The best thing I ate today - Special New Jersey Thanksgiving Edition

Happy Thanksgiving!  This year we hit the road (or the skies as the case may be) and visited family in NJ for the Thanksgiving holiday.  3 days in NJ means 3 days to work in Thanksgiving dinner, Thanksgiving dinner leftovers, real bagels, proper NY pizza and Chinese Food that lives above the median.

First thing's first, the Thanksgiving Dinner win goes to my Mom's turkey.  It was juicy, tender and perfectly cooked.  Topped a bit of homemade gravy, this was the top delight of an all-around excellent meal.  Way to go Mom!

Now this New Yorker thought that she had met just about every American Chinese Food offering imaginable...Moo Shu, Kung Pao, General Tso.  But alas, I tried something new in NJ and fell back in Chinese Food love (we have a rocky relationship history due to some bad meals from places that generally have numbers in their names).  The source of love - Won Ton Egg Drop soup.  It combines the best of my favorite Chinese soups and you don't have to compromise.  This particular kitchen had an unusually flavorful egg drop broth and the won tons were perfectly al dente, unlike the many overcooked won tons I have ingested in my life.

Pizza was a bit of a let down.  We strayed from our usual place due to a detour to the mall (hey, it's NJ and Black Friday, how could we not?) and found ourselves at Hollywood Pizza.  Would have been considered "good" if we were in Chicago but it did not deliver the stretchy bubble-filled crust I have come to think of as home.  Serves me right for straying from the unwritten rule of pizza places - they need to end in vowels.

Rounding out the trip were the bagels from Howard's.  Light, fluffy, flavorful and the size of my head is how I would describe these.  A special thanks to my dad for going out to get them fresh the morning after Thanksgiving.  In fact, they were so good that the security officer at the airport pretended that they were are security risk just so that she could try to get her hands on the doezen we packed away to take home.  Not so fast officer, I pulled out my official Jewish bagel eater identity card and we were let off the hook.

Lastly, a special shout out to all of my readers, dining companions (you know who you are) and favorite chefs for making this blog possible.  I am very thankful to you.  Happy Thanksgiving.

The best thing I ate today - 11/21

The best thing I ate today was the burger at Cortland Garage at Trivia Nite.  This neighborhood bar touts their burger (#10 burger in Chicago, according to Chicago Magazine 2009) and it did not disappoint.  And Monday night is the $5 burger special so you really cannot go wrong.  Thick + juicy + topped with tangy smoked gouda cheese and grilled onions = burger perfection.  A special shout out to our friend Nate and his B-school buddies who made us feel part of the group and even let us answer some questions.

The best thing I ate today - 11/19

The best thing I ate today was at the impromptu Friday night dinner we hosted for our friends Susan and Noel.  With Thanksgiving coming up, I had a vested interest in keeping this dinner healthy.  So, instead of going out I made Asian lettuce wraps and one of our old standby dinners was an instant hit with our guests!  The ground turkey and vegetables were nicely seasoned with Asian spices, and fluffy brown rice was the perfect accompaniment.  Best of all, we all saved "points" for dessert and enjoyed Susan's Flirty cupcakes.  It was a sweet end to a sweet evening.

The best thing I ate today - 11/13

The best thing I ate today was a crab cake salad that I enjoyed for lunch.  I made use of the leftover crab cakes I had made for dinner a few nights before.  Tossed with greens, tomatoes, avocado and a homemade Russian dressing, this was a delightful lunch enjoyed alfresco on a 70 degree November Fall day.

The best thing I ate today - 11/12

For the first time in my blog's long history (one and a half years with a brief hiatus) I am truly torn as there was no clear win amongst the two extraordinary delights I enjoyed yesterday.  Both plate-scrapers were creations of the new Ripasso restaurant in Bucktown, the little sister of our old favorite Terragusto.

In the left corner we have their homemade risotto, made with Diver sea scallops and wild mushrooms.  I typically don't even like mushrooms and inhaled every ounce of this.  The risotto was rich without being creamy and perfectly al dente without being too starchy.  I detected a hint of red wine in the broth that made this ridiculously savory.

In the right corner we have the pistachio mousse with white chocolate pistachio-studded bark.  The texture of the mousse was perfect, creamy and luxurious while still being light.  The flavor of the pistachio was outstanding and made this decadent yet refreshing....a perfect way to end the meal.

So what was the best thing I ate today?  I think I'll need to go back again next week to make up my mind :).

The best thing I ate today - 11/11

On this lucky day I was very lucky indeed, to have eaten the grilled pork ribs at Chilam Bilam, which was the best thing I ate today.  After seeing this place win rave reviews on Check Please, and watching the chef on Top Chef this season, we knew it was a must hit and had to get there before the crowds did (for the record my husband Marc put this place on his hitlist over a year ago).  We will did not exactly beat the crowds (this place is a mob scene) but did get "lucky" with only a 5 minute wait at 6pm.  The grilled ribs were served with a finger-licking honey-pasilla chile sauce that was both sweet and bitter-spicy.  A dollop of crema and queso fresco helped to temper the spice and give it some added richness.  The dish really was delicious and unique, as were almost all of the small plates we tried.  I also give an honorable mention to the dayboat catch, which was Mahi Mahi in a delicious pink sauce with bacon, brussel sprouts and purple potatoes.

The best thing I ate today - 11/10

The best thing I ate today was a delightful surprise.  My friend Ildi was coming in from NYC and I planned to have her over for tea.  I found a box in my pantry called "Nana's Apple Cake Mix" from Tastefully Simple.  I honestly have no idea how it got there, but figured I'd give it a whirl.  And a whirl it was because this cake is the BOMB.  Warm, gooey, cinnamony, appley...basically this tastes like Fall home baked goodness.   Makes you feel like you are 6 years old, back in your mom's kitchen.  Go Nana!

The best thing I ate today - 11/8

The best thing I ate today was the Ginger Beef & Pad Thai salad I made for dinner.  This was a unique recipe - ginger marinated flank steak, served over a bed of greens, pickled vegetables, rice noodles, spicy soy ginger dressing and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro. The rich flavor of the beef was a nice contrast with the vegetables and the soy ginger dressing was a flavorful way to bring the noodles to life.  I only call this a "pad thai salad" because it is somewhat inspired by Wow Bao's pad thai salad - there is no classic pad thai curry in this dish.  The dinner was light, delicious and satisfying all at once.

The best thing I ate today - 11/7

The best thing I ate today was the greek grilled tuna steak we made for dinner.  The marinade was simple and fresh - a rub made from oregano (from our neighbor's garden), fresh thyme, EVOO, salt and pepper.  The steak enjoyed a spritz of fresh lemon just before serving and was bursting with so much flavor, I was actually surprised.

The best thing I ate today - 11/4

The win today goes to the Beef & Butternut Chili I made for dinner.  I am a first-timer chili maker and proud to say that the first time was the charm.  The beef was tender and savory and the butternut squash added a nice starchy texture with a hint of sweetness.  I balanced out the chili powder, cinnamon, coriander  and cumin and spice blend with some cocoa powder, brown sugar and chipotle chili powder.  The result was a nice balanced savory, smoky flavor with a touch of sweetness.  Accompanied by cornbread (so delicious it might as well have been cake), this was a great cold weather Fall dinner.

The best thing I ate today - 11/1

The best thing I ate today was a winter squash and corn chowder that I made for dinner.  This turned out to be a wonderfully creamy and filling (yet guiltless) chowder.  Made with pureed corn, skim milk, squash, celery and some spinach the chowder had the perfect duality of silky texture with satisfying chunks.  We topped it with bacon, green onions and cheddar for some extra flavor and and appetite appealing artistry garnish.

The best thing I ate today - 10/31

The best thing I ate today was the Asian meatball bahn mi I made for dinner.  I used a recipe for Basil Chicken Meatballs with Ponzu Sauce from my friends at Cooking Light, and served it on warm and toasty multi-grain French bread.  I am a sucker for a meatball.  Really, I think this pedestrian food is actually incredibly inspired because if done right it can combine a number of delicious ingredients and serve them up in one savory bite and uniquely delicious (a la the trend in gourmet hot dogs, like Hot Doug's).  These Asian meatballs did not disappoint, and did deliver a sweet and savory Asian flavor made with gems like coconut, basil and sweet chili sauce.  It was the perfect homey, comforting dinner remade with a bit of flair.

The best thing I ate today - 10/30

The best thing I ate today turned out far better that I could have imagined.  Feeling inspired by the season, I decided to do something with Pumpkin. You should know that this blogger is NOT a pumpkin pie kind of gal, and pumpkin is usually not my dessert ingredient of choice.  Alas, I made a pumpkin chocolate chip loaf figuring it would be just enough pumpkin to give me my fix, but not so much that I would feel compelled to go back for seconds.  Well, I was WRONG.  The loaf was unbelievably moist and the contrast of the dark chocolate chips and the sweet pumpkin made for dessert perfection.  So much for self control.