Whether you’re looking to stock up your own freezer with hearty weeknight meals, help out an overworked friend or are just ready to embrace cozy fall flavors, these freezer-friendly recipes make good use of late-summer produce like peppers, eggplant and turnips. They’re ideal weekend projects and all yield several quarts, making them perfect candidates for […]
Food & Drink
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Don’t throw away your cantaloupe rinds
The latest stop in my culinary journey has landed me in the Research and Development and Fermentation Laboratory of Audrey, Sean Brock’s new restaurant in Nashville. The lab manager, Elliot Silber, holds a degree in food chemistry from McGill University, in addition to being a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. He is passionate […]
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Baking with Bundt, an American classic
Now considered an American classic, the original Bundt pan was designed by Minnesota-based Nordicware in 1950. The aluminum ring-shaped cake pan with fluted edges was an updated version of a cast-iron pan used to bake Gugelhupf, a traditional yeast-leavened cake common throughout central and eastern Europe. Nordicware’s updated version was lightweight and allowed for even […]
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Tender, flavorful chicken breasts
Chicken breasts can often be quite dry and bland. They have a low fat-to-protein ratio, and fat content is a major contributor to flavor and moistness. Chicken breasts just aren’t something you can throw in a pan and come up with something flavorful. Nonetheless, they are extremely popular and convenient because they cook quickly, but […]
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Bottled sunshine
August is a month of overwhelming bounty. Garden plots that seemed to eke along for weeks are finally bursting forth with produce (and weeds!). If you’re lucky enough to be blessed with an overabundance of sun-kissed tomatoes or peppers, putting up a few jars of preserves or jellies is a fun and creative way to […]
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The Oklahoma onion burger
I’m back in Oklahoma City for a few weeks, helping out at Nonesuch, the restaurant I worked at before the pandemic. Our bus is encamped at a peaceful spot beneath a big oak tree at the farm of Nonesuch’s general manager. The daily high temperatures have been over 100 degrees F every single day of […]
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Peach bounty
Years ago I was given a white peach tree as a memorial for my mother by some thoughtful colleagues. Before her death my mom, Julianne Glatz, was the original author of the Illinois Times food column, and one of my coworkers recalled that she’d once written that white peaches were one of her most favorite things. […]
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Lentils grow on you
Lentils, whose scientific name is Lens culinaris, are little legumes with lens-shaped seeds. One of our most ancient food crops, lentils were first cultivated 10,000 years ago in an area of the Middle East known as the Fertile Crescent. Lentils are an inexpensive source of high-quality protein and fiber and are becoming increasingly popular as […]
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Fritter away
Fritters are what you call a back-pocket recipe. The same technique can be employed to turn small amounts of practically anything into a satisfying and delectable treat. It’s a wonderful way to take advantage of the overwhelming variety of produce that is locally available and is a handy way to use up leftovers and minimize […]
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Homemade Sriracha
I spent the first month of the summer working at a camp in Washington’s Cascade mountains with a cellphone signal that flip-flopped between one bar and “No Service.” Though I was by no means “off the grid,” I wasn’t able to get my Facebook and Instagram feeds to refresh, so I pretty much gave up […]
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Make salad the main course
Whether you’re looking for healthful make-ahead lunches or a colorful dish for a cookout, these recipes make the most out of summer’s bounty. All are nutritionally complete and can be modified to suit many different dietary requirements. Use whatever veggies you have on hand when making the Pan-Asian noodle salad. The addition of shelled edamame […]
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What I learned at summer camp
“Oh my goodness! What have I gotten myself into this time?” It’s 5 a.m. and the sun is about to rise. I’m in the Pacific Northwest working as a head cook at a summer camp for kids. In about three hours, I have to have breakfast ready for 120 campers and 40 staff. After I […]
