Louisa Chu

How high by the 6th of July?

By: Louisa Chu | Jul. 6, 2012

Jul. 6, 2012

As I said last year, the saying actually goes "knee high by the 4th of July," referencing corn and its temporally desirable height, historically the harbinger of a good harvest.

What a difference a year can make. Evidently last spring was wet and chilly, which I'd somehow forgotten, perhaps driven mad from our record heat wave. As WBEZ's business reporter Scott Kanowsky reports, Illinois corn farmers and commodities investors fear the effects of the Midwest drought and heat. He tweeted further, "Trading on corn futures at CBOT continues to go up and up — to $7 a bushel. Today's Chicago weather forecast: 101 degrees."

Which all means world food prices may or may not go up.

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Consider the clam bake

By: Louisa Chu | Jul. 4, 2012

Jul. 4, 2012

Why is a clam bake called a "clam" bake? Traditionalists expect a classic New England beach-baked feast with said clams as well as lobsters, mussels, shrimp, corn, potatoes and sausage — so I gather from the many historic festival menus along the coast.

Legend has it that Native Americans taught Pilgrims how to bake clams and other sea and seasonal foods — which, yes, sounds just like the Thanksgiving dinner origin story. So perhaps as the turkey dinner has evolved to include the requisite stuffing and regional sides, the clam bake has too.

The New England summer clam bake is best known, but there's also the lesser known Cleveland clam bake in fall.

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This week in food: Fry bread, the 4th & more

By: Louisa Chu | Jul. 2, 2012

Jul. 2, 2012

Monday, July 2

Goûtez at a Taste of City Fresh at the Chicago French Market, "where seven Chicago vendors will offer a sampling of their best items!" Admission FREE.

Wednesday, July 4

Blast off—but nothing literally, please—on Independence Day! Remember the Green City Market will be closed for the holiday, but tickets are still currently available for the GCM Chef's BBQ July 12! Admission $100.

Friday, July 6

Celebrate the Kateri Tekakwitha Feast Day and the monthly Indian Taco Friday at the Kateri Center of Chicago.

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What new food truck rules mean for you

By: Louisa Chu | Jun. 28, 2012

Jun. 28, 2012

I did in fact attend—and live-tweet—Wednesday's City Council meeting, where the mayor introduced his new mobile food ordinance. Notice I didn't say food truck ordinance, because it covers more than just trucks, but mobile produce merchants, mobile dessert vendors, as well as the trucks—aka mobile food dispensers and mobile food preparers.

"Preparers" means cooks, so yes, cooking on trucks. But as I asked last, at what price?

Answering the question literally, the new mobile food preparer license would be $1,000. The license for a mobile food dispenser—serving, no cooking—jumps from $275 to $700. Each license is good for two years. 

At the meeting there was no discussion of the ordinance, which has now gone into committee.

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Those bearing gifts: Chicago food truck news

By: Louisa Chu | Jun. 27, 2012

Jun. 27, 2012

WBEZ's Matt Connolly reported Monday that proposed ordinances would allow food trucks to cook on site. Currently all mobile food in Chicago must be pre-cooked and pre-packaged.

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This week in food: Enjoy a cocktail and benefit urban farms

By: Louisa Chu | Jun. 25, 2012

Jun. 25, 2012

Monday, June 25

Overcome your deipnophobia at The Dinner Party presented by Fear No ART at the Mayne Stage, this month with gumbo by Southern heirloom cooking expert, Big Jones’ chef/owner Paul Fehribach—plus microbrew beer and Vosges Chocolate samples. This episode of the live-action/live-streaming, dinner party/talk show features guests Crowns playwright Regina Taylor, The Interrupters director Steve James, Be The Groove artistic director Stephanie Paul, and Marco the Poet. Admission $25.

Tuesday, June 26

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Jay Rayner: The art of war and restaurant criticism

By: Louisa Chu | Jun. 22, 2012

Jun. 22, 2012

You may know London Observer restaurant critic Jay Rayner best as a former judge on Top Chef Masters, including the first season in which Rick Bayless won. What you may not know is that Rayner himself is a professional competitor, in the blood-hungry sport of British restaurant criticism.

Chicago magazine recently published chief dining critic Jeff Ruby's story "Chicago Restaurant Critics Talk Food Fights."  Ruby wrote, "I asked Vettel, Tamarkin, Kramer, Sula, and Nagrant if we are rivals. Each answered unequivocally: no. No one, it seems, cares to ignite a shit storm with another writer, regardless of the attention it might draw."

"One could argue that we in Chicago save our aggression for the restaurants instead of one another, but as it turns out, much of the writerly angst has another source.

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Midsummer night's BBQ: Burnt edges

By: Louisa Chu | Jun. 20, 2012

Jun. 20, 2012

"We don't officially carry burnt ends," said Barry Sorkin, owner of Smoque BBQ.

Was it a dream? I remember calling up just this past Sunday to place a Father's Day pick-up feast with pulled pork and sliced brisket, asking for as much bark and crust as possible. Then I heard the question: "Like burnt ends?"

Burnt ends are BBQ black gold. A delicacy of the Kansas City school of Q, they're the crisp and fatty brisket ends, traditionally cubed, then smoked again—sometimes slathered with sweet, tangy, ketchupy KC-style sauce.

Not everyone loves them. Some people find them too tough and dry. These are the same people I'm guessing who don't like the corner or edge pieces of baked macaroni and cheese, cornbread, or cobbler.

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