August 2009
1 post
The Daily V has a new home!
Greetings, to the 3 people who read my blog :)
My husband and I have bought the domain name, “www.thedailyv.com.”
From now on, you can find all of my blog posts at: http://www.thedailyv.com
I hope to see you there!
-Vanessa
July 2009
3 posts
I want the truth! You can't handle the truth!
I have a multitude of personality flaws, but there is one in particular that has been plaguing me since childhood: I get a sick pleasure out of proving people wrong. Everything from spelling errors, to driving directions, to movie trivia. If I’m not right, it bugs me.
So when I heard people say that Costco’s prices weren’t much better than a regular grocery store, I had to...
Summer is just Autumn's opening act
If you could grade how people spend their summers, I would get an F.
You know those people who get an A+ in summer : catching fireflies, sitting on the porch at dusk, going to the beach, wearing flip-flops, etc. I regard these folks with equal parts bewilderment and jealousy. I truly don’t understand what they love about summer, yet I wish I could enjoy it like they do.
The...
Where's the Beef? Apparently, it's on Nagle Ave.
I have a confession, which you might find a little strange: I have never eaten a hot dog outside of the Chicago metropolitan area.
In order to qualify as Chicago-style, a hot dog must include:
A poppy seed bun
Yellow mustard
Chopped white onion
Neon green relish
Sport peppers
Tomato wedges
A dash of celery salt
So, in honor of the little bubble I grew up in, here it is – the best hot...
June 2009
3 posts
I'm only here for the cake!
When you’re my age, it’s not uncommon to spend most of your summer weekends at weddings.
While most people are scrutinizing the bride and her dress, I usually direct my attention to the cake – or whatever is being served for dessert.
And if you’ve ever been to a wedding, you know that wedding cake is… well, it’s a gamble. You never quite know how it’s going to taste, and whether the...
Just Peachy!
When it comes to baking (and music), sometimes I feel like I was born a generation too late.
If you click through my iPod, you might assume that it belongs to a 50-year-old man. It’s full of relics such as The Police, Squeeze, and the Rolling Stones.
As for baking: Most girls my age are under the impression that baking involves going to the store and buying box mix. As a result, I...
Rhubarb - your reputation preceds you!!
Those of you who live in Chicago are probably wondering where Spring has been hiding lately. It has been unseasonably cool around here. But no matter how much the weather report will have us believe otherwise, Spring really is here.
Evidence:
1) I’ve bought my Chicago City Sticker. Ever since I was 17, this has been a rite of passage of spring.
2) I’ve had my annual bout of...
Abracadabra! Creating two cookies from one dough
Flour, sugar, and butter. These are truly magical ingredients. The types of cookies you can create from these ingredients are only limited by your own imagination.
“Well duh, Vanessa” you might be thinking. “Flour, sugar and butter are the building blocks for any cookie recipe.”
That is absolutely correct. But it is the manipulation of these ingredients that...
May 2009
5 posts
The Daily V Review: 30 Minute Meals, by Rachael...
Before I begin, I want to clarify that the following critique is for the 30 Minute Meals cookbook, not the TV show.
Background: Contrary to popular belief, Rachael Ray’s career was not developed by The Food Network. 30 Minute Meals was published in 1998, in response to the cult following she developed in New York. It was published by Lake Isle Press, which was a young company at...
Imitation - the sincerest form of flattery
I’m the first to admit that when I think something is a good idea, I copy it.
Typically, when I try to imitate the things I find interesting, it doesn’t work out. There is a mile long list of things that seemed awesome when I saw other people doing it.. but upon trying it myself, just turned into a mess. This list includes: dying my hair black, wearing light colored pants, smoking...
There's a fungus among us!
On Saturday, Brian and I joined our friends for dinner at Rockit in Wrigleyville - Billy Dec’s latest foray into world domination the Chicago restaurant scene. Stacy and I split a Kobe burger, which came with a side of Truffle Fries. What are truffle fries, you ask? We weren’t quite sure ourselves. Until recently, I wasn’t sure what made truffles so very special (and...
Stanley's vs. Jerry's (or: Praying at the altar of...
Most people who live on the North side of Chicago are familiar with Stanley’s Fruit Market. And even if you’ve never been to Stanley’s, it’s likely that you’ve seen this as you drive down North Ave.
(As a child, I got a huge kick out of this sign: cartoon Stanley piloting a watermelon and smoking a pipe. It rivaled Superdawg for my favorite sign in Chicago.)
...
April 2009
6 posts
What do jewelry and cookbooks have in common?
I have a theory about jewelry - if you ask a woman about her favorite necklace or earrings, the price tag rarely factors into her answer. What makes a piece of jewelry truly special is its sentimental value, its functionality, and its history - the story behind it.
I’ve been collecting cookbooks since 2006, from wherever I can find them: used bookstores, garage sales, my parents attic,...
Bibliophile
Ever since I started collecting cookbooks, my poor bookshelves have been buckling under their weight. So, in an effort to save money, space, and keep my bookshelves from breaking, I’ve decided to re-discover … the library.
This week, I became the proud owner of a brand new, freshly laminated library card. It is so special that it has de-throned my Costco card, and usurped the VIP...
Leave the gun, take the cannoli
Most people would never guess by looking at me, but I’m part Italian. And for many Italians, Easter is the superbowl of Catholic holidays (along with St. Joseph’s Day, if you’re hard-core).
So, in honor of my mom’s side of the family, I’ll explain how to do Easter Sunday, Italian style:
Begin cooking promptly at 7AM, so that “dinner” will be ready by...
Nice Rack!
I have a habit of making ill-timed, inappropriate comments. Example: when I was a bridesmaid at my friend Jenny’s wedding, I swore several times. In church.
So, it probably wasn’t surprising that tonight, I let this little gem slip out:
“Oh wow. That is a really nice rack. Can I pull it out?”
…let me explain.
After going out to dinner with my friend Jessica,...
Bridal Shower Cookies
The challenge: Create sugar cookies for my friend Stacy’s bridal shower, that aren’t too girly, and aren’t excessively sweet.
The materials:
A sugar cookie recipe from my cousin Meghan, vegan baker extraordinaire - I modified it, to suit non-vegans
Grapefruit juice and powdered sugar, to create a grapefruit glaze. Also Meghan’s idea.
White chocolate and dark...
Well played, Whole Foods.
Fact: I am one of the most gullible people you’ll ever meet in your life.
Fact: As a result, I am on extra-high alert every year on April Fool’s Day.
Fact: Whole Foods got me anyway! Damn!
When I visited the Whole Foods website today, this should have been my first clue:
Seriously. It’s an ad for Organic Air. How did that not register on my BS Detector? I didn’t...
TGIF vs. SNICK - a study in business models and...
In an effort to define people, our culture has developed sets of mutually exclusive categories. By default, a person can only fall into one group. You’re either a: Male/Female, Owner/Renter, Democrat/Republican, Cubs Fan/Sox Fan, etc.
But as a kid, no classification was more important than this: you were either a SNICK fan, or a TGIF fan. (…As an adult, this can morph into an...
March 2009
9 posts
"You need to find a way to say precisely what you...
On Saturday, I saw the Mary Poppins musical. Before I begin gushing about it, I have a confession: The last time I saw Mary Poppins, I was in 5th grade. I identify much more with the Simpsons episode featuring Sherry Bobbins, and her fabulous musical number, “Just Do a Half-Assed Job.”
But that is just a testament to how Disney can take a cold, hard cynic like me, who...
Table? Tab-lah?
If you direct your gaze to the left-hand side of my blog, you will see that chief among my dislikes are: trends, and poor grammar.
Much to my dismay, I’ve recently learned that Sur La Table manages to deliver on both.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Sur La Table, it’s a kitchenware store for people who have hopped on the trendy-cooking bandwagon, but have yet to...
Ode to KitchenAid Customer Care
My poor KitchenAid Stand Mixer had a brush with death on Saturday. But never fear, KitchenAid customer service came to the rescue!
I was making soft pretzels, and my mixer was hard at work, kneading my pretzel dough. Everything seemed to be going fine, so I stepped away from the mixer for a few minutes. Bad idea.
From the living room, this is what I heard:
rattle rattle
rattle rattle
...
Michael Jordan is brought to tears by the sheer... →
On Saturday, while most people were watching NCAA basketball, I happened to catch the Illinois 4A boys basketball championship.
My old high school, Whitney Young, was competing for the state championship, and one of our guards is none other than Marcus Jordan. The camera kept panning over to Michael Jordan, who was in the crowd watching the game. Whitney Young has some other claims to fame...
WatchUm.
Since when does Ron Howard run with the same crowd as T. Pain and Jamie Foxx? He was the LAST person I expected to see in the video for “Blame It.” Just goes to show ya that Hype Williams can film anyone in slow-motion, and make it look super-cool.
When I watch this video, I like to pretend that Jake Gyllenhall, Ron Howard, Samuel L. Jackson, and Forest Whitaker are all best...
