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Hey man, sometimes you need a month or 4 off. I was pretty busy with my old job and then a new job, so I haven’t been doing a lot of baking. Just some…

cake balls

very hard to do with only two hands

lemon IPA bars (baking with beer yes)

baking with beer baking with beer

banana bread (your basic, your standard), and croissants.

I like a challenge!

Shopping though, I have done that. Specifically at ALDI. It’s like a chill friend of mine – reliable, cheap date, but full of surprises. I kinda consider myself an ALDI pro now and spread the gospel whenever I can  – which is what I’m doing with this post.

Just as a note, I’ll admit I wrote everything above like 2 months ago (I took an even further hiatus because my computer was too old to cooperate with WordPress). Since then, I’ve become a little more sensitive to what I feel is a very high sodium content for their prepared foods. But their produce is a steal and they do carry some brand names from time to time. And, perhaps most importantly, they cater to dietary restrictions (on the cheap). I mean look at these cookies! They’re pretty much a replica of Enjoy Life’s soft-baked cookies. I can’t tell you how much they are, but it’s probably a good deal.

whaaaa?

I DO know the price of the their soymilk. I go through a gallon of it a week, and on average, a half gallon will run you about 3.99 to $4.29 (according to Google search). But organic soymilk at ALDI is $2.29!

Oh. Oh. Another good item? This Nature’s Path Pumpkin Flax Granola.

This stuff is deliiiiicious.

It’s $4.39 for an 11.5oz box on the Nature’s Path website. What is it at Aldi? $2.89. Amazing!

Something I used to get at ALDI all the time was their coffee. Check this out:

“Donut Store Blend.”

No joke though, it tastes exactly like Dunkin Donuts coffee, a pound bag of which costs $8.99. This stuff was………..$3.99!! MIND BLOWING. Except that I don’t think they carry this blend any more, I haven’t seen it in a while.

And just going through the receipts I saved for this blog post (meaning they’ve been on my desk since the summer), there’s some other unbelievable deals. Like a half-pint of blueberries for $1.29, a 20oz box of raisin bran for $1.79, a can of black beans for 60 cents, and so on. When I was shopping there regularly, I was spending between $50-$60 on a couple weeks worth of groceries, saving at $30 compared to if I had bought all of the same items at Mariano’s. I probably could’ve been spending even less, but those deals are so tempting that I left with stuffed cart every time.

baggage.

Like I said above, some of their processed food is full of sodium. I wouldn’t recommend the soups, or even the bread. But produce, special-diet items, pantry items (A1 KNOCKOFF STEAK SAUCE FOR A DOLLAR), non-food essentials like paper towels and household cleaners, even fish oil capsules (!), you absolutely cannot beat the price. And that’s why I’m glad I discovered my new friend ALDI.

Just busy!

When I first moved to Roscoe Village, I shopped at the Jewel on Western Ave. because I was used to the layout. I quickly noticed that the store was totally dead, while the Mariano’s parking lot was a madhouse. So the next time I went shopping I went to Mariano’s and discovered how absolutely amazing it was- like a combination of Dominick’s (RIP) and Whole Foods with prices cheaper than Jewel. Mariano’s has a huge selection of alternative diet stuff, like Earth Balance buttery sticks, soy yogurt and pudding, and egg replacer, all things I’d normally have to go to Whole Foods for.

Actually I probably don’t need to say anything about Mariano’s because everyone who’s been there knows it’s the best. Seriously, start taking note in conversations, any time anyone brings up buying food, it’s probably a minute max before someone brings up their love for Mariano’s. Like Godwin’s Law of grocery shopping. The Mariano Rule.

Anyway, from then on I pretty much shopped there exclusively. I went to the Trader Joe’s on Lincoln if I wanted random snacks like Cat Cookies or these addictive lentil potato twist crisps, but the serious shopping was Mariano’s only.

Sadly, I don’t really live within walking distance of Mariano’s anymore. But there’s lots of different places to shop in and around Avondale, so while there is a Jewel close by, I’ve taken this opportunity to expand my horizons and spread my money and whatnot. And since I’ve really started cooking in my new apartment, I wanted to introduce this “Hood Cooking” series to highlight the various markets at which I’ve been shopping.

 The Dish: Whole Wheat Gnocchi with Chicken and Mushrooms

This was the first dish I made for work lunches in the new kitchen.

The Ingredients

• The whole wheat gnocchi is vegan and it’s from ALDI. And it was $1.50 for the package. A thousand wins.
• I’m cheating with the chicken, it’s from Mariano’s. I never thawed and cooked it before I moved, and right before my parents were about to leave me alone in my new home on move-in day I suddenly remembered I had 5 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts in the freezer at the old apartment and they had to be retrieved immediately.
• Yellow pepper, also from ALDI. At $2.99 for a package of three peppers that was the most expensive thing I bought when I went there the first time (And I know how much it was because I took a picture of the receipt so I could brag about my savings to people).
• Portobello mushrooms, from Joong Boo market! That place, like ALDI, will probably get a post of its own at some point. It’s a fun little Korean mart. Lots of kimchi.
• …so the sauce is a mixture of salsa from Target and Hoisin sauce (chicken marinade) from Joong Boo. That sounds gross, but it really wasn’t that bad for making pasta and suddenly realizing you have no sauce.

 The Second Dish: Vegan Hash

I owe my magnanimous friend James a shoutout here because I obviously love using my cast iron, and these dishes would not be possible with him.

The Ingredients

• The taters are from Target, which is where my dad took me shopping for sustenance after the movers left. I always like to keep a sack of potatoes around, although these ones were kinda ehh.
• Onions are from Mariano’s, so cheating again. Yes, I packed onions in a moving box. Probably the same box in which I packed the canola oil. Worth it.
• The beans are from ALDI and they were 60 cents a can. That’s the cheapest I’ve ever seen beans anywhere.
• The extra-firm tofu is from Joong Boo market, and it’s the local Phoenix Bean brand, which I love. I discovered them at a farmer’s market where they were doling out samples, and they’ve just got a really good product.
• River Valley Kitchens Cherry Bomb hot sauce, from the Logan Square indoor market. Love this stuff. I don’t want to say it’s better than sriracha, but it’s close. Anyway, River Valley Kitchens are the mushroom people at most farmer’s markets in the city. They also have a storefront in Ravenswood… I kept meaning to go there but it didn’t happen before the move. So I’m glad to see they are Logan Square market participants! I went to the indoor market for the first time today, and while it was pretty small, it’s still a fun thing to do on a nice Sunday. The outdoor market opens on May 18th, so I’m looking forward to taking Tibs for a stroll over there and checking out the expanded offerings.

Hi folks, I’m back from my annual 3-4 month Blogger MIA period. I’ve definitely been making foodstuffs since my last post-

I’ve just felt that none of it was particularly noteworthy… plus coming home to a chilly apartment every night was not conducive to baking and blogging, more sitting on my couch, binging on soynut butter and Archer episodes on Netflix. But all that is about to change, because Tibs and I have MOVED! Woo!

I mean don’t get me wrong, my last apartment was habitable, but not really insulated, and not even that inviting. Plus there was that whole weirdness with the kitchen, which I mentioned in my first baking post in that apartment. I will explain in photo below.

Old kitchen

New kitchen! Sink in logical area! (fridge off to the left)

It is going to be so much easier to cook and bake with this layout, I’m so psyched. Actually I already did utilize the kitchen once, to make soup. How awesome to just be able to dump the dishes in the sink right there instead of carry them around the corner. The fact that the dishwasher isn’t directly under the sink is also nice. AND there’s a garbage disposal. And, granite, espresso cabinets, etc…

Additionally, since I’m not returning from work to straight burrow myself under 5 blankets, I plan on blogging more in general. In particular, I went to Aldi for the first time this weekend and it’s the new truth for me, so expect a post on that wonderful place. Anyway, see that beer on the counter? That’s in honor of my new kitchen and lots more Anaphylactic Gourmet updates. Cheers!

This may become an annual thing – fall is THE season for baking, but I’ve been so busy, I can only list out the things that I will bake and subsequently blog about. So, like last year, I have to make a post about projects on the horizon.

Pornbread – Of course. This is such a great, easy recipe. I just have to find some good jam to go with it.

Pumpkin cranberry cookies – I make these somewhat annually too. I discovered the recipe off of VegWeb when I was in college and needed to make cookies for a bake sale. Sub dried cranberries for raisins, and you got your perfect fall cookie.

Apple cider donut cookies – More fall-y flavors. I’ve never tried this recipe before, but it looks awesome.

Utilize this almost full, but entirely flat bottle of Pipeworks’ Orange Truffle Abduction in something – Undrinkable 😦 But not useless! It would definitely be good in muffins, or maybe even scones… But I don’t know if the beer you bake with has to be carbonated. I could also use it as a sauce for pork chops, I guess.

This weekend has been so incredibly excellent – I caught up with old friends, had a proper beach day, and enjoyed a wonderful 4th of July, during which I watched one of my best guy friends propose to his girlfriend. But the part that actually relates to this blog is that I FINALLY MET TRAVIS SCHAFFNER AND TOLD HIM HOW COOL I THOUGHT HE WAS.

Eff yeah. I wanted to write about him a while ago and now I will.

Anyway, if you don’t know, Travis owns The Wormhole Coffee in Wicker Park, which is a cafe/shrine to the 80s-early 90s. It’s got a Back to the Future replica Delorean, a Nintendo system in the back (complete with Duck Hunt) and Gremlins toys and Goonies posters and is constantly overrun with hipsters. At some point when I first moved to Bucktown, I think I stopped in for the throwback vibe and discovered that, in addition to soy lattes, they also peddle vegan doughnuts (really superior ones at that)! Bam, go-to cafe. I holed up on the couch by the window dozens of times to study during the MPH years.

At some point when I was there, I remember asking the barista to make sure the steamer for my latte was wiped off due to the milk allergy. “Oh don’t worry, we have a dedicated steamer for non-dairy drinks.” Oh? That’s nice! “Yeah, our owner, Travis, is really allergic to milk too.”

I mean when I think coffee shop, I think copious amounts of milk frothing everywhere. Not the first business I’d consider for someone with a dairy allergy.

But, how awesome. And yeah, why not take that dairy allergy and open up a cafe where people with similar restrictions can enjoy some good coffee and a doughnut? After I found that out, The Wormhole kinda reached beloved status for me, as did Fritz Pastry, where the vegan doughnuts and other offerings (pop-tarts!) are made (Fritz had different owners at one point, but Travis bought the place in 2011 – more on that in this RedEye article). I’d actually never been to Fritz, but I told myself I would go there someday and see where these magical doughnuts came from and maybe even meet the man himself. Maybe I’d even interview him for a blog post or something.

But I never really had the time or motivation to hike over there when I was in Bucktown and Wormhole was so much closer. Cut to now, when I live in Roscoe Village and Fritz is a very easy bike ride from my apartment. And last Saturday morning, I was craving something sweet after my bootcamp workout, and figured I’d go to Fritz on my way home.

So I go in and stroll up to the counter all, “I need something that’s vegan and nut-free.” Barista’s all like, “Okay, well there’s these doughnuts over here, and these muffins are all okay for you, and then there’s these cupcakes… oh and these scones here are vegan and nut-free too.” Ahhhhh! I was so overwhelmed I just went with a doughnut (cranberry-orange variety. for vitamins).

Anyway, while I was fishing out some money to pay for it, the barista goes “Hi, Travis,” so I’m all like “Wait, where’s Travis?!” and she points to the guy who has suddenly appeared next to me. So I turned to him and started babbling about my allergies and how much I loved The Wormhole and how awesome I thought it was that he owned a coffee shop even with a dairy allergy and how great it was that I could get a soy latte and a tasty doughnut, etc etc, all intents of any sort of “interview” forgotten (I’m sure he was busy anyway). But he let me shake his hand and introduce myself and he thanked me for my kind words.

No Travis, thank you! Because places like The Wormhole and Fritz exist, I can have a soy latte from somewhere other than Starbucks and not worry about any contamination, and I can have probably the best vegan doughnut in the city to boot… Oh, and Fritz also has a brunch menu with several vegan options (see post bemoaning the general lack of these) which I will come back to try in the near future. Again, you are awesome and inspiring, and I wish you the utmost success with all of your endeavors.

***

Oh and side note, another reason why I think Travis is cool is that he also seems to have a thing for classic RPGs, thus this Zelda-inspired Wormhole shirt that I have.

power-wisdom-courage-caffeine

For serious! Here’s where he got the recipe.