Let's be brutally honest here, cauliflower isn't everyones favorite vegetable (I know it certainly isn't mine). Lately, I've been hearing people talk about using this white, brain-like looking vegetable to make pizza crust. When I first heard it, I thought no way. Not only would this make pizza a low-carb, healthy option, but it could potentially give me a use for a vegetable I'm not a huge fan of. So, I gave it a try. It was delicious! It was crunchy and nutty and honestly, I didn't miss the ... [ Read More ]
Restaurant Review: XOCO
A couple of months ago, I had the privileged of eating at XOCO, located at 449 N Clark Street. This Rick Bayless hot spot had been the talk of my office ever since I started back in July. Having been to Bayless's other two Chicago spots, Frontera Grill and Topolobampo (both located next door to XOCO), I had pretty high expectations. As expected, the food was really incredible. What I think is even more amazing, is how dedicated Bayless and his team are to creating a environmentally ... [ Read More ]
8 Foods to Boost Your Immune System
This winter has been a doozy. I don't care where you are in the U.S, you are most likely experiencing one of the worst winters of your lifetime. Unfortunately, with cold weather comes the flus, colds and weakened immune system. While I know the cold weather can't cause these things, it sure doesn't help, right? Recently, I was one of the unlucky individuals who caught a pretty nasty flu. Instead of sitting in bed sulking for 5 days, I did my research so that I could get better faster (and ... [ Read More ]
Banana Bread (from scratch)
Growing up, one of my favorite sweet, breakfast breads was banana bread. Despite this, in the nearly 10 years that I've lived on my own, I've never tried to make it (mostly because baking freaks me out). This all changed yesterday when I saw that I had 5 bananas starting to go bad on my counter top. I knew I had to do something with them, because I hate wasting good food like that. I looked up a recipe for banana bread and found that all the ingredients were pantry staples. I modified the ... [ Read More ]
BBQ Chicken Shepard’s Pie
I think I've invented my new favorite dish. Last night I realized I had a frozen pie crust in the freezer that I should probably use, but I wasn't in the mood for a standard chicken pot pie. After looking around my kitchen, I realized I also had a sweet potato that was probably on its last legs. Then it hit me. Why not make a BBQ chicken shepard's pie and top it with mashed sweet potatoes? In theory, everything about it sounded so delicious. In reality, it was actually more incredible ... [ Read More ]
My Eyelash Secret Revealed!
When I originally started this blog, my intention was to have it literally be "Everything Erica". That means everything about me (not just food). Since food is my number one passion, much of what I've written about thus far has been culinary related. Today this will change a little bit. A lot of you have been writing in and asking me about what I do with my lashes and how I get them to look so long and full all the time. I've gone back and forth about revealing my secret, but today I will ... [ Read More ]
5 Valentines Day Gifts for a Foodie
Is your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner a foodie? If so, I have 5 perfect gifts to sweep them off their feet this Valentines Day. 1) Create your own Candy Hearts: You know those little hearts you got in elementary school that said things like "Be Mine"? Now you can custom create your own to say whatever you want. How adorable! Click here to order. 2) Cooking Class: I think here is nothing more romantic then cooking together. Why not give your foodie a fun cooking class that you guys can do ... [ Read More ]
Help! I forgot to make Valentines Day Reservations
Did you forget to make reservations for Valentines Day? No problem! There are still some great restaurants in Chicago with availability on Friday. I've done all the research for you, and here are my picks for Valentines Day spots that STILL have 1 or 2 reservations open... 1) Le Colonial: This place is SO romantic. The fact that they have any spots open should make you feel super lucky! Just check out my review on them. 2) Chicago Cut: Not only is this steak house known to be one of ... [ Read More ]
Restaurant Review: Japonais by Morimoto
The other night, I had the privilege and pleasure of dining at the new Japonais by Morimoto. This River North restaurant recently re-opened and has completely transformed and upgraded the atmosphere, food and ambience. Frankly I couldn’t be more impressed. From the moment I walked in until the moment I left, every detail was executed perfectly. When we sat down, our waiter, Maro noticed I was wearing black pants and offered me a black napkin (love it) and then asked the table about our culinary ... [ Read More ]
Restaurant Review: The Grid
This winter has been horrendous. Whether you live in Chicago like me or even down in Florida, the temperatures have never been this low. In my 27 years on this earth, I have never in my life experienced a more awful winter. Growing up, I was always told when life hands you lemons, you've got to make lemon meringue pie (I don't like lemonade) and therefore I've found a silver lining in all of this pain-staking cold. Enter, The Grid. This River North gem is located at 351 W Hubbard and is ... [ Read More ]