Say what you will about the Food Network (and I can say plenty), the cable channel has gotten many children interested in cooking. I just hope that some kids are able to look beyond the glitz and hype to discover the pleasures of cooking and eating real food. Food and cooking can provide a way […]
Julianne Glatz
Posted inFood & Drink
Christmas yeast breads
PHOTO BY PETER GLATZ Variations can be found worldwide, although they’re most common in Europe. And it’s a safe bet that the roots of those found in other parts of the planet are from there, too. Holiday yeast breads. America focuses on cookies, but elsewhere the most traditional holiday sweet treats are yeast-based. Perhaps best […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Messiah
Salted hazelnut bars PHOTO BY PETER GLATZ I’m overflowing with more Christmas spirit than I have been in years. It’s not because I’m finally finished with knee replacement surgeries and regaining strength and mobility. It’s not because I’m again able to decorate for the holidays. It’s not even primarily because my grandchildren are at the […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Not-so-sweet sweet potatoes
Mashed sweet potatoes with chipotles en adobo. PHOTO BY PETER GLATZ Lots of folks consider them an essential part of their Thanksgiving feast: A big dish of whipped sweet potatoes, topped with a thick layer of marshmallows, baked until the tops of the marshmallows become toasty brown. But I’m not one of them. Don’t get […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Chef, the movie
Emjay Anthony and Jon Favreau in Chef. PHOTO COURTESY OPEN ROAD FILMS I first heard about Chef, the movie, months ago from Springfield native and Chicago restaurateur extraordinaire, Kevin Boehm. “It’s about the restaurant business,” he said. “Hope they get it right. Almost none do.” Boehm understands chefs and restaurant life. And he was right. […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Oatmeal
Oatmeal scones. PHOTO BY PETER GLATZ I’ve always despised cold cereal, even as a child. Occasionally I’d be seduced by cheery cartoon characters on commercials and nag my mother into buying Fruit Loops or Rice Krispies. But after I’d eaten a couple spoonfuls and fished out the bananas, the soggy stuff lost its appeal. Oatmeal […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Picky little people
My two-year-old granddaughter, Maddie, loves Sriracha, the incendiary chilli sauce that is de rigueur in many Southeast Asian dishes and more common than catsup on home and restaurant tables alike. On a recent visit to Brooklyn, my almost-four-year-old grandson, Robbie, kept dipping his finger into the condiment cup of malt vinegar I’d gotten for my […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Hummingbird cake
PHOTO © Aiselin/Dreamstime.com In the pantheon of glorious southern cakes, none is more beloved than hummingbird cake. And probably none has more variations, not so much in the actual cake itself (although the proportions can vary) or in the cream cheese frosting; the variations come in how and with what it is garnished. Hummingbird cake […]
Posted inFood & Drink
A spooky supper
Witches fingers. PHOTO BY PETER GLATZ Halloween treats don’t all have to be sweet. Here are some devilish dishes for a spooky supper to delight kids and adults alike. Most iterations of witches fingers are made with cookie dough. Cheddar pastry makes a great savory alternative. Witches fingers• 1/2 lb. sharp orange-colored cheddar cheese, grated […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Stalking wild mushrooms
PHOTO BY LEBRAC FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG “Stop the car!” exclaimed my daughter, Ashley, shortly after we left home. Hitting the brakes, I anxiously looked around. Both the woods on the left and fields and houses on the right looked the same as always. “I saw sulphur shelves!” Ashley said. Turning around, we crawled along until she […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Two kinds of people
ILLUSTRATION BY Theresa Schiffer There are two kinds of people in this world, those who have worked in food service and those who haven’t. It’s not the first time I’ve heard that sentence. In fact, it’s axiomatic to anyone who has ever worked in food service. I heard it again recently when my son, Robb, […]
Posted inFood & Drink
An apple Oktoberfest: gemütlichkeit
Apples and Oktoberfest. Could there be a better pairing? Traditional German cuisine is filled with apple dishes, many especially intended for cooler weather. Gemütlichkeit is a German word that doesn’t have an exact English equivalent single word. But think of a combination of good food, good company, a stein of beer or two and plenty […]
