• Originally published in the Kane County Chronicle on April 8, 2010
It’s less than a month until the 60 Men Who Cook event May 7 at the Kane County Fairgrounds.
I will be one of the 60 local “celebrity” – the organizers’ word, not mine – chefs who will prepare their favorite appetizer, side dish, main dish or dessert.
Just one problem. I still don’t know what I’m cooking.
Last year, I made stuffed grape leaves. I will not be making that mistake again this year. My kitchen smelled like brine for a week. My wife – who is not a big fan of brine smell, it turns out – was not pleased.
This year, I hope to make something a little less smelly. But I just don’t know what that less smelly dish will be and I need to get my selection into the organizers soon.
So I’m asking for your help. I’m looking for something somewhat simple that I can make at least 200 samples of. I suppose it should taste good, as well. I certainly don’t expect that I will hold my own against some of the real chefs among the 60, but I would prefer that people didn’t spit the food out in disgust.
If you have any ideas, let me know at jgrace@kcchronicle.com.
The event is presented by the Geneva Chamber of Commerce to benefit the Geneva History Center, Geneva Lions Club and Rotary Club of Geneva.
Tickets are $25 presale, $35 at the door and are available at The Geneva Chamber of Commerce, The Geneva History Center, Fagans Graphics, The Paper Merchant and State Street Jewelers.
The evening includes tastings of all the dishes, one vote for each of the four food categories, cash bar, raffles for Geneva shopping sprees and a chance to win a Weber gas grill.
For more information, contact the Geneva Chamber of Commerce at 630-232-6060.
• • •
In today’s cover story, reporter Eric Schelkopf answered a question that some of us in the newsroom had during a recent meeting.
If everybody has health insurance, what will happen to the free clinics? The answers might surprise you.
And while you’re reading that story, think about other stories you might want us to pursue in regards to health care reform.
We’d certainly like to hear your thoughts as we continue to follow this topic and how it affects us locally.
• • •
Supposedly, as you get older, you need less sleep.
Maybe the ‘need’ part is true. Maybe it’s not. But I certainly ‘want’ more sleep, not less.
I’ve yet to reach six hours so far this week, and I’ve lately been daydreaming about getting a good eight hours of sleep.
When I was young, I daydreamed about hitting the game-winning basketball shot, getting the girl I had a crush on to like me, or fighting off an invasion of blood-thirsty ninjas singlehandedly and winning all the acclaim that, of course, would come with that. Now, I daydream about sleep. Sigh.
I want more sleep. I need better daydreams.
• Joe Grace is the editor of the Kane County Chronicle. Write to him at jgrace@kcchronicle.com or call him at 630-845-5368.
Joe Grace 