Cheese Society Event July 24

Join us a for specially prepared three course dinner with cheese selection, with guest cheesemaker, Jennifer Lynn Bice, from Redwood Hill Farms. Redwood Hill is a small family farm that has been producing award-winning goat milk products for over thirty five years. Jennifer's unique, 100% grade A goat's milk cheeses have consistently been honored with gold medals and first place awards and her fresh chevre is a consistent winner in competitions. Her raw milk feta was chosen for Slow Food International's Raw Foods Ark of Taste. This Prix Fixe dinner is open to all for $60; please call 312 421 5547 for reservations, and www.redwoodhill.com for more information about cheesemaker, Jennifer's farm.

See menu

Celebrate Summer with Our First Mediterranean Summer Wine Tasting Event

More than 40 wines paired with Chef Alex's small bites will be featured on July 30, from 6 to 8pm. Join us for these tastes of summer; $35 in advance, and $40 day of event. Please call to reserve at 312 421 5547.

Join Us for Early Dinner during Kids Restaurant Week, June 21-28

Selected by Gourmet and Cookie magazines to highlight family dinner together, May Street Market joins top Chicago restaurants for Kids Restaurant Week in June. Stop in with your family from 5:00pm to 6:30pm during this promo week and enjoy three courses with choices for everyone aged 12 and older for $20.08 and a two courses with choices for everyone aged 11 and younger for $1 per year. $1 of each Kids Restaurant Week dinner will be donated to Green City Market.

Kids Restaurant Week Menu at May Street Market

"CELEBRATING THE PRAIRIE" DINNER WITH BILL KURTIS, June 22

Hear media celebrity, now turned tallgrass beef rancher Bill Kurtis, as he shares his insights about the grass-fed beef movement, how he came to found Tallgrass beef and write this new book Prairie Table during a special book signing and dinner event "Celebrating the Prairie" on Sunday, June 22nd. Dinner features a menu from Prairie Table recipes along with chef owner Alex Cheswick's dishes at May Street Market. For more information and to reserve, contact www.chicagourmets.org or 708 383 7543.

10th Annual Great Chicago Places & Spaces Highlights May Street Market as First of Tour, May 17

On May 17, join Time Out Chicago's Tim McCormick on a tour of the ultimate dining and drinking hot spots along Grand Avenue during the 10th Annual Great Chicago Places & Spaces (GCPS) festival. May Street Market is the first stop of this tour of West Town's neighborhood hot spots including Funky Buddha Lounge, Butterfly Social Club and Paramount Room. To find out how you can reserve a spot (and sample each chef's chosen dish and/or drink) on this appetizing tour, visit www.greatchicagoplaces.us.

Chicagoland Flower and Garden Show, March 8 -16 features chef Alex Cheswick as First Chef Demo of Show

Chef Alex shows how to create his May Street Market strawberry risotto with the kick off demonstration of the Garden Gourmet Program, March 8 at 11:00am, at the 2008 Chicagoland Flower and Garden Show.

Garden Gourmet demonstrations, free to all attendees, will be held daily at 11:00am, 1:00pm, and 3:00pm. At the end of each 45 minutes demonstration, the first 100 in attendance will get to sample the chef's creation. For more information about local celebrity chefs' demonstrations and the entire show, visit

www.chicagolandflowerandgarden.com

Chef Alex is Featured at Bloomingdales, Medina Temple, Chicago, March 5

Presenting a cooking demonstration using electric grills, Alex was Guest Chef on Chef Michael Foley's "Afternoon Hours" at Bloomingdales, Medina Temple, Chicago, highlighting outstanding upcoming and present talent. For more information on upcoming chef demonstrations, contact www.bloomingdales.com

CHEF ALEX INVITED FOR CHEF DEMONSTRATIONS AT WILLIAMS SONOMA  AND GREEN CITY MARKET. Sept 29, 2007

As part of the Taste America national celebration organized by the James  Beard Foundation, Chef Alex provided a demonstration of his pink banana  squash risotto at Williams Sonoma, Oak Brook, on September 29th, 2007. Chef Alex  presents this recipe with tastings at Chicago's Green City Market on Saturday,  October 13, from 10:30am to 11:00am. To see the Pink Banana Squash Risotto recipe click here

Chef Alex receives award for his role as participating chef, along  with other top Chicago Chefs  for the Taste America dinner event  from the James Beard Foundation, Sept 28, 2007

James Beard Foundation Honors Chef Alex for his Work as Chef at  Taste America Celebrating the diversity of American cuisine across 20 cities and in honor  of the James Beard Foundation's 20th Anniversary, the Taste America dinner event  was held as both a fundraiser and friendraiser for the foundation across the US  on September 28, 2007. In Chicago, Taste America was held at the Signature Room at the  95th, with a sell out crowd of 190 guests. The five course Harvest  themed dinner with wine pairings by Freemark Abbey was provided by Chefs  Alex Cheswick,  May Street Market; Bill Kim, Le Lan; Mike Sheerin,  Blackbird; Patrick Sheerin, Signature Room at the 95th and Bruce Sherman, North  Pond. A portion of the proceeds were also donated to Common Threads. Chef Alex  provided his popular Maytag Blue Cheesecake for this event, and received an  award from the James Beard Foundation for his work.

FROM FARM TO TABLE PREMIER EVENT FOR LOCALVORE WEEK, SEPT 10, 2007

SUMMER BERRY DINNER EVENT, JUNE 25
Cocktails at 6:30pm Dinner at 7:00pm

MAY STREET MARKET IS PLEASED TO JOIN CHICAGOURMETS IN HOSTING AN EXCLUSIVE DOUBLE SILVER EVENT"

Tuesday, May 15th, 2007at May Street Market 11:30am reception, followed by 12:30pm lunch Celebrating the new 25th Anniversary Edition of the Silver Palate Cookbook with special presentation and book signing by both authors, Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins $59 inclusive of luncheon with wine during two courses and reception for reservations, contact www.chicagourmets.org

This 'Double Silver' event is the single event in Chicago in the authors' 40 city book tour. Join us for the 25th Anniversary Edition of the second largest selling cookbook in the history of publishing after Joy of Cooking.

GREEN CITY MARKET EVENT

Chef Alex provides a walking tour of the Green City Market and Demonstration of strawberry risotto with warmed Spanish goat cheese, purple asparagus and aged balsamic on June 2.

Chef/Owner Alexander Cheswick presents

strawberry risotto with warmed Spanish goat cheese, purple asparagus and aged balsamic*

I add the Spanish goat cheese, fresh strawberries, asparagus, and aged balsamic for a final touch.

5 cups vegetable broth, made fresh

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup finely chopped shallots

1/2 cup strawberries, washed; hulls and stems removed, diced

1/4 cup sweet Marsala wine

1 1/2 cups Aquarello, organic Carnaroli rice

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan Reggianno

Garnish with aged balsamic, preferable something that is twenty-five years or older

6 slices of Spanish goat cheese log

diced strawberries

1 pound purple asparagus, peeled, roasted and sliced, drizzled with olive oil & squeeze of lemon juice

Method:
Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce the heat, leaving broth at a gentle simmer.

Heat the olive oil in a heavy 5-quart casserole over moderate heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, until they are translucent, being careful not to brown them. Add the strawberries and continue cooking until they begin to lose their red color and release their juices. Add the Marsala and cook until the liquid in the pot is reduced to about 1 tablespoon. Season the mixture with two pinches of salt and one pinch of pepper

Add the rice to the strawberry mixture; using a wooden spoon, stir for 1 minute, making sure all the grains are well coated. Begin to add the simmering broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Wait until each addition is almost completely absorbed before adding the next ½ cup. Reserve about ¼ cup to add at the end.

After approximately 18 minutes (from the first addition of broth), taste to see if the rice is aldente (tender but still firm to the bite). If it seems too hard, add 1/4 cup more broth and continue cooking for another minute or two. Remove pan from the heat.

Add the reserved broth, butter and Parmesan, stirring vigorously to combine with the rice. Cover and let the risotto "rest" a few minutes to absorb the flavors before serving.

Garnish with a thin slice of Spanish goat cheese, roasted purple asparagus, raw diced strawberries and aged balsamic.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.