The North Shore Weekend, March 5th, 2022 by JWC Media

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SUNDAY BREAKFAST

Simplicity reaps freedom from chaos for garden lover and Glencoe author Julia Watkins P18

WEEKEND WEATHER

NORTH SHORE FOODIE

Saturday, Cloudy, 70% chance of rain, high 53 Saturday night, Mostly cloudy, 80% chance of rain, low 40 Sunday, Partly sunny, 30% chance of rain, high 54

Nothing says comfort food like this classic Bolognese ragu P16 FOLLOW US:

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WHEN WORK COMES HOME AS WE EMERGE FROM THE PANDEMIC, EMPLOYERS ARE SHIFTING MORE JOBS TO EITHER FULLY REMOTE OR HYBRID, FURTHER DRIVING DEMAND FOR LARGER PROPERTIES ON THE NORTH SHORE WITH OFFICES OR SPACES TO BUILD THEM OUT. BY MITCH HURST THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

One of the big questions as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic was going to always be if and how our lives would permanently change—in particular our work lives. With so many companies moving to a remote working environment, there were bound to be questions about productivity and if companies could continue to maintain their businesses while having a dispersed workforce. The answers to those questions are starting to come in. Companies are now offering fully remote or longterm hybrid work situations for employees, which means the “new normal” post-COVID is going to look a lot like work during the darker days of the global health crisis. In covering the real estate market during the pandemic, The North Shore Weekend regularly noted that buyers wanted more space—for offices, for the kids to play, for quiet time—and that need for more space triggered an unprecedented demand in the market the past years that continues to this This home located at 106 Woodley Road in Winnetka includes a home office just off the master bedroom. It's just one example of the types of North Shore homes that are currently in high demand as people shift more permanently into remote work options.

Accepting Applications

for the 2022-2023 School Year 145 S. Green Bay Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045 | 847.615.6151 | www.lfcds.org/admission

Continued on PG 10

Colleen wants you to ®

Bring it to Bonhams

where you live THIS IS YOUR GOLDEN OPPORTUNIT Y TO BUY OR SELL!

CONTACT ME! 847.204.5613

colleenmcginnis@atproperties.com

We’ll sell it to the world Valuations American Art Jewelry Impressionist & Modern Art Post-War & Contemporary Art Prints & Multiples Russian Art

Contact us Natalie Waechter +1 (773) 267 3300 natalie.waechter@bonhams.com sell.bonhams.com ALBERT BIERSTADT Antelope (Arizona Antelope) 14 x 19 in. (35.6 x 48.3 cm.) Sold for $52,812

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

charmingjewel of Northfield

JUST LISTED

364 DICKENS STREET,

northfield

4 bed, 1.1 bath | .25 Acre | New Trier District Ranch

Offered at $499,900 312.925.9899 | jradnay@atproperties.com

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

*MRED, LLC #1 North Shore Closed Sales Volume 01/01/21 – 12/31/21

SATURDAY MARCH 5 | SUNDAY MARCH 6 2022 |

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

new on the market 502 GREENWOOD, NORTHBROOK

TheotokosPanagia

CONNIE@CONNIEDORNAN.COM | 847.208.1397 TOP 1% IN STATE OF ILLINOIS BY REAL TRENDS 2021-2015* #2 IN ILLINOIS BY REAL TRENDS 2021* *Top 1% & #2 in State of Illinois by Real Trends 2015-2021. This data is informational and cannot be guaranteed accurate. Data maintained by MRED LLC may not reflect all real estate activity in the market

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JAMIE JAMIE ROTH ROTH Chicago Chicago Chicago North North North Shore Shore Shore Founding Founding FoundingAdvisor Advisor Advisor My My Mylocal local localmarket market marketknowledge knowledge knowledgecombined combined combinedwith with with superior superior superiorquality quality qualitymarketing marketing marketingand and andthe the thestrength strength strengthof of of Engel Engel Engel&&&Völkers Völkers Völkersnational national nationaland and andglobal global globalnetworks networks networks give give giveme me methe the thepower power powerto to todeliver deliver deliverthe the theexperience experience experience you you youdeserve. deserve. deserve.IfIfIfyou you youhave have havebeen been beenthinking thinking thinkingabout about about selling selling sellingyour your yourhome home homeand and andwould would wouldlike like liketo to tofind find findout out out how how howto to toeffectively effectively effectivelyposition position positionyour your yourhome home homefor for forsale, sale, sale, give give giveme me meaaacall! call! call!

ACTIVE ACTIVE ACTIVE 231 231 231Dempster Dempster DempsterStreet Street Street ••• Evanston Evanston Evanston 41 41 41S. S. S.Deere Deere DeerePark Park ParkDrive Drive Drive ••• Highland Highland HighlandPark Park Park

UNDER UNDER UNDER CONTRACT CONTRACT CONTRACT 951 951 951Mount Mount MountVernon Vernon VernonAvenue Avenue Avenue•••Lake Lake LakeForest Forest Forest 14 14 14Briarwood Briarwood BriarwoodLane Lane Lane•••Lincolnshire Lincolnshire Lincolnshire 1865 1865 1865Dale Dale DaleAvenue Avenue Avenue•••Highland Highland HighlandPark Park Park 23066 23066 23066N. N. N.Apple Apple AppleHill Hill HillLane* Lane* Lane*•••Lincolnshire Lincolnshire Lincolnshire 1345 1345 1345Mansion Mansion MansionRoad* Road* Road*•••Vernon Vernon VernonHills Hills Hills

SOLD SOLD SOLD 931 931 931Westerfield Westerfield WesterfieldDrive* Drive* Drive*•••Willmette Willmette Willmette 657 657 657Chestnut Chestnut ChestnutStreet Street Street•••Deerfield Deerfield Deerfield 1500 1500 1500Sheridan Sheridan SheridanRoad Road RoadTF TF TF•••Wilmettte Wilmettte Wilmettte 422 422 422Kelburn Kelburn KelburnRoad Road Road#323* #323* #323*•••Deerfield Deerfield Deerfield

JAMIE JAMIE JAMIE ROTH ROTH ROTH Chicago Chicago ChicagoNorth North NorthShore Shore ShoreFounding Founding FoundingAdvisor Advisor Advisor

847.219.6400 847.219.6400 847.219.6400 jamie.roth@evrealestate.com jamie.roth@evrealestate.com jamie.roth@evrealestate.com jamieroth.evrealestate.com jamieroth.evrealestate.com jamieroth.evrealestate.com

Learn Learn Learnmore more moreabout about aboutyour your your neighborhood neighborhood neighborhoodtop top topproducer, producer, producer, services services services&&&your your yourlocal local localmarket. market. market.

©2022 ©2022 ©2022Engel Engel Engel&&&Völkers. Völkers. Völkers.All All Allrights rights rightsreserved. reserved. reserved.Each Each Eachbrokerage brokerage brokerageindependently independently independentlyowned owned ownedand and andoperated. operated. operated. All All Allinformation information informationprovided provided providedisisisdeemed deemed deemedreliable reliable reliablebut but butisisisnot not notguaranteed guaranteed guaranteedand and andshould should shouldbe be beindependently independently independently verified. verified. verified.Engel Engel Engel&&&Völkers Völkers Völkersand and andits its itsindependent independent independentLicense License LicensePartners Partners Partnersare are areEqual Equal EqualOpportunity Opportunity OpportunityEmployers Employers Employersand and andfully fully fully support support supportthe the theprinciples principles principlesofofofthe the theFair Fair FairHousing Housing HousingAct.*Represented Act.*Represented Act.*Representedthe the theBuyer Buyer Buyer

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

r N

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MAGNIFICENTLY RENOVATED 231 Dempster Street • Evanston • $1,425,000

agnificent renovation of this beautiful, sun-filled Federal period home steps to the Lake and all Evanston has to offer. Rich with character, including original millwork and inlaid floors, this home offers graciously

proportioned rooms and natural flow. Fall in love with the custom white kitchen open to the family room and luxurious primary suite. Enjoy the screened porch for 9-month outdoor living and the requisite 1st-floor office. Ideally located on what is often called “the first block from the lake and beach”, you can walk to the Lake and Burnham Shores Park, Dempster Street Boat Launch, beaches, Downtown Evanston, Dempster Street and Main Street shopping areas, both trains, and Northwestern University. A 10+!

Get access to all local listings from your mobile device. Scan the QR Code to visit our website.

847.219.6400 jamie.roth@evrealestate.com jamieroth.evrealestate.com

©2022 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

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Shoreline

Selling the Lake Michigan Shore Engel & Völkers has expanded into the Michigan real estate marketplace with Engel & Völkers Shoreline. We can now help with your real estate needs in Southwest Michigan, serving New Buffalo to Grand Haven. With three shops around the shores of Lake Michigan, we provide our clients with a high standard of service and collaboration.

Engel & Völkers Shoreline

Our Trusted Advisors

Carly Jones Managing Broker

Founding Real Estate Advisor

Jeremy Lund

Brian Scieszka

Sarah Wellman

312.391.3170 Carly.Jones@evrealestate.com www.carlyjones.evrealestate.com

312.351.2850 Jeremy Lund @evrealestate.com www.jeremylund.evrealestate.com

810.513.7107 Brian.Scieszka@evrealestate.com www.brianscieszka.evrealestate.com

312.485.8378 Sarah.Wellman@evrealestate.com www.sarahwellman.evrealestate.com

Founding Real Estate Advisor

Engel & Völkers Shoreline 847.208.0432 • sally.thompson@evrealestate.com • www.sallythompson.evrealestate.com Engel & Völkers Chicago North Shore • 566 Chestnut Street, 2nd Floor • Winnetka, Illinois ©2022 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Global Vision. Local Insight. Personal Touch. T

R NT

E ND

LAKE FOREST

RIVERWOODS

1360 Woodhill Road • $891,000

475 Thornmeadow Road • $850,000

*Co-listed with Monika Sobolewski

R NT

E ND

HIGHLAND PARK

2540 Highmoor Road • $750,000

343 Beech Street • $650,000

*Co-listed with Laurie Field

CARLY JONES 312.391.3170 • carly.jones@evrealestate.com carlyjones.evrealestate.com Engel & Völkers Chicago North Shore

566 Chestnut Street, 2 Floor • Winnetka, Illinois 90093 • 847.441.5730 • chicagonorthshore.evrealestate.com nd

Some sales sold while affiliated with another brokerage. ©2020 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

SATURDAY MARCH 5 | SUNDAY MARCH 6 2022 |

NEWS WHEN WORK COMES HOME

From PG 1

day. With employees now hearing from their companies that remote working is becoming permanent, real estate professionals we talked to this week said work-at-home will become an increasing factor as buyers look for new homes. “The onset of COVID brought about significant changes in lifestyles for most of us, forcing us to restructure our daily existence and concentrating the greatest attention on the development of designated workspaces or home offices,” says Joanna Koperski, a broker with @properties in Lake Forest. “In real estate, client home choices for additional interior square footage along with increased outdoor space resulted in a very positive upswing in the market over the last couple of years.” The largest increase in sales, Koperski says, was in the suburbs where larger properties are more common. She says that, somewhat surprisingly, as COVID recedes, the market is staying hot, and the need for large interior spaces is holding firm. “The requirement for a functional and spacious architectural interior with a good workspace and an exterior conducive to great outdoor living and entertaining is prevalent in every deal that has come my way,” she says. “The most significant example of this was a client purchasing an expansive Lake Forest property, with a residence of 6,000 feet on almost three acres, moving from a 2,000 square feet property in a northwest suburb.” Koperski says the Lake Forest market has been moving aggressively forward with prices rising and low inventory. Lake Forest has become attractive to buyers with its distance from Chicago becoming less of an issue as home offices have become favored.

Chris Foss, a broker with MercFoss Real Estate Team and Coldwell Banker in Lake Forest, says his team is working with several clients that require one or two offices to handle the needs of dual-income families. “We have clients who are both attorneys

INDEX

NEWS

11 learning in Nancy and Scott Santi of Winnetka continue their commitment to raise funds for the LEARN Charter School Network

LIFESTYLE & ARTS

16 north shore foodie We reinvent a classic 1891 recipe for a deliciously slow cooked Bolognese ragu

LAST BUT NOT LEAST 18 sunday breakfast Glencoe author Julia Watkins espouses simplicity to eliminate mess stress

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This Jamie Roth listing (Engel & Völkers) at 951 Vernon Avenue in Lake Forest features plenty of office space for working at home. The home is currently under contract.

and need separate, private spaces to facilitate working from home,” says Foss. “Typically, larger homes on the North Shore have a designated home office space which is very much in demand. However, buyers are becoming creative when it comes to working from home.” Foss says an extra bedroom can also make for a great home office, which leads buyers to search for larger homes with more square footage and extra bedrooms. He adds that in addition to extra space, tax benefits for the selfemployed can be

boosted as well, as exemptions are often based on square footage. For sellers, those whose houses meet the demand for extra space are definitely going to have a leg up in the market, says Colleen McGinnis, a broker with @properties in Winnetka “It is imperative that a home offer an office or at the very least extra space,” McGinnis says. “A larger home offers the ability to redefine space to accommodate work at home.” McGinnis recently had buyers from out of town who came to view a home and the market was so busy that she couldn’t even get appointments on the day they wanted. They eventually got in but that’s when the scramble started. “We knew that if we found something, we would need to move on it immediately. His requirement was an office or flexible space for a music studio and a separate entrance for students,” she says. “A home was selected with an expansive first floor. It was decided that the home worked since the living room could accommodate two grand pianos and the other first floor rooms were spacious enough for family living.” Highland Park broker Jamie Roth, with Engel & Völkers, says he’s seeing a lot of

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buyers in the market for multiple offices in the home. “I'm seeing that they want nice offices. That if it's two adults they want individual offices’” Roth says. “So, they're really looking for space for two.” However, he explains that it’s the space for offices that’s important, not necessarily that offices are already built out. As with much of the market during COVID-19, migration from Chicago is helping drive the frenzy. “Even if a company goes back to a hybrid model that's only requiring employees to be at the office part-time, those people still want an office in their home,” Roth says. “That is increasing the demand on the North Shore from the city because how many houses in the city have that kind of space until you get to the upper price brackets?” Office space is perhaps even more important now than in the height of COVID-19, says Jena Radnay, an @properties broker in Winnetka. “What I've seen the last two weeks, even as COVID restrictions are being lifted, is that office space is equally as important now as it was just in the beginning because people's lifestyles have adjusted to offices or workspaces in homes,” Radnay explains. “So, where you could have a makeshift office just because you didn’t THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

NEWS

This Lake Forest home at 969 Spring Lane includes two large offices to accommodate parents who are both now working at home. Offered by Chris Foss with Coldwell Banker.

know when you were going back to work, now it’s more concrete that you’re not going back to a central office.” She says that now, more than ever, people are looking for more permanent. office space in their homes—even if it means claiming space from unexpected parts of the home, such as an oversized laundry room.

“I think people are being creative with extra spaces in terms of where to put in offices,” adds Radnay. “I don’t think people are expecting to have two offices but as long as there's flexibility for that space to have two sets of private offices, I think that's all you really need.” Connie Dornan is an @properties broker in Glenview, and she says one office used to be on

buyer’s “wish lists” but now more than threequarters of her buyers have two offices on the list, along with an exercise room. “This really awesome family that I was working with really needed a dedicated office space, and the husband can be quite boisterous in his conversations while the wife requires peace and quiet in her environment,” Dornan

says. “A home that was languishing on the market pre-pandemic was the perfect fit for them. It has a wonderful apartment suite above the 3-car detached garage—simply perfect situation for them. He can be as loud as he wants on his calls, play his guitar and drums to 'de-stress', and the wife can work in peace and quiet in the main house.”

LEARNING IN AS CHAIRS OF THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY FUND, NANCY AND SCOTT SANTI’S LONGTIME COMMITMENT TO LEARN CHARTER SCHOOL NETWORK REACHES NEW HEIGHTS. BY MORGAN HOGERTY THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Fourteen years ago, Nancy and Scott Santi were invited by a Winnetka neighbor to explore an organization they had never heard of— LEARN Charter School Network. The years following that meeting have been spent nurturing LEARN students, mentoring LEARN leaders, and growing the LEARN system. As chairs of the 20th Anniversary Fund, these two ardent supporters have committed to help LEARN Charter School Network celebrate a successful past while planning for an even brighter future. LEARN Charter School Network prepares low-income, minority students with the academic foundation and ambition to earn a college degree. “From that very first meeting, I was really struck by the phrase ‘ambition to earn a college degree.’ For so many of us, the option to go to college was always there. I was excited to see a system focused on creating ambition, drive, and vision,” Scott recalls. Unlike other Chicago charter schools, LEARN positions itself as a college-prep school. Students are described as scholars, walls are decorated with college penTHE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

nants, and teachers proudly wear their alumni sweatshirts on Fridays. “These might just seem like aesthetic gestures, but they are actually thoughtfully planned ‘nudges’ to remind students of what is possible if they work hard and stay the course,” Nancy observes. The data supports LEARN’s success: 31 percent of LEARN students, who come from Chicagoland’s poorest neighborhoods, earn a bachelor’s degree within 10 years of 8th-grade graduation—a significantly higher rate than the national average. The 20th Anniversary Fund launches a groundbreaking goal—a 50 percent college completion. “We have been doing this work for 20 years. We know our children are brilliant and that the organization is already doing excellent work. The Anniversary Fund pro-

vides us with the opportunity to take that success to the next level,” explains Kristen Denison, LEARN Charter School Network’s Chief of Advancement and External Affairs.

The 20th Anniversary Fund seeks to raise $20 million and is the result of a 2020 strategic plan Continued on PG 12

SATURDAY MARCH 5 | SUNDAY MARCH 6 2022 |

NEWS LEARNING IN

From PG 11

crafted by LEARN’s staff, alumni, and Board of Directors. Greg White, President and CEO of LEARN Charter School Network, describes the plan as being heavily influenced by Scott, a member of the President’s Council. “Scott was in many ways the catalyst behind the plan,” White explains. “He really challenged me to have a bold goal but also to distill the goal into a simple strategy.” Under this strategy, dollars raised would accomplish the 50 percent college completion goal by enhancing five key areas: 1) social-emotional learning; 2) rigorous academic foundation; 3) optimizing staff talent; 4) student retention; and 5) alumni support. As a former educator, Nancy is keenly aware of the importance of social-emotional learning. Nancy taught in a variety of classroom settings from rural Ohio to inner-city Houston to sub-

program with the help of other North Shore women, so I was fortunate enough to experience the LEARN atmosphere firsthand. Unlike my experiences in the Houston school, LEARN actively addressed trauma by teaching students

Scott and Nancy Santi PHOTOGRAPH BY MONICA KASS ROGERS

urban North Shore. “My teaching experiences in Houston taught me so much,” Nancy recalls. “Although I was a good teacher, my efforts were failing because kids were coming to school from horrible situations at home with trauma that was going unaddressed. So, LEARN’s goal of supporting the students and the families really struck a chord with me.” She still can vividly describe her experiences from an early visit to a LEARN school. “I had organized a tutoring

coping skills and the importance of respect for themselves and others. Coping skills were emphasized everywhere from the artwork hanging in the hall to the teachers’ words, and this respectful atmosphere opened up a lot of room for actual learning.” The importance of a rigorous academic foundation also resonates with Nancy. “Our LEARN students are beating the odds and attending some of the best schools in the state—

North Shore Country Day, Latin, Whitney Young, and Woodlands Academy. Yet, LEARN alums let us know that the academic preparation wasn’t rigorous enough for the competitive high schools they were attending,” she reflects. This input led to a comprehensive plan to elevate LEARN’s academic offerings. For example, the Anniversary Fund dollars will be used to institute Algebra for All, a program ensuring all LEARN students are exposed to algebra before they leave the system. Denison elaborates, “If you don’t pass algebra in middle school, certain doors shut for you. It becomes very difficult to reach calculus in high school and as a result, certain college majors are taken off the table. Algebra for All reinforces our goal for LEARN students to have all the possibilities their higher-in-

come counterparts do.” White, who worked in the finance sector before taking the helm of LEARN in 2008, considers Scott an important mentor; a notebook at his desk is filled with advice from Scott. This advice stems from lessons learned during Scott’s highly successful career at Illinois Tool Works (ITW), an international, multi-billion-dollar company. “As LEARN has grown from two schools to 11 during our 14-year involvement, Greg and I have developed a great relationship and spent a lot of time discussing how to manage growth. It is important not to outgrow your ability to deliver quality,” Scott explains. One bit of Scott’s advice “it’s all about the talent” was influential in the creation of the 20th Anniversary Fund’s goal to retain and recruit exceptional staff. “None of this works without world-class teachers,” Scott says, “LEARN is fortunate to have some of the best, most incredibly talented and dedicated teachers out there. Frankly, there are cushier teaching jobs they could be pursuing. We want to keep them in the fold, so these teachers deserve to be compen-

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sated at a rate commensurate with their commitment, ability, and experience.” With those concerns in mind, 20th Anniversary Fund dollars will be used to create a Master Teacher Program that recognizes, rewards, and retains LEARN’s highest-performing teachers. The program also reaffirms LEARN’s philosophy of promoting leadership from within; a philosophy influenced by Scott’s own ITW experiences. Scott, who has spent his entire career at ITW, began with the company in 1983 in a sales position and rose through the ranks to become CEO in 2012 and was elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2015. From the first days of their involvement, the Santi family has wholeheartedly embraced the LEARN system. The couple’s three children, Josie, Casey, and Richard have been involved in tasks from painting the walls of a soonto-be-opened school to participating in a Pen Pal program with LEARN students to spending their Interim Week on LEARN campuses. As two of their three children attended North Shore Country Day School, Nancy served as an ambassador to LEARN students also attending the school. Nancy remembers “I would call LEARN families to welcome and reassure them and to answer any questions about school and extracurriculars. When the kids participated in extracurriculars like plays, I would attend so they would see a friendly, supportive face in the audience.” Every year, Scott invites LEARN 8th graders to ITW’s Glenview headquarters to spend a day discovering career paths ranging from marketing to research to accounting. The students are then invited to lunch and a Q&A session in Scott’s office. Denison shares that “one thing I have always admired about the Santis is that they want for other people’s children what their own children have.” This desire is evident in the 2014 donation of the Santi Family Dance Studio; a donation that reflects the Santi daughters’ passion for dance. As campaign chairs, the Santis’ strategy is as much about cultivating passionate supporters like themselves as it is about loosening purse strings. Nancy emphasizes, “We don’t want to foster relationships that are forgotten after a one-time gift in an envelope.” Denison wholeheartedly agrees. “People have described LEARN as Chicago’s best-kept secret, but we don’t want to be a secret anymore! LEARN has a proven track record of success so we are eager to welcome new supporters who are passionate about serving low-income communities. With Scott and Nancy’s help, our goal of $20 million is entirely doable. They have also introduced us to wonderful new people who care deeply about the children of Chicago and Lake County. We hope this campaign will yield not only funds but also unwavering, dedicated advocates like the Santis.” For inquiries, please email anniversaryfund@ learncharter.org, and for more information, visit learncharter.org. THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

HONORED TO WELCOME S A L LY T H O M P S O N

“ Engel & Völkers’ innovative leadership, collaborative culture, and global reach are just a few attributes that will prove beneficial in serving my clients.” - Sally Thompson

Sally Thompson 847.208.0432 • sally.thompson@evrealestate.com • www.sallythompson.evrealestate.com Engel & Völkers Chicago North Shore • 566 Chestnut Street, 2nd Floor • Winnetka, Illinois ©2022 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage independently owned and operated. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.

THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

SATURDAY MARCH 5 | SUNDAY MARCH 6 2022 |

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

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THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

SATURDAY MARCH 5 | SUNDAY MARCH 6 2022 |

LIFESTYLE & ARTS

NORTH SHORE FOODIE

CLASSIC BOLOGNESE RAGU

BY MONICA KASS ROGERS THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Known in Italy as “ragù alla Bolognese” this rich meat sauce actually has very little tomato in the sauce—a surprise to many American home cooks. The deeply satisfying flavors come from long, slow cooking of the

vegetables and meats. First referenced in a cookbook by Pellegrino Artusi in 1891, the original recipe called for lean veal, pancetta, onion, and carrot—cooked in butter—plus mushrooms, broth, and a half glass of cream which was added at the end. Evolved over the decades to include a few other ingredients, most notably tomato paste, the sauce has become a favorite worldwide.

We hewed pretty closely to the original with our Bolognese. To make it, you’ll begin with soffritto (from the Italian soffrigere, “to sauté”)—which is essentially an aromatic trio of very finely chopped carrot, onion, and celery. Once the vegetables are cooked tender, you’ll add ground beef, finely minced (or ground) veal and pancetta, plus stock, red wine, soaked-mushroom liquid, and tomato

paste and let the whole mixture simmer over very low heat for two hours. Once the sauce has reduced down, you’ll scald the milk and stir in with the cream and simmer again for another hour. Although traditionally served over tagliatelle, we like Bolognese spooned over fresh-made gnocchi, with finely grated parmesan cheese over all. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MONICA KASS ROGERS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Tbsp olive oil • 1 Tbsp butter • 2 onions, peeled and very finely chopped to make 2-½ cups • 4 celery stalks, (tops and bottoms trimmed off and discarded,) finely chopped • 3 carrots, peeled and finely chopped to make 2 cups • 1 ½ lb. ground beef • 1 ½ lb. veal shoulder, very finely minced OR 1-½ lb. ground veal • 3 oz. pancetta, finely chopped

• 1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup boiling water (You will discard the mushrooms and use the broth) • 1 cup dry red wine • 1, 6 oz. can tomato paste • 2 cups beef stock • 1 cup mushroom broth from soaking the dried mushrooms • Salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste • ½ cup milk • ½ cup cream • Finely grated Parmesan to garnish

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METHOD In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat, add oil and butter. Once butter has melted, stir in chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally until very soft; about 30 minutes. Increase heat to medium high and add the meats. Stir, breaking ground meat into small bits, and sautéing until meats are browned. Add wine and stir for one minute. Add tomato paste and stir in well. Add stock and mushroom broth. Reduce heat to lowest setting

and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Scald milk for 30 seconds and add, with the cream to the pot. Partially cover pot and continue simmering one more hour, again stirring occasionally until sauce reaches your preferred thickness. Serve over your choice of pasta. NOTE: If sauce seems too liquid, continue simmering until it reduces. If sauce seems too thick, add a small amount of cooking stock or red wine to thin. THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

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SPRING INTO ACTION THE MARKET IS ALREADY IN BLOOM.

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Jamie Roth

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S U N D AY B R E A K FA S T

SIMPLY WATKINS GLENCOE AUTHOR JULIA WATKINS SHARES HER LOVE OF SIMPLE LIVING AND GARDENING—AND THEIR RESULTANT BENEFITS. BY BILL MCLEAN ILLUSTRATION BY BARRY BLITT

Julia Watkins was hungry, circa 2000. A Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa at the time, she couldn’t exactly order an entrée at a steakhouse or motor to a drive-thru and eyeball at least 16 menu options that would eventually mute her stomach growls. “I had to learn how to garden to feed myself,” Watkins, a Glencoe resident since 2016, recalls. Good thing her grandparents Ralph and Eleanor, who lived two miles from where Julia grew up in Anderson, South Carolina, had gardens that provided most of the fare for their family lunches on Sundays. That meant Peace Corps Julia wouldn’t be overwhelmed in her quest to ingest, and survive, in Guinea. “My grandpa’s gardens were huge,” Watkins says. “Twelve beds, long beds. He practically lived in them. He’d grow watermelons, cantaloupes, tomatoes … his specialties. I was 2 when I was in one of his gardens for the first time. Seeing food, which had grown in a garden, mesmerized me. “My grandparents lived simple, self-sufficient lives.” Watkins’s life today: simple, self-sufficient. Her first book— Simply Living Well: A Guide to Creating a Natural, Low-Waste Home (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 288 pages)—was published in 2020. It’s a motivational guide. In it she shares rituals, recipes, and projects for living simply and sustainably at home. Watkins, a sustainability expert, shows readers how to eliminate wasteful packaging, harmful ingredients, and disposable items for every household area: kitchen, cleaning, wellness, bath, and garden. A bamboo toothbrush is better than a plastic one; reusable cotton bread bags (or pillowcases) wallop plastic bread bags; compostable rubber gloves vs. disposable gloves? Watkins applauds the former. Recommended projects in the book include non-toxic dryer sheets, an all-purpose citrus cleaner, and scrap apple cider vinegar. “By the time you’re

finished reading this book,” she writes, “you’ll know how to make your own cleaning supplies, natural remedies, and bath and body products. You’ll know how to use simple ingredients, plants from your backyard, and herbs from your garden to clean a grass stain, soothe a headache, and stave off a cold.” Watkins’s second book—Gardening For Everyone: Growing Vegetables, Herbs, and More at Home (Harper Collins Mariner Books, 304 pages)—launches on March 8. It’s a guide to creating and growing a backyard garden simply and sustainably—from planning to planting to harvest, with profiles of essential vegetables and herbs, ecological tips, and fun and creative projects. Wondering how to build a bean teepee? Make

wildflower seed paper? Prepare a herbal lemonade ice pop? Open book. Find answers. “I’m homey,” admits Watkins, who shares children Benjamin, 13, and Eloise, 10, with her husband, Scott Stone, a lawyer who grew up in

It surprised me, being able to develop a source of income from my love for simple living, low-waste living, and slow living.

Julia Watkins

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Winnetka and attended Lake Forest Academy. “I’m simple, natural, low-waste. Everything good has happened since we moved to Glencoe. I documented this life of mine on Instagram, and when I’m passionate about something, I go all in. My husband says I don’t have a dial. “I got my first book deal a year and a half later, and you know what? I had the book in my head. I was asked to submit photographs, but I didn’t know anything about photography. So I taught myself photography. When we left Washington, D.C. (where she had worked for 12 years in the field of environmental conservation), I thought, ‘That’s it. That’s good-bye to the possibility of working again.’ ” Her first book received waves of raves. Of the 1,144 global ratings it had generated as of February 28 on amazon.com, 85 percent of customers rated it a 5 on a scale of 1 to 5. The average review was 4.7. “It surprised me, being able to develop a source of income from my love

for simple living, low-waste living, and slow living,” Watkins says. “It is trendy, though, the idea of getting rid of the things you don’t need or enjoy and finding stress-free happiness afterward.” The inside of her house on Vernon Avenue is minimalist and allergic to clutter. Visitors enter the abode and get infected—with calmness. “I’ve always been organized,” says Watkins, the daughter of David, a golf teaching pro, and Jean, whose house would have always been an annual threat to win Tidiest in the Palmetto State—had such a contest been held. “My mom was a role model to me,” Watkins says. “She’d tell me, ‘Julia, help me clean this closet,’ because she knew how much I was into neatness.” Julia’s brother David, a lawyer in Nashville, Tennessee, liked to call his sister ‘Lisa Simpson’ because Bart’s sister in the animated show The Simpsons is a passionate activist. “And I was a passionate environmentalist in my youth,” Watkins says. “I collected aluminum cans from everybody and made sure they got recycled. I was into nature, too. Summer camps, most of them in North Carolina … those were my happy places. One month in the woods, or near mountains, or near a lake, excited me. “I had such reverence for the outdoors.” Julia, a Duke University graduate, met her future husband at, yep, a camp, this one in Maine. They were in their 20s. Both served as naturalists (counselors) at a camp that was part excursion, part academic. While Julia served in the Peace Corps from 2000-2002, she and stateside Scott were pen pals. “Scott,” she says, “wrote the best letters.” They hiked together in Nepal in the summer of 2002, when they were best friends. A courtship followed. The married couple co-founded Lookfar Conservation about six years ago. The nonprofit supports conservation and restoration projects in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. Watkins cherishes time with her children and whenever she’s bicycling. A seat on her bike makes her feel free and transports her back to her teen years. “I love feeling like a kid, and I love watching our kids play with their friends,” she says. “After our children were born, I started to develop skills and get into craftsmanship. I’d always admired people who made things. I’ve learned how to make yogurt—plain, with a little honey. I’ve learned how to make butter and soap. “For me it’s mindset before lifestyle,” she adds. “I live simply for the environment and for my sanity. Live like that and you’ll have plenty of time for what you care about the most in life.” Follow Julia Watkins on Instagram @simply.living.well, or visit simplylivingwell.com. Visit amazon. com for more information about her two books, including Gardening for Everyone: Growing Vegetables, Herbs, and More at Home (to be released March 8). THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

WHAT MAKES ME DIFFERENT FROM OTHER REAL ESTATE AGENTS? When it comes to selling your home or finding your next home, you deserve a real estate advisor who you can trust based on their knowledge, experiences and expertise. • I keep my pulse on local market trends. • As a lifelong resident, I know the North Shore very well. • I value timely and frequent communication. “ I would recommend using Laurie on the buy or sell of a home! She is a true professional in every way. Creative, resourceful, knowledgeable, a great negotiator, and fun to work with! ” As your real estate advisor, my job is to exceed your expectations and work together to make your dreams a reality. Call me today to learn how I plan to do just that!

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