TRAVEL/FOOD

Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland

“Every state or every little city or little town has different recipes that are important to the people there.”

Jane Simon Ammeson 4 days ago Leave a Comment

Round Barn Estate Shake & Stir Workshops

Round Barn Estate's Shake and Stir Workshops demonstrate how to make cocktails using products in season.

Matchday Menu: Adam Richman’s New Show

Adam Richman,TV personality, culinary traveler, cook and author, travels so much for his shows such as “Secret Eats with […]

The Golden Lamb: Turning Abraham Lincoln’s holiday into a 150 years old tradition

The Golden Lamb had been open for three decades or so when Lincoln visited Lebanon, Ohio. Though no records exist […]

Tim Vidrio is New Executive Chef at Chicago’s Michelin-starred North Pond restaurant

After 20 Years, Bruce Sherman Turning Over Kitchen to Chef de Cuisine Tim Vidrio. Since taking over what was a […]

Turkey Masks: How to Make A Better Holiday Turkey

My friend Angela McCrovitz, owner of the Captain’s House in Miller Beach, which is a Lake Michigan beach enclave on […]

50 Ways to Love Wine More: Adventures in Wine Appreciation!

It’s about what you like, not what the big time wine critics say you should like says Jim Laughren, author […]

December in Tokyo Brings Cool Weather and Warm Lights

Tokyo really knows how to end the year in style. December in Japan’s capital is a magical time full of […]

Hero Dinners: Complete One-Pan Meals That Save the Day

The requirement for hero dinners were simple and called for three things--using a pan or skillet, including a protein, vegetable, and a starch and using ingredients that are natural or minimally processed.

Missing Howard: Johnson That Is

I worked at HoJo’s when I was a teen and as a young girl, when we traveled to New York, Connecticut and along the eastern seaboard, we typically stayed at their lodges. HoJo is Me!

Cleveland Kraut: Crafted Fermentation

Cleveland Kraut, a relatively new company named by USA Today as one of their top ten best new health foods, sells a variety of sauerkraut in flavors such as Whiskey Dill, Roasted Garlic, Classic Caraway, Curry and Beet Red. Their Gnar Gnar--a spicy mixture of green cabbage, green bell peppers, jalapenos, kosher salt, leeks, Sriracha, garlic and red chili, is similar to kimchi, the fermented Korean condiments which can range in heat from mild to fiery hot.

USA Today: Michigan’s Best Coney Dogs!

Michigan's Top 10 Coney Dogs according to USA Today!

The Dearly Beloved

Two couples meet when the husbands are hired to serve at the historic Third Presbyterian Church in New York […]

Winter Melons Ripen in the Sun

Winter or ash melons can weigh up to 70 or so pounds and can be used in Asian dishes. The insides of winter melons turns translucent when it cook and has a delicate slightly sweet taste.

The Preservation of Heirloom Foods without Genetic Modification is the Focus at the 9th Annual National Heirloom Expo in Santa Rosa, CA

For those interested in heirloom foods with genetic modification, this years National Heirloom Expo held in lovely Santa Rosa. The […]

дранікі (Draniki), Belarus and My Family

When I first met Jeannee Yermakoff she was writing A Global Garnish: A Traveling Chef Shares Food and Fundamentals, a […]

Fair Food Fun

Fair Food #1 Rule: Calories don't county when you eat at a county or state fair

Shelf Life: Shelf Life

The Dearly Beloved: A Novel

Two couples meet when the husbands are hired to serve at the historic Third Presbyterian Church in New York City’s Greenwich Village. Charles Barrett and James MacNally both have a calling, but they have little else in common, having come from vastly different backgrounds. Their wives differ as well. Lily met Charles when they […]

REPUTATION: Everybody’s got something to hide

“Reputation is a book about different members of a university community and how they react to a school-wide email hack– and a subsequent murder,” says Sara Shepard, author of the New York Times best seller, Pretty Little Liars. “There are a lot of different perspectives, a lot of scandals, and a lot of twists, but the crux of the novel deals with two estranged sisters, Willa and Kit, and how they come together again in a time of crisis. “

The Border: The final book in Don Winslow’s Cartel Trilogy

Don Winslow’s fast action paced books, written in a style he describes as “close third person,” are good reads on several levels, including the enjoyment of a well-researched thriller about Drug Enforcement Agency undercover operative Art Keller and his long struggle in a harrowing world amidst Mexican cartel power struggles, traffickers, drug mules, teenage hitmen, families seeking asylum to escape the drug wars, narcos, cops and political corruption on both sides of the border as well as attorneys and journalists.

THE CHRISTMAS SPIRITS ON TRADD STREET

In this penultimate installment (book #6) in the series, we find OCD Realtor (who also happens to be able to speak with dead people) Melanie Middleton and true crime mystery writer Jack Trenholm happily married and living with their toddler twins and teenage daughter, Nola, in their historic home on Tradd Street. Christmas is approaching and all seems to be going well for them—-except for a few money problems, Jack’s writing career taking a curveball, and an unpleasant specter seen haunting Nola’s bedroom that seems to be connected to the ancient cistern being excavated in their back yard.

New novel tells story of Russian classic novel

Dr. Zhivago The novel, about two lovers Yuri Zhivago and Lara Antipova and their ultimately doomed romance set against the chaotic backdrop of the decades spanning the Russian Revolution and World War II, would never have been published if Pasternack hadn’t been able to smuggle it out of Russia and into the hands of an Italian publisher.

The Survivors: A Story of War, Inheritance, and Healing

Adam Frankel tells in his recently released book, The Survivors: A Story of War, Inheritance, and Healing, about identity, family trauma and how in family those who came before us impact our own lives.

Matchday Menu: Adam Richman’s New Show

“That it is approachable, nonthreatening, and there is something in Straight Up Tasty for everyone, regardless of their level of experience in the kitchen,” says Adam Richman. “I aim to introduce people to flavors, ingredients, and maybe even techniques that they have not used in their kitchens before. “

You Are Awesome: How to Navigate Change, Wrestle with Failure, and Live an Intentional Life

“The reason I began writing my blog, 1000 Awesome Things, and my first book, The Book of Awesome, is because I felt terrible,” he says about those times. “I define resilience as the ability to see that thin sliver of light right between the door and the frame right after you hear the latch click.”

Honoring Chicago’s South Side Architecture

World famous for its architecture, Chicago boasts works by such greats ranging from the Frank Lloyd Wright to William LeBaron Jenney, designer of the world’s first skyscraper. No other city in the world has more Ludwig Mies van der Rohe buildings than Chicago. Yet for many, the largest landmass in the city is like an […]