About Me (Sara):
Becoming a creative professional in the food scene started in 2015 for me. I had worked my entire adult life in hospitality (serving, bartending, and eventually directing huge events). As an event director in downtown Chicago, I found myself working upwards of 70 hours a week, and really started to crave a creative outlet to balance out my work-consumed life. So, I decided to teach myself a variety of recipes, and started documenting the recipes I was making (primarily found on Pinterest).
I quickly realized that I was always changing something in these recipes, and constantly scaling down them down to just make 2-3 servings. After testing and changing everyone else’s recipes for a year, I decided to start coming up with my own unique recipes to share with everyone. So, A Flavor Journal was officially born.
My background in food and beverage helped shape my love for the food scene, and I was (luckily) surrounded by experts in their craft: incredible bartenders with explosive imaginations, wildly talented chefs who had studied their craft all over the world, and both front of the house and back of the house professionals who were just genuinely talented and amazing people. These people and their dedication to their craft really encouraged me to continue food blogging, as I felt a genuine sense of accomplishment through it.
After nearly 15 years, I left the hospitality industry when COVID hit in 2020, and I’ve never looked back. A Flavor Journal was five years old at the time, and I felt it was time to turn it into a full-time situation. I’m now developing recipes to share with you on this website, but I also do a lot of freelance recipe development, food styling, and food photography in the half of my life. 🙂
Also, I don’t think great food and drink needs to be overcomplicated, but it doesn’t hurt to have a friendly resource available to offer valuable food and drink information. I love to pair food and drinks together, and i want you to know the why. I hold a Level One position with the Court of Masters Sommeliers, so I also love to include my knowledge of wine pairings for some recipes! I’ve also developed an affinity for local product and high quality ingredients, both of which I find to be important components in the kitchen and bar.
What to expect on A Flavor Journal:
- Small batch recipes created to make 2-4 servings
- Recipes with basic cooking techniques
- Dishes that I would happily eat in a restaurant setting, or a high quality approach to eating at home
- Information on food resources, quality qualifications, flavor preferences, and more (when relevant!)
- Wine pairings for some recipes, specifically “date night” recipes!
