After several years of not cooking, I’ve been getting back into it lately.  I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I have people to cook for.  In Chicago I was pretty much on my own and limited my culinary activities to making myself salads.  Now however, I have my grandmother and parents in close proximity and willing to eat whatever I prepare. 

 

My mother writes and self-publishes books about local history.  She’s planning a party in about two weeks to thank the people who helped her on her latest book.  Since she doesn’t like cooking and I do I’m going to be doing a lot of the food preparation.  The tea I went to on Halloween gave me some great ideas (glazed pumpkin scones, walnut bread with cream cheese and apple slices, pumpkin pie meringues) and I’ve also been watching Food Network for inspiration.

 

Last night I was watching a Halloween themed “Horror Cake Challenge” and I was surprised to see a familiar face.  One of the competing chefs was Michelle Garcia from Bleeding Heart Bakery.  Bleeding Heart is a funky organic bakery in Chicago.  They were originally located in the Ukrainian Village neighborhood right down the street from my sister’s place then a couple years ago they moved to Damen and Belmont, only a couple blocks from the Whole Foods where I worked.  Michelle occasionally came into the market.  She was easy to recognize with her pink dreadlocks and prominent tattoos of mixing bowls and egg beaters.  Unfortunately Michelle didn’t win the Challenge or the $10,000 prize but I always considered her to be a local celebrity of my Chicago days so it was ever so cool to see her on national TV. 

Last night my former employer Biff took me out to Lula Cafe, a Logan Square restaurant, for a farewell dinner. I had a really good meal and a really good time.

Biff brought along Julian, his 14 month old son. Even though I’m a confirmed spinster there really is something about little ones that makes you see everything as if for the first time. I had the best time feeding and fussing over Julian.

I brought him a gift, a pull-along zebra toy that I got at Building Blocks, a toy shop right near the store where I work but I also brought a box of organic vanilla snack treats with the Sesame Street character Zoe on them that we sell at the market. Julian loved the vanilla snack treats and also ate voraciously from what Biff and I ordered.

I had lula maki (veggie sushi) as an appetizer, tineka--a spicy peanut butter sandwich and coleslaw—as an entree and for desert little scoops of blueberry, sweet corn sorbet with miniature Johnny cakes topped with blueberry syrup. Very eclectic and delicious and wonderful.

Julian shared everything with me as well as what Biff ordered (an heirloom tomato appetizer and I don’t remember the rest.) He’s an extremely good eater, that boy. It’s funny, while I was playing with Julian and feeding him from my plate I realized that there are a lot of adults who probably wouldn’t be so open to a little guy and would see it as disruptive and for the first time I felt like a good aunt, like I was willing to make the extra effort for my niece and nephew when they were tiny, and to accept and love them.

I feel like that’s really important.