(Too much?)

Those of you who have traveled to Nice have likely come across a socca vendor or two. I didn’t imagine it was something I could (or would want to) make at home, even though recipes for it have been popping up everywhere lately. The recipes are all basically chickpea flour and water, with a little olive oil and salt thrown in for good measure. As is so often the case, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts and it can be made at home.

Many of us in Chicago know Melissa Yen as the friendly woman who ran Vella Cafe, a popular brunch/lunch spot that I used to eat at regularly. It was at Vella that Melissa first started using the flavored syrups that would become Jo Snow. This past fall, the syrups became her full time thing. Now you can find them at stores in the Chicago area, as well as popping up on menus at restaurants and bars.

The syrups are a hit, and I am a huge fan. We keep a bottle on hand to add to cocktails, top ice cream or to make a quick soda.  But you can (and should!) get more creative. They are great whipped with cream, used in salad dressings, sauces, and coffee. It is a simple product with endless uses.

I’m interrupting this blog with a bit of self-promotion. I wanted to thank all of you for helping to make Lottie + Doof a site that Saveur loves. They profiled me (HERE) as part of an ongoing series in which they highlight their favorite bloggers. I am in great company, and look forward to learning about the other sites included in their series.  I really appreciate that the online team at Saveur found a way of recognizing the work of bloggers.  I love the magazine, and the website, and I am totally honored that they like what I am doing. Thanks to all of you for being a big part of that.
Have a great weekend!

You’ve likely seen these bagels before. Luisa just raved about them last week.  Because of her wonderful post, I considered not posting them here—but it is too important. Think of this post as a public service announcement. You need to make these bagels. For those of you that have experienced the joy of making your first loaf of no-knead bread, this is like that, but with bagels. I mean, what else is there to say? You. Can. Make. Bagels. And not just any bagels, really amazing bagels.

The recipe (from Peter Reinhart) is available here or here. But I wanted to add my two cents to the process.

We’re all trying to figure out how to write about food after what has happened in Japan. Ruth Reichl’s tweets are getting more and more bizarre. We’re struggling. There isn’t an answer. We are unbelievably fortunate to be alive, and to have our homes, friends and family safe. Even this internet that brings me to you is such a privilege. My hope is that we are all appreciating our good fortune, and finding ways to help those that are suffering. And I hope that someday everyone will have the luxury of caring about the food they eat (or whatever else) as much as we do.

Oh, Québec, I miss you.

It has been a while since our last trip to Montreal, and I am pretty eager to return. Those of you that are lucky enough to visit Québec in the winter (yes, lucky!) should take the opportunity to visit a sugar shack. Across Québec maple syrup is celebrated at “sugaring off” (giggle) celebrations held in the forests where maple sap is collected. You travel to a rural area where you sit down for a feast (usually in some sort of log cabin structure) featuring maple syrup—soups, meats, desserts, all flavored with the sweet nectar of the surrounding sugar bush. There is song and dance and a very merry time. It is a wonderful way to spend the day. Then you can walk around and check out the systems for gathering syrup and even watch them boiling it down. If you are lucky, someone will be making maple candy in the snow. We went a couple of years ago with Bryan’s grandparents (two of my favorite people) and had a blast.

[Graphic from Colin Mathes via justseeds.]

Chicago’s Polish-American community celebrates Paczki Day today. Paczki (pronunciation varies a bit, but my kin say poonch-key) are basically jelly donuts. Bakeries claim the dough is special for paczki, but I have been unable to detect a difference. The important thing is that Paczki Day gives you permission to come home with an entire box full of jelly donuts. Which is, of course, how you celebrate Paczki Day, by eating as many donuts as you can get your hands on.

Now is the time when we Midwesterners get desperate. We’re about as far as we can get from fresh fruits and vegetables. Storage apples, onions, and root vegetables have all but disappeared. I just want some variety in the produce I can buy! This is when I inevitably think it is a good idea to buy a plastic carton of cherry tomatoes, which are almost always a disappointment.