Cointreau-Quila by Mary E.(Qwon-tro-quila)

So tonight whilst spending time at a local restaurant/pub I found myself desiring a libation. There wasn't the wine I wanted, nor was their the Scotch that I would prefer to sip; so, I decided to have the bartender whip me up an original.I requested a tequila with Cointreau It is called the Cointreau-quila, French meets Mexico, or the Qwon-tro-quila. It is one shot of tequila, anejo or resposado would be best preferably Casa Noble but, any good tequila will do. Plus, a shot of Cointreau liquour. Squeeze a slice of lime and lemon into a glass filled with ice. That is all there is to it! The Cointreau-quila, or Qwon-tro-quila! Enjoy! Cointreau Casa Noble Overboard Dark Star

Hey ArtSees Diner? What's Cookin'?

Today's special treat was my easy make Tomato Bisque Soup and sour dough grilled cheese. Enjoy!

Mary E's Tomato Bisque Soup

Ingredients in order of preparation

1 tsp of  chopped garlic

1 medium onion - chopped

1 red, yellow or orange pepper OR 5 small multi-color peppers - chopped 

2 stalks celery - chopped 

2 tablespoon - Kolossos olive oil 

2 16oz cans of diced (no salt added - Aldi's) tomatoes

1 16oz can of fire roasted tomatoes with herbs

1 tsp - balsamic glaze (I used honey ginger from Olive Cart, but any will do)

1 tsp horseradish (optional) 

1 cup heavy cream 

1 1/2 cup whole milk  (feel free to use 2 1/2 cups of half and half) 

Begin by preparing all of the vegetables. Then saute them in the Kolossos olive oil until slightly transparent. Next add the tomatoes directly into the cooked veggies. After the mixture reaches a nice rolling boil, remove from heat. Using a blender, add all of the tomatoes/veggies into the blender. (I hold back about a 1/2 cup of the veggies so as to add character, for a complete puree, hold back nothing!) After you reach a nice consistency, (about a minute) carefully pour the puree back into your pan and add cream, milk and stir. Next add balsamic glaze and horseradish. Bring to a nice soft boil. Add freshly ground pepper, and serve. 

The Call of the "Wilde" Chicago

“I can’t stand people who do not take food seriously.” Oscar Wilde

A wonderful day with my daughter brought us back to our old haunts in Chicago for a "girl's day." She use to live in Lakeview. I use to live in Lincoln Park. We both have great memories of our time hanging out in Chicago and now and then miss the neighborhoods. So to be back for an "ah" day was long over due! For over a week we discussed where we would eat. The hard thing about going to a place known for its food diversity is where to eat. The easy thing about going to a place known for its food is you almost can't go wrong. Needless to say no decision was made prior to us meeting up. Neither one of us had a taste for anything in particular, we just looked forward to the time together. One thing we did settle on was the idea of eating lunch as opposed to shopping first and then eating an early dinner. Our dining choice would be based upon;1)parking 2)response to our gut, (not to be confused with gastronomic gut, but, intuitive gut) and 3)timing.

Setting out on Lake Shore Drive on a Saturday seemed like the perfect path towards satisfaction. Following a familiar path, we turned off onto Fullerton and up to Clark. From there instinct took over. After chatting and driving around a bit we found ample parking. As we walked down Broadway many places called our name but we would only heed the call of one. Would it be pizza, pasta, Thai, sushi, deli, bagels? NO! Then it happened. Like a pull on my Irish ancestry and a whisper from kindred spirits of the past we heard the call of the Wilde! Was it the dark wood, quaint window front or the spirit of the Great Oscar Wilde that called us by name? No, actually it was my daughter saying, I think I like the looks of this place. Something made her look at the menu. She saw the word that solved the puzzle;brunch, you see, we love our brunch and breakfast foods.

Now to the rest of the story..."I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best." Oscar Wilde

Walking in to Wilde, we were quickly seated in the front area of the restaurant. A small table for two very near the fire place. Warm, comfortable, with an air of elegance. Everything about the restaurant upon first assessment was warm. The music where we were sitting was a tad bit loud, but, at least the musical selection was pleasant. Immediately I traveled back to the ladies room. Prior to leaving I indicated to my companion that I would like coffee with cream should a server come to inquire. As I careened through the restaurant I discovered that the restaurant was sectioned in such a way that it was somewhat reminiscent to the way a house is divided;parlor, dining room, library, etc. The wood tones, library, decor, lighting as well as overall lay out allowed for me to move through the restaurant much like a character from one of Oscar Wilde's plays. All that from walking to the restroom? Ah, but yes, the spirit of Wilde wit challenged my Rapier wit to a duel to which I recoiled back to a time of grace, decadence and illusory of pleasures.

My daughter was a bit concerned that it took a little long to meet our server. I assured her that possibly it was because our server was waiting for me to return to the table. It was not long after I sat down that we were greeted by our server and we placed our drink order. We began with a cup of coffee. The coffee was a better than typical restaurant coffee. Being the coffee lover that I am, I appreciated that. I also appreciated the real cream in a nicely served creamer. (minus the accidental cream that landed on my daughter's coat.) The menu was very impressive. Looking around at other patron's selections helped in narrowing down our choices. We chose from the brunch menu:

• Spinach and Artichoke omelette with Irish cheddar grits and a side of  multi-grain toast 
• Beet and goat cheese salad 
• side of brunch potatoes

The food was delivered in a very timely manner and aside from a flinging of a little goat cheese and a plopsy of potatoes next to my daughter the plentiful platters were applauded. The benefit of the service being a little off kilter (I truly believe it was the spirit of the Wilde wit at play) is that we were able to engage near by diners in a humorous banter about the comedy of errors! However, I don't think my daughter was humored as much as the rest of us were. Needless to say the food was exactly what we had hoped for! The Irish cheddar grits were fabulous. To which I must acknowledge that increasingly I am loving what Chicago is doing with grits. Sorry you southern grit lovers, you have nothing on the Windy City! The spinach and artichoke omelette was like eating a healthier version of a really well done spinach artichoke dip. Instead of bread and chips it was enveloped around a perfectly cooked egg omelette. Even the multi-grain toast had a rich sense of an Irish countryside. I am not 100% certain, but, the butter was not your regular ole butter, which leads me to wonder if they actually use Irish butter, which is more like the butter we had back in the day. The beet and goat cheese salad was equally delicious and a perfect pairing for the omelette. It was a well calculated plan to order that which we would be able to pair and share. The richness of brunch potatoes were delectable, very rich, flavorful and the perfect item on a chilly autumn day.


I applaud our server for not making us feel rushed. The purpose of the day was to spend down time together. To just sit back, relax and feed not only our appetites but our souls. He was generous with refills on the coffee and kind to ensure that our every need was met. All in all it was a very pleasurable experience. Aesthetically pleasing, gastronomically satisfying and as the old Irish proverb states: Laughter is brightest where food is best!

I look forward to visiting Wilde "Chicago" Bar and Restaurant again. Wilde is located at 3130 N. Broadway, Chicago Illinois. Remember, "Love and gluttony, justify everything!" Oscar Wilde

canela chocolate y crema con tequila _ Casa Noble

Es muy delicioso! canela chocolate y crema con tequila - Casa Noble

On July 24th in honor of National Tequila Day, I interviewed Jose Hermosillo, 7th generation, tequila maker and owner of Casa Noble Tequila. Since that time, I have had the pleasure of experiencing Anejo, Reposado and Crystal Casa Noble Tequila.

Tonight I dabbled in a little mixology. Although I have taken Jose's recommendation to indulge in a clean sampling of Casa Noble and enjoyed it immensely, I am finding myself desiring a movement away from the typical margarita. Regardless how you indulge, Casa Noble is smooth, clean, fresh, alive. Casa Noble Tequila is some of the finest tequila I have had the pleasure of indulging in. Well, tonight I ventured away from clean and created a remarkable mix...Simple:

1/3 cup of half and half

1 ounce of dark chocolate

1 tbsp of vanilla

2 tbsp of simple sugar

1/4 tsp of cinnamon

4 to 5 ice cubes

2 shots of tequila, (I chose anejo) The deep caramel hue, bold rich taste and rich body holds up well to the ice

Place the chocolate, vanilla and half and half in a mug and heat for 1 minute/25 seconds. Stir vigorously... then blend all of the aforementioned ingredients into a shaker. Rapidly shake until almost all of the ice is melted. Pour into glass and let sit for about 5 minutes. The tequila when blended with the cinnamon really melds all the flavors together. Serve!

I can imagine that Sambuca and Grand Marniere would add fruit-filled essence, but, not entirely necessary.

"Jack Lemmon Returns" Starring son Chris Lemmon

*Make them laugh at the same time that their heart is breaking.* That was the goal of Jack Lemmon as learned by Jean-Louis Barrault, the French actor, director and mime. While Jack Lemmon found his place in the theatrical world by way of making people laugh, he feared being "pigeon-holed." He desired to transform himself into other characters for what appears to be the purpose of impacting his audience in the same profound way in which he was affected by his idol Jean-Louis Barrault.

"Jack Lemmon Returns" was as close to sitting down with the great Jack Lemmon himself. His DNA was alive with all the mannerisms, heart, passion and talent through his gifted son Chris Lemmon' portrayal of "good ole dad." Through the gifted story-telling of Hershey Felder, the audience was given a supreme duality in that we were exposed to the supremely talented Chris Lemmon all the while reminiscing with his father Jack Lemmon. When did Chris become Jack and Jack take a backstage seat to Chris?

I found myself realizing the importance of timing in all things. This play could not have been done earlier in Chris's life. The timing is now. As Chris has passed into the wisdom period that men enter into somewhere after the age of 50. When is that period? It is different for every man, but for this man, the timing was perfect. The maturity of Jack Lemmon was also evident, as the story revealed a man with regrets and no regrets. How could Jack's life have been any different? Jack's imperfections were made perfect in the careful weaving of memories shared by son through father and father through son. It was through this careful story telling and merging of two souls that Chris attained what his father sought; to make his audience laugh while their heart was breaking.

I smiled the entire time, realizing that I was in an intimate setting, the closest that I will ever be to Jack Lemmon, one of the greatest actors of all time. Jack Lemmon represents what is rapidly declining, my mother and father's generation. Jack Lemmon was like an Uncle to me. I cannot think of Jack Lemmon without fondly remembering my Uncles and my parents.

Chris Lemmon with perfect timing, delivery, musical mastery reacquainted us with an old friend and introduced us to "Hot-Shot" in a style that only a Lemmon could do! Bravo Chris, I feel like I should come back over and over again. I left the World Premiere performance, May 12th feeling much like I do when I leave a wedding reception of a family member. You know that feeling, you come back together with Aunts, Uncles, cousins, neighborhood friends that you haven't seen for a long while and the time spent with them brings you back to a simpler time. You do not want to let go of that wonderful feeling of familiarity.

Bravo, Brava, to the Director, Emma Marie Hay and crew for a simple, but elegant affair and fellow crew members. While the average age of the audience was north of 50, any aspiring actor or actress needs to acquaint themselves with the classics.

“Jack Lemmon Returns” will continue at The Royal George Theatre located at 1641 N. Halsted Street for an open run with performances as follows:

Wednesdays and Thursdays 7:30 p.m.

Fridays 8 p.m.

Saturdays 2 and 8 p.m.

Sundays at 3 p.m.

Tickets 55 and can be purchased at the box office, by phone at 312-988-9000 or online at www.theroyalgeorgetheatre.com

To see what others are saying, visit www.theatreinchicago.com, go to Review Round-up and click at “Jack Lemmon Returns”

Special thanks to Noreen Heron and Associates.

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