When it comes to food, I don’t know about you, but I’ve always said that my grandma knows best. Her dishes are the stuff of legends: the ingredients identifiable and unmeasured, hand-written on now-yellowed paper (if written down at all) and filled with little secrets I can’t seem to figure out. Yet, the thing that makes this food extra special is the images and memories that it invokes: the pie that makes Thanksgiving, the soup that heals me when I’m sick, the smell of the peach upside-down cake that still manages to transport me back to the long summer nights of my childhood. Everything was cooked with love, and when I eat the pie or the soup or the cake, it’s almost as if I’m five all over again, running into her flour-covered apron for a hug.
On the night of August 13th, we at Foodseum brought together four famous Chicago food experts to answer a seemingly straightforward question: Can we re-set the family table? Working in partnership with the SoFAB Institute, we set up the Chicago Culinaria Query discussion in order to foster a discussion in the local food community about our past and future, both as individuals and as a city. Not only did the event succeed in that regard, but it also proved incredibly entertaining for all present!
The best part about living in a city like Chicago is the opportunity to enjoy the foods of so many different cultures. This week, we get to dive into the Italian side of Chicago at the Taylor Street Festa Italiana.
Where: Little Italy, on Taylor St between Ashland and Racine
Hours: Thu & Fri 5 – 11pm, Sat 12 – 11pm, Sun 12 – 10pm
Why: There’s a band, there’s a wine garden, and most of all, there is delicious Italian food! Most of the restaurants on the street will have booths (and be open indoors), but for my money the following restaurants simply must not be skipped:
Can We Reset the Family Table?
In partnership with the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, Foodseum is excited to host a panel discussion on the modern family meal. Our founder, Kyle Joseph, will moderate a panel of famous Chicago food figures as they explore the issue of eating together as a family in modern times.
Alton Brown’s Good Eats was possibly one of the best running cooking shows on television, and an inspiration for many at Foodseum. Good Eats explored every element of food, from the science and history of different foods to cooking techniques and equipment. This eclectic mix of education and entertainment in the form of cooking lessons (and the occasional puppet show) has been sorely missed in the few years since the show’s conclusion. Luckily, Alton Brown’s new Youtube series, Cook Smart, has been born to entertain us once again, albeit in smaller doses than before.
