Last I posted, I was out in LA visiting my boyfriend, Chris. A month or two later, Chris came back to the ole Midwest, and so my visits to the Golden State have come to a halt. It’s all good though, because now I get to enjoy the AWESOME summer produce and foods back in Illinois and Wisconsin. I know us midwesterners may get a bad wrap for deep frying everything and covering it in cheese (which is justified), but we also grow some pretty kick butt veggies this time of year.

To celebrate the 4th of July (and beginning of corn season), my sister, Chris and I did some light BBQ-ing. In my opinion, the grilled corn was the highlight of the meal. It was the first corn on the cob I have had this summer, and it was pretty darn good! I can’t wait until the local stuff really hits it’s prime in late July/early August.

Grilling corn is super easy, and in my opinion, way better than the typical boiling method. Here’s how we did it:

1) Remove the silks: Just peel down the husks (like a banana) and then remove all of those silky hairs. Once the silk is gone, recover the corn kernels with the husks. This keeps you from getting nasty black strings on your corn, while still letting you use the husks for some natural steam action.

2) Soak: Fill a big bowl or pot with sugar water and let the corn and husks chill in there for about a half hour. Why sugar water? Honestly, I’m not sure…but Chris’ Irish grandpa says to do it, so we did. Supposedly it adds some extra sweetness, which I can dig.

3) Grill: Place the corn, husks and all, on the grill. Cook it for 20-25 minutes, rotating about every 5.

4) Shuck the corn: Once they are ready to be taken off the grill, transfer them to a pan or platter and get them off the flame. They’ll be pretty hot at first, but after a couple minutes remove all of the husks. But don’t chow down yet…you’re not quite done!

5) Return to the grill: Once the husks are removed, take the corn back to the grill and cook for an additional 5 minutes. This will give them that nice char flavor and color. YUM!

6) Slather in butter and enjoy!

It is simply delightful and super easy! I want to start experimenting with some compound butters and southwest flavors. I’m thinking some lime-cilantro butter with chili powder. I’ll keep you updated with that!

First up, The Griddle Cafe on Sunset. I overheard a co-worker talking about it this summer, and when he mentioned Oreo pancakes and chocolate chip cookie crusted French Toast, I knew it was a place I needed to go.

The Griddle Cafe is small and can be easily missed if you're driving by. Keep your eyes out for the sign! It is near the intersection of Sunset and Fairfax.

I have been to The Griddle twice now, and let me tell you, it is simply AWESOME. The first time I went with my friend Amanda. We were rookies, we were flustered and we simply did not know the quantity of awesomeness that was about to hit us. We each ordered our own stack of pancakes: I got a caramelized banana kind, she got the “Saturday Night Fever” (which is basically pancakes loaded up with Baileys and Kahlua and topped with whipped cream). Both pancakes were delicious, but we were astounded by the quantity of food we got. One order gets you three pancakes, and each pancake is about 6x the size of a normal pancake. Do the math…that is like sitting down to eat 18 pancakes. Both of us were in pain by the time we left and did not eat for the next 24 hours. Nonetheless, it was delicious and my first experience made me yearn to go back for another try.

The "Saturday Night Fever" pancakes before we started eating. Notice they are about 3x larger than a human hand.

This is as good as we could do. I know it looks weak, but we were proud of our work.

So, I did. This time I went with my boyfriend, Chris, and was far more educated and prepared for the awesome experience. We both only ordered ONE pancake (it doesn’t say you can do that on the menu, but just ask). I got the Oreo pancakes and Chris got pancakes filled with frosted flakes and strawberries. Both were covered in huge globs of whipped cream and both were super tasty! We also ordered a side of bacon, and man was that a good decision. It is really thick cut and is cooked to perfection. On the way out, we saw an old man who had two orders of bacon all for himself. He clearly knew what was up. We both left totally stuffed, but not in pain like my previous visit.

I have not even ventured into The Griddle’s world of french toast, but I am excited to do so next time I am in town. I also hear they have great egg dishes, and their burgers and fries look pretty darn good as well. The restaurant can get pretty busy on the weekends, and parking is a little tricky, but it is all totally worth the trip. I can’t wait to go back!

Next up: Sprinkles Cupcakes

Stay tuned…

Any sort of disappointment in life makes me want to bake. However, due to the fact that I’m couch surfing in LA for the remainder of my winter break, baking is not quite as convenient as it would be back in Milwaukee.

Either way, I’ll share a quick recipe for some easy no-bake cookies that are perfect for easing the pain of heartbreaking defeat. You only need three ingredients, and you can really get creative with this basic idea.

Hugs for Heartbreak Cookies

Ingredients

1 package of Oreos
1 container of cream cheese frosting
1 package of Hershey’s Hugs

Place entire package of Oreos into a food processor. Pulse until completely ground. It should have a similar texture as ground coffee.

Combine frosting with 3/4 of the ground Oreos. Stir until completely combined.

Form frosting and cookie mixture into one inch balls. Coat balls in additional cookie crumbs.

Press down cookies using Hershey Hug. Refrigerate to set.

I have also made a variation of these using chocolate frosting, graham crackers and mini-marshmallows on top. That is also pretty good, but I find that the Oreo variety is a real crowd pleaser! Make sure you keep them in the refrigerator for storage. If they get too warm, they will lose their shape and you’ll end up with a blobby mess.

Also, make sure you use original Oreos…no Double Stuff for this recipe! Though I typically prefer the double stuff for regular snacking, that extra creamy goodness makes the cookie too gooey and it will not stick together. Feel free to experiment with other Oreo flavors though. I bet the peppermint ones would be excellent! Maybe roll it around in some crushed candy canes too? Get creative! Let me know how it turns out!

Oh, and as always…Go Pack Go.

Let’s face it, the movie “Julie and Julia” has probably inspired hundreds, if not thousands, of food blogs since its release this past fall. Well, chalk this up as another one. I just watched the movie on Tuesday as I sat on a four hour plane ride from Milwaukee, WI to Los Angeles, CA and as soon as my flight landed I wanted to hop off the plane and into the kitchen. Yes, I realize that makes me sound like a domesticated housewife straight out of the show “Mad Men”, but the fact is, I just love food. I’m guessing you do too since you’re actually taking the time to read this. Or maybe you’re just a Facebook friend of mine that was bored enough to click on the link. Either way, thank you. I’ll take whatever I can get.

So, for my first post I thought I’d share a recipe with you that is proving to be my favorite quick meal these days. The recipe was inspired by one I found in Fine Cooking magazine, but I added my own little twist to incorporate more veggies and some of my favorite flavors (like cilantro and lime). I also took the liberty to add more cheese. I’m from Wisconsin. Deal with it. The best part, it is all cooked in one dish. PLUS, it can be made in a half hour. Can a recipe get any better than that?

Tex Mex Chicken Skillet

Ingredients

1 1/4 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced 1/4 inch thick
3 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
Salt and Pepper
1/2 c all-purpose flour
4 tbs. butter
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
1 can whole kernel corn
2 medium jalepenos, thinly sliced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 c water
2-3 limes
1 cup shredded taco cheese
Cilantro for garnish

Position an oven rack about four inches from the broiler and heat the broiler to high. Toss the chicken with the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Lightly dredge the chicken in the flour and shake off any excess.

Melt 2 1/2 Tbs of butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned (about 5 minutes). Chicken does not need to be cooked all the way through. Transfer to plate.

Add the remaining butter then sauté bell peppers and onion. Once onion is translucent, add corn, jalepeno, garlic and 1/2 tsp of salt. Cook, stirring, until the corn begins to brown lightly (2-3 minutes). Add the chicken, lime juice and water. Cook until chicken is just cooked through (about 2 minutes). Sprinkle with cheese and transfer skillet to the broiler. Broil until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro.