“Food needs to make you feel good. Cooking is a great gift… the opportunity to feed someone. They trust you when they eat your food.” These words of wisdom were just a few shared by Lidia Bastianich, an Italian-American celebrity chef, television host, author, and restaurateur, when she came by to see what was “cooking” at The Viscardi Center. Viscardi’s Culinary Skills training program introduces youth and adults with disabilities to a wide variety of hospitality career opportunities – from commercial and non-commercial food service to jobs in both the front/back of the house.
“My work is a life story,” shared Chef Bastianich. She warmly shared her story of growing up in a communist country and immigrating to the United States as a 12-year-old girl. Her love affair with cooking began when living under communism and food was scarce. Her family relied on fruits and vegetables, like olives and figs, grown and harvested from their garden and livestock. She recalled milking goats and turning it into cheese and ricotta and gathering eggs from the chickens. The Chef’s storytelling continued as she described how cooking here in America reminded her of her childhood days in the kitchen with her mother and grandmother. She reminisced about how familiar flavors and aromas while preparing recipes brought her back to those joyful days.
During the visit, she tasted a sampling of her own renowned recipes – kale crostini, lamb meatballs with lemon sauce and risotto cakes – prepared by the aspiring chefs. She noted the good flavor and their thoughtful execution in turning some into hors d’oeuvre sized portions.
Drawing on over 50 years of experience in the restaurant business, since her start in Forest Hills, Queens in 1971, Chef Bastianich noted that working in the industry is hard work but, “feeding people is very important. There are lots of opportunity and work available at all levels – everyone eats.” She also shared the significance of always learning, so they could go up the ladder and take on more responsibility and expand their skill set.
Her advice for those eager to “break” into the business, “you need to love this and be happy doing it. That’s when you get excited to cook.” She stressed the importance of expressing what you can do, and know, during a job interview and acknowledging that much of the next step is learning on the job. Chef Bastianich explained how every restaurant or eatery has its own unique personality. “You need to learn it and fit in. Once there, make them trust you, trust them, work as a team and then, over time you can develop your style and personality.”
Before moving on to tour the Henry Viscardi School at The Viscardi Center, where Chef Bastianich met and took photos with students and staff, she closed with, “work with your heart.”
About The Viscardi Center
The Viscardi Center, a network of non-profit organizations based in Albertson, NY, provides a lifespan of services that educate, employ, and empower people with disabilities. Its programs and services include Pre-K through High School education (to age 21), school-to-work youth transition services, vocational training and employment placement, digital accessibility services, day habilitation without walls, entrepreneurship, and workforce diversification assistance for children, adolescents, and adults with disabilities and businesses. It is also the home of Able News, a go-to resource for, by, and about people with disabilities. The Center was founded in 1952 by Dr. Henry Viscardi, Jr. who himself wore prosthetic legs, served as disability advisor to eight U.S. Presidents and became one of the world’s leading advocates for people with disabilities.