Swedish Baker

A few years ago, when I headed a not-for-profit institution in Chicago, I was asked to entertain a group of young would-be not-for-profit e...

In a sincere effort to keep my aging mother reasonably healthy, my brother advised her to eat several bananas a week. That was a mistake. A...

It is said that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. This is especially true in Chicago. We recently had a teaser - a couple...

The results of my "comfort dessert" survey are in and it appears that Bread Pudding remains the stepchild of desserts, the bastar...

It seems to me that St. Patrick's Day (March 17) overshadows St. Joseph's Day (March 19) by a mile. The greeting card stores are fu...

One of the first indicators of spring is rhubarb. Most people have a strong response to rhubarb - they love it, they hate it, they don'...

When my mother died, someone asked me about the most valuable advice she had given me. Without hesitation I said, "moisturize, moistur...

Cupcakes, it would seem, are all the rage. From New York City's celebrated Magnolia Bakery (famous for their Red Velvet Cupcakes) to San...

At the risk of shocking my readers, I'd like to see a month-long garlic embargo. Of course that will never happen, given its widespread...

Perhaps it is the captivating tales of "1001 Arabian Nights", or the enchantment of Omar Khayyam's poetry, or just the idea o...

Fast forward: The summer of 1959, my parents sent me off to Ironwood, Michigan to spend the entire season with my mother's first cousin...

Full disclosure - I'm only 25 percent Swedish, my maternal grandmother having been born in Sweden. My half-Swedish mother was raised in...