Life in the key of E flat minor

I went to Chicago on a whim to get out of Philadelphia.   I was thinking about going to New York, but I realized that Chicago was going to be cheaper . (FYI, there’s a 3-day sale on Amtrak for Philly to New York or to Boston ; I'm buying a ticket.) I've never traveled to Chicago solo before. I was always traveling with others or to visit friends; for rugby or once for work. However, I took advantage of my familiarity with the city and explored some of the great places that Chicago has.  Tripe, Chorizo and Tongue tacos I flew into Midway on Southwest and immediately headed to my hotel, Hyatt Centric The Loop Chicago . The hotel was only a 3 1/2 block walk from the Loop. While Loop tends to shut down for the weekend, there was a 24-hours Dunkin Donuts two blocks away should you need it. There was a Walgreen open until midnight, five blocks away.  I hopped on line and researched bars for the evening. I ended up chatting with a local who suggested the SoFo Ta...

It's Lent and chili is one of my favorite food.  I have been working on a vegan version to have for meatless Fridays and other reasons.  I've tried about five or six versus until I settled in on this one. In the end I wanted a chili that felt as filling as one con carne versus having the same exact texture. Chili, for me, must "stick to the ribs." That is the source of comfort for me. In my quest for a vegan chili, I made sure that I never started it with a mirepoix . I'm not a champion for carrots in my chili; it's my personal pet peeve.  You may find it odd that that is what drives me. However, I searched for the appropriate base for this meal and centered in on a vegetable base of onion, garlic and peppers which is more of a Spanish nod. While I know kale isn't really a Mexican ingredient, the baby blue squash is. Yet if you can't find that squash, any zucchini or summer squash will do. I wanted to stick with more authentic vegetables, so I added...

Butter chicken or murgh makhani is an Indian chicken dish in a mild curry sauce, whose roots lay in Punjabi cuisine. I first remember having butter chicken when I was in Australia over ten years ago. I was visiting a boyfriend at the time and we were coming home from a night out and we were famished. There was a curry shop on Oxford Street en route between the bars and the QVB , where we would pick up our late night bus. There were about five to seven curries available. Butter chicken didn't look like what I thought butter chicken would, but I thought that it smells fantastic.  I ordered it and the server ladled a healthy portion over fresh, hot jasmine rice.  I remember it wasn't just the alcohol or the hunger talking; this dish tasted amazing.  The final portion from my Pre-Christmas batch, see below When I see it on Indian buffets (though it's not really a common buffet dish), I am excited and I always sample it. About a year ago, I noticed that a f...

I had a blast in Chicago this weekend , but I'll save that for another entry. Cloud Gate by Anish Kupoor Back to Spirit , I prepared for the worst and I worked diligently not to be charged any extra fees.  I flew out on Southwest, the luxury brand of low-cost carriers. I had a lovely experience and all my Spirit prep helped me deplane in a jiffy to walk miles and miles and miles to the CTA orange line. I got my 10,000 steps in both days in Chicago, I'll have you know. So my Spirit Airline prep, I had my Timbuk2 bag, which measures 15.0” x 13.8” x 7.9” (smaller than the 16” x 14” x 12” dimensions for the one personal item is included in the Bare Fare). I crammed it full: 6 tee shirts, 6 boxer briefs, 6 pairs of socks, a pair of sneakers, a rugby style shirt, a light cotton hoodie, gym shorts and tee, toiletries (toothpaste, eczema cream, cologne, deodorant, shaving cream, moisturizer and lotion - I keep my toothbrush and razor separate since they aren't liquid) and...