Labor Day Weekend!

This long weekend my family and I went to the city! We went to an amazing Italian restaurant, a Sprinkles cupcake shop, and a wonderful bakery with homemade bread and pastries!

First we went to a restaurant called Quartino! It was a very traditional Italian restaurant! The food was meant for family style eating! We ordered the Salumeria Tasting to start. It came with two types of salami, two types of cheese, apricot puree, beet salad, eggplant salad, baby artichokes, and tons of olives! It was so delicious, I loved making different combonations! Second we had the Margherita Pizza! It was made with homemade mozzarella, sweet basil, and ripe tomatoes! So good!!! Then the risotto and lasagna came! The risotto was a shrimp risotto with zucchini and sun-dried tomatoes! The lasagna was so different but still delicious! It had ricotta and a meat ragu in it. The different part about it was that there were carrots mixed into it as one of the layers! It made the lasagna sweet! This lasagna was thick and not as wet as some of the other lasagnas I have eaten before! But it was on of the best! 

The next day we spotted a Sprinkles Cupcake Shop! We stopped inside and each grabbed a cupcake! They had dozens of flavors but the one that I got was a cinnamon and sugar cupcake! I love cinnamon, and it was perfect in this cupcake! the rest of my family got an almond and dark chocolate cupcake, a red velvet, and a chocolate marshmallow cupcake! They were all fluffy, sweet, and amazing! 

Right after we indulged ourselves, with cupcake goodness, we went to another bakery called Hendrickx Belgian Bread  Crafter! We got croissants, apple turner overs, country bread, and brioche! This morning we heated up the croissant and turn overs and ate them for breakfast! They were the perfect breakfast and I wished I had more the second they were eaten! As for the brioche and country bread, I think a sandwich and french toast sounds perfect!

-Emma Lou:-)

Herb and Cheese Omelette!

I love William Sonoma! It has got to be one of the best kitchen stores there is out in the world right next to my other favorite kitchen store Sur La Table! I was resently surfing the William Sonoma web site when I spotted an omelette recipe that sounded FANTASTIC! It was an Herb and Cheese Omelette! It used cream cheese! You can use any herb that you like, but I just so happened to have chives growing in my families garden!

I love making omelettes! They are quick, easy, and delicious! These omelettes are amazing! They are creamy, cheesy, and extremely fluffy! I served it with fruit and toast!  Now it is the only omelette I make! 

A Piece of Pie!

My Family and I had a road trip to a beach town called Saugatauk in Michigan! One our way there we stopped at a pie restaurant called Cranes Pie Pantry! It was a old fashioned restaurant on a huge 98 acre farm! It was a beautiful day and when we pulled into the parking lot we were greeted by green fields for as far as we could see!

When we got inside we saw that all over the pie shop were old antique items! There were old fashion signs, dolls, bikes, books, and much more! I felt like we had gone back in time! For lunch I got a cup of there famous chili and a grilled cheese sandwich! The chili was amazing! The grilled cheese was delicious! But the whole time I was eating them all I could think about was this pie that awaited me at the end of the meal!

You can't believe how many kinds of pie they have on their menu! They have every type of pie you can think of! I choose the Red Raspberry Pie! It was one of the best pies I had ever tasted!  It was a little tart but still sweet! I loved my food at Crane's Pie Pantry!

After we ate we went into the fields and picked some fresh peaches and plums! Then we bought some fresh zucchini! The fruit and vegetables were so yummy and delicious! I didn't know what to do with the two zucchini that we had gotten! So I decided to make Chocolate Zucchini Muffins! I love chocolate so I doubled the amount of chocolate chips!

Zucchini-Chocolate Chip Muffins

Makes 12 Muffins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup milk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup shredded zucchini

1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1.In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Combine the egg, oil, milk, lemon juice and vanilla; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in zucchini, chocolate chips and walnuts. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until muffins test done.

-Emma Lou:-)

C'est la Vie!

C'est la Vie! That is what my French teacher always says when something goes wrong! It means that's life! I was so excited when I heard that I was going to get to go to a restaurant called Vie! It was there Sunday Supper! I got a chilled sweet corn soup, wood grilled pepper relish, and a Spanish olive oil for my first course! It was so good! It tasted amazing! I could eat 10 bowls of this soup!

 Next I got a wood-grilled rushing waters rainbow trout, fried fingerling potatoes, roasted tomatoes, garlic aioli! I loved this trout! The roasted tomatoes were so good! They brought so much flavor to the plate!  Finally for the dessert I had ice cream sandwich chocolate chip cookies with triple vanilla ice cream! The ice cream tasted like the most vanilla-y ice cream ever! Although the ice cream melted immediately! Over all the entire meal was a huge success! I can't wait to go back!




-Emma Lou:-)

Washington Wonders!

While I have lived in Chicago I have noticed that people in Chicago like meat! Especially Italian Beef Sandwiches! I have also noticed that they don't have many Teriyaki restaurants! I used to live in Seattle where you can find at least two Teriyaki restaurant on every block! It is the complete opposite in Chicago! You can find at least two beef restaurants of every block! I mean it is crazy! My family and I play this game called "Beef"! When ever we are on long car rides we look for restaurants that have a sign that says BEEF! We yell "BEEF"! At the end of the car ride the person with the most "Beefs" wins! 

While I was in Washington I visited a restaurant called Pomodoro! It is an Italian restaurant that has delicious food! I got the calamari for an appetizer. The calamari came with these sticks, they looked like  very skinny bread sticks! Turns out they were fried spaghetti sticks! Wow these  spaghetti sticks were amazing! The calamari was incredible to! I didn't like calamari until I had this calamari! It came with an aioli that was awesome too!

Next for my entree I got spaghetti and meatballs!  I mean when I think of Italian food I think of spaghetti and meatballs so why not get that? The spaghetti and meatballs were great and I left Pomodoro stuffed and happy!

-Emma Lou:-)

Black Bird Chicken!

I was reading Food and Wine magazine and I came across an article called Best New Chefs and their simplest dishes! I was surprised to see a  chef with a restaurant that my mom had gone to called Black Bird! I read the recipe which was a Twice Glazed Asian Barbecued Chicken and a Cucumber Cherry Salad! 

The chicken was DELISH!!  The salad was sweet, tart, and totally yummy! I couldn't believe how well the bold flavors of the chicken married with the sweet, subtle flavors of the salad! If you like Barbecued Chicken and Asian food you should definitely try this dish!

-Emma Lou:-)

Pantry Perfection!

I love to raid the pantry when I am bored and find things to make! On my last pantry expedition I found a ripe peache, flour, and cream cheese! So I made a Peach Tart with a cream cheese sauce! I got the dough recipe off of Epicurious! The tart turned out fantastic! It was sweet, creamy, and totally fun to make! The was a cream cheese dough! Here is the recipe! I used the 9-inch pie shell reacipe and the hand method!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Flaky-Cream-Cheese-Pie-Crust-101857

After I took the dough out of the fridge I put cream cheese, sugar, and cinnamon into a blender! I spread this mixture on to the surface of the tart leaving about 1/2 an inch of the edge bare! I cut  a peach into tiny slices and spread them all over the middle of the tart in a round formation over the sauce! Then I sprinkled a little bit of sugar, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg over the top of the peach! I folded the edges of the tart over the peach leaving a hold over the top of the tart! I folded the edges over each other! Then I put it in the oven at 350 degrees and baked until the edges were golden brown!


-Emma Lou:-)

Happy Birthday!

I Google everything! Everything but food! For food I use Epicurious.com as one of my many great food websites!  I used Epicurious to make a chocolate cake with chocolate icing! It was unbelievable! It was moist and sweet! Everyone loved it! The thing I like most about Epicurious is that it takes recipes from magazines like Gourmet and Bon Appetite! I chose Chocolate Cake with Chocolate icing because I made the cake for a party for my sisters birthday! She Loves chocolate and she loved the cake! 

Last night I made Black Pepper-Basil Farmer's Cheese Bruschetta with Tomato! I love bruschetta and I am growing tomatoes so it was perfect! It is a Bobby Flay recipe that I found off of Food Net Work! Farmer's Cheese is kind of like goat cheese but not as strong! It is creamy and works excellent in this recipe! This is the web site that I found this recipe off of ! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/black-pepper-basil-farmers-cheese-bruschetta-with-tomato-recipe/index.html

One of my best friends Maggie McEntee gave me a present for the Fourth of July! She gave me a seasoning salt called Bacon Salt! I got two flavors Original and Hickory! Last night I tried the Hickory on my steak! It was amazing! I couldn't believe that it taste that good! It added a salty flavor to the meat! I love this gift!

Maggie has a blog to! It is called Shake and Bake! She bakes on her blog! 

www.shakeandbakebabe.blogspot.com

Emma Lou:-)

Pike Place Market!

Street vendors line the street with fresh fruit and flowers! Many people walk up and down the street admiring the beauty of the water! A ferry boat carries patient people through the water! Fresh fish is being thrown through the air to hungry people! You are filled with happiness, you are at Pike Place Market!

Pike Place Market is a farmer's market in Seattle! It is filled with fruit, flowers, fish, cheese, vegetables, t-shirts, and many other things! Unique shops are in the streets! When I visited Pike Place I saw an olive oil shop! This shop was filled with nothing but olive oil! I saw a Chinese store, a french bakery, a gourmet cheese shop where you could watch the cheese being made, and what I think should be named the best Hum Boa in the whole world!

Pike Place Market is know for their fish throwing! In the market there is a fish vendor! When you order fish they throw it to one another then hand it off to you! Another thing they have is pigs! All around Seattle are pigs! Some are painted some are just metal, but all are cute and charming! They were put in the city and then later auctioned off and given to a charity! Seattle is filled with many great places to see! I love going to the city and just walking around! If you ever go to Seattle you will have great food, loads of fun, and have a great time!

Happy 4th of July!

I spent the Fourth of July at my grandparent's house in Washington! They live on a small lake called Lake Louise. Even though the weather was bad we still had loads of fun! We exploded countless amounts of fireworks and ate an unbelievable amount of food! We ate pork sliders, clam dip, butterscotch oatmeal cookies, and a chili bean dip! Clam dip is one of my family's favorite foods! It is made of cream cheese and clams! We eat it with Lays Wavy Potato Chips! We eat  several bowls when ever we have it!

It recently found out that I love butterscotch! So when I found this recipe for butterscotch cookies I was very excited! They came out great and we ate half of the cookies before the party even started! They didn't look very appetizing when they came out of the oven, but that didn't stop me from eating them! They were sweet, yummy, and extremely addictive!

Recipe for the Oatmeal Scotchies!

Ingredients
•1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

•1 teaspoon baking soda
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
•3/4 cup granulated sugar
•3/4 cup packed brown sugar
•2 large eggs
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract or grated peel of 1 orange
•3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
•1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Butterscotch Flavored Morsels


conversion calculator Directions PREHEAT oven to 375° F.


COMBINE flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.


BAKE for 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies or 9 to 10 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.


PAN COOKIE VARIATION:


Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until light brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.

I had so much fun at the 4th of July this year! I can't wait until next year! Maybe I will even set off a Roman Candle!

Emma Lou:-)

The Early Bird Gets a Seat!

I recently went to the Taste of Chicago! I went to see a Mario Batali cookbook signing! He has just come out with a brand new book called Molto Gusto! Translation of Molto Gusto is Great Taste! Obviously it is in Italian! For those of you who don't know who Mario Batali is, he is an Iron Chef, he has 15 restaurants,and multiple cookbooks. In other words he is the ultimate chef!

The Taste of Chicago is a festival where restaurants from all over Chicago go and show off their food!  Unfortunately it was hot, crowded, and just about everything was fast food. When I got to the stage to see Mario it was completely full and I had to stand in the back. Now I am not that short but when 15 adults are standing in front of you, you seem pretty shorrt! I got a few glimses of Mario at least! But then came the best part, the book signing! So I bought a cookbook and hopped in line to see the one of a kind chef! When I got to the front of the line I got to take a picture with him and have him sign my book! He signed it " To Emma; Spaghetti is Love; Mario Batali."

Mario Batali is one of the worlds best chef! He has changed the culinary world so much! No one can forget the man with orange crocs! My favorite episodes of Iron Chef are the ones with Mario in them! He is also very funny! During the cooking demonstration he was cracking jokes! It was very fun! He also talked about one of his favorite mottos! He said that you aren't cooking unless you burn something! I think that this makes sense! I think that more flavor comes out when you burn things! Like when I burn my marshmellow for my smore!  Or creme brulee, you are supposed to burn the sugar to bring out more flavor! That is why Mario Batali is my favorite chef!:-)

Emma Lou:-)

Don't forget to vote on the poll of the week!

Who is your favorite Iron Chef?  

Cook or Be Cooked!!

I love playing video games on the Wii! My favorite game is Cook or be Cooked!!  It is a game where you get to cook many things and show them to the two judges, Susie Fogleson and Mory Thomas!!

 You can cook anything from Baked Potato Sandwiches to Japanese Salmon with a Radish Salad! The game is very fun and has lots of great recipes! I think that Susie and Mory look weird when they are criticizing  you  they say " Mmmmm" and lean side to side! It looks very silly!:-) Another thing they do is when they don't like what you cooked Mory pukes and Susie spits it out!! Again very silly! :-)

Emma Lou :-)

P.S

Don't forget to vote on my poll of the week!

Adelle's

Last friday I went to a wonderful restuarant called Adelle's! It is in Wheaton, a town near Elmhurst.  It has amazing food! Adelle's Fine American Fare

For an appetizer I had tempura battered bluegills, lemon saffron aioli, arugula and corn salad. I felt like this was a take on upscale fish and chips. Then I had the risotto du jour for my dinner. The risotto was a sweet corn, crayfish, seared scallop, and chili-garlic butter sauce risotto, which was amazing!!! Last, but certainly not least for dessert I had a white chocolate mousse parfait, fresh raspberries, pink guava puree, and toasted almonds! This dessert was creamy, sweet, and a little sourness from the guava puree! It was great! I love this new restaurant!  I can't wait to go back!


Emma Lou :-)

New Ice Cream!!!

Haagen Dazs (the maker of the best kind of ice cream), has come up with the a new kind of ice cream! It is a natural ice cream that is made with only 5 ingredients!!! These ingredients are sugar, milk, cream, eggs, and a natural flavor ingredient.(lemons, mint, chocolate...etc) One of my favorite flavors they make is Lemon.

It is delicous!  It is the most refreshing, sweet, but citrussy ice cream I have ever tasted! It is a tart, but sweet lemon ice cream with lemon zest in it. My dad said that it made his tongue smile!:-) I can't wait to try all the other flavors! (especially carmel!) (because I love carmel!!!) If I had to put a dislike to the ice cream I would say that there is a little to much lemon zest for me! If they just took out a little bit of lemon zest it would be perfect!

-Emma Lou :-)

Chicago!!!

Chicago is an amazing city! There is so many mueseums, stores, parks, and restaurants! My family and I often go to the city to explore the many things you can see! One of the many places we have been to is a restaurant called The Chalkboard!

 It is a small restaurant in Chicago. Although it is small the flavors inside are very big! I had the most amazing mac & cheese! It was made with a smoked gouda cheese and it was fantastic! It was creamy, smoky, and very tasty! This restaurant is definitly one of my favorites!

Which Came First the Chicken or the Picnic?

Easy recipes are my favorite! I love when you don't have to spend all day making something! Last night I got to use one of my favorite easy recipes! My family and I were going to a concert at a park called Ravinia and we decided to pack a picnic to eat there. I made a Honey-Jalapeno Chicken with Sesame Soba Noodles and Pretzel Bread Sandwiches. It was so easy to make! The picnic was wonderful! We refrigerated the noodles and had them cold which tasted just as good as having them warm! The spice from the pepper with  the sweetness of the honey was wonderful! The Pretzel Bread Sandwiches tasted fantastic. I made 2 different types of sandwiches I made Chicken and Ham! Both were amazing! I had a great time at the concert and I am excited to go to my next one!

Honey-Jalapeno Chicken with Sesame Soba Noodles

Prep Time: 15 Min.
Cook Time: 10 Min.
Serves: 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 12 ounces soba noodles
• 1 jalapeno, seeds removed
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 to 3 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 rotisserie chicken, shredded or sliced
• 3 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions, green part only
• 2 tablespoons pickled ginger, minced

Directions
Cook soba noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside (or refrigerate until later in the week).

In a blender or food processor, combine jalapenos, honey, cilantro, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper and puree until smooth. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water to the mixture until desired consistency is achieved. Pour the 2 teaspoons of olive oil into a preheated skillet. Add the shredded chicken and the blended sauce and cook until heated through.

In a medium bowl, combine cooked soba noodles, soy sauce, sesame oil, scallions, and pickled ginger. Toss and them transfer to serving bowl. Pour heated chicken and sauce over noodles. Plate and Enjoy!

  -Emma Lou:-)

Everythings Bigger in Texas

What do you think of when you think of gas stations? I used to think of cars and smelly things. Now I think of Rudy's barbecue!  I went to Austin Texas on my 2010 spring break to visit my Grandma. When I was there we went out to lunch. Now this is not a normal barbecue place. This is a gas station with a huge restaurant instead of a tiny mini mart.When you walk up to the cashier they ask you if you have ever been there. Then if you haven't they give you a sample of all the different meats on the menu. I got the lean brisket.It was the best meat I had ever tasted I also got the creamed corn and  cole slaw. The creamed corn was heaven. It was sweet, warm, and creamy!!! The cole slaw was crunchy and delicious!

Another restaurant we went to was the Round Rock Doughnut Shop. This shop has the biggest doughnuts you will ever see. Even though they were huge they were delicious too. When you take a bite the doughnut almost melts in your mouth. If you are ever in Texas this restaurant is definitely a place to see.

If you ever go to Texas make sure that you know that the "every thing is bigger in Texas" quote is true. You will be leaving Texas with a full belly and wonderful memories.

-Emma Lou :-)

I Scream You Scream We All Scream for Sorbet?

What is the most important meal of the day? This question haunts my mind day in and day out. Although many scientist say that breakfast makes the whole day better I just don't agree. Shouldn't having a nice warm dinner with your family count for something? Maybe the reason that I think this is that I wake up so late. A few days ago I woke up and by the time I had breakfast made and was ready to eat it, it was lunch time. Well yesterday I had the most amazing dinner. It really made you wonder why breakfast was the most important. I made Halibut Fish Tacos. I found this recipe on a blog called over cocktails. http://overcocktails.blogspot.com/2009/06/farmers-market-dinner-halibut-fish.html It has great recipes and I really like it. It was fun to make and really had an affect on my family. I made homemade Pico de Gallo and a sour cream spicy sauce. My dad was questioning if he would like the sauce but when he had some it was his favorite thing on the taco. My little sister liked the fish but didn't like the sauce. My mom thought that they were yummy and fresh.

 After this dish I made a raspberry sorbet with fresh whipped cream. I found this recipe in a Martha Stewart Living magazine. It only took me 10 minutes to make and then into the freezer it went. My family LOVED it. My dad thought that the tart raspberry sorbet with the subtle sweetness of the whipped cream was perfection! My sister wanted all of sorbet and my mom thought that it tasted like real raspberries.

I thought that both dishes were a huge success! I am so excited to have found two new dishes to add to my dinner and dessert lists.






Raspberry Sorbet with Fresh Whipped Cream
Active Time: 10 min. Total Time: 40min.
Serves 4
Using frozen raspberries makes this vibrant sorbet a snap to prepare. (No ice cream maker necessary!)

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 bag (12oz) frozen raspberries or 3 cups fresh raspberries, frozen
1/2 cup heavy cream.

1. Stir together water and 1/4 cup sugar until sugar dissoves.
2. Pulse raspberries in a food processor until coarsely chopped with machine running, pour in sugar-water; pulse mixture until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container, and freeeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
3. Whisk cream and remaining tablespoon sugar until soft peaks form.
4. Scoop sorbet into 4 glasses, and top with whipped cream.

Before I transfered into an airtight contianer I strained the mixture. This made the sorbet more smooth.

-Emma Lou :-)

My New Blog!

I have been thinking about starting a blog for a couple of years. I love cooking, trying new food and I LOVE bacon! I am 12 and have not ordered from a kid's menu since I was about 9. I just don't understand why everything has to be chicken nuggets and hamburgers!

In my blog, I will be writing about different recipes, restaurants, food magazines, cooking shows and other food related fun topics. This blog is basically all I have planned for the summer, so I can't wait to get started.

Thanks for reading!
Emma Lou :-)