Chow Down Chicago: Good Eats from the Windy City

Krupnik (pronounced "kroop-neek"), or honey vodka, is a Polish drink that can be served warm or cold and is traditionally imbibed on Easter, Christmas, and other special occasions. It was also used by Polish soldiers in World War II as a medicinal disinfectant; that's how you know it's good.  Krupnik originated in 1600s in what is now Belarus but what at the time was known as the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The original recipe for the drink is believed to have been created by Benedictine monks at a monastery in Niasviz.  And while there is no official documentation of this, I think it’s safe to say that Wojtek, the WWII Soldier Bear who served alongside humans in the Polish 22 nd   Artillery Supply Company in the Battle of Monte Cassino, probably found his way into some krupnik at one time or another. Wojtek (pronounced "voy-teck"), whose name means "happy warrior," was known to smoke and eat cigarettes, drink coffee and beer, salute, march, ...

The pepper and egg sandwich was created by Italians who immigrated to Chicago in the late 19 th and early 20 th century. The owner of Fiore’s Delicatessen in the West Town/Ukrainian Village neighborhood claims that his establishment was the first to start selling the sandwich over 40 years ago. The sandwich was created out of the need for meat-free alternatives to Chicago standards like hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches. Chicago’s Italian-American community is largely Catholic, and since 1965 practicing Roman Catholics are required to abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent, the 40-day period leading up to Easter. (Before 1965, Catholics were not allowed to eat meat on Fridays all year.)  The pepper and egg sandwich is simple but extremely rich. Basically, you take French or Italian bread—the same kind that’s used in roast beef sandwiches—and add to it anywhere between about 3 to 6 eggs that have been scrambled with bell peppers. Some restaurants add giardiniera or cheese t...