Seasonal Ingredients.
Technical Craft.
Cooked for the People I Love.
Balkan-Mediterranean recipes from a Chicago kitchen. Wood-fire grilling year-round, technique without pretension.
Technique makes the difference
How to Build a Wood Fire for Grilling
Three types of wood fires for three types of cooking. Young flames for searing, burned-down coals for fish, and the hybrid fire for everything in between.
Reading Oil Temperature Without a Thermometer
How to know when your pan is ready by watching the oil. The shimmer, the smoke point, and the water test.
Why You Should Salt Your Meat the Night Before
Dry brining pulls moisture out, dissolves the salt, then drives it back in. The result is deeper seasoning and a better sear.
Chilled Corn Velouté with Charred Corn and Basil Oil
Sweet corn simmered with its own cobs, blended smooth, strained, and chilled. Charred corn and basil oil on top.
Crispy Squash Blossoms with Herbed Ricotta
Squash blossoms stuffed with herbed lemon ricotta, dredged in flour and parmesan, shallow-fried in olive oil. No batter.
Grilled Peaches with Prosciutto and Burrata
Peach wedges wrapped in prosciutto and seared on a plancha over the fire, plated with burrata, arugula, shaved parmesan, lemon, and olive oil.
Pan-Seared Halibut in Saffron Brodo
Halibut seared golden, set in a saffron broth with zucchini, carrots, peas, and cherry tomatoes. Chives and dill to finish.
Sausage & Chard Risotto with Lemon Zest
Risotto with browned chicken sausage, Swiss chard stirred in halfway, and lemon zest off the heat. Zest, not juice.
Strozzapreti with Sweet Corn, Pesto & Chicken Sausage
Fresh strozzapreti from Daisies tossed in a bright basil pesto with charred July sweet corn and crumbled Wanda Farms chicken sausage. A 30-minute summer pan.
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