Margaret’s Blog - Upfront and Personal

Follow Margaret with her up close and personal stories of her life, events and the adventures she has with her friends and family.

Margaret's Blog - Upfront and Personal

Follow Margaret with her up close and personal stories of her life, events and the adventures she has with her friends and family.

Monica Rothgery: Lessons from the Drive Thru

Monica Rothgery, former COO of KFC US, part of Yum Brands, shares inspiring lessons about excellence along with surprising insights into fast food kitchens. Monica’s recent book, “Lessons from the Drive-Thru: Real Life Wisdom for Frontline Leaders” goes beyond optimal team management practices and provides great advice for everyone who is pursuing excellence in their…
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Danny Meyer: A Heart for Hospitality

“Quality almost always finds its audience.”  Danny Meyer, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group   Danny Meyer is a Renaissance Restaurateur who leads and lives by the tenets of Enlightened Hospitality.  The salient core is that each business has the same stakeholders and “choosing how the stakeholders are prioritized will often create a virtuous cycle…

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Four Roses Bourbon Legend: Al Young

“For a long time, the American public was kind of fickle. They fell in love with gin, vodka and wine.  Those are all good beverages, but they kind of kicked bourbon to the bottom shelf … Now drinkers are taking another look at it. There’s more interest in the category and people are becoming more…

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No Crumbs Left with Teri Turner

Teri Turner aka No Crumbs Left is a modern day Julia Child.  She is passionate and articulate about sharing her recipes and cooking tips all while making us feel like we are in her kitchen.  Recently, Teri joined Chef Jaime Laurita and me for a Kitchen Chat in the Middleby Residential showroom in Chicago to…

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Michael Airhart and SocialWorks: Taste for the Homeless

The statistics are staggering.  According to Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, nearly 80,000 people in Chicago are facing food and shelter instability.  Michael Airhart exemplifies what one person can do to tackle a huge problem.  For many years, he has cooked meals in his kitchen, has gone out into the streets, under bridges and into…

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International Association of Culinary Professionals CEO Tanya Steel

International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) is “taking it to the next level” under the leadership of its new CEO, Tanya Steel.  Some of the founding members of IACP include Julia Child, Jacques Pepin, Nathalie Dupree and Anne Willan.  Steel’s impressive resume includes being Editor in Chief of both Epicurious and Gourmet, a best selling cookbook…

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The Iconoclast Dinner Experience: All Star Culinary Bash

“Our Chicago event is our way of kicking off the James Beard Foundation Awards weekend.  And this particular event celebrates JBF recognized chefs of color.”  Lezli Levene Harvell, Founder and Curator of Iconoclast Dinner Experience Make late night plans for May 4th and join the delicious celebration of Iconoclast Dinner Experience (IDE) with Lezli Levene Harvell, founder and…

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Trends and Tastes of Spirits with Monique Huston

Discover the tastes of terroir and enjoy a sip of the world with Monique Huston, national director of Winebow Spirits. According to Huston, “People are hip into looking at terroir of spirits and getting a sense of the land.”  Just as with wine and food, the soil and weather can influence the taste of spirits.…

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The Last Night on the Titanic: Veronica Hinke

The Titanic was a floating palace. This book is a look at the Titanic through the lens of style, culinary (food and drinking), fashion and music.”  Veronica Hinke Veronica Hinke is a highly acclaimed food writer who has always loved sharing people’s stories.  Her first book, The Last Night on the Titanic: Unsinkable Drinking, Dining…

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Ellie Krieger: Celebrate Nourishing Yourself

I”Everything in moderation and everything in celebration.”  Ellie Krieger Ellie Krieger has a passion for making healthy eating delicious.  As a registered nutritionist, author of six cookbooks, host of Ellie’s Real Good Food on PBS and host of the Food Network’s hit show Healthy Appetite, Ellie Krieger is the leading go-to nutritionist in the media…