Perfect

Photograph by Jonas Peterson

Since our engagement, my life has been consumed by wedding planning. For the past 35 days I haven't eaten, thought, spoken, dreamed, lived, breathed anything other than "wedding, wedding, wedding." It is amazing how much time and work goes into this machine and how it just sucks you in, in a strange sort of way. It's beautiful and exciting but definitely strange, or perhaps unfamiliar. At times, in the middle of the planning frenzy, I stop myself and and say "Wow, I'm really getting married."

Without a doubt, the wedding day is something so beautiful, so joyous, so momentous. It is for us. It is for me. I am looking forward to celebrating this day. But with every day, every appointment, every dress I try on, it becomes clearer and clearer that it isn't a celebration of a day. That it never was about the day. It has always been a celebration of the beginning of a beautiful journey together, our lives together. We are writing the first page of our story - together. All of a sudden the things that consume me at the time, whether it be dress, the date, the venue, the invitations, the time of year, the weather, even the food (!) for that matter, are just not that important anymore. That no matter how hard I try to foolishly make it perfect, it will be perfect not matter what, that it has been perfect all along, that it will unfold just the way it is supposed to. It has so far. And that is perfect.

Now I am in the process of searching for a photographer that will help us to tell our story - and that fits our budget. That is easier said that done. So many talented people out there! I have recently stumbled upon photographs of real weddings on this website oncewed.com. What these photographers are able to capture is nothing less than magical. One of the many photographers I love is Jonas Peterson. Check out his website when you get a chance. Even if you are not getting married :). What he does is nothing less than breathtaking!

Photograph by Jonas Peterson

Happy eating!

J

I'M ENGAGED!!!!

I wanted to share with all of you the wonderful news that on Friday of Memorial Day weekend SB completely surprised and blind-sighted me by proposing! It has been such a whirlwind of activities and emotions, in all of the right ways. SB and I are so happy to embark on a new journey together. In the following months with share with you guys bits and pieces of our wedding planning process, in addition to the regular recipes and restaurant reviews. My hope is that you will enjoy it as much as is has been amazing to experience it with SB and share it with all of you. Thank you to all of you, who keep coming back to my blog for more. As far as I'm concerned, I have the BEST readers in the blog world :).

Happy eating!!

J

Chicago by way of GOOP

image by goop.com

A friend of mine recently told me that Gweneth Paltrow featured the wonderful city of Chicago on her blog GOOP. I thought the only right thing to do would be to share it with all of you - obviously. I can't wait to try some of these restaurants that are on her list! Now that the weather is finally, HOPEFULLY warming up, I am excited to do some more exploring. I has been quite the dreary spring thus far (and an absolutely dreadful winter for that matter). From what I hear, summers in Chicago are supposed to be amazing. We shall see. Bring it on Chicago!!

Happy eating!!

J

Cookies Galore by Amber Spiegel!!

Since SB and I moved to Chicago, we have made some new friends and reconnected with old ones. One of these old friends that SB reconnected with is his childhood friend Tim, who also is a fantastically talented actor at Second City - an Improv Theater, right here in Chicago. If you ever get a chance you should really check out the shows there. SB and I went to a show and I can honestly say that I don't remember ever laughing as hard as I did at the show. If crying and getting stomach cramps from laughter is your thing, then you must get tickets immediately - now - do it!

Anyhow, it just so happens that his friend, Amber Spiegel, is a pastry chef. I hesitate saying this, because really what I want to call her is a pastry artist. Truly, that is what she is. What she is able to do with cookies and cakes are no less than masterpieces. When I saw her work for the first time I was in awe. Clearly, I am not the only one as she has caught the attention of InStyle magazine as well. You can check her out in the April 2011 issue, page 110 (Tina Fey is on the cover - how interesting, considering Tina Fey got her start at Second City). She has recently moved to upstate New York were she is planning on opening a bakery with her very own heavenly and awe inspiring creations. For the time being she is my fellow blogger and friend (you can check her out here) and you can also order your very own custom made set of cookies on etsy. These are a fantastic treat. Perfect for baby showers, bridal showers, cocktail parties, dinner parties, engagement parties, birthdays, anniversary parties or giveaways at weddings. Trust me this is a treat that your guests will NOT forget! Here is a tiny glimpse of what she does. But make sure you check out her blog for more!

These are all true works of art. She will work with you to create exactly what you need. However, not everyone needs to be a pastry artist to create something deliciously wonderful. Amber has shared with me this fantastic pistachio meringue cookie recipe. They are a heavenly cookies that are sweet and savory. They are super light, which is perfect for summer and your girlish figure :). Without further ado, here is the fabulous Amber!

Happy eating!!

J

Meringue cookies are one of my favorite treats to whip up. The ingredients are simple and you can flavor them with almost anything imaginable. Plus, these bite size confections are light and crispy, making them perfect for the approaching summer season.

Salted pistachios help to create the perfect blend of sweet and savory in these melt-in-your-mouth meringues.

Pistachio Meringue Cookies (4 dozen)

½ c egg whites (3 large eggs)

1 c sugar

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

½ c salted shelled pistachios

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp vegetable oil

Tools:

Mini food processor (4 cup capacity or smaller)

Medium saucepan

Whisk

Kitchen thermometer

Stand mixer with whip attachment

Rubber spatula

Piping bag

Large round piping tip (Wilton 2A or Ateco 804 work well)

Parchment paper

Cookie sheet

Small offset spatula

Preheat your oven to 170 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place pistachios in the food processor and pulse until they are about ¼ their original size.

Add 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp vegetable oil. Continue to grind until the mixture resembles wet sand. Set aside.

Separate egg whites from yolks by hand. Save the yolks to use them on another day (a perfect excuse to make crème brulee!).

Fill the medium saucepan about ½ way with water. Bring to a simmer. Place egg whites and 1 cup of sugar in your mixing bowl and place the bowl over the simmering water.

Whisk the mixture constantly until it reaches 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Check under the bowl periodically to make sure your water is simmering and not boiling so that you don’t end up with scrambled eggs.

Once the mixture has reached the desired temperature, move the bowl to the stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment. Add 1/8 tsp cream of tartar. Beat the mixture on medium-low speed for about 7-10 minutes. Increase the mixer to full speed for another 2-3 minutes.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the pistachios using a rubber spatula. Save about 1 tablespoon of the pistachio mixture to garnish the tops of the meringues.

Fit a piping bag with a round tip and fill the bag with meringue. Pipe 2” round meringues about 1” apart on parchment lined cookie sheets. Sprinkle the meringues with the leftover pistachio mixture.

Place meringues in the oven and bake for 3 hours. Turn the oven off and let meringues sit overnight to dry.

Gently remove meringues from parchment using a small offset spatula.

Enjoy!

Food fit for Royalty

Like most of the world, I got swept away by the Royal nuptials of William & Kate. How romantic and beautiful it was. I truly hope they will be happy together.

I wish I could tell you that I was there and could report first hand what the reception and food was like. Unfortunately, my invitation got lost in the mail. Since I wasn't there, I am bringing you the next best thing: an online article, that makes me wish even more so that I could have been there!

And here are some pictures of the cake!!



Happy eating (I wish!!)!!

J

Ravioli Party

Sooooo...... the Tiramisu.... yeah.... I must admit, it did, unfortunately, not go as well as I had hoped :(. Wa wa waahhh....

The flavors were great. If I had blind folded you and fed it to you, you wouldn't have known the difference. Having said that, for some reason the mascarpone espresso cream did not set very well. At first I thought it may have been because I didn't give myself enough time before the party, which is why it didn't get to chill in the fridge for long enough. Now, I am thinking that the lady fingers were soaked just a little too long so it made the whole thing a tad bit too soft and soggy. Maybe I didn't beat the egg yolks long enough. Maybe I put too much rum in it (he he he) or too little mascarpone. Or perhaps it was a combination of all of the above - I can't be quite sure. A bummer? Sure. Most importantly though - I tried! I will make it again, and again, and again and eventually it WILL be perfect. I can assure you - I will NOT rest until I get it right!!!

I can't say I hadn't been warned. SB said it might be a bad idea. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. Who's to say. It's a matter of perspective really. The way I feel about the kitchen and life in general is: do your best, give it your all every time, and know that in the end everything happens for a reason. Life isn't about not taking risks, or being perfect, or not making mistakes - it's about learning from your mistakes, enjoying the ride, and after each and every experience, being a better version of yourself. That's what I strive for in life and in the kitchen, too :).

My Tiramisu may not have been a success but the ravioli party sure was. As predicted: the boys were doing all the work in the kitchen and the girls were doing all the drinking and eating. So fun! Thank you Joe & Annie for a great party! Here are some pictures...

Here's a sight I don't very often see: SB in the kitchen, in an apron no less! You go babe! Highlight of my evening :).

Sliced eggplant SB was breading.

Finished product: breaded and friend zucchini and eggplant. I'm so proud of you babe!! YUM!!

Delicious Bruschetta I couldn't keep my hands off of, all night!

Seafood platter by Steve R.

Some ridiculously good, spicy zucchini in marinara parmesan sauce concoction that Chuck made.

Joe & boyz making ravioli.

Here's the finished product after many hours of hard labor. You go boys!

My companion of the evening: Mr. Veuve.

T'was a wondering evening. 'Til next time, happy eating!!

J