Recently, I thought it would be fun to give auditioning for a cooking show another try. This time, I saw that ABC's The Taste was coming to Chicago and figured why not! I headed over to the "cattle call" like audition with my famous Ancho Chile BBQ Chicken tacos topped with a tangy tropical guacamole and caramelized onions. Basically, I had 3 minutes to plate my dish for the judges and then talk about it with them for a few minutes. Long story short, my confidence shined and I was asked to ... [ Read More ]
My 5 Most Embarrassing Kitchen Mishaps
On the outside, it may look like I have it all together in the kitchen. I mean, I have a food blog, teach cooking classes and have web series produced by DevHour TV. Well, I'm here to tell you that it's been a long journey getting here and I continually screw up just like everyone else. I think part of learning is making mistakes and I've had my fair share of embarrassing moments in the kitchen. In the end, from all the times I've messed up in the kitchen, I've actually learned a lot about ... [ Read More ]
The Best Proposal for a Foodie – Video
Hands down, this is one of the most thoughtful proposals I have ever seen in my entire life. The best part? I happen to have lived it, because it was my own proposal (okay so maybe I'm biased). The backstory on this unbelievable moment, was that I thought I was filming a DevHour TV episode and making crepes. What I didn't know, is that my boyfriend (now fiancé) had been working with one of the producers on a surprise proposal that would change the rest of my life. On top of the hiding the ... [ Read More ]
How my Fiancé got my Engagement Ring Inside an Egg
If you haven't heard already (or living under a rock), my boyfriend (now fiancé), Dan, asked me to marry him on Friday! It all started Thursday night. I was grocery shopping for crepe ingredients at Whole Foods since I was filming a segment for DevHour TV on Friday. I stopped over at the dairy section to pick up some eggs and grabbed a dozen of brown ones. Dan looked in the cart and told me I should use white ones since he thought they looked better on camera. I insisted that brown would ... [ Read More ]
5 Foods You Should Never Eat!
Although most foods are okay in moderation, here are 5 foods you need to eliminate from your diet right away! ... [ Read More ]
Why it’s Okay to Have Two Dinners
Happy Monday! I hope you all had an amazing weekend full of lots of food, friends and great memories :)! Today, I'm going to tell you how I ate two (yes two) full dinners yesterday and why it's okay to do that every once in while. Let me start from the beginning. Last week, one of my closest friends from college, Lindsey, said she was going to be in Chicago for a Bachelorette Party. Linds works for Rue La La and is a super successful fashion blogger in Boston (check out her site L's ... [ Read More ]
5 Things You Shouldn’t Order at a Restaurant
I love dining out at a restaurant just as much as the next person (probably even more actually). I think I go out so much because I find myself learning and getting inspiration for new dishes that I can re-create in my own kitchen! Whenever I do dine out, there are 5 things I simply won't order because you can make them at home for so much cheaper or better! Now I understand making things at home is usually always cheaper, but I'm talking about foods that you'll pay 10x more for ... [ Read More ]
Everything Erica’s devHour TV Debut!
For months I've been working on a large ongoing project as an on air host and producer for devHour TV. I am so excited that I can finally share more of the details (and some footage) with you. devHour TV is a Chicago based company that has revolutionized the way that people learn about restaurants. Essentially, it's a robust data base of all of Chicago's restaurants and contains high quality photos and video content about each one. In addition to the incredible amount of restaurant coverage the ... [ Read More ]
The Improvisation of Cooking
Since I started Everything Erica, people are always asking my what my end goal is and what my motivation was for starting a blog. The truth is, my blog started out as a way to document my culinary adventures both in the kitchen and throughout Chicago, but it was slowly morphed into something that is much more than that. Through this medium, I've found myself in a position to inspire people, who have never cooked before, to get in the kitchen and start! I want to continue with this trend and ... [ Read More ]
Help! I forgot to make Valentines Day Reservations
Did you forget to make reservations for Valentines Day? No problem! There are still some great restaurants in Chicago with availability on Friday. I've done all the research for you, and here are my picks for Valentines Day spots that STILL have 1 or 2 reservations open... 1) Le Colonial: This place is SO romantic. The fact that they have any spots open should make you feel super lucky! Just check out my review on them. 2) Chicago Cut: Not only is this steak house known to be one of ... [ Read More ]