Here are a few more recent experiences to keep in mind the next
time you’re thinking about expanding your culinary horizons…..
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| (Chicago Gourmet has it all, including these architectural marvels.) |
Chicago Gourmet ~ Bon Appétit Magazine’s Seventh Annual Chicago Gourmet, is THE place to be for consummate foodies
and oenophiles. The annual event is a
celebration of all-things food and wine, and features competitions,
demonstrations, seminars, book signings, gourmet food tastings, wine tastings, as
well as fund raising. Over one hundred
fifty of Chicago’s finest restaurants and chefs are featured throughout the
event, with many of the area’s restaurants offering event features as part of
their menu offerings coinciding with the main event. Each year, the multi-day event gets bigger and
bigger, and this year’s event was no different.
Including the Hamburger Hop
Competition, Chicago Gourmet and Grand Cru, the combined events drew an
astounding 12,456 guests in just a few days.
Chicago Gourmet spotlights the
best in the culinary world from around the world and includes showcasing
award-winning restaurants, master sommeliers, vintners, spirit and wine makers,
premium breweries, popular mixologists, rising star chefs, celebrity chefs, and
internationally renowned chefs. Tickets
are sold per day of the event, so you really need to come with a hearty
appetite; it’s virtually impossible to consume every tasting offered, but it
sure is enjoyable indulging in some and then figuring out which ones you’ll
table for next year’s event. Next year’s
event will be September 25 – 27, 2015, so mark your calendars. http://www.chicagogourmet.org
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| (Beef Tenderloin; photo by Wilbert Jones) |
L20 Restaurant ~ The Two-Michelin Starred fine dining establishment in Chicago’s trendy
Lincoln Park area will be closing its doors by year’s end to make way for a
re-imagined new dining experience that will feature the culinary
wizardry of rotating chefs brought in from around the country. I recently attended a special dinner event
for Tourism Quebec and was very
impressed with the food, service and décor.
Besides scrumptious passed hors d’oeuvres, a three course dinner menu highlighted
the evening; it consisted of ahi tuna,
avocado mousse and torn basil salad, choice of striped bass, bouillabaisse
broth, tomato confit and fennel, or beef tenderloin (which I chose), royal
trumpet mushroom and butternut squash puree, and chocolate crémeux
with lemon brioche.
I’d like to return to experience one of its initial dinner offerings
under the new concept. L20 Restaurant is one of the Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Inc.
(LEYE) restaurants. http://l2orestaurant.com
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| (Assortment of delicious bites.) |
Marion Street Market ~
If you’re looking for a unique bistro experience, this place is for
you. A mainstay and local favorite in trendy Oak
Park that’s easy to get to by mass transit or main highways, Marion Street Market is a hybrid
that’s restaurant, artisanal market (cheeses, cured meats, fresh baked breads,
wine, beer, etc.), and bar where folks come to celebrate the best in food and
beverage. Menu items are fresh, local
and seasonal, and all expertly imagined by culinary wizard Chef Steve Chiappetti. I
attended a special tasting recently, which featured delicious foods and
libations that included specialty
cheeses, dried fruits, flatbreads, crackers, prime beef, artisanal honeys,
lobster mac n’ cheese, micro brews, and wines. This beautiful bistro environment will have
you coming back for more and more inventive dining and marketing
experiences. http://www.marionstreetcheesemarket.com
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| (Chef Steve Chiappetti) |
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| (Turducken Roast, a star attraction for the holiday feast.) |
The Original Turducken by Echelon Foods ~
When turkey, duck and chicken are deboned and then stuffed inside the gastric
cavities of each other, using a savory bread and sausage stuffing as the glue, ta-dah, the Turducken is born, a form
of engastration. The technique is certainly not new and has
its culinary history in various cultures since the nineteenth century; earlier
iterations included the Pandora’s Cushion,
a goose stuffed with a chicken stuffed with a quail; later variations include
the Gooducken, Ballotine, and Bustard. Chef Paul Prudhomme is credited with
popularizing the
Turducken, but no
one can state for certain who “invented it”.
Suffice it to say, its popularity made its way from Louisiana up north and it’s now a favorite main attraction on
holiday tables. I had the pleasure of
attending a special presentation, demonstration and tasting of this delicious
creation at one of Chicago’s newest restaurants, Reverie Chicago, an upscale restaurant in Chicago’s trendy River
North area. The main attraction at this
special event was the Original Turducken
by Echelon Foods. Leading the demonstration was popular Momma Cuisine, who is currently touring
the U.S. to introduce folks to this delicious alternative to the humble turkey feast just in time for this holiday season. I was amazed at the
tenderness and juiciness of this roast.
While individually I love the taste of turkey, duck, and chicken, the
combination of these three “birds”, the combined taste experience was intensified and elevated into
mouth-watering goodness.
The Turducken products are made in Iowa, using the finest whole birds that are deboned and then stuffed using a
flavorful spicy Italian sausage and seasoned breadcrumb mixture. All of the guesswork is taken out of
preparation; no deboning is required; all one has to do is safely thaw it and
then roast it according to directions. The finished main attraction ramps up the holiday meal to extraordinary, where gravy is
definitely optional, it’s that tender and juicy. Slicing into the Turducken is a showstopper, but tasting it is even better. The Original
Turducken by Echelon Foods is
available at Jewel-Osco, or online at
Costco. http://www.theoriginalturducken.com http://mommacuisine.com http://www.jewelosco.com/ - 1 http://www.costco.com
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| (Momma Cuisine) |
~ In Closing ~
Be sure to check each website or social media listing for
additional information; don’t overlook signing up to receive regular email
updates as well.
That’s it for this edition.
Until the next one, remember to always celebrate yourself and your
culinary curiosity. Happy cooking…happy eating!
By Terry Herman
TERRY HERMAN continues perfecting her passion for food and
wine. She has been covering culinary
related for many years as it relates to wellness and a healthy lifestyle. Her popular blog, Terry's Spa, Beauty and Wellness
Go-To has featured formidable reviews of cookbooks, restaurants, wine and
food, food prep and tools, chef interviews, and coverage of prestigious events
such as the International Home+Housewares Show, the National Restaurant Show
and the Sweets and Snacks Expo. She has
been published since the mid-1990s in both consumer and trade publications, and
is regarded as an expert in spa, beauty, wellness, travel and lifestyle, and is
frequently interviewed by publications for her expert content. She has also presented at major industry
conferences, and has served with distinction on numerous governing and advisory
boards. She has a background in
strategic and qualitative management, consulting, and motivational speaking. Her social media outreach includes Facebook,
LinkedIn, Twitter, Cision Seek or Shout, Plaxo, Red Room, Pinterest, and
Tripatini. For additional information,
email her at terry.herman@gmail.com.
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