True, the name is a little off-putting. And their exterior, mottled with vermilion and/or brownish purple, sometimes looks more like a nasty bruise rather than something good to eat. But the first sight and taste of blood orange flesh reveal why they’re so highly prized. Blood oranges are ancient, but they’ve only been grown commercially […]
Julianne Glatz
Posted inFood & Drink
Quality brews at Grab-a-Java
There’s coffee and then there’s coffee. It ranges from gas station black swill you buy at 1 a.m. solely to push through the last hour of an extended road trip to fragrant ambrosia made from carefully selected and roasted beans that are freshly ground before being turned into brews prepared by trained baristas. For 16 […]
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RIP Hostess
They’re gone. Kaput. Fini. When the Hostess corporation, maker of Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Ho Ho’s, announced last November that it was filing for bankruptcy and closing its factories, the anguished howls were as intense as the hand-wringing over the impending “fiscal cliff.” Overnight, Hostess snack cakes disappeared from stores nationwide. Boxes of Twinkies sold […]
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Braising ’round the world
Americans think of braised dishes – those delectable concoctions of long-simmered ingredients surrounded by, but not submerged in, liquids – as quintessentially American or (primarily Western) European. True, there are many such, from American Southern smothered roasts and chicken fricassees to Irish stews and boeuf bourguignon. But braising techniques are used in recipes worldwide. There […]
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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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Motown’s green makeover
There have been thousands and thousands of words written and spoken about Detroit’s auto bailout. On Jan. 15, the fifth annual Slow Food Springfield Film Festival will feature Urban Roots a documentary about a different kind of bailout Detroit has been undergoing for the past few years – a green bailout. Detroit’s green makeover is […]
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Deborah Madison’s recipe for what’s hot in vegetables
It’s a sure bet that every year around this time, I’ll be pulling Deborah Madison’s Vegetable Soups from my cookbook shelves. There’s just something so right about vegetable-based soups – even substantial concoctions – after the surfeit of the holidays. Madison’s treatments of vegetables are masterful, whether she’s showcasing a single ingredient or combining contrasting […]
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Most detested holiday tradition made delectable
Does anyone like fruitcake? You know, that stuff with the candied fruits: green and red glacéed cherries and candied citron peel with a half-life equal to that of uranium. For me, the citron is the deal-breaker. I’m not alone. Citron, a type of citrus fruit, has been around a long time; the ancient “foodie” Theophrastus […]
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Spicy holiday gifts
I’ve said it before: I like giving holiday food gifts that aren’t sweet. Not because I don’t like sweets – or getting them, for that matter. But it’s nice to give something that stands out among the tidal wave of cookies and candies. Giving spice mixtures along with ideas and recipes of how to use […]
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Thanksgivings past spur thoughts on race, present and future
“Mrs. Obama … do you realize that when your husband becomes the next president of the United States, it will be historical?” “Why yes, I understand that. What does that mean to you?”“It means I can imagine anything for myself.” An exchange between Michelle Obama and a 10-year-old Ohio girl during the 2008 presidential campaign, […]
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Local big cheese on variety and expertise
Her voice halted me in my tracks. Right in front of the Montvale Schnucks’ newly renovated and expanded specialty cheese display, I quit pushing my cart. Shamelessly eavesdropping, I cast periodic surreptitious glances toward the speaker behind the counter. “This is Raclette. It’s from Switzerland and ….” A young Schnucks staffer was showing a piece […]
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Southern Foodways Symposium
My eyes were riveted on my laptop screen like a prepubescent adolescent’s anxiously awaiting Justin Bieber concert tickets to go on sale. The last few minutes went by with excruciating slowness, my hands poised over the keyboard. Suddenly the registration link activated. One click and it filled the screen. Hurriedly typing in my personal and […]
