- Messages
- 270
- Reaction score
- 6
Chef Jerry - Sun Dancer II
When I was growing up my dream was to work on a yacht or airplane. I loved
the travel aspect and getting to work in new places around the world. While
I was still young my mother helped me choose between the two and I decided
that working on a yacht was my preference because I would be able to combine
my two favorite things, traveling and food. The first time I got my major
cooking experience was at the young age of twelve when my mother put me to
work frying tortillas to make garnaches, a Belizean taco snack. From there
my cooking repertoire grew exponentially as I started preparing more and
more complicated dishes. By eighteen I had already achieved my first goal
of working on a yacht called the Rembrandt named after the famous Dutch
painter. Starting as a steward I worked my way up to chef over five years.
For the past thirteen years I have been working with the Dancer Fleet and am
currently ranked the number one chef in the fleet based on guest surveys,
something I am very proud of.
Recently on my last vacation home in Belize I saw a newspaper add that there
was going to be a baking competition. Knowing how much people love my baked
goods I decided to give it a shot and entered on a whim. Out of over 150
entries twenty-five were chosen for the semi finals. The categories we were
judged on were creativity, presentation and taste. My entry was a moist
apple cake with a pecan cream-cheese frosting that had the complexity of
something you would find in an artisan bakery and the comfort flavors my Mom
would cook for a special occasion filling the house with a pleasing aroma.
I made it to the finals and finished first runner up! There are many
reasons I entered the competition but mainly in honor of my mother who
taught me how to make my first dish and encouraged me to follow my dreams.
When I was growing up my dream was to work on a yacht or airplane. I loved
the travel aspect and getting to work in new places around the world. While
I was still young my mother helped me choose between the two and I decided
that working on a yacht was my preference because I would be able to combine
my two favorite things, traveling and food. The first time I got my major
cooking experience was at the young age of twelve when my mother put me to
work frying tortillas to make garnaches, a Belizean taco snack. From there
my cooking repertoire grew exponentially as I started preparing more and
more complicated dishes. By eighteen I had already achieved my first goal
of working on a yacht called the Rembrandt named after the famous Dutch
painter. Starting as a steward I worked my way up to chef over five years.
For the past thirteen years I have been working with the Dancer Fleet and am
currently ranked the number one chef in the fleet based on guest surveys,
something I am very proud of.
Recently on my last vacation home in Belize I saw a newspaper add that there
was going to be a baking competition. Knowing how much people love my baked
goods I decided to give it a shot and entered on a whim. Out of over 150
entries twenty-five were chosen for the semi finals. The categories we were
judged on were creativity, presentation and taste. My entry was a moist
apple cake with a pecan cream-cheese frosting that had the complexity of
something you would find in an artisan bakery and the comfort flavors my Mom
would cook for a special occasion filling the house with a pleasing aroma.
I made it to the finals and finished first runner up! There are many
reasons I entered the competition but mainly in honor of my mother who
taught me how to make my first dish and encouraged me to follow my dreams.