Category Archives: Uncategorized

I watched Paolo peering into my open refrigerator, arm draped over the door, scanning its brightly lit contents determined to select ingredients for the “delicious sauce” he had promised to make for dinner that night.  He had just arrived from … Continue reading →

There is something comforting about following long-established traditions which for me bring a sense of continuity to an otherwise hectic world. Christmas rituals especially seem to capture a certain kind of magic that reminds us of the strength and importance of … Continue reading →

Each November, moments after the Thanksgiving leftovers are stuffed into the refrigerator and the autumnal-themed decorations are taken down, I begin to feel the magic of the Christmas season.  The woodsy fragrance of evergreens, the crisp, cold air of December … Continue reading →

  In 1988 I was chosen to be one of fifteen award-winning chefs assembled by American Airlines as an elite culinary consultation team tasked with developing the penultimate in-flight food service.  In the Spring of 1989, all of us arrived at American … Continue reading →

A simple cup of coffee in the morning always brightens my mood and gives me the spark I need to seize the day.  But when that cup of coffee was shared with my mentor, friend and Café Provencal owner Leslee … Continue reading →

Sautéing, braising and searing are just a few of the culinary skills I accumulated on the road to becoming a cook.   And while there are some moments in my culinary education where I can identify the precise moment I learned … Continue reading →

  It is the summer of 1979.  I am standing – tired and sweaty, surrounded by a sea of cardboard boxes – in a brand-new kitchen in Glencoe Illinois where we have relocated after spending three years living outside London.  … Continue reading →

  The greatest cities of Europe – Paris, Rome, Berlin – were just a short distance away from where we lived outside of London during the three years I lived in England.  Because I could fly to France or Italy … Continue reading →

  Almost immediately after my move to England I became entranced by the customs and festive events of the British people.  The rich tapestry of ritual and tradition deliciously woven into all aspects of the country’s social practices captured my … Continue reading →

It wasn’t until I finally learned how to pronounce Oxshott – the small, wooded English village where my family and I resided for over three years beginning in the summer of 1976 – that I was able to actually get … Continue reading →