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Chew on That

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  • Location: Suburbs of Chicago!
  • Favorite foods: buffalo sauce, filet mignon (ok I've been spoiled), chicken souvlaki pita sandwich, fresh pasta dishes at authentic Italian restaurants, sushi (salmon nigiri), a good cholent (Jewish stew of short ribs, veggies and barley)...and a good juicy burger!
  • Last bite on earth: The freshest piece of salmon nigiri I could find...YUM!

The Persimmons Are Here

Persimmon Date Nut Breadlets the flavor of persimmon shine instead of drowning it with sugar.

Not-Boring Thanksgiving Recipes?

I just put together an article called Try Something New This Thanksgiving that has what I like to think are some more interesting recipes :) Enjoy!

In Season: Sweet Potatoes

I love sweet potatoes by themselves! Roasted in the oven, they make their own sweet glaze, hence why they're called sweet potatoes. Yum.

Do You Like Eating Pie Crust By Itself?

I have ignored fillings before, yes. It is better when you can eat the filling and the crust together but the crust is almost never problematic.

Brussels Sprouts

Buttered Brussels Sprouts with Parsley and Chives: http://www.recipe4living.com/recipes/buttered_brussels_sprouts_with_parsley_and_chives.htm

Vegetarians, How Do You Do Thanksgiving?

I totally have that beanie baby, haha. We're having my brother's girlfriend for Thanksgiving this year and she's a vegetarian so we're nervous but she swears the sides are good by her!

But just in case, I do have this article I wrote last year up my sleeve ;): 25 Thanksgiving Recipes for a Vegetarian

find a nice food blog name

Maybe use some of your favorite ingredients to name the blog. Lots of food blogs are named for foods i.e. Chocolate and Zucchini

What's a good word to replace "garlicky"?

Eh, I think I would be more annoyed by "garlicious" than "garlicky"...sorry :)

Slow cooker recipes?

Becky's Roast and Vegetables


Ingredients

* 1 3 lb. bottom round roast
* Ground black pepper to taste
* Garlic powder to taste
* 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
* 2 10.75 oz. cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
* 1 1 oz. pkg. dry onion soup mix
* 5 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1-inch pieces
* 6 small new potatoes, halved

Directions

Season roast with black pepper and garlic powder. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Brown the roast on all sides for 20 minutes. Mix together the mushroom soup and the onion soup mix in the slow cooker. Place roast into the slow cooker, and arrange carrots and potatoes around the meat. Cover, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, stirring occasionally.

What's your stuffing / dressing recipe?

We make this sausage pumpkin cornbread stuffing most years! Hope you like it! Happy early Thanksgiving!

Best black bean soup recipe??

This hearty Black Bean Soup should hopefully appease the vegetarians! :)

Tired of the chest cold and looking for Souper ideas. Yours?

I hope you don't still have the chest cold but another great suggestion would be Beef and Barley Soup.

Is dating a picky eater a dealbreaker for anyone?!

I will admit I do appreciate how very unpicky my boyfriend is. I would be livid if he threw things I made out. But it's worth talking about it before ending things.

Favorite Bagel Fillings/Toppings?

Good old lox and cream cheese with tomato. Typical Sunday morning :)

Tipping on Alcohol

Interesting concept but I think it's appropriate to tip on the total bill. If you had a problem with his lack of serving the wine, you can factor that into your total tip and decrease the percentage a bit.

Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do

How about not criticizing what you order?

I like spicy food but I need water with my spicy food...I ordered buffalo wings once with extra sauce and the waitress was nowhere to be found. I requested water twice and she finally came around with a glass and I asked politely if I could have a pitcher so she didnt have to come around as much and she yelled at me and said "Maybe you shouldn't have ordered spicy wings!"...Um hello? Is that appropriate? I was PISSED.

What's your favorite grocery store goat cheese?

Trader Joe's goat cheese logs. They come in half and full :)

Eating quirks

TurkeyandPickles - I do the Swiss Cake Roll thing too! I think the frosting just comes off easily and tastes better by itself :)

What would you eat for 30 days?

Salmon nigiri with ginger and wasabi. Give it to me baby. I can't get enough!

Winter squash and pumpkins

Roasted Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup

ginger recipes

I think cookies would be awesome but as a ginger lover, I can't tell if cookies will deter a ginger hater or not. I think maybe soup would be a good way to go: Ginger Pumpkin Bisque.

An Offally Good Plate at Chicago's Argentine Meat Market, Folklore

No way! I think you read my mind - My boyfriend and I found this place last week and plan to go there next Friday! We're so excited!

Cook the Book: 'The Pioneer Woman Cooks'

I would LOVE to win a copy of her book!

Besides her, my favorite food blog is probably Orangette (who is on a bit of a hiatus right now). I own her cookbook as well!

That's Nuts: As American as Peanut Butter and Apple Pie

Totally wish I saw this peanut butter version before making my apple pie. Will have to make another! :)

Serious Heat: Roasting Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

I personally like them plain and simple - with some salt! Yum!

I met Rick Bayless! (And I still can't believe it)

I had one of the best nights of my life back in August on the night of the Top Chef Masters finale. I MET Rick Bayless AT his restaurant WHILE watching the episode where he became the Top Chef Masters winner. I chowed down on his appetizers, chips and guac (and drank a fair share of yummy margaritas). It was glorious! Unfortunately not all of my friends understand how cool this is so I need to reminisce about it here :)

http://www.chewonthatblog.com/2009/08/21/rick-bayless-top-chef-masters-viewing-party/

Cheap Beer and Wine in Bulk in Chicago (Any Wholesale Shops?)

I'm helping to plan a 10 year reunion for my elementary school (I know, crazy huh?) and I need a good source for relatively cheap wine and beer. We're on a very tight budget as we have no funding, don't want to charge a lot and need to pay for food, the place and a class donation. We're expecting around 30-40 people.

Any help with cheaper sources for beer and wine in the Chicagoland area would be appreciated!

Making Our Own Sushi - Help!

The bf came up with a great idea to make sushi together this Valentine's Day. Originally I wanted to cook an elaborate meal with all his favorite things but now that's sort of nixed with this sushi plan (not that I'm complaining - I'm super excited!)

So first off, does anyone have any sushi making tips for beginners? Or, do you have any favorite roll recipes or unique ingredient ideas (i.e. mango or something like that)?

Secondly, does anyone have any suggestions for a chocolate-inspired dessert that goes with a sushi meal? I feel like a lot of the ideas I had initially - cupcakes, cakes, etc. - might be too heavy. Keep in mind I might have to make this dessert ahead of time (like tonight!)

Thanks in advance for all your help!

Hillary
Chew on That

Leeks: Way or No Way?

My turn to post one of these! :)

Way or no way: Leeks. I just saw an episode of Good Eats where Alton explores the leeks and comes up with some tasty sounding ways to eat leeks (leek rings, mmm!)

But what about you - do leeks sound appealing, or do you despise their allium roots?

Hillary
Chew on That

San Antonio Restaurant Recommendations?

I know there are a couple threads on this topic but I have a few specific requests and it's been awhile since the last San Antonio thread so maybe there are new places?

I'm looking for one Texas-style barbecue place and one upscale (to a point) type place. In case it's relevant, I'm from Chicago and am going to San Antonio THIS weekend. Your help is appreciated!

Hillary
Chew on That

Quick: Can I Cook With Old Beer?

I want to use beer in my chili but forgot to buy some. The only beer we have in the house is super old (don't ask - I'm talking years old). Basically, I wouldn't drink it. But, can I cook with it? Will the heat kill any bacteria? The beer is a honey nut brown ale.

I want to make the chili tonight but the cold temps don't have me jumping for joy to go out and buy some fresh beer...Help is appreciated!

Hillary
Chew on That

Chicago CSAs

The thread below about Boston CSAs reminded me how much I want to join a Chicago CSA where I can go and pick up my local fruits and veggies or get them dropped off. I live in the suburbs now but will be moving to the city soon. Anyone have any tips? Thanks in advance!

Hillary
Chew on That

ZIngerman's senior package?

Just curious, but what is the senior package?

I see the ad on the site for the other three Zingerman's packages but I couldn't figure what the final version of the senior package was. Does someone win the gift certificate?

Also, not to be impatient, but when are you posting the winner of the pumpkin carving contest? I thought that was supposed to be posting this morning.

Getting excited for Top Chef!

Anyone else extremely excited for the new season of Top Chef?!

While I'm going to miss the Chicago season, New York should definitely be an awesome location! Any New Yorkers spot any tapings? Once the show starts, I'll be covering all the episodes on my blog like I did for last season.

Hillary
Chew On That

Look Who's Talkin': Comments, Quips, and Tips We Have Known and Loved

Look Who's Talkin': Comments, Quips, and Tips We Have Known and Loved

There's so much going on in Talk week to week that we almost can't keep up. If you're in the same boat, here's a small selection of topics and responses that have piqued our interest this week. Tiny Kitchen Frustration: Ideas? "...I'd say it's more like riding a unicycle than a bike with a flat tire ... takes precision and stamina, with a side of moxie. But yes, I'd do many things for more counter space, so again, I know your frustration...." —smallkitchen The Honor System: Do Self-Service Farmstands Still Exist? "They are all over South Jersey on the way through Cumberland and Cape May Counties. Around here in southeastern PA (near Philly) you will see lots of kids manning... More