Get on Board: Chobs

This is truly a genius gadget for the one thing we all use in food prep: a cutting board. The new Chobs Cutting Board Feet. For only $10 bucks it's a real steal! Color coded so you can chop veggies on one side, meat on the other. What it does is not only stabilize your board, it also elevates it thereby reducing the bacteria build-up that can happen under the board and it expands to fit most boards.

I am in. Here's where to get yours. Happy chopping!

Rainy Weekend Granola

It hasn't been a great spring so far in the Midwest...we have had so much rain and temperatures still hanging in the 30's that it's left me wondering if it will ever get here!

The upside of the crappy weather is that it gives me the opportunity to cook and bake and not worry that I might be missing some outdoor activity! I decided to make a batch of granola and try to make it as gluten-free as possible.....unfortunately, that didn't happen as oats are a gluten product and the base of the granola is rolled oats....I need more time to develop a completely gluten-free recipe, but the good thing is that this recipe has quinoa flakes and millet puffs both giving it an extra added protein punch- (I noticed that Whole Foods is now carrying quinoa flakes in their bulk section!)

Ingredients

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup quinoa flakes

1 cup millet puffs (available in health food stores in the cereal section)

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/3 cup honey (you can substitute the same amount of agave here if you like)

1/3 cup water

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 300° F. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.In a small saucepan, gently heat the water, honey, sugar, butter (or use a vegetable oil instead), salt and vanilla. Simmer until the sugar is dissolved.

3. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and stir in the liquid to coat.

4. Transfer the mixture to the baking sheet, spread out in one layer and cook for 45 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon several times to make sure that the granola cooks evenly. Let cool completely.

5. Transfer to an air-tight container. Enjoy with fruit, yogurt or your choice of milk or just alone as a snack!

I will enjoy this as I patiently await the arrival of spring.......

Happy Easter!

cover image via The New Yorker

I think this cover says it all! Happy Easter to all!

More Coffee Please!

La Columbe on Church Street, New York City photo via LaColumbe.com

I read today that our little West Loop neighborhood is growing once again with a new addition- La Columbe Coffee is coming! I did hear someone say a while ago that we were getting a "cafe" on Randolph and Morgan, but they didn't mention the magic word: Coffee. I quickly did my research as I had not heard of these guys- turns out they are from the east coast with locations scattered between NYC and Philadelphia. I was hoping that at least one of my Chicago favorites (Metropolis and/or Intelligentsia) would have come down here and given Starbucks a run for it's money but it looks like La Columbe beat them to it!

La Columbe's 1950s Citroen H-Van (photos via LaColumbe.com)

Not only will they have a cafe, but they will roast the coffee here as well- holy cow! Between Bays baking english muffins and Blommer Chocolate Co. making chocolate, the West Loop is the best smelling neighborhood in Chicago! On a good day, we may get to smell all three- beats the car exhaust off of Interstate 90 anyday! Look at their cute van- wonder if they will do house calls? Need. Coffee. Now.

La Columbe is all about earth-conscious coffees (organically-grown and fair-trade) as well as adhering to their 5 principles of ethical trade. Along with the coffee, they will serve local pastries and according to Eater Chicago, are in the process of getting all that sorted out. Hey- maybe they'll carry doughnuts from the Donut Vault! Now that would be awesome- since they are selling out everyday and I have yet to get over there in time to try one!

photo via the doughnut vault

Yes, Randolph Street is truly the new food happening spot in the city these days. Girl and the Goat has made a huge splash and is enjoying a packed house nightly, Maude's Liquor Bar opened in late December and is thriving and also one of my faves! Grant Achatz's Next just opened, along with his other project Aviary a new bar, and I heard that Stephanie Izard (Girl and the Goat) is planning a diner somewhere in the hood as well. There is a rumor circling about that Old Town Social is creating a sibling of their own: a chic bohemian-vibed spot in the space that Marche inhabited for so many years-coming this fall. Suddenly, so many choices! Somebody upstairs must really, really love me! I now know that I moved to the right place.....Brooklyn I love ya, but you got some competition now!

Next food for thought: we need retail in the West Loop! Lots of nightlife so far but what about daytime action? Maybe this is where I should step in?

Plenty

I am told I simply must have this cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi. These inspiring dishes are all vegetable, which suits me just fine. Even if you aren't a vegetarian, simply serve any of these tantalizing dishes alongside your choice of meats, fish or poultry or enjoy sans meat! Ottolenghi has made his success with 5 restaurants in London and has let the rest of the world in on his beautiful and bright creations with this amazing book.

photo via Amazon.co.uk

Just ordered this on Amazon today and can't wait to start cooking as soon as it gets here! There's nothing like a beautiful cookbook to make my day.....

He writes a vegetarian column in the U.K.'s newspaper, The Guardian. Here is a beautiful example of mushrooms, garlic and shallots with lemon ricotta:

photo via Guardian.co.uk

There are "plenty" of other recipes on The Guardian's site. So take a look and let me know what you think!

Gluten-Free Crêpes

Pronounced krāp; or krɛp doesn't make a difference to me because in the end you have a very thin "pancake" that you can fill with almost anything. You can go sweet or you can go savory.

Lately, I have been craving savory crêpes, oozing with healthy veg and some sharp cheese! Years ago when I first got into cooking, a dear friend of mine made some amazing crêpes that have stayed with me to this day- and all she did was put fresh spinach and garlic powder inside them rolled them up and voila! I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Coming from college dormitory food at that time, you can see why I thought these were perfection! Really though, sometimes dishes made with the simplest ingredients can be the most satifying and memorable meals of all!

I have taken it up a notch since those days by adding goat cheese, shallots and fresh herbs, but I still love the flavor of the garlic powder too; so to the memory of those early crêpes, I still add this.

Amazingly, making them gluten-free has worked out well. You just need to let the batter sit and rest and mingle so the flours with all play happily together once they are sizzling away on the crepe pan. And the pan is very, very important! You really must have a crepe pan for them to come out super thin- I have been using the same pan for years and years and you can find one here or here. The best type hands down are the ones made of blue steel and made in France. After all, they should know! Once seasoned, it will turn out beautiful crepes for years to come.

Here is what I made recently for a satisfying and easy dinner:

Savory Spinach Crêpes

Ingredients

1/2 cup quinoa flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour (or try brown rice or garbanzo flour)
2 large eggs
1 pinch of salt
1 cup milk ( I used almond milk)
1/4 cup water
1 Tbsp melted butter

For filling:

1 package of frozen spinach thawed and water squeezed out
1-2 shallots, minced
2 tbsp butter
Goat cheese or cheese of choice grated (about 1 cup)
salt and pepper to taste
dash of garlic powder (optional)
fresh herbs (thyme, parsley, chives) your choice


Method:

1. Blend ingredients in a blender, transfer to a bowl, cover and let rest for an hour. (this can be done ahead and kept in the refrigerator for up to a day)*

2. Meanwhile prepare the filling: Saute shallots in butter in a pan until soft. Add drained spinach and heat through. Add garlic powder, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and keep warm.

3.Heat your crêpe pan and cook the crêpes a few minutes on each side. Remove to a plate and cover with a towel while you make the rest.

4. Fill your crêpes, being careful not to over fill with the spinach mixture. Sprinkle with a bit of cheese and herbs and either roll or fold.

*Batter makes enough for about 10 crêpes.

Some folks like to make a Béchamel sauce as well- but for me, I just eat them like this. Either way, served with a salad, this makes for a great weekday meal.

Pint-sized Chefs

These girls are not only adorable, but my goodness! I am so impressed with their cooking skills and they are only 9 years old! They even have their own website where they have videos and recipes. Now that's what I call passion for something from the beginning- some of us take much longer to find our passion but these two cuties know that they want a life in food- and in good, healthy food at that- no fast food for this dynamic twin duo! They are out to change the way kids think about food and to show it's never too early to appreciate great ingredients!

When asked in an interview with ABC News, what they would order at a fast food restaurant, one of them replied, "A glass of water". Now that's my kind of kid! I am in awe and plan on following their mini careers!

Twin Chefs Lilly and Audrey
Photo by Meg Smith