Peggy Wolff

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

Lamb for Rosh Hashana continues family’s tradition

March 12, 2024 at 12:15 p.m.

A fresh approach to Rosh Hashana (the observance begins at sundown Sept. 20) brings lamb to the table, a Sephardic family custom from Shoshana (Shoshy) Mor and her older brother...

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

Gefilte fish divide: Line separates sweet, savory preferences

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

At sundown April 10, Jews will sit together at the Seder table for the most observed Jewish holiday of the year — Passover — which celebrates spring and the rebirth...

"Hoo" Haven Director Karen Herdklotz in the deer pen at the Durand, Ill., wildlife rehabilitation and education center.

On the prowl for owls in Illinois

August 23, 2019 at 7:42 p.m.

When dusk descended over the Long Grove forest, Steve Bailey, an ornithologist with the Illinois Natural History Survey, led us down a woodland trail in worn hiking boots as he...

19th-century Viennese chef Franz Sacher would be pleased, I think, by the version of his eponymous chocolate cake served at Café Selmarie in Lincoln Square. First, the top of each slice of Sacher torte is decorated with his name, elegantly written in chocolate script. Second, the cake is a real looker: Layers of chocolate cake are mortared with raspberry preserve and chocolate buttercream; the whole thing is then frosted with more buttercream and wrapped in a smooth sheet of bittersweet chocolate — firm enough to be eaten on its own, if you like, with a fork. Third, every bite is delicious. The devil's food cake is firm and pleasant, while the raspberry offers a deep berry counterpoint to all the chocolate. $4.20. 4729 N. Lincoln Ave., 773-989-5595, <a href="http://cafeselmarie.com/" target="_blank">www.cafeselmarie.com</a>. — Bill Daley

4 Hanukkah fritter recipes that range beyond the latke

June 8, 2018 at 8:44 p.m.

Right before the January flood of diets and exercise bracelets hits, those of us who celebrate Hanukkah get eight days to unabashedly indulge in platters of latkes — deliciously crispy,...

On the lunch menu at Red Pine Lodge, Thai chicken coconut soup complements sweet chili pork banh mi.

Park City finally has a food scene as lofty as its peaks

August 23, 2019 at 7:29 p.m.

This mountain town about 30 miles east of Salt Lake City lays claim to two prestigious winter playgrounds: Deer Valley and Park City. The latter recently became the country's largest...

Kitniyot foods include red lentils, clockwise from top, millet, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, cornmeal and brown rice. These foods, once forbidden for Passover to Ashkenazic Jews, are now OK to eat.

Change in Passover restriction has some Jews happy, others resistant

December 18, 2018 at 9:10 a.m.

This Friday night, Jews will gather at the Seder table and read from the Haggadah, a book full of questions, biblical passages, rabbinic tales and songs woven together around the...

Bohemian Christmas twist makes a large, dense loaf, studded with raisins and almonds.

Christmas bread recipes like grandma made are back

April 7, 2019 at 2:19 p.m.

Every Christmas, golden-crusted loaves sprinkled with sesame seeds came out of Petrina Graziano's oven for her large Sicilian family in Milwaukee. Graziano baked the bread by memory, by feel, by...

The brisket can take seven hours or more to smoke.

How to smoke brisket, the Texas crutch way

June 30, 2019 at 3:34 p.m.

Outside of competition barbecue circles, try telling people that you're going to crutch brisket, and then look at their faces. Blank stares. Even folks at the near-frantic heights of food...

Chicken liver mousse gets its velvety texture from forcing the mixture through a strainer and from folding in plenty of whipped cream.

Picnic-perfect pate is easier than you may think

May 31, 2019 at 6:41 p.m.

"Get close up to the pig head," said Corey Nead, head of butchery for the pate and terrine-making class at The Local Butcher Shop in Berkeley, Calif. Seven of us...

Pullman bread is known for its perfectly straight lines and precise corners, which made for convenient stacking in dining car kitchens. (Lisa Schumacher/food styling)

Pullman bread loaves, a culinary legacy of the new national monument

June 16, 2018 at 4:59 a.m.

If you traveled by rail at the end of the 19th century or the beginning of the 20th, you may have been part of the glittering clientele from business, arts,...

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