FNN

Well, folks, this blog has come to an end. Thank you so much for stopping by to read the Foodie News Network.

But wait! Before you go, I’d like to invite you to visit my original blog, French Toast. It’s about eating and cooking in Chicago, and I will try to update it more frequently now that Intro to Interactive Publishing is over. As a special treat, my first post back is about a bizarrely delicious ice cream I made today. Please come check it out!

Again, thank you so much for reading the Foodie News Network.

Grant Achatz of Alinea has made the whole proposal for his memoir, “Life, on the Line,” available online after an earlier leak. Based on the proposal, it looks like the book will focus on Achatz’s battle with tongue cancer. The proposal includes scans of a few documents related to his illness and excerpts from various chapters.

You can check out the PDF for yourself here.

As a whole, journalism and other industries devoted to sharing information are still trying to figure out this “new media” thing. Some interactive stories work well, other fall a bit flat.

Big props, then, to Food & Water Watch for their Global Grocer site.

Instead of listing facts–for instance, that almost no limes are grown in the United States–the Global Grocer provides information in an engaging context (an interactive grocery store, complete with a soundtrack of checkout beeps and muffled announcements). The site’s tone can get a bit preachy, but the content is fascinating.

A few years ago, my family took a trip to Alaska. I remember the scenery, of course, the kayaking, the hikes, but I also remember the food. That was the trip that convinced me that I like crabmeat. It’s also the first time I ever enjoyed a bread pudding, and the chef of the M.V. Sea Lion was kind enough to share his recipe with me. I’ve made some adaptations since.

Ingredients:
5 eggs
½ cup sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
1 pinch nutmeg
2½ cups cream
¾ tsp salt
½ lb bread, cut into 1″ cubes
1/2 bag chocolate chips

1. Prepare the custard by combining eggs, sugar, vanilla, spices, cream and salt.
2. Mix the bread and the custard in a large bowl. Let rest for 20 minutes to absorb.
3. Pour into greased 13×9 cake pan.
4. Sprinkle the chocolate chips onto the pan.
5. Cover pan with plastic wrap. Cook at 250F until custard is just barely set. (Or cover with foil and cook at 375º.)

You can also make this recipe with apples instead of chocolate. As a bonus, here’s an audio slideshow I made earlier this year, demonstrating that variation:

Not all youngsters are interested in dining at Cafe Spiaggia, Vie and the like. For those who are, Cookie and Gourmet magazines have joined forces to bring Kids’ Restaurant Week to Chicago from June 20-28.

Throughout Chicago, 21 restaurants will feature special prix fixe menus at seatings between 5 and 7 p.m. Adults pay $29, and children 11 and under pay their age.

For more information or to make reservations, visit the event’s website.

Have food allergies? Here’s a dining out experience tailored to be safe for you. On June 29th, Carnivale restaurant will serve as the setting for the next “Safe and Sound Dinner” hosted by Chicagoan Lisa Williams.

The menu will be free of wheat, eggs, soy, dairy, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts and gluten, according to Chicagoist.

Tickets are required and cost $50 per person. To purchase tickets or get more information (including a full run-down of the evening’s menu), visit LisaCooksAllergenFree.com.

Beautiful Cakes is hosting a cupcake bake-off tonight at the Veranda restaurant (5700 W. Irving Park, 773-283-8800) at 6 p.m. The event is expected to occur monthly from now on.

The secret ingredient in tonight’s competition is citrus, The Chicago Reader’s blog reports. Cupcake tasting will be available at the restaurant, along with food and drink specials.

Now that you know how to make fresh pasta, here are some simple ways to up the ante and make fresh ravioli.

With thanks to my mother for playing cinematographer and to a yappy dog somewhere in the neighborhood for providing the soundtrack.

In preparation for tomorrow’s post, here is my mother’s ravioli recipe. The name translates to “half moon,” because the finished ravioli look like little semi-circles.

Ingredients:
2 cups semolina flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp olive oil
¾ teasp salt
warm water
——————————————-
2 cups part skim ricotta cheese, drained if necessary
1 egg, lightly beaten
leaves of 2 sprigs Italian parsley, chopped
1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella
½ cup freshly grated aged Romano cheese

Preparing the Dough:
1. Pour eggs, oil, and salt into a well in the flour and mix/knead until the dough can be formed into a little ball and will not crumble. You will need to add water A LITTLE AT A TIME to get the dough to this consistency.
2. Let dough rest for five minutes covered by a bowl.
3. Knead dough until it is smooth and elastic.
4. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Preparing the Cheese Filling:
1. Combine all ingredients.
(If meat filling is desired, prepare your favorite meatball recipe but do not cook.)
Rolling, Cutting and Filling the Pasta:
[Note: In order to prevent the dough from drying out, roll out, cut and fill a small portion of the dough at a time, keeping the rest wrapped in plastic wrap.]
1. Roll a small portion of the dough to the next-to-thinnest setting on your pasta rolling machine.
2. Immediately cut the rolled-out strip of dough into 3-inch rounds using a cookie cutter.
3. Gather up the remnants to incorporate into the next portion to be rolled.
4. Place a small amount of raw filling in the center of each round, using a fork to avoid excess liquid.
5. Dampen the edge of the round with water, fold the round in half, and crimp the open edges with the tines of a clean fork to seal.
6. Spread out completed ravioli (so that they do not stick to each other) and permit them to dry a bit while you work the rest of the dough.
7. Cook ravioli in boiling, salted water until done to your taste.
8. Drain and serve with your favorite sauce and cheese.

If you’re looking for something fun to do with the kids this weekend, consider rolling up your sleeves to make some sustainable sushi at the Shedd Aquarium!

The hands-on class will take place on Sunday (May 31) from 4 to 6 p.m. All the fish served will have been caught and raised using sustainable techniques, and someone from the Aquarium will be available to talk about how important that is.

Tickets cost $20 for adults and $5 per child, and include beverages and admission to the aquarium if you arrive an hour earlier.

For tickets and more information, visit Purple Asparagus.