of textures and nutrients, I found myself overwhelmed. Oh yeah, I forced it down - I've never been one to waste good food unless it's totally unpalatable. But more importantly, I'm finding a good salad to be parallel to a good life and good relationships. Too much of everything at once results in a mushy mess, not perfection at all. But even a poorly planned combination of ingredients can be swallowed until the next opportunity presents itself. And next time I'll know - just skip the raisins...

Spring

The spring ground returns to life and yearning for the great outdoors tingles. Sitting on the couch it seems no idea is better than rushing off to wild nature.

In the city you don't rush anywhere. On Saturday morning the streets are coagulated with slow moving trucks and buses, furiously honking yuppies, unaware cyclist and cars, cars, cars. You either become a bhuddha or a raving lunatic, or both. Either way, you get were you're going, whole foods for us.

Feeling like inspired (or insipid) yuppies we combed the aisles for free cheese, which I popped in my mouth like a bum off the street, goat cheese to take home, crusty bread suitable for a picnic, fruit, meat, frou frou drinks. We got it all. Yes I'm going to admit right now that I like something about shopping there. I don't want to because I think I shouldn't But F*ck I've got to stop riding the guilt train and start riding the all American glory train. That's another post.

Anyway we soon rushed up the raging river of concrete, I love, the Kennedy for a date with the Chain O' Lakes. And Picnic.

Yes we arrived ravenous and ravenously we tore that bread, chopped that canteloupe, attacked the cheese and mauled the meat. Or I did. Noel's a dainty little philly who finds all that manly type A approach to eating unseemly at best. So she nibbled, I munched, and we both ended up happy.

Iron rich foods

Maaaaan. I really didn't want to be one of those people who talks babies non-stop. I wanted to keep this blog mainly about food and our cooking trials and tribulations - remember the stuffed grapefruit? Oh, the nostalgia.

But nevermind all of that. The truth is, I've got baby on the brain, literally. I mean, the hormones flooding through my noggin are truly overpowering. I'm incessantly plagued with baby thoughts - from What does this fetus look like? to Am I going to be some sort of overprotective parent who projects all of her insecurities onto her child? I mean, maybe my entire framework for childrearing is based on some false idea that most people think like me?!? Oh god!

Okay nevermind all of that either. You see, when the hormones flood your brain, it's easy to lose your train of thought and become instantly fraught with emotion.

I did start typing with a purpose. And the purpose was to share with you that I am again tolerating vegetables. I think I might be low on iron, so I've started eating more dark green vegetables and meat (see title).

Oh Baby

Yes, that last post was written by my husband-to-be. And yes, we're having a baby. Therefore, I don't feel like cooking anymore. Between my fluctuating tastes, sporadic "morning" sickness, and complete exhaustion, I've not been in the mood.

So what have we been eating? Pizza, french fries, peanut butter sandwiches, crackers, and the occasional leaf of lettuce. Jesse keeps pinching himself, wondering if he's in some sort of heavenly nightmare.

What's New

Oh yeah its been a while since the last post. So what's new? Well, besides having a kid and getting married ? Not much.

But we are, having a baby. And we are, getting married. So it hasn't left much time for cooking. Or so it seems. A full year of wedding planning gets crammed into two months, and suddenly nothing gets on the blog.

Was it planned. Yes, er but no. Ok now that you don't have to think about that question anymore, how about are we happy. Yes.

Anyway, cheerio, carry on, and don't look for any posts about making baby food, at least until the kid starts eating solids.

J

bouillabaisse

Boullibaise is a complex French seafood soup. I don't like seafood too much, just being a good midwesterner, I'll stick with sausage thanks, but the Boullibaise was so good, it even got me.

Noel and I wanted to cook with her grandma Char (that's her at the top of the page), for the blog. Char suggested the Boullibaise, so Noel and I went to Dirk's in Chicago for fresh seafood. The fish there is sushi grade, with sushi grade prices. We were going to get lobster tail, but at 60 dollars per pound, we opted for the live guy instead. A bargain at just 18 dollars per. The Dirk's guys people really helpful though. We even got to do an Oyster shooter - fresh Oyster in its own juices.

The Boullibaise also included grouper, mussels, clams, shrimp and scallops. Making the dish involved not only Noel and Char, but her parents, Chuck and Sue too.



Here are the Frickes in action!

Whole Lotta Nothin'

I can always count on Jesse to help clean up after meals. I'm such a lucky woman. I came home from a meeting tonight and they were all done. What a relief.

So yeah, it was hard for us to contort our faces for this photo, but with some practice and facial yoga, this shot turned out pretty well.

I've got nothin'.

For all the hundreds of you out there anxiously awaiting the bouillabaisse post, it is on the way!

Stuffed Grapefruit

Have you ever wondered why some vegetables can be stuffed and others cannot? Last night, I found out after making a crucial error in my stuffing methodology. Folks, grapefruit rinds cannot be stuffed. The bitterness that seeps in from the soft, white interior of the peel is the most unpalatable flavor you can imagine.

You see, I was joyfully making stuffed bell peppers for Jesse and I. I had done this before and had no problem preparing the quinoa, tomato, onion, egg, and garlic that made up the stuffing mixture. The problem arose when I realized that there remained an ample amount of stuffing after the deed had been done.

It occurred to me that while I was out of other stuffables - pepper, tomato, zucchini, and squash - I did have one other thing lying around that could theoretically serve as an oven-proof container. A grapefruit rind. And why not? In my mind, it would add a citrussy zest that might never have been discovered before in the minds of stuffers everywhere.

The look on Jesse's face as he tasted the black sheep of the bunch could be described as nothing short of horror. Why wasn't I able to predict the serious flaw in this idea ahead of time? I guess because I'm only human. And I learned something from that mistake too - you can stuff yourself with citrus fruit, but it cannot be stuffed by you.

Friday Night Sushi

Friday night is a great night for sushi. Ok, every night is a great night for sushi, but, the work week being, well work, Friday night usually leaves us tired, and inclined to let someone else do the cooking.

On this Friday, we went to a gallery opening with our friend Jerry. Jerry leans towards modern art, and truth be told, so do I. So we saw some paint slashes and cross-hatches in the west loop, then headed for dinner.

The west loop is home to many restaurants, from good to trendy to overhyped to overpriced. One thing it guarantees is high concept and high design. In some settings that can be annoying, but I usually expect both from a sushi joint anyway.

This night found us at Starfish, which is high design. I thought it was also a cut above my neighborhood sushi haunts. I'll be the first one to admit however, that I don't know that much about sushi. Suffice it to say the fatty tuna did me right, and the Kamikazee er, crashed my plane.

I dream of eating at every sushi restaurant in the city. Well one more down.

Jesse

Mac and Cheese

I really love mac and cheese. Now, I'm not talkin' bout the kind that comes in the blue box, I'm talkin' bout the ooey gooey homemade kind like gramma used to make. The real deal, which is thick, rich and delicious. Something to raise your spirits on a dreary day at the end of February.

The kind I make is a white sauce with cheese poured over macaroni and topped with a little paprika. Best served with a side of sausage. A midwestern meal made in heaven, or at least our Ukranian Village kitchen.

I once asked around about what kind of wine to serve with this. OK a lot of wags suggested Boones farm wine. I'm sure they pair well, but the serious suggestion was a nice Riesling, which really brings out the flavor of the cheese, or at least a nice buzz. A Gewurztraminer might do the trick as well.

That's Noel in the picture chopping cucumber. She's introduced me to the wonders of vegetables, and makes a dynamite salad. I tried taking some pictures of the mac 'n' cheese, but real food is notoriously tough to photograph. Besides, she's better looking.

By Jesse

How to Date

Now that I'm no longer flailing about in the often arbitrary world of dating, I am a self-appointed expert. (God forbid I ever have to swim through those waters again.) Did I just get lucky in meeting a man like Jesse? After careful analysis, I have come to the conclusion that the key to meeting a good partner, like a nice salad, is a combination of fresh, wholesome ingredients.

Recipe for Love

Ingredients:

-8 cups thinly chopped Authenticity. You have to be yourself, all the way. If your potential date doesn't like the flavor, it is best that he/she move on. Note: Make sure you don't choke him with too much of your awesomeness all at once.

-8 cups of Good Health. Inner and outer beauty come mainly from exercise and a good diet, not makeup and trendy clothing.

-3 tablespoons of Developed Interests. Pick two or three activities and actively pursue them. Potential mates love to see you doing something you love. They would instinctively like to see themselves become something you love too.

-2 tablespoons of Humor. Yours, not his. If you think it's funny, he probably will too. Or else he'll will move on. And that's probably for the best.

-1 splash of Flirtation. This is the spice that gets him at the table, fork in hand, ready to try out your dish. Just like a well-written story, every beginning needs a hook.

Fear of Grocery Shopping

I did not go to the grocery store tonight. I will probably end up eating some leftover shriveled up tomato on a grilled cheese sandwich. Jesse is digging around in the silverware right now. I'm guessing he's eating ham and cheese sandwich and cottage cheese right out of the tub, then polishing it all off with some ice cream.

Jesse is a dairy man. He's from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and he can't help himself. I was also raised on milk, but drink soy milk now. I cannot get past the idea of grown men and women drinking the liquid meant for calves. It feels strange to me, and leaves a film in my mouth. There's something unnatural about it...

Alchemy in the Kitchen

Sometimes what happens in the kitchen, pots that boil over, burned dishes, too much spice, or not enough, can seem maddeningly like being in love. If you're like me, you might just wander off at the wrong moment, only to return to find a ruined dinner.

On the other hand, if the right spices and ingredients come together, the resulting alchemy can, like love, be extraordinary.

This modest blog will chronicle not only our culinary ambitions, but our relationship. Noel and I plan to plan and prepare at least one dish a week. Check back to hear about our adventures in gastronomy and in love.

Jesse