Chef Profile: Up Close and Personal

Home-grown chef Paula Snow attended the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, VT, and further nurtured her culinary repertoire by working at such places as El Tovar Hotel on the Grand Canyon's South Rim. She became one of the few non-Italian chefs to work at Roberto Donna's famed open-kitchen concept at Laboratorio del Galileo in Washington, D.C.

NHHN: When did you start cooking?
Paula Snow: My mother went out to work, and as children, my brother and I used to come home from school and watch the TV show Urban Peasant Cooking. We made our own chips and simple things.

NHHN: What made you decide to become a chef?
PS: I have always felt comfortable in the kitchen. When I was 15, I applied for a job as a sous chef, thinking it meant that I would be making soup! I actually ended up clearing tables and carrying out general hostess duties, but it wasn't long before I was in the kitchen and learning to make bread.

NHHN: What has kept you in this business?
PS: I enjoy creating and feel the strong connection between the earth, food and plate.

NHHN: Has your career gone the way you would have expected?
PS: No, things have moved on far quicker than I would have expected. I thought maybe to have my own restaurant some time in my 30s, but at 29 I am a general manager and executive chef.

NHHN: What is your dining philosophy?
PS: It has to be farm to table and using local ingredients. I pass three farms on my way to the inn, and I use their producealways.

NHHN: What has been the strongest influence on your cuisine from your experience overseas?
PS: While working on the WWOOF program (Willing Workers on Organic Farms), I learned much from different cultures by living with local families and understanding how they create and prepare different types of food. I loved European cooking and the fact that everyone buys produce from the market. Eating much later in the evening and enjoying tapas is something I will always remember about being in Barcelona.

NHHN: What is your most important kitchen tool and why?
PS: It has to be my cryovac machine. I simply place items into a bag and use it to suck the air out. Once the bag is then sealed, items remain fresher for far longer and it makes a huge difference in the taste of food. It really has changed the way I cook.

NHHN: What advice would you give to someone considering becoming a chef?
PS: Make sure you get experience working in a kitchen first and understand what it's all about. Even though it's rewarding, being a chef is not an easy career, and you'll most often be working when everyone else is enjoying their leisure time.

NHHN: What are the secrets to being a successful chef?
PS: Attention to detail is vital. Making sure all the little things are in place contributes to the big picture, and ensuring that food is authentic means a lot.