Your Custom Text Here
Designing projects and developing ideas for home entertaining offers a chance to work with skills that go far beyond writing and editing. With stories that have included elevating traditional crafts, creative alternatives to traditional decor, advice for entertaining prep, or planning and propping an entire 3-chili Superbowl party, these projects allow for start-to-finish production.
One of Chicago's most beloved chefs lets us in on her backyard barbecue plan, from dessert on the grill to her favorite flowers for the table.
The work: Concept, styling and editing, including props and on-set work styling and managing shoot.
Photos by Brian Cassella, Chicago Tribune
Gather your friends to taste and rate three takes on traditional chili, to celebrate the Superbowl or just give a winter party a twist. Presented as two major stories, one on food/cooking and the other on the entertaining ideas/party plan.
The work: Full scope
Concept development, researching and testing recipes, planning visuals, food and prop styling, writing and overseeing finished product to print
Photos by Bill Hogan, Chicago Tribune
Bringing back classic crafts — Macrame, block printed wrapping paper, and origami — for the holidays, in gift-worth form.
The work: Concept, propping and photo styling, writing.
Photos by E. Jason Wambsgans, Chicago Tribune
A new twist on the advent calendar: A DIY that gives kids (or grownups) a daily treat as you count down to the holidays.
The work: Concept, styling, oversaw shoot, writing
Photo by Bill Hogan, Chicago Tribune
A stylish primer on what you need to be ready to host your friends. The best basics, and ideas for organizing them efficiently and beautifully.
The work: Concept, researching products and organizing systems, styling, writing
Photo by Bill Hogan, Chicago Tribune
Injecting a sense of timeliness and a high level of style consciousness into product pages requires an awareness of a wide range of sources, confidence in juxtaposing varied products, and a touch of the intangible — the feeling of spotting something that amazes, and the knowledge that readers will be drawn to it as well.
Conceptualizing, recipe development and testing, food writing and styling for covers of the Chicago Tribune Good Eating section.
Food and cooking are part of the universal vocabulary of home, and a welcome expansion of my work. As a cook, I'm influenced by my roots but endlessly experimenting — and turning those experiments into writing and producing assignments. My food work represents the full spectrum: from refining ideas, to testing recipes, to writing, to packaging, presentation and even styling for photo shoots.
Food as heritage: How to update and customize the recipes you remember from childhood — then record your own versions for posterity.
The work: Research, testing and customizing recipes, styling for photos.
Photo by E. Jason Wambsgans
From a microwave cake in a cup, to scrambles and chilaquiles: Tiny morning meals that are one part science experiment, one part fun.
The work: Concept, recipe testing and development, styling and writing
Photo by Bill Hogan, Chicago Tribune
Though churning your own ice cream is a time-honored treat, does the reality hold up to the romantic ideal? A family of die-hard ice cream fanatics set out to answer that question by making and testing homemade ice cream vs. store bought.
The work: Concept, researching and testing recipes, writing
Photo by Bill Hogan, Chicago Tribune
New ideas for packaging holiday treats: Going beyond the cookie tin to come up with simple, stylish packages that make your homemade baked goods into more memorable gifts.
The work: Concepts, propping and styling, writing, producing a live event to demonstrate/teach packaging ideas to readers who purchased tickets to a holiday cookie event.
Photo by Bill Hogan, Chicago Tribune
Three chilis and the simplest party dessert ever — delicious donuts from the local farmer's market, paired with customized dipping sauces.
The work: Concept, developing and testing recipes for three versions of chili, propping and styling, writing
Photo by Bill Hogan, Chicago Tribune
