Chicago Deep Dish Pizza

We were supposed to dine at Lou Manalti’s Pizzeria after the wedding rehearsal on Saturday evening. When the wedding party, family and friends arrived at the location in Naperville, IL…we were told the wait will be 2 hours especially when there’s 20 in the party. Apparently they don’t take reservations either! I was so looking forward to eat at Lou Manalti’s after watching yet another Bobby Flay Throwdown with Lou Manalti’s Pizzeria. I forgot who won as I think I fell asleep before they announce the winner of the Throwdown!

Anyway, the party moved on to Giordano’s about one block away and the wait was shorter; almost no wait actually though we were separated into 2 tables. It was a big difference as Lou Malnati’s was jam packed and Giordano’s wasn’t. I wonder if it was coz of the recent Bobby Flay Throwdown episode on the Food Network, or Lou Manalti’s is just heavenly good!!! At Giordiano’s, we ordered a few different kind of salads and of course the Chicago deep dish style pizza! Spinach and mushroom  plus green pepper and pepperoni deep dish pizzas were ordered and they were pretty yummy (I only tried the spinach and mushroom pizza). I am not a big fan of deep dish pizza, as I prefer less sauce and MORE gooey and slightly browned cheese…. I love pizza with thinner crust and to be able to pick up a whole slice of pizza (and fold it into half?) and eat it with my hands……Mmmmmmm to New York style pizza! Sorry, Chicago!

Honeydew Sago / Sai Mai Lo

“Sai Mai Lo” (Cantonese) or “Xi Mi Lu” (Mandarin) is a Chinese dessert quite commonly found in Dim Sum places or dessert stands/stores in Asia. There are a few different kind of “Sai Mai Lo'”; honeydew, taro, mango, watermelon, etc and all of them will have the must have ingredients of tapioca pearls and a sweet creamy “soup base” although some are served on a bed of shaved ice. Either way, these are yummy desserts!

I made some the other day since I have some cantaloupe in the fridge. The melon used has got to be ripe so that the sweetness from the melon enhances the outcome of this dessert. Some recipes require the use of coconut milk and/or evaporated milk. I personally prefer using just evaporated milk. And here’s my version/recipe :

HONEYDEW SAI MAI LO RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Honeydew Melon / Cantaloupe, Diced Finely
• 1/2 Cup Tapioca Pearls
• 5-2/3 Cups Water
• 2/3 Cup Sugar
• 2 Pandan Leaves, Knotted (**Optional)
• 1 Can (12 Fl Oz) Evaporated Milk

Method:

In a pot, boil 5 cups of water and add tapioca pearls when water is boiling. Cook for 15 minutes, turn off heat and cover for 10 minutes for the pearls to continue cooking. **Do not overcook the tapioca pearls as you would end up with a pot of glue!! Then strain the cooked tapioca pearls, run it through cold water and set aside.

In another pot, add sugar and Pandan leaves to remaining 2/3 cup of water. Boil the mixture until all sugar has dissolved. Set aside and let syrup cool. This would give you more syrup than you actually need. You can store the extra syrup in an airtight container, in the fridge for another few days.

In a medium mixing bowl, add diced melon, cooked tapioca pearls and evaporated milk. Slowly add syrup to taste. Adjust amount of syrup according to your sweet preference. I added about 1/2 cup of syrup to my mixture. (I love my dessert SWEET) Chill for about 3-4 hours until dessert is cold. You may also add ice cubes before serving.

Chicken Quesadilla

I was inspired to make some Quesadilla for dinner, and no it wasn’t from watching another Bobby Flay Throw Down or other Food Network shows. It was a “just because” spontaneous urge to make it as I was shopping for this week’s groceries. It all started with this big pack of chicken breasts which was on sale…and my food loving mind just started rolling…Tortillas were next to cheeses…..One thing lead to the next, I bought what I thought were the necessary ingredients to make Chicken Quesadilla!

Quesadilla are tortillas (corn or whole wheat) filled with cheese, guacamole and meat, toasted. This Mexican cuisine is quite commonly found on appetizer menus in various restaurants somehow reminded me of savory pancakes/crepes but is easier to eat with your hands!

Making the Chicken Quesadilla was surprisingly easy and hubby said it was delicious and thought that I had put in a lot of work to make it…Haha!! I did not refer to any recipe, just imagination of the last quesadilla I had and started putting stuff together of what I thought was right!

I sautéed some thinly sliced chicken breast strips with some thinly sliced onions and minced garlic in butter. Then I added some salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and chili powder. When the chicken is cooked, I removed it and set it aside.

To assemble the quesadilla, I took a piece of corn tortilla and spread a thin layer of guacamole on it. Then on one side of the tortilla and about 1 inch from the edge, I sprinkled some Mexican Cheese blend, cooked chicken strips, thinly sliced green pepper and more cheese. Folded the tortilla into half, and heated it on a slightly buttered pan, pressing it down slightly. I heated both sides until the tortilla is browned and cheese melted. Cut into 4 pieces and serve it with some store bought guacamole, home made salsa and Asian inspired Coleslaw( my creation).  I always make more for hubby to bring for lunch the next day! Tuesdays thru Fridays, hubby will always have lunch box from home except when he has a lunch meeting or if we ate out the night before. Why pay for cafeteria food that can be pretty crappy when you can bring a container of homemade food made with lotsa love?? All you need is to reheat it and you’ve got yourself a warm lunch! Here’s a picture of his Chicken Quesadilla lunch packed in somewhat a “bento” style, with all the condiments that go with quesadilla! The salsa, guacamole and salad are packed in individual silicone baking cups to separate them from a forming a mess. =) Can you feel the love?

Meet Brady’s Twin!

Sweet Hearts from My Sweet Hearts Bakery in Sydney, Australia found Brady his twin! She stumbled upon my blog and saw pictures of Brady…who look quite similar to her little pooch; Chico! Although Brady is a Jack Russell and Italian Greyhound mix while Chico is a Foxxie and Maltese mix, they sure do have uncanny resemblance!

Sweet Hearts took the time to compile the similarities and pictures of both the pampered little ones!Check out her blog entry HERE. And tell me that they are not twins separated at birth!! It’s too bad that we are miles and oceans apart…..it would have been super cool to meet up for a doggy play date and for both owners to share our similar interest in FOOD!!!

  ****Picture borrowed from My Sweet Hearts Bakery.

April Fool’s Day!

No practical jokes from me this year as I’m no longer the mischievous little girl! Haha! Ya, right! Well, we will see what happen throughout the day later! I might get cheeky and pull something on hubby??!=P

First of April marked my 2 years “anniversary” leaving Chicago. I don’t know why I chose to leave Chicago and move to Boston on this “auspicious” date….it just so happened. I remember vividly my ex-boss who kept checking and making sure I wasn’t pulling a April Fool’s prank when I told him I’m moving on April 1st! To his disappointment, it was not a joke and I was really moving….leaving behind friends, co-workers but still keeping my job! Can’t believe it’s been 2 years, and I still miss Chicago! My recent trip back brought back so many wonderful memories!