Food

Although Lake County is some 3,600 miles from Dublin, Ireland, you need not travel nearly as far to find some delicious Irish food and drink when celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on Wednesday, March 17.

WADSWORTH – Laughter and good-spirited conversation met my ears as I walked into the Savanna House Restaurant and Bar in Wadsworth one recent evening.

Louisa Shafia, founder of a New York-based fine catering company called Lucid Food, is devoted to an environment-friendly, waste not-want not philosophy.

“Rice Pasta Couscous” (Chronicle) is the title of a new volume by food writer Jeff Koehler and the descriptor of the trio of ingredients that form the foundation of Mediterranean cookery.

ANTIOCH – I showed up at the Antioch Pizza Shop one recent evening with a late-night craving for pizza.

Homemade ravioli make a wonderful comfort-food meal. The prep work can be tricky, as we discovered, but Jasper J. Mirabile Jr., in his accessible book “Jasper’s Kitchen Cookbook” (Andrews McMeel Publishing) suggests a shortcut to make the process simpler and smoother: sheets of store-bought fresh pasta.

WAUCONDA – Do you like Snickers bars? Fannie May chocolates? How about Butterfingers, Tootsie Rolls, Nerds and Runts or even Cracker Jacks?

LIBERTYVILLE – I’ve had quite a few orders of eggs Benedict in my day. And when I popped into the Liberty Family Restaurant in Libertyville one recent sunny morning, I thought I’d add one more order of the fabulous eggs to my list.

Born in Ethiopia and raised in Sweden, Marcus Samuelsson has made a name for himself in culinary circles since coming to the United States in 1991. He has racked up recognition as chef and co-owner of Aquavit in New York and co-founder of Townhouse Restaurant Group, and along the way he earned a James Beard Award for his cookery.

This Valentine’s Day you can still serve an elegant, knockout appetizer without overextending yourself.