Wednesday, August 29, 2012

dessert bars

Dessert bars are so easy and simple to make. These yummy goodies were made as party gifts for Allison's birthday brunch. Try these recipes for your next party!

Sunday, August 26, 2012

birthday girl & the goat

confit goat belly ~ bourbon butter, lobster n'crab, fennel

Celebrating Allison's birthday at her favorite restaurant, Girl & the Goat. Chef Stephanie Izard always manages to come up with something so flavorful. Our tastes buds are happy. We ordered some staples {pig face and chickpea fritters}, as well as some seasonal dishes, such as the duck duck goose bread.

duck duck goose bread ~ smoked duck fat, blackberry
crisp braised pork shank ~ spring onion kimchee, buttermilk dressing, naan
grilled baby octopus ~ guanciale, romano beans, radish, pistachio-lemon vinaigrette
chickpea fritters ~ caponata, green chickpeas, crave brother's mozzarella
wood oven roasted pig face ~ sunny side egg, tamarind, cilantro, red wine-maple, potato stix
mom's zucchini cake

Friday, August 17, 2012

funky monkey no.2

When I was watching "The Chew," Jason Roberts went to Austin, Texas to try Gourdoughs. Gourdoughs is a food truck with a selection of speciality doughnuts, such as the Funky Monkey. The ingredients in a Funky Monkey are grilled bananas, cream cheese, and brown sugar. I decided to put my own little twist to the Funky Monkey and called it Funky Monkey II.

What you need:   
Instructions for grilled bananas: In a pan place sliced bananas over medium heat. Mix in brown sugar, cinnamon, and caramel sauce.
I used chocolate cream cheese instead of regular cream cheese. You can also use nutella instead of cream cheese. 

Thursday, August 16, 2012

"in front of the wine bar"

There are many Italian places on Taylor St {Little Italy, Chicago}, but I must recommend Davanti Enoteca. The menu is amazing! We love small plates because we get to try a little bit of everything.
 vasi ~ eggplant + mozzarella + tomato
 crispy pork belly + apple mostarda
mascarpone polenta + ragu of the day {pork shoulder}
  risotto carbonara~ italian rice + pancetta + sweet peas + parmigiano + farm egg yolk
 polpo con rafano ~ seared octopus + warm fingerling potato salad + marcona almonds + finnochiona + fresh horseradish aioli

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

the italian ice

The perfect summer treat. Mario's Italian Lemonade {University Village} is open from 10am -12am during the warmer months.
strawberry lemonade

Thursday, August 9, 2012

frozen milk tea & hot chocolate

Who says you can't have your favorite hot drinks in the summer?! Make your favorite drink and turn it into a popsicle! 

What you need:
Just add water to the powders and mix


Wednesday, August 8, 2012

2 sparrows date

Back again at 2 Sparrows {Lincoln Park, Chicago}!  We were back for their seasonal summer menu...and so glad we tried their homemade poptarts and sodas.  There are plenty of dishes we had yet to try, but of course we could not resist getting the maple bacon doughnut again. 
 strawberry, basil, balsamic / / cucumber, mint, lime
 gnocchi, asparagus, tesa, poached eggs, hollandaise
fresh goat cheese, gruyere, irish cheddar + a sunnyside up egg + tater tots

Monday, August 6, 2012

Saturday, August 4, 2012

ooey gooey

If you have a sweet tooth, you will love these Momofuku gooey butter cake bars! You can eat it room temperature or chilled :)

What you need:
Instructions...
Cake Base: Mix melted butter, cake mix, and 1 egg. Pour in 8x8 pan
Gooey Filling: Mix cream cheese, sugar, 2 eggs, and vanilla. Pour over cake base in pan
Oven: Preheat 350 degrees Fahrenheit and back for 30mins.