Things have been quite busy for me lately, so I haven't had a chance to visit those orchards yet (sadfives). "Fear not! There are tasty things all around if you know where to look," said a foraging friend, as he regaled me with tales of delicious fruits hanging just within reach of my own home. Oh yes, a whole network of urban foragers have collaborated to map out all the public fruit trees that can be picked by anyone! The is a website called Falling Fruit (fallingfruit.org), and it's truly magical. 

The Fall Fruit map spans all across the US, plus a bunch of other countries around the world. The websites says that so far they have pinpointed 1,262 different types of edibles (most, but not all, plant species) distributed over 787,470 locations.  Talk about super-local produce waiting just for you!

Within bicycling distance of my home, I used this website to find a really cool, unique berry called the Juneberry. They taste like a combination of blueberries and almonds, and they will make an amazing pie and a few jars of jam. 

As I was picking these berries (all six pounds of them), I could feel myself really getting into foraging. Many of the plants and fruits that grow in the wild can't be found in typical grocery stores. For super unique, delicious things that have the taste of homegrown without the hassle of gardening? I'm all in. 

With free fruit hanging low on your local branches, why not pick some for your next delicious creation? You'll have a really cool story to tell as people are enjoy your dish!

Last week I had the privilege of competing in a Red Hot Blues bourbon cocktail contest in America's Capital. The judging criteria was creativity, taste, and how well it matches a blues music theme. With six contestants, 30 judges, and a desire to capture the glory of bourbon, we stirred, shook, muddled and twisted for the win. In the end, I am proud and honored to have prevailed at the top.

My cocktail tells a story of what late night blues is all about for the blues dancing community - my cocktail is called The Smoldering Embers [of Late-night Blues]. With each sip, the flavor evolves from smokey to sweet to bright and smooth. A sidecar of cayenne candied bacon also helps to bring another dimension to this story by building heat over time using cayenne and complementing the smoky flavor with the meatiness of bacon. I feel that cocktails should not be static in flavor. They should progress along with the night, while inviting you to try one more sip again and again. 

Friends always ask me for recommendations on where to eat while they're in the city, and I've decided to put all my go-to places in one place. These are "a few" favorite Chicago fooding spots where I know the food will either comfort me or blow my culinary mind. Many of the places I love are the neighborhood gems, where the locals gather for a tasty bite. 

Behold - the LIST! This list is in a constant state of growth and flux because Chicago has over 42,000 restaurants, and I'm only one person with one stomach. If only we could have six stomachs like cows do...

A reprieve from the brutal Chicago winter temperatures resulted in a sunny trip to California for more mild weather and a plethora of citrus goodness. One of the few perks of winter is the explosion of tasty citrus that becomes available in the beginning of each year. Bright oranges, lemons and limes shine through the winter gloom and give a tasty way to fight off any potential sniffles and sneezes. 

I visited one of my favorite markets in San Francisco, Bi-Rite Market, and was greeted by the most amazing assortment of citrus I have ever seen. 

From the size of my pinky finger to my noggin, I found mouth-puckering tangy oranges, surprisingly sweet lemons, and limes that looked just like caviar. It was such a fun experience tasting them all, and I ended up buying almost every kind of citrus in the store to enjoy throughout my trip.

Some of the citrus fruits were sweet enough to enjoy on their own, while some of the tangy ones made great additions to dishes as marinades and sauces. Out of the fifteen types of citrus (!!) I had, a few of the unique and notable ones were...