After a successful eighteen-year career in the consumer electronics and telecommunications industry, I decided it was finally time to pursue one of my life long passions to become a chef.
I enrolled in Epicurean School of Culinary Arts. My first thought was just to improve my cooking skills and presentation, and learn new techniques, but after a few months in class my passion intensified and it was clear this is were I belong. My training at Epicurean placed intense focus on French and basic cooking techniques as well as the creative preparation of meats, fish, fowl, stocks, and sauces. Part of my training was spent on the "art of the presentation." My instructors taught me that not only does your food have to taste good, but the presentation is equally important.
After graduation I decided to take the non-traditional approach and instead of working at a restaurant, I wanted to draw on my corporate sales, marketing, and business development background and launch Catering by Ashley - a full service catering service.
Through research and the assistance of my former instructor Chef Eric Crowley I was able to learn the many aspects of catering including menu development with an emphasis on custom tailored menus, creativity, staffing, purchasing, selecting the "best" food purveyors, event planning and most importantly - managing the timeline. Drawing again on my corporate experience I knew professionalism, organization, customer service, strategic "outside the box" thinker, leadership, the ability to produce in pressure situations, and high ethical standards would come in handy.
In my mind, to be a great cook two things have to be in place: You have to absolutely love to eat, to the point where you finish one meal you're already thinking about the next. It's what you might call an extreme case of food obsession. Second, you have to be completely taken by the act and art of feeding others, and usually, in catering, total strangers. After my first two weeks of training at Epicurean, I became this person-and I love it. When my clients finish a plate and smile, or even just talk about the food. I feel the joy.
