Louisa Chu

Eat, drink and do good

By: Louisa Chu | Nov. 9, 2012

Nov. 9, 2012

Friday, November 09

Healthy Schools Campaign kicks off their season with Cooking up Change at the Bridgeport Art Center. The student/mentor cooking contest/benefit dinner includes OON's Matt Eversman with Team Chicago Vocational Career Academy (see them make baked Cajun mac 'n' cheese); Frontera Grill's Sarai Rosales with Team North-Grand High School; The Gage's Dirk Flanigan with Team Tilden Career Community Academy; and many more. Judges include NAHA's Carrie Nahabedian, Ina’s Ina Pinkney, Piccolo Sogno's Tony Priolo and more.

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Michelin Bib Gourmands revealed – and dissected

By: Louisa Chu | Nov. 8, 2012

Nov. 8, 2012

This is not an election. This is a notoriously secretive selection.

Michelin released its Chicago 2013 Bib Gourmands Wednesday with 64 restaurants, up from 56 last year, including 19 additions but 11 subtractions as well. Yes, math again.

What is a Bib Gourmand?

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South Side Pie Challenge and Election Day meet-ups

By: Louisa Chu | Nov. 2, 2012

Nov. 2, 2012

Friday, November 02

The Lycée Fall French Market at the Lycée Français de Chicago (aka the French International School) kicks off Friday night with a French Vietnamese preview party catered by Hai Yen. The menu includes a bánh cuốn nhân thịt appetizer (steamed rice crêpes with ground pork, shrimp, and wood ear mushrooms, served with pork patties), a gà kho sả ớt main course (lemongrass chicken), a chè chuối dessert (banana with tapioca, coconut milk, and peanuts), cà phê sữa (Vietnamese coffee), and much, much more. During the weekend market, a bistro éphémère will serve bœuf bourguignon and more, plus there will be crêpes.

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Fantasy trick-or-treating: Best and worst candy

By: Louisa Chu | Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2012

In earlier times, it was said that one could release souls from Purgatory by baking and eating "soul cakes" — one saved soul per cake. The ritual may have given rise to modern day trick-or-treating, which has grown into an estimated $2.4 billion business this year. On this day that celebrates the dead, I offer you the best and worst candy for a fantasy night of saving souls.

Candy corn is trending this year and my pick for the worst candy is White Chocolate Candy Corn M&M's. Please note, you must enter your birthdate to access the M&M's site, like an alcohol website. But they don't even list the candy corn version on the site, as if they've disavowed it.

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Chef Battle Royale: Photos and food quiz

By: Louisa Chu | Oct. 29, 2012

Oct. 29, 2012

And the winner of the WBEZ 2012 Chef Battle Royale is...Tank Noodle! Tank's vegetarian lemongrass coconut tofu curry served with bread, and lemongrass chicken curry served with rice, both cooked with Goose Island Sofie beer, won the most votes from 800 attendees at the 4th annual Off-Air event at Salvage One last week.

But really, we were all winners, with dishes from Ras Dashen, Staropolska, Borinquen, Munch and Tank — each challenged with creating two dishes, one vegetarian — with a different Goose Island beer and ingredients from Whole Foods.

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Costumes, Cake Boy and BBQ

By: Louisa Chu | Oct. 26, 2012

Oct. 26, 2012

Saturday, October 27

I can't even tell you how much I've been looking forward to this: I'm judging the Bucktown Kids and Pups Costume Contest at Red Door restaurant with my dog, Kiba! We'll be joined by our friends Supreme Lobster fishmonger Carl Galvan and CS magazine Dining Editor Lisa Shames. Our chef friend Troy Graves is creating special hot dogs and pup-sized burgers for the event and a portion of those proceeds will benefit the amazing Red Door Animal Shelter. (There's no relation between the restaurant and shelter!) Red Door shelter rescues cats, dogs, rabbits and the occasional chicken or duck.

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Young Americans: Rush Creek Reserve cheese

By: Louisa Chu | Oct. 24, 2012

Oct. 24, 2012

Cheese connoisseurs: Rush Creek Reserve season has begun. First released last Wednesday, this rich, raw, autumn milk cheese has aged just 60 days, the minimum requirement. Furthermore, cheesemaker Andy Hatch himself will be in town this Friday at Pastoral in the Loop for an Uplands Cheese tasting, including their award-winning firm and nutty Pleasant Ridge Reserve. 

I visited Hatch at Uplands near Dodgeville, Wis. — about 300 miles northwest of Navy Pier, an hour's drive west of Madison — on an intense cheese tour last week.

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A rare giant pumpkin patch

By: Louisa Chu | Oct. 22, 2012

Oct. 22, 2012

"I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion."

— Henry David Thoreau, Walden

I understand the sentiment, but I would rather sit on a rare giant pumpkin. This Saturday, on a roadtrip back from a Wisconsin cheese tour (more on that this week), I found elusive giants on which to sit and a whole patch all to myself, at Davidsons' Giant Pumpkins in Harvard, Ill. 

Larry Davidson has been growing giant pumpkins for 32 years on his former family dairy farm.

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