Rustic Apple Tart at Bittersweet
I’ve been a fan of Bittersweet in Lake View since they opened, in 1992. For years, I’ve had them make the birthday cakes for my kids, because I knew there was no one else who could bake like Judy...
View ArticleHawaiian Shave Ice from Ululani’s
I fully realize that it’s getting much colder outside, so why the tease for Hawaii? Because honestly, couldn’t we all use a little dose of extreme sunshine every now and then? This was from a trip I...
View ArticleHow To Make A Meringue
If there’s one skill you need to have up your sleeve (if you ever want to be a pastry chef), it’s knowing how to make a proper meringue. At least that’s the gospel according to Keegan Gerhard. The...
View ArticleHow To Make A Ganache
Any pastry chef worth their Plugra will tell you how crucial it is to learn to make a proper ganache. Essentially chocolate and heavy cream, this versatile and rich, dark topping can be used as a...
View ArticleBasque Cake at The Bristol
While Chicago’s Italian community slowly recovers from a zeppole-laced St. Joseph’s Day yesterday, there could be cause for lament, now that the window for pastry cream-filled fried dough stuffed...
View ArticleHow To Make A Crème Anglaise
If you have any interest in pastry, then in addition to knowing how to make a ganache and perhaps choux pastry, you’ll also need to master a crème anglaise. This versatile component stars in ice creams...
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HotChocolate 2.0 Showing Promise
No more lounge area at HotChocolate What a week for Mindy Segal. After a half-dozen nominations, she picked up a James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef in the U.S., no small feat, considering...
View ArticlePineapple Custard Pie at Telegraph
After yesterday’s post regarding Mindy Segal’s re-booted HotChocolate, I didn’t really think about running another sweet feature, but I’ve had this one in the works for about two weeks. After a...
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New Bongo Room Offers Same Dessert Pancakes Without The Wait
The Bongo Room’s raspberry Oreo flapjacks are a satisfying sweet and tangy finish to any brunch. By Ivan Yeh Hapless Intern While strolling through the quiet neighborhood of Andersonville on a lazy...
View ArticleStrawberry Sundae at Lockwood
It’s one of my favorite times of the year, ingredient-wise, but strawberry season is, sadly, also too brief. I try to pack them into everything I can: shortcake, ice creams, jams, you name it. But...
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A Summer Pie To Die For
Apricot and cherry pie from Delicious Orchards HOTCHKISS, CO – Winding along Highway 133, on the way to Paonia, a giant road sign beckons with “apricots, cherries and peaches.” It is Delicious...
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Yule Logs Rule…Come To A Sweet Party
Buche de Noel will be the star of a party Monday night (photo: Hotel Sofitel) I never really grew up with Buche de Noel, but I do remember the Kemp’s ice cream logs as a kid, does that count? I’m...
View ArticleJ.P. Graziano’s Gelato
There are only a handful of gelato producers in Chicago, and most of the time, they have brick-and-mortar stores set up from which they can sell their product. Sometimes, they start out just doing...
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Chocolate & Dessert Show Coming To Town, Dentists On High Alert
Time for pastry chefs to show their stuff Chicago has always been the Candy Capital of the U.S., touting its Mars, Jelly Belly and Tootsie Roll roots, but the sweets industry – including some top...
View ArticleThe Sugar Cube
Accomplished pastry chef Kir Jensen, who trained in Chicago and worked at Trio, crafts a stunning variety of sweet treats along with breakfast offerings in a bright, airy cafe. I first had her desserts...
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Best Things I Ate in Vegas This Weekend
Kinmedai at Mizumi (at The Wynn Las Vegas) If you’ve followed any of my posts from Japan – or frankly, anything I’ve written about Japanese food over the past year – you’ll notice I have a few soft...
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Doubles from Trinidad and Summer Desserts
I thought I’d seen (and tasted) most of the key dishes from the Caribbean over the years. In Jamaica, I’ve devoured jerk chicken, festival and breadfruit, not to mention plantains and beef patties. But...
View ArticleBuddy Bar at Dairy Star
When I first stumbled upon The Dairy Star, after a long jag down Devon Avenue, gobbling up boti kebabs and tearing into a round of crispy dosas, it looked like just another little ice cream stand. What...
View ArticleChillSpot
This hidden gem, inside the Container Park downtown, is unlike any other dessert shop I’ve seen out West. Guava popsicles, ice creams, sorbettos and Italian ice are just the beginning. There’s also...
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Buttermilk Old Fashioned at The Doughnut Vault
So many doughnuts in Chicago, so little time (and calorie allotment) to eat them all. On the South Side, there’s no questioning the supremacy of Dat Donut or Old Fashioned Donuts, but on the North...
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