sundevilpeg

I have around 400, give or take a few, plus wooden wine crates full of old issues of 'Gourmet' from decades gone by. One of my favorite recent re-acquisitions is the hard-bound 50th anniversary edition of the "I Hate to Cook Book," which my mother received for Xmas in the early sixties, and of which I had a paperback copy that served me well in college and beyond. If I had a nickel for every time I've eaten "Pedro's Special" in my lifetime - well, let's just say I'd have an awfully big bag of nickels. Funny, sharply-observed, and a time capsule to remind people that women DID in fact work back in the 60's - Peg Bracken was a San Francisco ad exec. Highly recommended on multiple levels.

I'd start calling the ambulances right now. . . Seriously, though, it makes me genuinely sad to think about how Mr. DeSpirito's career derailed, and how it never did get back on the right track (to go wild with that train metaphor). He's not even a TV chef at this point - nothing more than a TV personality.

Here in Chicago, pretty much the only thing I can't find is a high-quality super-thin flour tortilla. I've lived here since 1986, and have found that something I completely took for granted while living in AZ has turned into a Holy Grail for me here. . .that's really the only thing, though. You can find virtually anything you need in Chicago.

Dear Chef: It was quite a kick in the gut to read of your illness this morning. What a shock. Please get well soon, and rest assured that our prayers are with you (as well as those of an awful lot of other people!). Peg Wolfe

Don't bother trying to look anything up on the website - the paucity of information regarding the menu offerings is breathtaking. Hope they plan on fleshing it out in the near future. Does mention the hours, though (and Open Table reservation info, as well). They will be offering a Sunday brunch, which might be very pleasant.

Oooh, that is a truly evil idea. Perhaps those complaints should be directed specifically at restaurants in the foie-free 49th Ward....heh. Here's hoping that all the Frenchified spots in Evanston - Oceanique, Jacky's Bistro, Jilly's Cafe, etc. - take advantage of this prohibition, much like Rogers Park did for all of the years that Evanston was dry. Payback can be profitable!

That's my idiot alderman you're talking about. "Powerful"? Not so much. He's a poseur and a grandstander - while our ward flounders in increasingly rampant gang-related drug violence and crime, this...this...nitwithas the nerve to waste precious time and money on nonsense like this? Also, as if his sponsorship of this crock of crap wasn't bad enough, there isn't one single resto in the whole stinkin' ward that even sells foie gras! We do have plenty of dogfights, though. Guess that's a little more dangerous to try and clean up. *hops off soapbox*