Little Locathor Speaks!

Photo Credit Artisan Events

In the busyness of August, gearing up for Corks and Crayons, Purple Asparagus' annual fundraiser, and getting organized for Chefs in the Classroom, Chicago's initiative implement the First Lady's Chefs Move to Schools program, I missed a significant milestone. On August 17, 2010, Little Locavores turned one year old.

Throughout this year, I've written about the eating adventures of Thor aka Little Locathor. Today, to mark this occasion, if belatedly, I decided to share a bit about Thor through his own words. From this Q and A, I think you'll see that he is no wheatgrass drinking health nut nor one of those of foodie kids who eats eats all sorts of exotica. He's just a normal kid who happens to be a little more conscious of where his food comes from.

What's your favorite meal?

Pizza. (Thankfully, he clarified that it was our homemade pizza).

What's your favorite non-kid meal?

Dad's juicy barbecued chicken (It took us a little while to realize that he was referring to our marinated, grilled chicken breast).

What's your favorite vegetable?

Celery (This one's a surprise).

Celery?

Because of ants on a log.

How about fruits, what's your favorite?

It's a three way tie: raspberries, blueberries and cucumbers. (He knows his botany).

What's your favorite restaurant?

Sepia (a high end special occasion restaurant that we go to only once a year)

What's your second favorite.

DMK Burger Bar (a more casual restaurant that we frequent more often. While he doesn't appreciate it yet, Thor is greeted by name by the tall leggy blond servers there).

What's your favorite dessert?

Sorbet or cookies, especially chocolate chip.

To celebrate our one year anniversary, Little Locathor and I made some chocolate chip cookies. While I would love to share one with and every one of you, that's be a lot of postage. I'll instead share my recipe. Everyone has their own view of a perfect chocolate chip cookie, this is mine: crispy, yet chewy. And while I won't claim it to be healthy, it does include a good percentage of whole wheat flour, though you'd never know it.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 2 ½ dozen

1 cup sugar
½ cup light brown, demerara sugar or palm sugar (I use palm sugar from Zingerman’s – it’s unbelievably good)
13 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon honey
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350° F. In a medium bowl, mix together flours, baking soda and salt. Cream together butter, honey and sugars. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl before the addition of each egg. Beat in vanilla. Add the flour, mix on low until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Increase the speed to medium until well-mixed approximately 2 minutes. Add chocolate chips and stir the batter with a rubber spatula. Drop tablespoons of dough onto parchment or silpat lined baking sheets and bake for 15-18 minutes, reversing the placement of the pans about a halfway through. Cool on racks.