Krusteaz No Knead Bread Mix Review

“No Knead Bread” was all the rage of the NY restaurant scene for awhile, and the NY Times subsequently offered a recipe for a home version. It required no real ability for the home baker, other than patience, as it requires nearly 24 hours of rising/resting. After that, follow the instructions, and you (most times)… Continue reading Krusteaz No Knead Bread Mix Review

Schmeissers Sausage Review, Niles, IL

One of the thing that delights me about living in a larger city is having a wide variety of ethnic grocers, and Chicago has some great ones. We have Asian grocers, Indian, Eastern European, Greek, Polish, Italian, and I love them all. Chicago is big on Polish restaurants and markets as the population of Poles… Continue reading Schmeissers Sausage Review, Niles, IL

Hometown Bagels Review

Having been a bagel muncher for many decades, I was suprised to note in a store the other day a package of “Chicago style” bagels. Who knew? Whereas most consumers of bagels (and pizza for that matter) are familiar with “New York Style” bagels (and pizza), afficianados insists “it’s the water” that makes those products… Continue reading Hometown Bagels Review

Chicken Fried Steak Recipe – Weekend Breakfasts At My House

When I was growing up, it was etched in stone  that the family had a big Saturday breakfast together; often my dad cooked the elaborate set-up, which might have been steak and eggs, pancakes or waffles, fruit turnovers, sausage or bacon. It got so that friends of me and my siblings wanted to do sleepovers on Friday nites just for the… Continue reading Chicken Fried Steak Recipe – Weekend Breakfasts At My House

O&H Bakery Racine, WI

My mother loved Kringles.  What are they?  A Scandinavian  confectionary pastry, multiple layers of thin, flaky baked dough, in a horseshoe shape, with layers separated by a wide variety of your choice of fillings/toppings like berry, almond, chocolate and the like.  More on the origin.  My mother, or parents, really, took delight in having certain things… Continue reading O&H Bakery Racine, WI

Pub 72 Review, Gilberts, IL

I’ve been on a mission to have weekend breakfasts at rural locations in Illinois, and today we hit the Pub 72 Bar & Grill in Gilberts, IL. The “72” is after the number of the highway, and if memory serves me, is a rather new name. Not sure if the change also represented a change… Continue reading Pub 72 Review, Gilberts, IL

Holi Cannoli Review – Elkhorn, WI

Seems like lately I’ve been hitting “out of the way” pizza places like this one,  on US Highway 12, 6.5 miles north of Elkhorn, WI and the junction of 12 and I-43.   It’s about a 15 minute drive from the popular Lake Geneva recreation area in Southern Wisconsin. I’ve driven by this place many… Continue reading Holi Cannoli Review – Elkhorn, WI

Panera Breakfast Sandwich Review

Panera was founded in St. Louis, MO, where it operated (and still does in that area) at St. Louis Bread Company. The 1800 store chain is now owned by Au Bon Pain, which no longer operates Au Bon Pain (I liked those, for sure). I don’t think I’ve ever been in a Panera before, thought… Continue reading Panera Breakfast Sandwich Review

Better Bakery Ham and Cheese Pretzel Melt

New from Better Bakery, the Southern California specialty bread and pretzel manufacturer, is the Ham and Cheese Pretzel Melt, deli sliced ham, cheese within an enclosed pretzel roll.  Oven or microwave prep is allowed, and I went with the former, 350 for 25 minutes, from a frozen solid state.  It’s good, fast, and cheap.  Salty… Continue reading Better Bakery Ham and Cheese Pretzel Melt