Chicago Food Girl

Leave the Cooking to the Pros! Thanksgiving Offerings from Chicago Restaurants

in Eating Out, Eats & Drinks • November 11, 2015

This Thanksgiving, leave the hassles of cooking and cleaning to someone else and celebrate with one of the many holiday feasts happening at Chicago’s finest restaurants. Highlights from around the city include: Acadia 1639 S. Wabash Avenue (312) 360-9500 In celebration of Thanksgiving, Chef/Owner Ryan McCaskey installs a special Thanksgiving menu at Acadia on Thursday, November 26 from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. At the recently named two-star Michelin restaurant in the South Loop, Thanksgiving diners enjoy a holiday five-course meal for... Share this: Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email More Print (Opens in new window) Print Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr

noosa® rules the yoghurt market

in Eating In, Eats & Drinks • November 4, 2015

There is a new player taking over the yoghurt-game in local dairy aisles around the city. noosa®, which takes its name from a picturesque town on the Sunshine Coast of Australia, is a yoghurt unlike any other in that it is equally delicious as both a stand-alone snack and a specialty ingredient in larger dishes. The Australian style yoghurt is uniquely thick and deliciously sweet and tart. The Colorado-based company’s secret to amazing yoghurt is whole milk, a touch of honey, and purée made with real fruit. noosa® sources milk locally from family farms and... Share this: Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email More Print (Opens in new window) Print Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr

Frankenstein Dirt Yogurt

in Eats & Drinks • October 31, 2015

Happy Halloween, friends! Are you in need of a last-minute dessert? You’re in luck! I’ve teamed up with noosa® yogurt to bring you Frankenstein Yogurt Cups. Great for any party, these Halloween-themed treats are delicious and easy to make. All you need are clear cups, a permanent black marker, yogurt, cookies and food coloring. FRANKENSTEIN YOGURT CUPS Ingredients 1 cup of your desired noosa® flavored yogurt Green food coloring Cookies Clear party cups Instructions

Tteokbokki (Korean Spicy Rice Cakes)

in Eating In, Eats & Drinks • October 21, 2015

We are not so much what we eat, but what we remember we have eaten. When I was five years old, I walked in my mom’s kitchen one Saturday morning and smelled the most delicious smells coming from her kitchen. She called me to the room with those enticing aromas and placed a plate of ‘tteokbokki’ in front of me. Then she told me to eat quickly or else it would get cold. The way the rice cakes disappeared in my mouth as I ate it delighted me. The... Share this: Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email More Print (Opens in new window) Print Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr

A Taste of Bordeaux

in Eats & Drinks • September 30, 2015

I am having friends over for dinner next week and want to have plenty of wine options for everyone to choose from. The key to being a good host is making every guest feel comfortable and essential to the evening’s success. And from my experience, the best way to do this is to give them choices. The more choices, the better. Thus I decided to walk over to my neighborhood wine store (Andersonville Wine & Spirits) and taste test some wine in preparation for the dinner. As a loyal follower, if you learn one thing from this blog,... Share this: Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email More Print (Opens in new window) Print Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr

Cucumber Dill Sandwiches

in Eats & Drinks • September 24, 2015

One of my earliest memories is pulling cucumbers my grandparents grew in their garden and taking them to my grandmother’s kitchen. We would make sandwiches, always on pumpernickel bread, spread with cream cheese topped with thinly sliced cucumbers sprinkled with dill. My passion for gardening was discovered late in life, but thanks to Burpee’s, I was able to collaborate with them to expand my green thumb. If you’ve been following me for a while, then you know this summer I started my... Share this: Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email More Print (Opens in new window) Print Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr

How to Brew the Perfect Cup of Coffee at Home

in Eating In, Eats & Drinks • September 1, 2015

Today, I’m proud to announce a new partnership with Starbucks, the largest coffeehouse company in the world. While, no two days are alike in the life of Chicago Food Girl, my morning cup of coffee remains a consistent staple of my daily routine. As an avid-coffee drinker, I’m fortunate to live near several Starbucks, but I don’t always have the time or patience to wait in-line. Thanks to Starbucks, I recently discovered how to home-brew the perfect cup of... Share this: Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email More Print (Opens in new window) Print Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr

Meli Café – a Greek mashup of clean juices, hearty omelets and almost everything in between

in Eating Out, Eats & Drinks • August 12, 2015

Despite staying out late the night before with Bachelorette Party Night 1 (and in due part to our strong Cocktail Courier pre-game), we somehow found the strength to rise and shine for a 9:30 a.m. breakfast. I’d heard of a new Meli Café location opening on Dearborn, so was psyched to take the girls here to try it out. I had a good feeling as we were promptly greeted and seated, given my deliciously positive experiences at Meli’s other locations.

Top 3 Urban Gardening Tips for Beginners

in Eating In, Eats & Drinks, Health • August 9, 2015

If you’ve been following me for a while, then you know last summer I really got into gardening. Living in the heart of a big city often means cramped living. I may lack a yard, but living in an urban environment doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your love of gardening. Thanks to Burpee’s, the first name in home gardening, I was able to collaborate with them this year to expand my green thumb. They are a company of exclusive varieties of vegetables, herbs, seeds and flowers that are ideal for... Share this: Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email More Print (Opens in new window) Print Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr

Cocktails Courier and bridesmaids and bachelorettes, oh my!

in Eating In, Eating Out, Eats & Drinks, Events • August 7, 2015

This weekend, I was tasked with hosting a bachelorette party in the city for one of my closest college girlfriends. It was quite delightful being at the epicenter of her worlds colliding – I had the pleasure of meeting several magnificent ladies from different eras of my friend’s life, childhood to post-college. And what better way to foster new girl-friendships than over some icebreakers in liquid form? Special delivery! Enter Cocktail Courier, AKA classy in a box. It’s... Share this: Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email More Print (Opens in new window) Print Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr