Oatmeal scones. PHOTO BY PETER GLATZ I’ve always despised cold cereal, even as a child. Occasionally I’d be seduced by cheery cartoon characters on commercials and nag my mother into buying Fruit Loops or Rice Krispies. But after I’d eaten a couple spoonfuls and fished out the bananas, the soggy stuff lost its appeal. Oatmeal […]
Food & Drink
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Hummingbird cake
PHOTO © Aiselin/Dreamstime.com In the pantheon of glorious southern cakes, none is more beloved than hummingbird cake. And probably none has more variations, not so much in the actual cake itself (although the proportions can vary) or in the cream cheese frosting; the variations come in how and with what it is garnished. Hummingbird cake […]
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A spooky supper
Witches fingers. PHOTO BY PETER GLATZ Halloween treats don’t all have to be sweet. Here are some devilish dishes for a spooky supper to delight kids and adults alike. Most iterations of witches fingers are made with cookie dough. Cheddar pastry makes a great savory alternative. Witches fingers• 1/2 lb. sharp orange-colored cheddar cheese, grated […]
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Stalking wild mushrooms
PHOTO BY LEBRAC FROM WIKIPEDIA.ORG “Stop the car!” exclaimed my daughter, Ashley, shortly after we left home. Hitting the brakes, I anxiously looked around. Both the woods on the left and fields and houses on the right looked the same as always. “I saw sulphur shelves!” Ashley said. Turning around, we crawled along until she […]
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Two kinds of people
ILLUSTRATION BY Theresa Schiffer There are two kinds of people in this world, those who have worked in food service and those who haven’t. It’s not the first time I’ve heard that sentence. In fact, it’s axiomatic to anyone who has ever worked in food service. I heard it again recently when my son, Robb, […]
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An apple Oktoberfest: gemütlichkeit
Apples and Oktoberfest. Could there be a better pairing? Traditional German cuisine is filled with apple dishes, many especially intended for cooler weather. Gemütlichkeit is a German word that doesn’t have an exact English equivalent single word. But think of a combination of good food, good company, a stein of beer or two and plenty […]
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Fall farmers markets
Old Capitol Farmers Market is open Wednesdays and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. until Oct. 25. PHOTO BY PATRICK YEAGLE Crisp fall temperatures have arrived, as welcome now as was the first warm spring breeze after a frigidly hellish winter. Even when daytime temperatures rival those in mid-August, the heat isn’t as oppressive, the […]
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Barbecue nation
PHOTO BY BILL HOGAN/MCT “Geez, I’m so sorry, but I can’t do it this year,” I told Jeff Ball. “I haven’t been able to visit my grandson in Brooklyn for ages. And I haven’t seen my son, Robb, since he moved to Vermont last November. Unfortunately the week of Blues and BBQs is the only […]
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Green tomatoes
Pickled green tomatoes will keep at least 6 months in the refrigerator allowing you to enjoy your fall harvest through the new year. PHOTO PETER GLATZ Of course, my childhood’s late summer/early fall biggest tradition was beginning school. But there were culinary traditions, too. The seasonal tomato flood reached its peak, and canning tomatoes either […]
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Chef of celebrities
Jaime Laurita, the Hope Institute’s Celebrity Chef for this year’s benefit. The Hope Institute for Children and Families is breaking new ground this year. Their choice of chef for the 20th Annual Hope Celebrity Chef fundraiser isn’t at the helm of a highly regarded (usually Chicago) restaurant, as have been the chefs at earlier benefits. […]
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Steak your claim
If you’re grilling steak this Labor Day weekend, why not grill extra for a second meal later in the week? Below are three of my favorite ways to use leftover steak, although, they’re delicious enough that I sometimes grill steak just to make them. This is wonderful picnic or travel fare. It can be made […]
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Being there
Former president Richard Nixon The passage of the Civil Right’s Act 50 summers ago has gotten lots of media attention this year, and rightly so. But there’s been little – at least that I’ve heard – of the 40th anniversary of another milestone in American history. I’d forgotten that Watergate and Nixon’s resignation happened in […]
