“Most tourists, having done some research on Chicago delicacies, order their Italian beef sandwiches "wet," meaning that a slosh of extra meat gravy is dumped over the beef once it is in the bread. They think it means they are… — Stacey Ballis Copy Share Image
“There are food stations around the room, each representing one of the main characters. The Black Widow station is all Russian themed, with a carved ice sculpture that delivers vodka into molded ice shot glasses, buckwheat blini with smoked salmon… — Stacey Ballis Copy Share Image
“Jack was the kind of guy you could take into any situation and he would figure out how to fit in. Wayne, not so… — Stacey Ballis Copy Share Image
“Volnay is prancing, head up proudly; her squat little bowlegs producing a smooth gait that would make the dog show people preen. She carries… — Stacey Ballis Copy Share Image
“Deciding that he was essentially useless, I made him a large glass of sangre del tigre- "blood of the tiger"- a lethal Bloody Mary… — Stacey Ballis Copy Share Image
“I cooked with so many of the greats: Tom Colicchio, Eric Ripert, Wylie Dufresne, Grant Achatz. Rick Bayless taught me not one but two… — Stacey Ballis Copy Share Image
“Last night I read about a dish Gemma made for the staff for breakfast, which sounded really good despite its horrible name. Toad-in-the-hole. Seriously,… — Stacey Ballis Copy Share Image
“I'm going to explode," my dad says, rubbing his stomach gleefully. He's just put down a massive sandwich piled with corned beef, pastrami, chopped… — Stacey Ballis Copy Share Image
“Miss A-la-na here seems to think that my pork medallion with caramelized-onion pan sauce is a little heavy-handed, that the onions need a lighter… — Stacey Ballis Copy Share Image
“Relax, princess. If your prince arrives, I'll vacate. Just keeping you company. Besides, he should know better than to leave a beautiful girl waiting… — Stacey Ballis Copy Share Image
“Yeah, just what I needed, a massive three-day Hostess binge, followed by a week of trying to replicate recipes so that if no one… — Stacey Ballis Copy Share Image
“Going to the gym...all those people who always told me that you get addicted to it, that endorphins kick in, that eventually you crave… — Stacey Ballis Copy Share Image
“This year I am doing praline pecans, an old favorite family favorite, easy and addictive. And a festive holiday dark chocolate loaf cake, with… — Stacey Ballis Copy Share Image
“I pick up my teaspoon and take a small bite, and am transported. The cake is nutty and moist, the cream with the barest… — Stacey Ballis Copy Share Image
“Yep," I say, cutting a large slice of the Dutch Baby pancake and sliding it onto her plate along with two pieces of thick-sliced… — Stacey Ballis Copy Share Image
“The cake is pretty simple; they didn't want anything too fancy. Two tiers. The bottom is the Frango mint tier from the cake contest,… — Stacey Ballis Copy Share Image
“In a frenetic whirlwind we chop and dice and mince, turning anything we can think of into a possible pizza topping, and packing them… — Stacey Ballis Copy Share Image
