Profashional

Native Chicagoan, wife, daughter, sister, friend, professional career lady, social chair, fashionista, shoe whore, occasional runner, home chef, oenophile, party patrol, fine diner, avid reader, lover of all things Italian, ball of stress, world traveler, expert shopper, sushi aficionado, rabid Illini fan, wannabe restaurant critic, enthusiastic happy hour-er, entertainer, messy-yet-mildly-OCD, happy, family-oriented, not at all ready for kids, and really, really ridiculously good looking. My motto? Work hard, live fabulously. chicagoprofashional@gmail.com

Jan 30

lace pumps

Mise en Place: Mise en Place: Shrimp and Grits

INGREDIENTS

4 cups chicken stock

Salt and pepper

1 cup grits

3 tablespoons butter

2 cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

6 slices center-cut thick-sliced bacon, chopped

4 teaspoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1…

My momma is a bad mamma jamma. Exhibit A.

Truth.

Week in Food: 1/30

I haven’t cooked much the last few weeks.

(I’m actually somewhat mortified at the amount of pizza we’ve eaten.)

I haven’t done much at work. I haven’t gotten to the gym at all. I haven’t been taking very good care of myself.

(shamrock shuffle is now less than 8 weeks away. argh.)

So. This week. Back to a routine. Back into the kitchen. Here’s what we WILL be eating this week:

Tonight: Cod en persellaine (basically cod with some breadcrumbs on top) from Ad Hoc at Home, asparagus coins (also from the book), and the leftover peas from last night’s Family Meal No. 22.

Tuesday: Crispy black bean tacos with feta and broccoli slaw. An S house fave.

Wednesday: Greek quinoa salad with the leftover chicken from Family Meal No. 22, feta, kalamata olives, tomatoes, cukes and pine nuts.

Thursday: Korean rice bowls with tofu and kimchi, based on this recipe.

Friday: either dinner out or butternut squash risotto with chicken apple sausage.

Jan 29

The Family Meal: No. 22

Up tonight? Numero 22!

On the menu:

Peas with ham
Roasted chicken with potato straws
Pineapple with lime and molasses

First, I prepped the chicken. Rubbed with olive oil, salt, lemon zest and a homemade poultry seasoning of bay leaves, thyme, rosemary and pepper:

The chicken roasted for awhile before I began prepping the peas. Peas met proscuitto, a slice of bacon (The recipe called for “ham fat” or pancetta. I had bacon.) and carmelized onions.

Also, apparently no one sells the shoestring potato chips the recipe calls for anymore. I roasted some fingerlings until nicely browned instead.

The chicken came out of the oven to rest.

While I creamed a small portion of the peas, added them back in, and finished the peas with some black pepper.

And made the chicken jus.

Opened a bottle of our very favorite Albarino and busted out the good stemware (normally its Riedel O unless we have guests).

Dark meat for the hubs:

White meat for me:

Dessert. This could not have been simpler: sliced pineapple, juice and zest of half a lime, molasses drizzle. This tasted like a tropical vacation!

This was our third full meal from The Family Meal book. Tonight Mike pronounced it “the best cookbook of all time.” I don’t disagree. So far, everything has been extremely easy to prepare, has required only a few ingredients (and only one hard-to-find ingredient, which was easily subbed out) and has been delicious.

Tonight’s dinner was no exception. The peas and ham were so tasty, the spice rub for the chicken gave an incredible flavor to the meat that is hard to get without brining (usually the skin is flavorful, the meat bland) and the pineapple was light and refreshing.

Verdict? Good stuff!

In progress!

Jan 28

The Cinque Terre is an absolutely stunning area that serves amazing food in small, family-run restaurants before you head back to your small, family-run hotel.

Unfortunately, the Cinque Terre experienced devastating flooding and mudslides in October 2011, which basically destroyed two of the towns, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare. We spent four amazing nights in Monterosso for our honeymoon, and I considered it my favorite place in the entire world. I was heartbroken to learn of the devastation.

However, the other three towns (Riomaggiore, Manarola and Corniglia) were not as affected. If you were considering a trip to the Cinque Terre, don’t let the news of the flooding stop you. These small resort towns and family businesses need all the tourist dollars they can get while they rebuild. You can stay in one of the other towns, which are all connected by train, and support the slowly re-opening businesses by dining in their restaurants and shopping at their stoers.

Rick Steves gives some updated information about the disaster and tourism in the CT, as well as some organizations to which you can donate to support relief and rebuild efforts here.

flight001:

The Cinque Terre: A must see area in Italy! There’s nothing better than fresh focaccia and wine on the Italian Riviera.

✈ GINA

Jan 27

Kind of obsessed with this Michael Kors frock.

And it’s only $120!

(and it also comes in cobalt blue!)

1 down, 5 to go!

30 days worth of juice!

Pineapple lavender?

Beets with orange?

Yum!

Check out the full list at the Williams-Sonoma blog!

Happy birthday to two of my favorite peoples!

First, to a little leprechaun we like to call Mokey:

Mokey is fiercely loyal, a great listener, a laugh riot, and has the diet of Buddy the Elf. I love you, Mo, and I hope your birthday is filled with candies, chocolate, and double fists of RBVs!

And second, to the lovely Kelly:

Kelly is quirky, fun, always has the right thing to say, and has been a really great friend to me. We met about five years ago through unusual circumstances, and I am happy to call her MAH BUDDY.

My dad bought me these socks several years ago because they have my name on them and flames. I’m pretty sure he bought them at Hot Topic, which begs the question: what the hell was my dad doing in a Hot Topic?

Jan 26

The Toughest Reservations In The World.

I smell taste a challenge!

I’ve eaten at #3 twice and #9 once. Hoping to make #10 happen for our May wedding anniversary, but I’m not holding my breath.

We got both sets of tickets to Next with relative ease - as compared with getting a reservation to Schwa. My poor husband called 15 times a day for two months before scoring a birthday rezzie for me a couple years ago.

(it was totally worth it. most insane - as in crazy - and fun meal of my life.)

And just like that, I am outfitted for all of G’s wedding festivities. L to R: pre-wedding primp session, bridal shower, bach party, rehearsal dinner.

tallgirltales:

One of each, please. Tibi | Saks

[1, 2, 3a, 3b, 4]

Today in frivolous things I complain about.

My eyebrows.

Woof.

I am on day 10 of my 14 day required “don’t touch them or your eyebrow wax will be the effective equivalent of flushing $25 down the toilet” pre-wax phase.

I have really dark, really coarse eyebrows that grow like weeds. If I don’t let them run wild for a couple weeks pre-wax, they are unruly two days later. Of course, during these two weeks, I look cro-magnon.

It’s a necessary evil, but man, I cannot wait to get this shiz weed-whacked.

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