Dried tart cherries and a batter made with olive oil and flavored with star anise and almond extract create a dense, delicious, not-too-sweet dessert—or an illicit breakfast. Recipe below.

FIRST, I AM ONE OF THOSE JERKS WHO, after it’s been cold for a while, I go around saying, oh, I don’t think it’s so bad! Lately, this jerk attitude has been exacerbated because I spent a few days in upstate New York, where it was biting cold—so cold that, on Tuesday night, I saw the aurora borealis (it was a huge, white, pink and red fluttering curtain) and Wednesday morning, when I woke up, it was ten below zero. Coming back to Chicago seemed like coming back to a tropical isle. Continue reading “A cure for uncommon cold: Dried Cherry Upside Down Cake” →