Sunflower Sprouts

I first had these at Frontera Grill in Chicago and instantly fell in love. Sprouts in general are delicious but the flavor of sunflower sprouts is particularly delicious. Worth tracking down. They are as pretty as they are delicious.

These Striped Napkins

Came across these at West Elm recently, they were exactly what I was looking for in an everyday napkin.

Plum Caramel by Flora Confections

A favorite vendor from Green City Market, this plum caramel confiture is so incredible. I would gladly eat it by the spoonful for dessert. It is incredible on top of vanilla ice cream. Go get some!

Bryan hates tomatoes, I love tomatoes. This recipe is for all of the tomato lovers in the world. It is simple. Go to your market (or backyard) and find a few perfectly ripe, juicy, tomatoes that are free of pesticides. Heirlooms would be great. Rinse them. Slice them. Drizzle some decadent creamy dressing on top and enjoy.

There are a wide range of dishes that I consider good and worth making and worth telling you about. Some are simply satisfying and delicious, others are totally knock-your-socks-off amazing. This recipe is from the later category of recipes. It comes from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi and I have been eying it for weeks but feeling stressed out by the three kinds of soy sauce it calls for in the recipe. I didn’t know there were three kinds of soy sauce and I had no idea how I would find them, but am I glad I did.

This summer Lottie + Doof is hitting the road and exploring the Midwest. Like too many Chicagoans, I don’t leave the city often enough to visit the surrounding area. This summer I’m in search of good food and good times and I’ll be taking you along for the ride. Next Stop: Madison, Wisconsin.

I never knew Madison was so cool. The capital of Wisconsin and home of the University of Wisconsin, Madison is a vibrant town that manages to feel both like a small town and a city and seems to offer the best of both worlds. It is situated on an isthmus in the middle of a few lakes (Bryan would like me to point out that the only other U.S. city located on an isthmus is Seattle). Being surrounded by water means there are pretty views and plenty of water-based recreational activities. Madison is an easy breezy drive from Chicago through rolling farmland and a great destination for a summer road trip.
We arrived before lunch to met our friend Deb at The Old Fashioned and enjoyed a pretty fantastic meal of fried cheese curds, beer and cheese soup, and brats. This is the Wisconsin I know and love. The meal was a perfect start to our time in Madison.