Quinoa. You might not know how to pronounce it, but you have probably seen it on a menu or two or in the health food section of your local grocery store. To the untrained eye, it looks like a grain . . . almost like rice. But cooks and healthy eating aficionados know that it is something more. Quinoa is an ancient and nearly perfect food, as good for you as it is good tasting. As the fight against obesity and unhealthy diets ratchets up, we think you are going to be seeing and eating a lot more of it in the days ahead. more ›

Only in Chicago can you chase down a truck to have tamales served by brawny luchadores. Sending cryptic messages from the tamalespaceship, Tamalli Space Charros is the only stridendist mobile tamaleria, focusing the entire menu around only tamales, with a theme encompassing both Mexican wrestling and sci-fi films. more ›

Due to its heavy reliance on lamb, beef, and chicken, some diners might think Middle Eastern cuisine isn't vegetarian-friendly. Sure, there are staples like hummus and baba ganoush that are popular and made without meat. But these alone are hardly enough to satisfy a hungry herbivore. A recent trip to Lincoln Park’s Fattoush, however, dispelled our misconceptions and reservations. Their Lebanese stylings opened up a whole new world of meat-free flavor for us. more ›

It's time our Gluten-Free readers got some love from the world of fine dining! Mity Nice, which has undergone a fairly massive renovation and no longer feels like a food court dining room, is hosting a wine dinner curated by Alpana Singh, master sommelier and Director of beverages and spirits for Lettuce Entertain You. On April 12, Mity Nice will serve a four course meal, with wine pairings, all of which will be gluten free. The cost is $55, and the menu is below. more ›

After the end of the Thanksgiving season, we often reflect on the little joys and sorrows of the season. Since we're usually the hosts and cooks, we think about what dishes went over well, which were bombs, and how we can manage to work more rum into the meal. Lately, we've also had to think about dietary accommodations, and our successes and failures. John's great post last week got us thinking. Attending Thanksgiving with vegetarians, vegans, gluten-free diners and people with nut allergies raises the question - how much should a host have to worry? more ›

Well, its definitely that time of year again where all the whiz-kid foodie-insight folks predict what will be the biggest restaurant food trends of 2010. The National Restaurant Association polled over 1,800 chefs nationwide to create their list, among them are important but also predictable ones (locally grown produce and meats, sustainability, farm-branded ingredients, etc). But, there are also a few quiet, slow growing trends that have not become as rampant as the 'bacon-in-everything' trend. Mini-desserts, nutritious kids' meals and gluten-free/food allergy meals seem like viable trends, but will they make it to your plate? more ›

The Thrive Allergy Expo for individuals with allergies and celiac disease took place this weekend, showcasing allergy-friendly literature and products, informative speakers and delicious free samples. I have been eating gluten-free for almost two years now, so I checked out the event on Saturday on behalf of my fellow Chicagoistas. more ›

The Thrive Allergy Expo will take place this weekend at McCormick Place, featuring speakers, events and activities geared toward individuals with allergies and celiac disease. more ›