Chicago Foodies

The Myth of "Natural" Labeling

In the midst of a stream of Tweets about that overturned fumble during the Giants game and the merits of various Golden Globe fashions, a more substantial conversation was taking place on the Internt. (Yes, Virginia, it can happen.) Marion Nestle, Food Politics author and NYU professor, Tweeted a link to an August fact sheet from the non-profit Center for Food Safety, an advocacy group that lobbies and litigates for sustainable food production. The fact sheet, titled "What's In a Label? Natural: Another Name for Conventionally-Grown Food," is a simple argument against the use of the word "natural" in food labeling, alleging that the unregulated term unjustifiably raises the price of products and confuses consumers into thinking the package contains organic ingredients. The CFS is on a campaign to eliminate the word from packaging, and they're taking certain specific companies to task.        

Foodie Film – "Three Stars" Doesn't Shine as Brightly as It Should

Three Michelin star chefs are the rock stars of the dining world. They may not all be household names, but many, like Copenhagen's Rene Redzepi and New York's Jean Georges Vongerichten, are pretty darn close. A 90-minute German documentary, Three Stars, screening now at Facets Multimedia on Fullerton, offers a broad look at three-star chefs around the world, from Redezpi and Vongerichten to Tokyo's Hideki Ishikawa and Milan's Nadia Santini. While the director, Lutz Hachmeister, has incredible access to the kitchens of nine chefs on three continents, the film left me hungry rather than satisfied.

Food Truck Pioneer Matt Maroni Parks Gaztro-Wagon for Good

Though nowhere near as ubiquitous as their counterparts in Los Angeles or New York City, Chicago's food trucks slowly gained steam in 2011: They had their own Wednesday afternoon meet-up at North and Clybourn, plus added attention from Time Out writer Heather Shouse's book, Food Trucks: Dispatches and Recipes from the Best Kitchens on Wheels. As food truck owners became more united around the common cause to legalize on-board cooking (which is currently prohibited in Chicago), their unquestionable leader was Gaztro-Wagon's Matt Maroni. Now, the pioneer tells Eater that he'll no longer operate the Gaztro-Wagon truck and its Edgewater storefront (another owner will take over operations) plus he'll scale back his duties as former executive chef at Morso. What does this mean for the future of the city's favorite mobile kitchens?  

Bittercube Bitters Rescue Blah Holiday Cocktails

Oh, Aunt Maggie's making Christmas morning mimosas....again? Nothing against the tried-and-true line-up of holiday cocktails (Tom and Jerry, anyone?), but because most people have a few days off this week, it's a great time to experiment a bit with drinks and whip up some new winter favorites. One barrier to mixing up new cocktails is the investment in alcohols and liquers, which can be a pricey move when you're not sure you're going to like the flavors. In terms of bang for your buck, bitters are a great way to use alcohol you already have, while allowing you to churn out new and different cocktails for your guests. If you want to keep it local, look no further than Bittercube, a line of small-batch, slow-crafted bitters from Milwaukee.

Share My Holiday Recipe? I Can't.

With Hanukkah beginning and Christmas just around the corner, even the reluctant home cook will probably find him or herself in the kitchen this week. This is the time of nostalgic smells, of kugel baking, of yeast dough rising, of mulled cider warming on the stove. Nearly every family has those few special recipes that only come out of the yellowed card file around this time of year, covered not only with a year's worth of dust, but with a layer of sentimentality and family tradition.

My family has a few such dishes, but my Oma's stolen (a German yeast bread-cake) is the stand-out favorite. I bake a few loaves with her every December and give away the ones I can't possibly eat. Recipients always have two reactions: First, a huge, powdered-sugar-laced smile, and second, "Can I have your recipe?" The disappointing answer is: No. It's not because I'm territorial or protective of my Oma's time-tested stolen, but because the process of making it is just that: a process, and a nearly impossible one to transfer to recipe form.

Prairie Fire to Close Abruptly Tomorrow

There are a few Chicago chefs who believed in farm-to-table before it was a buzzword, and Sarah Stegner was one of their undeniable leaders. A founder of the Green City Market, Stegner shared her passion for local food at her Northbrook restaurant, Prairie Grass Cafe, and its West Loop sibling, Prairie Fire. Yesterday, The Tribune reported that after almost two years in business, Prairie Fire will close its doors after lunch service on Wednesday.

Sorting Through the Fuss Over LA's Healthy School Lunches

The big food story across the blogosphere today is the Los Angeles Times' report that students are panning newly-introduced, healthy school lunches, leading the program's director to dub the debut "a disaster." The story has plenty of quotes from high school kids snubbing the "nasty," "soggy," "watery" fare, but the numbers of kids dropping out of the school lunch program doesn't paint nearly so drastic a picture. Is it time to bring back the hamburgers, or is there a better way to entice kids to eat the meals?

The Food Americans Googled, from Pizza Hut to Cream Cheese Frosting

Google Zeitgeist, the annual project that proves just how banal Americans are by revealing our fastest-rising Google terms of the year, has released its 2011 findings. When we weren't searching for Rebecca Black songs or planking photos, Americans Googled recipes and restaurants that paint a portrait of what foods America wants to order and cook. Hint: it's not kale.

Support the Chicago Honey Co-Op's Holiday Wish

No matter what holiday you celebrate this month, you're likely going to be consuming some honey: in tea, on pastry, as a glaze on a roast, etc. Since you're going to need to buy a jar anyway, consider purchasing it through the Chicago Honey Co-Op, a North Lawndale apiary that has been a model of the local food movement for eight years. According to a post on The Local Beet, the co-op's land has been sold, and the beekeepers will need to move their operations by April. As you may know, bees are tempermental and delicate, and moving 50 hives is no easy task.
 
To purchase new land and cover the costs associated with moving, the Chicago Honey Co-Op needs to raise $20,000 by February 1. Luckily, there are a few ways to help out. First, you can make a tax-deductible donation to the organization. Secondly, and most importantly for those of you still scrambling for stocking-stuffers, you can purchase a variety of honey-based products from the co-op's store, from candles to bath products to just plain, chemical-free, organic honey. Hopefully, 2012 will bring an even bigger and better year for a local food pioneer that already accomplished so much in 2011.

Rethinking Reusable Shopping Bags

Take stock of your pantry, make the shopping list, grab the reusable canvas tote. This is most people's pre-grocery shopping routine, but it may be time to rethink that third step. A quick piece in New York Magazine uses statistics and a few selectively chosen facts to raise questions about the eco-friendliness and safety of those reusable bags.

Rogue Raw Milk Activists Stage Freedom Ride Today

On the spectrum of beverages, beginning with Four Loko at the "revolting and dangerous" end, and ending with filtered mountain spring water at the "pure and natural" end, milk generally errs on the wholesome side of things. Apparently that doesn't include raw milk, whose sale and distribution is prohibited by state and federal laws. A feisty group of unpasteurized milk lovers, the Raw Milk Freedom Riders, are thumbing their noses at the FDA this afternoon as they stage a (probably illegal) interstate raw milk transport and rally. After returning from Wisconsin with the contraband, the Riders will hold a demonstration at noon in Independence Park with milk, cookies, and a visit from raw milk activist Max Kane. If you're looking for a new cause after the disbanding of some of the Occupy protests, head down there and toast to dairy freedom.

City Opens Bids for New Taste of Chicago Management

The annual Taste of Chicago festival mostly reminds us why we hate crowds, and just how bad four deep-fried Twinkies make us feel the next day. But as for its mission to showcase the best of Chicago's culinary landscape? It just doesn't deliver. Apparently, it doesn't make it money either, which has prompted Mayor Rahm Emmanuel's administration to open up bidding on contracts to manage the 31-year-old festival. The Sun Times reports that though the Illinois Restaurant Association has held the contract since the festival's inception, Taste has lost about $7 million dollars in the last three years. From charging for admission to classing up the vendors, new ideas are on the table to defibrilate the flatlining festival.

Prepare for the Arrival of the Venti Pinot Grigio

Starbucks started with coffee. Then they introduced the world to Frappuccinos. Then came free wi-fi. Then the world met the autumnal force of nature known as the Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL). Next up: booze. The Tribune reported yesterday that next year, the Seattle-based coffee chain plans to roll out seven new stores in Chicago that will sell beer and wine alongside lattes and cake pops.

BLT American Brasserie Now Open in River North

Maybe they're all trying to capitalize on holiday diners and shoppers, but last week was quite a week for restaurants openings. First came Bar Toma, The Slurping Turtle, and Yusho, and on Friday night, Laurent Tourondel's BLT American Brasserie opened unexpectedly. While the project, housed in the former Brasserie Ruhlman space on Superior, had been in the works for some time, it was something of a surprise when the doors finally flung open. So, what can Chicago expect from this NYC import?

Charlie Trotters' Vet Opens Yakitori Spot Yusho Tomorrow

Will Chicago finally get a stand-out yakitori restaurant? Long-time Charlie Trotters' chef-de-cuisine Matthias Merges hopes his new street food-inspired restaurant, Yusho, will draw the masses to the outskirts of Logan Square in search of grilled meats.

After fourteen years at Trotters', Merges left to open his own neighborhood restaurant that focuses on grilled poultry (yakitori), vegetables (yasai), and meats and seafood (kushiyaki). Yusho's shareable menus, neon-and-brick interior, and late-night hours are certainly a departure from Trotter's, but one that could finally up the standard for Japanese grills in Chicago.

Horse: The Other Red Meat?

If you've traveled to France or Central Asia, you may have  been brave enough to sample horse meat. Thanks to an under-the-radar provision in the recently-passed H.R. 2112 spending bill, this taboo protein could soon find its way to American tables as early as this month. But will Americans really welcome the arrival of friendly neighborhood boucheries chevalines?

The 10 Commandments of Food Allergy Safety for Party Hosts and Guests

There are a lot of snooze-worthy holiday "how-to" lists that pop up around this time of year: How to make paper snowflakes! How to wrap a fruitcake! But Kendall College has come up with a quick, ten-point list of rules for hosting holiday parties that will accomodate and protect your friends with food allergies. As your kitchen becomes a revolving door with friends, family, kids, and neighbors, these commandments are crucial to ensure that your party spread won't endanger anyone's health.

Much-Anticipated Bar Toma and Slurping Turtle Open Downtown

Love it or hate it, you're going to be spending some time shopping downtown this month. In the consumer playground between Pearson and Hubbard, diners generally had to choose between two categories of restaurants: the generic tourist traps (here's looking at you, Pizzeria Uno!) and sceney lounges like Paris Club and Hub 51. Thankfully, homeotown heroes Tony Mantuano and Takashi Yagihashi bring two new casual restaurants to the area this week, just in time to save your holiday season sanity.

Is the Half Moon Bay Model the Future of Sustainable Fishing?

Because they exist in a murky world deep below the crashing waves or gentle lake surface that we see, the world's seafood supplies remain a mystery to most diners. If the gruesome realities of large-scale commercial beef, pork, and poultry production are unfamiliar to Americans, imagine how little we know of the industrial fishing practices that bring seafood from the water to our plate. As even someone unfamiliar with the industry can imagine, it's broken. Many species are overfished, ecosystems are imbalanced, and in some cases, populations are reaching the point of no return. An article in today's New York Times explores a ray of hope that shines from Half Moon Bay, Caliornia: an unprecedented partnership between The Nature Conservancy and area fisherman has yielded promising results. Is this model the future of sustainable fishing?

Chefs Share Thanksgiving Horror Stories and Turkey Mishaps

You'd think that professional chefs would be immune to the usual culinary mistakes and small kitchen fires that plague the general population. Not so. Even accomplished chefs in the city have had their share of Thanksgiving blunders, from electrocuted turkeys to vegetarian conundrums. To make you feel better about your own missteps, here's a sampling of their most hilarious moments.