Life

A Scrambled Egg Grilled Cheese is an easy make brunch that combines two of my favorite foods. This is the ultimate breakfast sandwich, and one of my go-to breakfasts to …

This Lemon, Rosemary, and Oregano Chicken has the perfect pairing of herbs and fresh lemon flavors. It’s a classic comfort food meal that I have been making for years. Roast …

My 5 Minute Southwest Chicken Salad is a no-cook meal that I can’t get enough of. Mixed greens are topped with diced chicken, avocado, corn, tomato, black beans, cheddar cheese, …

This Herb Roasted Tomato Soup is made with simple fresh ingredients: tomatoes, olive oil, herbs, garlic, and broth. If you use vegetable broth, the recipe is vegan. I have been …

Dessert cocktails are a simple and fun addition to holiday celebrations. Serving dessert cocktails, like these Boozy Holiday Milkshakes, is an easy way to kill two birds with one stone. …

The holidays are quickly approaching and there is nothing more festive than a sparkling cocktail. This Sparkling Cranberry Prosecco Cocktail is perfect for Thanksgiving and your Christmas celebrations. The best part …

Ready for the next installment of What to Bring to a Holiday Party? I already shared my favorite store bought chocolates, and today I have two holiday dessert recipes that …

In most households the day after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday, a day filled with shopping. At my parents’ home the day after Thanksgiving is soup day. My father …

My birthday gift from my husband was dinner at Alinea, the number one restaurant in America/number five in the world. Alinea’s owner/chef Grant Achatz’s is a culinary legend. He has been …

  Ready for a quick and easy pasta recipe with some fun fall flavors? I love creating pasta based on the bits of ingredients I find in my fridge, which …

Thanksgiving is a pop the champagne and break out the china affair. I created an easy and elegant Thanksgiving tablescape that is worthy of my absolute favorite holiday. There are several …

If I told you that some of the best tacos I have ever had were from a little restaurant in Geneva, Illinois, would you believe me? This morning I traveled …

There are some meals that I will never forget. One of those meals is the open butternut squash ravioli from Apizz in New York City. The restaurant is tucked away …

  November is here which means that Thanksgiving (and Christmas!) are just around the corner. I have been working on planning holiday recipes that are easy to prepare for a …

Having houseguests is the perfect reason to cook a fancy breakfast. My sister and her boyfriend recently came to visit and this Bacon Mozzarella Benedict was inspired by my sister’s …

Healthy eating and a busy lifestyle have a tendency to clash. My new favorite way to save time and to eat fresh healthy food is my Door to Door Organics …

October is American Cheese Month and in celebration of this glorious month celebrating my favorite food, I met with Bryan Bland, the Head Cheesemonger at Pastoral. Pastoral is a small …

Nothing says fall like a caramel apple party. On Sunday a group of my friends (who also happen to be bloggers) gathered at my home to celebrate fall and decorate …

The Pump Room at the Public Hotel is celebrating its 75th anniversary. While some hotel restaurants can be sterile and uninviting, The Pump Room, with its gorgeous globe lighting, is …

   Remember how I was talking about roasting squash the other day? I went overboard, and now my fridge is filled with squash, which means that I am coming up …

Adamus is one of the new additions to the loop dining scene, bringing life to an area that used to be a little too quiet. Adamus is tucked inside the newly …

The hardest part of preparing squash is slicing the squash. It is so hard, dense, and awkwardly shaped that it can be dangerous to cut. Recently I tried cooking squash …

The Taste Talks came to Chicago this year, and I hope that they are here to stay. The 3 day food festival was presented by Mario Batali and was curated by …

I am not sure why, but I always have lots of cheese, and lots of tortilla chips at home. One lazy Sunday it occurred to me that the best way …

  Happy Fall Everyone! Chicago is having the most gorgeous weather right now and it is making me so happy. I am trying to savor every moment because I know …

Jeni Britton Bauer is the Founder & Chief Creative Officer of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream, which has a cult following in the Midwest. When she was 22 she began selling …

The chilly fall weather, the colorful leaves, and the football on tv inspired me to make chili for the first time this fall. There is something wonderful about the scent …

Last week I dined at IPO (short for Initial Public Offering) at the W City Center with 20 of my blogging friends. We were spoiled rotten with mixology demonstrations and …

Dear Chicago, There is a new food truck in town, and it’s GOOD. When I moved to Chicago 6 years ago, food trucks weren’t a thing. Preparing food on trucks …

I have a very special treat for you today! I am sharing a recipe from Debbie Adler’s fabulous new cookbook “Sweet Debbie’s Organic Treats: Allergy-free & Vegan Recipes from the Famous …

Cocello is a new-ish Italian restaurant in River North, from the same restauranteur behind Bavettes, Au Cheval, and Doughnut Vault in River North. Located in the old Dillman’s space, Cocell0 looks …

   Yes, you read that correctly. On Saturday I hosted Blogging & Brunching and I created a build your own avocado toast bar for my guests. It was a big …

This is one of those meals that calls for inexpensive ingredients, little preparation time, and feeds lots of people. I served this at Blogging & Brunching on Saturday and several people …

Beets! They are the fall’s hottest new ingredient. They are in season right now, so this is the perfect time to try this trendy food. Beets can be sliced thin and …

Summer House Santa Monica is the sister restaurant to Stella Barra, in Chicago’s Lincoln Park. The restaurants are connected in the middle by a sweets stand, but they couldn’t be any …

Tomato season is coming to a close, and my home seems to be filled with them. No, we don’t garden, but apparently we can’t resist picking up gloriously fresh tomatoes …

  A couple of weeks ago I joined a few fellow food bloggers for a dinner at Tesori, an Italian restaurant in the Loop. Tesori is a sophisticated yet low …

I spent the weekend in charming sweltering Washington D.C. where I attended my third wedding of the summer (only two more weddings to go this year!). Not only did I …

Happy Cabernet Day everyone! I started the celebration early. Last week I was invited to dine at Chicago’s most legendary steakhouse, Gibsons, with Wine Channel TV and St. Supéry. If …

When we go to Maine my parents spoil my husband by preparing insane amounts of seafood. Fresh seafood is more expensive in Chicago than it is in Maine, and since …