No, it isn’t the deep dish pizza or Hot Doug’s Hot Dogs or the Book Cellar. Although, any and all of those would bring me to Chicago at any time of year, but this week, in the midst of yet another deep freeze it is my beautiful cousin Amna. Temps were a little friendlier when I booked the tickets. Had no idea I was flying into a third polar vortex. Yikes! But I’m happy to be with Amna although Amna may have been happier flying south to Florida in the winter but she has Post Polio Syndrome and can’t really leave home without a very complex entourage of nurses and equipment to keep her mobile while breathing safely. For now it’s a fun family reunion in her cozy apartment at the top of a building on the truly great Lake Michigan. And yes, as I cook away in her kitchen, I stop frequently to watch the winds push the ice floes around on the lake. It’s an amazing sight. Amna is no longer able to get to the window but I take lots of photos and stream them to her iPad so she knows what’s happening outside.

Amna has lived in Chicago for over thirty years and had never heard of a polar vortex until this winter and  now wow the third one is about to send this beautiful city into another deep freeze. After a week of above freezing temps, the lake is once again transforming into a winter wonder world. It is a beautiful city at any time of year.

I think I’m going to create a new item on my menu bar for Amna’s Chicago Kitchen. My cooking is inspired by her. I cook healthy foods. I try to. We have heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, etc. etc. etc… in our family and we’re doing our best to keep it all as far away as possible for as long as we can.  My goal is to keep things clean, easy, fresh, whole, and as vegetarian as possible.
I hope you’ll visit again. Ciao