gbibens's StandOut® Profile
The first word ever uttered out of my mouth as a little boy was “Hot!” From the day I could sit up by myself, I’d sit along side my mother on the counter next to our stove, as it was always a rumble with cakes and cookies, pies, snacks, and nightly dinners. As I would reach for these exciting contraptions—the coiled burner, sauté pan, and pot, my mom would warn, “Hot! Careful, those are hot.” And thus began my infatuation with the stove, with heat, and ultimately, with food.
As a child, my father would throw cocktail parties for his employees, catered to the nine with my mom’s food from our very own hot stove. My mom was always the one offering to bake cupcakes for school functions, my favorite of which were the ones with the pudding in the center, that delicious surprise that could only fascinate a small child in pursuit of the mundane as extraordinary. And, of course, our annual Christmas dessert party, for which my mom would prepare a table engrossed with an entire recipe book worth of deserts, from royal chocolate torte to white chocolate mousse.
Years later, after graduating college and moving to New York City to become an actor, I found myself being hired into some notable restaurants in between jobs, from a Jean-George Vongerichten steakhouse, to a New York Times critically acclaimed restaurant (Compass) led by Executive Chef, John Fraser. The under 30-year old Fraser, had studied under a chef, a name unfamiliar to me at the time—some guy by the name of Thomas Keller.
I’d study the latest chefs, I’d practice recipes found online and in cookbooks that littered my shelves, hosting parties in which I’d cook from The Professional Chef. I’d see that not only did I love to do it, but that I could accomplish such a craft, one that many consider an art. I’d even undertake an 11-course tasting menu that I would design for family and friends during a visit home, conjuring my inner chef with everything from duck crepes to homemade molasses ice cream served as quenelles alongside warm, mouth-watering ginger bread.
And today, I am excited to finally take the next step, applying to culinary school, dreaming to learn many new firsts, beyond, “Hot!”—to learn how to properly brew a stock, to de-bone a whole duckling, to practice perfect knife skills, imperative to a chef’s success. To discover my inner Thomas Keller at the country’s greatest culinary institution, the Culinary Institute of America.
As a child, my father would throw cocktail parties for his employees, catered to the nine with my mom’s food from our very own hot stove. My mom was always the one offering to bake cupcakes for school functions, my favorite of which were the ones with the pudding in the center, that delicious surprise that could only fascinate a small child in pursuit of the mundane as extraordinary. And, of course, our annual Christmas dessert party, for which my mom would prepare a table engrossed with an entire recipe book worth of deserts, from royal chocolate torte to white chocolate mousse.
Years later, after graduating college and moving to New York City to become an actor, I found myself being hired into some notable restaurants in between jobs, from a Jean-George Vongerichten steakhouse, to a New York Times critically acclaimed restaurant (Compass) led by Executive Chef, John Fraser. The under 30-year old Fraser, had studied under a chef, a name unfamiliar to me at the time—some guy by the name of Thomas Keller.
I’d study the latest chefs, I’d practice recipes found online and in cookbooks that littered my shelves, hosting parties in which I’d cook from The Professional Chef. I’d see that not only did I love to do it, but that I could accomplish such a craft, one that many consider an art. I’d even undertake an 11-course tasting menu that I would design for family and friends during a visit home, conjuring my inner chef with everything from duck crepes to homemade molasses ice cream served as quenelles alongside warm, mouth-watering ginger bread.
And today, I am excited to finally take the next step, applying to culinary school, dreaming to learn many new firsts, beyond, “Hot!”—to learn how to properly brew a stock, to de-bone a whole duckling, to practice perfect knife skills, imperative to a chef’s success. To discover my inner Thomas Keller at the country’s greatest culinary institution, the Culinary Institute of America.
Member Information
Joined: Nov 03, 2009
Location: Springfield, VT
High School: Springfield High School
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Culinary Institute of America
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