I think rhubarb is fantastic. Not only is it a harbinger of summer in the Midwest, it is so perfectly tart that I never grow tired of it. A couple of weekends ago, I bought about 4 pounds of rhubarb at the market, and proceeded to find delicious ways of using all of it up. This buckle was up first. read more+++

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 didn’t know Imitation Strawberry Extract was in season.

That was Bryan’s response to the McCormick bottle sitting on our kitchen counter.

It’s always in season.

Admittedly, it was an odd sighting in our apartment. It was even an odd sighting on the pages of a Saveur. Most contemporary recipes don’t call for imitation anything—it just isn’t cool anymore. But not so long ago, it was very cool. So modern! I am sure we consume more flavorings and colorings now, we just don’t like to talk about it. At least not those of us that read magazines like Saveur. I don’t have any major philosophical issues with a teaspoon of artificial extract, so I decided to give this crazy strawberry cake a try.

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Bad biscotti are really bad. In order for me to be interested in a dried-out cookie, it needs to be very special. This biscotti recipe from Claudia Fleming fits the bill. Please don’t substitute here, the genius is in the details. These are complicated, buttery and perfect with a cup of black tea. Having a jar full of these on the counter is immensely satisfying because I know that I have a snack (with that cup of tea) or a dessert (with a scoop of vanilla ice cream). I also know that they’ll keep well. No rush. Savor the flavor.

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Sometimes a recipe stops you in your tracks.

A few weeks ago Bryan and I attended a dinner party for my friend Amber’s new business, Las Manas Tamales (more on that in a minute). The first course was described as a spring vegetable escabeche with savory granola. I didn’t really know what to expect and certainly had no idea I would be so moved by the dish.

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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!

It amazes me how some recipes slip through the cracks. This is one of my all-time favorite cookie recipes, and somehow I never shared it here. This lead me to realize that there are still several more of my all-time favorites that have never made it onto the site. I plan to remedy that in the coming weeks. But these cookies! These cookies are really something. read more+++

I’d been coming across Julia Turshen‘s work for a while now and am always impressed by her voice and the projects she is involved with. She bills herself as a personal chef, writer and producer and seems to do all of those things well. She worked on Spain: On the Road Again, the beautiful PBS travel/food series that featured Mario Batali, Mark Bittman, Gwyneth Paltrow and Claudia Bassols. But what the show really featured was Spain, and it did so beautifully.

Julia also contributes to GOOP and worked with Gwyneth Paltrow on My Father’s Daughter, which has already been featured here. All of her projects manage to be both smart, beautiful and really engaging. (I think I might want to be Julia when I grow up)

Her next project, The Kimchi Chronicles, finds Julia working with Marja and Jean-Georges Vongerichten on a PBS series (and book!) “about rediscovering Korea and its cuisine and translating all of it into easy, approachable recipes for the American kitchen”— sounds amazing.

I asked Julia to share a favorite recipe with all of us and can say that she is as kind and charming as she is talented (if you want more evidence, check out this great interview with her over on Design*Sponge). And these turkey meatballs are fantastic. I don’t cook with meat at home very often, and so it is always an occasion when I do. These meatballs are perfect for a special occasion, or a weeknight meal. Julia brightens them up with some lemon zest which really makes them shine. We feasted on these and then enjoyed the leftovers (which are great on a sandwich!) for the next couple of days.

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Ever since I read Kim Boyce’s beautiful Good to the Grain, I have been taking whole grains a lot more seriously. I now find myself using them whenever I can, especially in baking. Because they are good for me, sure—but mostly because they taste good. So, I was pleasantly surprised when Maria Speck’s new cookbook Ancient Grains for Modern Meals arrived at my doorstep.

The book is beautifully written, and a real pleasure to spend time with. Speck manages to soft-sell cooking with grains in a way that has me wanting to completely transform my diet. She should consider starting a cult, maybe she already has—the Cult of Whole Grains. Sign me up. read more+++

I’ve always liked Gwyneth Paltrow, as much as I could like anyone I don’t know. I admire her work as an actor and I find it both charming and courageous that she also sings, dances, speaks Spanish, writes about food, raises kids, practices yoga, etc., etc. She seems like someone I’d want to be friends with. She demonstrates a good sense of humor, seems curious about the world and engaged in her life—honestly, she seems kind of awesome.

But maybe that is beside the point.

This week she published My Father’s Daughter, her first cookbook. read more+++