Make Mother's Day memorable with food, glorious food
This has been updated to correct the day for Entree Kitchen's Cook with Kids session. The correct day is Saturday, May 7, not Sunday.
Sunday is Mother's Day. I hope this doesn't come as a surprise to anyone, but, if it does, you've still got time to plan.
Making breakfast for your mom, in bed or otherwise, is a tradition. If you are cooking, why not knock mom's slippers off with this recipe for Raspberry Rye Pancakes with Chocolate Maple Syrup from Alison Ladman of The Associated Press. Note: This recipe does require parental supervision if young children are involved.
If you're looking for a Mother's Day gift that includes the kids, food and a way to do something special, why not prepare all the meals? Well, for a few weeks at least. Employees at Entree Kitchen, 26W276 Geneva Road, Carol Stream, do all the shopping, slicing and other prep work. You select from 14 monthly healthy meals and package them up to take with you. People can come to the custom kitchen to cook their own or pick up already cooked and frozen meals or have them delivered. In a couple of hours, you'll have meals for a month.
On Saturday, May 7, Entree Kitchen will host its monthly Cook with the Kids session. The kids get chef hats and aprons, some treats and a chance to cook with their moms or dads.
The Cooking with Kids sessions last anywhere from 60-90 minutes. Advance registration is required, and participants can buy meal packages of 6 or more entrees online, or just call to place a small trial order.
For more information, events and menu options, visit entreekitchen.com or call (630) 668-4450.
Chef shares heritage: This month, Macy's celebrates Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month with renowned chef, Katie Chin. Chin will host in-store culinary events at six Macy's stores across the country, including the 111 N. State St. store. She will highlight the Asian food experience through cooking demos, tips for setting your table and more at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 11. Chin will also discuss the importance of her Chinese heritage and its influence on her culinary style. Chin recently released her fourth book, “Katie Chin's Everyday Chinese Cookbook: 101 Delicious Recipes from My Mother's Kitchen.”
Think of it as online GPS for craft beer: Keeping abreast of new craft beers and breweries nearby has never been easier with the launch of the interactive Illinois brewery directory Chicagos.Beer. Now in a public beta test, the website aims to solve the questions, “I wonder if there is a brewery near here? Do they serve food? Give tours? etc.” The craft beer industry is exploding in Illinois and now includes nearly 200 distinct breweries. You'll find a search engine for types of beers, bottles vs. cans, taprooms, location, hours and more. Chicagos.Beer is the brainchild of friends and co-workers Joel Gratcyk and Jeremy Hylen.
Three cheers for volunteers: Northern Illinois Food Bank volunteers provided more than 134,000 hours of service last year and, during April's Volunteer Appreciation Month, the food bank celebrated all the people who dedicate their time and give back to the communities they live in.
Last year, 23,000 Northern Illinois Food Bank volunteers helped distribute more than 57 million pounds of food to more than 71,000 people each week.
“Volunteers are a vital element of the Food Bank distribution process,” said Julie Yurko, president and CEO of Northern Illinois Food Bank, in a news release. “We would not be able to distribute millions of meals to neighbors in need without the thousands who generously donate their time to support our mission of solving hunger.”
For more information or to register to volunteer, visit www.SolveHungerToday.org/volunteer.
• Contact Food Editor Susan Stark at sstark@dailyherald.com or (847) 427-4586. Be her friend on Facebook.com/Susan Stark DailyHerald or follow her on Twitter.