Don Zajac was born in Chicago Heights, IL into a family with a Polish heritage, rich with celebrating life through food.

Chef Don's culinary career started like many other chefs careers, from the bottom by washing dishes, short order work, etc for a small restaurant in Crete, IL. He graduated in 1986 from the highly acclaimed Joliet Junior College with an AAS in Culinary Arts. In the years directly following college, Don pursued classical cooking techniques from opportunities with Chef Michael Foley and Chef Jean-Pierre Henry. His career has taken him along a very valuable and diverse direction. He has been an accomplished chef in many positions in restaurants, a hotel, a casino, public and private clubs. Chef Don is a very big advocate of volunteerism, too. He has taught workshops at Great Lakes Navel Base, Washington High School, Chicago; Rich South High School, Richton Park IL, and Partners in Parenting. Charity benefits include the March of Dimes, Cerebral Palsy, For the Love of Chocolate, and the New Horizon Center for the Developmentally Disabled, the Greater Chicago Food Depository and the Pullman Chamber. Chef Don has been profiled in the Daily Southtown, Two Focus articles in Star Publications. His internet web page, Epicurean Thyme, http://members.tripod.com/~Epicurean/index.html was featured in; Food and Wine Online by the late Gary Holleman and The Online Epicure by Neil Salkind.

The Windy City Professional Culinarians chapter of the ACF has also been a positive influence with the Chef. He embraces the chapters philosophy; 'Professional Culinarians represents all who learn, practice and craft the art of gastronomy in greater Chicago. As one of the fastest-growing chapters of the American Culinary Federation, we uphold the highest standards of cooking while supporting a vibrant culinary community through education, professional development and promoting the renowned foodways that make Chicago the envy of the world.' Currently, he sits on the Chapters Board of Directors, is the Chapter Webmaster http://acfwindycitychefs.org/index.php and Chapter Blog Administrator http://www.wearechefs.com/group/acfwindycityprofessionalculinarians.

One of Chef Don's favorite quotes, 'One cannot live well, love well or sleep well unless one has dined well. ' Virginia Woolf (1882 - 1941).