Food & Drink

It would be difficult to find a garden vegetable more versatile or resilient than okra. Tall plants with delicate cream and burgundy-tinted flowers give way to slender pointed pods that can be stewed, stuffed, blanched, sautéed, deep-fried, roasted, grilled or even eaten raw. The history of okra is a long one and deeply woven into […]

I have fond memories of dining at the old Baur’s Restaurant just south of the Statehouse back in the early 80s. Surrounded by legislators, lobbyists and journalists, Baur’s was our special occasion restaurant in our early years in Springfield. I even took our young daughter there for a birthday date and ordered the chateaubriand for […]

Crispy vegetable tempura is my favorite way to satisfy a State Fair-induced craving for fried food at home. Tempura is a Japanese preparation in which vegetables and seafood are dipped in a light batter and deep-fried until perfectly crisp and golden. Unlike so many of the fried creations that we Midwesterns are so familiar with, […]

One of my daily tasks at my first restaurant job was to make a “green sauce” to accompany our bison or quail dish. I never had a specific recipe to work from, just a general formula. Since our restaurant was a “farm-to-table” concept, I made my green sauce with whatever seasonal herbs our farmers brought […]

“Greens! Greens, and nothing but greens!” This line from the Witch’s entrance in the first act of Sondheim’s Into the Woods often runs through my mind on repeat as I attempt to wrangle my unruly midsummer garden. I truly love my botanical refuge and the nourishment it provides, but, honestly, keeping up with the deluge […]

Look what they done to my song ma Look what they done to my song Well it’s the only thing That I could do half right And it’s turning out all wrong ma Look what they done to my song The words to this song by the singer-songwriter Melanie popped into my head as I […]

Francophiles rejoice! Excuses to throw on a beret and eat delicious Provencal cuisine abound this weekend. Beauty and the Beast opens at the Muni July 13 (running through July 22). The Tour de France cycling race is just past the halfway point and Bastille Day (the French holiday commemorating the storming of the notorious Bastille […]

Although Japan adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1873, the old Japanese 24-season lunisolar calendar is still used to celebrate birthdays and cultural events. July 7 is Shsho or “small heat day” when the “warm winds blow, and young hawks learn to fly.” In modern times, July 7 is also known as Hiyashi Chuka Day. Hiyashi […]

Chilled soups and garlicky flame-licked toasts are a perfect summer combination, whether you’re looking for an elegant make-ahead menu for entertaining or for those evenings when you just can’t be bothered to cook. While these refreshing chilled soups sadly don’t prepare themselves, they are ideal make-ahead dishes. Both soups will keep well in the fridge […]

Imagine what life was like around here in the 50s. I’m not talking about the 1950s when I was born. I’m talking about a hundred years before that, in the 1850s. Back then, all of Springfield’s public water came from a single pump on the southwest corner of the town square. That’s where you got […]

Springfield’s official Juneteenth festivities will feature an expanded six-day schedule of events this year, including a talent showcase and display of Juneteenth artifacts, Juneteenth Levitt AMP concert and Noir Art show at the Illinois State Museum – culminating with a parade and festival in Comer Cox Park June 17 and 18, and closing out with […]

When big box stores started putting local mom-and-pop shops out of business, our communities lost many experts and artisans. As local hardware stores, grocers and bakeries closed, we no longer had access to their knowledge and information. In the last decade, there has been a resurgence of locally owned artisanal businesses, including, thankfully, butcher shops. […]