Savoring the Last of Summer

It's hard to believe how quickly the summer has gone by...yet here we are. Football is starting, the sun is setting earlier and families are getting back into the back-to-school groove.

My two passions. What a lovely pair they make.

While I'm normally one of the first to bring out the scarfs and boots and fire up the crock pot, I'm not ready to let go of summer just yet. Not this year. Didn't it just start? Wasn't it just July 4th? What happened? Where has the year gone?

The passage of time is constant, and sometimes a season change has a way of reminding you of that.

But more than that, I guess I'm not ready to let go of rose and oysters on the patio. Or 24/7 flip flops. Or easy summer salads. Or long meandering pointless walks. But especially...oysters and rose.

I am thankful I was able to indulge in some late season patio time at Fig and Olive this week. Complete with grenache rose, oysters, jamon, pinxtos and a warm September setting sun, it warped me to last September in Spain.

And just like that. It's a year later. Another season is upon us.      

Best Dishes of The 2012 Hiatus

Work, travel, dinner, work, deadlines, chores, sleep, life...seasons pass and suddenly it's fall. And so is the highly uninteresting story of the Drunken Goat Hiatus of 2012.

I wish I could say the hiatus was spent in the Basque region of Spain learning new cooking techniques and taking weekend trips to San Sebastian and southern France. Sadly, it was not. It was, however, filled with a lot of delicious meals, many enjoyed with wonderful friends and family. Here are a few of the standout dishes I enjoyed most during the blogging hiatus.

Succulent Sicilian pork shoulder at Next

• Spalla di Maiale Brasato at Next: If you asked anyone who went to Next for the Sicily menu, there was one dish that was unanimously agreed to be the best: the pork shoulder. Sous-vide and braised for six hours, the fork-tender pork melted in your mouth with every bite. I'd like to find a way to recreate this dish one day.  
• Taglionini Nero with Crab and Sea Urchin at Balena: This dish is the dish that made me fall in love with sea urchin. After a not so great sea urchin experience at Nellcote (it was paired with burrata, and the texture didn't work for me), this pasta dish finally made me understand what the sea urchin buzz was all about. 
• Burger at Au Cheval: I don't eat burgers very often, so when I do, my expectations are high. Needless to say, this burger met - and exceeded - my expectations. Top it with a runny egg and Au Cheval's famous thick cut bacon to really put it over the top (but honestly it doesn't need a lot of bells and whistles). 
• Butter Cake at Mastro's: This dessert is so good it has a Facebook page for the people who love it. Served warm with a side of whipped cream, I almost had to pay the waitress to take Mastro's signature dessert away from me. 
• Fried Chicken and Mashed Potatoes at The Lady and Sons. Located in Savannah, Georgia, The Lady and Sons is the cathedral of Paula Deen and all things southern comfort food. So much butter; so much goodness, ya'll. While I had to double up on classes at Flywheel Chicago to work this meal off, it was worth every calorie. 
• Secret Hamachi at Arami: Comprised of yellow tail, mushroom and truffle oil, we had to wait a while for this simple yet incredibly flavorful sashimi dish. It was well worth the wait. Truffle can be overpowering if not weilded correctly, especially with a light and mild fish like yellow tail. The restraint demonstrated in this dish made all the difference. 



Crispy, juicy and positively sinful  

• Tea Smoked Duck Breast at Belly Q: Served with sweet buns and chinese broccoli, this dish was so good my dining companions and I ordered a second helping. 

After meals spent with good company and, let's face it, usually good wine, these were the dishes that had me thinking about them the next morning. 

What meals, dishes and restaurants have caught your attention lately? Leave a comment and let me know. 

The Time I Made Pasta and it Turned to Mush

Before the pasta hit the water.
Things were looking up at this stage. 

The other night, I attempted to make homemade pasta and, a pound of flour later, things didn't turn out as planned.
It was a 2012 cooking resolution failure.

But in every failure, there are some key learnings...right??

I didn't learn much except for the fact that, while I might be skilled at some things (accessorizing, grammar and navigation), making pasta from scratch is not my strong skill. At least not yet, anyway...

I won't call these learnings, but I will call them some initial observations about my first foray into pasta making.

1. Pasta dough is fickle.
2. Making pasta is messy. I'm still finding flour in odd places in my kitchen.
3. Kneading pasta dough is hard work.
4. The act of kneading pasta dough can be quite therapeutic after a long Monday.
5. Pasta dough is very unforgiving.
6. I probably don't know what good pasta dough is supposed to look and feel like.
7. Sometimes you spend a lot of time making pasta and then it turns to mush in the final step.
8. Even though the texture might be off, if you put enough Pecorino on it, the pasta can be salvaged (or at least made edible).
9. I will never look at fresh made pasta the same every again.
10. I will appreciate fresh made pasta much more that I ever did before.

Do you have homemade pasta making tips? If so, leave me a comment and let me know. I need all the help I can get!

Falling Back

The clocks have fallen back, the turkey has been eaten and the leftovers devoured. The cold Chicago wind is howling and rattling apartment windows. It's before the deep freeze of winter, and the buzz of the Christmas season is just starting to take hold.

This time of year, I always fall back to those things that are familiar and comforting. They are my winter traditions (but are great any time of year actually)...

It's coming.

...Roasting chicken on a Sunday. Braising short ribs for hours. Stocking up on soups, stews and sauces for the cold months (when going to the grocery store is simply not an option). Hunkering down in a cozy, candlelit wine bar. Entire weekends spent cooking and under blankets. Sipping whiskey. Reading a book in a weekend. Baking things both savory and sweet. Eating the same dinner you had as an eight year old (Campbell's tomato soup and grilled cheese). Not worrying about that summer detox diet.

When you consider this, a Chicago winter doesn't seem so daunting (at this point).

Blogger's Note: I reserve the right to completely revoke this blog post come February.

Graham Elliot's Collection

And then once in awhile you a have a meal that is lovely, unexpected, creative, fun and unforgettable. Last week, I made my way through ten courses of Graham Elliot's Collection, one of the restaurant's three coursing options. Clocking in at approximately three hours, the Collection is certainly a commitment for a Thursday night, but well worth it.  

The menu was largely inspired by fall flavors and sensations. The standout dish for me was the hen, which started with a few sips of smoky tea. It tasted like raking leaves in Vermont. Shortly thereafter they presented the hen, which was tender and delicious and not overpowered by the earthy supporting flavors (kale, pine nuts, matsutake).

Graham Elliot's signature deconstructed caesar, rich lobster risotto, savory pumpkin soup and perfectly seared scallops (read: slightly raw in the middle) were also standouts.

I was so in the moment of enjoying this meal that I honestly didn't take any pictures - and I think that's ok.

Of all the fine dining restaurants in Chicago, Graham Elliot is one of my favorites for a few reasons. It's got a casual vibe, but the service flawless. It's flexible - if you don't want to commit to a long, coursed out menu, you can certainly order a la carte. The best part? The front of the house staff will turn up the music on request.

Note: A special thank you to my wonderful GE dining partner, who continues to go out of his culinary comfort zone and try new things. Thank you. You're the best.