Peter Glatz

Steak with chimichurri My most memorable dining experiences have ranged from the bizarre to the sublime. When I travel, I try to seek out and immerse myself in the local food and music culture. What makes a meal memorable might be the quality of the dish or the uniqueness of the surroundings. My wife and […]

Swiss chard with raisins and pine nuts. PHOTO BY PETER GLATZ Of all the plants in my vegetable garden, I have a special fondness for Swiss chard. Unlike asparagus, which makes an early spring appearance and then quietly goes to seed, or Brussels sprouts, whose tasty orbs do not come to maturity until the fall, […]

Korean short ribs and veggie skewers ready to grill. PHOTO BY PETER GLATZ Some people are security seekers. I have friends who always drink the same brand of beer or wine and order the same familiar foods such as steak, fried chicken or cheeseburgers. Other people are thrill seekers. They are the ones who try […]

Asparagus “rafts” on the grill. PHOTO BY PETER GLATZ During college, I spent my summers farming with my wife’s grandfather – her “Papa” – on his organic produce farm. Every evening, weary, sore, and satisfied from a true hard day’s work, we were rewarded with Nana’s sublime suppers. Nana was a farm cook. She did […]

Mark Hartstein, chef/owner of Watson’s Shack & Rail in Champaign. PHOTO BY PETER GLATZ I’ve been a lover of Buffalo Hot Wings for decades: chicken wings fried or broiled, tossed in butter and hot sauce, dipped in blue cheese or ranch dressing. I was expecting something similar the first time I tasted Nashville Hot Chicken. […]

Arancini di Riso. PHOTO BY GEORGE CHERNILEVSKY/WIKIMEDIA.ORG Risotto is a northern Italian rice dish that is cooked in broth until rich and velvety yet slightly firm and chewy. In Italy, risotto is most often served as a primo, or first course, or as an accompaniment to a meat course. Cooking risotto is like making love. […]

Fried eggs, red pepper flakes and herbs pasta. PHOTO BY PETER GLATZ Four years ago I bought a school bus and named her Bertha. I removed all the seats and outfitted her with sleeping bunks, a restroom, a dining nook, and a small, but fully equipped kitchen. Bertha and I love hitting the open road […]

PHOTO COURTESY BLUE APRON Cooking skills were once passed on from generation to generation through the oral tradition. The post-war years saw an increase in women working outside the home and an increasing reliance on convenience foods. My mother often served Swanson’s TV Dinners (I hated the Salisbury steak and carrots!), or a sack of […]

Gumbo with layers of flavor, “earthy, mysterious, complex.” I recently lost my wife (and Illinois Times food columnist), Julianne Glatz. When one loses his best friend of 45 years, the mother of his children, the Nana of his grandchildren, a tremendous void suddenly appears. I can’t bring her back, but I can’t let go either. […]