My love of fine food and passion for cooking started when I was very young. This early inspiration came from my mother, who was an exceptional cook and worked in fine restaurants throughout Philadelphia as a musician. Before reaching my teenage years, I had already learned the basics of cooking and often made meals for our family. At the age of 12, my mother had arranged for my first job as a kitchen helper in a fine dining establishment in Cheltenham. I was truly captivated by the experience.

 

The following year I began working weekends in the kitchen of a Greek diner and after 10 years of working my way through the various kitchen positions, I began managing restaurants throughout Bucks and Montgomery counties.

 

Desiring a break from the demands of the restaurant lifestyle, I left the kitchen to work in manufacturing. Unexpectedly, the change became long term, and after many years, culminated in management of quality control and process engineering. However, my passion for the culinary arts was continually nurtured as my new profession afforded me the opportunity to become a regular patron of fine dining. With every dining experience, there was always a re-kindling of interest in the culinary arts.

 

Upon a downturn in manufacturing in 2000 and uncertainty about the future with my employer of 20 years, I began a rigorous, self-taught, culinary study of the techniques taught at Le Cordon Bleu and Culinary Institute of America. Over the following five years, I have continued to build upon my previous experience in the restaurant business, utilizing my skills to run a catering business on a part time basis. I am also a member of United States Personal Chef Association, a national organization dedicated to maintaining the highest professional standards of the Personal Chef Industry.

 

Concurrently, my partner, Joan Balasa, has acquired a wealth of knowledge on diets and nutrition that has compelled me to place my focus on fine cuisine that promotes health and well-being. It is out of these successful endeavors that  E!Cuisine has been born.

 Chef Bio