Tuesday is National Coffee Day and a handful of establishments are giving it away. Click here for a list of places to celebrate with the caffeinated masses and get your free jolt of java. You might see me in line. 

But on this National Coffee Day I also wish to “free coffee” from the shackles of its beverage-forward stereotype. Coffee makes one heck of a cooking ingredient and I’m not talking about tasty tasty coffee ice cream. (Because what more needs to be said. It’s tasty!)

I really enjoy cooking food that is rich and savory with coffee as a primary flavoring. Ground coffee mixed with other ingredients as a beef BBQ rub adds a real nice flavor, and redeye gravy with chicken always hits the spot. But now that it’s autumn I think more often about roasting or braising. 

Thanks to Ilise’s maintenance of the Supper Club’s archival spreadsheet, I can tell you that our Coffee/Tea theme in January 2009 included spiked iced tea, meatballs with coffee gravy, chocolate-espresso truffles and a scrumptious entrée of Short Ribs Braised in Coffee Ancho Chile Sauce. That – that is what I have a taste for. Right now. Which is a drag since my kitchen is under siege for a few more weeks. But you can – and should – give it a try. Served over creamy polenta or mashed potatoes … I think you’ll be a fan too. 

Can I get a refill over here? I’m going to sip my cuppa joe and daydream about cooking delicious coffee-inspired recipes. 
​

Ilise and I went to a great concert at the Old Town School of Folk Music on Saturday night. Shemekia Copeland, a powerful young blues singer, rocked the house along with her tight and talented 4-piece band. She's got a lot of charisma and a set of pipes that just won't quit. The late great Koko Taylor passed along her crown to Ms. Copeland and now we say ... All hail the Queen of the Blues!

This video is not from this past weekend, but she did kick off the show with this rousing number which is from her brand new album, Outskirts of Love. Enjoy!

Afternoon Dance Breaks are a recurring feature that invites you to get up from the desk, crank up the tunes, and dance your fool head off for a few minutes before resuming the daily grind.

Today we’re going to take the Wayback Machine for a spin in honor of National One-Hit Wonder Day.

The way that music is distributed, valuated and “measured” today has changed enormously with the advent of the internet and digital music. No longer do the Billboard Charts carry as much weight and power as they once did. For every type of music – popular or obscure, catchy to the masses or purposely off-putting – there is an audience. Music fans of all stripes can almost always find what they’re seeking and share it with other aficionados.

But back in the day when I was a young pup glued to my transistor radio, Top 40 programming was the only game in town (except for progressive college radio stations on the low end of the dial, which quickly became my aural home). Some of those musicians from the 60s, 70s and 80s are still rockin’ today, others left an indelible stamp on musical history. And some had just one shot at stardom.

Today we celebrate those one-hit wonders. Some are painful to listen to now, others find me belting out lyrics that I didn’t even know I remembered. Hit Play, turn up the volume, and take your own ride in the Wayback Machine with the extended One-Hit Wonders Playlist. 

A tip of the hat to Carrie Johnson, John Morrison and Ilise Goldberg for sharing their favorite oldies but goodies.

Well, nothing’s cooking just yet, we’ve got at least a few more weeks of sandwiches, cereal and take-out to look forward to before our pretty new kitchen is functional. But the appliances were installed this week and I’m getting super-excited already thinking about what to cook first.

And honestly, can you blame me? This has to be the cutest little wall oven ever, amirite?!

The wall oven, range top, and ventilation hood are from Blue Star, an American-made, restaurant-quality line of appliances for the residential market, as they say in their marketing copy. Although my culinary skills are laughably far from Michelin-level, I wanted professional grade kitchen equipment like the real chefs use, and the oven had to be gas. (Surprisingly hard to find in a wall oven.) 

The range top has a 25,000 BTU power burner, a low-heat simmer burner, and a griddle in the middle. Awesome! Plus you can customize your look from a palette of over 700 colors. Once we learned that, there was no going back.

Click Read More below to continue reading, see photos, and preview what’s next.

The Supper Club is a group of friends who love to cook, eat, drink and laugh together – plenty of each occur at our periodic themed dinner parties. Our friends and family like to live vicariously around our feasts so we’ll share the stories, pictures and recipes here from time to time. Click here for the group’s origin story and past themes.

Previously: The Supper Club Sources Locally, Dines Deliciously – Part 1

The last Supper Club post tempted you with the drinks and appetizer courses at our locally sourced feast in late August. Today we’ll devour the main course, prepared by Kathleen and Karen, and desserts courtesy of yours truly and dear Ilise. As a reminder, the theme was Local and the full menu appears below.

Drinks (Ellyn): Cocktail: Ellyn’s Garden of Earthly Delights; Various wines (not necessarily local); Plum dessert wine from Lynfred Wineries (Roselle, IL)

Appetizers (Dan & Greg):  A trio of cold soups on vintage mid-century china: Chilled Corn Soup with Pickled Corn; Peach-Muskmelon Gazpacho; Roasted Red Pepper/Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho

Main Course (Karen & Kathleen):

• Composed Salad with Pork Belly and Medium-Boiled Farm Fresh Egg 
  
• Rack of Pork Arista with Potato Pave 
  
• Sautéed Corn with Red Pepper and Ramp Butter
  
• Tomato Marmalade
  

Dessert (Ilise & Ann):

• Cheese Board: 5 local cheeses served with homemade wheat crackers & locally sourced beer bread
  
• Blueberry Chutney, Tomato Jam & local honey
  
• Dark Chocolate Bourbon Caramel Brownies (local to our freezer for a couple of months)
  

The Ks are notorious (in the best possible way) for seeking out only the highest quality of fresh and local foods which have been sustainably harvested. Readers who have perused my Fish for Dinner blog posts know that we have a “fish subscription” from Hooked on Fish, which is Karen’s company. You start to see how the ‘high quality’ pieces fit together, yes? She and Kathleen are dedicated to the art and craft of fine cooking and seem to revel in both ultra-simple and extra-complicated recipes. Both were on full display that evening.

Click Read More below for photos, recipes and a playlist featuring local musicians.

Although online streaming and subscription services like Netflix and Hulu have forever changed the way we watch television, autumn still brings a little excitement with the arrival of the new viewing “season.” New shows are introduced, hoping to find a home in our hearts or at least in our DVRs. And the return of last season’s favorites gives us reason to celebrate – especially when we’re talking about Empire, the ultra-fabulous, camp-tastic, nighttime soap opera about a hip-hop mogul and his way too dysfunctional to be believed family and entourage of hangers-on.

This show is not without problems – continuity gaps, characters and storylines introduced then dropped without resolution, farfetched plot turns and so on – but for me, all is forgiven when Cookie Lyon sashays onto the scene wearing another over-the-top outfit featuring animal prints + faux fur + extra bling-bling please. Taraji P. Henson OWNS that character and the whole dang show too quite frankly, although the rest of the cast does an admirable job holding their own against the force of nature that is Miss Cookie. She’s sassy, salty, spicy, real and out of this world, all at once.

So if you’re new to Empire I suggest that you:

a)      Binge-watch Season 1
b)      Grab your popcorn and take a seat on the couch
c)      Join me in asking the weekly question – WWCW – What Will Cookie Wear?

Wednesdays on Fox, starting September 23rd.

Read what others have to say about this fun show.

We’re also cabinet-ed, but that statement doesn’t flow nearly as well nor is there a cool song to go along with it.

Monday was more drywall. Tuesday the hardwood floor was installed. Staining it will come later. Wednesday was a day off since the floor guys were so efficient. (So odd – and NICE – to have peace and quiet mid-week for a change.) Thursday the cabinets were delivered – giant carton party on the patio! And installation should be complete by end of day on Friday.

Whee! This is really starting to take shape. Check out the photos on the next page. 

Happy birthday to William Carlos Williams, an American poet who not only advanced modernism and imagism through his work but also practiced medicine as a family doctor in New Jersey. 

He served as a mentor to Allen Ginsburg, which may come as a surprise when thinking about his short, direct, clear as a bell poems such as "The Red Wheelbarrow," but begins to gel a bit more when considering Williams' experimental hybrid of prose and free verse in "Spring and All," which has been described as a manifesto of the imagination. 

Dawn
Ecstatic bird songs pound 
the hollow vastness of the sky 
with metallic clinkings -- 
beating color up into it 
at a far edge, --beating it, beating it 
with rising, triumphant ardor, -- 
stirring it into warmth, 
quickening in it a spreading change, -- 
bursting wildly against it as 
dividing the horizon, a heavy sun 
lifts himself -- is lifted -- 
bit by bit above the edge 
of things, -- runs free at last 
out into the open --! lumbering 
glorified in full release upward -- 
songs cease.

-- William Carlos Williams

The Supper Club is a group of friends who love to cook, eat, drink and laugh together – plenty of each occur at our periodic themed dinner parties. Our friends and family sometimes like to live vicariously through our feasts so we’ll share the stories, pictures and recipes here from time to time. Click here for the group’s origin story and past themes.

Keeping things close to home for our most recent gathering, the Supper Club was hosted by Kathleen and Karen who selected the theme – Local.

The rules of the game were to prepare our dishes using only ingredients found within a 250 mile radius of Chicago. We’re fortunate to live near farm country – plenty of livestock, dairy and produce farms within the range – and the area abounds with artisanal makers of many tasty treats, so while this required a little forethought it was not overly difficult to do. Some exceptions were made – salt, pepper, olive oil, and most importantly wine. While there is wine made within that 250 mile area, it’s not all as quaffable as we’re accustomed to. Life’s too short to drink lesser wine. Or something like that.

The Menu:

Drinks (Ellyn):

• Cocktail – A delightful fruity-herbal concoction using beautiful produce from her own garden
  
• Various wines (not local – yay!) 
  
• Plum dessert wine from Lynfred Wineries (Roselle, IL)
  

Appetizers (Dan & Greg):  A trio of cold soups served on vintage mid-century china

• Chilled Corn Soup with Pickled Corn   
  
• Peach-Muskmelon Gazpacho 
  
• Roasted Red Pepper/Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho
  

Main course (Karen & Kathleen):

• Composed Salad with Pork Belly and a Medium-Boiled Egg 
  
• Rack of Pork Arista with Potato Pave 
  
• Sautéed Corn with Red Pepper and Ramp Butter
  
• Tomato Marmalade
  

Dessert (Ilise & Ann):

• Cheese board: 5 local cheeses, homemade wheat crackers & locally sourced beer bread, Blueberry Chutney, Tomato Jam & local honey
• Dark Chocolate Bourbon Caramel Brownies (local to our freezer for the past couple months)
  

Yes, it’s a real shame we ran out of food. J/k, that’s never going to happen at a Supper Club gathering. Abundance is our middle name. (Looks odd on a business card, but what can I say.)

Today’s post will shine a spotlight on the Drinks and Appetizers. Click Read More below for photos and recipes and a playlist featuring local musicians. A future post will detail the Main Course and Dessert.

Afternoon Dance Breaks are a recurring feature that invites you to get up from the desk, crank up the tunes, and dance your fool head off for a few minutes before resuming the daily grind. 

Mosh pits. Not for the faint of heart or the easily bruised. Sometimes called slam-dancing and frequently involving crowd-surfing, this is mostly a dude’s game although any sisters who are tough enough to take (and dish out) some rough shoving on the dance floor are welcome to it.

I came up on New Wave music which intersected a little bit with the punk scene. We loved to thrash about energetically, flailing limbs hither and yon, but it was less mosh and more pogo. (Future post?!) I’m way too old for that ish now, but I do believe there’s surely something cathartic and freeing about giving over to complete abandon with loud angry music spurring you on.

We’ll go for the lighter side of punk music with our Mosh Playlist on the next page. Click Read More below.

For the past two weeks I've lamented long and loud about construction dust. Well. I’m here to tell you that demolition dust has nothing on drywall dust. Sticky, gritty and pervasive. It’s everywhere and it’s nasty. Luckily there’s only one more day to go for this phase of the project.

Things are coming together nicely. As you’ll see in the photos on the next page (click Read More below) our kitchen once again looks like a finished room (ok, partially finished) rather than a ramshackle old barn on the verge of falling down. Here’s a rundown of this week’s work:

• Exterior stucco repair around the new windows
  
• Re-routing the space pak tubes that provide our central air conditioning and build-out of a soffit to hold them in place
  
• Insulation
  
• Drywall
  
• And a new archway between the kitchen and dining room which replaces the old swinging door
  

The crew has also removed the oh-so-attractive dropped ceilings in a hallway and powder room near the kitchen. We are NEVER going to take on a project like this again, so figured we might as well get it all taken care of at the same time.

Please continue to the next page for photos and a preview of Week 4 activities. 

Hat tip to Colossal website -- a great site for design and general artsiness. This guy is awesomely cool. Check it out.

Did you know that this was a thing? National TV Dinner Day, yes. And I say why not! The advent of those little compartmentalized trays with frozen, pre-cooked, single-serve meals truly revolutionized family meals, at least in the U.S. For better or for worse? No comment, but they did indeed shake things up.

Although other companies experimented with frozen meals first, C.A. Swanson & Sons is generally credited with being the first to achieve success with the TV Dinner in 1953. Origin stories point towards a surplus of Thanksgiving turkey in the warehouse and also observations about the way that airline meals were served. (Remember that? When airline meals were served? And when they were something to be emulated?!)

Swanson also was the first to add a dessert component to the meal in 1960. My favorite was the apple cobbler. What was yours?

Okay, that’s enough talk. Now it’s time to enjoy an awesome tune that evokes another television classic and celebrate this special day with a big ol’ Hungry Man dinner. Yummy!

Afternoon Dance Breaks are a recurring feature that invites you to get up from the desk, crank up the tunes, and dance your fool head off for a few minutes before resuming the daily grind. 


Dancing Fun Fact:

The most people twerking simultaneously is 406 and was achieved by Big Freedia and the Central City Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana, on November 15, 2014.

Source: Guinness World Records


It’s time to bounce, twerk, or move the body part of your choice along with the Bounce Playlist which may be found on the next page. Click Read More below.

Fish for Dinner is a recurring feature chronicling my education in the ways of fish-cookery. I grew up avoiding any fish other than sticks and was well into adulthood before slowly adding the real deal into my diet (but usually at a restaurant). The impetus to cook more fish at home comes from joining a sustainable fish program through Hooked on Fish, similar to a CSA with boxes of farm-fresh produce but with fishies instead. I’ll share what we made and how we liked it plus a few tips, recipes and fishin’ tunes too.

When preparing these Fish for Dinner posts, Google is most definitely my BFF, providing all sorts of interesting fishy fun facts. When I searched on Walleye, I learned that this fish has quite a fan club. While most fish have a one-page listing on sites like Seafood Watch and NOAA’s Fish Watch, our big-eyed pal the walleye has dozens of websites, charters and videos dedicated to it and seemingly tons of groupies.  

There’s a reason for that. This fish is delicious.

Firm enough to hold its shape yet tender like well-prepared chicken. Medium-flake, mild and sweet, this is exactly what you want in a freshwater fish. This simple preparation brings out the best in the fish and the cook too, as it’s super-fast and easy.

Click Read More below to continue -- you'll find Mr. Walleye’s Catch.com profile, photos and the recipe on the next page.

Week Two was a lot better than Week One – at least we knew what to expect in terms of noise and dirt. (OMG construction dust is worse than almost any other kind of dust! Why is that??)

The main activities this week were window replacement, plumbing, a little more framing of walls and electrical work. Good news: we passed our first plumbing and electrical inspections. Great work, crew!

Continue to the next page for photos and a preview of what’s next. Click Read More below.

Afternoon Dance Breaks are a recurring feature that invites you to get up from the desk, crank up the tunes, and dance your fool head off for a few minutes before resuming the daily grind. 



Dancing Fun Fact:

First archaeological proof of dance comes from the 9,000 year old cave paintings in India.

Source: Dance Facts

Now seems like a good time to hop, skip and jump to the music. Please enjoy the Jump Playlist on the next page (click Read More, below). 

As we head into the final holiday weekend of Summer 2015 it seems fitting to share some BBQ how-to.

(Some of us like to keep grilling and ‘cueing well into the autumn/winter/spring no matter what the weather so keep this post bookmarked for ready access.)

Ages ago I promised you a report on the smoked ribs we made for our 4th of July dinner party. The reason for the long delay is embarrassing: we forgot to take photos of the final steps and end product. Gah! What were we thinking?!

Who the heck knows, but we hope you’ll forgive us and take our lessons learned and photos snapped for what they’re worth. We’ve done this rib-smoking extravaganza several times and can promise that it works and, although time-consuming, is worth it.

There’s a lot of information to share, so let’s get to it. Click Read More below to continue with how-to’s, pictures, recipes and a BBQ Playlist that’s definitely smokin’ hot!

I’m sitting here trying to come up with a clever anecdote to share as a lead-in to this recipe but instead I’ll just bottom line it for you. Make. This. Dish.

Seriously. If you like Thai flavors, this dish will satisfy on so many levels, including the ease of making it. It’s not super-authentic “secret menu” Thai, indeed it’s pretty Americanized – meaning that the heat/spice levels are moderate (adjust to suit yourself) and ingredients are pretty easy to find. 

Join us on the next page (click Read More) for the recipe, pictures, music and opinions!