A Good Eats Valentine's

The day: Thursday, February 20th, 2014. The occasion: a belated Valentine's day celebration. 

Bryan and I were both occupied by work on the actual Valentine's day. We previously decided to celebrate a week later when we were both available. I surprised him with an Xbox One. He gave me something even better. 

I'm a big fan of Alton Brown. There's just something about his knowledge and his ability to goof off that makes him a great balance of awesome. He's the Bill Nye of food. I remember watching Food Network with my mom when it first started off watching How to Boil Water and Good Eats. It was one of my most clear memories and probably the beginning of my food obsession. So as a surprise, Bryan planned an entire day of Good Eats. Good Eat videos, recipes and the most important part, the food. 

The man himself

He even dressed like Alton Brown!

Since we never cook together it was fun and romantic. Normally, one of us is in the kitchen and the other is on the couch. On this wonderful day we worked as a team to create delicious and blog worthy food. First up, crepes. 

Crepes were something that I wish we had while in Paris, but sometimes you have to forgo food for sight seeing. So we made savory crepes, Alton Brown style with a poached egg, another food I've never made. Just in case you wanted to try it out yourself, here's his recipe. 

Ingredients for crepes

Poaching it up

Poached egg with savory crepes

After running a few errands around town, we made our way to one of our favorite food shops, Cheese and Crackers. The surprise addict (aka Bryan) took me there under false pretenses. I thought I was going to receive some gourmet chocolate truffles or olives and cheese. To my surprise, the man behind the counter handed me a whole red snapper. I was relieved and elated. I know it's kind of strange, but luckily Bryan embraces the fact that I would choose fish over chocolate. Here's the recipe, it's not Alton Brown, but still adventurous and still good.

My soon to be salty steamed friend

Taking out the gills

Stuffin' dat fish

Salted little fishy

Ready for extraction

Tada!

For our next adventure, I was told to stand in the kitchen and close my eyes. Immediately after I opened them, I screamed, jumped and ran in the other direction. About two feet in front of me were two live and squirming lobsters. My squeals caught the attention of our very curious dog and so did the lobsters. Here's Alton's recipe for stuffed lobster. 

Curious little puppy

Split

Stuffed

Stuffed lobster with sauteed mushrooms and asparagus

To round out the evening, you must have dessert. This one is also not an Alton recipe, but still simple and delicious. And since Alton made a cheese souffle in his episode, we can forgive him. Mini chocolate souffles anyone?

Whipping some egg whites

Stiff peaks... and my own bowtie

And we're folding, we're folding...

Completed chocolate souffle

I know Bryan is going to consider this a personal challenge to outdo himself, but this was the best date I've ever had. Not only did I get to cook with my love, I got to conquer some of my culinary fears and I was rewarded with delicious homemade food all day. I could die happy now. Oh and watching the dog freak out about the lobsters was pretty entertaining too.

-Akemi-chan

A Milwaukee Weekend

A happy birthday to our friends the Schlosbergs, which brings us to our fun weekend in Milwaukee. To celebrate both of their birthdays, we all traveled north to spend a weekend in America's favorite beer town.

Milwaukee here we come!

New kicks for the trip. No socks needed

Moe, Larry and Curly and Nomnom

Gathering for the fish fry at Lakefront Brewery

Fish fry with latkes

Fried shrimp with braised red cabbage

Time for the tour

Our awesome tour guide Mark

Bung Queen

Signing his chest

"The Domes"

Winter wardrobe in the tropical dome

Boys

Desert dome

Showcase dome

Turtle Sundae from Kopp's

Birthday ice luge

Breakfast cheese curds

"hmm, interesting"

Thanks to everyone for a fun weekend and happy birthday to the couple of the hour. Milwaukee didn't know what hit it.

-Akemi-chan

Wedding Planning: Workout Everyday and Drink Everyday

Happy Valentine's Day! Puppydog and I are spending Valentine's together since Bryan is working hard at in Chicago this week. So our loving food coma will have to wait for a week. Speaking of food comas.

Thanks to the wedding I'm supposed to be on a "diet" or "lifestyle change" or whatever hippie, organic, "I want to be healthy but secretly hoping my butt looks better," kind of mission. However, I haven't been to the gym in about two weeks. The thing is I pay for a membership so I can do cardio in a safe and reliable environment, and have an effective work out. But let's be honest, I don't even want to go outside in the middle of Winter, let alone work out.

The problem is I have a make-shift gym at home now, courtesy of Bryan. We have a punching bag, a TV with a DVD player, work out videos, weights and resistance bands. I can work out in the comfort of my own home (aka garage) and put the equipment to work. So basically if I continue to neglect the conventional gym, I'm paying $10 a month for potential access to an elliptical and treadmill. I'm wondering if I should just give up on the gym and stick to the home gym.

Don't get me wrong, I still work out. I kick box and do aerobics and as shameless as it seems, I consider my job my strength training.

My new "diet" philosophy is work out everyday and drink everyday. Believe it or not, a glass of wine at night isn't terrible for you. Mind you I can only handle about two glasses a day, but I'd like to think that only helps my case. I eat breakfast, work out, make lunch, eat at work, come home to a glass of wine and a snack and sleep like a rock. As far as I'm concerned, it's the only way to live. Work hard, play hard. The wine might hurt me more than I'd like to admit, but progress without happiness is not really progress.

After all, let's be serious. I'm not giving up wine. My man is an amateur vintner. Let's not kid ourselves. Priorities people, priorities.

-Akemi-chan

Sausage, Kale and Cannellini Soup

I know I've made something similar to this soup before. But really, I could do without bacon thanks to this wedding diet. So I present to you the "Best I Could Do While Trapped in this Winter Storm" Soup.

Sausage, Kale and Cannellini Bean Soup

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb Italian ground sausage
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/2 onion, diced
1.5 cartons low sodium chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes, I used Italian style
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups kale leaves, destemmed and torn into bite sized pieces
grated paremsean cheese (optional)
red pepper flake (optional)

In a large pot heat olive oil to medium heat. Add sausage and cook until brown. Remove sausage and leave fat in pot. Add onion, garlic, salt and pepper and saute until onions are soft.

Deglaze pan with chicken broth and scrape up any brown bits or sausage remains on the bottom of the pot. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. once boiling, bring to a simmer and add beans. Simmer for 10 minutes and add torn kale leaves. Simmer for another 5 minutes and serve hot. Add cheese and red pepper flake is desired.

Soup before cheese and pepper

I'm sure everyone is tired of hearing about the "Winter Vortex" and probably even more tired of me complaining about it. But I am sooooooo over Winter, and we still have about a month to go. Soup helps, and so does wine, but in the end all I need is sunshine. I don't even need a beach, just let that beautiful sun shine out from behind those clouds and I'll be infinitely happier. Someday we'll see the sun again, someday.

-Akemi-chan

Wintery ThursDate: Sweet Indulgence, Escobar's & Radio Maria

When Champaign-Urban announced their 4th annual Restaurant Week I was skeptical. For a town where a lot people consider Longhorn Steakhouse's New York Strip and fried onion to be the culinary experience of their lifetime, I had given up on any lofty foodie aspirations. However, there are some good restaurants in the area and I am a willing patron of those facilities. Anyway, I had heard about special menus and discounted prices and thought, why not? 

But I must preface this with the first locale was as crazy random happenstance and was not on the CU Restaurant Week roster. First stop: Sweet Indulgence. 

I had never heard of this place. I live on the other side of town and hardly ever venture past a 2 miles radius of my home, with the exception of work. Bryan and I wanted a small bite before dinner and just drove past a strip mall with a small little bakery. When the sign makes you laugh, you have to go in and at least take a look. 

The shop was littered with little confections that instantly gave me a toothache. Cupcakes the size of softballs, cookies, tarts, cakes, and of course a barista to help you wash down your sweets with a kick of caffeine. 

"Love at First Sight" cupcake. Marble cake with chocolate ganache, buttercream and cherry pie filling

Mini coconut cream pie

Pomegranate Italian soda, amazing

On our way back home, I noticed a swarm of geese flying to a pond on the side of a road. Hopped up on Italian soda and chocolate, I convinced Bryan to pull over to seek out the geese. Turns out, they were some of hundreds of geese that gathered on a frozen pond in the middle of Champaign. I ran to the body of water and seized a rare opportunity for a Hawaii born girl and walked onto the solid water. Amongst the distant honking from what seemed like 400 geese, Bryan and I soaked in the last bits of sunlight and watched the sunset on a frozen pond. 

Walking on a frozen pond

Hanging out with geese

Terrified on ice

Frozen

Bryan and I have been meaning to visit Escobar's for a long time, but couldn't make it work until now. With Restaurant Week and wedding planning in full swing, there was no better time to go out and relax. 

Duck taquitos with guacamole and simple salad

Roasted duck breast with pureed ginger sweet potatoes, grilled pear, fried plantains and mixed veggies

Grilled steak with chimichurri sauce, chorizo rice and mixed veggies

I saw something on No Resevrations when Tony Bourdain went to Brazil. They mentioned something called a caipirinhia. "What the heck is that?" I thought to myself. Fast forward several months and we found ourselves at Radio Maria for drinks thanks to their $5 caipirinhia special. Imagine a gimlet with rum or a mojito with tons of lime and no mint. That's the sweet spot that we found ourselves in tonight. Just in case I ordered a house infused raspberry vodka cosmo, since rum can have disastrous effects on my health and well being.

Caipirinhia and raspberry cosmo

Not bad for a Thursday. So while I sit in the cold waiting for Spring to come, at least I can say that I've had a few Winter experiences that will stay with me forever.

-Akemi-chan