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 :-)