Selection and hiring in our wonderful world of Hospitality is everything because we are only as good as the people who work for us. We work long, we work hard, it is hot in the kitchen and crazy on the floor and one of the main ingredients in success is passion. I am certain that we can train knife skills and we can train steps of service, but passion – we need you all to bring it!

One of the country’s top restaurateurs and the 2016 James Beard Award winner for “Best International Cookbook” and “Book of the Year” for his and business partner Chef Michael Solomonov’s first cookbook, "Zahav: A World of Israeli Cooking," Steven Cook is the co-owner of CookNSolo Restaurants, home to some of Philadelphia’s most distinctive culinary concepts.

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to see Tama Wong speak last week and I learned enough to realize how much more there is to learn. Tama is the author of Foraged Flavor: Finding Fabulous Ingredients in your Backyard or Farmer’s Market, the forager for Daniel and incredibly knowledgeable. Her book is fantastic, co written with Eddy Leroux, the chef de cuisine at Daniel, the book is part field guide and part cookbook. It is also available in the library!

Throughout Avery Ruzicka’s youth, cooking always played a big role. Her professional interest in food emerged from the extensive time she spent abroad during and after high school, leading to her first restaurant job in college.

“Be humble. No matter how good you think you already are, treat every single day at school like there is a vast encyclopedia of things to learn.”

For a tea that has been around for thousands of years in China — originating along The Silk Road and dating back to the Eastern Han Dynasty — Pu’er remains a unique and sought after tea in both eastern and western markets.

I would like to start off by introducing myself and giving you a little background on myself. I am a career firefighter in Westchester County and also attend ICC in the Professional Culinary Arts program. My passion for cooking is just as strong the one I have for firefighting, which is what led me to the decision to become a “career adder.” I have always had a second job while being a firefighter, and decided I would like to pursue something I truly loved. Now, I have the best of both worlds!