Chef Michael Haracz

By day, Mike Haracz is a 27 year old Research Chef based out of Wheeling, IL with 12 years of food experience and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Culinary Nutrition from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI. However, by night, he is the guitar playing for a local Chicago band called, THE BRANDED (www.thebrandedmusic.com), who just completed a 2 week long tour down to South By Southwest in Austin, TX and back. In his opinion, cooking involves the same creativity as music does; it needs to be interesting, contain the correct components, and needs to have great taste or sound. One of the benefits of going on tour is being able to try the local cuisine wherever I am, which makes traveling that much more exciting.

Recipes by Chef Michael Haracz

3 CHEESE BRUSCHETTA – Serves 8 to 10

-6oz Feta Cheese -4oz Chevre 
-5oz Grated Parmesan 
-1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
-1/4 cup Aged Balsamic Vinegar 
-1/2 cup Fresh Basil, Chiffonade 
-1/4 cup Red Onions, Minced 
-3 Tablespoons Fresh Garlic, Minced
-8 Large Vine-Ripened Tomatoes, 3/8inch Diced, Seeds Removed 
-Sea Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper To Taste 
-1 Loaf Crusty French Bread, 3/8inch Biased Cut 
-1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (To Brush On Bread)

1. Cream together Feta Cheese, Chevre, Grated Parmesan, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil into a paste. 2. Add Balsamic Vinegar, Fresh Basil, Red Onions, and Fresh Garlic, then mix until blended *Note* This paste will be thick until you add the tomatoes. The natural moisture with thin down the mixture. 3. Add the Fresh Diced Tomatoes, and Salt and Pepper to taste. Let this stand at room temperature for 30min before serving. 4. Brush the Sliced French Bread on one side with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Grill Oiled side for 1 minute or until a nice crust is formed. 5. Serve Family- Style on a large platter for all to share!

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