How I Became A Chef

Anne E. McBride is the director of the Experimental Cuisine Collective at New York University, where she is also pursuing a PhD in food studies, and culinary program and editorial director for the Strategic Initiatives Group at the Culinary Institute of America. She has co-authored four books with culinary professionals, including Chocolate Epiphany with François Payard and the recently released Les Petits Macarons with Kathryn Gordon.

In the fall of 2005 Gavin Kaysen decided to take a few weeks off from his own kitchen to train elsewhere and broaden his perspective. As a result, he did a brief internship in the kitchen at DANIEL. Now, he is the Executive Chef position at Daniel Boulud’s Café Boulud in New York.

Kaysen arrives in New York with more than a few accolades under his belt. During his tenure as chef de cuisine at El Bizcocho (Rancho Bernardo Inn, San Diego, CA) he made his first appearance as guest chef at the James Beard House (2005), was awarded Best Chef, Critic’s Choice, by San Diego Magazine and took first place on the US National team competing for the Bocuse d’Or in Chicago (2006). He went on to represent the US team at the 2007 Bocuse d’Or in Lyon, France. Gavin was named one of Food & Wine Magazine’s 10 Best New Chefs (2007) and competed in the Fall 2007 Next Iron Chef TV series. Most recently, Gavin was the winner of the James Beard Foundation’s prestigious award for Rising Star Chef of 2008.

Rory Schepisi’s quest is to teach her craft and spread her passion for food to the masses. As a teen, she was drawn to the kitchen of her family’s Italian restaurant. She graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and continued her education at Johnson & Wales.

By the age of 21, Schepisi opened Bourbon Street in her hometown of Hillsdale, N.J. Her quest then took her to Los Angeles, where she landed a spot on the reality show Popularity Contest on CMT. The show led her to Vega, Texas, where she discovered her love for one of the local cowboys and stayed to learn about ranching and open the Boot Hill Saloon & Grill. Schepisi then became a contestant on The Next Food Network Star, where she placed second in the competition, but first in the hearts of fans across the country.

Since the competition, she travels the country as a celebrity chef and guest speaker. Schepisi is working on her first cookbook, running her highly successful Boot Hill restaurant and appearing on her weekly cooking segment in Amarillo. Among her accolades, she has been named “Best Chef of the West” in 2008 and 2009 by the Texas Restaurant Association.

Harold Dieterle’s Italian-American upbringing is what first inspired him to be a chef; specifically,
watching and assisting his mother prepare traditional Sicilian Sunday suppers in their Long
Island home. His interest in cooking continued during middle school, when he enrolled in home
economics class and first learned basic recipes for dishes such as fried chicken.

After graduating from high school in 1995, he went to Spain to work in some of the country’s top
kitchens. Upon his return, he attended the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New
York. After graduating, he worked at a series of high-quality establishments on Long Island (e.g.
Della Femina) and in Manhattan, most notably the 1770 House in 2002, which garnered a two-star
review from The New York Times during his time there.

In 2002, Harold landed a job at restaurateur Jimmy Bradley’s Tribeca restaurant, The Harrison,
where he worked under future standout chefs Joey Campanaro and Brian Bistrong. In 2006, Harold
competed in and won the first season of Bravo’s Top Chef. The following year he and business
partner Alicia Nosenzo opened Perilla in the West Village, a critically acclaimed New American
restaurant with Asian influences. In October 2010, Harold and Alicia opened their second West
Village restaurant, Kin Shop, devoted to contemporary Thai cuisine and inspired by his many trips
to Thailand. Kin Shop was awarded 2-stars by the New York Times in 2010 and has continued to
receive press accolades. In 2012, Harold and Alicia will open The Marrow in Downtown Brooklyn’s
new boutique hotel, Hotel 718, featuring a meat-centric, globally-inspired menu.