Jan 28
(Sam Bowman)
. But I am drawn to goat. It has a uniquely intense, gamey flavor that makes the meat-eating seem worth it. It is also, conveniently, one of the only meat animals that is never factory raised, since goats are very efficient foragers, and demand in the U.S. is not high enough to warrant a factory farm’s efficiency of scale.
This led me to take an interest in birria, a Mexican goat stew, when I was in Jalisco not long ago. The dish deserves the title of the state’s best culinary export, but is sadly overshadowed by a certain spirit produced near the town of Tequila. It is a slow-cooked broth of smoked chilis, and usually features goat. Read the rest of this entry »
Oct 21
A tall man from Mississippi stands in the doorway to his little house near 95th and Colfax. Across the tracks from Lake Calumet and a couple miles from the Indiana-Illinois border, he invites our 44-person group in with an enthusiastic wave.
The man’s name is Travis, and he is a visual artist, musician, Vietnam veteran, and resident of the Jeffery Manor neighborhood. He offers us chicken gumbo, collard greens, and cornbread. Then he tells us about the young people who moved into the neighborhood after the Robert Taylor Homes closed and about the old women who keep them in line. Read the rest of this entry »
Apr 23
Former U.S. Steel site, future green community; Sam Bowman
. The plan, directed by Chicago’s Office of Community Development, will depend upon the integration of highways, trolleys, and the city’s street grid to create a new model for urban transportation. It is, in all senses of the word, groundbreaking. When the project is completed, the Steelhead LEED Neighborhood Development will change the face of the South Side. The question now is this: will this new community herald the dawn of the post-industrial, green American city, or will it be an expensive, wasted rehabilitation effort with little benefit for either the city or local residents?
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Apr 09
Image by Ellis Calvin
What comes next for an ex-competitive triathlete with a love for all things Russian and an expertise in carpentry? Building Chicago’s most sustainable house, apparently. Read the rest of this entry »
