Last Supper

On Friday morning at around 2am I took myself to the emergency room (more on this adventure later). The last time I ate was at 8:30pm Thursday and would not eat again until about 4:30pm on Saturday. Thankfully my last supper was a good one.

I wanted to make short ribs for a while and got this recipe from one of my co-workers. It was fantastic and so easy to make.

Dr. Pepper Braised Short Ribs

• salt 4 3 inch short ribs
• heat a skillet with olive oil and sear each rib
• deglaze the plan with 2 liters of Dr. Pepper
• put ribs in roasting pan and cover with Dr. Pepper from pan, 1/4 of a cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce and 4 cloves garlic
• cover with foil and put in a 400 degree oven for 4 hours
• when done let rest for 15 minutes

Fingerling potatoes are divine. Not only are they tasty, but I find them to be visually appealing as well. They don't need a lot of seasoning because they taste so buttery and delicious on their own.

Oven Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

• wash potatoes and slice in half
• toss with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
• place on a baking sheet
• bake at 425 for 30 minutes
• use a spatula to flip and mix
• place in oven for another 10-15 minutes

I do enjoy eating rice pudding, but have never attempted to make it. I cut this recipe out of a magazine a long time ago and just got around to making it.

Coconut Rice Pudding

• put 1 quart whole milk, 1 cup arborio rice, 1/2 cup sugar and 2 cups water in a large sauce pan
• bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes
• stir in 14oz of unsweetened coconut milk and simmer for 10 minutes
• cool slightly
• top with toasted coconut

Oh, and of course there was wine. I really enjoyed this Pinot Noir from Oregon.

Belgian Chocolate

Since it's Valentine's Day I will take a little bit of time to talk about chocolate. I recently discovered the joy of Belgian chocolate and thanks to a very informative gentleman at my local zuker waffle stand (doesn't every city have one of these?) I now feel that I have yet another item that I will have to be snobbish about. No more Hershey kisses for me -I've discovered the Belgian egg.

I'm not even sure if this is what it's proper name is, but it's shaped like a small birds egg so we'll go with it. I now firmly believe that all chocolate in egg form is delicious - for example, the Cadbury eggs and Kinder eggs. So these eggs I've been buying are actually quite special. First off they have one of the highest moisture contents of any chocolate. It's because of this that they are quickly perishable (within 2 weeks) and if you want to take them out of the shop you have to sign a waiver saying you will consume them within 48 hours. Of course, I was intrigued by anything you have to sign a waiver for. The other interesting fact about these eggs is that they are made in small batches and you can only get them every 16 months. The shop owner actually had to carry them back with him last time he was in Belgium. What really got me though was the fact that these were made for the King of Belgium. So does eating them put me one step closer to royalty? If they are good enought for the king then they are good enough for me. I'm starting to rethink Belgium. It's stuch a small country that does so many things well. I see a beer and chocolate trip in my future.

If you are in Chicago and want to get a zuker waffle and some chocolate then I stop by Baladoche (http://www.baladoche.com/).

Rejection Cocktail

How bad is it when a guy actually cancels a first date. I mean, at least give me the chance scare you off. What's even worse is that he calls less than an hour before our date is scheduled to start to say he has to take his mom to physical therapy. Seriously? I really just don't understand that excuse -what kind of last minute physical therapy could this woman possible need. To make matters worse I am functioning on little sleep and would have been happy to just stay in my PJs all day and rest. However, I put myself together and was checking CTA bus tracker when he decides to call me.



As if my dating life (or sad attempt at having one) could get worse. I got an e-mail the other day from a certain someone (Aquaman) who actually dropped off the face of the earth a month ago. It was a simple 'How are you doing' e-mail and I wanted to promptly reply: WHAT THE FUCK???. What sort of guy abruptly stops seeing you and then all of a sudden decides to contact me just when I was over him. I really don't know what sort of excuse he has, but I'm betting it has something to do with really wanting to get laid.



So, in honor of my extremely sucky dating life I'm making a cocktail -it's bitter, sour and self destructive. I present to you the Rejection Cocktail.



2oz Jack

splash of Jose

juice of half lemon

ginger ale

bitters



Put Jack and Jose in a glass with the lemon - stir. Plop some ice in and top with ginger ale and a few dashes of bitters.



Jack has always been a reliable date. He's strong, but a little sweet and never lets me down. He's my old reliable. As for Jose....well he's sort of that guy that you know you shouldn't go out with, but when you do you have so much fun -until you vomit the next morning.

My New Bar Is Open For Business

I am now the proud owner of a bar. I can finally move my little 'hobby' off my butchers rack and onto a more respectable location. The bar originally belonged to my grand grandmother and then it was my parent's. So clearly, it's seen a cocktail or two in it's day. The bar is sleek, black and very 1950's cocktail party. I'm still playing around with the configuration and I clearly can't fit all my accessories in/onto it, but it is a start in the right direction. I've also included a cocktail I'm dedicating to my friend Jenni. It's just a twist on an amaretto sour, but I think it's pretty fantastic -just like her! Enjoy!









This is the top of the bar. You will notice my liquor dispenser -one of my favorite things. I put some glasses on top to have at the ready for any last minute cocktail needs.

Isn't she sexy? I can't wait to introduce her to my friends.

The inside cabinet. I actually couldn't fit everything in there...

My old bar still houses my wine, shot class collection and a few regularly used bottles.

My shot glass/glass collection.

Kitchen cabinet housing my wine, martini, margarita and cordial glasses.

kitchen cabinet #2 with my pint and rocks glasses.

The Jenni Ludwig

2 0z amaretto

2 oz fresh sour mix

1 oz calvados

shake with ice and strain into rocks glass.

Dating Aquaman

A guy recently asked me what my type was. I replied that I'm trying not to have a type. Having a type sets too many boundaries and a girl in my situation can't afford to pass on a guy just because he may mention in his profile that he likes to work out or enjoys fishing. So, I've kept my options open and this lead me to date a douche bag.

This 'relationship' (or month long one night stand) taught me a few things about myself. We really didn't have whole lot in common. He worked out almost every day, liked to hang out in Wrigleyville, and would always text instead of calling me. We may not have had an intellectual compatibility (I realized this when he asked me what a thespian was), but we certainly had the physical chemistry going.

The first time we slept together he didn't take his shirt off. I thought this was a little strange, but i chalked it up to first time jitters. That night, after we had sex he curled up next to me and proceeded to snore really loudly in my ear. Normally, this would have set me off, but I found it to be kind of cute. The second time we had sex he left the shirt on again and I knew we had a problem. We were clearly not making a porn. I firmly believe that all shirts and socks should be removed when having sex.

I thought the worst (hairy back) and I was prepared to accept that because I was really into him. So, the third time we slept together I got him to take his shirt off and thankfully he did not have a hairy back! Now this is where it got weird. One morning, after a night of crazy monkey sex he got out of bed and went to get dressed. I followed him into my living room where our clothes were scattered about. What I saw next really perplexed me. Somehow I had not noticed that he was wearing some sort of scuba suit underneath his clothes. I'm talking full pants and long sleeved top - it looked like he was going surfing. What the fuck! How had I not noticed that I was sleeping with Aquaman?...maybe I'd need to check him for webbed feet. This just seemed so strange. I know Chicago gets cold in the winter, but this was ridiculous. However, now I can safely say that I am willing to date outside of my type. Be it Aquaman, Sports Nut Guy, or any array of comic personalty I feel I am in a place where I am open to many diverse dating opportunities.