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 […]
Food columnists
Posted inFood & Drink
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 […]
Posted inFood & Drink
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 […]
Posted inFood & Drink
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 […]
Posted inFood & Drink
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 […]
Posted inFood & Drink
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 […]
Posted inFood & Drink
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 […]
Posted inFood & Drink
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 […]
Posted inFood & Drink
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 […]
Posted inFood & Drink
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 […]
Posted inFood & Drink
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. […]
Posted inFood & Drink
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 […]
