Results tagged “recipe”

Yesterday was National Rum Day, but just because it's over doesn't mean we'll stop imbibing. Today's weather is in fact perfect for a Dark 'n Stormy® (one of the few cocktails to feature a trademarked recipe, by the way).

If you have been lucky enough to order this take on traditional Russian pelmeni from the small, divey, now-closed establishment, cleverly named "Pelmeni", in Madison, WI, you know how good this is. In fact, you've probably stood in a long line at midnight waiting, deciding if you should get meat or potato dumplings and if you want it traditional or spicy, jealous of the patrons already eating. If not, you can now make it at home after a short trip to your nearest Eastern European grocery store. We went to Renee Gourmet in the Ukranian Village and highly recommend it. (Although the man working looked at us like we were insane when we explained how we were going to prepare it.)

Want some challenge in your recipe and have given up on the Alinea cookbook? Try the Twitter Cookbook: recipes in 140 characters or less. The info on the page reads: "Tiny recipes condensed by @Maureen. Serves 3-4. Delicious ideas from all over the world." Maureen has kindly added a cookbook glossary in case you are confused by things like "mix 2lb/kg chickn/20whlclvgarlic/t." We like things that are miniature, but typically prefer a little more direction when it comes to recipes so we scoured the tweets for an easier recipe to increase our chances of success and found this:

For a lot of reasons, all of our favorite shrimp dishes are Spanish. The preparation method is quick, the garlic and spices always add zing and the tastes are wonderfully indulgent, without actually being unhealthy. This recipe, adapted from Penelope Casas’ classic Tapas, requires a little bit more prep than a standard shrimp sauté, but it’s worth it. You and your friends will be scraping the bottom of the pot with hunks of bread to get the last of the savory, slightly alcoholic tomato sauce.

It’s rare that we actually invent anything new here at Chicagoist cocktail labs. We have our hands full most of the time testing out recipes and trying to figure out the perfect ways to make classic cocktails – besides, with so many recipes out there, inspiration is hard to come by. However, freezing our butts off is the mother of invention (or something like that).

We love doing something unexpected to a standard dish to make it rise above the norm and salads are no exception. We recently served a simple spring salad with sliced dates, a yellow heirloom tomato and goat cheese. The dressing was no more than a pear infused white balsamic (available at Whole Foods for about $3.50), salt, pepper, and a good olive oil. What elevated the salad was the final topping: candied walnuts.

The temperatures dipping back down again this week has put us in the mood to cook some classic comfort food. On Presidents' Day we had off but our main squeeze didn't so we were nice and spent the day making pot roast, calico bell pepper muffins and cowboy cookies.

Certain holiday cookies evoke memories of childhood. Chocolate Crinkles are one particular cookie that does that for Chicagoist. They're kind of like a cookie brownie, if you can imagine. [Ed note: Oh, can I.] Join us, won't you, as we whip up a batch. What You Need 1 cup cocoa 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 cups granulated sugar 4 eggs 2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons vanilla 1/2 teaspoon salt Combine ingredients,...

There's a new absinthe on the market called Lucid that's catching on at places like the Violet Hour, Lumen, and Delilah's, namely because Lucid is the first Grande wormwood-based absinthe available in the States since before Prohibition. Now, we've tried the "green fairy" and it was an experience we'll never forget, so we researched Lucid for details on how much thujone (the active ingredient from wormwood) it carries. Turns out, not much at all: under...

In what's become an annual feature here at Chicagoist and a personal favorite, we canvassed the staff for some of their best recipes and put together a potluck of amazing proportions to fascinate your taste buds, amaze your family (even the ones entranced by the football games), and bring about peace on earth - or at least in your family - for a few hours through the miracle of tryptophan, simple starches, and sugar...

There are a lot of rules at Viet Hoa Plaza, which really isn’t a plaza but an Oriental market on Argyle. The signs posted throughout the store inform shoppers that since there are no refunds, returns or exchanges — exceptions are made for defective rice cookers, and thermo and hot pots — they should inspect all items before leaving. Just in case you didn’t get that, rule No. 4 states that “All sales final.” Are we clear on that? And don’t even think about writing a check — rule No. 5 — but these days we don’t know anyone who does.

How Do I Get Lucky in the New Year?

Chicagoist, that's who. Or, that's what we thought. As a kid, we refused to eat squash. Really? Squash. Ew! But a few weeks ago we saw it at the supermarket and decided what the hell. The recipe we made is pretty classic, and surprisingly, we loved it. We made the squash as a side to a main entree. Our friend brought over a French loaf, and let us tell you how delicious it was to dip the bread in the center.

If you’re like Chicagoist, summer is usually a time for a renewed effort to eat better and exercise more, mostly to offset our time spent at various drunkfests. We usually find inspiration for healthy, or at least more wholesome, eats at local farmers markets, which are now in full swing around the city.

Tickets are now available for Recipe For Relief, the Jimmy Banos-led culinary benefit for the survivors of Hurricane Katrina. On Oct. 6 from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at The Grand Ballroom at McCormick Place South, 2301 S. Martin Luther King Dr., the event includes music, a silent auction and cookbook signing with Rick Bayless. To be clear, Chicagoist is heartbroken than such an event is necessary but we have to tell you that as...