Chicago Photo Essay

Besides a review of running extremely long distances (for me) and eating delicious foods, here are some other visual notes from my Chicago trip.

You can't bring water through the TSA check, but you can bring an empty water bottle and fill it up afterward. I found this special fountain with a dedicated water bottle faucet, which I used twice because it was so fascinating.

My Chicago connection set us up at the Mart Plaza Holiday Inn, which is right on top of the Chicago Sun-Times building located at the crux of the Chicago river Y-shaped branch. Here's the view out our window, right down the stem of the Y.

I like the label-maker aspect of this sign, seen in a Chicago taxi.

View of downtown as seen from the el leaving the Chinatown area.

The Walgreens in Wicker Park is very fancy, built in a former bank. I love that the vitamins section is in the old downstairs vault.

Evening in Wicker Park

"Cowlileo" sculpture

Looking north on State street, downtown

I think these are bulrush-shaped lights

Crown Fountain, which is a wading pool with mini skyscraper fountains

Sculpture park near the Art Institute of Chicago

Volute krater display at the Art Institute, with ipad for interactive learning

Ancient Greek seafood mosaic. This would be a great subject for a hooked rug!

Part of Chagall's American windows ("literature")

The Shelton with Sunspots, NY - Georgia O'Keeffe

I never knew this portrait by Pierre-Auguste Renoir is not of a little girl, but of his son Jean Renoir, later to become well-known in cinema. Apparently papa Renoir loved Jean's golden red hair so much he wouldn't let it be cut short until it was required for school when Jean was 7.

Monet's wheat stacks, "End of Summer" version. This was in a room full of Monet that made me very emotional. There were 6 different wheat stack paintings. So gorgeous.

Lion outside the Art Institute. I took this photo for my Leo child.

What I Ate in Chicago

I have a maybe-not-so-secret love of eating in restaurants. At home I cook a lot, so when I travel it's fun to eat someone else's cooking, and try some new things. It's time to share... What I Ate in Chicago!

Grange Hall Burger Bar—Adorable Hipster Bistro

Pre-race fueling (for the Chicago Half Marathon) was Grange Hall Burger Bar on West Randolph Street. I loved this place! It had a perfect hipster vibe, and delicious locally sourced food and housemade condiments.

Grange Hall Burger Bar has a nice patio, but it was muggy out so we sat inside in the AC. There's an adorable living room feel in there with oil cloth wall hangings and various homey items. There was also an awesome 80s mix going on, including the immortal "Take Me Home Tonight" by Eddie Money. I also heard Huey Lewis & the News.

Plenty of great burger combos on the menu, but you can also build your own. I put together a 6 ounce grass-fed beef burger on gluten-free bun with dijon aioli, blue cheese, caramelized onions, and mushrooms. My sweet friend and guide shared a side of fries and and an order of slaw with me. The fries were AMAZING, especially dipped in my aioli. If you like burgers and a farm-to-table aesthetic, I highly recommend Grange Hall Burger Bar.

Cai—Real-Deal Dim Sum in Chinatown 

 

Shrimp & Tofu

Har Gow. This is one of my favorite foods in the world.

Shrimp stuffed tofu and eggplant. Delicious! A crispy-golden exterior to the tofu, and melting hot inside.

I had a whole order of bao to myself, and my companion had a whole order of curried squid. We were both very satisfied.

This here is a spring roll wrapped in a rice roll. It was too crazy to resist, but a little chewy and also a bit sweet in flavor, not our favorite.

Cai was the perfect food for a perfect day--it was our lunch after the half marathon where we probably each burned about 1300 calories. I'm adding it to my international list of dim sum places to rely on!

Big Star—Wicker Park's Coolest Tacos

 

Here's the big star hanging outside of this stellar establishment, Big Star. Choose from sit-down tables or walk-up window. We picked the huge & lively patio area on a busy Sunday night. We shared a large and excellent salad spiked with crunchy pumpkin seeds.

I had my first Michelada, which is described as salsa and lime juice in a salted-rim glass, served with a Tecate. You mix the beer in to the rest of the cocktail as you go. It was spicy! I read about Micheladas in Bon Appetit so was eager to try one. And now I have.

Big Star tacos are totally delicious. They are small, soft-corn tacos, with a variety of fillings. I ordered 3 upon a local's recommendation. I tried the chicken leg (Taco de Pollo), the braised pork belly (Taco de Panza), and the potato (Taco de Papas con Rajas). They were all scrumptious, my favorite was the pork belly. Meltingly savory. Gah! So good!

Wormhole—Geek-Chic Koopa Troopa Cafe

 

The Wormhole Coffee on Milwaukee Avenue in Wicker Park is a great spot where I stopped for a latte. Lunchboxes around the walls, life-size cutout of Han Solo, video game motif on the chalkboards. I think I spotted a Castle Greyskull nestled among the Chemexes and Bodums for sale. A delight.

Smith & Wollensky—Living the Good Life on the River

 

After hours of walking and shopping and museum-enjoying, I needed to sit down, rest my feet, and eat something significant. I decided to stop at Smith & Wollensky and treat myself to a steak-y lunch. Here's the amount of bread they bring to one lady sitting on the patio.

I've never paid $13 for a glass of wine before, and this also seemed like the shortest pour ever. (I think the higher the price, the smaller the wine seems.) It was yummy though! Nothing like a Provençal rosé on a sunny Monday afternoon.

I ordered the Wollensky Salad, which is chopped romaine with tomato, mushroom, bacon lardons (obscured by steak), and the most amazing "potato croutons" which were both crispy and soft, so much better than bread croutons. I had sliced tenderloin added to treat myself. And refuel my muscles of course!

Part of the attraction for me was Smith & Wollensky's location at the bottom of one of the Marina City towers, aka "The Corncob Buildings." They were completed in 1964--look at that modern shape! This was the view looking directly up from my seat on the riverside patio.

Pops for Champagne—Wine Bar for Those With More

 

After several more hours of shopping I met up with my Chicago hostess and we decided to treat ourselves to bubbly and appetizers at Pops for Champagne. Meet my second $13 drink of the day! It did hit the spot.

The appetizers were OK. My companion had Scottish Salmon and some lovely fries. I chose a vegetable Crostani thingy that turned out to be a blended dip of olives, peppers, artichokes, and ricotta salata. It was not great. This modest turnout plus 2 glasses of wine was the most expensive meal of the whole trip! And more power to them—if you're running a champagne bar off the Magnificent Mile in Chicago, you are within your rights to get the most for everything!

Do you like to dine out when you travel? Any Chicago favorites of your own to share?

Half Marathon Recap

I did it! I ran the Chicago Half Marathon. But did I also meet my goal of completing the race in under 2 hours? Read on to find out!

The Half Marathon is actually the first in what I hope will be a long tradition of adventurous reunions with my college buddies. My amazing friend JM and I kicked off the tradition by ourselves this year, with the idea that each year a group of us will get organized and do something crazy together. Reason? We don't really have any more weddings to look forward to among our peeps, but we still want to hang out. JM and I happen to prefer running, but I think we could do anything, including paddling or hiking or lounging-about-a-large-rented-villa or parasailing or crepe class or whatnot. Anyway, this was a very successful Adventure Reunion Year One.

I've been training for this thing since January, so I was very excited to actually do it. It's my first destination race, and my first race over 10k (and I only ran that by mistake back in 1996 because I didn't know how long that was).

Race expo on Saturday at Navy Pier

At the hotel room, I laid out my race gear the night before like my fave running blogs said to do. Visor, heart monitor, Garmin GPS watch (plugged in to charger), Road ID bracelet, tank top, sports bra, compression socks, sport undies, Lululemon capris, gear check bag, race bib, deoderant, anti-chafe balm, sneakers, waist pack, water bottle, Clif shots & gels, breakfast, warm throwaway fleece, room key-card, race shuttle ticket, cash, cell phone (plugged in to charger).

We got up at 4 and started getting ready. I brought my breakfast all the way from Vermont because that's what I trained with: Ezekiel 4:9 english muffin with almond butter and Bonne Maman jam. Plus lots of coffee to get my system moving. (I brought instant coffee which I had in addition to the hotel room coffee.)

Before we left I checked the weather and learned it was already 73 degrees out.
I started reconsidering the knee-length purple compression socks. I figured if I was
already in doubt about being too hot in them, I should probably change them now.

Shortie ankle socks instead. Good choice! Lesson learned: Take action with any little variable, don't leave it to chance because even little things get major after 13 miles.

I also left the warm fleece behind, no need for it.

We took a cab to the shuttle site, then the shuttle to the race site. It was a there-and-back race, so the post-race party was already being set up as people milled about getting ready to start. See the rosy fingers of the dawn over the Michelob tent.

Everyone (wisely) decided to use the potty before the race. Lines!

I've never been in a big race before so couldn't even imagine how thousands of people would start at once. Turns out it's kind of a human funnel effect, where all of the people stand, then shuffle, then walk slowly forward, then gradually each starts to run and passes through the starting gates where the computer picks up your chip signal and your clock officially starts. I crossed the starting line about 8.5 minutes after the race began (there was a red clock showing the race time). So every clock that I passed after that I would subtract 8.5 minutes to figure out my actual time.

The race was... interesting! We ran about 4 miles on city streets before hitting Lakeshore Drive. First we ran up it, then we crossed an overpass and ran back down the other side. I pulled out my phone around mile 5 to snap a pic of how close we were to the lake. I don't know who that lady is.

Here's the info from my Garmin! I pressed the start button too soon so all of my splits were a little off. Also I was so excited to cross the finish that I forgot to turn the watch off for about a minute after finishing. That's why it shows .17 extra miles. But in general the mile splits are accurate pace-wise.

You may note several trends: For instance, miles 1 & 2 are slow times in the 9's because I was negotiating many many slower people that I was gradually and persistently trying to pass. I had planned to go out with 9s for at least 3 miles, so was surprised but not disturbed to get down to a high 8 by mile 3. 

Another trend that shows very well here is that I started to get tired around the halfway point. Part of this seemed to be the psychology of the out and back course. After mile 7 I kept waiting for the turnaround to come, and seeing so many people running back on the other side of the road, but the turnaround wasn't until around mile 8. I was hot. The pavement was relentless. I'd been eating my gels as planned but they weren't magically keeping me energized. The race started being a slog around mile 8, and you can see it as my paces start dropping further and further into the 9s with every subsequent mile. 

At this point the race had become a pure test of endurance for me. I wanted so much to not be doing it anymore, but I was NOT going to stop, and I would be DAMNED if I was going to miss a chance of running it in under two hours. I knew that I needed an average pace of 9:09 to do that, and with several 8s under my belt (and keeping an eye on that race clock minus 8.5 minutes), I thought I still had a chance. At the end I did somewhat let go of the 2-hour idea just because I absolutely could not give anything else than what I was already doing. The numbers looked promising, but if that was not enough, I would still know that I'd done my absolute best.

But it was enough. All those 8s that I managed to put down in the middle of the race paid off. Here's my preliminary result that I got post-race, and it matches my later, official results. I made it in under two hours, with 56 seconds left to spare! YAY!! I was really really really happy to see that 1:59.

My very first finisher's medal!! I'm so proud of this thing.

Final thoughts:

• This race didn't go as I'd planned, but I don't think they ever do so that's OK! I'd been hoping to lay down negative splits the whole way rather than slowing down halfway along. I don't think I went out too fast. I think I was maybe just tired/too-tapered/too hot that day. And I did meet my goal, so I'm not going to complain or analyze too much.
• If I run another half marathon, I don't think I will taper as much as I did this time. My body was used to a long run every Sunday, and when I skipped two of them maybe I got off track. I didn't really have a tapering plan, life just got in the way those two weeks so I put it down to tapering off my training. Next time I may plan to just keep training but do shorter long runs.
• If I run another half marathon with gear check, I would like to plan ahead and check some dry socks, clean shirt, comfy shoes, maybe some wipes to mop my brow. At this race, after sweating and pouring water on myself for 13 miles, I was soaked and disgusting at the end. But since I love to travel light and avoid lines, I didn't check anything or even consider what I'd need after the finish. It worked out fine, but I might pamper myself more next time.

All My Oils, with Grapeseed Oil Vinaigrette recipe

Do you like using different kinds of oils in the kitchen? Recently I have been branching out. Here are some of the lovely oils we enjoy.

I like La Tourangelle brand, perhaps as much for the attractive packaging and easy-pour spouts as for the actual product. I use their Grapeseed oil most often in salad dressing. It has a very mild flavor. I believe it must be secretly laden with healthy antioxidants.

Avocado oil (please refrigerate!) is good for homemade mayonnaise. I mainly use it on beet & feta salads. It is a rich lovely green with a slightly nutty flavor.

Coconut oil is perfect for frying already-steamed sweet potatoes. They develop a slight crust but are meltingly soft in the middle, I love them for breakfast. I also use coconut oil for making cauliflower rice, and it's good in some paleo-type muffin recipes. It tastes like coconut!

Red Palm Oil is a recent find at our local food coop—I used to order it online. Palm oil is a required ingredient for chop, which is a spicy family favorite made of greens, ham and hot peppers and served over white rice. Because this Nutiva oil comes from Ecuador you can be sure no orangutan habitats have been harmed, which is a concern with palm oils from Southeast Asia. Because there are no orangutans native to Ecuador.

Olive oil is a staple, right? Great for drizzling over caprese (fresh mozzarella slices alternated with tomato and covered with chopped basil and balsamic vinegar). I also like it for any basic sauteeing. I try to avoid using olive oil to grill because it smokes too easily.

Ghee, which is basically milk oil, is also lovely for frying. I always use ghee for eggs, and will add it to olive oil when frying up onions for a soup or slow cooker dish. Basically ghee imparts a butter taste but has a much higher smoke point.

The little dish in the front is full of chilled bacon grease. I use it as a secret ingredient in chili or refried beans.

These two oils are drizzlers--smaller containers of highly flavorful oils. I try to make them last!
Walnut oil is very nice when massaged into string beans, which you then grill and sprinkle with crunchy kosher salt.
Hazelnut oil is super over sauteed greens, such as kale or perpetual spinach. I like to caramelize/slightly burn some crushed garlic in olive oil, throw the greens in and cover until crisp-tender, then add red pepper flakes, hazelnut oil, and kosher salt. I love kosher salt I guess...

Here's one reason La Tourangelle is great--each oil has a thermometer showing the suggested heat range for the product.

Recipe time! Here's a picture of my work lunch. (I add more veggies when I get to work.) Notice the spice jar tucked on the left. Every morning I compose a simple dressing of five ingredients straight into the spice jar. It takes about a minute, so even when I'm in a huge rush (always) I can still eat lunch salad regularly as it takes no time at all.

Grapeseed Oil Vinaigrette

In a container with firm lid, pour:

1. 1 T grapeseed oil (in this jar, I put in about 1/2 inch)
2. 1 T white balsamic vinegar (same amount as grapeseed oil if you're doing it by eye)
3. 1 squirt of Dijon mustard to emulsify, probably about 1/2 t
4. salt
5. pepper

You don't even have to mix--wait until you're about to use the dressing and then give it a good shake.


Do you use different oils for different things? What are some favorites?

Radio Playlists for August 2013

The name of the show: Blackbeard's Delight
Your host: Prof. Kitty
The station: WVEW 107.7 Brattleboro, VT

August was largely a month of themes for Blackbeard's Delight, starting with a not-in-English show ranging from France to the subcontinent, continuing on with a fun show of what I might have listened to if I'd grown up in England rather than upstate New York, and also including a Great Vocalists of the 20th Century show and a Contra dance show inspired by the twice-annual Brattleboro Dawn Dance. This last takes place all through the night around every Memorial Day and Labor Day and is a tradition going back to 1976, the year in which the album I was playing from was recorded... right in West Brattleboro. See the bottom of this post for a pic of the LP, which I was given for Christmas as a child without ever realizing where exactly it came from.

August 1, 2013—International!

• Bonnie & Clyde: Serge Gainsbourg & Brigitte Bardot
• Coulibaly: Amadou & Mariam
• Luna y Sol: Manu Chao
• The Nightingale: Ivan Rebroff
• Capt Bares: Mondfähre
• Tritala: field recording called "Songs & Instruments of Northern India"
• Soukora: Ali Farka Touré with Ry Cooder
• De Camino a la Vereda: Buena Vista Social Club s/t
• UFO: Michel Sardou
• Janamaan: Natacha Atlas with Kalia
• Fantasia Arlatane: Manitas de Plata
• Carasu no Kobin: 800 Cherries
• Padidadidub: Armchair
• Lisbou a Noite: Tony de Matos

August 8, 2013—My Imaginary English Childhood

• On My Radio: The Selecter
• Happy Hour: The House Martins
• Life From a Window: The Jam
• Stereotype: The Specials
• Games without Frontiers: Peter Gabriel
• Madness: Madness
• Some Girls are Bigger than Others: The Smiths
• Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 3: Ian Dury & the Blockheads
• Guns of Brixton: The Clash
• Twist & Crawl: The English Beat
• Doledrum: The La's
• Soul Mining: The The
• It Must Be Love: Madness
• The Selecter: The Selecter
• Love Will Tear Us Apart: Joy Division
• Click Click: The English Beat

August 15, 2013—Great vocalists I love

• Blue Skies: Ella Fitzgerald
• That's My Weakness Now: Bing Crosby with Bix Beiderbecke
• Can Can: Bobby Short
• I Happen to Like New York: Judy Garland
• Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans: Billie Holiday
• Out of Nowhere: Lena Horne (with Teddy Wilson & His Orchestra)
• If You Can't Smile and Say Yes: Nat "King" Cole (with his Trio)
• All of Me: Frank Sinatra
• I Used to Be Color Blind: Anita O'Day
• Jump Back: Hadda Brooks
• Roll 'em Pete: Joe Williams (with Count Basie)
• Me & My Gin: Dinah Washington
• Steppin' out with My Baby: Fred Astaire
• Top Hat, White Tie & Tails: Fred Astaire
• When You're Smiling: Hot Lips Page

August 22, 2013

• Hotel Song: Regina Spektor
• Renaissance Girls: Oh Land
• Summer: The Atypicals
• Me & You & Jackie Mittoo: Superchunk
• Strange Times: Black Keys
• Great Defector: Bell X1
• Real Life: Tanlines
• Chain My Name: Poliça
• Animal: Miike Snow
• Prefiero Asfalto: Niña Dioz
• Little Bit: Lykke Li

August 29, 2013—Contra Dance! (inspired by Brattleboro Dawn Dance)

• Hall's Victory: Strathspey
• Ferny Hill: The Chieftains
• Busted Bicycle: Leo Kottke
• So What: Garcia & Grisman
• Salamanca Reel/The Hunter's Purse/Tarbolten: Arm & Hammer String Band
• Le Tambourin: John Renbourn Group
• Ye Jacobites by Name: Fir Soar
• Kissing Dance Medley: Figgy Duff
• Flowers of Edinburgh/The White Cockade/East Neuk o' Fife: Thistledown
• Soraidh Bhuam Gu Barraidh: Capercaillie
• [youtube medley]: Boys of the Lough
• Eminstra: Pentangle
• New England Contra Dance tracks from this album, recorded in Brattleboro in 1976:

Grilling Up Bon Appetit's Spiced Salmon Kebabs

We've been loving our gas grill this summer! Sure charcoal-grilled food tastes better, but our gas grill is so easy to use, and fast. We break it out about once a week for steak tips, grilled vegetables (like string beans with walnut oil and kosher salt), hot dogs (Applegate always), and some delicious new potatoes that I sliced up and wrapped in foil with sprigs of rosemary plus a bunch of butter.

Another essential grill recipe has been Bon Appetit's Spiced Salmon Kebabs. They are delicious, and they look cool.

The recipe recommends using double skewers to avoid the salmon chunks spinning around willy nilly while grilling. Folded slices of lemon are tucked in between.

The salmon chunks are rubbed with kosher salt (of course, it's BA!) plus cumin, fresh oregano, red pepper flakes, and olive oil. Isn't it pretty?

Notes: I've made these at least 3 times and have a few observations...

• While the slices of lemon on the skewer look cool, I'm not sure what they're for. They get burned and don't seem to add flavor. Make sure you also have lemon to squeeze on afterward. I think skipping the slices would be OK in a pinch.
• I tried both Wild Salmon and farmed and found a huge difference. The wild salmon was a little dry but very flavorful and delicately salmon-y. The farmed fish was larded with so much fat that it dripped down and created lots of smoke, which made everything taste smoky. Besides being greasy, the overall flavor of farmed salon is too FISHY for my taste. ("FISHY" is different than "delicately salmon-y.")
• I've never made this recipe with the sesame seeds. It's still great.
• You have to like cumin to like this.

So... do you like cumin? Salmon? FISHY? If you have a grilling recipe you love, please share!