Food Features

Foods wrapped and cooked in leaves appear in culinary cultures all over the world. In Mexico, tamales are wrapped and steamed in corn husks or banana leaves. In Thailand there is a dish known as aeb consisting of fish wrapped and cooked in banana leaf packets. Zongzi is a Mandarin Chinese dish made with sticky […]

Amid the myriad of jewel-toned produce available right now at local markets and farm stands are striking little vegetables (technically they’re fruits) vaguely reminiscent of flying saucers. These cheerful little cucurbits, known as patty pans, are a type of summer squash closely related to the more recognizable green and yellow zucchini, with a similar texture […]

We’ve been living in our converted school bus for two months and I have to confess it’s been quite a challenge trying to figure out how a family of two adults and a Jack Russell can live a rich and full life in a downsized minimalist environment. When we began the journey I had grand […]

On the last official day of this discombobulated school year, I glanced out the window at my daughter, swinging in the hammock suspended over her treehouse. She was engrossed in a novel and looked utterly peaceful, and yet still I felt a twinge of sadness as I watched her. I wished she could be at […]

Black-owned businesses are cornerstones of Springfield’s culinary heritage. From beloved establishments that have been passed down through the generations to fresh, new upstarts, these restaurants nourish Springfield’s soul. Here are short profiles of four of Springfield’s several Black-owned restaurants, a sampling of what the city has to offer eaters. Many of these businesses have tirelessly […]

When we lived in the old Spaulding Orchard farmhouse, we were running three refrigerators and three freezers, usually all full. My late wife would buy, process and freeze produce by the bushel. She would save and freeze all our chicken carcasses and wingtips until she had accumulated enough to fill a five-gallon stockpot and then […]

According to a report published last month in ResearchAndMarkets.com, the market for dishwashing supplies is expected to grow by 275% as a consequence of everybody eating at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are presently sheltering in place in our school bus in a remote location inaccessible to meal delivery services, so I am constantly […]

Strawberry shortcake is one of the most beloved desserts in the American culinary repertoire. Neither brief nor small, the cakes are named short because of the generous quantity of shortening in the dough. Coating flour with fat inhibits the formation of gluten, resulting in the signature, crumbly texture of true shortcake, which most Americans today […]

While living in France in the late 50s, Paul Childs recalled hearing his wife, Julia, cry out: “Goddamnit! I’ve never yet gone into a private French kitchen where the knives are sharp! How the hell do these people think they’re going to cook when they can’t even slice through a tomato?” Julia Childs had such […]

While the rest of the world is innovating to rethink the global food system, Caitlyn and Jacque Suttill Simpson are buckling down on the basics. The mother-daughter team own and operate Suttill’s Gardens, a five-acre produce farm located just a quarter mile east of Southeast High School in Springfield. Caitlyn is the fifth generation to […]

A few years ago I was at my campsite at Summer Camp Music Festival when a young man approached me carrying an empty grocery bag and asked if I had any charcoal I could spare. I had plenty so I put some in his bag. He thanked me and then asked if he could possibly […]