Thanksgiving 2013

The past several weeks have been a complete whirlwind, but I'm finally getting back to posting some Thanksgiving pictures.  After my final evening of night float, I hit the road early Thanksgiving morning in route to Atlanta.  Fueled by some breakfast and a rather large latte, I made it door to door in 3.5 hours.  After a quick hello, Bailey somehow sensed my arrival as a sign that we needed to go for a run. So despite having been awake for 20 hours, that is exactly what we did.  

Later in the evenings the whole family gathered for a Thanksgiving feast.  In typical fashion, Mom and Dad combined to prepare the perfect feast, completed by a few dishes made by Grandma.

Here's a look at our eats . . . .

Sweet Potatoes with Pecan Topping + Green Bean Casserole

Oyster Stuffing (a Perkins family tradition) + Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips

Bourbon Smoked Organic Turkey + Bourbon Gravy

My plate with portions of everything - including whole berry roasted cranberry sauce (my favorite!)

We had no trouble cleaning our plates while taking turns answering hypothetical questions.  What is one thing you wish to do in your life that you have yet to accomplish?  If you could go back to high school and choose a different career, what would it be?

Despite full stomachs, we had no trouble making room for some dessert - apple pie and vegan pumpkin pie with whipped topping.

In the several months since I had been home, there were some major renovations in the backyard.  One of the highlights is the addition of a fire pit and seating area.  We bundled up and enjoyed an hour of relaxation watching the flames.  Bailey insisted on joining the gathering and very quickly made her way into my lap, sitting quite contently for a half hour.  Yes, she wears a sweater, and yes, she wears a muzzle.  The crazy dog won't stop eating wood chips, so that is her punishment.  Don't feel bad for her . . . she is spoiled rotten.

Saturday morning I offered to make breakfast, preparing a broccoli frittata, pumpkin bread, and a fruit salad.  Lazy breakfasts are a treat that I always enjoy.

Bailey and I hit the pavement for an 8 mile run and then joined Mom and Dad for a hike through the trails.  It was a cool, yet sunny morning, not a cloud in the sky.

Speaking of beautiful blue skies, we had exciting plans for Saturday afternoon - Let's Go Flying!  Some might call it a midlife crisis, yet others would consider it realizing a lifelong dream.  Regardless, Dad is a very proud owner of a plane, and very quickly learning how to be a pilot.

Armed with his flight instructor at his side, we made two loops through the North Georgia skies.

The views on a clear day were spectacular!  As the sun began to set we were treated to the true beauty of nature.  I'll let the pictures do the talking.

I was really impressed with the smooth flight and Dad's ability to fly the plane.  I'm sure there will be many family trips in the future.  Or, at the very least, I'll be making some reservations on Perkins Air for the trip from Charlotte to Atlanta!

This picture of Bailey essentially sums up our Sunday.  It was quite a surprise that I slept until 9:30 that morning.  My laziness continued with a couple of hours curled up by the fireplace.  Suddenly it was time to pack up and make the drive back to Charlotte.  The four days of vacation flew by in the blink of an eye!  Is it too early to start the countdown to Christmas vacation?

A Sleep Deprived Fog

5 nights down, 15 to go!  I'll spare you the whining associated with night float, and instead piece together random pictures and happenings over the past two weeks.

1.  Ironman Florida was last weekend and I literally couldn't peel myself away from the live coverage.  Between several friends that were racing and my own Ironman debut (Chattanooga 2014!), it seemed so much more real than before.  I kept thinking about my own race and the upcoming long training cycle that will carry me to race day.

2.  In an effort to keep healthy while living the vampire life, I stocked up on a ton of fresh produce from the farmer's market last weekend.  Can you believe there were still some heirloom tomatoes left?  The appearance of cranberries screams fall - pumpkin cranberry muffins, cranberries on pancakes, and cranberry orange sauce at Thanksgiving.

3.  I am currently addicted to a new sandwich creation.  Great Harvest Dakota bread, dijon mustard, smashed avocado, heirloom tomato slices, salt and pepper.  This may become my mainstay meal on night float.

4.  There's not much worse than the food offered in the hospital cafeteria most nights.  Instead of the mushy vegetables (broccoli and carrots, day after day) and the counter of brown (fried everything), I planned a easily portable meal.  Quinoa pasta + asparagus + spinach + clams + garlic sauce.

Simply sauté the asparagus in a tablespoon of EVOO, add the spinach, toss with one cup of trader joe's garlic simmer sauce, and finally mix in a can of clams.  Once heated through, combine with your cooked pasta and serve.  My inspiration was a clam spaghetti that Mom has made several times in the past.  It was delicious!

5.  I'm contemplating running a spring marathon.  On one hand, if I could build run mileage sufficient for 26.2 miles than that would be one thing to feel confident about going into Ironman training.  On the other hand, I seem to be injury prone with long distance running.  Regardless, last weekend I headed out for a 10 miler, but felt so great, that I decided for a nice round 13.1 miles.  Not a bad way to begin a Sunday morning, right?  It was followed promptly by an ice bath, of course.

6.  I spent the majority of my run tossing ideas around in my head of what I would eat for breakfast.  Pancakes sounded perfect, but the process of making so many always seems to take longer than I want - especially post 13.1 miles.  Instead, I whipped up a vegan pumpkin cinnamon waffle in less than 10 minutes from start to finish.

For some reason it decided to stick to the pan in some areas, so it certainly was no work of art.  Nonetheless, topped with bananas, cranberries, and maple syrup, it tasted just fine.

7.  Thank goodness the OITE (orthopedic in-training exam) is over!  After what feels like months of studying, I need a break from practice questions and notecards.  The morning of the test I woke up with a killer migraine, so needless to say, I was pretty miserable for the first hour of the test while waiting for medicine to kick in.

8.  Last but not least, you won't be seeing many gourmet meals around here over the next few weeks.  Night float has a way of zapping my hunger, and certainly results in a major lack of cooking time.  Hence, you can expect meals like this - roasted broccoli, radishes, and a Trader Joe's masala burger (doused in ketchup for good measure).

Happy Halloween

Growing up, Halloween was one of my brother and I's favorite holidays.  When it came to costumes, we dressed up as a range of characters - soccer players (by far the easiest costume and used a few too many times), dogs, Pocahantas, a witch, Cinderella, and a hockey player, just to name a few.  We'd carry our pillow case from door to door in strategically selected neighborhoods and accumulate a slew of sugary treats.  Our favorite part, however, was not the trick-or-treating itself, but rather the days that followed.  Every afternoon when we arrived home from school we would dump out our respective bags of candy, sort everything into piles, and spend far too long contemplating which 4 pieces of candy we would have for dessert that night.  No more, no less, four pieces was the rule.  There were negotiations and trades, as we each had our favorite candies.  It was serious business, and easily kept us busy for an hour each afternoon.

Today, I'm far too old for trick-or-treating.  In fact, over the past couple years, I haven't even been home to hand out candy.  Although I won't be donning any crazy costumes this year, I did celebrate the holiday with some friends with a night of pumpkin carving.

After a barbecue dinner, we set forth to plan our designs, using pre-made templates to guide our creativity.  I chose the cat design, hoping that the designated beginner-intermediate level would be fail-proof.

Being the group of orthopaedic surgeons that we are, power tools and scalpels were ready and available for use.  Have you ever seen a pumpkin gutter?  This thing is seriously the best invention ever.  No more scooping handful after handful of slimy pumpkin guts.  If you carve pumpkins, it is without a doubt the best $11.99 you could spend.

Despite my complete and utter lack of artistic talent, I managed to succeed in my carving.  I think it actually looks like a cat, so I consider that a win.

Camden carefully oversaw the carving festivities.

A whole family of pumpkins - ghost, cat, scary face, and bat.

All of the girls and their respective pumpkins.

 With a little coaxing, we even managed to get the guys in the picture.

And last, but not least, no pumpkin carving session is complete without saving the seeds for roasting.  A quick boil in salt water, sprinkling with EVOO/cinnamon/cumin mix, and then 20 minutes at 375 degrees resulted in perfectly crispy pumpkin seeds.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

What were your favorite childhood costumes?  Did you have any similar candy-sorting rituals?

Fall is in the Air

Temperatures are dropping, darkness comes earlier each evening, leaves are changing colors, and pumpkins are being sold on many street corners.  Here are a few things that I consider to represent the start of fall:

1.  Warm soups, stews, and crock pot meals.  

2. An abundance of squashes and gourds.  Butternut, delicata, and kombucha are just a few of my favorites.

3.  A new season of farmer's market produce (turnips!) and a hot caramel latte to sip on while strolling from vendor to vendor.

4.  Roasted vegetables with nearly every meal.  My oven can go nearly the entire summer without getting turned on more than a few times a month, yet the second the weather cools off it's on a few time a week.  Broccoli and turnips were the roasting victims this week.

 5.  Perfect running weather.  Without a doubt, spring and fall are the absolute best climates for running.  I even splurged on a new pair of shoes to kick start a great running season.

Chicago Eats

Now that you've seen many of the Chicago sights, it's time to get to the serious business - THE FOOD!  Our family is serious when it comes to searching high and low for the best cuisine that a city has to offer.  While I hadn't given much thought to must-try restaurants prior to our arrival, we had no trouble keeping bellies full of delicious food and drink.

Thursday morning started with a short walk to Dallop Coffee Co, a small coffee shop a couple blocks from our hotel.  To supplement the fruit eaten at the hotel, I sipped on a soy pumpkin chai latte and a cranberry oatmeal scone.  The scone was just slightly sweet, filled with oats and flax, and a perfect accompaniment to the latte.  We made a second trip later in the weekend for Dad to try their Metropolis drip coffee.

The main event on Thursday was a Bucktown and Wicker Park Food Tour.  This walking food + architectural excursion is one of three tours, each in a different neighborhood, that Chicago Food Planet hosts.

"Discover the unique artists’ colony that has slowly evolved into a hidden foodie paradise as you enjoy delectable food and drink samples from 6 authentic mom-and-pop restaurants and ethnic eateries"

We met our group outside of George's Hot Dogs, the #1 Chicago hot dog stand and family-owned restaurant established in 1948.  The classic Chicago hot dog features an all-beef frankfurter and is topped with yellow mustard, chopped onions, sweet relish, tomato slices, pickled sport peppers, a dill pickle spear, and a dash of celery salt.  Despite our vegetarian preference, we opted to try the true classic and enjoyed each and every bite.

A short walk through Bucktown brought us to the entrance of Hot Chocolate.  Owner and chef Mindy Segal is a James Beard award winner multiple times over and established this pastry and dessert restaurant in 2004.  The large front window panels were opened to let in the gorgeous weather, and I could have definitely the afternoon lounging there.

We were presented with glasses of their soy iced dark hot chocolate, featuring 72% french chocolate.  As an added treat, a homemade marshmallow topped our glass.  The sweetness was the perfect compliment to the salty start to the meal.

The next stop was Goddess and Grocer, a gourmet foods delicatessen and purveyor of local, organic, and artisan groceries.  Their sandwich and soup menu looked delicious and we enjoyed learning about the local product that fill their shelves.  Our taste was a kale salad, featuring massaged kale, roasted red peppers, raisins, and parmesan.  We were happy to be served some veggies to balance out the indulgences.

Mom and I looking like twins with our dueling scarves.

Eventually we crossed the street and found ourselves moving into the Wicker Park neighborhood. Piece, a New Haven-style pizzeria established in 2001 is recognized for their award-winning brewpub on-premise.  We took a short break to sit down and feast on a pairing of a pizza + beer.

Our tasting slice was their "white pizza" - thin crust brushed with olive oil, garlic, mozzarella cheese, and tomatoes.  Contrary to popular belief, New Haven thin crust pizza outsells Chicago deep dish year after year in the city.

At this point, our stomachs were approaching full.  Fortunately, next on the agenda was an hour-long walk through side-streets admiring the local homes and learning about the history of the neighborhood.  Eventually we made our way towards  Sultan's Market, a Middle-Eastern cafe established in 1985 serving authentic falafel, shawarma, and babaghanoush.

We feasted on a falafel pita - lined with hummus, lettuce, tomato, and topped with jerusalum salad. Shockingly, this was only half of a regular portion.  Can you believe a full portion sells for a meager $3.75?!  Our guide told us that the owner prides herself on maintaining the original prices since their initial opening.

The last stop of the tour was at iCream, a creamery rapidly freezing custom concoctions utilizing a unique liquid nitrogen system.  I was beyond full at this point, but found just enough room for a taste.  The Bucktown and Wicker Park food tour was a great way to taste our way through a new city while also learning about it's history and I'd definitely recommend it to future travelers.

Thursday evening, Dad rejoined the girls and we opted for dinner at Bandera.  Located on Michigan Avenue and just a few blocks from our hotel, they offer traditional American cooking.  Despite a rather short and simple menu, we were pleased with an excellent meal.

Thanks Mom and Dad for letting me join in the fun of a trip to Chicago!

Cornbread Skillet
This was equally as good as it looks - hearty bread mixed with corn kernals, a crispy exterior,
and a wonderfully savory, sweet, and moist base.  Butter does wonderful things!

Veggie Burger with Emerald Kale Salad
The picture doesn't do it justice, but this was a HUGE burger.
Dad polished off every last bite!

Butternut and White Cheddar Enchilada with Escabéche and Brussel Sprouts
Mom was very pleased with this selection and also joined the clean-plate club.

Macho Salad with avocado, dates, almonds and goat cheese + Brussel Sprouts
This was the best salad I have had in quite some time.  The combination of large chunks of avocado, creamy and tangy goat cheese, sweet dates, and crunch of almonds was the
perfect combination.

On Friday, I chose Intelligentsia for a jolt of espresso post-long run.  The coffee is locally roasted in Chicago and then sold throughout several gourmet markets across the country.  I opted for the simplicity of an extra-hot soy latte to truly savour the true flavors of the coffee bean.  It was certainly a perfect birthday morning!

The only research I had done prior to our arrival with respect to food, was for the best falafel in the city.  I'm not sure that anything will ever compare to my first and very favorite falafel pita from Taim in NYC.  Falafill was touted as the best, and so we found ourselves there for lunch on Friday afternoon.  My selection was the "classic falafel wrap."  Inside the whole wheat pita was falafel, tahini, and then my choice of selections from the mezza bar (hummus, baba ghanouge, jerusalem salad, minted cabbage, and curry roasted cauliflower).  Needless to say, I had no problem devouring it.

We were seeking waterfront dining for dinner on Friday night, and thus selected Catch 35 on the Chicago River.  Although advertised as waterfront dining, we learned upon arrival that they were a block off the water and lacked a single seat in the restaurant with a view of the river.  Despite this, we were pleased to discover a quiet restaurant with excellent service and a fresh seafood meal.

Appetizer of Grilled Calamari

Hearts of Palm Salad + Yellowfin Tuna Sashimi
Still feeling quite full from a day of indulgences, I opted for a lighter meal with selections
from the appetizer menu.  The tuna was seared and paired perfectly with the pickled ginger.

Naturally, no birthday celebration is complete without dessert!  Fortunately, I had saved room.

Flourless Chocolate Fudge Cake + Peanut Butter Mousse
Rich, decadent, chocolate goodness!

Espresso Creme Brulee
We all agreed that this was one of the best creme brulees that we had ever tasted.

Just for the record, we did try Chicago deep dish pizza, stopping for lunch on Saturday at Giordano's.  Sadly, we were anything but impressed.  The crust was no better than freezer-quality and the filling was 90% cheese and a meager 10% toppings.  Some people may love it, but it certainly wasn't one of our favorite meals.

Saturday night was deemed Mom's birthday dinner, since we would be in-flight on her Sunday birthday.  Among many dining establishments, we discovered a vegan restaurant with a mouth-watering menu and were quick to make reservations.  Karyn's On Green is in Chicago's Greektown neighborhood and advertises contemporary cuisine that makes vegan sexy.

I had a difficult time deciding between the many entrees, and eventually determined that what I was really craving was a combination of sides.  Fortunately, the kitchen happily prepared a custom vegetable plate for me.  My three selections included quinoa hush-puppies with coconut-curry aioli, elote (roasted corn on the cob) with spicy root beer aioli and cilantro-lime butter, and caramelized brussels sprouts with grain mustard vinaigrette.  Although it appeared to be a ton of food, I managed to devour almost every morsel.  So delicious!

Mom's celebratory dessert was a vegan creme brulee.  While not quite as decadent as the traditional dairy version, we all agreed that it was skillfully prepared to closely mimic it's counterpart.  Happy birthday Mom!

Wow, that was a lot of stellar food!  Chicago appears to have a great culinary scene, and we only touched on a small number of possibilities.  Here I sit typing this at 11pm and I can't stop drooling.  Some say you should not grocery shop while hungry.  I, however, would add that you shouldn't blog about food when hungry.

That concludes my trip to Chicago - one that I will remember for birthday celebrations, beautiful fall weather, runs along the lake, long walks exploring city streets, quality time with my parents, and an abundance of delicious eats.  Farewell Windy City!