MAKE THIS PIZZA NOW

I am proud to share this super-easy pizza recipe for your indulgence. I love the olive oil and garlic base and the kick that the roasted poblanos give. I made it using leftovers from bison burgers we had one night, but I'll share how to get those ingredients too. Many thanks to my Facebook friends for their ideas that finished it off!
Here we go:


BISON PIZZA

1 whole wheat pizza crust, ready-made
10-12 slices provolone
1/2 lb. ground bison, cooked, sprinkled with just a touch of seasoning (we used Cavender's)
caramelized onions
mushrooms that are sauteed with olive oil and S&P in the same pan that was used for the onions
1 poblano pepper, coated with olive oil, roasted and chopped
3 cloves chopped garlic
olive oil


1) Preheat your oven according to the pizza package instructions and prepare the bison, onions and mushrooms
2) Brush the crust with olive oil and sprinkle on the garlic
3) Top the pizza with the caramelized onions, mushrooms, poblano peppers, and cooked ground bison
4) Layer the provolone on top
5) Bake until crust just starts to crisp, about 9 min. for us.

It's heaven. Enjoy.

I believe that everyone should have a right to go to the bathroom privately and comfortably. I even feel for dogs, who are forced to go to the bathroom not just in public, but in front of their owner. Have you ever seen a dog look up happily at its owner -- watching with an eagle eye! -- while it squats? No, you haven't, because that dog is humiliated.

I bring this up because we found out this week that my dad's bladder cancer might be making a comeback. It was diagnosed a couple years ago, when he began frequent bacterial treatments that caused him a lot of pain. The treatments flushed really strong bacteria through his bladder, which makes peeing painful and even dangerous if he's not careful; he has to disinfect the toilet after he goes.

Going to the bathroom essentially had to take over his life. But then they started weaning him off and had switched him to a 6-month schedule. What they were doing was basically maintaining it, keeping it at bay. I could tell he wasn't running to the bathroom as often. I'm not sure if he was in pain.

Unfortunately, in his words, "the plumbing didn't start to work" right again, and in those 6 months, several growths developed. Now we're waiting to hear back if the tumors are malignant or cancerous.

I think at some point I read that bladder cancers are contained and that the worst-case scenario is a bag. That's certainly better than a lot of other alternatives, and believe me, we've been thankful this has been manageable and he's been able to maintain a pretty normal life. We don't ignore that.

But I would hate to have my dad go through all this again. I hate that going to the bathroom for him is difficult and could become a major part of his life. I feel the same way for a friend who's dealing with rectal cancer (hi, Beth).

They're both doing brilliantly and prove that you really can handle what life gives you, even when it comes to matters of the bathroom. But that doesn't mean that I like it and don't get angry they have to go through it.

Hopefully while I'm angry for the situation, some cosmic or karmic forces are making them both at ease so it's easier to focus on getting healthy.

An Anniversary Toast to MK

We celebrated our four-year anniversary this week at MK, what I've always heard of as an "institution to Chicago dining." Brian's been there a bunch of times, and pretty much everyone in our little foodie group has too. Because of it, it's never at the top of our list;when you live in a city with new -- good! - restaurants popping up every time Tom Skilling says "lake effect," the oldies but goodies take a back seat.

I don't know what it was like when it opened 10 years ago and don't have multiple visits to compare to. But I will say it's worthy of its reputation. I love MK, and here's why:

• The food's just as innovative as some of the new folks' in town, which says a lot for a 10-year-old restaurant. Sure, there are a couple dishes that have been on the menu since the beginning (I hear the MOST AMAZING EVER (!) truffled frittes are one of 'em) but this place has changed with the times.
•  The staff were awesome and had a sense of humor, which really can make or break your meal, no mattter how great the food is. The staff at L20 last year were about as stuffy and stiff as you could get, and while Nomi's crew, for example, were extremely nice and knowledgeable, they were quite reserved. On the flipside, two cocktails, and glass full white and red wine later, we invited our MK servers to our wedding. It's completely ridiculous and not going to happen, but in the moment, it was a brilliant idea. When you laugh and joke with people all night long, it makes the meal all the sweeter.
• And the decor is awesome. It's warm yet contemporary. Wood beam ceilings, exposed brick but then contemporary tables and colors and whatnot. Really cool and comfortable. Yet ..
• There's brilliance in dressing up for dinner yet still being comfortable -- making a special meal an affair, a cause for celebration. They say all this on their home page. I love it, as these days, all we seem to do is dress down more and more. That's great, but it doesn't mean dressing up can't have it's place too.

Whenever people ask me for recs, I'm tempted to name the hottest spot or a relatively hot spot. This will be top of mind from now on.

What We've Been Eating, January 2011

Here's a snapshot of our meals from January 2011. Some were no-recipe wonders, others borrowed from cookbooks, some combined leftovers with new ingredients. Enjoy!

I heart this dish! I added some fish sauce, sesame oil and oyster sauce to soba noodles and mixed in shrimp, ginger and vegetables. 

Mmm: My mom's oxtail soup. I just read that oxtails today aren't really the tails of an ox but instead cow parts. I know she's been buying the same meat for this soup for decades based on what her mom bought, and given the fact she doesn't shop at a shi-shi grocery store, I'm thinking it's the real thing. Regardless, she gets a kick out of the fact that oxtail is trendy; it's been a staple for peasants for years. 

One of the items on our wedding menu is an amazing korean bbq pork roast. Brian duplicated it pretty darn well last week and made an Asian-inspired slaw and AMAZING garlic mashed potatoes, his own special recipe. 

I barely remember this, but I know that the sauce on top is actually pureed vegetables with rosemary, leftovers from another dinner. I took leftover potatoes that had been sliced, baked, salted and sprinkled with thyme and mixed it with more vegetables, then topped it with the puree. To use Brian's favorite phrase, it was "actually pretty good."

How a Content Strategist and Information Architect Work Together

If you're going to practice content strategy, you can't not incorporate information architecture.

ASBPE asked me to write a blog about just this. Without further adieu, here's a snapshot into how a content strategist and information architect can work together. (And no, I didn't write the headline.)

And She Wrote and She Wrote and She Wrote

I really want to try to write more.

Years ago, I wrote all the time. I was prolific! I had a blog, the MorningAfter Blog, that tackled dating and relationships and people and all things universal. It was popular and I enjoyed it.

But then it wasn't fun anymore. I got into a relationship and realized, for the moment, I had shared enough with the world. I wanted to be private and give up being public. I didn't want a "beat."

Since then, I've tried to get into topics -- food, triathlons, etc. -- without feeling passionate about it. And I still feel that way most of the time.

But something today has gotten me going, and I'm hoping it's not a fluke. Writing's been on my mind a lot, and I'm considering dropping a lot of money in a time when I'm spending way too much (wedding! hel-lo!) just to take a class on personal essays that would require me to write and put me in a position to improve how I do it too.

If I dig deeper, it's easy for me to point to my friend Cynthia, who recently took up a new blog and a new writing class and has thus reminded me of what I used to be like. We worked together as editors in a tiny newsroom serving a big geographical area, and then after we parted jobs chose to take a writing class together too. I associate writing with her, and if she starts back up, maybe I need to start back up too.

Even if the best thing we got out of that last writing class was the phrase "Hershey Kiss nipples." You don't need to know the story; that will suffice.

I'm preparing to dig back in.

I Will Tri This Year -- Maybe

It's been a full year since my triathlon training went haywire because of the Great Sickness of 2010. I could link to it but honestly don't feel like digging up the pneumonia-filled memories that plagued my life and my blog for several months.

Anyway, when I became sick, I had to recover and get my lungs back up to speed. Even after a few months I wasn't a sure thing, and my triathlon last August was pretty miserable: after a great swim my asthma kicked in -- likely because of the chest cold I had fought the week before -- and I ended up walking/trotting the run and promptly getting escorted to the medic tent when I crossed the finish line.

Prior to that, I full out quit a race in the middle of it because I just didn't want to race.

I haven't been excited about triathlons.

So it kinda surprised me and Brian when I signed up for a triathlon I swore I'd never do again, Pleasant Prairie.

I realized I'm already practicing three sports in my workout routine and have accepted, because I"m not really training, my time won't be as good. And that's OK. Admittedly, I also wanted to make sure I kept a part of "me" -- people know me for triathlons now! -- while I did all this wedding stuff. My part time job is the wedding, but I don't want it to completely define me this year.

Part of me signed up because I have a couple friends doing their first tris this year. A big part of me chose that race because it's at the end of June, which still gives me a couple months to heal before the wedding in case anything happens (knock on wood). And ultimately, I just don't want to skip a year of tri. They say you can call yourself a triathlete as long as you do one tri a year. Well, I'm fulfilling that requirement.

I also want the T-shirt.

You might be wondering why I hate the Pleasant Prairie race. My main gripe is the horrible swim conditions. Sure, it's in "beautiful Lake Andrea" which is "warm and spring-fed." But the lanes are poorly marked,  causing swimmers from two directions to collide. You also race into the sun. If you haven't raced into the sun during morning hours, while wearing goggles and while dodging swimmers from the other direction coming at you, you're missing a whole new ballgame. 

I also didn't like the parking situation or the food, but whatever. It's a triathlon that's placed perfectly according to my wedding schedule. I'm in!

(The "maybe" component to my headline is my recognizing that I just might not mentally want to do it. My rule is it has to be fun, and if it's not, screw it.)

Why You'll Like Longman & Eagle

Everyone's talking about Longman & Eagle.

"You like bourbon? Go for the bourbon!" our catering manager (just booked!) told us a month ago.

"It has a Michelin star!" my colleague said.

And like all things in Chicago, if you hear of 3.5 hour waits at 8:30 p.m. on a Saturday, it must be good, right?

I'm happy to report it is really, really, good. And here's why: Instead of in-your-face offal whose purpose is to shock (Want beef tongue? Here's a slice in the shape of the tongue! tease the chefs behind Publican) or weighs you down so much come course No. 2 you don't want to eat anymore (hello, Incanto), L&E balances everything really well.

Braised oxtail combines to make the perfect bite with scallops and tiny gnocchi; a pot au feu of short rib, tenderloin, foie gras, and horseradish marrow is actually really light and cleanly presented, not to mention well balanced with a consomme and vegetables.Brian had cod with some typically heartier accompaniments, but we didn't roll out feeling greasy and gross. The intention of the cod was maintained, gosh darnit.

Sure, wild boar's on the menu. But it's in the form of sloppy joe. That's fun.

We went on a Saturday night just before 6 and waited a half hour. I'd add it to your List of must-tries.

Why I Think Vendors Like Brides Like Me

I'm happy to report that wedding preparations continue to go swimmingly! Sure, there's been a little crisis aversion here or there (say, immediately retracting Brian's invitation to have his sister's family of five stay with us the week of our wedding), but all's going well. And importantly, my vendors are happy. At least they tell me so.

I want to keep my vendors happy not just because of my crush on them but because happy vendors equal personal motivation to do my wedding well. I'm trying to keep them happy by practicing a few genuine business rules:

• Treating each interaction with them as I would any other professional meeting or conversation
• Offering my opinions and requirements but listening and trusting theirs
• Staying super organized and sharing any updates with them that might influence the plans we've created
• Asking, what do you need from me in order to do your job? 

I figure that if all goes to hell in August for whatever reason -- Acts of God, my own emotional stress, etc. -- I'll have enough planned and have built up enough goodwill to not anger them so much they do the equivalent of a waiter spitting in my food.

Everything I listed is really basic, but you've seen bridezillas: it's as if they check everything -- tact, grace, couth, professionalism -- at the door, leaving everyone else -- including the people they're paying to work -- as slaves to their emotions.

I'm probably prematurely tooting my own horn. They could hate me for all I know. Personally, I might have thought, "Jeez, woman, your wedding's in September" if I received a few of the emails I sent.

But whatever I'm doing, it's paying off, because our relationships are going really well. I'm going to try to keep it that way!