What a difference a month makes! While we all had to trudge through a blizzard to make it to the February swap, it was sunny and mild in downtown Chicago the day of the March Chicago Food Swap. For this event, we returned to The Chopping Block, Chicago’s premier recreational cooking school, located in the iconic Merchandise Mart. This was the fourth time that The Chopping Block had hosted a swap and every time is a delight. The demonstration kitchens are beautiful; the staff is beyond welcoming and no one can resist picking up a new kitchen gadget or hard-to-source ingredient from the retail store.
To the extent that the March swap had a theme, it was alcohol. One swapper, Leigh, told me that if February was the meat swap, March was the booze swap. Perhaps it was because of St. Patrick’s Day? Among the boozy offerings were the above Apple Pie Moonshine, coffee liqueur and homemade Irish cream. I’m proud to report that I only came home with one tipple.
The St. Patrick’s Day theme extended to more family-friendly offerings as well, from Irish soda bread to corned beef and cabbage. Another theme that I noticed was pie, or should I say Pi? The day before the swap was March 14 after all.
Savory items continue to be popular, which makes me extremely happy. I should be all set for lunches this week between Lori’s broccoli quiche, Pamela’s chicken pot pie, Chris’s vegan tamale pie, Leigh’s actual tamales, new swapper Maren’s white bean and turkey sausage soup, Patty’s carrot soup and a chicken chipotle soup whose origin I forget. Although my allergies and quirky home kitchen rules prevented me from trading for them, the shrimp and pork rillettes from new swapper Julene were incredibly impressive.
Luckily, I did manage to bring home some sweets to pacify my children. My friend Gena and her daughter Ella brought melted butter-chocolate chip-dried cherry cookies that served as a special dessert for my whole family on Sunday night. And thanks to Maria for her homemade chocolate bars! Those I am saving for myself. I also saw shamrock cookies from Lori, chocolate-covered nuts from new swapper Courtney, and sweet pies from both Pamela and Chris. One of my offerings this time around was a homemade version of Nutella that was quite popular. So sweets remain food swap favorites.
All in all, the March swap was a lively gathering of new friends and old, all of whom were basking in the suddenly mild spring weather. Can spring produce, farmers’ markets and canning season be far behind?
Speaking of home food preservation, I am extremely excited to announce that we will have a special guest for the April 19 swap: Cathy Barrow of the award-winning food blog Mrs. Wheelbarrow’s Kitchen. Prior to the swap, from 11 am to 1 pm, Cathy will be teaching a class at the Fearless Food Kitchen on how to cure your own bacon in just seven days. The class is $25 and you can register for it through the Peterson Garden Project website.
Following the class, Cathy will be signing copies of her stunning new cookbook, Mrs. Wheelbarrow’s Practical Pantry, and she will stick around for the first part of the swap itself to sign more books and meet the swappers. I am more than a little star-struck at the thought of meeting Cathy, who is a food blogging rock star, and I know that this is going to be a Chicago Food Swap event to remember. Registration for the April 19 swap is now open, so sign up today and take advantage of this unique opportunity to meet one of the food world’s home food preservation experts.
See you at the swap!
