Cookie Exchange

All of the women on our street got together this past weekend to do a cookie exchange.  Let me make this very clear - I don't bake.  I do my annual pumpkin breads and it stops there.  I CAN bake, I just choose not to.  I don't find it enjoyable, I don't like using rolling pins or anything that you measure with for that matter.  Any recipe that requires a mixer never sees the light of day.  My mom didn't really bake either.  Her brownies from the box were the bomb though.  Seriously awesome and all she'd do was follow the instructions.  She also made the pumpkin breads but that was it.  I'm sure my grandma was very sad about this because she'd bake a lot and it obviously didn't get carried down the line.  Anyway, I've established that I don't bake.

We were instructed to bring 8 dozen cookies - 1 for taste testing and the remainder for people to take home.  There would also be a prize for the most creative plating (I already knew that I wasn't even going to try and compete). While I have a lot of cookie recipes, I don't have any favorites.  I decided to try something new that I found in one of my Christmas cookbooks - Egg Nog cookies.  I know Egg Nog isn't for everyone but I love the C.F. Burger brand and think it's quite yummy.  Luckily I made the dough the night before the exchange because it took an hour just to make it.  I'm pretty sure I did it wrong too.....after you cream the butter and sugar are you supposed to keep using the mixer for the flour and remaining ingredients?  Not sure you are because I did and almost burned out my mixer.  It was hot and smelly and I had to unplug it.  I wish I were kidding.  The recipe said to "add in" the remaining ingredients so I just kept using the mixer.  Anyway, I definitely think I overworked the dough.  The next morning, the dough was hard as a rock and my wrists are still sore from rolling it out.  Ah, rolling it out.  What in the world was I thinking picking a recipe that required to be rolled and cut?  Poor Bill walked into the kitchen after his overnight shift, talked to me for about 2 minutes and then grabbed the girls and hightailed it out of the house.  He later told me that he hasn't seen me that stressed in YEARS.  The last time I was at my dad's house I found all of my mom's old cookie cutters.  She had a large selection of Christmas ones so I picked a few and got to work.  It's probably a good thing the girls weren't home because I had some choice words when the dough would stick to the inside of the cutter or I couldn't peel the dough off of the counter.  These cookies were doomed from the start.  In the end, I have no idea how many cookies I actually made.  I even ran out of time and still have about a quarter of the dough still in the fridge.  I'm pretty sure I'm just going to throw it away.  If eaten right away, while still warm, the cookies actually weren't that bad.  After they sat awhile, they weren't the greatest.  They looked nice though.

Needless to say, I didn't win for my plating presentation.  That went to someone who had shortened her Christmas tree so she used the pieces of the stump as pedestals for her gingerbread cream cheese bites.  She definitely deserved to win.  I had a great time mingling with the girls over hors d'oeurves and their yummy treats.  There were 16 of us so I came home with way too many cookies for just the three solid food eaters in the house and sent Bill to work the next day with a bag full to share with the nurses.  I would definitely do this again but next time, I'm sticking to basic drop cookies or bars or bite sized somethings!

Dinner is Served

This blog has definitely taken a turn towards family entries - okay, they are mostly about Audrey - but luckily good dinners have begun to return into our mix of meals.  Dinner still leans towards the quick and easy but here are some yummy meals we've had recently.

This first one wasn't recent actually and in fact, I promised many entries about it but never got around to it.  It might of had something to do with the fact that this was my last real meal before morning sickness kicked in full force so it's only been recently that I could think back about this dinner and not feel ill.  Here are some shots of our Cooking Extravaganza #2 with Matt and Sara.  Unfortunately, I don't remember everything that was made amymore.

Course 1 - Lobster Bisque made by Sara

Course 2 - Duck with duck fat potato confit and bacon polenta made by Matt

Course 3 - Moroccan spiced lamb chop with twice baked potato and grilled vegetables made by Bill

Course 4 - Chocolate covered strawberry ice cream bon bon with walnuts made by me

We had another foodie night with Matt and Sara right before the Fourth of July this year and we were fresh off of our Alinea dinner.  We took turns making courses again and even tried our luck at making Alinea's Hot Potato Cold Potato.  Definitely wasn't the same but for our first attempt, it wasn't too terrible either.

Course 1 - Bill's Hot Potato Cold Potato - Using a dixie cup and toothpick: cold potato and white truffle oil soup with a hot potato, crimini mushroom (since we obviously can't find black truffles at the grocery store!), chive, parmesan cheese and butter on the toothpick

Course 2 - spring mix salad with candied pecans, pears, crumbled blue cheese and homemade strawberry vinaigrette made by Bill

Course 3 - the most delicious short ribs, which happens to be from the cow we all purchased, made by Matt

served with a take on a twice baked potato and a slaw salad - both Julia Child's recipes made by Sara

Course 4 - I believe this was also a Julia Child recipe - pound cake with rum sauce and strawberries also made by Sara

This next meal is just one that Bill and I had at home recently.  There is a seafood truck - yes, a truck that sells seafood - that comes up to Iowa City from Texas about once a month and sells seafood.  I know, we were totally skeptical and slightly grossed out too (the oil spill didn't help things either), BUT, we had only heard great things so we decided to check it out and are so glad we did.  Bill bought shrimp and lump claw crab meat and decided to make crab cakes for dinner that night.  I LOVE crab cakes.  If they are ever on a menu, chances are that's what I'm ordering.  The ones he made this night were the best ones I have ever eaten.....seriously. We served the cakes with a cranberry walnut salad, biscuits which I jazzed up with cheddar cheese and fresh thyme and a mango salsa (not pictured).

This last dinner was also just something Bill and I whipped up at home a few weeks ago.  If you're a follower of this blog, you may remember my experience the first time I ever had pork belly.  Pork belly is basically the slab of meat that bacon is cut from.  Imagine bacon as a main course.  Awesome, right??  We were so excited when we found out we could buy it but we weren't sure what to do with it.  We ate at Perennial in Chicago about a year ago where they braised pork belly in red wine and then finished it on the grill so we decided to try that.  We served the pork belly with a caprese salad and celery root puree - which was SO GOOD!  We've had celery root puree a number of times - most recently at Alinea - but we'd never made it ourselves.  I highly recommend trying it - peel, cube and boil the celery root just like you would if you were making mashed potatoes.  Instead of mashing them, put them into a blender.  I actually mashed them a little first with butter and cream but I think you could just add it all straight in the blender.  Yum, yum, yum!

After writing this I wish we were having a super yummy dinner tonight instead of just leftover pizza!  Happy eating!

Cooking Extravaganza #2

....for lack of a better name.

We were over at our friends Sara and Matt's tonight and decided that we needed to have another night of cooking like we did on New Year's Eve. Last time, B and I served up courses 1 and 2 and Sara and Matt (I really want to abbreviate this to S & M for ease of typing but I think I shall refrain) had 3 and 4, the latter being dessert. This time we decided that Sara and I would be a "team", although we're not calling them teams because we are not competing, and Bill and Matt will cook together. We then drew numbers 1-4 because we didn't want to assume the ladies would be making the dessert. As it turns out, I drew #4 so it didn't matter. We also drew #2 so the boys are up 1st and 3rd. Next we drew proteins. Course #1 will be poultry, #2 beef and #3 lamb. We skipped a protein for dessert. Now I've seen bacon ice cream on Iron Chef America (and think it would probably be AWESOME - said in a sing-songy voice), but I'm not Morimoto and choose to leave some things to the professionals. The last rule is that the price cap for the protein is $15. Since the portions will be smaller I think this is doable. The extravaganza is next Saturday at M and S's (doesn't quite have the same ring) so we have a week to prepare. As always, there will be pics to follow.

Odds and Ends

I have been MIA lately because, let's be honest, I'm boring. We did eat some really good meals since I've talked to you last. We ate quail for the first time. The recipe actually called for squab but I called around and couldn't find any. A friendly neighborhood butcher recommended quail so we bought some. Those are some tiny little birds. Very tasty though and we were pleasantly surprised. I'll be interested in trying the recipe again with sqaub though. On a good note, while buying the quail, we noticed the store also had super cheap duck legs which of course we bought. We've only ever made duck breast so we're excited. We also noted that they sold whole pheasants and ducks. That may be too much food for just me and B but I can pack it away with the best of 'em.

Our good friends Sara and Matt were over for dinner early last week and we made Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Pomegranate Sauce. It was excellent and I've included the recipe below, courtesy of the Wine Lover's Cookbook by Sid Goldstein. If you're a faithful follower of this blog (HA! Who am I kidding, although if you've stuck with me this long, I'm grateful) you've heard this mentioned a couple of times and know it's on my list of Favorite Food Things. I believe that I have gotten at least 4 people to buy it - a co-worker as recently as this past Friday - and I can't recommend it enough. It's also where the above squab/quail recipe came from, this weekend we're making Grilled Lamb with Rustic Porcini Sauce and next week (I'm cheating on roulette) I've already chosen Grilled Flank Steak with Roasted Corn-Pancetta Salsa. Now if I could just find a good supplier for veal we'd be set for another handful of the book's recipes.

Sara and Matt are going to be our 1/4 of a cow buddies. Sara is trying to get us the hook up. I'm also hoping to get a 1/4-1/2 of a pig and 1/2 of a lamb. I think our deep freezer will readily step up to the challenge. Speaking of pig, I can't remember if I mentioned this after B's parent's were here but I had pork belly for the first time when we all went out to dinner. Holy God Almighty YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I sent my compliments to the chef because I was loving this stuff. It was served with scallops and maybe some fruity type sauce? Honestly, all I really remember was the fatty bacon-like pork belly and it was all I could do to keep myself from picking the pieces up with my hands and licking my fingers. I think I have a new obsession.

On to the important stuff.....the WLCB (get it, Wine Lover's Cookbook? I love it!) said to serve this with couscous. Not being big couscous fans (B calls it crapcrap) we made a creamy risotto instead and think it was a great match. The only thing missing was a vegetable. Maybe serve with a wedge salad? Chunky blue cheese dressing, diced tomatoes and bacon bits.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Pomegranate Sauce
Recommended wine: Pinot Noir
Marinade:

• 1/3 c red wine
• 3/4 T olive oil
• 1 T crushed star anise pods
• 2 T chopped shallots
• 1/4 t ground allspice
• 1/3 t ground black pepper

2 pork tenderloins (about 2 1/2 lbs)
Sauce:

• 2 T chopped shallots
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 c Pinot Noir
• 1/2 c port
• 2 T raspberry vinegar
• 1/4 t whole mixed peppercorns
• 1/4 c pomegranate concentrate (look in the health food aisle, that's where I found it)
• 1/2 c orange juice
• 1 1/2 c chicken stock
• 3 whole star anise pods
• 1 t honey
• 2 tablespoons room temp butter
• salt and pepper

garnish: mint sprigs

To make marinade, combine all ingredients in a large, sealable plastic bag and mix thoroughly. Add pork. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours. Remove pork and pat dry. Reserve marinade for basting.

To make sauce, in a large saute pan or skillet over medium heat, saute shallots in oil for 2-3 minutes. Do not brown. Add the wine, port, vinegar and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half. Add pomegranate concentrate, orange juice, stock and anise and continue simmering until reduced by half again. Add honey. Remove from heat, remove anise and swirl in butter. Season to taste and keep warm.

Sear pork on hot grill for 3 minutes per side (we did 2 sides, not 4 and closed the lid the whole time) and then place in indirect heat (warming rack if your grill has one, if not, turn off one or two burners and move the meat to that side of the grill) until a thermometer reads 150 degrees, again closing the lid. Baste occasionally. Let rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice.

To serve, plate risotto and place pork slices on top. Top with sauce and garnish with mint sprigs. Serves 4.

Risotto

• 1 1/2 c risotto
• 2 T chopped shallots
• 3/4 c white wine
• 2 T butter
• 5-6 c chicken stock (room temperature or hot)
• 2 handfuls parmeggiano-reggiano

In a large sauce pot over medium to medium high heat, melt butter. Add shallots and saute 3-4 minutes. Don't brown. Add risotto and roast 4 mintues. Add wine (this may steam up) and stir until absorbed. Turn heat up to high to bring to a boil. In 1/2 cup increments, add chicken stock and stir until absorbed. Keep doing so until risotto is creamy and sticky and not crunchy if you try a piece. Once ready, stir in cheese. This process takes about 30 minutes.

Menu Roulette

When it comes to our dinners, B and I are pretty structured. We (mostly me) will sit down on Saturday or Sunday and write out our menu for the week. From this, we create our shopping list. If we didn't do this, we would never have the proper ingredients on hand and the meat wouldn't be thawed* so we'd end up going out to eat and spending a ton of money. This also prevents multiple trips to the grocery store - instead, we just go once. We found that we were choosing the same recipes over and over again and not forcing ourselves to try anything new. Introducing menu roulette. Now, instead of just picking and choosing what we'll have, I take out all of our cookbooks, including a stack of random recipes, and open each one to a page. Whatever I land on or pull out of the stack is a dinner for the week. I won't lie, I've taken a few mulligans but for the most part, it's working very well. If we land on something we've already had, we pick again. My goal is to try every recipe in each of the books. This is also helping us save a ton of money. We only went out for dinner once in the month of January and I anticipate that again for February. As you know, we love us a good dinner out but at $50+ a pop, it ain't worth it. Spice up your routine a little and try menu roulette yourself - a co-worker has and so far she's digging it.

*We buy 99% of our meat in bulk from Sam's Club about 3 times a year. When we get home, we break down the packages into serving sizes, vacuum seal and freeze. We are looking into buying a stand alone freezer to keep in the garage and found one that we like. I could buy more ice cream then too!

Grounds for Divorce

Aside from the obvious such as adultery or abuse, Bill and I have grounds for divorce. Well, only one actually, we used to have two but forgot one. If either of us becomes a vegetarian (doctor's orders due to health reasons excluded) it's grounds for divorce. You may laugh or be disgusted in shock but it's true. Bill feels more strongly about this than I do because he has a saying - a meal without meat is just a snack. I, on the other hand, am more than content to have cereal or a grilled cheese for dinner. (Side note for the remainder of my blogging days - if ever discussing "meat" in general, it likely means any protein including fish.) It sometimes becomes a sticking point for us because he's so adamant about it. It can be hard to whip up a meat meal at 9:00 on a Saturday night. Just give me my Raisin Bran. I do, however, have a very strong love for meat. Did you see when Jessica Simpson wore that "Real Girls Eat Meat" shirt that she bought from a Texas steakhouse? Now, I have friends - some of whom I am very close - that are vegetarians so I would never wear a shirt that said that. I am also not one to go around purposely offending people but I have to admit, I thought the shirt was cool. Bill and I have already talked about what will happen if one of our children wants to become a veg (it's just easier to type) or is allergic to any foods for that matter. After a very quick chat, we decided that adoption would be the best option. KIDDING. Allergies aside because we can't control that, we plan on bringing our kids into the kitchen at as early an age as possible to teach them about food and cooking. We hope that if they grow up involved and with an appreciation for all foods, that they will be more open. Maybe one would even go on to be a world famous chef. Our only fear is that we'll turn them into such food and wine snobs that they'll die in college. (Yes, this was a serious conversation we had. Now you can imagine what dinner's like at our house - fun!) I think if done right, and if we're good parents, they'll be good kids and understand that what type of food you eat doesn't make you better than anyone else because food, afterall, is ultimately just sustenance for energy and life that all people share. 2 am pizza and beer included.

V-Day Top Chef Style

I can't even begin to tell you how much fun we had doing this. It didn't hurt that the food turned out really well too. To recap, Bill and I drew proteins - B drew fish, I drew pork. We kept our dishes a secret until after we were done grocery shopping yesterday. Bill gets credit for coming up with his course on his own, without the help of a recipe. I used a Top Chef recipe (Richard Blais season 4) for inspiration but changed it up a bit with my own greens and some other substitutions. We served Delta Vineyards Pinot Noir.

Bill's course - Three fish three ways at three temperatures: Salmon sashimi over rice with a ginger lime soy sauce, seared yellowfin tuna encrusted in sesame and poppy seeds over a mixed greens salad with a honey ginger balsamic vinegarette and parmigiano-reggiano encrusted baked cod with roasted rosemary squash and zucchini.

My course - Braised BBQ and coffee pork shoulder in an apple cider reduction with bacon and onion brussel sprouts and cilantro, corn and white truffle oil salad.

Course 3 - Toasted coconut and honey pecans over sauteed bananas with ice cream and homemade caramel sauce. And coffee, of course.

Bill wins for creativity. I loved his lime ginger soy sauce and the tuna was my favorite of the three. I definitely think we'll be making that again. Overall, my dish won for it's flavor. It was excellent and the meat was so tender, we couldn't believe it was pork.

We think we're going to start doing this regularly, possibly even once a month. It really forces you to try new things and go outside of your comfort zone. Bill had an idea for next time that we would again draw proteins but that the other person will tell you what dish you're going to make. I like it.

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is this Saturday and we actually don't celebrate the holiday but we do use it as an excuse to have an awesome dinner. Last year we did the prix fixe dinner at Atlas and it was actually really, really good. We were very pleasantly surprised and agreed to make it a tradition. That was before we knew what the word "budget" meant. Now, while we'd love to spend $150 for deliciousness, we really shouldn't. Instead, I think we're going to go Top Chef. Bill had the idea to write down proteins (lamb, duck, beef, fish, etc.), put them into a hat and we'll each draw one. We will have to make an entree based on our protein and then we'll collaborate on a dessert. A fun, 3-course meal on the cheap. Or at least cheaper than $150.

We did a similar thing with our good friends Matt and Sara for New Year's Eve this year.

Faced with the prospect of spending around $200/couple for a prix fixe dinner, we decided to stay in instead. Each couple took two courses and it was a blast.

Laura & Bill course #1 - Lemon shrimp over roasted garlic and goat cheese risotto with tomatoes. A slightly modified recipe from the Wine Lover's Cookbook.

Laura & Bill course #2 -Broiled lobster tail over a crab cake and bed of spinach with a spicy remoulade sauce.

Sara & Matt course #3 - Fennel crusted pork chop in an apple cider reduction with apple fennel salad and raisin emulsion paired with artichoke risotto. A Top Chef recipe.

This course was my fave and I am not ashamed.

Sara & Matt course #4 - Molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream paired with Little Death by Hot Chocolate with Godiva liquor and homemade chocolate whipped cream.

I'm excited to see what creations Bill and I come up with this weekend!!

My Favorite Food Things (Again)

This post has been around the block a few times but I still love it so I will post it yet again. So, for the third time, here is my post of my favorite food things with a few additions....

If you know me at all, you know I have a slight obsession with all things food. I do, it's true. It's embarrassing actually. I have told co-workers that I think I'm the only one at the gym who runs on the treadmill while watching Food Network. What's worse is that I eat more than most men I know. I've seriously been out to eat with guys who will say "I'll have the lettuce" and I'll, in turn, order one of everything. This really happened a while back but it involved sushi. Ah, sushi. I order 3-4 rolls for myself and that may or may not include the miso soup, salad and complimentary edamame. What you may not know about me is that eating is a hobby. Not some emotional, I eat because I'm not loved, hobby. An actual, I appreciate good food in all its glory, hobby. Now, that's not to say I don't also really appreciate Taco Bell, specifically, the double-decker taco supreme, nachos supreme and bean burritos with no onions. Not only do I appreciate good food, I also really enjoy cooking. There's just something about sipping some amazing red wine, listening to jazz and creating a masterpiece over your gas stove. To say that cooking can be an aphrodisiac is an understatement. Cook me a fabulous dinner and I'm yours. Hell, I'll cook for you, same thing. I decided to write up a list of my favorite food things, not that you care, but I'm using this as a journal of sorts for myself. So here I go in no particular order:

• Ratatouille - the movie not the food, although I have had some killer ratatouille, this is honest to God my favorite movie now. I want Little Chef.
• Wine Lover's Cookbook by Sid Goldstein– aka Bill's best Christmas present to himself. It was for me, of course. Hands down the best cookbook in the world. It revolutionized the way Bill and I eat, cook and drink wine. Fabulous!

• Raw oysters on the half shell with a hint of horseradish in the cocktail sauce
• Hand-packed burgers grilled medium rare. In Iowa City, I recommended Sluggers (RIP Sluggers - victim of Flood 2008). In St. Louis – the best burger I have EVER had is at O'Connell's Pub. Did I mention that it was only $5?
• 8 oz. dry-aged filet mignon cooked medium - always hoping it's slightly medium rare
• Francis Ford Coppola's Sofia Blanc de Blancs – sparkling white wine, slightly sweet, not dry. Can get it in (gasp!) a can for romantic picnics.
• Mashed potatoes - never artificial. Even better if they're made with whole cream and have a touch of garlic.
• Porcini mushrooms
• Portobello mushrooms and their mini-me Crimini mushrooms.
• Rachael Ray's 365 No Repeats cookbook and Just in Time cookbook. Honestly, for anyone who wants to break into the cooking thing and have some really excellent meals. I highly recommend these. This is how I got my start.

• My gas stove. I'll never own an electric range again.
• Balsamic vinegar
• Crusty soft bread paired with a personal dipping bowl of extra-virgin olive oil with parmigiano-reggiano cheese and freshly ground pepper. Thanks to my sister-in-law, an almost nightly event in my house.
• Parmigiano-reggiano
• Seghesio Zinfandel Sonoma County
• Duck breast – I have an amazing recipe from Wine Lover's CB if anyone is interested.
• Lamb chops grilled medium rare – ditto
• Sam's Club because they seem to understand and value my obsession, allowing me to buy all of my favorite foods for a mere fraction of the Hy-Vee price. Not to mention, their wine selection is pretty good.
• Binny's Beverage Depot in my beloved Chicago because they understand my need for quality wine.
• Napa Valley/Sonoma – one of the best vacations ever and I can't wait to go back
• Freshly ground pepper and salt
• Fresh herbs but I love my dried ones just the same
• Shallots – I had no idea what they were until R Ray but I use them all the time now
• Jazz because a meal is never complete without some sweet music
• Bordeaux – a must with a good steak
• Sam Adam's Light
• Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab and no, this is NOT Joe's Crab Shack. That's the one thing I'll get pissy about. I've never been to a restaurant that can do both a great steak AND great seafood but this place has gone above and beyond.
• Stone crab – harvested between October and May of each year, fisherman only take one claw from each crab and throw them back to regenerate. Eaten cold with a yummy mustard sauce. Delish!
• Whole beef tenderloins. We get these from Sam's and carve them ourselves. We usually get 6-7 filets mignons, 1 roast and enough extra meat (called chain meat) to make 2 meals of fajitas or Philly cheesesteaks. Much more economical than buying all of that separately – trust me.
• Toasted walnuts
• Ice cream – best dessert there is. Specifically, pralines and cream. I'll take ice cream over any cake, pie or crème brulee you can throw at me. The best ice cream I've ever had is right here in Iowa City – Heyn's on 1st Ave. If I ever live in a different city, I will pay to have them ship me some in dry ice. I'm not kidding.
• Buttercream icing – the old school kind that is kind of crunchy and is so sweet it makes your teeth hurt. None of this creamy, whipped icing they make today. Blah!
• My cookbook holder. It's my friend.
• Large bamboo cutting boards
• Good knives, especially my Furi Santoku knife
• Iron Chef America and the original
• Good Eats – Alton Brown is goofy but is a genius
• Throwdown with Bobby Flay
• Goat cheese
• Sushi – Oyama is the best in Iowa City followed by Takanami
• Mexican – In Toledo, Ventura's and Magdalena's. For the number of Mexican restaurants in Iowa City, none of them really do it for me.
• Thai food – one of the things I miss most about Chicago, although, Osha in San Francisco is the best ever.
• My mother-in-law's Filipino turon – bananas and cheese wrapped in pastry dough and fried. I think she's appalled at how many I eat when she makes them.
• Cherry cobbler a la mode
• Frushi – fruit sushi at Orange in Chicago
• Peanut sauce
• Mint mojitos – In Iowa City, I recommend Atlas, especially when they use spearmint
• Wendy's fries, and as an honorable mention, Wendy's fries dipped in a Frosty
• General Tso's Chicken - the best is at No. 1 Chinese in Columbus on High St.
• In-N-Out Burger
• Chipotle
• Big breakfasts on the weekend, homemade or at Hamburg Inn in Iowa City
• Seattle’s Best coffeeshops
• Caribou Coffee's specialty drinks – Turtle Tracks and Campfire Mocha are my faves.
• Intelligensia coffee
• Java House in Iowa City - their German Chocolate Mocha latte is like heaven
• Bacon sandwiches – that's it, just bacon on buttered toast.
• Bacon, egg and cheese bagel sandwiches from McDonalds or Bruegger's Bagels. Not necessarily because they are high quality, because they're not, but because they fulfill my breakfast comfort food requirement.
• St. Francis vineyard – my favorite stop in wine country
• Water with a cucumber slice – so much more refreshing than lemon water. You have to try it!
• Anything my mom makes
• Italian sausage
• The McDonald's menu song – you know, Big Mac, McDLT, a Quarter Pounder with some cheese…. I'm mostly just impressed that I can still sing the whole thing. Try me.
• The now defunct Café Luciano's in Chicago – best Italian food paired with live jazz and cigar lounge. What more could you ask for? Has anyone been to their location in Evanston?
• Foie gras - best I've had is at Pangea in Toronto
• Coconut shrimp with an orange remoulade
• Red beans and rice at Remoulade's in New Orleans
• Rain in Toronto - this is the restaurant featured on Food Network HD's Made to Order. The most amazing food experience I've ever had. Too ridiculous to even try to explain.
• After an awesome meal, smoking a great cigar on our patio with port or coffee
• Sour cream
• Tabasco's Habenero or mild Jalapeno sauce
• Caramel sauce
• Chocolate truffles - in Iowa City, Motley Cow makes them on site for dessert. They are awesome!
• Marco's Pizza - headquartered in Toledo and a location up in Cedar Rapids!! - you'd think that I would have found better pizza living in Chicago but not being a deep dish fan, that was not the case. Marco's wins hands down every time. I recommend the crust toppers.
• Fat Tire beer
• Ken's Chunky Blue Cheese dressing - a must with hot wings
• Imo's Pizza in St. Louis
• Skyline Chili from Cincinnati
• The Hummus Yummus omelet from The Local Yolk in Manhattan Beach, CA - sun dried tomatoes, goat cheese, green onions, spicy hummus and diced tomatoes. Sounds weird but it was SO good.

End of the list for now…. I'll keep adding bullets as I think of them. So do I sound like a food snob? Maybe. Do I care? Not really because I know that it's not that I'm a food snob, because trust me I'll eat anything, it's just that I seek out and appreciate good food. It's all subjective, of course, what I like is totally different than the next guy. I have a food motto, I'll try anything once. It kills me when people won't even try a food because they claim not to like it and yet, shocker, they've never even had it. I'm sorry, but you're missing out. Give it one chance and if you don't like it then fine, gloat because you were right, but you just may discover your next favorite food.