Chef Biography
Sarah Stegner grew up in Evanston, Illinois in a family devoted to food. Her grandmother was a caterer before women did those kinds of things. She and her family spent many hours in the kitchen cooking together. She then went to Northwestern University in Evanston, studying classical guitar, but then she followed her heart and enrolled in one of the few cooking schools in the Chicago area those days, the Dumas Pere Cooking School in Glencoe, Illinois.
After graduating with a chef’s certificate, she was hired as an apprentice by Great Chef Fernand Gutierrez at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Chicago’s Hancock Building. As she worked her way up the culinary ladder at the Ritz, Chef Gutierrez left for Mexico and George Bumbaris became the executive chef, with Sarah as second in command. Great Chefs returned to the Ritz in 1994 to tape Sarah for their Great Chefs – Great Cities television series. In 1998, Great Chefs had teamed up with the Weber Grill folks and came back to Chicago to tape a one hour BBQ show “Great Chefs Grill Out – Chicago” with Chef Stegner.
Years later, in 2004, Chef Sarah Stegner and Great Chef George Bumbaris left the Ritz-Carlton (20 years is a long time for one chef to remain at a hotel restaurant) to open together, the Prairie Grass Café in Northbrook, Illinois where they remain today in 2016.
Recipes
Grilled Dry-aged Sirloin Brushed with Grilled Garlic and Tarragon Butter
Serving: 4 Print Grilled Dry-aged Sirloin Brushed with Grilled Garlic and Tarragon Butter By Great Chefs August 26, 2014 Sirloin steak is even better drizzled with garlic and tarragon butter! Accompanied by mushrooms and potato, the steak is the heart of a classic American dinner. If desired, the butter could be made separately and formed […]
Glazed Salmon with Thyme-Honey Infusion
Serving: 4 Print Glazed Salmon with Thyme-Honey Infusion By Great Chefs August 26, 2014 Sarah Stegner offers a simple way to present salmon. Easy to prepare at home, the salmon is intricately flavored with its herbed poaching marinade and honey glaze. Don’t skimp on the thyme! Ingredients Thyme Marinade Water – 3 cups Rice Wine […]
Sauteed Foie Gras with Potato Risotto and Wild Mushrooms
Serving: 8 Print Sauteed Foie Gras with Potato Risotto and Wild Mushrooms By Great Chefs August 26, 2014 Deft cutting turns potatoes into ‘risotto,’ an interesting accompaniment for crisp seared duck liver. The potato risotto is enhanced with sauteed wild mushrooms, and spiked with a topping of seasoned tomato dice. Ingredients Potato Risotto Yukon Gold […]
Slow-grilled Salmon with Mustard Glaze and Chives with Shallots and Delicata Squash
Serving: 8 Print Slow-grilled Salmon with Mustard Glaze and Chives with Shallots and Delicata Squash By Great Chefs April 26, 2014 The sauce, vegetables, and salmon work together beautifully, each adding both flavor and color to the dish. Butter and salmon go together naturally; the mustard adds a little spice. Delicata squash, small yellow winter […]