CLE Shops: COTTON

This past weekend, I stopped into COTTON in Lakewood to pick up a Father's Day gift. Nothing like waiting until the last minute. I got my father-in-law and my dad the same gift, but since I haven't seen either of them yet, they haven't seen their gift, so I can't share it with you. That minor hiccup aside, what I CAN share with you is that COTTON is a really great store for gifts at all prices. They carry an assortment of gifts that range from under $20, well into the multiple hundreds.

The store itself is really nicely curated and styled-- I had a lovely time walking around, taking pictures, and picking up must-haves!

I'm not gonna lie, going to the store made me want to get on a boat, travel to an island for a lobster-bake and bonfire while curling up in a beautiful blanket. Doesn't that just sound like a lovely day?!

Explore CLE: Taste Cleveland Food Tours

For Christmas last year, our dear friends Dave and Jessika gifted us a Cleveland Food Tour. Since we had been waiting for nice weather, they joined us a few weeks ago as we actually took the tour. Taste Cleveland Food Tours offer three standard tours: The West Side Market, Little Italy, and Tremont, however they offer custom tours as well. Each tour pairs local restaurants with a look at the history and architecture of the neighborhood.

I had heard about these tours in the past, but since we had never tried one before, we decided to stick with a standard tour of Tremont. Nick and I used to live in Tremont, and being an architect, Nick knew a lot about the history and architecture of Tremont, so we weren't exactly expecting to learn anything new, but in fact, WE DID! Our tour guide was very knowledgable and led us around parts of Tremont for 3.5 hours.

If I were to summarize the experience, its like a walking tour meets progressive dinner. We met the group at 4 pm in Lincoln Park, and from there, we stopped at 4 restaurants: Prosperity Social Club, Parallax, Ty Fun, and Lilly Handmade Chocolates, although the stops are subject to change with each tour. In between eating delicious food, we learned about how Tremont came to be, and some fun facts about the neighborhood as well as the restauranteurs. Alcohol was not included in the standard tour but was available for purchase, although you can do a custom tour that includes alcohol as well.

Overall, a very fun experience, and one that I highly recommend. This would also be a great gift for Father's Day, or in general a fun gift for someone who has everything. You can make your tour reservations here.

As I mentioned previously, it is a walking tour, so comfortable shoes are key. Unfortunately, I have plantar fasciitis, so walking for 3.5 hours in flats will absolutely destroy my feet. Lucky for me, I found this pair of flats that are not only cute, but offer the kind of arch support I need.

At $99 they are a little expensive for flats, but they are worth it considering I will wear them all summer with zero pain!

So there you have it-- a lot of food and a little fashion to get your week started off just right!
XO
~ Shibani

CLE Shops: The Olive Scene

A few weeks ago, I finally made my way to the Olive Scene on Old Detroit Road in Rocky River. I say "finally" because I first heard of them when my dear friend Lisa gifted me a bottle of their harissa infused olive oil a couple of years ago. So, my tardiness in getting there really has no excuse. Anyway, my trip was a revelation into the amazing world of olive oil and balsamic vinegars--- I really had NO idea there were so many kinds!!!

When you walk in, you will immediately notice the rows of neat steel containers along the walls and down the middle of the store. First up, olive oils originating from a variety of different grapes. Next, infused olive oils, and finally, varieties of balsamic vinegar. 

I went on a major tasting spree (you taste it out of little plastic cups, like a little shot of oil)-- while I didn't really have a preference between the different types of olives, I had a few flavors of the infused oils that I really loved. Most notably, the olive, lemon, kaffir lime, baklouti green chili, and chipotle flavors. The balsamic vinegars were really amazing-- I particularly liked the fig balsamic and strawberry balsamic, which would both be perfect over some vanilla bean ice-cream. 

Prices range from $6 for the 60mL mini bottle, to $29 for the large 750mL bottle. I ended up going home with an assortment of sizes of the baklouti green chili olive oil (great with bread), lemon olive oil (fantastic when used to roast asparagus), garlic olive oil (I use this in pretty much everything and anything) and the serrano honey vinegar (will change popcorn forever). 

If you're local, I highly recommend a visit. In addition to Rocky River, the store has locations in Chagrin Falls and Vermillion. Just be prepared that you will go home with multiple bottles of deliciousness. If you're not local, you can choose to shop online, although you will not have the benefit of trying before you buy. The oils and vinegars themselves make excellent gifts, but the store also offers other italian delights like dried pasta, and gift items like pasta bowls and cheese trays. 

Get out those stretchy pants and your wallet!!!

Shop Local: LINGG (Valentine's Day Ideas for CLE men)

Over the holidays, I made my first ever trip to LINGG-- an independently owned jewelry shop and art gallery, located on Chagrin Blvd. in Woodmere. Its not a very big jewelry store, but has a completely unique collection of jewelry, at a range of prices. Heidi and Beth travel to New York multiple times a year on buying trips, so you can be assured that you are seeing some of the newest jewelry lines and styles available. They also work with local artists, so its a well rounded out collection.

On my very first visit, I completely fell in love with this bracelet, and lucky for me it was on sale!!  Needless to say, it came home with me.

I visited again a couple of weeks ago, and there are many, many items priced under $100 that are perfect for Valentine's Day, as you can below:

In addition to jewelry, LINGG also carries a selection of bags and even some clothing, so  you should definitely go check it out!! 

Things I LURVE: my yoga tote

Earlier this week, I mentioned my 15-minutes a day yoga goal, which I'm averaging about 3 times a week. Not terrible, but far from goal. Besides the daily yoga, I also have a goal of making it to a yoga class at least once a week. Allison and I are big fans of Saturday morning Hot Yoga at Inner Bliss, despite the fact that I'm really lacking in flexibility and can't get into half the poses! Nonetheless, I really enjoy the studio and the sweatiness, and so I keep going.

Normally, I just roll my mat up under my arm and take it in, but then I'm also carrying my wallet, and my towel (v. sweaty) and keys, and phone, and trying not to drop anything. With this renewed commitment to yoga for 2013, I decided to bite the bullet and just buy a bag for my mat. I looked a few bags on etsy and amazon, and as you can imagine, there are many options at many price points. I also decided to look into the "gold standard" for yoga apparel and accessories, and naturally, lululemon emerged the clear winner in my hunt for a yoga tote.

Source: shop.lululemon.com via cleshopaholic on Interest

At $48, its not exactly inexpensive, but hello?!?!! Look at it!!! Chevron with a bright blue--- how adorable is it?! I'm motivated to go to class just so I can carry it!!

Beyond the obvious aesthetic appeal, the bag is big enough to include an extra long, extra thick mat (which is what I have) AND yoga mat towel which is an absolute necessity (see prior sweaty comments). There is an exterior pocket and a nice-sized interior pocket (room for small wallet/credit cards and phone), and its waterproof!

A perfect yoga accessory. Now if I could only get into a handstand....

A little buzz

One of my favorite things in Costa Rica was the AMAZING coffee we enjoyed several times a day. It probably has something to do with the volcanic soil, but Costa Rican coffee is DELICIOUS!! So delicious in fact, that N and I are having some shipped to us!!  And I'm happy to say that if you'd like to try some, Amazon carries a whole selection of the Cafe Britt coffees.

With the holidays coming up (this year is going by waayyy too fast), I've been thinking about gift ideas. If you have a coffee lover on your holiday list, you could always gift them some Cafe Britt Espresso with a stove-top Espresso maker and/or Espresso cups!










As a coffee lover myself, there is nothing better than a GREAT cup of coffee on a cold winter morning (yes, I said the "W" word. I'm mentally preparing myself for the inevitable). Do you have a favorite coffee? Do tell!!!

Planning Ahead

I know its only the end of October, but turns out my social calendar has now extended out to March 2012. In the coming weeks, I will be telling you more about the things I'm looking forward to in Winter/Early Spring of next year, but in the mean time, I'm trying to figure out the best way to get all this stuff on my schedule. Now I could use the calendar on my shiny, new iPhone 4s (Yes, I LURVE Siri, and no, she will not marry me), but I still enjoy the good old fashioned paper versions. And oh so conveniently, yesterday I received my Kate Spade email featuring this:

Kate Spade 2012 Desk Top Spiral Calendar, $38 katespade.com

Speaking of iPhones and Kate Spade, I picked up a cute iPhone case, but I think I may want this one too...

Kate Spade Le Pavillion iPhone 4 case $40 katespade.com

After all, polka-dots are totally ON TREND for fall, and this is SOOOOOO adorable!!!! BTW, these would make great gifts for the stylish tech-lover and traditionalist alike!! Hmmm, I might just have to add these to my ever-expanding Christmas list..... 

Celebrate your 'hood

This past Friday, N and I stopped by Room Service for the launch of "The District" series of art by Arterx.  The series celebrates the unique Cleveland neighborhoods, however, for all my De-Sho (thanks seanski)/Gordon Square-dwellers, I will warn you that it is not one of the featured neighborhoods, but please don't shoot the messenger.

N and I picked up the black and white poster of the Guardians, since (a) we love the Guardians, and (b), N has one of them tattooed on his forearm. We're planning to have the walls of our dining room filled with unique posters! I can't wait to show you pictures of the finished product (when I eventually get around to it). Anyway, these posters are great gifts for a long time CLE resident, a new CLE resident, a former CLE resident, or someone who just plain loves CLE!!

A 30th birthday surprise

Clefoodgoddess and I are close friends in real life. This past weekend, she turned 30. Due to a massive scheduling conflict and oversight on my part, N, Dave and Jess ended up having plans on Clefoodgoddess' birthday; specifically, we had tickets to Playhouse Square's Jump Back Ball 20 (more on that in the next post). Since we were going to miss her actual birthday, I decided that we had to come up with a super special gift. Something that she would absolutely love, and make her day truly spectacular. Since she has a food blog, my first thoughts went to some sort of experience with one of Cleveland's amazing chefs.

I tried getting Clefoodgoddess and her fiance a seat at the Chef's table at Lola, with a tasting menu. (This is an option if you would like to gift it to someone; call Lola for details). Of course, Lola gets booked up weeks in advance, especially on a Friday or Saturday night, and especially when its restaurant week. My only options were either a 5:30 table or a 8:45 table. Either would've worked, but since it was a weekend, they would be sharing the Chef's table with other diners. A solid option, but I decided to do some more exploring.

I thought back to my own 30th birthday in July, and the fabulous meal N and I enjoyed at L'Albatros. On a whim, I shot them an email inquiring about their Chef's table, and received an almost-immediate response from Sommelier Brandon Chrostowski. As I told him about my idea for a special culinary experience, he recommended an experience that they had previously created for another diner; an experience in the kitchen itself, followed by dinner at the restaurant. DING DING DING!!! I knew we had a winner.

The plan was this: With fiance's help, we were going to keep this whole experience a surprise. Fiance would drive a blindfolded Clefoodgoddess to L'Albatros around 3 pm. The blindfold would be lifted, and she would then spend a couple of hours in the kitchen, experiencing life behind-the-scenes. She would be given an apron and a knife, and put to work! After that, she and fiance would enjoy dinner at the restaurant. I requested that the staff sign her apron and hand it to her as a souvenier, and Brandon was more than happy to oblige. What do you know?? Things went EXACTLY according to plan. In fact, the experience went above and beyond plan, in that Chef Bruell HIMSELF handed Clefoodgoddess her apron!!

I can't say enough positive things about the staff at L'Albatros. They were an absolute delight to work with. Its not everyday that you can go from idea to plan to execution so easily, and it was in very large part due to the fabulous staff, and of course Clefoodgoddess' fiance, who helped coordinate the surprise. In all seriousness, if you're looking to plan an important and/or special event, I highly recommend that you consider L'Albatros as your location. I can tell you from experience, if you're looking for flawless execution, they certainly know how to deliver!!!

Bath Candy

N and I have lived in our "somewhat" new place since April. We have a beautiful master bathroom, which includes this magnificent tub.

In which, I have taken ZERO baths!!!! Why, you might ask? Well, for one, I'm not big on baths. Second, I don't have the pretty fizzy things (aka bath bombs) that make your bath all delicious smelling!! A few weeks ago, I finally made it into the Lush store at Beachwood Place, and while I didn't end up buying anything, I did notice these:

At about $5 each, it would be an expensive bath, but oooooh, the indulgence!!! What about you? Do you enjoy long baths? Do pretty bath products make you more inclined to take one? Guys, it goes without saying that these would be a great gift for the woman in your life (including as a just-because gift. Serious bonus points for that one!).

Valentine's Day

Are you pro- or anti- Valentine's day? I used to be indifferent, but this year, I'm SUPER pro, but its not for the reason you might think.

Its this little girl's first birthday!!! This year I'm thinking of stopping by Grateful Dog Bakery to get both her and Otto some celebratory treats!

Besides the pups, of course N gets a present too, although I have to confess, I've taken the lazy route for the past few years and I just keep renewing his subscription to ESPN magazine and ESPN insider. Its the prefect, fool-proof gift for the sportsfan in your life!!

Meat and Cheese

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My biggest gift challenge usually involves buying stuff for men. There's the usual golf stuff, or clothing, or sports-related gifts, but beyond that, I tend to have a harder time with men's gifts, and its partly due to a lack of options. I feel like women (a) have more shopping choices, and (b) generally like more stuff, so its almost a lot easier to buy women's gifts (for me, anyway).  When I'm thinking outside the box for men's gifts, I frequently turn to food (there's no reason you can't use this for women too!)...

This year, I combined one recepient's love for meat into a a gift that combined 3 lbs of bacon from the West Side Market (regular, pepper, and applewood smoked) with this fabulous book by Cleveland's own Michael Ruhlman, which teaches you to smoke your own meats at home (and has some great recipes that use smoked meats as ingredients). If you're not in Cleveland, or don't have a farmers market nearby, you can also buy bacon online here.

If your recipient is vegetarian, you could easily replace meat with cheese, using this book and cheese from the West Side Market, or a selection of European cheeses from Dean and Deluca.

Doesn't that look delicious?!?!?

...Let them eat cake

I was at Bazaar Bizzare this weekend, and had an opportunity to meet the fabulous Valerie Mayen (who was on a little show called Project Runway), who is absolutely adorable and a complete sweetheart in person! I thought she did a wonderful job representing Cleveland on PR, and she's just as friendly and gracious in person.

If you'd like to meet her in person, or check out her collection in person, she will be debuting her pop-up shop at Beachwood Place this upcoming weekend. On the 17th, Beachwood Place is hosting a special cocktail party, where you will have get a sneak peek at her collection, meet Valerie in person and sample delectable delights from A Cookie and a Cupcake and Lilly Handmade Chocolates (if you read this blog, you know I'm a huge fan of both).

On the 18th, her collection will be available for purchase. Her collection is also availble on etsy, and any of these pieces will make a really great gift for the fashionista/PR fanatic on your shopping list. Here are some of my favorite pieces, and I have to say, these pictures do not do them justice. They are so cute and fun and well constructed!!

Did you watch PR this season? What did you think of Valerie's performance? How do you feel about who won? (I would've loved to see Valerie win, but Mondo really presented some amazing stuff that got better as the season progressed!)

Shopping local this holiday season: Room Service, now in Ohio City

Hope you had a very happy and safe Thanksgiving!! We had a wonderful time at N's parents. There were 12 adults, 1 baby and 2 puppies in attendance, and we had a blast. We ate, drank, played catchphrase (which is a superfun game and great gift/stocking stuffer for people who like to entertain), and I found that I really don't like losing. My favorite picture of the day was this one:

Our little nephew and Clair

Clair LOVES little kids. Our nephew is still in the army-crawl stage, and Clair would army crawl behind him as he crawled along the floor. SO CUTE!!!

As I mentioned in my Black Friday preview post, I was planning to stay away from the big box/national retailers, and I was mostly successful, with the exception of PETCO for dogfood, and Target for lightbulbs (and the aforementioned catchphrase), but I'm not counting those. N and I decided to start at the newly relocated Room Service (2078 W25th St), which was also hosting Made in the 216. The new store is significantly larger than the old location on Detroit Ave., and is really well decorated. Danielle has a fantastic eye for design, and she did this really amazing thing on one of the walls where she essentially created massive frames out of molding, and then wall-papered the inside. She has a bunch of stuff hung on the wall paper, so its looks like artwork within artwork. Of course, I don't have pictures, but if you have a massive blank wall, its a great idea to try out (I do recommend stopping by the store first to check it out in person).

While there, we picked up these:

Terminal Tower ornament $12.99

And N picked up this Terminal Tower T approx. $30

Incidentally, if you're looking for gift ideas, both these would make a great gift for someone new to Cleveland, or someone who has moved away from Cleveland, or someone who's still in Cleveland and loves this city!!

Will you be Jumping Back?

I LOVE the arts. Music, design, art, architecture... I love it all! I especially love the theatre scene: for a relatively small city, we have a really vibrant theatre scene, and one the caters to every budget. I try to make it to 2-3 shows a year, and its usually with my best friend Jess, since N doesn't always want to go, especially if its a girly musical. I really LOVE Playhouse Square's Broadway Series (which incidentally makes a GREAT gift for someone who enjoys theatre or live performances). Over the past few years I've been to see Wicked, Legally Blonde (so fun!), In the Heights, Bombay Dreams and Chicago. In a few weeks Jess and I are going to see The Santaland Diaries and in March, N and I are going to see Stomp.

In addition to hosting some fabulous performances, Playhouse Square also hosts one of the best parties in Cleveland: Jump Back Ball. I haven't been before, but having looked at pictures from earlier this year, I decided that 2011 is definitely going to be the year for N and I to attend. So, last night, we attended the Jump Back Ball Kickoff Party at Zinc Bistro where we placed our ticket orders for the 20th annual Jump Back Ball, which will be held on February 26th, 2011.

Here's why I want to go:
1. Its a FANTASTIC PARTY that ALWAYS sells out. (Don't believe me? 950 people attended last year)
2. Its a great reason to kick-start a healthy eating and work-out plan at the beginning of the year.
3. Not that you need one, but its a FABULOUS, and totally justifiable reason to buy a new outfit, especially if you achieve (2) above.
4. Its going to be cold and snowy. What a great reason to get out of the house!!!
5. There will be lots of super fun people including some Cleveland bloggers (the plum, Allison, and Seanski, to name a few.)

So, if you want to attend, the good news is that tickets officially go on sale November 17th at 11:00 am. Act fast and order your tickets, and I hope to see you there!!

mmmm Licorice. And, a GIVEAWAY!!

So last week, I was contacted by respresentatives of Panda Licorice, who asked if I would review their licorice flavors and blog about it. Being a candy-lover, of course I said YES!! So come Monday, the candy arrived, and I couldn't wait to dig in!

Panda has been making licorice in Finland since 1920, and its been sold in the U.S. since 1963. Over the years, they've definitely perfected their licorice, and it is absolutely delicious!! I was sent a few different flavors: regular black, creme filled black, raspberry, and cherry. Panda licorice is made with natural ingredients, so the fruit flavors are really fruity, and taste a lot like all natural fruit chews. The regular licorice has a perfect balance of licorice flavor; just right, without being overwhelming. I think these make the perfect mid-afternoon pick-me-up snack. Sweet, but not too much; low fat, and for 100 calories, a really delicious treat! These would also make excellent stocking stuffers, and unlike chocolate, would probably not turn into a goopy mess when placed near the fireplace (although I have not tested this theory, so try at your own risk).

I had N taste the licorice too, since its one of the few candy's he will actually eat (the man does not eat sweets. I mean seriously, who does that?!) He was watching football at the time, so I've edited to include only his candy related quotes. Here's what he had to say:
Black licorice: "mmmmm"... "Nice and chewy. Licorice-y but not too much"
Creme filled Black licorice: "surprisingly better than I expected". A few second later..."a LOT better than I expected. Creamy"
Raspberry: "its amazing". "Tastes like real raspberry, doesn't taste fake. I'm looking for the little seeds, it tastes that close to the real thing". This was followed by "I'm taking the cherry to work".

If you would like to try some Panda licorice, you can find it at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and also on Amazon. OR, you could enter my Panda licorice giveaway by doing the following:

1. Leave a comment telling me about your favorite candy
2. Follow Cleshopaholic on facebook and leave a comment there
3. Tweet the following:
I entered @cleshopaholic's @PandaLicoriceUS giveaway
4. Follow @PandaLicoriceUS on Twitter

Each of the above will get you one entry, so do them all for a maximum of 4 entries! This contest is open to U.S. Residents only, and winners will be announced the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Winners will receive the following:

It's really really really good, and I'm not just saying that because they sent me free candy. Even Clair liked it (don't worry, we only gave her a tiny piece).  Good Luck!!!!

Holiday ideas: for the domestic goddess

The holidays are fast approaching, so for the next few weeks, I will to get in at least one post about gift ideas. This one is for the domestic goddess. And when I say domestic goddess, I'm talking about people who love to bake, or are just discovering a love for baking. You could either do one or all of these as stocking stuffers, or have a little gift for a gift exchange or something, all for under $25.

From top: set of two conversion magnets ($8.95), pair of mini snowmen spatulas ($9.95), set of 3 holiday cookie cutters ($4.95). All available at Crate&Barrel. You could also add your favorite baking book, and a set of cookie sheets for more rounded gift!

If there's something specific you'd like me to tackle, please let me know. I find buying gifts for men to be the most challenging, so I'm going to try to run through some men-centric ideas that have nothing to do with tickets to sporting events (which is usually my fallback, when all else fails : ) ).

Of the month

So have you noticed, suddenly these "...of the month" clubs seem to have gotten popular again. Except this time, instead of CDs, its stuff like shoes and (gasp!) jewelry!!

I think there's a few different shoe clubs, but the one I've heard about most frequently is ShoeDazzle, endorsed by none other than Kim Kardashian (is there anything she doesn't endorse?) You take a style quiz, and then each month, you get sent a selection of 5 shoes/handbags/jewelry, and you pick one. Your credit card is then charged $39.95, and if you don't like it, you just return. Here's the caveat: if you choose NOT to buy something that particular month, you must "skip" the month before the 5th day of that month to ensure that you card isn't charged.

On the jewelry end, the one I learned about most recently is jewelmint, created by the team of Kate Bosworth and her stylist Cher. Like ShoeDazzle, you take a quiz and receive a pre-sorted selection, although the monthly subscription is a little less expensive at $29.99.

To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about these shopping clubs. For me, part of the fun of shopping is the hunt itself, and given that these are pre-selected for you, I think it takes away from that experience. That said, if you're too busy to shop, or if you just don't like shopping, these would probably be good alternatives for you. Now, on the other hand, if it were a wine of the month club, or a cheese of the month club (both being great gifts for winos and foodies), it would be a different story.

What do you think? Would you join or gift an "of the month" subscription (particularly if it wasn't food related)?

What a Crock!

I can honestly say that I NEVER thought I'd say this, but I absolutely LUUURRRVVEEE my crockpot. I don't use it nearly as much as I should, but I'm wierd about leaving things like that unattended (its irrational, I know, but I had a fire. That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it). So, the only time I end up using it is on the weekend, typically on Sunday home games. Now, I know that this is not a cooking blog, but I made some BBQ pulled pork with coleslaw on Sunday, and I LUUUURRVVVEED it so much (as did N), that I have to share the recipes with you. Also, the Browns won, and so I'm thinking that it was the lucky meal that resulted in the win. Also, I don't have pictures, but it was yummy; just take my word for it.

Pulled Pork
2 lbs pork butt/ pork shoulder
1 jar of your favorite BBQ sauce (16-18 oz; I like mine saucy. Use 12oz if you prefer yours less saucy)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon oil
1.5 tablespoons dried thyme
2-3 gloves garlic (just smoosh these with the flat end of a knife)
4-5 small onions (just peel and cut in half)
ground black pepper
salt to taste (I actually didn't use any b/c since there was some in the BBQ sauce)
1 tablespoon oil

How to:
Turn crockpot to high. Put 1 tablespoon oil in bottom of the pot. Put in your pork. Toss in all the ingredients (except the salt; I recommend you add to taste when there's about an hour left). Cook on high for 5 hours.

At hour 4, I removed and discarded the onions, and tasted for salt. After 5 hours, I "pulled" the pork using two forks, and left it in the sauce with the crockpot turned to warm, until it was time to eat. I served these with toasted onion buns, cheddar cheese, and spicy slaw, recipe below.

Spicy No-Mayo Coleslaw
This recipe is taking from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. The man is a genius. If you can only buy one cookbook, this is it. Its like an encyclopedia of cooking, and covers all kinds of foods and cuisines, and also has a whole bunch of vegetarian recipes too. He also gives you lots of variations on the same basic recipe, which I lurve! This is my go-to book, and would be a great gift for a recent grad, someone who is new to cooking, a new homeowner who likes to entertain....you get the idea.... There's also an iPhone app, if you'd rather go that route, but to be honest, the book is waaay easier to search than the app.

Anyway, a few disclaimers:
(i)  I halved the recipe, so what I'm giving you below is a half-recipe
(ii) I took a short-cut and used grocery store slaw mix (the shredded cabbage and carrot mix), but feel free to shred your own Napa or Savoy cabbage instead. Bittman also adds 1 large red/yellow pepper and fresh parsley, which I omited.

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoons lemon juice
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small clove garlic, minced (I used a pinch of garlic powder instead).
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh chili pepper(I used finger hot, but feel free to use jalapeno or serrano)
1/4 cup chopped scallion
3 cups shredded cabbage
fresh ground black pepper and salt, to taste

Make dressing by whisking together mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and chili pepper. I put mine in a clean pasta jar and shook it vigorously. Combine the cabbage with scallion, and toss with dressing.

I will be making this again for N's birthday, which coincidentally happens to be the same day as the Browns-Jets game. I can't wait!!

Dog Friendly CLE: Wine Bar Rocky River

Did you know that Wine Bar Rocky River has a doggie-friendly brunch every Sunday on its fabulous patio? Someone told me that a few months ago, so N and I decided to take our furry babies over for a nice meal. It was my first time here, and I'm a little mad at myself for not going there sooner! Their patio is absolutely amazing, and the staff is so welcoming of humans and dogs alike.

Otto and Clair waiting patiently for their sweet potato treat

For brunch, N ordered the sausage gravy over biscuits, and declared them the best in Cleveland. Both the biscuits and gravy were very obviously homemade, and the biscuits were perfectly buttery and crumbly and fluffy. I ordered the spicy tuna wrap with sweet potato fries, which were also absolutely delicious!! The tuna was perfectly cooked, and the salad greens were really well seasoned--- YUMMY GOODNESS!!! Otto and Clair were both in heaven; they got fussed over and petted by staff and guests, and had some wonderful scrambled eggs as a snack!! I also snuck them some sweet potato fries (shhhhh!).


I can't wait to go back for another meal!! The Wine Bar also offers a Flight School where you can learn all about wine. The first class is $35 (plus tax and tip) and each subsequent class is $20. A gift certificate for the Flight School would be a great gift for the casual wine lover who wants to learn more about wine!!!