Food & Drink

Putting together a big Thanksgiving feast can quickly become both pricey and complicated. However, with strategic planning and a few creative swaps, it’s possible to put on a generous, flavorful feast without the need for excessively long shopping lists and multi-step recipes. For those with freezer space to spare, buying a whole frozen turkey well […]

Last autumn, my wife, four family members and I had the good fortune of staying in a restored 16th-century farmhouse tucked away in southwestern France. We were based in Homps, a tiny village of just 80 residents, where the only local facilities were a chapel, post office and a cemetery – a place where we […]

Halloween cookery can range from playfully autumnal to murderously macabre. From festive pumpkin crostini to bloodied witches’ fingers and ghoulish eyeballs, the best recipes strike an appropriate balance between shock value and delicious taste. I like to achieve this by focusing on deep, vivid colors, contrasting textures and a reliance on gorgeous fall produce like […]

Making scratch-made caramel can be daunting. Between the intimidating prospect of boiling sugar and the risk of it seizing up into a crystallized lump, many choose to avoid the process entirely. This is a shame, because once a few key techniques are mastered, making caramel is only slightly more complicated than boiling a pot of […]

A gratin, according to the late chef Julia Child, is simply a preparation in which the top of a sauced dish is browned, usually under a hot broiler. In the first volume of her iconic cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, she describes a gratin as having “a sprinkling of breadcrumbs and grated cheese, […]

Pepper production is reaching its peak at Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery in Champaign. Our walk-in cooler is filling up with a brilliant display of red, yellow, green and orange capsicums. Even though we are currently experiencing a September heatwave that feels more like July, we know cold weather is around the corner, and one […]

Subtle hints of fall have begun to appear in spite of this month’s sweltering start. There’s a tinge of gold layered into the trees and although the afternoons have been unbearably hot, there’s a crisp, freshness to the morning air. Our local apple harvest is just beginning, with early season gala and Sweet Maia apples […]

August is undoubtedly our household’s most expensive month of the year, and the busiest. In addition to both of my kiddos having August birthdays, there’s back to school supplies, clothes and registration, the Illinois State Fair and if we’re lucky, maybe a little road trip. Add in the impulse to squeeze as much sunshine and […]