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chicago

Chicago-Style Deep-Dish Pizza

September 13, 2013

Chicago-Style Deep-Dish Pizza

Are you ready to dive???

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So NASCAR has been interesting this week! From Saturday night’s race to Monday night’s penalties it was a really interesting week. Oh man. I still can’t believe that things got so far and intense at the end of the race and how that all played out on Monday. While I totally think that strategy is part of any sport it’s just unfortunate how it all played out during the last laps of the last race before The Chase with a suspected purposeful spin-out to bring out a caution and pitting when it was not needed just to help another teammate move up in the points to get into The Chase. And then the penalties on Monday were record setting with docked points that resulted in drivers moving in and out of The Chase, suspending the team GM indefinitely, a $300K penalty for Michael Waltrip Racing.

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Basically, I’m going to be really interested in how all this plays out for the drivers in the effected team for the rest of the races. Will people try to get back at them? Will they under a high powered microscope? Or will everyone play nice? Doubtful! But then it wouldn’t be the intense racing I love.

Anyway…

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Last year I surprised Price with a trip to Chicago for his 30th birthday. Totally surprised him. He didn’t know where we were going until we got to the gate. It was so awesome to plan something that big and surprise him with it. Also, it was so great to walk, sight see, and eat our way through the Windy City (which has nothing to do with wind).

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Of course we had to have deep dish pizza. And of course it was INCREDIBLE! Since then we have been hooked on it for it’s thick buttery crust, it’s ooey gooey cheesy layer that is topped off with meat and/or veggies and a chunky sauce.

This weekend’s kick off to The Chase is at Chicagoland Speedway so I just had to whip up a deep dish pizza for this week’s edition of Sprint Cup Snacks.

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Once you have the 14-Inch Deep Dish Pizza Pan it’s really easy to whip up since you can do the crust an hour before you need it (or make it in the morning like I did) and then it’s not all too different than making a regular pizza, but some extra baking time but it’s worth it. I filled our pizza with a combo of sautéed fresh veggies and a layer of sliced pepperoni. Soo delish!

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How can you resist?!?!?!

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Chicago-Style Deep-Dish Pizza

Makes 1-14″ deep dish pizza/12 servings

Ingredients

Crust

  • 4 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
  • 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
  • 2 3/4 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or salad oil
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons lukewarm water

Filling

  • 3/4 lb. mozzarella cheese, sliced
  • 1 pound total of Italian sweet or hot sausage, cooked and sliced and/or chopped cooked meatballs, or pepperoni; or about 3 cups of the sautéed vegetables of your choice (mushrooms, onion, zucchini, broccoli, etc)
  • 28-ounce can plum tomatoes or chopped tomatoes
  • 2 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced, optional
  • 1 tablespoon sugar, optional
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons of mixed dried Italian herbs (oregano, basil, rosemary), to taste
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

Process

To make the crust:

  1. Mix all of the dough ingredients together, and knead — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make a smooth crust. This will take about 7 minutes at medium-low speed in a stand mixer.
  2. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and let rise till very puffy, about 60 minutes. (It can hang out all day, if needed)
  3. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and prepare the 14-Inch Deep Dish Pizza Pan by spraying it with non-stick vegetable oil spray and then pour in 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil, tilting it to cover the bottom of the pan, and partway up the sides.
  4. On a lightly greased countertop or baking mat, stretch and roll out the dough to make a circle large enough to cover the bottom and up the side of the pan.
  5. Place the dough in the pan and gently push it up the sides of the pan to stay in place. (It’s okay if some olive oil oozes over the edge of the crust) Let the crust rest for 15 minutes or so.
  6. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, until it’s set and only just starting to brown. While it’s baking, prepare the sauce.
  7. Drain the tomatoes thoroughly, remove the tough part where the stem connects to the tomato, then chop up. Combine the tomatoes with the herbs and garlic. Add the sugar and some salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Cover the bottom of the crust with the sliced mozzarella, fanning it into the crust. Add the meat/sautéed vegetables filling evenly over the cheese. Then top with the tomatoes and then sprinkle with the grated Parmesan.
  9. Bake the pizza for another 25 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly and the crust edge is golden brown.
  10. Remove it from the oven and allow the pizza to cool for about 15 minutes (or longer, for less oozing) before cutting and serving.

Sourced from King Arthur Flour

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: chicago, chicago deep dish pizza, Chicagoland Speedway, deep dish pizza, instant yeast, NASCAR, pizza, pizza dough, Sprint Cup, sprint cup snacks, The Chase

Chicago Architectural River Cruise: Photo Recap

April 14, 2013

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We took the Chicago Architectural River Cruise run by the  Chicago Architecture Foundation when we went to Chicago for Price’s 30th birthday back in September. I wanted to share the pictures now as the 2013 season kicked off yesterday.

We had so much fun and learned so much while on the tour from our tour guide. I’m so glad we went and I would go again the in future as it was just a nice way to see Chicago.

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I highly suggest that you go on the Chicago Architectural River Cruise, or take one of the other walking, bike, or trolley tours available. I can’t wait for our next trip to Chicago to do another tour.

Filed Under: Exploring Tagged With: architectural River Boat Tour, architecture, architecture and design, chicago, Chicago Architectural River Cruise, Chicago Architectural River Cruise Pictures, Chicago Architecture Foundation, river cruise

The Dirty Thirty Chicago Trip Recap

April 10, 2013

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Price and I love to celebrate our birthdays. We make a bigger deal about them than Christmas. We go big for parties, outings, or gifts. And since this past September was Price’s 30th Birthday I went ALL OUT!! I planned a very big surprise trip to Chicago.

The trip took a few months to plan so is seems fitting that this post took at few months (oy!) to write and edit.

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So leading up to the trip I only hinted to Price that we would be going away. As it got closer I teased Price about packing a bag for similar weather (his guess of the Bahamas was wrong) and that we would have to go to bed early Thursday night for a Friday morning adventure via a plane. He promised not to look at his ticket while in the security line but I was still nervous since I didn’t want someone asking him where he was going or to say ‘enjoy Chicago’ but we made it through without that. So we grabbed some Sbucks and then made our way to the gate. Once we stopped he realized where we were going!!! So excited to pull off the big surprise.

Once we made it to Chicago we caught the shuttle from O’Hare to our hotel and dropped off our bags since it was prior to check in and we had reservations for the Architectural River Boat Tour for 12pm.

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The tour was a blast! This was a gift from Price’s mom. She had been before so she knew we would love everything we saw and learned on the boat ride on the river.

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It was after the lunch rush when the tour ended so it was perfect timing to head down to check out The Billy Goat Tavern for some cheeseburgers.

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It was fun to experience a Chicago staple but I didn’t think the burgers were very good. I enjoyed the atmosphere and character more than the food, but it was still great to check it out.

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We then headed back to our hotel, Acme Hotel Company, to check in. Once we were settled took naps since we were so warn out from getting up so early. Well, first we took some pictures of the hotel and room as it had such great character. Loved how it did not look like a typical hotel room but had some nice features and unique design elements, such as the red lipstick night light incorporated into the mirror in the bathroom. We loved the room and the hotel.

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Once we were refreshed from our naps we headed out for dinner at Frontera Grill. I was looking forward to going to a Rick Bayless restaurant and I am so glad that we braved the rain and wait for an amazing dinner.

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We waited at the bar and grabbed some drinks as we waited for something to open up. Two seats at the ‘chefs table’ opened up so we sat right by the kitchen getting to take in the energy from the kitchen and servers. Everything was fantastic from the drinks to the food. I really wish that Bayless had a restaurant in Boston. Total dream come true!

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On Saturday- Price’s Birthday!!!

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We started the day with some breakfast from Acme’s continental breakfast bar. We were both really impressed with the selection they offered which include quiches, muffins, stuffed croissants, waffles, bagels, yogurt, juices, and tea & coffee.

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We started out by walking from the hotel over to Michigan Ave and then heading south down to Millennium Park.

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You can’t visit Chicago and not see Cloud Gate, aka The Bean.

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We took so many fun photos there and really enjoyed all of the different angles of the city we saw from the curves.

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We continued on down to the Crown Fountain.

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And then through the Lurie Garden and wandered our way down to the Buckingham Memorial Fountain.

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Did you ever watch Married with Children? Yep, it’s that fountain.

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We continued walking all the way down to The Field Musuem and Solider Field before heading back north to the Shedd.

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oh hello.

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We intended to check out the Shedd Aquarium but the line to get into it was a few hundred people out the door. Umm, so not happening this trip. So we skipped it and just took the ferry between the aquarium and Navy Pier.

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It was so much fun and gave us some great views of the city.

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Stunning.

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My co-worker Laurel, who is originally from Chicago, suggested Pizano’s Pizza for some great deep dish pizza so we walked over to Pizano’s  from Navy Pier.  It was a long walk but allowed us to build up our appetites for lunch. We ordered salad and soup (to warm up) and a mushroom and sausage deep dish pizza. We had been debating the medium pizza since we were so hungry but the woman next to us told us the small was more than enough. Although we doubted her we decided to listen to the local. Thankfully we did listen as the small was soooo filling. The pizza’s crust was thick and crunchy while the thick filling/topping was loaded with cheese, mushrooms, and sausage. I think I need my own deep dish pizza pan!

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Stuffed, we headed back towards the hotel to be able to relax for a bit before getting ready for dinner out. Of course on our way we stopped into some really cute stores. I wanted to do some serious shopping but was just too tired to carry it back. ha!

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Some naps, showers and some make up for me and we were ready to go out to celebrate the BIG 3-0. We walked up to  John Hancock Tower to have some drinks and to enjoy the view and sunset. The line to get on the elevators to get up to the Signature Lounge was very long but we stuck it out as it did move pretty quickly.

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It was worth it as the view from the 96th floor was incredible.

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We ended up with a table at the window to enjoy our drinks and chips with guac (not very good). When we were ready to go we went to the other side of the Hancock to check out the view towards the river and Navy Pier.

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The view from the women’s room is incredible as it abuts the windows. Sorry guys!

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We needed something sweet for Price’s birthday so we went Ghirardelli’s shop on Magnificent Mile. We split a super-rich banana split.

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I just wish we had some candles to stick and pretend blow out! It was such a great way to end his birthday.

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On Sunday morning we got ready quickly, had some breakfast at Acme, and checked out so we could head up to Wrigley on the L for our tour of the park, a gift from Price’s brother.

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It was great to see the old stadium and hear about the history of the team and ball park as we walked all around the different areas.

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We had taken a tour of Fenway previously in the summer and could compare between the tours. They were similar in price so the biggest thing that made the tour of Wrigley stand out to us was the size of the group and how length of time we got to spend on field. Both tours are great to go on but for us Wrigley wins. Esp since we got to go on the field!

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After the tour we walked to Ann Sather’s to get a cinnamon roll. Well that was our intent, but we stayed to split a Denver omelet for lunch and get a sticky bun to go.

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Continuing our walk, we headed down to the Lincoln Park Zoo. I love zoo’s so this was a great ways to spend a few hours.

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We strolled around the different exhibits enjoying our cinnamon roll checking out the different animals, including some adorable seals and a baby zebra. Baby zebra!!!!

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Once we wrapped up our visit to the zoo we walked back to Magnificent Mile for the last time for some window shopping and then on to our hotel to call for the shuttle. While we waited for the shuttle we had a drink at the Webber Grill Restaurant.

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And that is how we blitzed through Chicago for Price’s Surprise 30th Birthday trip!!

After our trip I figured out we walked over 16 miles while we were visiting Chicago. Not too shabby!! I can’t wait to go again since we love Chicago so much!

Filed Under: Exploring, Family and Friends, Living Tagged With: Acme Hotel, Acme Hotel Company, Ann Sather, Ann Sather brunch, architectural River Boat Tour, billy goat tavern, birthday, Buckingham Memorial Fountain, chicago, Chicago Martini, Cloud Gate, Crown Fountain, deep dish pizza, dirty thirty, dirty thirty trip, frontera grill, Ghirardelli's, Lincoln Park Zoo, Lurie Garden, Millennium Park, Navy Pier, Pizano's Pizza, Rick Bayless, Signature Lounge, Signature Lounge bathroom, Signature Lounge View, Solider Field, the bean, The Field Musuem, Wrigley Field, Wrigley Field Tour

9.20-23: long weekend recap in Chicago

September 24, 2012

{Thursday night} make a quick dinner | pack | trip to Walgreens for gum, jelly beans, & cash | bed early

{Friday} 4.30am alarm | get ready | cab ride to the airport | starbucks | Boston> Chicago | shuttle to The Acme Hotel Company | architectural boat cruise | lunch at The Billy Goat Tavern | check in at the hotel | nap | get ready for dinner | Frontera Grill – drinks at the bar & apps at the chefs table area | run back to the hotel in the rain (2+ total miles)

{Saturday} PRICE’S 30th BIRTHDAY!!! Woke up early | coffee delivery to the room | get ready for the day | breakfast at the hotel | started on our day of exploring | walk down to Millienum Park | pictures at the The Bean | Crown Fountain | walk through Lurie Garden | Buckingham Fountain | walk to the skip the aquarium- too long of a line | water taxi to Navy Pier | walk to Pizano’s for deep dish pizza | walk back to hotel | nap | get ready to go out | Signature Room at John Hancock Tower | drinks and guac | Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop & Soda Fountain for a birthday banana split | walk back to Acme | SNL and lounging around  (7+ total miles)

{Sunday} wake up with the alarm | get ready & pack up | breakfast at the hotel | check out & store our luggage | take the L from Grand to Addison | tour Wrigley Field @ 9.30 | walk to Ann Sather’s & split an omelet lunch | walk to the Lincon Park Zoo- saw a baby zebra! | sticky bun | walk through Lincoln Park to get to Magnificent Mile | Disney store for a gift for Cara | beers at the Weber Grill bar | shuttle pick up at the hotel | fell asleep in traffic | chicago dog for dinner | flight home (7.5 total miles)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Exploring, Family and Friends, Living Tagged With: birthday, Buckingham fountain, chicago, deep dish pizza, frontera grill, lincon park zoo, the bean, travel

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