Food Features

Untitled Document “Can we have pumpkin for dinner?” This has been a frequent request by my younger daughter, Ashley, since her return to Springfield after four years spent studying viticulture and oenology (grape-growing and winemaking) at Lincoln University in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was oddly comforting to think of Ashley going half-a-world away to a […]

Untitled Document It’s been quite a while since I’ve eaten at a new Springfield restaurant with really exciting food. Food I’ve never had before or that’s an especially outstanding version of something I have had. Food so good that I start mentally reviewing my upcoming schedule before the meal is over, trying to figure out […]

Untitled Document Every fall I remember what it was like to come as a child to this place that has been my home for almost 25 years. I live in the old Spaulding Orchard farmhouse. It’s the first home my husband and I bought, and likely will be our last. It wasn’t our first choice, […]

Untitled Document Being privy to inside information is always fun, though it can be tempting to spill the beans. When Michael Higgins recently sat down to chat at our table at Maldaner’s, I gave him a knowing smile and thought to myself, “Ha-ha — I know something you don’t. You got the Best Chef award.” […]

Untitled Document Jerry JimОnez is a contented man. You can see it in his serene smile and hear it in his calm, rich voice that carries just an intriguing hint of accent. Maybe it’s because of his loving family. Maybe it’s because of his home on 17 acres in the hills of southern Illinois, with […]

Untitled Document It wasn’t love at first bite — it wasn’t even love at second bite — but, when I finally fell in love with Indian food, I fell hard. I’ve always been an adventurous eater, eager to try new things, so it’s strange that I didn’t initially appreciate Indian food, but it was really […]

Untitled Document Arron Patton is hot. Really, really hot. So hot that just thinking about him makes me sweat. While the members of the Iraqi Parliament flee their responsibilities this month to seek relief from the scorching heat and U.S. and coalition forces and civilians stationed in the Green Zone enjoy the comforts of air […]

Untitled Document Not long after I began writing this column, I realized that the job came with some perks. I was invited to a food writers’ dinner showcasing Anheuser-Busch’s line of artisanal beers at Blackbird, one of Chicago’s best restaurants (both the food and the beers were sublime). Promotional cookbooks began showing up in my […]

Untitled Document Lemonade shakeups. Corndogs. Saltwater taffy. Honey ice cream. Few traditions at the Illinois State Fair are more hallowed than its special foods. A day at the fair just isn’t complete without them. And at the Illinois State Fair, as well as dozens of other state and county fairs and festivals ranging from Illinois, […]

Untitled Document Are there any sights, sounds, and smells more evocative of a Midwest summer than those of fresh corn on the cob waiting to be shucked? The leaves are still crisp and green; the aroma’s corny and delicious; the husks squeak when they’re ripped away to reveal the tender kernels. For anyone who’s ever […]

Untitled Document Hot tamales and they’re red hot, Yes, she got ’em for sale I got a girl, say she long and tall She sleeps in the kitchen Her feets in the hall Hot tamales and they’re red hot, I mean Yes, she got ’em for sale, yeah       — Robert Johnson, recorded […]