Proceeds from the Jan. 4 kickoff event go to the Casa Catalina Basic Human Needs Center in Back of the Yards. more ›

I spoke with Soup and Bread's Martha Bayne just before she set out on a tour last month promoting the new book, that ends in Detroit Wednesday. Tomorrow night Bayne will be selling copies of the new Soup and Bread cookbook from 6-9 p.m. at Hideout's annual Holiday sale. more ›

For their second cookbook, Soup and Bread is throwing a balls-out party. With soup and bread. more ›

Soup and Bread mastermind Martha Bayne sent out an e-mail blast today announcing the completion of the Soup and Bread Cookbook in time for the holidays. Bayne and book designer Sheila Sachs will be throwing a book release party next Wednesday at the Hideout from 5-8 p.m. more ›

Martha Bayne is at it again. The "Soup and Bread" mastermind is now holding Bingo nights at Hideout. Starting this Wednesday and running through September 9 Bayne and the fine folks at Hideout will be calling out Bingo numbers from 6-8 p.m., giving players a chance at free produce, sauces and other goodies from Irv & Shelly's Fresh Picks. more ›

Starting this Wednesday and running through April Fool's Day, Hideout will be transformed into a soup line with a weekly dinner featuring three soups fashioned by Hideout staff, regulars, local chefs and maybe even a food writer/blogger or three. more ›

• Martha Bayne reports that the Publican has reduced the prices of their beer menu (somewhat). Too bad those prices didn't go into effect when she was visiting the place for her review. [Food Chain, Marthabayne.com]
• Should we eat our little urban critters? I'm certainly down for squirrel, rabbit, and the occasional raccoon rummaging through garbage cans. [Little Green People blog, via]
• Sun-Times staffers look back at their favorite cookbooks, in time for the holidays. [Sun-Times]
• Bill Daley reports on a Manhattan bar serving wine in baby bottles (you'd expect Dion Antic to be jumping all over this) and spent coffee grounds as a source of biodiesel, while Phil Vettel laments about Copperblue, which is serving its final dinner service Saturday. [The Stew 1, 2, 3]
• Matt Kirouac had to sit through some pretty bad service at Andersonville's Antica Pizzeria in order to get to some pretty good pizza. [Hungry Mag]
• Gemma Petrie shares a recipe for Wild Rice and Mushroom Pie. [Pro Bono Baker]
• Josh at Chicago Foodies confuses Lao Shanghai for Lao Sze Chuan, regrets his error. [Chicago Foodies]
• Give thanks to the Lord of Fat Fuckery for, then "akido the shit out of" some crab legs at Glenn's Diner. that's how Steven Seagal would do it. [Chicago Gluttons]
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This week's theme: Cinco de Mayo. More specifically, the Anglicized version of Cinco de Mayo. Let's get on with it. Everyone Has An Opinion: In conjunction with National Hamburger Month, the folks at Yelp! have released a thoroughly underwhelming list of their top five places to get a burger in town. The site that brings together user reviews of all the "hidden gems, hot spots, and amazing small businesses you've never heard of or fanatically... more ›

It looks like the Tribune has more than just money and stockholder problems these days. Glommed from the Reader's Food Chain blog yesterday is this article about the politics of modern eating. In her attempt at writing a humorous piece (vegetarians are acid casualties with their own bad eating habits, haven't heard that before), Emily Nunn comes across instead as obstinate toward and proudly ignorant of what we would know about where our food comes... more ›

We don't know anyone who watches "Today" at 9:45 a.m., so we missed Graham Elliot Bowles' Valentine's Floral Menu segment. However, the robust chef de cuisine of Avenues will be a very visible man this week. First, there's his showdown on "Iron Chef America" with Bobby Flay this Sunday; in a perfect world the secret ingredient would be Flay, served with some fava beans and a nice chianti. Foodie groupies will can watch the episode... more ›