Chi-City on the Gaux

I went to Tavernita over on Erie and LaSalle with a couple girlfriends last week. I have to say I was the least bit impressed with the drink menu and extremely annoyed with the ambiance they have instilled thus far. It was about as loud as Sunda and slightly noisier than Mercadito to give one the exact level. Although I was unexcited by the first impressions of Tavernita, the food was definitely worth having-yet not worth the whole experience. 
The menu is set up to share somewhat like tapas. We had the following:          

Oyster cocktail:samish bay pickled oyster, mango, papaya, poached shrimp, jalapeño relish

Pan con burrata: tomato marmalade, burrata cheese

Coca de setas:flatbread, mushrooms, caramelized onions, fresh chèvre, herb salad

Brussels sprouts: chestnuts, val d’aosta fontina cheese

Crispy atlantic cod:mushrooms, spinach, cipollini onions, habanero chimichurri

House-made lamb sausage:chickpeas, spicy giardiniera

Spiced Zucchini Walnut Bread

Today I put together my fantastic wine rack that I found on One Kings Lane. It fits about 27 bottles and is relatively chic looking, well chic enough for its resting place in my kitchen! One would never think that finding a sufficient wine rack was that difficult, but it was an extremely difficult feat. One Kings Lane is a great site to look at if you know what you are looking for, but I legitimately went to more than 10 stores and searched endlessly online for a wine rack with a capacity for more than 20 bottles and one that you are getting your bang for your buck. This one was definitely the winner. All i had to do was screw the two outside pieces together and Voila!


  

I just finished reading Rules of Civility by Amor Towles. This book is an elaborate look into the life of a young woman during the late 1930s and into the early 1940s. She struggles from paycheck to paycheck learning how to cut corners and socialize with not necessarily the “right” people, unlike many others of her time, rather the intriguing counterparts all in an effort to find out where her place in life truly is. You are carried on a journey through her life and various layers of Civility are unraveled in every social, professional, and private encounter she experiences. It is a relatively quick read and I highly recommend reading it to keep your synapses sparking but don’t look to this book for any mind blowing sociological revelations. 

After a fantastic NYE I have to say that my hangover has not weaned just yet and I came across this link while perusing my Facebook newsfeed. I am not one for large new years resolutions but this was a rather informative excerpt. Good luck with your new years resolutions, god knows we all need it!!!!

http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/2011/12/30/coffee-eggs-other-foods-drinks-you-should-stop-worrying-about.html?fb_ref=gallery&fb_source=profile_multiline

Decided to make Chicken Paillard and Roasted Brussel Sprouts tonight for dinner! Always best to place any Paillard atop a bed of greens. My green of choice is arugula but truly any type will work be it spinach or mixed baby greens. Bon appetite!

I live by Tazo Zen Green Tea. It is one of the best green teas out there because it has spearmint and various lemon derived ingredients. The lemon and spearmint override the usual bitter taste of traditional green tea and leaves a very refreshing and healthy taste. In my experience you can either use hot water to steep the tea or put the tea bag in room temperature water for about 2-3 minutes then add ice cubes to have iced green tea!

The nicest of the Palmiers made!

Layered Peppermint Crunch Bark

These are great for Holiday Party gifts!!! I added green food coloring to the white chocolate so it had a more festive air to it and an added advantage that it resembles the oh so pricey version from William Sonoma. I would also recommend using bars of white chocolate rather than morsels as I encountered some troubles with the melting process. Yikes :)

Cinnamon Palmiers!!!

I made this recipe on Christmas day and it was a smashing hit. Although the total time of making the Palmiers may seem daunting to someone if you have a relatively broken up day and time to check back on the chilling it can be done. I would also recommend that one try to bake them at a lower temperature for a longer period of time such that the elephant ear will be larger. Once completed, my whole family ate almost all of them within 15 minutes with my 125lb mother winning the eating contest with 7 under her belt!!!!!!!