http://nwherald.comen-usROUND LAKE BEACH – It’s not often that you get an entire restaurant to yourself when you dine out, but that’s what happened to my dining companion and me during a recent stop to The Silk Mandarin Restaurant in Round Lake Beach.http://nwherald.com/articles/2010/09/07/37120985/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/articles/2010/09/07/37120985/index.xmlTue, 07 Sep 2010 20:51:04 GMTFor Kim Boyce, a Los Angeles-based food writer and former pastry chef, cooking with whole grains and whole-grain flours represented a kind of epiphany. The result is a unique cookbook, “Good to the Grain” (Stewart, Tabori & Chang), featuring tasty original recipes developed by Boyce using a dozen different whole-grain flours.http://nwherald.com/articles/2010/09/03/83101723/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/articles/2010/09/03/83101723/index.xmlFri, 03 Sep 2010 16:32:08 GMTPasta e Fagioli (or, if you prefer, ‘fazool’) is one of those comfort food Italian dishes that improve with age and taste better a day after it’s made, writes Robin Robertson in “Vegan on the Cheap” (Wiley).http://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/30/73850363/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/30/73850363/index.xmlMon, 30 Aug 2010 15:39:18 GMTSome people swear by frozen custard. Others prefer the creamy taste of gelato. Then there are those who just like soft-serve ice cream.http://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/27/94049852/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/27/94049852/index.xmlFri, 27 Aug 2010 17:17:13 GMTGRAYSLAKE – Tie on your bibs and get ready to eat your fill of homemade spaghetti at the annual spaghetti dinner hosted by United Protestant Church of Grayslake.http://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/27/76667640/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/27/76667640/index.xmlFri, 27 Aug 2010 16:03:19 GMTGRAYSLAKE – The Grayslake Lions Club will host its 47th annual Steer Roast from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 12, at Grayslake Middle School, 440 N. Barron Blvd., in Grayslake.http://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/27/55248763/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/27/55248763/index.xmlFri, 27 Aug 2010 16:02:00 GMTGRAYSLAKE – The food at Pat’s Pizza in Grayslake is so good, even fish like it.http://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/25/76682577/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/25/76682577/index.xmlWed, 25 Aug 2010 19:09:50 GMTAtlanta landmark restaurant Mary Mac’s is steeped in tradition going back 65 years. John Ferrell bought this destination eatery from long-time operator Margaret Lupo who, in turn, had acquired it from founder Mary McKinsey.http://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/24/92119114/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/24/92119114/index.xmlTue, 24 Aug 2010 13:46:27 GMTBARRINGTON – I drive past the Catlow Theater on Main Street in Barrington fairly frequently, and I’ve long wanted to stop in and see the historical venue for myself.http://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/18/22824986/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/18/22824986/index.xmlWed, 18 Aug 2010 15:54:45 GMTA popular spot for Italian-American comfort food in Brooklyn now makes its menu accessible to home cooks everywhere in a new specially adapted book, “The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen Companion & Cooking Manual” (Artisan). It’s the work of veteran chefs Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli, in conjunction with food writer Peter Meehan.http://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/16/84110114/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/16/84110114/index.xmlMon, 16 Aug 2010 16:55:07 GMTGRAYSLAKE – Twelve-year-old Tyler Ponce has a burger recipe so great it beat out thousands of entries in the fifth annual Red Robin Kid’s Cook-Off.http://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/11/87157516/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/11/87157516/index.xmlWed, 11 Aug 2010 22:23:55 GMTPastry chef, food writer and blogger David Lebovitz, in his latest cookbook, “Ready for Dessert: My Best Recipes” (Ten Speed Press), calls his Fresh Ginger Cake “one of the most renowned” desserts in his repertoire.http://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/10/99153443/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/10/99153443/index.xmlTue, 10 Aug 2010 16:02:47 GMTGURNEE- Recently, a co-worker and I were in the mood for a Chicago-style hot dog. So, we decided to try Old Chicago Red Hots, 5404 Grand Ave., in Gurnee. In reflecting on the experience, I'm proud to report that this establishment has carried on the Chicago food traditions quite well.http://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/09/50338024/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/09/50338024/index.xmlMon, 09 Aug 2010 21:40:28 GMTFOX LAKE – The initial appeal of Dino’s Den in Fox Lake lies in its particularly accommodating schedule.http://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/03/93254905/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/03/93254905/index.xmlTue, 03 Aug 2010 21:57:50 GMTRick Bayless, a hot Chicago restaurateur specializing in authentic Mexican food, is also a virtuoso when it comes to cookbooks. He now has seven popular titles under his belt, including his just-released Fiesta at Rick’s (W.W. Norton & Co.), written with his wife Deann Groen Bayless.http://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/02/57192377/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/articles/2010/08/02/57192377/index.xmlMon, 02 Aug 2010 15:49:05 GMTWAUCONDA – It’s only been open about two months, but already, Bulldogs Grill is a hit in Wauconda.http://nwherald.com/articles/2010/07/27/42401980/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/articles/2010/07/27/42401980/index.xmlTue, 27 Jul 2010 22:08:23 GMTIn the world of cookbook publishing, there’s really no ebb and flow but rather a steady outpour as seasonal volumes are released, topic subjects are revisited and older hits are updated and repackaged.http://nwherald.com/articles/2010/07/27/81257744/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/articles/2010/07/27/81257744/index.xmlTue, 27 Jul 2010 12:14:09 GMTPork reigns supreme in Southern cuisine, and author James Villas pays it homage in his latest cookbook, “Pig: King of the southern Table” (Wiley).http://nwherald.com/articles/2010/07/19/11999871/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/articles/2010/07/19/11999871/index.xmlMon, 19 Jul 2010 15:37:50 GMTVERNON HILLS – I enjoy dining out at restaurants where I can try something new. What is the point in going out just so I can order the same food I eat every week?http://nwherald.com/articles/2010/07/12/16951332/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/articles/2010/07/12/16951332/index.xmlMon, 12 Jul 2010 22:52:19 GMTFood and wine writer Lynn Alley takes home cooks on a whirlwind international tour in her latest book, “The Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker” (Ten Speed Press), with stops in India, Mexico and southwestern United States, Italy, France, Greece, Asia and the Middle East.http://nwherald.com/articles/2010/07/12/25830557/index.xmlhttp://nwherald.com/articles/2010/07/12/25830557/index.xmlMon, 12 Jul 2010 17:03:43 GMT