2008 July | Leena Eats

A girl and her cheese (and a meme)

Ah, smoked chipotle cheddar. Five pounds of dairy product just doesn’t get better than this.

Like any good Midwestern gal, I love cheese. In fact, at one point in my life, 90% of my cooking involved cheese products of some sort (coincidentally enough, this was the same time my ass started to looked like it was smuggling a wheel of Parmesan all the time). Now that I’ve been through a few twelve step programs, had some shock therapy and am finally starting to understand what moderation means, the American Cheese Society had to go host their national meeting in Chicago. Thanks, guys. Read the rest of this entry »

July 29th, 2008
Posted in Chicago, Leena Eats | 8 Comments »

Crispy Bacon and Jellied Fish Eye

It’s crispy, crunchy, slightly salty, a bit smoky, really savory and totally umami on your tongue. It comes from a pig, tastes great in dinner or dessert, and makes Jewish people really uncomfortable. It’s crispy bacon, my idea of the perfect food. It is jiggly, gooey, and sometimes served cold. Think Jello, only fish-flavored, and the unmistakable feeling that someone is watching you eat. It shakes and wobbles as it slides down your throat, and if you are lucky enough to chew it, you certainly know from the texture what the heck it is you are eating. It is a jellied fish eye, the worst food I can possibly think of. Put them together and what you do get? Crispy Bacon and Jellied Fish Eye, my newest blog post of awesome and not so awesome things in the world of food. This week, we got 2 crispy bacons and 2 jellied fish eyes. Crispy bacon #1: PB Loco Dark Chocolate Duo

Prepare yourself for Reeses peanut butter cups in a jar.

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July 25th, 2008
Posted in Food News, The Gastronomical Leena | 12 Comments »

Eating Locally in Chicago: The CSA Experiment

My haul from Stanley’s, $18 total in early June 2008. No organic food whatsoever.

Australia spoiled me. Over the year and a half I lived in South Australia, I had the joy of eating the freshest, most delicious and colorful produce ever. There was a giant, covered farmers market in the center of Adelaide called the Central Market, so I not only had amazing produce close by all year round, but I had choices! I could compare and contrast who had the best asparagus one day, or the freshest figs the next, and I even had a plethora of winter produce because it didn’t snow in South Australia! Life couldn’t be any better if I found a field of bacon and pancake syrup that I could run through with my mouth open. Read the rest of this entry »

July 22nd, 2008
Posted in Chicago, Leena Eats | 8 Comments »

Avec

Whole roasted snapper “picatta” with fried capers, herbs, butter and lemon at Avec.

If you were to ask me what my favorite restaurant in Chicago was, I would say Blackbird, hands down, no hesitation whatsoever. Blackbird restaurant is located in the West Loop of Chicago, and it focuses on locally produced, seasonal cuisine that is so unbelievably delicious, it makes me want to cry a bit thinking about my last meal there (which was in early 2007). The bill from my last meal also makes me cry a bit. Meet Avec, Blackbird’s younger, hipper, slightly cheaper yet equally delicious sister. Located right next to Blackbird, this wine bar is smaller, constantly packed, and sadly, does not take reservations. Good thing the food was better than free shots at a Russian amputee strip club. Read the rest of this entry »

July 16th, 2008
Posted in Chicago, Leena Eats | 4 Comments »

Ribfest Lincoln Square (Vegans beware!)

Would you like some rib with that rib, ma’am?

South Australia is known as “the festival state”, and indeed, during my time living there I encountered at least one festival just about every other weekend. Festivals for wine and for Koreans, festivals for cheese and for Italians, African festivals, food festivals, the Festival of Ideas–these Aussies seem to throw a party every time someone sneezes. But I loved it because it gave me a chance to experience how different people in different parts of South Australia celebrated, how they ate, what they drank, what sort of music they liked. It really was a great way to experience the local culture, and, you know, have a good excuse to double fist a few sausages and beers. Read the rest of this entry »

July 14th, 2008
Posted in Chicago, Leena Eats | 12 Comments »

Spoon Thai

hàw mòk plaa dùk (tham eng): steamed Catfish and coconut milk “custard.”

Okay. You know the deal by now. I’m Leena. I eat way too much. I could come up with cute little intro about how many good things I have heard about Spoon Thai over the years but never tried it, so I just figured I had to now, but you are smarter than that. You don’t need me to do that. You need me to eat so you can live vicariously through me, because my life rocks. I need me to eat because it is all I think about and then I need to tell you about it because I love talking about myself. What a nice, symbiotic relationship we’ve forged! So, restaurant? Spoon Thai in Lincoln Square in Chicago. I ate there. Come read about it. Read the rest of this entry »

July 8th, 2008
Posted in Chicago, Leena Eats | 6 Comments »

Southport Grocery and Cafe

If this picture doesn’t make you hungry, you are not my friend.

Once upon a time, I got married. I was searching high and low for the perfect wedding cake, and, you know, one that didn’t cost more than the dress (in my case, the wedding sari). Then I walked into the magical world that is Southport Grocery and Cafe and tasted their vanilla cupcake, which you may remember from this post. It is so popular, it has its own section on their website! Read the rest of this entry »

July 7th, 2008
Posted in Chicago, Leena Eats | Comments Off

Chestnut beats Kobayashi in Five Dog Eat Off!

I believe Americans became independent from England so they could enjoy freedoms like eating chili dogs and, you know, food with flavor.

God bless America. No other country would celebrate their independence with a gastronomic orgy such as Nathan’s annual Hot Dog Eating contest (held every 4th of July). It rocks my mind to think I live in a country where competitive eating is an actual sport that they show on ESPN, a sport deemed worthy enough to celebrate what makes our country great, our freedom. Freedom = hot dog contest. And sometimes a bit of vomit. Read the rest of this entry »

July 6th, 2008
Posted in Food News, The Gastronomical Leena | 12 Comments »

A Chunky Guide to Melbourne (it’s a long one, folks!)

Leena eats Melbourne. It tastes like chicken salt.

***NOTE***This post is from November 2007-ish. It is late because I am slow and drowning in homework, but it?s a long one filled with tons of food, so it?s worth it, damn it. ***SECOND NOTE*** Don’t know what chunky means? Find out here. When people think of Australia, they usually think of Sydney and Melbourne. In fact, before I moved here, people would constantly say, oh, Australia? Are you moving to Sydney or Melbourne? Like no other city existed. They were partially right. I had already visited Sydney, and while I loved it, I had to hit up its sister, Melbourne. She deserved some loving too, damn it. Read the rest of this entry »

July 3rd, 2008
Posted in A Leena-made food tour, Leena Travels, Melbourne | 9 Comments »

Once upon a coconut s’mores bar

Toasted coconut s’mores bars

Once upon a time four months ago, Vanessa over at What Geeks Eat made a S?mores bar cookie that inspired me. So I took her recipe, swapped in toasted coconut marshmallows for the regular ones, and gave it a go. Then I waited four months to blog about it, during which I spent copious amounts of time both writing a really long dissertation and avoiding writing a really long dissertation. Yeah, I?m a complicated woman. Read the rest of this entry »

July 3rd, 2008
Posted in Leena Cooks, Mains | 8 Comments »

Things you never really wanted to know

Welcome to the gun show.

My pal Dylan over at Sourdough Monkey Wrangler tagged me a for meme that requires five sordid facts about myself. He also said he didn’t know if I would have time to complete it. Sounds like fighting words to me, folks. Read the rest of this entry »

July 3rd, 2008
Posted in Leena Eats, Memes, The Gastronomical Leena | 20 Comments »

The Adventures of Nanners

I hate words. There are currently too many words in my life and yet not enough words. In one month and twenty four days, or 7.43 weeks, or 54 days, or 1296 hours, my dissertation is due. Of the 15,000 word limit, I have 5,000 written. Excuse me while I clean up the mess I just made on the floor. It hurts to think, let alone write blogs that are so old they could each have illegitimate children by now. So to catch up, my next couple of posts will have a few more pictures and a few less words. This is not a permanent change. Words?just?hurt. One of my favorite procrastination techniques is to throw all my energy into something random that makes me happy. In this case it was those adorable little tiny bananas called ladyfingers that I can buy in Australia. Miniature items= major adorableness. Even if you put a bundle full of 6 week old kittens in a field of flowers and crawling babies with bunny rabbits, wrapped it all in a fluffy, warm blanket and topped it off with a few puppies playing tug of war with a red checkered cloth, tiny bananas would still kick their asses in the cuteness department. So enjoy. *****************************************

Man, Paco, I need me a lady!

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July 3rd, 2008
Posted in Gastronomy degree, Leena Lives Life | 14 Comments »

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