If it’s one thing we’ve learned here at CC, it’s that all people are fascinating (Yes, even your econ professor). Let’s face it – people love to glimpse into the lives of other people. Disagree? Then please explain why you’re currently looking at your friend’s brother’s girlfriend’s cousin’s photos on Facebook. Or reading about the latest Brad/Angie/Nanny dramz in this week’s tabloids. Yeah we thought so.

Fact is we connect to others by learning about them. And everyone has something to share (even if it a really embarassing fart story). So to give you yet another reason to procrastinate, we started ‘The Five Questions We Ask Everyone’ (and five just for that one person) because we know whether we’re schmoozing with an A- list celeb or your local bartender, you’ll be equally entertained.

It’s no secret that we CC’ers are addicted to Top Chef. Probably because it gives us hope that one day, we too, will be able do more in the kitchen than microwave a Smart Ones meal and pull out a Skinny Cow from the freezer for dessert. So imagine how excited we were when we got to chat with Top Chef winner (and fan favorite!) Stephanie Izard.

Her personality is adorable, her talent is indisputable and – bottom line – the woman knows how to cook. Even her pork recipes make me salivate and I’m Jewish! I don’t even eat pork! But this Top Chef makes me seriously think that maybe I should.

She was kind enough to share a recipe for all of us to get us out of our Ramen Ruts (below); for more recipes and info on Steph (she twitters!) check out her website:

And for those lucky enough to live in Chicago (ME!) look out for her restaurant The Drunken Goat in the fall. Read More »

Do people really love Valentine’s Day, or loathe it. We wanted to find out so we took to the streets.

(We’re back with another weekly installment of G.W.W.E. [Guys We Wanna Eff]. As Inauguration Week draws to a close, all we can think about is the newest effable White House employee, Rahm Emanuel.]

I’ve had the pleasure to write a handful of College Candy’s Guys We Wanna Eff, and as a red-blooded twentysomething female it’s certainly not a difficult task to write about the hottest male stars. But I have to preface the ode to this week’s man of honor by saying I would trade in a year’s worth of paychecks and possibly Spring Break for one night with Rahm Emanuel. He takes the number-one spot on my Eff List. That’s right, I said it!

While Joe Biden (who, may I say, looks A-OK for a man of 66) is technically second-in-command behind President Obama, Rahm Emanuel occupies what many call “the second most powerful job in Washington” as the White House Chief of Staff. The position labels him as the highest-ranking officer of the Executive Branch (after the President), as well as Obama’s senior advisor. Before joining the new administration, Emanuel was a Congressman representing Chicago in the House of Representatives. Now, what woman doesn’t want to eff a man in power? Read More »

The Midwest is covered in snow that just won’ quit!

Deep Throat has died.

Is Oprah moving to D.C.?

Soothe that winter skin.

A refreshing holiday wish list that we should all consider.

Jeremy Piven needs to lay off the sushi.

Donald Trump: the richest re-gifter in the U.S.

Who knew snowmen could be so scary?

Fun little gift ideas to make everyone smile.

The perfect cold weather foods. Mmmm.

I turned on the television this morning and I was flipping through the channels when I found something scathing to watch. A headline-making Chicago scandal. Money. Corruption. Politics.

I thought I was watching Chicago, but instead I was tuned in to MSNBC. It’s a story that journalists are calling “jaw-dropping,” “shocking,” and “appalling.”

Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevic was arrested this morning by federal authorities on charges of corruption. He has allegedly been attempting to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s vacated US Senate seat to the highest bidder. The US Attorney’s office in Illinois released an affadavit this morning claiming that Gov. Blagojevic was overheard on wiretaps attempting to “sell or trade” the former senator’s seat in Congress for “personal” benefits. Both he and his Chief of Staff, John Harris, were indicted this morning and are expected back in federal court later this afternoon.

In addition to allegedly trying to sell Obama’s former Senate seat, Blagojevic is accused of witholding state aid from The Tribune Company (which filed for bankruptcy yesterday), until the Chicago Tribune agreed to fire staff members who had been critical of him in the past. Sha-dy.

Federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald announced at a press conference that Gov. Blagojevic’s actions have begotten “a new low” in politics, and “[His] conduct would make Lincoln roll over in his grave.” Yeowza!

The allegations come on the heels of the aforementioned bankruptcy of one of the premeire media companies in the United States. As an ironic twist of fate, running against the famously corrupt image of Illinois politics was a prominent platform issue of Blagojevic when he was running for governor. If convicted, Blagojevic would be the second Illinois governor in two years (and fourth all-time) to be imprisoned for a crime, after former Governor George Ryan was sent to jail in 2006 for racketeering. In the meantime, several prominent Illinois politicians and authorities are calling for a special election to fill Obama’s Senate seat, so as to minimize the corruption of the position.

Bankruptcy, corruption, press, courts, Chicago, and all that jazz.

They’re trooping off to the polls in the biting November chill, snug in their Uggs and North Faces zipped to the collars. They’re waking up too early and standing around in long lines for something that isn’t free food. They’re American college students, and they are voting.

Smell that? That’s the smell of freedom. Also, American college students don’t shower much.

Are you with them – or are you against them? Political nihilists beware: the jaded, “The-electoral-college-it’s-a-broken-system-f**k-I’m-moving-to-the-Moon” attitude won’t get you anywhere this year, because cynicism is out and passion is in! If it’s such a big stick up your ass, go vote for Bob Barr or something. If he’s not on the ballot, write-in “John from College Candy.” But please, do go and vote.

And what about this evening? You probably don’t have anything important to do while you watch poll results stream in, and “Nation’s First Black President” or “Nation’s First Woman Vice President” are both perfectly acceptable reasons to skip all your classes tomorrow. This means you should drink! Read More »

As you may already have read on an earlier post, Oscar-winning actress and American Idol contestant Jennifer Hudson is searching for her 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, after police found the singer’s mother and brother shot to death in their home on Friday. Hudson posted a $100,000 reward for any information leading to the safe return of her nephew.

Unfortunately, The Associated Press has reported that the body of a young, black male has been found in the back of the white van in Chicago. Though the body has not been confirmed as being Julian, the van matched the one being sought after in the Amber Alert issued for Julian’s disappearance.

We cannot possibly think of any reason to harm an innocent child, so we hope the police find out who did this soon.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Hudson family…

Do you know who Bubba is? You don‘t?! Obviously, you have no heart.

Bubba is a cat who grew up on the mean streets of Chicago, spending the first few months of his young life all by his lonesome. After finally being adopted by a nice couple, Bubba was still unable to “flourish.” He was shy all the time, hated visitors, and was just generally one unhappy cat.

Bubba’s owners knew they had to do something, so they called up a pet psychic. They paid someone to tell them the inner thoughts of their cat. And you know what that psychic individual told them? The reason for Bubba’s unhappiness was an inner emotional struggle…that’s right…Bubba was a transgendered cat.

Even though Bubba was a boy, the pet psychic told his owners that Bubba identified as a female. Immediately, the owners jumped into action. They went about “accepting” Bubba’s feelings, and put up a website asking anyone who stumbled upon it to donate money for Bubba’s sex change operation.

How can anyone say no to such a realistic and heartfelt request? How could we possibly ignore the brave plight of Bubba the transgendered cat? The answer is that we can’t. So donate today. Bubba needs us, people.

We all have one: the friend who blows you off, who drops you like a hot potato as soon as she meets a cute boy, who just needs to borrow $5 and seriously she’ll pay you back like, tomorrow. If this girl was your boyfriend, you would dump her a**–but can you really dump a friend?

I met Rebecca in the Spring of our senior year, in an English class, and it was like we had known each other forever. In only a few short months, I felt like I had a new best friend, someone I could rely on and who always understood me. I could totally be myself around her; my sometimes-goofy, sometimes-awkward sometimes-downright-weird self.

In short, it was friend love (Flove?).

I was leaving for grad school in the Fall (in another country), so we resolved to spend as much time together as possible that Summer. Now, I’m known among my friends as being a leeeeetle bit on the anal side when it comes to making plans, keeping them, and being early. I’m always early, at least by 10 minutes, to just about everything. If I make a plan with you, I will be there, rain or shine. Rebecca, on the other hand, always seemed to be in the midst of a calamity. The subway was delayed, or she accidentally fell asleep, or there was some kind of crisis, so she was going to be late. I spent a lot of time waiting for her to show up. Sometimes she’d never show up at all, calling later to apologize, and I always just acted like it was fine. Read More »

More and more people are looking for love online these days and I’ll admit, I’m one of them. I honestly don’t know where else to find a date besides the typical bar/club scene, which seems much more conducive to finding a one night stand than finding love. I don’t work in an environment where I meet eligible bachelors, I pretty much know my friends’ friends so getting set up isn’t really an option. So where else do you look? People tell me I should do something I enjoy; a cooking class, hanging out in Barnes & Noble, join some sort of sports league and I’ll meet a guy who shares similar interests with me, but as social as I am, I’m not one to go to a cooking class alone, and I have yet to meet a guy in B&N. So that leaves me with the internet.

Sure, it’s scary and I’ve had my fair share of weirdos or guys who were several inches shorter than what they claimed, or sent pictures from when they were 10 years and 50 pounds lighter, but I’ve also been taken on some pretty amazing dates and met some really cool guys, some of whom I’ve remained friends with. Obviously, my prince hasn’t come along, but maybe the timing just hasn’t been right. I’ve tried a lot of the sites out there; match.com, Plenty of Fish, okcupid, Craig’s List, eHarmony and even Jdate (yes, I’m a shiksa who likes Jewish boys). Thus far, I’ve had the best luck on Craig’s List and the worst luck with match and eHarmony (the one that claims it’ll help you find your soulmate), but as I’m still single, I haven’t had the luck I’m really looking for, so I decided to try out a new site, it’s called crazyblinddate.com, and yes, it’s crazy. Read More »