Small Bites: A taste of NOLA in St. Louis and Black History Month cooks

Riverbend Restaurant & Bar brings New Orleans to St. Louis, and African American wine director Brian Duncan makes wine accessible, enjoyable. Both are subjects of recent USA Character Approved Blog posts.

One of my favorite passages in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is the one in which Mark Twain describes St. Louis as Huck’s raft glides by at night on the Mississippi River. It’s not a long or detailed passage, but it always takes me home when I read it. I grew up in St. Louis and can tell you firsthand that the river’s influence on the city cannot be overstated.

Happily, much of the Mississippi’s influence has actually flowed upriver from places like Memphis and New Orleans. Marion and I heard our first zydeco music in St. Louis. Fernest Arceneaux and the Thunders had packed the beer garden of the Broadway Oyster Bar, and our friend Sharon, who tended bar there, called us and said, “Get down here now.” We did. And we still thank her for making that call. Continue reading “Small Bites: A taste of NOLA in St. Louis and Black History Month cooks” →

Fighting food deserts and taking the week off

Holidays, birthdays, houseguests and other pleasant distractions have kept us preoccupied in the kitchen this week. We’ve mainly been whipping up reliable favorites or ordering in pizza to keep everyone fed and happy. So no recipe this week. But don’t worry, we’ll cook up something fresh next week.

Instead, I’d like to tell you about my latest USA Character Approved Blog post. One of the great things about writing pieces for this blog is discovering cool new things in food—everything from chefs to trends, restaurants, cookbooks and people working to help us all eat healthier. Stockbox Grocers is one of the coolest stories I’ve come across in a while. Continue reading “Fighting food deserts and taking the week off” →

Kids teaching kids to cook and a Last-Minute Holiday Gift Guide

A new web series starring cooking kids is the subject of my latest Character Approved Blog post. And some last-minute holiday gift ideas from the king of the procrastinators.

Our girls were introduced to the kitchen early. I remember Marion sitting on the kitchen floor with them when they were toddlers, mixing bowls and measuring cups spread out around them. The girls would spoon, stir, mix and measure ingredients that would become a gingerbread or cake or some other delicious baked treat.

Lately, getting kids cooking is being seen as a powerful tool for teaching good eating habits. And as the epidemic of childhood obesity and its attendant health risks continue unabated, those good eating habits are more important than ever. Continue reading “Kids teaching kids to cook and a Last-Minute Holiday Gift Guide” →

Small Bites: Recycled homes for baby oysters and Top 10 for 2011

Efforts to restore Chesapeake Bay’s once plentiful oysters and my best attempt at a Top 10 List for food are subjects of recent Character Approved Blog posts.

Ever wonder what becomes of those oyster shells after you’ve slurped the briny, delicious mollusks from them? If you’re dining in a Mid-Atlantic restaurant, chances are they’ll be recycled into homes for spats (baby oysters) in Chesapeake Bay. This year alone, non-profit Oyster Recovery Partnership collected 7 million shells from restaurants, cleaned them up and used them to introduce half a billion spats into the bay.

Oyster Recovery Partnership isn’t just replenishing decimated populations of sustainable seafood—they’re working to restore the health of Chesapeake Bay. Oysters once filtered the waters of the entire bay every few days. Now it takes years. Continue reading “Small Bites: Recycled homes for baby oysters and Top 10 for 2011” →

Small Bites: A website for hungry, lonely singles and hone your blogging skills at Food Blog U

A San Francisco website that matches singles based on food cravings is the subject of my latest Character Approved Blog post. And noted food writer Molly O’Neill builds a serious team for an in-depth food blogging course.

Feeling lonely and maybe a little peckish? If you’re in San Francisco, you’re in luck. Type in the food you’re craving and where you’d like to be eating it on the website Spoondate. Your cravings and your picture pop up on the site, where like-minded hungry singles can find you and make a date. Or you can see what others are craving and click with someone new.

And while picking a possible significant other based on food cravings may seem overly specific, even to foodies, meeting someone over the perfect thin crust pizza at Mario’s makes for a more interesting start than the generic “cup of coffee.” Continue reading “Small Bites: A website for hungry, lonely singles and hone your blogging skills at Food Blog U” →

Fighting breast cancer with food

Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s food and beverage partners are the subject of my latest USA Character Approved Blog post.

My mother died of breast cancer, but not before surviving it for 18 years. Every October, when National Breast Cancer Awareness Month rolls around, I think of her brave fight and how she managed to carve out more years for herself—and for us—than anyone thought possible. I think of my wife and daughters too, and of our women friends.

For that matter, I think of women I don’t know and will never meet. Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer death among women, second only to lung cancer. This year alone, more than 200,000 women in America will be diagnosed with breast cancer. More than 40,000 women will die from it. A number of organizations are leading the fight against this deadly disease, and food is playing a part. Continue reading “Fighting breast cancer with food” →

Small Bites: A charming little shop in Chicago and a giant food festival in Cancun

P.O.S.H., one of my go-to spots for cool kitchen stuff, is the subject of my latest USA Character Approved Blog post. And the first annual Cancun – Riviera Maya Wine & Food Festival plans to change the way you think about Mexican cuisine.

Open the kitchen cabinets of any food blogger and chances are you’ll find stacks of mismatched china. We’re always on the hunt for interesting individual plates, bowls, platters and other props for our food photography. Flea markets, thrift stores and even IKEA are all prime hunting grounds. One place where I reliably have good luck is P.O.S.H., an artful jumble of restaurant china, hotel silver and vintage finds from European flea markets in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. Continue reading “Small Bites: A charming little shop in Chicago and a giant food festival in Cancun” →

Inspired by Columbus: Braised Pork Chops, Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Swiss Chard

A trip to food-obsessed Columbus, Ohio inspires this autumnal combination of Braised Pork Chops with Sage, Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Sautéed Swiss Chard with Garlic. Recipes below.

I don’t know if I’ve ever eaten so much in such a short time span as I did on a recent press trip to Columbus, Ohio. One afternoon, I called Marion from the hotel, where we’d been delivered to briefly rest and attempt to digest the day’s many delicious meals and snacks. I told her, “I’m full as a tick, and in an hour, they’re taking us to dinner!” Continue reading “Inspired by Columbus: Braised Pork Chops, Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Swiss Chard” →

Celebrating the multi-cultural flavors of National Hispanic Heritage Month

National Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates many countries and many cultures. I explore the culinary contributions of chefs from those different backgrounds in my latest USA Character Approved Blog post.

It seems every day, week or month on the calendar is designated as National (insert topic here) Day/Week/Month. But few are as delicious to celebrate as National Hispanic Heritage Month. Spanning two months, from September 15 through October 15, it recognizes the histories, cultures and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

Hispanics are the fastest growing segment of the US population; since 2000, our Hispanic population has grown by 43%. And lucky for us, they brought their cooking pots with them. Continue reading “Celebrating the multi-cultural flavors of National Hispanic Heritage Month” →

Small Bites: The other Grant Achatz bakes pies in Michigan and Food Day urges us to eat real

Chicago chef Grant Achatz’s dad, a renowned pie maker also named Grant Achatz, is the subject of my latest USA Character Approved Blog post. And Food Day promotes eating healthy, eating real.

There are countless stories about kids of famous people and the pressure they must feel to live up to their parents’ wonderfulness. But what happens when the kid’s the famous one? Chicago’s own Grant Achatz is rightly revered for his groundbreaking molecular gastronomy at Alinea—and for his courageous battle against tongue cancer. Little is made of the fact, though, that he learned his chops and exhibited his extraordinary talent as a young boy in his dad’s restaurant kitchen. Continue reading “Small Bites: The other Grant Achatz bakes pies in Michigan and Food Day urges us to eat real” →