Basil & Tomato Baked Eggs

Forget about rubbery scrambled eggs or slaving over a hot stove while frying eggs one at a time. A simple and creative way to add elegance to a Sunday brunch is to bake your eggs in gratin dishes. You can even add a splash of summer freshness with a sprinkling of snipped herbs or farm [...]

Broccoli & Cheese Quiche

Nearly 8 months ago, Brent decided to make the major career decision to leave corporate life and leap into the fabulous world of hairstyling. That’s right, soon he will graduate school and embark on making a full fledged living off of clipping, coloring and curling. And he couldn’t be more ready to do great hair. [...]

Steak & Eggs with Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise seems like the kind of sauce that everyone wants to order but nobody wants to make. In fact, I have really rarely seen this other than served over poached eggs at hipster brunch spots and fancy restaurants where the servers call me “sir”. I have to admit I have been intimidated to make such [...]

My Most Favorite Chicago Restaurants

I had the privilege of living and working in the heart of Chicago for five years.  This city offers the incredible energy of a major city, combined with a melting pot of cultures and flavors through its diverse network of neighborhoods.  I have since moved to Pittsburgh, but I still get asked from time-to-time my [...]

Grilled Angel Food Cake with Balsamic Strawberries

This was my dessert for my Impromptu Dinner Party. When life speeds past you at 100 miles per hour, it’s always good to remember to stop and savor the season’s best flavors.  Like balsamic strawberries with the tender, light and airy texture of grilled angel food cake.  The heat from the grill creates an intense, [...]

Grilled Pancakes with Balsamic Strawberries

One of my classic tricks for looking impressive, while entertaining, is to incorporate a little showmanship into the preparation of the food.  No one will notice the pancake batter came from a mix.  What they will talk about in the end is how creative it was to use the grill to prepare such a fabulous [...]

Huevos Rancheros: My Way

Weekend brunch in Chicago was a perfect opportunity to people watch over a steamy cup of hot coffee and a batch of freshly fried piles of goodness.  I can’t tell you the number of times I would be sitting on a sidewalk patio watching the world go by when a tragic mess would get seated [...]