We're all ready for winter...

...here at our house....

...even if the snowsuit is a little big.

Done

I am done.

Done watering plants and the lawn.
Done weeding the yard.
Done dead-heading the geraniums.
Done with tank tops and shorts.
Done with flip flops. (I know!)
Done with spider webs EVERYWHERE.
Done with mosquito and spider bites.
Done sweating and feeling overheated.

Bring it ON-- jeans and fleeces, down comforters, beef bourguignon, fires in the fireplace, frosted window panes, pumpkins everywhere, feeling chilly while out for an evening walk, apple crisp, corn stalks, homemade hot chocolate and spiced cider, cozy socks, slippers and flannel jammies.

I'm ready.

nosh

In a small nook of a converted warehouse, off a parking lot in downtown Geneva, lies Nosh, a modern and cozy spot to eat brunch or a lovely lunch. There's a covered area for outdoor seating, and the menu leaves your mouth watering...here are some highlights:

Nosh's French Toast-challah bread soaked in a vanilla-orange zest infused batter, served with a puddle of lemon creme anglaise sauce

Huntington Beach Turkey Club-sliced roast turkey, bacon, melted cheddar, cucumber, tomato and avocado aioli on ciabatta


Mango BBQ Chicken Flat Bread-chopped chicken and bacon over a mango bbq sauce topped pita with cheddar cheese and shaved red onion

Banana's Foster Pancakes-three pancakes topped with sauteed bananas, candied pecans, dried cherries and caramel sauce

Hot Chocolate French Toast-chocolate-chunk chocolate bread stuffed with marshmallow fluff, served with chocolate ganache, topped with whipped cream and chocolate chips (bonus points if you can fit the word "chocolate" into this item two more times)



With a host of freshly squeezed juices and creative lemonades (black current or mango), Intelligentsia coffee and Mighty Leaf iced tea, there's really no need to eat anywhere else, ever.

Just kidding. The only downer to this place are the prices, pretty much everything on the menu is $8.99 and the portions aren't huge. In their defense, they do offer "tasting" portions of the breakfast items for $4.50 or so, but again, the portions aren't very large so consider it to be a true "taste" size.

My friend and I split the Nosh french toast, Mango Chicken BBQ pizza and each had the mango lemonade. The french toast was utterly delicious, mainly due to the lemon "frosting" that was so brightly tangy and refreshing that I wish they would bottle it. The flatbread pizza was just ok, we both liked the flavor but voted that it was too dry and needed more bbq sauce.




And for dessert....a tasting portion of the hot chocolate french toast. Oh baby. This was sinfully rich and, I can't believe I'm saying this, almost TOO much. Can't recommend it as a breakfast item, but it was a creative dessert. Don't think I'd get it again though.


Overall, a delightful spot that I'll be glad to visit again when I'm in the mood for a special treat. They serve breakfast all day and are open Monday-Thursday 7:30 am-2:30 pm; Friday-Sunday 7:30 am-3:30 pm.

My fellow food critics, Sam and K :)

nosh

211 James Street

Geneva, IL 60134

630.845.1570

Mmmm.

As a recent new mom, I find myself dragging in the afternoons sometimes, hankering for a little caffeine and sugar to help me through the remainder of the day. Can anyone else relate?

At $4 a pop, my favorite Starbucks foofy drink (currently a grande, non-fat, no water Chai Latte, got to stay seasonal, folks!) is not a daily or even tri-weekly option.

Meet my new afternoon friend, named Godiva.

I can highly recommend this delicious chocolate coffee drink, SO much better then the bottled Starbucks Frappichinos. Milk Chocolate, not shown here, is my favorite flavor...but they are all great. And addictive. Be warned.

$1.50 a piece at the Ultra Foods by Target in Wheaton, not bad.

Worth the trip

Take Roosevelt Rd (Rt 38) west FOREVER until you run into Rt 47. Make a left and head south for 2 miles and now you're in Elburn, the little known suburb which is also home to one of our state's hidden jewels: Ream's Elburn Meat Market.

Best known for their award-winning, house made sausages (Everything from cheddar stuffed beef hot dogs to knockwurst to amazing brats), the fabulous steaks, succulent pork and stuffed chicken breasts that await you there are at prices lower then Whole Foods and of superior quality.

A few weeks ago I loaded up a cooler with porterhouse steaks, rib eyes and filet's for S's birthday weekend up at the lakehouse. The general opinion was that these were the best steaks anyone had ever had...a pretty big complement when you think about the places we've each eaten steak at: Gibson's, the Chophouse, Joe's, and even Morton's. Of course the way they were seasoned and grilled had much to do with it, if only I could replicate my two uncle's grill secrets.

Here was our method:

An hour before grilling/searing, pull steaks out to sit until they are room temperature. Sprinkle liberally with kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Slice up a garlic clove width-wise into thin pieces. Take a small paring knife and cut small holes into the thicker cuts of meat, insert garlic pieces.

Grill over medium hot flame, flipping every five minutes until the steak reaches your desired doneness. A charcoal fire is far superior to gas as far as taste goes, and throw in some hickory chips if you have them.

Allow the steaks to rest, covered in tin foil, for about 10 minutes after removing them from the grill.

Fill up the gas tank and bring a cooler so you can stop at the Premium Outlets off Farnsworth and I-88 on your way home. :) Life is good.

The Wonders of Basil

It's that time of year again, time to break out the Cuisinart, olive oil and parmesan and get cranking!

Time to make and freeze multiple batches of PESTO! It's such a delight in mid-January to reach into the freezer and grab a bag of this emerald jewel to marinate chicken breasts in, put over pasta or just smear on toasted bread. Here's one of my favorite recipes:

Pesto alla Genovese
1 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves (packed)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts, toasted
1 teaspoon minced garlic (or you can just throw the whole cloves in)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I like Olio Santo for this recipe, or use a good Italian one)

the juice of half a lemon, more to taste

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the basil, salt, and pepper and process for a few seconds until the basil is chopped. Add the cheese, pine nuts, and garlic and, while the processor is running, add the oil in a thin, steady stream until a mostly smooth sauce is formed. Transfer pesto to a bowl and set aside. (Note: Pesto may be made 1 day in advance and kept, refrigerated, in an airtight container, until ready to use. If making in advance, be sure to cover the top of the pesto with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent the pesto from darkening. Pesto may also be frozen in the same manner in small quantities for use at a later date.)

Is it too early to break out the gourds?

I hope not.

Priceless

The moment of discovering that, you, in fact, have hands.

The Last One

I can hardly describe the utter delight that this year's Red Haven peaches have been. Sticky sweet, juice running down my chin, the pure taste of summer, bite by bite.

Highlights from the Family Vacation

1) Yes folks, that IS in fact, a bat. A nasty, furry, wriggly, clawed, bat. One afternoon a family of them decided to come visit the back of our borrowed house. They hung from the screen door, flew so low around our heads the girls screamed out of fear for our hair, landed on the umbrella, and crawled all over it like the ugliest flying gerbils you've ever seen. Ask me how I sat still in a chair underneath them to get this picture, just ask me.

2) Eating the first sno-cone I've had in years by the light of the setting sun one night, it tasted SO good. Almost as fun as watching my niece polish off the rest of it. Too cute.

3) Watching Baby S interacting with his eight cousins who love him so much!

4) Eating salt water taffy until my teeth ached: key lime pie, carmel apple, blackberry, chocolate mint, marshmallow and more.

5) Finishing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow's.

6) Getting to buy a panini maker with my share of the vacation "fun" money. S played golf twice with his share. Grilled cheese here I come!

7) Wearing jeans in late July because it was going to be 52 degrees that night. I love fall and can't wait for cooler weather!

8) Baby S's first family vacation, he did great.

Irony

Today was our weekly coffee date at Starbucks.

I had been looking forward to this time with S all week, sitting down across the table with him, breathing in the aroma from my now $4.25 decaf, grande, non-fat Carmel macciato and fighting over halves of their delicious old fashioned donut. We've been doing this for a couple years now, usually Thursday mornings are our special day. We'd show up when they opened, at 5:20 am back when I was commuting into the city, and sit there until the sun came up. Nowadays, I'll wait until Baby S wakes up and pray that he can contain himself while we sip our coffee.

Anyways, this morning I fed the baby, clothed the baby, wiped curdled spit up from off: myself, the bedspread, the changing pad, Baby S's outfit #1, Baby S's outfit #2, and then at last we were on our way. I decided to walk over because it was a beautiful morning, with the hope that I'd pre-burn off some donut calories.

We finally arrive at the local Starbucks, S comes walking up at long last and says to me, "Did you bring money?"

Hmm. Did I bring money. NO, I did NOT bring money, I'm married to a BANKER who wears a suit every day and works at the money tree where money comes from. It's not my job to think about those things, right? I worry about wiping spit up off of various surfaces. As it turns out, his wallet was back at the house.

Sigh. He shuffled his shiny banker-shoes back to the bank and returned with a $20 bill. That's my buddy.

The French Market

You MUST come if you've never been.

Downtown Wheaton, Saturday's from 8:00 am-2:00 pm, just south of the train tracks on Main Street. People come from all over to partake of the Great Harvest Breads, to smell Ari's beautiful flowers, to buy jewlery and knock off purses, and my personal favorite, Suzette's Creperie stand. They have lemon blueberry bread pudding, croque monsieur sandwiches, hot and fresh pomme frites with habenero lime dipping sauce and every kind of freshly made crepe.

The beauty of the summer fruits and vegetables overwhelmed me this weekend, it's impossible NOT to be inspired by the cherries, lusciously ripe peaches and sweet corn from just down the road.

Make sure you go early enough to buy one of Hahn's Bakery's double fist-sized, mixed berry scones. They're gone by 9:30 am. Really.

Redemption

Anyone remember this? Now, one year later, I decided I'd update the people (or person, or most probably, no one) who might wonder "Gee, did those 15 foot dogwoods ever grow back from the butchery inflicted on them?"

Yes. Yes they did, and they now almost cover the sight of our neighbors air conditioner once again.

Menu Ideas

Menu ideas for this month:

1) Grilled Teriyaki Chicken
Basmati pineapple rice
Sauteed asparagus with lemon
Trader Joe's Pot Stickers

2) Grilled BBQ Chicken (dry rub marinated then brushed with Sweet Famous Dave's sauce)
Grilled corn on the cob
Spinach salad with feta, strawberries, brioche croutons and poppy seed dressing (Or the spinach salad mix from Trader Joe's, add the strawberries)
Sweet potato oven fries (Frozen section, Trader Joe's)
Tiny cream cheese biscuits

That's it for this week, the biscuit recipe is awesome, one of my husband's favorite things. Super easy too:

Cream Cheese Biscuits
1 stick of butter, softened
1 8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened
1 cup self-rising flour
4 TB. sugar

Beat the cream cheese and butter at medium speed with a mixer until creamy. Gradually add flour and sugar at low speed until just blended.
Spoon the dough into ungreased mini muffin pans, filling them almost full.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until golden.
Serve hot with plenty of your favorite jams on the side.
Yields about 1 1/2 dozen

What to do, what to do...

I've got ripe tomatoes coming out my ears! Trying to decide what to do with them all is certainly a challenge. A lovely Insalata Caprese might come to mind, but unfortunately I have a husband who is interested in neither fresh tomatoes or fresh mozzarella. He'd end up eating a pile of basil.

So, I decided to make a big batch of salsa, perfect with El Milagro corn chips when company comes over, or even giving jars away as gifts. Here's my current favorite recipe:

Roasted Tomato Salsa

1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced

Juice from one lime, more to taste

6 tomatoes

3 jalapenos, halved lengthwise, seeded and stemmed

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, more to taste

1 TB. sugar, more to taste

In a small bowl, soak the onion in lime juice for 15 minutes. In a heavy, dry skillet over medium-high heat, roast the tomatoes 12 minutes, garlic for 3 minutes. Pulse in a food processor until slightly chunky. Transfer to a serving bowl and add onion, juice, cilantro, salt and sugar. Adjust taste. Refrigerate up to a week. Yields about 2 cups.

Favorite Moments of Summer 2007

The hot summer days are slipping away quickly, it's hard to believe summer is half over already! Here's yet another list of my favorite things experienced the past two months:

• The sublime bruschetta at an italian restaurant named Biaggi's. The perfect balance between sweet tomatoes, basil and fresh mozzarella. Similar to a Maggiano's...go if you're near one.


• Experiencing the French Market downtown Wheaton every Saturday morning...an endless array of beautiful produce, freshly baked french pastries, breads (Great Harvest's monthly pizza bread is the current fav), jewelry, linens, flowers and more. Get your morning coffee and grab a pistachio chocolate chip roll from Suzette's booth, you can't go wrong.


• Slipping into the pool after baking all afternoon in the sun. Thanks for being such a good napper for me Sam!


• Learning how to grill the perfect burger on Father's Day: Start with ground chuck. Season well with salt, pepper, garlic powder and a TB of ketchup, don't overmix or pack as you form the patties. Place patties on a medium-hot grill (about 425-450 degrees) and grill with lid open for four minutes. Flip once patties release easily, close lid and grill for four more minutes. Check temperature, once they reach 150 degrees they are perfectly medium, juicy and delicious. Serve on freshly baked, brushed with butter and grilled, Breadsmith buns.


• Uncle Julio's Mexican Restaurant. In one word: GO. Go now. Get a Sauzo Hornitas margarita on the rocks with salt, the chicken enchiladas with sour cream sauce and gorge yourself on their fresh and hot chips and salsa. It really is as good as it sounds. Located right by P.F. Chang's, just past Yorktown.


• Iced vanilla lattes in morning and a long walk under tall trees through the north side of town


• Grilled Great Harvest Popeye bread, brush it with olive oil first.


• Spending time and making conversation in the shade with precious great grandparents. It is so wonderful to have them close by and a special blessing that Sam will know them!


• Summer berries and produce in general. I am currently obsessed with white nectarines and blueberries


• Corn. Corn corn corn corn corn. Corn on the cob, corn in salads with tomatoes and basil, corn all the time, anywhere. Corn.


• Picnic suppers from Fox and Obel and weekend concerts at Millennium Park with city friends. The perfect setting for a great meal and good wine.

Remains of a Day

It was our last meal.

Our last official outing as a couple with no kids and I was determined to make the most of it. S and I headed into Chicago for breakfast at the much lauded Fox and Obel, we split orders of their challah orange french toast and the scrambled eggs with bacon and each had a caramel latte. Utter decadence--my nine month pregnant belly didn't have much room in it to store the food. Reading in the big windows overlooking Illinois Street was fun, we luxuriated in just taking our time knowing we had no agenda except to enjoy ourselves.

S was so good to me, letting me do all my favorite things: shopping along Michigan Avenue, reading books and skulking through the gossip weeklies at Borders, and finally, an early dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinders.

Its tiny write-up on Metromix nowhere NEAR does it justice. I have a friend in Delaware known to make the trip out here just for this meal. They have something called "Med Bread," their pizza dough covered in olive oil, herbs, spices and Parmesan cheese and baked so that it hangs two inches off the plate they serve it on. Then there's the small mountain of salad with their two homemade dressings served in small silver pitchers--creamy garlic and sweet poppy seed. I personally enjoy dipping the bread in the dressings, weird but delicious.

And the pizza. OH the pizza. It's like nothing you've ever experienced, more like pizza pot pie then anything else. You choose the crust (white or wheat, go with white), the sauce (veggie or meat, go with veggie...it's much better), and whether you'd like big button mushrooms baked in it. (Go with your gut on that one.) 30 minutes later, the waiter comes out with a 1 lb. bowl topped with a layer of crust, flips it over on his oven mitt onto your plate and splits in two. Voila, pizza-pot-pie oozing all over with utter deliciousness.

Only I would take a picture of it, documenting it for posterity.

Bring cash, they don't take anything else, and go early. Really, really early.

Enjoy.

eleven

Eleven pairs of flip flops. In colors that range from hot pink, to brown leather to lime green. I officially declare a moratorium on buying flip flops. No more!

Creative Hilarity

We live in Mayberry. Not really, but almost. Our town pulls out all the stops for the annual 4th of July parade, and everybody turns out for it. Literally, 70,000 of us.

As much of the Chicago area has experienced by now, the cicadas have inundated us for the past couple of weeks. Their crunchy, brown little bodies litter our yards, their beady red eyes stare down at us from the heights of the trees, and the endless BUZZZZZZZ sound of them laughing, mating, and doing whatever cicadas DO is never ending.

That is why I thought this particular float was hilarious, gigantic speakers produced their trademark continual buzz, and 12 people danced in front in cicada costumes, with legs protruding from their bellies.

I love Mayberry.

Why I haven't been posting much...

Boy, life sure has changed. For the better, for the most part, but changed forever. Baby S is hilarious but very time consuming. I'll try to be better in coming days, it's important to still "feed" the fluffy parts of life too, right?

Right.