It's probably become clear to most readers that this is not a food blog where you read about desserts, and for that matter, about baking at all. There's a good reason. We're no good at it.
Cupcakes and chocolate cakes and other frivolous foods are the specialty of other writers. Besides a post or two about bread (we're pretty proud of our olive-and-herb-studded foccacia and the lengths...
Most people return from the beach with tans; I returned with tomatoes. It was a half-bushel, to be exact, and they were stashed in the back of a car as it wound its way from North Carolina, through the Great Smoky Mountains, and, some 16 hours later, finally to Chicago. Why such extravagant measures for tomatoes?
When it comes to tomatoes, I don't suffer fools, and I simply can't accept sub-p...
There isn't much argument that summertime is the peak season for cooking. It never gets easier than in August: the produce is top-notch, everywhere, and cheap. Locavores are finally settling down and enjoying themselves instead of passing judgement on the rest of us for buying zucchini out of season. You can make dinner by cutting up tomatoes and fresh mozzarella and calling it a masterpiece....
When I think of Mexican cuisine, I think of balance. Mexicans love acidity in their cooking, and that's what makes it so appealing to eat. Though it's a function of living in a warm climate--the same reason Thai cuisine is also fond of citrus, it's a necessary form of preservation--the culinary benefit has outlasted the necessity.
When you have something rich and heavy in your taco--like, s...
Obviously, this site is mostly devoted to cooking, and always has been. But watchful readers may have noticed over the years the occasional post slipped in about drinking. We've thankfully improved our recipes since the very first drinking post on this site, which involved mixing dark beer from New York's oldest pub, McSorley's, and some cheap vanilla ice cream. The result was the beer shake...
We're signing off for the week, ready to see family, drink some of our homemade hard apple cider , and fatten ourselves on turkey. We hope you're off to do the same! But before you do, please direct your attention to this week's Time Out Chicago , were you will discover a cheesy picture of your humble correspondents (above).
A month ago we met up with the dashing food folks over a...
Currently Blake and I have four gallons of apple cider fermenting in the back of his bedroom closet. The hope is that in a few days, thanks to some hungry yeast, we'll have something that might resemble hard apple cider. We're honestly nervous. We've undertaken ridiculous experiments before, but nothing that could potentially get us hammered. If it works, then we'll have made an alcoholic drin...
One of nature’s gifts in winter is citrus. While the tomatoes are mealy, the lettuces limp, and all of us hardly in the place to get excited about more root vegetables, our brightly colored friends fly in from warmer climes to shine a little light. Citrus fruits become larger, juicier, and more fragrant during the winter months when their true season begins.
Among citrus fruits, Meyer lem...
By Abby Parker
Although it seems odd because I will soon be married to the food-loving Paupered Chef (Nick), I was a very picky eater as a child. I did not just abhor the typical foods, but also disliked peanut butter, all carbonated beverages, and even bread. Other than McDonald’s, only one food item made me excited to eat: my mother’s yearly batch of apple butter. I would even...
I've been eating apples constantly this season, unable to help myself every time I saunter by the Union Square market (which is every morning, lunch hour, and evening on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). For once in my life, I may actually be approaching the appropriate serving suggestion for daily fruits and vegetables. I love breaking through the crisp, taut skin with my teeth, the spray of j...