Category: cookbooks

CHICAGO WELCOMES THE 2024 JAMES BEARD AWARDS® PRESENTED BY CAPITAL ONEWITH A LINE-UP OF ANCILLARY CELEBRATIONS AND SPECIAL EVENTS AROUND THE CITY 

breakfasts, Breweries, Chicago Restaurant Week, Chicago restaurants, Chicago River, Coffee, Distilleries, Drink, Farm-to-Table, Farms, Foraging, Gastronomy, James Beard Awards, Lake Michigan, Restaurants, winery

Celebrate this year’s James Beard Awards® presented by Capital One, kicking off on Thursday, June 6 and extending through Tuesday, June 11. This celebratory weekend is packed with an vast array of intimate and grand-scale events, featuring special menus, exclusive out-of-town chef and bartender collaborations, educational sessions, and more. With one of the strongest lineups of public events since the arrival of the James Beard Awards® in Chicago in 2015, the weekend promises to be one of the most lively celebrations of the city’s dynamic dining scene this year.

Recognized as one of the nation’s most prestigious honors, the James Beard Awards celebrate excellence in the culinary and food media industries, and broader food system. They also honor individuals who demonstrate a commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive. 

Co-hosts Choose Chicago and Illinois Restaurant Association champion the city’s vibrant hospitality community year-round, but this weekend provides a particularly proud moment. Open to the public, 2024 festivities include: 

THURSDAY, JUNE 6

Mordecai’s James Beard Special Menu with Cocktail Pairings

Thursday, June 6th – Monday, June 10th

5:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Mordecai – 3632 North Clark Street, Chicago IL 60613

Reservation Here 

In celebration of the James Beard Awards, Mordecai will host a special James Beard menu with cocktail pairings in honor of the ceremony and James Beard Foundation from Thursday, June 6th – Monday, June 10th. Chef Djibril Webb has chosen two recipes from the James Beard Cookbook and Mordecai’s Bar Manager, Rena Long, created special cocktails to pair perfectly with each dish. The menu includes: Stuffed Little Neck Clams set to pair with the Vintage Mordecai Martini and the Breaded Pork Chop with Dill Caper Gravy paired with a cocktail featuring a coconut fat-washed Benriach 10, Bittermens Tepache pineapple, burnt coconut palm sugar, sfumato, and coriander bitters. A portion of the proceeds from each of the dishes and cocktails (sold a la carte) will be donated to the James Beard Foundation.

FRIDAY, JUNE 7

Celebration of Old-World Wines with Terraneo Merchants

Friday, June 7th, 2024

4:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Heritage Restaurant & Caviar Bar – 2700 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Reservations Here

A two-part celebration with Sasha and Drue from Terraneo. To begin a two-part celebration, Heritage Restaurant & Caviar Bar will host a Happy Hour Take-over from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm to sample a variety of wine with Sasha and Drue from Terraneo Merchants. All wines will be happy hour priced. They will provide tastes and an in-depth dive with those curious to know more. The event will feature happy hour bites and plates with a Georgian Twist! Reservations are strongly suggested, and open to the public. For the second half of the celebration, the restaurant will pour many bottles of Georgian wine to be passed and many toasts by Sasha and Drue during a traditional Georgian Supra Feast from 6:00 – 8:00 pm.

Le Sud James Beard Tasting Menu

Friday, June 7 – Sunday, June 9th, 2024

4:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Le Sud – 2301 W Roscoe Street, Chicago, IL 60618

Reservations Here

Le Sud will offer a special tasting menu in honor of James Beard Awards weekend. Please see the website for more information.

A Rooftop Pop-Up featuring James Beard Finalist Strong Water Anaheim at Château Carbide  

5:00 pm – 10:00 pm 

Château Carbide at Pendry Chicago – 230 N Michigan Ave., 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601 

Reservations Here

In the heart of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, luxury boutique hotel Pendry Chicago’s rooftop cocktail haven, Château Carbide, will welcome the 2024 James Beard Award nominee (Outstanding Wine & Other Beverages Program) Strong Water Anaheim for a bar takeover 24 stories above the city. Operated by husband-and-wife duo Ying Chang and Robert Adamson, Strong Water Anaheim has gained nationwide recognition for its nautical-theme “tiki-easy” with rum-based libations, which transport guests onto a sunken ship embarking on an immersive tiki experience. Ying and Robert’s team will be on-site at the historic Art Deco Carbide & Carbon Building shaking up a selection of fan-favorite cocktails from the   menu of the James Beard Award nominated bar. 

The Bartender’s Bookshelf: Toby Maloney & The Violet Hour host Danny Childs, Slow Drinks 

7:30 pm -12:00 am  

The Violet Hour – 1520 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60622 

Reservations Here

James Beard Award-winning author and barman Toby Maloney will welcome Danny Childs, author of Slow Drinks 2024 James Beard Media Award nominee (Beverage Book with Recipes) to The Violet Hour for “The Bartender’s Bookshelf.” The evening will be dedicated to showcasing the talent of the James Beard Media Awards nominee. Together with The Violet Hour team, ethnobotanist Danny has crafted a specialty menu that pulls recipes and inspiration from Slow Drinks, his acclaimed guide to foraging and fermenting seasonal sodas, botanical cocktails, homemade wines, and more. 

Throughout the night, signed copies of Slow Drinks will be available for purchase on-site with the help of the local Chicago bookstore, The Book Cellar. The Violet Hour will open its doors to the public, inviting local cocktail enthusiasts to meet Danny and Toby and grab a drink from the collaborative menu and a signed copy of the book while supplies last.  

Friday, Saturday, Sunday @ Sportsman’s Club

9:00 pm – 2:00 am

Sportsman’s Club – 948 N Western Avenue, Chicago, IL 60622

No reservations required

2023 James Beard Award winner for Outstanding Restaurant, Philadelphia-based Friday, Saturday, Sunday, will take over Sportsman’s Club’s bar. Beginning at 9:00 pm, FSS head bartender Paul MacDonald will showcase some of the restaurant’s signature drinks in addition to a few one-night-only creations. This event is first come, first served. No reservations.

SATURDAY, JUNE 8

Cocktail for a Cause at Bar Mar & Bazaar Meat by José Andrés

Saturday, June 8th – Monday, June 10th 2024

All Day

Bar Mar & Bazaar Meat by José Andrés – 120 N Upper Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60606

Sip for good! In celebration of and a show of commitment to the James Beard Awards in Chicago, Bar Mar by José Andrés and Bazaar Meat by José Andrés will donate a portion of proceeds from each Salt Air Margarita sold from Saturday, June 8 through Monday, June 11 to the James Beard Foundation’s Women’s Leadership Programs. Whether a stop in during the energetic weekend or refreshment just before the ceremony at the Lyric, José’s signature margarita is the perfect way to cocktail for a great cause.

Summer Kickoff Party at Baobing!

1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Baobing at Duck Duck Goat – 857 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607

No reservation required

Chef Stephanie Izard at Baobing, her Taiwanese-inspired walk-up window next to Duck Duck Goat, will offer cocktails and ice cream sundaes to kick off summer!

Under the Influence: How Dining Trends are Shaping Drink Choices– A Panel Hosted by the James Beard Foundation® 

2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Biân – 600 W Chicago Ave Suite 001, Chicago, IL 60654

Reservations Here

Leaders in restaurants, bars, and hospitality, as well as beverage producers, will convene to talk about how dining trends, menu creation, and consumption shape how consumers select their beverages.  Kevin Boehm, Chairman and Co-Founder, Biân; Co-CEO and Co-Founder, Boka Restaurant Group; and 2019 James Beard Award winner for Outstanding Restaurateur will host the panel alongside Tahiirah Habibi and Richy Petrina, James Beard Awards Committee Members. Rodney Williams, James Beard Foundation Trustee and President, Diageo Beer Company will moderate the conversation. Panelists include:

  • Gregory Gourdet, Author, Chef and Owner, Kann; 2022 James Beard Book Award Winner; 2023 James Beard Award Winner for Best New Restaurant
  • Lynnette Marrero, Co-founder, Speed Rack and Partner, Delola
  • Julia Momosé, Partner and Creative Director, Kumiko; 2022 James Beard Book Award Winner
  • Tia Polite, Sommelier, Indienne
  • Aldo Sohm, Wine Director, Le Bernadin, and Aldo Sohm Wine Bar; 2009 James Beard Award Winner for Outstanding Wine Service

Fireside Chat with Diana Wu, Executive Director of Oakland Bloom, and Chef Melissa Tung, Justice for

Migrant Women’s Special Culinary Advisor, on Caring for Communities and the Role of the Restaurant

Industry

2:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Kendall College at National Louis University – 18 S Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60603

RSVP for the Event (info@oaklandbloom.org)

This intimate conversation, moderated by 2022 James Beard Leadership Award honoree and Justice for Migrant Women Founder Mónica Ramírez, will provide insight from two seasoned leaders in the food industry on the role of the restaurant industry in confronting crises and supporting care in the communities that surround them, and the workers that make them run. This conversation will look at trends they have seen since COVID, opportunities and promising practices, and the work that remains to be done. 

Immigrant Women Leading Across the Food Supply Chain 

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm 

Kendall College at National Louis University – 18 S Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60603

RSVP for the Event (info@oaklandbloom.org)

James Beard Leadership Award Honorees Justice for Migrant Women and Oakland Bloom (for Understory) work to advance rights, power, and pathways to ownership for working-class migrant women in food. While migrant women’s labor and knowledge are a cornerstone of the food industry at all levels, their voices and experiences are often erased. The event will feature powerful conversation with migrant women in food, discussing their experiences and insights around food and migration, and how they are advancing a more just, connected, healthier, and inclusive vision for the industry and their communities.

Convenience Middle West

3:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Middle Brow – 2840 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

Reservations Here

Middle Brow will feature the Texas barbecue joint, Convenience West to its patio for a pizza collaboration.

Celebration of Caviar with Antonio from Polanco Caviar

4:00 pm – 8:00 pm 

Heritage Restaurant & Caviar Bar – 2700 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

Reservations Here

A two-part celebration with Antonio Salto of Polanco and Chef Guy Meikle of Heritage Restaurant & Caviar Bar. Reserve Level Tastings: To begin the two-part celebration, Heritage Restaurant & Caviar Bar will host a sampling of some of Polanco’s Reserve level caviars during a tasting led by Antonio Salto. Enjoy a menu of items at your leisure anytime between 4:00 – 6:00 pm. Reservations are $70 a person and reservations are strongly suggested, open to the public. Continue the two-part celebration with Antonio Salto and Chef Guy during a special tasting menu from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. Tickets are $325 a person and all-inclusive with a max capacity of 24 guests, reservations are required.

Served Up: A Rooftop Pop-Up featuring James Beard Outstanding Bar Finalist Barr Hill Cocktail Bar at Château Carbide

5:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Château Carbide at Pendry Chicago – 230 N Michigan Ave., 24th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601

Reservations Here

Luxury boutique hotel ’s rooftop cocktail haven Château Carbide will welcome 2024 James Beard Award nominee for Outstanding Bar, Vermont-based   for a bar takeover 24 stories above the city. Barr Hill Cocktail Bar has gained nationwide recognition for its cocktail menu that combines handcrafted ingredients with cutting-edge bar techniques. From 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm, Barr Hill’s Head Distiller Ryan Christiansen and team will be onsite at the historic Art Deco Carbide & Carbon Building chatting shaking up a selection of fan-favorite cocktails from their James Beard Award-nominated menu.


James Beard Tasting Menu at The Coach House

6:30 pm

The Coach House – 1742 W. Division Street, Chicago, IL 
Reservations Here

Enjoy an 8-course tasting menu by 2x James Beard Award-nominated Chef Zubair Mohajir, exploring the primary spices used in South Indian cuisine. Through storytelling and an exclusively unique menu, guests for this event will get to experience The Coach House in an entirely new and vibrant way.

SUNDAY, JUNE 9

Coffee Chat: Culinary Titans Tackle Sustainability from Planet to Plate to People at Daisies

9:30 am – 11:00 am

Daisie’s – 2375 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

RSVP for the Event (rsvpchi@h2publicrelations.com)

Chef and Owner Joe Frillman of MICHELIN Green Starred Daisies in Logan Square will gather several of the industries’ leading voices in sustainability for an open-to-the-public coffee chat on the morning of Sunday, June 9th featuring Chicago’s own Green City Market, the city’s first year-round nonprofit farmers’ market that fights for citywide access to locally-grown, sustainably-produced food. From forging lasting bonds with local farmers to pioneering groundbreaking techniques in waste reduction and supporting local pollinators, the panel will share their insights and strategies for a more sustainable future. As they tackle pressing issues facing the industry today, attendees are welcome to nosh on a selection of hosted sweets and pastries by Jean Banchet Award-winning Executive Pastry Chef and Partner Leigh Omilinsky of Daisies as well as complimentary coffee and tea moderated by Food & Wine’s Chandra Ram, James Beard Media Award nominee, and IACP Award-nominated associate editorial director Chandra Ram, Daisies welcomes trailblazers including:

  • Joe Frillman of Daisies in Chicago, IL — MICHELIN Green Star, 2024 James Beard Award Semifinalist for Best Chef: Great Lakes 
  • Chef Rick Bayless — Frontera, Xoco, Bar Sótano & More, Top Chef, Founder of Green City Market & Frontera Farmer Foundation, Seven-Time James Beard Award winner
  • Chef Geoff Davis of Burdell in Oakland, CA — 2024 James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef: California, Esquire’s Best New Restaurants
  • Chef Rob Connoley of Bulrush in St. Louis, MO — 2024 James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef: Midwest, Author: Acorns & Cattails: A Modern Foraging Cookbook of Forest, Farm & Field
  • Patrick Amice of Barr Hill Cocktail Bar and Distillery in Montpelier, VA — General Manager of Hospitality Operations, 2024 James Beard Award nominee for Outstanding Bar Program
  • Nicole Yarovinsky of Daisies in Chicago, IL — Bar Director, 2x Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards Semi-Finalist

Get Roasted ‘24: Brew and Bites with Big Shoulders Coffee

10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Big Shoulders Coffee Roasting Works – 2415 W 19th Street, Chicago, IL 60608

Reservations Here

Patricia and Tim Coonan will welcome all to the Roastery for the 2024 Get Roasted event. The event will feature fresh coffee and homemade pastries, live roasting demonstrations, a micro-lot pour-over station, an espresso bar with a latte art exhibition, mocktails and cocktails created by our mixologist, Alicia Scott, and local brewery Alarmist Brewing will be sponsoring the event with a small selection of their craft beers. Don’t miss the craft coffee brew and bites event of the year ahead of the James Beard Foundation Awards. All guests will receive a bag of freshly roasted coffee to go.


Steph & Chef Friends’ Beard Brunch!

11:00 am – Onward

Girl & the Goat – 809 W. Randolph St., Chicago, IL 60607

Reservations Here

Stephanie Izard alongside Lee Anne Wong, Christina Nguyen, Elizabeth Falkner, and Karen Akunowicz, will host a very special brunch. Enjoy a tasty dish from each chef while supporting the James Beard Foundation’s Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Program. Cocktails, beer, and wine will be available for a la carte purchase. Brunch will be a ticketed, family-style event with communal seating, please purchase the total amount of tickets for your entire party to ensure you will be seated next to one another. Please reach out to info@girlandthegoat.com with questions.

West Loop’s Sunday Brunch @ Nobu’s Rooftop

11:30 am – 2:30 pm

Nobu Chicago Rooftop – 155 N. Peoria Street, Chicago, IL 60607

Reservations Here

Nobu will host a Sunday Brunch soiree at The Rooftop, the stunning restaurant and lounge on the 11th floor of Nobu Hotel Chicago, which recently received a MICHELIN Key. Get a taste of celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s brunch menu while taking in one of the best views of Chicago’s skyline overlooking the burgeoning West Loop neighborhood. Attendees will be served reception-style Nobu brunch bites and crafted cocktails.

JBF Greens x Mi Tocaya Antojería

12:00pm – 2:30pm

Mi Tocaya Antojería – 2800 W. Lohan Blvd., Chicago IL 60647

This event is sold out. Click here to be added to the waitlist. 

Mi Tocaya Antojería will host JBF Greens and open for brunch so that the James Beard Foundation® Greens community (and friends!) can ring in the 2024 Awards. Translated to mean “my namesake” in Spanish, Mi Tocaya highlights chef — and James Beard Award nominee — Diana Dávila’s mission to reshape Mexican cuisine.

Since opening the restaurant in 2017, Chef Diana has established herself as a leader in and out of the kitchen. During the pandemic, she not only launched the Todos Ponen Project to support undocumented workers in the hospitality industry, but also provided free meals for the community, and remained steadfast in her commitment to her employees, farmers, and local vendors. For the occasion, chef Diana will prepare a 3-course brunch that highlights traditional favorites as well as lesser-known regional specialties inspired by her summers traveling through Mexico.

Up South

1:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Justice of the Pies – 8655 S Blackstone, Chicago, IL 60619

No reservation required

Chef Maya-Camille Broussard, 2022 James Beard Award nominee for Outstanding Baker, Chef Serigne Mbaye, 2024 James Beard Award nominee for Best New Restaurant, Chef Adrienne Cheatham, 2023 James Beard Media Award nominated author of Sunday Best, and Chef Fariyal Abdullahi, 2024 James Beard Award nominee for Emerging Chef, will celebrate culinary brilliance on the South Side of Chicago. The UP SOUTH pop-up will feature offerings laced with Southern influences while retaining the spirit of the greater Black diaspora. Live music and terrace seating will be available at Justice of the Pies, a bakery proudly nestled in the center of Avalon Park on Chicago’s South Side.

 The Rise and Impact of Chef Civic Leadership – A Panel Hosted by Chicago Chefs Cook

1:15 pm – 2:15 pm

Kendall College at National Louis University – 

…

The Lula Cafe Cookbook

Chicago Neighborhoods, Chicago restaurants

“more than just ingredients, it is an accumulation of knowledge, sourcing, collaboration, farms, orchards, fields, and artistry.”

The Lula Cafe Cookbook: Collected Recipes and Stories. Jason Hammel. Phaidon. Photography: Carolina Rodriguez.

After almost a quarter of a century as executive chef and co-owner of Lula Cafe, Chef Jason Hammel has written his debut cookbook about his popular restaurant in Chicago’s trendy Logan Square neighborhood. The Lula Café, which was nominated as a finalist for Outstanding Hospitality by the James Beard Foundation, is often described as trailblazing with boundary-pushing new dishes gracing the menu every week and Hammel credited with being in the vanguard of sourcing local and organic ingredients to use in his restaurant well before it became a trend.

The Lula Cafe Cookbook. Collected Recipes and Stories. Jason Hammel. Phaidon. Photography: Carolina Rodriguez.

All of these factors are in play in The Lula Café Cookbook: Collected Recipes and Stories (Phaidon Press). Included are 90 full recipes and 40 “building block” pantry recipes.

Hammel, a consulting chef at Marisol in the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago and a co-founder of Pilot Light, a food education nonprofit that invests in teacher leadership and fosters good food choices, has crafted an intriguing and beautiful cookbook. The recipes have very detailed instructions, are accompanied by artistic full-color photographs, and often include a suggestion of how to serve the dish to get the best effect and taste.

Some are esoteric and might be daunting to everyday home cooks who are looking for quick and easy. Count among those the Sweet Corn, Cipollini Onion, and Raclette Tart with its many steps and side recipes and the Toasted Bay Leaf and Chocolate Crème Brûlée, which calls for making both candied hazelnuts and candied kumquats as well as a brûlée base.

The Lula Cafe Cookbook. Collected Recipes and Stories. Jason Hammel. Phaidon. Photography: Carolina Rodriguez.

Hammel says the recipe for Carrots, Plums, and Dill came about when they were experimenting with using a shio koji, the mold used for making such Japanese fermented products as miso, soy sauce, and sake, to marinate meats such as pork shoulder and quail—yes that’s how much they pay attention to detail at The Lula Café. They then moved on to using shio koji for vegetables, which is how Carrots, Plums, and Dill came about. All these dishes would be well worth the effort for those so inclined (and who want to invest in a shio koji) but there are others that have the same sophisticated look but are much more approachable.

One such dish is Pasta Yiayia, a staple at the restaurant. (See recipe below).

Pasta Yiayia. Photography: Carolina Rodriguez (page 27).

“I married into this dish,” writes Hammel. “This is the recipe my wife most associated with her grandmother and namesake, Amalia, who came to Chicago from a village near Sparta, Greece, as a child.  I never got the chance to meet this side branch of the family tree. But I can see Amalia now when I set Pasta YiaYia in front of my children.

“There is nothing more central to my wife’s family than this maternal line—a branch of creativity, grit, beauty, and bravery—traced back to Amalia herself and now carried on by the flavors, stories, ingredients, and techniques in this recipe. I imagine my wife as a child, as her grandmother set down a bowl of pasta dressed with feta, brown butter, garlic, and cinnamon. I can only imagine that these flavors connected her to a place in an old world she’d never known.”

The Lula Cafe Cookbook. Collected Recipes and Stories. Jason Hammel. Phaidon.

Another easy to try is the Turmeric Tangerine Teacake that Hammel praises his pastry chef, Emily Spurlin, for creating and marveling at her skills at melding the flavors so the turmeric bounces off the baking spices, olive oil, and yogurt. And in this season of fresh produce, Tomato Tonnato is another good choice to try.

Turbot with Seeded Crust and Salsify. Photography: Carolina Rodriguez (page 207).

The stories accompanying each recipe shows the almost poetic take Hammel and his staff take to creating the food they prepare and serve. It is more than just ingredients, it is an accumulation of knowledge, sourcing, collaboration, farms, orchards, fields, and artistry.

Lula Cafe’s Pasta Yiayia

From The Lula Cafe Cookbook (Phaidon, 2023)

Serves 4

Yiayia Sauce

  • 1 ¼ cups (10 fl oz/300 g) milk
  • 1 tablespoon Roasted Garlic Purée (recipe follows) + 1 teaspoon oil from the Roasted Garlic
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup (5 oz/150 g) crumbled feta
  • ⅛ teaspoon xanthan gum (optional)

To Serve

  • 8 oz bucatini (Hammel and Lula use Misko No. 2)
  • 1 cup (3 ½ oz/100 g) grated Parmesan
  • Generous ½ cup (2 ¾ oz/70 g) crumbled feta
  • Ground cinnamon, to taste
  • ¼ cup (2 ¼ oz/55 g) butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

1. Make the Yiayia sauce. In a small pan, combine the milk, roasted garlic, garlic oil, minced garlic, and cinnamon.

2. Bring to a simmer over low heat and cook for 15 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.

3. Remove from the heat and let cool.

4. Transfer the milk mixture to a blender, adding the feta and xanthan gum, if using. Purée until smooth.

5. Gently warm the sauce in a large, wide pan over low heat while you prepare the pasta.

6. To serve, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Salt generously. Add the bucatini to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes.

7. Strain and transfer the pasta to the pan with the warmed sauce, tossing until thoroughly coated.

8. Add half the Parmesan and feta, and toss again until just incorporated. The feta can be chunky and half melted.

9. Transfer the pasta to warm serving bowls or a platter and top with the remaining feta and Parmesan. Sprinkle cinnamon on top and keep the serving vessel(s) in a warm place.

10. In a small pan over medium heat, combine the butter and sliced garlic, swirling them around as the butter melts and begins to simmer. This will be your brown butter. Adjust the heat so the butter foams and simmers without burning. You’ll see the cloudy mixture eventually separate and brown. Shake the pan in short forward-backward movements to aerate the foaming butter and circulate the slowly caramelizing milk solids. As the butter caramelizes, it should smell sweet, rich, and nutty. When both the garlic and butter are golden brown, remove the pan from the heat and drizzle the brown foaming butter all over the top of the pasta. It will sizzle evocatively. Serve.

Roasted Garlic

  • 3 heads garlic, top sliced to expose cloves
  • 2 ½ cups (18 fl oz/550 g) vegetable oil, plus extra as needed

Preheat the oven to 300F/150C. In a small baking dish or loaf pan (tin), add the garlic and the oil. If the oil doesn’t cover the garlic all the way, add more to submerge it. Cover the dish with foil and cook the garlic until golden, tender, and lightly roasted, about 1 hour. Leave to cool, then store the garlic in the oil. When ready to use, squeeze the roasted garlic purée out of the cloves.

Introducing the James Beard 2024 Book Award Nominees

Chicago Neighborhoods, Chicago restaurants, Historic foodways, Indian Food, James Beard Awards, Uncategorized


Baking and Desserts:

This award recognizes books with recipes focused on the art and craft of baking, pastries, and desserts, both sweet and savory items, including ingredients, techniques, equipment, and traditions.

This year, submissions to the Bread category were included for consideration within the Baking and Desserts category.


Dark Rye and Honey Cake: Festival Baking from Belgium, the Heart of the Low Countries

Regula Ysewijn
(Weldon Owen)

Mayumu: Filipino American Desserts Remixed

Abi Balingit
(HarperCollins)

More Than Cake: 100 Baking Recipes Built for Pleasure and Community

Natasha Pickowicz
(Artisan Books)

Beverage with Recipes:

This award recognizes books with recipes focused on beverages, such as
cocktails, beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, or juices.

Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs, and Juice: Cocktails from Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks

Toni Tipton-Martin
(Clarkson Potter)

The Maison Premiere Almanac: Cocktails, Oysters, Absinthe, and Other Essential Nutrients for the Sensualist, Aesthete, and Flaneur

Joshua Boissy, Jordan Mackay, and Krystof Zizka
(Clarkson Potter)

Slow Drinks: A Field Guide to Foraging and Fermenting Seasonal Sodas, Botanical Cocktails, Homemade Wines, and More

Danny Childs
(Hardie Grant North America)

Beverage without Recipes:

This award recognizes books without recipes that focus on beverages, such
as cocktails, beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, or juices; or books that cover these subject areas where recipes are not the focus of cooking, not just a single topic, technique, or region.

Agave Spirits: The Past, Present, and Future of Mezcals

Gary Paul Nabhan and David Suro Piñera
(W. W. Norton & Company)
The New French Wine

Jon Bonné
(Ten Speed Press)

Vines in a Cold Climate: The People Behind the English Wine Revolution

Henry Jeffreys
(Atlantic)
Food Issues and Advocacy:

This award recognizes books that focus on investigative journalism, food
policy, food advocacy, deep dives, and critical analysis of the changing social landscape around food.

At the Table: The Chef’s Guide to Advocacy

Katherine Miller
(Island Press)

Avocado Anxiety: and Other Stories About Where Your Food Comes From

Louise Gray
(Bloomsbury Wildlife)

Resilient Kitchens: American Immigrant Cooking in a Time of Crisis: Essays and Recipes

Philip Gleissner and Harry Eli Kashdan
(Rutgers University Press)

General:

This award recognizes books with recipes that address a broad scope of cooking, not just a single topic, technique, or region.

A Cook’s Book

Nigel Slater
(Ten Speed)

The Everlasting Meal Cookbook: Leftovers A-Z

Tamar Adler
(Scribner)

Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook

Sohla El-Waylly
(Alfred A. Knopf)

International:

This award recognizes books with recipes focused on food or cooking traditions of countries, regions, or communities outside of the United States.

Made in Taiwan: Recipes and Stories from the Island Nation

Clarissa Wei with Ivy Chen
(Simon & Schuster/Simon Element)

My Everyday Lagos: Nigerian Cooking at Home and in the Diaspora

Yewande Komolafe
(Ten Speed Press)

The World Central Kitchen Cookbook

José Andrés and Sam Chapple-Sokol
(Clarkson Potter)

Literary Writing:

This award recognizes narrative nonfiction books, including memoirs, culinary travel, culinary tourism, biography, reflections on food in a cultural context, and personal essays.

Food Stories: Writing That Stirs the Pot

The Bitter Southerner

(The Bitter Southerner)

For The Culture: Phenomenal Black Women and Femmes in Food: Interviews, Inspiration, and Recipes

Klancy Miller
(HarperCollins)

The Migrant Chef: The Life and Times of Lalo García

Laura Tillman
(W. W. Norton & Company)

Reference, History, and Scholarship:

This award recognizes manuals, guides, encyclopedias, or books
that present research related to food or foodways.

The Ark of Taste: Delicious and Distinctive Foods That Define the United States

David S. Shields and Giselle K. Lord
(Hachette Book Group)

Food Power Politics: The Food Story of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement

Bobby J. Smith II
(University of North Carolina Press)

White Burgers, Black Cash: Fast Food from Black Exclusion to Exploitation

Naa Oyo A. Kwate
(University of Minnesota Press)

Restaurant and Professional:

This award recognizes books written by a culinary professional or
restaurant chef with recipes that may include advanced cooking techniques, the use of specialty ingredients and professional equipment, including culinary arts textbooks.

Ester: Australian Cooking

Mat Lindsay with Pat Nourse
(Murdoch Books)

Fish Butchery: Mastering The Catch, Cut, and Craft

Josh Niland
Hardie Grant Books)

Rintaro: Japanese Food from an Izakaya in California

Jessica Battilana and Sylvan Mishima Brackett
(Hardie Grant North America)

Single Subject:

This award recognizes books with recipes focused on a single ingredient, dish, or method of cooking. Examples include seafood, grains, pasta, burgers, or canning. Exceptions are baking and desserts books, vegetable-focused books, restaurant and professional books, and beverage books—
which would be entered in their respective categories.

The Hog Island Book of Fish and Seafood: Culinary Treasures from Our Waters

John Ash
(Cameron Books)

Pasta Every Day: Make It, Shape It, Sauce It, Eat It

Meryl Feinstein
(Hachette Book Group

Yogurt & Whey: Recipes of an Iranian Immigrant Life

Homa Dashtaki
(W. W. Norton & Company)

U.S. Foodways:

This award recognizes books with recipes focused on the cooking or foodways of regions or communities located within the United States.

Ed Mitchell’s Barbeque

Ed Mitchell, Ryan Mitchell, and Zella Palmer
(Ecco)

Love Japan: Recipes from Our Japanese American Kitchen


Aaron Israel and Sawako Okochi with Gabriella Gershenson
(Ten Speed Press)

Made Here Recipes & Reflections From NYC’s Asian Communities

Send Chinatown Love
(Self-Published)

Vegetable-Focused Cooking:

This award recognizes books on vegetable cookery with recipes that are meatless, vegetarian, or vegan.

Ever-Green Vietnamese: Super-Fresh Recipes, Starring Plants from Land and Sea

Andrea Nguyen
(Ten Speed Press)
Japan: The Vegetarian Cookbook

Nancy Singleton Hachisu
Phaidon Press)

Tenderheart: A Cookbook About Vegetables and Unbreakable Family Bonds

Hetty Lui McKinnon
(Alfred A. Knopf)

Visuals:

This award recognizes books on food or beverage with exceptional graphic design, art, or photography.

The Book of Sichuan Chili Crisp

Yudi Echevarria
(Ten Speed Press)
For The Culture: Phenomenal Black Women and Femmes in Food: Interviews, Inspiration, and Recipes

Kelly Marshall and Sarah Madden
(HarperCollins)
Thank You Please Come Again: How Gas Stations Feed & Fuel the American South

Kate Medley with Dave Whitling
(BS Publishing)

Cookbook Hall of Fame:

This award is given to either a cookbook that has significantly influenced the way we think about food, honoring authors who possess an exceptional ability to communicate their gastronomic vision via the printed page, or an author whose cookbooks and other culinary books and work, taken together, make a difference in the world of food and cooking.

The Book Awards Subcommittee selects the winner for this category. The Cookbook Hall of Fame winner will be announced at the Media Awards ceremony on June 8.

Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journal of an African-American Jew

Historic foodways

“most importantly, Twitty reminds us that you don’t have to be Black or Jewish to love koshersoul.”

Both a cookbook and a memoir, Koshersoul (Amistad) explores the food traditions of both Black and Jewish cultures and how for Black Jewish people, the two combine, becoming a distinctive foodway of its own.

“When I first started talking about developing this book, a fellow African American food writer asked what it was about, saying ‘So you’re not writing about Black [food]; you’re writing about Jewish [food)],” writes Michael W. Twitty, a culinary historian, living history interpreter, and Judiacs teacher in the introduction to his book.  “My response was reflective: no this is a book about a part of Black food that’s also Jewish food; This is a book about Jewish food that’s also Black food because it’s a book about Black people who are Jewish and Jewish people who are Black.”

Twitty, creator of Afroculinaria, the first blog devoted to African American history, foodways, and their legacy, won both the 2018 James Beard Foundation Book of the Year Award and Best Writing Award for The Cooking Gene. His writing is thoughtful, deep, and involved, taking a deep dive into his personal history and combining it with his conversations with other Black Jews. He seeks to put this in a historical and cultural perspective, showing us how food and identity converge.

“Black and Jews in their Venn diagram have seen considerable turmoil and pain,” he writes “and this too is a fundamental ingredient.”

But no matter what is going on in the world or what has happened in the past, we all have an urge and need to eat, writes Twitty, plus an enjoyment of what we consume. This is reflected not only in his writing but also in the recipes he shares at the back of the book.

Twitty describes this section as a koshersoul community cookbook of sorts. He encourages readers when in the kitchen to feel free to adapt them to meet their own dietary practices and preferences.

The recipes presented here are categorized under holidays and religious observations: Juneteenth, Pesach/Passover, Rosh Hashanah-Yom Kippur-Sukkot, and Shabbat, among others.

The names of some of the recipes represent the different lands and regions where people came from such as Ghanian Pepper Sauce, Senegalese-Inspired Chicken Soup, Jamaican Jerk Chicken Spaghetti, West Africa Wet Seasoning, and Gullah-Geechee-Inspired Stew.

Others like Yam Latkes, Kosher Spring Rolls, Collard Green Kreplach Filling, Black Eyed-Peas with Tomatoes, Sephardic Style, and Matzoh Meal Fried Chicken define the merging of two different cultures that meld into a distinct foodway.

But most importantly, Twitty reminds us that you don’t have to be Black or Jewish to love koshersoul.

Black-Eyed Pea Hummus

Serves 4 to 6

Black-eyed peas are a strong link between the two Diaspora cuisines, probably meeting in the Nile River Valley and the Fertile Crescent. Originally from ancient West Africa, black-eyed peas are a significant part of the cuisine of the Levant to this day, moving with African people throughout the region. Hummus, emblematic and beloved by many cultures in the Levant—is a dish that relies on the staple legume of the Arab farmer and ancient biblical standby, the chickpea. Here the black-eyed pea, loaded with mystical symbolism and its own honored place in West and Central Africa, replaces the chickpea. — Michael Twitty

  • 1 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
  • 1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1⁄3 cup tahini
  • 1⁄2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon brown or turbinado sugar
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 2 teaspoons minced parsley, for garnish

Throw everything but the parsley into a food processor and blend until smooth. Taste and add more spice, hot sauce, or whatever you think it needs. To serve, sprinkle parsley and drizzle olive oil on the top.

This article originally appeared in the New York Journal of Books.

THE FLAVOR THESAURUS: MORE FLAVORS

Uncategorized

THE FLAVOR THESAURUS: More Flavors: Plant-Led Pairings, Recipes, and Ideas for Cooks by Niki Segnit, the plant-focused follow-up to the global 2010 bestseller and beloved cookbook/ cooking guide THE FLAVOR THESAURUS: A Compendium of Pairings, Recipes, and Ideas for Creative Cooks.

THE FLAVOR THESAURUS: More Flavors just received a great review from Booklist which said, “This follow-up to Segnit’s The Flavor Thesaurus will please all foodies who want to nerd out on the tiniest details of nature’s edible delights and their pairing potential. The prose hums with poetic cadence in descriptions such as caramel roasted, flower and meadow, creamy fruity, zesty woody, nutty milky, and animalic, making it a whimsical read for those who simply want to be delighted by a discussion of food … Clever, unusual, and overwhelmingly intriguing, part two of The Flavor Thesaurus adds pizzazz to cookbook collections with its offbeat, choose-your-own-adventure look at the possibility of flavor pairings today.”

Since its release in 2010, THE FLAVOR THESAURUS has become a favorite guide for culinary students, something of a “secret weapon” for chefs, including Yotam Ottelenghi, Samin Nosrat, Rukmini Iyer, Great British Bake Off finalists and winners John Waite, Frances Quinn, Ruby Tandoh, and more (see list below) and a handy tool for bartenders and serious home cooks for its hundreds of flavor combination pairings and inspired ingredients, as well as Segnit’s brilliant sense of humor and entertaining writing style.

Segnit returns with anew treasury of pairings – this time with plant-led ingredients. More Flavors explores the character and tasting notes of chickpea, fennel, pomegranate, kale, lentil, miso, mustard, rye, pine nut, pistachio, poppy seed, sesame, turmeric, and wild rice, as well as offering new takes on favorites like almond, avocado, garlic, lemon, and parsley from the original, then expertly teaches readers how to pair them with ingredients that complement. With her celebrated blend of science, history, expertise, anecdotes, pop culture, and signature humor, Niki Segnit’s More Flavors is a modern classic of food writing, and a useful, engaging reference book for every cook’s kitchen.

The book is divided into flavour themes including Meaty, Cheesy, Woodland and Floral Fruity. Within these sections it follows the form of Roget’s Thesaurus, listing 99 popular ingredients alphabetically, and for each one suggesting flavour matchings that range from the classic to the bizarre. You can expect to find traditional pairings such as pork & apple, lamb & apricot, and cucumber & dill; contemporary favourites like chocolate & chilli, and goat’s cheese & beetroot; and interesting but unlikely-sounding couples including black pudding & chocolate, lemon & beef, blueberry & mushroom, and watermelon & oyster.

There are nearly a thousand entries in all, with 200 recipes and suggestions embedded in the text. Beautifully packaged, The Flavour Thesaurus is a fascinating, highly useful, and covetable, reference book for cooking –

Segnit covers tried and true, yet creative pairings. A few sample combinations and excerpts that showcase the uniqueness of the book include:

  • White bean & garlic: Garlic is to the cannellini bean as Chanel No 5 was to Marilyn Monroe: it’s all it needs to wear.
  • Eggplant & Sesame: Eggplant bathes in sesame’s glory, whether in the form of oil, seeds or tahini. Paired with a milder tahini, cooked eggplant flesh can seem so sweet as to earn dessert status. It certainly exposes aubergine as a fruit.
  • Chive & Yogurt: A version of the sports-bar classic, sour cream and chive, for people who actually play sport. That said, for all its leaner, sharper taste, it still speaks loudly of the snack bowl, thanks to the mouth-filling combination of lactic tingle and sulphurous breath.
  • Mint & Date: Mint is never lovelier than on a date with a date.
  • Date & Coconut: Two palms meet in a round of applause. Mine would be for the glossy little coconut cakes, studded with date pieces, that my mother used to make. I liked them best before the batch cooled, when they were still sticky and tasted like coconut ice mashed with unset fudge.
  • Lemon & Fennel: As clean and uplifting as a piccolo duet.
  • Mustard & Turmeric: Turmeric is the wind beneath mustard’s wings. It’s responsible for the shade known as mustard yellow. How detectable the flavor of turmeric is in mustard depends on which seeds it is made with.
  • Lemon & Poppy seed: The flavor could have come from a newly discovered berry, the aromatic zing of citrus harmonized by the typically almond note in the poppy seed (apple, pear, apricot and cranberry all have seeds that taste almond-like). You might also consider poppy seed and lemon as a flavor combination for white chocolate, fresh pasta and pancakes.
  • Sweet Potato & Kidney Bean: A power couple in the world of desserts, unlikely as it sounds.

Praise for The Flavor Thesarus: More Flavors

‘The book will inspire a new generation of home cooks, chefs and writers alike’ RUKMINI IYER

‘Matching ingredients isn’t a trivial matter and Niki Segnit is definitely the reigning champion’ YOTAM OTTOLENGHI

About the Author:

Niki Segnit is the author of Lateral Cooking and The Flavor Thesaurus, which won the André Simon Award for best food book, the Guild of Food Writers Award for best first book and was shortlisted for the Galaxy National Book Awards. It has been translated into fifteen languages. Her columns, features, and reviews have appeared in the Guardian, the Observer, the Times, the Times Literary Supplement, and the Sunday Times. She lives in London with her husband and two children.

Dinner’s in the Oven: Simple One-Pan Meals

Uncategorized

I’m a huge fan of Rukmini Iyer and am revisiting an old favorite Dinner’s in the Oven: Simple One-Pan Meals (Chronicle Books 2018; $19.95), featuring wonderfully easy sheet-pan recipes that always wow people when you bring them to the table. Hah! Little do they know how quick they are to assemble and cook. But we’ll let that be a secret between us.

First of all, the cookbook is beautiful as would be expected as Iyer, who is based in London, is a food stylist and has worked for such businesses as Fortnum & Mason, The Guardian, The Sunday Times, Macmillan Coffee Mornings, The British Heart Foundation, Phaidon, Quadrille Books and Kyle Books, the latter three are three publishing companies known for their cookbooks. Her other cookbooks include Vegetarian Dinners in the Oven: One-Pan Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes, the Roasting Tin series which have sold over 1.75 million copies to date, and the recently released India Express: Fresh and Flavorful Recipes for Everyday.

The great thing about her recipes is that once made they look sophisticated but are extremely easy. But to make it even better, Iyer has composed the book so that it starts off with the easiest recipes first so you learn as you move more forward plus she shows how we can make adaptations and provides charts on how to do so.

“The nicest thing about oven-made meals is that they are versatile and forgiving,” Iyer writes in the introduction to her book, adding that the recipes require the barest minimum in terms of effort—a little light chopping to start, then tasting and adjusting the salt or lemon juice at the end. “Most importantly, they leave you free to do something else while dinner looks after itself—have a bath, help the children with their homework, or, my preferred option, flop on the sofa with a glass of wine.”

Iyer describes the French Tomato and Mustard Tart with Tarragon as one of the easiest and most satisfying dishes in the book in her book.

“The paprika gives it a wonderful smokiness,” she says, “but you could easily use a combination

of honey and mustard as an alternative. It’s that simple.”

Spicy Chipotle Chicken Wings with Sweet Potato Wedges, Cilantro & Lime Yogurt

Serves: 4

Prep: 10 minutes; Cook: 1 hour

  • 1 3/4 pounds chicken wings, separated into wingettes and drumettes
  • 1 3/4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch [2½cm] wedges
  • 2 teaspoons chile powder
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Sea salt
  • Zest and juice of 1 lime, plus lime wedges, to serve
  • 4 to 5 tablespoons Greek yogurt
  • A handful of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, plus more to serve

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the chicken wings and sweet potato wedges in a large roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet.

Mix together the chile powder, smoked paprika, brown sugar, olive oil, 2 teaspoons sea salt, and half of

the lime zest and juice. Pour the mixture over the chicken and sweet potatoes and mix well with your

hands to coat evenly. Transfer to the oven and roast for 40 minutes.

Turn the heat up to 400°F and roast for a further 20 minutes, to crisp the chicken skin.

Meanwhile, mix together the yogurt, chopped cilantro, remaining lime zest and juice, and a pinch of seasalt. Set aside.

Sprinkle the chicken wings and sweet potatoes with cilantro leaves and serve with lime wedges and the yogurt dip alongside.

Smoky Sausage, Sweet Potatoes and Red Onions

Serves: 4

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 50 minutes

  • 8 to 12 good-quality fresh pork sausages (approx. 13/4 pounds [800g] total) links
  • 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunky wedges
  • 2 red onions, cut into eighths
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 4 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • A good splash of olive oil
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a roasting pan, toss the sausages, sweet potato wedges, red onions, garlic, and smoked paprika with

the olive oil. Season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Transfer to the oven and roast for 45 to 50 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are cooked through and

the sausages are sticky and slightly charred. Serve immediately.

French Tomato and Mustard Tart with Tarragon

Serves: 4

Prep: 10 minutes; Cook: 30 minutes

  • One 10-by-15-inch sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
  • 2½tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 3/4 pound vine-ripened tomatoes, thinly sliced
  • 4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the puff pastry on a parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheet.

Spread the mustard all over, leaving a 3/4-inch border around the edges. Arrange the sliced tomatoes on

the mustard. Sprinkle on the tarragon, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper and drizzle with the olive oil.

Transfer to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges of the tart are golden brown and crisp. Serve immediately.

The above recipes are reprinted from Dinner’s in the Oven by Rukmini Iyer with permission by ChronicleBooks.

[The Washington Post]

Artisanal, Chinese, Desserts, Historic foodways, Home bakers, Italian Cuisine, Korean BBQ, Literary Recipes

https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2023/10/11/national-book-month-recipes/

On the road to Lincoln-related sites

Historic foodways, Historic Restaurants, Uncategorized

From Hoosier History Live the Award Winning Show by Nelson Price; Produced by Molly Head.

The Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial in Spencer County includes a recreation of the log cabin the Lincolns built when they moved to the Little Pigeon Creek settlement in the wilderness in 1816. Indiana became a state that same year.

“I love that there are still inns where Lincoln stayed,” says travel writer Jane Ammeson, who has been a popular Roadtrip correspondent on Hoosier History Live for several years.Book cover: Lincoln Road TripAlthough her radio reports, magazine articles and books cover a range of historic topics, Jane has narrowed her focus in her newest book, Lincoln Road Trip: The Back-Roads Guide to America’s Favorite President (Red Lightning Books).As most Hoosiers know, Abraham Lincoln grew up in southern Indiana. As a 7-year-old, he and his family moved from Kentucky to the wilderness area that became Spencer County; the Lincolns arrived in 1816, the same year Indiana achieved statehood.We will reach beyond the boundaries of Indiana when Jane joins Nelson as a studio guest to explore some of the inns, homes, mills and recreated historic sites with a connection to Lincoln (1809-1865), his extended family and the historical events associated with his life.


Our itinerary for the show will include traveling to Kentucky to explore the Old Talbott Tavern in Bardstown, which opened as an inn in 1779. Abe Lincoln was about five when he stayed at the inn; according to Lincoln Road Trip, it is considered “one of the oldest taverns in continuous operation in the United States and the oldest stagecoach stop west of the Allegheny Mountains.”

Guests at an inn in Corydon, Indiana’s first state capital, included Josiah Lincoln, Abe’s uncle. Josiah (the brother of Thomas Lincoln, father of the future president) visited the Kintner Tavern after he moved to Harrison County to establish a 160-acre farm near Corydon in the early 1800s, according to Lincoln Road Trip. Although the original tavern was destroyed by a fire, its owner, Jacob Kintner, later opened the Kintner House Inn, which still stands.
And here’s another Lincoln-connected bit of trivia about Harrison County: Because there are no direct descendants remaining of Abraham Lincoln – the last, his great-grandson Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, died in 1985 – descendants of Josiah Lincoln are considered, as Jane puts it, “among the closest living kin of the greatest American president.”

Many of Josiah Lincoln’s descendants continue to live in Harrison County or nearby.Thousands of visitors from across the country have seen the burial sites of Abraham Lincoln’s mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, and his older sister, Sarah Lincoln Grigsby, at the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial in Spencer County. The site includes a recreation of the log cabin the Lincolns built when they moved to the Little Pigeon Creek settlement in the wilderness.
Jane Ammeson“It was a region with many bears and other wild animals still in the woods,” Lincoln recalled later in life. “There I grew up.”Our guest Jane Ammeson notes that the Lincoln family was related through marriage to the extended family of frontier explorer Daniel Boone. So Lincoln Road Trip highlights historic sites associated with the Boones, which we also will explore during our show.

These sites include Squire Boone Caverns in Harrison County, which Jane describes as a “magical and mystical” cave system with an underground waterfall. Squire Boone, Daniel’s younger brother, lived near the caverns in southeastern Indiana for the final 11 years of his life. When he died in 1815 at age 71, Squire Boone asked his children to bury him in one of the passageways of the cave system.

Today, Squire Boone Caverns is a popular tourist attraction, and visitors often stop in the area that includes his casket.Also during our show, we will explore the Colonel William Jones State Historic Site near the town of Gentryville in southwestern Indiana. Jones ran a general store during Abe Lincoln’s teenage years, employing him as a clerk and discussing political issues with him. After the Lincoln family moved to Illinois, Abe Lincoln spent the night at Jones’ house during a return visit to Indiana.During the Civil War, Jones was killed at the Battle of Atlanta in 1864, his former clerk serving as commander-in-chief. The house in Gentryville, which Jones designed in the Federal style, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Chicago’s Exciting Food Scene & the Upcoming James Beard Awards

Chicago restaurants, James Beard Awards

Chicago, an international food destination, is once again hosting the prestigious James Beard Awards on June 3-5. To buy tickets, see below. Chicago also recently was recognized by Food & Wine’s new Global Tastemakers Awards in the following categories:


○ 10 Best Cities for Neighborhood Restaurants in the U.S. (#4)
○ The Best Cities for Food in the U.S. (#6)
○ The 10 Best Bars in the U.S. (The Violet Hour, #10)
○ The 5 Most Creative Bars in the U.S. (The Violet Hour, , The Aviary, )

James Beard Awards 2023: full list of Chicago nominees


Big Jones Restaurant chef and owner, Paul Fehribach was recognized as a nominee for Best Chef in the Midwest, 2023 by the James Beard Foundation. When he is not in the kitchen, Fehribach has been writing his multi-year cookbook project Midwestern Food: A Chef’s Guide to the Surprising History of a Great American Cuisine available for purchase in mid-October 2023 from local booksellers online and at Big Jones.

The prestigious James Beard Awards will be returning to Chicago to honor the best restaurants and chefs in America on June 5, 2023. The list of Chicago semifinalist contenders include:

https://www.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eCts9aSs38youtube.com/watch?v=_eCts9aSs38

Smyth: Outstanding Restaurant 

One of the James Beard Awards’ highest honors, Outstanding Restaurant recognizes establishments that “demonstrate consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, and hospitality.” Helmed by husband-and-wife duo John Shields and Karen Urie Shields, this tasting menu spot is grounded in pristine products and produce grown in close collaboration with small farms. The menu, which evolves constantly, is served in a welcoming atmosphere with an open kitchen, so guests can watch the chef’s creativity in action.

Damarr Brown, Virtue: Emerging Chef

Last year, executive chef Erick Williams of Virtue took from the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes. This year, his chef de cuisine Damarr Brown is being recognized for displaying “exceptional talent, character, and leadership ability”. Brown, a fan favorite on Top Chef, has been demonstrating his culinary expertise in Virtue’s kitchen in the Hyde Park neighborhood, composing elegant versions of classic Southern American dishes.


Khmai Cambodian Fine Dining: Best New Restaurant

A hidden gem no more, Khmai has received local and national acclaim for its authentic Cambodian cuisine. Executive chef Mona Sang draws on her Cambodian heritage to compose the restaurant’s weekly menus, which are all served family style for the entire table to enjoy. Khmai is located in the Rogers Park neighborhood — be sure to make a reservation before you go.

Obélix: Best New Restaurant

Chicago is home to a plethora of excellent French restaurants, but Obélix has still managed to stand out from the pack. The intimate space in River North serves up elevated takes on modern French fare. Diners will find favorites like French onion soup, escargots, and steak frites, alongside creative dishes like foie gras macarons, lobster crepes, and confit squab.

Sepia: Outstanding Hospitality

A longtime favorite in the West Loop neighborhood, this venerable institution has earned this nomination for “fostering a sense of hospitality among its customers and staff that serves as a beacon for the community”. The menu melds rustic and refined elements in a way that’s both classic and approachable. The four-course tasting menu offers various options, including sourdough cavatelli, truffle fried chicken, dry-aged beef striploin, and more.

All Together Now: Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

This funky space in the West Town neighborhood is a jack of all trades — wine shop, cheese counter, intimate restaurant, and community gathering space. You can grab some small plates at happy hour, enjoy a weekend brunch, load up on ingredients for the perfect charcuterie board, or just kick back with a glass of wine and enjoy the laidback vibes.

These regional accolades recognize chefs who set high standards in their culinary skills and leadership abilities, while contributing positively to their broader community. The following Chicago chefs have been nominated for Best Chef: Great Lakes in 2023:

● North America’s 50 Best Bars named Kumiko and Milk Room to their 2023 list.

James Beard Events

2023 James Beard Awards

June 3-5, 2023

Contact Host

Chicago, IL, USA

2023 James Beard Awards

For more than 30 years, the James Beard Awards, among the nation’s most prestigious honors, have recognized leaders in the culinary and food media industries. This summer, nominees and Award winners will be honored through a weekend of events sure to be the industry’s and food lovers’ highlight of the year, gathering nearly 1,500 of the country’s top chefs, restaurateurs, food media, and culinary enthusiasts in Chicago with millions more tuning in live and on TV. More than 70 Awards will recognize excellence in the categories of restaurants and chefs, books, broadcast media, journalism, leadership, and lifetime achievements.

Join us as we celebrate excellence and community while recognizing our rich and diverse culinary heritage and those who tell its story.

James Beard Media Awards
Saturday, June 3 at 5:00 P.M. CT, Columbia College Chicago

A theater-style seated awards ceremony honoring broadcast media, cookbook, and journalism nominees from around the country. A reception will immediately follow the ceremony, highlighting chefs and other luminaries, including those from the Chicago culinary scene. 400 guests are expected.

James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards
Monday, June 5 at 6:00 P.M. CT, Lyric Opera of Chicago

This Academy Awards-style event will feature red carpet arrivals and an awards ceremony honoring the best of the best in the restaurant and chef industry. This premier event will be broadcast live. 1,650 guests are expected.

James Beard Post-Awards Celebration
Monday, June 5 at 9:00 P.M. CT, Chicago Union Station

A walk-around tasting reception held at Union Station will immediately follow the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards. Attended by over 1,600 chefs, restaurateurs, food media, and culinary enthusiasts, the event will feature food and beverage stations highlighting chefs from around the country.

Reservation Policy: All reservations are non-refundable.

Please reach out to boxoffice@jamesbeard.org with any questions. To order tickets, click here.

About the James Beard Foundation

The James Beard Foundation is a nonprofit organization with a mission to celebrate, support, and elevate the people behind America’s food culture and champion a standard of good food anchored in talent, equity, and sustainability.

Curtis Stone Has the Most Perfect Recipe for Mother’s Day

Celebrity Chef, Iron Chef

This Mother’s Day show your appreciation for mom and mom figures by putting these three little words into action: Breakfast in Bed, says celebrity chef Curtis Stone.

Australian-born, Stone is an award winning chef and is chef/owner of Maude in Beverly Hills, Gwen Butcher Shop & Restaurant–and English-style butcher shop eatery, and Georgie by Curtis Stone in Dallas.

Unsure what to whip up?  Not too worry. Stone’s got you covered with his ALL-NEW breakfast in bed recipe (approved by his wife Lindsay and kids), that blends savory and sweet in a “sparkling” delicious way using Waterloo Orange Vanilla Sparkling Water.

“My cooking philosophy is to keep it simple and cook with naturally produced ingredients just as Mother Nature intended,” says Stone who is an Iron Chef and is one The Iron Chefs from the new Netflix show (left to right): Marcus Samuelsson, Dominique Crenn, Curtis Stone, Gabriela Camara and Ming Tsai.

iron chef netflix reboot

Stone has also appeared on Food Network‘s Iron Chef America in the episode “Battle Skipjack Tuna,” where he lost to Iron Chef Bobby Flay and was a judge on the first season of Crime Scene Kitchen, and was also the red team’s chef’s table guest diner during the second dinner service in Hell’s Kitchen‘s twentieth season.

He is the author of six cookbooks including Good Food, Good Life, What’s for Dinner?: Delicious Recipes for a Busy Life: A Cookbook, and Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone.

Orange Vanilla Crepes with Whipped Mascarpone and Caramel Sauce

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup Waterloo Orange Vanilla Sparkling Water
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 2 large eggs
  • 4 tsp sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 tbs unsalted butter
  • Whipped Mascarpone:
  • 8 oz mascarpone cheese, chilled
  • 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
  • Caramel Sauce:
  • 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • Pinch of salt

To make crepes:

1. In blender, combine flour, Waterloo Orange Vanilla Sparkling Water, cream, eggs, sugar, and pinch of salt and blend until smooth. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

2. Heat medium (10-inch) frypan over medium-low heat. Melt 1 tsp butter in pan.

3. Pour about 1/4 cup batter into center of pan and swirl to coat bottom thinly. Cook 2 minutes, or until edges of crepe are light brown.

4. Loosen edges gently with thin spatula and carefully turn crepe over. Continue cooking 1 minute, or until bottom begins to brown in spots.

5. Transfer crepe to a plate. Repeat with remaining batter, adding butter to pan as needed, and forming about 10 crepes in total.

Meanwhile, to make whipped mascarpone and caramel sauce:

6. In medium bowl, using whisk, lightly whip mascarpone, cream, and zest until soft peaks form. Set aside.

7. In medium saucepan over low heat, stir sugar and 1/4 cup water until sugar has dissolved. Increase heat to medium-high and boil without stirring for about 8 minutes, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush to dissolve any crystals, until caramel is golden brown. Remove pan from heat and slowly whisk in cream and pinch of salt; caramel will bubble vigorously.

To assemble and serve crepes:

8. Lay one crepe flat on work surface and spread some whipped mascarpone over crepe in thin layer. Repeat to assemble remaining crepes. Divide crepes among plates. Spoon caramel over crepes and serve.

Prep Notes:

Serves: 4 (makes about 10 crepes)

Prep Time: 35 minutes; Cook Time: 25 minutes

Make-Ahead: Crepe batter can be made up to 1 day ahead, covered and refrigerated.

About Waterloo Sparkling Water

Waterloo, founded in 2017, is committed to creating better-tasting, better-for-you sparkling waters that support a healthy, active lifestyle. With a focus on sustainability, the water used in Waterloo is filtered and manufactured in zero waste plants, packaged in recyclable aluminum cans from 70% recycled material, and actively managed to reduce miles in transit – on average just one day from plant to retailer shelf.

Flavor Artistry

Their flavor recipes are custom-created by in-house flavor artists and include such flavors as Blackberry Lemonade, Lemon-Lime, Cherry Limeade, Peach, Grape and two new flavors Ginger Citrus and Orange Twist.