I got an email from the Missouri Botanical Garden last week: “The weeping Higan cherry is now in bloom in the Japanese Garden. If current weather patterns persist, we expect Yoshino Cherries to ]]> When Stephanie Izard, this year’s Hope School Celebrity Chef, became Bravo TV’s 2008 Top Chef – the first and, after nine seasons, still the only woman to do so – Chicago’]]> “God invented Christmas as a trial for women,” a friend said to me many years ago. I laughed — it was funny — but I also felt a little sad that she was so cynical. Every year s]]> Untitled Document Thanksgiving has really crept up on me this year. Partly it’s because of the weather; I can’t ever remember a year when we haven’t had a hard ]]> They’re luscious, ripe, and ready. At their succulent best, their quintessential peak. Melons – specifically watermelons and cantaloupes. Every so often my grandfather used to grow waterme]]> For much of the Western world, the biggest Christian celebration is Christmas – not least these days because it’s become so commercialized. But in other areas Christ’s Resurrection &]]> Untitled Document I was dubious when my husband, Peter, brought it up last spring: "We should enter the Blackpot cook-off!" he said. I'd been lookingforward to Blackpot for a year &md]]> What picture pops into your head when you hear the words “barbeque expert”? Is it a big beefy guy, tongs in hand, maybe a bit red-faced from hovering over the coals and the beer can in his]]> My family has been keeping a secret for the last couple months. We haven’t done a very good job of it, in spite of lawyers and experts who cautioned us that it was the only wise course. But it&r]]> Untitled Document Q. What’s the difference between scallions and green onions? Can one be substituted for the other? — Bill A. There is no diffe]]> It’s practically a place of pilgrimage. A Mecca for food historians. Tourists flock there, not just from Illinois, but from all across America and around the globe, by motorcycle, car and by the]]> I start anticipating them each year as winter melts into spring: Springfield’s farmers markets. It’s not just because of the local produce and products I can buy, although that’s a b]]> 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]]> Comingling of two cultures can occur in any number of ways, some positive, others negative.  It may be through immigration, trade or proximity. Sometimes the mechanism is invasion and conquest.&n]]> Sausage-making is almost as old as civilization itself; there are sausage recipes that date back thousands of years. And sausages, in various forms, appear in virtually every cuisine worldwide. They’re an emblematic foodstuff of any culture, utilizing local meats, seasonings and ingredients.]]> Even if you’re not involved or interested in child-rearing, chances are you’ve heard about Yale law professor Amy Chua’s book, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, and the firestorm of c]]> They’re almost impossible to resist: food trucks, or more properly, “mobile food concessions.” Many serve ethnic or regional specialties. Food trucks are starting to receive serious ]]> 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]]> It’s a little gem of a museum, one worth visiting even if it weren’t just a short drive away. And it’s currently featuring an exhibit that explores the evolution of foods, cooking me]]> It’s performance art. It’s more than a little quirky. It’s fun but also somewhat disconcerting – something that makes you think. And, above all, it’s delicious. It’]]>