The days before New Year’s Eve can be a respite from holiday excess. Not always, especially when families are frequently scattered and celebrations occur not on exact dates, but when it’s possible for everyone to assemble. This year, we’ll be celebrating Christmas Eve and Day on New Year’s Eve and Day – very different for […]
Food & Drink
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Christmas puddings
Traditional English plum pudding PHOTO COURTESY TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE “Hallo! A great deal of steam! The pudding was out of the copper. A smell like a washing day! That was the cloth. A smell like an eating-house and a pastry-cook’s next door to each other, with a laundress’ next door to that! That was the […]
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Books for kid cooks
Say what you will about the Food Network (and I can say plenty), the cable channel has gotten many children interested in cooking. I just hope that some kids are able to look beyond the glitz and hype to discover the pleasures of cooking and eating real food. Food and cooking can provide a way […]
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Christmas yeast breads
PHOTO BY PETER GLATZ Variations can be found worldwide, although they’re most common in Europe. And it’s a safe bet that the roots of those found in other parts of the planet are from there, too. Holiday yeast breads. America focuses on cookies, but elsewhere the most traditional holiday sweet treats are yeast-based. Perhaps best […]
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Messiah
Salted hazelnut bars PHOTO BY PETER GLATZ I’m overflowing with more Christmas spirit than I have been in years. It’s not because I’m finally finished with knee replacement surgeries and regaining strength and mobility. It’s not because I’m again able to decorate for the holidays. It’s not even primarily because my grandchildren are at the […]
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Not-so-sweet sweet potatoes
Mashed sweet potatoes with chipotles en adobo. PHOTO BY PETER GLATZ Lots of folks consider them an essential part of their Thanksgiving feast: A big dish of whipped sweet potatoes, topped with a thick layer of marshmallows, baked until the tops of the marshmallows become toasty brown. But I’m not one of them. Don’t get […]
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Chef, the movie
Emjay Anthony and Jon Favreau in Chef. PHOTO COURTESY OPEN ROAD FILMS I first heard about Chef, the movie, months ago from Springfield native and Chicago restaurateur extraordinaire, Kevin Boehm. “It’s about the restaurant business,” he said. “Hope they get it right. Almost none do.” Boehm understands chefs and restaurant life. And he was right. […]
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Oatmeal
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 […]
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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, […]
