It used to be “the lumpy woolen sweater of the food world” according to an article in the New York Times last February. It’s true that for those of us who can remember the 1960s and 70s, it can still have a vague whiff of counterculture. And it’s still regarded as inherently healthy, although these […]
Julianne Glatz
Posted inFood & Drink
Land Connection Play
A play? Really? I’ve known about and admired The Land Connection – a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting farmland, training sustainable and organic farmers, and promoting a vibrant local food system – for years, especially its executive director, Terra Brockman. I’ve attended Land Connection events, some at Henry’s Farm in Congerville, where Brockman’s brother Henry […]
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Spring in betweens
This time of year it can be hot or cold – or anywhere in between. It’s amazing to look at our yard and think of our daughter Ashley’s wedding there last year. Everything was green and blooming, and there were wildflowers everywhere; guests were amazed at the lush stand of ferns we inherited from the […]
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Frontier, FedEx and Gary
My FedEx delivery guy’s name is Gary. I hadn’t known his name until a couple days after the blizzard that dumped 18 inches of snow on central Illinois last week. In fact, I hadn’t even realized he was my regular FedEx delivery guy or that I even had a regular delivery person. But Gary has […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Ham or lamb it up
For many Americans, ham is the traditional centerpiece of their Easter dinner. In other homes – ours included – it’s roast leg of lamb. Lamb’s natural association with spring makes it a favorite this time of year with people of many beliefs and cultures. Sadly, many folks have only experienced roast lamb that’s overdone and […]
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Soul food staples
Southern-style music and soul food are inseparable – Springfield’s own Blues & BBQs festival attests to that. The legendary Thelonious Monk, who hailed from North Carolina, wore a collard leaf in his lapel when playing in New York’s smoky jazz clubs. Sunday afternoon, March 24, Springfieldians will have another chance to enjoy the melding of […]
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Get creative with leftovers
I’ll never again be able to make some of the best things I’ve created in my kitchen. Not because they were complicated and/or expensive, although I’ve made a few of those, too. It’s because those creations – they couldn’t accurately be called recipes – were concocted from bits of leftovers or things that would spoil […]
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How the Mennonites make More with Less
It’s ironic. The best-known, even iconic American Anabaptist sect is “Old-Order Amish,” despite – and because – their insular communities shun contact with the outside world and modern conveniences. But another Anabaptist sect, Mennonites, evolved without strictures against all modernization. They established themselves in central Illinois and throughout North America and continued adhering to Anabaptist […]
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Bloody good fruit
True, the name is a little off-putting. And their exterior, mottled with vermilion and/or brownish purple, sometimes looks more like a nasty bruise rather than something good to eat. But the first sight and taste of blood orange flesh reveal why they’re so highly prized. Blood oranges are ancient, but they’ve only been grown commercially […]
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Winning winter salads
These days, people eat salads throughout the year with ingredients that used to be available only seasonally. But salads geared to cold weather are particularly satisfying when the temperature dips and chill winds blow. Here are three favorites. Insalata di Caprese is a simple Italian salad that should only be eaten in warm weather when […]
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Quality brews at Grab-a-Java
There’s coffee and then there’s coffee. It ranges from gas station black swill you buy at 1 a.m. solely to push through the last hour of an extended road trip to fragrant ambrosia made from carefully selected and roasted beans that are freshly ground before being turned into brews prepared by trained baristas. For 16 […]
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RIP Hostess
They’re gone. Kaput. Fini. When the Hostess corporation, maker of Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Ho Ho’s, announced last November that it was filing for bankruptcy and closing its factories, the anguished howls were as intense as the hand-wringing over the impending “fiscal cliff.” Overnight, Hostess snack cakes disappeared from stores nationwide. Boxes of Twinkies sold […]
