As a chef, I am constantly searching for new recipes or my personal favorite, the ultimate recipe. Nothing can be greater than creating the ultimate succulent roast, the ultimate creamy cheesecake or the ultimate golden chicken soup. For me, this requires researching a multitude of recipes, and, much like a mad scientist, obsessively dissecting each…

Undoubtedly one of the very best inventions in food history is pasta or more commonly known around the world as the noodle. Its ease of use, versatility and price has made it a staple in countries all over the world. A rather meager combination of flour, water and eggs is transformed into an unforgettable and…

Most Chicagoans know of this wonderful Persian restaurant called “Reza's”. It seems to reign as a favorite among all Russians, partially because of the influence of the Georgians and the Armenians. For as long as I can remember my family went to “Reza's”. I always had this giddy feeling when I knew we were going for…

When I was in high school, a couple of years back (wink, wink) my friends and I found ourselves spending our weekends at the mall. We went in search for the latest fashions, the newest restaurants and, of course, some stylish boys. However, one mall was always favorable over the others: Woodfield Mall was the…

On a recent cold and windy Thursday night 14 “students” and I warmed up the kitchen and our souls in my Rustic Tuscan Cooking Class at the Sur La Table (Northbrook). In a sudden turn of events I had decided to take my cooking classes to a grander scale and introduce some of my favorite…