When I was photographing chef Jared Wentworth, I told him this was the most beautiful dish I have photographed all year… my apologies to all the other chefs who have posed for me in the past twelve months.
Just how serious is America’s java addiction? According to the National Coffee Association, 64 percent of the population ages 18 and older consume at least one cup daily, up from 58 percent in 2011 and 56 percent the year before. But why relegate such impressive consumption to mugs in the morning? Chef Brendan Neville of Chicago’s Bite Café uses it to make his homemade barbecue sauce.
“Most people think peanut butter, they think jelly,†Brian Huston, chef de cuisine at Chicago’s The Publican, told The Daily. And why not? According to the National Peanut Board, the average child scarfs down 1,500 PB&Js before he or she graduates high school. But should the gooey goodness  consumed by 90 percent of American households  be exiled solely to the land of brown-bag cafeteria lunch swaps? Huston doesn’t think so; he likes to add it as a thickener to his salad dressings. “It’s like using buttermilk,†he explained, “but with that salty, peanut buttery taste.†As for the age-old crunchy vs. creamy debate, Huston still wrestles with his inner-child: “For the dressing… creamy. But if I were still in school and someone made me a sandwich, I’d go crunchy.â€ÂÂ
Think about this the next time you shell out $8 for a large tub at the movies: According to the experts at the U.S. Popcorn Board (and, yes, there is such a thing), the salty treat became a cinema staple during the Great Depression because, at five to ten cents a bag, everyone could afford it. Price tag aside, popcorn hasn’t changed much over the years, which is where Joe Doren, head chef at The Peasantry, a Chicago establishment specializing in haute street food, comes in. Ever the mad scientist, Doren grinds dehydrated kimchi  a pickled cabbage from Korea  into powder and dusts it on to spice things up. “The next time you go to the theater, sneak in some and toss it right on,†he said. Sharing, however, is entirely up to you.
Food Photography: Authentic Italian flavor straight from a can by Big Star’s Justin Large.
