Pizza and Wine = Winning Combo

One of my favorite restaurants is a neighborhood gem in West Lakeview - Frasca: Pizzeria and Wine Bar (http://www.frascapizzeria.com). There are great deals/discounts Sunday - Thursday. The two deals that I can't resist are Mondays when bottles of wine are all half price and Wednesdays for buy 1 pizza get 1 free!

Frasca is casual Italian-inspired restaurant and wine bar featuring a large wood-burning oven and a 35-seat bar fitted with river-rock, and there's both booth and banquette seating. The menu features a selection of starters such as the antipasto board where you get to select from various cured meats, cheeses, bruschettas and accompaniments. For the main attraction choose from thin crust pizzas (the caponata being my favorite), homemade pastas or several meat and seafood entrees. I have never saved enough room for dessert but next time I will try as the homemade doughnuts and gelato sound fantastic!

I highly recommend you giving this place a try. Great for visiting family members or a group of your friends.

Parking is a little difficult but the el is convenient as the Paulina Red line is only steps away.

Frasca: Pizzeria and Wine Bar
3358 North Paulina St, Chicago, Il 60657
p 773 248 5222

Best Ballpark Food Picks

As major league baseball has evolved into a bigger business, its ballparks have come to offer smorgasbords of delight from which fans can select their game-time snacks. The better concession stands at today's big league yards reflect the local specialties of their surrounding cities. At U.S. Cellular Field, fans of Chicago-style deep dish can have their 'Za and their World Series trophy too. At PNC Park, beleaguered 'Burgh fans feast on pierogies while they wait for Steelers two-a-days to start. At Shea Stadium, cosmopolitan New Yorkers enjoy authentic deli sandwiches and knish.

But most always think of the hot dog which is why a list of the 10 top dogs was created...

1. Miller's Dog
McAfee Coliseum, Oakland
So juicy and snappy you'll swear it has natural casing.

2. The Fenway Frank
Fenway Park, Boston
A supple dog that always leaves you wanting one more.

3. Nathan's Hot Dog
Yankee Stadium, New York
Hate the Yankees, love their hot dog.

4. Hebrew National Dog
Safeco Field, Seattle
Good enough for the Rabbi, good enough for us.

5. Met Jumbo Dog
The Metrodome, Minneapolis
The biggest, baddest dog in MLB makes arena-ball almost tolerable.

6. Aaron's Hot Dog
Shea Stadium, New York
Lastings Milledge isn't the only hot dog making headlines in Queens these days.

7. The Hunter's Dog
New Busch Stadium, St. Louis
Spicy, juicy, and firm. This Hunter's dog was so good we expected it to roll over in its bun.

8. Grilled Blue Jay Dog
Rogers Center, Toronto
An all-beef frank slit several times during grilling and served on a poppy seed roll. And once you factor in the exchange rate, it only costs 40 cents.

9. Schweigert Hot Dog
Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City
Not sure if we got the spelling right, but we know good pork by-product when we taste it.

10. Hot Dog Heaven
Turner Field, Atlanta
Of the 21 different dogs served at "The Ted," our favorite is the Bison Dog. Our pal Jane prefers the Jumbo Georgia Dog... at least she used to.

10 hot dogs in the majors quoted from: Josh Pahigian and Kevin O'Connell are the authors of "The Ultimate Baseball Road-Trip: A Fan's Guide to Major League Stadiums

New Restaurants in Wrigley

Wrigley Field hasn’t been christened with a new name thanks to corporate sponsorship (yet), but the shiny new sports bar replacing the Friendly Confines Cafe has. Dubbed Captain Morgan Club and operated by the Harry Caray Restaurant Group, the bar opened Friday, April 10th, with Captain Morgan himself spreading the brand-name cheer. This open-air sports bar for up to 500 will stay open year round, putting up walls for winter. Don’t expect the same menu as Harry Caray’s Tavern, though—the brief lineup here includes five sandwiches, two salads, hot dogs and nachos. Find it at the stadium’s southeast corner, near Addison and Sheffield.

Quick hit: The bar’s few specialty drinks aren’t anything to cheer about (ready to order a $7 Captain Cubby made with the namesake rum and Pepsi?), but entrances from both the field and the street allow meet-ups between game watchers and their non-ticketholding pals.

Later this month look for a second more intimate Rockit Bar in the former Tuscany on Clark location. With a huge patio to seat 80+ guests for some great people watching and catching some rays!

Cubs logo courtesy of MLB.com

Spring Cookie Idea

These thin chocolate cookies with ganache icing dipped into grated coconut make the perfect nests for two or three miniature chocolate eggs.

Ingredients
* 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
* 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
* 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
* 1 cup heavy cream
* 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
* Gel-paste food coloring
* 2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
* 6 candy-coated chocolate eggs

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter and sugar.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; mix on low speed just until a stiff dough forms, about 2 minutes. Transfer dough to a piece of plastic wrap, wrap tightly, and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
3. Place chocolate, heavy cream, and espresso powder in a medium heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring occasionally, until chocolate has melted. Remove bowl from heat, and set the chocolate ganache aside to cool, stirring occasionally.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out chilled dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 2 1/4-inch-round cookie cutter, cut out 24 cookies; place them on lined baking sheets. Chill cookies until firm, about 20 minutes.
5. Bake cookies until set, about 14 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. For colored coconut, combine a few drops of food coloring with 3 tablespoons water in a medium bowl. Stir in coconut; mix until evenly colored. Spread on an ungreased baking sheet; bake just until dry, about 12 minutes, being careful not to brown. Let coconut cool; transfer to a small bowl.
7. When the ganache has cooled to room temperature, whisk until it becomes stiff enough to pipe. Transfer ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch-round tip, and pipe around perimeters of cookies. Dip each cookie, ganache-side down, into plain or colored coconut. Fill "nests" with candy-coated chocolate eggs, 2 or 3 eggs per nest. Store cookies in an airtight container, refrigerated, up to 3 days.

Recipe courtesy of marthastewart.com

Bomb Foods

You might be familiar with 'Daily Candy' (http://www.dailycandy.com/chicago) - a free daily e-mail newsletter and website, is the insider’s guide to what’s hot, new, and undiscovered — from fashion and style to gadgets and travel. However you probably haven't heard of 'The Daily Bomb' - same concept as 'Daily Candy' but all about food. You will receive wacky articles on munchies food and bomb recipes just name a few of what to expect. Or you can go to their website (http://www.bombfood.com)and search by category: holiday, Asian, breakfast and so many more.

Enjoy!

Cultural Diversity Through Cooking

While doing an event where Art Smith (may know as Oprah's personal chef or executive chef at Chicago's Table Fifty-two) was the chef for the evening he mentioned an organization called Common Threads. This organization helps bridge cultural boundaries and strengthens our global family by teaching children about their similarities and differences in the warm comfort of the kitchen: Through the simple process of preparing and sharing a nutritious meal, children who participate in these programs learn to connect with their bodies, their neighbors, and their world in bite-sized lessons.

Students learn basic kitchen skills, cooking techniques, and the importance of fresh ingredients as they prepare healthy ethnic cuisine together. Chef Instructors incorporate nutrition tips and cultural information into lessons that teach our students how to connect with their bodies, their neighbors, and their world in a healthy way.

Throughout the year, volunteers help fulfill Common Threads' mission to educate children on the importance of nutrition and physical well-being and to foster an appreciation of cultural diversity through cooking. They accept volunteers 18 years and older of all races, abilities, and religions.

If you are interested in volunteering or participating in various events throughout the year go to http://www.commonthreads.org

CHICAGO The Musical

There’s never been a better time to experience CHICAGO, Broadway’s razzle-dazzle smash. This triumphant hit musical is the recipient of six Tony Awards®, two Olivier Awards, a Grammy® and thousands of standing ovations. A sensational tale of sin, corruption and all that jazz. Starring John O'Hurley of "Seinfeld" and "Dancing With The Stars" as Billy Flynn!

Head to the Ford Center/Oriental Theatre to see CHICAGO before time runs out. The show only runs in Chicago from February 25, 2009 - March 08, 2009. The show has everything you could want: knockout dancing, an edge-of-your-seat story and one showstopper after another. If you loved the Academy Award®-winning film, nothing beats the live show, and if you are already intimately acquainted with the musical, experience that sizzle again. CHICAGO always delivers.

Can order tickets online at Ticketmaster.com or call Broadway in Chicago box office (312) 977-1710.

Looking for a pre-theatre restaurant for dinner try one of the following that are within walking distance...

1. Petterino's - 150 N. Dearborn St. 312-422-0150
2. Atwood Cafe - 1 W. Washington St. 312-368-1900
3. Trattoria No. 10 - 10 N. Dearborn St. 312-984-1718
4. Walnut Room (inside Macy's) - 111 N. State St., 7th Floor 312-781-3125