“At a young age, I cooked with my father. As I got older, my love for cooking grew, so I went to culinary school. After finishing, I went anywhere I could to cook and learn. Through that determination, I’ve stayed in this industry for 15 years now. I don’t plan on leaving anytime soon. One of the things that keeps me going is the fact that I’m constantly learning something new about food every day. I love food and what it does for people.

The most valuable thing I’ve learned over my years in the industry is that you’re only as strong as the team you lead, and with that in mind, I hope people are intentionally kind to themselves and their fellow hospitality workers, because it’s not easy for us out here!”

@chefsblaise Reporting from New York.