Cioppino to Seafood Chowder

This culinary adventure started as cioppino, a seafood stew developed in the 1800s by Portuguese and Italian fishermen who had settled in San Francisco's North Beach region. It consists of seafood, tomatoes, white wine, and toasted bread (sourdough or baguette).

The word is derived from cuippin, which means to chop or chopped in the Ligurian dialect of Genoa, and refers to the tradition of chopping up leftovers from the day's catch to make the stew.

It shares a common history with other dishes from the region, including cacciucco or brodetto from Italy; bouillabaisse, burrida, and bourride from French Provencal; and suquet de peix from Catalan-speaking Spain.

Unfortunately, I used a fish blend from Trader Joe's. I like most things from T.J.'s, but this fish was low-end because the cioppino was contaminated by an over-the-top fishy taste.

So we return to the drawing board to transform a dish into something delicioso. As is the case with most things, adding butter and cream to it salvaged the fishy cioppino. I made a simple roux and kicked up the vegetable contingent.

Ta da! The end result was a gorgeous, rich seafood chowder.

Milwaukee

In January, I visited some friends in Milwaukee.

Lunch at Lulu's

Soon after arriving, we walked over to Lulu's for lunch. And then we went shopping. At Goldi in Shorewood, I found the lovely Pikolinos boots in the first picture. I also snagged some new Danskos.

That evening, we stayed in, ordered pizza from Mama De Marini's on Wentworth, and cackled away at Eddie Izzard's stand-up.

Baked oatmeal

The next morning, Andy and Elise made baked oatmeal for us. I'm not sure what recipe they used, but here's a similar one from bakedbree.com. I think it originated from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day.

Nile Restaurant

I know I'm a little pokey getting to this place, but it's a major enterprise for me to traverse to the west side. So here's my take on it:

The service is attentive without being cloying. The decor is simple with Egyptian hints in the wall embroidery, a camel light that will be mine--oh yes, it will be mine, and pretty red embroidered tablecloths. I started with the satisfying Egyptian split pea soup, which was dusted with Nile's own spice blend. Next came the best falafel I've had in awhile. It was flavorful and fragrant, not greasy and tasteless like some others. (I will be discreet and not name names, but you who you are.) The tabbouleh contained cucumbers, tomatoes, and green peppers and the creamy hummus had just enough olive oil. The sandwich was wrapped in what resembles a tortilla, but was a bit more substantial, like a very thin flatbread. In short, I will return.