St. Patrick's Day Parade

Here's the beginning of the Parade. Evidently this same group (Pipers) has led the parade for years. The parade was not what we expected but was fun. We left just after it started and hope that the remainder of the parade may have included someone other than a ranking politician or their families. The weather was just what you would expect from Ireland: wet, windy and cold. The first to come by included the mayor, a minister from Ireland, and the governor. The parade halted and the mayor and Irish minister said a few words. Of course, it couldn't have been Irish without the blessing from a priest. The pictures in order include the pipers, the governor, the Irish minister, and the mayor. We left soon after the attorney general's float and the banner carrying group of the Daley family. We spent the rest of the day having lunch, going to the library, and going to the north end of Michigan to get the boys some new fishing shirts: the new columbia store opened and offered some great discounts. We were going to visit a few pubs, but judging by the number of drunks we decided we'd wait for a better time.

Chicago's Green River

Here Diane enjoys the St. Patrick's Day turning of the Chicago River green with a few thousand people, which starts the day of celebration off. Of course the weather was what you'd expect if traveling to Ireland. It was foggy, raining and windy. Did I mention cold? A few people in a boat travel back and forth between the Michigan and Columbus street bridges spreading green dye into the river, as shown in the following picture. Another small skiff goes back and forth to help disperse the dye. As the dye boat goes by, the spectators cheer. We came back over the river later in the day, about 5-6 hours later, and the river was still green. I think a lot of the crowd were feeling the same this morning...

Rowing on Chicago River in March

Diane took this from the Lake Street Bridge over the Chicago River this week. I don't think I would want to learn to balance a shell on the Chicago River this time of year. The following picture Diane took has a better view of the snow along the river bank. This is taken from the west side of the Lake Street Bridge. Can you imagine what a regatta would be like here? I bet we would have sides on the tent and begging Lisa to pass her thermos!

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Basil

We made the following dinner and really liked it. I made the recipe with just 2 chicken breasts, and brined the breasts before starting. I changed a few things as noted in the recipe because of preference. I halved the stuffing ingredients because I only had 2 chicken breasts. I made the sauce as written, but used less butter for the final step. Important: The sauce reduces slowly at first, but really quickly once it starts so pay attention. (source: epicurious.com)

Brine Solution (2 chicken breasts)

*not part of the original recipe

4 cups water

1/4 cup salt

1/4 cup sugar

Soak for 45-60 minutes

Pat dry

Chicken

4 boneless chicken breast halves, skinned

1/2 cup fresh goat cheese (such as Montrachet) (about 4 ounces)

2 green onions, thinly sliced (I used shallots instead)

3 basil leaves, shredded or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 egg, beaten to blend

1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs (I used plain Panko)
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter melted

2 thinly sliced pieces of prosciutto (I added this; not in the original recipe)

Mushroom-Wine Sauce

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup dry white wine

2/3 cup chicken stock or canned low-salt broth

4 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cut into 4 pieces

Salt and pepper

For chicken:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Pound chicken between sheets of waxed paper to thickness of 1/4 inch using meat mallet. Pat chicken dry.

* I butterflied the chicken breasts and then pounded

Combine cheese, green onions and basil in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Spread cheese mixture lengthwise over half of each chicken piece. Place 1 piece of prosciutto over cheese mixture.

* I added the prosciutto

Tuck short ends in. Roll chicken up, starting at one long side, into tight cylinders. Tie ends with string to secure.

* I used toothpicks and removed them immediately before slicing to serve

Dip chicken in egg, allowing excess to drip into bowl. Roll in breadcrumbs Panko), shaking off excess. (Can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Refrigerate.) Place chicken in 8-inch square baking dish. Pour 2 tablespoons melted butter over. Bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes.

For sauce:
Meanwhile, melt 1/4 cup butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add wine and boil 3 minutes. Add stock and boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 6 minutes. (Watch this closely!) Remove from heat and swirl in 4 tablespoons cold butter 1 piece at a time (I only used 2 pieces and will probably use only 1 next time). Season sauce with salt and freshly ground pepper. Remove string from chicken (or toothpicks if used). Cut rolls crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Fan on plates. Serve immediately, passing sauce separately.

Art Institute of Chicago

We went to the Art Institute for a few hours, taking advantage of their 'Free February' program on Diane's day off. This is a picture of one of the courtyards next to the museum (NW side). The museum is huge and we saw just a portion of one wing in the hours we were there. This particular wing had marble and bronze sculpture, furniture, paintings and a couple of stained glass works by Tiffany's. Really nice exhibit.

Chicago Car Show 2.14.10

This is the puppet cart that shows up on the weekend at the corner of Randolf and Michigan. It seems to be a very popular stop for the local kids, and a great find for the visitors. The theatre sits on the back of a bicycle and goes all day.
Here's Diane's new car, the Jaguar XKR. It is beautiful.

Toyota's tailgating entry would have looked good if they had planned room to extend the tailgate to show the grill and flat screen (and whatever else) it held. I think I know where the last guy responsible for product defects was transfered.

Scion had what would make quite a tailgating car...
Sink on the right, frig on the left, grill with speakers and amps in the rear...

Fishing in Chicago 2.13.10

We left to go the the Green Market Farmer's Market (indoor, naturally) in Lincoln Park, a neighborhood area North of downtown, and ran across this combination. A 'No Swimming' sign with two guys fly fishing with a frozen snow covered pond. I don't think I'll be learning much about fishing while I'm here.