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 . 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鈥檝e benefited from our international student population鈥攁llowing 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鈥攁nd 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鈥檚 Restaurant, Poughkeepsie. Lunch/Dinner Cook, Noah鈥檚 Ark Antique Bar and Eatery, Poughkeepsie. Line/Prep Cook, Easy Street Restaurant, Hyde Park, NY; El Gringo鈥檚 Mexican Restaurant, Klamath Falls, OR. Line/Banquet Cook, Dinsmore Golf Course Restaurant, Staatsburg. Breakfast/Lunch Cook, Molitore鈥檚 Restaurant, Klamath Falls. Dishwasher/Cook, Surf N Turf Restaurant, New Paltz, NY.
Awards:
Silver Medal, Garde Manger, Soci茅t茅 Culinaire Philanthropique Salon of Culinary Art, 2013.
Member:
Past Treasurer, ACF, Mid-Hudson Chapter. New York State Restaurant Association. Hyde Park, Rhinebeck, and Poughkeepsie Chambers of Commerce. Past Member, Board of Directors, Hyde Park Visitor鈥檚 Alliance. Past Member, Millbrook Business Association.
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