Retired Chicago firefighter Bernie Volk makes his Firehouse jerky and beef sticks with a controlled smoking process. They make a great snack.
Thick and Chunky Tomato Soup, Made from Leftovers
Thick and Chunky Tomato Soup stems from an improvisation that used leftover ingredients such as bacon, red wine, and Newman’s Own Sockarooni pasta sauce. It’s an easy, flexible recipe.
Trifle Improv 2
Angel food, brownies, pound cake, cheesecake: any of these can make a good foundation for a trifle. This is especially true for dry, over-baked, cakes. This post chronicles an improvisation that turned a Red Velvet Cheesecake into a rich, delicious trifle.
Swap It Chicago & a SpritzBurger Review
miLam plans to attend a “Swap It Chicago” food exchange at Orangetherapy in Evanston, at which Gale Gand (founder of Tru, Top Chef, James Beard recipient, Hearty Boys SpritzBurger partner) will be guest of honor.
Banana Holder, Pt. 1
Looking for a cozy holder to give your banana the protection it needs? miLam presents a review of state-of-the-art banana saver technology, including the Bananabunker and the Biken bicycle banana holder. We invite you to enjoy our humorous look at how this phallic product affects you, your love life, your sexual prowess, and Rick Perry.
Improv Soup
Improvise a thick, chunky tomato soup, starting with a store-bought pasta sauce. This method will help you sauté, simmer, and garnish your way to a soup that relies on the leftover ingredients you already have in your fridge or cupboard: pasta, kielbasa or sausage, spices, and vegetables.
Cheese Strata from Leftover Bread
Cheese Strata with Asparagus is an easy-cheesy breakfast or dinner recipe that’s great for using up extra bread, milk, and/or eggs you might have on-hand. It keeps, freezes, and reheats well.
Trifle Improv 1
Take a little bit of leftover cake, add whipped cream and a custard, lemon curd, or pudding, you whip up from scratch, and you can do a to-die-for trifle improv.