What's For Dinner? Serve Up Family Memories With Your Own Unique Family Recipe Book

My mother was a great cook. Nearly 19 years after she passed away, I still have fond memories of the special dishes she would whip up for our family. Some were simple, others elaborate, all treasured.

Like many people, my mother wrote down her recipes on index cards. Unfortunately, I lost them in the 1994 Northridge earthquake in L.A. There is no way to recover them; they are lost forever.

If she had been able to turned her recipes into a book with the Great Family Cookbook Project, I would still be able to access those flavorful memories online.

Save your recipes for those you love with this easy, fun and affordable way to create and print your own full-color family cookbook.

It's a beautiful way to preserve mealtime traditions for future generations. Share it with family and friends. You could even turn this into a project for your church or organization by inviting other people to contribute recipes!

Once the recipes are preserved online, they can be shared with other family members by email, individual printed recipes or your own professionally printed cookbook.

Highlights:

• Create a full color family cookbook – it’s easy and fun! 
• Invite family and friends to enter recipes and stories (you don’t have to do all the work!)
• It’s a family heirloom that will be treasured for generations
• Great for family reunions, wedding gifts and groups
• Works great on PCs, Macs and iPads
• Choose recipe layouts, covers, dividers and more (1000s of combinations)
• Upload your own photos for recipes, covers & dividers, too
• Print to your PC, a local printer like Kinko’s or have our professional team print for you
• Have a Kindle or iPad? You can put your cookbook on that, too!
• the fine print

Visit their website for more details!

Fresh Harvest Market Uptown Opens Friday

Cook County Board President Todd Stroger would be happy to know that the intersection of North Sheridan & W. Leland in Uptown, Chicago will no longer be a "food dessert" after 7:00 a.m., Friday, March 6. (Click photos to enlarge) Stroger meant "desert," of course, as in arid region, not as in chocolate cake. Todd Stroger could have his desert and eat it too if he gets hip to Uptown's newest grocery destination. And I do mean destination. I took a train to Uptown to check the place out; lots of buzz in the hood about it already and as I paused to take pictures a number of locals peered through the big front windows. I think they were salivating. Fresh Harvest Market, 4650 N. Sheridan Road, is a beautiful new food store that looks very upscale. The owner is Roesheeda Oghefue, and the parent company is My Ranch, Inc. "Fresh Harvest Market" is the DBA. My Ranch was incorporated in Illinois in March 1998. The new store in Uptown received its retail food establishment business license on January 28, 2009. That being said, it's a bit jarring at first to run into this jewel (no pun intended) of a grocery store in this part of Uptown. It is in a very economically mixed neighborhood. A very modern, new condo building sits on the same intersection, while a block south of it is one of the roughest micro-war zones in Chicago (at Wilson and Sheridan). Nevertheless, it's a good thing to have a nice grocery store nearby for folks who live the area, and Fresh Harvest Market looks to be exceptional. Fresh Harvest Market - 4650 N. Sheridan Road (at W. Leland) (773) 516-4860 (no parking lot) Chicago News Bench RSS Feed Cool Stuff...

How Do YOU Eat Ramen Noodles?

Do you have a favorite way to prepare ramen ("rah-men") noodles? Have they helped you survive periods between jobs, or helped you trim your budget? Times are tough for many of us right now, and thank goodness ramen noodles are still around. Do YOU have a favorite recipe for ramen noodles? Share it with us in a comment! Mind you, I'm not talking about those cups of noodles. I'm talking about the "flat" packages of dry noodles, as shown in the photos here. I enjoy ramen noodles about once a week. Usually, I eat them "straight," with nothing added except a dash of cayan pepper. Sometimes I sprinkle a little lemon pepper into them. Sometimes I put broccoli, and maybe some cooked chicken pieces, into the hot water after the noodles are fully boiled and I've turn off the heat. That way, the chicken and broccoli get hot, but don't become over cooked. Drain off most of the water - and the excess sodium with it - and you've got a very satisfying meal. So, do YOU have a favorite way to prepare ramen noodles? If so, share your recipes with your fellow ramen eaters by sending them to us at this email address:

Ramen noodles have a history of helping people fill their stomachs during lean times, and I've eaten my share of them in leaner times. Thing is, I love them. They are easy to prepare (just boil for several minutes), and they can fill you up all by themselves or they make a nice side dish. They're cheap, even though they've increased in price from 25 cents to 35 cents recently. You can also buy them in bulk packages of six or 12 and save even more. There is a website called "The Official Ramen Homepage," but somehow I doubt its claim of being official. Nevertheless, it's an interesting site with recipes and information about ramen noodles, including weird news stories in which ramen noodles are mentioned. (I look forward to the Ramen Noodles News Network one day.) Another great website: Ramen-NoodleRecipes.blogspot.com, where you'll find hundreds of creative recipes. One of my favorites: Ramen Mussolini. Selected Reading: OMG Veg! Staff Editorial: Follow Gut Instincts When Spending Fast Food for Thought: Ramen Noodles to Warm the Heart Instant Ramen Isn't Just For Broke College Students Signs of the Times: bad economy good for noodles The Cook's Thesaurus: Asian Wheat Noodles Maruchan ramen Best ramen recipes! How to Enjoy Instant Noodles - eHow.com World Instant Noodles Association Journey into the World of Ramen snopes.com: Instant Noodles Warning Avoid high sodium Ramen

Fontana Grill Gets Liquor License

Finally, one of my favorite restaurants on the northside of Chicago will get its liquor license. Fontana Grill & Wine Bar has been BYOB since it opened last autumn. I had dinner in the cozy and intimate restaurant on Friday, Feb. 13, and owner Nino Divanovic pulled me aside tonight and said the city told him earlier this week that his liquor license has been approved. Nino said they hope to start selling wine, beer and liquors "next weekend," and he plans to host wine tastings frequently. My friend had the NY strip and I had the rack of lamb (Nino's personal favorite). Both were cooked to perfection, and the excellent potatoes au gratin and grilled asparagus spears rounded out both plates nicely. Sadly, we forgot to bring a bottle of wine; we forgot that Fontana Grill was still a bring-your-own establishment. Only for another week, thank goodness, and the next time I go I'll be able to order an adult beverage from Fontana's own stock. Tip: Some of the best calamari I've ever had, and when the weather gets warm they have a beautiful cobblestone outdoor patio. Great stone-fired thin crust pizzas, too, and if you just want something simple, Fontana's burgers are excellent. 1329 W Wilson Ave (between Beacon Street and Malden Street, between N. Broadway and N. Clark) Chicago, IL 60640 (773) 561-0400 http://www.fontanagrill.com/ For more information, see a review at Metromix. CNB RSS Feed

Dominick's Returning to West Ridge

No more "food desert" at Pratt and Ridge on Chicago's north side. (Or, as Todd Stroger would say, "food dessert.") Despite massive UN food relief efforts, starvation has killed an estimated 12,090 West Ridge residents within a two block radius of the Pratt and Ridge intersection since the Dominick's closed its doors in March 2007. Full story at News-Star...

RoPa Restaurant & Wine Bar Opens in Rogers Park

Last Tuesday, in fact. RoPa (ROgers PArk, get it?) opened its doors after months of anticipation by neighbors on the north side of Chicago. RoPa is located at 1146 W. Pratt Blvd., just east of the 7-Eleven on the northeast corner of N. Sheridan Road and W. Pratt Blvd. in Rogers Park, just steps from Lake Michigan. Their phone is 773-508-0002. Full bar. More info at MetroMix. BackTrack: RoPa Restaurant Opens Sept. 2nd

RoPa Restaurant Opens Sept. 2nd

Good news, Rogers Park foodies! The long-anticipated RoPa restaurant will open next week. This is contrary to the fear that they would not open and highlights some very bad reporting by one of the local bloggers, who wrote that the owners had "apparently run into some kind of problem." They haven't, and they will soon be serving lamb kebabs. Owner Tirak told The Bench today that RoPa Restaurant and Wine Bar will open at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 2. RoPa (a contraction of "Rogers Park"). They will specialize in upscale Mediterranean-American cuisine. RoPa is located in the former space of Suron, a Persian restaurant, at 1146 W. Pratt Blvd., just east of the 7-Eleven on the northeast corner of N. Sheridan Road and W. Pratt Avenue in Rogers Park, just steps from Lake Michigan.

Bloody Cock Meat, Damn!

As part of this weekend's Homo-Pa-Looza extravaganza here at The Bench, we're trying our hardest to find stories that fit. You know, stories into which that we can sensibly work words such as "blow," "hardest," "suck," and ... well, you get the idea.

This brief restaurant review should fit nicely. Sizzle on Broadway (a.k.a. The Pumping Company) serves food. Bar food. Decent for the most part. But watch out. The kitchen may or may not have tried to assassinate my last night.

I ordered the fried chicken special, a half chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and garlic green beans. Those were okay, and I ate some of those while I let the fried chicken cool down a bit. The half chicken included one wing, of course, and I ate that, too.

I must assume that the meat was from a male chicken, also called a "cock." Hens (female chickens) are generally reserved for egg laying.

During the whole experience, the air conditioning ducts above me dripped condensed water down my back. I tolerated the one-drop-at-a-time rain shower with humor.

The supple, meaty thigh was still too hot to handle, which I realized as I picked it up to bite into it. I set it down and cut into it with a fork. That's when the blood oozed out of the chicken. Red blood, lots of it, oozed out. I cut into the breast and got the same result. I thanked my guardian angel that I did not bite into that undercooked chicken.

You can enjoy the fried chicken dinner special too! Sizzle is located at 6157 N. Broadway Street in Chicago's beautiful Edgewater neighborhood. For reservations call (773) 465-9500. They seem to be gay friendly, but I didn't actually ask.

Rabbit: It's What's For Dinner!

Rescue that rabbit from the ordinary with a special recipe this weekend! Here is a collection of web sites with great rabbit recipes for you to experiment with and enjoy. Rabbit Recipes - For the small game lovers you will find Rabbit Recipes on the page. Recipes Using Rabbit - For most recipes, the rabbit is cut in serving pieces before it is cooked. Just Game Recipes - 129 Rabbit recipes Rabbit Recipes Society - 2,272 pages of information about hunting and rabbit recipes! Rabbit Recipes - Domestic Rabbit Meat - Eat Better, Cleaner and Healthier!

JOE MOORE'S GOOSE LIVER HISSY FIT

"THE SILLIEST LAW EVER WRITTEN," is what Mayor Daley called Chicago's ban on foie gras (goose liver pate). Today, the Chicago City Council repealed the ineffective law by a vote of 37-6. The law, which banned restaurants from selling it, but could not prevent them from giving it away.

(Snarky question: Does this mean that Joe has to give Dana Kohl's $30K campaign contribution back?)

Stores could still sell it, it was not illegal to buy or eat it, only for restaurants to sell it. The anti-foie gras ordinance was the pride and joy of its author, Chicago's 49th Ward Aldergoose Joe Moore, who wrote it in 2006. By tossing it out, the Chicago City Council gains a bit more respect.

Get this: According to the Associated Press, "The measure passed Wednesday by a vote of 37-6 with no debate. Its sponsor, Alderman Joe Moore, shouted his objections." Can you imagine mild mannered gooseboy Joe Moore shouting his objections to the rest of the Voters should remember this kind of ineffective, time wasting stupidity when Joe Moore runs for Congress in 2009.

A personal note: Joe, who is "discredited" now? The mayor - and millions of others - call your foie gras ordinance "the silliest law ever written." In spite of your lunatic fringe supporters, most of us see it that way. And today that silly law was soundly defeated. YOU, Joe Moore, are now an officially discredited fool, a laughing stock, the butt of jokes. And the national and international press is eating it up.

If Obama becomes our next president this November, we will likely see a special election called to fill the vacated Congressional seat of Jan "The Man" Schakowsky, who would likely move up to fill Obama's vacated U.S. Senate seat. You can bet money that Joe Moore will be put up to run by the local Schakowsky-led Democrat Machine.

Lunch On The Run

As I'm running around Chicago's north side today, I grabbed this for lunch.

Chicken Hut at 3200 N. Broadway. Yum.

The Dining Diva

Had to share this with you... just came across a great little blog that reviews restaurants in Chicago. Called "312 Dining Diva," it's entertaining and informative. Check it out before you plan your next fine dining experience. Audarshia is the blogger, and she's sharp. Her credits include writing for the Chicago Tribune, Essence, UR Chicago, Chicago Preferred and Playboy.com.

Playboy? Say, Audarshia and I have something in common. I've been published in Playboy! Maybe one day I'll share that with you, dear reader (if I get my nerve up enough).

The Non-Greening of Rogers Park

A loyal reader notes that Chicago's 49th Ward is not as green as some would have us believe.

In case you'd like to add to your best of column, you might also note that there are NO farmer's markets in RP and none slated for this winter either. http://www.localharvest.org/listing_events.jsp?id=19510 And here we thought that Joe was big on all things green. Apparently this doesn't extend to food stuffs. Good foodstuffs that would be better for everyone in the community. Anon.

Dear Anon: Far be it for me to defend Joe Moore, but I know you to be libertarian in your outlook. Are you saying that we should depend on Uncle Joe to bring us our veggies? Now, now. Look, you know I love you dearly, Anon. But if we have no farmers market, there are plenty of grocers in the neighborhood that are happy to sell us fresh produce.

Would You Like Superfries With That?

We're number one, baby. Economic Times, India Nov 10, 2007 No country in the world today can match USA as a depreciating dollar makes Uncle Sam shahenshah of the global food marketplace. Certainly there are several macro factors why US food exports have spurted. Rising incomes world-wide, in conjunction with a high propensity for consumers to spend that income on food, have helped spur a 50% increase in global food trade in just five years (2001-05). Young, healthy and wealthy consumers in developing countries are willing to spend far more than their parents on food that is more processed and travelled over longer distances. That has altered the direction of global food trade, making China, Mexico and Asia the hot destinations for US exports. Emerging markets have increased their share of US exports from 30% during the early 1990s to 43% in 2006. FULL PLATE...

Morse Avenue Munchies Update

I'm enjoying a hot cuppa over at Common Cup whilst I wifi my way through the Internet. Oh, you haven't heard? Common Cup is open on Sundays now, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. They've added salads and sandwiches to their menu, too. Come on over to 1501 W. Morse (at N. Greenview).

The newest restaurant to open on Morse is the Grill Inn at 1422 W. Morse Avenue, which opened last Thursday. It's a Greek restaurant, sort of. Owned and operated by Nick, a cousin of the owners of Morse Fruit and Meat Market two door away, the Grill Inn offers a number of Greek-style items.

But they have plenty of non-Greek items to choose from. French fries, of course, but rice pilaf is a nice alternative to accompany the Italian beef or the Italian sausage. I had the beef-and-sausage combo (photo) and it was excellent. The lady who ordered before me had the Cajun chicken sandwich, which looked and smelled incredible. The atmosphere is cozy, with hand rendered plaster walls that recall aging brick. The grill area itself is impressively large, and the customer can see everything that is happening during the preparation of their meal. This is a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

Must Listen: Todd Stroger is an Idiot

YOU GOTTA HEAR THIS...! From Completely Unnecessary, a partial transcript of a speech by Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, given at the City Club of Chicago in October, 2007: In recent years, economic experts have coined the phrase “food dessert” to support their concern for a lack of quality grocery shopping options for people living in poor neighborhoods. Well, I’m concerned that without Provident Hospital and with Michael Reese and other hospitals having problems, Chicago’s South Side might become a hospital dessert. Ooops! I should say “desert.” That’s why I reject calls for Provident to be closed, and favor the hospital’s continued focus in providing inpatient, acute, obsta… obsta… uh oh… obstatech… I’m gonna skip that word. [I think he's starting a new sentence here] Testify before committees and actively lobby for a brand new law to effecti… ifist… oh… afich… at… Thank you, Donna… effectuate that transfer. Thanks to the Democrat Party giving us such a brilliant leader.

A New Day is Awning

Any day now, the new "Grill Inn" will open in the 1400 block of W. Morse in Rogers Park, Chicago. Greek cuisine and Venetian decor will provide a comfortable and casual sit-down atmosphere for locals to grab a gyro, souflaki or other Greek treat.

Yes, they'll have pommes frites. No, they won't have flaming cheese.

Keep watching. Should be good.

My Big Fat Indian Lunch

Hunger befell me while biking along W. Devon Avenue in West Rogers Park, Chicago today. I went into one of the many Indian-Pakistani restaurants, but that one creeped me out, to be honest, so I went looking for another.

I was happy to find King Sweets at 2308 W. Devon, a small storefront restaurant with a big assortment of great items. I won't pretend to be any kind of expert on Indian food, but the rich smell of curry and rostiseried chicken, along with a happy looking mix of customers, told me I made a good choice.

King Sweets, as the name implies, specializes in desserts. They make all of their wonderful sweets on the premises. The sweets alone are worth the trip. I sampled the halwa, a dense form of carrot cake with a creamy frosting. Halwa without frosting is also available. I also had a balushai, very sugary and syrupy. Excellent.

For those watching their sugar intake, King Sweets has a good variety of desserts that are made with sugar substitutes: Kalakand, Gulab Jamun, Balushai and Dal Pinya are available without sugar.

The sweets were very good but I needed protein. An order of the channa chicken filled me up. It's several pieces of stewed chicken (bone in) settled into a nice brown gravy, with chick peas. A side of nan (a flat bread to die for) made for a substantial lunch. I will definitely go back for more.

King Sweets serves all Zabiha meat. They do catering and ship all over the U.S. and Canada. Credit cards accepted with $10.00 minimum.

King Sweets
2308 W. Devon Avenue, Chicago, IL 60659
Telephone: 773-262-8001
Web: http://www.kingsweets.net

Ethanol Madness Drives Up Milk Prices

The price of milk is now about the same as the price of gasoline, around $4.00 per gallon. One big reason why: Ethanol madness. Ethanol is probably more of a bane than a boon, and most estimates say that even if every kernel of US-grown corn was used for fuel, it would make up less than 15% of our fuel needs. MSNBC quotes an expert who says, "higher gasoline prices have increased the costs of moving milk from farm to market, and corn — the primary feed for dairy cattle — is being gobbled up by producers of the fuel-additive ethanol. The USDA projects that 3.2 billion bushels of this year’s corn crop will be used to make ethanol, a 52 percent increase over 2006." Another expert says, "The claim that using ethanol will save energy is another myth. Studies show that the amount of energy ethanol produces and the amount needed to make it are roughly the same. "It takes a lot of fossil fuels to make the fertilizer, to run the tractor, to build the silo, to get that corn to a processing plant, to run the processing plant" (see "Ethanol Facts and Fiction"). The insane desire to use ethanol has caused far more problems than it has helped. Mexican consumer know this all too well (see "Of Tortillas and Ethanol"). Mexicans been paying much higher prices lately for items made of corn, due largely to the displacement of ethanol for fuel usage.

Comfy Cool at Common Cup

Ahhhh. It's hot and muggy outside. But I am sitting in air conditioned comfort at Common Cup cafe at 1501 W. Morse (at N. Greenview), checking email and sipping a cuppa joe. Life ain't so bad.