Subtle hints of fall have begun to appear in spite of this month’s sweltering start. There’s a tinge of gold layered into the trees and although the afternoons have been unbearably hot, there’s a crisp, freshness to the morning air. Our local apple harvest is just beginning, with early season gala and Sweet Maia apples […]
Food Features
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No waste, all taste
As the COVID pandemic began to wind down and restaurants reopened for indoor dining, I was anxious to end my exile in a Florida RV park to get back into a kitchen. While scrolling on Instagram, I saw that a restaurant I’d been following, Spoon and Stable in Minneapolis, was hiring cooks. With the hope […]
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Budget dinners
August is undoubtedly our household’s most expensive month of the year, and the busiest. In addition to both of my kiddos having August birthdays, there’s back to school supplies, clothes and registration, the Illinois State Fair and if we’re lucky, maybe a little road trip. Add in the impulse to squeeze as much sunshine and […]
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No lettuce, no problem
If you are finding yourself casting a wary eye toward bagged lettuce after the latest cyclospora health alert, consider looking to Greece for a lettuce-free salad alternative. The horiatiki salata, commonly known in America as a Greek salad, is a summer salad that requires no leafy greens whatsoever. It is a fresh, rustic salad made […]
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Cantaloupe creations
My household has been under a compulsory cantaloupe consumption mandate for the past week. I’d ordered four of them from Humphrey’s Market to use in fruit salad for a large catering order, thinking I’d get standard volleyball-sized melons. The fruit that arrived was positively enormous, as large as watermelons, and they immediately filled the kitchen […]
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Slurping through a heat wave
Buckwheat has been on my mind quite a bit this summer. For a recent cheese-themed dinner at Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery, my task was to prepare buckwheat crepes for the main course, serving two per plate for 80 guests. Working with buckwheat flour proved challenging, and it took a few failed attempts with a […]
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An unsung hero of the kitchen
You might be underestimating the humble little brick of cream cheese that’s hanging out in your fridge. An often-unsung hero of the kitchen, cream cheese not only lends creamy richness to a dish, but also tang and stability to a host of dishes both savory and sweet. Cream cheese is considered to be fresh cheese, […]
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The alchemy of the anchovy
Because everything in a restaurant kitchen requires labeling with masking tape and a black marker, a Sharpie is a permanent fixture in my apron pocket. However, I used to constantly lose them to co-workers who would borrow my Sharpie and never return it. I eventually solved this problem by swapping my black marker’s cap for […]
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Mmmm, green beans
I do not enjoy picking green beans. Or rather, my back doesn’t like picking beans. However, I couldn’t imagine a summer spread without them, whether they’re slow cooked like my great-grandmother made them or blanched until just tender and tossed in a salad. My great-grandfather swore by Contender, a stringless heirloom bush variety that I […]
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A short history of cooking on a stick
Roasting food on a skewer is a universal tradition with cultural significance dating back to the dawn of human culinary history. Nearly every culture has crafted its own version, from central Asian kebabs and Middle Eastern dishes to Greek souvlaki, Italian spiedini, Japanese yakitori and Southeast Asian satays, highlighting its deep-rooted importance worldwide. Long before […]
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Magical marinades
A well-made marinade makes all the difference when grilling and can transform an otherwise lackluster meal into a stellar spread. Marinades and dry rubs perform two main functions to achieve this, first by allowing salt to penetrate thoroughly and evenly, resulting in a juicy, well-seasoned dish. Second, the acids and enzymes in many marinades can […]
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Not your average turnip
Growing up in a home with a Teutonic heritage, I was exposed to turnips at a young age and developed a strong aversion to them. To my youthful senses, they smelled like skunk and tasted even worse. Finding them in a pot of corned beef and cabbage was enough to spoil the entire meal for […]
