Tag: Regional

Announcing the James Beard Award Winners 2023

Artisanal, Asian cooking, Bakeries, Bakery, Historic foodways, Historic Restaurants, Indian Food, Italian Cuisine, James Beard Awards, Regional & Ethnic, Restaurants, Southern cuisine, Vegetarian
Sherry Pocknett, Sly Fox Den Too, Charlestown, RI – ©️ 2023 Galdones Photography/JBF

The best chefs, restauranteurs, bakers, and those representing wine and beverage servers, hospitality providers, and humanitarians working at giving back to their communities were in Chicago this last weekend for the 2023 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards, presented by Capital One and held at the historic Lyric Opera of Chicago.

The awards presentation was co-hosted by Eric Adjepong, chef, author, and host of Alex vs America; Esther Choi, chef and owner of mŏkbar and ms.yoo; Gail Simmons, author, producer, and Top Chef judge; and Andrew Zimmern, James Beard Award winner, TV personality, chef, writer, and social justice advocate. 1,500 guests were in attendance at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Built in 1929, with an outstanding Art Deco interior, it’s the second largest opera house in the U.S.

Junghyun Park, Atomix, New York, NY – ©️ 2023 Galdones Photography/JBF

Additional presenters included Mashama Bailey, James Beard Award–winning chef and restaurateur, The Grey; Chris Bianco, James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur, Pizzeria Bianco; Monti Carlo, TV personality, food writer, and host of the Food Network’s Help My Yelp; Sarah Grueneberg, James Beard Award-winning chef and restaurateur, Monteverde; Tahiirah Habibi, sommelier, founder of The Hue Society, and James Beard Awards Committee member; Carla Hall, cookbook author, chef, and TV personality; Tanya Holland, chef, author, James Beard Foundation trustee, and Awards Committee Chair; and Erick Williams, James Beard Award-winning chef, and restaurateur, Virtue Restaurant; among others.

“Congratulations to the exceptional winners of this year’s Restaurant and Chef Awards—whose incredible achievements and dedication to culinary excellence have left an indelible mark on our industry,” said Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation.

. “As we celebrate, it’s important to acknowledge the significant work that these accomplished restaurants and chefs have done to push American food culture forward—using their immense creativity, passion, and talent to create extraordinary experiences on behalf of others. Thanks to them, our food future is bright, indeed.”

Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia, PA – ©️ 2023 Galdones Photography/JBF

“As we celebrate the second year of the new awards process, we were thrilled to witness the remarkable talent showcased by our 2023 nominees and winners, who represent the true diversity of gifted chefs and outstanding restaurants that exist across the industry,” said Holland. “I am deeply appreciative to the committee members for their thoughtful deliberations that were instrumental in recognizing and honoring some of the brightest and most innovative minds in our industry.”

“On behalf of the committee, we are excited for all of this year’s Restaurant and Chef Award winners,” said Adrian Miller, Restaurant and Chef Awards Committee Chair and Allecia Vermillion, Restaurant and Chef Awards Committee Vice-Chair. “We are thrilled to celebrate excellence exemplified by the quality and diverse restaurants and chefs who play a pivotal role in shaping our country’s vibrant culinary landscape.”

Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, Kalaya, Philadelphia, PA – ©️ 2023 Galdones Photography/JBF

“As a chef, it is a privilege and an honor to co-host this year’s Restaurant and Chef Awards,” said Adjepong. “Thank you to the Beard Foundation for giving us this opportunity.”

“To play a key role in celebrating our fellow chefs and restaurateurs has been such a joy,” said Simmons.

Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, Kalaya, Philadelphia, PA – ©️ 2023 Galdones Photography/JBF

“Congratulations to this year’s winners. Your work makes us proud to be a part of our country’s independent restaurant industry,” added Zimmern.

The voting process for all Restaurant and Chef Award categories can be found here, and the process and eligibility for each category can be found on the Awards’ policies and procedures page, as well as here. 2023 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Award Winners.

The James Beard Awards, considered to be among the nation’s most prestigious honors, recognize exceptional talent in the culinary arts, hospitality, media, and broader food system, as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where  all can thrive. Established in 1990, with the first ceremony taking place in 1991, the Restaurant and Chef Awards is one of five separate recognition programs for the Awards.

Bar Leather Apron, Honolulu, HI – ©️ 2023 Galdones Photography/JBF

Outstanding Chef

Rob Rubba, Oyster Oyster, Washington, D.C.

Outstanding Restaurant Presented by Acqua Panna® Natural Spring Water

Outstanding Restaurant Presented by Acqua Panna® Natural Spring Water

Friday Saturday Sunday, Philadelphia, PA

The Quarry, Monson, ME – ©️ 2023 Galdones Photography/JBF

Best New Restaurant Presented by BentoBox

Kann, Portland, OR

Outstanding Restaurateur

Ellen Yin, High Street Hospitality Group (Fork, a.kitchen + bar, High Street, and others), Philadelphia, PA

Tim Flores and Genie Kwon, Kasama, Chicago, IL – ©️ 2023 Galdones Photography/JBF

Emerging Chef Presented by S.Pellegrino® Sparkling Mineral Water

Damarr Brown, Virtue, Chicago, IL

Outstanding Bakery Presented by Guinness

Yoli Tortilleria, Kansas City, MO

Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker

Margarita Manzke, République, Los Angeles, CA

Outstanding Hospitality Presented by American Airlines

The Quarry, Monson, ME

Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program

OTOTO, Los Angeles, CA

Olivia Watkins (left), Karen Washington – Humanitarians – ©️ 2023 Galdones Photography/JBF

Outstanding Bar Presented by Hilton

Bar Leather Apron, Honolulu, HI

The Quarry, Monson, ME – ©️ 2023 Galdones Photography/JBF

Best Chefs Presented by Capital One (by region)

Best Chef: California

Justin Pichetrungsi, Anajak Thai, Sherman Oaks, CA

Best Chef: Great Lakes (IL, IN, MI, OH)

Tim Flores and Genie Kwon, Kasama, Chicago, IL

Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic (DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA)

Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, Kalaya, Philadelphia, PA

Best Chef: Midwest (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD, WI)

Itaru Nagano and Andrew Kroeger, Fairchild, Madison, WI

Best Chef: Mountain (CO, ID, MT, UT, WY)

Kris Komori, KIN, Boise, ID

Best Chef: New York State

Junghyun Park, Atomix, New York, NY

Best Chef: Northeast (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT)

Sherry Pocknett, Sly Fox Den Too, Charlestown, RI

Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific (AK, HI, OR, WA)

Vince Nguyen, Berlu, Portland, OR

Best Chef: South (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, PR)

Natalia Vallejo, Cocina al Fondo, San Juan, PR

Best Chef: Southeast (GA, KY, NC, SC, TN, WV)

Terry Koval, The Deer and the Dove, Decatur, GA

Best Chef: Southwest (AZ, NM, NV, OK)

Andrew Black, Grey Sweater, Oklahoma City, OK

Best Chef: Texas

Benchawan Jabthong Painter, Street to Kitchen, Houston, TX

America’s Classics – ©️ 2023 Galdones Photography/JBF

Humanitarian of the Year Award

The 2023 Humanitarian of the Year Award honorees are the co-founders of the Black Farmer Fund: social entrepreneur and impact investor Olivia Watkins, and farmer and activist Karen Washington.

Benchawan Jabthong Painter, Street to Kitchen, Houston, TX – ©️ 2023 Galdones Photography/JBF

Lifetime Achievement Award

The 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award honoree is legendary cookbook author, writer, teacher, and actress Madhur Jaffrey CBE.

Jane Goodall Reasons For Hope Debuts at Arizona Science Center

Arizona Science Center, Environmental, Jane Goodall

 Arizona Science Center is hosting a public event – An Evening With Dr. Jane Goodall – on Friday, June 2, 2023 to release the world premiere of the large-format film: Jane Goodall – Reasons for Hope. Dr. Goodall will be onsite at Arizona Science Center where she will share stories about her time in Arizona and the knowledge she’s collected over more than 60 years as a global conservation and humanitarian icon. Multiple ticket options, beginning at $150/ticket, are available for the event and space is limited.

“We hope you join us as we welcome Dr. Jane Goodall back to the Science Center and feature her latest large-format film: Jane Goodall – Reasons for Hope,” said Guy Labine, The Hazel A. Hare President and CEO, Arizona Science Center. “Uplifting, inspiring films like this help light a spark of imagination in all viewers.”

Jane Goodall – Reasons for Hope is based on Dr. Jane Goodall’s philosophy of hope for the world and all of life on it, including both the natural world and its human inhabitants. Dr. Jane Goodall is a renowned British-born ethologist, environmentalist, animal-rights activist, conservationist, author, educator, UN Messenger of Peace and founder of the Jane Goodall Institute. The film is a Science North production in association with Jane Goodall Institute, by award-winning documentarian, David Lickley. 

The film takes the viewer on a journey that highlights good news stories that will inspire people to make a difference in the world around them. Thanks to Arizona Science Center’s local connections and partnerships, the internationally–distributed film features a number of climate change initiatives taking place in Arizona. For example, Dr. Goodall finds hope in Arizona Public Service (APS)’s efforts to advance alternative energy, including renewable energy generation that is enough to power an entire city Additionally, the first commercial-scale “Mechanical Tree” at Arizona State University removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The film also highlights the untapped potential of young people and how the Roots & Shoots program works in 65 countries to create change in their communities. 

“Arizona Science Center is proud to help share the innovative efforts taking place in Arizona to address climate change,” said Anita Theisen, Arizona Science Center Board of Trustees Chair. “Thanks to the support of our local sponsors and partners, we are proud to premiere this film highlighting the number of climate change initiatives taking place in our state.”

Arizona Science Center is a Jane Goodall – Reasons for Hope theatre production partner, generously supported by APS and The Rob and Melani Walton Foundation.

To view ticket options and to learn more about An Evening With Dr. Jane Goodall on Friday, June 2, please visit AzScience.org. 

About Arizona Science Center

The mission of Arizona Science Center is to inspire, educate, and engage curious minds through science. The Center, located at 600 E. Washington Street in downtown Phoenix, features more than 300 hands-on exhibits, live demonstrations, a range of interactive online science content, the state-of-the-art Dorrance Planetarium, and the five-story Irene P. Flinn Giant Screen Theater, exciting science programs for people of all ages. CREATE at Arizona Science Center®, adjacent to the main building, is a 6,500-square-foot community maker space that provides workshops, including 3D printing, laser cutting, woodworking, and sewing. Arizona Science Center offers programs for all ages, including CAMP INNOVATION, Teen programs, Professional Development and Learning for Educators, and much more. To learn more or to reserve tickets, visit azscience.org or call 602.716.2000.

About Science North

Science North is Northern Ontario’s most popular tourist attraction and an educational resource for children and adults across the province. Science North maintains the second – and eighth-largest science centers in Canada. Science North’s attractions include a science centre, IMAX® theatre, digital Planetarium, butterfly gallery, special exhibits hall, and Dynamic Earth: Home of the Big Nickel. Science North, in partnership with Laurentian University, offers North America’s first and only comprehensive Science Communication program, a joint Master’s and Graduate Diploma program. As part of its mandate, Science North provides science experiences throughout Northern Ontario including outreach to schools and festivals, summer science camps, and more, and has a permanent base in Thunder Bay providing outreach to the Northwest. Science North is an agency of the Government of Ontario. For information, visit sciencenorth.ca.

About Jane Goodall Institute

The Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) is a global, community-centered conservation organization founded in 1977 that advances the vision and work of Dr. Jane Goodall in over 30 countries worldwide. We aim to understand and protect chimpanzees, other apes, and their habitats, and empower people to be compassionate citizens in order to inspire the conservation of the natural world we all share. JGI uses research, community-led conservation, best-in-class animal welfare standards, and the innovative use of science and technology to inspire hope and transform it into action for the common good. Through our Roots & Shoots program for young people of all ages, now active in over 60 countries around the world, JGI is creating an informed and compassionate critical mass of people who will help to create a better world for people, other animals, and our shared environment. Learn more at janegoodall.org. 

Classic Del-Bar Supper Club Celebrates 80 Years with Special Recipes

Historic foodways, Historic Restaurants, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Supper Clubs

For those who love supper clubs, then check out The Del-Bar, a supper club in the Wisconsin Dells celebrated their 80th anniversary on June 1st with the release of one of their most popular dishes, Shrimp de Jonghe. A Chicago classic created by the de Jonghe brothers in the late 1800s, Shrimp de Jonghe is one of the most classic of classic supper club dishes and interestingly, for as delicious as it is, is typically served only in the Chicagoland area.

Wisconsin is the epicenter of supper clubs, probably boasting the most in the nation.

Mary Bergin, author of Wisconsin Supper Club Cookbook – Iconic Fare and Nostalgia From Landmark Eateries explains what differentiates a supper club from a restaurant.

It’s not just food and drink, she says. Supper clubs tend to be less about family than couples, lighting can be neon on the outside and dimly lit—or should we say atmospheric inside.

As far as I know there are no chain supper clubs, instead, according to Bergin who is a travel writer and author, they’re locally owned and often have been in the same family for generations. Sure, there are some in big cities, but often they’re in rural, even out-of-the-way places. And they don’t skimp on the food.

Of course, what makes a supper club in Wisconsin might differ in other states, but in the Midwest, it’s more the rule that they offer a friendly atmosphere, making you feel like you belong to—yes, you guessed it—the club.

“I think at a supper club, you immediately feel like you belong,” says Bergin, who is also authored xxx

Del-Bar checks many of the boxes. It was founded Jim and Alice Wimmer, the grandparents of third-generation owners– Amy Wimmer and Anne Stoken. In 1943 the Wimmers bought a roadside diner situated between Baraboo and the Wisconsin Dells (hence the name) that was in actuality a cabin with room enough for six tables.

Jim, a former quarterback for the University of Wisconsin who grew up in rural Wisconsin Dells, was all gung-ho about the buying the place. Alice less so. But he pointed out she had a degree in Domestic Science from the University of Wisconsin and also was a pretty good cook.

And so they took the plunge. Obviously the current restaurant is more than a converted cabin. Designed by James Dresser, a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright, he designed homes throughout the country but many can be found in Wisconsin including not only Del-Bar but also Fields at the Wilderness, also in the Wisconsin Dells.

Taliesin Preservation describes Dresser’s design of the Del-Bar as featuring {strong geometry in its design, with the triangle as a repeated element, including on the sign out front, which literally points diners into the restaurant.  The building’s construction materials also reinforce its connection to nature and the prairie. Exterior stone walls continue inside, giving way to large expanses of glass. The warmth of another natural material, wood, harmonizes with the earth tones of the restaurant’s color palette, which can be found both inside and out.  Another design principle James absorbed from Wright, the use of compression and release, is easy to see and feel at the Del-Bar: Intimate, low-ceilinged spaces open to larger, soaring expanses.”

To celebrate 80 years in business, Del-Bar is releasing two recipes including their hot bacon dressing that they serve with their spinach salad and has been on the menu since almost day one.

The Del-Bar’s Hot Bacon Dressing

Serves approximately 20

  • 1 pound bacon – cut up and browned(grease drained off)
  • 1/2 cup 0nion – chopped and sauteed
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustart

Combine first three ingredients and bring to a boil.

Lower heat to low and add sugar and simmer for a few more minutes.

Turn the heat off and add mayonnaise and mustard.

Stir until dissolved.

The Original Shrimp de Jonghe Recipe:

According to The Del-Bar’s website “As we continue our 80th year celebration, we are excited to reveal the history and recipe for The Del-Bar’s Shrimp de Jonghe recipe. Shrimp de Jonghe has been a staple among Chicago cuisine dating back to the late 1800’s and legend has it that this recipe was acquired at Binyon’s, a famous Chicago restaurant, which held the Original Henri De Jonghe recipe. Second generation Del-Bar owner Jeff Wimmer seized an opportunity to bring a Chicago specialty to the Dells area in the early 70’s and it has been a staple on our menu since then! Enjoy! Or continue to let us do the cooking!

This recipe yields one loaf of de Jonghe Bread which is plenty to cover up to two 9×13 casserole dishes or if you are doing individual ramekins as we do, you will have plenty to freeze and it will keep for a month.

Ingredients:

  • 1 load bread- remove crusts, use dough hook in standing mixer to make into crumbs
  • 2 1/2 sticks butter, softened
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 teaspoon dry chives,
  • 1 teaspoon dry tarragon
  • 2 teaspoon chopped parsley
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper,
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco
  • 1/3 cup garlic
  • 1/3 cup shallots
  • 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

Cream butter with the Worcestershire sauce, chives, parsley, black pepper, salt, and Tabasco.

Mince the garlic and shallots with a food processor or by hand.

Then sauté on low heat for five minutes with 1/2 cup butter.

Combine all ingredients into mixer with dough hook.

Form into loaf and refrigerate 24 hours. When ready to assemble, season shrimp with salt and pepper.

Slice de Jonghe bread thin, top shrimp (5 for ramekin size) or fill a casserole dish with shrimp and cover with thin slices of bread.

Brush bread with butter and bake at 450°F for 10 minutes and then broil until bread is browned.

This Summer Discover 12 Great Chicago’s Exhibitions

Art Institute, Chicago History Museum, Chicagoland Area, Design, Entertainment, Family Excursions, Field Museum, Magnificent Mile, Museum of Science and Industry, Science, Water Tower Place

The Art Institute of Chicago has a full slate of spring/summer programming. (Neighborhood: The Loop)

  • The Arranged Flower: Ikebana and Flora in Japanese Prints (until July 9, 2023) – Ikebana is considered a form of Japanese high art, reflecting the principles of minimalism, asymmetry, and the appreciation of space. The arrangements are designed to create a sense of balance and harmony between the flowers and the environment in which they are displayed. Today, Ikebana is practiced by people of all ages and backgrounds in Japan and around the world. There are many different schools and styles of ikebana, each with its own unique techniques and aesthetic principles. Several works on display are surimono—privately commissioned prints circulated among members of poetry circles on special occasions—featuring representations of this practice.
  • Van Gogh and the Avant-Garde: The Modern Landscape (May 14 – September 4, 2023) – Between 1882 and 1890, five artists—Vincent van Gogh, along with Georges Seurat, Paul Signac, Emile Bernard, and Charles Angrand—flocked to villages on the fringes of Paris. Each artist explored the use of discrete brushstrokes and strong colors in innovative ways, and in turn developed novel styles of painting: Divisionism, Pointillism, and Cloisonnism. More than 75 paintings and drawings from this intensely creative period—many from private collections and rarely publicly displayed—come together for this insightful presentation. 
  • Ellsworth Kelly: Portrait Drawings (July 1 – October 23, 2023) –  It is not surprising that an artist’s work reflects their artistic influences and friendships. In the case of Ellsworth Kelly, his drawings show the impact of the artists he encountered during his travels to Europe in the 1940s, such as Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse. This exhibition spans most of Kelly’s 70-year career, showcasing his evolving and wide-ranging approach to both portraiture and drawing. 
  • Remedios Varo: Science Fictions (July 29 – November 27, 2023) – The exhibition brings together more than 20 paintings created by Varo during her time in Mexico from 1955 until her death in 1963. These paintings offer a glimpse into Varo’s distinct and diverse practice and are supplemented by additional materials from the artist’s archive, including large-scale cartoons, notebooks, sketches, detailed studies, ephemera, and personal possessions. Varo was a key figure in the Surrealist movement, and her work reflects many of the movement’s core values and beliefs. Furthermore, the exhibition marks a milestone in the museum’s efforts to expand the borders of the global Surrealist movement, as it is the Art Institute’s first solo exhibition dedicated to a woman Surrealist painter and to a woman artist working in Mexico.

Chicago History Museum’s exhibit Millions of Moments: The Chicago Sun-Times Photo Collection (until December 31, 2023) features 150 images from the Chicago History Museum’s Chicago Sun-Times. It is a first look at highlights from five million negatives spanning the 1940s-early 2000s, one of the largest newspaper photograph collections ever acquired by an American museum. As the Museum continues to process negatives from this extraordinary collection, new images will be shared through their online portal, CHM Images. (Neighborhood: Lincoln Park)

  • Back Home: Polish Chicago – Opening May 20, 2023, the exhibition features more than 90 artifacts and documents as well as more than 100 reproduced photographs to help tell the story of the Chicago area’s vibrant Polish communities from the mid-1800s to today. Explore personal narratives, music, community involvement, as well as art installations from five local Polish artists. Guided tours are available for groups of 10 or more. 

Cleve Carney Museum of Art and the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) at the College of DuPage will present Warhol: Featuring Andy Warhol Portfolios: A Life in Pop / Works from the Bank of America from June 3 – September 10, 2023. The Warhol exhibition will feature 94 works from “Andy Warhol Portfolios: A Life in Pop / Works from the Bank of America Collection” on loan through Bank of America’s Art in our Communities® program. Aside from the Bank of America collection, which will be on display in a dedicated space in the exhibition, there will also be over 100 works from the College of DuPage Permanent Art Collection. Educational and interactive elements will include a biographical exhibition highlighting key points in Warhol’s life and career, video installation, a Children’s Print Factory area, Studio 54 and Silver Cloud Room experiences, and Central Park-inspired outdoor space, creating an immersive, multifaceted exhibition focused on the life and work of one of the most influential artists of the past century. (Glen Ellyn, Illinois)

The Field Museum’s newest exhibition First Kings of Europe (open through January 28, 2024) explores how ancient farming villages led to the earliest tribal kingdoms in Europe, gathering together more than 700 exquisite objects from the Neolithic, Copper, Bronze, and Iron Ages. The countries represented (and collaborating in this exhibition) include Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia. Highlights include some of the oldest gold treasures in the world from the cemetery of Varna, the gold crown of a Thracian prince, masterpieces of swordmaking and armor, weapons, jewelry, and more. (Neighborhood: South Loop / Museum Campus)

Harry Potter: Magic At Play extends its worldwide debut run in Chicago through September 4, 2023 at Chicago’s iconic Water Tower Place. The first-of-its-kind experience allows fans of all ages to engage with the Wizarding World like never before through 30,000 square feet of hands-on magical interactivity including games, exploration, sensory activations, and more that celebrate Harry’s own journey in discovering the wizarding world. Guests can explore the Dursley’s living room, step onto a boat and prepare to cross the Great Lake, attend some of Hogwarts’ most beloved classes, practice Quidditch fundamentals, and more. (Neighborhood: Magnificent Mile)

The Hyde Park Art Center’s new exhibit, Destination/El Destino: a decade of GRAFT, the largest exhibition to date of the Puerto Rican artist, educator, and community organizer Edra Soto, will be on display through August 6, 2023. The exhibition features a new large-scale commission of the artist’s GRAFT series with porous sculptures, documentary photographs, drawings, and games that activate the Art Center’s indoor/outdoor main gallery. (Neighborhood: Hyde Park)

The Illinois Holocaust Museum presents The Girl in the Diary: Searching for Rywka from the Łódz Ghetto (May 18 – September 24, 2023). In I945, a diary was discovered in the liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau Camp written by Rywka Lipszyc, a 14-year-old Jewish girl documenting her life in the Łódz Ghetto between October 1943 and April 1944. More than 60 years after its discovery, the diary traveled to the United States, where it was translated to English, supplemented with commentaries, and published. Rywka Lipszyc’s diary, a moving memoir of life and adolescence in the Łódz Ghetto, is the focal point of this exhibition. Selected excerpts of the diary are supplemented by expert commentary from historians, doctors, psychologists, and rabbis. Blended with original artifacts and fleeting candid photographs of others’ lives in the ghetto, these commentaries help us understand the experiences Rywka describes in her diary. Through historical artifacts and documents, interactive touch screens, documentary videos, and exceptionally rare photographs, The Girl in the Diary explores the story of a young girl’s fight for survival in the Łódz Ghetto and reconstructs what might have happened to Rywka after her deportation to Auschwitz and beyond. There are no known photographs of Rywka. She exists for us only through words she wrote. (Skokie, Illinois)

Lighthouse ArtSpace Chicago’s current exhibition Mozart Immersive: The Soul of a Genius (running through the end of May 2023), has Massimiliano Siccardi, immersive art installation pioneer, using state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence as inspiration to craft astonishing visuals inspired by the 18th-century destinations of Mozart’s world. With video direction by Vittorio Guidotti, legendary dancer and actor Mikhail Baryshnikov’s tortured portrayal of Leopold, Mozart’s father, will enthrall audiences. Luca Longobardi re-arranged and recomposed 17 selected works from Mozart’s repertoire for the eclectic soundtrack, which also features exclusive music from the Italian composer and was recorded by a 45-piece symphonic orchestra and conducted by four-time Grammy®-nominated Constantine Orbelian. (Neighborhood: Lincoln Park)

Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA) welcomes Gary Simmons: Public Enemy (June 13 – October 1, 2023), the first comprehensive career survey of the work of multidisciplinary artist Gary Simmons. Since the late 1980s Simmons has played a key role in situating questions of race, class, and gender identity at the center of contemporary art discourse. Notable for his early application of conceptual artistic strategies, Simmons exposes and analyzes histories of racism inscribed in U.S. visual culture. This exhibition covers thirty years of the artist’s career, encompassing approximately seventy works. (Neighborhood: Streeterville)

  • This summer, visitors can also enjoy “Tuesdays on the Terrace” when it returns from June 13 – August 29, 2023. This annual, free summer concert series on the MCA’s Anne and John Kern Terrace Garden highlights artists from Chicago’s internationally renowned music community. For the first time, this year’s roster of performers extends beyond a purely jazz focus to include more diverse genres and styles that have unique Chicago roots, incorporating hip-hop, house, blues, bomba, and more.

The Museum of Science and Industry is celebrating its 90th anniversary with a series of exciting events including the museum’s first Meet Her! (Katya Echazarreta) event on May 13, 2023, which celebrates the first Mexican-born woman to go to space. Katya Echazarreta is featured in “Mission Unstoppable” on CBS, hosted the YouTube series “Netflix IRL,” and recently was honored with her own Barbie. She’s also an accomplished electrical engineer who worked at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. (Neighborhood: Hyde Park)

Stage 773’s new immersive walk-thru experience, WHIM, blends carefully curated cocktails and a world where every art form comes together – paintings, music, sculpture, street art, and live performance – all by Chicago artists. The experience includes the “Lobby of Second Chances,” the “Second Shots Bar,” and the “Enchanted Forest,” featuring a live performance stage and a giant enchanted tree towering over it all. (Neighborhood: Lakeview)

WNDR Museum, Chicago’s original immersive art and technology experience will, starting May 12, 2023, debut a three story immersive infinity installation by the globally iconic Yayoi Kusam. Featuring a series of floating yellow and black polka dots alongside walk-in and peep-in installations, Dots Obsession will fill WNDR’s atrium and transport visitors into Kusama’s obsession with polka dots, repetition, celestial bodies, and the experience of the infinite. (Neighborhood: West Loop / Fulton Market)

About Choose Chicago

Choose Chicago is the official sales and marketing organization responsible for promoting Chicago as a global visitor and meetings destination, leveraging the city’s unmatched assets to ensure the economic vitality of the city and its member business community. Follow @choosechicago on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and TikTok and tag #ChicaGOandKNOW. For more information, visit choosechicago.com.

The History of Chicago’s Very Own Special Dish

Historic foodways
Route 66 food history:  Chicago’s Shrimp de Jonghe

Discover Chicago’s New & Trending Food & Libations

Asian cooking, Chicago restaurants, Chicagoland Area, Desserts, Drink, Farm-to-Table, James Beard Awards, Lettuce Entertain You, Ramen, Sushi

A new barbecue restaurant in Canaryville, Bell Heir’s BBQ opened its doors in January 2023. Located at 704 W. 47th St., this casual spot offers diners brisket, ribs, burgers, and more. (Neighborhood: South Side)

Bistro Monadnock, a French bistro from the owners of Victor Bar and Love Street, will open in Spring 2023. Located inside the 130-year-old Monadnock Building at 325 S. Federal St., the menu will feature classic French dishes prepared by executive chef Johnny Besch. (Neighborhood: The Loop)

The Cauldron, a magic and wizard-themed restaurant and bar that brings fantasy to life through food and beverage spaces around the world, is pleased to announce the grand opening date of its third location in the U.S. in Wicker Park (1612 W Division St.) on May 4, 2023. As the brand’s largest U.S. location yet, The Cauldron Chicago fills the space of a 10,000-square foot former bank that will boast a ticketed and ever-evolving Potion-Making Experience, a walk-in restaurant and bar with weekly programming, and more. (Neighborhood: Wicker Park)

Dawn, a new brunch spot from the owner of Caribbean bar and restaurant 14 Parish, will open Summer 2023 at 1642 E. 56th St. at the former home of Piccolo Mondo. Restaurateur Racquel Fields, a South Side native, is planning to offer a combination of new American fare and Southern staples like fried green tomatoes. (Neighborhood: Hyde Park)

Vegan cuisine is on the menu at Don Bucio’s Taqueria in Logan Square. James Beard Award-nominated chef Rodolfo Cuadros opened the plant-based restaurant at 2763 N. Milwaukee Ave. in early 2023. (Neighborhood: Logan Square)

West Loop Mexican restaurant and bar Federales will open a second Chicago location in Logan Square at 2471 N. Milwaukee Ave. in Spring 2023. Four Corners, the hospitality group behind Federales, Ranalli’s, Benchmark, and Kirkwood, will transform the former Marcello’s Father & Son restaurant space into Federales’s Logan Square outpost. (Neighborhood: Logan Square)

Fioretta is a new steakhouse from the team behind Siena Tavern and Prime & Provisions set to open in Spring 2023. The menu at the 318 N. Sangamon St. location features Italian-American fare. (Neighborhood: Fulton Market) 

After debuting Gordon Ramsay Burger in December 2021, celebrity chef and restaurateur Gordon Ramsay plans to pay homage to one of his most popular TV shows with Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen. Set to open in River North in 2023, the 18,000-square-foot two-story restaurant will be one of only a handful locations in the U.S. and will include a few unique-to-Chicago, to-be-determined menu items. (Neighborhood: River North) 

Kindling | Downtown Cookout & Cocktails, a new concept from The Fifty/50 Restaurant Group, opened January 2023 inside the Catalog at Willis Tower. The 17,000-square-foot live fire show kitchen restaurant is helmed by James Beard Award winner Jonathon Sawyer, formerly of the Four Seasons Hotel’s Adorn Restaurant & Bar. (Neighborhood: The Loop) 

New York City restaurant Kohoku-Ku Ramen is opening its first Chicago location in Spring 2023. The shop at 1136 W. Thorndale Ave. offers diners 12 different types of ramen with a variety of broths. (Neighborhood: Edgewater) 

Michelin-star Chef Daniel Rose returned home after years in New York and abroad to open a French restaurant Le Select in Chicago with the industrious Boka Restaurant Group in January 2023. The menu features traditional French brasserie fare, showcasing the best ingredients and classic French techniques. (Neighborhood: River North) 

Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises will open two new Ramen-san and Sushi-san restaurants in Lincoln Park later this year at 1962 N. Halsted St. and 1948 N. Halsted St., respectively. The Lincoln Park Ramen-san will open in early 2023, while the Sushi-san will open in late 2023.

Ramen-san’s Lincoln Park outpost will mark the fourth location of the noodle shop. Sushi-san’s debut will signal the sushi restaurant’s third location. (Neighborhood: Lincoln Park)

Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises has announced the following two restaurants that will open at the highly anticipated St. Regis Chicago hotel. (Neighborhood: The Loop) 

  • The first restaurant, Miru (pronounced mē-rōō), from Executive Chef Hisanobu Osaka will open Spring 2023 in tandem with the hotel. Miru, Japanese for “view,” will showcase Chef Osaka’s unique take on Japanese cuisine and boast two terraces and a dining room that overlooks the Chicago River and Navy Pier. The Japanese restaurant will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The menu will include sushi, sashimi, and raw selections from the sushi bar, complimented by a selection of Izakaya-style dishes like hand-made dumplings, skewers, fried rice, and hot pots, as well as a robust wagyu and seafood section.
  • The second restaurant, Tre Dita (pronounced trā dē-tä), Italian for three fingers, is a nod to the thickness of a properly cut bistecca Fiorentina that the restaurant will be serving from its open-hearth wood fired grill. The Tuscan Steakhouse is in collaboration with award-winning Chef Evan Funke (Felix, Mother Wolf) and will open later in 2023.
  • Netflix’s School of Chocolate winner and Jean Banchet Award nominee Juan Gutierrez has been named Executive Pastry Chef, while
  • will oversee the restaurants’ beverage programs as Beverage Director.

Little Goat Diner, the newest location from James Beard Award-winning chef Stephanie Izard, will open its doors at 3325 N. Southport Ave. in Spring 2023. The menu features new takes on classic diner dishes like burgers, French toast, and chicken and dumplings. (Neighborhood: Lakeview) 


The Oakville Grill & Cellar, another new restaurant from Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, designed to evoke the effortless ease of Napa Valley dining, opened April 2023 at 163 North Green St. (Neighborhood: Fulton Market)

About Choose Chicago

Choose Chicago is the official sales and marketing organization responsible for promoting Chicago as a global visitor and meetings destination, leveraging the city’s unmatched assets to ensure the economic vitality of the city and its member business community. Follow @choosechicago on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and TikTok and tag #ChicaGOandKNOW. For more information, visit choosechicago.com.

Spartanburg Restaurateurs Make the City’s Burger Trail a Smashing Success

Burgers, Cajun/Creole, Culinary Trails, Historic foodways, Restaurants, Southern cuisine

I love my friends at Mindy Bianca Public Relations’ firm. I really do. But if I hang with them much longer, I’m going to have to consider re-upping my gym membership to the mega level because they sure do like their food whether it’s the Cajun Bayou Food Trail, Meat Plus Three, Dollywood’s Flower & Food Festival, 11 great cake places they suggest stopping at in honor Duncan Hines who was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, King’s Cakes and all other yummy Mardi Gras foods, and Four Great Christmas Holiday Destinations and we know what that means–lots of cookies, candies, and cakes. Oh, and I almost forgot–there’s Branson at holiday time when they bake about 30,000 fruitcakes each year and Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas where the list of foods includes herb-roasted turkey breast and citrus-glazed carved ham, eggnog cupcakes, gingerbread-dusted funnel cakes, and chicken pot pie in a bread cone along with a libation called Spazzy Sparkleshot

And now, just in time for National Burger Month, they’re on to Spartanburg, South Carolina where a year ago the former mill town introduced their  SpartanBURGER Trail (yes, they’re really called “SpartanBURGERS” and it has nothing to do with the Spartans of Michigan State University) a name honoring both the city’s residents and culinary culture. Since the trail’s inception, additional stops have been added to ensure even more juicy options for visitors to choose. All it takes to travel the trail is a cell phone to check in at each stop. The more stops you eat at, the more swag you earn. And we’re talking burger socks–we’re talking serious swag.

AAnd what is also great–no matter your dietary restrictions or preferences (we’re looking at you, gluten-free vegetarians!), classic burger culture has evolved so that now EVERYONE can enjoy the month dedicated to one of America’s most favorite foods.

Why’s the trail such a tasty triumph? Sure hand-crafted, creative, and definitely yummy are part of it all but credit goes to the chefs and owners at these burger-centric restaurants who are a major part of what makes Spartanburg a delicious destination.

Check out some of the burger stops HERE.

Classic Burger Experience: Sugar-n-Spice

212 S. Pine Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302

Sure, burgers have evolved over the years and now they’re not just the traditional patty, LTO, cheese and bun. But what if that’s your thing? What if you yearn for the good ol’ days when a burger was just a burger? Head to Sugar-n-Spice, a classic drive-in that has only changed its menu once in the 60+ years it’s been open. This place serves as a reminder of not only where the humble hamburger started, but also Spartanburg’s growing food scene. The walls are covered in memorabilia from the community, along with photos from the founders’ homeland, Greece, for an extra-personal touch. Customers come in as strangers and leave feeling like family – perhaps one of the many reasons this retro joint is still thriving more than half a century later. Of course, we recommend any of the classic burgers, which are best enjoyed with a side of fries or onion rings. (Or both. Who are we kidding? They’re THAT good!)

Chef Ae’s

Minority- and Woman-Owned: Chef Ae’s

288 Magnolia Street, Spartanburg, SC 29306

Chef Amonrat “Ae” Zavala brings authentic flavors from her home country of Thailand in every dish she serves at her restaurant … with an American twist, of course! She hasn’t always been a chef dreaming of serving fusion cuisine, however. Formerly a yoga teacher living in Miami, Zavala found her true calling and it led her to Hub City. She’s never looked back. To get a taste of the perfect Thai/American flavor fusion, we recommend ordering the Isan Thai Sausage Burger. This beef patty is topped with American cheese, Thai sausage, pickles, the traditional LTO and the restaurant’s homemade bang bang sauce.

Featured Main Street Business: Burgar

137 W. Main Street, Spartanburg, SC 29306

Full of local businesses from coffee shops to breweries to art galleries, Main Street is a prime example of how Spartanburg has transformed from a former mill town and railroad hub to a thriving area full of growth and opportunity for those who live, work and visit this part of South Carolina. Main Street boasts a few stops on the burger trail, but this one is a stand-out to us. Burgar offers a variety of unique takes on the classic patty, including the Aloha Hawaii Burgar with grilled chicken breast, mozzarella, kale, caramelized onions, grilled pineapple and a creamy chipotle sauce. You can stop in, grab a bite of “burgar” and feel good knowing you’re supporting a Main Street business … all while getting a tasty burger that makes you remember you’re smack-dab in the heart of Spartanburg.

Woman-Operated: Southside Smokehouse

726 S. Howard Avenue, Landrum, SC 29356

Former South Carolina Chef Ambassador Sarah McClure churns out barbecue and Cajun-inspired dishes at Southside Smokehouse. Her success as a chef has led her to represent the state of South Carolina as a Chef Ambassador, nab the runner-up spot in Guy’s Grocery Games, and be prominently featured in several publications. These accolades are apparent at Southside, as what was once a roadside BBQ joint is now a thriving, eclectic spot for a myriad of unique and modern flavors. While Sarah offers a classic burger and even a Bayou Burger, we opt for the FGT & Pimento Cheese Burger because the fried green tomatoes and pimento cheese toppings embody our favorite foods of the South.

Epicenter of Spartanburg’s Food Scene: Cribb’s Kitchen

226-B W. Main Street, Spartanburg, SC 29306

With a variety of restaurants all over Spartanburg County, the Cribb family is an essential chapter of the story of Spartanburg’s booming food scene. One of their most popular joints, Cribb’s Kitchen, hosts an annual burger cook-off. Each year, the winner of the cook-off receives the honor of seeing their burger added to the Cribb’s Kitchen menu – and therefore available to everyone traveling the SpartanBURGER trail. This year, the Berry Good Poppin Jalapeno Smash Burger was the cook-off winner … for good reason! Fresh jalapenos are smashed into the beef patty, which is then topped with American cheese, candied jalapeno bacon, Lake Bowen Lager whipped cream cheese, crispy jalapenos and finished with a Raspberry Weisse Is Right sauce. Put all this between a sesame brioche bun and you have patty perfection.

Does it sound great? Are you ready to hit the road? The people along the SpartanBURGER trail await. @VisitSptbg

A Little Burger History

According to the National Today, a website that lists all the national holidays, the name “hamburger” derives, of course, from the city of Hamburg, Germany. Some residents of Hamburg were headed as far west as the eastern shores of the United States during the 18th century. Many of them brought a snack called the “Hamburgh sausage.” This snack, like its cousin the “Rundstück warm,” combined a meatball similar to the Swedish meatball with a slice of bread for utensil-free handling. 

But, and this is according to an article on Food & Wine magazine’s website, the first burger may actually date back to 1st Century AD Rome and a dish called Isicia Omentata that we don’t think you’ll like that much at all as it was made of minced meat (we’re not sure what kind of meat) and also contained pine nuts, pepper, and flavorings of wine and garum. The latter is a fermented fish sauce used in ancient times. As for Omentum, it’s the Latin word for caul fat, an ingredient widely used in historical and traditional Italian cuisine that would have been used in this dish to give the lean meat more flavor and taste.

If you’re interested in knowing more, The World Is Your Burger: A Cultural History, a book by David Michaels and published by Phaidon Press. 

The Amazon Canoe Challenge: The Toughest South America Aventure

Adventure, Amazon River, Peru, South America, Uncategorized

Up for a unique challenge? There’s a new Amazonian tourism offering in Peru that takes adventure lovers to remote parts of the Amazon by traditional canoe and it’s called the toughest South American adventure challenge.

Take the Challenge and Help the Amazon

Race across 250 km or just over 155 miles through the Amazon Rainforest by paddling the traditional canoes known as pitotsi. Made of wood, they’re heavy, hard to handle, and slow but have the advantage of being the best way to explore this remote region. At night set camp alongside Asháninka communities on the river’s edge, and learn about the hidden treasures of this region under threat.

The goal of the Amazon Canoe Challenge or ACC team is to not only encourage increased regulation to help protect the Amazon environmentally but also encourage sustainable community tourism projects that benefits the local population.

 Amazon Canoe Challenge takes travelers on pre-planned and custom trips through the little explored and rugged parts of the Peruvian Amazon.

“We are extremely proud to be working with the Asháninka communities to make the Amazon Canoe Challenge a reality,” explained ACC Director Carlos Heine. “Their stories and courage have been an inspiration to us to keep pushing to make the race happen.” 

Trip Options Include:

  • Ene-Tambo Expedition: Explore the River Ene and Tambo by traditional Pitotsi canoes over 6 days. This expedition takes guests through an area of Peru rarely visited, where they will find some of the most authentic experiences in Peru. They take travelers into the heart of Ashaninka territory in Junin, where they stay with Ashaninka communities and learn about their culture and traditions. Share stories over a bowl of Masato and stay in the heart of the Amazon Highlands. Over the next 5 days, travelers will explore the Ene river as they travel downstream toward the jungle town of Atalaya. Every day is different and each evening they will stay with a different community along the river. The area is remote so they will be setting up camp at each stop. Expect between 4 – 6 hours of paddling each day with a stop for lunch. Included is food and non alcoholic beverage, canoe, basic accommodations, local permits, camping equipment, safety equipment, experienced guide.
  • Amazon Canoe Challenge Race, a race over 250 km through the Amazon Rainforest by traditional canoe. The Amazon Canoe Challenge is a competition-style expedition that takes you through areas of the Amazon usually inaccessible to visitors, filled with a staggering diversity of wildlife. Competitors will learn about the culture of the Asháninka as they set camp each night with native communities along the riverside. 

Due to the remoteness of the areas they visit, facilities are limited on this trip. This is real adventure – you won’t find electricity, mobile reception or internet access on this expedition.

Safety is a primary focus and participants are provided detailed stage maps, satellite trackers, safety equipment, and support vessels throughout the entire challenge.

The Amazon Canoe Challenge works directly with the local communities in the Peruvian Amazon. They locally source supplies, equipment and services as much as possible, ensuring that the benefits go directly to the areas they visit.

The Mission

ACC’s mission is to work directly with local community organizations to help create positive impact in the areas we operate. They locally source supplies, equipment and services as much as possible, ensuring that the benefits go directly to the areas they visit.

With each expedition, ACC make a donation to both the community organizations who support us, as well as the local communities that host their teams throughout the race.

Chill Out This Summer in Bowling Green, Kentucky

Adventure, Amusement Park, Baseball, Caves, Entertainment, Regional & Ethnic, Sports

Bowling Green, the third-largest city in Kentucky, is best known known for Corvettes, caves and cakes—after all, it is the birthplace of Duncan Hines, one of the original road warriors who wrote a column and numerous books about where to eat when traveling. All that is well and good, but Bowling Green is a worthy destination for other reasons as well.

Wait!  We know what you’re thinking: “Summer in Kentucky? Are you crazy?” But as my friend Mallory Furry likes to say, “Don’t let a Southern summer be a bummer.”

And luckily Bowling Green offers many ways to beat the heat and that doesn’t mean staying indoors all the time with air conditioning set on Arctic High.

So slather on some sunscreen and grab your brimmed hat as here’s a roundup of favorite ways to keep it cool when the weather starts to heat up:

Exploring Down Under

Natural caves maintain a steady temperature, making them a great activity for a warm summer’s day. Mammoth Cave National Park is the world’s longest cave system and is half an hour outside of Bowling Green. Advanced tour reservations are strongly recommended in the summer months and you can enjoy a refreshing 54-degree stroll through the cave system while learning about the science and history of Mammoth Cave.

A more local option is Lost River Cave, which offers the only natural underground boat cave tours in Kentucky. After cooling off in the 57-degree cave during the tour, you can explore Lost River’s nature trails and butterfly habitat, or try your hand at geocaching.

Take Me Out to a Ballgame (Minor league-style that is)

Contrary to the name, a Hot Rods minor league game offers plenty of options for fans to stay cool! Things may heat up on the field, but the baseball-themed splash pad is always a home run for a kiddo cool-down. If you bring a furry friend for Turbo Tailwaggin’ Tuesdays, there will be plenty of refreshing water bowls around the stadium for Fido while you cheer on the Hot Rods.

Splish Splash

Beech Bend Splash Lagoon Water Park

Admission to Beech Bend Amusement Park also grants you access to their water park, Splash Lagoon. Whether you want to zip down a water slide, catch some waves in the wave pool or just float down the lazy river, Splash Lagoon is a great way to keep cool on a summer day.

Enjoying Ice Cream and a Moovie

The logical and ultimate cool-down solution on a warm day is ice cream, of course. Head over to Chaney’s Dairy Barn, where you can choose from dozens of creamy and delicious ice cream flavors. Unlike your standard ice cream, in which the butterfat content is 14%, Chaney’s ice cream uses 16% butterfat … making it ultra-creamy, rich, and (in our not-so-humble-opinion) better than the competition. On Friday and Saturdays starting in May, they host Ice Cream and a Moovie nights. Enjoy the cozy Kentucky night with a family-favorite movie on the big screen and a drippy, yet thoroughly enjoyable, ice cream cone in your hand. It’s the ultimate summer memory maker!

For more ways to beat the heat in Bowling Green this summer,  https://www.visitbgky.com/. 

Smithsonian American Table: The Foods, People, and Innovations That Feed Us

Black History, Books, Gastronomy, Regional & Ethnic, Restaurants, Southern cuisine

Lisa Kingsley quotes the French gastronome Jean Antheime Brillat-Savarin who famously wrote “Just tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are,” in the introduction to her new book, Smithsonian American Table: The Foods, People, and Innovations That Feed Us that culls the vast archives of the Smithsonian Institute where just the word “food” yields tens of thousands of results. The Smithsonian, which opened over 175 years ago, is the nation’s museum, and it’s not a stretch to say that food is the nation’s passion. What Kingsley, in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institute, has accomplished is to provide snapshots of how our environment, availability of foods, and migration have played an important part in what our ancestors ate and what we eat now.

Trying a variety of foods is often called grazing, and Kingsley, who has been writing about food for more than three decades and is currently the editorial director of Waterbury Publications, a company in Des Moines, Iowa that produces and packages books for publishers, authors, personalities, and corporate brands, has created the literary equivalency in presenting a history of foods for our reading pleasure.

“The long history of hot sauce began about 7000 years ago in Bolivia, where chile peppers grew wild,” writes Kingsley in her chapter, “Food Fads & Trends,” which also includes the history of not only our addiction to fiery sauces but also explores snacking, fermentation, the craft beer movement, fad diets, the backyard cookout, and, among others, community cookbooks and sushi. The latter had a much shorter trajectory to fame and availability than one would ever expect of a dish consisting of raw fish and rice often accompanied by wasabi paste and fresh ginger.

“Propelled by an economic boom in Japan and bolstered by American hipster culture, what started as a street snack almost 200 years ago is now as likely to get as a hamburger or hot dog,” writes Kingsley who describes sushi spreading from California where it appeared in a restaurant right next to a Century 21st Century Fox studio to everywhere. That includes your local grocery store.

Trends are fascinating, but so are the other subjects in this book that are highlighted in such chapters as “Innovators & Creators.” That list would have to include Irving Naxon who applied for a patent on a slow cooker he invented in 1936. Now, out of almost 123 million households in the U.S., approximately 100 million have a slow cooker tucked away in a cabinet or pantry or even on the counter. On the opposite side of slow cooking was Percy Spencer whose application of microwave technology to cooking led to the Radarange, the first microwave oven, which was both the size of a conventional oven and sold at a costly $1295 in 1955.

In Chapter Five, we meet the “Tastemakers,” such as early cookbook authors Fannie Farmer, Lizzie Kander, and Irma S. Rombauer as well as chefs who would be the early innovators for the boom in the cult of television chef celebrities of today. Lena Richard, the host of the Lena Richard’s New Orleans Cook Book show that aired in 1948, was the author of the New Orleans Cook Book said to be the first Creole cookbook by a person of color. She would be followed by now better-known names of those early cooking shows like James Beard and Julia Child.

Each of the chapters is illustrated not only with historic and current photos of people, foods, and products but also full color photos of the 40 plus iconic recipes included in the book such as Beard’s Cocktail Canapes and Child’s Smoked Salmon & Dill Souffle. Of special interest are the sidebars such as “The Black Brewmaster of Monticello,” a reference to Peter Hemings, the enslaved chef of Thomas Jefferson.

Kingsley’s preparation, research, and organization of this book is a wonderful account of the foodways of America and how they came about, and it can easily be read from front to back or delved into according to the reader’s interest. Either way, it’s our history and after reading this you can now look at a chunk of artisan cheese, a photo of the Harvey Girls, or a plate of Korean Fried Chicken and know how they—and so many others—became part of our national food conversation.  

The following are from Smithsonian American Table.

Falafel

Serves 4.

Southeast Michigan is home to the country’s largest Arab American population. The first influx of immigrants began in the early 1900s, when — according to local legend — there was a chance encounter between a Yemeni sailor and Henry Ford, who told the sailor that his automobile factory was paying $5 a day. The sailor took word back to Yemen, where it spread. For decades, as people fled conflicts in the Middle East, many sought economic opportunities near Dearborn, bringing their food traditions with them. This recipe comes from Patty Darwish of Dearborn, whose great-grandfather immigrated from Lebanon in the late 1800s. Note: You want the texture to be somewhere between couscous and a paste. If you don’t grind the chickpeas enough, the falafel won’t hold together, but if you overgrind, you will wind up with hummus. This recipe must be made in advance.

From “Smithsonian American Table,” by Lisa Kingsley in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution (Harvest, 2023).

For the falafel:

  • 2 c. dried chickpeas
  • 1 c. coarsely chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 c. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 of a green bell pepper
  • 1 serrano chile, seeded and coarsely chopped, optional
  • 1 tbsp. ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. garam masala
  • 1/2 tsp. chili powder
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • Vegetable oil

For the tahini sauce:

  • 6 tbsp. tahini
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

For serving:

  • Pita bread, warmed
  • Tahini sauce
  • Optional toppings: pickle spears, pickled turnips, sliced green peppers, diced tomatoes, chopped fresh parsley, thinly sliced onions

Soak the chickpeas in 3 cups of water at least 12 hours or overnight. (Be sure chickpeas are always covered with water. If necessary, add more.) Drain and rinse.

In a blender or food processor, grind beans in batches until almost smooth (see Note). Transfer to a large bowl. Add parsley, cilantro, onion, green pepper and chile (if using) to the blender. Blend until almost smooth. Add to bowl with chickpeas and stir until well combined. Add the cumin, garam masala, chili powder and salt and black pepper to taste. Stir until well combined.

No more than 15 minutes before you cook the falafel, add the baking powder and stir well to combine. Form into patties, using about 2 tablespoons of the mixture per falafel.

In a large deep skillet, heat about 2 inches of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Cook falafel 5 or 6 at a time until golden brown on both sides. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

Meanwhile, prepare the tahini sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, water and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more water if necessary to achieve desired consistency.

To serve, place falafel in the middle of a pita bread. Add desired toppings and drizzle with tahini sauce. Fold and serve.

Lena Richard’s Crab a la King

  • 6 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 4 tbsp. all-purpose flour
  • 1 c. light cream or half-and-half
  • 1 c. whole milk
  • 8 oz. lump crabmeat
  • 1/2 c. sliced mushrooms
  • 3 tbsp. finely chopped green pepper
  • 3 tbsp. chopped pimiento
  • 1 tsp. Coleman’s dry mustard
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large egg yolks, beaten
  • 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp. dry sherry (optional)
  • 4 puff pastry shells, baked according to package directions

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add flour and whisk until combined. Slowly whisk in cream and milk. Add crabmeat, mushrooms, green pepper, and pimiento. Add dry mustard and salt and black pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low.

Add eggs and lemon juice. Turn heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in sherry, if desired.

Serve in puff pastry shells.

Radaranger photo courtesy of radarange.com

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