Filli with the Chili

If you have never been to a chili cook off, you have been missing out on an importantly fantastic aspect of life. Earlier this month, I attended the 11th Annual Jack Daniel's Chili Cook Off, held at Boystown's Sidetracks bar.

There must have been at least 15 chili recipes to be had. Some exhibiters included Sprout, Hamburger Mary's, Chicago Diner, Seven Ten Lanes (Hyde Park), Kitsch’n On Roscoe, F. O’Mahony, Jack’s on Halsted, Hotel 71, Lucky Strike Lanes, J & L Catering, Aja Restaurant at the Dana, Hotel & Spa, The Mid America Club and Rockit Bar & Grill.

Each was extraordinarily different from the last. Chocolate stout; Jack Daniel's, 312 and bacon enriched; chicken; beanless and vegan chili were just some of the options of note. Most had their own cornbread sides (one was a fried tube, another a vegan muffin made of blue corn) and toppings (bacon, guac, cheese ball, mango salsa, and even gold fish).

Needless to say, our stomachs both loved and hated us by the time we exited the bar.

Spice & Ice and Everything Nice

Absolut Spice & Ice

Ingredients:
-Absolut Berri Acai
-Passion Fruit
-Ginger-Habanero Syrup
-Lime
-7 Spice Rum

Garnish:
Cinnamon, anise, nutmeg, cardamom, and more.
















At the Time Out Chicago five-year anniversary party, Nacional 27 offered up signature cocktails from mixologist Adam Seger. My guy and I made it our goal to try all the interesting sounding Absolut drinks. Our favorite, and probably mine of all time, was the Spice & Ice. (I would recommend using your own proportions, as I did not obtain the exact recipe.) The summery fruit flavors perfectly complimented the spicy fall tones, while the flowery rim garnish produced an aromatic zest.

Eggo Meets Ben & Jerry

Despite the Eggo Waffle shortage (due to excess rain and bacteria sample...yum), we bought a package of Blueberry for a little foodie experiment: to create an alternative ice cream sandwich. To mix fruit flavors, we purchased a single (a.k.a. baby sized) serving of Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream. The combo was deliciously fruity and flavorful. The rough waffle texture complimented the soft, but chunky, ice cream. Mmm.