Kansas City Star: Food

Cutting-edge cuisine finds home in KC

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 22:15 CDT

Jenny Vergara recalls the day she stopped apologizing for Kansas City’s restaurant scene. The Lenexa blogger, who dishes about the local food scene at www.makingafoodie.com, was sipping cocktails with Marshall Roth on the patio of Le Fou Frog, the funky French bistro just east of the River Market.

The search for KC's top (hot) dog

Wed, 13 May 2009 13:15 CDT

Chicago is the capital of the Wiener Republic, and you really can’t get a bad dog in the city. But where in Kansas City can you find a hot dog that's worthy of the Windy City?

Where is Kansas City's best barbecue? Fans aren't reluctant to voice opinions

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:15 CST

There's an old saying that in polite social circles one should never discuss religion, politics or sex. In Kansas City you might add barbecue to the list. Almost nothing gets barbecue fanatics riled up as a discussion of Kansas City's best.

Chefs know where the good values are for eating on the cheap

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 22:15 CDT

There are no white tablecloths in Swagger. There are no sautéed veal sweetbread appetizers or thyme roasted diver scallop entrees. The most exotic menu item is the Suribachi burger — tempura Angus beef with wasabi coleslaw ($9.95).

These KC restaurants offer an authentic taste of Mexico

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 22:15 CST

Everyone knows Kansas City is a great town for hearty, sit-down Tex-Mex fare. But if you’re short on time or don’t feel like a heavy meal under a blanket of bubbling cheese, a lot of snack shops, drive-throughs and quick-service destinations offer up a different, and often much more authentic, taste of Mexico.

The search for KC's best breakfast joints

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 22:15 CST

To Michael Kizzee, this was the most important thing about enjoying the most important meal of the day: Breakfast is a cool way to have a date with your wife.

Make Mondays meatless with Whole-Wheat Noodle Salad With Peanut Sauce

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Have you joined the Monday Movement? The idea is to make at least one meal a week meatless, reducing meat consumption by 15 percent.

Rhubarb cake captures taste of Midwest summer

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Family recipes are one of the ties that bind Teresa (Terry) Peck’s family. Peck and her husband, Don Peck, have been married 61 years and have six children, 18 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Books for cooks | You're not really on your own

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

To some, the idea of cooking for one sounds hopelessly dreary. After all, aren’t the pleasures of the table best shared?

Low-risk alternatives for people with food allergies

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Christine Doherty’s body won’t tolerate wheat gluten. She’s allergic to corn and eggs. And her daughter has soy allergies. They still eat. The Doherty family simply avoids processed foods — which can be stripped of essential nutrients and contain excess sugar, salt, fat and chemical preservatives — and seeks out gluten-free and low-allergen fare.

Food Calendar | July 8-14

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Special event AMERICAN ROYAL WINE & BREW HA-HA: 5-9 p.m. July 11, American Royal Hale Arena, 1701 American Royal Court. $20-$25. www.americanroyal.com (816-569-4036)

You don't get much closer to the source of your food than dinner at Green Dirt Farm

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Missouri River bluff country in Platte County presents arguably the area’s best place to shake off the urban grind. By way of a flier posted at a farmers market, we discovered a way to enhance that idyllic experience: Having dinner in a barn.

Gourmet snow cones offer a cool way to lick the summer heat

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:15 CDT

The 95-degree heat and stifling humidity last Saturday proved just the sort of puddle-of-sweat weather that drives a steady stream of adults to Lindsay Laricks’ 1950s Shasta camping trailer for a grown-up snow cone. Kids are welcome, of course.

Variety, tranquil setting at Zest

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:25 CDT

Early into dinner at Zest, in Leawood, an unfamiliar feeling sort of appeared, and it was there before I knew it. I think it’s called tranquility.

Pasta, potato or green, salads fit any occasion

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:15 CDT

Salad — be it noodle salad or potato salad or salad made with fruit or vegetables — is a mainstay for picnics, potlucks and all-around summer entertaining. Have you ever been to an outdoor party or potluck that didn’t have salads? Me either. They’re generally easy to make, inexpensive and go a long way when feeding a crowd.

Carbon Fishprint rates eco-impact of seafood

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:15 CDT

Quick: Which fish has a smaller carbon footprint: yellowfin or barramundi? What about halibut or salmon? Oysters or clams? Those are questions that even the most earnest chef would probably have a hard time answering. Even if he could know, just keeping track would be a full-time job.

Peaches and Cream Frozen Bombe

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:15 CDT

Imagine a Bomb Pop. Collapse the tiers on itself — and now you’ve got a “bombe,” a bullet-shaped French confection made of layers of ice cream or sherbet.

Farmers markets

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:15 CDT

BADSEED FUNKY FRIDAY NIGHT MARKET: Fridays 4:30-9 p.m., Crossroads Art District, 20th and Baltimore. www.edenalley.com BRIARCLIFF VILLAGE: Plants, herbs, produce, baked goods, jams, jellies, organic coffee, locally made jewelry and handbags, pet items and Tupperware. Thursdays 3-7 p.m. through Oct. 29, Briarcliff Village, Briarcliff Parkway and Mulberry. www.briarcliffvillagekc.com (816-746-0010)

Blanc Burgers is worth running to

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:15 CDT

Dinner out is always a treat, but a well- deserved meal is a delicacy. After an 18-mile marathon training run one recent afternoon along the Indian Creek Trail, the only thing getting between my belly and a gourmet burger was a quick drive.

Cream of the Crop | Even sour cherries make life sweet

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:15 CDT

If Life Is a Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing in the Pits?” is one of my favorite books written by the late, great Erma Bombeck. And while her book title’s sentiment doesn’t exactly reflect my glass-half-full perspective on life, it certainly can describe my outlook during cherry-picking season. When I was growing up, we would have no problem picking all the low-hanging fruit from the sour cherry trees at Viggo’s (the other farm my family owned in southwestern Iowa). But, thanks to my dad’s ingenuity, we would also harvest the top of the trees’ bounty, too.

Choirmaster creates fun with cool citrus shots

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:15 CDT

Cooking is a creative production for Kevin Hershberger. A choir director and entertaining cook, Hershberger executes culinary delights worthy of ovations at the dinner parties he hosts. Hershberger was raised in Harrisonville. He likes to turn up the volume on traditional dishes such as pasta and bread. His pot roast, for instance, features 40 cloves of garlic, while a pear clafouti creates a show-stopping dessert.

Swordfish: Back on a roll

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:15 CDT

Like a number of fish in the sea, swordfish has had its ups and down. Overfishing in U.S. waters during the ’90s led many restaurant chefs to boycott swordfish. The “Give Swordfish A Break” campaign marked the first large-scale effort to encourage consumers to support fish conservation. The move allowed endangered swordfish stocks to bounce back.

Can canned potatoes make delish vichyssoise? Oh, yes!

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:15 CDT

Beverly writes: “The fact that this vichyssoise is made with canned potatoes just shocks the pants off me.” And that, dear friends, was exactly what Alicia said as she described to me her love affair with our desperate version of the classic chilled French soup. A slight variation of today’s recipe is printed in our Desperation Dinners cookbook, but I had not tasted it in nearly a decade.

Use me, choose me: Five inexpensive kitchen tools

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:15 CDT

Sure, you’re cooking more at home now. That’s what a furloughed paycheck, a pink slip or a benefits cut will do: make restaurant meals seem indulgent. Gadget manufacturers would naturally have you believe that despite your economic anxiety, this is the perfect opportunity to buy that corn zipper or motorized ice cream maker or silicone-coated whisk. After all, the thinking goes, if you’re not eating out, you surely need help cooking in.

Farm tour | Kansas City Urban Farms and Garden Tour

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:15 CDT

During the growing season, fresh-picked produce is abundant throughout the metro. Today we’re spotlighting the Kansas City Urban Farms and Garden Tour.

Farmers markets

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:15 CDT

Café Europa brings a world of pleasure

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:15 CDT

Everything about Café Europa feels like an Old World bistro, from the small sidewalk tables out front to the dog in the cozy, dark bar area just inside the front door.

Farmers markets

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 22:15 CDT

Show celebrates composer Schumann's romance

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Romantic tribute Film clips, live readings and performances by pianists and a singer will be employed for “Schumann in Love,” a multimedia presentation about the legendary romance between composer/pianist Robert Schumann and his wife, Clara.

The American Restaurant is a magical indulgence

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:21 CDT

I should've skipped the lamb belly. With its blubbery richness, the small, meaty plate struck the only dissonant note in what was otherwise a night of restaurant perfection. Since it opened in 1974, and especially since a transformation in 1990, the American Restaurant has quietly offered itself as the pinnacle of dining out in Kansas City.

Fogo de Ch�o serves meat in fine gaucho fashion, and no one leaves hungry

Wed, 13 May 2009 22:15 CDT

My first clue that it was prom night came as we followed a chic young woman and her date down the parking garage stairs. She teetered precariously on razor-thin stilettos so ridiculously high she could barely walk.

Local chefs use Twitter to give customers their fill of information

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Social media such as Twitter and Facebook are changing the way chefs communicate with their customers. Menus, ads and coupons are not going away, they’re just augmented by the instant interactive communications of Twitter’s 140-character “tweets.”

Taste of artichoke-crab dip tops summer appetizer

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:15 CDT

Beverly writes: We’re always in search of easy appetizers during the impromptu summer entertaining season. When Alicia tasted an unusual “appetizer” pizza at one of her favorite Italian restaurants, she figured it would be easy to do at home. This pizza essentially is topped with a jazzed-up version of an old Junior League cookbook standby — artichoke dip. (It’s not the healthiest concoction, and that’s probably why everyone seems to love it.)