Bonjour de San Diego

[DantesDishes]

Good morning culinary enthusiasts, 

 

My name is Dante, here is a little background about me:

I am formally trained in French cuisine (CCA-SF), and have worked in a very fast-paced kitchen environment. I am currently serving in the U.S. Marine Corps as an Ammunition Technician, but am on my transition back into the civilian workforce. I am located in San Diego, CA but will soon be moving to Burlington, VT.  I am looking to share my culinary knowledge, and expand my own expertise.

 

Please feel free to contact me about freelance work here in Southern California, or more permanent positions in the kitchen in Vermont.

 

Thanks,

D

[Shelby]

Welcome to EG, Dante and thank you very much for your service to our country!

[Smithy]

Welcome, Dante! I take it your fast-paced kitchen environment work wasn't part of your military duty. Can you tell us more about it? Do you cook for yourself on Base, and if so, what? 

[DantesDishes]

Well, I worked at a beautiful spot in Sebastapol, CA, where we ran a full lunch & dinner production. The cuisine was primarily french and had heavy Italian influence as well. We had shouting in spanish, french, Israeli and english boom around the kitchen every Friday and Saturday.

 

We had a secondary location in Sonoma,CA with a much much smaller kitchen (classified as a 'prep station') open during normal weekend qorking hours. I would usually run all production from this kitchen alone. (Having more than one person made for a tight fit anyways) but I was almost always accompanied by tourists from every corner of the globe, as I would often prepare their food with them sitting just a few feet away. This is where my obsession for an organized work station cane from, I do believe.

 

Many days, I would open the primary location and do some morning prep for lunch, drive the 30 miles to the second location and run production there (until 5:00pm) and then make it back to the primary kitchen just in time for the dinner rush! This gave me the opportunity to work with and cook for a vast variety of cultures, backgrounds, and religions; it was an incredible experience. We often hosted events at the primary location; from supporting the local pagan community in their rituals, to barbaric mid-evil themed outdoor feasts! 

 

The Executive chef I worked for was a huge influence on my life, taught me so much about the appreciation of foods from every culture. He also sparked my undying love for baking break! Not to mention the journeys he took me on hunting down fresh Porchini and Chanterelle mushrooms.

 

All-in-all, this job is what solidified my mindset on taking this path.

 

As for the Military, I currently do not live on base, because of my rank I receive compensation to live in my own apartment, and yes I cook every day.(most days anyway)

 

Thanks for the reply, sorry it took me so long to get back to you (I'm currently off-going from an overnight post).