It’s my earliest taste memory: Climbing our white peach tree to pick a dead-ripe sun-hot fruit. Biting into its flesh, I’d savor its succulence as the warm juices dribbled down my chin. That tree is long gone. Fortunately prime peach-growing territory surrounds Springfield, unless there’s a late-season freeze. Tree-ripened peaches and their fuzz-free cousins, nectarines, […]
Food & Drink
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The kindness of strangers
“…I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.”From Tennessee Williams’ play, A Streetcar Named Desire My circumstances and those culminating in those final words of A Streetcar Named Desire couldn’t have been more different. But on Memorial Day, I kept hearing Williams’ words in my head. I still do. In last week’s IT I […]
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Shoefly pie
Pennsylvania Dutch/Amish cooking is known for its pies. Shoefly Pie is perhaps the most indigenously famous. It’s also a favorite in America’s South. Truthfully, shoefly pie isn’t a personal favorite; it’s intensely sweet, to me often cloyingly so. That’s how it got its name: flies were drawn to cooling sugary pies. I prefer desserts that […]
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How I spent my summer vacation
On Memorial Day, I was once again heading to Brooklyn by myself. But this time I was driving our full-sized van, overflowing with camping gear. I’d spend some time with my grandson, daughter and son-in-law; my husband, Peter, would fly out a few days later; then we’d all (including our son, Robb, in Boston) head […]
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Ceviche with seafood, avocado, and grapefruit
Basic instructions for cooking scallops Cooking scallops is easy and fast – in fact, the only potential concern is making sure they’re not overcooked, in which case you’ll be eating tasty morsels with the texture of a rubber band. Scallops available locally are usually either small bay scallops – about an inch long and as […]
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Scrumptious scallops
Many years ago, I bought sea scallops. It was a cool day. I came home directly from the store and refrigerated them, but when I opened the bag to start cooking, a nauseating smell hit my nostrils. Even now, remembering that smell makes my stomach turn. I resealed the bag and stuck it back in […]
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RHUBARB AND WHITE PEPPER CHUTNEY
Rhubarb is at peak season right now, making this chutney a springtime specialty. It’s great brushed on grilled chicken (especially wings) or as an accompaniment to cheese and crackers. 1/3 c. (one third cup) finely chopped shallots, OR substitute (NOT-Supersweet) white onion 1 T. butter 2 c. fresh rhubarb, sliced into 1-inch pieces 1/2 c. […]
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Picklese (a.k.a. Pikliz)
This classic condiment can be found on every table in Haiti, oftentimes even when there isn’t a table in that devastated and destitute country. I first heared of Picklese when I was researching for an article about the horrible effects on Haiti rendered by a hurricane in January of 2010. But it was more fully […]
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SWEET POTATO HABAÑERO HOT SAUCE
Hot sauces made from Habañero peppers are endemic in the Caribbean, but seldom found elsewhere. I first tasted this riff on a traditional Caribbean Carrot hot sauce that substitutes sweet potato for the carrots at Cochon, a wildly popular New Orleans restaurant with a new branch in Lafayette, La. I’ve eaten at both, and each […]
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The heat is on!
I’ve heard it over and over: People in the hottest places on the planet eat spicy-hot foods is because it makes them feel cooler. Really? For me, eating spicy-hot food on the high temperature/humidity days of central Illinois’ summertime doesn’t make me feel cooler. I just sweat more – a lot more. Regardless, I love […]
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SOUR CHERRY MOJO
This mojo spreads its wings over different cultures, making it appropriate for Latin American grilled pork or poultry, or even as a condiment for Argentinian grilled (provolone) cheese. It’s also a wonderful accompaniment to fishes suitable for grilling, including salmon, trout, swordfish and seafood such as shrimp. 2 c. dried sour cherries 3 c. red […]
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Prairie Fruits Farm brings its cheeses to farmers market
I start anticipating them each year as winter melts into spring: Springfield’s farmers markets. It’s not just because of the local produce and products I can buy, although that’s a big part of it. It’s also about getting reacquainted with longtime vendors. And it always gladdens my heart to see new farmers and vendors who’ve […]
