The Importance of a Balanced Diet
As the year continues, it is important to keep those new year resolutions and goals going. Whether it’s...
Continue ReadingAs the year continues, it is important to keep those new year resolutions and goals going. Whether it’s...
Continue ReadingLooking for great fried chicken in Chicago? CBCI has great options here. Crispy chicken alongside hot sauce or honey...
Continue ReadingYou know the saying “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” well of course it is....
Continue ReadingThis Valentine’s Day treat yourself and your partner to a special and safe date night. Finding things to...
Continue ReadingYes, it’s that time of year. Whether your team made it or not Super Bowl parties are always...
Continue ReadingCrock pots although easy to use are not often brought out for the average home cook. Luxury and...
Continue ReadingThanksgiving and Christmas highlight many baked goods, particularly sweet pies. But pies do not always have to be...
Continue ReadingOnion soup has been popular for centuries. Check out this CBCI recipe so you can have a cozy...
Continue ReadingHot tea has become increasingly popular in recent years for a variety of reasons. An introduction to new...
Continue ReadingThe holiday season brings out everyone’s sweet tooth. Cakes are synonymous with this time of years. CBCI chefs...
Continue ReadingCBCI Chef Charlie Baggs loves to try new and interesting dishes from around the world. That is why...
Continue ReadingThanksgiving is a holiday loved by many people, and here at CBCI there is no exception. Hosting this...
Continue ReadingHere at Culinary Innovations, we know that Thanksgiving can be an overwhelming time of year whether you love...
Continue ReadingPrepared Foods’ 18th Annual Spirit of Innovation Awards honor research and development teams that collaborate. In addition, these...
Continue ReadingA major concern with all diets particularly vegitarian and vegan diets is a lack of protein. A well...
Continue ReadingThe Centers for Disease Control Prevention has laid down specific rules and guidelines to help restaurant owners educate...
Continue ReadingA sea change is occurring as to how food retail will challenge its competitive advantage and remain relevant...
Continue ReadingFood retail shopping is evolving as consumers increasingly look for meals and menus over stock-ups. Basket size gets...
Continue ReadingAs we focus on product development there are control points we employ to evaluate and optimize flavors. Given...
Continue ReadingKitchen experience imparts sauce, butchering and roasting skills Food scientists from well-known food industry companies spent a week...
Continue ReadingOnline behaviors meet the restaurant business Recent data from food culture trend watcher The Hartman Group, tracks another...
Continue ReadingRetail kit growth could impact restaurant business Recently we learned that Walmart is planning to introduce prepared foods...
Continue ReadingWe have so many products and processes to work with and flavors to choose from globally, that replicating...
Continue ReadingThe term “chef inspired” is thrown around a lot in the culinary industry, but what does it actually...
Continue ReadingWhen I ran a bakery, we would make dozens of sweet treats. Some of the more popular items...
Continue ReadingAs the general public becomes increasingly more health conscious, both consumers and producers will look into ways to...
Continue ReadingThe History of Sauces The “mother sauces” were documented as the four foundation sauces that are still relevant...
Continue ReadingConsumers are all so pressed for time, and it never seems like they have enough. They want a...
Continue ReadingWhen you think of Estonian cuisine – if you think of it at all – you probably...
Continue ReadingI have the best job in the world. I travel the globe in search of new flavors, unusual...
Continue ReadingPulses A variety of pulses in all shapes, sizes, colors and flavors are useful in product development. They...
Continue ReadingWhile everyone else was digging out from the snowstorm in the U.S., I spent a month lounging on...
Continue ReadingThis tuber has so many cooking applications, and has flavor galore. Anytime I find an ingredient that is...
Continue ReadingWe have been using yogurt in more ways with success than we would have ever imagined years ago...
Continue ReadingNot only are there so many cooking techniques that work well with seafood, there are as many ways...
Continue ReadingWhen the prestigious James Beard Foundation predicted the resurgence of French cuisine in 2017, we thought it was...
Continue ReadingI have been eating oatmeal since I was 2 years old. I have always liked the neutral flavor,...
Continue ReadingFrom Morocco to Pakistan, a wide variety of spice blends create the regional flavors of the Middle Eastern...
Continue ReadingTasting a city’s cuisine is one of the best ways to understand the place, and to get immersed...
Continue ReadingIn the day when time is worth more than money ready to eat meals are enthralling to the...
Continue ReadingThrough history, foods have been prepared by a multitude of cooking techniques, preserved famously and spiced extravagantly to...
Continue ReadingWhen I work with an operator I always suggest to let me create a “living lab” to test...
Continue ReadingWith over 5 millennia of history, yogurt is still one of the most recognized and consumed foods globally,...
Continue ReadingHere are some recent cooking and tasting notes from Chef Charlie Baggs: Today we made tamales again, but...
Continue ReadingExpanding your culinary brand into new markets is both an exciting and intimidating endeavor. The critical success factor...
Continue ReadingThe American cocktail has experienced a renaissance in recent years, but alcoholic drinks are far from the only...
Continue ReadingChef Jim Reynolds created three new LTO’s for Logan’s Roadhouse. Looking mighty tasty!
Continue ReadingMarch 26, 2013 – Author Mark Hughes The 2013 Annual Conference of the Research Chefs Association (RCA) was...
Continue ReadingWith the huge variety of virgin oils around today, there is an endless amount of possibilities ranging from...
Continue ReadingCalifornia has a unique juxtaposition of food philosophies. While they are known for their fresh, seasonal, organic and...
Continue ReadingI have not spent very much time cooking with lamb, so when an order of different lamb cuts came...
Continue ReadingOn a cold and chilly Chicago night, there’s nothing like a taste of Devon Avenue to chase away...
Continue ReadingI went on my first trip with Chef Adam Moore to help out with a dinner party. Upon...
Continue ReadingFrom Ukrainan Village to Logan Square, Chef Jeff Mauro’s re-opening of his popular breakfast and lunch spot, Jam,...
Continue ReadingMy Mom’s cooking was the first thing to inspire me to be involved in the food industry. Many...
Continue ReadingIn so many of our blogs we are reviewing restaurants all around the country. We pay close attention...
Continue ReadingCross one box off the bucket list! I recently had to chance to spend a few days in...
Continue ReadingChizakaya is truly one of the greats in my new neighborhood, Lakeview. It takes its name from a...
Continue ReadingAbout a month ago another couple, my boyfriend, and I decided to try Boiler Room located under the...
Continue ReadingEveryone I asked in Miami for the best Cuban food responded with Café Versailles, period. All the blogs...
Continue ReadingLast weekend my husband and I were lucky enough to score two tickets to Next for our...
Continue ReadingWho would have a thought, some of the best Thai food I’ve ever had was found beneath a...
Continue ReadingNow that the weather is cooling down and football season is in full force I crave soup daily. ...
Continue ReadingBeing a native of Nebraska, I am very familiar with seeing brilliant green cornfields that go on seemingly...
Continue ReadingFor the IFT Annual Conference, the MOE crew (Bunge’s Mobil Oil Experts food truck team) had a special treat...
Continue ReadingLast weekend my husband and I went up to Three Lakes, Wisconsin to visit our friends Brad and...
Continue ReadingGrowing up just south of Atlanta there are a few southern indulgences that I hold near and dear...
Continue ReadingAnother one of the highlights for me in New Orleans was NOLA’s own John Besh and his award-winning...
Continue ReadingI have been fortunate to live in Chicago for the past seven or so years and have only...
Continue ReadingGrowing up surrounded by jazz music, New Orleans has always held a place in my heart. I had always...
Continue ReadingFood is a main part of our life. Every day we have to eat. Of course we pay...
Continue ReadingA year ago I wrote a blog comparing the old 1992 food pyramid with the 2010 ‘ MyPyramid’ and...
Continue ReadingIt’s no secret that women earn less money than men for doing the same job in virtually every...
Continue ReadingEven though it may not even feel like Spring all the time in Chicago, Summer is quickly approaching...
Continue ReadingIn light of the recently-celebrated Mother’s Day, I’ve been thinking a lot about breakfast in bed. I told...
Continue ReadingMay 4th marked the opening of the outdoor Green City Market in Chicago’s Lincoln Park and that means...
Continue ReadingAs a recent French expatriate in Chicago, I couldn’t wait to taste the famous deep-dish pizza. Actually, I...
Continue ReadingI don’t know about you, but I’ve been excited for the royal wedding between Prince William and Kate...
Continue ReadingChef Adam and I spent 5 days in New York working by day and enjoying wonderful restaurants by...
Continue ReadingMonkfish is probably the ugliest fish in the world. Yet it is one of the tastiest. When cooking...
Continue ReadingAnother business trip, another cancelled flight… However fortunately enough this time I was able to have a few drinks with...
Continue ReadingSince I’ve consumed my weight in burgers over the last year while helping develop and open a new...
Continue ReadingThanks to talented and well-known chefs like Ferran Adria, Grant Achatz, and Jose Andres, molecular gastronomy is becoming...
Continue ReadingA couple weeks ago here at CBI we were working on a few Indian concepts and knew right...
Continue ReadingWith two little ones (4 and 2) one could say I don’t get out as much as I...
Continue ReadingI always associated maple syrup with fall and winter – drizzled on top of steaming oatmeal, glazed over...
Continue ReadingWith more than 24 hours to kill, stranded in the wasteland near Houston Hobby airport, I stumbled upon...
Continue ReadingLooking for some used Karate Kid VHS tapes? How about a 6-pack of white tube socks or a...
Continue ReadingLast week I had the pleasure of going with the marketing team to a 2011 Chicago Bib Gourmand...
Continue ReadingSo just when I thought I’ve seen everything I am pleasantly surprised. I am currently stuck in Houston,...
Continue ReadingTraveling for work can be a lot of fun – meeting new people, exploring new cities, and sampling...
Continue ReadingBeing a fly-fisherman my entire life I have discovered over time that fly-fishing is dependent upon several factors: ...
Continue ReadingAs tradeshow season picks up, so do all of CBI Chefs’ schedules as well as skymiles. Traveling from...
Continue ReadingIt seems to me like there’s been a movement toward eating less meat in some way, shape, or...
Continue ReadingThis year’s baconfest in Des Moines, IA was perfect. I have been a sponsoring chef since the festival’s...
Continue ReadingIn my short 2 ½ years of legal-aged life, beer has evolved from something I enjoyed into a hobby. I...
Continue ReadingBaking a cake is one thing, but creating works of art out of sugar, butter, and eggs is...
Continue ReadingDefined as by Wikipedia: Al pastor (Spanish; “Shepherd style”) is a dish developed in Central Mexico, likely as...
Continue ReadingIf you are tried eating the same old piece of chicken and want to try something new and...
Continue ReadingI said, Beef on Weck. Oh, you’ve never heard of it? Evidently you’ve never been to Buffalo, New...
Continue ReadingMy first experience with Houston dining four years ago was not memorable. That much I do remember. Fortunately,...
Continue ReadingAlthough whiskey isn’t my tipple of choice, I do have a fondness for alcoholic beverages of all kinds,...
Continue ReadingEveryone knows that antibiotic free, hormone free, vegetarian fed, and humanly raised meat is better for the environment...
Continue ReadingA good friend of mine last week started talking about this new taco joint located on Armitage and...
Continue ReadingWorking as a dietitian for several years, I have put together many different diet plans for clients, most...
Continue ReadingRecently I wrote about my dim sum experience in Chicago’s Chinatown, the highlight of which was the steamed...
Continue ReadingDuring the holidays I always look forward to the treat that the Maker’s Mark Distillery drops into my...
Continue ReadingYou may not physically write New Year’s resolutions however it’s nearly impossible not to at least think of...
Continue ReadingBeer, sausage, and potato pancakes; though it does sound like heaven, it’s not; it’s just the 15th annual...
Continue ReadingI started off 2011 on a daring note by ordering, eating, and actually enjoying beef heart. I am...
Continue ReadingAfter a Holiday Party lunch of appetizers at Shaw’s we needed a little change, so to Honky Tonk...
Continue ReadingOver the weekend I had my first Michelin star dining experience in Chicago at Logan Square’s Longman &...
Continue ReadingNow that parents are cooking less, kids are not getting exposed to how to cook at an early...
Continue ReadingIt is mildly true that tasty, ripe, flavorful fruits and vegetables are harder to come by in the...
Continue ReadingRecently I was fortunate enough to spend a week eating and drinking in the beautiful Basque seaside town...
Continue ReadingMy name is Judith, I am from Austria and I had the pleasure to spend a couple of...
Continue ReadingForty-six Chicago eateries received a very welcome sort of graffiti overnight last past Tuesday – a red chalk...
Continue ReadingThis past week Chef Adam and I had the pleasure to be at The Culinary Institute of America...
Continue ReadingWhen people discuss nutrition and healthy foods they usually use a lot of buzz words or phrases such...
Continue ReadingAvocados have, more often than not, always been associated with Mexican cuisine. However, the times have changed and...
Continue ReadingI have avoided opening a restaurant my entire life up until a few weeks ago, with good reason. ...
Continue ReadingI was given the opportunity to visit Vermont for the first time to spend Labor Day weekend with...
Continue ReadingHere at CBI we represent a slue of football teams, both college and professional. We may disagree on...
Continue ReadingDisclaimer: This proves that although I have a serious passion for food, I still have so much more...
Continue ReadingIn the last ten years the United States Department of Agriculture has put an extensive amount of work...
Continue ReadingStuffed Falafel If you’ve never had a real authentic middle eastern piece of falafel, I suggest you head...
Continue ReadingDelivering flavor and product results, Charlie Baggs, Inc., provides our clients with superior culinary support. Focusing on the...
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