Rhode Island and Long Island. Her next move was to the New
Orleans French Quarter then Boulder, Colorado. To expand her
cooking experiences even further, she worked and lived in San
Francisco for three years.
“Then I moved home, back to Yankton,” Stengle says.
“Currently, I’m the chef at Hy-Vee where I make everything from
salads, to entrees and soups. I make dips, spreads and many
other foods that customers come in and pick up. I also make
the Mediterranean burgers available in our meat market. That’s
one of my personal recipes. Our meat department also sells
the sausage blend I created.”
Stengle is one of several chefs employed at Hy-Vee stores.
The company’s chef program was implemented in 2009. She
has been at the Yankton store since 2010. In addition to
being able to develop a unique chef program at the Yankton
store, Stengle is also pleased that she is on the forefront of a
growing trend for cooking at home.
“It seems everyone has a smoker now and they’re cooking
more of their own meats,” Stengle says. “People are eating
healthier and are looking for locally grown produce from their
own gardens and farmers markets. Because of information
they’re gaining from television shows like the Food Channel and
magazines about food and cooking, people are excited about
food and trying new things. One of the greatest rewards of my
work is helping people realize cooking is not scary. You can do
this!”
Over the years, Stengle has enjoyed watching customers
overcome distaste for some foods based on past experiences.
She explains that no food should be ruled out because of one
disappointing recipe or one unpleasant eating experience.
“Sometimes customers find that the way their mother
prepared a food didn’t appeal to them, but the food used in a
different recipe is very tasty,” Stengle says. “Combining foods
can also be an enjoyable way to incorporate something we
think we don’t care for.”
People may be surprised to learn that Stengle doesn’t spend
a great deal of time cooking at home. After working with food
all day, take out can be alluring.
“I don’t make dinner every night,” she says. “Most chefs
don’t make large, elaborate meals at home. They’ve been
cooking all day so they’re not overly excited about spending the
evening in the kitchen.”
Teaching others about food is Stengle’s second love. She
appreciates the fact that she is available in Hy-Vee to answer
customer’s questions and help them find ingredients they might
need for their own cooking project.
“Baking, which is more of a science, can be more challenging
than creating a salad or main dish,” Stengle says. “I love being
able to add a dash of this, pinch of that and try a new taste
twist in a dish just to see what happens. When you’re baking,
you have to be more precise. But Google is a great source
for food
questions.
If I’m
stumped
about a
customer’s
inquiry, it’s
not unusual for me to consult Google.”
Stengle is also adept at identifying
substitutions for hard-to-find ingredients or
helping customers locate small quantities of an
ingredient for a special dish.
“Hy-Vee customers will also find many of my
recipes in the store and ask questions about
unusual or new produce in the store,” Stengle
says. “When we get a new product in, I’m often
one of the first ones to do taste and cooking
tests.
“There are more and more foodies with interests similar
to mine,” Stengle says. “It’s my job to get customers excited
about their food and involved in cooking. I’ve had people who
tasted dishes I made nearly 11 years ago say they still dream
about their wonderful eating experience. That’s one of the
rewards of my work. And if someone isn’t happy with what I
make, I need to know that, too. I can’t fix something if I don’t
know it’s broken. Knowing my creations made someone happy,
that’s my biggest reward.”
vBy Loretta Sorensen
Will your money
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Rhonda L Wesseln, Agent
Registered Representative
Bus: 605-665-4411
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HERVOICE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015v9