I’m moving…

…moving to a new website!

 

I’m taking the next step my blog evolution by using my own domain. I hope that you will continue to follow me at my new website, adeliciousadventure.com

Happy Pi Day!

Needless to say, with the crazy schedule my life has had lately, my delicious food blog went silent for a few months. For that, I apologize. I hope to pick up the pace in April when my new muse, culinary school, takes a hold of me. Last night, however, I brushed the dust of my shoulders, rolled up my sleeves, and partook in one of my greatest foodie rituals – making pie for Pi Day.

Every year when March 14th rolls around, I try to expand my pastry horizons just a bit further by creating a pie a little more special than the last. To me, this is how I pay homage to the first pastry (and food) I have ever made, the pie that set the trajectory of my life. This year I opted to make not only an amazing apple pie, I also ventured into the savory territory of meat pie.

With that, I present to you my Chicken Pot Pi. I chose the ninja to be my pie icon because the taste of bacon kicks in right at the end of each bite. Thank you, black forest bacon infused crust.

Chicken Pot Pi

Pie Crust Ingredients:

• 4 ounces of regular cream cheese ( not reduced fat)
• 4 tbs. unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 tbs. bacon fat
• 2 slices of thick-cut bacon (I bought black forest bacon from Whole Foods)
• 1 cup all-purpose flour (unbleached if possible)
• 1 tbs. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Pie Filling Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, diced into 1/2″ cubes
• 2 tbs. grapeseed or vegetable oil
• 1 large russet potato, diced into 1/2″ cubes
• 2 carrots, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup frozen peas (not canned)
• 2 tbs. butter (doesn’t matter if it’s salted or unsalted)
• 2 tbs. all-purpose flour
• 2 1/4 cups milk (not skim)
• black pepper to taste
• salt to taste (You can up the ante by using truffle salt like I did!)

Culinary Dance Steps:

1. Cook your bacon until nice and crispy. When the bacon is cooked, chop up the bacon into very small bits. Save the 2 tbs. of fat in the pan, making sure to try and not include the burned bits from the pan.
2. For the pie crust, using a hand mixer, mix the cream cheese, butter, and bacon fat. Then add the bacon bits.
3. Add the flour, sugar, and salt to the mix. Mix only until the batter begins to clump into little balls.
4. Using your hands, quicklypress the dough into a ball.
   • If the dough is a bit sticky to the touch, manually knead in more flour a couple tablespoons at a time, until your dough is still moist but not sticky.
   • If the dough is too crumbly and won’t stick together, manually knead in a tablespoon of water. Repeat until dough is moist, but not sticky.
5. Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for about an hour.
6. While the dough is chilling, boil the chopped potatoes in carrots in a medium saucepan for 5-10 minutes, until they are slight tender (not soft or mushy). Drain and set aside.
7. Heat a large frying pan with the 2 tbs. of oil on med-high heat. Add chicken, and cook completely.
8. Set aside the cooked chicken, and save the cooked chicken juices in the pan!
9. Using the same frying pan with the chicken juices in it, lower the heat to med-low, and add the butter.
10. When the butter has melted, mix in the flour until a paste forms, and let cook for 1 minute. (Woohoo, you’ve made a rue!)
11. Remove the pan from heat. While constantly whisking the rue, add all of the milk. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.
12. Return the pan to heat, and let it simmer for ~10 minutes. The sauce will reduce and thicken. Remove from heat.
13. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the boiled vegetables, cooked chicken, frozen peas, and milk sauce. Add pepper and salt to taste.
14. Pour the finished filling into a 9″ pie pan or baking dish. Set aside.
15. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
16. Take out your dough ball, and roll out the dough to 1/8th inch thickness. If the dough starts to stick to the rolling surface or roller pin, sprinkle a little flour on the dough.
17. Use a cooking cutter to make a shape in the dough. This will serve as a vent for the pie.
18. Place the rolled pie crust on top of the pie filling in the pan. Tuck the edges of the dough under to fit in the pan.
19. Bake for 30 minutes, until the filling is hot and the crust is golden brown.
20. Let sit for 15 minutes.

Treasure Hunting for Esscoffier

Who doesn’t love the hunt for treasure?

On November 12 (this Saturday) from 8:00am – 2:00pm, Chicago’s NAHA restaurant (300 N. Clark) will be hosting a top chef culinary garage sale  featuring ” ‘treasures’ (think glassware, menus, artwork) and kitchen tools and equipment (knives, saute pans, etc.) from noted chefs’ restaurants throughout the country, including Grant Achatz’s Alinea, Rick Bayless’ test kitchen and Frontera Grill, NAHA and Charlie Trotter’s, as well as cookbooks galore and Abby Mandel’s cookie-cutter collection. (Chicago Tribune, Nov. 8, 2011)”

Bring your cash, everyone, because it’s “Cash and Carry” only.

In addition the garage sale, top pastry chefs all around Chicago will gather to sell their treats as part of an old-fashioned bake sale. ” treats from Hoosier Mama Paula Haney, Café des Architectes Patrick Fahy, Bittersweet’s Judy Contino, Gale Gand, Hot Chocolate’s Mindy Segal, Nightwood’s Matthew Rice, Prairie Fire’s Sarah Stegner, Publican’s Sam Radov and Vanille Patisserie’s Keli Fayard, plus such sweet spots as Bake, Convito Café & Market, Eli’s Cheesecake, Flora, Floriole, Fox and Obel, French Pastry School, Les Dames D’Escoffier, Lucilia’s Homemade, NAHA, Nicole’s Crackers, Rustic Tarts, Sweet Girl Desserts, Tekla Cheese, Two Birds and Vie. (Chicago Tribune, Nov. 8, 2011)”

Best of all, all the proceeds benefit Les Dames d’Escoffier Chicago Scholarship and the Green City Market Farmer Education Programs.

You’ll find me at NAHA’s door at 7:50am with a cup of hot cider and my giddy foodie shoes on. Oh yes, I’m going to be “that” lady.

Foodspotting Eatup: Chicago Cupcake Crawl!

Looking for a fun way to satisfy your sweet tooth on Saturday, November 12th?

Join fellow me and fellow Foodspotters on a fun Chicago Cupcake Crawl taking place on Saturday, November 13th from 1:00 – 3:00pm!

 

We will be visiting three fantastic cupcake shops in the Chicago downtown area. Feel free to come adorned in your cupcake-styled apparel! Most enthusiastic cupcake fan will get their first cupcake on me.

 

Stop #1: Sugar Bliss Cake Shop (115 N. Wabash Street)
http://www.sugarblisscakes.com/
With each moist cupcake adorned with their signature Sugar Bliss bloom, you’ll find decadent flavors there on Saturday such as Chocolate Peppermint, Strawberry Dream, Cinnamon Carrot, along with a special seasonal flavor! I’ve used their cupcake as this Eatup’s featured picture (see above).

Stop #2: Magnolia Bakery (108 N State Street)

http://www.magnoliabakery.com/

This bakery is noted by Chicago Scene Magazine as the “newbie” of Chicago’s “trifecta” of cupcakes shops.Their vintage decor matches perfectly with the homemade desserts offered – fresh-baked cakes, pies, cookies, brownies and bars, cheesecakes, fresh breakfast muffins, their famous banana pudding and, of course, cupcakes!

Stop #3: Crumbs Bakeshop (303 W Madison Street)
www.crumbs.com
Last stop offers a wide variety of cupcakes in all different sizes! If you’re feeling brave, you can get their signature cupcake that’s 4.25″ in diameter. Perfectly formed. Lovely to look at. Delicious toeat.

 

 

WHAT IS FOODSPOTTING?
Foodspotting is a website and free app for the iPhone, Android, Windows Phone and BlackBerry that helps you find good food wherever you are. Search for what you crave and recommend dishes you love simply by snapping a pic! Visit http://foodspotting.com/

If you don’t already have the app, download it here: http://www.foodspotting.com/apps

Be sure to RSVP by clicking on the following link!
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=307310689285111&view=wall

P.S. Friends and family are welcome. The more the merrier!

It’s raining apples

With apple season in full swing, a couple of weeks ago I ventured to a quaint winery/apple orchard called Lemon Creek to visit Michigan’s apple scene. Lemon Creek is open during the warm months with a variety of fruits seasoning throughout the orchard. From sweet cherries starting in June to grapes and apples wrapping up the fall season, you can pick plums, peaches, nectarines, blueberries, and apricots in between! I’ve frequented this place many times as child, but now that I’m a big kid…I get to taste wine too.

There are two main buildings to the estate – the “wine tasting room” and the “farm market”. My logic was that apple picking would be much more fun (not that it’s not fun already) with a little wine buzzing in the brain. So first stop: The Wine Tasting Room.

Inside the room, there are two main stations were you can taste 5 wines of your choice for $10. You also get a souvenir wine glass.

 Their accolades of wine medals and plaques was quite impressive.

…

A slight buzz later, it’s onward to the main event! The second stop was the Farm Market, where they have tractor trolleys that take everyone out to the fruit orchard.

Here you pick up your empty baskets and begin the apple adventure. When I went, honey crisp, rome, macintosh, and empire apples were available along with a few different types of grapes for wine-making.

Apples were practically raining from the trees. It was glorious.

Grocery store apples can never beat orchard-picked. These are much more crisp, juicy and flavorful – not powdery at all.

Their grape vineyards span for MILES. They tasted nothing like the grapes in the grocery stores.

The grapes’ skins are much thicker and have a tang to their taste, but the actual grape meat is sweet like candy.

It was a wonderful day to pick apples, with the sun shining down and not a cloud in the sky. One thing to note, though. Wine tasting before apple picking may result in excessive apple picking. Between my man and I, we ended up picking 40 pounds!

Apple recipes to come, so stay tuned!

Chicago Foodspotting Kimpton Scavenger Hunt

Grab your forks, folks! Foodspotting is doing another fun scavenger hunt in Chicago. Click on the link for more details: http://www.foodspotting.com/blog/posts/242-spot-fast–kimpton-chicago-scavenger-hunt

The challenge? Be among the first five foodspotters to complete the hunt and you will be rewarded handsomely, as follows…

1st Prize Overnight stay at Hotel Burnham with dinner for two at the Atwood Café.
2nd Prize Complimentary dinner for two at 312 Chicago.
3rd Prize Complimentary brunch for four at South Water Kitchen.
4th Prize Complimentary lunch for two at Sable Kitchen and Bar.
5th Prize Complimentary lunch for two at Encore Liquid Lounge.

 

To participate, spot one of your favorite dishes or drinks at each of the five restaurants listed below between Monday, October 17th and Monday, October 24th. All five locations must be spotted to qualify.

Encore Liquid Lounge
312 Chicago
Atwood Café
South Water Kitchen
Sable Kitchen and Bar

Why check off just one dish from your Want list when you can sample an array from five of Chicago’s top restaurants? May the fastest spotters win!

Good luck!

Baked Breakfast

I’ve been exploring the idea of making healthy breakfasts ahead of time by making a big batch of [insert breakfast food here] and reheating it throughout the week. Sometimes cold cereal just doesn’t cut it. Who doesn’t like a warm breakfast in the morning?

Although muffins and breakfast cakes may come to mind when thinking of baked breakfast, I’m thinking instead of breakfast casseroles. I know that “casserole” can be such a dirty word when you consider all the awful “Betty Homemaker” recipes. I usually envision a dolled-up housewife with zero cooking skills that tries to make something special out of all the fancy kitchen equipment she never uses…and voila, a casserole is the result.I think the worst casserole I’ve heard of to-date is a Cheesy Ham and Banana Casserole. Paula Deen, have you actually tasted your own creation?? Because I have a sneaking suspicion that you didn’t based on reviews. But I digress…

Usually a baked breakfast casserole will have egg, potato, veggies, and meat (either ham, sausage, or cooked bacon). Athough this combination in baked form is quite tasty, I am not fond of reheating cooked egg. Instead I have discovered that baked oatmeal that is not only very delicious, but filling and healthy. Oats, milk, fruit – simple to make, good for storing, yummy for eating. Adapting a recipe from the book Super Natural Every Day:

Baked Berry and Peach Oatmeal

Ingredients:

2 cups of Quaker Old-Fashioned rolled oats (not instant or quick oats)

1 cup of almond slivers

1/3 cup of sugar

1 tsp of baking powder

1/2 tsp of salt

1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon

1/4 tsp of nutmeg

1/2 tsp of ground ginger

2 tsp of fresh lemon zest

2 1/2 cups of milk (vanilla soy milk can be used too)

1 egg

2 tbs. of unsalted butter, melted + extra for greasing pan

2 tsp of pure vanilla extract

2 large ripe peaches, peeled and sliced into wedges

2 cups of fresh mixed berries

Maple syrup (optional)

Culinary Dance Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Generously grease a 9″ baking dish with butter.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, half the almonds, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. (You can also mix this ahead of time in a ziploc bag and store.)
4. In another large bowl, mix together the egg and melted butter. Then add milk, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.
5. Line the greased baking dish with sliced peaches.
6. Spoon 2/3rds of the fresh berries evenly over the peaches.
7. Pour all of the dry oat mixture on top of berries. Make sure the dry oats and spices are thoroughly mixed before pouring, or else you’ll end up with uneven flavor.
8. SLOWLY pour milk mixture over the oats, and firmly tap the bottom of baking dish against the counter to loosen air bubbles and let the milk fill in all the space between the oats.
9. Gently pat the wet oat mix on top with a spatula to make sure all the oats are somewhat submerged in the milk. The oats shouldn’t be swimming in milk.
10. Spread the remaining berries and almonds over the top.
11. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the mixture has set and the top is a nice golden brown.
12. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
13. Drizzle with a little maple syrup before eating.

Top of the morning to you too! (^_^)

A Tale of Two Goulashes

Tonight I was in a “noodles” mood. I craved Italian and Thai at the same time (because that’s normal, right?). Seeing that it would be difficult to eat both cuisines in one restaurant, I bounced into the kitchen to whip up something tasty. I decided to turn my classic recipe of Italian goulash into an Asian version with Thai flair.

I shall dub this adventure: A Tale of Two Goulashes. (I can feel everyone rolling their eyes just now at my cheesiness…)

Tale #1: Italian Goulash

Ingredients:

Enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom of your pan

4 cloves of garlic, minced

~ 1 lb. of sirloin ground beef (or ground turkey for a healthier option)

1 1/2 cups of sliced mushrooms

1 cup of diced green bell pepper

1/4 cup of fresh basil, minced*

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, minced*

5 cups of water**

2 6 oz. cans of tomato paste**

1 1/4 cup of noodles

2 tsp. of smoked paprika

2 tsp. of black pepper

2 tbs. of Worcestershire sauce

1/8 cup of sugar

sea salt to taste

* Dry herbs can be substituted if you don’t have fresh.

** If you have a jar of pasta sauce, you can use that instead of the tomato paste. In this case, use 1.5 cups of water instead of 5 cups.

Culinary Dance Steps:

1. In a large sauté pan or pot on medium-high heat, heat up oil and add garlic. Cook garlic by stirring it around until it starts to give off an aroma (about 1 minute)
2. Add ground beef / turkey and brown meat. Add mushrooms, bell peppers, and fresh herbs when meat is almost completely cooked.
3. Stir in water and tomato paste, also adding spices, sugar, Worcestershire sauce. Make sure that everything is mixed thoroughly before proceeding.
4. Stir in noodles and turn down heat to medium-low.
5. Let noodle mixture simmer for about 20 minutes with the pan partially covered by the lid. About 5 minutes for time is up, add salt to taste and adjust spices to your liking.
6. When noodles are cooked, cover pan with lid and let sit for 5-10 minutes.

Tale #2: Thai Goulash

Ingredients:

8 oz. package of woon sen glass noodles (Thai bean thread)

Enough vegetable oil to coat a wok or medium-large pot

4 cloves of garlic, minced

~ 1 lb. of ground pork (ground turkey for a healthier option, shrimp for a fancier option)

1 1/2 cups of sliced mushrooms

1 cup of fresh Thai basil leaves (roughly chopped if leaves are large)*

1/8 cup fish sauce

2 tsp. of white pepper

2 fresh Thai “Prik kee nu” chile peppers, roughly chopped (optional if you can’t handle spicy)

1/4 cup of diced red onion

1 cup of cherry tomatoes

2 limes, sliced into wedges

* Cinnamon basil can be substituted is Thai basil isn’t available.

Culinary Dance Steps

1. Soak glass noodles in a large bowl water for 1 hour. Make sure the noodles are completely submerged.
2. In a wok or medium-large pot on medium-high heat, heat up oil and add garlic. Cook garlic by stirring it around until it starts to give off an aroma (about 1 minute)
3. Add ground pork / turkey / shrimp and brown meat. Add mushrooms, red onion, Thai chiles, and Thai basil when meat is almost completely cooked. If you use shrimp for this dish, be aware that it cooks much quicker than the other meats. 1 cup of basil may seem like a lot, but it will shrink as it cooks.
4. Add white pepper and fish sauce. Stir mixture, cooking for about 5 minutes.
5. Add tomatoes and cook for about 2-3 minutes.
6. Add glass noodles and cook for about 5 minutes, constantly stirring and mixing.
7. Turn off heat and let stand for 5 minutes.
8. Serve with wedges of lime and extra fish sauce on the side

The result of my cooking escapade were two dishes that were Goulash-ly Good.

Is it too soon to start cracking Halloween jokes? Never!

Who has two thumbs and is an official Foodspotting ambassador?

This girl.

That’s right, folks. It’s fresh off the virtual presses!

Today, Foodspotting announced their nationwide ambassador team. After reviewing countless applications and phone interviews, the Foodspotting team selected 10 peeps all over the nation to represent the brand. You’re looking at the Chicago, IL ambassador (bottom row, center picture). WOO!

The full article can be found on the Foodspotting blog.

I am one step closer to my culinary dream.

Lessons in Chocolate

“A balanced diet is one piece of chocolate in each hand.” Well said, Chef Roby of the All Chocolate Kitchen.

While strolling around Geneva, IL this afternoon I happened upon a corner chocolate shop that was full of hustle bustle. What stood out and made me want to go in? There was a giant astronaut made entirely of chocolate waving at me from inside.

Adorned with chocolate sculptures of a T-Rex, Hawks hockey player, and an astronaut, the All Chocolate Kitchen was cozy with townies enjoying a cup of gelato or morsels of chocolate. Walls were educating customers the important life lesson: “Eat dessert first!” On displays for fall were sugar sculptures of plump pumpkins and fall leaves on the trees. It was magical wonderland of sweets for kids and adults alike.

Even more beautiful than the room displays were the tiny pieces of truffle artwork in the brightly lit cases. Each chocolate truffle was hand-painted with the utmost care – I love the pumpkin ones most for their marble-esque quality.

 

Keeping the chocolate case company was their gelato case , which was loaded delicious flavors – some flavors I have never seen before. Each person is allowed two samples before ordering. 

The choice was tough, but I ended up with a gelato croissant sandwich. Mmmmmm a buttery, flaky croissant with Scottish Cookie gelato in the middle… it hit the spot on a beautiful sunny day. This picture doesn’t even do it justice!

 

I was able to meet Chef Roby and watch him in action as he worked his magic on French pastries and other confections in their open kitchen.

A little interesting history on this establishment…All Chocolate Kitchen‘s named stemmed from Chef Roby’s creation of his home kitchen workshop into a life-size chocolate replica. This guy is a real-life Willy Wonka, if you think about it! You can see a portion of the chocolate kitchen in the shop. Taking it to the next level, Chef Roby is also famous for creating the tallest chocolate sculpture in the world. At 6.6 meters tall (that’s about 22 feet!), he created a chocolate sculpture that replicates the Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building. The entire sculpture is made of more than 1,000 kg of chocolate and took over 30 hours to build! Winning numerous international awards and TV fame throughout his career, I think it’s safe to say that Chef Roby is the Chocolate King.