User:Lmharmon/Tom Saaristo

Tom Saaristo is an American cook and food writer in Chicago, IL and a syndicated culinary columnist for the Chicago Tribune. Saaristo's best-known columns include “Mother’s Day Brunch”; “Holiday Buffet”; “Holiday Cocktails”; “Holiday Brunch”; “Gifts for the Cook.” Saaristo is a frequent contributor to Chicago Sun Times Food Section and Cook’s Illustrated magazine.

Creator and author of eponymous one of the first food blogs on the internet ], tomsaaristo.com, Saaristo maintains a personal and community-oriented food blog "Confessions of a Foodie" on Xanga.

Celebrating our favorite American feast, Saaristo's culinary talents were featured as the cover story “Planning for Perfection” Thanksgiving 1999, in the Chicago Sun Times Food Section. He has since completed “Beyond Turkey”, a holiday recipes cookbook manuscript.

Biography:

Born in Detroit, MI Feb 9, 1965, Saaristo's childhood cooking & entertaining experiences included learning to bake at the age of 4, and organizing parties among his playmates. The designated cake baker among high school friends, Saaristo graduated to annual Thanksgiving host in late adolescence.

As a young man, Saaristo discovered the joys of entertaining others with dinner parties that evolved from the traditional to the unique as his own tastes and experiences grew--a practice that continues today.

Professional timeline:

1997 Created website to build library of original recipes

1999 Featured for unique twist on Thanksgiving dinner by Chicago Sun Times

2002 Created one of the original food blogs “Confessions of a Foodie” to offer recipes and answer reader questions and recipe requests

2007 Began writing culinary and entertaining columns for the syndicate arm of the Chicago Tribune.

2007 Authored “Beyond Turkey”, holiday recipes cookbook, a written account of the last 10 years of hosting his less-than-traditional Thanksgiving dinners