A closer look at our 2007 Cooks of the Year

Comfort food is in such demand today that it graces menus in many of the newest, and sometimes priciest, restaurants in the Chicago area.

Meatloaf and pot roast nachos at Mike Ditka's in Oak Brook. Southern-style buttermilk fried chicken and braised lamb shank at Art Smith's chic Table 52 on the Gold Coast. Chicken pot pie and braised beef short ribs at the polished Tavern at the Park across from Millennium Park.

We all seem to long for the slow-cooked simplicity of our childhood dinner tables, and some of us are willing to pay big for it.

Others prefer to serve up comfort at home, like the Cooks of the Week you read about each week in this section. They are women, men and young people who find joy in creating wonderful memories in their own kitchens.

They include 15-year-old Ryan Riefenberg of Barrington, who enjoys cooking as much as hockey and baseball, and 81-year-old Joan Kuhn of Naperville, who still cooks for a clan that includes her five children, their spouses, eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Today I honor my top five Cooks of the Year for 2007, an exceptional group chosen from a field of more than 50 worthy contenders.

You can call them crazy for all the time and effort they put into meals, but call them at home.

They're making dinner.

Donna Smith

Why am I not surprised?

When I contacted Donna Smith recently she told me she and her husband are expanding their garden yet again.

Organic, fresh produce and from-scratch cooking have always been high on their priority list, but apparently there's always room for improvement. Among her goals for 2008 Donna wants to explore raw food preparation and learn even more about organic farming.

In April she plans to take classes at Rancho La Puerta, a Mexican spa and organic farm that recently opened a cooking school.

Donna and her husband, Craig, raise organic fruits and vegetables and tend bees on a 6-acre property in Long Grove. Family health problems inspired Donna as a youngster to pursue a better lifestyle. It must be working.

"Knock on wood, my family and I have been cold free for years and years," she says.

Power up your own breakfasts this year with Donna's from-scratch granola and a mango smoothie.

"They are a perfect example of how you can enjoy delicious foods which are not overly processed and stripped of nutrition," she says.

Yes, Donna uses honey harvested from her own hives. But as far as I know, she isn't growing the oats or the mangoes. Yet.

Honey and Oats Granola (Donna Smith)

5 cups thick cut organic oatmeal

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup honey

¼ cup orange juice

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 cup raw almonds

1 cup raw walnuts, coarsely chopped

1 cup raisins

Heat oven to 275 degrees.

Place oatmeal and cinnamon in large bowl.

In a microwave-safe bowl or in a small sauce pan, melt butter with honey, juice, brown sugar. Pour over oatmeal and mix. Spread evenly on large greased baking sheet. Bake 50-60 minutes, stirring several times, until lightly golden brown.

Add nuts and raisins and stir to combine. Let cool. Transfer to a bowl and cover tightly. Enjoy with milk, mixed with yogurt, over ice cream or by the handful. Top with fresh fruit and yogurt for a parfait.

Serves 16.

Nutrition values per serving: 340 calories, 12 g fat (2.5 g saturated), 54 g carbohydrates, 7 g fiber, 10 g protein, 5 mg cholesterol, 0 sodium.

Honey Mango Smoothie (Donna Smith)

2 cups frozen chopped mango

1 banana

2 tablespoons plain yogurt

1 tablespoon honey

1 cup skim milk

1 scoop powdered protein (optional)

Place all ingredients into blender. Pulse to chop frozen fruit, then process until soft and smooth.

Serves two.

Nutrition values per serving: 240 calories, 1 g fat (0 saturated), 58 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 7 g protein, 0 cholesterol, 75 mg sodium.

Jim Krupka

The eternal student, Jim Krupka isn't ready to graduate yet.

He plans to continue his culinary education in 2008 with more classes at Le Titi de Paris in Arlington Heights.

He must know that kitchen as well as his own by now.

The Lombard resident has taken dozens of cooking classes from a variety of places during the past 15 years, including that venerable bulwark of French cuisine. He just can't get enough.

Next up on the curriculum: soups and stocks, a gap he's identified in his pool of knowledge.

Jim puts all that training to good use at home, at Christ the King Church in Lombard where he heads up pancake breakfasts and spaghetti dinners, and for special occasions for family and friends.

For the new year, he is putting healthy eating on the agenda, too. A diabetic with some past heart issues Jim is going to pursue more low-fat, low-salt recipes.

"The French cooking lessons call for lots of butter and cream; I'll be looking for substitutes for flavor, like lemon for salt and herbs," he says.

Today's recipe for barbecue ribs won't qualify. This one is based on his mother's version, par-boiled in water and onions, then covered in homemade sauce and roasted.

Just eat in moderation, and add a fresh salad and some fruit.

Braised BBQ Ribs (Jim Krupka)

2 full slabs of baby back pork ribs (about 2-2½ pounds each)

2 medium onions, roughly chopped

Sauce

1 bottle (about 46 ounces) ketchup

¾ cup Worcestershire sauce

4 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Dash of paprika

2 cups reserved broth (from par-boiling ribs)

Cut ribs into sections of three to four ribs each. Place in a store-top safe roasting pan or baking dish just large enough to hold ribs. Sprinkle in onion. Cover ribs with water, place on stove top burners and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer ribs for 20 minutes, until just cooked through.

In the meantime prepare sauce. Combine ketchup, Worcestershire, sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper and paprika.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

When ribs are done simmering remove from roasting pan; reserve onions and 2 cups liquid; discard remaining liquid.

Return onions and broth to roasting pan. Add ribs and pour sauce over all (ribs should be covered with sauce). Cover pan roast for 1 to 1½ hours or until ribs are cooked through and very tender.

Can be served immediately, but ribs are better if cooked one day before serving. Keep ribs in sauce and reheat in a 350-degree oven 40-50 minutes.

Serves four.

Nutrition values per serving: 870 calories, 62 g fat (23 g saturated), 26 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 52 g protein, 245 mg cholesterol, 550 mg sodium.

Ellen Weiss

Ellen Weiss discovered the harsh light of celebrity after her story appeared in the Daily Herald last September.

"I was doing a cross-country dinner for 54 girls on my daughter's team," says the Lake Zurich woman.

Faced with a crowd like that, Ellen did what most sane, working mothers would do -- she ordered out.

"When I went to pick it up the girl recognized me," says Ellen. "She said, 'It's you, and you're cheating!' The look on her face was so cute. God help me if I pick up a deli chicken."

Ellen makes my "fave five" this year for her unusual dedication to serving hot dinners to her husband, Eric, and two children even though she works full time.

She is a credit to time management skills.

Up at 4:45 a.m., she cooks, runs on the treadmill, washes a load of laundry and catches the news on CNN all at once. She even sets the table before stepping out the door.

When she returns home she heats up the food, sets out her pre-made salad and grabs a fork.

Morning treats are in her repertoire, too. When she's rushed, Ellen likes these Breakfast Muffins, enriched by oats, dried or fresh fruits and nuts.

"I serve half to my small family one morning, and try to freeze the remainder for later," she says. "They can be thawed and heated in the microwave without losing much flavor."

One-Bowl Breakfast Muffins (Ellen Weiss)

1 cup old-fashioned oats, uncooked (not instant)

1½ cups flour

¾ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup applesauce (unsweetened preferred)

1 egg

½ cup 1- or 2-percent milk

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup sunflower oil

1 small apple, cored and diced

½ cup fresh raspberries

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Set 12 paper liners in muffin tins.

In one bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, applesauce, egg, milk, brown sugar, oil and apple and raspberries. Mix just until all ingredients are blended. The batter will be lumpy and thick.

Divide the batter among the 12 muffin cups and bake for 18-20 minutes. Serve warm or cooled.

Serves 12.

Cook's note: Instead of dried cranberries or seeds, you could add ¼-½ cup sunflower seeds or dried cranberries. For Pumpkin Chip Muffins, substitute canned pumpkin for the applesauce and stir in ¼ cup mini chocolate chips.

Nutrition values per serving (with cranberries): 190 calories, 6 g fat (0.5 g saturated), 30 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein, 15 mg cholesterol, 100 mg sodium.

Denise White

Going full-out for breakfast during the week is pretty rare, even for people who love to cook.

So Denise White of Cary earned a special place among this year's Cooks of the Week.

Not only does she prepare baked French toast and sausage strata for her clan but she sometimes sets the table with china, crystal and silver. Place mats or a tablecloth are standard, and so are fresh flowers.

That's enough to launch anyone out from under the covers, even on a cold January morning.

This year Denise says she may "go professional," at least part time, with a little catering work.

"People keep asking me to do it," she says. "I don't know if I want to do that on my own or hook up with someone else."

When her children were participating in figure skating competitions she offered to help feed the panel of judges, and still does, though her children aren't involved anymore.

Denise's Pizza Soup earned straight 10s from judges and officials all over the United States.

It doesn't show up on her breakfast table, but that doesn't mean it can't be on yours. Who hasn't indulged in a little cold, leftover pizza?

Pizza Soup (Denise White)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup white onion, finely diced

7 cups fresh plum tomatoes, peeled, or 2 cans (28 ounces each) plum tomatoes

1 tablespoon salt

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

3 cloves crushed garlic

¼ cup dried parsley or ¾ cup fresh chopped

¼ cup dried oregano or ¾ cup if fresh chopped

3 tablespoons white sugar

2 cans (10¾ ounces each) condensed tomato soup

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

2 cups cooked and crumbled Italian sausage

2 cups sliced fresh mushroom

4 cups shredded mozzarella

Fresh basil chiffonade

16-18 slices of crusty Italian bread, toasted, optional

Heat olive oil in soup pot and sauté the onion until translucent. Add tomatoes, salt, red pepper, garlic, parsley, oregano and white sugar. Simmer 30 minutes, breaking up tomatoes with spoon until soup is semi-chunky. Add tomato soup, stock and parmesan; simmer 30 minutes. Add sausage and mushroom "pizza toppings" and heat through.

To serve: Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle on some basil and ¼ cup shredded mozzarella. Place bowls on cookie sheet and broil until cheese is bubbly and slightly browned, about 5-7 minutes.

Or, ladle soup into bowls, top with basil and a slice of bread. Sprinkle with mozzarella, then broil until bubbly and light brown.

Serves 16 to 18.

Cook's note: You'll want 4 cups of toppings, but than can vary. Instead of sausage and mushrooms, try 2 cups baby spinach, 1 cup onion slices and 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes or 2 cups pepperoni slices and 1 cup sliced black olives, ¾ cup onion and ¼ cup roasted garlic.

Nutrition values per serving: 260 calories, 17 g fat (7 g saturated), 14 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 16 g protein, 35 mg cholesterol, 1,060 mg sodium.

Maureen Stoskopf

Maureen Stoskopf will have no trouble keeping her New Year's resolution for 2008.

"I intend to continue doing all the bad things I'm currently doing," she says.

I like her honesty.

Maureen never apologizes for her rich recipes and never invites a cardiologist to her dinner parties.

She is probably making up for lost time. As a child she was a picky eater who lived on peanut butter, American cheese and a selection of baby food. She preferred her meat well-charred and never knowingly consumed fresh fruit or vegetables.

All that changed in her 20s, and since then Maureen has learned to eat and cook just about everything. She has taken dozens of cooking classes and intends to take another culinary adventure abroad this year.

"I've got the bug now," says Maureen, who vacationed at Academia Barilla in Italy late last year.

Not only did she learn a lot, she conquered one of her greatest fears -- flying.

"To sit on a plane for 8½ hours I had to deal with some terrors, and I'm ready to do it again," she says.

Bon voyage, Maureen.

Mushroom Herb Bisque Soup (Maureen Stoskopf)

4 cups favorite mushrooms blend

1 cup butter

¼ cup shallots, minced

½ cup yellow onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons fresh sage, minced (optional)

1 tablespoon duxelles powder (dried mushroom seasoning), optional (see note)

8 tablespoons flour

1½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon dry mustard

4 cups (about) reduced sodium chicken stock

1½ cups half and half

½ cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped

Cracked black pepper to taste

Thinly sliced mushrooms, optional garnish

Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Discard any tough stems or save for making stock later. Roughly chop mushrooms.

Melt butter in heavy stock pot; saute shallots and onions until soft. Add mushrooms to onions and continue to sauté until mushrooms are tender and release their liquid. Add sage and duxelles powder, if using.

Add flour, salt and dry mustard to mushroom mixture and stir continuously to make a roux. When blended, cook roux for 1½ to 2 minutes over medium heat. Add chicken stock gradually, stirring mixture to blend. Add half and half and cream, then blend. Continue cooking until heated through. Add chives and pepper. Garnish with sliced mushrooms if desired.

Serves eight to 10.

Cook's notes: Stock and cream measurements are approximate. Adjust to taste. A splash of sherry may be added, if desired, at the end of cooking, or allow guests to add their own. To keep soup warm set pot over hot water. Look for duxelles powder at spice stores.

Nutrition values per serving: 327 calories, 29 g fat (20 g saturated), 10 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein, 85 mg cholesterol, 441 mg sodium.