I was pursuing a career in musical theater before I met Michael and Linda and found I was enjoying the gigs that took me around the world the best. It was the gig that took me to Italy for the first time that spelled the beginning of the end of my pursuit of the theater and the beginning of an accidental career in hospitality. I still feel like I work in the entertainment industry because my job now for Il Chiostro isn’t all that different from being a cruise director.
When I met Michael and Linda in 2000 (the result of an introduction by mutual friends), they offered me a three-week job assisting them in their B&B-style operations at a rustic farmhouse perched on a Chianti hill overlooking a breathtaking Tuscan valley and Siena. I was hooked. And 23 years later, I’m still working as a program manager for Il Chiostro.
That first season and several that followed, I assisted Linda in the kitchen—an invaluable experience, to be sure. I love to eat good food, and as Linda’s sometimes sous chef, I learned the art of Italian cooking. Sometimes creating a fantastic dish was straightforward and sometimes complicated, but the results were always buonissimo!
That leads to a favorite recipe, which is like a favorite preparation for any veggie: Sauté garlic in EVOO and veggies (pre-blanched or raw) and cook till as done as you like them. Semplice!
