For the second time in the past month, I enjoyed a nearly perfect brunch at the Sofitel in Chicago. The main dishes they prepare are very good but it is the extra service and treats dripping from the experience that put them over the top.

As we pulled up to the door at the Sofitel, just West of Michigan Avenue, we were greeted by a very special man named Patrick. His bright, genuine smile and ruddy cheeks exuded friendliness. He bid us good morning, welcomed us to the hotel and offered to take really good care of our car while we enjoyed brunch. (He proceeded to nestle our Honda sedan between three Mercedes and a Bentley). Patrick clearly felt pride in his work and faced the world with a glass that is always half full. I have thought of him almost daily since our Sofitel visit last week and have reminded myself to channel the same energy.

The architecture of the new hotel is notable and interesting, the decor modern and clean. I could go on about the atmosphere and service but I am so anxious to get down to the true meat of this post….. the pastries. Oh, good God, the pastries. Now, I know that I have a bit of a problem with my inflated love for donuts and baked goods. But, the Sofitel pastries brought me to a new level.

Coffee is served in a French press, fresh squeezed juice is poured for each person and before your meal arrives, a basket of fresh, flaky pastries descends upon the table. I heard a soft crescendo of music and swore that there was an angelic glow surrounding the breads… manna from heaven! They are the best pastries I have eaten outside of France.

Although the indulgence in the divine sweets made me happy, it also became somewhat of a distraction. After our basket was nearly emptied and our main dishes were about to arrive, I was relieved to see the server whisk it away…. until he brough it back filled again to the brim.

This is the point in my tale when we realize I have a problem. They say you have an addiction if your need or desires affect your normal life or personal relationships. Well, does not being able to continue a conversation with your family because you are too worried about eating or not eating another pastry qualify? Is it a bad sign if you break out into a cold sweat as you see the neighboring table cleared and a dirty napkin placed over the full pastry basket as it heads to the trash? What if you honestly have visions of stashing the uneaten pastries from the table beside you in your purse before the busser comes to claim them? And if major life decisions like buying a new house, choosing to get married or having a child are EASIER than saying no to a “pastry doggy bag” offered by the server… is it a sure sign of needing HELP?!?!?

I did turn down that free ‘to go’ box of chocolate croissants, pain au raisin and mini baguettes. But, I have regretted it every day since.

If any of you have been reading since the beginning, you may remember my excitement last year with the inaugural soup exchange. Although it is nearly March and we are heading out of soup season, we are doing it again! One last soup hurrah! This coming Sunday, friends, neighbors and colleagues are gathering at our house to enjoy a soup dinner and then exchange soups so each end up with a freezer or refrigerator filled with a potpourri of yumminess.

Want to host your own soup exchange? I make a large pot of soup to serve and ask others to bring bread, a drink or dessert to share. For the exchange, here are the instructions I emailed to my gang:

1. Make a yummy soup, preferably freezer friendly (pasta and rice don’t always freeze well but you can leave it out and instruct to add later)
2. Package it in disposable containers, 3 cups per container. Glad makes a rectangular Soup & Salad that is 3 cups or 24 oz.
3. Put a label or piece of paper on each container of soup with the name and serving suggestions.
4. Bring as many 3 cup containers of soup as you want to our house.
5. At the end of the evening, you choose as many containers as you brought. So, you go home with a variety of soups.

Find soup recipe ideas here. Happy Soup Exchanging!

Appearances aren’t EVERYTHING! Let’s just remember that even when you were awkward with puberty and tight with braces, you wanted to be asked to dance. Often, the less than perfect pups at the pound can be the biggest lovers. And, the rattiest t-shirt in your drawer likely offers the most comfort. No, this recipe is not likely to grace the pages of Gourmet, Bon Appetit or Saveur any time soon. Yes, I was hesitant to photograph and post about it thinking that some things are best left in one’s personal repertoire. However, this is one of my favorite lunches and all-time favorite comfort foods. So, it is making a Whipped debut in the hopes that you won’t judge this recipe before trying it.

When I was a child, my mom often served us Creamed Beef on Toast. It was a quicky Sunday lunch or dinner on babysitter nights. It is fast, easy, salty, warm and filling. My husband thinks it is absolutely disgusting and it isn’t exactly the sort of thing you would serve guests. So, this favorite is relegated to the days when I happen to find myself home alone for lunch.

Also known by some as Chipped Beef on Toast, Cream Dried Beef and in some circles, Shit on a Shingle, you will find this dish on the daily lunch menu of nursing homes in Iowa, in military cafeterias and in the Whipped kitchen.

Creamed Beef on Toast

Melt butter in a saucepan. Whisk in flour and cook a minute. Whisk in milk slowly. Cook on low heat until thickened, stirring frequently. Add salt, pepper and a dash of nutmeg to taste. Cut beef slices into small 1 inch squares. Stir into the sauce. Spoon mixture over a slice of toast.

It has been longer than usual since my last post. I wish I could say that was because I was on an exotic tropical vacation. I wish my excuse was a long visit from an old friend. I wish that an unexpected windfall had sent me reeling into a state of euphoria that left no time for blog posting. Alas, the truth is… there has been nothing interesting happening in my kitchen of late.

I usually can’t stand complaints about the weather in the midwest but even I am a bit rattled this winter. The repeated bundling, unending car scraping, an exhausting fear and tension of wiping out on the omnipresent ice and lack of sunshine have drained a bit of my spirit. Add a few additional mishaps (most recently losing my wallet), and I find myself turning repeatedly to the comfort of donuts. Multiple donuts. Three donuts yesterday did take the doldrums away…. temporarily… but then delivered a massive stomach ache. You see the ugly cycle…winter drearies, comfort foods leading to stomach aches and no grocery shopping have led to many quick pasta meals, bowls of cereal and take out food.

There have been a few attempts at new recipes but nothing overly successful. When other food bloggers have recipe disastors or foods that didn’t turn out perfectly, I love reading about them. Perhaps because it reminds me that a shadow is cast over all kitchens at one time or another. So, I share with you my humble attempt at Collard Greens with Cornmeal Dumplings, found in Gourmet a month or two ago. It was a real dog.

I really want to like collard greens. I live for grits, drool for a good Southern style BBQ, adore Red Velvet Cake and dream of the day the Waffle House restaurants move to the Chicago area. Adding collard greens to my list of favorites seemed like a natural. Well, it didn’t happen. I think it was a mixture of my not really having a knack for cooking greens along with a general dislike for them. Not wanting to waste good food, my husband and I tried to dive into the above, unappetizing looking bowl. He aborted the mission after one bite. Determined to like it, I took a number of tastes only to find my brow taught with concentration as I worked hard to swallow it down.

So, I dedicate this post to all of our recipe disastors, the weeks when the ideas aren’t flowing, the foods we just can’t bring ourselves like and the temporary shadows that darken each kitchen now and then.

I grew up down the road from my friend Marianne. Our friendship is the type that starts with memories of hamsters on the loose at slumber parties, running around in the sprinklers in the front yard and the stiff, polyester of Girl Scout uniforms. Her mother, Barb, was our troop leader. She was (and is!) a very pretty woman. Mesmerizing with her bright eyes, pearly white smile, womanly figure and soft mothering ways, she was just the role model us young gals needed.

When Marianne was married a few years ago, the hosts of her shower put together a recipe book with submissions from all the guests. Lucky for us (and now for you), Barb shared her famous Blueberry Coffee Cake recipe. Last Friday, when defrosting my freezer, I found two bags of frozen blueberries hibernating in the corner and was therefore, lucky enough to enjoy this delicious cake in the midst of snowy winter.

This coffee cake is easy, delicious and beautiful. It is a great choice to serve with brunch or to bring to work to nibble with your coffee. Or, be a good “girl scout” and deliver one of these cakes to welcome a new neighbor.

Blueberry Coffee Cake
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 cups fresh blueberries, washed or frozen blueberries, drained
Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon

Bake 1 hour or more as needed until toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely. Loosen edges gently and turn out of pan. Gently invert onto decorative plate or platter. Drizzle with powdered sugar, vanilla and water glaze or sprinkle with powdered sugar.

* I made my glaze with powdered sugar, a touch of water and a few drips of almond extract. It gave it a nice flavor and kept the glaze bright white. The vanilla can darken it.

During a lunch date recently, a new friend and I were discussing breakfast. As often happens with me, the conversation turned to food. When she started describing what a hearty breakfast eater she is, I began liking her even more. She explained that she always starts with a few frozen waffles, which serve as the blank canvas for her breakfast. Shortly thereafter, I brought home a box of Nutrigrain Eggo waffles and began producing my own breakfast masterpieces.

I am hooked! Almost anything works for breakfast with waffles as the foundation. Pictured above is my current favorite. One waffle is brushed with peanut butter and drizzled with pure Vermont maple syrup (a great combo - don’t wrinkle your nose until you have tried it!). The other is topped with a dollup of Trader Joe’s Vanana yogurt (banana and vanilla flavor), Bare Naked banana granola and fresh banana slices.

Just writing about my breakfast canvas makes me want to bypass dinner tonight, go to bed and wake up to my morning artwork…

I have been a little soup crazy this winter. Perhaps the most soup ever produced in my kitchen is directly proportional to the most snow ever fallen in Chicago in a single winter. (well, maybe not ever but this has to be close!) This black bean soup is actually one of my husband’s specialties. He loves chorizo and any excuse to buy it and eat it.

This soup freezes well so you might want to make a double batch! Add a spicy pepper to fire the soup up even more, try different garnishes, serve with tortilla chips and guacamole or use leftovers to top nachos.

You know those Fridays when you just couldn’t be happier that it is weekend?! Ahhh… I’m having one of those. Happy weekend everyone…

Black Bean and Chorizo Soup
3 cups dried black beans
1 3/4 lb. chorizo sausage
1 T olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 yellow onions, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 1/2 qt beef stock
4 T finely chopped parsley
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried ground cumin
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 T finely chopped fresh chives
2 T finely chopped fresh cilantro

Garnish with sour cream, chives and cilantro.

Thank you Blue Ribbon Bakery for such a delectable mid-day treat! Well, the truth is, I devoured the above snack about fifteen minutes after eating my enormous breakfast at Cafe Henri in New York. So, it was more of a “brunch dessert.”  Blue Ribbon was right across the street from the cafe and while I was in the neighborhood, I felt it was my duty to visit, sample and report.

5 Steps to a Snack from Taste Treat Heaven…

1. Toast a piece of your favorite bread. I suggest a nice white farm bread or italian loaf. However, anything would do, including a sweet pecan raisin. (yummmm) If you don’t have access to good bread, it is worth the money to treat yourself and mail order it from here.

2. Generously spread some thick, delicious honey on the bread. You can order the amazing 100% raw Mexican Honey seen above here.

3. Top the toast with thin slices of manchego cheese. You can likely find this near you but if not, order some along with other Spanish treats here.

4. Cut the toast in four triangles. I don’t know why… but the size and shape DOES matter. Ask any kid about the shape of her PBJ sandwich halves.

5. Close your eyes and take a bite. Crunchy toast, sweet and flavorful honey, cheese from heaven…. oh my. You will likely need to return to step one and repeat immediately.

I have not had a chance to eat there yet but word on the street is that all Blue Ribbon Restaurants are all worth a visit.

For those of us who enjoy reading blogs, you know the excitement of finding a new place to visit and take a break from your day. A few of my latest finds:

Breathe Upon A new blog by Sarah Drake. Photos, inspirations and updates.

decor8 I am probably one of the last to find this blog. My first visit introduced me to creative thursday. Her work brings me such a big smile. I just bought some of her prints!

3191 although this is not a new addition to my list, there are new things happening there.

Pro Bono Baker is written by a fellow Chicagoan.  Her site is so clean and easy to navigate and pick up a food inspiration or two.