PHOTO BY DAVID HINE The first farmers market day is one of my favorite days of the year. For me it signifies that summer has finally arrived. The glorious, slightly wild flavors of the market’s first few weeks compel me to strip away any extraneous flavors or richness and look for ways to prepare the […]
Ashley Meyer
Ashley Meyer has been cooking as long as she has been walking. The daughter of beloved former Illinois Times food columnist, Julianne Glatz, Ashley offers a fresh, inspired take on her mother’s culinary legacy. Ashley studied winemaking at Lincoln University in Christchurch, New Zealand and recently achieved the Level III award from the Wine and Spirits Educational Trust. Ashley founded and successfully operated RealCuisine Catering for five years, then turned her focus to motherhood and homesteading. These days, when she’s not cooking, gardening, parenting or writing, you can find Ashley at It’s All About Wine, offering insightful recommendations and mouthwatering pours.
Posted inSpecial Issues
Short order cooks
PHOTO metrocreativeconnection.com Children are naturally curious, and have a strong desire to emulate the grown-ups in their life. For the young child, time spent in the kitchen provides a wealth of opportunities to learn, discover and fine-tune motor skills. Aside from increasing exposure to different foods and flavors, the responsibilities and satisfaction that come along […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Radishes. Easy to grow. Delightful to serve.
Maddie Meyer pulls up a surprise. PHOTO BY ASHLEY MEYER Radishes are one of my favorite vegetables to grow in the garden. Usually radishes are the very first crop that comes to the table in early spring. They grow incredibly fast – some varieties are ready to harvest in as little as three weeks after […]
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A delicious life
When my mother started doing cooking classes in the early 2000s, we had no idea how it was going to turn out. I remember doing a trial run a week before the first class. A few close friends – some experienced cooks, some not – made lobster risotto and shrimp with lemon something. That first […]
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For Passover, taste a culture
The Seder meal is a culinary retelling of the Israelites’ flight from slavery, and marks the beginning of the eight-day Passover holiday, which begins this year on April 22. Around this time every year, I contemplate what I will make for a weekend brunch as I flip through various culinary magazines. Along with the standard […]
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Garden for life
Maddie Meyer checking the depth for planting an apple tree. PHOTO COURTESY ASHLEY MEYER I have vivid memories of wandering through the thousands of tomato plants that were grown on my great-grandfather’s market farm. Lima beans were a delicacy in our family. When they were in season I played in the shade of the giant […]
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A dish to make the Irish smile
Cauliflower and potato mash with parmesan. PHOTO COURTESY ASHLEY MEYER “Did you ever eat Colcannon, made from lovely pickled cream?With the greens and scallions mingled like a picture in a dream.Did you ever make a hole on top to hold the melting flakeOf the creamy, flavoured butter that your mother used to make? Yes […]
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To liven up your kitchen, take a class
Ben, left, and Norah Perry with their mom, Chef Denise Perry. Her new cooking school features classes for children, as well as for adults. In the process of going through my mother’s things after her death a month ago, a thought kept popping into my head: “I am nowhere near as interesting as my parents […]
