Fete Lifestyle Magazine May 2018 - Wellness | Page 61

DC: You’ve experienced a tremendous amount of success as a chef and restauranteur, is there one or two accomplishments that represents your culinary journey?

SI: Winning Food & Wine Best New Chef and the James Beard Awards for Best Chef: Great Lakes.

DC: You won Top Chef, a James Beard Award, and was selected as one of Food & Wine Magazine’s Best New Chefs. Describe how that recognition inspired past and any future projects.

SI: It’s opened up doors for me to meet other amazing chefs from around the country and world so I am able to collaborate with them on events back here in Chicago. We’re getting ready to throw our annual James Beard Foundation Awards after party and this year we have an amazing line up of chefs partnering with us to help throw an event from all nominees and winners. Also, we’re in our third year of Fulton Market Harvest Fest, another annual event where I get to invite some of my chef friends from around the country to come to Chicago to host culinary demos and pop up dinners!

DC: Share with us any culinary, professional or personal goals that you’re looking to accomplish over the next few years.

SI: Just to keep serving delicious food that people want to eat!

DC: What is your favorite dish created by another chef that you can eat every day?

SI: Another chef did not create this dish, but if there is one thing I could eat every day it would be french fries dipped in ranch dressing. Yum.

Stephanie's new recipe book Gather & Graze: 120 Favorite Recipes for Tasty Good Times can be purchased on Amazon.