In life, we dream of something that always seems impossible to accomplish. But, when you put your heart and soul into it, you can achieve your goal and forget about how excruciating it was to get there. I was lucky to have been given a chance to interview the chef Diana Lotesto -- an instructor at Butterlane Bakery in the East Village and a pastry chef at Pure Catering.
Chef Lotesto has rheumatoid arthritis, but this didn’t stop her from becoming what she is now - a successful chef and entrepreneur. As a pastry chef (or any chef for that matter), having rheumatoid arthritis can hinder you from doing so many things. Could you imagine mixing a bowl of cake batter with your hands and fingers inflamed? Uggggh, that must’ve hurt, but chef Lotesto proved me wrong otherwise. Her story was very promising and inspiring at the same time. She showed me how bitter sweet her journey was.
Me: Where did you grow up and can you say that is one of your influences?
CL: The most important thing about my home, is how close it is to Manhattan. I have a bit of a commute, but I always knew that I'd have to make that trip if I wanted the best food, the best jobs, and the best opportunities.
Me: When did you know you wanted to be a chef and who inspired you to become one?
CL: As a child, I was always weirdly domestic. I would wake up early and watch Martha Stewart. She taught me how to fold towels and how to make pie crust. I loved that stuff. Until I was 16 I thought I was going to be a teacher, but I guess I panicked, started making fudge instead of applying to colleges and I just went with it. The hospitality industry has always been where I belong. Now that I’ve started teaching cooking classes, I think a lot about my instructors from culinary school. They taught me how to cook, but they also taught me how to teach and I wish I could thank them every day.
Me: What is your favorite food memory?
CL: Every year for Christmas, my mom makes more sugar cookies than most children see in a whole year. She makes a tray or a box full for everyone we know and that’s just become one of the most important things about the holidays for me.
Me: Where were you trained, and how difficult was your training?
CL: I attended the Institute of Culinary Education. I got a degree in Pastry Arts and Restaurant Management. I continue my training every time I step into a new kitchen or meet a new chef. It’s never easy.
Me: Favorite kitchen equipment or gadget?
CL: I really love my Kitchen Aid. (Me: Me too!)
Me: Favorite foods to cook with?
CL: Butter. (Me: Oh my, me too.)
Me: What can you say or advice to home cooks like me?
CL: Since I was only trained in Pastry, and all of my culinary training has been on the job, I feel like a home cook a lot of days. I'll give home cooks the same advice I give myself -- keep going, because you’re getting better. (Me: Very well said!)
Me: Most memorable kitchen incident?
CL: I cut off a little piece of my thumb once, and it bled like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I wrapped it, gloved it, kept it pinched behind my back and kept going. I was working as an assistant teacher that night, thank goodness, and I had to walk my group of students through the recipe with only my words. I was better at my job after that day. And the little bit of my thumb sort of grew back, so…win,win.
Me: Who in the food world do you most admire?
CL: My favorite celebrity chef is Ina Garten. I love her style, her disposition and the way she can pack a meal into a wine crate and make it look like it fell out of a Williams and Sonoma catalogue.
Me: What are your favorite cookbooks?
CL: I love The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters. I think it’s just perfect. I also love relics, cookbooks from other decades or other time periods. I love getting a sense of the culture and the people.
Me: Aside from cooking, what else do you do for fun?
CL: I like to knit, I like to read, I like to lie in bed and watch hours of uninterrupted supernatural teen dramas.
Me: What do you most love about your job?
CL: The people I meet; the small business owners, the clients, the 20’somethings who want to learn how to make cupcakes, the chefs I get to cook for, the Maitre d‘, the production manager and the guys behind the counter have all become really important to me. The food industry is hard and working nights can kill your social life. I don’t have time to go out and get a beer with friends, but I can be sure to work with the kind of people who I’d love to get a beer with, even we never actually do it.
Me: Where do you see yourself in five years from now?
CL: I‘d like to teach more seriously. I’d also like to cook more seriously. I think if I can keep up a nice balance between those two things and try to do each one better, I'll be happy.
Dreams can come true when you have the drive to make it real. Chef Lotesto is a real inspiration to all the chefs and home cooks out there. Despite her arthritis, she still prevailed and proved that anything is possible when you believe.
Catch Chef Lotesto at the Step Up -- Modeling for a Cause charity fashion show event on May 10th, 6pm-9pm at the Unitarian Church of All Souls NYC.
