My new home is almost complete (except for Ben). I got the wireless internet (using an Apple Airport Extreme router) working yesterday after calling Ben (and Comcast) and struggling with it for 2 hours. My internet upload speed is still kind of slow, which makes video chatting with Ben a challenge. However, I enjoy taking my laptop onto the deck to check my email or read papers.
My plan for tonight is to make a chicken stir-fry dish with squash, zucchini and mushrooms. I bought 2 cage-free organic chickens from Eddie’s yesterday. They were very very expensive ($38 for both so $19 each) so I want to use every part of them–bones and all for soups or stock or cooking. I plan to cut the chicken up (using my fancy kitchen shears and my chef’s knife) and freeze most of it. I need to bring food for lunch. I’ve been buying sandwiches every day and while it’s relatively cheap <$5, I’d rather bring my lunch because it’s healthier and tastier (and more filling).
Yesterday, I ate a Delmonico’s steak from Eddie’s. Cost was $18.99/lb but it was an amazing treat/experience. Victor’s meats supplies their butcher department and the steak definitely tasted like grass-fed beef (not corn-fed). I was impressed. I also had a glass of Joel Gott Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (I look forward to another glass tonight).
I will try to find some other new health (carb-free) recipes to make when Ben comes to visit for 4th of July. Stay tuned!
Ben and I made a trip to the Brookfield Zoo this evening. The zoo is located about 10 miles outside downtown Chicago but the wetlands exhibit (and the flooded rapids of Salt Creek) made it feel much more isolated. We enjoyed the wolves and the birds. Here’s Ben and his bird.
I bought some bison meat at the Giant supermarket because that was one of the only semi-organic, slightly freer range meat they sold. I found a recipe on epicurious that involved gorgonzola cheese but left out the cheese (to save money and prevent lactose problems) and the burgers turned out awesome. One word of advice (per Joy of Cooking): buffalo meat is very lean. Thus, it needs to be eaten rare or medium rare. My burgers were juicy and amazing but tasted a bit like tartare. Didn’t need any condiments–they were so flavorful!
Buffalo burger recipe (makes 4 huge patties)
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground buffalo
1 Tbsp. minced onion
1 Tbsp. minced parsley
1 Tbsp. worchestershire sauce
1 tsp. brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
This morning, my neighbor Nancy called me at 9 am and asked if I would like a ride to the Waverly Farmer’s Market. I took her up on the offer because I was planning on walking or taking the bus, but a ride was much appreciated. I think I scared her by all the items I bought:
zucchini
tomatoes
asparagus
mesclun
1 lb of fresh peas
vidalia onion
strawberries (local)
spring onion
pastries (choc. chip scone, chocolate muffin, cranberry scone)
Greek Olive oil (sold by someone local?)
fresh butter (1 lb)
farm fresh eggs (1 dozen)
Afterwards, we had breakfast together at Cafe Hon in Hampden. The restaurant was nice and the food (eggs benedict for me) and Zeke’s coffee were good. I’d like to go back to Hampden and check out Hometown Girl, the souvenir store across the street. I have a postcard fettish.
Next weekend is Honfest, when the ladies apparently dress up with beehive hairdos and 50s dresses. I hope I can go see the show.
My co-worker Kasia came over this afternoon to see my apartment. We enjoyed strawberries (VERY SWEET and FLAVORFUL) on the porch and tried some of the Farmer’s Market pastries.
For dinner, I made a squash/chicken stir-fry and added some fresh basil I bought at Eddie’s Market. I learned that cooking for 1 person = LOTS OF LEFTOVERS. I think I need to buy some more tupperware to store it all for nights when I don’t feel like cooking. I’m looking forward to trying my Dinobite’s chocolate with reese peanut butter cup ice cream (made in Glen Burnie, MD).
Extra note: just tried the Dinobite’s ice cream. AWESOME! Highly recommended. 5 stars from a girl who has eaten a lot of ice cream in the last few months.
I went to Eddie’s Market in Charles Village today. I don’t know if it’s a chain that’s related to Eddie’s Market in Roland Park, but I was very impressed with this little dinky grocery store. They labeled the origin of many of their produce. I bought blueberries from North Carolina (not too far from Maryland) and summer squash, cabbage and fresh basil and rosemary that appeared to be grown locally.
This grocery store is only 2 blocks from the front entrance of Johns Hopkins and about a 10 minute walk from my office. It’s in the opposite direction of my apartment but I bought some canned and frozen food I can keep at school for lunches that I don’t have to take back to my apartment.
The highlight of my shopping adventure was the Maryland lump crab cakes that I purchased. They were $6.99 each so I assumed there was something special about them. They tasted AMAZING!!! I heated them up in the microwave at home and didn’t eat them with any sauce or special sides. They were salty and probably very naughty (ingredient-wise) but DELICIOUS!!!!
The prices at this grocery store were high compared to the Giant I went to a few days ago, but still more reasonable than the supermarkets where I shopped in Chicago. I will try to check out SuperFresh soon or else just go to the Farmer’s Market on Saturday! I got $100 cash from the ATM to spend :) CAN’T WAIT!
Some more research about the Farmer’s Market in Waverly. When I get a (zip)car, I will also check out the downtown farmer’s market.
What’s in season?
How do I get there from my house?
