January 2011
76 posts
1 tag
Serbian barf-cake
So, there were Serbian parlor games as part of this New Year’s Eve bash I was at. (One of the Serbs there explained it to me: “Normally at a Serbian party, everyone just talks about politics and war, so we started a tradition to get distract people from that.”)
One of the games involved food, which I’ve documented for you here. Everyone was split into pairs. One...
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Pizza Metro, Chicago, Ill.
The Missus was coordinating a New Year’s Eve fundraising party for the theater company she’s involved with. That meant that I was helping out, too. Can’t say I did much constructive, other than insisting they order meat on the Pizza Metro pizza they ordered, then eating way more than I probably should have…
I didn’t have a say in where the pizza was ordered from,...
December 2010
87 posts
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Late breakfast on New Year's Eve
Knowing we had to save energy for tonight, the Missus and I slept in and cooked a little breakfast.
Two homemade egg McMuffins (american cheese, canadian bacon, fried egg on english muffin), hash browns, chilled blackberries and, ahem, Activia poop-inducing yogurt?
Not my idea. But you know what? That high-fiber yogurt was kinda tasty. The flavor was “strawberry and cereal,” and...
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Jerry's Sandwiches, Chicago, Ill.
The work day over and the three-day weekend begun, I set off with the Missus and my brother to catch the Chicago Blackhawks game.
But rather than eating at the stadium, we spent less money and got better food at Jerry’s Sandwiches, in Wicker Park. I got the southern fried chicken sandwich, with pickle, white American cheese, ketchup, mayo and Louisiana hot sauce on toasted white bread. I...
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Northfield Restaurant, Northfield, Ill.
After foregoing breakfast (and my morning coffee) in order to get a head start on the day, after which I’ve got a three-day holiday weekend to look forward to, I make a desperate lunch pit-stop.
Needing coffee and something lunchy that tastes good with coffee, I headed to the Northfield Restaurant for a turkey club sandwich and fries.
I apparently wasn’t alone in my idea —...
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Turkey sandwich and chips
Nothing fancy tonight.
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Hub's, Skokie, Ill.
Got lunch today with a buddy of mine. We’d driven past Hub’s on a previous lunch outing, so we decided to give it a spin.
They’ve got a huge menu, specializing in Chicago-style greasy, with some Greek offerings as well. I opted for the $6.25 “American burger” — 1/2 pound beef patty on sesame bun with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, mayo and a side of cole...
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Homemade lentil soup
Got home from a particularly unusual day at work and the Missus had a huge smile on her face.
“I made lentil soup!” she said.
“Yum!” I said, hiding the fact that lentil soup can be either really awesome or awesomely boring.
She nailed it. Used bacon, which makes everything better.
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Evanston Grill, Evanston, Ill.
I’d been out chasing a story for the newspaper all morning and happened to find myself ringing apartment buzzers in Evanston. No one answered, and I looked a couple doors to the north and saw a sign: “Evanston Grill.”
When life gives you a sign, you’re obligated to follow it. I dropped a couple nickels in the meter and found a stool at the lunch counter.
It’s a...
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Wildfire, Schaumburg, Ill.
Not sure how to start this one out, so I’ll just say it: I was kind of a jerk to the waitress.
But hear me out! She kind of deserved it?
My best friend from high school and his wife were in town for the holidays, as were my buddy’s parents, who I’m also close with. We organized a dinner-for-six thing, and I chose Wildfire in Schaumburg, since they were all staying in the...
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Couscous and veggies
Healthy and tasty. Couscous, veggies and parmesan cheese.
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Light breakfast
A rare day off from work. I decided to spend it reading the Keith Richards autobiography I got for Christmas, learning a Robert Johnson song and lounging around in my new pajamas.
Lame, huh? Well, it all started with this — a pop tart, some yogurt with honey (which I had one bite of before handing it over to the Missus, and half an orange.
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Amarind's, Chicago, Ill.
On the way back into town, the Missus and I stopped in Oak Park to give my brother his Christmas presents. Then we went out for dinner. He chose Amarind’s, the area’s best Thai restaurant — just across North Avenue from Oak Park in Chicago.
We did it up — TWO appetizers! Unprecedented! Here are the chive dumplings, which are “brushed over with fried garlic and served...
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Taco John's, Coralville, Ia.
Ladies and gentlemen, the greatest fast food taco place in the world: Taco John’s.
I’ll admit it. I’m a Taco John’s addict. I got hooked when I was growing up, because it was the only taco place in town. Years later, Taco Bell arrived, but me and everyone I knew were already staunch Taco John’s supporters.
There isn’t a Taco John’s for miles of Chicago....
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Hard boiled egg and a mini bagel
A little light breakfast for the Missus and me before we hit the road from Des Moines and go back home to Chicago.
Hard boiled egg, with salt and pepper, a mini-bagel with cream cheese and a bowl of fruit.
I don’t want to eat too much, because I’m saving room for lunch.
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Christmas (steak) dinner
Unwrapping presents, then sitting around watching television and eating sweets sure takes a lot of energy. So, clearly, a steak dinner is in order.
First, a little more of that raspberry vinaigrette salad from last night:
Then a steak, some manicotti, garlic bread (which I helped make!) and steamed broccoli.
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Ham and cheese strata
My mom makes this every time I come home, and it’s awesome. This ham and cheese strata starts the night before, and ends up the best breakfast dish ever made by noon the next day.
And it always tastes better after ripping into a bunch of Christmas presents.
Also note a healthy bowl of fruit (banana, orange and pineapple), which serves to balance out my second helping of strudel and...
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Strudel and cinnamon roll
Rolled out of bed around 8:45 a.m. Lo and behold, Santa had somehow broken into my parents’ chimney-less condo in Des Moines and left us all shoe-fulls of treats.
But while I was waiting for the Missus to get ready for the Grand Unwrapping of The Presents, I made a cup of coffee and got a slice of strudel and a cinnamon roll to nibble on.
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Peppermint ice cream
One of the other Christmas traditions: Peppermint ice cream with some Hershey’s chocolate syrup drizzled on top.
Peppermint’s not my favorite ice cream flavor, but it’s a cozy once-a-year reminder that I’m on break from the rest of the world — whether it’s school or work — so it seems to taste sweeter and sweeter each Christmas.
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Christmas eve dinner
It’s my parents’ recent tradition to have soup and sandwiches every year on Christmas Eve. There’s just something comforting about a heavy, creamy soup to dip a thick, meaty sandwich into before you lay down for a little sugar plum-dreaming winter’s slumber.
But before the main course, we had a little salad with a raspberry vinaigrette dressing:
Then a cheese chowder...
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Latin King, Des Moines, Ia.
My parents took me and the Missus to their favorite Italian restaurant in Des Moines — the Latin King.
If this place was in Chicago, it’d be my favorite there, too. Picturing this place in Chicago, however, makes me laugh. It’s a casual, yet elegant, Italian restaurant whose name happens to be the same as a violent Hispanic street gang. If it were in Chicago, I’d give it a...
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Apple strudel
The Missus brought a little present for my mom that wasn’t necessary to wait until Christmas morning before opening — an apple strudel from the Swedish Bakery in Chicago.
Holy cow that’s good. Super light and flaky, just like a pastry should be. Sweet and sugary and deceivingly dessert-y. Only it’s breakfast!
The Swedish Bakery is apparently quite a holiday tradition...
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Minestrone and pizza
Isn’t my mom the nicest? She’d fixed up a little snack for the road-weary to meet our arrival in Des Moines.
That’s some homemade minestrone soup, with spaghetti noodles, which was delicious. And a stray piece of pizza leftover from my parents’ dinner earlier in the night.
What I could really use, however, after six and a half hours in the car — and a few tense...
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Wendy's, Coralville, Ia.
The Missus and I pulled off Interstate 80 for a quick dinner on our way to visit my parents for Christmas.
I had something old and something new. The spicy chicken sandwich is my go-to Wendy’s entree. But they’ve changed up their french fries — boasting natural cut potatoes with sea salt.
The sandwich was as delicious as always. Perfection on a bun, with a little kick in the...
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Egg salad sandwich
The work day is flying past. Soon, the interstate lane markers will be flying past. But until then, I gotta eat.
After an exciting morning up in the north suburbs, I returned home to a homemade egg salad sandwich on a toasted hoagie bun, carrots (not homemade) and sour cream and cheddar Baked Ruffles (also not homemade).
The other day, I asked the Missus why her egg salad recipe wasn’t...
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Oatmeal breakfast
Yup. Oatmeal with brown sugar. And a toasted English muffin with American cheese and Canadian bacon. And (nearly) half an orange. You know, so I’m healthy and stuff.
Today I’m trying to hurry up and get some work done so the Missus and I can hit the road to visit my parents for the weekend. You probably don’t know this, but it’s Christmas. Do you know why it’s...
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Pork chop and salad
After working late at the office, I got home to the smell of dinner cooking on the stove. The Missus is on holiday break from the school where she teaches. That gives her time to do all kinds of crazy things, like make dinner.
And I’m OK with that. It’s a little old-fashioned for my liking, but once in a while it’s kind of awesome.
First: a salad, with hard boiled egg, red...
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Five Guys, Vernon Hills, Ill.
Met a co-worker for lunch before our office holiday party. I gave her two options: Indian buffet or Five Guys.
She chose Five Guys. Then showed up nearly an hour late.
Seriously, though, with a burger this good, how could I be too upset? Check this out:
Double cheeseburger, lettuce, tomato, pickle, raw onions, ketchup and mustard.
There’s something about the bun that ties this whole...
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Starbucks, Wilmette, Ill.
This morning started way too early. I was hoping to ignore my hunger pangs and soldier on through to lunch.
I failed.
Ordered myself a small cup of regular coffee and one of those fancy Starbucks-brand Egg McMuffin imposters, though with a sausage disc instead of canadian bacon.
The muffin is less fluffy than its McDonald’s sister. And the egg is vaguely less greasy. And the cheese is...
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Tsing Tao, Wilmette, Ill.
I had a 7 p.m. meeting, and wasn’t all that hungry. So why not get some mediocre Chinese food?
Logic!
This is the “flower chicken” from Tsing Tao. It’s described on the menu as all white-meat chicken, broccoli, bamboo shoots, carrots and water chestnuts in a light garlic sauce.
How very accurate.
And not too shabby, I have to say. A little pricey ($10). But...
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Trader Joe's frozen chicken vindaloo
That egg salad sandwich I was promised for lunch never materialized, so I microwaved a frozen bowl of Trader Joe’s-brand chicken vindaloo.
Pretty simple: Nuke for four minutes, remove plastic film, stir, nuke for four more minutes, burn the inside of your mouth, wait an appropriate amount of time for it to cool, and enjoy!
Very tasty, but definitely a smaller portion than I wanted. Had a...
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English muffins and pear
Woke up, showered and was greeted in the kitchen with this lovely breakfast: English muffins with cheese and canadian bacon and some pear slices. The muffin-wiches were slightly burned, but completely tasty. Why no egg? Because I was told I’d be treated to an egg salad sandwich for lunch.
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Combination KFC and Taco Bell, Chicago, Ill.
That’s right. I went to a combination KFC/Taco Bell.
After opting for the KFC menu, rather than making a run for the proverbial border, I settled on … wait for it … a Famous Bowl.
Yup. A plastic bowl filled with mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, fried chicken nuggets (11 of ‘em!) and grated cheese. More deliciousness than you can shake a spork at.
Do I have a death wish? A...
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Jimmy John's, Wilmette, Ill.
Bacon, lettuce and tomato on french bread, with some real Hellmann’s mayonaise, from Jimmy John’s. Didn’t feel like a full-on super meaty sandwich. Simple was the order of the day.
And I really can’t say enough about the Jimmy John’s house brand jalapeno-flavored potato chips. So thick, so crunchy, perfectly spicy. Yum.
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Pesto pasta and garlic bread
The Missus: “What’d you have for lunch today?”
Me: “Burger and cheese fries.”
The Missus: “I’m making you a healthy dinner.”
Enter her award-eligible pesto, complete with broccoli, mixed up with some mini lasagna noodles. And a slab of some incredibly tasty garlic bread on the side.
Look how green that is! It’s undeniable: If your food...
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Dengeo's, Skokie, Ill.
I was helping some friends make a short Internet film today. (I deemed myself their “comedy consultant,” but I ended up more of a Chris Farley…) During a break, we ordered some fast food from Dengeo’s. I was torn between the Italian Beef or a burger. I opted for the latter. And cheese fries.
Pretty good burger. Raw, rather than grilled, onions, which I prefer. The fries...
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Homemade McMuffins
Woke up nice and late today. I needed the sleep.
I also needed these little gems:
Two homemade McMuffins — fried egg, American cheese and Canadian bacon on English muffin. Also: apple slices, orange juice and coffee.
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El Cid, Chicago, Ill.
I never like this place. But it seems like everyone else loves it. The Missus and I met another couple for a late dinner before a birthday party in the neighborhood.
I keep trying to find something decent and I fail, every time. This time, my lackluster Mexican food was a chorizo chimichanga.
It was both bland and overly salty. Nice work, people. Your mediocrity has reached extraordinary...
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Cheese toast and tomato soup
This is not a grilled cheese sandwich. It’s just a of bread with some American cheese that was toasted in the toaster oven and folded in half.
But how can I complain? I didn’t make it. The Missus scheduled us a late dinner with a couple we know, and she figured I needed food or else I’d get cranky.
Nice of her, sort of.
The soup is a tomato/corn thing out of a rectangular...
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Yuca Cafe, Chicago, Ill.
Oh no! I totally didn’t take a picture of my food today! (Only the second time since I started Food Digest in April!)
Just as well. This place made me kind of angry. Luckily, I didn’t have anything you couldn’t picture in your head: croissant sandwich with sausage patty, bacon, scrambled eggs, green peppers and onions. They called it “The Baltazar.” It came with a...
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Zen Noodles, Chicago, Ill.
I got home a little later than expected from work, and the Missus and I had a holiday party to attend in a few hours. Rather than stopping at a restaurant on the way, we caught up on a tiny bit of rest, lounged on the couch and ordered in.
I had a hankerin’ for Indian food. She had a craving for fishy/healthy Thai food.
Luckily, Zen Noodles could accommodate both of us. I ordered...
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Panera Bread, Wilmette, Ill.
Seeing as I haven’t been here in, oh, a month, I figured it’d be OK. Especially since I was craving a creamy soup and sandwich combo, thanks to an unusually grueling morning workout coupled with the sub-freezing temperature outside.
So Panera, you win. I ordered my old standby — the broccoli cheddar soup with a half asiago roast beef sandwich and a hunk of french bread on the...
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High Dive, Chicago, Ill.
A buddy of mine and I got some beers and dinner to do a little pre-holiday catching up. He’d just finished graduate school finals week, and I’ve been unusually busy at work.
Besides the several Budweisers I drank, I also consumed a chicken parmesan sandwich with a side of the High Dive’s fabled cajun tater tots.
The tots were pretty good. They also have un-seasoned and a...