An essential piece of local jazz history continues to fit in today’s scene
It’s understandable that, over a more-than-40-year career, Jeter Thompson would play with a few different musicians. Jazz artists, in particular, are known for their ability to meld and morph projects, with players coming and going at sometimes dizzying rates. But Thompson’s had a relatively stable career, enjoying success originally as the Quartette Trés Bien and…
An affecting time capsule, captured on film 30 years ago, is opened
When you saw The Silence of the Lambs for the first time, did the title click for you? During one of the memorable scenes of “quid pro quo” dialogue between FBI agent Clarice Starling and incarcerated murderer Hannibal Lecter, Starling fretfully indulges Lecter with a story from her childhood that also explains the movie’s title.…
Chèvre Select: Goat farms produce highly sought-after cheeses
Goats have certainly been tagged with a bad reputation. Often, cartoons portray them as eating everything and anything, even tin cans. But goats are probably one of the most misunderstood creatures in the world. These animals are quite docile by nature and actually very picky about their diets. Admittedly, they are extremely curious and will…
Thanks, Dad! St. Louis chefs celebrate their dads’ influence on their careers
Barbecue may be the culinary calling card of many a dad, but in the careers of four local chefs, fatherly influences reach far beyond the grill. Justin Coleman One of the earliest and most important lessons Justin Coleman learned from his father, also a chef, is that women love men who can cook. As an…
Review: Terrene in St. Louis
Guy’s Perspecitve My small city back yard has been through a three-year campaign. The tame and wild have complicated and haunted, forcing what should have been a one-spring prune/dig/plant/mulch project into three years of rigmarole. Among those in my back yard who have laughed at my sweating and toiling with a dull spade: a Soulard…
Review: 17th Street Bar & Grill in O’Fallon, IL
When I read The Man Who Ate Everything by Jeffrey Steingarten some years ago, I came across his essay entitled Going Whole Hog. The first half was about judging the 1993 Memphis in May World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest, but the latter half veered solidly and lustily into food porn as he detailed how Mike…
Raspberry-Lemon Curd Tart
8 4-inch tarts
Savory Rhubarb-Apple Chutney
6 8-ounce jars
Big Chef Lil’ Chef: Kids are happily venturing into the kitchen
The appropriate amount of freedom to allow in the kitchen is something St. Charles resident Stephany Crocker wrestles with every day as she and her two daughters approach dinnertime. Crocker, a 39-year-old single mother, enjoys the bonding that takes place in the kitchen with Kaitlyn, age 9, and 7-year-old Delaney, but errs on the side…
2007 will test winemakers’ creativity at sourcing and blending
It’s been a wild spring, one that came in like a lamb and went out like a lion. Between March 21 and April 9, our region experienced both near-record heat and record cold for the 118 years the National Weather Service has been recording temperatures. The resulting damage to regional crops was severe. Grapevines were…
The Royale’s simplicity is a plus on groggy Sunday mornings
When you’re recovering from the night before, sometimes you need food with a bit of grease, nothing too fancy, just something substantial – and maybe even a bloody mary to get you back in the saddle. The Royale’s “Hair of the Dog” Sunday brunch has you covered. For starters, you won’t be overwhelmed with too…
At the new Bissinger’s lounge, Gretchen Morfogen’s desserts will drench you in chocolate
The closing of Bissinger’s landmark McPherson Avenue location and the opening of Bissinger’s, A Chocolate Experience signals a new era for the venerable confectioner. The new Central West End shop will have a traditional walk-up candy counter, but classically trained chef Gretchen Morfogen has worked with the company to showcase Bissinger’s chocolate by using it…
Rhubarb’s tang boils down to an ideal sauce for savory foods
I’m not proud to admit to this behavior, but I await the arrival of rhubarb like a spoiled child anticipating the reckless ripping open of presents on Christmas Day. Once I spot the season’s first stalks, my eyes widen, visions of its culinary gifts whirl in my head and my normally generous demeanor takes a…
Gather red, black and yellow raspberry varieties at pick-your-own farms
Raspberries make the prettiest fairy hats,” my grandmother Rose said, as we sorted and cleaned our just-picked bounty. “Try one on your pinkie,” she suggested. While my finger-fairies danced in raspberry hats on a kitchen table stage, she and my great-aunt Lanna sorted the fragile fruits. Perfect berries for pies for dinner. Bruised berries for…
Maya Café shares the secrets to well-executed margaritas
My uncle’s margaritas are legendary in our family; fresh-squeezed lime juice, triple sec and lots of tequila are all he needs to make the famous drink. As much as I have tried, I’ve never been able to master the art of making his margaritas at home. Luckily, I don’t need to try anymore. I have…
