Rhubarb polarizes people. My sister-in-law offered us the rhubarb from her garden. Many friends decline a slice of rhubarb pie no matter how attractive the crust is latticed. That’s OK. More for the rest of us. Rhubarb is super-easy to grow — especially in the Midwest — and it comes back every year with little...
Simple rubs, marinades and flavored butter up your grill game True confession: I grill outside all year long. This year, I won’t stand for anything bland to come off my grill — and, if I can help it, yours. An herby marinade sparked with a little crushed red pepper can add flavor to lean meats...
Chances are you’ve spent more time in the kitchen this past year. And the COVID-19 cooking craze hasn’t only been about putting dinner on the table; it has been a great way to tune out and decompress from the stress of living through a pandemic. Now that you have (almost) perfected your sourdough, it’s time...
Spring has sprung, but more than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, we know that it might not not look like it has in years past. But we need bright spots and sunshine now more than ever. So this spring, we’ll travel by way of our imaginations — and taste buds. Let’s picture spring of...
A quick look back at all the pandemic cooking I’ve done reveals a penchant for soup and sandwiches. Chiefly because it’s easy and economical to keep ingredients for those dishes on hand. Quality rolls in the freezer, sliced cheese and deli meats in the fridge. For soups, I rely on a stock of vegetables that...
Brunch. The dine-in restaurant occasion many of us miss most during this pandemic. With Valentine’s Day falling on a Sunday, we’ve rounded up a few restaurant-worthy recipes fit for the day. Cinnamon Muesli Pancakes, with Cranberry, Fig and Ginger Jam Prep: 20 minutes. Cook: 20 minutes. Makes: 16 four-inch pancakes. • 1 cup all-purpose flour...
I’m sure this will come as no surprise, but when I open up my Pinterest app, I always am treated to a lot of beautiful food images. There is one particular image that floats by fairly regularly: It’s a recipe for detox soup. The image shows a healthy, lentil-based vegetable soup in an off-white speckled,...
For many of us, this holiday season is going to look a whole lot different than it has in years past. And for many others, it is going to be pretty much like any other holiday season. Whatever your plans, this article definitely is for you because it is about cheese log. And who can...
Eat, cook, read. If that’s your mantra, feast on these books — new and old, factual and fanciful— and all odes to food, glorious food. New this year is “Everything Is Under Control: A Memoir with Recipes,” by Phyllis Grant (Farrar, Strauss and Giroux). If you’ve intuited that the title is ironic, you are right....
With parties likely becoming smaller this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I have decided to make them much simpler as well. Everyone loves appetizers. So, why not make your holiday planning easy and delicious serving those a la cocktail party? Don’t have the time to research fantastic recipes? I got you. I am all...
The holiday brunch is a long-held tradition for many families. And while this year’s brunch might not include that big extended family gathering like it usually does, there is some warm and fuzzy feelings to be had at the table with immediate family. So, break out the Christmas china and those special recipes that only...
For a Thanksgiving Day twist, consider these decadent dessert options. Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake Bars, with Streusel Topping Crust • 1½ cups cinnamon graham cracker crumbs • ¼ cup white sugar • 1 tablespoon brown sugar • 6 tablespoons melted butter Cheesecake • 2 8-ounce packages full-fat cream cheese, room temperature (leave out at least one...
When Whitney Sanger and Kevin Scharpf started Project Rooted in February, they had no idea that within 10 weeks, they would serve more than 35,000 free lunches to families in need due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We know that health stems from the inside,” Sanger said. “By feeding kids nutritious food, we not only nourish...
What is the recipe to encourage daughters to have an entrepreneurial spirit and a dedication to improve their community? For Lara Walters and her family, it comes down to a passion for cupcakes. Together, she and her daughters operate Three Sisters Sweet Shoppe in Elizabeth, Ill. Located on Main Street in the heart of downtown,...
In my family, we regard eating and talking as among the noblest human endeavors. So, it’s little wonder we have developed our language about food. There is no place in it for the clichés of food writers — the “robust” stew or the “amusing” wine. Instead we speak of the “pick,” the “prance and a...
Pasta is a favorite for dinner because it doesn’t generally require a lot of special ingredients or equipment. That said, a dish of noodles covered in red or meat sauce can feel a bit heavy when it’s warm outside. The solution? Toss the pasta instead with a simple sauce made with cherry tomatoes, garlic and...
Companies like Blue Apron and HelloFresh became all the rage a few years ago, delivering easy-to-make meals directly to customers each week. The catch often can be the hefty price tag and subscriptions that lock customers into a long-term relationship they might not need. But you can ditch the national chains. Get rid of those...
In the 1980s, a New York bartender named Dale DeGroff became enamored with a 19th century cocktail book written by a bartender named Jerry Thomas. Dubbed “King Cocktail,” DeGroff is credited with a cocktail renaissance of sorts, bringing back the fancy drinks often served in city bars during the early 20th century and coining the...
Ordering out for pizza more often during the pandemic? Here’s a pizza that you can make at home and takes only minutes to put together. It has a creamy, garlic sauce and is a nice change from tomato-based pizzas. This recipe calls for a thin crust pizza base you can buy ready-made. I like to...
You’ve been grilling all summer long, which means you might be in need of some new ideas this Labor Day Weekend. Experts say, no matter what equipment you’re using, the secret to making a big impact on the flavor of your food is BBQ pellets. “With the amazing wood smoke flavors that cooking with wood...
As we emerge from our spring COVID-19 cocoons and spread our wings into our new, rapidly shifting normal, Florida recently recorded more than 15,000 COVID-19 cases in one day, and there is a serious quandary about if and how schools will re-open in the fall. I also am beginning to emerge from my cocoon of...
My husband, Mike, and I recently were gifted a set of absolutely gorgeous antique kebab skewers. They were made in Turkey, which is fitting because the term “shish kebab” is Turkish in origin. In Turkish, “shish” means sword or skewer. And it is said the name came from the practice of medieval Turkish soldiers cooking...
As soon as the weather started to warm up, I got the itch to plant my garden. This is my fourth season growing produce in containers on my porch. After a rough summer last year in which pretty much all of my plants died, bolted or got infested with caterpillars, I was raring to try...
GALENA, Ill. — With fertile valleys and optimal growing conditions, vineyards and wineries began to appear in California around 1769. The first ones were founded by Catholic missionaries from Spain. Family names like Mondavi, Gallo, Masson and Beringer quickly became associated with California wines. With ancestral roots in powerhouse wine countries like France and Italy,...
If you have attempted to set foot inside your local grocer recently, we don’t have to tell you: People are stocking up. While making healthy food choices might not be at the top of your grocery list, there are plenty of reasons to keep nutrition a top priority — especially during a pandemic. With this...
Pandemic. For obvious reasons, I’ve been thinking a lot about this word lately. It is derived from two Greek words: Pan, which means “all,” and “demos,” which means people. So, pandemic is something affecting all people. Yep, check. I think that word definitely captures what is going on right now. It also got me thinking...
The coronavirus lockdown gives keen home cooks a chance to hone their skills. But what about the rest of us? Novices, or consumers of ready meals, have time on their hands, too, and this is an opportunity to learn how to cook dishes that are simple and delicious, especially if a culinary master takes time...
With many whipping up delicious concoctions in their home kitchens amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s likely that many also have encountered one or two instances when their pantry or cupboards didn’t have all of the essential ingredients that were needed for a recipe. The struggle is real. But not to worry. If you haven’t planned...
A colleague of mine recently had her first baby, who at the time of this writing will be 5 months old and chunky as all get out (the baby, not the colleague). The little one also is in the throes of her first fever/cold combo, and no one in her house is getting much sleep....
The theme for this month’s issue of Her magazine is relationships. And I, of course, write about food, and in particular, how food is a great way to bring people together. So when I was contemplating my topic for this month’s column, I thought: Food … bringing people together … relationships. I got it! Aphrodisiacs....
Anna Spoerle is feeling good. The Benton, Wis., resident has been practicing intermittent fasting for more than two years with the help of nurse practitioner Stephanie Grutz, of Balance Integrative Health & Wellness in Dubuque. Spoerle, 34, suffers from multiple sclerosis. It’s one of the reasons she started researching a way to restore her energy...
My journey into plant-based eating originates largely from listening to my intuition. When I teach yoga, I teach about how to listen to, engage and feel our bodies in a way that allows us to move intuitively. When I run, I would describe the way I listen to my body and adjust workouts based on...
As we recover from the frazzle, the food and the credit card bills of the holiday season, the beginning of the year serves as a time of reflection and fresh starts. A blank calendar (one of life’s unsung pleasures, if you are me), a commitment to a healthy diet or less caffeine or a new...
The holiday season often becomes about to-do lists, gifts, decorations, food and events — many of which are done to put a twinkle in others’ eyes. Making it look effortless is part of the charm, too. So, as things get checked off lists, it’s time to take a festive break with these holiday cocktails made...
Ah, the holidays. Already? How did we get here so quickly? For some, this is a cherished, happy, family-filled time of year. For others, the holidays can be a bit of a gray cloud over our heads. They have been both for me through the years. But no matter where I have been in my...
I was born and raised in Wisconsin, and except for a short stint in Chicago in the mid-1990s, it is where I lived my entire life until moving to Dubuque in 2012. It’s not like Iowa and Wisconsin are so very different. But there is one striking difference that became starkly evident to me the...
Often our earliest culinary influence is our mother or grandmother, but that really wasn’t the case for me. Distance made a daily relationship with my grandparents impossible. And my mother — while she instilled in me her sense of humor, caring nature and organizational skills — isn’t an easy, natural cook. (That said, she pulled...
Foods can be very comforting at times, both for their deliciousness and sentimentality. We asked readers for examples of their favorite comfort foods and received three special submissions. Grandma Bread If you have ever been to the Galena (Ill.) farmers market, you would find “Susie breads.“ This rising bread story started more than 25 years...
Now that you’ve gotten through all the wine tastings and vineyard tours that have been all the rage throughout the past few years, are you ready to take your new love of wine to the next level? By now, you probably have determined which wines are your favorites, which are not and those that you...
Love to chow down? Check out a few of the great foodie offerings on tap this fall in the tri-states: Wingfest 2019 Time/date: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14. Site: Farley (Iowa) City Park, 604 Seventh Ave. NE. Cost: Free, with food available for purchase. What to expect: Twelve competitors will be cooking more than...
It was never Kimberly Thompson’s lifelong ambition to one day own a store. It was only after she moved to Galena, Ill., and started working in a retail setting that she realized that was what she wanted to do. More than 20 years later, the Grateful Gourmet continues to grow. “I moved to Galena and...
There is much to desire about late summer and early fall — particularly when it comes to the vegetables in season, ripe for harvest. “My favorite thing about late summer and fall, (in relation to farming) is the first big pepper harvest,” said Andie Donnan, co-operator of Sandhill Farm with Ashley Neises. “Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers...
I’ve written a lot here in the past about not only about food, but the ways food fits into our society and plays a role in our lives. I am a deep believer in this aspect of food: How slowing down, taking the time to prepare and enjoy a meal together can truly enrich our...
When it comes to getting your hands dirty in the kitchen, the good news is that with today’s kitchen tools, you don’t always have to. We took a spin to Galena, Ill.’s The Grateful Gourmet to check out what’s hot in the world of cooking utensils and tools. Here are nine customer and store favorites...
When it comes to where to go for a decadent French toast bar, a made-to-order omelet station and a bottomless mimosa, brunch options have become plentiful. From tried and true tri-state establishments such as The Bridge Restaurant & Lounge and Timmerman’s Supper Club to fusion fare from newcomers to the fine dining arena such as...
I’ve always understood (and indulged) the allure of travel. Some of my earliest memories are of traveling to foreign lands. (Thanks Mom and Dad, for your bravery and stamina in traveling overseas with a 3-year-old.) Most of the time those on those trips, we were headed to my father’s birthplace — Haifa, Israel — where...
Food is such an important part of traditions and rites of passage — not just in our country but around the world. Chicken soup is an important postpartum staple in countries as varied as China and Mexico, for instance. However, there is one rite of passage in our country where food moves beyond its typical...
