Q. I wondered if I could get some input with a dish I'm trying to replicate. Did you ever try the tenderloin sandwich at the [now closed] Sportsman's Lounge? The tenderloins ]]> Untitled Document He’s back! Since mid-April the guy who’s been selling fruits and vegetables at our corner for several years has been at his post. I almost never buy]]> If there had not been that snake in the ceiling, we might never have done it. My husband, Peter, and I knew when we bought the Spaulding Orchard farmhouse that we would eventually want to do some remo]]> Certain foods have become intrinsically linked with state fairs throughout most of the nation. Salt water taffy. Snow cones. Cotton candy. Lemonade shakeups. Recently there’s been an influx of i]]> The folks at Greater Midwest Foodways Alliance are at it again! In years past, the GMFA, an organization dedicated to “celebrating, exploring, and preserving unique food traditions and their cul]]> A couple months ago, I lost something valuable. The value wasn’t monetary; it was precious because I’d created it and kept it alive for 15 years. Truthfully, I’d come to take it for ]]> On Memorial Day, I was once again heading to Brooklyn by myself. But this time I was driving our full-sized van, overflowing with camping gear. I’d spend some time with my grandson, daughter and]]> By the time you read this, I’ll be back down by the bayou. There’s a pretty good chance I’ll be eating oysters harvested that morning, or shrimp and crabs from the Gulf of Mexico.]]> Untitled Document Do you have any suggestions for making barbecued ribs? Every time I’ve tried, they end up tough, dry, or both. — Ted It’s all t]]> There weren’t many of them. Maybe six or eight pods in the tiny saucer in front of me. The setting (my first-ever sushi restaurant) and the simple, elegant Japanese porcelain saucer seemed exoti]]> The humidity hung around us like a wet blanket. It had rained for days, and more rain was predicted for later, but right now it was merely a threat – or promise, depending on how you looked at i]]> Untitled Document “Would you like bottled water or tap water?” the server asks. That question, routine in upscale big-city restaurants these days, never fails to make]]> When you think of Austria, what comes to mind? Beautiful mountains and picturesque valleys? Strauss waltzes? Wienerschnitzel? Mozart? Pastries? (what we call “Danish” are know]]> “They’re breeding the heat out of jalapeños, and it’s all because of poppers,” says Rick Bayless, addressing a group of us attending his seminar on the foods of the Yuca]]> “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]]> Untitled Document Want to take a trip back in time? To a place that’s close by? To a place that’s the real deal, that’s utterly unpretentious rather than a kitschy, faux old-t]]> If you’re planning a St. Louis holiday shopping trip, why not check out some independently owned stores and get away from frenetic mall mobs for at least part of your trip? There are hundreds, f]]> No, I’m not talking about New York’s disgraced former congressman. I’m talking about the iconic American food that’s eaten from sea to shining sea as well as in Alaska and Hawa]]> Stuffed – Midwestern sausages, that is. Mother-in-law sandwiches. Journeying through Midwestern sweets and dessert traditions.It’s anthropology of hoof, claw, fin, root and leaf: culinary ]]> I found out on a Sunday afternoon last month. My husband, Peter, and I had just raided a 75 percent off plant sale. We loaded the loot into our van and were discussing landscaping]]>