I first encountered miso nearly four decades ago at a hole-in-the wall sushi restaurant in Chicago. It came in the form of a complimentary bowl of miso soup that preceded my sushi selections. I ...

 Kohlrabi is an odd-looking vegetable with an odd-sounding name. Easy to grow and widely available at local farmers markets, this alien-looking vegetable is as versatile as it is weird. A member...

 About 10 years ago, I was camping at Summer Camp Music Festival at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe near Peoria. Summer Camp is a four-day event over Memorial Day weekend featuring over 100 ban...

 There is not much that I enjoy more than packing a picnic and curling up on a thick blanket to watch a show under the stars. Be it a movie in the park, a concert or community theatre, it’s a l...

 My obsession with cooking outdoors over fire must have been carried forth in the DNA from my primal ancestors. Grilling adds depth and complexity to vegetables in a way that can’t be achieved...

 Despite the old-fashioned expression, making a pie from scratch intimidates many. It is another culinary skill that has atrophied in our culture over the years, a casualty of convenience and fro...

 Thirty-four years ago I heard about a little coffee shop in the parking lot of a shabby motel on Springfield’s north side that had unlikely pairing of corndogs and Thai food on the menu. Even ...

 It’s been a busy few weeks. For a while now my daily agenda has felt full to bursting on a regular basis, and I find myself yearning for a little TLC. The healthful surge of energy that accomp...