Beijing Duck and the Pandemic: The story of Chicago’s iconic Sun Wah BBQ

Presented by Kelly Cheng, co-owner and general manager

Podcast


Times certainly have been challenging for our nation’s restaurants during these pandemic times. Come join us as Kelly Cheng tells her savory story of her family’s iconic restaurant and its place in Chicago’s culinary history. Kelly will also regale us with the story of Chinese barbecue and the secret of preparing Beijing duck. And she will share how she and her family and their business have struggled through and survived the pandemic. Continue reading

How Ingredients Shaped a Chef

Chef Peter Hoffman

Podcast

Come join us as acclaimed New York chef Peter Hoffman, author of the recently published book “What’s Good?: A Memoir in Fourteen Ingredients”,reveals why he combined the story of his career with profiles of the favorite ingredients that he found at his favorite farmers market. Hoffman, founder of iconic Manhattan restaurants Savoy and Back Forty, describes his journey from line cook to chef/owner during New York’s culinary shift from French dominance to a more global and farm-to-table approach. Continue reading

Chicago Trib’s New Restaurant Critics Exposed! Meet Louisa Chu and Nick Kindelsperger

Podcast

Time was we could never get a Chicago food critic to speak to our group; they religiously refused to reveal their identities in public. That is until about three years ago when the Tribune’s esteemed food critic, Phil Vettel, published a story in the paper, complete with his photo, explaining that it was almost impossible for him to remain anonymous when reviewing restaurants. Continue reading

Someone’s in the Kitchen with Dinah (Shore)

By Flo Selfman

Podcast

Eggplant Vegetable Pie

Having been a top singing star, Dinah Shore became a pioneer television personality with “The Dinah Shore Chevy Show,” which showcased her distinctive voice and relaxed Southern charm from 1951 to 1963. In 1970, she returned to television as host of “Dinah’s Place,” an NBC morning show that covered homemaking, crafts, child-rearing, health and beauty—always with a song, of course, and usually a cooking segment, either by Dinah or her celebrity guests. Many leading chefs got their first national exposure on “Dinah’s Place.” Continue reading

The Taco Truck: How Mexican Street Food Is Transforming the American City

Robert Lemon,
Author, Geographer, Documentary Film Maker

Listen to presentation via Podcast

Icons of Mexican cultural identity and America’s melting pot ideal, taco trucks have transformed cityscapes from coast to coast. The taco truck radiates Mexican culture within non-Mexican spaces with a presence—sometimes desired, sometimes resented—that turns a public street corner into a bustling business. Continue reading