Who doesn’t love cheese? I’ve had great cheeses from all over, but my favorites tend to be French. I love creamy camembert, nutty salty hard aged Mimolette, and the deep savory earthiness of blue veined brie. For us there was a bit of a learning curve, an acquiring of taste to really enjoy strongly flavored […]
I rarely pass up an offer to test premium spirits, and when asked if I’d like to try Herradura Tequilas I jumped at the chance. Founded in 1870, Casa Herradura is the world’s only remaining tequila producing hacienda, still harvesting agave by hand and estate bottling each batch using the same traditional methods they began […]
One of my earliest food memories was the discovery of a pear tree in the schoolyard way back in kindergarten. It was a sunny late fall day and as I ran through the leaves, the strangely shaped brown apples caught my eye. The sweet aroma of wet leaves and fallen fruit was too much to […]
I’ve been testing out a beautiful new baking dish from Revol that looks like a cute little pig and so far my favorite dish to make in it is a tender glazed pork loin with shallots, fresh sage and thyme. The open shape and high sides deliver moist, gentle roasting and the generous size leaves […]
People either love or hate oysters, I don’t know if I’ve ever met someone who was indifferent about them; there is just something so delightful about enjoying these briny little morsels of sweet tender flesh right out of their shells in their own natural broth. I never pass up a chance to have them, and […]
I can’t seem to get into the holiday spirit this year; no matter how hard I try I can’t get into Christmas movies or even find the motivation to set up the tree, which usually goes up the day after Thanksgiving. Something’s just different this year and I can’t seem to put my finger on […]
It is winter once again in Chicago. The harsh winds and short grey days call for comfort food and quiet reflection as we prepare ourselves for the chaos of the coming holiday season. This time of year will always make me think of the time we spent living in southern Germany; the winters there were […]
Over the last several months I have been rigorously testing some cookware from legendary French maker Mauviel, and it has totally changed the way I cook. From searing meats to simmering velvety sauces or baking perfectly golden desserts, nothing cooks like copper. Even a thick steak won’t chill a hot copper skillet, and perfectly even […]
Several years ago we celebrated our anniversary in Paris, where we stayed in a tiny yet charming apartment in the 6th arrondisement, spending a whole week exploring the sights, the sounds, and of course the flavors of La Ville Lumière; the City of Light. On our first evening we took a walk along the Seine […]
With the planting of the first wine grapes in northern Michigan’s Old Mission Peninsula back in 1974, Ed O’Keefe Jr. drew much criticism and stirred a controversy about the region’s suitability to wine growing. With the guidance of some of Europe’s foremost experts, he had selected a plot of land perched on a hilltop that […]
Local foods, and particularly street foods, connect us deeply with the places we live. Often consisting of humble ingredients and prepared in an efficient manner, they straddle a line between convenience and fine dining, often relying on a powerful punch of flavor from a key ingredient or special condiment for authenticity, and delivered in an […]
The end of summer calls for heartier dishes such as soups and stews, but this is the time when I really start to crave breads and pasta. When we traveled in Italy we were surprised how uncommon tomato-based sauces were; white wine sauces made with butter or olive oil and grated cheeses seemed much more […]
A Cook's Canvas 