Oak Leaves

Cinco dishes for Cinco de Mayo

Fri, 03 May 2013 11:42:01 -0500

One of my all-time favorite Mexican restaurants, La Quinta de los Reyes, famously crams a 20-piece mariachi band in a room the size of a standard elementary school classroom.

Spring bounty means stepping away from the oven

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:52:00 -0500

April dinner parties are decidedly feminine affairs in my book and each year I gather some of my favorite ladies for a meal we affectionately refer to as “the spring hat dinner.”

Fight the chill with sunny ceviche

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:18:01 -0500

Enjoying a spring break vacation filled with palm trees, ocean surf and sandy beaches can leave Midwesterners longing for the sunny days of summer even more than usual at this time of year.

Hot cross buns: From the nursery rhyme to the table

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:27:43 -0500

While glazed ham, roasted leg of lamb and deviled eggs dominate typical Easter brunch menus, I thought it only fitting to look back to the mid-1300s for a little Lenten inspiration.

Master of the Matzo Ball

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 07:56:01 -0500

Matzo is a welcome addition to any Passover seder dinner menu as unleavened breads serve as a reminder that the Israelites had no time to let their bread rise as they were fleeing Egypt.

Luck of the Irish leftovers

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 09:48:00 -0500

Birthday party planning is a breeze for my best friend. Her husband’s birthday falls on St. Patrick’s Day and to celebrate he wants nothing more than a Guinness and an Irish Boiled Dinner.

For Pulaski Day: The perfect cabbage roll

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 10:34:00 -0500

The Chicago suburban landscape is filled with Polish cultural influences. In fact, residents of Polish descent make up the largest European-American population in the Chicago metropolitan area and Illinois boasts one of the largest Polish populations in the United States.

Put a Cherry Bounce in your step

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 23:16:54 -0500

My grandma, Virginia, kept an enormous jar of ominous looking cherries on the upper shelf of her broom closet. She wedged it snugly between the Pine Sol and the mop bucket and I’d occasionally find her teetering on a stepstool to reach the precious jug.

Are you ready for some potato skins?

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 10:06:01 -0500

Growing up in Wisconsin in a house full of die-hard, season ticket-holding Packer fans taught me a thing or two about the sanctity of football. My dad organized a weekly football pool for our family with some pretty high stakes.

Hot food trends for 2013

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 08:16:25 -0500

Making annual food predictions is a little like reading tea leaves. Sure there are some clues lingering in the bottom of the proverbial cup, but there is a lot of room for interpretation in all the murky muck.

A hearty fish dish for Lenten Fridays

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 10:35:11 -0500

Growing up Catholic meant my family always ate fish on Fridays during the six weeks of Lent leading up to Easter Sunday.

New Year’s challenge: Take a trip around the world at your table

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 13:38:00 -0500

Let’s face it; New Year’s resolutions aren’t that much fun. I don’t know anyone who resolves to spend more money, throw more parties, increase caloric intake or exercise less at the turn of a new year, but I imagine those people would have a lot more fun keeping their commitment than average folks. Restrictive resolutions are commonplace and largely destined to fail because they demand more change than habitual creatures can tolerate. Manageable resolutions are the key to success and, as a result, my family embraces creative resolutions that enhance our family table and increase our overall connectivity as a …

That’s a wrap: Snake-inspired ideas for Chinese New Year

Sun, 03 Feb 2013 12:35:05 -0500

According to ancient Chinese folklore, a mountain monster called Nian would descend into calm communities to destroy homes, consume livestock, and kill terrified villagers.

Fight winter doldrums with good-mood maker foods

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 14:56:55 -0500

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been fighting the urge to crawl into bed with a bowl full of macaroni and cheese these days. What gives?

A Bloody Mary worth celebrating

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 07:36:36 -0500

Popping one too many champagne corks at a riotous New Year’s Eve soiree often leads to a slow moving morning on New Year’s Day.

Are you ready for some potato skins?

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 10:06:01 -0500

Carving up a pressure free holiday, the best way to slice your bird

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 15:48:00 -0500

Tending to a Thanksgiving turkey as it limps along in a slow oven to golden brown perfection is a labor of love and few folks will argue that a beautiful turkey doesn’t make an impressive centerpiece on a holiday table.

Go big on Thanksgiving by thinking smaller

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 07:44:00 -0500

Everything about Thanksgiving is big; extended tables to fit more family, gargantuan birds that are roasted and served next to vats of mashed potatoes and gallons of gravy.