Illinos mud chicken. PHOTO BY PETER GLATZ Choral music and churches are, if not inseparable, at least closely related. Student glee clubs and show choirs have widened the gap somewhat. Even the big orchestral choral works more often than not have religious subjects. The Springfield Choral Society rehearses at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral and sometimes […]
Food – Julianne Glatz
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Ham or lamb?
I couldn’t find statistics, but apparently ham is the centerpiece of most American Easter dinners; lamb is also traditional, though less so. My family has always been firmly in lamb’s camp. My grandmother’s roast leg of lamb was legendary, not least because of its gravy. The correlation between lamb and Easter is obvious: lamb and […]
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‘Downton Abbey’
The cast of “Downton Abbey.” PHOTO COURTESY PBS I’m not ashamed to admit it: I’m hooked on “Downton Abbey.” “They should have called it Downton crack,” said my daughter Ashley, a fellow enthusiast. “Downton Abbey” which appears in America under the aegis of PBS’s “Masterpiece Theater,” has become the most watched ,television series in history. […]
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Schutte headed for Aspen – again!
Central Illinois Organic Farmer Stan Schutte with Chicago Chef Tim Graham. PHOTO COURTESY TIM GRAHAM Two years ago, I wrote about Stan Schutte, the central Illinois farmer whose heritage breed Tamworth pig won the national Cochon 555 competition against other regional winners in cities all around America with pork dishes created by Chicago chef Jason […]
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Jujobee café
Tuyen and Hau Nguyen have brought authentic Vietnamese banh mi to Springfield. PHOTO BY JOE COPLEY It’s taking America by storm. The banh mi, essentially a Vietnamese submarine, inspires articles like “Are banh mi becoming America’s favorite sandwich?” in major food publications. The New York Times prints a piece rating NYC’s best banh mi shops […]
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Surprise!
We Glatzs have a long history of throwing surprise parties, largely due to my husband, Peter. For my first birthday after our wedding, for days ahead he’d get up after I’d fallen asleep, roll a towel against our bedroom door to keep any smells out, and begin cooking through the night, storing his efforts in […]
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German Christmas traditions: Fröhliche Weihnachten!
Deutschland may not be “über alles,” but German Christmas traditions are deeply ingrained in American yuletide celebrations. Many are centuries old, such as festooning the house with evergreen boughs, a practice dating back to the Middle Ages (perhaps even longer, to pre-Christian times) and which eventually led to decorated Christmas trees. Until the advent of […]
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Here comes the judge!
From now on, I’d appreciate it if you would address me as “Your Honor.” I’ve been a judge at various food competitions over the years, including the Heritage Recipe Contest at the State Fair last week and, since 2006, at Springfield’s Blues and BBQs Festival. But this time I’m not just any schmuck who gets […]
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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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What happened to horseshoes?
“They’re just not elegant anymore,” my mother sighed. Horseshoes? Elegant? Springfield’s iconic dish that almost inevitably appears on our pubs’ and casual eating establishments’ menus? The gargantuan pig-out preparation beloved of Springfield area residents that’s often viewed with disbelief by visitors? “Do you folks actually eat those things?” asked Peter Segal, host of NPR’s “Wait, […]
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It’s alive!
A couple months ago, I lost something valuable. The value wasn’t monetary; it was precious because I’d created it and kept it alive for 15 years. Truthfully, I’d come to take it for granted, knowing that even if I neglected it for months, it would still be there whenever I needed it. Only when I […]
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What’s healthy?
I started laughing when I spied the bottles of grapefruit juice at the store. “What’s funny?” another shopper asked. “It says ‘Fat Free,’” I chuckled. “Why does that make you laugh?” she asked. “Because grapefruit juice is naturally fat-free,” I replied. “They’re trying to make us think it’s something special when it’s just regular grapefruit […]
