Last winter we drove up to Madison, Wisconsin, with our friends Katie and Justin. Winter had us all feeling a little shack-nasty* and we thought a trip out of town might do us good. On the way home from Madison we stopped in New Glarus, a town famous for its brewery and weird alpine architecture. The brewery is fantastic, and totally worth a stop (though admittedly is more fun in the summer when you can sit outside drinking beer). And New Glarus is a charming enough place to spend a few hours. The bakery in town is pretty great and I always pick up a few pastries for the drive home. We had dinner at one of the several touristy Swiss-themed restaurants in town. It was as expected, huge portions and lots of fat, but also pretty satisfying. Among the things we ate was a giant potato rösti. As delicious as it was, about three bites in I felt defeated by the amount of fat (butter and cheese) in the dish. But I’ve been thinking about the potential. read more+++

Thanks to this blog, and all of you amazing people, I get to do some really fun stuff. A few weeks ago, the folks at Falafill (delicious, fresh and modern Middle-Eastern restaurants in Chicago) asked me to participate in their Chefs for Charity program. Each month Falafill has local chefs (“chefs”, in my case) design a seasonal wrap which is then sold at all three Falafill locations. Getting to design a wrap is pretty fun, but the really amazing part: one dollar ($1!) of each wrap sold goes to the charity of the chef’s (my) choice. Whoa!

I designed what I think is a really tasty wrap (so far, a couple of friends, Bryan, and a teenager who works at the Oak Park branch, all agree). In addition to Falafill’s classic falafel (which is so delicious), the wrap includes urfa pepper and eggplant spread, arugula, feta, pickled pears(!!!) and toasted walnuts. It is available now. Go get it!

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“You Don’t Own Me” PSA from You Don’t Own Me on Vimeo.

I’ve been watching the recent presidential debates on Twitter. Well, I’ve been watching them on my TV, but following along on Twitter. The majority of folks I follow usually tweet about food. That changes for those few hours when the debate is taking place and suddenly everyone is talking politics. It is an odd phenomenon. It becomes especially odd when, during the debate, someone tweets about something not related to politics. During one of the debates, Chicago chef Rick Bayless tweeted:

A Genius Mix on my iPhone: Black Eyed Peas, Justin Timberlake, Sound of Music & R Kelly from his Christmas album.Called Urban Crossover

Which became unintentionally hilarious (though maybe that phrase is inherently funny?) in the middle of an impassioned series of tweets about election issues. Ruth Bourdain responded to Bayless with what everyone may have been thinking:

WTF? read more+++

Make this salad. Now.

I cook a lot (obviously), but I think this simple salad was the best thing I made this year. Oh, I know there were more impressive and exciting recipes and I loved them all (well, I loved the ones that made it to these pages—there were plenty of duds). But this salad—this salad I want to eat every day. I think I could. I don’t think I would ever grow tired of it. It feels empowering to know that I can easily make something so delicious whenever I want. Isn’t that the ultimate praise of a recipe? It gives you superpowers.

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I have been charmed by the Baked boys, Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, since I read their first book, Baked: New Frontiers in Baking. The duo specialize in American comfort desserts with a sophisticated edge. They’ve recently published their third book, Baked Elements: Our 10 Favorite Ingredients (in addition to running a very successful bakery and creating a line of products for Williams Sonoma). This third book might be my favorite, a great collection of recipes organized by their favorite ingredients like pumpkin, cinnamon, and booze.

Here is where things get fun: Matt and Renato are coming to Chicago! I’m going to get to hang out with them, and so are you. Floriole and I are teaming up to host a book party and sweet tasting at the bakery. For $40 (plus tax) you will get your very own copy of Baked Elements (just in time for holiday baking/gift giving!), a buffet of our favorite treats from the book (prepared by Floriole’s expert bakers), and time to hear from Matt and Renato about their bakery and books (they’re so fun!). I’ll be there serving as host for the evening, and I really hope you’ll join me. There isn’t much I like better than meeting you good people in the real world. Tickets, and complete details, are available here or at Floriole. Don’t miss your chance to get Baked, right here in Chicago. read more+++

My favorite kind of recipes are the ones that combine a few ingredients into something truly extraordinary. Strawberries + sour cream + brown sugar=BAM! It isn’t really cooking, more like assembling. Like this salad, which features the unlikely combination of olives and celery. They combine to form something very special.

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Now we arrive at the time of year where I am writing about recipes just as their ingredients are going out of season. I can’t keep up with the farmers and I always fall behind. But, with any luck, we’ll have another harvest next year and you will have this recipe. For the record, I have tried in the past to just save the recipe and photos and post them eleven months from now, but it never works. I forget what happened and don’t feel as connected to the recipe. So, on with it—plums!

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[Today’s final post comes from my best friend, Katie. She is literally the best.]

LAND OF LOTTIE

A Doof Tour of Chicago’s Southwest Side

If a wayward reader stumbled upon Lottie + Doof, a cursory glance might cause her to surmise the blogger grew up in the Hamptons. More committed and thorough readers, or those who read the paczki post know that Tim spent years one through five on Chicago’s Southwest Side. For years I’ve been telling Tim he should treat loyal Doofers to the culinary wonders of his old neighborhood. When he gave me the chance to contribute to L+D’s 4th anniversary, I whisked him away in my car to eat our way from 34th to 92nd, from Western to Pulaski. read more+++

[Kelly Carambula is cool. Not only does she run a fantastic blog, produces a beautiful food journal, she’s a great person to hang out with at a cocktail party. Speaking of cocktails, she made one for us!]

This little number is inspired by the delicious fruit desserts that Tim shares. Blackberries, an ode to summer, are paired with a fall staple in my house, Fuji apple cider (regular apple cider works too) and bourbon to create a cocktail that’s sweet and satisfying. Finished with a rim of cinnamon sugar, it’s a perfect welcome to the beginning of a new season and another year of delicious treats from Tim.

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I had read Helen Rosner’s writing for many years before I finally had the pleasure of meeting her. She is as charming, witty, and warm as her words and I am very happy that she agreed to take a break from her work at Saveur and contribute to the anniversary celebration. I wanted a poem (we needed some culture around here), and she provided.

Visit the website of Lottie + Doof
Not yet having eaten your dinner,
And there you will find irrefutable proof
Of why you don’t get any thinner.

Each photo will drive you to whip up a snack,
These exquisitely cropped coups de grace:
From an overhead shot of a pie on a rack
To a beautifully-laid mise en place.

Whatever your taste, you’ll know what to make;
Your delight Tim will aid and abet,
With his black-pepper tofu, his poppy-seed cakes,
His lebkuchen, his cider vinaigrettes.

When I’m hungry I’ll visit, my palate to sweeten
With mouthwatering pictures and text.
And even if (as ever) I’ve only just eaten,
I’ll dream of the meals to come next.

 – Helen Rosner ♥