Good Taste is the Worst Vice

Santouka ramen, Mitsuwa Chicago

There's ramen everywhere in Chicago these days - at modern Asian places (Yusho, Urban Belly), at Japanese restaurants (Wasabi), at mostly-dedicated ramen shops (Slurping Turtle, Oiistar), or even on the menu in unexpected places (Trenchermen). Even though it's hard to imagine now, ramen used to ... continue reading...


Thin crust pizza – in an apartment oven

Many, many, many pages have been written about how to make pizza at home. There are blogs and sites galore devoted to recipes and techniques (I'm partial to Serious Eats). You can buy a baking stone or a baking steel, a "Kettle Pizza" grill insert, or a dedicated countertop pizza oven. I cook in ... continue reading...


Shrimp saganaki

Shrimp.  Tomatoes.   Feta. These three ingredients have been dancing around my imagination for a while - how could you go wrong with these summery flavors?  (Even in a cold March.) Turns out this is a well-known combination in Greek cooking, known as shrimp saganaki! I read lots and lots of ... continue reading...


Lufthansa “domestic” business

At the end of our last installment, I was in Heathrow, waiting for a Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt. Lufthansa's "domestic" (intra-Europe) business class is more or less equivalent to US airlines' domestic first, except that the seats are exactly the same as those in coach - which is to say, small ... continue reading...


Flying United Global First

Airplane food: the very words strike fear into my heart. I still remember the days when cross country flights included meals in coach ("eggs or pancakes?", "pasta or chicken?"), but even back then I would often bring my own snacks to eat instead.  These days, of course, the only food is up front. ... continue reading...


The American Club, Kohler WI

City living has its perks (restaurants!!), but I grew up a country girl and sometimes I just need to get out of the urban jungle. D and I decided to head about three hours north, to Kohler Wisconsin, for a weekend at the American Club. Kohler is a company town (sort of the plumbing version ... continue reading...


Oatmeal chocolate chunk cookies

This weekend, I was briefly possessed by the spirit of Cookie Monster. No, I didn't turn into a blue monster with googly eyes (phew), but I did devour six cookies in short order one morning, promptly ruining my appetite for the rest of the day. My mom was visiting, and I convinced her to do a ... continue reading...


La Bastide des Anges, Avignon

During this long, unrelenting February, I find my mind drifting back to the warmth of Provence. I drink rosé, keep lavender sachets on my nightstands, and think about La Bastide des Anges. My aunt booked us into this little B&B just outside Avignon, on the Ile de la Barthelasse. It's a ... continue reading...


Uncle R’s clam spaghetti

As soon as I first tasted my uncle's clam spaghetti, I was immediately hooked.  It became one of my favorite dishes, and I'm always excited when he makes it for a birthday dinner or just because. I've always meant to try it for myself - here we go! The key to good clam spaghetti, of course, is ... continue reading...