WBEZ 91.5 Chicago

Monday, August 13

Have you seen the big, new, beautiful, airy addition over at Hopleaf? Well here's the excuse you don't need to head on over there on a Monday night. Edible Chicago presents The Quarterly Carousal, the release party for their fourth annual summer issue (always full of thoughtful writing and gorgeous photographs) plus the local debut of Fiat Lux from Brooklyn Brewery's Brewmaster Reserve series (said to be summery, citrusy, and aromatic) — and yes, it's all going down at Hopleaf. But wait, there's more! Cheese pairings by Hopleaf, Asian influenced food pairings by New Rose Catering, BBQ wings by Grandpa Boo's BBQ sauce, the release of Baking Spice Beets by Stu's Sour (pickles, just for the event) and fun surprises.

…Read Full Entry

• Comments
• Send
• Print
• Share
• Recommend
• Tweet

Sitka, Alaska: How does your garden grow? With seaweed beds and salmon jawbones...

I mentioned previously that Sitka has a farmers market, but it's actually more of a gardeners market. Sitka has no farms, but they do have St. Peter's Fellowship Farm, an organic communal garden, as well as a network of gardens in town. What seems incomprehensible to us in the Greater Midwest, is that in Sitka, they don't have dirt. Down at the farm, they grow in raised beds, filled with a base of fish carcasses, covered with sifted earth, and topped with seaweed.

…Read Full Entry

• Comments
• Send
• Print
• Share
• Recommend
• Tweet

…Read Full Entry

• Comments
• Send
• Print
• Share
• Recommend
• Tweet

And the winner is...oh wait, let me explain. Last Friday, I announced the giveaway of two tickets to Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation. We received some heartfelt, inspiring nominations, but after careful consideration, I'm awarding the tickets to Alan Lake. As his nominator wrote, "Chef Alan Lake does significant work with Chicago's Asian Youth Services, a safe haven for underprivileged immigrant children. Daily meals, enrichment programs and scholarships are all part of the mix." Full disclosure: I know both the nominator and Lake through LTHForum, and I knew about his work with AYS. But I'd forgotten about his work until the nomination reminded me.

…Read Full Entry

• Comments
• Send
• Print
• Share
• Recommend
• Tweet

Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation returns next Wednesday, August 8 to Navy Pier's Grand Ballroom (nearly next door to WBEZ) with the crème de la crème of Chicago's chefs, mixologists, and sommeliers — and we're giving away two tickets!

But there's a catch.

Share Our Strength is national non-profit working to end child hunger in America by 2015 — that's three years.

…Read Full Entry

• Comments
• Send
• Print
• Share
• Recommend
• Tweet

I scream, you scream, we all scream for paletas in Chicago, right? Come to think of it, they just might be the next hot dessert trend, with the rise of Latin American flavors across this country.

But what about mangonadas?

…Read Full Entry

• Comments
• Send
• Print
• Share
• Recommend
• Tweet

Monday, July 30

Breakfast club with the Race: Out Loud Remote Broadcast at Maxfield's Family Restaurant & Pancake House in Lombard. "Join Eight Forty-Eight...for a live broadcast addressing life and diversity in Chicago’s Western suburbs. We’ll talk with residents and village officials about what attracts residents to the area. We’ll also find out how the area has changed over the past two decades and what challenges related to diversity the community currently faces today. Stop by between 9-10 a.m. to get in on the action!" Admission FREE, food and drink additional.

Tuesday, July 31

Donate at A Night for Ashley — Pizza and Beer Fundraiser at Letizia's Fiore. MANA Food Bar line cook Ashley Pruneau was attacked in her home by an unknown male with a hammer.

…Read Full Entry

• Comments
• Send
• Print
• Share
• Recommend
• Tweet