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If you are a lover of French Madeleines, you may know Sugar Bowl Bakery. Sugar Bowl bakes five-million madeleines a day in their California and Georgia facilities, and ships them across the USA. I love the classic vanilla recipe with just a hint of lemon flavor.

It had been a long time since I made—or drank—a Mint Julep when I made them on May 7th. I virtually joined the folks in the stands of Churchill Downs in cheering the horses on with a cold one and reminisced about the time I was actually there. At Churchill Downs, they pour the bottled Old Forester Mint Julep Ready-to-Serve Cocktail which makes sense when you are serving 120,000 Mint Juleps over a two-day weekend. But when you are making a few for friends, it’s worth it to make it from scratch.

The secret between good food and great food is really not a secret at all. It’s something that good home cooks and chefs alike know—it’s the finishing touch. You might ask yourself what does that mean?

May is National Barbecue Month and that brings up the age-old debate of grilling vs. barbecue. Despite the fact that these days the term barbecue is widely understood and used to refer to slow-cooked, wood-smoked meats, the food that people cook most often on their grill is chicken.

Easter is in the rear view mirror and that means that grilling season is here. Even if it is a little cold where you live, it’s time to tune up the grill and get cooking.

Smart grills are a smart choice.

A couple years ago, I was telling a friend why I liked my Traeger Ironwood 650 so much. I mentioned the Super Smoke Mode which was new at the time, and the technology which allows you to control, and change the temperature using your smartphone—among other features.

I introduced my friend Lisa to Fernet Branca and in return, she introduced me to the Toronto. We don’t live in the same city, so I learned about the cocktail on one of our Zoom calls. She went to a bar in her hometown and asked the bartender for a cocktail made with Fernet Branca and fell in love with the Toronto.

Eli’s is a story about the classic days of old Chicago. The Chicago of Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr., and the first and second Mayor Daley. Eli’s The Place for Steak was a Chicago institution for more than 40 years, from 1966-2005.

When I think about the foods of Spring and Easter, I think about five major ingredients; eggs, ham, asparagus, lamb and coconut. These often appear in the form of deviled eggs, spiral-cut ham, grilled asparagus, rack of lamb and coconut cake.

I don’t typically do dry January not because I don’t think you should take a break from indulging in rich food and drink but because I try to eat and drink in moderation every week. However I have many friends who attempt to do dry January. One of those friends came to dinner last Saturday night and when I asked him if he was still doing dry January he responded that he was doing damp January.