By Trish Sanderson
Women on the
Chopping Block
Female Chefs Stand Tall in the local Food Scene
Featuring Interviews with Chef Deborah Scott, Partner/Executive Chef Island Prime/C Level/
Indigo Grill/Vintana Wine + Dine at Cohn Restaurant Group and Chef Jojo Rossi, Corporate
Chef Prepkitchen (Del Mar, LaJolla, Little Italy)/ Whisknladle at WNL
The San Diego foodie scene is fortunate to have extreme
female chef talent. They’re ignoring stereotypes, dicing
up inequality and putting out quality concepts all over
town. We snagged two of our favs and asked their
thoughts on everything from girl power, making it in a
“mans world,” and what it takes to get the goods to your
plates.
What advice would you give to young women who want to
be chefs?
CDS: Make sure it’s what you want. Don’t put all your
eggs in one basket. Being a chef isn’t for everyone. Ease
your way into it, take some culinary classes and see if you
enjoy it. Get your feet wet, and then dive in headfirst if
you find out you love it.
CJR: I say go for it, but you have to have thick skin. Ask
questions, have an opinion and find a mentor who you can
learn from. It’s not glamorous to be a chef. The hours are
long and hard, but it is incredibly rewarding to know that
you are part of something that brings people happiness.
CDS: When I was in Culinary School, we did a mystery
basket in Baltimore (sort of Iron Chef style), and I ended
up winning first place among some great professional
chefs. I knew then I had what it took, and this was the
direction I wanted to go with my life.
CJR: The goal for me was always to move quickly from
being a cook to a chef. I understood ultimately that meant
putting in the time, doing a lot of learning on my own and
paying my dues. After I had my first child we decided to
make the move back home to San Diego from the Bay
area. I got a job at Market in Del Mar. Carl Schroeder
is as intense as they get, but I credit him with teaching
me the foundations of California Cuisine and Farm to
Table. He taught me a lot about buy in and why a Chino
Strawberry is so much better than a grocery store one. He
helped form my palette. I left Market after a couple of
years to have my second child. I had learned so much in a
short time but I knew I was ready to be a Chef.
Is there a story you can share about a time that inequality
got in the way of your career or a moment where you
Can you remember the moment (or dish that you cooked)
overcame stereotypes?
where you knew you had what it takes to be a success in
CDS: I worked with a Swiss chef in Monterey who was
very tough on me. He would say things like “someone will
need to get that 50 lb sack of flour down” and I would just
the kitchen as a Chef?