Two words to improve any dish. Ba, Con.
Cooking for people is an enormously significant expression of generosity and soulfulness...
You know the great irony is that people think you have to have money to enjoy fine food, which is a shame.
People want honest, flavourful food, not some show-off meal that takes days to prepare.
I’m a home cook and love to read about food, but I’m not trained as a chef. I’m just really into cooking and passionate about it.
Well, we don’t take money from people and then show the product. It has to be a product that we like anyway, and that’s true for all five of us, which is one of the really nice things about the way we make the show.
What I bring to the table is a huge enthusiasm and love for this stuff.
My place in Chicago is a 105 year old house, but I really like contemporary spaces too, so it’s refreshing and fun to be in a space where you can do contemporary things.
I’m in a loft and the kitchen is in the very center of the apartment. The whole place revolves around it.
I like to have friends in the kitchen and make a big mess and use every pot in the kitchen.
Buying stock is exactly the same thing as going to a casino, only with no cocktail service.
However, I was a restaurant critic at Chicago magazine before I worked at Esquire, and I’ve been a really enthusiastic home cook for a long time. It’s just something I’m passionate about.
I’m really trying to respond to the foods that are in the stores and just pulling the things that are the very best and cook what looks beautiful and is seasonal. That’s the way to go. I love going to the grocery store and the market. None of it’s drudgery for me. Washing dishes is the drudgery.
Planning a dinner party in a way that you’re actually capable of getting it done without panicking is important. It’s bad hospitality for the host to be freaked out.
In recent years, I’ve been writing because I’m fortunate enough to work in the world of food television, to travel and taste and learn about cooking from the best chefs in the business.
Because the show is popular, people do recognize us on the streets.
When I come home from a shoot, I’d rather reheat food I’ve made than eat takeout.
The world is full of people who would like nothing better than to spend six hours on a golf course. I would rather be chopping shallots.