#making smokey-steak flavored kale chips

[copperbadge]

Polk loves Farm Share day. 

[ID: A photo of Polk the tabby, who is sitting in the white waxed-cardboard box that my farm produce is delivered in. The box’s side reads “Quality Produce: Vegetables” with a little illustration of a farm scene on it.]

[yumyummunchies-blog]

101 Finger Food Ideas | The Adventure Bite

Finger food ideas are delicious recipes that are the best way to make something tasty to share with your guests in no time!

Having the perfect snack food to share with your guests at your backyard picnics or BBQs is essential for a good party.

Pan Fried Pork Dumplings

These Pan Fried Pork Dumplings are crispy and crunchy and super yummy! These Finger Foods are going to be a big hit! Get Recipe Here. 

Labneh Toast Board with Jam Pistachios and Sea Salt

Yummm! Your guests will go crazy over these Labneh Toast Board with Jam Pistachios and Sea Salt! Get Recipe Here. 

Ham and Cheese Croquettes

These amazing Ham and Cheese Croquettes are definitely going to go fast when your guests notice them! These are the perfect finger food idea! Get Recipe Here. 

Easy Fall Harvest Vegan Pizza

This easy fall harvest vegan pizza comes together in a snap! Simple store bought flatbread gets transformed with an easy vegan pesto sauce, roasted bell peppers, artichoke hearts, red onions, kale, and crunchy pomegranates. Get Recipe Here.

Mongolian Lamb Skewers

These savory Mongolian Lamb Skewers are sure to have your guests running to your backyard grill tonight! This tasty finger food idea is a sure winner! Get Recipe Here. 

Strawberry Chocolate Mousse Bites

These Strawberry Chocolate Mousse Bites are a super fun treat that whip together in no time! Perfect as an appetizer or quick dessert that kids can help with! Get Recipe Here. 

Baked Puerto Rican Meat Pies

These Baked Puerto Rican Meat Pies are soooo good! Watch these fly off the table tonight when your family or guests try them! Get Recipe Here. 

Fig Jam Pear Gorgonzola Tartlets

These tasty little gourmet Fig Jam Pear Gorgonzola Tartlets are here to steal the show tonight! Take center stage when you bring out these tasty finger foods! Get Recipe Here. 

Smoked BBQ Meatballs

Classic and full of flavor, these Smoked BBQ Meatballs are the perfect finger food for any get together! Get Recipe Here.

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

These Crab Stuffed Mushrooms are little pockets of deliciousness you are going to want to throw on your grill tonight! Get Recipe Here. 

Cucumber Hummus Bites

These healthy little snacks are a staple around our house around lunch time. Cucumber Hummus Bites are easy to put together and so yummy they will fly off the plate! Get Recipe Here. 

Healthy Fruit Chocolate Party Tray

Make a Healthy Fruit Chocolate Party Tray for your guests the next time you have people over, this tasty idea is sure to be a big hit! Get Recipe Here. 

Crispy Mushroom Filo Triangles

Like homemade little hot pockets, these tasty Crispy Mushroom Filo Triangles are so tasty you will have eaten a handful before you realize it! Get Recipe Here. 

These French Bread Pizzas are the gourmet version of your favorite snack, your inner college student would be so proud! Get Recipe Here. 

Birthday Cake Cupcakes

Who needs to wait for their birthday to celebrate with a little cake? These Birthday Cake Cupcakes are perfect for an everyday treat! Get Recipe Here. 

Pull Apart Pizza Bread

Pull Apart Pizza Bread is guaranteed to be the most popular thing on the table tonight! Get Recipe Here. 

Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta Crostini

Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta Crostini are sure to turn some heads when you place them on the snack table tonight. You might want to grab a few before the crowds form! Get Recipe Here. 

Lemon Rosemary Butter Cookies

Lemon Rosemary Butter Cookies are delightfully sweet and crispy, the perfect little treat to go with your afternoon cup of coffee. Yumm! Get Recipe Here. 

Ritz Cracker Appetizers You Can Make in 5 Minutes

Ritz Cracker Appetizers You Can Make in 5 Minutes is the perfect way to make a plate for tasty goodies for your guests to munch on in no time flat! Get Recipe Here. 

Homemade Snack Mix Recipe

This easy Homemade Snack Mix Recipe is a great finger food idea that is wayyy better than store bought! Watch how fast this disappears from your snack table at your next gathering! Get Recipe Here. 

Crispy Baked Honey BBQ Wings

Crispy Baked Honey BBQ Wings are here to steal the show at the table tonight! Seriously, everyone is going to want a piece of this tasty snack food! Get Recipe Here. 

Green Goddess Dip

Yes, this Green Goddess Dip is just as amazing as it sounds! Get Recipe Here. 

Cream Cheese Ricotta Stuffed Peppadew Peppers

Crunchy and sweet with a creamy filling, these Cream Cheese Ricotta Stuffed Peppadew Peppers are the highlight of any snack. I might have to go make some more of these right now. Get Recipe Here. 

Rosemary Cayenne and Brown Sugar Cashews

Rosemary Cayenne and Brown Sugar Cashews take roasted nuts to a whole new level of flavor that you are sure to get addicted to in no time tonight. Get Recipe Here. 

Spicy Tuna Bites

These Spicy Tuna Bites are an amazing catch for a finger food ideas! (Sorry, we couldn’t help ourselves.) Get Recipe Here.

Sweet n Sour Bacon Wrapped Pineapple

These amazing Sweet n Sour Bacon Wrapped Pineapples are sure to go super fast on any snack table! You might want to try a few before you bring them out to your guests! Get Recipe Here. 

Grilled Mini Sweet Peppers with Goat Cheese Recipe

Grab a napkin, these sweet little Grilled Mini Sweet Peppers with Goat Cheese are sure to go fast! Get Recipe Here. 

Glazed Bacon and Havarti Puff Pastry Bites

Wow! These Glazed Bacon and Havarti Puff Pastry Bites are gourmets snacking at its very best! Get Recipe Here. 

Steak and Potatoes Appetizer

These Steak and Potatoes Appetizers are like a hearty little snapshot of the dinner ahead. Serve these at your next BBQ and watch them fly off the table! Get Recipe Here. 

Vegan Bacon Ricotta Crostini

These Vegan Bacon Ricotta Crostini are so tasty and smokey that everyone will love them, vegan or not! Get Recipe Here. 

15 Minute Mexican Chicken Appetizers

15 Minute Mexican Chicken Appetizers are the perfect way to put something easy and super tasty together in no time flat! Get Recipe Here.

Mascarpone Stuffed Dates

These Mascarpone Stuffed Dates are every bit as delicious as they look! You are sure to be super popular when you bring these out at your next gathering! Get Recipe Here. 

Endive Salad Bites with Pears Blue Cheese and Pecans

Endive Salad Bites with Pears Blue Cheese and Pecans image is a light and tasty appetizer that is sure to impress even the pickiest eaters at your next gathering! Get Recipe Here. 

Brie Fig Jam and Serrano Ham Crostini

You are about to find the perfect mix of flavors in these Brie Fig Jam and Serrano Ham Crostini tonight. Wow! Get Recipe Here. 

Savory Sweet Summer Rolls with Raspberry Ginger Sauce

These Savory Sweet Summer Rolls with Raspberry Ginger Sauce are a light and summery way to snack! Yumm! Get Recipe Here.

Caprese Salad Skewers with Pesto Bacon Tomato Basil Skewers

Caprese Salad Skewers with Pesto Bacon Tomato Basil Skewers is the messy finger food any get together is missing! Get Recipe Here.

Mexican Keto Deviled Eggs with Avocado and Bacon

Here’s a twist on a classic Mexican Keto Deviled Eggs with Avocado and Bacon, yum! Get Recipe Here.

Healthy Mediterranean Potato Skins and Roasted Garlic Hummus

Healthy Mediterranean Potato Skins with Garlic Hummus make great finger foods. Get Recipe Here. 

Low Carb Avocado Shrimp Cucumber Appetizer

Low Carb Avocado Shrimp Cucumber Appetizer is so pretty and tasty. Get Recipe Here.

Honey Mustard BBQ Bacon Turkey Sliders

Look the these Honey Mustard BBQ Bacon Turkey Sliders for the perfect finger food ideas to serve at your next event. Get Recipe Here. 

Grilled Sambal Chicken Skewers

These are the ultimate Grilled Sambal  Chicken Skewers. People may start fighting over the who gets the last one. Get Recipe Here. 

Buffalo Chicken Hummus Bites

Buffalo Chicken Hummus Bite are heavenly with just the right amount of spice. Get Recipe Here. 

Air Fryer Potato Chips

Air Fryer Potato Chips are light and crispier making them the perfect finger foods to serve. Get Recipe Here. 

Grilled Zucchini Potato Rolls and Goat Cheese

Grilled Zucchini Potato Goat Cheese Snacks are the best vegetarian appetizer, they are so satisfying and savory. Get Recipe Here. 

Baked Zucchini Fries with Pesto Yogurt Dipping Sauce Recipe

These Baked Zucchini Fries with Pesto Yogurt Dipping Sauce are so crispy and delicious. I could eat way too many many of them. Get Recipe Here. 

Avocado Fries

Amazingly delicious Avocado Fries are worth trying twice. Get Recipe Here. 

Fresh and fabulous Kid Friendly Mezze Platter is divine. Get Recipe Here. 

OMG, mouthwatering Chicken Wings with Mango Chili Sauce have my full attention. Get Recipe Here.

Pesto Caprese Potato Skewers make the best snacks. Get Recipe Here. 

[chicagotacotalk]

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Type: Fancy Albany Park Tacos

Price $$$

Amidst the taco explosion of the last 5 years, there have been some pretty great taco places opening up around the country, and Chicago is no exception. We’ve had places come and go, and chefs experimenting and inventing awesome ways for us to shove food in our faces on little corn mashed circles.

There is something about a restaurant when the chef, and everyone involved really cares about the work they do and the food they put out. There is actually a large section of the page devoted to the story behind the family restaurant and Chef Nieto (great name). The service, although a little slow at times, is always friendly and accommodating. The place is comfortable, and although they don’t display the quantity or quality of Latin inspired art many Latin American restaurants boast, they do have a pretty cool photo of Bob Dylan’s Freewheelin’ album cover. There are also skateboards an stickers on the wall, and one gets the feeling they are trying to speak to the hip taco-loving kids in the area. The drinks are also pretty decent here, I recommend the Pomegranate Cucumber Mezcal laced concoction. 

We started off with two orders of guacamole, each about the size of an ice cream scoop. The spicy pumpkin seed, which comes with charred pineapple, and the serrano pico de gallo, nice and chunky. Both were very tasty, and they come with some delicious sticks of jicama planted in the guac. The “chips” that come out are actually fried whole tortillas. Although I had to do the work and break them up my damn self, I twasn’t mad at it. 

For taco journalism purposes, I ordered 6 tacos. Truth be told, I wasn’t able to finish all six, but I managed to put away 4 and a half, which ain’t to shabby.  The tacos I ordered: Korean BBQ Beef, Pork Belly, Short Rib, Charred Butternut Squash, Green Curry Camaron, and Chicken Tinga. All their tacos are served on homemade corn tortillas, which is, as you know, the only way if you’re serious about tacos. 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I knew I was in for a quite a meal, so I started off with what is typically my favorite taco, the Pork Belly. I wasn’t going to fill up on what could possibly be not-so-great tacos and not have room for my favorite, duh. The pork was cooked properly and not too dry. It had a great grilled, smokey taste, and was chopped into cubes, which I found interesting. Pork to the third power. Super delicious, and topped off with Oaxacan Pasilla salsa and pico de gallo relish, it quickly became one of my favorite pork belly tacos in Chicago.  Possibly my favorite? Not too fatty, but just enough to give it perfect flavor. 

The short rib taco… holy mole. This might be one of the best tacos I have ever eaten. Although I love barbacoa, it made me wonder why short rib hasn’t replaced it yet in every Mexican eatery. I have to admit, it is difficult for me to even write about right now – it’s about 10 minutes before the lunch-time call, and I am famished. The short rib comes with onions and green salsa, traditional steak taco style. And a little bit of radish, which seems to be their thing here. I don’t know what else to say about it other than a flavor explosion that shook me to my core. I will dream about this taco for months.

The Korean BBQ Beef taco, which in essence is a bulgolgi taco, was delicious, although a bit salty for me. It probably is supposed to be. As for the Korean influence, all the flavors were there. It comes with kimchi, cilantro, and radish, with a healthy splash of sesame seeds. At first I found it a little mystifying to see this taco on the menu (as it was mystifying why there were chopsticks on the table), but then I read the website, and realized the location, West Albany Park, historically has had a large Korean population. Anyways, what I want to say here is, this is a good taco, but not the best on the menu. If I want Korean flavors, I’ll probably just go to a Korean restaurant. But don’t discount this taco! I’m just sort of an all or nothing kind of guy. 

On to the roasted butternut squash and kale taco. In the history of  dual combinations, there have been some heavyweights. Gin and Juice. Sonny and Cher. Democrats and Republicans. But the best of the combos, the one I’m getting at here, is the salty and the sweet. It is my estimation that was the aim of this particular taco, and although tasty, it just barely misses the mark. The sweetness of the  butternut squash overpowered the saltiness supplemented by the farmer’s cheese and tomatillo salsa. But it was a close match, and with a little bit of fine tuning, this taco could out-do a chocolate covered pretzel on any day of the week. Coming from me, that’s saying a lot, because I love those damn things.

The chicken tinga taco….was decent. It pretty much follows along the lines of most pulled chicken tacos, and it wasn’t dry, which is a common occurrence of the pulled variety. It had a great spicy chile and garlic rubbed flavor, and with the salsa, was a tasty treat, but nothing too spectacular about it. I wouldn’t steer you away, it gets a solid B+. 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

And now, the shrimp curry taco. I enjoy a good Thai curry, and I love me some shrimp, but I’m not sure if both of these belong inside a taco. Once again, I feel like I would prefer to get this from a Thai restaurant rather than having shrimp dressed with curry inside a taco. It felt ambitious, yet uninspired at the same time, if that makes any sense. It probably doesn’t. If anything, this taco felt more like a palette cleanser, sandwiched between the huge flavors of the Korean taco and the short rib. Or maybe I’m just not the biggest Thai curry fan, and you would enjoy this taco more than I did. That’s completely possible. 

Overall, Rojo Gusano, although not a complete homerun, settles for an RBI with a man on third. Clearly some tacos definitely outshine others. Maybe my take was skewed by personal preference, but I try my best to offer an objective opinion and keep the facts straight. I definitely recommend it, but if I were to have a word with Chef Nieto, my opinion as a frequent taco consumer would be to stick to traditional Latin American flavors. As for the vibe, the place looks hip, and the drinks are all tasty. Not a fan of the metal chairs, but I’ll always settle if it means good food. The outside seating is a nice treat as well, and one thing I should note is the background music was well curated, which makes sense considering the Dylan poster and the fresh young vibe of the joint. I did see an amplifier in the corner, so it looks like they might have some local musicians serenading you while you dine, although I have yet to encounter it. The prices are reasonable (the specialty tacos are in the three dollar range, the more basic tacos 2 something) but they all were equal in quality. There is paid parking outside. I’ve never had trouble finding a spot, but for some reason it has always been the last spot available. Outside seating, brunch, booze, tacos, amazing appetizers…I hope this place sticks around for a long time. 

I give Rojo Gusano 4.0 out of 5 chiles.

Like Chicago Taco Talk on Facebook! 

  The Red Worm – Rojo Gusano 3830 W Lawrence Chicago, IL Type: Fancy Albany Park Tacos Price $$$ Amidst the taco explosion of the last 5 years, there have been some pretty great taco places opening up around the country, and Chicago is no exception.