Tell Me Which Desk I Should Buy…

Posted by Krista on February 26, 2011

I need a desk. I sold my old John Lewis stalwart to a co-worker before I left London. And as much as I do love blogging from the kitchen island, I really need my own space. And six months after repatriating, it’s time to unpack the, um, office. (It’s functioning as a closet currently.) CSN Stores (every bloggers’ favorite website these days) is going to love me because four of the five desks I like are on their Web site. (Along with pretty much everything you might ever want to buy.) Note I am NOT participating in a CSN giveaway this time around. It was just very convenient that they have a lot of desks I like!

aria deskThis is the Aria desk from Herman Miller. It’s very handsome. It’s also very large and very expensive. But I still like it and I am thinking of this whole desk purchase thing as an investment. I’m looking for a desk for life.

blue dotThere’s something nice and clean about this design. It also comes in reddish-orange and white. I’m liking the gray but sometimes I like the white. Too plain? Too boring? This is by Blu Dot.

enchord

Another Herman Miller choice. This one is called the Enchord. I kinda dig the green under-table. But maybe I’ll feel too much like a Swedish architect?

nelson

Um, so apparently I have a thing for Herman Miller. I like the slots in this one. I don’t know what I’d put in them, but I like them just the same. I also like the dainty legs and the use of color. This desk is called Nelson. It’s a happy desk, isn’t it?

rianThis desk is called the Rian and its made by a small company called Semigood Design in Washington State. (Someone obviously has some confidence problems?) I might get the chair–only because it’s cute–but I don’t think I could use it for working. I need a chair with a back. I like that this has drawers and there’s just something very clean and neat about it.

What do you think? Which one do you think I should buy? Comments please!

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If You Live in Chicago, Go See “If I’m Not Home”

Posted by Krista on February 26, 2011

You should go see the feature documentary my friend and colleague Dustin Grove did on Chicago jazz musician Ron Cooper. It’s called “If I’m Not Home” and it’s playing at the Gene Siskel Center on Saturday and Monday. It’s been getting AWESOME reviews. See The Tribune and The ReaderYou can buy tickets on Ticketmaster.

Check out the preview video here…

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The Things I’ve Missed about America

Posted by Krista on February 16, 2011

Chicago River from Michigan AvenueIt occurred to me that as of February 6th, I’ve been back in the U.S. for six whole months. Seriously scary how time flies. And although I still get a little teary-eyed when I think about my life in the U.K., there are definitely a few things I’ve really missed about America.

  • Talking to strangers in elevators, on trains, and in buses and airports. You never know anyone’s story in this country. So many interesting ones to be had. (That being said, when I announced at baggage claim on Friday that Mubarak was really out–thanks to Twitter I knew within seconds of the announcement–everyone looked at me kinda funny.)
  • Skyscrapers and tall buildings.
  • Wearing gym clothes all day on a Sunday. No need to break out the skinny jeans and large sunglasses as you head out for lunch or brunch or the grocery store. Sweatpants and baseball caps totally okay all day.
  • Pandora.com. Have discovered so much new music since I’ve been back, thanks to Pandora. (Why I hadn’t heard of Phoenix earlier is anyone’s guess.)
  • Huge washers and dryers that work so quickly! 1.5 hours and you’re done with washing AND drying.
  • Tap water. Everywhere. Easily refilled.
  • No one smokes, or if they do, they hide it well.
  • Trader Joe’s. I freakin’ love Trader Joe’s. The best grocery store ever.
  • Salads for lunch. Salads for dinner. Lots and lots of salads.
  • Half-and-half.
  • Caffeine-free anything.
  • Gyms that open at 5:30 am.
  • Icemakers.
  • Fountain sodas. Found only at McDonald’s and Subway in the UK, fountain sodas are the norm here. I love me some extra carbonation.
  • The New York Times. In hardcopy.
  • Cheap manicures and pedicures. Everywhere.
  • Milk sold by the gallon.
  • Pasteurized milk. (Meaning it doesn’t go bad immediately. It’s like a miracle! The milk I bought Feb 1 during the blizzard had a sell by date of February 12th! Which means it would have lasted a few days after that!)
  • Whole Foods. OK, I know there’s one in South Ken, but in Chicago, we have MULTIPLE Whole Foods. I could seriously stay at Whole Foods all day. (I am considering a Whole Foods Challenge, where I actually have breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Whole Foods on North Avenue and don’t leave the facility. Contact me if interested in participating.)
  • The Today Show on NBC. I would watch BBC Breakfast and GMTV while I was in London, but nothing really compares to Matt Lauer and the gang on NBC. I especially like the first 22 minutes of commercial-free news. Fantastic for the treadmill.
  • The Amazing Race. Why there’s not a UK version of this show, I don’t know. At the very least, I’d argue that teams from the UK should start applying for the US show.
  • The CTA Bus Tracker app. Chicago has this iPhone app–and 800 number–where you can look up when the next bus is coming. It’s awesome. And while London has those digital displays at some stops which tell you when the next 43 should be arriving, they’re not at every stop. Which is annoying.
  • Pumpernickle bread
  • Salt bagels
  • California wine
  • Salsa
  • Artichoke dip from Whole Foods
  • Cheerios. The normal kind.
  • Arnold Palmers.
  • Corn bread
  • Blueberry muffins
  • Muenster cheese
  • Food & Wine magazine
  • Tamales

As always, I could go on and on. But I’ll stop there. Suffice it to say, if given the choice, I’d chose London, but Chicago ain’t that bad either.

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10 Things I REALLY HATE about Chicago

Posted by Krista on January 20, 2011


Falling Ice Sign
10. This sign. I hate this sign. It’s everywhere in winter in Chicago. Talk about paranoia. You are going to die! Any second! From an icicle hurtling down from above!

9. Sidewalks of ice. Wednesday morning, on my way into work, I bit it HARD on the ice and found myself face down on the pavement, left knee bleeding, lovely (and not cheap) Wolford tights ruined. I had to turn back home, fix up my knee, say goodbye to my tights (replacing them with vastly inferior M&S tights, which I still love, but they’re just not Wolford), and get to work 30 minutes later than I wanted to be.

8. Khaki trousers on men AND women. Really, everyone. Mix it up a little. For women though really, I really think you should ditch the khakis entirely. You are not a collegiate sports instructor.

7. North Avenue on the weekends between the river and Halsted. Total chaos. Too many cars. Not enough parking. No bike lane. This street is just not wide enough for everyone going to Whole Foods.

6. Down coats. I feel like the Michelin Man. Yes, it keeps me warm. But I look silly. I don’t want to look silly. And try stuffing 20 extra people in down coats into a car on the Blue Line every morning. Ridiculous.

5. Chicago taxi drivers. My grossly unscientific study says 75% of them are on the phone while driving. Do you see me back here? Do you? Because I’m your passenger and your job is to get me from A to B without incident. Don’t act all surprised when I barely give you $1 tip while you’ve been fighting with your ex-girlfriend for the last 10 minutes.

4. Macy’s. And I’m from New York. WTF? I want Fields Days back! Thank God you haven’t taken down the signs, Macy’s, or I’d never step foot inside you again. (But thank you for keeping the Frangos.)

3. Furniture Parking Space People. You know who you are. You dig out your car and put two lawn chairs out with a broom and expect the whole block to stay away. Sorry dude. You snooze, you lose. Next time, buy yourself some karma instead and dig a stranger’s car out too.

2. Potholes. Come on Streets & Sanitation…you could put a hot tub in some of these potholes.  I nearly lost my bike seat riding north on Milwaukee back in November when I hit one I couldn’t dodge because of traffic behind me. Thank God for the guys at Bike Lane, who fixed my seat super fast and then told me I didn’t have to pay. (They might make my list of 10 things I REALLY LOVE about Chicago.)

1. The entire month of January. I have forgotten how bitter you are. Coldest month of the year. I cannot wait until you are over. Next year, I will make sure I send myself to Brazil or something in January. Somewhere where I don’t have to wear a down coat or dodge potholes or icicles. Somewhere WARM.

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Guess the airport…

Posted by Krista on January 10, 2011
Name the Airport

Name the Airport

I was just flipping through my photos from 2010 when I came across this one which I took during a short flight layover in a major international airport. The airport was a bit crowded, so it took me a long time to find a moment devoid of travelers. There’s something lovely and majestic and quiet almost about this. After I took the shot, I just kept wandering in and out and around the structure. Do you know where it is? I’ll give you one hint: I flew from Chicago with United Airlines to get here.

More Guess That Airport

More Guess That Airport

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Foreign Films I’ve Been Watching Lately

Posted by Krista on January 8, 2011

Given the New Year’s holidays, I’ve had a lot of time as of late to catch-up on movies, and for some reason, I’m on a bit of a foreign film kick. Well actually, I can tell you the reason why I’ve been watching so many films with subtitles: NetFlix offers FREE instant streaming movies for a small subsection of films, many of them foreign. And now I have Apple TV.

Here, what I’ve been watching lately, roughly in order of preference. SPOILER ALERT! Although I’ll try to be indirect about it. If you have any recommendations for other films I should check out, please let me know!

Soul Kitchen: Young Greek guy in Germany runs friendly neighborhood restaurant which Gordon Ramsay would hate. (All deep fryers and microwaves.) Girlfriend moves to Shanghai and he eventually decides to follow her. Gives restaurant to older brother, who just happens to be on parole. You can see where this is going. Old “friend” of main character Zinos pops up and ruins everything. A little drawn out at times, but quirky and enjoyable in general. No one dies in this movie. German with English subtitles.

For My Father: Set in Tel Aviv. Young Arab suicide bomber plans to blow himself up. Plans ruined when bomb doesn’t go off. Develops feelings for local Jewish girl who has her own problems. Also builds meaningful relationship with older crazy Israeli man, who is indirectly and unknowingly helping main character fix bomb. Main character starts to change his mind. BUT! Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles.

An Education: Older man has sex with teenage cello-playing schoolgirl who dreams of going to Oxford. Oxford plans foiled! Carrie Mulligan is transcendent as main character Jenny. David (the older guy who falls in “love” with her) is a jackass. Jenny’s parents have strange priorities. No one dies in this movie. English.

As It Is in Heaven: Get ready to cry a lot, even though this is a fairly predictable tragedy. World renowned-conductor Daniel with bad acne scars returns to his hometown in Sweden for a bit of much needed rest. To keep himself occupied, he takes on the local choir and quickly figures out that he’s not the only one with troubles. Falls in love with local Swedish girl. Stupid crying, stupid crying ending. Swedish with English subtitles.

The Syrian Bride: Bride in the Golan Heights is arranged to be married to famous actor in Syria she has never met before. Once she leaves the Golan, she will never be able to return. Main character Mona never smiles, which makes this all a bit depressing. Side plot about Mona’s older sister almost more interesting. You will hate immigration officers after watching this movie but you will be desperate to recall your 10th grade history lessons so you can understand what this is all about. No one dies in this movie. Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles.

Departures: Cello-player loses job in orchestra and moves back to hometown. Takes job as a someone who prepares bodies for burial. Wife gets unhappy and leaves him. Cello-player realizes he really likes his job, but still resents that his father abandoned him and his mother when he was young. Wife realizes her mistake and returns. Many people die in this film, but they’re already dead so there’s that. You will cry at the end end. Japanese with English subtitles.

Welcome: Kurdish refugees make their way to France but are caught on their way to the UK. Teenage Bilal is desperate to save his girlfriend in the UK from an arranged marriage to her much older cousin, and attempts to swim English channel to save her because it’s his only option for getting there now that he’s in the immigration camp. Local French swimming instructor caught up in crazy plan. You will cry. French and Arabic with English subtitles.

Gloomy Sunday: Bizarre love triangle. Woman who works in a restaurant allows herself to be shared by two men: restaurant owner and piano player.  The two men have no trouble sharing her. Would rather be with her than without her sort of thing. Hitler marches across Europe. Restaurant owner is Jewish. You can see where this is going. Same song is played over and over again and by the end, you’ll want to kill yourself too. German with English subtitles.

Bread & Tulips: I think I’ve seen this film before. Family of an Italian housewife accidentally leaves her behind at a roadstop during  a group tour. She decides to go to Venice. Finds man and new friends who truly appreciates her. Realizes husband is a jackass. Italian with English subtitles. Italian with English subtitles.

Got any suggestions for me? Do tell…do tell…

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Bloggers on Blogger, please stop doing this…

Posted by Krista on January 7, 2011

Blogger Comment Login without Option for Name/URL

Just a tiny Grinch-y rant while we’re still close enough to the holidays for me to call myself a Grinch…

I read a lot of blogs. A lot. And I comment on a lot of blogs. I have my own blog and love it when people comment…I am only assuming that others feel the same. It’s nice to know that somewhere out there, someone is reading what you’ve written and someone is taking the time to comment .

The Other Blogger Option, with No Name/URL Option

The Other Blogger Option, again with No Name/URL Option

But I’ve all but given up commenting on all but a few Blogger blogs that are set up without a Name/URL option. Why? Because you have to use a Google Account, or a form of OpenID to leave your comment. And for WordPress, they want a WordPress.com account. Not a WordPress.org account. So now that I’m closing down my Typepad account, I can’t comment on a lot of Blogger blogs unless I want to login with my Google account which I just don’t want to do. (Call me stubborn.)

Here’s what happens with this Blogger set up. I write up my comment. I realize I can’t submit it because I have to go login somewhere else. I go to OpenID (or Typepad up until now) and insert my OpenID URL or Typepad username. Now I have to leave the blog that I’ve been enjoying reading and go log in separately to OpenID or Typepad and then come back to the blog site and do the CAPTCHA and then submit my comment. (And half the time, I can’t even remember my OpenID URL anyhow so the OpenID option is pointless.) Even if I use a Google Account, it’s the same problem if I’m not already logged into gmail or some other Google product. I have to leave. I have to come back. And by that point, I’ve lost interest.

And with this sort of process–the options depicted in the screenshot–all you get is the name of the commenter. If the commenter has a Web site, you will have no idea. The commenter just becomes an anonymous name. That’s it.

So please, bloggers on Blogger…change your commenting settings. It’s easy, I promise. And Blogger’s spam settings are awesome so you will not be spammed.

OK. Grinchy rant over. Do some good eating for me this weekend, please!

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This is what I’ll be doing for the next two weeks…

Posted by Krista on January 1, 2011

Whole Foods DetoxHello 2011! Now to atone for the excesses of 2010, here’s what I’ll be doing for the next two weeks along with getting plenty of rest, drinking lots of water, exercising, and eating healthily. Detoxing. Yes. It’s only two weeks, right? (Although upon further analysis, The Complete Body Cleanse box says, “Your body will be working hard, so take it easy and avoid intense exercise. Hmmm…)

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Thank You to Everyone, Really, And a Contest…

Posted by Krista on December 29, 2010

Old-school Chicago Neon

2011 is upon us. Thank you to my readers for a great 2010. I hope many of you stick with me even if I don’t live in London anymore. (Hey, I’ll be back in April. If not sooner!)

I’d like to give a particular shout out to the bloggers who provided me with the most traffic in 2010. Many super thanks and may the traffic gods worship you thusly in 2011. These are all Londoners with one sole exception. Will be interesting to compare the list at the end of 2011…

  1. Gourmet Chick: Lawyer-turned-journalist Gourmet Chick hits all the new London restaurants and is amazingly well-travelled. When I need travel tips, I turn to Gourmet Chick.
  2. An American in London: And when Cara hasn’t been there, I go to Alice. (Or vice versa.) I like that Alice does her own thing…you’ll see her at only the rarest of blog events. P.S. Alice loves Paris. And France.
  3. Hollow Legs: Funny. Sharp. Excellent cook. How she does it and remains so thin, I have no idea. Hollow Legs, I hope your metabolism stays like so FOREVER. And if you have any to spare, please give me some.
  4. Cheese & Biscuits: At the risk of offending many people, I think Chris is one of the best restaurant-blog writers out there today. When he’s good he’s very very good, but when he’s cranky he’s CRANKY. I love it when Chris gets cranky. (But restaurants don’t.)
  5. London Eater: Lovely photos (and many of them!), unrestrained prose and very commercially-minded. (I don’t mean this in a bad way.)
  6. Eat Like a Girl: Prolific and omnipresent. Every year is Niamh’s year. (Check out her latest accolades.) But I predict 2011 is the year Niamh goes commercial…
  7. World Foodie Guide: London’s retired food blogger is still delivering traffic.
  8. Food Stories: AMAZING recipes. Amazing energy for Peckham, her local neighborhood. Her pressure cooker post actually made me call my mom and ask for one.
  9. Kavey Eats: A fantastic resource on food, recipes and otherwise. A prolific blogger and an amazingly prolific Tweeter. I don’t know how she does it. (Oddly, there’s not a link to her Twitter self on her blog!)
  10. Mmm Yoso: These guys crack me up! They truly have been everywhere and eat everything. But Asian food is definitely a speciality. I was pleased to see that Kirk had stopped into Chicago recently.

The Contest: Link to my site from yours by 11:59 pm Chicago time December 31st and you could win one of three Michelin restaurant guides. (Your choice!) All you need to do is leave a comment confirming your link by 23:59 CST. More details here.

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My 2011 Resolutions

Posted by Krista on December 28, 2010
Klaus Haapaniemi  ASIO FLAMMEUS

A print by the amazing Klaus Haapaniemi ASIO FLAMMEUS. Yours for £350.

I know I know…another non-food related post. But it’s December 28th and there’s no time like now to make plans for 2011. And this year, I really do want to have plans. Plans are good. Here’s what I’m thinking…

  • Give my accountant everything he needs to do my taxes NOW. You’d think that as a fairly intelligent person (I have my moments), I’d know how taxes work. But I’ve had a mental blank on doing my taxes since I got my first job back when I was like 16 years old. Sorry, I had to get this boring one out of the way first. Swallow the frog! Swallow the frog! (I love that phrase.)
  • Host dinner parties. Lots of them. Become good at it. Richard & Mireia and Bryan and Stacey and Feathers and Mr. Feathers and Anna & Stephen and Al & Louise were so good to me in London. I need to pay it forward.
  • Run 30 minutes every day in January. A nagging hip injury took me off the treadmill for most of 2010. 2011 is the year I get back on. Seriously. Running every day may seem like overkill, but I’ve been underkilling it for so long, it’s time.
  • In the grand tradition of the UK, No alcohol in January from Jan 3rd onwards. (Gotta give me the weekend at least!)
  • Use my new pressure cooker. Some of my fondest memories from childhood are the cchhh-cchhh-cchhh of the pressure cooker on a Sunday afternoon as my mom whipped up something special.
  • Start working on my masterpiece. That is, my book. I’ve been talking about this forever. Time (again) to swallow the frog.
  • Organize my office. This has a side benefit in that it means I’ll finally have to finish unpacking. You really don’t want to see what my office looks like now.
  • Hang up my art. I like art. I actually have some real stuff, thanks to Klaus. I love Klaus. You should check him out.
  • Ride my bike to work when the temperature is over 50 degrees and there’s no chance of rain. Riding my bike is one of the things I missed most about Chicago. It’s time to get back out there. Luckily I have the fantastic blogs Bike Fancy and Let’s Go Ride a Bike as inspiration.
  • Meet new people. Over the years, my blog has helped me meet a ton of great people in London like Gourmet ChickAmerican in London, Howard & BenHollow Legs, Cheese & Biscuits, Food Stories, Eat Like a Girl, Ms. Marmite Lover and so many others. (Please don’t be offended if I didn’t include you here. I love you all. Seriously.) And it’s also served as a Visitenkarte in many a foreign location. I need to do more of this.
  • Break-even. Running a blog is not cheap. This year, I had Typepad costs and then porting-to-Wordpress-costs and designer costs as I moved everything to Chicago and well…I love my blog. But it would be nice if it wasn’t a black hole of money.
  • Blog about things besides restaurants…

I’m SURE there are more resolutions I’m forgetting. What do you think? What other resolutions should I have in 2011? And what are your resolutions? Do tell, do tell…

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The 10 Best Things I Bought in 2010

Posted by Krista on December 27, 2010

This is a bit of a random post, but I’ve been feeling very random lately. 2010 was a year of big upheaval what with me moving countries and everything. Sometimes when things change that drastically, it helps to have a few prized possessions surrounding you. Here’s what I liked best in 2010.

The Martin Logan Dynamo 500

10. My subwoofer. Seriously. When I moved into my new place, I had surround sound installed and, well, sound in every room. (Except the bathrooms…I’m still a bit upset about that. Need to get sounds into the bathrooms.) I didn’t have to spring for this subwoofer, but I like it when my windows rattle a bit. This is the Martin Logan Dynamo 500 and I HIGHLY recommend it. The bass is cranked up as I write this and it is deep and pure. Now I just need to throw a good party. $435.60 on Amazon.

Rob Ryan Tile

9. Tiles by Rob Ryan. Actually, anything I could get my hands on by Rob Ryan before I left London, including a large print. And a tea towel. He has a little shop on Columbia Road that’s open on Sundays. I particularly liked this tile for me. :) Various prices.

Black & Decker Toaster Oven

8. My Black & Decker toaster oven. The toaster oven is the one appliance I missed most while living in the UK. How else do you make peanut butter toast? (I like to toast the peanut butter along with the toast.) Or make cheese on toast? Or reheat a slice of pizza? Or make English Muffin pizzas? The toaster oven does everything. It was seriously the first appliance I purchased when I moved back to the States in August. $29.99


7. Miike Snow’s eponymous album. OK, I know it came out in 2009. But I only just discovered these Swedish rockers in 2010. I love Animal, in particular. Funnily, now that I own this, I hear Miike Snow EVERYWHERE. Movies, TV shows, commercials, shopping malls. Everywhere. Animal is $7.99 on iTunes.

6. Bobby Brown Corrector. Under eye circles be gone! Seriously, this stuff makes me look like a different person. $22 and worth every penny.

Nars Multiple

5. The multiple by Nars in Orgasm. I’m not really one for makeup, but I’ve used this magical stick with many powers nearly every day since I picked it up at Space NK in London earlier this year. It’s a pinkish-coral with a bit of gold sparkle thrown in for good measure. $38.

4. My United Airlines Red Carpet Club Membership. When I moved back to the US, I signed myself up for a United Mileage Plus Visa. My annual membership fee covers entrance into the Red Carpet Club, which given my lack of any significant United Airlines status has come in extraordinarily handy during all my traveling. Free wifi and (mostly) lots of peace and quiet while I wait for my next flight. And they’re FINALLY giving us free drinks in the lounge now too. $375 with the United Mileage Plus Visa Club Card.

My Madelief

3. My Madelief 3-speed bicycle by Royal Dutch Gazelle. I have always wanted a dutch bike with a big basket. For my birthday this year, I woke up and said, “Today is the day.” I headed over to Bobbin Bicycles on St. John Street in London and fell instantly in love with this sturdy (but HEAVY) Dutch cycle. It’s a great conversation starter at traffic lights. Pedestrians always want to know where I got it. £400.

2. The iPad. I have seriously read more books in 2010 than in the last five years combined, all thanks to the ease of downloading books on the iPad. People say the bookstore is dead, and I don’t disagree. But the virtual bookstore is that much more compelling…so many recommendations and reviews and “People who bought this also  bought this…” Ah, and I can’t tell you how awesome the iPad was during my flight to Israel via Amman, when Royal Jordanian was showing movies on the overhead screen; I watched nearly an entire season of The Good Wife instead. $829 (plus local taxes) for the 64 GB iPad with 3G, like I got. Europeans, you’ll save about $150 by buying your iPad in the US.

My Apartment

1. My apartment. I repatriated around 8 pm on Friday, August 6th. My real estate agent picked me up at 9:30 am on Saturday August 7th and showed me 15 properties. I made an offer on my favorite on Monday, August 9th. I’m nothing if not efficient. I moved in in late September and having been decorating ever since. 2011 is going to involve a lot of furniture. But it’s nice to have a permanent home, even if the bank owns most of it.

I have other lists in mind now. The Top 10 Things I Need in 2011.  My 2011 Resolutions. My predictions for the food scene and Chicago in 2011. But right now, I’m materially minded. Tell me…what are your favorite 2010 purchases?

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The Ten Most Delicious Things I Ate in 2010

Posted by Krista on December 21, 2010

Falafel and hummus at Hashem in Amman, Jordan

Thank God for my blog. Because if it wasn’t for my blog, I wouldn’t be able to tell you where I’ve been when this year. Or what I ate. But there are certain dishes that will always stand out. Here are my top 10 from 2010. Enjoy! And don’t forget…win a Michelin Restaurant Guide just by linking to me

1. The falafel at Hashem in Amman, Jordan: Although I will forever love the falafel at Hoxton Beach on Whitecross Street, Hashem has nearly ruined me for falafel forever. This unassuming little street cafe serves up deliciously cheap falafel and hummus. It’s in all the guidebooks, but don’t hold it against them.  I’m secretly hoping that my flight through Amman in February gets delayed or cancelled so I can make a quick run into town for a big serving. Simple and cheap. Perfect.

2. The bone marrow that accompanies the Côte de Bœuf at the MinettaTavern in New York: Seriously seriously luscious and buttery, best when devoured straight from the oven and accompanied by a big glass of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. A million times more expensive that the falafel at Hashem, but worth every penny.

3. The polenta with truffles and egg at Yoezer Wine Bar in Jaffa in Tel Aviv, Israel. I loved this dark little wine bar so much I went back for a second visit during my five day trip to Tel Aviv in October. Although the polenta is a very small dish, it packs a very memorable thick and hearty punch. Never understood what the fuss was about when it came to truffles until I had this dish.

4. Bubble & squeak at The Crown in Stoke by Nayland, in the U.K.. While visiting the pub I invested in in Great Horkesley, my usual suspects and I overnighted a the very lovely Crown hotel and pub in nearby Stoke by Nayland. Breakfast–which was included in our rate–was served with a side of bubble and squeak, densely packed with chunks of bacon and fresh and crisp cabbage. Atkins be damned.

5. The red pepper walnut “paste” at Naranj in Damascus, Syria. In hindsight, I wish I had taken everyone’s advice: there is no other place to eat in Damascus but Naranj. Eat there every night if you can.  And order the mahummara, a mezze made with pomegranate seeds, walnuts, molasses, and red pepper. Delicious.

6. Mackerel with a spicy peanut noodle salad at the Civet Cat Club, London: An underground supper club in Stoke Newington. I think this was the hardest I laughed all year long. (Why were we talking about squirrels? WHY?) But the mackerel with spicy peanut noodles had us all asking for the recipe.

7. Baked eggs and chorizo at Caravan in Exmouth Market, London. This seems to be a dish on the make–I just had it again at The Breslin in NYC–but Caravan’s version is a fantastically good combo of salty and sweet, with some great bread to mop up the rest.

8. Goat mooli at Moolis in Soho, London. The menu lists this as Punjabi goat with with cumin potatoes and salsa. I don’t know what they put in that salsa, but between the cumin and the tender goat, they’ve got a huge winner on their hands. Cheap too.

9. Corn salad at Davanti Enoteca, Chicago. This little corn salad was a lovely surprise. Crisp corn, along with wild mushrooms and walnuts. Lots of textures, lots of flavors. Very autumn-y feeling. A nice introduction to Chicago for me after all these years. Do it.

10. Veal Holstein, Bob Bob Ricard, Soho in London. You already know that I love Bob Bob Ricard. Their Veal Holstein is that sort of dish that makes me want to cook. Seriously.

What does 2011 have in store for my newly revamped Chicago restaurant blog? I’ve already got return trips planned to Tel Aviv and Dubai in February, and I’ll be back in London for a few days in April. Ah yes, and Vancouver in June for TBEX!

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