La Frasca

You know those moments where you're scrolling through your phone pictures, searching for that one you wanted to send or upload, and you happen upon something that completely slipped your mind?
Well, that happened to me today. And what I found was something I meant to blog about weeks ago.
Remember when I said that Emily joined me in Chicago for the summer? Well, a few weekends ago she invited me for an impromptu dinner up on the north side to watch the Blackhawks game. She promised the restaurant we were going to would bring back joyous memories of scrumptiously authentic Italian food. It was called La Frasca, and I was happy to see that it was a short train ride away.

I also brought my friend Neha with me, but she was difficult to catch on-camera. 

I tend to snap when people least expect it. My bad.

We started with some Sangrias, which came in a generous serving for only $6.

I quickly perused the menu for the tastiest options. It was difficult to choose when the pizzas all looked scrumptious and the pasta menu included mouthwatering gnocchi.

We decided to start with some appetizers. La Frasca has an extensive and generous bruschetta menu. For $8, you pick 3 types, which gives you plenty of wiggle room to sample different flavor combinations.
We went with the traditional (basil, mozzarella, and tomato), mushroom & goat cheese, and apple with brie. They were even kind enough to cut the bruschetta into three pieces for us.

The grand finale, however, was the pizza.

Emily was exceedingly happy about her beautiful pepperoni pizza.
Neha kept it classic and went with a simple but chic margherita pizza.

As for me, I went with a fantastically delicious-sounding pizza called the rustica. Authentically Italian thin and crunchy crust covered with smoked cheese, prosciutto  pesto, and tomatoes. 

Let me just say it took all of my willpower to not eat the entire delicious concoction in one sitting. Just look at that fresh flavor.

If you find yourself in Chicago with a craving for real pizza, not the pounds-of-bread-deep-dish staple usually found in this city, I cannot recommend La Frasca enough. 

Tweet

Intelligentsia Coffee

Since coming back from Italy, I've been very attached to good espressos and cappuccinos. What can I say? I was spoiled rotten while I was there. Deliciously dark and creamy espresso for merely 1 or 1.5 euros. It was a dream come true.

Now that I'm back in the US (and in Chicago), I'm determined to find at least one coffee bar that matches up with the taste and quality of what I had in Italy.

Fortunately, Chicago happens to have a few Intelligentsia coffee shops scattered about the metro area. I popped in the other day to give it the once-over.

The black bags are their espresso, called Black Cat Espresso. I just love that name.

I went with my usual test - a cappuccino.

Detailed latte art.

 Time for the taste test.

Dark, frothy, and very very bold. Exactly how I like it. Not a replica of what I had in Italy (probably because the beans were from Africa and roasted in Germany) but still an excellent cappuccino. I can see why the place always seems to be full to the brim with patrons lining the bar. 
Also, I just found out that my new job serves Intelligentsia coffee. I think I may have found my favorite workplace ever..

Oh, and did I mention Emily was there?

Apparently Chicago is the place to be this summer for all the cool kids since she's here too. We spent the afternoon shopping and galavanting about town before we popped in for a quick recharge. And boy were we glad we did.

Tweet

Thai Fresh Noodles

I will start off by saying that this recipe is ridiculously easy.
Seriously.
Technically, there's no actual cooking involved, unless you count boiling water as "cooking." And even that step can be avoided depending on the type of noodles you buy.
Basically, if you're the type of person that likes quick and tasty meals, this is the recipe for you.

Inspired by traditional Thai cuisine, this noodle dish is full of fresh flavors and healthy foods. 
A noodle dish you won't feel guilty about?
Yes, it exists.

To make this guilt-free dish, grab these ingredients
(recipe adapted from Food Network Kitchens)

4-5 oz rice noodles
1 medium cucumber, sliced
8 grape tomatoes, sliced
juice of 2 small limes
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon minced ginger
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup mint leaves, torn

Cook your noodles as directed on the package. This is where some slight cooking might come in, because most rice noodles require you to boil water and pour it over the noodles to soften them. But you can also buy pre-cooked noodles in water.

Next, whisk together your lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, minced ginger, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (to taste) in a large bowl. Add your noodles. Toss to combine. Add the cucumber slices, tomato slices, almonds, and mint leaves. Toss again.

If necessary, add more red pepper flakes to up the spice content (depending on how much heat you can take).

And that's it!

Tweet

Hearty Mustard Loaf

When I was younger, my mom used to make a turkey meatloaf recipe for dinner every once in a while. At seven years old, I was grossed out by the sticky red tomato paste covering the loaf, the bits and pieces of onions popping out, and the general idea of any type of meat being re-shaped into a form meant for bread.
I was a very stubborn child.
Fortunately, as my frontal cortex evolved and I gained a much more diversified pallet, I learned to love my mom's meatloaf. And every now and then, I use her recipe to fuel my own creativity. Which as lead to the creation of this:

This mustard loaf, made with ground turkey and herbs, packs a ton of flavor without the heaviness of beef. Perfect for the chilly winter evenings coming our way soon. It's also a quick meal - just mix it up, pop it in the oven, wait, slice, enjoy. Oh how easily delicious....

To make this loaf, you will need:

1 lb ground turkey

2 eggs, beaten

2/3 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup milk

1 small onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup parsley, chopped

salt

pepper

olive oil

spicy brown mustard

Start off by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine all of your ingredients except the turkey, olive oil and the mustard. Add your turkey, using your hands to combine. You'll get a super-mushy mixture like this:

Next, pour some olive oil onto a baking sheet. Pour your meat slop onto a pan and gently shape it into a loaf.

Using the back of a spoon, spread your mustard across the meatloaf until you've added enough to cover the entire surface. 

Pop your loaf into the oven and wait 50 - 60 minutes. It's helpful to use a meat thermometer if you have one to make sure the thickest part of your loaf is heated to 165 degrees F. If you don't have a thermometer, leave it in for the full hour and make sure the juices run clear when you cut your loaf.

When it's done, you'll have a golden beacon of meaty deliciousness.

Be sure to save your leftovers! This meat, when topped with some Stovetop Stuffing and cheese, makes for an excellent sandwich the next day.

Tweet

Babo Market

Yesterday, between classes, I hopped over to Babo, a market beneath 411 Lofts with Mallory. An experienced baker, she was looking to gather some ingredients for a few new scone recipes.
In the meantime, I thought I'd peruse the market's latest selection of meats, cheeses and freshly prepared foods. 

I've only been to Babo once before, but every single time I'm in awe of all the specialty and unique foods they serve.

This chickpea salad looked exceptionally phenomenal - I sense a new recipe in the mix!

As I perused, Mallory flitted in and out of the shelves gathering all of the ingredients she needed.

While I didn't originally plan on buying anything, I was distracted by the delicious coffee station - and ultimately tempted into buying a cup of Turkish Coffee when I saw it on their menu for a measly $2.

Despite the numerous delicious coffee shops to be found in Ann Arbor, I've been unpleasantly surprised to find that none of them serve Turkish Cofffee. For those of you who have never tried it before, Turkish Coffee is similar to espresso - super finely ground beans are used to produce a small, rich and very dark cup of coffee (with a hint of sweetness).

Their cream and sugar station is absolutely adorable, but I didn't want to ruin the steaming cup of coffee with anything cold.

Babo also has an extensive wine selection - which I assume I never noticed before because my under-21 eyes forbid me from paying too much attention to things I couldn't obtain.

Now, I know Babo is a pricier market than your average Meijer, but I'm wondering how much profit this place could really be making selling $60 and $70 bottles of wine to college students....

I'll definitely be coming back to grab a bottle of this pumpkin patch ale - so perfect for fall!

Tweet