by Sara Shepherd

Morrissey's Lawrence show has been rescheduled for March 18, Liberty Hall announced today.

Doors open at 8 p.m., and the show starts at 9 p.m. All tickets for the original date will be honored. In the event you cannot attend the rescheduled date — sad! — Liberty Hall says a refund may be obtained by taking your tickets back to your point of purchase before March 18. No refunds will be issued after the show has played.

If you don't have tickets and want them, Liberty Hall has ticket information on its website.

Liberty Hall staff said they'd had the date penciled in for a while but were waiting to announce it until confirming the artist would be well enough for the show to go on. Morrissey has been battling a bleeding ulcer, which caused him to cancel his Feb. 2 show in Lawrence as well as eight others.

If you're a big enough Morrissey fan to desire more detail about his ulcer, he divulges a lot in a creatively crafted letter I highlighted in Friday's blog: "My ulcer is now under reins, even if neither asleep nor dead..."

The Burger Stand at the Casbah, 803 Mass., won Best Burger in the 2012 Best of Lawrence contest.

Zagat has taken note of something we Lawrencians have known for a while, if the Best of Lawrence contest is a fair indication. Zagat released its “Best Burgers in 25 Cities” list this week, and the Burger Stand at the Casbah, 803 Massachusetts St., is on it.

In a recent Zagat survey, the Zagat.com Blog feature explains, diners revealed they eat burgers more than four times per month. Thus, Zagat compiled the list in honor of the American favorite.

The Burger Stand joins restaurants and dives from Honolulu to Boston. (While Burger Stand is listed as being in Kansas City, I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt and assuming they’re implying the Kansas City area.)

As far is the quotes in Zagat’s summary of our local favorite go, they don’t indicate who or what they’re quoting. Maybe reader reviews? Anyway, here’s what they have to say:

“Outstanding” “gourmet” burgers and the “best” sides (“you can’t beat the truffle or duck-fat fries”) make this “cool” Lawrence joint a “new classic” whose “bustling” vibe “feels vital without being obnoxious”; service is “quick”, the bar stays open late most nights, and even if it’s not the cheapest patty-slinger around, you get to “indulge without emptying the bank.”

Kevin Anderson/Journal-World Photo.The Burger Stand, 803 Mass., creates a variety of signature ketchups. Truffle fries gets some chipotle cocoa ketchup added. by Kevin Anderson

by Sara Shepherd

Get well soon, Morrissey.

Doctors have diagnosed the British singer, who was hospitalized last week in Michigan, with a bleeding ulcer. While he's expected to recover soon, Morrissey in the meantime has cancelled six upcoming tour dates, including the show planned Saturday at Liberty Hall in Lawrence.

"Morrissey is expected to make a full recovery and thanks everyone concerned for their support during this time," according to an announcement on Liberty Hall's website.

Billboard wrote this weekend: "The former Smiths frontman — whose last album, "Years of Refusal," was released in 2009 — kicked off a U.S. trek last October in Boston. When asked by Billboard why he had decided to tour without a new album to support, he replied, 'Because a lot of people like me.'"

That's certainly the case in Lawrence, where we know a lot of people were looking forward to this show.

Hold onto those tickets, though. Liberty Hall says they're still working through details with Morrissey and his management but that they plan to reschedule. All tickets for the original date will be honored at the rescheduled date.

We'll let you know once we get any info on a rain check, hopefully in the next few days. Morrissey plans to resume his tour Feb. 9 in Las Vegas. Nationwide shows are planned through early March.

John Bourneuf, left, of Lawrence, and Maria Vopat, of Mission, have a taste of the Kansas Craft Brewers Exposition on Saturday at Abe and Jake’s Landing, 8 E. Sixth St., among hundreds of other beer enthusiasts. About 30 regional and national beer vendors were at the event, which sold out within 10 days of going on sale. by Richard Gwin

Mark your calendars for Jan. 29. Not only is it Kansas Day, it's the day tickets go on sale for this year's Kansas Craft Brewers Exposition at Abe & Jake's. And if it's as popular as last year — tickets sold out within 10 days — you'll want to get them fast.

The event is set for 4-8 p.m. March 2 at Abe & Jake's Landing, 8 E. Sixth St. (next to City Hall, in the Riverfront development). Tickets are $30, and you must be 21 or older to attend. For a list of locations to buy tickets, visit the expo's website, kscraftbrewfest.com.

About 720 people attended last year's expo, billed as the first of its kind in Lawrence and drawing about 30 regional and national beer vendors. The event, organized by the Kansas Craft Brewers Guild and Downtown Lawrence Inc., is a fundraiser for Downtown Lawrence.

Expect an afternoon of all things beer: commemorative sampling glasses and program booklets profiling the beers you're tasting, specialty glassware and other brewery memorabilia for sale, food for sale from select local vendors, guides to cheese and beer pairings from Hy-Vee, books on beer and brewing and guidelines on the Certified Beer Judge program.

Juniper berries are used in many European recipes for roasts and wild game. They also give gin its predominent flavor. by Sara Shepherd

I could write pages about how crazy my Christmas Eve/Christmas Day working/celebrating/driving/cooking schedule ended up this year, but I’ll stick to the part that involves juniper berries.

Long story short, I had to find a fairly simple slow-cooking recipe for Christmas dinner, or else. Regular pot roast didn’t seem special enough, and making braised lamb shanks was tempting but seemed daunting for six. When I found this recipe for baeckeoffe — a traditional Alsatian stew of lamb, pork and beef marinated a full day in wine — I knew it would be perfect. I also knew I didn’t have time to go on a wild goose chase for juniper berries, a key ingredient, but figured surely Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza (where we were headed for a pre-Christmas family outing anyway) would have some somewhere. Williams-Sonoma, $5, bingo!

I ended up with a fantastic, hearty Christmas dinner (which, sadly, I didn’t have time to take pictures of) — and a jar of juniper berries I hadn’t even put a dent in.

Last weekend I took to the web to find out what else I could make with the strange little spheres, which taste like pine tree if eaten whole but are much more subtle ground up or used for flavoring only, like dried bay leaves. Juniper berries — which provide the predominant flavor in gin — turned up in all kinds of European roasts and wild game dishes (which makes sense because of the woodsy flavor), plus a couple desserts that, honestly, didn’t sound very good.

This Italian pork roast, which I cooked for dinner Sunday, was delicious, super-easy and definitely worth sharing. I threw in potatoes and baby carrots for the last half hour of cooking to make a full meal.

The only problem? Even after using extra in the recipe — and having some roll away while taking photos — I still have an awful lot of juniper berries. I'm not sure about the practicality of nasturtiums in a gin and tonic, but if I decide to try this very tempting-looking one, at least I have the juniper berries.

Pork Roast Braised with Milk and Fresh Herbs (Maiale al Latte). In addition to fresh rosemary and sage, juniper berries help flavor the meat and sauce. by Sara Shepherd

Pork Roast Braised with Milk and Fresh Herbs (Maiale al Latte)

Simmering a pork roast with milk and a generous handful of herbs results in very tender meat with rich, silky juices. Many Italians will leave the milk curds that form alongside the meat where they are, but Ferrigno strains them out for a more refined sauce.

Start to finish: 3 ¼ hours (25 minutes active)

Servings: 6

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 (4 1/2- to 5-pound) boneless pork shoulder roast (without skin), tied

3 juniper berries, crushed

2 large rosemary sprigs

2 large sage sprigs

1 sprig fresh or 4 dried California bay leaves

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 cups whole milk

Preheat oven to 350 F with rack in middle.

Heat oil in a wide 5- to 6-quart ovenproof heavy pot over medium heat until it shimmers, then lightly brown roast on all sides with juniper berries and herbs, 8 to 10 minutes total. Add garlic and sprinkle roast with sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then cook until garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Pour wine over roast and briskly simmer until reduced by half. Pour milk over roast and bring to a bare simmer.

Cover pot and braise in oven, turning roast occasionally, until tender (milk will form curds), 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Transfer roast to a carving board and loosely cover. Strain juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl (discard solids), reserving pot, and skim off fat. Return juices to pot and boil until flavorful and reduced to about 2 cups. Season with sea salt and pepper. Slice roast and serve moistened with juices.

Note: The pork can be braised 1 day ahead and chilled in liquid, uncovered until cool, then covered. To serve, bring to room temperature, then reheat and proceed with recipe.

(Recipe by Ursula Ferrigno from April 2008 issue of Gourmet, as listed at epicurious.com)

Culinary Hearts, photo courtesy of Van Go Inc. by Sara Shepherd

Lawrence chefs and restaurateurs Molly and Robert Krause are teaming up with Van Go Inc. to put on a Valentine’s dinner for a good cause.

The annual Culinary Hearts Valentine Dinner is set for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 8 at Van Go, 715 New Jersey St. Tickets are $125 per person and include a three-course dinner, wine, beer and live music. Attire is “festive.” Seating is limited, and tickets should be reserved by Jan. 25 online at van-go.org or by calling 842-3797.

The dinner is a benefit for Van Go’s Go Healthy program.

According to the organization, 70 percent of its participants live in poverty and, as such, experience food insecurity and hunger. Go Healthy is Van Go’s year-round food, nutrition and healthy lifestyles program that aims to give teens tools they need to fight obesity and stay mentally fit.

Matt Poulton is owner of Queen Lizzy's Fish and Chips, winner of Best New Restaurant in the 2012 Best of Lawrence contest. by Mike Yoder

Some Lawrence folk from across the pond are collaborating to host Christmas dinner British-style — complete with figgy pudding and a visit from Father Christmas.

Queen Lizzy’s Fish and Chips Shop, 125 E. 10th St., and Brits, 929 Massachusetts St., have planned Traditional British Christmas Dinner events on two dates, Sunday and Dec. 16. For both events, doors open at 5 p.m. and dinner begins at 6 p.m. at Queen Lizzy’s. Tickets, which can be purchased at either business, are $38 for adults and $19 for children 15 and younger.

The figgy pudding, of course, is for dessert. Queen Lizzy’s chef and owner Matt Poulton, who is from England, said the traditional dish is made with raisins, currants and figs then drizzled with brandy butter. He added, "It's a delight."

Also on the menu is wine for adults, an appetizer of cherry and almond baked brie and a dinner of roast turkey, ham, Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, honey roasted parsnips, almond roasted brussels sprouts, gravy, sage and onion stuffing, pigs in blankets (British style) and buttered carrots and peas.

Poulton said Tuesday that plenty of tickets remained for Sunday but only a few are still available for Dec. 16.

“I thought it would be fun for a lot of expatriates to come to, and something the locals might find enjoyable.” he said. “We don’t have Thanksgiving in the UK, so our big thing is Christmas.”

Printmaker Patrick Vincent, one of the Lawrence Arts Center’s two artists in residence, is on a quest to turn as many Lawrencians into bugs as he can.

For free, residents can send Vincent their photo and the name of the bug they’d like to be, and he’ll create a print of their face on that bug’s body. Vincent gives an artist proof of the print to the subject, and keeps the linoleum carving he printed it with for himself. The plan is to use those carvings in a later installation.

Last time I checked with him, Vincent said he’d completed a number of bugs but was still hoping for more. Apparently, he says, a lot of people are kind of creeped out by the idea of seeing their face on a bug’s body ... which is part of the reason Vincent, who regularly uses animal themes in his artwork, picked bugs for this project. He says, "The theme of bugs is an invitation for people to connect with a part of the natural world that is often ignored or reviled."

I thought the project sounded fun, not creepy, and sent Vincent my own picture and request to be a praying mantis. (Praying mantises clearly are not smiley bugs, and this was the only demure picture I seem to have taken in the digital age. Vincent left the veil on, which is actually kind of funny given that female mantises have been known to eat their mates.) Here I am:

Sara as a praying mantis for Patrick Vincent's Bugs project by Sara Shepherd

Here’s Vincent and his own bug rendition of himself, as a honeybee:

Printmaker Patrick Vincent's self-portrait for his Bugs project by Sara Shepherd

Fellow artist in residence Monika Laskowska, incidentally, went with the potato beetle for her bug portrait. To submit your photo for the Bugs project, Vincent provides more information and instructions on his website.

One of six 2012 Phoenix Awards by Sally Piller. Submitted photo. by Sara Shepherd

We profiled each of this year’s five Phoenix Award winners in Sunday’s paper and here on Lawrence.com. But there’s another key artist involved with these awards — the one who makes the hardware that the winning artists take home.

The Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission picks a different artist each year to create the actual Phoenix Awards, and this year it was printmaker and Old West Lawrence resident Sally Piller. Piller was commissioned to make six pieces — one for each award winner and one to display at the Lawrence Arts Center with previous Phoenix Awards.

Piller described her process for creating the unique prints-slash-sculptures:

She created six color woodblock prints — using oil-based ink on Japanese washi paper — and mounted each on the back of one of the solid maple color separation blocks used to create the prints (the photo below shows a step in the process). The borders are hand-carved, rolled with oil-based ink and accented with gold-colored leaf.

Sally Piller's Phoenix Awards in progress. Submitted photo. by Sara Shepherd

She mounted the prints using gesso and rice paste, then protected them with floating glass attached with rosette screws. Here are the finished awards lined up at Sunday's reception for the winners.

The 2012 Phoenix Awards by Sally Piller. Submitted photo. by Sara Shepherd

Alex Pope by Sara Shepherd

On Saturday, over in Johnson County, a library is playing host to what has to be one of the more unusual events they’ve had.

Butcher and charcuterier Alex Pope will butcher half a hog (like a side of beef, only pork) in a public demonstration beginning at 2 p.m. at the Johnson County Central Resource Library, 9875 W. 87th St., Overland Park. Pope owns Kansas City, Mo.’s, Local Pig, an artisan meat-cutting and sausage shop dedicated to locally and humanely raised meats including beef, pork, chicken, duck, turkey, quail, rabbit, lamb and goat.

The library promises real knives, real meat. All ages are welcome, though parental discretion is advised. The event is free, and registration is not required.

"Whole Beast Butchery," one of Alex Pope's favorite food books. by Sara Shepherd

But wait — there is a connection between beast and books. Pope “learned his trade in the best way,” the library announcement says, “by reading books.”

During the event, Pope is expected to talk about how meat makes it from farm to table, demonstrate his butchering techniques and share what he learned about the trade from reading books.

The library provides this link to some of Pope’s favorite food titles.