Man vs. good lord, my mouth's on fire

Wednesday, watch as Man vs. Food’s Adam Richman eschews “chili” for chilLi the Springfield way. In the Springfield-based episode, taped in July, Richman visits Springfield favorites.

Hot soup to end winter

Recent signs of spring are more welcome than usual this year. This winter has been tough, not because of any single blizzard or cold snap, but because it just seemed relentless. Still, remembering the

Hungry for Haitian

Food as an expression of solidarity

It’s almost impossible to comprehend the devastation in Haiti after the Jan. 12 earthquake. But then, unless you’ve been there, it’s almost impossible to conceive conditions in Haiti

Is soda a sin?

Is drinking soda a sin? More to the point: Is soda a sin in the same league as tobacco and alcohol, two things that are highly taxed specifically because they’re deemed sinful? In light of curre

Many moods of meatloaf

In 1984, Arizona’s prison system instituted an unusual punishment for its most recalcitrant inmates. When the news broke, many were outraged. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit,

A yen for Yanni’s

My first was at the U of I campus town in Champaign back in the ’70s. The place was Zorba’s, a dark and dingy dive that smelled of stale beer and broiling meat. It was my first gyro. Waiti

Let the good times roll for Superbowl XLIV

Except for 1985, when the Chicago Bears won Superbowl XX, and in 2006 when they lost Superbowl XLI to the Indianapolis Colts, I’ve never much cared who was playing. For me, the Superbowl is usua

More cooking classes and more Julia Child

I was afraid this would happen. When I wrote about local cooking classes earlier this month, I tried to find everything available. But I had a nagging feeling that there were more. And there were. I&r

The basics of Bologna

“Have you ever been to Bologna? Oh, I take you there someday. You will love this place. Bologna is sad, a little. The city is old… but the food! They make there a dish called Lasagna Bolo

Feasts and Food Rules

One of my first catering jobs was for a dinner party given by a cardiology group to honor a colleague who’d come to lecture at SIU Medical School. I thought it would be a creative challenge to c

A class way to cook away the winter blues

The holidays are over. It’s cold and dark and gloomy outside. Why not chase away those midwinter doldrums by taking a cooking class or two? A variety of cooking classes are being offered locally

Come fry with me

Here’s how to make chicken like a true Southerner

Untitled Document As a kid from up North, I have long held a romantic notion that if you grew up in the South, you spent your summers sitting under a willowy tree wi

Grape-leaf group therapy

Preparing these delectable treats can be a fun group effort

Untitled Document Stuffed grape leaves are heady little treats, but we rarely think about making them ourselves. They seem too exotic and complicated for home chow, b

Get more from your mash

Here’s a recipe for a potato pie that’s gone to heaven

Untitled Document The girlfriend of a mashed-potato lover somewhere in the great online beyond needed culinary counsel. They’re in a “mixed” relatio

Recipe for a crumb-y morning

Take your streusel memories out of the vault

Untitled Document Jersey, New York, Philly, Baltimore — they all know about the crumb bun. A yeasty sweet roll with a streuselly topping, the crumb bun is a min

Fish Fridays, Thai-style

Lent doesn’t have to mean fish sticks

Untitled Document I think I’ve figured out why so many fish eaters consider themselves vegetarians. It’s a Catholic thing, y’all. Lent —

Be my velvet Valentine

Here’s a sexy dessert that’s like hotpants and white go-go boots

Untitled Document Tea for two needs cake. So do Grandma, your pals from work, and all of the other lonely hearts sticking out their tongues at this lovers-only holiday. With or

Southern biscuits for a Yankee girl

Fix a batch of hot crusty buttermilk taste explosions

Untitled Document Dear Scott Peacock, You and I have known each other for many years without ever having met. We’ve got mutual friends and associates

Bacon and eggs for dinner

Whip up some spaghetti alla Carbonara

Untitled Document Hello, my name is Kim and I’m a bacon-holic. For a cook who prides herself on mindful moderation, this is a difficult culinary confession. No other come

Full-circle mush

Make polenta with a spicy tomato sauce

Untitled Document This is a story about mush. As a kid up north, where breakfast was two eggs any style, toast, and hash browns, I knew little about mush (unless you count

Cranky for curry

Here’s a kitchen substitute for Zoloft on a gloomy winter day

Untitled Document It’s a new year, and everybody on cable television says I should feel bright and shiny like a brand-new penny or a twinkly star, full of deter

Soupe de Poisson Provençal Fish Soup

Soupe de Poisson is as much a provençal classic as its more famous cousin, bouillabaisse — and, in my opinion, much better. Adding fish or shellfish makes it more substantial, but the soup is tr

Fish Stock

Approximately 2 lbs. fish bones, heads, and trimmings or seafood shells or heads. Do NOT use oily-type fish such as salmon, trout or mackerel Stalks from 1 fennel bulb 1 tsp. dried tarra

Rouiller

This spicy, garlicky provençal mayonnaise is good not only with Soupe de Poisson, but as a sandwich spread, sauce for shrimp, base for a salad dressing, and anything else where a spicy aioli would be

Picklese (a.k.a. Pikliz)

This classic Haitian condiment can be found on every table, sometimes even when there isn’t a table. The liquid is used as a hot sauce; in other dishes the thinly sliced vegetables are a sort of

Haitian Red Beans and Rice (Diri et Pois Coles)

Rice and beans are ubiquitous throughout the Southwestern U.S., Mexico, Central and South America, well as the Caribbean and other parts of the world. The beans differ – black beans, pinto beans

Meatloaf Master Recipe

RealCuisine RecipeMeatloaf Master RecipeThis meatloaf master recipe provides a palette for both novice and experienced cooks for experimentation. The large amount of breadcrumbs is unusual, as is the

Spinach Salad with Oranges, Tasso Ham, and Spicy Caramelized Pecans

I found this salad dressing in an old cookbook of Louisiana plantations’ recipes. Blood oranges are in season and available locally; they make an especially attractive presentation. Any good Caj

Spicy Caramelized Pecans

1 c. pecan halves 1 egg white 1 T. Cajun seasoning, such as Souileau’s, Emeril’s Essence, or Paul Prudhomme’s Magic 2 T. dark brown sugar  Beat egg white unti

Barbequed Shrimp

1 1/2 - 2 lb. shrimp, shelled and deveined, shells reserved 1 1/2 c. chicken or vegetable stock 1/2 lb. unsalted butter PLUS 10 T. chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes 1/2 tsp. cayenne

Oysters Bingo

Oysters in the shell Chopped cooked spinach, squeezed dry, approximately 1 - 2 tsp. per oyster Aioli, recipe follows, 1 tsp.-1 T. per oyster Freshly grated Parmesan, approximately 1 tsp. p