Food Features

If you squint, the barren fields around the little homestead outside of Atlanta, Ill., north of Lincoln on I-55, could look a bit like the North Pole — at least when they’re covered with snow. The candy cane signs help, but the buildings’ blue paint job doesn’t exactly fit the traditional picture of Santa’s workshop. […]

What does it takes to make a good cook? Among things I’d list would be knife skills — the ability to slice, chop and dice with accuracy and speed. Planning and preparation are important, as well as an organized kitchen and a workspace. Having all the tools and ingredients needed for a dish prepped, organized […]

Very little about my family’s Thanksgiving celebrations have changed throughout my entire life. In large part, that’s because we’re a relatively small group: my mom and I are both only children, and my dad wasn’t close to his family, so there weren’t troops of relatives vying over who’d host the dinner or what to contribute […]

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved fireplaces. Gas-burning fireplaces may be better than nothing — wonderful for people who can’t or don’t want to deal with armloads of wood or sweeping up ashes. For me, though, maximum pleasure comes from the ever-changing, glowing flicker and scent of a real wood-burning fireplace. It’s […]

Untitled Document Want to take a trip back in time? To a place that’s close by? To a place that’s the real deal, that’s utterly unpretentious rather than a kitschy, faux old-timey wannabe? If so, go to the Jones Boys Market in Ashland. Go, and take your kids and grandkids. Go now, because bits of […]

Untitled Document I was dubious when my husband, Peter, brought it up last spring: “We should enter the Blackpot cook-off!” he said. I’d been lookingforward to Blackpot for a year — it was the cook-offpart I was unsure about. We’d heard about The Blackpot Music Festival last year at a Chicago concert by the Red […]

Q. My wife wants a really good knife. I’d like to get her one for her birthday, and am willing to spend some fairly serious money. What type of knife and what brands would you recommend? Larry A. There’s nothing more crucial to good cooking than good knives. As the Culinary Institute of America’s comprehensive […]

It’s time we had a little talk. Warning: It’s about something that has negative connotations and that some folks think is disgusting, but we’re all adults here, right? We need to talk about…lard. Yes, I know. I can hear the cries of “Yuck!” and “Eeyoo!” But I’m hoping that since I’ve summoned the courage to […]

The little house was fairly bursting with good food stored away for the long winter. The pantry and the shed and the cellar were full, and so was the attic. The attic was a lovely place to play. The large, round, colored pumpkins made beautiful chairs and tables. The red peppers and onions dangled overhead. […]

Untitled Document For decades, German-Americans were a dominant group in Illinois. Waves of German immigrants flocked to the Midwest in the 1840s and 1850s, and nowhere was that more evident than in central Illinois. It was not uncommon for German to be the predominant language in entire communities. According to noted Lincoln historian David Herbert […]

I found out on a Sunday afternoon last month. My husband, Peter, and I had just raided a 75 percent off plant sale. We loaded the loot into our van and were discussing landscaping plans as Peter turned the key. A warm rich voice filled the air. It was a familiar voice, one that’s invariably […]

“Stop the car!” my daughter Ashley exclaimed. I hit the brakes and anxiously looked around. We’d gone to see how high the creek on the other side of our road had risen after the heavy rains that Hurricane Ike sent our way. “I saw sulphur shelves!” Ashley said. Anticipation replaced my anxiety. Turning the car […]