Prepared Foods, Whole Foods Market, Metairie
Experienced enough to lead them, respect drives his style
On a recent Friday, Chef Isaac Pappion found himself in the state-of-the-art commercial kitchen at Grace King High School for his first mentoring session with the Louisiana ProStart program. His first impression was amazement at the size and range of equipment in the kitchen, which was funded through a Community Development Block Grant following Hurricane Katrina.“I didn’t realize that the kitchen would be so huge or I would’ve have prepared something more elaborate for the students,” Pappion said. “I prepared two dishes, a broccoli crunch and a julienne vegetable medley, both they could easily prepare for their families or friends.”
Pappion has had many mentors along the way and he credits their willingness to share their trials with him in an effort to help him grow in his chosen profession. Although, he found himself in a restaurant kitchen in high school, he stated that the ProStart program would have definitely helped him have a greater understanding of what a chef’s lifestyle is all about.
“That’s why I’m so passionate about working with the ProStart students,” he added. “I see a lot of myself in many of them, an eagerness to learn more and be the best.”
