So far we’ve covered how to reduce food waste and how to get the most out of various pantry items with different lifespans. Now, let’s take on best practices for freezing meat!

Keeping meat frozen is the best way to guarantee freshness for the long term. The most important aspect of freezing meat, or anything for that matter, is temperature! Freezing temperature should always be 0 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, otherwise you’re asking for germs and microorganisms.

Amazingly, if kept at 0 degrees Fahrenheit, meat will be safe to eat indefinitely. Of course, there is a big difference between safe and good. 

Have you ever eaten a meal that “tastes like refrigerator”? That’s the result of meat being freezer burned! So how long should meat stay frozen before it goes bad? Here are a few guidelines for freezing meat for optimum taste:

Chicken: A whole bird can be frozen for up to a year.  Chicken parts such as wings and drumsticks are best kept for 9 months or less; anything skinless should only be kept up to 6 months.

Beef: Meat like steaks and roasts can last up to 8 months, but you’ll get the best quality before 4 months. Ground meat of any kind contains more air – the enemy of longevity in meat – so the MAX life expectancy is 4 months!

Lamb or Pork: Chops, lamb and pork are also best by 4 months but, if you’re clever, can be stretched to 6! Larger cuts of pork and lamb can last up to 8 – 12 months. Processed meats like sausage, hot dogs, lunch meat, and ham should be eaten within 6 – 10 weeks to get the best flavor. Bacon in its original vacuum packaging can be frozen for 6 months. 

Fish: Seafood is delicate, but surprisingly lean fish can last up to 8 months!  Fatty fish like salmon, on the other hand, should be frozen no more than 2 – 3 months. 

When it comes to cooked meat saved as leftovers, well wrapped beef and pork will last 2 – 3 months; poultry and fish dishes last double that!

As mentioned above, air is the enemy of longevity in frozen meat of any kind. It causes the nasty freezer burn that, while harmless, makes food disgusting! Many guidelines state that leaving the meat in its original packaging and overwrapping it with heavy duty freezer wrap such as foil, plastic wrap or freezer paper can delay freezer burn – I disagree. 

In my opinion, unless vacuum sealed, packaging leaves too many air pockets for freezer burn to form! To better preserve meat, use foil or heavy-duty freezer bags. Pro-tip: do not wrap meat in foil alone! Use wax or parchment paper first. There should be no direct contact between foil and food. Be sure to wrap your food tightly, squeezing out as much air as possible. 

Check out www.foodsafety.gov for more guidelines. 

Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago

As we continue to embrace all that October has to offer us here in Chicago, this weekend brings a variety of autumn favorite events as well as gearing up for the arrival of Halloween!

Autumn’s cool breezes are a perfect backdrop for the 6^th annual Lincoln Park Wine Fest taking place in Jonquil Park (1001 W. Wrightwood Ave.) this Saturday (11 a.m. – 10 p.m.). This fest transforms the park into an open-air market featuring wine and food pavilions where sommeliers and brand ambassadors coach you through a two-hour tasting session. A general admission ticket comes with a sample of 12 varietals of wine and a commemorative tasting glass while a VIP ticket also includes an extended tasting with five additional specialty wines! There will also be products/services of wine-centric vendors to help you become a wine connoisseur and impress your friends!

Now through October 31^st, the Lincoln Park Zoo (2200 N. Cannon Dr.) celebrates the wonderful world of autumn with Fall Fest. This annual fest is loaded with fall festive activities that include a pumpkin walk, live professional pumpkin carvers, animal viewings and learning chats, musical entertainment, an endangered species carousel, a Lionel train adventure and much more!

It’s never too early to begin celebrating Halloween, especially when there’s an abundance of events to attend! Now through October 31^st, Rizzo’s Bar & Inn (3658 N. Clark St.) in the Wrigleyville neighborhood offers their Sweet Dreams: Halloween Pop-up Experience. Guests will step into a fragmented, macabre world where 20 classic horror movies collide for an epic and twisted Halloween experience! Come meet Freddy, Jason, Leatherface and IT – if you dare!

Come have a howling good time at Brookfield Zoo’s annual Halloween celebration Boo! at the Zoo kicking off this Saturday and Sunday (10 a.m. – 6 p.m.). Don your favorite costume and check out the creatures, creepy crawlers, and more while taking memorable snapshots at the many Halloween-themed photo frames and vignettes throughout your journey.  Afterwards, head on over to the West Mall for the Crazed Maize corn maze or take a spin on the Creepy Carousel or even the Haunted Hayride. Plus, “Pumpkins To The Animals” takes place at 10:30 a.m. both days with the goats and wallabies on Saturday and the polar and brown bears on Sunday. As you exit the park youngsters will also receive sweet treats courtesy of Ferrara Candy! It’s a fun-filled and not-so-scary event for the entire family to enjoy!

In case you weren’t aware of it, it’s also the Bank of America Chicago Marathon this Sunday which means you’ll have to deal with some street closures if you’re out and about that morning. While it’s too late to be a runner, come join tens of thousands of spectators cheering on the participants as they make their way through the 26.2-mile course on the city’s streets! And while the start and finish line in Grant Park isn’t open to the public, it’s suggested that spectators head to neighborhoods like Greektown, Lincoln Park, Boystown, Chinatown and Pilsen where crowds of onlookers will be toting handmade signs, blaring music and encouraging all the participants as they whiz by!  There will be a Runner Reunite area in Grant Park (9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.) where you can meet your runner. Please note that face masks are recommended in both the reunite area and along the marathon route.  Now get out there and do some cheering!

Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago

Etta=’Keeper of the hearth’

With fall weather clamoring for rustic colors and warm fireplaces, Etta, with locations locally in Bucktown and River North, is a perfect place for family to gather, celebrate, and laugh around a wood-fired hearth. Patrons of Etta will find a celebration of rustic cuisine that is thoughtful of the season. And, just as the kitchen is the focal point of interaction within a home,  Etta’s open kitchen design gives guests that same intimate experience.

Etta creates sophisticated, yet familiar dishes using expert cooking techniques. Created by the same team that designed Maple & Ash, Etta serves a frequently updated menu of wood-fired pizzas, house-made pastas, and farm fresh salads. 

Online reviewers raved about their focaccias and pastas. “Absolutely amazing on all fronts,” raved one reviewer. “Staff, service, and the food knocked it out of the park. I could eat a boatload of the ricotta pillows. The focaccia, either kind, is a must!”

“All pastas were fresh and made in house,” another reviewer noted. “The WOOD FIRE PIZZA was really good.”

Dinner starters include a fire-baked focaccia with ricotta and honey truffle, or a bubbling shrimp, lively when combined with ginger, chiltepin chile, smoked tomato and mint. Creative and festive salads include the Little Gem Salad, with kohlrabi, avocado, and scallions with a lemon dressing. Or the Etta Chopped Salad, a unique version of the classic, with red onion, hot smoked salmon, dill yogurt, champagne vinaigrette, avocado, eggs, grains and cheese, and everything bagel spice. 

Pastas and pizzas are sumptuous, and feature unique combinations for your palate. Try the Chitara Pomodoro, with cherry tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and burratta. Or the Pappardelle, with roasted corn, duck sausage, almond and tarragon. Their wood-fired pizzas include unusual combinations, like a sweet-savory coppa and fig, with arugula, burrillo, and guajillo. An adventurous palate may also enjoy the Fire Pie- a tasty combination of sausage, giardiniera, and chile de arbol.

Families and friends can share special memories and great food by ordering Etta’s special Wood-Fired Picnics, featuring Crispy Porchetta and fire-roasted Pork Collar, served with hearth bread, lettuce cups, escabeche, caper relish, and “refreshingly spicy things.”

Brunches, served on weekends, offer wood-fired pizzas, buttermilk pancakes with roasted berry jam and whipped vanilla ricotta, short rib hash, breakfast sandwiches, huevos rancheros, and many other tasty takes on traditional breakfast and lunch fare. They also serve a special menu of handcrafted cocktails and beverages.

Etta’s Bucktown location is at 1840 W. North Ave., Chicago. They are open daily forlunch from 12pm – 3pm, Dinner hours are 5pm – 10pm. On weekdays, excluding Friday, Etta serves a Happy Hour Pizza & booze from 3pm – 5pm. Weekend brunch on Saturdays and Sundays is from 10:30am-3pm. Reservations are recommended.  For more information, click here.

Alison Moran and Dean’s Team Chicago

With low inventory in many markets throughout the country, many homeowners are afraid to sell their homes because they’re concerned that they may not be able to find a new one.

This can be a real problem, but if you are seeking to sell, upgrade, or find a new neighborhood there are a few ways to combat the low inventory.

1. Look to buy first

In most markets it is a real mistake to put your home up for sale before you start looking for your new property.

Identify the geographic area where you are interested in buying. Even if you don’t see anything while searching, it doesn’t mean you can’t or won’t find the right home.

2. Think outside the box

Be proactive! Keep in mind that there are probably many people like you who want to make a move but are afraid as well. Have your real estate agent send a letter to the neighborhoods in the geographic areas where you want to live. The letter should be heartfelt and personal while announcing that you are ready to buy a home in that neighborhood. You could find a home to buy that may not even be currently listed or for sale.

3. Protect yourself legally

Each state varies in how the purchase process is conducted. Talk to your real estate professional about adding a clause in the purchase contract for the home you are selling that will enable you to not sell the home if you cannot find a suitable home to buy.

October is the month of pumpkin and apple paradise, of harvests and festivals throughout the city. There is no better time to take advantage of cooler temperatures and Halloween looming to get outside and celebrate autumnal wonder!

The Pride is back! Chicago Pride Fest returns Friday, October 1- Sunday, October 3, on Halsted between Addison and Grace Streets. The festival features live music by headline artists Debbie Gibson, Mya and Crystal Waters and local music favorites, including American Idol’s Katy Kadan, 16 Candles, and the Chicago Gay Men’s Chorus on three stages, along with food and drink, 100+ arts/crafts vendors, DJ’s and dancing, drag shows, pet parade, games, giveaways and more. A $15 suggested donation helps pay LP performers and festival workers, and funds community programs.

Specially curated wineries join with live entertainment over an all-day, all-night vino experience during the Official Chicago Wine Fest: Fall Edition, at Lincoln Park Zoo, from noon-10pm at the North Gate,  Regenstein African Journey, 2400 W. Cannon Drive. At this 21+ event, you’ll sip premium wine to your heart’s content while live entertainment keeps the party going! Tickets are $35 – $60.

A-Haunting we will go! Navy Pier transforms into an experiential fall spectacle during their colorful, haunting Pier Pumpkin Lights. Starting Friday, October 1, nearly 1,000 festive pumpkins and lights will decorate historic Navy Pier, 600 W. Grand Ave., for the entire month of October. Lots more haunting festivities to come throughout the month, as guests explore a variety of pumpkin pop-ups and enjoy Pier-wide deals and other Halloween festivities throughout the month. Free admission.

Celebrate fall’s bountiful harvest at the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce’s 34^th Annual Apple Fest! The festivities start Saturday, October 2 and Sunday, October 3 from 9am – 6pm Lincoln Avenue between Lawrence and Wilson. Apple Fest is a long-standing tradition in Lincoln Square, bringing community together to celebrate the beginning of autumn. Shop autumnal goods at the festival’s marketplace, munch on apple-stuffed grilled cheese and apple doughnuts from local restaurants, sip cider and apple-flavored beer, catch live music performances and bring the kids for seasonal activities! Apple Fest’s 10th Annual Pooch Costume Contest gets underway on Saturday, October 2, at 10am. Prizes will be awarded for the Scariest, Most Adorable, Most Creative, Best Dog/Parent Combo, and Best Costume Grand Prize. Free admission. 

After taking a year off due to the pandemic, the citywide annual DESTINOS: Chicago International Latino Theater Festival is back! As told by Latino artists and companies from Chicago, the U.S. and Latin America, audiences will experience a rich, diverse array of Latino centric performances at marquee venues downtown, neighborhood theaters and cultural institutions. Now through October 24, the Goodman’s Albert Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., is presenting ‘American Mariachi.’ Set in the 1970’s, the story centers around a young woman determined to create an all-female mariachi band. Check the website for ticket information.

Alison Moran and Dean’s Team Chicago