It's always fun when local folks rise to the top. Chicago cheered Lee DeWyze during his American Idol run earlier this year and now, one of the Windy City's own resident foodies was selected as the food category expert on the USA Network's Character Approved Blog.
The site officially launched last Tuesday, so I'm a little late to the game to congratulate Terry Boyd, the author of Blue Kitchen on his new role with USA. Terry Boyd's blog, Blue Kitchen, is a Chicago-based food blog for home cooks.
A frequent contributor to the Chicago Sun-Times food section, Terry's recipes have also appeared in the Red Eye (a Chicago Tribune publication) and on the Bon Appétit and Saveur websites. Terry is an amateur in the best sense of the word--he cooks because he loves it. His cooking focuses on fresh ingredients and big flavors -- a cooking style that I certainly admire.
The blog was created to give
readers access to cutting-edge commentary and expert perspectives on
what's currently hot in American culture. Ten bloggers, all experts in
their fields, will create one blog per week in the following areas:
Art, Tech, Writing, Fashion, Food, Design, Architecture, Social/Giving,
Film/TV and Music.
Terry's first post featured an interview with chef Marcus Samuelsson, who I've also had the pleasure of meeting. The best part of the post? I learned a thing or two about Samuelsson, who is spokesman for UNICEF's Tap Project, an initiative to bring clean, accessible water to children around the world.
Samuelsson is also active in C-CAP, an organization that helps NYC high school graduates gain internships to restaurants; and he supports World Childhood Foundation, founded by Sweden's Queen Silvia to aid at-risk children. For more information on how you can get help Samuelsson's efforts visit his website.
Chicago's Blue Kitchen Blogger is Character Approved
Food and healthy living blogger; work in social media; moved from NYC to Chicago in November '09.
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A Surprising Pairing at Blackbird: Wine & Tequila
Food and healthy living blogger; work in social media; moved from NYC to Chicago in November '09.
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Photos: David Ditzler Photography
Last week I had the pleasure of attending a wine and tequila pairing dinner at Blackbird hosted by Michael Mondavi of Mondavi Family Wines and Gary Shansby of Partida Tequila.
I knew as soon as I received the invitation that it was an event I couldn't miss. To clarify what I mean by "couldn't miss," I mean that if Satan himself had invited me to dinner, I probably would have accepted. Wine? Tequila? Dinner at Blackbird? Really, who would say no?
I better shut up now or I'll never be invited anywhere again.
At first, when I heard that tequila and wine were being served together, I thought I must have mistakenly received an invitation to a college party. Then, I thought, I'd better take the next day off work. Well, neither of those turned out to be true but I did learn quite a bit about food pairings. While fine wine has long since been acknowledged as an integral part of any fine dining experience, tequila is treated as a recreational drink or an accompaniment to a Mexican-inspired meal.
The evening began with introductions from Gary and Michael, while we drank delicious agave margaritas (How delicious? I chatted with another attendee by the bar and I think he drank four while we were standing there. They were just that good). The dinner explored the surprising relationship between tequila and wine.
With dinner, our hosts served a flight of tequila that included Partida's Blanco, Reposado and Anejo varieties to sip throughout the meal and pair with the various courses as desired. As each course was presented, dutiful servers filled our glasses a carefully selected varietal from the Mondavi Family Winery.
The only real way to tell you about this menu is to let it speak for itself.
Get Nourished: Wave Restaurant at the W Chicago
Food and healthy living blogger; work in social media; moved from NYC to Chicago in November '09.
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There is no shortage of brunch options here in the Windy City. Sometimes it seems as though wherever you go on the weekend, you can find a short stack of pancakes or an omelet however you like it.
Sometimes the average diner breakfast will hit the spot, but other times, you want something more than the cafe on your corner. Wave Restaurant at the W Hotel is the perfect place for Chicago natives who are looking to brunch outside the box this weekend.
Wave touts an exotic, new brunch menu featuring traditional dishes with culinary influence from around the world. Executive Chef Kristine Subido holds down the fort in the back of the house, lending her culinary expertise and inspiration to every plate that passes through the kitchen. Last week I had the honor of chatting with Chef Subido and sampling some of her delicious brunch dishes in Wave's bright, contemporary dining room.
Simple Spring Salads (and alliteration)
Food and healthy living blogger; work in social media; moved from NYC to Chicago in November '09.
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It's cliche, but as soon as the weather starts to grow warmer and jackets become but a distant memory, people decide they want to lose weight. Go ahead...watch the Today Show between now and Labor Day and count how many "bikini body ready" and "fit for swimsuit segments" you see. Tell me that it's more than five and I'll bake you cookies.
I kid. That would be cruel.
The thing with losing weight for the summer is that it sometimes means fad diets, full of greens with fat-free dressing and various sugar-free dessert options with indecipherable ingredient labels.
That is why, my friends, I'm going to dispel a mix for you today. A salad? Doesn't even have to contain greens. Salads come in all shapes and sizes and whether you want to cut down on carbs, eat less saturated fat or shave a few calories off your daily menu, there's a salad out there for you.
The 18th Annual Great Chefs Tasting Party: In Photos (Mostly)
Food and healthy living blogger; work in social media; moved from NYC to Chicago in November '09.
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Where do you go in Chicago if, once a year, you want to taste some of the finest offerings from town's most elite chefs? You go to The Great Chef's Tasting Party, thrown each to benefit United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Chicago.
This year, one of the host committee members was kind enough to give me a ticket so that I could meet some of the Windy City's latest and greatest masterminds from swanky downtown hotels to barbecue joints in the 'burbs. Each chef toted their signature dish and I, being the diligent journalist that I like to pretend I am, left no menu unturned.
This year, one of the host committee members was kind enough to give me a ticket so that I could meet some of the Windy City's latest and greatest masterminds from swanky downtown hotels to barbecue joints in the 'burbs. Each chef toted their signature dish and I, being the diligent journalist that I like to pretend I am, left no menu unturned.
Market Tours: Candyality, for your Sweet Tooth on Southport
Food and healthy living blogger; work in social media; moved from NYC to Chicago in November '09.
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There's something about candy that makes me think of childhood. It's ironic, because in my childhood, candy was, for the most part, for special occasions: Halloween, Easter, Christmas stockings.
There was a modern penny candy store in one of the local malls in my hometown that closed when I was in middle school; bin after bin of every type of confectionery treat you could possibly imagine.
Zest at the Intercontinental Chicago: a new summer menu
Food and healthy living blogger; work in social media; moved from NYC to Chicago in November '09.
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Photo Credit: Zest
You may have heard an expression that goes "behind every good man is a better woman." Well, I think that's a little outdated. Behind every good restaurant is an even better chef.
In May I attended a media dinner at Zest in the Intercontinental Hotel on North Michigan Avenue, where Executive Chef Kurt Mittelberger will gladly stand behind the seasonal menu he recently debuted that celebrates summer's finest seasonal flavors.
Fine Dining, Finer Prices
Food and healthy living blogger; work in social media; moved from NYC to Chicago in November '09.
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I love to eat at great restaurants. I love eating in places where the waiters know everything about the food, because they want to. I love reading menus and choosing the dish I'd be least likely to make for myself at home. I love restaurants where the wine list is friendly and the silverware is always clean. I love it when your water glass is refilled before you have to ask for it and I love exposed brick walls, skylights, outdoor patios.
Dining out is about more than just the food, it's about the whole experience. The truth is, though, that often, it can be hard to afford a great restaurant tab on my twenty-something salary. Luckily, Chicago is full of great deals for delicious fare and these are a few of my favorite restaurants that offer wallet-friendly options without losing their aspirational appeal.
Chicago Food Planet Food Tours: Wicker Park/Bucktown
Food and healthy living blogger; work in social media; moved from NYC to Chicago in November '09.
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I've talked before about how much I've come to love this city in all it's new-to-me glory. I love that the lakefront is just steps away from my front door. I love that I have a friend around the corner who can just stop by with her pup for dinner on a whim to rehash a wild weekend. I love that the El that I ride to work is relatively clean and I love that the restaurant scene leaves very little to be desired.
I also love that I recently I received an email from Chicago Food Planet inviting me to participate in one of their Chicago Food Planet Food Tours. They offer tours of two of Chicago's iconic neighborhoods: Near North and Wicker Park/Bucktown. I work in Near North so I opted to attend the latter.
I am not exaggerating when I say it was one of, if not the best, days I've had in Chicago.
Choose Your Own Adventure: Bruschetta at Frasca Pizzeria
Food and healthy living blogger; work in social media; moved from NYC to Chicago in November '09.
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On the border of Roscoe Village and Lakeview, nestled underneath the Paulina brown line station, is a wonderful neighborhood pizzeria & wine bar that is just the kind of place that everyone should have on their block.
At Frasca Pizzeria, you'll find all of the essentials: pizza, pasta, salads and an extensive beer and wine list. The prosciutto pizza and the caponata pizza are easily my two favorites but being new to Chicago, I wouldn't dare sit here and tell you what kind of pizza you should be ordering.
