Charlie is a graduate of Triton College where he received his Associates in Applied Science in Culinary Arts. He has cooked in various roles throughout the area. While trained in the French style of cooking, he enjoys working with pastries and other ethnic cuisines, such as Italian and Latin food. When he isn't working as a class assistant at The Chopping Block, he is usually riding his bike, cooking up something in the kitchen, or reading a good book.
Recent Posts
The Power of Polenta
Polenta is an ingredient that may sound exotic and unapproachable, but it is in fact, easy to make, and even better… it's delicious! Every cook knows you should always try a food at least once, ...
To some it's a powerful culinary ingredient, to others basil holds religious and medical significance, while others simply put it on their bruschetta. Basil is common and one of the oldest herbs ...
You have a $20 bag of coffee and your new French press. Now, it's time to put away your granulated sugar and elevate your coffee with simple syrup. Simple syrup is easy to make and has multiple uses ...
In the past 15 years, cocktails have gotten more and more complicated. Mixologists behind the bar can make creating a drink look like chemistry, rather than an adult beverage. But you don't need ...
Cheese is known for many things including taste, mouthfeel, texture, and smell. Each cheese has its own specific flavors, some are mild and some are extremely pungent. One of the most flavorful ...
I have always loved the combination of sweet, savory and salty. Sweet and savory can't go hand in hand without salt. Salt bridges the two together to create some pretty incredible flavors.
Traveling 946 miles to New Orleans is a long trip. The drive from Chicago is a little over 14 hours. In those very long 14 hours passing through the middle of ‘Merica you are bound to get hungry (we ...
It's now summer, so it's a great time to relive Summercamp and dream about other festival food I will eat this summer. Festival food has evolved into its own subculture, such as Crawfish Monica at ...
Nothing is more satisfying than learning how to change the texture and consistency of a sauce. A great roux can take something that was once watery, and in a matter of minutes, transform it into a ...
New Orleans, also known as "The Big Easy", is synonymous with jazz, culture and amazing food. Near the end of April, Jazzfest, an annual music festival, takes place over two weekends, featuring all ...
