BRUNCH

A new Chicago breakfast spot treated me very well this weekend. Located at 644 N. Orleans (at Erie) BRUNCH offered a wide variety of fun options to feed the soul (and the hangover). Pictured below is a half devoured plate of Roasted Pork Eggs Benedict. The chipotle hollandaise lit up my taste buds and offered a fantastic start to the day.

Hello Summer

It's hard to imagine that this lobster delicacy was once considered to be only fit for low members of society. It was not until well into the twentieth century that the delicious crustacean was thought as more than a low-priced peasant dish.

The photos above were snapped at The Black Pearl, one of New England's top restaurants. Situated on the Newport Harbor, The Black Pearl serves up the best fresh New England clam chowder and steamed 2 1/2 lb lobsters. Grab a seat inside or out and enjoy the beautiful views and salty aromas of Bannister's Wharf. It's the perfect recipe for a sunny afternoon!

World's Best English Muffin

According to Chef Michael Chiarello, the world's best English Muffin lives at The Model Bakery in St. Helena, California. The Featured Food Network treasure is light, fluffy, and as tasty as it gets. Toast it in the oven with some butter and jam or turn it into a breakfast sandwich to go. Either way it's delish.

Priced at $2 each, these The Model Bakery English Muffins are available at the market or online. Standard shipping charges apply.

Um..... Yum!

These divine over-medium egg chorizo breakfast tacos live at C Casa in the Oxbow Public Market, Napa. Made with only fresh, seasonal ingredients, this cute Taqueria is determined to serve up delectable dishes daily. Free range poultry, sustainable fish, grass-fed beef, and local produce combine into a super power that delivers on the promise to be, "delicious, nutritious, and addictive". If only these secret spots were closer to home!

Jack's Birthday Cake

This Jack Daniels Billboard on 8 Mile caught my eye over the weekend.

"We like the No.7 Seed"

Cleaver reference to the NCAA tournament. Great Branding. There was something witty written about drinking responsibly but I can't remember the exact words.

I searched the Jack Daniels website for current advertising and I found a section dedicated to cooking with Jack. Amazing. I'm definitely whipping up this cake in April! My soul may be from Detroit but my appetite craves some good southern cooking.

Jack's Birthday Cake

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
4 eggs
½ cup Jack Daniel's® Tennessee Whiskey
1 cup chopped pecans
1 package (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
Hot Buttered Whiskey Glaze (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside. Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Stir in the brown sugar, eggs, flour mixture, and Jack Daniel's®, stirring well after each addition. Pour batter into the greased pan. Sprinkle evenly with pecans and chocolate chips. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until center of the cake is firm and edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool on a wire rack and drizzle with glaze. Makes 16 servings.

Note: Cake may be baked in a greased 10-inch tube pan. Increase the baking time to 1 hour. Cool in the pan 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Drizzle with the glaze.

Colombian Street Dogs

On a trip to sunny Florida last March, Andrea, the sweetest girl ever, introduced me to the concept of a Colombian Hot Dog. I'm not sure if it was actual ingredients or her authentic Colombian accent that sold me on the treat. Seriously, she is so cute. Hopefully I can explain it correctly:

First, boil the hot dogs in Cola. I know, weird, right? But I'm sure it's amazing. Top the dogs with cole saw, pineapple, a ketchup & mayo mixture, and mustard. Finish things up by adding a layer of crunched up Better Made potato chips (my favorite!).

I haven't stopped thinking about this magical creation since I heard about it! I bet these are just as good with chicken or veggie sausages. Yum!

PPC of Detroit

Has anyone been lucky enough to experience the People's Pierogi Collective of Detroit? They set up shop in Eastern Market during the summer months. Say good-bye to the standard hot dog cart, the PPC has revolutionized mobile deliciousness. Taking requests from fans, the PPC will experiment with random fillings like PB&J but still offer the traditional favorites like potato & cheese. They also blog these cutie Grandma videos that teach you to, "Polish up your Polish". So sweet.

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Animal Crackers made their first US appearance in the late 19th century. Most snackers associate the traditional box packaging with the delicious sweet snack. In 1902 a small ribbon handle was added to the boxes making them easier to hang as Christmas ornaments. In total, 54 different animals have been represented by Nabisco's Barnum's Animals Crackers since 1902. Currently, each package contains 22 crackers consisting of a variety of animals.

Nabisco's Barnum's Animals Crackers references the famous showman, P.T. Barnum. His original traveling act was titled, "P. T. Barnum's Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan & Hippodrome" which included a circus, exotic animals, and freaks. Barnum's life consisted of business, politics, hoaxes, and human curiosities that made history. He eventually sold his circus to Ringling Brothers on July 8, 1907 for $400,000 (about $8.5 million in 2008 dollars)

Hold the Phones

I just received word that the best of two worlds are combining. Pavement, the reason our generation is full of talented, independent thinkers, is joining up with Ace of Cakes, an awesome reality show on the true life of cake baking - no, really. Though it's not scheduled yet, keep an eye out for a Pavement-dedicated delicious creation. Fingers crossed that it holds a candle to the famous Orange Amp Tribute to Clutch.

We Need More Jamie Olivers

Not to gross you out, but I think this video is pretty epic. Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution is an important step towards a massive organizational change. Proper education is a powerful tool that can effectively promote positive decision making for a life time. Give this video some attention - you'll be glad you did.

Cider Donuts

I love Fall. It's my favorite season. Something about beautiful colors and cozy sweaters makes me happy. I spotted my first cider donuts at the market last weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed every last cinnamon-sugary bite. Delicious! Pick some up today at the Franklin Cider Mill.