The Stew

Turkey fryers? Cooking fires? Keep your cool

leisureblogs — 2009-11-20T16:24:23-06:00

Posted by Judy Hevrdejs at 4:15 p.m. Keep your cool in the kitchen this holiday, steering clear of minidramas and focusing on cooking. "Unattended cooking is the main cause of cooking fires, and cooking fires are the leading cause of...

Let 'em eat butternut squash?

leisureblogs — 2009-11-19T13:43:21-06:00

Posted by Bill Daley at 1:42 p.m.Disturbing report from the Associated Press regarding possible shortage of canned pumpkin for those pumpkin pies. Never knew most of those pumpkins come from Morton, Ill. Why not use butternut squash instead as the...

Beaujolais nouveau is here

leisureblogs — 2009-11-19T11:44:19-06:00

Posted by Bill Daley at 11:45 a.m.It’s the third Thursday of November and wine lovers around the world know what that means: Beaujolais nouveau has officially arrived. The Nov. 19 release date is cause for much celebration, including right here...

Kombucha brewed in Tribune office produces delicious drinking

leisureblogs — 2009-11-18T13:26:20-06:00

Posted by Monica Eng at 2 p.m. I recently posted on my new found love for kombucha, the sparkling, fruity fermented tea drink, that goes for $4 a bottle at many local stores. Soon, a local kombucha fan named Neil...

Sun Wah and Salam get makeovers with divergent results

leisureblogs — 2009-11-18T10:45:32-06:00

Posted by Monica Eng at 11 a.m. In the last month, two of my favorite little joints (Sun Wah Bar B Que in Uptown and Salam in Albany Park) have undergone beauty makeovers and expanded in to much large spaces...

2010: Tastes like cardamom, smells like pina colada

leisureblogs — 2009-11-17T17:10:06-06:00

Posted by Phil Vettel at 5:10 p.m. Mintel, the Chicago-based consumer trendspotter, released its predictions for the flavors and scents that will be hot next year. Do you still have those pina colada-scented candles? Good, because scents that convey a...

Apoca-coffee-lypse Now? Starbucks raises its prices. Life continues.

leisureblogs — 2009-11-17T12:13:46-06:00

Posted by Chris Borrelli at 12:10 p.m. Last night -- if you haven't noticed yet this morning -- Starbucks raised the prices on a number of its drinks in the Chicago area, 10 to 15 cents. That large coffee is...

Tony Hu to offer Chicago's missing Chinese regional specialties

leisureblogs — 2009-11-16T18:07:10-06:00

Posted by Monica Eng While dining at Lao Beijing this weekend to learn about wine and regional Chinese food, I had the good fortune to run into the city’s top regional Chinese chef, Tony Hu. And boy did he have...

Dale Levitski takes over as chef of Sprout

leisureblogs — 2009-11-12T16:17:37-06:00

Posted by Phil Vettel at 4:15 p.m. The dramatic saga that is Sprout restaurant (1417 W. Fullerton Ave., 773-348-0706) continues, but this time there's good news. The restaurant's third chef since its early-October opening is "Top Chef" runner-up (Season Three)...

Winters farmers' markets return this weekend

leisureblogs — 2009-11-11T16:56:22-06:00

Posted by Bill Daley at 4:55 p.m. Saturday marks a new season of winter farmers' markets sponsored by Churches' Center for Land and People, an ecumenical organization working to strengthen rural life in Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa. The markets will...

Big Star offers big flavor for small bucks

leisureblogs — 2009-11-11T16:17:43-06:00

Posted by Monica Eng at 4 p.m. FIRST BITE In Chicago's ongoing saga of super chefs opening casual Latin-inspired eateries, Paul Kahan (Blackbird, Avec, Publican) debuted his much anticipated Big Star, (1531 N. Damen Ave., 773- 235-403) this week. To...

A fine setting for fine dining

leisureblogs — 2009-11-11T15:31:51-06:00

Posted by Phil Vettel at 3:30 p.m. The Third Annual Chill Event, a gourmet food and fine-wine gala benefiting Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago, will take place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at The Merchandise Mart. Scattered about...

Snickerdoodles and Funny Cake: Learned to bake these as a kid? You may have been a 4-Her

leisureblogs — 2009-11-10T14:59:02-06:00

Posted by Judy Hevrdejs at 2:00 p.m. The cookbook’s pale green cover and white spiral binding will never be mistaken for those 25-pound cookbooks from some of the world’s top chefs — the ones with glossy photos, $50 price tags...