Holly Burling
After teaching herself how to cook during college, Holly was determined to work in a professional kitchen. She landed her first cooking job at the beloved and legendary barbeque restaurant in Texas called Stubb's. While there, she learned the art of smoking meat, the pleasures of pot liquor, and fell in love with the energy of the professional kitchen. Driven by her desire to learn and her passion for cooking, she eventually worked her way up to the position of sous chef at the renowned Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, Texas. She has since spent nearly a decade working at various esteemed restaurants, most recently at Mario Batali's 3-star Babbo and as sous chef at Tony Liu's August in New York City. Inspired to travel, she spent a summer working at an agriturismo in Italy where she learned how to make pasta by hand and worked directly from the garden to create meals for the guests. She developed a true appreciation for using the simplest and freshest ingredients and has integrated this philosophy into her cooking; she embraces the concept that less is more. In addition to Italy, she has lived and traveled extensively in Mexico and Spain, intent on gaining a deeper understanding of the food, language, and culture of the different regions. Holly is currently studying acupuncture and herbal medicine with the internationally renowned Jeffrey Yuen and is committed to integrating her philosophy of food and health in her cooking through using high quality, organic ingredients and in cooking in harmony with the seasons.
(Education: Binghamton University BA)
After teaching herself how to cook during college, Holly was determined to work in a professional kitchen. She landed her first cooking job at the beloved and legendary barbeque restaurant in Texas called Stubb's. While there, she learned the art of smoking meat, the pleasures of pot liquor, and fell in love with the energy of the professional kitchen. Driven by her desire to learn and her passion for cooking, she eventually worked her way up to the position of sous chef at the renowned Four Seasons Hotel in Austin, Texas. She has since spent nearly a decade working at various esteemed restaurants, most recently at Mario Batali's 3-star Babbo and as sous chef at Tony Liu's August in New York City. Inspired to travel, she spent a summer working at an agriturismo in Italy where she learned how to make pasta by hand and worked directly from the garden to create meals for the guests. She developed a true appreciation for using the simplest and freshest ingredients and has integrated this philosophy into her cooking; she embraces the concept that less is more. In addition to Italy, she has lived and traveled extensively in Mexico and Spain, intent on gaining a deeper understanding of the food, language, and culture of the different regions. Holly is currently studying acupuncture and herbal medicine with the internationally renowned Jeffrey Yuen and is committed to integrating her philosophy of food and health in her cooking through using high quality, organic ingredients and in cooking in harmony with the seasons.
(Education: Binghamton University BA)
Stacie Cassarino
Stacie's first venture into cooking, other than home-taught training in her grandmother's kitchen, occurred in Sicily, where she apprenticed at her family's bakery. She has since cooked in many respected kitchens, from Mario Batali's Babbo in New York City to Café Lago in Seattle WA. She also worked in bread and pastry production at Pearl Bakery in Portland OR, where Julia Child once described to her the inside of a perfect baguette. She has lived in Italy, Brazil, and various regions of the US, where she has devotedly gained a range of culinary knowledge within these foodscapes. Her work as a professor at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and Middlebury College in Vermont also involves food – she is currently teaching a course that investigates the role of food and feasting in literature and film for its cultural significance. She recently returned from a conference in Napa Valley, California, called "Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives" which focused on ways to design menus and cook meals that promote healthful well-being. Her connection to food beyond her backyard organic garden includes having worked on organic farm cooperatives in Brazil and Costa Rica, and having learned the art of making goat and cow cheese while abroad. She is a member of Slow Food and has always believed in principles of sustainability, focusing on foods that are seasonal, regional/local, and organic where possible.
(Education: Middlebury College BA, University of Washington MA)
Stacie's first venture into cooking, other than home-taught training in her grandmother's kitchen, occurred in Sicily, where she apprenticed at her family's bakery. She has since cooked in many respected kitchens, from Mario Batali's Babbo in New York City to Café Lago in Seattle WA. She also worked in bread and pastry production at Pearl Bakery in Portland OR, where Julia Child once described to her the inside of a perfect baguette. She has lived in Italy, Brazil, and various regions of the US, where she has devotedly gained a range of culinary knowledge within these foodscapes. Her work as a professor at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and Middlebury College in Vermont also involves food – she is currently teaching a course that investigates the role of food and feasting in literature and film for its cultural significance. She recently returned from a conference in Napa Valley, California, called "Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives" which focused on ways to design menus and cook meals that promote healthful well-being. Her connection to food beyond her backyard organic garden includes having worked on organic farm cooperatives in Brazil and Costa Rica, and having learned the art of making goat and cow cheese while abroad. She is a member of Slow Food and has always believed in principles of sustainability, focusing on foods that are seasonal, regional/local, and organic where possible.
(Education: Middlebury College BA, University of Washington MA)
Culinary History
