Caffe RoM

Caffe RoM, located inside the Hyatt Center in Chicago, could be the best coffee shop in the city. I definitely prefer and love European cafes, with my other favorite being Julius Meinl. In the downtown Loop, however, there is no better spot for an afternoon pick-me-up than Caffe RoM.

When that 2:30pm afternoon lull kicks in, my sister and I usually make a quick stop at Caffe RoM for the best caramel lattes we've had, and share a Pear Tart as a sweet treat.

The service is lovely, and everyone is friendly. The place itself is very European in style, which I love, and very inviting. If you work downtown, or are just in the area, I would definitely recommend Caffe RoM.

Caffe RoM Hyatt Center

W Monroe St & S Franklin St

Chicago, IL 60606

cPe 2011

Fettucine with Sausage & Spinach Cream Sauce

I frequently crave creamy pasta dishes and my usual go-to is Carbonara. This time, however, I wanted to add meat (not just bacon), and had a pack of Hot Italian Sausage in the fridge that needed to be used.

I checked what other ingredients I had on hand, and after a quick google check to confirm that my recipe idea wasn't completely weird, I found what I wanted to cook.

Fettucine with Sausage & Spinach Cream Sauce

Ingredients

1 box of fettucine (or whatever pasta you have in your pantry)

2 tablespoons of Olive Oil

1/2 onion, finely minced

1 pack of Italian Sausage (Hot or Mild)

1/2 cup of heavy cream

2 handfuls of fresh spinach

Salt/Pepper to taste

Steps

1. Get the fettucine cooking in salty, boiling water

2. Heat the oil in a pan and add the onions; saute until softened and browned

3. Add the sausage to the pan and cook through

4. Add the cream and spinach and allow to combine

5. Season the sauce with salt/pepper

6. Once the fettucine is al dente, add it straight into the pan with the sauce, along with about 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, and toss to coat the pasta with sauce

That's it! This recipe is so easy and the result looks, tastes and feels quite gourmet.

cPe 2011

Taro Rice Pudding

One of the best desserts ever: Taro Rice Pudding (special) from Sunda

cPe 2011

Sinigang na Hipon

With a Filipino husband, I've had to learn to cook a few of his favorite dishes. Filipino cuisine intimidates me in a bit, mainly because I'm not too familiar with the flavor combinations and basic techniques used. That being said, I have succeeded at making a very good Adobo (if I do say so myself), and Afritada.

Sinigang is definitely in the Top 3 for the hubby, and while it seemed so simple, I was convinced that it must be more difficult once you get started.

Well, thanks to a little packet of soup base (don't judge...), making Sinigang became one of the easiest and satisfying dishes ever. In doing our grocery shopping a few days earlier, we got a few veggies that I had never used before. Gabi, sitaw... in English, that's Taro root and long beans. What makes Sinigang so tart and uniquely flavored is the tamarind base along with the flavor of the veggies as it cooks.

I chose to make Sinigang na Hipon, or Shrimp Sinigang.

Note: Unless you're seriously afraid of eating head-on shrimp, you should really use it because it adds so much flavor to the soup stock.

This is probably a short-cut version of the recipe, but it's as delicious as any Sinigang I've had.

Sinigang na Hipon

Ingredients

Pack of Shrimp, head-on

Packet of Knorr Tamarind soup base

3 Tomatoes, cut into cubes

2 Taro Root, cut into 1" cubes

2 cups of Long Beans, cut in half

Handful of fresh Spinach, cut into strips

6 cups of water

Scallions, finely chopped (for garnish, optional)

Steps

1. Wash and prep all the veggies so they're ready to go

2. Add the water into a large pot and boil

3. Add the soup base and tomatoes and allow to combine; simmer

4. Add the taro and cook for about 5mins

5. Add the Shrimp and remaining veggies

6. Simmer the soup until the shrimp are cooked

7. Serve hot and add some scallions as garnished

The soup tastes better the longer it simmers, so don't be afraid to leave the pot on very low as you come back for another ladle every so often.

cPe 2011

Sweet like honey

I have a huge sweet tooth that encompasses most things I eat and drink. I'll choose dessert over salty snacks any day, and I'll choose sweet, fruity cocktails over simple, tart drinks. My shots of choice are Patron XO and B52 - both sweet and delicious.

When our friends in WI told us about a new liqueur they'd recently found, we were excited to give it a try during our next visit. It's a honey liqueur named Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur.

The bottle even looks like a bottle of honey would, and the liqueur itself... oh, the liqueur. It is 35% alcohol and you can tell!

While it's quite strong, it warms your body as it goes down, and what's left, is a seriously delicious honey taste. It's like honey on your lips!

It can be enjoyed on its own, or added to cocktails. The website has a 14 cocktail recipes and you could find a lot more with a general google search.

cPe 2011