therealdesign

Thank you for visiting my website and reading my first blog entry. Why am I blogging? Well, after 13 years as the Senior Executive Chef of Sara Lee, I have retired…well, maybe that is a loose interpretation of the word. “Leaving to pursue other interests” doesn’t do it justice either. Caught in a major corporate downsizing that liberated 110 lucky angels, including me, is another way to trace the genesis of this new adventure.
Either way, this website and blog are the first manifestations of a new phase in my life, of new doors opening up that will allow me to give full expression to the love I have of great food and to share with a wider audience via this site and social media.
I truly loved my job at Sara Lee. It was awesome getting to interact with such a wide variety of people every day while pursing my passion for food. I also had the opportunity to share recipes and the fun of food with a larger audience via my appearances on national TV.
But on BrianAverna.com, I get the chance to show my creative soul, to encourage you and others to join me as we eat our way through the endless variety of culinary riches in America while sharing with you what I love best – playing with food.
From now on, think of me as Brian Averna, your “chef-next-door.” Come on over on a regular basis, and I guarantee you will find a constant stream of new food ideas, videos, recipes, offbeat ingredients, great and useful links to my many friends across the US and occasional ruminations on life.
Thank you for visiting! As virtualneighbors, I look forward to seeing you regularly. If you would like to receive email notifications when I post new recipes or blog entries, just send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..