Windy City Blogger Wed Dec 02 2009

Windy City Blogger Wednesday: The Whole Kitchen

By Whitney Merritt

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! This week I would like to introduce Jenn the blogger behind The Whole Kitchen.

I focus on whole foods cooking with a gluten-free emphasis. For the most part, I make everything from scratch, as that's the only way I can really be assured that food is gluten-free.

What brought you to Chicago?
My husband, Mark, and I are originally from Lake Orion, Michigan. After graduating from Michigan State (Go Spartans!), we were interested in living in a city, and didn't want to work for the automotive industry in Michigan. Chicago was a perfect fit - it is still within a day's drive from our families, and I love being in a city where I don't need to drive. We've been in Chicago nearly ten years now, and love our lakeside home in Rogers Park.

What do you do when you aren't blogging?
I spend my days fighting cancer. I work for the American Cancer Society, and specialize in graphic design and e-communication. Like most of Cancer Society supporters, I bring my own family's cancer journey to my work to inspire and keep me focused on our mission. If I'm not at work or in my kitchen, it's a good bet that I'm cycling the streets and bike paths of Chicago.

Favorite restaurant in Chicago?
I don't eat out that often because of celiac disease (gluten intolerance). Every meal that I don't cook for myself is a health risk. It takes some time to trust a restaurant or even a friend, to cook for me. When I am looking for a truly excellent meal, I've come to rely on Campagnola in Evanston. Campagnola focuses on fresh, local, organic food prepared simply and with excellence. Everytime I call ahead to let them know about my dietary issues, they are happy to take extra care to cook for me, and I've never gotten sick after eating there...it may seem like a small thing to most people, but for those of us with celiac, this is a HUGE gift. Once you sit down in Campagnola, you feel welcome and taken care of by the excellent staff.

Favorite restaurant in Chicago, if you aren't paying?
Since I don't eat out much, and I work for a non-profit, I don't spend much time in the culinary stratosphere of Chicago. I love Frontera Grill and all things Rick Bayless and would love to try Topolobampo sometime, but I've never been. I do cook a lot of Rick's recipes from his cookbooks at home, and many of them are among my favorite dishes.

Favorite recipe and/or post
I tend to fall in love with whatever I'm cooking at the moment, so it's hard to choose a favorite. The sweet potato crisp I just made for Thanksgiving was amazing, and may be my current Fall favorite. My cooking follows the local seasons, and I love to cook up whatever appears in my weekly farm share boxes or at the farmer's markets. The recipe that I hear the most about from readers is my recipe for granola bars . I always have a container of these in the fridge for breakfast and on-the-go snacks.

How do take your coffee?
No coffee for me, I drink plain water 95% of the time. If I'm looking for a warm cuppa on a cold morning, I brew a pot of peppermint licorice tea - peppermint tea is a great wake-up, and the licorice root gives it a little sweetness without adding sugar. It's also great if you feel a cold coming on, as herbal teas have an antibacterial effect.

Cubs or Sox?
Windy City Rollers all the way! Aside from WCR, I really can't be bothered with sports - sorry.

What is the one thing/place/restaurant that you recommend to your out of town guests?
If friends are looking for somewhere to eat downtown, I usually recommend Cafe Iberico for great tapas - the restaurant can be a little noisy, but I love their food, and everyone we've taken there has enjoyed it. Must-haves on my list include their patatas bravas and the banana with caramel.

One (or two) things that you can't live without in your kitchen
If you've visited my blog, you could probably guess the first "desert island" item in my kitchen is my Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. I'm not a baker, but I LOVE homeade ice cream and I've always got a quart of dairy-free ice cream stashed in the freezer.

My second desert island item would be the IngenuiTEA teapot which allows you to brew up 2 cups of loose tea and automatically strain it - this little teapot is a daily companion in the winter months!

Catch up on all the previous Windy City Bloggers here.

Do you have a favorite Chicagoland based food blogger? Email drivethru@gapersblock.com with [food blog interview] in the subject line with the name and URL of the blog and I will check it out!