Chef's Blog

Women’s History Month Q&A with Sandy Sauter

In celebration of National Women’s Month, we are excited to highlight a few CIA chefs who inspire us to be better every day and have fun in the kitchen! Sandy Sauter – The CIA at Copia Executive Chef: Public Programs What inspired you to pursue a career in food?  My […]

Chef's Blog

Women’s History Month Q&A with Melissa Walnock ’01

In celebration of National Women’s History Month, we are excited to highlight CIA chefs who inspire us to be better every day and have fun in the kitchen!  Melissa Walnock ‘01 – Hyde ParkLecturing Instructor – Baking and Pastry Arts What inspired you to pursue a career in food?I was […]

Chef's Blog, Free Recipes, Soups and Stews

A Really Big Chili

You may think of chilis as stews of meat and beans, but in this instance, the beef is the star in a vegetable and chile-laced sauce. The Korean chile pepper is worth seeking out, but don’t worry if you can’t find it. Makes 8 Servings Ingredients 1/3 cup canola oil […]

Chef's Blog

Meal Prep Time Savers

Starting a new cooking routine doesn’t have to be daunting, and accepting your limitations for time, space, budget, and skill is the first step to creating a realistic strategy. At the CIA, we think food is fun, so we make a lot of our ingredients at home, but that doesn’t […]

Chef's Blog

Halloween Decisions: Angel or Devil’s Food Cake

Happy Halloween! It’s the spookiest day of the year and while candy is great, we prefer to bake! The hardest part is deciding which cake to make.  Here are our favorite recipes for indulgent and rich Devil’s Fudge Cake, and light and airy Angel Food Cake. Devil’s Fudge Cake Makes […]

Chef's Blog

How-To: How to Cook Legumes

It’s soups and stews season and we often see recipes that call for cooked beans.  If you are in a rush, canned beans are a convenient way to get beans into your favorite dish, but we guarantee that beans you cook yourself will have a better flavor and texture. Beans, […]

Chef's Blog

10 Recipes Every Cook Should Know: Vinaigrette

Vinaigrette is a simple cold sauce typically made from three parts oil and one part vinegar.  Vinaigrettes are extremely versatile and can be used for other things besides dressing for green salads. They are great as a marinade for grilled or broiled foods; to dress salads made from pastas, grains, […]

Chef's Blog

Sunday Meal Prep: Cookie Edition

This week, we’re borrowing some time from our Sunday meal prep to sneak a few treats into our cookie jars and freezers. Follow our lead and load your freezer with your family’s traditional can’t-miss cookies. Be sure you make your to-do list now so you can relish in the satisfaction […]

Chef's Blog

Food Fact Friday: Pizza Vs. Flatbread

Are all flatbreads pizza but not all pizzas are flatbreads or is it the other way around? Some might say a thinly rolled out pizza is a flatbread and call it a day. But the difference between the two really comes down to the ingredients, they both need flour, water, […]

Chef's Blog

10 Recipes Every Cook Should Know: Risotto

Risotto is a dish many of us love, but few of us attempt to cook at home. It may seem intimidating at first because the method for cooking risotto requires you to constantly be watching it, stirring it and hydrating it for 20 minutes or more to prevent sticking or […]