Lion’s mane mushrooms have a dense, meaty texture similar to stewed beef and easily take on the flavors of this recipe; the result is familiar in its decadence but avoids the heaviness that often follows consuming red meat. Smoked bacon and beef broth provide ample meaty flavors while enriching the silky herbed sauce of aromatic […]
Here in the midwest, it seems there was almost no fall season this year, and already the deep winter weather is upon us. We Chicagoans are accustomed to brisk winters, but they usually don’t begin in early November with bone-chilling blasts. But here we are, leaves still green with late summer’s warmth, now frozen to […]
No fruit tastes as summery as ripe peaches, and late-season Georgia sweet peaches from Fresh Farms are the most luscious of all. The aroma of the ripening fruit is as intense and irresistible as the soft, sweet and tangy flavor. They’re also a treat for the eyes with their deep orange-yellow hue and vibrant patches of […]
Hard to believe last Tuesday was the first day of Spring, with some parts of the country still getting pounded by record snowstorms. While I’m anxious for the arrival of warm spring days, I fully intend to savor the last of the cold weather with the help of a few more pots of soup. With […]
How is it already late January? Usually, the quiet weeks that follow the chaotic holiday season seem to drag on and spring seems like a mirage far off on the horizon. Here in Chicago, we are enjoying the violent extremes of midwestern weather with weeks of sub-zero temperatures punctuated by days in the mid-’50s when […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 