Longman & Eagle

"Never play cards with any man named Doc. Never eat at any place called Mom's. And never, ever, no matter what else you do in your whole life, never sleep with anyone whose troubles are worse than your own."

My visit to Longman & Eagle had been a long time coming; out of all the Michelin-starred restaurants in Chicago, it is by far the most affordable. I had high hopes for this place due to its high culinary standing.

The first thing I noticed is the poster above. What on earth is that quote even talking about?

Chef Week 2015: Tanta

What is the difference between Chef Week and Restaurant Week? The answer to this question - from the avid eater's perspective - is absolutely nothing. They are completely identical and equally glorious.

When my husband and I were dating he lived near a Peruvian restaurant that we used to frequent until  they seated us directly underneath a ceiling fan on a rather wintry day and served our food cold (though I ordered a cold seafood salad, so I wasn't too pissed). We never went back after that so Peruvian food held a special place in my heart, which is why I was beyond excited to go to Tanta for Chef Week 2015 per a friend's recommendation.

Peanut butter soba noodles

I won't claim to have invented the combination of peanut butter and noodles but I will say that if you get bored with your own cooking as frequently as I do (seriously...it's like eating at the same restaurant every day), this is something you can whip up quickly while still trying something "new."

One thing that's easy about this recipe is that there is no right way to make this. Some people (i.e. myself) like their noodles extra peanut butter-y while others find it bizarre and would rather taste just a hint of nuttiness. Some people (again, like myself) like spicy food and others, not so much.

The best food in life often looks like diarrhea

To make these noodles, you're first going to mix peanut butter, soy sauce, hot pepper flakes, sesame oil, and garlic in any ratio you like. I mixed the first two ingredients in a 1:1 ratio and used three large cloves of garlic.