"So...Whose Dish is on the Chopping Block?!"...I love that question!

Golly-gee, I really LOVE the culinary show Chopped on the Food Network!  And it so happens that as I enter this edition of my many food interests, a Chopped marathon of sorts is on the tube. I love the show's concept, the competitiveness of 4 relatively unknown but hungry chefs, the creative cooking hands & minds each chef possesses some more adept than others, the crazy ingredients they are faced with transforming into masterpieces on a plate, the no-nonsense bad-ass famous chefs who expertly judge the competitors, and just everything about the appetizer, entree, and dessert rounds culminating in someone getting chopped.  Yikes! It's so exciting! It's a hot show, and I-LOVES-IT.

And how fun that at times there are themed episodes such as the Halloween Chopped edition of the show:

Think chicken feet, poblano peppers, black radishes, and fruit flavored candy as something that ends up as a delish though perhaps scary appetizer! How exciting to watch the frantic chefs come up with something innovative and tasty in such a short amount of time that needs to be presented to the likes of galant Geoffrey with his purposely styled look, Alex who lacks anything resembling a smile but a sharp genius palate, and hipster Chris who I find quite sweet & neatly tatted on both sleeves.  Interestingly, the high-browed masters known as Scott & his sharp almost popped collar on his tailored shirt with a hate for onions nor Aaron with his tutorials on Mexican/Latin cuisine, proper Spanish pronunciation, and his suave hair bangage that drops ever so slightly over his high brow isn't judging this one, but gawd are they characters---all of them--and boy do they know their food, and golly do the competing chefs revere them, as do I from the confines of my couch.

In any case, this episode is not one bit scary, but instead rather tasty to watch and entertaining as usual.  If you haven't caught the show yet, be sure to tune in to delight in the culinary delights that come from great veteran chefs, novice sous chefs, up & coming restauranteurs, and people who simply appreciate food and the creativity that comes from its respect and admiration.  Enjoy! So...Whose dish is on the chopping block?! Can't wait to find out...

A Year Later, and Life & Food Is Still Filled with Sweetness!

Hello, Loves...Remember me?  I know it's been QUITE a while since I last posted an entry, and for that I do apologize. I think life as a novice blogger took me by surprise, as I felt the pressure to constantly produce something fun, exciting, and nom-nom-nom-able, in addition to the fact that I was trying to balance the other hats I wear daily which also needed my attention. (Thanks for the pep talk, Cousin Lels!). So I think I kinda freaked out, and took a bit of a hiatus to regroup, regain my inspiration, manage my time more efficiently, get pregnant (I'm just about 2-1/2 weeks 'til go-time as I type ;) but still have continued to log in hours at fun foodie & delectable places and try my hand at recipes here and there. As such, I am again motivated and ready to bring you a taste of my food adventures. And quite fittingly, it comes on the 1 year anniversary of the unveailing of this blog, so what better timing than to restart now!  I hope you continue to follow me as I journey through my adventures as Nom Nom Nom Mom!


Ok, so it happened to be Sweetest Day (or as I like to call it, Shmeetest Day) yesterday, and this past week also marked the 15th year where the Dude & I started going out as young NU students (awwww or gag, whichever you choose) and it was a free weekend to do something fun---just the 2 of us before we add to our craziness with Baby Girl #3's arrival in early November.  And instead of observing some confectioners'-type holiday as Sweetest Day initially was meant to observe, we made romantic (haha!) dining reservations at Paul Virant's acclaimed Vie Restaurant. I was quite excited to head out to this suburban foodie spot because of the fantastic reviews I've found here and there. And it was truly a sweet, though not cavitiy-inducing, dinner experience. You know you're in for a real treat when your awesomely attentive server (Stephanie) knows why you're dining there (i.e., Shmeetest Day but more importantly to celebrate the silly anniversary of dating), is aware that you can't enjoy a 7&7 or glass of vino due to the preggo status but offers up the option of a house concocted mocktail (think fresh cranberried gingerale with a lemon twist), and the 1st offering for the night is bread that you normally despise (in my case sourdough), but you end up having multiple servings every time the "bread guy" comes around because it's so fresh, chewy, and with a touch of butter ever so sweet and not sour!


So onto perusing the menu for more lovely choices for the evening...

Alex, the Dude, seemed drawn to 1st course, salad, entree, & dessert options that included the addition of some sort of apple variety...tis the season afterall, so his evening of food delights sounded something like this: 1st-seared diver sea scallops, roasted delicata squashes, klug farm apples, wood-grilled leeks, parsley; this followed by a salad of city farm bibb lettuce, shaved honey crisp apples, dried italian plums, spiced hazelnuts, burnt sugar and hard cider vinaigrette; an entree highlighted by pan-roasted alaskan halibut, braised spaghetti squash, roasted klug farm apples, shaved white turnips, werp farm frisee, amaretti; and dessert graced by the combo of sweet & spiced apples and roasted rhubarb in tart form, finished with a lovely vanilla creme fraiche. How you like them apples?! Take a peek:

Melt in your mouth diver sea scallops...Super sexy, really!

Holy Halibut, Batman!

And my evening plates were just as grand & but eclectic and meaty! First, came love, then came mar-...Oh, I mean, 1st came summer beet agnolotti: roasted beet and preserved lemon filled pasta, red beet and sesame puree,crispy confit pork (Filipinos & the like: think crispy lechon shavings), brown butter, lemon and oregano; then came the Vie Salad comprised of local greens, fresh and marinated hawaiian hearts of palm, garlic and herb vinaigrette, parmigiano-reggiano (Darren, it was a mound of it, and a delish one at that!), then came the wood-grilled dry-aged dietzler farm beef loin with braised beef (prime beef, 2 ways!!---yes I was indulgent, yes I am using the whole "I'm eating for two" rationale here) and potato gratin, stout braised onions, wilted local greens, wood-grilled brussel sprouts, crème fraiche beef jus; and finally Vie's famously sweet red kuri squash gooey butter cake pear squash chutney, pear ginger sorbet, whipped cream.  Gorgeous!

Beautiful Beet Agnolotti & Crispy Pork Confit!

The Vie Salad.  Can I have some parm-reg with that?!

Beef-2 ways with wilted greens & roasted & dressed brussel sprouts

Our sweet night ended with our respective desserts and a surprise chocolate number that helped top off our celebrating the start of the Sweet Life of Nom Nom Nom Mom & the Dude those 15 years ago up north on NU's campus...

Sweet finish courtesy of Vie!

Life certainly has been sweet...Not always guaranteed sweet, but with lots of hard work, compromise, and sugar added, we've made it work and what it is today :)  Thanks to the Dude for entertaining the Girlies to give this Mom a bit of time to reconnect with the blogosphere and remember how fun, delightful, and sweet food truly can be to me and to you!  Cheers & enjoy!