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What made you want to become a chef?

Both of my grandmothers and my mother were great cooks. When I was a kid, I was always snooping around the kitchen and helping them make doughs, cookies, and Easter egg bread. Then, when I was in high school, I worked as a busboy in a restaurant, and the head chef there said I should become a chef. After I graduated from The Culinary Institute of America, I worked in lots of restaurants and hotels and then I came back to the CIA to teach other people how to be chefs.

What do you like most about your job?

I like to watch students who start with only a few skills get better at cooking. Plus, you get to eat good food all the time!

What do you like least?

Because I have to work, I don't get to go fishing (that's my other favorite thing) as much as I'd like to!

Do you only teach college classes?

No. I've also taught a Saturday class for teenagers and now I'm teaching a class for parents and kids. One of my own kids helps me out with the class, too. It's fun, and everybody gets to eat what they make when we're done.

Be ready to put in the time it takes to learn good cooking skills. You also have to be patient, because cooking takes time; you can't speed it up. It's a great career—you come in contact with lots of interesting people and learn about international cultures through food. It opens up a whole new world to you.