Posted inFood & Drink

Honey sherry vinaigrette

Honey and sherry is as equally felicitous a combination as honey and mustard, one found often in Spanish cooking. Sherry vinegar is such an important ingredient in my pantry that I always have a bottle in reserve, so I never run out. It’s available locally at Incredibly Delicious, and can be easily found and ordered […]

Posted inFood & Drink

Honey nut bars

The hazelnuts, almonds and pine nuts in these cookies testify to their Italian origin. But other kinds or combinations of lightly toasted nuts are equally good. Just be sure to use 1 1/2 c., no matter what nuts you choose. For the bottom layer: 1/2 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature 1/2 c. light brown […]

Posted inFood & Drink

State Fair honey ice cream

Throughout my childhood, it was an unshakeable rule: After we’d passed through the Illinois State Fair’s main archway, our first stop had to be the Illinois State Beekeepers Association’s honey ice cream stand in the Illinois Building. Even the delights of Happy Hollow (then the carnival rides area), next door to the Illinois Building, had […]

Posted inFood & Drink

Honey mustard glazed salmon

Honey and mustard are a common combination, and this simple marinade and glazing liquid makes it obvious why the combination is so popular. It’s equally good with other kinds of oily fish such as tuna. It’s also wonderful for grilling pork chops or chicken. 1/2 c. olive oil 1/4 c. honey 1/4 c. Dijon mustard […]

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Michael Higgins’ rooftop garden

Michael Higgins, longtime chef/owner of Maldaner’s Restaurant, is at the forefront of sourcing local foods for his restaurant. Actually, for years he was the only area chef to do so, even persuading Ron Suttill of Suttill’s Garden to raise fava beans, a delicious vegetable common in Europe and elsewhere, both in its early summer green […]

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Sweet Sour Syrup

1 c. sugar 1 1/2 c. white wine vinegar 1/2 c. dry white wine or dry vermouth Place the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Stir until the sugar has dissolved completely; then let the mixture boil without stirring. Cook until the big bubbles that appeared when […]

Posted inSpecial Issues

The power of family meals

Until recently, routinely sitting down to meals with your family was the norm. But for the last several decades, the family meal has become increasingly rare, as the pace and pressures of modern life grow ever more frenetic. Two-career households, kids with a bewildering array of activities, and other distractions, coupled with the ease and […]

Posted inFood & Drink

The wedding that almost wasn’t

As I write this, the sun mercilessly beats down. Our wonderful yard and woods that were lush with ferns, fragrant blooming trees and shrubs, and beautiful flowers for our daughter’s wedding three months ago are dolefully withered and drooping. Even fully shaded perennials, such as phlox and hostas, are giving up the ghost. We do […]

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