HomeMade: Meet Chicago-area chefs whose unique stories influence their food

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The word "homemade" conveys a lot of ideas: that something is unique; it is made with love; and it tells a story.

That's true of food - either a singular dish or a cuisine, more broadly. It's also true of the people who prepare that food.

The chefs you will meet in this digital special all hail from Chicago or its suburbs. Like the dishes that come out of their kitchens, they, too, are homemade.

We begin in Chicago's West Lawn neighborhood, a predominantly Latino community with a small-town feel, just a stone's throw from Midway Airport. This is where Jonathan Zaragoza grew up. It was in his backyard that he learned to prepare the one dish - Mexican braised goat, or birria - that that would shape his childhood and ultimately bring him international acclaim.

Then, we head west to suburban Downers Grove. That is where Beverly Kim says her Korean family was one of few where she grew up, but that her culture played a critical role in her upbringing.

Today, it is the source of her success and the legacy she is creating for her three young sons. The family is about to embark on a new chapter in entrepreneurship. Beverly and her husband Johnny are transitioning Parachute in Avondale into a music bar and restaurant with more casual fare. Meantime, they are looking for a larger space, closer to downtown where they can reach more people with the fine dining that made Parachute famous.

Beverly and Johnny also own Anelya - a Ukrainian restaurant down the street from Parachute - that recently opened to much acclaim. It honor's Johnny's cultural heritage.

Then we head to a pocket of land - just outside northwest suburban Buffalo Grove. It is a kind of agricultural oasis for the neighborhoods that have popped up around it. It's where you'll find Joe Frillman's childhood home - and the starting point for a journey that has come full-circle with farm-to-table food that is winning wide acclaim. Daisies has been awarded a rare Michelin Green Star for sustainability. It is the only restaurant in Chicago to have that distinction. Green Star restaurants are celebrated for their ethical and environmental standards as well as their work with sustainable producers and suppliers to avoid waste.

Our final stop takes us to Chicago's West Side - the Lawndale neighborhood. That is where Erick Williams says others poured into him so he could grow to find success and fulfillment opening some of the most-sought after restaurants on the south side. Today, he is paying that investment forward. Chef Erick aims to make an even greater impact with a nonprofit he launched last fall. The Virtue Leadership Development Program has an inaugural class of eight young adults of color. Chef says it's not enough to teach someone how to do a job. He wants to help these young people learn to think critically and perform under any circumstance in the workplace.