What is your role at the Co-op?  

Food Services Manager 

How long have you worked at the Co-op?  

Approximately 3 months 

What do you most enjoy about your work?  

It has been fun getting to know everyone in the kitchen. I have enjoyed working with the team on making sure we are producing tasty recipes on the hot bar, in the deli and for the grab and go area. 

What drew you to work at the Co-op?  

I feel the Co-op is the heartbeat of Montpelier. I wanted to contribute to the community in a positive way. 

What are you most proud of in your work?  

We have upgraded and changed many recipes in the past 3 months. I am very proud of that progress and looking forward to continuing that with the team in the kitchen. 

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?  

Continuing to contribute to my community in a positive way. I feel like cooking is my superpower and I enjoy sharing my knowledge with people. Teaching possibly? 

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?  

Travel, cooking and music. My son Dante plays guitar, drums and piano. I play guitar and we have had some fun jam sessions recently. We just went to see some live music recently…..Creed in Montreal and Joe Bonamassa in Boston. 

I cook every day at home too, with my family. 

And we love traveling. We usually take a trip somewhere every year. Last year we traveled a lot, visiting Florida, California and Mexico. Next on the Wishlist is Italy or Hawaii. 

Share some favorites – could be a book, song, movie, meal, vacation destination, color, Co-op product…  

Favorite cookbooks: Any Ottolenghi book, I love Momofuku and The French Laundry are some of my favorites. I am currently reading Atomic Habits, not about cooking. 

My favorite meal was in Mexico on the beach: Agua chile (similar to ceviche), fresh fish that was caught off the beach right in front of us and a pina colada. One of the best meals I can remember. 

Fav movies: Godfather 1 and 2, Shawshank Redemption, any Alien or Star Wars movie. These days it’s mostly kids movies, documentaries or something funny, like stand up. 

What other jobs have you held?  

I started as a dishwasher/prep cook in San Francisco, CA in 1992. I have had many cook titles/jobs like Saucier, Garde Manger chef, butcher, Sous chef tournant, chef de cuisine, executive sous chef, executive chef. I also taught as a culinary chef instructor prior to moving to Vermont. Most recently I owned and operated the Hippie Chickpea restaurant in Montpelier.