Amy Bizzarri

Karen Lee uses her fingers to create the traditional indent in the Chicago Public Schools-style butter cookies at Lady Di's Bakery.

CPS butter cookies: You can still find the classics years after they disappeared

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

Rich, buttery and just 5 cents each, Chicago Public Schools' iconic butter cookies made lunchtime all the merrier from the 1960s and through the ’80s. These classic shortbread cookies, pressed...

10 lesser-known Italian cheeses you’ll want to try

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

When you’re cooking Italian, you round up the usual suspects: Parmesan, mozzarella, provolone — the country’s cheeses we have come to know and adore. Yet there are dozens of other...

Ramen Takeya devotes an entire section of its menu to "otsumami" or drinking foods — nestled among them the Japanese street snack takoyaki. The ball-shaped snacks are made with a batter that crisps up into a golden shell while remaining creamy and soft inside. Hidden away are Chiclet-size pieces of octopus, tiny surprises in the center of each ball. Six balls are served in a red and white paper boats and drizzled with sweet and salty Japanese barbecue sauce, creamy mayo, aonori (dried seaweed) and fishy-but-in-a-good-way bonito flakes (cured fish shavings). Between the crispy-meets-creamy texture and the sweet-meets-salty flavors, it's easy to see how a refreshing beer (or soda, for non-drinkers) would pair nicely. $6. 819 W. Fulton Market, 312-666-7710, <a href="http://www.ramentakeya.com/">ramentakeya.com</a> — Grace Wong

Singing praises of hazelnut flour in Italian cooking

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

In autumn, hazel trees dress up in their best fall colors, then begin to drop their precious nuts, one by one, onto the orchard ground below. That makes hazelnuts one...

Kusanya Cafe is the kind of place where you can get a cup of coffee, check out the community board, print a school paper or simply jump on the internet. You'll see people huddled together over papers strewn across the wood tables or someone walking in simply to say hello to the small staff. Because the nonprofit cafe roasts its own coffee on-site in small batches, don't hesitate to order that lavender iced latte ($3.49) or a plain cup of coffee. The breakfast and lunch menu is lush with references to famous musicians, like the Lupe Tabasco breakfast sandwich ($2.29). It features a thin egg patty, with melted cheese and Sriracha on ciabatta, and you can add sausage, spinach and tomato for an extra charge. The cozy and brightly lit environment is exactly where you want to catch up on some work or meet up with friends. 825 W. 69th St., 773-675-4758, <a href="http://www.kusanyacafe.org/">kusanyacafe.org</a> — Grace Wong

The story of the Melrose pepper, a sweet vegetable with deep Chicago roots

July 2, 2019 at 8:59 p.m.

When Joseph and Lucia Napolitano emigrated from southern Italy to America in 1903, they packed their Ellis Island-bound, wooden trunk with their cherished belongings, including their most prized possession of...

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