Hummus FromMe2U

Last night when I came home from work I was in the mood to make hummus. This was my third time making hummus, and I wanted to see if there were any tweaks I could make to mine. I have recently started to look up recipes on pinterest, (which is becoming one of my favorite sites) so I decided to browse the site to see if there was anything new I could add to my traditional hummus recipe. One recipe called for tabasco sauce and that seemed like the perfect addition to my hummus recipe.

For this recipe you will need a cuisinart in order to puree all of the ingredients properly. I use about 1 1/2 cups of chickpeas and put most of them in the cuisinart first. I then alternate between the remaining chickpeas and olive oil and lemon juice. I use 3-4 tbsp. of olive oil and about 3-4 tbsp. of lemon juice (about 2 lemons). Depending on taste and how moist it is you should add more or less of each.

Chickpeas

In the Cuisinart!

Lemons

Garlic (of course)

Next I added 4 - 6 drops of tabasco (to taste), 3-5 garlic cloves (I always add more), 1/3 cup tahini, and a pinch of salt. If the hummus is not moist enough add 1-2 tbsp. of the chickpea liquid. 

Time to Eat!

 I always drizzle some more olive oil on top of the dish and a dash of paprika. You can add whatever kind of veggies or bread to dip in the hummus. I typically serve it with green and red peppers, celery sticks, and grilled naan. Yum!

Athenian Room FromMe2U

Athenian Room has been on my list of places to try for a long time. It has been in Lincoln Park for over 30 years, and I am embarrassed to say that Monday night was my FIRST time dining there. They have a nice outdoor seating area, but it was 95 degrees, so we opted to sit indoors. The restaurant is very quaint and lovely.

This restaurant is not BYOB; however, you can sneak through the red door by the entrance and slide on over to Glascott's for your beverage of choice. I was a little nervous about the wine selection at Glascott's, but I ordered the Malbec and it was surprisingly good. Once we got our drinks, we marched back over to Athenian room and decided to order the feta cheese appetizer. I know that must sound plain and boring, but it was delicious. A block of feta cheese is served on a small plate with olive oil drizzled over it and that combined with some warm french bread makes an excellent dish!

Feta Cheese with olive oil

Gyro

Sometimes it can take me a long time to order when I am dining out. I read the menu over and over until I finally figure out what I want to eat. Not this time. I knew I was ordering a gyro before I even walked in the door. I of course read the menu, because I was curious about what else they had. But the decision had been made. Gyro.

If you order the dinner (which I did) it comes with a heaping pile of gyro meat and sitting under the meat, absorbing the juices from it, are seasoned fries. They also give you a side of tzatzki sauce, a freshly made pita, and slices of onions and tomatoes. AMAZING. The food comes really fast, so if you like to take your time with your dinner like I do, I suggest pacing yourself and order your food when you are ready to eat. I will definitely be coming back to Athenian room. Try it. You won't be disappointed.

Linguine Carbonara FromMe2U

During one of my "dinner and a movie nights" (a.k.a. Bachelorette) this month, I made Linguine Carbonara. This is one of my favorite Italian dishes to make. This particular pasta dish always keeps you on your toes because the timing of everything is crucial!

For this recipe I used about 1 lb. of linguine. I recommend using fresh pasta because it truly makes a difference. While your water is boiling for the linguine, you should start to saute the pancetta because it takes about 10-20 minutes. This recipe calls for 1/4 lb. of pancetta but I always get a touch more because it is so flavorful. In the pan add diced pancetta, 1 tbs. unsalted butter, 1 tbs. olive oil and garlic. 

Pancetta

I. LOVE. garlic. This recipe calls for 2 cloves but 

I put in at least 4 or 5.Garlic makes everything better.

Next step. In a large bowl combine eggs, parsley, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper:

4 Eggs

flat-leaf parsley

Whisk to Blend

All Mixed Together

This next step is the most important. Once the pasta is al dente it is ready to be added to the egg mixture. Use tongs and combine the two. It is important for the pasta to be hot so that it can cook the eggs when they are combined. 

Combining Egg Mixture and Linguine

Pancetta is ready!

Add Pancetta to the pasta

Garlic Bread for a Side Dish

Dinner is Served!

I always make garlic bread to go along with this pasta dish. I melt butter with 4 to 6 garlic cloves (because I love garlic) and a pinch of parsley and brush it on the loaf of bread. The recipe I used for the linguine carbonara is from a William Sonoma cookbook, but I would also recommend Giada De Laurentis' version. Next time I make carbonara I will share Giada's recipe. It's time for the Bachelorette!