Louisa Chu

Eat this, drink that: New Year's week edition

By: Louisa Chu | Dec. 28, 2012

Dec. 28, 2012

Monday, December 31

Happy New Year's Eve! Most restaurants will be open, many with special NYE menus. After combing through the details of just about every single one, here are my picks of three of the most promising for eats, drinks and merriment.

A Midwinter’s Night Dream at Acadia will transform the space, feature costumed performers from the Chicago Shakespeare Theater mingling with the diners, and a special menu: “Oysters and Champagne”; foie gras torchon; lobster eggs benedict with Périgord truffle; tagliatelle with uni butter sauce, bottarga, and rare Golden Osetra caviar; Elysian Fields lamb; and a dessert of hazelnut, chicory, and chocolate. At midnight, a special celebration will take place — last year, a marching band came through. Admission, including wine pairings, $175 for 9 p.m.

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Boxing Day: Another excuse to eat pie

By: Louisa Chu | Dec. 26, 2012

Dec. 26, 2012

Around the world, the day after Christmas marks Boxing Day, St. Stephen's Day, and the first day of Kwanzaa this year. But in our city, it's mostly back to work.
 
The origins of Boxing Day are disputed and may be lost to history, but today it's celebrated much like we celebrate our neo-traditional Black Friday, with post holiday sales shopping, sports watching, and leftovers eating.
 
Few traditional dishes exist for this day, but St.

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Eat this, drink that: Christmas week edition

By: Louisa Chu | Dec. 21, 2012

Dec. 21, 2012

Friday, December 21

Le Marché de Noël at the Chicago French Market closes tonight so allez-y for your last chance to stroll the traditional-ish French market — with cheese, bread, and wine from Pastoral bien sûr, but bánh mì from Saigon Sisters, and locally sourced food from Wisma too. Admission FREE.

Saturday, December 22

Garrett Popcorn celebrates the one-year anniversary of their 87th and Cottage Grove shop by giving away a keepsake Garrett holiday ornament with purchase from 10 a.m. until supplies last at this location only. Get Chicago Mix and the seasonal Gingerbread Caramel Crisp.

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You say champurrado, I say champorado

By: Louisa Chu | Dec. 20, 2012

Dec. 20, 2012

On this Mayan calendar and winter solstice eve, one offering may truly be the food of the gods: champorado. 

In Chicago, you may be more familiar with champurrado from Mexico, a hot drinking chocolate, thickened with masa, seasoned with cinnamon, and sweetened with brown sugar.

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Comfort food, Hong Kong diner style

By: Louisa Chu | Dec. 18, 2012

Dec. 18, 2012

Sometimes, all we can do is turn to comfort food — but what and why?

According to University of Illinois researcher Brian Wansink, best known as the author of Mindless Eating, our preferences differ across gender and age. "Males preferred warm, hearty, meal-related comfort foods (such as steak, casseroles, and soup), while females instead preferred comfort foods that were more snack related (such as chocolate and ice cream).

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WBEZ live with Portlandia's Fred Armisen and more

By: Louisa Chu | Dec. 14, 2012

Dec. 14, 2012

Saturday, December 15

8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.: The Midwest Buddhist Temple Adult Sangha presents the annual mochi-tsuki at the temple. Get there early for your chance to pick up the wooden mallet to help pound hundreds of pounds of sweet rice into the sweet rice cakes, along with karate and judo groups. Temple office manager Jesse Zavala says Mochi "as big as hamburgers" will be available plain or adzuki bean filled, $5 for nine pieces. Admission FREE.

10 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Chicago Foodways Roundtable presents "Pastrami on Rye: An Overstuffed History of the Jewish Deli" at Kendall College.

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New cider house rules: You can't buy a bottle

By: Louisa Chu | Dec. 12, 2012

Dec. 12, 2012

While the beer world buzzes Wednesday about the sale of Westvleteren 12 at $84.99 for six bottles, one local craft ciderist quietly releases a cider that's not available in bottles at all — yet.

In case you're wondering, "Westy" — the beer made by Belgian monks normally sold only at the abbey, save this first exception to raise money for renovations — will be available at Binny's in Lincoln Park and Downers Grove.

Virtue Cider, founded by former Goose Island brewmaster Greg Hall, celebrated the release of Lapinette last night at Lula Cafe. Only their second cider, it's an unfiltered dry French Norman style cidre brut, fermented with saison ale yeast and aged for months in French Cabernet Franc oak wine barrels.

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The $2,500 contraband chocolate egg

By: Louisa Chu | Dec. 10, 2012

Dec. 10, 2012

Kinder eggs are back for the holidays in Chicago — and surprise, they're still illegal this country. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents warned that each egg carries a $2,500 fine when they seized six of the contraband confections during a two-hour detention of two Seattle men returning from Vancouver in July.

The agency is seizing a lot more than a half dozen eggs.

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