Earthy, sexy, silky, sunchokes beguile. To me, they’re like truffles in their scent and ability to make you crave just a little bit more. Peeled, simmered and pureed, these unlovely-looking little lumps transform into a beautifully aromatic soup. Or simmered and smashed with spinach, potato and garlic they make a delicious, original side. Continue Reading…
In a typical day, Shelby McCreedy might deal with, oh, money laundering, public indecency, intoxication, and some kind of theft. A special agent for the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, McCreedy “deals with bad guys all day.” But at home? “I’m like Betty Crocker—with a gun,” she jokes. Continue Reading…
I so love the flavor of our wine-poached pears with a little cheese, it made me imagine them in this savory-sweet tart, with goat’s cheese, rosemary, honey and a little salt and pepper. Sooooo….here’s that. Continue Reading…
As far back as the 15th century, English cooks discovered that wine-poaching hard pears made them both tender and palatable. One Syon Abbey recipe had cooks: “pare wardens (hard cooking pears) clean, seethe them in red wine till they be tender, then take them up and put them in a pot; put thereto wine of Crete or Vernage (Verona)…powder of sugar and powder of ginger and let them boil awhile and then serve forth.” Continue Reading…
The bar cookie brings with it the promise of plenty, the memory of family gatherings where people talked long and laughingly and dessert was a reward for kids who cleaned their plates. With all the press about eating in season, it’s nice to remember that the humble bar cookie showcased that long before it was en vogue, featuring whatever came from the garden or farmstand. Fresh, first, and then from preserves that had been “put by.” Continue Reading…
I would never have thought to put dates with chocolate. But wow! So good! The result, as exemplified in this 1947 cookie recipe from the much-missed Marshall Field’s department store kitchens, is way better than any of you date-doubters out there might expect. Continue Reading…
PTA School Barbecue Day has been a beloved tradition at Franklin Park, IL, District 84 schools since the 1950s. Featuring PTA-mom-made Sloppy Joes that fill the halls with the delicious aroma of seasoned beef, this monthly tradition was–back then–the only day kids didn’t have to go home for lunch. “For grade school boys, ordering food for Barbecue Day was a prelude to an eating contest,” remembers one LRF reader who wrote in for the recipe. “I remember washing our desks with liquid soap from the bathrooms while we waited for the food to come, propping the desktops level so the food wouldn’t slide off. And then the sandwiches, wrapped in paper, would be delivered to our desks along with chips, chocolate snack cake and a carton of milk.” Continue Reading…
One of Chicago’s most famous pastry chefs until his death in 2011, Lutz Olkiewicz was sweets master at the Drake hotel for 25 years, followed by corporate pastry-chefdom at Sara Lee. Although known for complicated treats, Lutz worked wonders with simple desserts, too. These Raspberry Nut bar cookies are a good example. Continue Reading…
Although there’s not much razzle dazzle on the outside, beauty–delicate, buttery, apricot-tender, cinnamon-sugared perfection–lies within. Susan Levin of Long Grove, IL, tells us that as an only child, she loved going to her Grandma Bertha’s for a Saturday-night sleepover full of baking. Years later, Susan acquired a boyfriend with a, “serious sweet tooth.” He, too, loved Grandma’s Apricot Delights. So much so, that he made a special plea that Susan learn how to make them. Continue Reading…
When I was growing up, our sometime babysitter Shirley loved baking. I can still see her, arms crossed behind her back, sensible shoe tapping, peering through her black-rimmed glasses through the window of our 1970s wall oven. Shirley shooed us away from the raw dough, convinced we’d die of raw-egg poisoning. But she did let us decorate the cookies–garish overloads of sugar sprinkles, for sure. No matter how many batches of creative cookies I bake, this classic is always included. Continue Reading…