Home Bistro

Last month you found my Dad and I ate a well known highly regarded Chicago restaurant which was fantastic, but what we try to normally do is find little diamonds in the Chicago rough. This month, we chose a cozy little French bistro, appropriately called Home Bistro or HB for short. This little bistro can be found in the heart of Boy's Town (2404 N. Halsted).

When you walk in, you are greeted by a local Chicago artist who's lovely food photography is featured on 2 of the 4 small walls of the restaurant. We were seated next to this fantastic picture of an artichoke. I literally wanted to take it with me in a doggy bag.

Before ordering, I talked to our "very kind" waiter about my gluten intolerance and he insured me that only a few entrees included flour (12 hour Beef Brisket, Spiced Lamb Pie in Phillo to name a few). I decided to order the Braised Rabbit Risotto for an appetizer (green apple, roasted fennel, parmesan). I wouldn't say the risotto itself was anything to write home about, but the big tender pieces of rabbit were...so good. For my entree I had the "Amsterdam Style" Mussels (beer broth, anise, dried basil, truffle fries). The truffle fries served with aioli were without a doubt my favorite thing that I ate the entire night...salty, crunch, garlicky, delish.

The strangest thing about this tiny restaurant was not just the fact that you had a French bistro with a Dutch chef... but the fact that it's BYOB and they don't charge corkage fee. Instead they tell you to just "be sure to help out your waiter." For this meal, my Dad and I stopped again at The Poison Cup beforehand (our new fav spot) for a bottle of Pinot Noir. My dad chose a 2007 Edna Valley Claiborne & Churchill Pinot. It was unbelievable. Really. Wow.

So, all in all our January monthly dinner was a complete success...we both plan to return for another meal in the future.

Friday Night Lights and Pulled Pork

For the past couple years, my parents, brother and sister-in-law have been telling me what a great show Friday Night Lights is. I was like really? The show based on the movie? I liked the movie, but it's not in my top 10...or 100 for that matter. With that said, a show that has captured the heart of my entire family, I had to try out. So this past summer I caught up on the first 3 seasons...yes that's right, all 3. I just couldn't stop myself, I fell in love.

Since the 4th season of Friday Night Lights is only accessible to Direct TV customers (I have Comcast) my friend Brent and I gather at my friends Lou's every month to catch up on the latest episodes. This past week, Lou had a brilliant idea to make pulled pork. Armed with his new crock pot (Christmas present) and his friends recipe, he served Brent and I the most amazing pulled pork. The perfect meal for a night of Texas football...

Ingredients (all gluten-free):
3 pounds fresh pork shoulder, well trimmed
3 tablespoons McCormick Grill Mates Barbecue Seasoning
1/2 cup Heinz ketchup
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon McCormick Ground Mustard

1. Place pork in slow cooker.
2. Mix Barbecue Seasoning, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and ground mustard until blended. Pour over pork. Cover.
3. Cook 8 hours on Low or 4 hours on High.
4. Remove pork from slow cooker. Shred pork, using 2 forks. Return pork to slow cooker, mix and heat with sauce before serving.
5. Serve with your favorite slaw and beans (Bushes has a lot of gluten-free options, Campbell's does not)

Clear Eyes. Full Heart...Can't Lose.

Vodka Sauce

Although most of the time I feel that watching Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals is like listening to nails on a chalkboard...I truly do like the concept of a quick and easy meal. As long as you use good quality ingredients, it doesn't matter how long it takes you to put together. One recipe that I will be forever thankful to Rachel Ray for is her Pasta w/ Vodka sauce. This pink sauce is decadent, flavorful and sinful.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Butter (unsalted)
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves (minced)
2 Shallots (minced)
1 Cup Vodka*
1 Cup Chicken Stock (Pacific organic free range)
1 Can Crushed Tomatoes (San Marzano)
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
20 Basil Leaves
Salt/Pepper
*When cooking with alcohol, please do yourself a favor a cook with something that you would want to drink. As alcohol reduces, the flavor is enhanced. I am particularly partial to Grey Goose.

1. Saute butter, oil, garlic and shallots on medium heat for 3-5 minutes.
2. Stir in vodka and let reduce for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add in stock and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for about 15 minutes.
4. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add cream and stir until incorporated (about 2 minutes).
6. Add basil leaves and stir.
7. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Red Wine Sunday 1/17/10

One of my favorite things about my sister-in-law Molly is that she is a great cook. Not only does she make amazing Italian food (once she made ravioli from scratch!) but we also bond over our love for Mexican. Last night, my brother and Molly hosted the family for Red Wine Sunday and Molly served a Mexican feast. As you can tell by my plate (pictured left) I completely filled it and proceeded to eat the entire thing. Like my Mom, Molly has really gone above and beyond to accommodate my gluten free diet.

So, the meal included the following:

• Mexican Marinated Flank Steak from Casey's in Naperville (grilled on an indoor griddle for 3-4 minutes on each side)
  
• Homemade Guacamole*
  
• Homemade Pico de Gallo*
  
• Frontera Grill Salsa
• Sour Cream
• El Milagro Corn Tortillas (naturally gluten free)
  
• Cilantro Lime Rice
• Black Beans

*I have no idea how she made it, but if we are lucky maybe she will comment with her secrets.

Long story short it was heaven on a plate. The meat was unbelievably tender and you had every topping to fill your hearts desires. Thanks Molly for another great meal!

Thai Aroma

Friday nights in the winter, I like to take it easy. After a long week of running around in the freezing cold piling on the layers and boots over and over again, I'd much rather spend an evening on the couch watching movies than getting all dolled up for a night on the town.

To take the movie night to the next level, I always indulge in Thai Food. Now Asian food can be tricky for the gluten free, but I have tried some dishes at my local Thai place with success. Thai Aroma has 3 locations in the city: 4142 n. Broadway, 417 W. North Ave, 941 W. Randolph. Beyond the food not making me sick, I truly think it is great consistent delivery Thai food. In addition, they are always friendly and on time.

I can't say that I've tried everything on the menu, but I have tried my go-to dishes. My favorite is Green Curry. They offer it traditional with rice or you can get the Green Curry Noodle (with rice noodles). I've also had the Pad Thai, Thai Rolls and Tom Yum Soup...all full of flavor.

Pour a glass or two of red wine and I'm set for the night.

Leftover Pasta

I will be the first to say that I don't like leftovers. There are only few things that truly taste better (or even good) the next day...like chili. Since becoming Gluten-free, I am now thankful for leftovers. Although I feel that I have become comfortable with the effort needed to maintain a gluten-free diet, I'm not going to lie and say that it is easy.

Yesterday's RWS (Red Wine Sunday) was very traditional...Spaghetti with red sauce. As usual Mom made 2 batches of pasta (gluten free first). Thinking ahead to my next meal, I had her set aside plain pasta that I could re-use the today with a different sauce.

Tonight I threw in a a couple key ingredients in a saute pan and had a delicious and different dinner with leftovers:

Leftover Pasta (Bionaturae Spaghetti)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Butter (unsalted)
2 Tbsp Flat Leaf Italian Parsley
1/2-1 Clove Garlic (finely chopped)

1. Melt butter and olive oil on medium heat
2. Add in garlic, lower heat to medium-low and saute for about a minute
3. Add in pasta and stir to coat and heat up a bit
4. Add parley and stir until incorporated
5. Serve with graded Parmigiano Reggiano

John's Place

John's Place "Soothing homestyle cuisine since 1994", yes indeed. This restaurant, on the corner of Webster and Racine, has been a Lincoln Park hot spot for years. Although John's Place is a great place for lunch and dinner...they really do brunch best. Pre-gluten free days, I used to order the Breakfast burrito...it was just huge and delicious and everything you wanted after a night out on the town. Since the flour tortilla is now out of the question, I've tried a few things: the John's scramble and the Chilaquiles.

This New Year's day I joined two of my girl friends Erin and Bridget to drink mimosas, gossip about the night before and of course eat. The Chilaquiles is a Mexican dish with scrambled eggs, Chihuahua cheese, pico de gallo, tomatilla salsa, crumbled chicken chorizo served over corn tortilla chips with a side of homestyle potatoes. I completed the indulgence with a side order of sour cream. Bridget and I both ordered it and Erin looked on in envy. No matter how full we were getting, we just couldn't stop eating it.

So, with a full belly and a slight buzz from the mimosas...we were was ready to tackle the cold and the new year.

Hot Chocolate

My friend Lou and I had a brilliant idea this past week to take our dogs on a walk at the dog beach at Montrose Harbor. We settled on New Year's Day for the activity since neither of us had any plans and we could "walk off" the activities from the night before. In preparation for the walk, I bought the pup booties to avoid frozen paws, put her in her heavy jacket, and put on 4 layers of clothing for myself. We loaded up the dogs and headed up north...within 2 minutes of being outside in the cold and wind Lou and I realized we were complete idiots. I mean maybe it was 10 degrees outside...completely frigid. The entire time all I could think about was having hot chocolate when I got home.

So, that's what I did. I may be a food snob about many things, but I don't think that I have ever met a hot chocolate that I didn't like. From Swiss Miss to Vosges...I am happy with the experience. I do however have a standby. I find that nothing hits the spot better than hot chocolate made with Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate:

3-4 Tbsp Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate
8 oz. Skim Milk (or whatever milk you like)
Candy Cane (optional)

1. Heat milk in mug in microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds.
2. Add in Chocolate and stir
3. Add in candy cane

Yum.

Pasta w/ Sausage, Tomatoes, & Spinach

When I am cooking for someone for the first time, I like to keep things simple. As Ina Garten has taught me, when entertaining...you should be with your guests not alone in the kitchen. She always tells this story about how she spent an entire party making omelets for her guests...

I have a couple dishes that I often make for guests because they pass the 3 tests:

1. The recipe has few ingredients and is easy to make
2. I've made it before successfully
3. It's a crowd pleaser (for even the pickiest of eaters)

Ingredients:

1 Lb Sweet Italian Sausage
1 cup Chicken Stock
1/2 cup White Wine (I used a Sauvignon Blanc)
1 can chopped San Marzano Tomatoes
2 cloves Garlic (chopped)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 bag Spinach
1 package Dry Pasta* (I used Bionaturae g-free Fusilli)

1. Brown sausage with olive oil on medium heat in a deep saute pan.
2. Add in garlic and stir for about a minute or 2 (do not let the garlic burn).
3. Stir in chicken stock, wine and tomatoes one at time. Lower heat to medium-low and let simmer for 1/2 hour.
4. Add spinach 2-3 minutes before serving. Enough time to wilt the spinach.
5. Serve over cooked pasta with Parmigiano Reggiano

*Put pasta water on about an hour before serving...and cook after the sauce has been simmering for about 20 minutes.

Although I successfully served this dinner...I forgot to take a picture. I'll post after the next time I made it.

With dinner, I served a Pinot Noir from The Wild Hog Vineyard (a small winery in Cali). The wine was a bit cloudy when I poured it, so I used the aerator and I think it helped.

New Years Resolutions

Since this is a food blog, I figure for my New Years Day post, I would share my thoughts on the New Years resolution of "dieting". With a blog predominantly about baking, I'm sure that you have figured out that my New Year's resolution will not be cutting back on the calories. However, in years past, I have fallen into the losing weight trap. I mean...it makes sense. After the football and holiday season, most of us have a couple extra pounds that we'd like to lose before the Spring. I get that.

In my adult life, at 5'3", I have weighed in at 100 pounds, 130 pounds and everything in between. Although I hate to admit it...I've cut calories, I've gone hungry, I've binged on food, worked out like crazy and even taken "diet pills". I will tell you that I've never been happier with my weight than where I am today. I have found that my perfect weight is around 110...given or take 2-3 pounds. My perfect mix of health and wellness includes of course my gluten-free diet, a reduction in my sugar and caffeine intake, working out 2-4 times a week and daily walks with the pup. I am by no means the picture of optimal health, but you know, my clothes fit nice, I have energy and I sleep well. I don't have to count calories and I don't ever have to turn down a cupcake.

Now my system may not be right for where you are in your life...but instead of "dieting", you need to make decisions that you know you can stick to for more than 2 weeks. I am comfortable with my system week in and week out. Other than the occasional sadness of not being able to eat things like New York style pizza or a bagel...I never feel like something is missing.

For 2010, my New Year's resolution is going to be an attempt to put as much food into my life (work, family, social life, etc.) rather than going without.

Happy New Year!

Christmas Dessert

Grandma Kainz made the best sugar cookies. Every year she would make what looked like thousands of them. She would make so many, that she would store bags of them in the Guest Room closet. As my grandmother lost her strength to make them, my Mom took over. She made them her own by rolling out the dough thinner...which created a more tender delicate cookie that just melts in your mouth. This year was a sad year because I couldn't help out. When you become gluten free, you not only avoid eating gluten but touching it as well.

In an attempt not to get too sad, I decided to concentrate my Christmas dessert thoughts on a new gluten-free recipe. I felt I wanted to make something festive, so I thought about peppermint. Pair peppermint with chocolate and I would be in business. The great thing about modern cooking is that you can truly find any recipe under the sun on the Internet. I patched together the Gluten-free Girls cupcake recipe with a random peppermint frosting to create this year's Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes:

Cupcakes:

1 stick butter, softened (1 stick)
1 package Bob's Red Mill gluten-free chocolate cake mix
2/3 cup applesauce

1/3 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 large eggs
1/3 cup hot water
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line tin with cupcakes liners.
2. Beat butter in mixer until creamy.

3. Add in cake mix, applesauce, milk, lemon juice, eggs and beat for about a minute until incorporated.

4. Add in hot water and vanilla and beat for another minute.
3. Using a large spoon or ice cream scooper, drop mix into 12 cupcakes tins and bake for 20 minutes (will make large cupcakes).

4. Let cool prior to icing.

Icing:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar

1/3 cup whole milk

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Candy Cane (smashed)

1. Beat butter in a mixer until creamy.

2. On low add in powdered sugar a little at a time alternating with the milk.

3. Add in extract.

4. Ice cooled cupcakes.

5. Sprinkle on candy cane pieces.