I Love To Cook; That's My Passion.

I Moved To Louisiana To Become The Executive Chef At Commander's Place. And I Must Say I Had Some Encouragement From Friends Such As Ella Brennan, The Queen Of The New Orleans's Culinary Set, And Others. This Was Very Flattering To A Young Man With A Dream. I Was Only 26 Years Old.

One Big Reason I Do What I Do Is There's No Two Days Alike. It's Not Work For Me. It's My Life. My Passion.

Being A Food Show And Being Me, I Always Kicked It Up A Notch, Which Means I Would Always Elevate The Spice Level Or The Complexity Of A Particular Dish. So, It Was Always Like We're Going To Kick This Up A Little Bit.

I Guess I Feel That I Was Following My Instincts, And At The Same Time Being Guided By The Best. I Became Totally Intrigued With Louisiana - The People, The Food. It Is A Part Of My Life. Everything That Has Happened For Me Since Moving Here Has Just Been Icing On The Cake.

I Grew Up In Fall River, Massachusetts. My Background Was Modest, And I Worked At A Portuguese Bakery In Town.