Life was changed forever when ice cream was invented. Have you landed a huge deal or just enjoyed a fabulous meal?  A scoop of ice cream makes a great day… AWESOME!  Have a horrible fight with your boyfriend or get a bad grade?  Treat yourself […]

Jump to recipe: Brown Butter Almond Trout Recipe I love to fish.  I almost like to fish more than I like to eat fish (like the Brown Butter Almond Trout recipe below… super yum!), and that’s saying a lot!  Not that I’m good at it, […]

Jump to Recipe: Steamed Fish Bundles One of the best things about going out to eat is trying to make your own version at home.  I don’t have near the culinary genius to replicate what most professional chefs procure, but it’s tons of fun to […]

Firefly Grill Field Trip Last week I took a road trip with Firefly Grill’s (owners/chef) Kristie & Niall to Greenville*, IL.  This sleepy town is home to an Illinois artisanal cheese maker: Marcoot Jersey Creamery.  It didn’t take us long to realize this was indeed […]

Knoxville – Tennessee’s Hidden Gem Ok, so Knoxville isn’t exactly hidden considering it’s right off two major highways 40 and 75 and nestled on the Tennessee River on the east side of Tennessee, but it is certainly a gem and there are so many things […]

Jump to recipe: Ceviche I love ceviche but I’ve always been a little scared to make it.  I mean, come on… raw fish?  There are some things you just don’t mess with.  However when Deb and I went to Aruba we stayed at the Riu […]

Jump to recipe: Sous Vide Chicken Breast with Morel Mushroom Sauce Being a novice morel hunter myself, I sat down with Firefly Grill’s own Dean Samuel (Kristie’s dad) and chatted with him about how to find morel mushrooms here in the midwest.  Gray, white, and […]

Jump to recipe: Braised Asparagus with Feta and Tomatoes I love asparagus, but the mere thought of steamed asparagus makes me want to gag.  Steaming asparagus is a slow torturous death to this noble vegetable.  It makes me sad, especially when there are other ways […]