Kerry Romaniello
Longwood, FL
AOS Culinary Arts 1990
Recipe Writer/Author
Most recently: Executive Chef and Hospitality Manager of the Visitors Center & Gallery, Long Acre House Wine & Food Education Center at Westport Rivers Vineyard & Winery in Westport, Massachusetts; a family owned 12,000-case estate winery.
My recipes have been published in Yankee Magazine, The New York Times, The Providence Journal, California Wine Country Cookbook II, California Wine Country Herbs and Spices Cookbook (both from Hoffman Press), and Spinner V., and others. Author of Out of the Earth, Spinner Publications and Independent Publisher's Award winner; Editor of The Cranberry Cookbook and The Oldways Table, Spinner Publications.
Remembering NECI: NECI's smaller classes and immediate hands-on experience were the reasons I chose the school over other culinary programs. I had been accepted elsewhere, even offered an overseas internship but the program did not meet the standards I felt NECI met. The instructors were very open with us about our performance, our understanding of concepts and encouraged us to work on strengths as well as weaknesses. My internships were in locations I chose but were approved by the school. I enjoy New England, so working and studying in Vermont was easy, though we had some record cold and snows one year!
Later, I was asked to serve on NECI's Program Advisory Committee. I saw first-hand how the administration and instructors continually evaluate the programs and facilities to keep everything true to its core mission, yet stay current and cutting edge. The NECI community was always willing to change, update, adjust and make some tough choices while always putting the education of the students as the priority.