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The first of my Twelve Parties for 2012, a casual family dinner party, went off without a hitch this weekend. That is, unless you consider one of your guests locking herself in the bathroom to be a hitch. When entertaining with kids, the name of the game is flexibility. Don’t expect to finish a sentence, let [...] My inspiration The first of my Twelve Parties for 2012 is scheduled for this Sunday, January 15. The January party is a casual family dinner party. The family that I have invited for dinner is, like us, very into food. When they had us over for dinner a few months ago, they made us a [...] It seems like most people’s New Year’s resolutions have to do with either money or food. We all want to eat better, cook at home more, spend more wisely and — while we are at it — be more organized too. That’s a lot to accomplish in one year. The good news is that Dominick’s [...] When people ask me what my blog is about, I usually reply that West of the Loop is a food and parenting blog with a thoughtful bent. (The “thoughtful” part is really just a way to say that I write long posts.) Food and parenting are great topics to blog about because they are so [...] Thanks to Duncan Hines for sponsoring my writing. There’s no limit to the baking possibilities, so grab your favorite Duncan Hines mix and Comstock or Wilderness fruit fillings and Bake On! www.duncanhines.com. This weekend we are hosting a small gathering of friends to celebrate Hanukkah, which starts on the night of December 20. The traditional food [...] Are you surprised that I’m recommending soup for a quick weeknight dinner? Do you think of soup as a dish that is labor-intensive or requires a long cooking time? Sure, some soups require you to chop a long list of ingredients and simmer the concoction for hours on end. Those kinds of soups are perfect [...] Italian sausage and peppers in a rich tomato sauce As someone who teaches canning lessons, I often get asked about canning tomatoes. My answer is usually that I don’t recommend it. The exception to my rule is if you grow your own tomatoes. If you grow tomatoes in your garden and have a surfeit come [...] No, sadly, the Gift Guide is not edible. But all the gifts in it are! This time last year I put together a Chicago Foodie Holiday Gift Guide featuring delicious products made in the Chicago area, like Vosges Haut Chocolate, Carol’s Cookies and Eli’s Cheesecake, that are ideal for holiday gift-giving. I stand by all the [...] When I don’t spend the afternoon chauffeuring my kids between multiple activities and when my husband is not out of town, I really enjoy cooking a nice dinner. Just this week, I made penne pasta soup with vodka, tomatoes and cream and a white turkey chili with tomatillos. Unfortunately, the magical combination of events [...] Turkey pumpkin chili warms your heart on a chilly fall night. Halloween is over. Thanksgiving is right around the corner. The leaves are flaming out and falling to the ground in droves. In other words, it’s November. November would be my favorite month if it were not for the sense of foreboding that I feel [...] Mums at the Oak Park Farmers Market The Oak Park Farmers’ Market ended last Saturday, October 29. I’m always so sad to see the market end for the season. Not only does it mean the end of my Saturday mornings spent browsing beautiful, locally grown fruits and vegetables, but also it is a sure sign [...] The baby calves at the dairy farm were adorable. What kind of milk does your family drink? Do you pay more for organic? Do you shop around for the best price? When I was a kid, the only question was whether you drank skim or 2% or maybe whether your mom let you have chocolate [...] Homegrown green tomatoes Fall in Chicago is characterized by bizarre weather. This week has been day after day of abundant sunshine, crisp autumn air and afternoon temperatures in the 70′s. In other words, it’s been perfect. But last week, we had nonstop rain and the temperatures were in the 50′s at best. The nights got [...] Slices of brisket in a rich gravy This past week marked the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah. Last year at this time, I wrote a post about enjoying Rosh Hashanah dinner with my friend and fellow blogger Vanessa AKA Chef Druck and I shared my recipe for sweet carrot tzimmes — the vegetables cut into [...] Zuzu in the raspberry bushes When I was a little girl growing up in Washington DC, we used to pick our Halloween pumpkins at a farm in western Howard County Maryland called Larriland Farms. (I’m happy to report that it is still in business and that the owners were savvy enough to buy the domain [...] Beautiful Damson plums I have mentioned before that one of my favorite things about shopping at farmers’ markets is finding unusual, old-fashioned or heirloom crops that are not available anywhere else. At the Oak Park Farmers’ market, I have found garlic scapes, wild ramps, tayberries, gooseberries, squash blossoms, ground cherries and many other new-to-me fruits [...] Mornings are so busy, aren't they? Zuzu’s school starts forty-five minutes earlier this year than it did last year. Forty-five minutes earlier! Zuzu is not a morning person and it was hard enough to get her to school by 9 am. Getting her to school by 8:15 is proving to be a real challenge, especially because she insists on walking [...] A healthy snack alternative Does your elementary school aged kid bring a snack to school? Mine does. Since she started full-day school in first grade, Zuzu has brought a snack to school, in addition to her lunch, at the teacher’s request. Depending on when she wakes up, Zuzu can have four or five hours of hard-core learning [...] There are so many reasons to love the summer, but for me, one of my favorite things about this time of year is that it is canning season. My perfect summer weekend involves buying some Midwest-grown fruit and vegetables, from my local Whole Foods or the Oak Park Farmers’ Market and then spending the afternoon [...] It seems like the whole country is experiencing a heat wave this week. In Cook County, we are looking at a string of temperatures in the high 90′s and even triple digits. In hot weather, everyone talks about not wanting to turn on the oven. I don’t mind turning on the oven so much, but what I [...] Harvard Yard: now known as where Facebook began Over the Fourth of July weekend, my family traveled to Boston, which seems appropriate somehow. We were there to spend some time with my husband’s brother and his wife, who live in Boston, and my husband’s parents, who lived in Boston in the early days of their marriage. [...] |
  
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