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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Continuing the resolution theme, I bring you a delicious salad dressing. Bryan and I make a salad every night as part of our dinner. He is in charge of washing greens and I usually throw together a quick vinaigrette. It is one of the few kitchen constants at our place, and so of course we sometimes get bored and feel the need to mix it up. Mixing it up usually means a variation on the vinaigrette—wild, I know. I am happy to have found this wildly exciting garlic dressing in Andrew Carmellini’s Urban Italian. read more+++

I wanted a coconut cookie to serve with the yogurt panna cotta and pineapple granita, but have had bad luck with coconut cookies in the past.  I spied the Alice Medrich cookie encyclopedia that had been eagerly awaiting use on my shelf. When the book first arrived in the mail, I was extremely excited that one of my favorite bakers and cookbook authors had dedicated an entire volume to cookies, but then the holidays happened and I got distracted. Until New Year’s Eve, when I opened the book and found this recipe for coconut sticks. read more+++

January is the land of resolutions and good intentions, so I thought I would start off the month with a recipe that is relatively guilt-free. I have become a huge fan of panna cottas for entertaining. They are ridiculously easy to make and can be prepared hours (or days!) in advance. read more+++

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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I don’t have 12 Days of Cookies for you this year. I have one day of cookies—and it is today. But it is one very special cookie. As I look back on 2010, this will stand out as one of the best recipes I tried this year. These delicious peanut butter cookies are something I will be making for years to come, and you should too. read more+++

In recent years several small producers of ice cream and sorbet have popped up in Chicago. Folks dedicated to small(ish) production and local, seasonal ingredients. They are good, and certainly way ahead of anything you might buy at the supermarket. One of them is truly exceptional: Snookelfritz Ice Cream.

This ice cream with a funny name is made in Chicago by Nancy Silver (not to be confused with Nancy Silverton), who has worked as a pastry chef both in Chicago and Los Angeles. The lady is serious about her ice cream and the product reflects her passion. Her ice cream is different than any other I have tasted— fresher, more delicious, and more complex. It tastes like someone, not something, made it. It is the only ice cream that I like better than my own (wink!).

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The Plums of New York, 1911

When we came across a print from The Plums of New York, a horticultural book published a hundred years ago,  we knew we had to find the whole book. The plates are these totally bizarre and amazing photos of plums that have been printed over in color. They manage to seem really modern, beautiful and pathetic all at the same time. If you are willing to sacrifice the book, the prints make great gifts. The book is hard to find (we managed to find a copy on ebay) and expensive (but worth it). There is also a digital version of the book for you to look at HERE. The point is: old books are cool and make great gifts.

Match Holder

The bottom of this little apothecary bottle is etched to provide a strike-able surface. This is a pretty way to store your matches. DIY possibilities here.

Bakers Twine

Bakers twine is everywhere, and yes, it is cute. But did you know you can also get it in grey and black? Perfect for those of us who want it to be a little less cute. Great for wrapping gifts, especially homemade baked goods.

Bandaged Cheddar by Bleu Mont Dairy

Some people want diamonds, I want cheese. And I don’t know if there is a better cheese than this bandaged cheddar made in Wisconsin by Willi Lehner. It is crazy good. I might go as far as: life changing. I don’t know if this is distributed outside of the Midwest, but you can find it at Marion Street Cheese Market in Oak Park. read more+++

If you are anything like me, you are wondering how Hanukkah snuck up on us so quickly. It is hard to believe it is December and another year has flown by, but before I get too far with the old people talk: I am excited to have a very special guest helping us to celebrate Hanukkah and kick off the holiday season! Those of you who have spent time around Lottie + Doof know how I feel about Kim Boyce and her book Good to the Grain, so I will spare you additional praise and simply say: Kim Boyce is fantastic. read more+++