I’d like to thank the Academy…

I am so pleased and honored for Make It Like a Man! to have made this listing! Seriously, Upstairs Downstairs: thank you for including us among the 50 most delicious Chicago food blogs!

People often ask me how I became interested in cooking. This seems like a good opportunity for me to tell that story. Mid-way through graduate school, I moved into my first solo place, no roommates. I could barely afford it. I’ve always loved to dine out, but to make ends meet, I made a point of eating at home … which meant sandwiches and hot dogs. I got sick of it in short order. My friend, Dan, noticing how I no longer relished my hot dogs, gave me a copy of the Moosewood Cookbook. I tackled it like a research assignment, cooking my way from the first page to the last, whether or not I thought I’d like the dishes (weird, I know … but not so much when you consider that I like almost all foods), taking tons of notes. Dan had unwittingly sparked a fire that would burn hot, provide me with a lifelong pastime, and eventually become something that I would closely associate with my identity.

A few years ago, Dan unexpectedly passed away, of a freak, medical fluke, really … and right in the prime of his life. His family told me that I’d been mentioned in his will; he wanted me to have his cookbooks. I was touched by that, but I had no idea how meaningful it would be until they arrived. There were boxes and boxes of them! Almost all of them hard-cover best-sellers, by preeminent chefs. I stacked them on top of my kitchen cupboards; they stretch half-way around the room. Every time I step into my kitchen, I look up and see Dan.

There are many other people to whom I owe my love of food, and with whom I love to share it: Keith, Don, Faculty Cuisine Club, Family Dinners, Joanie, Joëlle & Roger, Karen, Kristen, Marta, my siblings and particularly all those extraordinary dinners Kurt and I had at Les Nomades, Peter & Eric, Petronel, Randy. Tammy – remember the time I didn’t bother to show up for dinner? Scott & Dan, and Terese. Thanks to all of you!

Thanks, Dan!

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The 50 Most Delicious Chicago Food Blogs

Credit for images on this page: “Award,” from Upstairs Downstairs, “Black Tie,” from Make It Like a Man! Hover over images and/or green text for pop-up info. Click for joy. This content was not solicited, nor written in exchange for anything.

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