Cezanne

Taken at the Chicago Art Institute, January 2008.

What We Eat: Week 7 February 2008

This is going to be a week of eating out and/or heating up soup; my husband has training sessions and I'm moving offices. But I've got Hostess coffee cakes, so all is right with the world. And we'll be having bison steaks tomorrow. Yum!

What We Eat: Week 6 February 2008

We're still on a cheese kick. Plus pasta and more soup. It's cold out there!

What We Eat: Week 3 January 2008

Just got our last winter CSA box full of root vegetables, so there are lots of soups in the works. And a ton of frozen food I forgot to add to the photo. Too tired to cook this week!

What We Eat: Week 2 January 2008

Week 2 of the year-long photo series. I'll be making pumpkin soup, chicken-mushroom soup, Chinese beef with broccoli, whole-wheat pasta with turkey meatballs, and our favorite roasted chicken with 20 cloves of garlic this week. Can't wait!

What We Eat: Week 1 2008

Click here for a larger, more detailed version.

Last year I participated in a cool Flickr project called Items We Carry, in which people photographed all the things they carried around daily. I submitted two photos, one for my photography excursions and one for everyday. I loved the concept of itemizing the mundane and putting it all together in a series to emphasize how different and how similar we all are.

So while fishing around for a project for the year, I kept going back to the Flickr project; I can't commit to a Project365-type thing, where you take at least one photo every day all year, but a weekly series feels do-able. As I enjoy cooking and trying new recipes, and I adore grocery shopping, a Saturday photo of the food we plan to eat each week seems appropriate.

This week's shot does not include the chicken, ground beef, or steak we will be eating; those typically get bought a day or two before we eat it. I also omitted the two gallons of skim milk we drink per week. :)

Bon appetit!

Coney Island Countermen

A trip to Detroit would not be complete without a stop at Lafayette Coney Island. (A Coney, if you've never had one, is a hotdog with chili, mustard and onions. My husband is a very big fan.) The place was pretty empty, (unsurprising for 11am on the day before Christmas) and the countermen were nice enough to let me take pictures. I'm not crazy about the colors -- they came out with a lot more yellow than I remember there being -- but there is something so timeless about the place I had to post them.











The whole set can be found here.

Reindog 23: The edible Reindog at Fredhots

Today's dog is a little different, but if you know me, you know I had to include it. (Also, we went here for lunch immediately after the Reindog Parade. We had to!) This is the very tasty reindeer hotdog served up at Fredhots and Fries in Glenview. I especially love the cherry tomato nose!



Fredhots is a great, GREAT hotdog stand. The food is delicious, and they have a wonderful sense of creativity and enthusiasm. Sure, you can get a traditional Chicago style hotdog, or an excellent Italian beef sandwich, but the thing I go back for are the specialty sausages. The reindeer one is his most famous, but throughout the year he may also have alligator, elk, duck, buffalo, you name it! My favorite is the Reuben dog. Served with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and a fabulous spicy Thousand Island, the meat remarkably has the flavor and mouth-feel of corned beef.

And let's not forget the amazing frites and aiolis! Mmmmm. I never thought mayonnaise on French Fries could be so good. But it is!



Plus, look at these guys. How can you not want to buy a hotdog from them? I ask you.



The man himself, Fred. Don't you recognize him from the logo? :)


Fredhots is located on 1707 Chestnut Avenue in Glenview, just off Waukegan Road. They're open 7 days a week (Sunday is just 12-3 so you can get your fix before the Bears games). Tell them Kristen said hello!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I made my very first Thanksgiving dinner today. It came out wonderfully, very VERY delicious.





Good food, good friends, a good husband, a good job, good health, and a good family. I have much to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!