Recipes for Farmer Market Goodness

Every weekend I visit my local farmer's market to supplement the vegetables and herbs that I grow in my garden with local specialties. There is the egg man, the pita and olives lady, the French nuns with their amazing homemade pastries, the knife sharpener and wonderful fruits from local farms including peaches and cherries. Last night I made a ridiculously simple meal for Paul and I and we enjoyed it with a cold glass of Sauvignon Blanc. Here is the recipe, enjoy!


Rosemary & Lemon Salmon
2 filets of salmon
Fresh sprigs of rosemary (I grow my own and used 2 sprigs)
Thin slices of lemon
Extra virgin olive oil

Lemon Basil Potato Salad
Small yellow potatoes ( I used about 10 small potatoes, enough for 2 people) 
Juice of 1 large lemon (You can also add grated lemon zest and more juice to taste)
1 tbsp prepared pesto
1/4 cup real mayonnaise (You can use less mayo if desired)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Fresh basil (Also grown in my garden, I used a handful of small leaves)

Roasted Green Beans with Parmesan Cheese
2 large handfuls of fresh green beans
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Extra virgin olive oil

To prepare the potato salad, make a few hours before dinner or the evening before.
Wash the potatoes and add them to a large pot of salted water, boil until just fork tender. Drain and shake off excess water. In a small bowl, whisk together the pesto, mayo, olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Taste and adjust accordingly. Once potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half or quarters and add to the dressing. Stir gently to coat and refrigerate for at least a few hours. Before serving sprinkle with fresh basil, julienned.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Tear off 2 pieces of aluminum foil, large enough to make a packet around each piece of salmon and place on a small baking sheet. Place salmon on foil, drizzle with olive oil, rosemary sprigs and 2 very thin slices of lemon. Salt and pepper can be added for taste. Fold the aluminum foil around the salmon and seal edges, the salmon will steam in the foil.

On a larger baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, arrange the washed and dried green beans in a single layer and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper.

The beans and fish will cook in the oven at the same time. Approximately 15 minutes for the salmon and 15-20 minutes for the green beans depending on how much you want them to the brown. Once beans are removed from oven, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Serve the fish with juices from packet spooned over the top with a side of chilled potato salad and warm green beans.

Delicious and so easy. The salmon and potato salads are adjusted from recipes by Emeril Lagasse and The Pioneer Woman.

Monday List #22

It's been a while since I've posted a Monday List. With Chicago in the full bloom of Spring I thought I would share some events and projects I am enjoying before summer.

1. The Antiques and Garden Fair will be held April 20-22 at Chicago's Botanic Garden. I am looking forward to attending on Friday April 20. I am unable to attend the lecture by David Howard, "My Gardening Life" on Saturday but imagine it will be a fascinating program. Mr. Howard is the former head gardener of H.R.H Prince Charles' estate Highgrove House and will discuss his 40 year gardening career in the UK.

2. Bookcases. I purchased 3 of the Ikea Hemnes bookcases over the weekend, once in place they will line an entire wall of my living room. I considered purchasing 1 of the glass door bookcases for my rare book collection but found the doors to be rather unstable. I instead went with 3 of the open bookcases which will allow me to rearrange the shelves and add photos, plants etc... Once the room is painted this month the bookcases can be installed and after 2 years of having my collection in storage I will finally have a home library again.

3. Travel. Did you think I was on a traveling hiatus? Never. I will be enjoying my first trip to Baltimore this weekend. For our 48 hour trip I have 3 things on my to do list:

• Enjoy seeing this historic city with Paul and our hosts
• Eating crabcakes and lobster rolls
• Visiting the grave of Edgar Allan Poe. I am re-reading some of my favorite works of this macabre writer, especially his poetry. Haunting.

In May, Paul and I will be returning to New Orleans for 4 days and then directly to Los Angeles for another 4 days. On the agenda, listening to jazz at Fritzel's, learning to cook NOLA specialties in a cooking class, spending time with friends in Santa Monica and enjoying the trip with great people.

4. Time. With my boy. There just aren't enough hours in the remaining weeks until May 31 when he leaves for NAVY training. I'm spending every minute I can with him at home cooking, watching movies, talking. He is a typical busy teenager who is right now planning his much anticipated upcoming trip to Indiana University for the Little 500.

5. Gardening and Vintage Shopping. Between getting my vegetable beds ready with seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds and buying and listing vintage pieces for my new store, I'm busy. And happy.

Easy Peasy Vegetable Soup

It's unseasonably warm right now in Chicago, walking my Beagle tonight it was a balmy 50 degrees. Regardless it's January in the Midwest which means soup season. I whipped up a batch of vegetable soup tonight and thought I would share the easy recipe.

Ingredients:

1 leek, white and light green bottoms, wash thoroughly to remove sand

1 large carrot

2 celery stalks

Couple of tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Cup of whole wheat pasta

1 32 oz cartoon of organic vegetable broth

2 cups of water

1 5.5 oz can of tomato juice

2 tablespoons of pesto (you can make with basil from your garden in summer and freeze in ice trays for fall and winter recipes or use store bought pesto, I favor the Trader Joe brand)

Generous dash of salt and pepper

Generous amount of herbs ( I use dried oregano from my garden and fresh parsley)

Additionally you can add any fresh vegetable in the pantry including potatoes, peas, garlic, green beans, tomatoes, etc.

Seriously it's this easy...roughly chop the leek, carrot and celery, throw them in a large pot or dutch oven with the olive oil and cook over low until almost translucent. Throw in the uncooked pasta, cook with vegetables for a couple of minutes until the pasta gets slightly browned. Add vegetable broth, water, tomato juice, pesto, salt, pepper and herbs. Cook until pasta is al dente, taste for additional seasoning. I like to throw in bread cubes I defrost from the freezer for a variety on traditional bread soup. Other toppings, splash of tabasco sauce, grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese or popped popcorn.

Easy peasy. Enjoy.

Monday List #15

In reference to my most recent post on Spain: A Culinary Road Trip, I thought I would make a list of my top 5 favorite tools in the kitchen. As the result of a New Years Resolution a few years ago I have been learning how to cook and loving it! When I recently moved into my new home I moved with 1 chair, my son's bedroom set, an armoire, a few lamps, artwork, my books, small electronics, some good china and crystal and personal items. That was it. In the 2 months since we moved in I have been slowly acquiring antiques and new items as needed. I'm finding half the fun is the search and if I don't have enough chairs for a dinner party we move outside to my garden where I have plenty of seating. So while I stock my new kitchen and experiment with what I am growing in my garden, what I buy from local farmers and recipes from all over the world I have found a few things I can't cook without. This is my very basic list of the top 5 tools I use almost every day.

• Whisk. I seriously use my stainless steel whisk everyday, usually for making my own salad dressings and scrambling eggs.
• Glass bowls. I know, so basic. I use them for everything, including storing food.
• Microplane zester. Lemons, parmesan cheese, garlic, chocolate. Great tool.
• Good knives. I use CUTCO. Good knives makes all the difference.
• Stainless steel food carriers. I have purchased mine online as well as in stores such as World Market and in Chicago's Little India neighborhood. These are perfect for taking food with you on the go.

Many cookbooks have a section on stocking your kitchen with essential pots, pans, etc...I find these sections helpful, I recently bought a cast iron skillet after repeatedly reading about the benefits of using one. Currently I am reading, Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook: Crazy Delicious Recipes that are Good to the Earth and Great for Your Bod by Kim Barnouin which has just such a section. Helpful tips and tricks.

P.S One thing I don't need and have lived without for 5 years is a microwave!

Slainte!

For many years I used to frequent my favorite pub in Chicago, The Red Lion for a pint of Guinness. The Red Lion was a traditional English pub located on Lincoln Avenue across from the infamous Biograph Theater (the location where gangster John Dillinger spent his last evening with the "Lady in Red" before being gunned down in the alley next door). The Pub was supposedly one of the most haunted locations in Chicago and was an extremely popular destination on Halloween. The Red Lion was usually a stop for my friends and I on St. Patrick's Day, the first of many stops in a City that loves it's Irish.

While I was attending Columbia College in Chicago finishing up my undergrad degree I would hop off the Red Line (at Fullerton, a stop on the "L") and walk to The Red Lion for a Guinness and my favorite meal, the Ploughman's Lunch. The Ploughman's Lunch consists of a large wedge or 2 of cheese, crusty slices of bread, butter, pickles (Branston) and sometimes a side of green salad, sliced apples, pickled onions and a hard boiled egg. Delicious and perfect with a beer.

A few years ago The Red Lion closed. Lincoln Avenue ceased to be a destination of mine as a result of the pub closing and the Victory Gardens Theater taking over the Biograph Theater. Ah how times have changed and not for the better. I have yet to find a pub in Chicago that serves a better Ploughman's Lunch.

What ever you are doing for St. Patrick's Day:

Walls for the wind,
And a roof for the rain,
And drinks beside the fire.
Laughter to cheer you
And those you love near you,
...And all that your heart may desire!-----Irish Blessing

Must See Movie: Farmageddon

What are your rights as a consumer when choosing where your food comes from? What is happening to the rights of the farmer? If you are interested in sustainable, organic framing, your health and the rights of consumers and producers, check this out. Add this documentary to your Library's collection.
For more information, visit the Facebook and Twitter pages.


Farmageddon Trailer from Kristin Canty on Vimeo.

Book Review-Good Mood Food

My love of cookbooks is well documented on this blog. I've recently been enjoying a new favorite, Good Mood Food: Simple Healthy Homecooking by Donal Skehan. The book evolved from the blog Good Mood Food which was started by the author, a young Irish man in 2007. I love cookbooks which feature recipes made with simple fresh ingredients that don't require me to purchase expensive cooking utensils or bake wear. My favorite cookbooks also feature color photographs with each recipe. Good Mood Food checks all the boxes on my cookbook wish list.

I've made a number of the recipes in the book, of those I've tried, here are a few of my favorites:

Mushy Roast Garlic and Cherry Tomato Pasts (perfect for my abundance of summer tomatoes)
Caramelized Roast Vegetables (great with leftovers)
Tuna Nigiri (simple sushi)
Basil Sweetcorn (a great recipe for my summer garden basil)
Goat Cheese and Broccoli Pasta (a favorite of my Kid)
Hummus with a Kick (great for parties)
Avocado and Lime Salsa (refreshing and delicious)
Sesame Pasta Salad (my favorite for lunch)
Soft Boiled Egg with Home Fries (my Kid and I LOVE soft eggs for breakfast)
Homemade Nutty Breakfast Bars (better than the sugar packed granola from the store)

I haven't even listed all the yummy smoothie and dessert recipes! Bottom line: this book is good for your health and your pocketbook. Check it out at your local library, happy eating!

Learning to Cook By Book and Blog

Regular readers of this blog know that I have a wee addiction to cook books. Yes it's true...I read them like fiction. So a couple of years ago one of my New Years Resolutions was to FINALLY learn how to cook. Well it's probably one of the only NYR I have ever kept, not only am I still learning but I'm enjoying the process!

You might be wondering how I've managed to raise a 17 year old, 6'5, 170 pound son without learning to cook until recently. Early on I mastered simple meals such as sandwiches, tacos, salads, homemade mac and cheese, omelets, rice dishes, pasta and soup. Plus as a vegetarian I've always prepared a lot of fresh fruit and veggies. In fact I made my own baby food for my son when he was small! I've very proud to say he never ate anything Gerber, EVER. Now that my son is older and usually grabbing a bite with his friends, I'm entertaining more than ever. For my family, myself and my guests I really wanted to learn how to cook healthy, delicious, sustainable, locally grown meals without using processed foods that included microwave instructions. (In our house we've been happily microwave free for almost 4 years).

Thanks to my cook book obsession I've cultivated a few recipes, tweaked a couple to make them my own and regularly experiment with fresh local ingredients. I also follow a few excellent cooking blogs including:

Dragon's Kitchen
Elle's New England Kitchen
Great Depression Cooking With Clara
He Cooks, She Cooks (by one of my bestest friends Heather!)
The Left Over Queen
Pioneer Woman
Poor Girl Eats Well
Recipe Girl
Tamra Davis Cooking Show

A few months ago I took an Italian cooking class and while we were sampling what we made, I was more interested in the chef's cooking tips. My favorites:

1. Buy fresh Italian parsley in bulk, wash it, chop it and store it in a canning jar in the fridge with a bit of oil to keep it moist. I have it on hand to toss in homemade tomato sauce, eggs etc...

2. Ditto with fresh onion and garlic. I find throwing together a quick pico de gallo, omelet, couscous, etc is so much easier now that I have fresh chopped ingredients ready to go.

3. Keep stocked with pantry staples like olive oil, cans of diced tomatoes, jar of chipotle peppers, chickpeas, whole wheat pasta, canned pineapple, dried or canned beans, tuna, brown rice, etc...

Last night I made a quick meal for my son and I. Here is the recipe:

Shannon's Miso Tilapia with Couscous and Lemon Parmesan Asparagus

Fish:

2 pieces fresh or thawed tilapia or other mild white fish

1/4 cup mirin sauce

1/2 cup mild yellow miso paste

Couscous

I use whole wheat couscous from Trader Joe's.

I added some fresh pico de gallo I had in the fridge to the cooked couscous.

Fresh Asparagus (a large bundle, approximately 20 stalks)

1 large lemon
3-4 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese (grate your own, don't waste your time with the junk that is made by Kraft)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Whisk the mirin and the miso paste together. Wash and pat dry the fish fillets. Spray a small glass baking dish with non stick cooking spray. Coat the fish with a thin layer of the mirin/miso mixture. I brush it on both sides. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes. The sauce will slightly caramelize on the fish.

While the fish is cooking prepare your couscous. (The Trader Joe's whole wheat couscous takes about 5 minutes once the water has boiled) While couscous is cooking, wash and pat dry your asparagus. In a large skillet add a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat (I drizzle 3 times around to coat the bottom). Add the asparagus and toss to combine in the olive oil. Cover and let simmer until the asparagus starts to soften slightly. While cooking, wash and dry the lemon and grate the peel (carefully, not the bitter white pith beneath, just the yellow peel). Slice the lemon after grating the peel. Check on asparagus, it should be slightly browned but not overly limp. (How I test my asparagus, grab a piece at the bottom of the stem, if it still stands up fully it's not done enough, slightly drooping at the top is how I like it). Toss in the grated lemon peel, squeeze in the lemon juice from the entire lemon and add the Parmesan cheese. Toss to combine flavors before you turn off the heat.

Remove fish from oven and serve with a large scoop of the couscous (with what ever you have added in to flavor the couscous like pico de gallo, fresh herbs, peppers, spinach etc. Although my son prefers his couscous plain) and the asparagus. I also heat up fresh pita bread which is a handy and yummy way to scoop up the leftover caramelized miso paste and couscous off your plate.

Enjoy!

P.S. The miso fish recipe was adapted from a recipe I saw Gwyneth Paltrow make on Oprah. You can buy mirin sauce in the Asian aisle of larger grocery stores or at stores like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. Miso paste is usually in the refrigerated section of specialty food stores. I purchase from my local Mitsuwa Market.

Green Chicago and Family Farmed Expo

I had a "Green Chicago" weekend, here's the skinny...

Friday night: I attended an Italian wine & food pairing and olive oil tasting hosted by a local Winestyles. Mario Rizzotti, the Academia Barilla's Italian Culinary Specialist and judge on the Food Network series Iron Chef America demonstrated how to professionally taste olive oil. I have a new appreciation for the production and taste of this delicious oil and left with a large bottle of organic evoo from Italy and a few new recipes to try at home.

Saturday AM: I shopped at Chicago's Green City Market, held inside the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park. This was my first visit to a farmer's market this year and definitely won't be my last. The market was open from 8 am to 1 pm and although I got there a bit late in the morning I was still able to purchase fresh eggs, bread and cheese. I was hoping to buy fresh bacon cuts for my son who is a BLT addict but the meat for sale at the market was limited. Overall prices were good at the Green City market, volunteers were extremely friendly and helpful and the market was well organized and staffed. Tip: arrive as early as possible, by the time I arrived around 11 am some of the produce and dairy had already sold out.

Saturday PM: I attended the Family Farmed Expo held at the UIC Forum in downtown Chicago. I follow @FamilyFarmed on Twitter and happily won 2 free tickets to the event by tweeting. I was already planning on attending the event but winning free tickets was a delightful surprise. I've been looking for local Illinois CSA's (community supported agriculture) and met numerous farmers at the Expo who offer a seasonal share from their farm. Being unsuccessful in my pork shopping earlier in the morning I was also happy to find an Illinois farmer (Hasselmann Family Farm) selling numerous cuts of bacon at the Expo. I left late in the day with a bag full of information, a freezer bag full of food and a new membership to Chicago Fair Trade. The Expo was inspiring, educational and just plain fun. It was great to be surrounded by farmers, foodies, chefs and others like myself who are passionate about sustainable, organic and humane farming.

Chicago was full of St. Patrick's Day celebrations on Saturday so after the river was dyed green, the parade was over and my Green shopping complete I headed to a local Irish pub in my old hood for a Guinness before spending the evening at the Irish American Heritage Center on Chicago's northwest side. Friends and I enjoyed a rousing show by The Sullivan Brother's and numerous glasses of goodness while surrounded by Irish dancers and their crazy curly locks. If you haven't been to the Irish American Heritage Center in Chicago, it's worth a visit. Home is a former school converted into one of the nation's most important Irish cultural organizations featuring music rooms, dance studio space, a library, museum, theater, ballroom and pubs.

Sunday: I spent the afternoon at the Chicago Flower and Garden Show at Navy Pier. This was my first, and likely last visit to the show. Big names, little bang for your buck. About $30 dollars just to walk in the door ($14 parking, discounted with admission from a whopping $24 at Navy Pier) and $15 admission ticket. I sat in on 1 seminar and 1 cooking demonstration and walked the vendor aisles but was not impressed. I find it hard to enjoy gardens in a windowless conference hall even with the creativity of the designs (The Lookinglass Theater "actors" portraying characters from Alice in Wonderland in 1 garden were so annoying as to make me run away). I also have little tolerance for the infomercial spokesman selling everything from mops to vegetable mandolins. As I was leaving I realized, "I never smelled one flower in the entire place".

Chicago...with all of her faults, scandal, crime and history is truly a great metropolis. And when the world views our city-by-the-lake for something besides corruption, a failed Olympic bid, gun toting mobsters and politics we all benefit. When Chicago opens her arms to the small farmer, the windowbox and rooftop gardener, the innovative chef and the entrepreneur... and when you can sit down in a neighborhood pub, drink a cold beer and meet new friends while listening to culturally rich music, it's a great city indeed.

Fantastic Chicago Area Restaurant

Last night I enjoyed one of the best meals I've had in memory. I joined friends at Marion Street Cheese Market in downtown Oak Park for a dining experience I am looking forward to enjoying more often. Oak Park Illinois is western suburb boarding Chicago known for it's Frank Lloyd Wright buildings and as the birth place of Ernest Hemingway. I've spent many an evening and weekend exploring Oak Park during the 6 years I attended graduate school at Dominican University in neighboring River Forest, Illinois. Last night's dinner at Marion Street Cheese Market will definitely keep me coming back for regular visits.

The Market includes a cheese and wine shop/cafe as well as a full restaurant and wine bar. The chef prepares and sells seasonal food from local farmers, breweries and wineries. Last evening I enjoyed cheeses from Indiana, Iowa and Illinois and wine from small vineyards across the US. I liked the choice of selecting cheeses and creating a "cheese flight" which came with Marcona almonds in an organic trail mix and selection of flat crackers and breads. I also tried a "beer flight" and "wine flight", small samples from a variety of breweries and vineyards. My main dish was barrimundi fish served over a risotto cake that was delicious.

After dining your receipt entitles you to 10% off your entire purchase in the shop and I happily bought locally made organic peanut butter, wine, fresh gherkins, cheese and breads. I'm looking forward to going back regularly especially in the evenings for live music nights and for tastings done by local farmers and brewers. The staff was very knowledgeable about everything we ate, where it was made and receptive to any requests we had. The restaurant interior is cozy and modern and we enjoyed our meal in front of the fireplace. If you are a Chicagoan or in the City for a visit, don't miss the Marion Street Cheese Market, it's truly worth an eat.

Best and Worst Cookbooks

My regular readers know I love cookbooks. I read them like fiction.
Here is a link to an article about the best and worst cookbooks of the past decade. I don't think anyone will be surprised tv chef/celebrity Paula Deen is on the worst list.

Here are 3 books I am reading now and can recommend. I'm addicted to juicing and learning a lot about nutrition and health. I wouldn't consider any of the books below to be the best or the worst, just worth a look if you are interested in juicing.

Borrowed from a friend, I am reading The Juiceman's Power of Juicing by Jay Kordich. Good book about remedies for common ailments and illnesses by the power of juice.

Juice Alive: The Ultimate Guide to Juicing Remedies by Steven Bailey. A good selection of recipes but better for the information on the antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and enzymes in fruits and vegetables.

The Juice Lady's Guide to Juicing for Health by Cherie Calbom. A terrific guide to recipes and nutrition and the prevention and treatment of health disorders by drinking juice.

My New Juicer

After years of reading about the benefits of juicing I finally committed and bought my first juicer this month. I bought a Breville BJE200XL 700 Watt Compact Juice Fountain on Amazon for $99 including free shipping. (It is currently listed at $90). I decided on this juicer because of the excellent ratings and reviews and suggestions by friends over on the Crazy, Sexy, Cancer site. It is really one of the best purchases I've ever made for preparing food. I've posted some pictures below.













This morning I juiced 2 pears, an apple and a handful of grapes










The juicer is stainless steel and plastic and can juice fruit whole, no slicing or peeling required. Cleaning is easy with 5 removable parts for a quick cleanup.













Ingredients listed above made about 1 1/2 cups of pure juice.













The leftover pulp is as dry as sand. There is zero pulp in the juice.










Every morning I experiment with a new combination of fruits and vegetables. Tomorrow I am trying a recipe for a cucumber, spinach, apple and mint juice. I'm also going to start adding some fresh wheat grass. Honestly I can't think of an easier or faster way to get your needed dose of fruits and veggies. If you don't juice, I highly recommend you start.

Little Addicted to the Cook Books?

Hi, my name is Shannon and I'm a cook book addict.

Yes it's true, I can hear my dearest friends laughing maniacally, but really, it's a fact. I'm very proud to post that I've finally kept a New Years Resolution and frankly, it's changed my life. I'm learning to cook. And I'm getting pretty damn good. Well at least with cold things, veggie recipes, soups, dips and breakfast, I seriously rock the kitchen and it's all thanks to cook books.

Funny thing is I have some requirements for my cookbooks. Kinda like subscribers to Playboy, I like the pictures. The cook books I read need to have color pictures, preferably for every recipe. Oh and authored by Julia Child, they can't be. If I can't find the ingredients between 3 local stores it's a no-go.

Here are a few sitting on my counter right now, and yes... they are library books!

The Good Cook 70 Essential Techniques, 250 Step by Step Photographs and 350 Easy Recipes by Anne Willan with photographs by Alison Harris. I want to marry Anne, she is my new Goddess. This book is perfection and the cover photograph of a mussels dish made me salivate. A favorite dish, and I hope to cook my self through this book is Rapid Ratatouille, the perfect Sunday dinner after visiting the Farmer's Market. This book is kinda like having your Grandma in the house, there are step by step instructions (with pictures) of everything from how to cook a steak to how to split and cook small birds to how to peel and chop shallots. Basic but practical for those of us learning late in life.

Great Party Dips by Peggy Fallon with photographs by Alexandra Grablewski. It's always a sign of a cookbook I'll enjoy when the photographer is listed on the cover. This book doesn't disappoint. EASY recipes, great pictures and ingredients that are easy to find between only 2 places, my farmers market and the local Mexican grocery store. With recipes ranging from 24 Carat Caviar Dip to Peanut Butter Marshmallow Dip, there is something for everyone.

The New American Olive Oil by Fran Gage. As beautiful as a coffee table book this is all about American made olive oil. I love the information on choosing an excellent olive oil made by US producers. Her pesto recipe is what I used to make my own for canning.

Quick Food Gourmet Recipes in Just 30 Minutes by Jenny Fanshaw and Annette Forrest. Right now this is my FAVORITE cook book. Every recipe has a picture, the recipes include prep time, cook time, how many each dish typically serves and level of difficulty. What's not to love? A few favorites include Grilled Tuna with Tomato and Mozzarella Salad (divine in the late summer when tomatoes are bursting off the vines) and Garbanzo Bean and Feta Couscous Salad. My next attempt will be mussels, I'm a little frightened off by the debearding but I'm going to try their recipe for Mussels in Garlic, White Wine and Tarragon ASAP.

Friday evening a local chef is giving a cooking demonstration and preparing dinner for friends and I in their home. Hopefully I'll learn some great tips on debearding mussels.

Drop me a comment and let me know if and when you will be in the Chicago area and I will invite you over for a meal!

Must see show-Jose Made in Spain

Over the New Years weekend it was cold and nasty here in Chicago so I bundled up in front of our fireplace and happily watched my latest food show addiction. The first season of Jose-Made in Spain is out on DVD and in my opinion is one of the freshest and best food shows on television. During each episode chef Jose Andres takes the viewer to a different region throughout Spain and then back to his home kitchen in Washington D.C. to create Spanish dishes. If Jose is cooking squid, he hops on the boat with the fisherman catches a large squid and then takes it to a friends beach side restaurant on the coast of Spain and cooks it! Ever heard of gooseneck barnacles? I hadn't either until Jose throws on a wetsuit and goes diving for them before preparing them. After watching the first episode I made his very easy dish of tomatoes, soft Spanish cheese, greens and a delicious dressing of extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar and honey. It was devoured quickly when I had friends over this weekend.
Jose has an easy demeanor with the camera and is charming and fun to watch, and his accent is lovely to listen to. If you are not a television watcher than definitely check out Jose's new book:
Made in Spain: Spanish Dishes for the American Kitchen
If your New Year's resolution includes healthy eating than Jose's delicious Spanish dishes are excellent. I'm a fan of the Mediterranean diet and Jose combines the freshest ingredients in simple and tasty ways.

A Green Must Read-The Green Beauty Guide

A new book came across my desk this weekend that should be a must read for everyone concerned with their health and the environment.
The Green Beauty Guide by Julie Gabriel is an excellent source for information on organic and natural "beauty" products.
Gabriel debunks the myths and gets scientific but in friendly reader terms. She mixes in homemade recipes for everything from mosquito repellent, to baby wipes to face scrubs. A nice touch is the inclusion of a Green Product Guide and Green Tips.
I've passed the book around in my office and a few of us are going to try the Green Liver Flush. This well written book is definitely a must read.
For more information check out the website at:
http://thegreenbeautyguide.com/

The Vitamin Shoppe

One of my new favorite shops is the local Vitamin Shoppe which is conveniently located a few stores down from my neighborhood Trader Joes. Quick and healthy shopping without having to drive all over town. Last night I went in looking for a new multivitamin (one without gelatin) and ended up happily browsing for 30 minutes. Not only does The Vitamin Shoppe have a mind boggling selection of vitamins and supplements but they also have a great selection of healthy snacks and bath and body products. The Burt's Bees items were cheaper than my local Target and Walgreen's so I stocked up on the items I haven't been able to find elsewhere like the Burt's Bees Radiance Night Creme with Royal Jelly (from honeybee's!).
Check out The Vitamin Shoppe's website here:

Got Snacks?

During tours of libraries I am always amazed by the students, patrons and childen who see the library as a comfort zone, a place to wear your comfiest clothes, drag your backback or bookbag and even pack a lunch or snack. This to me is a great feature of a library, a home away from home where people feel comfortable. Some libraries have a no eating or drinking rule which I think is ridiculous. If you are going to spend hours in a library, having a snack and certainly something to drink is a must. That's why I love the libraries that open cafes within their walls. Nourishing the brain while nourishing the stomach keeps patrons happy.
As I write this I am happily nibbling on one of my favorite snacks...goldfish crackers! I don't really gobble them up, I pop one in my mouth at a time and suck on them, I love the salt. My favorite are the Parmesan goldfish but right now I am on a whole grain goldfish kick, so yummy. And a little snack size bag fits perfectly in my book bag. Plus the little smiley face on each fish makes my smile.
What is your favorite snack?

Yummy Food for the Soul

So after today's difficult workout, I've stopped crying which is a good thing, I am regenerating with some yummy foods.
I started out with good and hearty Irish oatmeal this morning at 7 am with a teaspoon of natural honey and a handful of raspberries and blueberries. After my workout I made a delicious 4 eggwhite scramble with feta cheese and green peppers with a slice of Irish brown bread and Kerrygold Irish butter and a banana. I'm already feeling better and am almost ready to start packing for Las Vegas.
After spending some quality time in Ireland over the last 2 years I am completely addicted to a few Irish food items and a shipment of my favorites arrived at my home yesterday. Every day I have 2-3 cups of Lyon's Tea which I buy from the Food Ireland website here: http://www.foodireland.com/
I also enjoy good brown bread and Food Ireland has a delicious selection which they ship to you within 2 days.
I've always been an egg addict and love a good hard boiled egg soaked for days in a jar of leftover pickle juice. "Pickled eggs" are a Southern favorite and I grew up eating them along with pickled pigs feet in Florida (way before I went vegetarian). Near my family home in Gulfport Florida the local convenience store had large jars of pickling pigs feet and eggs on the deli counter and they were a cheap and delicious treat on a hot summer day. There is no way one of those feet would cross my lips now, but I still love pickled eggs. My healthier eating habits have me losing the yoke and enjoying the whites, but the taste remains the same.
I gotta go pack for Vegas, I'll be taking my own oatmeal and tea for the mornings and hopefully can find a healthy buffet for the mornings after our late nights.

Gardening Bliss

The weather here in the Chicago area has been beautiful for the past few days. I spent all day Sunday in my garden cleaning out my raised vegetable beds, pots and containers, cleaning all the patio furniture and starting my herbs and vegetables by seed. The home we bought in 2006 was previously owned by a couple who had transformed the front, back and side yards into English gardens. We completely redid the backyard last year by adding a wrought iron fence (for the beagle), had a large deck built, added sod and paved walkways and replanted many of the perennials. The side yard contains 4 raised beds of which 2 are full of established raspberry bushes (the previous owner made her own jam), the remaining beds I have been cultivating vegetables and herbs.
On Sunday I planted:
Green beans
Onions
Cherry tomatoes
Beef tomatoes
Chili peppers
Sweet yellow and red peppers
Cucumbers
Mint
Basil
Rosemary
Lettuce
Arugula
This year I will stagger what I grow and will start more herbs, eggplant, squash, radishes, carrots and possibly potato next month.