We started with a selection of olives, which none of us would have thought to order but which all of us enjoyed—even those who professed to “not like” olives. I say “not like” because I find it hard to believe that people have certain innate dislikes for particular foods. I think dislikes come from mental blocks, either from a negative association or a bad eating experience. One of my college roommates once told me that she didn’t like Ravioli. “You must not have had really good ravioli” I pompously suggested, to which she replied “I’ve had Chef Boyardee, isn’t that, like the best”. It was an eye opening conversation. With the canned version as your only exposure to ravioli, how could you be expected to like it?

As the dinner went on, we were surprised with a variety of other menu items: a giant platter lined with Serrano ham, cheese with a sherry-bacon caramel sauce, and a rack of lamb with Romesco sauce. The fact that we didn’t have to order and the food just kept coming in a logical progression made the meal all the more enjoyable.

Last winter, when my family came to visit me in Italy, we had a similar “off the menu” experience. On December 26th, the day after Christmas, we took a day trip to the island of Capri, despite the warnings of several local Italians that Capri è chiuso (Capri’s closed). We found it hard to imagine that a whole island was closed. We were wrong. When we got to the island we noticed that none of the islands famous stores and restaurants were open. We managed to find a bar that would serve us our daily ration of cappuccini e cornetti, and went on our way exploring the island. When it came time for lunch, we started to panic, we had yet to encounter an open restaurant and the next ferry wasn’t leaving until the evening. Just as we were getting desperate we met Maria, a Capri native, who marched us through the small, cobbled alleys of Capri to what appeared to be someone’s house. She told us to walk in and tell them “Maria sent us” (which, in hindsight, is probably a good way to get in anywhere in Italy).

We walked into the house and encountered a group of Italians, sitting in the living room, drinking wine and smoking cigarettes. Despite our best judgement we announced “Maria sent us” and before we knew it we were seated at the dining room table. A young man appeared, our waiter, translator, and presumably, the son of the family who lived there. He asked us what we would like and said “just to bring us lunch, whatever’s good”. There was no menu, no prices, just some haggard Americans sitting in someone’s dining room waiting for lunch.

What they brought us was incredible: Risotto Frutti di Mare, Paccheri con le Braciole, among other things. It was the best meal I’ve ever had and something I will never forget. We came to realize after our meal that there was an actual restaurant attached to the house, it was just closed for the winter. It even has a Name, é Divino… oltre al vino, which appears to mean something like: It’s divine… beside wine. I even found some information about it online, all in Italian, of course. From the Google translation, it says a lot about the “simple and homely setting” which is definitely an understatement.

From all of my experiences, I have learned that eating “off the menu” is a much more natural way to dine. Would you walk into your mother’s kitchen and order a steak medium-rare with a side of garlic mashed potatoes and creamed spinach? Probably not. You would probably come in and order one of whatever is being served. We, as a society, have become so finicky that we’ve limited ourselves. We’ve stuck to a few “safe” menu items that we know will be good and in turn, have stifled creativity. Fortunately it seems that the tides are changing and people are becoming much more open to trying new things and new ways of dining. I can only hope that this trend will continue.

So next time you’re at some fancy-pants restaurant considering ordering the “burger del casa” just tell the waiter to “Surprise me”.

Now, some would call me a picky eater (I can agree to that somewhat), others would call me a food snob (incorrect—I just like fresh, high quality food), and others might even say I’m a little too regimented (I’m in the middle on that). So, while I knew I wouldn’t be able to easily get whatever I want as I can in Chicago, I actually was looking forward to my forays into airport or near airport food in the great Midwest.

I have quickly discovered the obvious: getting adequate fruits and vegetables is quite difficult; fish is to be avoided at all costs in these environs; “ethnic” fare is going to be as close to the real deal as an 80 degree day in February in our neck of the woods and the best alcoholic beverage is likely to a cold draft beer unless you are a white zinfandel fan.

My choice of restaurants outside the airport involves three well-known chains, something we are shy of in our great city. Now, I disagreed above with being a food snob, so my goal when ordering at the chains is to do as a local and go with what the chain is known for. Steak at the steak house, pasta at the macaroni place and as for the Chili place, well, that one can wait until I get completely exhausted of the others.

After some trial and error with my food excursions, I discovered that yes, a steak really can be of good quality and extremely tasty at the steakhouse and that the pasta and other Italian fare are also very true to expectations, especially when ordering what a server suggests (and said server seems to be genuine about the recommendations).

The most pleasant surprise on the road that by far makes even mediocre food better has been the amazingly friendly and professional service. It does make a difference, especially as I know I’ll be back out of necessity, and I want to make the best of the experience. Will I have to pack my own fruit and veggies? Sometimes yes. Do I come home, head to Whole Foods and also plan my next meal out at a Chicago eatery? Of course. And yes, I will certainly know at least two chain restaurants’ menus like the back of my hand in no time!

I was actually inspired to focus this blog on my favorite green fruit while I was taking my first cooking class at The Chopping Block’s Lincoln Square location last week. I attended the Love at First Bite: Appetizers to Put You in the Mood class with Chef Hugh, and it was awesome. I left the class dreaming of the simple avocado salad that had been paired with our Rum-Glazed shrimp. It was then that it hit me; I am officially in love with anything involving avocados! I am also in love with the Lincoln Square location and think everyone should take a class there. The Thyme kitchen is so rustic and cottage-like, it was the perfect setting for my afternoon. But I digress, back to avocados!

Most often associated with your typical guacamole recipe or as an addition to a Cobb salad, it’s nice to see how much versatility and use the avocado has in the kitchen. I have been in multiple classes where mixing avocado with different proteins enhanced the overall flavor palate of whatever else you were cooking. It worked in my seafood class with the mango salsa we created then and it definitely worked in this class too. I am always so amazed how simple alterations to recipes and combinations can create such delicious results.  Oh, the wonders of the kitchen!

This side salad was so simple, and only had 5 ingredients, and it was my favorite part of the entire class. It also didn’t hurt that Chef Hugh is a fantastic teacher, and my classmates were wonderful as well. I will definitely be making the appetizers we had that day sometime soon. Well, unless I skip ahead and just eat all the avocados first…

Rum-Glazed Shrimp

Yield: 4 servings as an appetizer

Active time: 20 minutes

Start to finish: 20 minutes

1 cup rum
2 tablespoons molasses
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
4 peppercorns

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

Knox chipotle chili powder blend

Place the rum, molasses, lemon zest, cinnamon stick, star anise and peppercorns in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, and then lower the heat to medium low.

Continue to cook until reduced to a thick glaze. Strain through a fine sieve to remove the spices, and set aside.

Heat a grill pan over medium heat.

Brush the shrimp with grapeseed oil and season with the chipotle chili powder blend.

Grill the shrimp on the first side until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Flip and brush with the rum glaze.

Continue to cook until the shrimp are just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter and brush with more rum glaze to coat.

Serve with the Avocado Salad (recipe follows).

Avocado Salad

Yield: 4 servings as an appetizer

Active time: 10 minutes

Start to finish: 10 minutes

2 ripe avocados, cut into medium dice

2 scallions, sliced thin on the bias

1 orange, segmented

2 tablespoons cilantro, rough chopped

Lime juice to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

Gently toss together the avocado, scallions, orange segments, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper and serve.

There’s more than one way to cook a chicken, but a really lovely method for chicken breasts, which can easily become dry and boring, is en papillote. This traditional French method involves creating a parchment-paper envelope to steam your food into submission. It works well with fish and vegetables, but I especially like it with chicken breasts for a quick way to ensure they come out extra succulent.

Life is so busy, isn’t it? Sometimes I feel like an aggressive, pugnacious jungle fowl myself, just trying to get through the day. Cooking en papillote is perfect for a busy weeknight. Throw in some veggies, and this little envelope creates a whole meal for you. I roasted a sweet potato in the oven at the same time, and with very little prep, the whole meal came together. The chicken was extremely juicy and flavorful. And clean up was essentially just tossing the parchment paper in the garbage.

You can create these envelopes by cutting large heart shapes from parchment paper, though you don’t have to be very scientific. Place the meat and vegetables in the crux of the heart, fold it in half, and then create a seal by crimping along the open edge. This entire recipe is very versatile–you can make a pesto with any number of herbs and nuts you have in your fridge. Give these magic little envelopes a try with whatever you have on hand!

Pesto Chicken en Papillote

2 bone-in chicken breasts

1 c. arugula pesto (recipe below)

1 head broccoli, rough ends trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch rounds and florets

olive oil

salt and pepper

1 lemon, sliced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat the chicken breasts in the arugula pesto and set aside for 20 to 40 minutes at room temperature.

Place the pesto-marinated chicken in the parchment paper. Cover with several slices of lemon. Top that with the broccoli, and drizzle a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper. Close your parchment package tightly, and place on a sheet tray in the oven for 35 to 45 minutes, depending on how thick the breasts are.

Arugula Pesto

2 c. arugula

1 large garlic clove, peeled

1 lemon, zest and juice

1 tsp. fresh parsley

1/2 c. Parmesan cheese

1/2 c. almonds, toasted

about 1/2 c. olive oil

salt and pepper

In the bowl of a food processor, chop garlic, then add arugula, lemon juice and zest, parsley, cheese, and almonds until blended. Slowly drizzle in olive oil until you reach the desired texture–that of a thin paste.

Coquito is a Puerto Rican alcoholic beverage typically served during the holiday season. It’s often compared to Egg Nog but my latest take on the drink is nothing like the thick and heavy recipes that crowd the internet. My family isn’t much for tradition, so Coquito is served year round at all gatherings. Its history doesn’t run deep with us either, no one in the family taught me how to make it. I simply decided to make it and found a super easy recipe on Google.

A can of coconut milk, a can of this, a dash of that, rum and voilà. The basic recipe has been going over well enough for the past couple of years but I decided to kick it up a notch. I have now discovered the most amazingly fresh Coquito and want to share my labor with you. It’s fun to make, tasty and even better to share.

Begin with a few fresh coconuts. Whole Foods and Harvest Time down the street from Lincoln Square carry them. This video shows an amazingly easy way of splitting a coconut with the back of a knife.

Scrape the coconut meat into a blender and puree with enough of the coconut water to make a light paste. It doesn’t have to be silky smooth, that’s part of the appeal. It’s best to err on the thicker side since more can always be added later. Set aside.

Heat 1 1/2 cups whole milk and 1/2 cup raw sugar together in a sauce pan on low until about half of the liquid is reduced. Then finish with 3 Tbs butter and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Now you have homemade sweetened condensed milk.

Mix in some sweetened condensed milk with the coconut mixture. Don’t pour it all in since exact measurements are useless in this scenario. Each coconut is going to have its own yield of meat so using your senses will result in a far better product than any arbitrary measurements I could provide. Just do lots of taste tests!

Now add Puerto Rican rum, cinnamon and cloves. Refrigerate and serve cold in a sherry glass with a dash of nutmeg.

This drink can be labor intensive, but I find that to make the best coquito, the freshness is necessary. It also makes for a light dessert that can be enjoyed year round.

There are so many different online recipe databases, software and Smartphone apps offering modern conveniences that a traditional cookbook can’t.  I recently purchased a program that allows me to catalog my recipes by type of food, add pictures, import recipes from websites, publish my own cookbook and is even capable of sending grocery lists to my Smartphone.  It is truly mind blowing!

There is something to be said about a handwritten cookbook, it gives a down home feel and opening it can be a sentimental experience.  Coming from a family that doesn’t cook, I have always longed to have a book filled with generations worth of family recipes.  A friend shared with me that she was given her grandmother’s recipes.  They were all handwritten and spotted with grease marks of years of use.  I could tell how much it meant to her and knew it was a very special gift.

When it comes to my recipes, I want it all but will have to settle for convenience.  My handwriting isn’t that great and I am a much faster at typing.  Hopefully, someday I will have collected all my favorite recipes and will be able to write them down for my children and we can start the family tradition of a cookbook to be passed down from generation to generation.  For now though, I can enjoy all the great chefs that have published beautiful cookbooks and try and pretend they are my own family’s heirloom.