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Chicago Tribune
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Edward Keegan: Millennium Park has failed to live up to its promise
If you were born when Millennium Park opened, you'll be enjoying legal cocktails this summer. And while the park's landscaping is also achieving maturity, it's not clear when the popular venue will function again as the public park it was meant to be. The result of a lengthy and often ad hoc design process that involved innumerable top-notch players, the 24.5 acres at the northwest corner of Grant Park were designed to invite the public to its varied attractions. But the contagion of unsightly crowd control barriers, often coupled with cumbersome security checks, has thwarted public access and become the unfortunate norm in recent years. Millennium Park was the first important public space in the United States in the 21st century. When it opened in 2004, Millennium Park was rightly hailed as a new kind of park, and it has proved to be a precursor to a generation of vibrant new urban spaces that include New York's High Line (2009), The 606 (2015) and the Chicago Riverwalk (2016). In the years prior to its opening, much of the press about Millennium Park, most especially in this newspaper, focused on the increasingly higher costs above the initial estimates. But the ballooning budget reflected an increasingly ambitious scope shepherded by design director and master planner Ed Uhlir, which changed from a modest bandshell and revamped parking garage to the stunning art- and design-driven series of spaces we now know. And those hundreds of millions of additional dollars were largely offset by epic philanthropic fundraising led by Sara Lee CEO John H. Bryan. The public reaction on the park's opening that July centered on the park's considerable design features with Frank Gehry's Jay Pritzker Pavilion; Jaume Plensa's Crown Fountain; Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate (also known as The Bean); and Kathryn Gustafson, Piet Oudolf and Robert Israel's Lurie Garden as the main attractions. These inventive venues are high art that doesn't pander and were conceived to be fully accessible. But recent years have seen Millennium Park's original promise diminished by bad public policy and safety concerns that need to be reconsidered. And today, many parts of the park are showing their age. The Gehry-designed trellis above the Pritzker Pavilion's lawn is currently undergoing extensive repairs. Much of the concrete on both sides of the bandshell is cracked and spalling; original signage is badly faded and dated; and the much-needed public restrooms need a good refresh. In contrast, Cloud Gate and the plaza it sits on look great — the result of renovations completed last year. But Crown Fountain could use a similar overhaul. The very idea of the public park is America's most important design contribution to the 19th century. Early examples like New York's Central Park, Brooklyn's Prospect Park, Boston's Fens and San Francisco's Golden Gate Park were almost always placed in a central location, open to all without a cost of admission. Parks throughout the country became central to cities' identities and their public lives. Frederick Law Olmsted was not just our foremost landscape designer but also a proselytizer for the role of parks as civic institutions and promoters of public health. Vintage Chicago Tribune: Millennium Park — 'the best thing former Mayor Richard M. Daley ever did' — 20 years later And parks are a key part of Chicago's design legacy. Our boulevard-linked system of large parks — Jackson and Washington parks on the South Side, Douglass and Humboldt parks on the West Side, and Lincoln Park on the North Side — combined the considerable talents of Olmsted, Calvert Vaux and William Le Baron Jenney, among others. The boulevard system's 26-mile length touches on numerous neighborhoods throughout the city. These green open spaces often spurred the initial development of these neighborhoods and can provide an impetus for their ongoing renewal. While still one of our newest parks, it's important to recognize that Millennium Park's efficacy as a public park has been hampered in recent years. Originally, ticketed events were rare: The occasional big artist necessitated temporary fencing around the pavilion and its lawn. But recent years have seen 'temporary' fencing around the perimeter of the entire park, and many periods when entry is tightly controlled with invasive security searches and long lines to just visit the park. Much of this can be attributed to public safety concerns during the pandemic, but it's long past time that these anti-democratic restrictions are removed. Ticketed events should be the rare exception. Gates and fences should be eliminated. This corner of Grant Park might be the most accessible single spot in the entire city, with abundant public transportation. CTA buses and trains are available nearby, and Metra and South Shore Line trains stop at Millennium Station directly below the park. And car parking is not a problem with 3,976 spaces underneath in the Grant Park North and Millennium Park garages. But this public access is no longer reflected at the perimeter of the park, where the fencing is seldom removed. Balancing maintenance and repair with public access isn't easy. But adding militaristic public safety measures shouldn't be a part of Millennium Park. Millennium Park was Mayor Richard M. Daley's remarkable response to a gaping hole that revealed railroad tracks and surface parking over the eastern half of the site — neither reflecting what an early cartographer labeled as 'forever open, clear and free' nor Daniel Burnham's vision of the grand formal lakefront park that is Grant Park. Jose More, Chicago Tribune 1 of 24 Millennium Park's original attractions still hold genuine power, allowing you to see yourself and the city reflected in The Bean's fun house mirror; to walk on or be drenched in the water at Crown Fountain; and to hear live music from the exuberant stainless steel explosion of Gehry's Pritzker Pavilion, a contemporary remaking of the traditional proscenium that's reminiscent of Louis Sullivan's rousing 19th century rendition at the Auditorium just a few blocks away. Each of these experiences endures, as designed. But public access to these public assets is vital — and has been severely compromised through the last two mayoral administrations. Millennium Park needs to, once again, become a living, breathing part of the city. Mayor, tear down these walls. Edward Keegan writes, broadcasts and teaches on architectural subjects. Keegan's biweekly architecture column is supported by a grant from former Tribune critic Blair Kamin, as administered by the not-for-profit Journalism Funding Partners. The Tribune maintains editorial control over assignments and content.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The Biggest Bread Recalls In US History
Bread is one of the most versatile food staples on the planet. Not only is a warm fluffy slice of bread divine with a soft pad of butter, but it's the basis of countless delicious concoctions. A deli sandwich stacked sky high with savory slices, a perfectly golden French toast coated in sweet cinnamon sugar, a delightfully aromatic side of garlic bread ... what is there not to love about bread? Imagine the horror if you bit into your delicately crafted PB&J and a crunch radiated through your jaw as you hit a piece of plastic. This one-sentence horror story is far from fiction. Foreign objects, undeclared allergens, and bacteria can all ruin our favorite foods and cause a mass recall across retailers. Throughout the years, thousands of loaves of bread from your favorite brands have been pulled from American markets for a variety of health concerns. These major recalls will make you want to check your bread twice. Read more: 14 Food Storage Hacks You Should Try Sara Lee is a nationwide brand that stocks the shelves of grocery stores with multiple varieties of fluffy bread. In 2007, the brand put out a warning to consumers and retailers stating that several loaves of bread might contain stray pieces of metal. The size of the metal pieces was unknown, because the brand recalled the items following an internal maintenance request, before customers came into contact with them. The whole grain flour sifter was identified as the culprit of the contamination, after it sustained damage that caused it to shed pieces of metal into the flour processed through it. Unfortunately, many product recalls originate from customer reports of foreign objects in the food or illness after consumption. Luckily, this recall was voluntary and not due to actual injury. Nevertheless, it resulted in bread from 27 brands being pulled from shelves. At the time, Sara Lee was an independent brand that owned several subsidiaries, including EarthGrains, Publix, and Sara Lee Hearty & Delicious. The contaminated bread was sold in primarily Southern states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee. For unlucky customers who purchased these affected batches of bread, a refund was available at the point of purchase. Bimbo Bakeries is the parent company to a large number of beloved bread brands, even acquiring the aforementioned Sara Lee in 2010. That same year, the brand had a troubling production slipup. Loaves of bread across several states were sold without warning customers the product contained dairy. For customers without a dairy allergy, this recall was not of any concern, but it was potentially detrimental to those with serious allergies or food sensitivities. The cause of this labeling error was not reported by the brand and did not seem to accompany any sudden change to the product's recipe. This packing mistake was isolated to just one product (Bimbo Soft White Bread) and did not affect any subsidiary brands. The particular batch of unlabelled bread was distributed to California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Luckily, the brand was able to identify the bungle and issue a recall before any consumers reported illness, hopefully giving people the chance to check their bread before chowing down. Bimbo Bakeries found itself at the center of another major food recall in 2013. Unfortunately, this recall was not isolated to one brand, but affected multiple subsidiaries of the parent company: Arnold, Aldi, Brownberry, Harmons, Farm Bread, Stroehmann, EarthGrains, and Sara Lee. The company voluntarily recalled the bread after discovering that a faulty mesh screen may have been dropping pieces of flexible wire into baked bread products. The products in question were spread across all 50 states. This recall reportedly did not affect bread currently being sold in stores, but cautioned that customers should check the "Best By" date on the package to see if their bread was part of the batches recalled. Unfortunately, this means the contamination was discovered a bit too late, and many customers likely purchased and consumed the affected bread. Despite this, there are no reports of injury or illness associated with this recall. In 2015, National Choice Bakery announced a massive recall of one of the all time greatest culinary creations: bagels. Originally founded as Twin City Bagel Inc., the company has specialized in the chewy wheels of boiled bread since 1990. This recall affected many brands that sourced bagels from the supplier. The bagels were recalled due to potential undeclared allergen contamination. In this case, the food was not merely mislabeled, but ingredients that were not intended to be incorporated into the bagels infiltrated the production process. An ingredient supplier had provided the brand with ingredients contaminated with peanuts and tree nuts. Undeclared nut allergens are very dangerous, as unsuspecting customers with these allergies could potentially experience a life threatening reaction. Grocery store bagel lovers would have been wise to check their bagels as many brands were contaminated. Dan's Pantry, Everyday Essentials, L'Oven, Kroger, Lenders, and Village Hearth bagels were all at risk of containing nuts. Luckily, this was another case of a voluntary recall and no illnesses or injuries were reported in connection to this mishap. The nation's leading fresh bread vendor was back in the throws of another large scale recall in 2015. Mistakes are bound to happen when overseeing troves of manufacturing plants that bake bread for many widely adored brands. Despite mistakes being inevitable, this recall was particularly frightening. After a light bulb shattered at a Bimbo Bakeries factory location, glass contaminated the production line. Biting into what should be pillowy slices of bread and being met with an unexpected crunch is downright dangerous. This was almost the case for at least three consumers, who reported seeing glass fragments on the outside of their bread. Luckily, the customers didn't consume any of the bread, and there were no reports of injuries related to this recall. Bimbo, Great Value, Kroger, L'Oven Fresh, Nature's Harvest, and Sara Lee were all affected by the incident, with the recall spanning 11 states, primarily in the South. Koffee Kup used to be a Vermont staple, with baked goods sold in gas stations, grocery stores, and convenience stores across New England. Unfortunately, the brand shuttered its doors in 2021, just five years after a large recall. In 2016, a whopping 99,000 packages of bread products were recalled by the brand because they might contain clear plastic pieces. The plastic bits originated from a larger piece of plastic that found its way on to the production line, shattered, and was possibly baked into bread. This was discovered in a routine screening and was not reported by any customers. The products recalled spread far and wide in the Northeast and beyond. Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Washington D.C., and Virginia were all recipients of these recalled goods. The brand's pastry products seem to be more popular than the bread products, and news coverage at the time reassured customers that the donuts and crullers were made separately from the recalled bread. Flowers Foods is a longstanding American brand that has grown to be one of the biggest baking companies in the country. Just under 100 years after the company's founding in 1919, the great brand proved fallible when it announced a large recall of its fresh bread products. This recall was outside of the realm of foreign object contaminants and veered into a territory that is more difficult to detect: bacteria contamination, namely salmonella. The company's whey powder provider flagged the potential contamination in its ingredients and issued the recall. Products from Baker's Treat, Food Lion, Great Value, H-E-B, Mrs. Freshley's, and Market Square were recalled across the entire nation, including bread and sweet treats like Swiss Rolls. No illness was reported as a result of this recall, though salmonella poisoning can lead to fever and digestion issues. A slice of bread isn't always the obvious culprit when it comes to food poisoning, though, so people may not have made the association. Flower Foods returned to the recall spotlight just three years after its first widespread recall incident. Although this recall included fewer brands, the two contaminated products were sold across the nation. In this case, the brand's scrumptious snack cakes, Tastykake cupcakes and Krimpets, were recalled due to foreign object contamination. The grocery store desserts were pulled from shelves after an ingredient supplier informed the brand that products made with its ingredients might contain mesh wiring. Tastykake cupcakes were only sold to eight states, but the Krimpets were peppered across the country. Biting into a delicious loaf of icing piped cake only to discover bit of metal inside would not be a sweet surprise. No customers reported incidents or injuries from the contamination which is fortunate, especially considering the brand had to amend the original recall from cupcakes to include the affected Krimpets. Swiftly notifying customers of any issues with food products is critical to ensuring health and safety. In 2021, Flower Foods once again found itself recalling bread distributed to grocery stores and consumers across the country. This recall was not a typical contamination, but rather a product switcheroo. Flower Foods recalled Nature's Own Honey Wheat bread because in reality, the packages had been wrongly filled with Nature's Own Butterbread. The Butterbread required an allergen warning for the dairy contained in the product, which was consequently missing. The brand reported that 3,000 loaves of the mismatched bread were sold. Consumers who thought they had purchased Honey Wheat Bread may have noticed something was off about the bread before indulging in a slice. Thankfully, there were no customer reports of illness in connection with the incident. This silly mix-up could have had dire consequences for consumers with dairy allergies. For the rest, it's still frustrating not to end up with your preferred variety of bread. Regardless of the level of inconvenience, all customers were able to return their mislabeled products for a refund if they wanted. Piantedosi Baking Company is a New England based brand that provides bread to local grocery stores and restaurants, and more widely to nationwide chains. Loaves, rolls, and buns ... this bakery does it all. The brand's 2022 recall also had it all, with several varieties of bread being pulled from shelves and flagged as potentially dangerous. The recall occurred due to a terrifying food poisoning culprit: Clostridium Botulinum, or more commonly known as, botulism. Another bacteria, Cronobacter sakazakii, was also potentially present in the products. The recall was issued after raw materials from the ingredient supplier Lyons Magnus were used in the creation of these baked delights. Multiple varieties of dinner rolls, sandwich rolls, and buns were affected. No customers reported illness and the harmful bacteria was not found in any Piantedosi items that were tested, but the brand issued the recall in an abundance of caution. Botulism is a very serious foodborne illness that can lead to muscle paralysis and ultimately death. Cronobacter sakazakii infections are rare but can cause illness in people of all ages, and are particularly deadly for infants. It is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to this dangerous contaminant. Read the original article on Mashed.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Celebrate Pi Day today with the best store-bought apple pie, according to a pro baker
When your mom teaches math for a living, Pi Day is a holiday that always gets celebrated. Every year, without fail, my mom calls me on March 14 during which she'll recite far more pi digits than any person should know. I respect her impressive (if slightly dorky!) party trick, but as a former professional baker? I prefer to celebrate today, Pi Day, by ... eating pie. A meal just isn't complete without a sweet finale in my humble (pie) opinion — and I'm here to tell you that there's no shame in foregoing the homemade route for a store-bought apple pie. But you don't want to opt for just any pre-made option. There are several widely available frozen apple pies on the market from brands like Sara Lee, Mrs. Smith's and Marie Callender's. They can't all be created equal, can they? That's what I set out to determine. I've made (and enjoyed) many a pie in my day, but just to keep any pastry biases I might have in check, I enlisted the help of my sister, Chelsea, who manages a Philadelphia-based restaurant called Alice, and my husband, Dan, an enthusiastic pie eater. I set aside time to bake all three pies one morning so we could sample them side-by-side for a true comparison. Now, you might be thinking, "Britt, I'm pretty sure there are four slices of pie on that plate, not three." And you'd be correct! In addition to the three frozen pies, I also picked up a pre-baked pie from Whole Foods as a control. It tastes pretty close to homemade, so I compared the frozen pies against it just to see if there were any big differences. Alright, ready to see how these frozen treats fared? Keep scrolling to see which one(s) deserves a spot on your Pi Day table. Just to have a non-frozen pie to compare the others to, I picked up a fresh apple pie from Whole Foods Market. We thought it was just slightly tastier than the Marie Callender's apple pie, and is a fab option if you want a ready-to-eat dessert. In case you've never purchased a frozen pie before, you can rest assured that preparing one is easy as, well, you know. All you have to do is remove the pie from its box and plastic wrapping, place it on a sheet tray and bake it in a preheated oven according to the package's instructions. That's it! Some pies have an additional step of making slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape, but that's really the only "work" required on your part. In terms of prep, the Sara Lee and Mrs. Smith's pies required scoring the crusts, while the Marie Callender's pie did not — and that's because it had a lattice crust, meaning there were already openings in it. Each set of instructions recommended covering the sheet tray with aluminum foil before placing the pie on it and baking; that way, should any filling bubble over, it would stick to the foil and not make a mess of the tray. I only had enough foil for one pie, so I used parchment paper for the others and it worked out just fine. All of the pies included the optional suggestion of brushing the crust with an egg wash for a more golden color, but to keep things as simple as possible (which is what buying a frozen pie is all about!), I skipped this step. Also, if you haven't noticed, eggs are pretty pricey these days... Directions varied slightly when it came to baking temperature, ranging from 400° F to 425° F; internal pie temperatures ranged from 160° F to 165° F. I served all of the pies at room temperature, not only for consistency purposes but because I feel it's easier to detect nuances in flavor when food isn't piping hot. To assess these pies as fairly as possible, I numbered them rather than telling Chelsea and Dan which pie was from which brand. I also made score sheets so we could write down our notes on the appearance, flavor and texture of each pie, as well as give them an overall rating, from 1 to 10, with 10 being the best pie we've ever had in our lives. (Spoiler alert: None of these pies were quite at that level, but some scored pretty high!) As for our testing pool, I selected brands that are widely available across the country, and went with the most traditional versions I could find. For instance, some brands make Dutch apple pies or apple crumb pies — for consistency's sake, I left those out because anything with a streusel topping has an unfair advantage in my book. On a similar note, here's what I generally look for in an apple pie: a crust that's tender but not super soft, ample flakiness and a filling that marries sweetness and tartness, ideally with a bit of spice. I also prefer a medium-sized apple slice — too small, and the filling becomes mushy; too big, and the apples sometimes aren't cooked enough. Store-bought apple pies are super low-maintenance, but there are a few tools you'll need for baking and slicing 'em up. Here's what I used: And if you'd like to try your hand at a from-scratch pie...
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Celebrate Pi Day with the best store-bought apple pie, according to a pro baker
When you have a math teacher for a mother, Pi Day is a holiday that never goes unobserved. Every year, without fail, I'll get a call from my mom on March 14, during which she'll recite far more pi digits than the average person should be able to memorize. I respect her impressive (if slightly dorky!) party trick, but as a former professional baker? I prefer to celebrate Pi Day by ... eating pie. Even on an ordinary day, a meal just isn't complete without a sweet finale, in my humble (pie) opinion — and I'm here to tell you that there's no shame in foregoing the homemade route for an easy-breezy store-bought apple pie. But you don't want to opt for just any pre-made option. There are several widely available frozen apple pies on the market from brands like Sara Lee, Mrs. Smith's and Marie Callender's. They can't all be created equal, can they? That's what I set out to determine. I've made (and enjoyed) many a pie in my day, but just to keep any pastry biases I might have in check, I enlisted the help of my sister, Chelsea, who manages a Philadelphia-based restaurant called Alice, and my husband, Dan, an enthusiastic pie eater. I set aside time to bake all three pies one morning so we could sample them side-by-side for a true comparison. Now, you might be thinking, "Britt, I'm pretty sure there are four slices of pie on that plate, not three." And you'd be correct! In addition to the three frozen pies, I also picked up a pre-baked pie from Whole Foods as a control. It tastes pretty close to homemade, so I compared the frozen pies against it just to see if there were any big differences. Alright, ready to see how these frozen treats fared? Keep scrolling to see which one(s) deserves a spot on your Pi Day table. Just to have a non-frozen pie to compare the others to, I picked up a fresh apple pie from Whole Foods Market. We thought it was just slightly tastier than the Marie Callender's apple pie, and is a fab option if you want a ready-to-eat dessert. In case you've never purchased a frozen pie before, you can rest assured that preparing one is easy as, well, you know. All you have to do is remove the pie from its box and plastic wrapping, place it on a sheet tray and bake it in a preheated oven according to the package's instructions. That's it! Some pies have an additional step of making slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape, but that's really the only "work" required on your part. In terms of prep, the Sara Lee and Mrs. Smith's pies required scoring the crusts, while the Marie Callender's pie did not — and that's because it had a lattice crust, meaning there were already openings in it. Each set of instructions recommended covering the sheet tray with aluminum foil before placing the pie on it and baking; that way, should any filling bubble over, it would stick to the foil and not make a mess of the tray. I only had enough foil for one pie, so I used parchment paper for the others and it worked out just fine. All of the pies included the optional suggestion of brushing the crust with an egg wash for a more golden color, but to keep things as simple as possible (which is what buying a frozen pie is all about!), I skipped this step. Also, if you haven't noticed, eggs are pretty pricey these days... Directions varied slightly when it came to baking temperature, ranging from 400° F to 425° F; internal pie temperatures ranged from 160° F to 165° F. I served all of the pies at room temperature, not only for consistency purposes but because I feel it's easier to detect nuances in flavor when food isn't piping hot. To assess these pies as fairly as possible, I numbered them rather than telling Chelsea and Dan which pie was from which brand. I also made score sheets so we could write down our notes on the appearance, flavor and texture of each pie, as well as give them an overall rating, from 1 to 10, with 10 being the best pie we've ever had in our lives. (Spoiler alert: None of these pies were quite at that level, but some scored pretty high!) As for our testing pool, I selected brands that are widely available across the country, and went with the most traditional versions I could find. For instance, some brands make Dutch apple pies or apple crumb pies — for consistency's sake, I left those out because anything with a streusel topping has an unfair advantage in my book. On a similar note, here's what I generally look for in an apple pie: a crust that's tender but not super soft, ample flakiness and a filling that marries sweetness and tartness, ideally with a bit of spice. I also prefer a medium-sized apple slice — too small, and the filling becomes mushy; too big, and the apples sometimes aren't cooked enough. Store-bought apple pies are super low-maintenance, but there are a few tools you'll need for baking and slicing 'em up. Here's what I used: And if you'd like to try your hand at a from-scratch pie...
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
This Is Why Harry Styles Was 'Devastated' By This SNL Comedian's Impersonation Of Him
Saturday Night Live comic Chloe Fineman was a viral sensation thanks to her celebrity impersonations before she was even cast on the long-running sketch comedy show. However, it seems there's one star she's never quite been able to nail. On the red carpet of the SNL 50th anniversary celebration over the weekend, Chloe began her interview with Amelia Dimoldenberg by delivering an impression of the Chicken Shop Date host. 'It's like I'm looking in the mirror right now,' Amelia responded, before asking the comic if there was 'an impersonation that you can't crack'. 'You just now,' Chloe quipped, before recalling that one SNL host was a little disappointed when she tried to impersonate him. She admitted: '[My] Harry Styles is really bad. I did it [for him when] he was at the table, and he was so devastated by how bad it was.' Chloe then slipped into her impersonation of the former One Direction singer and… yeah, we can kind of see where he's coming from, to be honest. Watch Chloe's interview with Amelia Dimoldenberg at around the 18:43 mark in the video below: Harry performed double duty as SNL host and musical guest back in 2019, to promote his second album Fine Line. At the time, he received praise for his performances in the comedy sketches, with one in particular – in which he played the social media manager for the frozen dessert company Sara Lee – going viral on social media. Chloe previously showed off her impression of Harry back in 2022, and we're going to be honest, it's not one that appears to have especially improved with time. I love Chloe Fineman so much 😂 @nbcsnl@Harry_Styles@ — Katie (@katieleechutek) September 30, 2022 21 Must-See Moments You Might Have Missed From SNL's 50th Anniversary Celebration Ryan Reynolds Makes Light Of Ongoing Legal Drama During Saturday Night Live Special Aubrey Plaza Subtly Honours Late Husband Jeff Baena During Saturday Night Live Special
