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 [...]

Impromptu Dinner Party: Brent & Ty Take Over

After returning home from a wonderful trip in Toronto, the last thing I wanted to do was eat in yet another restaurant.  I craved a home cooked meal and the comfort of relaxing in the backyard, without the annoyance of servers asking us if we were American based on what we ordered.  While trying to [...]

A Korean Story

Throughout most of my college career, one of my best friend’s was a brassy and bold Korean girl named Nicole. I remember many late-night study sessions at Steak and Shake with our 100 pound backpacks and dressed in our most comfortable pajamas. Those were the days when we consumed gallons of coffee, ate piles of [...]

Oven Roasted Corn on the Cob

I love corn on the cob and this is the time to take advantage of the juicy yellowy corn.  So the other day I decided to stop by my local farmer’s market to select corn that was harvested locally at the peak of freshness.  There’s something so refreshing about being able to ask a vendor [...]

Fresh Blueberry Sauce

One day I was planning a menu for a dinner party that was going to take place the next evening. I knew that after work, I would have very little time to prepare the food before the guests were scheduled to arrive. With the main entrée items planned and ready to be assembled, I was [...]

Cucumber and Red Pepper Salad

The sun is shining and a light breeze is blowing through my Chicago apartment office.  So I have decided a gorgeous day like today requires a refreshing and easy salad.  Cucumbers are in full season right now and my local farmer’s market is jammed full of all different shapes and sizes of the juicy green [...]

Tacos with Homemade Flour Tortilla’s and Farmer’s Market Fresh Pico

I am a firm believer that you do not need to use 100 different ingredients from fabulous faraway lands to impress your friends.  You just need to create tried and true flavor combinations with a few simple homemade twists. My best example of a meal that makes my friends squeal with joy is when I [...]

Easy Caprese

By the time mid-summer rolls around, the last thing I want at a picnic is another bland potato or pasta salad. But a salad that would never get tired or disappoint is the classic Caprese Salad. I have made variations of this recipe several different ways. Each time I learn something new that makes the [...]

Grilled Pork Steak with Apricot-Mango Sauce

This past week, I decided to step outside my comfort zone and try something different.  Since apricots are in season this month and are practically featured at every Farmer’s Market stand, I knew the soft orange fruit would be a great base for something interesting.  But I was stumped about what I could possibly create. [...]