Judy Hevrdejs

The best advice when learning how to cook? Practice.

9 cardinal rules for someone learning to cook

June 16, 2018 at 12:44 p.m.

No one is really "born" a cook or a baker or a candymaker. Not even the world's culinary stars. The road to becoming comfortable in the kitchen, a cook will...

James Barry Lemons was owner/operator of Lem's Bar-B-Q House at 311 East 75th St. He is pictured here in the restaurant in 2007.

James Lemons, legendary Chicago pitmaster of Lem’s Bar-B-Q House, dies at 87

June 16, 2018 at 2:26 p.m.

Legendary Chicago pitmaster James Barry Lemons, the owner/operator of the hickory-smoked rib tip and hot links institution Lem's Bar-B-Q House at 311 E. 75th St., has died at 87. Lemons...

Karyn Calabrese, shown in her restaurant in 2006, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the business.

Karyn’s Raw financial issues spark GoFundMe campaign

June 16, 2018 at 2:50 p.m.

Some 20-plus years ago, Karyn Calabrese opened her first restaurant on Lincoln Avenue and, up until three years ago, had a trio of restaurants — Karyn's Raw Bistro, Karyn's Cooked...

The coal-roasted seafood tower at Maple & Ash comes in two sizes, Semi-Pro and Baller.

Restaurant speed-dating: Quick looks at places we couldn’t get to

May 2, 2019 at 5:32 p.m.

So many restaurants, so little time. The end of the year approaches, and we find ourselves with a folder full of places that we intended to evaluate (and we may...

Nuevo Leon restaurant was a colorful fixture in Pilsen for decades. A fire destroyed the restaurant early Wednesday morning.

Nuevo Leon served many Chicagoans a first taste of Mexico’s cooking

June 16, 2018 at 3:23 p.m.

The fire that consumed Daniel and Maria Gutierrez's Pilsen restaurant Nuevo Leon on Wednesday morning did more than burn a building. It destroyed a restaurant that was, for many Chicagoans,...

Pistachio thumbprints by Erin Huk of Des Plaines took third place. The cookies are topped with a vanilla-scented icing, then a generous drizzle of chocolate.

Holiday Cookie Contest winners full of spice, candy and love

June 30, 2019 at 2:40 p.m.

One word that shows up often among the 75 entries in the Tribune's Holiday Cookie Contest this year is love. It's the reason so many gave for baking holiday cookies:...

The key to avoiding stress as you cook for Thanksgiving is to plan every step and to make what you can ahead, like this roasted grape and cranberry relish. Get the recipe <a href="http://bancodeprofissionais.com/dining/recipes/sc-food-1121-thanksgiving-cranberries-20141119-story.html">here</a>.

Holiday survival tips: What to do when you’re on the verge of freaking out

April 24, 2019 at 6:10 a.m.

Do not scream. Just relax. That's right. Breathe deeply. Brace yourself against the refrigerator: They're coming. Family, neighbors, buds from college and your second cousin from Cleveland who hates crowds...

High-heat roasting, this version from Ruth Reichl's new book "My Kitchen Year" is about the simplest method you can ask for.

What’s the best way to roast a Thanksgiving turkey? Your way

November 20, 2020 at 3:43 p.m.

Your dad does the best grilled turkey. Only way to do it, you swear. Wait, what about granny's cornbread-stuffed bird, roasted bronze and filling the entire house with a delicious...

5 legendary sandwich scenes from ‘Friends,’ ‘The Breakfast Club’ and more

June 16, 2018 at 5:07 p.m.

A sandwich is so much more than bread slapped together with some filling. It's history! (Credit John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, from Sandwich, England, for creating it). It's...

Different varieties of onions give cooks different flavors, textures and heat levels, depending on how they're used. Yellow onions are the best for caramelizing.

Farmers markets report: Onions in every variety

June 16, 2018 at 5:20 p.m.

This weekend marks the last of the outdoor farmers markets. But that doesn't mean Chicago-area cooks won't be able to find fresh, locally grown produce. Thanks to hoop houses and...

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