Barely making it through the 10th grade, my father was not an educated man. Books and classes neither suited nor served him. His degree came by way of the school of hard knocks. He was a laborer, a family man, and a stern disciplinarian. Yet, at least once a year, my sisters and I would see that gruff exterior melt and his inner child shine through. My dad loved music and he loved Christmas. Though he has been gone for many years now, I can still see him standing in our living room, wearing his winter cap, singing along to his favorites. more ›

It will hardly shock you that my holiday traditions to share with the readers of Chicagoist are about… you guessed it… food. And alcohol. Lord, the alcohol. But to me, and many of you out there, the holidays are just that: people you simultaneously love and can’t stand, in one room, eating and drinking until someone can’t take it anymore and bursts into flames. Or until the wine is gone. Same difference. more ›

On Mondays, we invite our readers to gather around our table and discuss a culinary issue of the day. If you have anything you'd like to talk about, send it to anthony@chicagoist.com more ›

One of the fascinating aspects of writing about food is the common ground we often discover between seemingly disparate cultures. It can sometimes be the use of an ingredient, similar table settings, or preparations of dishes that triggers a sense of familiarity that we aren't as different as we appear. Long before technology closed the distance between nations and made communication almost immediate, we became a global village by breaking bread. more ›

Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh, best known as local culinary mavens the Hearty Boys, have done it again. Not content with everything else they have going on (the catering and restaurant business and the burgeoning media career, for instance), McDonagh and Smith have created a fruitcake recipe that they say will change our perception on how we view this holiday monstrosity. Additionally, McDonagh reveals some of his family's fruitcake traditions in an accompanying article in... more ›