O’Hare Curiosities

May 16th, 2012

I’ve been spending a LOT of time at O’Hare airport this year and here are a few things I snapped photos of that I thought were interesting.

Accenture has this huge touchscreen display. I tried to get a photo of someone interacting with it, but every time someone saw me with my camera they walked away. Basically you can choose to view news, weather, sports, etc and it displays on the big screen. I think you could touch anything on the screen and interact with it.

And this was even crazier -

I was in the bathroom and noticed that there were ads being displayed in the mirror. I don’t know how this works, but they were opaque enough that you could read them but transparent enough that you could still see yourself in the mirror. Is this the future? Ads on mirrors?

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PBR at Whole Foods

May 15th, 2012

For yuppies who think they’re hipsters.

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Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio

May 14th, 2012

My brother and I have always wanted to visit one of the Frank Lloyd Wright buildings around the Chicago area, so when I saw a buy one get one free Google offer I jumped on it. A few weeks ago we visited the Frank Lloyd Wright home and studio in Oak Park. Unlike other Wright-designed buildings and homes, this is one that he actually lived in with his family. It was pretty much his first project and not everything inside is typical Wright design because he was still very young and experimenting with what he liked. I thought it was an interesting tour. Definitely worth the discounted rate of $7.50/per person we paid for it!

Walking around outside before the tour. This is the house:

And this is the studio:

The first room we saw (not counting the entryway/foyer) was the living room.

Next we walked through this hallway. When the house was built, they built around a tree that already existed. You can see the original tree in the black and white photo. The branches in the hallway now are just props.

The hallway lead to the dining room. Check out that custom ceiling light.

I loved the windows throughout the house. They were really pretty in the dining room.

Next we went upstairs and visited the children’s bedrooms (no photos) and the master bedroom.

And the master bathroom:

This was a room for Wright’s wife.

Down the hall was the children’s playroom.

With more pretty windows.

And a beautiful skylight.

True fact: Frank Lloyd Wright’s son invented Lincoln Logs.

Check out this piano that is recessed into the wall in the playroom.

It sticks out into the stairway behind it!

At the bottom of the steps was the kitchen.

Next we went over to the studio. The home was built in 1889 and the studio in 1898.

Inside there was a large balconied room with drafting tables and a fireplace, where Wright and his associates would work.

This is where Wright’s secretary worked.

And, finally, this was a meeting room.

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Daddy Bucks Cane Syrup

May 12th, 2012

My parents were in Alabama several months ago and brought back some Daddy Bucks cane syrup for me. When I was young we would visit Florida and Alabama every year or every other year and cane syrup was one of my favorites. I also remember loving canned figs that my great Aunt Juanita made. If you’ve never had it, cane syrup is made from sugar cane and is more golden with a carmel-y verging on molasses taste. Much different from maple syrup.

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Chocolate-Dipped Potato Chip Cookies

May 7th, 2012

I saw this recipe for Potato Chip Cookies on Smitten Kitchen and could not get it out of my mind! So, for Paul Baker’s birthday, I made a batch and boxed them up for him for a gift. This was way back in February, but I’m just getting to the photos now. (Sorry!) To kick it up a notch, after the cookies were baked and cooled, I dipped them in bittersweet chocolate. I loved the savory sweet combination in this cookie. So good.


Potato chip cookie ingredients.


Potato chips in the food processor. Fun!


Mixing everything up.


Roll the cookies out and dip them in sugar.


Flatten the cookies with a glass.


Sprinkle with a mixture of crushed potato chips and salt.


Baked cookies.


Dip in chocolate.


Let the chocolate dry.


Boxed up cookies.

Potato Chip Cookies
From: Smitted Kitchen

Cookie
1 cup (2 sticks or 225 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon table salt (optional, see note above)
1/2 cup chopped and toasted pecans
1/2 cup finely crushed potato chips
2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour

Potato chip salt finish (optional)
1 tablespoon crushed potato chips
1 1/2 teaspoons flaked sea salt

Chocolate dip finish (optional)
4 ounces (115 grams) semi- or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 teaspoon butter, canola oil or vegetable shortening

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter with 1/2 cup of the sugar until lightly and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla and table salt, if using, until smooth. Add the pecans, 1/2 cup crushed potato chips and flour together and mix until just combined.

Place the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl. Scoop a tablespoon-sized mound of dough and form it into a small ball with the palms of your hands. Roll the ball in the remaining sugar until coated. Place on prepared baking sheet and using the bottom of a drinking glass (or, in my case, a kitchen tool I’m unhealthily obsessed with) to slightly flatten the cookies. Cookies only need to be an inch apart; they only spread a little. Sprinkle with a few flakes of the potato chip salt, if using. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake cookies until lightly golden at the edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer to cool on a wire rack.

If dipping in chocolate, melt chocolate with butter, oil or shortening in a double boiler or in short bursts in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Dip half of each fully cooled cookie in the chocolate, and let dry and harden on a wire rack.

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