And because a visit to Vegas just isn't complete without bling...

Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace
Las Vegas, Nevada
June 27, 2009

Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
June 26, 2008

The Valley of Fire is Nevada's oldest and largest state park. Situated between I-15 and Lake Mead, it is a little under and hour northeast of Vegas - an easy half-day trip when you're looking for something a little different to get you out of the city.

The day we were there, a Korean film crew was filming up at Rainbow Vista. We went in the morning, but temperatures soar by midday. Resources in the park are limited - be sure to stop to stock up on water before you enter the park.

Treating yourself right when eating at home

One of the things I hear often from friends - and an excuse I used to use frequently for myself - was that I "don't have the time" to cook for myself. It's faster and easier, I would argue, for a singleton to eat out. Well, sure - if you can manage to keep your meals to under $5/each. And exactly how much nutrition will you be giving up by relinquishing control over your diet in that fashion?

Finally, one day, I thought about it. You travel to the restaurant, wait to be seated, wait to order, wait for your food to come out. Then you eat, and the best part - somebody else takes away the dishes and deals with the mess. But are you sure you couldn't have cooked food better for yourself at home?

For me, one of my rarest indulgences at restaurants is steak. I hate paying restaurants $30+ when I know I can make the same thing for myself for under $10. And, in fact, there are plenty of incredibly tasty, inexpensive cuts of steak, if you just know how to cook them. Yes, you can even get high-quality, organically raised, hormone-free beef at a decent price if you know where to shop. (Trader Joe's carries good meat; as does Whole Foods; and specialty grocers like Fox & Obel. Look up "butchers" in your local Yellow Pages, too.)

I would love to have a grill, but in the meantime, I've learned how to do a good job on meat using pan-searing, roasting, or even a "stovetop grill" (which is not ideal, but passes). The key difference between restaurant and home cooking, when it comes to meats? Restaurants aren't afraid to flavor their meats, be it through marinade, grill sauce, or spices. How many of you just take your steak and toss it on the grill, maybe give it a little coating of BBQ sauce?

The other thing is that unless we're serving company, most of us don't bother to "dress our food up" for ourselves. It doensn't take a scientific study to know that an attractively-arrayed plate helps heighten our anticipation of what we're about to eat. The same steak simply tossed onto a plate without fanfare will not appeal to our senses the way that even the quickest of dressed plates do: a slice of fruit or vegetable; a shake of seasonings; a dollop of dressing or dipping sauce. It takes very little effort and transforms the ordinary to the extraordinary:

Citrus-Asian Steak

Marinated in lime juice, orange juice, and Thomas marinade. Liberally dusted with Argyle Street Asian Blend spices. Seared on both sides, and then pan-roasted in its marinade. Dressed with scallions, fresh tomato, and horseradish sauce (sour cream blended with fresh horseradish).

This week's culinary treats

Easy recipe and takes perhaps 10 minutes to make. The amounts listed here will roughly serve two hearty portions or four side portions, but this is a very easy recipe to "resize" to larger proportions. It keeps well in the fridge if there are leftovers. For the first dish, I have put into spaghetti jars while hot, so that they self-seal, and it has kept well at peak flavor for a couple weeks.

After looking around for a similarly-constructed dish in order to help give it a name - I have decided that this recipe is a variant on the Turkish dish iman bayildi, which is braised eggplant with tomato, onion and garlic. Since I have had several people swoon in delight over this dish - and the name "iman bayildi" means "the iman fainted" or "the iman swooned" - it seems an appropriate name to give this dish. (See a traditional recipe of iman bayildi here.)

Eggplant-Mushroom Imam Bayildi

- Using a 3:1 ratio of eggplant to mushrooms (I prefer Chinese eggplant and Portibello mushrooms; regular eggplant and baby bellas work fine). Peel the eggplant; cube it, and loosely chop the mushrooms.
- In a hot skillet at medium heat, put a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Add eggplant and mushrooms.
- Add 2/3 cup of water and 1/2 to 1 packet beef bouillon. (I prefer Trader Joe's, which comes in handy small packets, and is extremely flavorful.) Stir.
- Heat until the eggplant is tender.
- Add 1-1/2 Tbsp. gyoza sauce (again, TJ's makes a great one) and 2-3 Tbsp. of a sundried tomato-based dressing. (I like Cindy's Kitchen brand). If you don't have that particular brand of dressing handy, use sundried tomatoes or sundried tomato paste.
- Add a liberal pinch of Sunny Spain salt-free seasoning. (If you don't have this, substitute a little fresh pepper, a dash of garlic powder, a Tbsp. or two of diced onion, and a squeeze or two of lemon juice.)
- Stir and allow to simmer for five minutes before serving. Serve over noodles or rice; as a side dish; or even as the main part of a meal - goes very well with buttered bread!

Chipolte-Glazed Pineapple

The last time I was in Florida, I discovered a product called The Hot Squeeze*. This honey-based chipolte sauce is freakin' awesome on everything. With lime juice on steak! With lemon juice on chicken! Tossed with steamed vegetables! Used in stir fry!

Now, I happen to love pineapple, and when it's in season, I eat it fresh often. But even as delicious as pineapple gets, you occasionally want to do something different with it. I recently picked up The Flavor Bible, and one of the things the book discussed is pairing up opposites to really bring out flavors. Various Far Eastern cultures have for many years combined sweet and spicy; here, clearly, was an opportunity!

Prep time and cooking takes 5-10 minutes.

- Slice fresh pineapple across the fruit so you have 1/2"-1" thick round slabs of pineapple. Quarter these.
- Over medium-high heat, add about 2-3 teaspoons of The Hot Squeeze to your saucepan. Since it is honey-based, it will easily melt on the heat.
- Put the pineapple into the sauce and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes per side; the edges should start to show signs of carmelization.
- Flip the pieces over and repeat on other side.

That's it! They're delicious served straight up, or with a little vanilla yogurt or ice cream.

Another thing I do is to start with the fresh pineapple, but remove the rind and then cube the fruit. I then add the fruit and the Hot Squeeze to a pot, and cook for a few minutes, which makes a marvelous salsa-style treat, hot or cold.



* (apparently, you can buy The Hot Squeeze as a six-pack on Amazon. They have limited distribution in stores, but their website lists where you can find them.)

At the other end of the spectrum - the new Modern Wing opens

The new Modern Wing at the Chicago Art Institute
June 2009

The new Modern Wing for the Art Institute opened on May 16th. The building itself was designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Renzo Piano, and it is a beautiful showcase for the AI's collection of 20th- and 21st-century art collections. It is connected directly into the heart of Millennium Park by a new pedestrian-only bridge.

With the opening of this wing, the AI is now the second largest art museum in the U.S. after the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC.

Why wait for Halloween? We have the annual Zombie March in June!

Zombie March Chicago
June 13, 2009
from Millennium Park around the Loop and out to Navy Pier

PDA on behalf of the animals

A story today out of NYC is just one of many that have appeared in the news this year about animal abuse; it has not been the first time that a minor has been caught and/or arrested on animal cruelty charges. Nor, sadly, is it likely to be the last.

Learn the warning signs about children and animal cruelty. Children who abuse pets or who find entertainment in baiting animals against one another often grow up into abusive adults. Like any social behavior, children must learn from others.

On the other hand, the dogs rescued from Michael Vick's Bad Newz kennels have, for the most part, gone on to a variety of happy endings. Of the 51 dogs rescued, only one had to be put down for being too violent. One was euthanized for medical reasons; and two died while in shelters awaiting their outcome. The most amazing part? A few of the dogs who came from Bad Newz's kennels are now therapy dogs. Those who don't know better may cry out in shock at that; but those who know the breed state that pit bulls have actually been bred for hundreds of years to be the ultimate people-pleasers. (That being said, any dog - right down to the tiniest Chihuahua - will "live what they learn".) And therapy dogs have to go through extensive training and pass many tests to prove that they will not spook/startle easily and are not exhibiting any potentially vicious behaviors.

Today's food experiments

So, as I get a weekly delivery of organic veggies, I tend to do a lot of cooking on the weekend. I always seem to have lots of potatoes, onions, and spinach, and then I get random vegetables that I may or may not be familiar with. Here's today's experiments in healthy (well, relatively healthy) organic eating:

Trader Joe's offers polenta in a 6" casing. It makes it handy to slice, cook, and make into something.

Polenta with spinach

- Heat olive oil with shredded scallions in a frying pan.
- Slice polenta into 1/2" slabs
- Heat both sides til crispy
- Remove and plate polenta
- Shred some spinach and cilantro; toss til wilted in frying pan; spoon onto polenta slabs.
- Add some olive oil, pepper and sliced onions to pan; sautee for 1-2 minutes; toss over spinach.
- Spoon a dab of sour cream, yogurt or cottage cheese on top.
- Dress with a sprinkling of sweet paprika or diced red peppers.

Peeling not necessary unless there's some icky bits on the potatoes. Scrub the skins well before cooking, through. You also don't need to pre-boil if you don't want to; I simply prefer to do so for more tender potatoes and I like the consistency better than only roasting.

Parmesan Potatoes

- Chop potatoes into 4-8 pieces depending on the size of the potato
- Boil with a pinch of salt and some spices for about 15 minutes - I use Spice House's Lake Shore Drive blend
- Drain water
- Toss with some olive oil and butter; put in roasting pan
- Dust with blend of spices - I like to use powdered ginger, sweet Hungarian paprika, and Ratatouille seasoning
- Shake liberally with powdered Parmesan cheese
- Bake in oven at 350 for about 15 minutes; cheese will have begun to brown.
- Serves well with a Caesar-style dressing, but quite tasty on its own as well!

"This embattled shore, portal of freedom, is forever hallowed by the ideals, the valor and the sacrifice."

"The heroism of our own troops in Europe was matched by that of the armed forces of the nations that
fought by our side. They and the brave men in the underground movements of the occupied countries
- all gave their blood to wipe the Nazi terror from the face of the earth. They absorbed the blows of the
German military machine during the many months in which we were building up our expeditionary
forces, and they shared to the full in the ultimate destruction of the enemy."

- speech to Congress by President Harry S. Truman




D-Day invasion troops
as posted by soldiersmediacenter (Army.mil) on Flickr

Along a fifty-mile stretch of French coastline lies a string of beaches better known by their code names - Gold, Juno, Sword, Utah, and Omaha - given for the largest single-day amphibious invasion in history. Here, on one of the longest, bloodiest days of WWII, Allied troops started an invasion at 6:30am that would mark a major victory of the European front.

More than 160,000 troops landed here, with some 10,000 giving their lives on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Of those who died, over 1,500 remain unidentified, lying under headstones with the simple inscription, "Here rests in honored glory a comrade in arms known but to God".

While many of us have parents or grandparents or great-grandparents who participated in the historic Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France, the number of living survivors of that fateful day are dwindling. For most of us Americans, we learned the impact through films like The Big Red One, Saving Private Ryan, and The Longest Day; the Europeans lived the horrors of that war on their soil.

The impact of that day, and those three weeks that encompassed "Operation Neptune" are not forgotten, not by the world, nor by the locals. Street names and buildings are named in honor of the American, British, Canadian, French, Norweigian and Polish troops who came ashore here to help turn the tide of World War II. By the end of the summer, Paris was liberated; and the war officially ended September 2, 1945.

The costs of World War II are staggering by any standards: 24 million military dead; and more than 49 million civilians killed. The cost of the war, converted for inflation, was over $12 trillion worldwide. (In comparison, the Iraq war has so far cost over $675 billion.)

Remember on this day those who changed history on the shores of France, and who gave their lives and limbs to do so. And, as it is also one of the most heavily documented days of any war; read a first-person account of what it was like to be on the beaches of Normandy.

American Military Cemetary at Omaha Beach
picture by Mark H. Anbinder as seen on Flickr

One of the best parts of city living - summer festival season

Summerdance also kicks off its 2009 season starting next Thursday, June 11 in Grant Park - put on your dancing shoes and come out and join the *free* fun, 6-9:30pm

The Grant Park free outdoor film festival - most Tuesdays in July and August - has also announced their summer lineup. See the Chicago Parks & Recreation website for information about other outdoor film showings throughout Chicago - many local neighborhood parks also have free film shows!

The Printer's Row Lit Fest (Book Fair) runs THIS weekend down in the Loop. Always a great event.

And summer in Chicago means tons of major festivals and special events and neighborhood festivals, many of them free (or low cost).

* * *

Chicago's city farmer markets are in full swing! Yay! Support your local farms, eat more organically, and have a good time. Thanks to the Chicago Tribune for the daily listings: Chicago city markets listed below; check the Tribune or the City of Chicago website for full listings.

SUNDAYS

Ashburn: Marquette Park, 71st St. and Kedzie Ave. June 22-Oct. 19.
Beverly: 95th St. and Longwood Dr. June 8-Oct. 19.
Bronzeville: 4400 S. Cottage Grove Ave. June 15-Oct. 26.
Erie Park: 530 W. Erie St. June 22-Oct. 26.
Independence Park: 3945 N. Springfield Ave. 8 a.m.-noon June 1 and 15, July 6 and 20, Aug. 3 and 17, Sept. 7 and 21, Oct. 5.
Logan Square: 3107 W. Logan Blvd. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. June 1-Oct. 26.
Wicker Park/Bucktown: Wicker Park and Damen Ave. June 8-Oct. 26.

TUESDAYS

Federal Plaza: Adams and Dearborn Sts. 7 a.m.-3 p.m. through Oct. 28.
Lincoln Square: Lincoln, Leland and Western Aves. June 10-Oct. 28.
Prudential Plaza: Lake St. and Beaubien Ct. June 10-Oct. 21.
South Chicago: 2650 E. 83rd St. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. July 1-Oct. 28.
Streeterville/Museum of Contemporary Art: 220 E. Chicago Ave. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. June 10-Oct. 28.

WEDNESDAYS

Green City Market: South end of Lincoln Park, Clark and LaSalle Sts. 7 a.m.-1:30 p.m. May 14-Oct. 29.
Gately/Pullman: Arcade Park, 111th St. and Cottage Grove Ave. June 11-Oct. 29.
Lawndale: Green Youth Farm, 3555 W. Ogden Ave. July 9-Oct. 15.
Chatham: Seaway National Bank, 87th St. and Langley Ave. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. July 16-Oct. 1.
South Shore: South Shore Bank, 70th St. and Jeffrey Blvd. June 11-Oct. 29.

THURSDAYS

Daley Plaza: Washington and Dearborn Sts. 7 a.m.-3 p.m. May 15-Oct. 2.
Dunning/Eli's/Wright College: Eli's Cheesecake World, 6701 W. Forest Preserve Dr. June 19-Oct. 30.
Englewood: 6452 S. Ashland Ave. June 19-Oct. 30.
Hyde Park: Harper Ct. at 52nd Pl. 7 a.m.-2 p.m. June 5-Oct. 30.
Uptown Market: Truman College, 1145 W. Wilson Ave. 8 a.m.-3 p.m. June 19-Oct. 23.
Sears Tower Plaza Market: 233 S. Wacker Dr. 7 a.m.-2:00 p.m. June 19-Oct. 30.

SATURDAYS

Austin: Emmet Math, Science and Technology Academy, Madison St. and Central Ave. July 12-Oct. 25.
Conuco: 2800 W. Division St. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. June 21-Sept. 27.
Division Street: At Division between State and Clark Sts. May 31-Oct. 25.
Edgewater Green Market: 6034 N. Broadway. 7 a.m.-noon June 28-Oct. 18.
Green City Market: See Wednesday listing. May 17-Oct. 25.
Lincoln Park: Lincoln Park High School, Armitage and Orchard Aves. May 17-Oct. 25.
Morgan Park: Shiloah M.B. Church, 92nd St. and Ashland Ave. June 28-Oct. 25.
Nettelhorst: French Market. Broadway and Melrose Aves. 8 a.m.-2 p.m. through Nov. 1.
Northcenter: North Center Town Square, Belle Plaine, Damen and Lincoln Aves. June 14-Oct. 18.
Printers Row: Polk and Dearborn Sts. June 14-Oct. 18.
61st: At 61st St. between Dorchester and Blackstone Aves. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. May 17-Oct. 25.
Southport Green Market: Blaine School, 1420 W. Grace St. at Southport Ave. 8 a.m.-noon June 14-Oct. 11.