Several local companies are spicing things up—literally—with fresh and innovative blends that can easily take a meal from ordinary to extraordinary. From Tonguespank’s flavored sea salts and liquor-infused spice blends to Spicemode’s Indian-inspired infusions, the options are endless. Chefs have long enjoyed experimenting with various spices from around the globe, but now they are more accessible than […]
Nourishing and full of antioxidants, fresh-pressed juice cocktails are a healthy new drink trend we can raise a glass to. We’ll happily toss aside cloying, artificially colored syrups in favor of fresh botanicals and juices for a more refreshing poolside happy hour. Making your own flavored syrups or pressing your own juices is an extra […]
I’m not here to knock a good char-grilled burger or Chicago’s famous “char-dog”—they’re summer staples. But what about spring, when beach and pool season is on the horizon, but you’re still in your winter body? Grilled vegetables offer all of the smoky goodness with none of the guilt. Most vegetables fare well on the grill […]
When Memorial Day rolls around, we always get out the grill for dinner even if the weather doesn’t cooperate. It just feels right to kick off the grilling season that day. But rather than the typical burgers or ribs this year I am going to make a lighter supper for our fish-loving family. Halibut season […]
Leeks are like onion and garlic’s shy sibling. All three are in the allium family, but the latter two produce stronger, more assertive flavors while leeks combine the toned-down essence of each. Despite their gentle character, leeks are both larger and dirtier than their familial counterparts. When it comes to choosing leeks though, larger isn’t […]
Cinco de Mayo celebrates the batalla de Puebla when the native Mexicans defeated Napoleon’s army on May 5, 1862. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the holiday than to prepare and feast on traditional Mexican fare. My friend, Maria Concannon, owner of Don Juan’s Restaurant in Chicago, tells me there is a […]
I grew up in a popcorn family. Every night after dinner, after the dishes had been cleaned and put away, after homework was done, my mom would cook up a giant pot of popcorn then douse it in enough salt to keep a cardiologist in business for years. The smell of popcorn meant that it […]
Food and love are always intertwined. Back in 2012, Lake Forest’s Meg Barnhart was looking for a business project that would be able to employ adults with learning challenges, like her son, Doug. For many years, she had turned to her trusty crockpot to get healthy and delicious meals on the family table, and she […]
A visit to Germany in 1997 was my maiden trip overseas. I clutched my otherwise blank passport and roamed, eager to try new exotic foods. Everywhere my fiancé and I went, chalkboard menus were scrawled with spargel-this and spargel-that. Spargel, it turned out, was simply asparagus. We happened to visit during the height of Germany’s […]
Looking for a new margarita? Look no further than this spicy, citrusy refresher from Glencoe’s Guanajuato restaurant. Blood Orange Margarita Ingredients: 2 oz. jalapeño-infused tequila 1 oz of 03 orange liqueur 2 oz. fresh blood orange juice 1/2 oz. fresh lime juice 1/4 oz. simple syrup Directions: Place one cup of ice in a cocktail shaker. […]
