This Little Pig…

Came to the restaurant. We turned him into terrine. He is delicious.

Don’t be afraid, kids. This is what your food looks like before we make it pretty on a plate.

If god didn’t want us to eat pork he would have made it taste like tofu.

End lesson.

I Miss Paris

Sometimes -and I know I’m not the only one doing this- I get sucked into a really terrible movie on cable. I recognize that I’m watching a bad movie. Periodically throughout the film I might even say aloud, “God, this movie is awful,” and yet I don’t change the channel. That was “Le Divorce” for me this afternoon. Truly horrible. The one thing it did accomplish was to make me really miss being in Paris.

Slovak Easter Bread

I’m a Slovak. Way back in the day my dad’s family came to America from beautiful Bratislava. Or so we’ve been told. To be honest, we’re not very in touch with the Slovak part of our heritage. Except for the fact that some of us are insanely stubborn, which my German mother insists can only be because we’re Slovak and she’s not. Because she’s not stubborn at all. Or sarcastic. And neither am I.

A Charlie Trotter Anniversary

Five years is a long time. If you’d told me five years ago that my crazy man and I would still be together today I definitely would’ve raised an eyebrow. Though I will admit, I’ve had a feeling about him from the start.

Make Your Own Escargot!

No! Bad foodie! Do not make your own escargot!

This has been a public service announcement.

Candyland!

Living in Chicago is full of perks: amazing restaurants, a beautiful skyline, adventurous weather… and the one hour proximity to the Jelly Belly factory. That’s right, my friends. Jelly bean heaven. Real life Candyland.

BTL: Bread Tanning Laundry

If you live in Chicago and you haven’t been to Superdawg I don’t think we can be friends. And if you live in Chicago and try to tell me how to eat my hot dog, I know we can’t be friends. If I want ketchup I’ll damn well have ketchup. And I’ll throw down with anyone who tries to stop me, capisce? All right. Now let’s talk.

I Can’t Believe I Ate The Whole Thing

It’s amazing what some people can do with a vegetable and a pile of wasabi. I don’t have the patience for that shit. It’s why I don’t do cakes anymore. But it sure looked nice on my plate of sushi.

Dinner With Heston Blumenthal

Okay so maybe I didn’t actually sit down and have dinner with Heston Blumenthal. He was probably busy. For all I know when I went to Hinds Head he was next door at The Fat Duck. We probably just missed each other. Oh well. Next time, Heston.

Pierre Herme Paris

Pierre Herme. King of the macaron. Godfather of French pastry. This, my friends, is my pastry pilgrimage.