Levy Senior Center Celebrates Four Years of Progress

By Leah Lavelle

Joseph Levy Jr. enjoys the Rothschild Enabling Garden during one of his regular visits to the Center. Some of the Garden’s planters are at a wheelchair-accessible level.

The Levy Senior Center is not an average senior center. Having celebrated its fourth year at 300 Dodge Ave. in June, the Center has adapted and developed its programs as it has its new façade - for the benefit of the entire Evanston community. This new building has encouraged more activities and greater membership, and members and staff today are enthusiastic about what the Levy Center has to offer.

The Levy Center has prospered since opening at its location next to Dawes School and James Park, but it served senior citizens downtown for more than 30 years before relocating to south Evanston. In 1970 philanthropists Joseph and Sarah Levy and the City agreed to convert a student union they had built in 1966 into a senior center, in response to a growing senior-citizen population in Evanston. The Center was centrally located at 1700 Maple Ave. (currently Borders Books and Music) and so offered seniors a convenient resource.

The Levy Center offers members a number of amenities, including a fitness room.

In 2000, with plans for the Church Street Plaza development in the Northwestern University/Evanston Research Park encroaching on the Center's space, Evanston seniors formed a committee to help the City direct the creation of a new senior center facility. Before the move, there were concerns that the Center should remain downtown for member convenience. "Many seniors rely on public transportation," said Levy Center Manager Christina Ferraro.

Yet after two years at an interim site on Chicago Avenue, the Levy Senior Center opened in June of 2002 on Dodge Avenue in south Evanston - and it seems to be thriving.

One likely reason is the Center's emphasis on activity.

"Most [senior] centers are social services with some recreation. We are completely recreational," said Ms. Ferraro. "It's about getting people to exercise, whether it's physical or psychological."

A Levy Center member since last year, Michael Marsh, 62, agreed. "When you're a senior citizen and retired, [the Levy Center] helps you get out of the house and stay active. That's the key thing -  stay active," he said. "It keeps people alive… keeps you motivated," said Tom Stipp,  a member since 2003.

The Center offers a growing variety of programs, including ceramics, Spanish, computer and yoga classes, activities like movies, line dancing and basketball, and a list of diverse special interest groups, to which a bid- whist group was recently added at the request of some of the Center members.

In fact, the structure of the new Center, inside and out, is largely the result of the fundraising efforts and design suggestions of its senior members. Many seniors complained that the earlier senior center was "older, dark and falling apart," so the new building has lots of windows, said Ms. Ferraro. The one-story Center is equipped with handrails and is carpeted and painted with colors that effect a visual transition from room to room. The Center also provides a free, 22-seat shuttle that transports members to and from locations all over the City daily.

With feedback through focus groups, Center administrators have been trying to provide the community with the programs it needs and wants. "The City was proactive" to make the Center a place for seniors but also for the entire community," said Ms. Ferraro. The City has found that this means opening the Center to the greater community during off-peak hours. "We try to be a one-stop shop. We try to take care of today's seniors and tomorrow's seniors," said Ms. Ferraro.

Thus, while the Levy Center serves only seniors ages 55 and older during the day, it opens to all Evanston residents during evenings and weekends. Before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m., younger adults take advantage of the facility's fitness room and gymnasium, among its other amenities. The Center hosts children as young as 5 for Tae Kwon Do classes and provides space for the Evanston Children's Theatre.

At its new location, the Levy Center has also been attracting a somewhat younger senior crowd - as well as its traditional members, said Ms. Ferraro. "We're different than other senior centers because we really are reaching the younger seniors right now," she said. "By younger, I mean 55 to 65, even 70." And after seeing members participate in some of the activities available at the Center, said Ms. Ferraro, "you wouldn't believe how old they are."

 Indeed, the Levy Center offers "more than just old people having coffee," said Ken Schaefle, professor of marketing at North Park University and chair of the Levy Center's Marketing Committee. It is a "growing, vibrant, interesting place," he said. Mr. Shaefle has tried to emphasize this aspect of the Levy Center when appealing to the Center's expanding market.

"One of our goals was to foster diversity" at the Center, Mr. Schaefle said. "Participation was good; we wanted it even better."

In addition to a number of classrooms, the 26,000-square-foot facility houses a game room, a computer lab and a library. The gymnasium is used for basketball games during the day, Evanston Children's Theatre at night and is rented out for private events on weekends, to name a few uses.

Yet one of the Levy Center's most attractive features is its central courtyard, visible on all sides through glass walls. Members use the courtyard as a yoga classroom, a barbecue site and an art studio, as well as the site of  a communal "enabling garden."

Created with a grant from the Hulda B. and Maurice L. Rothschild Foundation, the award-winning Rothschild Enabling Garden brings the courtyard to life with raised gardening beds, a water feature, rich plant life and beautiful landscaping. The garden was created in part thanks to the fundraising efforts of the Life Enrichment Committee, a not-for-profit group that was established to raise funds specifically to enhance the programs and featured services of the Levy Center, said Ms. Ferraro.

The Levy family, whose original donation in 1966 brought the Center into being, continues to actively support the Levy Center, with family members serving on the Life Enrichment Committee and the Levy Center's Advisory Board, and "networking in the community on behalf of the Levy Center," said Mr. Schaefle. Joseph Levy Jr. is "really dedicated to the center.…he's here pretty much every day," said Ms. Ferraro.

As it has adapted to and grown in its new position in the City, the Levy Senior Center has provided a welcome City resource, as well as a center for the community. "A lot of people call it a home away from home," said Ms. Ferraro.

"This institution makes everyone feel like they belong, like they have some function," said Mr. Marsh. He and Mr. Stipp agreed: "They take care of you here."

Orrington Team Wins Battle of the Books

On May 18, 12 teams representing District 65's elementary schools competed in the annual Battle of the Books, hosted this year at Dawes School. After three highly competitive rounds that included several tie breakers, Orrington's team, The Book Bums, with team members Hannah Green, Aaron Hellman and Madeline Hoerner, were the winners.

Orrington's faculty Battle coordinators were Paula Hudson, Joe Wilda, Amy Kipfer, Michael Likhite, Susie Metzger and Bo Bibb.

During the competition, moderator Randee Blair asked each team six questions about books from this year's Battle list. Teams had 30 seconds to answer with the correct title and author to score points, with the Book Bums earning the most points in a three-way finish with Lincoln and Oakton.

In addition to Orrington, the school teams this year included the following students:

Dawes' Determined Readers: Matthew Comfort, Eseh Omoghibo and  Gabriella Aiden; 

Dewey's Three Amigos: Emma Sherman, Eli Otting and Alex Heuer;
King Lab's Terminators: Fiona Maxwell,  Alex Klier and Andres Balcazar;

Kingsley's Eastside Readers: Grant Colbert, Maggie Davies and Henry Gruger;

Lincoln's Reader Rabbits: Sarah Posner, Ben Butler and Poul Pinchuk;

Lincolnwood's Book Fever: Jackie Donohue, T.J. Schultz and Katie Greenberg;

Oakton's Rockin' Reader Monkeys: Harry Meyers, Eva Kennedy and Elizabeth Urban;

Bessie Rhodes' Bookateers: Rachel Chery, Maya Aurichio and Karan Sood;

Walker's Radicals: Louis Sagan, Romell Harris and Alex Novak;

Washington's Bookworms: Henry Magnuson, Maddy Makoul and Kathleen Hanrahan; and

Willard's No More Dead Books: Noah Eisfelder, Jack Boyer and Madeleine Africano.

Downtown Evanston: Too Much Change

By Jessie Chatz

In the past, (I'm now going into seventh grade) every year I would be able to stand on my upstairs porch on July 4 and watch Evanston's fireworks. Now that times have changed and Evanston has grown, I cannot see them any more. All I see are high-rises.

When I go to downtown Evanston with my friends, I always notice something new going on in the new monstrous Sherman Plaza. I can remember just a few years ago that there was only one big building in downtown Evanston.

Evanston is a big town, but it is not big enough to have all these people living here, it seems almost on top of each other. There are not enough parking spaces and there is not enough room in the City for all of these people who will be moving into all these new condo buildings.

One of Evanston's best features is that Northwestern University is here. Since my siblings are older and go to college, they along with their friends, do not drive a lot.

Rendering of the new Sherman Plaza.

Evanston has spent so much money on all of these new buildings, but the aldermen or people responsible still have not put bike lanes in many of the streets. I always see kids riding bikes, but they have to be extra cautious, because they do not have a safe place to ride. Now that the gas prices are high , I hear a lot of adults talking about how they will have to ride bikes more, and a lot of adults work in downtown Evanston. So if the City of Evanston would cut back on some of the buildings and add a bike lane it would be a huge improvement.

It makes me sad to see Evanston look like a giant city. When I was little I loved going to downtown Evanston to shop at all the little stores. Now that there are national chain stores coming to town like Pier One and Ann Taylor, it makes Evanston look like Chicago's "son."

I love Evanston for its comforting qualities and loveable charm. I just hate to see it go.

On the other hand it is great to be back writing for the Evanston Round Table.

aRound the Community

Indoor, Outdoor and Wearable Art at the Fountain Square Festival. James and Deborah Greene of Life Celebrations brought their colorful hats and shawls to the festival for the 14th year. Despite a rainy beginning, the sun came out and dried up all the rain so visitors could enjoy the Fountain Square Arts Festival in downtown Evanston last weekend.

Kate Coil Celebrates 5 Years As Owner of Possibilites
Kate Coil is sharing the celebration of her first five years as owner of Possibilities, 1225 Chicago Ave. This unique gift shop has been in business for 28 years and has proved to be a staple in Evanston shopping. Ms. Coil is offering a 5-percent discount all day Saturday, July 1, for her five years in business. The public is also invited to join the Possibilities family in an open house, to be held 5-7 p.m. at the store, with wine and libations to celebrate the past five years and many more to come.

Meet with Congresswoman Schakowsky
Meet with staff from 9th Congressional District office from 6 to 8 p.m. every second Tuesday of the month in the small meeting room of the Evanston Public Library, 1703 Orrington Ave.

Ninth District Congressional District staff will be available to help constituents cut through bureaucratic red tape and get fair and timely consideration of matters at federal agencies. A few of the services provided include citizenship and immigration paperwork, claims for veterans' benefits, obtaining Social Security benefits, problems with Medicare, and help with planning a trip to Washington, D.C. Call 847-328-3409.

Willard House Seeks Volunteers
The Frances Willard House Museum in Evanston seeks docent volunteers. Docents perform the important function of introducing the historic house and the people who lived in it to visitors and tour groups of all ages.

The most important requirements are an enthusiasm for history and an aptitude for sharing it with others. Guides with diverse backgrounds from all walks of life are welcomed. Experienced docents train new volunteers. Contact Prudence Moylan 847-864-9045.

Connections for the Homeless Honors Supporters.
Connections for the Homeless recently held its annual fundraising gala, Light Up the Night. Emceed by Evanston resident Derrick Blakeley, news anchor and reporter for CBS 2 Chicago, the event drew more than 200 people. The gala netted more than $70,000 to be used for services that benefit individuals and families who are homeless or are at risk of becoming homeless in Evanston and Northfield Township. Visit www.cfthinc.org or call 847-475-7070.

July 15 Is Document Shredding Day
The City of Evanston is partnering with the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) to hold a free document destruction event, set for 9-11 a.m. on Saturday, July 15 at the Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave.

SWANCC-area residents will have the opportunity to destroy bank statements, medical forms, personal files, retired tax forms, receipts and other documents.

The service is for paper waste generated from residents t who live in a SWANCC-member town such as Evanston. No business waste will be accepted. Proof of residency is required. Call Vincent Jones, 847-448-8266.

The Federal Trade Commission estimates that 10 million Americans were victims of identity theft last year.

The Accurate Document Destruction Company, a division of Groot Recycling and Waste Services, provides some tips to prevent identity theft:
• Shred all personal documents before throwing them away.
• Do not carry your Social Security card with you.
• Make sure your credit cards arrive on time. If not, it could mean someone has taken over your account and changed your billing address to cover his tracks.
• Conduct Internet business only with established, reputable companies.
• Never give personal information over the phone, the Internet or through the mail unless you know with whom you are dealing.
• Be cautious about where you leave personal information in your home, especially if you have roommates or employ outside help.
• Get a police report if your wallet is stolen or lost.
• Do not put sensitive outgoing mail, such as credit card applications, in an outside mailbox.
• Check your credit report at least once a year.

"Digging to America"

"Digging to America" by Anne Tyler is a wonderful novel about belonging.

Two families become friends when they meet at the Baltimore airport as each of their adopted Korean baby girls lands in America. It is an unusual friendship because, on the surface, they do not have much in common.

The Donaldsons are warm-hearted, jovial Americans. Bitsy Donaldson is determined that her adopted daughter know her Korean heritage.

They are at least a decade older than the Yazduns, who are Iranian immigrants. Ziba Yazdun changes her Korean daughter's name to an American one, Susan. Bitsy insists on retaining her daughter's original name, Jin-Ho. Yet the Donaldsons and the Yazduns bond over the uniqueness of their two adopted daughters.

The boisterous Donaldsons had taken movies of Jin-Ho's arrival and every year the two families, plus relatives, get together to celebrate their children's arrival.

The first year, they were astounded to find that they had even captured a few minutes of tiny Susan's arrival. Bitsy insists they start a tradition and sing  "They're Coming Around The Mountain," just as the two girls deplane.

Over the years, a friendship develops between Bitsy's widowed father, Dave, and Ziba's widowed mother-in-law, Maryam. This is where the real issue of belonging begins. Maryam fled Iran to escape the Shah. She likes America, but it was a not burning desire to become an American that brought her here.

Dave falls in love with her because she is regal and interesting, but Maryam cannot see herself dating any man - especially an American man.

Americans take up so much room and seem so superior. She feels like an outsider. Her only son, Sami, grew up in this country and is an American through and through. But Maryam still has a slight accent and does things her own way - like steeping tea properly instead of throwing a tea bag into hot water the way Americans do.

But Maryam realizes she is not really Iranian anymore either. She has been away too long. She has changed. She does not fit in anywhere.

This novel has a charming mishmash of nationalities and cultures, all striving to the same end. The characters all want to have a good life and raise their children in peace and to attain some happiness. And that is what brought most of us Americans together in the first place.

In Annual Competition NU Robots Seek the "Holy Grail"

By Zach Brennan

A team readies a robot for the “Leap of Faith” competition at the Ford Tech building on Northwestern’s campus.
Photo by Zach Brennan

Twenty student-designed robots competed in Northwestern University's 15th annual Design Competition on May 20 at the Ford Motor Company Engineering Design Center.

The team known as "The Counselors of Piacenza" won this "Leap of Faith" competition with a mechanical arm-like contraption and collected the $10,000 prize, the highest payoff in the history of the competition.

In order to win, the robot had to project itself from one raised platform to another and then make its way down a ramp and knock over a wine goblet -  the "Holy Grail."

It was a head-to-head competition with double elimination, but most of the robots that lost ended in a destructive fall from the first platform.

The teams spent the previous six months building their robots from microprocessors, motors, gears and electronic sensors. The extensive rules restricted teams from using remote controls, producing gas emissions, and disrupting their opponents' paths. "The Counselors of Piacenza" were able to comply with all of the rules and complete the course in the shortest amount of time.

The second-place team, "Lion Hearts," won a prize of $2,000 for their simple contraption that consisted mainly of a plastic bottle, while the third-place team, "Fly High," constructed a complex helicopter that was difficult to control but still won the team $1,000.
Nearly 70 spectators cheered for the robots and enjoyed free food and music in Northwestern's newest building.

"Nacho Libre "

Milking a one-joke premise until its comic udder is dry, "Nacho Libre" stars Jack Black as Ignacio, a portly friar in a Oaxacan orphanage who moonlights as a luchador - a wrestler in the bizarre world of lucha libre, or freestyle wrestling.

Donning a red cape, a silly mask, and a pair of ill-fitting turquoise tights, Ignacio transforms himself into Nacho, possibly the worst luchador in Mexico.  Together with a gangly thief named Esqueleto (Hector Jimenez), the two proceed to get their butts kicked around the ring by snarling midgets and chiseled behemoths. 

That is really about it.  To move the flimsy story along, Ignacio's motivation changes from seeking respect and glory, to attracting the attention of a beautiful nun named Sister Encarnacion (Ana de la Reguera), to earning enough money to feed the hungry orphans a salad.    

Coming off the startling success of "Napoleon Dynamite," director Jared Hess (who also co-wrote the screenplay with Steve White - "School of Rock"- and his wife, Jarusha Hess) brings his offbeat sense of humor to his second film, yet fails to bring multiple characters with him to deliver it.  Where "Dynamite" had Uncle Rico, Pedro, and Kip to share the non-sequiturs and the silly sight gags with the title character, "Nacho Libre" relies solely on Jack Black.

Mr. Hess is enamored with his star and the way he sacrifices his uncoordinated and unkempt body for the art of making people laugh, but he overestimates how long the fat-guy-in-tights image can remain funny. 

Jack Black has an engaging screen presence, and for a while, he is fun to watch.  He belts out a song and some gas, clenches his face and buttocks, and generally hams it up as best he can, but without much help from the cast or the story, his schtick grows more tiresome as the film goes along. 

"Nacho Libre" is good for a few laughs, but calling it sophomoric would offend mature tenth-graders everywhere.

1hr 40min.  Rated PG for violence and sexual suggestions. 

Bopology's "Casino Swing"

Chicago is renowned for its rich musical reservoir.  From blues to rock, Buddy Guy to Disturbed, Kingston Mines to The Metro, Chicago is a Mecca of musical majesty.  With new bands  forming each year, several have avoided  sound-market saturation; establishing cover bands.

They have built solid followings by performing other artists' music. Their success is bound to gain the attention of aspiring musicians, who will flood the  cover band market, as well.  It seems as if, in order for them to distinguish themselves from the competition, they may be forced to focus on a specific genre, thus appealing to a specific audience. 

Enter Bopology, a cover band that devotes its attention solely to the performance of classic jazz and swing music.  The sextet's immaculate recording, "Casino Swings," sways with the swanky air of a dimly lit lounge and struts with the confidence of a craps table king. 

Of the ten chosen tracks, not one is inappropriate or less than a classic.  Louis Prima's infectious "Jump Jive and Wail" remains a vibrant jaunt thanks to the dynamic horn blowing of Steve Ragusi (tenor saxophone) and Randy Karon (trumpet).  Wisely not attempting to outdo Old Blue Eyes, Bopology's reserved take on "The Lady is a Tramp" is a welcome, mellow melody.  Bob Thornton's smooth tenor and Kevin Disch's understated piano key strikes sublimely subdue the cheeky number. 

Bopology deserves credit for interpreting revered jazz masters like Cole Porter with both aplomb and, most importantly, respect.  Two Cole Porter works are included:  the brilliant, irreverent "I Get a Kick Out of You" and the soulful, sincere "I've Got You Under My Skin." Knowing that other masters have covered Cole Porter must make for an intimidating recording session, but Bopology never flinches.  Mr. Thornton flexes his vocal range, while drummer Andy Cierny keeps his band on time until he is allowed to erupt from measured cymbal taps to flourished drum pounding. 

"Casino Swing," while not an epic along the lines of Buddy Guy's recording (an instrumental version of  "Little Wing" in tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan), is a finger-snapping, date-twirling compilation soaked in a martini.  Okay, maybe not, but it is every bit as enjoyable. 

Bopology will be playing from 7:30 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, July 11, at the Starlight Concert at Dawes Park. Visit www.bopology.com.

ETHS Adult Education Graduates Eight

ETHS Adult Education graduates are (from left) Susana Almanza, Ana Laura Cisneros, Chelsea Gayle Erenberg, Rosario Estrada, Marilyn Felix, Blanca Jimenez and Francisco Patino. Guadalupe Leon is not pictured

The Evanston Township High School Adult Education Program celebrated its 20th annual Awards and Recognition Ceremony on May 25.  This year eight students were honored for earning their General Development Education (GED) certificates.

Two graduates - Rosario Estrada and Marilyn Felix - were the 2006 Woman's Club of Evanston Scholarship recipients. Both students will continue their post-secondary education at Oakton Community College in the nursing program.

Ra Joy, a 1991 graduate of ETHS and suburban director of the office of Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, was the keynote speaker. 

Mr. Joy included a letter written by Congresswoman Schakowsky in his speech.  She emphasized "graduation as a responsibility and invitation to become further engaged in the civic life of our community" and urged the students "to contribute your unique energy, ideas, and experiences toward the promise of America by participating fully in our democratic process."

In addition, the ETHS staff and instructors were thanked for their dedication to the program. 

For more information about the ETHS Adult Education programs in Adult Basic  Education, Adult Secondary Education, English as a Second Language, and Volunteer Tutor opportunities, call 847- 424-7620.

Art Center Needs Umbrellas

The Evanston Art Center seeks umbrellas of all sorts to be used in an umbrella canopy for the first Artists' Ball. This summer fundraiser will benefit the Center's school and will celebrate the work of hundreds of adult students participating in this year's Student

Exhibition.Volunteers are designing this unique umbrella canopy to increase space for the celebration. They request donations of old, broken and unused umbrellas, which can be brought to the Evanston Art Center at 2603 Sheridan Rd. Call 847-475-5300 or visit www.evanstonartcenter.org .

EYE ON EVANSTON

Fessing Up

By John Macsai

Evanston Place is one of the buildings the author/architect John Macsai designed.

The other night I picked up dinner at one of our fine downtown restaurants, and as I handed my credit card to the proprietor, he asked if I was related to the guy who wrote those articles in theEvanston RoundTable. When I admitted that it was I who wrote them, he responded by telling me about his interest in architecture and that he is a regular reader (though he did not offer a discount).

It is hard for me to realize that the first article in the series "Eyes On Evanston" appeared in February of 2002. I am gratified to hear that many people agree with me. I am certain that just as many - if not more - disagree.

What is surprising is that nobody has yet asked about my qualifications to sound off about architecture and urban design. So I decided to "fess up" in this column and tell you about myself.

A native of Hungary (and a survivor of Nazi camps), I came to the United States after World War II on a scholarship to finish my architectural education at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. My real alma maters, the sources of my real training, were the offices of Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Architects, and the industrial design office of Raymond Loewy Associates.

I spent 45 years as an independent architectural practitioner in Chicago, designing predominantly multi-story apartment buildings, academic structures at the University of Chicago, hotels and hospitals. The last 20 years of my practice I was heavily involved with the field of gerontological design.

Some of my residential structures, I am still happy to acknowledge, are 1110, 1240, and 2960 Lake Shore Drive; Harbor House at Belmont Avenue and Sheridan Road; faculty townhouses at 57th Street and Dorchester Avenue in Chicago; 1500 Sheridan Road in Wilmette; Winnetka Muse at the northwest corner of Green Bay Road and Pine Street in Winnetka; and Evanston Place on Chicago Avenue between Church and Clark streets in Evanston.

I am professor emeritus of the University of Illinois in Chicago after teaching design at the School of Architecture for 26 years. During this time I was principal author of "Housing," a nationally used textbook, and co-author of "Eastern European Modernism," a study of pre-World War II architecture in Hungary, Poland and Czechoslovakia. I also wrote multiple articles on housing for the elderly and on romantic architecture in Europe at the turn of the 20th century.

Since my retirement in 2002 I actively paint in watercolor and gouache (Gallery 1756 in Chicago), sit on Evanston's Sign Review and Appeals Board and often testify pro bono on behalf of architectural causes I believe in, such as the Mather development at Hinman Avenue and Davis Street, or projects I strongly oppose, such as the townhouses at South Boulevard and Chicago Avenue. I take classes at the Evanston Art Center and Northwestern University and still lecture at UIC.

Most importantly, I am an active member of Design Evanston, a watchdog organization of architects, planners, graphic artists and landscape designers who - like my articles in the Evanston RoundTable - are concerned about our visual environment and about preserving worthy old buildings while fostering and guiding the inevitable growth of the modern.

Most of all, I love architecture. I love to talk about it, I love to write about it, I love to look at it when it is good. But it hurts me to look at architecture that is not what it could and should be. If our paths cross, tell me what you think about what you see around you. I would love to talk about it.

Rubs and Marinades Add Zest to Meat on the Grill

By Claire Bryant

The popular kettle-style grills are great for summer meats seasoned with more than just salt and pepper: Rubs and marinades add variety.

Meats, fish and vegetables do not have to taste the same every time they come off the grill. The simplicity of barbecuing is appreciated by grillers everywhere, but by the Fourth of July the go-to salt-pepper-and-meat combination has been done so many times that the traditional barbecue fare is nothing to look forward to.

Don't pack up the grill yet, there is a way to save guests from yet another boring burger. Making a custom dry rub or marinade is simple and allows each chef to create a unique and flavorful taste for everything from steaks to squash, no condiments needed.

Dry rubs, or butcher's rubs, are a mixture of herbs and spices that is rubbed directly onto meat or fish. "You can get a little crazy" when blending together different herbs and spices, says Kevin Bozis, manager of The Spice House, 1941 Central St.

To begin, start with ground ancho chile peppers, also known as poblano peppers, which are commonly used in rubs, says Mr. Bozis. He suggests using these as a base because they add flavor without heat, unlike many other peppers. Cracked black pepper is another good addition to any rub because of both the flavor and texture it contributes.
For chicken and fish, saffron is an excellent spice to experiment with. Although it is relatively pricey, The Spice House describes it as having "a distinctive flavor for which there is simply no substitute."

When creating a new rub, just remember, that there is no formula for what will go well together. There are endless combinations that will work well, but finding the perfect blend can take a lot of trial and error, Mr. Bozis says. No matter what goes into the rub, be sure to avoid too much salt. "You want a juicy end product… salt will draw the moisture out," he says. When the rub is ready it should be rubbed on the meat and put in the refrigerator overnight to absorb the flavors.

Dry rubs work best on poultry, pork and red meat but can easily be converted into a marinade by adding a liquid base. Marinades are composed of two parts: a liquid, usually oil; vinegar and/or wine; and a combination of herbs and spices. Using different types of vinegar, such as white wine or apple, will also make a marinade distinctive, says Mr. Bozis.

A common misconception about marinating is that it takes overnight refrigeration in order for the meat or fish to soak up the flavors. Mr. Bozis says that this is only true for red meats. Marinating, he says, only works as long as the meat or fish is still absorbing the flavors. For seafood this only lasts an hour and for chicken or pork only 3-4 hours. After this time "you won't get any benefits," says Mr. Bozis.

The choice between using a rub or a marinade is mostly the personal preference of the cook, says Mr. Bozis. They both offer equal amounts of flavor and are great ways to create a personalized dish right off the grill.