“Utilizing Your Passion to Create Success, a Journey through a Chef's Times & Tribulations.”

Holidays come and go. Personally it's has always been a very busy time of the year. When I was at Renown Regional Medical Center I had to plan the holiday meals for 4 or 5 thousand.

Thanksgiving we always had fresh turkeys in the cafeteria, complimentary to all on duty staff. Then the big “Holiday” buffet for all staff. We would prepare a prime rib dinner buffet for all three shifts including all of the off site offices. I would go in around 7 a.m. and leave around 3 a.m. In between the last two meals was the yearly “clean the office” routine. Of course I had an outstanding staff. We would prepare all the dessert, Chef Kim and Justin along with the culinary team, would cook 80 to 90 prime ribs plus all the accompaniments. Then at midnight one of my assistants, Geraldo would prepare his homemade taco's from the prime rib scraps. Of course, all the senior management would really look forward to the tacos. It was the one day of the year I was in charge, as all the VP's, Directors, Managers, Supervisors and even our CEO would serve in the cafeteria and assist with clean up. Then the following week we had a special Christmas menu and New Years menu. In between, I would cook for my own family and a few charities.

So this year, for the first time, I have nothing to do. Family are all gone, and my “selling” job is not as prosperous as I was hoping. Still needing to pay the bills and not go crazy sitting around the house, I started my old business “Rent A Chef”, a personal chef service. I really enjoy going into people homes and cooking for small parties. It is not a catering service as no food is prepared prior to our arrival. It's a fun way to entertain! You enjoy your company and let a chef do the cooking, a server set the table, and serve the food.

Having time on my hands I also decided to write a book. So now I have created a new dilemma, what kind of book and who will it be directed to? Of course, it had to be a cook book, but then if I direct it to my grandkids, I would like them to know about me. my life, and their heritage. If I direct the book to other professionals I would like to share my management style. I settled on a four part book of family, motivation, management style and cooking.

It has always been my dream to write a book showing just how easy it is to create fast, healthy, gourmet meals while retaining memories of my childhood and ethnic background. This is my second attempt. The first one was a cookbook with a little history that I self published with the help of one of my closest friends and mentor Ron Stewart.

With this new book you don't have to start at the beginning but can start at any part you are interested in, and then always end with a great recipe to share with the ones you love. In Part 1, I share my success from being voted in High School the “least likely to succeed” to the “Most Professional Chef in America”. In Part 2, I share the story how I found my Sicilian family after 52 years of searching. I hope I also inspire the readers to find the best in everyone you meet, and to learn from everyone you meet. And you will learn why I now use “Marsola” as my middle name. In Part 3, I share my management style. How to motivate your employee's to achieve national recognition, mange through diversity, and employee participation. And finally Part 4 will feature recipes from family Italian favorites to Mexican / American cuisine and many more. My youngest son created the title, “Utilizing Your Passion to Create Success, a Journey through a Chef's Times &Tribulations”.

So I have proven my wife wrong. I am not a workaholic, I am a busyholic. The difference: with a workaholic you make money, with a busyholic you create the same stress level and the same dedication but you make no money, at least not yet. There are some of us out there that can't sit still, we need to move, be social, be creative and I certainly am one of those.

So I will leave you with this thought, if you don't have a lap top computer buy one. You can get them very cheap and even buy them used. You don't need much memory or lots of applications. Start writing your memories, your passions. Someday one of your children or grandchildren will read it and learn about you, and about themselves. If you don't think this is important then let me ask you, what were your grandparents like? What were your great grandparents like? Don't you wish you had a book about them, written in their own words?