Food & Drink

I’ve really gotten deep into LSK recently. It’s been helping me unlock potentials that have always been there but I’ve never before noticed. I’m discovering flavors and aromas and colors that I’ve never experienced. It’s really been transformative! I’m not talking about micro-dosing with a new psychedelic drug, but rather an ages-old marinade from Asia. […]

After a long day fighting spies in the service of Her Majesty’s Secret Service, there is apparently nothing more relaxing than ordering a vodka martini dry, shaken not stirred. James Bond’s iconic cocktail recipe has become so ubiquitous that it’s become the standard formula served at most bars and restaurants. Generally it is made with […]

The Japanese have a concept known as Mottainai, which expresses a sense of regret over waste. Mottai comes from a Buddhist word that refers to the interconnectedness of all things, living and non-living, and -nai means negation. Therefore, Mottainai is an expression of sadness over the wasted opportunity of things that have yet to reach […]

Working with chocolate can be tricky, but creating glossy, beautiful treats is possible in your own kitchen as long as you stick to a few key principles. Professional chocolatiers spend years mastering their craft and use expensive specialty equipment to melt and stir their chocolate to the perfect consistency. However, with a little science and […]

Tonight’s shift in the restaurant is over. I clocked in over 10 hours today and I’ve only been able to get off my feet for my half-hour family meal break. I’m very tired and my back and feet hurt. Even though I still have three more shifts ahead of me before my next day off, […]

Super Bowl Sunday is Feb. 12, just around the corner, and we have the playbook for perfect loaded nachos. Whether you’re prepping for a crowd or a lazy night in, this formula makes the most out of your favorite ingredients. The original nachos were created in the early 1940s by Ignacio Anaya, maître d’hôtel of […]

This past summer, after my job as a cook at a summer camp in upstate Washington had ended, we decided to travel north and take a car ferry to Vancouver Island to visit Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. Named after Queen Victoria, it’s one of the oldest cities in the Pacific Northwest and is […]

The original chopped salad was created in the late 1950s by legendary restaurateur Jean Leon at his ritzy La Scala restaurant in Beverly Hills. Celebrity sightings were commonplace at La Scala – Leon himself claimed to have personally served Marilyn Monroe her last meal (not a chopped salad). And although Natalie Wood was rumored to […]

Back in 1973, I was a student at the University of Illinois living seven miles off-campus in a trailer park in rural Champaign County. On my drive home from classes, I used to pass a little fromagerie appropriately named “The Cheese Store.” I was 20 at the time and was just beginning to learn about […]

There are few things I enjoy more than a good glass of bubbly. Champagne, while not the birthplace of sparkling wine, is considered to be the benchmark for top-quality bubbles. The region of France itself is quite small, measuring just under 135 square miles, and only wines grown and produced within its borders are allowed […]

A definition of the verb inspire is “to make someone feel that they want to do something and can do it.” After I finished reading the recently published The Miracle of Salt: Recipes and Techniques to Preserve, Ferment, and Transform Your Food by Naomi Duguid (Workman Publishing), I realized how much this author has played […]

Tis the season for cookies! Whether you like them crispy or chewy, spicy or frosted, we have tips to help you bake your best. Pastry chef Melanie Dineen works overtime during the holidays creating gorgeous cakes and cookies at Incredibly Delicious Bakery, a downtown Springfield culinary staple since it opened in 1995. No matter what […]