Food & Drink

It’s rare these days to buy anything that will truly last 100 years, much less generations. Cast-iron cookware, when properly cared for, can last indefinitely. I have a set of cast-iron skillets that are true workhorses of my kitchen. Some I found at garage sales and the others I inherited from my great-grandmother. I cherish […]

At the south end of the land that is now Panther Creek Country Club sits the historic 1860 Spaulding Orchard farmhouse, my home for the last 35 years. What was once one of Illinois’ largest apple orchards and asparagus farms is now stately houses and rolling fairways. All that remains of Spaulding Orchard is a […]

Spring has sprung! Brightly colored bulb flowers are beginning to bloom and the cheeky chatter of songbirds fills the air. Winter is officially behind us. Unfortunately, the flu season has not completely melted away like the snow and ice. Everywhere I turn it seems another friend has been struck down with the virus. Indeed the […]

Diet fads and gimmicks generally don’t interest me. I’m immediately suspicious of any diet that suggests removal of an entire food group, and I tend to steer clear of low-fat or reduced-calorie versions of foods that are inherently rich and delicious. I made a personal decision long ago that a life without bread, pasta, cheese […]

Like many Americans, every year I looked forward to my St. Patrick’s Day corned beef and cabbage. And every year, my mother loved to remind us that if we really wanted to enjoy a traditional Irish feast, we should be having mussels instead. Indeed, mussels are a common meal on that rocky emerald isle in […]

I had a transformative experience recently. I was standing in my late wife Julianne’s teaching kitchen next to my daughter (and fellow IT food columnist) Ashley Meyer and longtime friend Chef David Radwine. Before us was CrossFit Instinct’s Longevity class, a roomful of folks ranging from 50 to 80 years old who work out together […]

Spend a few minutes perusing popular food blogs for health-conscious recipes and one thing begins to become clear – cauliflower is the new “it” vegetable. Thanks to popular diet trends such as a Paleo and Whole 30, health-conscious cooks and food bloggers have been developing creative and nourishing substitutes for our favorite starchy foods like […]

Turmeric is a spice rack regular in my kitchen. I use the deep orange powder when cooking Indian or Southeast Asian cuisine, and usually throw a pinch in when I’m making deviled eggs for more vividly colored yolks. It was never a spice that I gave much consideration though: often it is used as part […]

Champagne is a classic choice for Valentine’s Day, and it, along with other sparkling wines like cava, prosecco and moscato d’Asti, are some of the most versatile wines to enjoy and pair with food. If I had to choose one “desert island wine” for the rest of my life, I would choose Champagne, or méthode […]

Few dishes are more aptly suited to counter the effects of the bracing February wind than hot borscht. I remember the first time it was served to me as a young child. My family was in Chicago for the weekend, and it was a typically frigid winter day. After seeking refuge in the Art Institute […]