Amy Bizzarri

From lake to plate: Catching whitefish for Door County’s traditional fish boils

August 23, 2022 at 10:00 a.m.

Wisconsin's 80-mile-long Door Peninsula, nicknamed the "Cape Cod of the Midwest," has a deep-rooted maritime history shaped by over 300 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. Long before the arrival of...

Fans gather inside the Garage Food Hall to watch games at the Bottleworks District BBall Bash during the 2021 NCAA Tournament on March 19, 2021, in downtown Indianapolis.

Indianapolis’ Bottleworks District: A new neighborhood rises from a former Coca-Cola factory

July 8, 2021 at 10:00 a.m.

When my artsy, hip 22-year-old niece announced she was planning to move to Indianapolis post-college graduation, the lifelong Chicagoan in me was perplexed. "What happened to moving to Chicago?" After...

The secret to making exceptional panforte is to use high quality ingredients, including freshly ground spices; organic, farm fresh nuts and dried fruits; and a top-notch honey.

How to make panforte, Italy’s medieval-era fruitcake with a peppery kick

March 12, 2024 at 12:12 p.m.

Christmas in Tuscany would not be complete without a slice of panforte — the peppery, dried fruit and nut-based spice cake born in the central Tuscan hill town of Siena...

Apple meringue with custard cream from the book "The Last Night on the Titanic." The dish was served in first class for lunch on April 14, 1912, the day before the ship sank.

What did passengers eat aboard the Titanic? New book shares recipes from the voyage.

March 12, 2024 at 12:12 p.m.

Before it sank to the bottom of the ocean in the wee hours of the morning on April 15, 1912, the "floating mansion" that was the Titanic set the bar...

The hand-carved wooden stamps feature designs to emboss both sides of the pasta coins. With the pasta cutter, right, carved into one side.

Celebrate Easter with corzetti, the personalized pasta born in Genoa

May 31, 2019 at 9:03 p.m.

Carry your Easter celebration back to medieval times with corzetti. This hand-rolled, embossed pasta, named after a Genoese coin, the corzetto, for its distinctive shape, has graced tables set for...

Walking worked because it's not just a safe, effective form of exercise. It's also enjoyable.

The average American takes 5,117 steps per day. How 10,000 steps helped me reach my weight-loss goal

January 11, 2019 at 11:00 a.m.

One year ago, I stepped onto a scale only to discover that my weight had creeped up to an all-time high. It was clear that 2018 would have to be...

Former mermaid Vicki Smith, left, practices underwater with other mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs in 2007. Smith continues to be a presence at the park, teaching mermaid campers the ropes.

Florida camp turns mom into mermaid after bout with cancer

December 13, 2018 at 6:34 p.m.

Few positives sprout from a bout with breast cancer. The first time I lay prone at the center of the “Star Wars”-like machine that would blast me with radiation, I...

After forming, the pretzels rise a third time until doubled in size, about an hour.

Prost! Bake up a perfect pretzel for Oktoberfest

March 12, 2024 at 12:14 p.m.

Traditional German pretzels, the perfect accompaniment to a stein of Oktoberfest beer, were first twisted into their characteristic loop in the Middle Ages, when European monks baked them up during...

The flavored ice creams are layered in a loaf pan, then frozen until set. Plastic wrap makes unmolding a breeze (and causes lots of nooks and crannies, but that's OK, folks).

Spumoni, the tricolored Italian frozen treat, traces Chicago roots back to one man

May 31, 2019 at 9:02 p.m.

Born in the small town of Casamassima, Italy, and celebrated by Italian-Americans across Chicago, colorful spumoni is the quintessential summertime semifreddo. Attend any Italian-American family summer wedding, graduation, birthday or...

Wheat berries cooked in milk and flavored with butter and lemon zest, form the filling for pastiera napolitana, a pie served for Easter.

Tale of 2 ricotta pies — one sweet, one savory — for Italian Easter feast

May 31, 2019 at 9:04 p.m.

Pasqua — Easter — is considered the second most important religious event of the year in Italy. Bring this joyful celebration of the end of winter and nature’s rebirth to...

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