French Fry Testing – The Final Submission

Click Here to View Slideshow in Flickr A voice in the back of my head told me it’s time to put my pencil down. The testing was now over. For nearly four weeks, I have been experimenting and testing new fry flavors for the Alexia Foods “Reinvent a Classic” challenge. Boy, it sure was a [...]

French Fry Testing – Week 2

The best way to receive nearly immediate feedback when I test recipes is to throw a dinner party. This weekend was no exception. I was toying with three main flavor ideas for the Alexia Foods “Reinvent a Classic” challenge and desperately needed critiques before I moved forward. So I turned to my friends Jimmy and [...]

Up Close & Personal with Berries

The sun emerged in the distant horizon as we huddled in the orchard parking lot. We ate fresh baked scones and sipped morning beverages while a rooster announced the start of another glorious morning. The scones, prepared by my friend Barb, were buttery and flaky with dots of chocolate chips throughout. Barb took a bite [...]

French Fry Testing: Week 1

While I’m no stranger to the crispy and golden world of fries, I honestly had never tried Alexia Foods natural fries until I was invited to participate in their “Reinventing a Classic” challenge. My first week focused on taste testing as many varieties of their fry products as I could handle. This approach is allowing [...]

Reinventing a Classic with Alexia Foods

No matter how they are sliced or seasoned, fries have always been a favorite food group in my life. I remember surviving many late night study sessions with a heaping pile of chili cheese fries shared among friends and washed down with a milkshake. Even as my tastes have matured, my desires have shifted towards [...]

Summer Fun: New Food Tour & Pittsburgh Today Live

The lights dimmed in the KDKA studio as a voice in the background announced “we’re back in 5 seconds.” It was at that moment I realized this wasn’t a dream. I was going to be on live TV. I have the honor of working with Sylvia McCoy, founder of Burgh Bits and Bites, to develop [...]

A Celebration of Strawberry Proportions

The email notification on my iPhone buzzed like it has done nearly 1,000 times before. Except, this particular message was different from the others. It was from an editor at Fine Cooking Magazine interested in including my Balsamic Strawberry Shortcake photo for their Best of Blogs section on FineCooking.com. I squealed like a teenage girl [...]

Foodbuzz 24X24: An Intimate Celebration of Italian Flavor

Pittsburgh’s historic Strip District Market was alive with the energy of spring as I wove between the hoards of strollers and walkers to reach my favorite shops. I was a man on a mission to find the best ingredients for a dinner party I was hosting later in the evening. The clock was ticking and [...]

An Edible Feast for the Eyes

The warmth of the sun inside the greenhouse caused delicate beads of sweat to form across my brow as I navigated the hose between the plants. My classmates and I have been growing a variety of herbs, greens and flowers over the past several weeks for our Sustainable Agriculture course. It’s been fun to watch [...]

My New Excuse to Think About Food 24/7

Starting a master’s degree is a big decision that has crossed my mind several times throughout the years. But there was always something that held me back from submitting the application. Even after countless campus tours with admissions advisors of various MBA, culinary and organizational leadership programs — nothing really felt like the right fit [...]

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