Kelly's Kitchen in Chicago: Sprout Restaurant

I just had the chance to go to Sprout Organic Restaurant- a new Chicago restaurant run by celebrity chef Dale Levitsky (Top Chef season 3) and sous chef Sara Nguyen (also from Top Chef season 3)

Sprout is a cozy and intimate restaurant in the Lincoln Park neighborhood in Chicago. The menu is centered around an affordable prix fix 3 course menu.

We had reservations for Friday at 6:15. While it was a little bit of a rush, the atmosphere was warm and relaxing on a snowy 20 degree evening. Steve and I enjoyed some fantastic cocktails while waiting for our friends to arrive. I particularly liked the "Gingerdale" which was ginger and bourbon.

Here's the quick rundown:
At $60 for the courses, it's not outrageous but it also is more than we usually pay for a normal dinner.

The menu focuses on updating classic meat and potatoes with a playful touch.

For the main course- I enjoyed the lamb with potatoes and anchovies. Steve had a delicious short rib with truffled dumplings. Both were exquisitely well prepared and quite enjoyable.

The service was fantastic all the way.

The kicker- we even got to meet Dale!

You may ask why I don't have a picture with him . It's not because I'm shy. It's because I'm too polite, compassionate or something.

We asked if we could meet him before dinner. At the end of dinner the server said "he has like 5 tickets in front of him but he'll be out in a minute".

When he came out a few minutes later, he looked like he was working his butt off.

To that I say- Good job Dale! It's inspiring to see someone who obtained celebrity on TV bring it on in real life through hard work and creativity. The restaurant works and I'm excited we got to try your food! I can't wait until your patio opens in the spring!

Kelly's Kitchen in Chicago: Sprout Restaurant

Kelly's Kitchen in Chicago: Xoco

If you read my post about the best bites of 2009, you have already heard what a fan I am of Rick Bayless. I love that he is an intellectual (previously a Mexican Literature PhD student) who supports sustainable farming and regional cuisines of Mexico.

I finally had the time to get over to his new restaurant- Xoco- which focuses on Mexican Street Food. The menu has churros, food fired and grilled tortas (Mexican sandwiches). After 3 they serve caldos, or soups.

I have to say, that was the best sandwich ever! I am not a huge fan of pork but I had to try it because it looked so good. It was tender pork carnitas inside of crusty freshly baked bread, with pickled onions. Then the sandwich was cut in half and standing in a bowl of spicy tomato soup. The bright and spicy flavors with the savory meat and crusty bread were perfect in every way.

Steve had the tallgrass beef short rib sandwich with salsa verde. Also delicious. Following the sandwich, we had Mexican hot chocolate and fresh churros. Steve proclaimed it the best lunch ever and at 10% of what we spent at the fine dining restaurant Topo, a hell of a deal.

I should also add- the customer service was fantastic even though we had to stand in line for over an hour. They don't take your order until they have a seat for you. There was a woman managing the line who explained everything, handed you a number when it was your turn to order, then seated you when there was a seat.

I can't wait to go back here to try the soups!

Kelly's Kitchen in Chicago: Xoco

Kelly's kitchen in Chicago: Best Chicago bites of 2009

I know this is a little late but since I am still writing 2009 on things accidentally, I figured it was a sign that it was still ok to write about this!

In 2009- I focused most of my recreation time on running: Soldier Field 10 mi race, Bank of American Chicago Marathon, Chicago Half Marathon, Rock and Roll Chicago Half Marathon, Rock and Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon, Chicago Woman's 10k, Pumpkins in the Park 5k.

I realized that most of my my fun food this year was with Steve and other friends post race or after a Saturday morning long run. With getting up every Saturday morning at 5:30 AM to run, I usually spent my Friday nights cooking pasta at home rather than going out. My list seems to have more burgers, ice cream and cased meat than usual!

So here's a top 10 list of the best things I ate in Chicago in 2009! * indicates running was involved.

10. Hot dog and Old Style beer on Wrigley Field:
Ok, this wasn't the best food ever but this was pretty cool. Each year, Wrigleyville Neighbors holds a lottery to allow a group of people onto the field for a tour and lunch. It's sort of a "thanks for letting us screw up your traffic 81 days per year" gift.

*9. Strawberry milkshake @ Stella's Diner
Stella's is an old fashioned diner with a little updated feel. It's practically across the street from me. We went here with friends after the Chicago Half Marathon. This place has huge and delicious milkshakes, as well as great burgers and other diner foods. Eating an entire huge milkshake is a rare treat for me.

8. Hot Pot @ Lao Sze Chuan in Chinatown
If you haven't tried hot pot before, you're missing out! You drop in every imaginable vegetable, meat, noodles, tofu, meatballs...etc into a huge boiling pot of spicy or mild broth and then fish it out when it's cooked. I stayed away from the tripe (not my thing) but this is an incredibly fun dish to enjoy on a cold evening with friends. Photo courtesy of flickr user alvxyz.

7. Berry Chill
This year the tart frozen yogurt grew in popularity in Chicago. I have searched far and wide for the best frozen yogurt but it was under my nose all along on State and Erie. My favorite combo: original flavor with blueberries, raspberries, and fruity pebbles.

*6. Char dog and fries @ the Weiner's Circle
I finally made it to the ubiquitous late night junk food spot- the Weiner's Circle. Famous for it's foul-mouthed, back-talking staff, we went in the daytime and found only curtious and hard working folks and delicious char-grilled goodness after the Soldier Field 10 mi race.

5. Rockit Burger- This is my favorite burger in Chicago. I had it twice in 2009! Pretzel bun, roasted fig spread, brie cheese, Wagyu beef, truffled fries on the side- totally worth $20.

4. Bobtail peppermint stick ice cream w/hot fudge- This is the best ice cream known to man. This year, I had this combo instead of birthday cake. This ice cream shop has a knack for the right amount of peppermint flavor and puts in huge chunks of peppermint candy. Another fantastic flavor is their chocolate chip merlot. It has a very mild merlot flavor with thin dark chocolate shavings and a touch of salt. Delish!

3. Tomahawk chop ribeye steak@ Rosebud Steakhouse- This is one of the classic Chicago Steakhouses. We had clams casino, martinis, table size caesar salad, creamed spinach, and thsi Flintstone-size steak. The tomahawk chop is a french-style bone in ribeye steak. A very "Chicago" cut. There are lots of fabulous steakhouses in Chicago. Maybe I will get to try out some more in 2010, such as Gene & Georgetti's or Tramanto's Steakhouse.

2. Eggplant stuffed dates at Green Zebra- This is my favorite Chicago restaurant. We went here for the first time in 2008. When we went back, I have to say, I was afraid that I would be disappointed because it wasn't as good as I remembered. Thankfully, it knocked my sock off again. This dish in particularly was amazing. Salty eggplant wrapped around medjool dates was a vegan version of chorizo or bacon wrapped dates. A creamy coconut custard and tabbouleh pilaf on the size created a perfect balance of flavor and texture. At this restaurant, vegetables take the main stage in a way I have never experienced before.

1. Lamb Mole at Topolobampo- Rick Bayless IS the Top Chef master! After he won the grand prize, Steve and I made a reservation for his fine dining restaurant: Topolobampo where he was offering his award winning tasting menu. While it was delicious and moving to enjoy the meal that told the story of his life of a chef, the best thing came off of Steve's seasonal menu. The 27 ingredient mole negro was deep, smoky, spicy, and complex over succulent and tender perfectly cooked lamb. My menu came with the mole over rare tuna, which was very good but it was absolutely divine over the lamb. Photo of rabbit mole is courtesy of flickr user DrewVigal

Kelly's kitchen in Chicago: Best Chicago bites of 2009

Kelly's Kitchen On The Road At The In-Laws (Salt Lake City): Thick Cut Pan Seared Steaks

My husband and I met each other while living in Utah. He lived there for 9 years, I lived there for 6. While Steve was living there his dad come out there for a change of pace. After living there a few years, Steve's dad got married and stayed around even though we've moved away nearly 4 years ago.

I am so grateful to have somewhere to stay when we come out to go skiing at our favorite resort: Alta ski area. We have even left our skis and such at their house which makes makes popping in for a quick weekend even easier.

We always try and bring something out or do something to thank them for their hospitality. Steve's dad is a big fan of a good steak. So, on this trip we made them our favorite steak preparation- Pan Seared Thick Cut Strip Steaks. We are big fans of Costo's USDA Prime steaks, but only Choice was available in Utah, which is still tasty.

I think it's the scientist in me that loves Cooks Illustrated. I always like to know not only how to cook but the background behind the cooking method.

This recipe is almost completely backwards from everything that I've ever tried with a steak. It starts in the oven then sears in a hot pan. This technique controls the temperature of the steak so well, and by drying the surface in the oven first, it creates an amazing crust.

One note of caution- your smoke detector is going to go off! We always have the windows open and the fan going but it never fails. It's worth the hassle though. In this picture, Steve is searing and I am fanning the smoke detector.

The Perfect Medium Rare Steak
1. Start by cutting a strip steak in half to create 2 portions (should be around 1 1/2 in thick)
2. Season with salt and pepper liberally.
3. Place steak on a metal baking rack on a rimmed sheet pan into a 275 degree oven.
4. Bake until 90-95 degrees internal temperature (about 20 min)
5. Heat a skillet to medium high with some vegetable oil and sear for 2 min per side.
6. Rest for 10 min under loosely tented foil.
7. Don't forget to re-attach the smoke detector!!

Kelly's Kitchen On The Road At The In-Laws (Salt Lake City): Thick Cut Pan Seared Steaks

Kelly's Kitchen in Chicago: When life gives you 5 lbs of carrots for $.98

After living in Chicago for 7 months, one of my colleagues let me in to a secret. She was eating a ginormous peach with juice dripping down her chin- she said "I got this at Stanley's and it was 10 for a dollar!"

About 6 months later, I finally got over there, and she wasn't kidding! This place always has such crazy deals. It so crowded, I try not to go when it's daylight. Once, at 8 at night, the parking lot was completely full of cab drivers doing their shopping. I'm not sure what's up with that.

It's completely changed the way I cook. Just this week, they had tangerines on sale 7 for a dollar and 3 heads of cauliflower for a dollar, and 5 lb bags of organic carrots for $.98. Game on!

This is one of my favorite recipes. I love simple soups and this one is particularly good. It was published online in the New York Times recipes for health Pureed Carrot Soup.

Things that I think make this especially good are

1. The onions are sauteed for 5 min and the carrots are added and sauteed for 10 minutes in a little butter and olive oil, which develops some deep and caramelized flavors before adding the broth.

2. The thickening agent for this soup is different than most- arborio rice, which gives it a heartier consistency.

But I'm just happy when I get to use my immersion blender. I love that thing.

My dad likes to make this too, only thickened with a potato and with some creme and ginger added. He's the one who got me the immersion blender a few years ago. Thanks dad!

Check out some other fabulous carrot recipes from this site, including carrot-papaya cupcakes and carroty latkes.

Kelly's Kitchen in Chicago: When life gives you 5 lbs of carrots for $.98

Kelly's kitchen on the road: Bali

Let me start my first post with a little introduction. My husband Steve and I live in Chicago after spending some years living out west in Salt Lake City. While our life used to revolve around ski season and camping, now we live for running the lakefront path in summer and food. You know, we are pretty adaptable.

One of the things we love about Chicago is the ease in leaving this town via O'Hare (if you don't mind delays) and Midway (love it! love it!). Steve scored us some awesome tickets to Bali for October. The only down side: we had to stop in Houston, Moscow, and Singapore....but that's another story.

I can't say enough about what an awesome travel destination Bali is a fantastic place for travelers interested in a culinary and cultural experiences. We took advice from our friends and skipped our chance to drink with Aussies at the tourist party scene on the coast and headed directly for Ubud, the cultural center of the island.

Balinese food is absolutely delicious- flavors similar to Thailand, with a little of India mixed in, lots of vegetables, beautiful exotic fruits, seafood, chicken, and tofu. Hot sauce, called sambal, comes in many varieties and is served on the side.

All over the island, restaurants and private cooks offer Balinese cooking classes. Some start with market tours, some have more or less hands on cooking. We took a cooking class with Laka Leke Restaurant, which offers 6 different half day cooking courses for $35 per person. While this didn't include a market tour, it did have a fantastic teacher and tons of hands on experience.

The first person who signs up gets to pick the lesson of the day. Our teacher was I Wayan Sukariana (yoyok_kik@yahoo.com) who also helps arrange other tourist services.

Here was our menu:
Ayam Panggang Sambal Matah (Balinese Chicken Salad)
Nasi Gorang (Fried Rice)
Kare Ayam (Chicken Curry)
Balinese Prawns
Burbur Ketan Hitam (Black Rice Pudding)

One of the dishes we've adapated as our own is the Nasi Goreng. The key to this dish is the sweet soy- which brings an addictive quality of sweet, salty, and umami that delights everyone that we make this for.



The recipe is a little sketchy, but that's the point. This is a total leftovers dish- whatever vegatables or proteins you want to put in, just do it. I usually make it vegetarian and add lots of bok choy.

Ingrediants:
- 1 large bowl of cooled steamed rice
-1 thinly sliced chicken breast
- 1/2 carrot julienned
- 1 red chili (hot), seeded and chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/4 white onion, finely chopped
-1 egg
-1 Tbs sweet soy sauce
- 1/2 Tbs mushroom sauce
- 1 Tbs soy sauce
- 2 Tbs ketchup for coloring
- Thinly sliced nappa cabbage
- Bok Choy
- 1 to 2 green onions
-Sliced celery
- Fried shallots (optional, we have these but always forget them!)
- salt and pepper to taste

Heat a small amount of oil in a large saute pan or wok. Saute the garlic and onion until the onion is soft. Then add the chicken and scramble the egg. Add carrot, chili, green onion, celery, and cabbage and saute for a minute or so. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the rice and the sauce. Last, stir in the bok choy and cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with fried shallots. Enjoy with some hot sauce (like sirarcha) on the side.

Kelly's kitchen on the road: Bali