Who’s ready to dive into relaxation mode? Please tell me you are! Summer certainly took its sweet time arriving this year, as everyone from the Midwest to the East Coast knows. Now that the weather has turned glorious, there has hardly been a moment or a meal I’ve spent indoors, which equals heavenly summer casual….
First Course | Chilled Spring Asparagus Soup with Crème Fraîche and Chives
Eight more days! I can’t believe the dinner we’re hosting for Ragdale is almost here. Last week I shared the article from Forest & Bluff highlighting the evening’s menu, and I promised to share the recipes. This will be my first course, a chilled soup that heralds the arrival of spring.
Forest and Bluff Feature + Setting an Elegant Table
Landing on the April 2018 cover of Forest and Bluff was an absolute honor! Magazine editor Sherry Thomas and photographer Monica Kass Rogers recently spent the day in our home, highlighting the dinner Tim and I are hosting for Ragdale’s cornerstone benefit, Novel Affair (we’re thrilled to have Novel Affair guests, including acclaimed authors Curtis Sittenfeld and Megan Stielstra,…
Sweets | Old School Lemon Squares
Are you looking for an incredibly simple, crowd pleasing dessert for Easter Sunday? Operating under the theory that just about everyone loves lemon, I often make these for big gatherings. Having just returned from Key Largo last night and scrambling to get ready for tomorrow’s holiday brunch, I plan to serve these, my grandmother’s lemon…
St. Patrick’s Day Dinner | Guinness Braised Beef with Colcannon
Chicagoans take St. Patrick’s Day seriously. Irish, until recently, was estimated to be the top ancestry of our great city. Tomorrow morning the Chicago River will be dyed green and 800,000 people will gather to observe the famous St. Patrick’s Day Parade (fun fact: Harrison Ford running through the parade as Dr. Kimble in The…
Sheridan Road Magazine Interview
The March issue of Sheridan Road hit mail boxes today, and I’m thrilled to be the subject of this month’s The Interview column. Answering interview questions in my kitchen while having photos taken was great fun (and more challenging than you’d think!). I’ve included the full interview below – I hope you’ll enjoy reading about…
Care Package | Dorie Greenspan’s Lucky Charm Brownies
Have you ever loved an experience so much that you mourn the ending long before said experience is over? A few weekends ago, our daughter Hannah flew home from boarding school for a long weekend. Not to celebrate a birthday or a holiday, but to just be home. We spent our time as most mothers…
Taco Night | Southwestern Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa and Avocado Lime Crema
Be honest. Don’t you think most fish tacos are bland, bland, bland? Do you consistently order them at your local Mexican joint, then scan the table, coveting your companion’s dinner three bites in? I can’t be the only one! I’ve come up with a solution for all of us. A fast, easy, and economical one…
Sweets | Chocolate-Peanut Butter Mousse Parfaits
When I was growing up, my mother cooked almost every night. Going out was reserved for special occasions and the rare evenings when she was too exhausted to think about putting food on the table. On those nights when we sensed a crack in her resolve, my sister and I would lobby for KFC, where…
Greens + Things | Seared Steak Salad with Blackberries and Goat Cheese
Whenever I gather friends for lunch, salad is the number one request. It feels virtuous and leaves room for dessert, allowing us to linger in conversation without a food coma. Certain boxes need to be checked though, before I’ll put it on the table. Will it delight their tastebuds in a new way? Is it…