Big Sweet Tooth

Summer's Almost Over and The Rum Is Running Dry...

Today was the best sailing day ever...most likely because summer is coming to a close and full blown winter is just a hair away from being here.  Me and B rolled out onto the water 'round about 11 AM and didn't show face back for hours upon hours.  I'm quite certain we consumed a bottle of Flor de Cana (that 5 yr goes down reeeeaaaallll smooth)...and I played with my GPS (see the little boat on there, that would be us) while B perfected Dance Party USA on the water (I guess I was in on that one too).  After we tucked the boat back in (and did some boat tours on my star dock), I managed to make it over to N. Lincoln Square for some sushi and karaoke in some joint that I swear to God was ripped straight from a dark, terrifying back alley in Shanghai.  How me and my pal Jen managed to get the bartender to let us pour our own drinks is beyond me.  I think they were just straight stunned we showed face in there...Jen's convinced we were amongst Asian mafia. Indeed.  Ahhh, summer in the city, eh?

Got Vintage Travel Trailer? Get One....

Per usual, lots of things are happening and on the horizon.  I finish up a very long year of work in a week, I've got a ton of foodie related articles I'm working on (yum), I'm putting together some budgets for some indie films (I really miss those balls-to-the-wall indie days), my month long trip to Lombok, Indonesia to volcano trek, learn-to-scuba and volunteering is just over a month away, I've got to pull the boat out of the water at the end of October (tragedy) and at the top of the pile of upcoming MST doings is this super-magical little vintage trailer I just bought.  It's not much more than 1500 lbs. and it's about 14 ft. or so give or take.  I can just hook it onto my SUV (yeah....gotta that whole hitch thing worked out) and BAM!  I'm ready to hit the road...which brings me to my next adventure.  I'm headed out to Colorado in a few weeks to grab her, then I'm hauling her home to TN where I will quickly pimp her out gypsy-style and rig up some solar panels and then...once the new year hits, I'm going to spend the winter traipsing through Central America.  I just cannot go through another brutally cold Chicago winter, so I've got to get all this life stuff sorted out before years end.  This trip to the Darien Gap has been one in the making for a really long time, so to finally have a minute to do it (especially by myself), well....long time coming.  And, you know I will def. be fluent in Spanish when I return form that one!  There will be one small hiatus in Feb. to scooch over to Isla Mujeres for my PURE Pilates/Volunteer/Cooking retreat that I'm putting together.  Good winter, I can feel it~
*In other horrifying news...Flower from Meerkat Manor (Animal Planet) DIED in last nights episode from a Cobra bite to the head.  She was so busy saving rival gangs lost pup, Axl, that she missed the snake slithering into her den where her newborn pups were resting.  When she went in to save them, he bit her. It was bawl-fest central over at my place, I can tell you that right now.

Ramadan-Breaking Treat {From This Weeks Time Out Chicago}

TOP NOSH (Just published in TO Chicago)
If you’re one of the billion-plus Muslims in the world, right now you’re partaking in Ramadan, an obligatory fast from eating or drinking during daylight hours. But even non-Muslims can benefit from the ritual: The 30-day event (ending October 13) brings out some culinary showstoppers. Our favorite is kataifi, a sweet created specifically to break the daily fast. Served warm, this half moon–shaped pocket of pastry dough is stuffed with either salty cheese or a mix of crushed walnuts, cinnamon and coconut, then baked until crisp and doused with a sticky lemon-tinged syrup. After starving oneself all day, it’s safe to say that the first sugary bite is pure heaven—akin to a stack of buttery, syrup-drenched pancakes on a hungover weekend morning. Kataifi can be found at many Arabic bakeries around town, but the best are at Salam (4636 N Kedzie Ave, 773-583-0776), a bustling strip-mall restaurant that bakes them fresh daily. In case you don’t get your fix during Ramadan, neighboring Nazareth Sweets (4638 N Kedzie Ave, 773-463-2457) breaks form and serves them year-round, but only on weekends.
See the Time Out article here.

My Magazine Subs Have Gotten Out of Control...

I'm the gal who freaks if the magazine hits the newsstand before it arrives in my mailbox.  And, I'm also the chick who promptly calls customer service directly when I realize that atrocity and demand a month (or two) credit because I had no control when I saw it in the store and had to buy it on the spot, therefore infringing on my already paid for subscription.  But, I will admit...lately things have gone wild.   All my mags have taken over my tiny place and I'm in a major take-no-prisoners weed out stage.  Hell this pile in the photo barely even covers it...I had already raged thru half of them.  These last men stading are the toughies, though.  I use them as source material all the time and it's extremely difficult to let them go.  It literally makes me want to cry when I think of all the places within these pages that I need to go and explore; all the boat projects I need to tackle; all the yummy recipes I need to attempt.  I'm trying to be brave though, I'm trying....

Wild Oats Blueberry and Almond Granola Made a Mess Outta Me

I kid you not when I say that this jar was almost full 2 days ago.  What happened?  Well, I had some vino and proceeded to mow on handful after glorious handful of Wild Oats Blueberry Granola.  You have never had granola like this...not even Milk & Honey or Bear Naked compares.  It's got this caramely, cookie dough taste--with little hits of toasted oats, crunchy almonds, and sweet blueberries.  When I was in the store the other day, I was ravenous, so I opened my small container (while choosing my wine, mind you) and ate almost the whole thing.  I had to go back for a big container!  I even let the stunned (but ultimately happy) cashier taste mine...I needed someone to understand my rapture at that moment.  She felt it, I could tell.  Get some at Wild Oats in Evanston...it's tucked on a small table over by the bakery.

Bahia Concepcion: Palapa for Sale--CHEAP!

Up and down the stunning Sea of Cortez are palapas just like this one.  Expats come down, get a taste of the cheap good life and never want to leave, so what they do is build a little palapa--either freestanding or around their motorhome.  This adorable one,  which is for sale (29k), is in the Playa Arena area in Bahia Concepcion (it's about 12 miles south of Mulege).  It's one of the best I've looked at and I almost bought it myself.  It sits back a little bit from the crystal blue beach and has an open kitchen, 2 bedrooms, a living room and a breathtaking view.  The little strip of beach is protected by a small gate and guard who lives on the property and there are about 15 other palapas directly lining the beach.  The best, though---it's all solar!  I just love it and if you want the email of the couple who is selling it, lemme know...but, keep in mind, you never own the land on this particular property--just the structure.  This type of deal is seen up and down the coast, so its wise to do some research. But, man...the more I write about it, the more I just want it!
*The photos below are of the view from the palapa and the beach it is on...just amazing.

Yelapa, Mexico...The Boat Trip...and Next Fall

I woke up at the crack of dawn this morning thinking about the sweet, sultry breeze in Mexico.  One place in particular captured my soul while I was there--a tiny fishing village called Yelapa (about 45 min. south of PV).  I was just laying in my bed gazing out the window and the breeze was coming in and I swear I felt like I'd just woken up in a cozy palapa on the coast of Yelapa.  I was daydreaming about a cup of hot coffee while sitting on the beach watching the sunrise--which led me to thoughts on my boat.  I'm planning a get-outta-Chicago-for-the-winter cruise at the end of next summer and I was thinking, can my little vessel make it?  In short, the plan is to motor down the inland rivers (part of the Great Loop) and hit up the Carib.  Then scoot on over to Central America and see what the heck I happen upon.  I guess my dreams are really that simple.  In a month or so, I have to haul the boat out of the water for the winter and have a list a mile long of winter projects to do in preparation for the trip.  I think I'm in pretty good shape, though.  Folks have done it in much less than a 30' sailboat, that's for sure.  I'd have to scram thru the Panama Canal to get to Yelapa, but man...with adventures like this, you never know where you'll end up~

Bean Soup and Bread at Bosnian Bel Ami (what a mouthful)~

My favorite place to chow on a bowl of soup is Bel Ami, a smoky Bosnian joint on N. Lincoln.  Not only is the soup fantastic (I'm a huge fan of the bacon studded bean soup), but it's the homemade bread that comes with every $3.50 dollar bowl that make it all worthwhile.  Forget the rambunctious kiddies running wild; no matter the stunned stares as you enter the front door; try to avoid a table with heavy-duty smokers; and just sit up at the little bar lining the window.  The soup and bread combo is totally filling and when you get the bread basket slung your way by a very concerned waitress (she was delighted I loved the soup), tuck a little butter between each slice (3 usually come with) and wait a few as it melts before partaking.  It is such a slice of pure heaven, you won't know what the heck hit you.
**I also noticed someone having a giant vat of chicken soup that looked mouthwatering, so that's the one to try next time!

Save This Restaurant: Peacock Cafe and Restaurant {From this weeks Time Out Chicago}

*Here's a quick little article I did for this weeks TO Chicago.  Save it...and even if you don't eat, the coffee is crack-like killer!

Save this restaurant
Peacock Café and Restaurant
By Misty Tosh

A slew of cabs parked out front is what every restaurateur wants; it’s when those cabs’ drivers are your only customers that times can get a little tough. Such is the case for the Mezengi family, owners of Peacock Café and Restaurant. Resembling something transplanted from a working-class Parisian arrondissement, this no-frills BYOB focuses on fiery Eritrean food, a close cousin of Ethiopian cuisine.

Al dente spaghetti with meat sauce pulls from Eritrea’s Italian colonization in the late 1800s; ditto for an eye-opening pot of strong coffee made the old-school way, the beans pan-roasted, freshly ground and then brewed in a clay carafe on the stove top. Elen Mezengi (pictured), the skilled chef and owner, also turns out Eritrean favorites like tsebhi assa, pan-fried chunks of lemony catfish, and tsebhi begie, tender lamb chops served over sour injera bread. Meanwhile, one of her three children (Yohana, Seare and Noel) acts as waiter, host and buser while Dad drives a taxi.

Business is slow, but this tight-knit family is intent on surviving, and on introducing their native cuisine to Chicagoans. “The Eritrean community in Chicago is only 300, 400 people, so we all eat together, play together and help each other out,” Elen says. “But when [other] people find us,” Yohana adds, “they love the food because it’s different and you just can’t get it anywhere else.

6014 N Broadway at Glenlake Ave (773-262-2005). El: Red to Thorndale. Bus: 36 Broadway, 84 Ridge. Lunch, dinner. Average main course: $9. BYOB.

Homemade Tortillas at Huaraches Restaurant {From The Raving Dish}

I'd say that no more than half of Americans have had the sublime pleasure of partaking in a homemade tortilla. And, you can credit that number to the Mexicans that call America home. Made-from-scratch tortillas are a thing of beauty; they're far, far superior to their factory-created counterparts, and based on the number of ingredients they take, it's a wonder why more cooks don't make them. Ahh, such is the convenience of our economy, though. We opt for what is fast and cheap, shunning that which is from the root.

Lucky for us, a few places in town, including Huaraches Restaurant, serve only homemade tortillas. In fact, Huaraches makes more than just tortillas. Via an old-school, well-worn Mexican tortilla press, it pops out crude but perfectly shaped sopas, gorditas and huaraches flecked with black beans, which are my favorite.

*Please note, photo was taken on camera phone, hence the poor quality!

Back to Busy Maxwell St. for Gorditas and Churros~

Yesterday was spent sailing and eating all sorts of goodies down on Maxwell St.  Which to rave about first?  Well, the winds were light, so it was more like pump the head and fill up the gas tank on the boat (which is all exhausting work, by the way).  Then, it was straight to Maxwell St. for freakin' incredible gorditas and made-to-order vanilla filled churros.  There are a few churro vendors tucked away on Maxwell, but the one to visit is the actual truck (the rest are just little carts).  They have plain, vanilla and strawberry and they're stuffed fresh to order.  I mean, talk about delicious.  It's so hard to pick where to eat down there...Lis and I got to the point of violent rage trying to decide, but I'm convinced the place we chose (wish I knew the name, not just the location) was the best one.  The gordita alone was worth the trip down.  It's all homemade and crunchy and crispy and wet and chewy and juicy and spicy and perfect.  You get the point, right??

The Bliss of a Puppy in Baja Named Como Tu~

When I was down in Baja--on the Sea of Cortez side--I met the happiest dog ever, a charming little mutt named "Como Tu."  He was saved from starvation by a friendly Brit named Alejandro who rescued him from way up in the rocks (sadly, people abandon adorable pups all the time), and you've never seen an animal so cheerful with glee.  Sometimes, I feel just like Como Tu must; like this uncontrollable little puppy who bounds through life without a care in the world and just gazes around all wide-eyed and bushy-tailed to see what's coming up next.  There's no stopping to see who's coming, it's just forge ahead all the time...his mindset is like mine...if they matter, they will stop for you!  As I frolicked with CT on the sandy beach, I also noted our other similarities:  He yips loudly, I chatter incessantly.  He sloppy runs, I practically gallop.  He licks everything in sight, I eat everything in sight.  He is at home anywhere, I, too, am at home anywhere.  I sprawled on the scalding hot beach and played with Como Tu for hours (snapping hundreds of photos) and was pretty devastated to leave him....but I could tell he and Alejandro were best of buds and that Alex loved him, too.  Everyone on the beach worshiped him for that matter; a cute dog's life, what a way to live, eh?

If you look closely, you will see Como Tu lording over his master and their temporary palapa domain.  And, that big mountain behind the palapa is where Como Tu was saved from. 

Vegetarian Sun-Dried Tomato Italian Sausages are Almost Too Good to Be True~

I guess I love the texture of meat because these little vegetarian Italian sausages I've been making lately have been off the charts.  They have the exact same feel as the regular meat kind and I have literally perfected the perfect dog set-up.  I take one sun-dried tomato veggie dog and char it in an old cast iron.  Now this is after I have managed to cook down a half of a vidalia onion in butter in that cast iron.  Imagine the scents wafting through my kitchen after that! Anyway, I then toast up a whole grain bun (with butter, mind you) and slather it with some spreadable Swiss cheese (the kind that comes in those tiny triangles).  After the cheese is sorted out, on goes a hit of mayo, some Dijon mustard, a bit of ketchup and then the dog.  Top it with the onions and some fresh ground pepper and watch out man!  You'd never know there was no meat involved.  I love frying up a side of golden potatoes with fresh rosemary to go along with it.  I've been eating this dish with alarming frequency and finally, I ran out of the 6-pack of dogs the other day (I had the entire kitchen at work smelling like a million bucks).  I'm almost scared to get more, they're that addictive and I just got a little too obsessed with them.  Time to move on to greener pastures...I mean, jeez, I feel like this meal is meant for a giant and I'm shoving it down with wild abandon...

Garmin 545s and My Sassy Little Boat~~

OK, after a week full of posts about Baja, it's time to get back to the boat and all things important.  I just finally got my new GPS fully installed and I love it (this screen is sans the g2 overlay, though---which is all the awesome satellite imagery--i will post that pic soon).  It made me so excited to get this thing up and running and will be even better next summer when I have my fish finder installed.  This little piece of gear is what makes really remote and really distant travels seem absolutely doable.  After being away from her for so long and having a hellish spell of mad rain, I took the chance the other day to completley flip out on the boat...just scrubbing her down for hours (i.e. slaying hundreds of spider webs, destroying everything I was wearing and getting bleach all over my favorite hat) and I literally just sat in the cockpit when I was done, meowing in the sunshine at how happy I was.  Even though I will eventually upgrade to a much bigger boat, right now 30' is absolutely perfect for me.  I cannot imagine tooling around anything else for the time being.  And, someday, I will sail to the Sea of Cortez and enjoy a sundowner during a beautiful sundowner (see blurry pic below)~

San Diego and Baja Fish Tacos...

Winding up my hectic three day Baja jaunt, I found myself back in San Diego on the way to the airport craving what else?  Fish tacos!  Fortunately, just around the corner from the SD airport is Los Ranchos Taco Shop, a tiny six table fast food joint (of course, they serve beer and wine). I made it my final pitstop before hitting the airport and heading back to Chicago.  Their fish tacos were gigantic (and delish) and in typical American style...when I ordered a bag of chips, I was thinking I'd get a small basket ot tortilla chips, but oh no!  Out comes a freaking HUGE sack of chips.  I mean WTF?  Who serves that many chips with a couple of fish tacos?  I had five of them and then flipped them my neighbors way.  He was delighted...Hasta pronto Baja y San Digeo

Dusty Roads, No Sleep and a Wild Hankering for Nieve

There was a point on my short-but-amazing Baja trip that I thought I was gonna lose it if I didn't get some ice cream.  I'd been driving for half a day and was just so sleepy that they only thing that'd do was ice cold nieve.  Of course, when you need it most, its nowhere to be found!  I was flying down the freeway when I spotted this little hut on the other side of the street and managed a full 180 in a split second.  I literally ran in and ordered three huge scoops of chilly ice cream and giggled with glee as the chica who ran the joint scooped them out.   I was also watching another gal behind the counter whip up some nachos--by tearing open a bag of tortillas, dumping a few hefty squirts of scalding hot nacho cheese on top and then tossing on some olive green japs.  Straight brilliant!  Anyway, my ice cream fix satisfied, I made it all the way to Ensenada that night and found an adorable hotel called Posada El Rey Sol. Such a charming little motel/boutique hotel with the cutest fella running the reception desk.  The room had been all dolled up, luxury-style and I swear, I went into five hotels in Ensenada before selecting this one.  Loved it!

Cielito Lindo: A Baja Institution (Go for the GIANT crab alone)

Winding down the Mexico trip, I was hightailing it back to the USA border from the Sea of Cortez and I'd promised a Baja-savvy pal of mine that I'd hit up one of his favorite Baja dives, Cielito Lindo in the rambling valley of San Quinten.  This establishment was absolutely worth the five frustrating times I got lost trying to locate it (his directions were a hair off).  Anyway, after hauling up gravel down a narrow road that dropped practically into the Pacific Ocean at Gypsy Beach, I finally spotted the place.  It was the only restaurant there and the dirt surrounding it was jammed of dozens of vehicles.  I loved the ramshackle old-school interior, the utter remoteness of the place, the juicy crab claws (though next time, I'd say skip the paprika and do it up with just butter) and most of all the smoky black bean soup peppered with chunks of bacon.  It was the perfect spot, I just wish I had more time to spend there.  I did, however, have time to meet a saucy/wasted old-timer who lived in the trailer park out back....after giving me the once over, he screamed to the entire bar that I was "stacked like a brick shit-house."  Then he howled with laughter and sheer delight at his own cleverness.  Good Christ.

Santa Rosalia, Baja: Gateway to the Sea of Cortez

The biggest surprise of my Baja trip last weekend was the tiny former mining town of Santa Rosalia.  I've rolled through there every time I've driven down Highway 1 without stopping, but this time, I'd just left the Mulege area in the early AM and was in dire need of some food.  After cruising by the coastal restaurants and checking out the sailboats in the marina, I hightailed into the small village.  What an adorable place. It used to be a mining village and the French were the primary residents.  You can tell it by the colorful clapboard cottages and homes lining the rustic streets.  I found myself litereally in someones outdoor kitchen/cafe ordering up breakfast and Nescafe.  I asked for fried eggs and I got a ham and cheese omelette instead.  Ahh, what do you  do??   When in Mexico....It was nice though, because the master of the kitchen and her first customer of the day (obviously a good friend) really just hung tight, shot the shizz, swatted flies and tried like hell to fend off the 100+ heat.  I like watching.

Playa Santispac, Baja: Back to its Roots

One of my favorite places in all of Baja was Playa Santispac.  I once met a darling kid named Chance there; I adored the fish tacos at Ana's Restaurant; and the beach was beyond compare.  Ahhhh, but I just discovered that all of that good stuff is no more (word is a hotel was going up and the deal fell through, so everyone leaving was all for naught).  All the charming little palapas that rimmed the beach have been torn down and it is now just camping grounds (which is actually a great bonus), but still....I was horrified that Ana's was no longer open.  As soon as I discovered the travesty, I hauled a little further down to Playa El Burro, for some delicious coconut shrimp and frosty margaritas at Bertha's.  I guess in the end, I wasn't that devastated.  Really, I'm just pleased as punch that I didn't buy a palapa there a few years back when I first stumbled onto the place...I was THIS close!  RIP.

Tamale Hut just outside of Guerreo Negro, Baja

Cruising through the no-mans-land that is Central Baja, there's really not much in the way of grub or places to stay.  This weekend, I'd spent my first night in a tiny hotel in Catavina (literally NOTHING was there) and around 3 am woke up in a dead panic, sweating bullets.  The power had gone out and it was black as tar, so I just used my cell phone backlight to paw my belongings up and hit the road.  I love driving in that early morning timeframe:  it's breezy and cool, the stars are brilliant, and I'm the only person on the road, save for a few hauling ass truckers.  Then, outta nowhwere, just before the border guard station in Guerreo Negro, up pops this PEMEX station (all gas stations in Baja are dubbed PEMEX) and a tiny tamale hut.  Perfect timing for a gas refil, a piping cafe and a bag of steaming tamales.  They're about a dollar each and I'd say some of the tastiest tamales I've ever had.  Pure, honest food just in the nick of time...

Belly Up in Boystown...{From The Raving Dish}

When I was naïve and 21 years old, I set up house in West Hollywood. I figured, for some reason, that frequenting the neighborhood's gay bars would help me make my mark on L.A. Blame it on the friendly vibe of the always happy and cutie-pie gay folk that I found myself traipsing from bar to bar (cocktail always in hand) every other night.

When I relocated to Chicago years later, I tapped into a similar environment for a short time, but soon forgot it even existed. Cut to last week; it was midday on a weekday, and my pal Brad and I decided that a trip to Boystown was in order.

Baja and Back in 3 Days...

Though I've been more than a handful of times, this past weekend, what with it being long and all, I could not resist heading back to Baja and the Sea of Cortez.  Talk about stunning....literally, my mind has no frame of reference for some of the vista's in this little hidden patch of heaven.  So, I flew to San Diego, rented a car and hauled 700 miles down the peninsula...stayed a day...then turned around and did the drive again.  3 days, you ask?  Was that 1400+ miles of dusty desert worth it?  Hmmm, swimming under stars so close you could reach up and snatch them; chowing on coconut shrimp and drinking margaritas in a sea as warm as bath water; delicious homemade tamales from a hut on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere; a precious puppy named como tu that made me happier than I've been in months; small, baby kisses for the crazy-cute border guards wielding weapons who couldn't believe I was traveling solo; and last but not least hauling back thru Tijuana only to be pulled over by a couple of cops alerting me to the fact that I was doing 60 miles over the speed limit and telling me that they'd have to impound my rental (which I'd purchased no Mexican car insurance for) and me happily bribing them with $200 from a nearby ATM.  Hell yeah, it was worth it!