Roger’s interest in cooking was instilled by his mother and grandmother at a young age. Meal time was special family time, and as a result had a tremendous impact on his love for good food and cooking. After earning an honors degree from the Culinary School of Kendall College, Chef Roger expanded his repertoire at leading restaurants in the Southwest, cultivating has interest in cuisine of the region. Returning to Chicago, he worked at local venues; Café’ Provencal, American Girl Place and The Walnut Room. Roger has also directed special events for Mayor Daley and the Taste of Chicago. His goal as an instructor is to take away the intimidation of the kitchen by teaching a simple and understandable approach to cooking great meals. When Chef Roger cooks at home, he has two young sons who love helping out in the kitchen. They are arguably the biggest fans of his cooking and claim that Daddy’s nachos will beat anything Bobby Flay can bring to the table!
Recent Posts
A Cooking Project for You and your Kids
Over the holidays, my girlfriend's daughter Amelia had a school project in which she was assigned to make a traditional dish. The students picked a country randomly from a hat and then had to ...
Being raised in the heart of the Midwest, I'm certainly a meat and potatoes kind of guy. But I do love seafood when it is fresh and prepared well. I recently had the opportunity to work with some ...
Turn Smoked Salmon into an Easy, Yet Elegant Appetizer
The next time you are hosting a party worthy of an elegant appetizer, try this quick Smoked Salmon Mousse. You can make a couple dozen of these tasty bites in about 30 minutes if you have a food ...
I fell in love with this salad when I was the chef at American Girl Place in Chicago. It was one of our most popular items probably because it was so delicious! You can substitute any kind of green ...
These Crispy Shrimp Will Leave Your Guests 'Wonton' More
Holiday times seem to bring us to the kitchen a lot more than the rest of the year. We entertain at home or go out to holiday parties and bring food with us to share. Last month, I gave you an ...
Holiday Appetizer: Meatballs with Apple Cider BBQ Sauce
This year seemed to fly by so quickly, and already the holidays are here again! I watched my oldest son become a teenager and my youngest son become a superstar of several sports. Those glorious ...
Warm Up in Cool Weather with Jalapeño Cheddar Biscuits
Unless you live in the deep South, you have probably felt Autumn's cool embrace by now. This is a clear signal that my favorite months of cooking are here! Besides the great flavors and smells that ...
I have spent the last couple of weeks journaling my recent wilderness trip. I was hoping to have it ready in time for this month's blog, but stay tuned for it next month! In the meantime, fall has ...
A little over a year ago, I assisted in putting together a Guide to Campfire Cooking with The Chopping Block. That was shortly after my last trip into the wilderness. This week, I am very thrilled to ...
