This was so obvious!

I was walking by a restaurant (Forno) in my old neighborhood (Wicker Park!) and the server was delivering something to the table that kind of blew my mind. It was a slice of a watermelon, cut into slices like a pizza, and topped with a delicious looking salad mix. What?

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I promised you a blueberry galette.

Blueberries are Bryan’s favorite fruit. I  could not even come close to making that claim (peaches!), but I like them. And I like to keep him happy, so I try to fit in some blueberry recipes whenever they are in season. A few years ago I famously made a blueberry cake when he was out of town, and am still hearing about it. So, guilt is involved, too. read more+++

Sweet corn ice cream is weird.

I wasn’t sure I should share this recipe with you, because it is so unusual. But it is also wonderful and the adventurous among you might just love this ice cream like I did. So, here I am. The thing you need to remember is that sweet corn ice cream tastes like sweet corn. Don’t fool yourself into thinking this is going to taste like anything other than corn. I know that sounds obvious, but as prepared as you might be, the first bite is shocking. Delicious, but shocking. It is confusing that it is so creamy and so cold. A couple of bites in and you find yourself thoroughly enjoying it. read more+++

I love tomatoes unconditionally. I think I am in the minority.

People have a lot of issues with tomatoes. I only like raw tomatoes. I only like cooked tomatoes. I only like tomatoes when they are in sauces. Lots of qualifications. I can proudly say I like tomatoes of all shapes and sizes, cooked or uncooked—as long as it is tomato season. Shoot, that is a qualification. But have you seen the things they try to sell you in January in the Midwest? They have as much to do with tomatoes as a tennis ball does. Well, lucky us, tomato season is here. Let’s celebrate.

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In the past, I have publicly expressed my dislike of bread and butter pickles. Honestly, I just don’t love sweet pickles. Usually. But maybe I think I don’t because so many are overly sweet and lacking in flavor. So, it was with a bit of trepidation that I tried this recipe for zucchini pickles from the Zuni Cafe Cookbook. My friend Sandra was the first to recommend the recipe, and she is a very trustworthy source. Judy Rodgers ain’t bad either.

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I don’t have a garden—yet. But I know from those of you that do that zucchini are taking over. CSA boxes are full of them and there are piles of the the summer squash at farmers markets. So I thought I would dedicate this week to the humble zucchini. I’ve got a couple of recipes that can help answer the question, what am I going to do with all of this zucchini!? Let’s call it Zucchini Week. Like shark week, but tastier. For humans.

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The challenge of summer, at least for us amateur pastry chefs, is that it is hard to beat a perfectly ripe piece of fruit. Why bother with anything else? I mean, have you eaten a peach?

This recipe is brilliant because it is so slight. Throw some raspberries into a gratin dish. Spread some sour cream on top. Sprinkle with brown sugar and broil for a couple of minutes until the sugar is melted. The resulting dish is one of the best things you’ll eat all summer. And it took you all of five minutes to make. read more+++

I’ve been distracted.

By things like the view above. Cape Cod. Provincetown. Massachusetts. Bryan and I recently spent some beautiful days in Massachusetts. I can’t begin to tell you how much I love that state.

We had one of the most wonderful dinners in recent memory at Oleana in Cambridge. Such a special place full of both good food and good people. It was totally perfect. I wish it were down the street. We ate the freshest of fresh oysters at the Provincetown farmers market and fried dough from the Portugese Bakery. I was happy to discover A & J King Bakery in Salem and will look forward to the next time I can eat one of their walnut sticky buns. We shared plates of Italian cookies from Mike’s in celebration of my best friend’s engagement.

You see, there were a lot of distractions. But I am back, and just in time for farmers market bliss. Stone fruit, berries and more vegetables than I know what to with. So forgive these last few quiet summer weeks, and know that I am doing what I hope you are doing- enjoying this crazy hot summer. I’ll be back in business this week with some updates on what has been cooking in my kitchen. xo

When Bryan and I decided to move to Oak Park, we were moving further away from our friends. It was the one part of the decision to leave our old neighborhood that we were agonizing over. For anyone not familiar with Chicago’s geography, Oak Park is the first town directly west of the city center. It is still connected by the same public transportation and the Sears Tower (I reject its new name) is a major part of the view from our apartment. Think of it as a Manhattanite moving to Brooklyn. Or Hoboken? The point being, we could easily have moved somewhere else within the city limits and been much further away from our old neighborhood and friends. But still, we worried. Ultimately we decided to go for it, and honestly have never found the extra 20 minutes of a commute to be a problem, and we love our new community. read more+++

Barbeque season is here. We don’t have an outdoor space for grilling, so we find ourselves traveling to friends’ backyards or porches to cook outside during the summer. I’m always on the lookout for a good salad that will transport easily and taste delicious alongside some grilled meats. This salad does the trick and is nice to look at, too.

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