Tis the Season! The Cookie Challenge

Peppermint Sandwich Cookie

Hello Nomsters,

It's obviously been a while since my last post, which I must apologize for, no excuse, but maybe I can tempt you with some yummy cookie recipes that are to come!

Mom's English Trifle

Each year around Christmas, my mom and I always say we want to do the whole "Christmas Cookie" thing, whereby we bake around 4-5 different types of delicious cookies, package them in cute little tins, and sent them off to all those that we want to surprise with a bit of holiday cheer. In reality, this Christmas Cookie event has never happened, go figure. But! We always manage to make some sort of dessert, like my mom's English Trifle or my grandmother's Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookie

This year, I've decided to attempt what I'm going to call "The Cookie Challenge." One of my friend's has her annual Holiday Party on the 26th, therefore I will be attempting to make an assortment of cookies for my friends that will be neatly packaged and labeled by the 26th. While this isn't a huge undertaking, finding the time, ingredients, and cleaning up the aftermath isn't exactly Christmas/Holiday cheer (especially for my mom). Therefore, stay tuned! Following my successful packaging of cookies, I will be posting the recipes/tips on the blog! I'm thinking Chocolate Peppermint Cookies, Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip, and maybe something Eggnog? We'll see tomorrow!

Stay tuned!

-GF

Simple Recipes and Common Sense: Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Hello Nomsters,

Happy Thanksgiving break! Of course I'm sure most of you are making the journey home or to some other location to celebrate one of the biggest foodie holidays! As we all await either the traditional turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, veggies (the list goes on!) or we get ready to enjoy a tasty dinner out, I figured I would provide you with a new twist on the typical Thanksgiving dessert. Now, this by no means needs to replace pumpkin, sweet potato, or pecan pie, but they are a nice accompaniment to any Thanksgiving food fest!

As promised, I have provided a recipe for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies (with Cream Cheese Frosting) at the end of this post. I made these tasty treats for the first time last week to test them out on some friends at a Thanksgiving party and boy, they did not disappoint! The cake part is a bit moist, but I solved that problem by putting then in the fridge for a bit after assembling them

Pumpkin Spice Cake:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark brown works)
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (if you don't have enough pumpkin, you can use banana as a nice twist, it gives the cake a nice dimension)
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 and 2/3 cup all purpose flour

-Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 
-Melt the butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds, make sure to check on it in 10sec intervals in order to avoid burnt butter,
-Sift dry ingredients together and set aside. Beat butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, pumpkin, vanilla and mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix just until combined.
-Drop in similar sized spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and bake for about 8-12mins, until they look and feel like spongy cookies.
-Let them completely cool down before attempting to assemble them.


Cream Cheese Frosting:
1/2 stick of butter (softened)
1 8ox package of cream cheese (softened)
1 box of confectioners (powdered) sugar
1 tsp vanilla

(if you have a mixer)
-Cream butter and cream cheese together,
-Add vanilla and mix on low,
-Gradually add confectioner's sugar, making sure to scrape down the sides

(without mixer, prepare to work those wrists)
-Cream butter and cream cheese together with a fork or wooden spoon (this will take a while, so really wait for those ingredients to soften)
-Add vanilla and mix well,
-Add the confectioner's sugar and make sure to mix it really well until it reaches a smooth consistency.

Assembly:
-Take one pumpkin cookie, spoon cream cheese frosting and spread thickly over the surface, add the other half and gently squeeze so that the icing pops out just a little!

Happy Thanksgiving!

-gf

Simple Recipes and Common Sense: Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Hello Nomsters!

Happy November, I know we've been slacking on our blog updates, but with midterms, crazy rallies, and the return of the "McRib" things have been a bit busy.... and for the record, I was kidding about the last reason. Anyway, hopefully everyone is having a splendid Sunday, and to make things just a bit sweeter, here's a recipe for some of the best pancakes ever!

I first tasted this recipe at a family friend's house in New Haven, CT. She had planned on making pancakes, but realized that she didn't have any buttermilk. However, in true foodie fashion, she used yogurt as a substitution. The result was a thick, blueberry-packed pancake that just melts in your mouth. These results were most likely due to the yogurt substitution and the amount of baking powder in the recipe. Ever since I've been playing around with the recipe and different ingredients, but the blueberry are still amazing, especially since when my family makes them we make a compote to accompany the yummy cakes.

I usually make the original blueberry, but this week I opted for bananas/chocolate chip with maple syrup, which yielded delicious results. So if you're in college and haven't already grabbed brunch or are looking for a delicious meal for your family, try your hand at these tasty pancakes.

Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 ⅓ cups Flour
3 Tbsp Sugar
2 ½ tsp Baking Powder

¾ tsp Salt
1 ¼ cups Vanilla Yogurt
2 large Eggs
¼ stick Unsalted Butter, melted
2-3 bananas cut into small pieces
As many chocolate chips as you want!
Maple Syrup, for serving

Instructions:

-Whisk first 4 ingredients in a large bowl,
-Whisk yogurt, eggs, and 2 Tbsp. butter in medium bowl; stir in dry ingredients,
-Fold in bananas and chocolate chips,

-Heat large nonstick griddle or skillet over medium hear; brush with butter,
-Drop batter by ⅓ cupfuls onto griddle,
-Cook pancakes until brown, brushing griddle with more butter as needed, about 3 minutes per side,
-Transfer to sheet in over to keep warm. Serve pancakes with maple syrup!

I highly recommend this recipe! The overall process is pretty easy, and the results are amazing, thick, fluffy, pancakes that will have you begging for another.

Also, in delivery news, we'll be tabling in red square soon, and this week's menu offerings are Cinnamon Brown Sugar Muffins and Chocolate Chip Cookies!


Keep on nomming!


-GF

Nightly Noms Menu Update: Say Hello to Halloween!

Hey Georgetowners,

We know you love a good Halloween weekend, and while we won't be providing you with delivery service after you return from your escapades on Halloween night, nothing's going to stop us from bringing you some tasty treats the Wednesday before!


This past week, Nightly Noms featured our newest muffin: Pumpkin Apple (maybe we'll name it "The Charlie Brown", which was a huge hit according to people in the Voice office, so we'll be offering those again for the October 27th delivery. Along with those moist apple-packed muffins, we'll be baking up "Halloween Fudge Browns" which will be festively decorated for the occasion (think candy corn accents)! These thick, over sized brownies are fudgey, gooey, and pair wonderfully with a glass of milk! Take a bite out of them this Wednesday and hopefully they'll appear on the menu more often!

So pregame your candy-filled Halloween weekend with a dose of homemade baked goods!

You know you won't regret it....

Happy Baking!

-Nightly Noms
[p.s. if you would really like us to bake up chocolate chip cookies this week, feel free to voice your opinion via comments, our wall, or email, we'll listen :) ]

NN Update: Falling into Seasonal Favorites

Hello Nomsters!

I hope everyone on Georgetown's campus is enjoying their Thursday night and are getting ready to relax over the lovely three day weekend! I've returned home to Chicago for the break, but I promised a post about the latest tastes that Nightly Noms has been baking up, so here we go!

With the leaves turning and the fall breeze stirring, we've decided to "spice" up our weekly delivery menu a bit. Two weeks ago we offered Chewy Gingersnap cookies and Pumpkin Brown Sugar Muffins (aka Pumpkin Spice). Both items were a hit and we hope that if you have a moment you'll take a bit of time to leave a comment/review either on this blog or at nightlynoms@gmail.com.

Our gingersnaps are a chewy combination of spicy and sweet goodness that is sure to give you a pick me up after a few hours studying in Lau!

The Pumpkin Brown Sugar Muffins we baked up were a moist mix of pumpkin and cinnamon with a sweet brown sugar coating on top. Maybe you aren't craving pumpkin pie yet, but these muffins are definitely a tasty addition to a Pumpkin Spice Latte or cup of coffee!






And finally, for this past week's delivery Nightly Noms baked up our well-known Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins and our latest seasonal addition: Pumpkin Snickerdoodles. Regardless of being a baker, foodie, eater, or just random enjoyer of baked goods, Snickerdoodles are a fun cookie because of the name itself, not to mention the overall taste of warm, chewy, cinnamon-sugar covered Snickerdoodles is delicious. Adding pumpkin to the mix seemed like a fun alteration and ended up making more than one person say "nom nom."


Anywho, I hope you've enjoyed this quick update on the NN menu, we'll likely be offering these new Noms well into the month of November, along with adding others that we've been tweaking on in the test kitchen and of course the usual favorites!

Remember, we're here to improve your "foodie experience," so feel free to email us requests and questions. And while you're procrastinating on Facebook, we'd really really appreciate if you'd invite your friends to "like" us.

All the best and Happy Baking!

-The Georgetown Foodie

Simple Recipes and Common Sense: Baked Asiago Chicken-Mushroom Orzo

Hello my foodie friends,

With midterms around the corner, fall sports in full swing, and every club imaginable having events, there's barely enough time to eat a meal let alone "learn" how to cook. So here I am to provide you with a "college friendly" recipe that can require as many or as few ingredients that you have and that'll be sure to satisfy your craving for a home cooked meal.

I tested out a new recipe with my flatmates this week. We had decided we wanted to make dinner, but rather than run to Safeway, I rummage around to see what I had for ingredients already. Among random spices and noodle cups, we had some veggies, pasta, chicken, and cheese. Therefore I'm providing you with my recipe for a simple baked pasta dish, but honestly, you can substitute the type of vegetable, pasta, meat, etc based on what's available. Hence the reason this recipe is "college friendly" so be creative!

Baked Asiago Chicken-Mushroom Orzo

STEP 1: Chicken Prep (NOTE: make sure when you handle chicken you wash (scrub!) your hands, knife, cutting board, etc with soap and waterafter since you are handling raw meat).
-Chicken breast tenders (chopped into small pieces)
-Dash of Cayenne pepper (optional)
-Dash of salt
-Dash of pepper

1. Rinse chicken under cold water and pat dry with paper towels,
2. Chop chicken into small pieces and place into a bowl,
3. Add a bit of cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you want), salt/pepper to chicken and mix to make sure all pieces have some seasoning,
4. Heat frying pan to high/medium heat, add 1/8 stick of butter (or 1-2Tbs Olive Oil), add chicken and cook thoroughly (until chicken is slightly browned on the outside and no longer pink on the inside)
5. once chicken is cooked, turn off burner and set aside.

STEP 2: Pasta Prep
(roughly 3-6 servings depending on how hungry you are)
-1 cup orzo pasta
-1/4-1/2 cup of diced Asiago cheese (or some other cheese you like)
-pinch of salt (for boiling water)

1. Bring a few cups of water to a boil, while waiting for the boiling point add your salt,
2. Pour orz0 (or your choice of pasta) into boiling water and let boil for 9-11 minutes, until cooked to al dente (a.k.a. slightly chewy).
3. Once pasta is cooked, strain the water, (if you don't have a colander, you can use the pot lid by covering most of the pot but leaving just enough open to let water out but keep pasta in),
4. Add a little olive oil to pasta (so that it doesn't stick to the pot) and set aside.

STEP 3: Mushroom Mix
3 cups chopped mushrooms (about a small package, I used white mushrooms)
1/4 stick butter
2 Tbs breadcrumbs (optional)
Dash of salt
Dash of pepper

1. dice mushrooms into small pieces
2. heat up a frying pan to medium heat, melt 1/4 butter and add mushrooms,
3. Saute mushrooms until most of the butter is absorbed, then cut heat to low, add salt/pepper to taste,
4. add bread crumbs, set aside.

Bringing it all together! Congrats, the worst is over :) However, if you don't want to bake the dish, you can just mix everything together add some cheese and enjoy!
Final Steps
-Oven safe dish
-Pasta, Chicken, and Mushroom mix
-Cheese

1. Set oven @ 350
2. place pasta in the oven safe dish, add chicken and mix, then add mushrooms and mix,
3. Mix some of your diced or shredded cheese into the pasta dish and sprinkle remaining on top
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes (checking every 5 minutes, you want the cheese to be melted!)

To add a veggie as a side, steam your favorite or grab some frozen veggies and put them in the microwave for a quick zap.

All the best and hope this has you saying "nom nom nom."

-The Georgetown Foodie

Leo's Redesign: "lunchless?"

Hey Nomsters!

As most of you know, delivery is happening tonight! So make sure you place your orders or at least check out what we're baking up.

GtownFoodie+NN realizes that not all of you may want late night baked goods every single week, which is why this blog serves as a place to improve your overall "food experience" at Georgetown! Therefore today we're bringing you another round of "Leo's Redesign" so that you always have options. This week's Redesign is a bit personal. Unfortunately, my schedule this year doesn't leave room for lunch, so by the time I'm able to eat in the afternoon, I'm starving and the top portion of Leo's is always closed. Now, we all know that unless you use stealth-like moves (or hope that they don't see you sneak by), you won't manage to get anything from the upper portion of the dining hall. So here are some mixes for those of you who are stuck "down below."


Lunch #1: Pizza Bagels
-Bagel (downstairs)
-Marinara sauce (near "Bistro" section or at pizza station)
-Cheese (near pizza station or from salad bar)
-Toppings (pizza station or salad bar)

Toast bagel in the rotating toaster oven thing near bread station,
Add marinara sauce, cheese, and toppings,
Head on over to the microwave and nuke it for s long as you like to melt the cheese (30-40seconds).

(for a lighter option, use english muffins instead of a bagel!)

Lunch #2: Warm Tuna Melt
-Bread (2 slices, bread station)
-Tuna salad (deli area)
-Cheese (deli area)
-Tomato (deli area)
-Spinach (salad bar [optional])

Toast your bread,
Add Tuna, Cheese, Spinach and Tomato,
-Microwave on high for 30-50 seconds (until warm).

Dessert: "Cookies and Cream Froyo"
-Froyo (or ice cream)
-1 or 2 Leo's Cookies (sugar, chocolate chip, etc)

Take your cookies and break them into bite-sized, mixable pieces,
Microwave cookies for 10-15secs,
Grab some froyo or icecream,
Mix cookies in to your frozen treat "Coldstone" style!

Enjoy!


P.S. we hope all of you enjoyed the article in The Guide!
As always, feel free to sends comments and questions to nightlynoms@gmail.com 

-Gtown Foodie

Happy Fall! Weekly Orders

Nomsters!

Happy Fall! Hopefully you all are still enjoying the warm weather. To kick off the season, for this Wednesday's (Sept. 22nd) delivery we'll be baking up Pumpkin Spice Muffins and Ginger Snap Cookies! So make sure you order muffins by 6pm Wed. and cookies by 11:30pm Wed.

Place Online Orders Here!

Also, If you haven't seen it already, Nightly Noms was featured in The Guide this week. So pick up a copy in The Hoya, or check out the interview online!

Remember, a portion of NN's profits goes to Operation Smile!

So keep ordering and enjoying the yumminess of late night baked goods!

-nn

p.s. thank you to everyone who has helped this blog reach over 1,000 page views!

Update+Weekly Orders!

Hey Nomsters,

Thanks for a great first week of deliveries. As some of you know, we had a few minor problems with our oven, but hopefully all is well now!

Along with thanking our supporters, Nightly Noms has to give a big shout out to The Georgetown Voice blog and Chris Heller, Vox Populi for writing a great post about NN. We really appreciate the support. Concerning comments on the post, of course with the good, comes the skeptical, so for those of you who left some “interesting” comments on the post… oh well, we can’t win all of Georgetown over in the first round!

In regards to this week’s delivery offerings, we’re baking up Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, Cinnamon Apple Breakfast Muffins, and Chocolate Chip Cookies. Once again, please, please try to order the Muffins 6pm on Wed. to ensure you get your noms, but feel free to order cookies up until 11:30pm!

Order Here! :)

Here’s a bit of a description also:

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins: Our traditional muffin batter loaded with extra bananas, cinnamon, and chocolate chips. These muffins are moist and are great served warm for breakfast or dessert.

Cinnamon Apple Muffins: These special muffins are made from “Amish Friendship Bread” batter, meaning that we use a starter. If you’re unsure of what this “starter” business is, it basically means we were given a base to a recipe that we must maintain and bake every ten days to ensure that we can keep making the muffins. We sort of see the starter as our baby, day one we have the starter, day six we “feed” the starter sugar, milk, and flour, and day ten we bake! Then it’s back to day one again. This recipe yields an extremely soft muffin with a cinnamon swirl, and to give you a serving of fruit for the day, NN has baked up these muffins with apples. (the recipe we linked to is different from ours, but the website gives some good info!)

Chocolate Chip Cookies: Chocolate Chip Cookies are always a favorite and when they have a nice soft texture, life just gets a little bit better! So place your orders before Wednesday or that night and we’ll do our best to make sure they get to you warm!

Remember, our recipes are from scratch, meaning less preservatives! Nightly Noms also tries to use less sugar and more natural sweeteners, like fruit!

Thanks for the support and hopefully we'll deliver to you soon!

-NN

Leo's Redesign

Hey my fellow Georgetowners,

Hopefully you've enjoyed the majority of the three day weekend out with friends or just soaking up the sun. This post is the kick-off for a series of posts on how to "spice up" what our lovely Leo's has to offer.

Although our resident dining hall has some tasty offerings, sometimes you just need something new, or maybe you've gotten sick of eating all of the "safe" choices. This blog will be your solution to your Leo's issues!

Here at the Georgetown Foodie+Nightly Noms blog we're going to try to make your dining experience ten times better by giving you fun alternatives and tips to having a meal plan if you're getting sick of the typical Leo's fare. With each "Leo's Redesign" post, we'll give you a few creative alternatives of what you can make with what Leo's has to offer!

So off we go!

Breakfast: Breakfast Parfait

-1 banana
-Honey Dew or Cantaloupe melon
-Granola (or another cereal)
-1 tall cup
-Plain or Strawberry yogurt

-Cinnamon (if desired)

Dice banana and melon into small pieces,
Use half to make a layer in bottom of your cup,
Place a layer of yogurt over fruit,
Place a layer of granola over yogurt,
Add second layer of fruit and top with more granola, and top with a sprinkle of cinnamon for some added flavor

Lunch: Shrimp Penne w/ spinach

Go to the vegetarian section and pick your pasta, then on your way to the Stir Fry section (upper level), grab some spinach from the salad section in a separate bowl. Ask Stir Fryer for Shrimp (and whatever else you would like) and ask him to add the spinach.


After he's done add the mix to your pasta, add some sauce and enjoy!



Dinner:  Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas 
-1 tortilla from bread station
-1/2 grilled chicken breasts from lower lever Bistro section (cut into pieces)
-Handful each of cheese from "Make your own" pizza section and salad bar
-Vegetables (if desired)

Place chicken, cheese, and any additional ingredients on 1/2 tortilla,
Fold over so that it resembles a half moon shape,
Place in microwave or panini maker until cheese is melted



Dessert: Coke float
-1 tall glass
-Scoops of ice cream or froyo
-coke (or any other fizzy beverage)

Place ice cream in cup, add soda and enjoy

Nighty Noms Update! 1st delivery date is September 8th, order now!

Hello little Nomsters (yes, I sort of ripped that form Lady Gaga, but it’s catchy and I like it),

The time has come to start a new semester on “the Hilltop.” Fall brings new friends, old flings, welcome parties and of course, the start of Nightly Noms delivery!!!

Place orders for September 8th Delivery Here!

Last year Nightly Noms attempted to make your Tuesdays and Thursdays that much more enjoyable by offering fresh, homemade, from scratch bake goods and delivering them to your dorm or apartment door, and this year will be no different. EXCEPT, this year, Nightly Noms will be delivery Wednesday nights 10pm-12am, instead of Tues/Thurs. In addition, Nightly Noms hopes to starting selling a second day a week in either Red Square or Lau so that you don't always have to delivery to enjoy Noms!

NEW NIGHT: Wednesdays 10pm-12am Delivery

(place orders for noms [besides cookies] as early as possible, or by 6pm the Wed of Delivery)

(place orders for cookies up to 11:30pm Wed of Delivery)

Of course we'll be offering old favorites like S'mores Bars and Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, but we'll also be delivering new items such as Chocolate Chip Cookies, Double Fudge Browns, and Snickerdoodles!

Nightly Noms will bake extra Noms in order to allow for Wednesday night "on demand deliver;" however, orders are subject to availability only. If you place an order after 5pm or between delivery hours, we will do our best to fill your request, but no assurance is guaranteed.

Although Nightly Noms will no longer allow people to place "on demand orders (orders made after 6pm Wed) for certain noms, we will be taking orders and baking cookies up until 11:30pm Wed night! So if you forgot to place your order for a muffin, try a cookie instead!

Remember, we're students who love to bake and make it a top priority to keep the kitchens we work in are as clean and pristine as possible. In addition, a portion of our profits are donated to Operation Smile!

So get ready for the start of a great year and let Nightly Noms curb your cravings along the way!

nom! nom! nom!

Delivery Areas: Village A, Village B, Darnall, Henle, Harbin, New South, Lau, Leavy, SWQ most common areas on campus+most apts

Simple Recipes and Common Sense: Sweet Potato Fries

Hey Fellow Foodies and Readers,

Sorry I haven’t been around for a bit. Between Lollapalooza taking over my life and pretending to clean/pack for college, I’ve been a bit consumed. But! I’ve decided to drop a quick post to let you know I’ll have a great Lollapalooza feature soon; for now, I thought I’d leave you with a recipe.

I love sweet potatoes, mashed, chips, baked, and even in muffins! However, something I’ve been craving lately are sweet potato fries. So, I figured I’d experiment with a recipe/common sense to see if I could come up with a recipe that didn’t require the fries to be fried, but rather baked, you know, to at least attempt that healthy alternative!

I found a recipe in Cook’s Country for regular baked potato fries, a recipe online, and a recipe in a cookbook I own. After reading through each recipe, I decided to use a bit of each. This is a great recipe for all you Georgetowners and college students that want an easy recipe that tastes great and will satiate your craving for fried foods or sweets!

My family decided to grill burgers today. So as my mom and dad grilled, I baked up these fries. The overall result was a satisfactory, soft, sweet fry with a nice crisp. Next time, I may add more seasonings (paprika, garlic salt), and also let the fries dry a bit more before I coat them so that I get a more crispy texture, but overall, they were very tasty!

SO here you go!
3 Large Sweet Potatoes, washed, and thickly julienned (cut into spear shapes)
6 tablespoons of olive oil or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch (if you don’t have this, I don’t think it’s a huge deal, but let your potatoes dry a bit after microwaving/blotting)
Seasonings (optional: salt, pepper, garlic salt/powder, paprika)

-Preheat the over to 450 (f)
-Microwave sweet potatoes in large bowl covered with saran wrap for 4-6minutes to slightly cook,
-Remove the sliced potatoes from bowl and blot dry (gives fries a crispier texture), let sit for five minutes if you aren’t using cornstarch,
-As fries dry, use 5 tbsp of the oil to coat a cookie/baking sheet, then place sheet in oven for 5-7 minutes (until the sheet begins to smoke),
-While oil heats, mix remaining oil (1 tbsp) with cornstarch (optional) and, then toss fries in mixture, making sure to coat each, add seasonings,
-Place fries in single layer rows on the heated cookie sheet, place back in oven and cook for 25-35 minutes, flipping fries halfway through cooking time,
-Remove from oven and place fries on paper towels to blot excess oil, lightly salt if desired.
-Enjoy!

Summer Feature-more Cupcake Boutique (Chicago)

Hello my foodie friends! (and I know you’re out there since Blogger is giving me stats now!)

So, the general population seems to understand that cupcakes are “in” right now, meaning every week yields a new cupcake shop, flavor, or TV show. From DC’s Georgetown Cupcake or Baked and Wired, to New York’s Magnolia Bakery or Crumbs, the American public is experiencing cupcake overload! While Chicago has undergone a similar delicious infestation of cupcake shops, there’s one little, pristine “cupcake boutique” in Chicago’s Gold Coast named more, that’s doing the new “it” item a little differently and literally making people say, “more please!”

As I said on the Nightly Noms Twitter, I finally had the chance to sample a cupcake from more, a Chicago cupcake boutique owned by Patty Rothman. After attempting (and failing) to beat out a fierce crowd of Internet foodies to tag myself in a more facebook picture and earn a free cupcake, I decided to leave a comment on the photo. Just a quick “Oh! One MORE please!” Low and behold the next morning I had a facebook message from Ms. Rothman saying she had added my name to the list! Once again, thank you for your generosity!

I selected Saturday morning to make my way to more to pick up my “Cookies and Cream” cupcake; let me say, I was not disappointed. As you can see by the picture, more has a way with assembling aesthetically pleasing cupcakes. The mound of icing covered in delicate cookie crumbles was enough to catch my interest, but as I gently pealed the wrapper away I discovered that cookies were not mixed into the batter (like Georgetown Cupcake’s item of the same name), but rather more’s C’n’C sported a fluffy white cake with a cookie crumble bottom. I used my spoon to ensure that I had each component and took my first bite: delicious. The frosting was creamy, the cake was moist, and the crumble bottom had a soft chew to it, making the overall combination a perfect marriage of flavors and textures. Each bite left a new dimension of taste, which I believe was because of the contrast between the three dimensions of the cupcake. Also, if you’re in a rush and cannot eat your treat immediately, I’m quite positive that more’s C’n’C would taste awesome chilled too!

Overall, my first more cupcake was a delight (I’ve already managed to tag myself for this week to test out Chocolate Chocolate). The modern and chic Gold Coast neighborhood cupcake boutique offers both sweet (Crème Brulee) and savory flavors (foie gras and sour cherry), along with a “Happy Hour” of drink-inspired cupcakes (Mojito, Champagne, etc). more cupcakes are perfect for kids and adults craving a sweet, beautiful treat. Although prices range anywhere from $3.50-$6.00 for a large cupcake, more makes it possible for anyone to experience their flavors by using the facebook tagging process, which often occurs on Tuesdays (Monday around midnight). So start tagging, Chicagoans and visitors!

With catchy taglines like “eat MORE” “taste MORE” “love MORE,” all we can say is:

We want MORE!

Name: More Cupcakes

Meal: Anytime/Snack/Dessert

Location: Gold Coast (Downtown), Chicago

Address: 1 E. Delaware place Chicago, Illinois 60611

Price: $3.50-$6.00

Ordered: Cookies and Cream Cupcake

Summer Restaurant Feature: Oysy Sushi for dinner (River North/Depaul & Columbia)

Hey Chicago & Co.

I’m back bringing you a review of the latest taste that has me saying “yum.” If you’re downtown in the River North area and looking for something tasty but that won’t completely obliterate your bank account, Oysy Sushi may be the answer to your food prayers. Chicago’s River North area boasts sultry steak and seafood restaurants, creamy Italian ristorantes, and the typical chain dining establishments; however, if you are looking for a lighter meal, but want that trendy ambiance, the Sushi and Japanese fare that Oysy delivers is near perfect. Georgetowners, if you like Chopsticks, you’ll love Oysy; and DePaul people, if you’re looking for a good date place, this is it.

I went to Oysy with a couple of friends last week and we were all impressed. We were looking for an upscale eatery with entrees options under $12, and we weren’t disappointed. Oysy offers a plethora of sushi options, from Maki rolls (the poster child of sushi in America), to typical Sashimi (piece of nicely cut fish atop rice), and of course Nigiri (for the raw-food junkies). Along with sushi, Oysy provides noodle, tempura, and teriyaki options for those who are looking for a plate of food rather than a roll. The restaurant’s appetizers were pretty reasonably priced too. My friend and I opted to split an order of edamame, which were lightly salted and simply presented in a bowl, tasted amazing fresh.

For my entrée, I ordered the rainbow roll from the regular Maki menu. The presentation was simple and delicate, with the roll nicely placed and the accompanying sauce lightly drizzled on the pristine white plate. Of course I managed to eat my roll and then realized I forgot to take a picture, so I nabbed a photo of a neighbor’s Rainbow Dragon Roll. The overall roll was delicious; the fish tasted fresh and the roll was properly assembled so that it did not fall apart once submerged in the soy sauce/wasabi mixture. Compared to other restaurants, for the price, Oysy’s sushi is a great choice. Along with their Special Maki Rolls, the restaurant offers the popular California Rolls ($4), Futo Maki ($4), Spicy Tuna Maki ($5), etc. Oysy Sushi is a good choice for a night out with the girls, an impromptu dinner downtown, and according to one of the friends who enjoyed Oysy’s with me, good enough for a two-year anniversary dinner with her boyfriend! (Congrats Nat & Krys :P)

Oysy literally means “delicious” in Japanese, so prepare to say it!

Name: Oysy Sushi
Meal: Lunch/Dinner
Location: River North (Downtown), Chicago

Address: 50 E. Grand Avenue, Chicago IL
Price: $7-$16 depending on the rolls
Ordered: Rainbow Maki Roll ($12) +Edamame ($3)

Best Option: Lunch Box Special ($12) Mon-Fri 11:30-5pm

Summer Restaurant Feature: m.henry, brunch! (Chicago/Loyola University)

Hey Chicagoans, Summer visitors, and Loyola Students,
If you haven’t heard already, the Windy City has been taken over by Tranformers and Decepticons. For the past two weeks our downtown area has been the proud home to parachuters, car-flipping explosions, and some major sighting of Transformers 3 cast including Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese, Josh Duhamel, Michael Bay, and that new mystery girl, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Since I’ve been downtown for the past week peeking through the Corner Bakery windows to catch the action of one of my favorite action movies, I thought I’d let you in on some of the action while highlighting one of the best Breakfast/Brunch places in Chicago: m.henry.

*Cast/Crew of TF3, if you’re reading, we know you’re in the city until mid-August, so make your way to m.henry if you’re looking for some of the tastiest pancakes, French toast, and omelets on the northside of Chicago!

Located in Andersonville, m.henry is a cute breakfast/lunch restaurant boasting some of the best griddle selections in town. Always filled with people, m.henry’s daily specials and ever-changing seasonal menu draw a crowd from every corner of the city. Although I’ve eaten at m.henry at least 3 times, m.henry is still my “go-to” place for brunch with friends, family, and whomever I can convince to go. When grazing, I can never seem to bring myself to order anything but the Blackberry Bliss Cakes. These 1-inch thick pancakes seem to be specifically made to melt in your mouth and the warm blackberries, creamy mascarpone, and crunchy oat crust are enough to send you straight to brunch food bliss. As you make your way through each bite of bliss, the fresh blackberries bleed into the fluffy pancakes soaking up the sweet and tart berry flavors, and the warm oat crust mixes with the mascarpone, creating a plate of pure scrumptiousness. Definitely make an effort to get bites that include each of the components that make these pancakes irresistible.

Sweet:
m.henry’s menu goes far beyond pancakes too. This restaurant’s dishes always incorporate the freshest, most flavorful ingredients. Other Sweet options range from Dulce Banana Rumba French Toast (made with thick-cut brioche bead, layered bananas, and drizzled caramel/pecan topping), to Mango-Sour Cherry Bliss Cakes (same blissfulness as its Blackberry-based companion, but with a sweet/sour component).


Savory:
Although I’ve not had the willpower to order anything but the Bliss Cakes, I’ve tasted the one of their “Special Omelets,” which included 3 fluffy eggs mixed with smoked salmon, cream cheese, avocado, and onions; and I know from experience that their daily quiche packs a flavorful punch also if you’re looking for a more savory option.


Misc.
While orgasmic pancakes and moan-worthy omelets may make your morning meal ten times better, sometimes a nice bowl of oatmeal or a simple plate of eggs with toast is all you need. m.henry provides diners with fresh eggs and homemade bread, and their oatmeal is available with a variety of fresh fruit and grain toppings.
Furthermore, if you’re just looking for a quick bite, stop by the café counter in the front and pick up a freshly made blueberry muffin, or slice of focaccia paired with a cup of coffee or espresso-based drink.


Well readers, after all that describing, I’m headed there for brunch tomorrow, but if you decide to drop in for the deliciousness, make sure to let me know what you think!

As m.henry would say, Chow for Now!

Name: m.henry
Meal: Breakfast/Lunch (Brunch)
Location: Andersonville, Chicago
Favorite Sweet (so far): Blackberry Bliss Cakes w/ Mascarpone, oat crust, & blackberry compote
Favorite Savory (so far): Rustic Peasant Quiche and Mixed Field Greens
Location: 5707 N. Clark Chicago IL 60660
Price: $7-$14 for a really good meal + coffee

Rating: Five Noms!

Summer Feature-University of Illinois: Champaign-Urbana

As a college student, living life on the cheap is just one of our many talents. However, living life on the cheap while maintaining a balanced diet is another story; but then again, what’s life without a little grease? I spent this past weekend down at University of Illinois (Champaign-Urbana) with a friend. After being home for Georgetown for over a month, I had already forgotten what a typical college diet looked like, and what I encountered at UofI was ten times crazier since I was staying in an apartment full of gymnasts. Chicken fingers for lunch, pepperoni pizza for dinner, and for a snack? How about a few handfuls of Costco size Pub Mix! Well, it was no wonder so many people get the freshmen fifteen if their eating like that! I lived on a freshmen floor that tried to eat somewhat healthful… except for the Nightly Noms baking, and the random late-night pizza and ice cream binges, we were pretty tame.

So, on my second day, I decided to venture out onto Green St. (for all you Gtowners, it’s the equivalent of M. Street, and to my readers, just imagine a packed street with little restaurants, shops, etc). I’d decided if I was going to eat like a college student for the weekend, I might as well do it right, meaning sans frozen food. Of course UoI has the typical Chipotle, Noodles & Co., and greasy pizza joints, but I was looking for something “original.” So, I bring you two reviews of restaurants in the heart of the UofI campus: Mia’za’s and Cravings!

Mia’za’s: Italian, pizza, pasta, Panini, soups, and salads!

Like Flattop Grill or Chopt, Mia’za’s attempts to take “DIY” to a whole new level. They offer a basic menu for the above categories, but then also offer a “make your own.” So whether you’re feeling a pepperoni pizza with mac’n’cheese, bacon, and hamburger meat, or you want a salad with tomatoes, chicken, mushrooms, and peppers, Mia’za’s has you covered, and generally for $8 or less.

I decided to order of the regular menu this time around, doing a Salad+Panini combo (another great thing about the place is you can mix and match almost anything!). Ordering a Buffalo Chicken Panani (Buffalo Chicken, ranch, and mozzarella) and Mia'za's garden salad, I was prepared to sit down to consume a somewhat well-balanced a meal. The salad was subpar, your typical romaine, iceberg, tomato, pepper mix, but the Panini was a winner. Although the Panini was more of an open-face sandwich or flatbread on half of a hoagie, the creaminess of the ranch had soaked into the bread and the chicken had just enough spice! The toaster-oven seemed to know exactly how to make the bread crispy, but soft. The soups looked delicious too and same with the make your own pizzas.

3 Noms: if you’re with a crowd and have no idea what you want, go to Mia’za’s, chances are you’ll be able to create something delicious with their wide-range of offerings.

Miaza's

Cravings: Chinese, Thai, Malaysian, Japanese… basically something from each country in East Asia.

This place was amazing. I have to say for small town Chinese food, Cravings knew what they were doing, which was especially apparent after seeing the amount of native Chinese eating their fare. I was a bit skeptical when my friend said we had to eat at this Chinese restaurant, but as soon as I walked in I had a feeling that I wouldn’t be disappointed. Honestly, I’m sad to say that Cravings was better than any Chinese food I’ve had in DC, and while Chicago has some great places, I wish there were more like Cravings. The menu board boasted too many dishes to decide from, ranging from curries to udon noodles, to mixed vegetable dishes. As a result, I decided to order what my friend suggested: Indonesian Fried Rice. Best decision ever! The native Chinese owners brought me a steaming plate of moist, freshly fried rice mixed with onions, chilies, tender chicken, shrimp, and a lovely fried egg to top it off. As soon as I took my first bite I was hooked. The dish had just the right amount of spiciness for the average eater, and the portions were huge! I definitely have leftovers for lunch, which for less than $7 is a great deal. The dish lacked vegetables, but that’s generally how fried rice goes, and the flavors made up for the amount of calories I was consuming. My friend’s Sesame Chicken was very tasty also, and luckily not smothered in bread like most dishes of the same name.

4 Noms: Cravings is the place to go if you’re looking for a wide range of traditional “Asian” food for a good price. The menu is made of up American favorites like Sesame Chicken and Sweet and Sour Pork, but the offerings also include more traditional dishes such as Chinese Broccoli with brown sauce, Indonesian Fried Rice, and Scallions with Chicken.

Cravings