Order that Martini in the afternoon, and it’ll be you and a handful of grizzled regulars minding their own business in the dim light. At night, the crowd sharpens, and you’ll be drinking alongside serious jazz-heads who will shush you for talking during the sets. Imbibe on a Sunday, and poets will be your companions. The Green Mill is the birthplace of the poetry slam, still held each Sunday evening, which explains why much of the bathroom graffiti is written in verse.

As for sitting where Capone sat, you really can do that, too. His booth is the one at the end of the bar, on the north side—the only seat in the house that has a view of both doors. Chicago has given the world many great creations: brownies, the zipper, skyscrapers, deep-dish pizza. Yet people forget about the jibarito. Local restaurant owner Juan “Pete” Figueroa invented the sandwich in the mid-1990s. His big idea? Take two flattened, crisp-fried plantains and use them as “bread” for a Puerto Rican steak, cheese, and garlic-mayo sandwich. The concept spread fast, and soon chicken jibaritos, shrimp jibaritos, curry-mayo jibaritos, and more riffs on the original emerged from neighborhood kitchens.

You’ve heard of Chicago deep-dish pizza: loved by some, mocked by others. (Jon Stewart famously referred to it as “tomato soup in a bread bowl.”) What you might not know is that there’s something deeper than deep-dish—a bigger, doughier version known as stuffed pizza.

These pizzas thud onto tables around the city; Giordano’s has 50 or so restaurants in the metro area, plus several beyond Illinois. But my favorite location is downtown, on Rush Street—the one where all the tourists go. I love to look around the clamorous room and watch everything, from families with fidgety toddlers to spiky-haired Japanese couples to Urdu-speaking university students. You can almost see panic in their eyes when the pizza arrives, and a waterfall of mozzarella spills down from each wedge as the server spatulas it up from the platter and hefts it onto the plate. Then they have to decide whether to eat the enormous, gooey slice with a fork or by hand. It’s a lot to observe, but since it takes 45 minutes to cook a Giordano’s stuffed pie, I’ve got the time while I wait.

Want to get a glimpse of where Al Capone once hid his bootlegged booze? The Green Mill was Capone’s favorite hangout back in the day, when he’d swirl a cocktail and listen to live jazz. His pal, Machine Gun McGurn, part-owned the club, which was central to their bootlegging operation. If it’s not too busy, ask the bartender to show you the trapdoor behind the bar that leads down to tunnels where they hid the hooch.

The art deco décor hasn’t changed much since the 1920s. Velvet-cushioned booths curve under paintings in florid scrolled frames. Green candles flicker on white-clothed tables, while scalloped ceiling lights add a low yellow glow.

A couple of seasoned bartenders patrol the glossy wood bar that swoops halfway through the room. They’ll shake up a Sidecar or Manhattan or pop open a Pabst for you. But they’re best known for their Martini: a crystal-clear, up-with-two-olives, non-fancy-pants gin bracer.

This curry is full of incredibly nourishing ingredients, each bite is so incredibly flavoursome and comforting with big chunks of tender sweet potato and green lentils cooked in creamy coconut milk and tins of juicy tomatoes, then flavoured with a blend of ginger, cumin and turmeric! we love it served on a bed of piping hot brown rice, but quinoa or homemade mash potato are also amazing sides for this! it’s an amazingly inexpensive meal too, all the ingredients are available at any supermarket and it’s the easiest thing to make for a big group of friends and family!

ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes (mine weighed 500g), peeled and cut into bite sized chunks
1 and a 1/2 cups of green lentils (500g)
2 x 400g tins of coconut milk
2 x 400g tins of tinned tomatoes
a big handful of fresh coriander leaves (25g)
1 tablespoon of turmeric
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of ground ginger
salt and pepper
juice of 1 lemon
method
preheat oven to 180c, fan setting.
place the coconut milk, tomatoes, turmeric, cumin and ground ginger in a large saucepan or even better a cast iron casserole dish, allow these to heat until they begin bubbling. at this point add the sweet potato cubes, lentils, plus salt and pepper.
once everything is mixed simply place the lid on the pot and place it in the oven to cook for 45 minutes to an hour, until the potatoes are soft and everything tastes delicious! at this point squeeze the lemon juice into the pot and then serve.

Red curry paste is a seasoning paste made from dried chili, garlic, lemongrass, shallots, galangal, makrut lime, coriander, and cumin. It’s the base of many Thai dishes. You can make it at home by soaking the dried chilis then pounding everything together. Or, you can buy a tub of it from the grocery store. Red curry paste is incredibly flavorful and a super helpful back pocket ingredient that can level up your cooking game.

What is khao soi?
Khao soi is a rich and comforting Northern Thailand coconut curry noodle soup. It’s also popular in neighboring countries Myanmar and Laos. The coconut curry soup base is creamy and packed with umami thanks to red curry paste, ginger, garlic, and fish sauce. Khao soi usually has chicken in it, but it can be found with beef as well.
While the egg ribbons and crunchy bits are completely optional, they add a lot of textural and taste contrast too. Maybe if you’re looking to do something new, give egg ribbons a try if you haven’t. They’re really simple but so satisfying.

1 tbsp coconut or olive oil
3 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces
1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
1.5 cups no sodium chicken broth
1 can coconut milk
1 package shiritaki noodles I used the tofu fettuccini
sliced red onions to serve
chopped cilantro to serve
lime wedges to serve
jammy eggs if desired

Instructions
In a pot, heat up the oil over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook until brown and cooked through, flipping as needed. Stir in the curry paste and fry briefly.
Add the chicken broth and coconut milk. Simmer for 10 minutes, then taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
The best part about this recipe is that it’s super easy to divide it into two so that Mike can have a carb-full regular noodle soup while I can have it with super low-carb keto friendly shirataki noodles.

Have you guys had shirataki noodles yet? Are you on the keto train or thinking about maybe consuming less carbs in your life? If so, you need to try shirataki! For those who don’t know, shirataki/konnyaku is a traditional Japanese food made from a type of yam. They don’t have much flavor, instead taking on the flavor of what you cook them in. I love them! The rest of the world seems split, but trust, me, if you have them prepared right, they are just as good as noodles. Maybe even better because they’re zero carbs.

This recipe was originally published way back in 2012 (woah!). We spruced it up with some new photos a few years ago, and it’s still one of our ultimate easy-cozy favorites that we just keep coming back to again and again. If you haven’t yet experienced its magic, please, please make it happen tonight.

Now is a good time to:

wear cozy sweaters
get a few candles going
immerse your house in the flavors and smells of your favorite classic comfort-food-but-still-kinda-healthy simmering stovetop recipes.
For example, RED CURRY LENTILS DUH.

These red curry lentils are one of my all-time favorite recipes. As is usually my vibe, we’re working with very basic pantry ingredients here and simple, straightforward prep. It’s hard to mess this one up.

Just cook your lentils and toss them in up this spicy red curry sauce with sauteed onions and a shot of coconut milk. OH MY PERFECTLY SPICY GOODNESS.
I’ve kind of had a fling with lentils lately. Or wait, like, over the last 8 years. These guys, this one, that other one, and now a walk down memory lane back to the original that started my love affair? I can barely stand it. If you’ve never made lentils before, this is a perfect recipe to introduce you to the magic of the most cheap, healthy, versatile, and absolutely delicious little food in the pantry. The Humble Lentil reigns supreme.

DESCRIPTION
Red curry lentils is my all-time favorite lentil recipe. Thick, creamy, saucy, and perfect as leftovers. Plus it’s healthy and easy!
1 1/2 cups lentils, rinsed and picked over
1/2 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1/2 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
a few good shakes of cayenne pepper
1 14-ounce can tomato puree
1/4 cup coconut milk or cream
cilantro for garnishing
rice for serving
Cook the lentils according to directions. Drain and set aside.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute for a few minutes until fragrant and golden. Add all the spices (curry paste, garam masala, curry powder, turmeric, cayenne, sugar, garlic, ginger) and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomato puree; stir and simmer until smooth.
Add the lentils and the cream. Stir to combine and simmer for another 15-20 minutes (the longer, the better)! Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro.

This curry is full of incredibly nourishing ingredients, each bite is so incredibly flavoursome and comforting with big chunks of tender sweet potato and green lentils cooked in creamy coconut milk and tins of juicy tomatoes, then flavoured with a blend of ginger, cumin and turmeric! we love it served on a bed of piping hot brown rice, but quinoa or homemade mash potato are also amazing sides for this! it’s an amazingly inexpensive meal too, all the ingredients are available at any supermarket and it’s the easiest thing to make for a big group of friends and family!

ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes (mine weighed 500g), peeled and cut into bite sized chunks
1 and a 1/2 cups of green lentils (500g)
2 x 400g tins of coconut milk
2 x 400g tins of tinned tomatoes
a big handful of fresh coriander leaves (25g)
1 tablespoon of turmeric
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of ground ginger
salt and pepper
juice of 1 lemon
method
preheat oven to 180c, fan setting.

This curry is full of incredibly nourishing ingredients, each bite is so incredibly flavoursome and comforting with big chunks of tender sweet potato and green lentils cooked in creamy coconut milk and tins of juicy tomatoes, then flavoured with a blend of ginger, cumin and turmeric! we love it served on a bed of piping hot brown rice, but quinoa or homemade mash potato are also amazing sides for this! it’s an amazingly inexpensive meal too, all the ingredients are available at any supermarket and it’s the easiest thing to make for a big group of friends and family!

ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes (mine weighed 500g), peeled and cut into bite sized chunks
1 and a 1/2 cups of green lentils (500g)
2 x 400g tins of coconut milk
2 x 400g tins of tinned tomatoes
a big handful of fresh coriander leaves (25g)
1 tablespoon of turmeric
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of ground ginger
salt and pepper
juice of 1 lemon
method
preheat oven to 180c, fan setting.
place the coconut milk, tomatoes, turmeric, cumin and ground ginger in a large saucepan or even better a cast iron casserole dish, allow these to heat until they begin bubbling. at this point add the sweet potato cubes, lentils, plus salt and pepper.
once everything is mixed simply place the lid on the pot and place it in the oven to cook for 45 minutes to an hour, until the potatoes are soft and everything tastes delicious! at this point squeeze the lemon juice into the pot and then serve.

DESCRIPTION
Red curry lentils is my all-time favorite lentil recipe. Thick, creamy, saucy, and perfect as leftovers. Plus it’s healthy and easy!
1 1/2 cups lentils, rinsed and picked over
1/2 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1/2 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
a few good shakes of cayenne pepper
1 14-ounce can tomato puree
1/4 cup coconut milk or cream
cilantro for garnishing
rice for serving
Cook the lentils according to directions. Drain and set aside.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute for a few minutes until fragrant and golden. Add all the spices (curry paste, garam masala, curry powder, turmeric, cayenne, sugar, garlic, ginger) and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the tomato puree; stir and simmer until smooth.
Add the lentils and the cream. Stir to combine and simmer for another 15-20 minutes (the longer, the better)! Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro.

This recipe was originally published way back in 2012 (woah!). We spruced it up with some new photos a few years ago, and it’s still one of our ultimate easy-cozy favorites that we just keep coming back to again and again. If you haven’t yet experienced its magic, please, please make it happen tonight.

Now is a good time to:

wear cozy sweaters
get a few candles going
immerse your house in the flavors and smells of your favorite classic comfort-food-but-still-kinda-healthy simmering stovetop recipes.
For example, RED CURRY LENTILS DUH.

These red curry lentils are one of my all-time favorite recipes. As is usually my vibe, we’re working with very basic pantry ingredients here and simple, straightforward prep. It’s hard to mess this one up.

Just cook your lentils and toss them in up this spicy red curry sauce with sauteed onions and a shot of coconut milk. OH MY PERFECTLY SPICY GOODNESS.
I’ve kind of had a fling with lentils lately. Or wait, like, over the last 8 years. These guys, this one, that other one, and now a walk down memory lane back to the original that started my love affair? I can barely stand it. If you’ve never made lentils before, this is a perfect recipe to introduce you to the magic of the most cheap, healthy, versatile, and absolutely delicious little food in the pantry. The Humble Lentil reigns supreme.

1 tbsp coconut or olive oil
3 boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces
1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
1.5 cups no sodium chicken broth
1 can coconut milk
1 package shiritaki noodles I used the tofu fettuccini
sliced red onions to serve
chopped cilantro to serve
lime wedges to serve
jammy eggs if desired

Instructions
In a pot, heat up the oil over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook until brown and cooked through, flipping as needed. Stir in the curry paste and fry briefly.
Add the chicken broth and coconut milk. Simmer for 10 minutes, then taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
The best part about this recipe is that it’s super easy to divide it into two so that Mike can have a carb-full regular noodle soup while I can have it with super low-carb keto friendly shirataki noodles.

Have you guys had shirataki noodles yet? Are you on the keto train or thinking about maybe consuming less carbs in your life? If so, you need to try shirataki! For those who don’t know, shirataki/konnyaku is a traditional Japanese food made from a type of yam. They don’t have much flavor, instead taking on the flavor of what you cook them in. I love them! The rest of the world seems split, but trust, me, if you have them prepared right, they are just as good as noodles. Maybe even better because they’re zero carbs.

Red curry paste is a seasoning paste made from dried chili, garlic, lemongrass, shallots, galangal, makrut lime, coriander, and cumin. It’s the base of many Thai dishes. You can make it at home by soaking the dried chilis then pounding everything together. Or, you can buy a tub of it from the grocery store. Red curry paste is incredibly flavorful and a super helpful back pocket ingredient that can level up your cooking game.

What is khao soi?
Khao soi is a rich and comforting Northern Thailand coconut curry noodle soup. It’s also popular in neighboring countries Myanmar and Laos. The coconut curry soup base is creamy and packed with umami thanks to red curry paste, ginger, garlic, and fish sauce. Khao soi usually has chicken in it, but it can be found with beef as well.
While the egg ribbons and crunchy bits are completely optional, they add a lot of textural and taste contrast too. Maybe if you’re looking to do something new, give egg ribbons a try if you haven’t. They’re really simple but so satisfying.