I love crab cakes. What’s not to like? But one thing that bothers me about ordering them at restaurants is that you’ll occasionally get one that’s loaded with (...)
Today is cold. It’s snowing. The outside world is monochromatic and drab. Just beyond my window, Chicago’s iconic Sears Tower is mostly hidden — tucked behind (...)
I like Stiegl Grapefruit Radler. I LIKE IT. OK? I fully recognize that it’s pretty girly (I mean, it is a blend of Stiegl Pils and grapefruit soda), but in all (...)
The blogosphere is a weird place. Sometimes it can make you feel as though you know someone in real life, even when you don’t. That’s how I felt when I first (...)
As I mentioned in my February Favorites post, I’ve been really into the Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home cookbook I received from my in-laws for Christmas. (...)
Let me just get this out of the way — I don’t like pumpkin beer. I know, I know…. And trust me, I’ve tried. Pumking. Rumpkin. Punkin, etc. I just…can’t.* But (...)
Warning: what you’re about to see might frighten you, but I encourage you to continue reading. Because, despite what common sense might be telling you, these (...)
**I’m excited to announce my first guest blogger! This is a post written (and photographed!) by my BFF Mer, specifically for Fresh and Foodie. Not only has she (...)
Whew — it’s been busy around here. New jobs (more on that soon), new accomplishments and a few other things that deserve to be celebrated. And what better way (...)
Recently, I’ve been very obsessed with the new social site Pinterest — a virtual pinboard that allows you to “pin” images from across the web and save them to (...)
My stomach growls in unison with the beeping of my alarm clock. It’s morning, and I’m hungry. I roll out of bed, put on my slippers and my worn-in Bradley (...)
Making food from scratch tastes better. Duh. But often times, the ingredients we use to make things from scratch aren’t homemade. To no fault of our own — (...)
As you guys know, I’m an advocate for putting bourbon in almost anything. Especially this time of year. ‘Tis the season. So when Four Roses reached out to me* (...)
I finally pulled the trigger on the ice cream maker I’ve been wanting for a long, long time — just in time for summer. It’s only a little Cuisinart — nothing (...)
This sandwich was inspired by one of the best things I ate last year — the Wild Boar Sloppy Joe from Longman & Eagle. But as it turns out, wild boar is pretty (...)
Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Black Beans and Gorgonzola
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I should have added the word “random” to the title of this post because that’s how this recipe came about — if you even want to call it that. (Hence the lack (...)
I have a question. Why is it that pecan pie is almost exclusively reserved for the days that fall between Thanksgiving and Christmas? It’s not like pecans are (...)
New Year’s resolutions be damned. Sometimes you just need (and want) butter and sugar for breakfast. There’s something about a good ol’ crumb cake that reminds (...)
Imperial Stout Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream
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November is a big month around here. On November 11th, my husband and I celebrated our five-year wedding anniversary. The next day, we celebrated his 31st (...)
Just when I thought I’d exhausted every side salad recipe known to man, I randomly came up with this one. Crunchy and licoricey fennel tossed with a crispy and (...)
Zombie tracer cocktail with zombie dust, buffalo trace and lemon
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This past weekend, the hubs and I walked over to The Publican, one of our favorite neighborhood spots, for an afternoon drink. I ordered a Bloody Mary, and he (...)
You may remember him as “Top Scallop” (I know I do), but Top Chef’s Fabio Viviani is much more than the charming, handsome Italian chef you remember from (...)
As I write this, wind is lashing at the window next to my desk. Football is on in the background; drowning out the sound of shovels scraping against the (...)
Happy Thanksgiving Eve! I hope everyone is cooking and baking up a storm today. I don’t host Thanksgiving, but in the spirit of the season, I made a batch of (...)
Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette
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Last year around this time, I visited my BFF Mer in central Illinois. She’s a foodie too, so we’re often discussing and sharing recipes. We also share the same (...)
