Kudos to Sam Kass.Chicago Chef Sam Kass is going with the Obamas to the White House. Continuing his position as the Obama's personal chef in Hyde Park Chicago, he will be their personal chef in the White House.
Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market is the largest in the world. The market not only sells to the large number of sushi restaurants in Japan, but also to worldwide distributors. The fish market has become a popular tourist attraction for those wanting to see the fish brought in from the boats, inspected and auctioned. With the rise in popularity of seeing the market have also come rules including no flash photography, and no hugging or licking the fish. "Tuna is a very expensive fish," Takagi said. "One tuna can easily cost more than 1 million yen ($11,000). But some tourists touch them and even try to hug them." Just eat them!
Nobody will want to sneak your goat cheese & grilled vegetable sandwich from the office fridge anymore. Once you begin using Anti-Theft Lunch Bags people will wonder what the heck it is you are eating!
Love these! Rice Krispie Sushi! via BuzzFeed.
Food Blogger Carol Blymire has a copy of Chicago Chef Grant Achatz's Alinea at Home and is cooking one recipe at at time. Not as easy as it sounds reports the Washington Post. "Two months in, she still sees Achatz as an awe-inspiring, benevolent master. "I don't hate him yet," she jokes. "But when I get to the wild bass recipe that's six pages long, with 25 separate recipes -- yeah, totally." That would take a day to figure out.
"At close inspection, none of Alinea's recipes requires terribly advanced techniques. There are unfamiliar ingredients, such as soy lecithin, a commercial emulsifier, and tapioca maltodextrin, which helps transform liquids into powders. But the dishes are intricate, requiring patience, time -- and a lot of dishwashing. To make the liquefied popcorn, Blymire used 17 bowls, pots, strainers, utensils and glasses for weighing, cooking, blending and serving the tiny post-dessert shot. And that was one of the easy ones." 17 bowls used to make popcorn?
Iggy Pop discusses his life and music on The Morning News.
Beginning this week a large portion of meats, nuts, produce, fish, produce will need to be labeled with a Country of Origin Label or COOL. Many fruits and vegetables have always advertised the country of origin, but today's savvier, healthy and politically conscious demanded more. There is a long list of food items that will not require COOL, such as processed foods and fresh meat from a butcher shop. Pretty cool news.
Wilco, with Fleet Foxes, recorded Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" in Oregon. The download is available free if you pledge to vote in the 2008 election. Of course, do not tell you for which candidate you should vote. But, I'll just tell you, it's Obama.
For those waiting for The Smashing Pumpkins to return to Chicago, your wait is over. They have four dates booked in November. Two nights at The Chicago Theatre and two nights at The Auditorium.
Here's a cool map which shows what it's called in your part of the country.
At BDP, a few times a year we have a week or two which are totally insane, which we totally dread. It's like what tax season is to accountants. Within a period of fifteen days, we have twenty-three concerts. Many of the days have been a single show, last Sunday we had three, today we have four (ok, even though Chris Rock only has a dressing room, we still count it. We're still feeding 811 people today). In the week ahead we begin catering Jimmy Buffet's load-in to Toyota Park on Tuesday and Wednesday, shows are on Thursday and Saturday. On those same days we have top acts like John Mellencamp, the sold-out O.A.R., and 70's band Boston. We're half way through, and things must be going smoothly, or I'm just taking a break and writing this like a zombie.
One of the four shows BDP caterers today is Umphrey's at Charter 1 Pavilion. Let's hope this rain stops soon - 3 of the shows are outdoors. In yesterday's Chicago Tribune, Umphrey's discusses the importance of eating well on the road. I can't say exactly what we will stock in their dressing room this afternoon, but it is pretty "healthy food". I can tell you what we are cooking up for their meals: breakfast was at 8:00 with eggs cooked to order and the yummy sides; lunch they are getting a Mexican buffet; and dinner they are having BBQ Brisket, Grilled Mahi with a Mango Salsa, Tofu-Veggie Kebabs, a Baked Potato Bar, Corn Pudding and of course BDP's awesome Desserts made my Pastry Chef Melissa!
Big Delicious Planet began catering the three-day Pitchfork Musical Festival yesterday. Hot, muggy, rainy, sunny... I saw Mission of Burma's opening set - sounded good as the crowd was coming in to Union Park. Jim DeRogatis reviews day 1. Of Public Enemy he said "where Flavor Flav was once a welcome sidekick, he is now merely a joke..."
No, it's not what you are thinking. Big Delicious Planet has joined an organic Wisconsin farm cooperative. HGW is a co-op of a couple dozen organic family farms, which delivers produce twice weekly (May-Oct) to top Chicago and Milwaukee restaurants and retailers. Each week we will receive a list of fruits, vegetables & herbs which will be available for delivery the following week. This week we are getting in many items, including ramps, a variety of fingerling potatoes, onions, apples, radishes, arugula, lots of mico greens and raw cheddar. The temperature dropped a little last week pushing asparagus delivery back another week. Look for new items on our menus each week. Will only get better in the summer.
BDP is switching over to environmentally friendly goods. Unless our clients have requested rental china plates, flatware and glassware, our "disposables" will now be compostable food service containers made from cornstarch or sugar cane fibers. Forks, knives, spoons, bowls, cups, plates. Our napkins and box lunch containers will be natural 100% post-recycled napkins. We buried some forks in a plant and will check if they have begun to compost in month.
Los Angeles is having another clash with the popular taco trucks. Under next week's new ordinance, taco vendors will need to roll on to another location after sitting for an hour, or face fines or even jail time. Many Los Angelenos are signing petitions in support of the truck vendors, while others think the ugly "roach coaches" need to go. So don't get to comfy in your folding chair, the truck may pull away just as you sit down to eat your tacos.
Looking for a great Italian Beef or Hot Dog in Chicago? Let GreaseFreak help you decide. Great food shots of Turkey Clubs, Chili Bowls, Burgers and other Chicago-style fast-food. Each photo is accompanied by three simple ratings for Taste, Presentation and Ambience. Pizza next?
Not that kind. These are cute. A photo series of food that takes on the shape of the container. via kottke.
"A Special Citation to Bob Dylan for his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power" reads the website of 2008 Pulitzer Awards.
Portishead has a new album coming out at the end of the month, entitled Third, the first in 10 years. Pitchfork interviews the two guys in the band; discussing what they've been up to for the last decade and whether they should be worried about Beth Gibbons on account of her depressing lyrics.
Big Delicious Planet
451 North Elizabeth Street
Chicago IL 60622
312 455 1019
BDP caters to Seal, Morrissey, Chick Corea, Andrew Bird, Lily Allen, Death Cab for Cutie, Frankie Valli, Chris Cornell, Flight of the Conchords, Franz Ferdinand
Posted on 04/01In the slow rock-n-roll month of March, we cater to Fleetwood Mac 2 nights, Les Claypool, & Bloc Party!
Posted on 03/01Slowly, the year's concerts pick up with BDP catering The Pretenders, Celtic Women, Thievery Corporation, Gipsy Kings, Ne-Yo, moe., and Avenged Sevenfold.
Posted on 02/09Check out our budget menus above for delicious catered lunches.
Posted on 01/28BDP caters hip weddings all over Chicago! Do you want to serve food people will rave about for years? Call us!
Posted on 01/28Big Delicious Planet wishes you a happy, healthy, prosperous new year!
Posted on 01/03Today Big Delicious Planet turns 14 years!
Posted on 12/06Fall Out Boy, Yes, Sarah Brightman, The Black Crowes, The Temptations, Dave Koz, Kenny G, The Smashing Pumpkins, Oasis, Harry Connick, Jr., Sarah McLaughlin, My Morning Jacket, Umphrey's McGee
Posted on 12/02BDP sends a thank you out to all of our clients for a wonderful year!
May you and your family have a safe and happy holiday!
In November BDP caters to AC/DC, Brian Wilson, Smashing Pumpkins at The Chicago Theatre and The Auditorium Theatre, John Legend, Video Games Live, Jason Mraz.
Posted on 11/08Big Delicious Planet Catering is now accepting catering orders for Thanksgiving 2008 (Thursday, November, 27). Pick up your ready made dinners on Tuesday or Wednesday. Click on the pdf above to see all the delicious items we are offering to Chicago this Thanksgiving. Give us a call or email in your order.
Posted on 10/20Catering backstage for Weezer, Beck, Alanis Morissette, Ani DiFranco, My Morning Jacket, Ray Lamontagne, The Backyardigans, Death Cab for Cutie, The Kooks, Old Crow Medicine Show, AC/DC, Against Me, Lucinda Williams, Joe Satriani, Coheed & Cambria, Of Montreal, Matisyahu, Kings of Leon, k.d. lang, Maxwell, Kathy Griffin and more.
Posted on 09/30