What do you teach at CIA?
I am the chef-instructor for the lunch section of the Non-Commercial Foodservice and High-Volume Production course at The Egg on the New York campus. The students are exposed to a significantly higher production volume, and I put a lot of emphasis on time management, teamwork, menu planning, customer service, and using critical thinking skills.
How does what students learn from you prepare them to affect the future of food?
We help prepare students with the basic skills they need for the ever-changing dynamics of the industry, like sustainability and environmental awareness, as well as the concepts of Menus of Change® and healthier cooking. Non-commercial foodservice is the fastest-growing segment of the industry at this time, and job opportunities are plentiful.
How has being a CIA faculty member advanced your own professional development?
Since I started here, I have, on every level, become a better technician of my craft. I’ve benefited from our international student population—allowing students to create their own specials has given me a window into world cuisine that would otherwise take a lifetime of travel or work. Just having the chance to work with our students is enough to make you want to do your best every day.
What do you want students to remember after graduation?
That they feel as though they were pushed beyond the limits they thought they had.
What are your passions outside of CIA?
I play several instruments and am in a band with other chefs. I also enjoy drawing and painting—and also, the New York Giants!
Professional Experience:
Chef/Owner, Portofino Ristorante, Staatsburg, NY. Part-time Catering Chef, Food for Film Catering, Salt Point, NY. Culinary Demonstrator, Partner in Education program, Dutchess County BOCES, Poughkeepsie, NY. Chef-Instructor, Professional Culinary Institute, Poughkeepsie. Manager/Owner, Picolo Restaurant, Millbrook, NY. Chef/Kitchen Manager, Caesars Restaurant, Poughkeepsie; Spanky’s Restaurant, Poughkeepsie. Lunch/Dinner Cook, Noah’s Ark Antique Bar and Eatery, Poughkeepsie. Line/Prep Cook, Easy Street Restaurant, Hyde Park, NY; El Gringo’s Mexican Restaurant, Klamath Falls, OR. Line/Banquet Cook, Dinsmore Golf Course Restaurant, Staatsburg. Breakfast/Lunch Cook, Molitore’s Restaurant, Klamath Falls. Dishwasher/Cook, Surf N Turf Restaurant, New Paltz, NY.