The Business of Food with Steve Alexander

Garden sex

https://serve.castfire.com/audio/8521656/8521656_2026-07-17-184456.64kmono.mp3 [https://serve.castfire.com/audio/8521656/8521656_2026-07-17-184456.64kmono.mp3] Gardening guru Jim Fizzell, aka “Mr. Fizz,” has the birds and bees and the flower and the trees on his mind. It’s pollination time in our gardens. Specifically, as University of Illinois Extension describes it, the male reproductive part of a flower, stamens, consisting of a stalk-like filament topped with an anther that produces pollen. On the female side, the pistil, which sits in the center of the flower, is made up of three parts: the sticky stigma to catch pollen, the style tube, and the ovary containing ovules. Ordinarily, honey bees do the majority of pollinating but, as Mr. Fizz tells WGN’s Steve Alexander in the clip above, he’s concerned about a shortage of honey bees this summer. RECENT POSTS THE BUSINESS OF FOOD WITH STEVE ALEXANDER https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/garden-sex/ GARDEN SEX [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/garden-sex/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/pretty-cool-ice-cream/ PRETTY COOL ICE CREAM [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/pretty-cool-ice-cream/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/cereal-its-whats-for-breakfast-and-lunch-and-dinner/ CEREAL. IT’S WHAT’S FOR BREAKFAST. AND LUNCH. AND DINNER. [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/cereal-its-whats-for-breakfast-and-lunch-and-dinner/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/mr-fizz-wants-you-to-write-it-down/ MR. FIZZ WANTS YOU TO WRITE IT DOWN [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/mr-fizz-wants-you-to-write-it-down/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/going-on-vacation-heres-how-to-make-sure-your-garden-and-house-plants-and-pets-are-ready/ JIM FIZZELL: PREPARE GARDEN, HOUSEPLANTS, PETS FOR VACATION [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/going-on-vacation-heres-how-to-make-sure-your-garden-and-house-plants-and-pets-are-ready/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} Click for more [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/]

Pretty Cool Ice Cream

https://serve.castfire.com/audio/8496002/8496002_2026-07-07-201202.64kmono.mp3 [https://serve.castfire.com/audio/8496002/8496002_2026-07-07-201202.64kmono.mp3] When Dana Cree decided to open an ice cream shop, she went on Kickstarter and immediately had to make a decision: what to name it. In the audio clip above, she tells WGN’s Steve Alexander, “The first question was ‘Tell us a little about yourself,’ and I wrote, ‘My name is Dana Cree and I make pretty cool ice cream,’ and I was, like, oh my god, that’s the name!” The backstory to Pretty Cool Ice Cream [https://www.prettycoolicecream.com/] is pretty cool itself. Dana had been a James Beard-level pastry chef for more than 20 years when she wrote the book, “Hello, My Name is Ice Cream.” She knew she wanted to open an ice cream shop and while on book tour, she visited every shop she could to try to find her door in, what would be a good fit. “I thought I would be opening an ice cream shop similar to Jenny’s, but one that would bring the recipes from the book to life. But instead, I found the equipment that makes ice cream bars and popsicles and just fell in love with the format.” So, a year later, in 2018, she opened Pretty Cool Ice Cream. It is not your typical scoop shop. Nearly everything is on a stick, or in bar form. Another piece to Dana’s backstory is her discovery that after all those years working with pastries, she was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. “That made it very hard to work in the Publican Bakery, and very easy to fall into ice cream.” And, no surprise, everything at Pretty Cool Ice Cream is gluten free. She estimates she has created more than 300 flavors, but at any one time customers can find some really creative work, “like turning a Wilco song into ice cream [https://www.instagram.com/p/CyUP-oRLciz/], (Infinite Surprise) or translating the awe and wonder of Nick Cave’s Soundsuits [https://americanart.si.edu/artwork/soundsuit-80565]into an ice cream experience. And turning all of the sides from Thanksgiving dinner into ice cream flavors.” Really? Like what? “Like green bean casserole, and cornbread stuffing, and sweet potato casserole.” She walked me through the green bean casserole. “We made a porcini mushroom ice cream that was delicious, and then in the white chocolate shell we put a hint of cheddar, and then we found these dried, crispy green beans that are a snack, but they’re so lovely–they almost have a green tea flavor–and we sprinkled those over the top with just a hint of the onions, and it was good. One food writer said it was so good that Dana Cree’s palate should be insured!” Aside from those collaborations and special occasion concoctions, her goal is simple: “We really just want to hit big, fat home runs with our flavors. We’re not necessarily trying to shock everybody. So while those gain a lot of traction for their shock value, behind that are five flavors that could be anybody’s favorite, like a s’mores bar that has toasted marshmallow ice cream inside, or our peanut butter potato chip.” While nearly everything is on a stick, you’ll occasionally find pints for sale. “Our last collaboration was with Eli’s Cheesecake, so we turned their frozen cheesecake on a stick into pints of ice cream.” She describes the collaborations as a way to connect with other people in the community. “You can live in a vacuum when you work in a kitchen, and it’s really opened up my life and my heart and hopefully that of our guests to all of these other wonderful things happening in the community, and working with other creatives has been so satisfying.” It’s been satisfying to the community, too. “We try to keep a monthly community support flavor on the menu, in which we collaborate with another creative in the community… and then we pick a local grassroots organization to support. We can raise about $500, which is just a drop in the bucket for a lot of these large, wonderful charities, but for some of the smaller ones, it’s a lot of money.” She gave an example. “We found an organization in Chicago that provides money for transportation, so gas money or parking money or Uber money to families with children who are seeking cancer treatment. As a person, I can’t see myself curing cancer, but I can definitely see myself filling someone’s gas tank.” You can see, and taste, how cool Dana’s ice cream is at California and Fullerton, right next to the post office. RECENT POSTS THE BUSINESS OF FOOD WITH STEVE ALEXANDER https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/garden-sex/ GARDEN SEX [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/garden-sex/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/pretty-cool-ice-cream/ PRETTY COOL ICE CREAM [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/pretty-cool-ice-cream/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/cereal-its-whats-for-breakfast-and-lunch-and-dinner/ CEREAL. IT’S WHAT’S FOR BREAKFAST. AND LUNCH. AND DINNER. [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/cereal-its-whats-for-breakfast-and-lunch-and-dinner/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/mr-fizz-wants-you-to-write-it-down/ MR. FIZZ WANTS YOU TO WRITE IT DOWN [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/mr-fizz-wants-you-to-write-it-down/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/going-on-vacation-heres-how-to-make-sure-your-garden-and-house-plants-and-pets-are-ready/ JIM FIZZELL: PREPARE GARDEN, HOUSEPLANTS, PETS FOR VACATION [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/going-on-vacation-heres-how-to-make-sure-your-garden-and-house-plants-and-pets-are-ready/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} Click for more [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/]

Cereal. It’s what’s for breakfast. And lunch. And dinner.

https://serve.castfire.com/audio/8484188/8484188_2026-06-30-164128.64kmono.mp3 [https://serve.castfire.com/audio/8484188/8484188_2026-06-30-164128.64kmono.mp3] Whether you eat it for breakfast or another meal, cereal is arguably the most popular item in the grocery store. The cereal aisle is big for a reason: Industry and government figures show Americans purchase roughly 2.5 billion boxes of cereal every year, which translates to roughly 10 to 14 pounds of cereal per person. 94% of Americans buy cereal at some point during the year, usually two boxes per trip. And we owe it all to an invention more than 120 years ago by a fellow in Battle Creek, Michigan, named Will Keith Kellogg. It’s a fascinating history. Will founded the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company, which became the Kellogg company, and is now WK Kellogg Co. In the late 1800s, Will and his brother, John, ran a sanitarium in Battle Creek based on the health and dietary principles advocated by the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. The brothers pioneered the process of making flaked cereal, which Will wanted to keep secret because of the commercial potential. But, John allowed anyone in the sanitarium to observe the flaking process and one sanitarium guest, C. W. Post [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._W._Post], copied the process to start his own company. That company became Post Cereals [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post_Holdings] and, later, General Foods [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Foods]. Will wasn’t happy about that and he left the sanitarium to start his own cereal company. Today, the cereal company he founded is called WK Kellogg Co and is part of the giant Ferrero food company. In the audio clip above, Doug VanDeVelde, Chief Growth Officer at WK Kellogg, tells WGN’s Steve Alexander that “We really see ourselves as being in the business of joy. We’ve put the toys back in the box.” The original “happy meal,” if you think about it. (If you’re of a certain age, you may remember battles with siblings to see who got the toy first, or arguing with your mother about having to eat all the cereal before you could get down to where the toy was.) VanDeVelde said Kellogg’s newest initiative is SPOONS, an acronym designed to make it easier for cereal shoppers to find what they’re looking for: S – Simple ingredients: VanDeVelde says many Kellogg’s cereals are made with ingredients you’d find in your pantry – cooked in a similar way you’d make grains at home, just in larger batches! In fact, 75% of Kellogg’s cereals are simply puffed, toasted, flaked or shredded. P – Protein: He says adding milk to cereal brings grains and protein together to offer an easy, effective solution for building meals to help manage hunger and support wellness. VanDeVelde points to a study showing a bowl of cereal and milk has as much protein as an egg. O – Outstanding fiber: VanDeVelde points out surveys showing nearly 95% of people don’t get enough fiber. He says WK Kellogg has more than 140 options that have 3-17g per serving. O – Other nutritious foods: Cereal makes it easy to create balanced meals, bringing whole grains, fruit and dairy together to give people choices they can feel good about. N – Nutrients you need: WK Kellogg says cereal provides essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients – such as fiber, whole grains, iron and folate – that most people don’t get enough of in their daily diet. Add milk and there is the added benefit of calcium and vitamin D. S – Single-digit sugars: Often criticized for its sugar content, especially cereals marketed to kids, WK Kellogg points out that nearly half of its cereals have 10 grams or less of added sugar per serving, including a new lower-sugar option for Frosted Flakes. WK Kellogg Co Continues Transformation of Cereal Aisle with Roll-Out of SPOONS On-Pack Nutrition Guide [https://www.multivu.com/wk_kellogg_co/image/9376051-WKKC-Video.jpg]https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/wk-kellogg-co-continues-transformation-of-cereal-aisle-with-roll-out-of-spoons-on-pack-nutrition-guide-302783819.html# SPOONS will be applied to classic brands, including Kellogg’s All-Bran, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats, Kellogg’s Raisin Bran and Kellogg’s Rice Krispies throughout the United States. RECENT POSTS THE BUSINESS OF FOOD WITH STEVE ALEXANDER https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/garden-sex/ GARDEN SEX [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/garden-sex/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/pretty-cool-ice-cream/ PRETTY COOL ICE CREAM [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/pretty-cool-ice-cream/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/cereal-its-whats-for-breakfast-and-lunch-and-dinner/ CEREAL. IT’S WHAT’S FOR BREAKFAST. AND LUNCH. AND DINNER. [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/cereal-its-whats-for-breakfast-and-lunch-and-dinner/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/mr-fizz-wants-you-to-write-it-down/ MR. FIZZ WANTS YOU TO WRITE IT DOWN [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/mr-fizz-wants-you-to-write-it-down/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/going-on-vacation-heres-how-to-make-sure-your-garden-and-house-plants-and-pets-are-ready/ JIM FIZZELL: PREPARE GARDEN, HOUSEPLANTS, PETS FOR VACATION [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/going-on-vacation-heres-how-to-make-sure-your-garden-and-house-plants-and-pets-are-ready/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} Click for more [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/]

Mr. Fizz wants you to write it down

https://serve.castfire.com/audio/8478625/8478625_2026-06-26-170425.64kmono.mp3 [https://serve.castfire.com/audio/8478625/8478625_2026-06-26-170425.64kmono.mp3] In the audio clip above, Jim Fizzell, our WGN gardening guru of more than 60 years, tells Steve Alexander that an important piece of equipment needed for successful gardening is a spiral notebook. And a pen or pencil. RECENT POSTS THE BUSINESS OF FOOD WITH STEVE ALEXANDER https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/garden-sex/ GARDEN SEX [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/garden-sex/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/pretty-cool-ice-cream/ PRETTY COOL ICE CREAM [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/pretty-cool-ice-cream/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/cereal-its-whats-for-breakfast-and-lunch-and-dinner/ CEREAL. IT’S WHAT’S FOR BREAKFAST. AND LUNCH. AND DINNER. [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/cereal-its-whats-for-breakfast-and-lunch-and-dinner/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/mr-fizz-wants-you-to-write-it-down/ MR. FIZZ WANTS YOU TO WRITE IT DOWN [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/mr-fizz-wants-you-to-write-it-down/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/going-on-vacation-heres-how-to-make-sure-your-garden-and-house-plants-and-pets-are-ready/ JIM FIZZELL: PREPARE GARDEN, HOUSEPLANTS, PETS FOR VACATION [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/going-on-vacation-heres-how-to-make-sure-your-garden-and-house-plants-and-pets-are-ready/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} Click for more [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/]

Going on vacation? Jim Fizzell has advice to make sure your garden, houseplants and pets are ready

https://serve.castfire.com/audio/8464694/8464694_2026-06-19-134134.64kmono.mp3 [https://serve.castfire.com/audio/8464694/8464694_2026-06-19-134134.64kmono.mp3] It’s vacation season for a lot of us, and in the audio clip above, Mr. Fizz, gardening guru Jim Fizzell, has tips for making sure that when you get back, your houseplants, garden plants, lawn, trees, cats, and dogs are in good shape. RECENT POSTS THE BUSINESS OF FOOD WITH STEVE ALEXANDER https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/garden-sex/ GARDEN SEX [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/garden-sex/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/pretty-cool-ice-cream/ PRETTY COOL ICE CREAM [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/pretty-cool-ice-cream/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/cereal-its-whats-for-breakfast-and-lunch-and-dinner/ CEREAL. IT’S WHAT’S FOR BREAKFAST. AND LUNCH. AND DINNER. [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/cereal-its-whats-for-breakfast-and-lunch-and-dinner/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/mr-fizz-wants-you-to-write-it-down/ MR. FIZZ WANTS YOU TO WRITE IT DOWN [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/mr-fizz-wants-you-to-write-it-down/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/going-on-vacation-heres-how-to-make-sure-your-garden-and-house-plants-and-pets-are-ready/ JIM FIZZELL: PREPARE GARDEN, HOUSEPLANTS, PETS FOR VACATION [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/going-on-vacation-heres-how-to-make-sure-your-garden-and-house-plants-and-pets-are-ready/] .cls-4{fill:#000;} Click for more [https://wgnradio.com/the-business-of-food-with-steve-alexander/]