women to watch – In Good Taste

A Conversation with Kit Graham

Maris Callahan — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 15:00:01 +0000

There are times when I think I’ve done blogging all wrong. I’ve changed my URL three times, which can be SEO suicide if you do it incorrectly (which I did…twice). I’ve redesigned and rebranded my blog too many times to count, uncertain as to which direction I wanted to take it. Luckily though, there are other times where I realize that without my blog, I might not have many of the friends I have now, I wouldn’t have the job I have no and I probably wouldn’t even be living in Chicago. I’ve met a lot of interesting people through my blog, including other food bloggers. Today, we’re playing a little inside baseball and chatting with Kit Graham, who writes The Kittchen, authored The Gourmet Grilled Cheese Cookbook (why don’t I own this?), and created The Windy City Blogger Collective, which is a community for local bloggers to bond and network over shared interests (i.e. the Internet, eating). Kit takes some seriously amazing food photographs and even more amazing travel photographs. Even though we run into each other at a lot of the same events around Chicago, I’m entirely certain that her life is way cooler than mine and as […]

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A Conversation with Stouffer’s Corporate Chef Holly Strauch

Maris Callahan — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 17:30:52 +0000

Holly Strauch is proof that when you set your mind to something, you can achieve it. Since the eighth grade, the Chagrin Falls, Ohio native knew she wanted to work for Stouffer’s and not only did she make it happen, but she’s spent her entire career testing recipes, whipping up new ideas and helping the family-founded brand keep up with trends and innovations in the food space. Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to visit the Stouffer’s Open Kitchen at the Nestle headquarters in Solon, Ohio. Stouffer’s wined and dined us for the better part of two days while introducing us to the brand’s hero products, including its world-famous Stouffer’s lasagna recipe, which was recently recreated using only the same ingredients you would make at home: handmade pasta, fresh cheese, house made sauce and the same fresh herbs you’d find in your own kitchen. Even though we ate really, really well while we were visiting, the biggest treat of the weekend was partaking in a lasagna-making class led by Stouffer’s own chef Holly. We split into groups and tackled four different Stouffer’s lasagne recipes: Lasagna Italiano, Lasagna with Meat Sauce, Meat Lovers Lasagna, Five Cheese Lasagna. If you think […]

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A Conversation with Candace D’Agnolo

Maris Callahan — Fri, 22 Jul 2016 05:00:04 +0000

If you know me…if you’ve met me once…if you’ve seen me standing outside of my building holding a leash with a very tiny dog at the end of it, then you know that I’m all but obsessed with Henry, my little chihuahua. He’s about six pounds and full of energy and personality. He travels with me, he goes to work with me, and yes, he does sleep in my bed, sometimes squarely between me and my boyfriend and I know that’s no accident on his part. So imagine my surprise when I learned that there is someone in Chicago who is a bigger dog-a-holic than I am. Candace D’Agnolo started Dogaholics as a retail store and it has since become all things dog… connecting pet parents all over the world. Though she recently sold her Chicago-based brick-and-mortar, her company is all but going to the dogs. Candace spun her retail business into a pet parent powerhouse with retail, daycare, grooming, boarding, educational and even business consulting services to help those whom she dubs “petpreneurs” take their businesses to ‘top dog’ status. We chatted with Candace to learn more about how she (along with her lab/collie mixes, Guinness and Clover) helps retailers, veterinarians, […]

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A Conversation with Nancy Geden

Maris Callahan — Sun, 10 Apr 2016 23:46:45 +0000

Opening one restaurant is no small feat. Managing the planning and execution of 10 restaurant openings? Let’s just say, I would need a big drink if I were Nancy Geden, the 26 year-old director of operations for Meatheads, a simple concept that focuses on serving high quality burgers and chicken, fresh cut fries and beverages in a stylish and casual atmosphere. Geden began her restaurant industry career midway through college, and has steadily moved up in the company since she graduated Cum Laude from Loyola University Chicago. “When you love your job, it does not feel like work,” Nancy says. Read on to learn more about Nancy’s story, in her own words. What was your first job out of college? Meatheads is my first job out of college. After starting with Meatheads as a cashier while in college, I stayed with the company and have been able to learn and grow into a leadership position. Almost 4 years removed from school and 6 years with the company, working here has been an invaluable experience. It has allowed me to gain high level business knowledge in a short amount of time. How do you start each day? Describe your morning routine. I start […]

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A Conversation with Rebecca Gadd

Maris Callahan — Fri, 18 Mar 2016 04:33:42 +0000

If you know me – or even if we’ve met in passing on the street in my neighborhood – than you know how much I love dressing up my dog Henry. As much as I love Henry though, I’m not sure I could make a career of creating premium dogwear. Luckily, Rebecca Gadd has done the hard work for those of us dog moms who are a little too obsessed with finding the perfect fit for our pups. I mean, Henry is stinking adorable, right? Rebecca lives in Clackamas, Oregon (near Portland), where she’s the president of Gold Paw Series, a premium dogwear company dedicated to improving the lives of dogs (and cats!) and their owners. I’ve dressed Henry in Gold Paw fleece and he absolutely loves it (he seems significantly more content in the cozy fleece than in his taco Halloween costume, I just can’t imagine why that is….). Gold Paw Series is a family-run dogwear company dedicated to improving the lives of dogs and their owners with thoughtful, practical solutions to everyday problems. All of their products are proudly sewn in the USA and many of their materials are milled here too. With a passion for reducing their environmental impact […]

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