Chef at The Chopping Block since: 2019
Favorite class to teach: Evening in New Orleans
Training/education: High school diploma and nearly 14 years training on the job
Cooking since: 2005
Favorite childhood food experience: Mom first teaching me to cook.
What made you want to become a chef? Curiosity over how far I could follow my instincts.
What is your signature dish? Truffle Risotto with Morel Mushrooms
What are the 5 ingredients you can't live without? Salt, butter, nutmeg, fresh thyme, bacon
What do you love about cooking? Freedom of creativity
When you're creating a new recipe, what influences and inspires you? Experimentation in combining old techniques in a new way.
What advice would you give a new cook? Follow the heart first and the wallet second.
What are you doing when you're not cooking? Thinking about cooking.
Describe your perfect evening. Delicious scratch-made dinner and a good bottle of wine.
If you had friends in from out of town, where would you take them to eat? Tanooshi or Little Bad Wolf
Where are you from? Chicago
What was your favorite vacation? Escaping Chicago winters on a Florida beach.
What are your hobbies? Crafting spice blends and knife sharpening
What is your favorite band? Alice Cooper
What is your favorite sports team? Chicago Cubs
If you could have dinner with one person, who would it be? Albert Einstein
What are your guilty pleasures? Ice cream
Who is your favorite celebrity chef? Anthony Bourdain
What 5 tools should every new cook have in the kitchen? Chef knife, fish spatula, bench knife, cast iron pan, microplane
What resources would you suggest for Chopping Block clients? Draw inspirations from anywhere you can, take multiple recipes from multiple sources and make one all your own.
List three of your favorite tips or techniques you use in the kitchen.
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