How to Make A Fig & Gorgonzola Tart

We all know by now that President Obama is quite the foodie. He took his wife to Spiaggia for their anniversary; he dined with Oprah at Graham Elliot for his 50th birthday, and he loves the food at Topolobampo so much, he asked Rick Bayless to cook a State Dinner when the Mexican president was at the White House. So if Obama decides to eat at The Fig & Olive when he’s in L.A., I figured it must be noteworthy, right? Apparently, POTUS tried the restaurant’s signature tart and loved it. The restaurant was kind enough to share not only the recipe, but the process as well. Read More

Scones From A Taste of Heaven

As much as I love the cookies, cakes and muffins from A Taste of Heaven in Andersonville, it’s the scones I would drive out of my way for (as well as the artisanal pizzas across the street at Great Lake, but I digress). The scones here are unlike their dry, crumbly brethren, and I’m not quite sure what the secret is. All I know is that if I have 20 minutes to kill and I’m in the neighborhood, I will undoubtedly find a seat there, grab a cup of coffee and choose from one of the bakery’s softball-sized beauties. I might even share one with a friend, since they’re so large.

Haute Dogs in Hawaii, From A Chicago Visionary

Henry Adaniya has seen it all in fine-dining. From his days at the legendary Ambria in Chicago, to his launch of Trio in Evanston, he’s worked with some of the country’s best chefs. At Trio alone, he found and nurtured chefs like Gale Gand, Rick Tramonto (the other two prongs of the original Trio); then Shawn McClain, Grant Achatz and finally, Dale Levitski. Not a bad lineup when you consider the odds against most chefs breaking out into success on their own. Adaniya’s last act in Chicago was more puzzling. He decided to hang up the fancy threads and move back to Hawaii, opening up a hot dog joint. Read More

Congrats To Our Winner…

Jack, first round is on me at GT Fish & Oyster

Congratulations to Jack O’Connor, winner of the $25 gift card to GT Fish & Oyster. Loved your detailed description of what you would do with $500 to spend on food and drink, based on my Top 5 post from Thursday:

“I’d make a Sunday of it with my wife: Starting early at the Publican for Brunch — Fried French Toast, Coffee, & Maple Bacon — Then head for a late lunch at Panes Bread Cafe in Lakeview — Pollo Diablo Sandwich w/chips, Coke, & Coca Cola Cake — Then, after a brief nap break and recovery from my naturally occurring food coma, end at Longman & Eagle for Dinner & Drinks, with enough left over to stay the night!”

Jack, contact me via my website to give me your address. Oysters are on me.

Cinnamon Rolls, Swedish Style

A lot of people – including me – will be fasting today on Yom Kippur. It’s a day of reflection (man, I’m getting old) and repentence (Madeline, sorry I took the last shui mai at Triple Crown last month when you weren’t looking). But I realize only about 3% of the U.S. is fasting today, so for the rest of you, here’s a little video that will have you rushing out to your local bakery.  A few months ago, I was in Stockholm during midsummer, and rode my bike to Rosendals Trädgård, a bucolic series of gardens in the middle of an island in the middle of the city.  They happen to have a fabulous bakery there, and they let me come back in the kitchen to see how they make their incomparable cinnamon rolls. Chicago fans of a certain woman named Sather will note the absence of any kind of icing. Trust me, they didn’t need it.

Chicago is About To Get Cheesy

Who needs pumpkin? Pastoral's favorites take the spotlight all October

One of the things I actually abhor is anything called National ________ Month/Day. We all know these special occasions simply serve to promote a food product (peaches, ice cream, nuts, etc.) that is in need of a sales boost. Kind of like a Groupon, but sponsored by a large consortium of producers rather than just a small mom-and-pop restaurant. But the thing I do like about American Cheese Month is that consumers can actually learn something about their favorite curds and whey. Read More