I love this time of year – peak Farmer’s Market season – tomatoes, zucchini, and especially peaches. And when I think of peaches, I can’t help but think of this song by The Presidents of the Unites States 🙂 We wanted to choose a cookbook that would highlight local ingredients from the farmer’s market, andContinue reading “Movin’ to the Country, Gonna Eat a Lot of Peaches (and other Good Stuff)”
Author Archives: dtyrrell12014
Drinkin’ With (Abe) Lincoln in Menard County
Petersburg and the surrounding area has always been one of my favorite places to visit. It is a short drive (around 30 minutes) from Springfield, and is the home to New Salem, where Abraham Lincoln lived as a young man. It is definitely worth checking out! There are several things to do in Petersburg andContinue reading “Drinkin’ With (Abe) Lincoln in Menard County”
Illinois Amish Country (and a Stop at a Winery)
We decided to go east and travel to Arthur, home to the largest and oldest Amish community in Illinois. Arthur is about an hour and a half from Springfield, and we wanted to get there for lunch. If you are eating lunch in Arthur, and a first time visitor, you really need to go toContinue reading “Illinois Amish Country (and a Stop at a Winery)”
Chatham to Medora
I’ll be the first to admit, 2020 may not have been the best year to retire if your plan was to travel extensively. And that was my plan. And even though we are still in the pandemic, it was time to start venturing outside of my small bubble. Instead of hopping on a plane orContinue reading “Chatham to Medora”
No Reservations About Rao’s Restaurant
My midwestern family has a connection to the famous Rao’s Restaurant in New York City. Not a strong enough relationship to ever get a reservation mind you, but it is a good story. My mom was adopted as a baby, and in the course of discovering who her father was, she befriended a lady namedContinue reading “No Reservations About Rao’s Restaurant”
Cioppino in the Garden
“Summertime … and the living is easy …” This is how I feel this year! So good to be out and about, socializing with friends. This is not a “typical” Cookbook Club event, but since there were two members present, and a whole slew of fabulous cooks coming, I wanted to highlight our friend Jacob’sContinue reading “Cioppino in the Garden”
An Early Father’s Day Lunch With The ‘Rents
Technically, this does not fit the format or rules for Cookbook Club. But it was another gathering with a couple of fantastic recipes that I wanted to share, and did include half of the Cookbook Club. This year we had to move up our Father’s Day Celebration since my mom is having surgery. One ofContinue reading “An Early Father’s Day Lunch With The ‘Rents”
A Jubilee Experience
April 9, 2021 Hallelujah! After spending most of a year locked down and masked up, the Cookbook Club is fully vaccinated, which means a celebration, or “Jubilee”. We chose Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking by Toni Tipton-Martin as we celebrated spring and our friendship. Dee was the hostess, and we tookContinue reading “A Jubilee Experience”
Je Voudrais Un Steak Frite S’il Vous Plais!
October 16, 2020 October of 2020 … we naively thought the worst of the pandemic was over. And it was so good to get together, since we had barely seen each other during the lockdown. We decided to be super indulgent and chose My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz as our cookbook for the meal.Continue reading “Je Voudrais Un Steak Frite S’il Vous Plais!”
The “Ultimutt” Dog Party
September 25, 2020 Since Cookbook Club events were few and far between this year, I wanted to include something we did for our furry pals that our friends Jamie and Karen hosted. I mean who doesn’t love dogs?!?! And who doesn’t love a dog party?!?! No cooking at this party … appetizers, pizza, and booze.Continue reading “The “Ultimutt” Dog Party”
Tales From The Wine Store 