Ernesto

Ernesto, The Italian Chef

Ernesto lived in a little village near Venice. All his life he wanted to be a world class cook. He father would say “That’s women’s work”! But Ernesto never believed the silly musings of his father. He saw chefs in all the café’s and little restaurants around Italy. He always thought it be fun to crack an egg with one hand and to make a Filet Mignon. He would dream about making soufflés and all kinds of wonderful gourmet recipes. One day while running an errand for his mother he passed by a bakery and decided to go in and ask the Baker if there was a part-time job available for him to learn some basics. He inquired about this knowing he was going to hide it from his father.

The baker was very generous and decided to try him out immediately. Ernesto was so overjoyed at the prospect of working his first job, that he forgot to get the loaf of bread his mother asked him to pick up for her. After he arrived home his mother was very upset that he had forgotten. She said “Ernesto, what am I going to do with you? Your head is in the clouds. I send you out for a simple job and all you do is go off into your own little world and daydream. I see you sometimes when I pass by your school; not playing with the other children, but instead you pretend to cook leaves and rocks. What are you making, a stone soup?”

But Ernesto didn’t hear a word she said. All he was thinking about was how he was going to be an apprentice for the Baker of their town.

He wanted badly to tell his mother and father about his new adventure, but he knew that they would tell him to stop. They wanted him to be a doctor or a lawyer or even a farmer, but they never would have guessed that he wanted to become a chef. After some months of learning most of the basics, he decided to leave the bakery and go to one of the more expensive restaurants seeking a new challenge. One of the top chefs who overheard Ernesto begging to be an apprentice said, “Why don’t you save up your money and go to a Culinary School. They are not cheap, but you might have a chance for a scholarship.” Ernesto had no hope of having that kind of money and even trying to get a scholarship. He felt discouraged.

After a few years Ernesto had given up any hope of cooking and learned the ways of a farmer, like his father and his grandfather before him. But one day, Ernesto’s father found out from the baker about that one special day when he went to get some bread for the family’s dinner. The Baker explained that Ernesto had been an apprentice and learned so much in such a short time, that the baker of the town couldn’t teach him anything anymore. “It is such a shame…my customers always ask for Ernesto’s special pantone.” His father ran home and slammed the door behind him. He yelled, “Ernesto! Get down here!” Ernesto came downstairs, wondering what he did to anger his father so.

“Why didn’t you tell me about your apprenticeship with the Baker? Ernesto, your mother and I have been saving up for your schooling, even before you were born. We have always had a plan for you, for your college tuition. When you told us you wanted to be a cook, we were upset only because we thought you would not have gone to college. But when the Baker told me of your plan from a couple of years ago, I had no idea that you COULD go to college to learn cooking. So, I am sorry for not being there for you when you needed me the most.” “Papa I—“replied Ernesto sheepishly. “No! You will take the money to go to this college for cooking. You must follow your dreams. You only live once.”

Ernesto did go to the Culinary School. He learned the ways of the chef, and opened his own restaurant, calling it “Ernesto’s Place”. After a few years of having his own restaurant he was awarded the James Beard award, a distinguished award in the cooking world, and published his first cookbook, which is now a best seller on the New York Times Bestseller List. He now has an agent who has negotiated a television deal for him, to host his first cooking show on The Food Network.

The story behind our Ernesto.. You may have met him in our kitchen..