Chocolate Cupcakes with Clementine Cream Cheese Frosting

YUM… you can take this recipe a step further by adding pumpkin puree instead of applesauce and it’s just as good.
Either way, you’ll have supermoist cupcakes that are so good with the cream cheese frosting. My one piece of advice: Do not overcook them and watch them carefully.

You don’t need more than four drops of yellow mixed with a drop of the red to achieve the Clementine color. The color was picture perfect and I did sing the Oklahoma State fight song as I frosted the final cake.

I made my frosting a little too creamy and would definitely add some more confectioners' sugar to this recipe next time.

I stopped by William Sonoma to pick up a piping bag which now has got me so excited about doing more baking.

Me, who has always hated baking, is well into the pastry lessons and in my next life? …

You can visit me at the Le Moulin de la Vierge in Paris cranking out buttery sensations that make hundreds of people happy every day. And in a perfect life, I speak perfect French.

Bon Appetit…no translation required!





Chocolate Cupcakes:
(makes 18)

1 1/3 cups flour

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon allspice

a pinch of cardamom

1/3 cup buttermilk

12 ounces applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)

5 ounces unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup (firmly packed) dark brown sugar

3/4 cup grandulated sugar

3 large eggs

Clementine Cream Cheese Frosting:
Adapted from: Country Living

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon grated clementine zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)

4 cups confectioners' sugar

orange food coloring if desired

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line the pans with cupcake liners. Set aside.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cardamom in a large bowl and set aside. Combine the buttermilk, applesauce, and vanilla in a medium bowl and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer, set on medium speed, until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until the mixture is smooth and light. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, blending well after each addition.

Divide the batter among the cupcake liners (about 1/4 cup batter per cupcake) and bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean -- about 18-22 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pan for 7 minutes. Remove cupcakes and allow to cool completely on wire racks before frosting.

Frosting:

Blend the cream cheese, butter, orange zest, and vanilla in a large bowl, using an electric mixer set at medium speed, until smooth. Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and creamy -- about 3 more minutes.

Add the food coloring and gently stir until the color is uniform. Then refrigerate frosting for at 30 minutes to an hour. You want the frosting to be pretty stiff to actually pipe onto the cupcakes. Then using your favorite piping bag and tip, work fast to frost each cupcake. Store cupcakes in refrigerator until serving time.

Allow cupcakes to warm up for about 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken with Clementine Salsa

How can you not love BBQ’d chicken loaded up with fresh vegetables…and little bits of Clementines? Healthy and so delicious!

You will love all the flavors going on in the salsa with the addition of the celmentines. I added a few roasted peppers. I would also like to see some fresh pineapple added. The possibilities are endless.

I will also use this fresher-than-ever salsa to smother fish. One terrific way to get your daily dose of veggies!

Bon Appetit!

Chicken with Clementine Salsa
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine

4 5-ounce chicken breast halves

4 clementines, peeled, diced (about 1 cup)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/2 cup finely diced red onion

1/2 cup finely diced celery

½ cup finely chopped bell or roasted peppers

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 serrano or jalapeno chile, seeded, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup fresh clementine juice (from about 6 clementines)

Place chicken breast halves between 2 sheets plastic wrap or parchment paper, spacing apart. Using mallet, pound chicken to a uniform 1/4-inch thickness.

Mix clementines and next 9 ingredients in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Salsa can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover; let stand at room temperature.

Uncover chicken; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until slightly browned and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to platter. Add clementine juice to skillet; boil until reduced to 1/4 cup, stirring often, about 2 minutes.

Drizzle sauce over chicken. Spoon salsa over and serve.

Clementine Wings

I am not that into wings but this recipe was really good with the combination of Asian ingredients and the honey. This will certainly be on my list of party food when I am looking for a quick and easy recipe to whip up.

I liked this recipe so much I made another batch and brought it over to my neighbors. They really enjoy wings and the verdict? Batch number three coming up!

Good Eating and Bon Appetit!

Clementine Wings

1 1/2 lb chicken wings, cut apart at the joint

1 T rice flour

salt and pepper

2 T oil

2 cloves garlic, smashed/minced

2 T soy sauce

2 T hoisin sauce

4 T honey

1 T sesame oil

a good pinch of chili flakes

a squirt of chili sauce

juice of one clementine

Preheat the oven to 450. Dredge the chicken wings in the flour and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat the oil until it shimmers, and brown the wings on all sides. While the wings are browning, combine the remaining ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat 30 seconds to a minute and stir well. Dump the browned chicken wings in the bowl with the sauce, turn to coat, and spread them out in a glass dish. Bake 15 minutes, flip, then bake another 10-15, until the sauce is thick and sticky and the wings are cooked through. Serve over rice.

Clementine Granita

Alas – my favorite dish of any meal – dessert!
You can use just about any fruit in this recipe. I tried it with fresh pineapple and loved it.

This icy version of Clementine Granita is the perfect way to finish off this entire coobook of Clementine recipes. Too bad all my cuties are gone.

Does the rum make it? I love rum so not fair asking me because I can’t be one little bit objective. Too much time in the Caribbean perhaps!

Bon Appetit!

Clementine Granita
Adapted from Emeril Lagasse (Food Network) Serves 6 to 8

3 cups fresh clementine juice, pulp removed (about 12 to 14 large clementines, juiced)

1/3 cup superfine sugar, or to taste depending on sweetness of clementines

2 tablespoons light rum, optional

Combine clementine juice, sugar and rum, if desired, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Adjust the sweetness with more sugar, if needed.

Pour mixture into a 9-inch square pan or dish. Freeze, stirring and crushing lumps with a fork every few hours. Serve in hollowed out clementine rounds, if desired.

M Burger

At 161 N Huron, this is Lettuce Entertain You’s focus on high-end burgers, fries and shakes.

The butterscotch shake – which is on Time Out Chicago’s list of the best 100 dishes of 2010 - is no longer available. Was hoping for 2 down and 98 to go. It was the shake of the month in January so what replaced it in April? The Nutella milkshake drizzled with chocolate. I’m not a huge Nutella fan but if you are, bring it on because people that do love it.

The M’s burger was drenched in some mysterious sauce that I would not even try to duplicate at home. Not a fan… but didn’t dislike it either. Quality of the burger: Average. Take a lesson in great burgers from Edzo’s. Quality meat and you can taste the difference.

Maybe I need to return in January when they bring back the butterscotch shake.

Bon Appetit!

Casio’s TRYX

I love the new TRYX camera. With a unique, shape-shiftng body that is under 0.59” thick, it can be twisted into a number of shapes and still comes out aiding every difficult shooting situation you have…and I’ve had many.

I don’t endorse a product but have to admit that the close up photo of the Ricotta and Lemon Pancakes at Praire Fire is pretty good for a quick shoot.

Here Is The Link

Bon Appetit!

If Only In Your Sweet Dreams...

                            Delicious Peppermint Cupcakes from Wildflour Bakery, Lake Bluff

Google recently did a salute to the Ice Cream Sunday with this cute logo.

Of course, I bit the suggestion to do my own.

Delish!

Thank You! Thank You!

Thanks to the readers who have recently emailed me to tell me they have nominated Cupcakes and Crablegs for a food blog award from Saveur Magazine.

http://www.saveur.com/2011-best-food-blog-nominations.jsp

If you would like to vote, you can do so before April 22nd.

Several reminded me of their favorite post - mine, too:

http://www.cupcakesandcrablegs.com/2010/01/cooking-therapy.html

and why I love food photography.

I am now approaching 40,000 and don’t need an award to tell me that CCCL has a significant following. I have done almost 900 posts and still feel like we are young and growing.

Now that the weather is warm, I am looking forward to a summer of exploring Chicago on foot. If you happen to visit Chicago this summer let me know. I will likely be out in one of the neighborhoods and invite you to come along.

We may be chasing one of the growing number of food trucks so put your Nikes on and let’s explore.

Thanks for reading and Bon Appetit!

North, South, East, West?

To tell you the truth, I have never had a good sense of direction until recently.
Exploring the city and having to find my way from one neighborhood, restaurant, grocery store or farmers market to the next has given me a great sense of direction. After all these years of getting lost, I finally know exactly where I am...

Oh, and thanks Google Maps!
Bon Appetit!

Mindy Segal's Hot Chocolate

With my passion for chocolate, it’s a real surprise that Mindy Segal’s restaurant, Hot Chocolate, was not on my list before now.

At 1747 North Damen, the space was nothing like I imagined. Understated...but exactly like I thought it would be because the brunch line went out the door at 10:10 AM....just 10 minutes after they opened and 5 minutes I arrived.

I ordered the pork belly and poached on an English muffin buried in cheese which was exceptionally good – I would order it again- but what I really loved was the hot chocolate. Most hot chocolates I’ve had until now have been nothing to write home about. What set this hot chocolate apart was just that – real chocolate!

Take the "Black and Tan," which I ordered and LOVED! A bottom layer of hot fudge covered with “real” hot chocolate that is steamed-to-order.

The homemade marshmallow was the perfect topper. Honestly, this was so good that next time, I will do several tastings of the hot chocolate and skip the breakfast.

You can buy Mindy’s blends online at:

http://hotchocolatechicago.com/choc/

I am making my own hot chocolate recipes this weekend and will continue to try and pull off the perfect cup of Hot Chocolate! In the mean time, if you are a chocolate lover, this is THE PLACE TO GO!

Bon Appetit!

Spicy Hot Chocolate

Use a high end chocolate for this recipe. It’s really good with the cayenne and the milk and cream mellow it out.

½ cup whole milk, ¼ cup heavy cream

½ tsp. cayenne

5 oz. good quality milk chocolate, coarsely chopped

Combine milk, cream and cayenne in a saucepan over

medium heat, and cook until simmering, about 4 minutes.

Add chocolate, and whisk until completely melted and well

incorporated, about 2 minutes.

Serve immediately. Makes 2 drinks.

Homemade Marshmallows
Adapted from Gourmet, December 1998

If you have ever had homemade marshmallows, you’ll never buy them again! Looks complicated but very easy.

About 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

3 1/2 envelopes (2 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin

1 cup cold water, divided

2 cups granulated sugar (cane sugar worked just fine)

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 large egg whites or reconstituted powdered egg whites

1 tablespoon vanilla (alternately: 1/2 of a scraped vanilla bean, 2 teaspoons almond or mint extract or maybe even some food coloring for tinting)

Oil bottom and sides of a 13- by 9- by 2-inch rectangular metal baking pan and dust bottom and sides with some confectioners’ sugar.

In bowl of a standing electric mixer or in a large bowl sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water, and let stand to soften.

In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook granulated sugar, corn syrup, second 1/2 cup of cold water, and salt over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to moderate and boil mixture, without stirring, until a candy or digital thermometer registers 240°F, about 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved.

With standing or a hand-held electric mixer beat mixture on high speed until white, thick, and nearly tripled in volume, about six minutes if using standing mixer or about 10 minutes if using hand-held mixer. (Some reviewers felt this took even longer with a hand mixer, but still eventually whipped up nicely.)

In separate medium bowl with cleaned beaters beat egg whites (or reconstituted powdered whites) until they just hold stiff peaks. Beat whites and vanilla (or your choice of flavoring) into sugar mixture until just combined. Pour mixture into baking pan and don’t fret if you don’t get it all out (learning from my mess of a first round). Sift 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar evenly over top. Chill marshmallow, uncovered, until firm, at least three hours, and up to one day.

Run a thin knife around edges of pan and invert pan onto a large cutting board. Lifting up one corner of inverted pan, with fingers loosen marshmallow and ease onto cutting board. With a large knife trim edges of marshmallow and cut marshmallow into roughly one-inch cubes. (An oiled pizza cutter works well here too.) Sift remaining confectioners’ sugar back into your now-empty baking pan, and roll the marshmallows through it, on all six sides, before shaking off the excess and packing them away.

Cinnamon Sticky Buns

I have never been a Cinnamon – bun – for – breakfast kind of girl but I stopped off at Red Hen Bakery on Saturday at 1623 North Milwaukee Avenue and besides the totally addictive Cinnamon buns (see how I licked off the frosting?) , I discovered the tempting mini- baguettes and no longer wonder why WISMA gets all of their loaves from Red Hen.

Bon Appetit!

Cinnamon Sticky Buns

adapted from Betty Crocker / Gold Medal Flour

Dough:

2 1/2 to 3 cups bread flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 package regular or fast-acting dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons bread machine yeast)

3/4 cup very warm water (120°F to 130°F)

3 tablespoons butter, softened

1 egg

Cinnamon Sugar Coating:

1 cup granulated sugar

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 to 2 teaspoons milk

Put the dough ingredients into your bread machine pan in the order suggested by the manufacturer (my Oster calls for the liquids first, then the flour, then other ingredients and yeast) and set it for the dough cycle.

Or by hand -- in medium bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups of the flour, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, the salt and yeast. Add warm water, 3 tablespoons butter and the egg. Beat with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently. Beat on medium speed 1 minute, scraping bowl frequently. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.

On lightly floured surface, knead dough about 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and springy. Grease medium bowl with shortening or cooking spray. Place dough in bowl, turning dough to grease all sides. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap; let rise in warm place about 1 hour or until double in size. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.

Grease 12 regular-size muffin cups, 2 3/4x1 1/4 inches, with shortening or cooking spray -- I used Baker's Joy Spray. In small bowl, mix 1 cup granulated sugar and the cinnamon. Gently push fist into dough to deflate. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Pinch each piece into 6 small balls.

Roll balls in melted butter, then roll in cinnamon-sugar. Place 5 balls in each muffin cup; top with 1 ball in center. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; let rise in warm place 30 to 45 minutes or until double in size.

Heat oven to 350°F. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. The pan will look kind of difficult to clean but it wasn't a problem thanks to the Baker's Joy Spray, and I had no sticking issues.

Cool 5 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack (place rack on waxed paper to catch glaze drips). In small bowl, stir glaze ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle glaze over rolls. Sprinkles optional. Serve warm.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting

You can do these with pumpkin. To die for is an understatement and you don’t have to save this recipe for Thanksgiving.

Dough:

1 packet of active yeast

1/2 cup of warm water

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground clove

1/8 tsp nutmeg

3 cups all purpose flour

Filling:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

Frosting:

1/4 cup butter, softened

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Mix yeast and warm water and allow to sit for about 10 minutes. Add in the rest of the ingredients and combine. Add more flour for the right consistency.

Knead for 5 minutes and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Mix the filling ingredients together until you have a paste. Roll out in a rectangle to 1/4 inch thick and spread the filling evenly over the dough.

Roll into a cylinder and cut into 16 piece. Place in a greased 8×8 baking dish and allow to rise 45 minutes to 60 minutes until doubled in size.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Mix frosting ingredient and spread over the top of the rolls.

This Is Fine Cooking!

I love a lot of the recipes in Fine Cooking magazine. Honestly, most of them I have made have been really great.
They did a series this month on brunch and here is one of my favorite vegetarian recipes I made last weekend… but forgot to take a photo.

This weekend I used pancetta, mixed greens, heirloom multi-colored tomatoes and an aioli mayo to remind me that anything – even a BLT- is good on a brioche.

Bon Appetit!

Poached Eggs on Brioche Toast with Garlicky Mushrooms
by Bill Telepan

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1-1/2 lb. hen of the woods mushrooms (or other exotic mushrooms, such as oyster), broken into large pieces

Kosher salt

1 Tbs. distilled white vinegar

8 large eggs

1 Tbs. minced garlic

1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

8 (3/4-inch-thick) slices brioche

2 oz. (4 Tbs.) salted butter; or as needed

6 oz. (6 loosely packed cups) baby spinach

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F.

Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering hot. Add half of the mushrooms in a single layer and brown them on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the mushrooms and cook for 30 seconds more. Season them with salt and transfer to a plate. Repeat with 2 more Tbs. oil and the remaining mushrooms. Season them with salt and return the reserved mushrooms to the skillet. Add 2 Tbs. water, put the skillet in the oven, and roast until tender, about 5 minutes.

While the mushrooms are cooking, bring 3 quarts of water, the vinegar, and 1/2 Tbs. salt to a boil in a 4-quart saucepan over high heat. While the water heats, crack 4 of the eggs into separate cups or coffee mugs. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and then carefully slide the eggs into the water. Poach the eggs until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggs to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving space between each egg. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Trim away any scraggly bits of egg white.

In a small skillet over medium-high heat, heat the remaining 1/2 cup oil and the garlic, stirring, until the garlic is light golden-brown, about 1-1/2 minutes. Carefully add the parsley (it will bubble) and immediately transfer the mixture to a small bowl.

Toast the brioche until golden-brown and butter it.

Divide the spinach among 8 large plates. Lightly season the spinach with salt and drizzle with some of the garlic oil. Position a slice of toast in the center of each plate, and put an egg on top of each slice. Sprinkle the eggs lightly with salt. Arrange the mushrooms on the plates and drizzle with the remaining garlic oil.

Mini Carnitas

Recipe: Slow cook a pork roast all day and top with fresh ingredients. How easy is that?

Now pair with a fresh margarita, homemade flour tortillas and salsa verde...and don’t forget you salt shaker and a side of Cotija. Even a little avacado...

Pretty sure this tiny post has made me enormously hungry!

Bon Appetit!

Soft Shell Crabs

It’s a given that when soft shell crabs come out it’s spring and there is only one way to cook them – fried - so save them for your cheat day.

I like them on a really good bun as a sandwich.

Feel a little less guilty and serve them with fruit.

Bon Appetit!

Fried Soft Shell Crabs

4 soft-shell crabs

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

salt and pepper to taste

4 cups oil for frying, or as needed

Clean each crab. Lift one pointed side of top shell and remove the gills by pulling them out. Put top shell back down and repeat on other side. On the bottom side remove tail flap by twisting and pulling off. Using a pair of scissors, remove the face by cutting behind the eyes. Rinse the crabs thoroughly with cold water. Dry on paper towels.

Heat oil in a deep fryer to 365 degrees F (180 degrees F). In a shallow dish, whisk together the egg and milk using a fork. In a separate bowl, stir salt and pepper into the flour. Lightly salt the crab, then dip in the flour, dip in the egg, then in the flour again.

Carefully place crabs into the deep-fryer. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown on one side. Carefully turn over, and cook until golden on the other side. Drain on paper towels. Serve as soon as they are cool enough to eat. You can eat the whole crab.

Tequila-Soaked Watermelon Wedges

Tequila and Triple Sec infused watermelon make this dessert more about tequila flavors and who gets all the leftovers. I do I do!
Bon Appetit!








1 small seedless watermelon, red or yellow, quartered and cut into 1-inch-thick wedges

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup tequila

1/4 cup Triple Sec

2 limes, halved or cut into wedges

Flaked sea salt or coarse salt

Arrange watermelon in a single layer in two 9-by-13-inch baking dishes. Bring sugar, water, tequila, and Triple Sec to a boil in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Let cool slightly. Pour syrup over watermelon wedges, and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.

Remove watermelon from syrup, and arrange on a platter. Squeeze limes over melon, and season with salt.

Travel Tip: Italy and "REAL" Pepperoni

If you are traveling to Italy and want to taste authentic pepperoni, ask for salame piccante, salamino piccante (spicy salami, generally typical of Calabria), or salsiccia Napoletana piccante, a spicy dry sausage from Naples.

Bon Appetit!

BopNGrill

Edna said on the BonNGrill Facebook page:

i.want.kimchi.burger!!!!!!”

My sentiments exactly having survived one the last time I was there at 1803 Church Street in Evanston.

It was a Loco moco burger for me (taking the Hawaiian plate of the same name and swapping rice for buns) proving that you can die and go to burger heaven more than once in your lifetime.

Chicken Katsu smothered in gochujang? Andrew is going to teach me to eat like an Asian yet.

Will Song is the master mind (and former sous chef from Sunda) behind this little place that is rumored to be moving closer to Northwestern this spring.

Stay tuned.

Bon Appetit!

A Study In Chocolate

Did you know that if you have a passion for chocolate, you can do it all online now?

http://www.ecolechocolat.com/

P.S. Let me know when you do your homework.
Bon Appetit!

Turkey Burgers

Turkey Burgers are at the top of my list of all time favorite things to eat since I had one at Edzo’s in Evanston.

Grinding your own turkey makes all the difference in the world but I ground mine a bit coarser than Edzo’s does so I need to get “the art of the grind down.”

Result: Good but not quite Edzo’s. Trying but not quite there!

They also use dark instead of white meat which is something else I need to try. A good mix of the two would be perfect. Maybe 60/40.

Bon Appetit!

GRILLED TURKEY BURGERS

1 pound ground turkey

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sweet-smoky jarred barbecue sauce

Canola oil, for brushing

4 brioche buns, split and toasted

Pickled jalapeño slices and Swiss cheese slices or Green Tomatoes and pickle chips, for serving

Directions

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. In a bowl, season the turkey with salt and pepper and gently knead in 1/4 cup of the barbecue sauce. Shape the meat into four 4-inch patties, about 3/4 inch thick. Brush with oil and grill over moderate heat, turning once, until nearly cooked through, 7 minutes. Brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons of barbecue sauce and cook for 1 minute longer, until cooked through and lightly glazed. Transfer the burgers to the buns and top with pickled jalapeños and Swiss cheese or Green Tomatoes and pickle chips and serve.

Corn Muffins and Cleaning at 3 AM

Pretty sure that eating a corn muffin with Café on Leche at 3 AM while tossing away half of everything I own adds up to a jump start on spring cleaning.

Bon Appetit!

Hot Nicoise Salad

I found this recipe in Food and Wine and really love the fresh flavors. It is such a good low calorie option and you can make it in under 30 minutes. Those facts aside - it is also DELICIOUS!

The recipe by Gwyneth Paltrow, who can obviously cook as well as she can sing, is one that I will cook for guests I really want to impress. I fell in love with her when she was featured with Mario Batali in the series “Spain ... on the Road Again.”  For me, it took Spanish cooking to a whole new level.

Bon Appetit!

1/2 pound green beans

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup pitted Niçoise olives (3 ounces)

1 cup roasted red or yellow bell peppers, cut into strips

Two 2-ounce cans flat anchovies packed in olive oil, drained and chopped

1/2 cup torn basil leaves

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Four 6-ounce, 1-inch-thick tuna steaks

4 large eggs

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 400°. Put the beans in a steamer basket and steam over 1 inch of boiling water until crisp-tender, 4 minutes; transfer to a large roasting pan.

Lightly squeeze the tomatoes and add to the pan. Add the olives, bell pepper, anchovies and basil, toss with 1/4 cup of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Brush the tuna steaks with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set the tuna on the vegetables. Nestle 4 ramekins among the vegetables and crack an egg into each ramekin. Drizzle the eggs with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt and pepper

Roast the tuna, vegetables and eggs in the center of the oven for 15 minutes, until the fish is slightly rare in the center and the egg whites are set, but the yolks are still runny.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup of oil with the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the dressing over the vegetables and tuna steaks. Transfer to plates and serve immediately.

Cubs Opener: Mea Culpa And Pass The Hot Dogs

There were so many priests at the Cubs game on opening day that it was unquestionably my religious experience of the week. Is it because I haven't been to church lately that I noticed each and every one of them? Must mean that God is making a house call this Sunday and I can sleep in again.

Too bad they couldn’t collectively do a divine interference during the seventh inning stretch when the outcome of the game was clearly not in our favor.

Even the hallowed ground of Wrigley Field and the band couldn’t pull out a win for the Cubs.

Nor could Robert Redford...

     The CEO...

     or all the swag.

But like every year, I didn’t care. I am a Cubs fan. I will be excited if they win and loyal if they don’t.

All the bars around Wrigley Field were jammed packed with people of every age looking for an excuse to celebrate. The fact that the Cub’s lost keeps you in there a lot longer than you planned because you have to find some way to drown your sorrows.

It’s going to be a long season but I believe they will do it. And, just what they do is unquestionably a matter of faith so now we have come full circle. I like ending everything on a hope and a prayer.

I’m excited about all the new food at Wrigley this year including the return of Vienna Beef and am wondering when the vendors will take each other on and do a reality show? Can you see it all now? ...The Battle of the Ballpark chefs. Sounds like a good one to hand off to Guy Fieri.

This season, Loaded Dogs, at The Works concession inside the main gate, sells five new dogs including the Taco Dog with ground beef, pico de gallo, cheddar, sour cream and jalapeno and the Frito Pie Dog piled high with chili, cheddar and a heap of Fritos.

Other toppings include kim chi (what doesn’t have kim chi on it these days thanks to the Korean cooking craze fueled by Bill Kim of Urban Belly and Belly Shack), mac and cheese and a combination of cucumber, daikon radish, cilantro and chili sauce to duplicate the always in vogue banh mi sandwich. Look for more original dogs as we head into the season.

If you want something to chill on try frozen kefir (Kefir is a probiotic cultured milk beverage similar to that of yogurt) topped with berries and trail mix which is available at the Grounds Crew and Brew stand near the main gate. You can also grab Edy’s frozen custard at the two Chillville stands which is up on the main concourse on the left and right field ramps.

If you don’t want to consume all of your calories at the ball park because you’re saving your splurge for a dinner at Mercat a la Planxa this weekend, go for some of the new, healthy options that have been just introduced.

Preparations like a grilled chicken with lettuce and tomato on a whole wheat bun, vegetables with hummus and a fruit cup with chili-lime salt are now all featured on the expanded healthy menu at Wrigley. I love healthy most of the time but at the ballpark where hot dogs and peanuts still rule? A difficult thought!

One thing you can mail to any cubs fan around the world - peanuts!

The restaurants and bars around Wrigley, who make it the one-of-a-kind neighborhood it is, are now partnering with Levy to bring you some of the best food in the area.

Stanley’s Kitchen and Tap brings the fan-favorite Stanburger to Broadcast Grill and Sheffield Grill which are both located in the right field main concourse. Wrigley will also be switching Pizzas to neighborhood favorite D’Agostino’s.

Fans of Greg Mohr and Scott Weiner’s Fifty/50 (2047 Division) will find their new wings cart in the left field bleacher patio this summer.










Don’t you just love a ballpark that supports their neighborhood chefs?

More on Wrigley eats this season..

Bon Appetit!

Sherbet and Soda

HOLD ON...Here comes summer!

Bon Appetit!

Fried Chicken

Cheat A Little Or Cheat A Lot?

Fruit With Your Fried Chicken.

Bon Appetit and Happy Sunday Dinner!