The S-T says it’s picnic time, and who are we to argue? With all those parks and beachfront, you’d be lying if you said you didn’t have a venue. All you need now is a backpack, a blanket and some ice packs and you’ll be good to go. Oh! you can even pick up some wine in a can and drink it out of paper sacks, like the classy broads you all are [Ed. note: MenuPages does not condone drinking in public near the CTA. They’ll fine you!].
• Oh, right, the articles. Sandy Thorn Clark has a feel-good piece on why picnics are all about nostalgia, and a bylineless article imparts “essentials” like “[w]hen taking food off grill, don’t put cooked items on same platter that held raw meat (unless you have washed platter between uses).” That takes all the fun out of it. What about raw fish? If it’s sashimi grade, you ought to be okay, no?
• Bastille Day is no joke. Where do you think we got our idea for independence? Yeah, so pay your propers on Saturday at one of these fine French restaurants, many of which are offering special menus for the day.
• Someone must have sent out a massive press release, because apriums and pluots were shouted out in both the S-T and the NYTimes. For those of you who like spectra, it’s plum-pluot-aprium-apricot. Isn’t that nice and intuitive? Aigre Doux is experimenting with an aprium upside down buttermilk cake, so go check it out.
PACK A PICNIC | Old favorites to share when the entertaining moves outdoors [Sun-Times]
Picnic food safety essentials [Sun-Times]
French connection [Sun-Times]
Apricots and plums meld to yield two tasty fruits [Sun-Times]
Food Stuff [NYTimes]
Aigre Doux Restaurant & Bakery [MenuPages]
[Photo: pluot and aprium tarts with frangipane, alice q. foodie/flickr]
