Queenie Takes Manhattan is the gorgeous, delicious food blog of my best friend and partner-in-crime, Meg! Check the acknowledgments of every one of my books, and you'll see Meg's name. In addition to indescribable moral support and encouragement, she's also the one who most often gets stuck with helping me dream up, develop and test the recipes that appear in my books. An accomplished home cook, Meg is the perfect kitchen companion--adventurous and interested in new techniques, but not taking anything too seriously. We have so much fun!

So when I tried to think of what to write about for my guest post on her blog today, all I could think was that no one wanted to hear me go on and on about how fabulous Meg is for an entire blog post. Especially longtime fans and readers of her food blog, who already know darn well that she's amazing! Instead, I decided to post a never-before-seen excerpt from Too Hot to Touch...a scene from the Lunden's Tavern kitchen!

Check it out, and comment for a chance to win a signed copy of the book. And if you love awesome recipes, and pretty pictures of food, check out the rest of Queenie Takes Manhattan, while you're at it...

Posted by Louisa Edwards at 10:25 AM 0 comments  

Labels: book giveaway, guest blog, Queenie Takes Manhattan, Too Hot to Touch

My favorite food blog has a super fun interview with me up today! Go here to find out the answers to such burning questions as the best meal I ever had and who I'd invite to join me for dinner, if I could have anyone...

I had the BEST time answering this interview (is it a coincidence that it was administered by one of my best friends in the world? Probably not.) In fact, I had so much fun, I promised to give away a signed hardcover edition of my latest Recipe for Love novel ON THE STEAMY SIDE, as well as a signature apron and set of spatulas! Come comment for a chance to win the prize!!

Posted by Louisa Edwards at 1:39 PM 0 comments  

Labels: book giveaway, guest blog, On the Steamy Side, Queenie Takes Manhattan

I'm such a blog delinquent this week! Things have been a little nuts. Not too likely to calm down before Thanksgiving, though, so I guess I'd better suck it up.

Chicago was amazing; it was awesome to see my friends and to have them with us as we tasted our way through some of the world's best restaurants. No exaggeration: Charlie Trotter's, Tru, and Alinea are each, in their own ways, totally top flight and fabulous.

At Trotter's, we sat at the Chef's Table, which is an experience I highly recommend if you're at all interested in the goings-on in a professional kitchen. This one was clearly very well run and organized, possibly aided by the fact that it's an all tasting menu, so there are a limited number of items available for any given table at any given time, which naturally cuts down on chaos. We were *this* close to real live working chefs!That right there is what is sometimes called "the pass", or where dishes are passed from the flat-top/oven side of the kitchen to the server side. There was very little of the shouting and drama you see on shows like Hell's Kitchen at Charlie Trotter's; it was much more like a well choreographed dance. Which is not to say that it operated in the zen-like silence many people have described in Thomas Keller's kitchens--there was a little laughter and joking, some back and forth and chatter. But for the most part, there was a comfortable air of good organization and calm focus.

The food? Oh, right! I guess you want to hear about that, too! *grin* Well, here's the menu, but it doesn't quite convey the delicious abstractness of some of these dishes, many of which involved combinations I never would've imagined myself. With a few exceptions, the surprising flavors paired up extraordinarily well--and speaking of pairings, the sommelier did an outstanding job of choosing the perfect wines to accompany each little bite.

Hmm. Can you read any of that? For the record, the best dish was the Grilled Rabbit Loin with Shallot Confit and Pickled Mustard Seeds--the rich earthiness of the perfectly tender meat was underscored beautifully by the caramelized sweetness of the shallot and the tiny-but-sharp bite of the mustard. A perfect dish.

For a more complete, detailed writeup of the meal, check out my food blogger bff's post. Meg is a great food photographer, as well, so mouthwatering images abound. Ditto to everything she said. ; )

Posted by Louisa Edwards at 10:51 AM 1 comments  

Labels: Charlie Trotter, Chicago, Queenie Takes Manhattan