If a genie was to come out of a magic lamp and grant a Chicago locavore 3 wishes, what would they ask for? "I'll take a more sustainable food network and a ban on GMO alfalfa, please. Oh, and put a place like City Provisions in my neighborhood!" City Provisions is a paradise for local eaters. Every local product you can think of (including many we've profiled on this site) is stocked, and the number grows every week. Anything they can't buy, they make in-house. The owner and founder, Cleetus Friedman, opened a retail location for his catering business in September of 2010, and he agreed to teach us a few things about making charcuterie. In fact, the headline really should read "Making Sausages, Chopped Liver and Headcheese at City Provisions, all while having a darn good time," but the box is just too small. Fair Warning: The pictures are meaty, and involve a skull. more ›

This has been making the rounds at other blogs, but we still wanted to share it with you. Mike Gebert at Sky Full of Bacon followed around localvore hero Rob Gardner as Gardner acquired a pig's head from the Oak Park Farmer's Market, then took it to Mado, where chef/co-owner Rob Levitt promptly made testa (aka "head cheese") out of it. This video is not for vegans or the queasy, nor should it be. more ›