The Love Of Playing With Food There’s a joke among professional chefs that explains the industry’s hours are terrible, the work is hard and you’re surrounded by knives, fire and screaming waitresses – but at least the pay sucks. So why does Staci Stengle love being a chef? “When it’s in your blood you can’t think of anything else,” she says. She ought to know. Cooking first started taking hold of Stengle when she was in high school. As a junior she decided to pursue a chef degree. Because she had an uncle living in New York, she was able to live with him the following summer and work with chefs in a restaurant to get a better idea of where her ambitions might take her. “I loved it,” she says. “I came home, finished high school and moved back to New York after graduation. I finished my degree at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. It was the only culinary school I applied to because it was the best in the country.” Among the elements that attract Stengle to food and cooking are the endless options for combining foods and creating unique recipes. “I sometimes was yelled at for playing with my food, but now I get paid to play with your food,” she jokes. “The natural beauty of food, the colors, the healthy side of food, all of those things appeal to me. My job is to make people happy with the food I prepare. I find that very rewarding.” For nearly four years after completing her culinary degree, Stengle worked in chef positions on the East Coast, experiencing a chef’s life with catering companies, hotels and restaurants. Her work took her to Manhattan, Connecticut, Skin cancer is the easiest to cure, if diagnosed and treated early. The skin is the largest organ of the body with many different functions. It is important to protect it. About 3.5 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in this country each year. One in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of their lifetime. People of all races can develop skin cancer. As with other cancers, if diagnosed and treated early, we can expect a better outcome – even expect a cure. If you have any suspicious moles or spots on your skin call for a consultation. 2525 Fox Run Parkway, Suite 204, Yankton www.yanktonsurgical.com Kynan C.Trail, MD, FACS For appointments call 605-668-9670 8vHERVOICE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015