Old Havana Black Beans
WGN's Julian Crews' Secret Recipe

In a special Hispanic Heritage Month feature, WGN’s Julian Crews takes viewers on an exciting adventure to Cuba.  That’s where more than a century ago, his great-grandfather is said to have perfected his famous slow-cook recipe for gourmet black beans – or “frijoles negros” – as it’s known on the island.

Julian tells us the real-life story of “Julio” – the family patriarch who loved to cook for friends and family – and his devoted followers who couldn’t get enough of his classic Old Havana cooking. 

With colorful family photographs and original Cuban music (Julian comes from a family of musicians and artists), the veteran WGN reporter takes you on a tour of the old family home – in the heart of the Cuban capital city. 

On assignment to Havana back in 1998, Crews visited his home where we see the place his family used to gather many decades ago.  And during the process, we come to understand the cultural importance of traditional food in the Cuban community.   

See how Julian keeps tradition alive in his own young family.  And see how he’s following in the footsteps of his great-grandfather – bringing authentic Cuban-style cooking to food lovers everywhere. 

Later this month, Julian will be launching a Chicago-based specialty food company called Old Havana Foods dedicated to preserving the rich traditions of Cuban food, music, and art. 

For information on Julian’s labor of love, check out www.oldhavanafoods.com.

And be sure to check out Juilian's Bean Quest on our WGN Blog for more of Julian's cooking secrets.

One of Chicago's best-kept secrets is catching on. It's an underground dining club that has food lovers waiting in line to get a taste of it.

It's called Clandestino, Spanish for Clandestine, a secret dinner that is quickly becoming a well-known event.

The concept came up in San Francisco where Efrain Cuevas worked on an underground supper club. Coming to Chicago meant giving it a try. He got a license, worked with the health department to get things in order, and went to work.

To understand the concept, WGN's Lourdes Durante followed him around during one of his dinners, and on the day of her visit, he had a full house.

To check it out for yourself, you can visit the event's website called clandestinodining.com.

He's been called the Beckham of Mexico, and now, you can watch him right here in Chicago.

WGN's Pat Tomasulo takes a look at a Chicago Fire star who is also one of the most popular athletes in Mexico.

• The Official Website of Cuauhtemoc Blanco
• Chicago Fire player's roster: Blanco
• Blanco on Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  

Showtime Audio - Lincoln Park

Ana pays a visit to Showtime Audio in Lincoln Park. It all started when Jerry Villa couldn't afford the state of the art audio system he wanted for his car. He decided to build it for himself. Ten years later he is still building audio/visual systems, but this time he gets paid thousands to do it for clients - including celebrities.

• Official Site

• Address: 1317 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60622

• Phone: 773-489-7469

October is Hispanic Heritage Month and WGN is celebrating!

Dean Richards takes a look at Hispanic hollywood and the changing faces of Latinos and the lens.