Birthday Eats & Treats: Belated are the best

I really struggle with opening presents "on time" and usually end up convincing the gift giver to let me open the gift early. But, sometimes belated birthday gifts are the best kind because they're so unexpected!

Today, I got home and saw the brown key (aka package key) in my mailbox and assumed it was just another wedding shower gift for my sister. My mailroom lady mocks me because I do a lot of online shopping, so she was kind of surprised when I walked in and told her I wasn't sure why I had another package this week.

I'm pretty sure what happened next will scar the mailroom lady forever. She took out a small red square box with white writing and I shrieked (and probably lunged in her direction), HOPES? FOR ME? Normally I don't show that much enthusiasm for my mail and clearly she has never had Hope's Cookies. I explained that the box contained some of the best cookies ever, but at this point I don't really think she cared...

She quickly handed over the package and by the time I got in the elevator, the box was already open. Here's what remains, sorry I didn't take a picture before I ripped open the box! There are many cookies, each individually wrapped and safely contained in a bag to keep them fresh. I've already tested out the M&M and double chocolate...plan to dig in to a few more flavors after dinner.

Thanks Ber for a great belated bday present!

The Lost Girls - Britt G edition

Grab a snack and take a seat for a non-food related post...

The Lost Girls is a Web site about three twenty-something girls trying to come to terms with the realization that it’s time to be adults, and for one year they decide to stop everything and travel. That was in 2006, and now they are all back in the U.S. working again, but have never given up their love for travel.

How did I find Lost Girls? My friend Brittany pitched them for a client and while the client info didn't quite fit, Brittany fit in quite well! In her 25 years, she's acquired quite an impressive array of passport stamps. So, they asked her to be a guest blogger and create a list of her top five fave places to travel.

Ironically, Britt is currently on vacation, so I thought I'd take matters into my own hands and spread the word about her debut in the blogosphere. You can check out her post here and make sure to check back soon to hear about her latest trip!

Bon voyage Britt...and next time, can I fit in your suitcase??

Birthday Eats & Treats - Les Nomades

Dinner on my birthday was at a restaurant that really deserves a solo post - Les Nomades. It's tucked away on Ontario near St. Clair and almost looks like a cute little house with a garden out front. We ate in the first floor dining room, which was very cozy...and of course, I took the spot at the table so I could see all of the action (aka the servers when they came out with trays, so I could see all of the great food).

The menu is really impressive. I don't think I'm a picky eater, but oftentimes I'm only drawn to one or two items on a menu. This was not the case at Les Nomades, everything looked amazing.

We chose four courses, including dessert, accompanied by some great red wine. Here's what I had:

#1 Three preparations of salmon with shaved fennel salad, baby radish, preserved Meyer lemon. YUM. There was smoked salmon, poached and a combo of both...all three were excellent.

#2 Crispy farm egg, asparagus, morel mushroom, parmesan and Iberico ham. I could eat this every single day and never grow tired of it. The flavors and textures of this dish complimented one another really well. The egg was perfectly cooked and rolled in some bread crumbs and herbs...I have no clue how they did it, but I'd love to know.

#3 Veal tenderloin, wild mushroom ragoût, pommes purée, preserved lemon, sauce Périgueux. Lots of fancy French words all add up to three great preparations of veal. The plate was divided up and each piece of meat was siting on something different -- green beans, pommes puree, etc. By this time, I was getting pretty full...but I had to save some room for dessert.

#4 Warm flourless chocolate cake with liquid cassis ganache center and vanilla ice cream. This was absolutely delicious and I was really happy because they let me substitute coffee bean ice cream for the vanilla. The cake was warm from the oven and oozing with chocolate. It was extremely rich, so the ice cream was a nice light treat on the side.

You might think that's it, but it's not over yet! Next the server brought out a piece of carrot cake that said happy birthday AND a plate of mini desserts.

Overall, this was a five star dining experience. The food was amazing and the service was great. Case in point -- the restaurant was a little chilly and my server noticed my rubbing my arms to stay warm Next thing I knew, he was at my side presenting me with a pashmina. Seriously. You can't get any better than that!!

If you're looking for a special occasion restaurant, you can't go wrong with Les Nomades. They change the menu constantly, so hopefully I'll get to go back for my birthday next year and try out four new things. (hint, hint)

Birthday Eats & Treats

This past week I celebrated my birthday and there is so much to share that I'm going to put it all in one post.

The celebrations began with a surprise party, hosted by my good friend Perfect Party Prep at our fave local bakery, Twisted Baker (formerly Twisted Sister Bakery). It was really the ultimate party - I had free reign in the bakery, which was rented out for the evening and filled with my family and friends. We got to enjoy some wine with every bakery treat: cupcakes, tarts, cookies and of course, birthday cake. After the party, we boxed up the leftovers for the guests...could it get any better!?

If you know someone who is a dessert fan, renting out a bakery for a private party is a must! The ladies at Twisted Baker were great and hopefully we're helping them start a new bakery party trend :)

Next up -- dinner with the girls at Eivissa, a new tapas place on Wells. The company was great, as were the desserts and sangria. But much to my surprise, I had mixed feelings on the small plates we had for dinner, they were kind of hit or miss. I really liked the meat/fish selections, but we only got a few bites of each since we split each plate by 5. I think this is a great place to get a glass of sangria and sit outside...but I may not be back for dinner anytime soon.

Today, I went to the Chopping Block for a cooking demonstration called "Let Them Eat Cupcakes." The class was a gift from my sister and fit in quite nicely with of my dessert themed birthday. It was kind of a bummer that we only got to watch, because more than once I was tempted to jump out of my seat to lick the bowl.

Our chefs made Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, Lemon Coconut Cupcakes with Meringue and Fudge Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Ganache. By the time the Red Velvets came out of the oven, I was actually too full to eat them (shocking, I know). Luckily we got to take home a box with extra cupcakes for later.

My sister and I learned a lot about baking and I can't wait to try out some new tricks in the kitchen! I highly recommend classes at the Chopping Block, they're great gifts and so much fun. And, you get 15% off the tools used during class, so make sure you stop by the shop after class.

Sugar Bliss

You may have noticed the link on the right hand side of my blog for Sugar Bliss, and hopefully by now you've clicked it! If not, check out Perfect Party Prep's review of these yummy, bite sized cupcakes. I can't wait to order them for the wedding shower I'm throwing next month.

Bonobos

Bonobos may sound like a fun name for a restaurant, but in fact, this post is about something entirely different - clothes!

As my blog name states, I also dabble in the latest fashion trends every now and then...you have to be well-dressed when you eat at fun restaurants, right? So, since I post almost exclusively about food, I thought I'd switch things up a bit and tell you about a company that I wish I'd know about sooner - Bonobos. They reached out to me on Twitter when I griped about not being able to find the right size shorts for my well-dressed tablemate.

Bonobos makes pants, shorts, belts and t-shirts for men...and hopefully they'll expand their lineup soon! My fave pants so far are the Super Soakers, which are pants that may appear to be seersucker, but they've got a little extra flair. The pinwale cords also look really soft and comfy.

Make no mistake, this isn't just another clothing company...these ninjas are dedicated to a great customer experience and want guys to have clothes that aren't overpriced, that are designed to fit and made out of quality materials. I really like the fact that you can buy a few sizes to see what fits and send back the ones that don't fit at no cost. That makes the online ordering process a lot more customer friendly, and it makes gift-giving easier too!

And yes, you read correctly...they call this the ninja experience because Bonobos clothes are made by people who are the closest thing to real life ninjas - clever, efficient and awesome people. We could use a few more ninjas these days...

You find Bonobos on Twitter, visit their blog to learn more about the ninja experience or shop directly on their Web site. Bonus points go to the CEO for being a Cubs fan!!

Kids Cook-Off: Iron Chef Style

I wish I still fit in the "kid" category, because this Sunday there is a kids Cook-Off at Kendall College! Kiddos ages 9-13 will compete in an Iron-Chef style competition to prepare the most healthy and delicious meal or snack with only a few ingredients.

The competition is hosted by CongAgra & Share Our Strength, and the goal is to teach kids about the importance of nutrition. I was pretty food-savvy even at age 9, although I usually enjoyed baking cakes more than whipping up a healthy snack(not much has changed). But, since I'm not eligible I'll share my healthy snack idea - ants on a log. All you need is celery, PB and raisins. I wonder what the judges would think....

I hope these kids create some tasty treats because kid chefs will be judged by Chef Michael Kornick, mk the restaurant and Chef Paul Kahan of Blackbird, Avec and Publican. Who knows, maybe they'll discover the next great Chicago chef on Sunday!

The event is free, but you have to pre-register here. You can also find more information on the importance of nutrition education and childhood hunger on the Share Our Strength site.

Good luck chefs!!