iowa finds

This past weekend, while I was in my hometown in Iowa, I found time to get to my favorite vintage store, Mohair Pear. I picked up several cute items, including a pair of new black back-seam pantyhose, which I had wanted for some time.

fancy golden gloves, $6

red/blue checked scarf, $3

navy/white polyester dress, $16

My friend Kelly also bought the most adorable "Audrey" style little black dress, which makes me very happy.

highly recommended

A few weeks ago, Matt and I met with our friend, Mary for dinner at Cafe Montmarte in Madison. Everything was delicious. The goat cheese nachos were what drew us into the restaurant, so we had to start with those. The nachos consisted of crispy fresh chips drizzled with creamy goat cheese and topped with cilantro, onions, and tomatoes. The red and green salsas on the side were also very nice. We were so hungry and they were so good, they were gone before we could get a picture.

The three of us also shared a lamb sausage pizza with pesto and pine nuts on a thin crackery crust. The crust was tasty as were the toppings. (Yes, it was as dark there as it seems in the photo.)

The sandwich that we shared was also excellent. Perfectly cooked, tender steak was layered with bleu cheese and tomatoes. Try this place if you get a chance.

Thai spicy chicken with basil

2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tsp. sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp. peeled and grated fresh ginger (jarred ginger works too)
4 small red chili peppers, halved and seeded*
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 lb. skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into 1-inch cubes (I used chicken breast)
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. water
2 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 c. fresh basil leaves
6 scallions, cut diagonally into 1-inch lengths
steamed jasmine rice, for serving

*I had a hard time deciding just which peppers I wanted. I'm sure any of the dried Mexican varieties of red peppers would work, but I used 2 fresh jalapenos instead. Adjust to your taste and preferences.

Warm vegetable and sesame oil in a wok or frying pan over medium heat. Add ginger, garlic, and chili peppers and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Raise heat to high, add bell pepper and chicken and stir-fry until chicken is golden. Stir in soy sauce, water, and brown sugar. Reduce heat to medium and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in basil and scallions. Spoon into bowls and serve with steamed jasmine rice.

from Asian Hot and Spicy by Vicki Liley

wow

Matt and I headed to Chicago last Thursday night to see Jason dj at Sonotheque (and luckily we had two days off of work because of the cold weather). The show was fun, and it was great to see Jason and our friend Jamie.

The highlight of the trip was probably our lunch on Friday. We ate at Cemitas Puebla, a Mexican restaurant that specializes in tasty sandwiches called cemitas. Everything was absolutely delicious.

Matt's cemita carne enchilada was a spicy butterflied porkchop marinated in guajillo chilies on a sesame bun, layered with Oaxacan cheese, avacado, and adobo chipotles made in-house daily.

I ordered two chicken tacos on corn tortillas with chopped cilantro and onions, your typical taqueria fare. The chicken was excellent, not laden with grease like some spiced chicken. Jamie actually called it "fluffy".

Even better were the chalupas that Matt and I split. There were 5 corn tortillas, each covered in one of their yummy fresh salsas: a smoky, spicy red tomato-based sauce and a milder, tangy green tomatillo and cilantro sauce. Then the tortillas were topped with more of that "fluffy" chicken, more Oaxacan cheese, and some cilantro.

All of these authentic Poblano dishes were very reasonably priced, and were worth every penny. If you live in Chicago or happen to be nearby, I highly recommend you try this place.

Now I am usually not the type of person who wishes they were in a tropical climate whenever it's cold outside. A few times during this week of 30 to 40 below windchills, however, I could have sworn I smelled Hawaii's sweet, fresh air. A year ago at this time we were getting ready to head for Maui.

yum

Tijuana kitchen rice

You can find the recipe here. Guy Fieri may not be the most gourmet of chefs, but he knows how to make a mean Mexican-style rice. It used up all the queso fresco I had left and it's really pretty easy too. We had it with a couple of queso fresco quesadillas.

"cat sound"

I want Liz Lemon's wardrobe...


and Jenna's too...

but this is what I have for now.

belted dress, Target
cardigan, H&M
whistle necklace, eBay
shoes and tights, Target

Sorry for the crappy stills.