Mama D's Kitchen of Love

Mama D Loves “Open House Chicago”

I usually write about food love, but today that content is going to take a backseat to Chicago love. In what has become an annual event, The Chicago Architecture Foundation hosts Open House Chicago. This two-day event allows anyone to visit 150 sites around the city that would normally not be open to the public. Did I mention it’s free? All sites have some kind of architectural significance from historic buildings to architectural firms. Spreading across more than 11 neighborhoods, there’s something for everyone’s taste.

This was our second year and we were finally able to go both days. We got our Metra Weekend passes and took off for the city Saturday morning. Our first stop (after a brisk almost 2 mile walk involving quite a bit of backtracking) was Aqua, designed by Jeanne Gang. This award-winning building is known for its wavy balconies creating interesting patterns from every angle. Radisson Blu is a 334 room hotel that offers rooms with these balconies. A suite was open and we got to step out on the balcony and get a unique view of the city. It felt like Millennium Park was in my backyard. It also made me a little queasy.

The restaurant and lounge in the hotel is called Felini. It is a modern space; black and white tile with red accents and lots of (electric) candlelight (how Felini-esque). Sadly we were too early to taste their food which is of course Italian. so it was on to our next stop, the 66th and 67th floor of Willis Tower.

Another brisk cross-loop walk brought us to the Metropolitan Club. This exclusive club offers networking opportunities for the who’s who of Chicago and dining with possibly the best views in the city. The space is elegant and offers panoramic views from every table. Alas, unless Steadman Graham invites me, I won’t be dining here anytime soon. It was still special to experience this space.

Even without the benefit of a pedometer, we’d walked a lot. It was time for lunch. Chicago is restaurant heaven and the choices are mind-boggling. We had many choices, but decided to go to an old standby. Miller’s Pub. Best known as a late-night stop for the famous ribs and famous clientele, it offers good service and good food at a very reasonable price. It’s dark, a little dated, and always crowded, all of it in a good way. Feeling like we could calorie splurge, we ordered their 10 ounce (yep) burgers. I had the Patty Melt and Jeff had the Barbecue Burger. Both were cooked exactly as requested and came with fries, cole slaw, and a pickle. They were juicy, flavor-packed and I’m actually a little ashamed to say we ate it all. We each washed it down with our favorite bourbon on the rocks. All this and we spent less than $40 (pre-tip) including the steep10+% sales tax. That just doesn’t happen in the city…

So, on we walked. We visited The Chicago Temple and highest chapel in the world. Again, we had views you can’t see everyday, from the pastor’s terrace. We visited Dirtt (Do It Right This Time) a company that specializes in sustainable ideas and solutions for building spaces. Our final stop was the Seventeenth Church of Christ, Scientist. This six-sided building was designed by Harry Weese. It’s auditorium boasts an organ with over 3000 pipes.

We snoozed on the train, went to bed early and got up on Sunday and started again.

Our first stop Sunday was the Chicago Board of Trade. A magnificent Art Deco building that boasts an underground vault that once held gold bars and copious amounts of money. Now it’s a seldom seen, quirky photo-op.

The Palmer House, an iconic Chicago Hotel. We visited the Empire Room, created in 1925 to serve as a large dining hall. In later years it became one of the most famous nightclubs in Chicago featuring Big Bands, singers and comedians. Now used for conventions and the occasional wedding it is seldom open to the public. On Sunday, it was, complete with rare performance recordings, a formally set table and a spotlighted stage. Returning to the opulent lobby, we took a seat at the Lockwood Bar. Always a source for a good Bloody Mary, this one didn’t disappoint. Super spicy, with a garnish of cheddar cheese, pepperoncini and a crisp strip of bacon. Looking down the bar it was almost everyone’s drink of choice.

Fortified, we began our stroll down South Michigan Avenue at The University Club of Chicago. An exclusive private club that boasts a 2 story Cathedral Hall. Stained glass windows symbolizing various disciplines and occupations and coats of arms of many universities encircle the walls. Several windows allowed some amazing views of Millennium Park.

We visited the current home of the Cliff Dwellers, a private club whose members are artists, writers, and musicians. The space included a dining room, library, and bar overlooking the lakefront. it also had a balcony that was a premier vantage point for taking in the Lakefront in its early fall beauty.

The Fine Arts Building was our next stop. Built in 1898, it is the oldest artist colony in the U.S. The interior feels like it’s frozen in time. Bass cage elevators, Art Nouveau Murals, and hundreds of music studios behind dark wood doors topped with frosted glass transoms. Pianos and flutes could be heard as we walked the halls. We also stood on the stage of the Studebaker Theater, currently closed but still a beautiful venue.

We ended our formal tour at the Blackstone Hotel. Once the favorite Chicago stay of presidents (12 sitting presidents have stayed in the Presidential Suite), The suite had many of the original fixtures, but also had all the modern conveniences including a TV in the bathroom mirror. It is now a boutique hotel boasting a billiard table in the lobby and a Spanish Tapas restaurant, Mercat a la Planxa. We felt the need for a little refreshment and it really felt good to sit down in the bar. We experienced the most magnificent Bloody Mary Bar I have ever seen. it actually took up the entire bar.

The house infused vodka (spanish peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic) could be mixed with a traditional spicy tomato juice, but Tomatillo and Watermelon Tomato Gazpachos were also available. Smoked Paprika, cumin, and assorted roasted and pickled vegetables were available to add to your drink. It was delicious and I can say with authority that if you muddle them enough, you can suck roasted garlic, tomatoes, and peppers through a straw.

Our Open House tour ended here, we did have more adventures before we got back on the train, but that’s another post.

I want to thank my wonderful husband, Jeff. He took the pictures in this post.

Adventures, food or otherwise would never be the same without you . I love you, honey.

A Visit to The Market At Gracious Hall

When I set out to create this blog, I wanted to chronicle my food adventures in and out of the kitchen. Mama D loves to cook, but all cooking adventures and no out and about adventures make for a boring Mama D. I began to remedy that this week. I just returned from my first field trip. Always liking to support local merchants I went to check out the Market at Gracious Hall.

Gracious Hall is a catering company owned by Rebecca Colburn in Geneva, Illinois. Rebecca has been catering large and small events for several years and has just expanded to a retail gourmet market. The small space in front of her kitchen features foods and cheeses, many from local purveyors. The market also features “Grab and Go” items that Rebecca creates.

Rebecca trained at the French Baking School in Chicago and bakes all of the breads and rolls sold at Gracious Hall along with preparing all the carry out lunch items not to mention the exquisite food she creates for her clients. When I arrived she was on the phone arranging a catering job. Catering is the backbone of Gracious Hall but the addition of a gourmet market will give her more flexibility in running her business.

I was there on their first official business day. Still very much a catering company, the retail space was furnished with the usual coolers for perishable food but the space was warmed by wonderful eclectic furniture pieces for display. Even though there were limited items available, everything was artfully displayed…I can envision the wonders the future will hold and look forward to the product expansion to come. Gracious Hall carries an impressive selection of cheeses.

This is possible through a partnership with Curds and Whey a local Fox Valley merchant. Along with domestic and imported cheeses, there are sausages, salami, and lox. It was hard to choose, but the beautiful fresh mozzarella bocconcini sang to come home with me. These bite sized bits of heaven paired beautifully with what is officially the last of my garden tomatoes ( the cold night and my husband put an end to it) and basil to create an Autumn Kissed Bruschetta.

So my field trip was informative and enjoyable. I have to do this more often. The change of scenery was much-needed, and being able to talk to someone who is passionate about food and living their dream was inspiring. Hmm…where to next?

Baking with Fruit in the Kitchen of Love

As my food adventures continue, I’ve discovered that I really do love to bake. Baking has always been around my kitchen, but when i was working it was relegated to holidays or special occasions. Now with more time to spend in the kitchen, baking is happening at least once a week. Chocolate makes for good baking in brownies, cookies, and cakes which have appeared in the kitchen of love. but along with re-discovering baking, I’ve discovered that baking with fruit is quite wonderful.

It all started when I found a recipe for a Peach Cake. It was summer and peaches were plentiful and it just sounded so yummy. Lots of fresh peaches happily residing in a moist buttermilk cake. A topping of cinnamon sugar and almonds that baked into a crunchy golden crown. It was really amazing and good enough to bake twice.

So I had entered into the world of fresh fruit baking. What delight would be next? Blueberries were in season. The good ones from Michigan that are bursting with flavor, not the bland ones that seem to be available all year. Blueberries are one of my favorite fruits, but I wanted to do something other than muffins. I found a blueberry cake recipe that sounded perfect. Another buttermilk cake, this one topped with streusel. Blueberries were laced through the cake whole and as a thick syrup. This was worthy of being baked on three seperate non-occasions.

Peaches and blueberries had their individual moment in the sun or should I say oven, but what would happen if they came together in one baking masterpiece? Presenting for your delight, the Blueberry & Peach Pie. The peaches and blueberries were lightly sweetened with brown sugar, enhanced with a little almond extract and sprinkled with tapioca to thicken the juices. The streusel topping was almonds, butter, brown sugar, and a little flour. It baked to a golden brown oozing juicy goodness.

So there you have it …my summer of fruit love. As fall creeps in, apples, pumpkin, pears and cranberries beckon to be transformed into fruity baked delights…Stay tuned. More goodies will be coming out of Mama D’s Kitchen of Love.

Mama D’s Harvest of Love

Fall is harvest time everywhere and here at Mama D’s Kitchen of Love we have our own mini harvest festival. I am harvesting from what can be loosely called a kitchen container garden. It’s some herbs and the amazing colossal tomato plant.

If you follow my Facebook page Mama D’s Kitchen you know that I have a Grape Tomato plant that was over 6 feet tall at maturity. The plant continues to produce fruit and if the frost holds off, we may be eating homegrown tomatoes at Thanksgiving. I also have Basil which I’ve written about twice (but I don’t play favorites). It had a rough go midsummer. But some love and a small dose of Miracle Grow gave it a new lease on life.

So, back to the harvest. I checked on the tomato plant yesterday and there was another pint of tomatoes ready to pick. I already had almost 2 pints in the house. When the plant gives you tomatoes, make sauce! I decided to try a roasted tomato sauce. I thought the sweetness of the Grape Tomatoes would work well. So I tossed them with garlic, onions, oregano, basil, and olive oil. They spent a little over an hour in the oven and once cooled , were blended until fairly smooth. It was so beautiful that I had to make something with it. Enter some Italian Sausage and Cavatapi and there was dinner.

Basil is a delicate plant. It likes lots of sun and a good amount of water and it’s not too crazy about cold nights. It also has a number of insects that like to call it home, most damaging being the Japanese Beetle. I was feeling like the basil may be on borrowed time so a batch of Pesto was in order. I make Roasted Garlic Pesto ( see What Is It About Garlic? posts). Aside from roasting the garlic it’s a pretty traditional cast of characters. All are pictured here except for the pine nuts which were toasting in the oven when the photo was taken. Once the pesto is prepared it can be frozen for several months. I divide it out in 1/4 cup portions, put it in zip top bags and freeze it. When I’m ready to use it, I thaw the bag and cut a corner off the bottom. I can then squeeze the pesto out into whatever I’m preparing. Everything comes out and my hands stay clean. A little pesto goes a long way so the amount in each bag is just about right. It’s just the right amount to toss in a sauce or soup, add to scrambled eggs, or grilled vegetables. And there isn’t a law that says you can’t use more than one bag in a recipe. Best of all it’s a little taste of summer in your freezer.

What’s next on the harvest agenda? There’s at least one more batch of pesto, and the Oregano, Rosemary, and Thyme are still going strong. As for the tomato plant, who knows. As long as it is producing fruit, I’ll keep finding ways to use it. Does anyone have a recipe for Tomato Cranberry Sauce?

More Memories from a Kitchen of Love

Like many children of the 50’s I spent more time with my stay at home Mom than my Dad. My Dad owned his own business and until his heart made him slow down, put in 10 hour days. He was home on the weekends and we seemed to cram all our family time into those 2 days.

Saturdays were a flurry of dance classes, grocery shopping, and in the afternoon Dad and Daughter Date Time. When I was small Kiddieland was my favorite destination. I’d ride the ponies, go on all the rides ending on the Little Dipper with my Dad. A chocolate/ vanilla frozen custard was the culmination of the day. As I got older, miniature golf became the new favorite. Whatever we did, the time I spent with my father was very special.

Sunday morning was church for me and Mom and golf for my Dad. He had a regular 6:00AM tee time which got him home about the same time we got back from church. At least once a month he would make his “gravy” (the all purpose tomato sauce that is the backbone of every Italian family’s cooking) and meatballs. His recipes were simple, but they used quality ingredients the most important of which was love.

He let me help in the kitchen before my mother did. I would use the special chopper that minced the onions, garlic, and parsley on a wooden cutting board. These went into a large pot with a good amount of olive oil. Tomato puree and paste were added along with some water and dried herbs. Sometimes he added pork neck bones and his homemade Italian sausage (more on that later). No matter what else was in the pot, he always added his meatballs.

He would blend beef, veal, and pork with bread that he soaked in water, the onion, garlic, parsley mixture that was also in the gravy. Eggs and Romano cheese were about the only other ingredients. He’d mix it by hand and roll it into golf ball size portions. I would help him roll the meatballs because he said my hands were just the right size. We’d wind up with several platters of meatballs that he would brown in a cast iron skillet filled with olive oil (I still have the skillet.) The meatballs would go into the gravy and simmer away for what seemed like half the afternoon. Periodically he would let me dip a piece of bread into the gravy to see if it was ready. Finally it would be “done” and we’d have it for supper over pasta adorned with whatever meat was in the pot. It’s still the best gravy I’ve ever had.

My Dad’s sausage had no peer. He used a meat grinder that bolted onto the table. He started with pork butt that he ground twice. Then he added salt, pepper, fennel seeds and red pepper flakes. My Dad didn’t have a fancy sausage stuffer attachment. He used a wide mouth funnel that he slid the hog casings on and then pushed the meat through with his thumbs. I had a very special job in this process. I used a large safety-pin and poked air holes in the sausage as it snaked out of the funnel. I occasionally poked my dad’s fingers which would result in a good-natured scolding.

The sausage was wonderful in the gravy especially after simmering for an hour or two, but I liked it best when it was grilled or fried and put on an Italian roll. The sausage was topped with my mom’s fried Melrose peppers. The simple purity of the sausage ingredients lets each one stand out. The crunch of the bread and the almost creaminess of the peppers and oil were a perfect complement. It was and is a sandwich for the gods and I like it , too.

The time I spent with my Dad in and out of the kitchen is very precious to me. It was far too short and I still miss him. I know that when I cook something from his recipe or my own that the love I put in comes from him. Thanks, Daddy.

Mama D's Kitchen of Love

Mama D Loves “Open House Chicago”

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A Visit to The Market At Gracious Hall

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Baking with Fruit in the Kitchen of Love

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Mama D’s Harvest of Love

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More Memories from a Kitchen of Love

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