Two fun updates before I continue with regularly scheduled programming.

First of all, Bryan and I are two of the first-time homeowners profiled in the June/July issue of ReadyMade magazine. I love the issue (which is dedicated to first homes) and I really enjoyed reading about what others went through and the advice they had to share. There are some great photos of our apartment (mostly our kitchen!) and even a sweet shot of us eating breakfast. Eating your breakfast in front of a photo/design team and trying to act normal is not an easy task—especially for jokers like us.

This week was also my second dinner at Floriole. I had a great time working in the kitchen and getting to connect with those of you that joined us for our spring meal. It was such a pleasure to see/meet some of my fellow Chicago bloggers (Sara, Elizabeth, and Caroline!) as well as other readers and friends who made the trip up from neighborhoods as far away as Hyde Park (Katie and Octavian!), were sent to the dinner by friends in other cities (Melina!), or showed up despite feeling under the weather because they are true-blue friends (Katie!). And of course I had so much fun working with all of my friends at Floriole.

This time around, Melissa Yen (remember her?!) of Jo Snow syrups crafted us a beautiful rhubarb and basil syrup that we turned into a delicious beer cocktail. We all agreed we would be drinking this one all summer long.

We used Goose island Sofie (a Belgian-style ale that they describe as “tart, dry, sparkling”), a splash of soda water, and some of the rhubarb basil syrup. All of that on ice with a sprig of basil and a slice of rhubarb. A great contender for the official Drink of Summer, or at least of early summer.

Thanks to everyone for the good times this week! I’ll keep you posted on future events.

Next up, rhubarb mania sweeps my kitchen. Again.

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I am excited to announce the details for the next Lottie + Doof Dinner at Floriole. (Remember the first dinner?) This time around, Sandra and I are thinking: Spring! After the long Midwestern winter, everyone is champing at the bit for some delicious, local fruits and vegetables. With that in mind, we’ve come up with a menu that celebrates the season and we can’t wait to share it with you:

All of this can be yours for $40. The dinners will be held on Monday, May 23rd and Tuesday May 24th at 7pm. Tickets go on sale tomorrow morning (Tuesday, May 3rd) at 10am. You can call the bakery on 773-883-1313 or stop by and get tickets in person (full details here).

Sandra and I are especially happy that our friend Melissa Yen of Jo Snow Syrups has agreed to collaborate with us on a custom syrup for the event. The syrup will be featured in a starter cocktail, but bottles will also be available for purchase.

It is going to be a fun couple of nights. I hope to see some of you there!

101 Cookbooks, the gorgeous blog started by Heidi Swanson in 2003, is one of the sites that inspired me to launch Lottie + Doof. That may surprise you if you were to compare the nutritional qualities of the two sites, but I really related to Heidi’s sense of design and to her relationship to food. It is one of the places on the web that continues to inspire me to cook. Heidi also writes some lovely cookbooks and I was pleased as punch that she sent me a copy of her newest, Super Natural Every Day: Well-Loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen. read more+++

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.

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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!

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. read more+++

You can’t have jammers without jam. You can use your favorite jam from the market, or you can go the extra step and make your own. read more+++

I am so very excited to announce the first official Lottie + Doof event. First, there was merchandise and now, an event. Soon, there will be a theme park.

I am thrilled to be collaborating with my pal (and favorite Chicago baker), Sandra Holl (and the rest of the fantastic team at Floriole) to bring you a special dinner inspired by our youths in the Midwest. This is the sort of Midwestern comfort food that the movie version of me would have grown up on (the real me grew up on the bottled or boxed versions). We’ve pulled and adapted some recipes from my site, and added some things that just sounded delicious. My blog will come to life!

Without further delay, the menu:

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Happy new year to all of you! I took a two week break and am reluctantly rejoining the world. In Chicago, that means a cold, cold world. Bryan and I took a break from the frigid weather and spent some time at Garfield Park Conservatory, one of our favorite places in Chicago. Inside the warm and sunny gardens, the sound of snow and ice sliding off of the conservatory glass is the only clue to the reality of the outside world. It is the perfect escape. Also, their agave plant is blooming- which is a sight to behold. Chicago, keep it in mind when winter is getting you down.

Recipes as usual return in a couple of days but I wanted to let you know about an exciting upcoming event. I am teaming up with my friend Sandra Holl of Floriole Bakery to help host/create a special dinner that you can attend! I am thrilled to get the opportunity to collaborate with the Floriole team and to meet some of you in person! I’ve been wanting to find an opportunity to connect with readers in the real world, and this is perfect. It will be like my blog world comes to life, but you get to actually eat!

Details will follow, but put it on your calendar for February 2 (Groundhog Day!). Once we have the menu worked out, I’ll let you know all about it and how to order tickets, etc. I can tell you now that Sandra and I are planning a 4-course meal inspired by our experiences growing up in the Midwest. It will include some serious comfort food, and be the perfect meal for a cold winter night.

More soon.  In the meantime, I would love to hear about your holidays and the new recipes you tried. What has been going on?!

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Checking in to wish everyone a very happy Christmas and New Year, and to share some photos of our place decked out for the holidays. I’m grateful to have such a special community of readers and friends here on Lottie + Doof and am very much looking forward to another year of good times (and good food) with all of you. Enjoy celebrating winter, Christmas, your friends and family, and the future! See you all in 2011! xo, Tim

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