Katie was hired into a difficult situation-- she was the personal chef to my father, an elderly man who had traveled the earth, was himself a solid amateur cook and had a discerning palate. Over the course of her term of employment, his health status began slowly to fail, and the range of foods he could withstand began to diminish. Katie wrapped her skillset around my father's needs, carefully monitoring his likes and dislikes, and then, as his needs changed, working to fit these new requirements (softer foods, less spice, etc). She continually challenged herself to keep things interesting no matter how bland the fare, towards the end, had to be. Katie viewed her work as not just food service, but also the creation of ambiance, dinner as presentation. Her personal aesthetic in presentation runs towards the simple and pure, no matter how complex the food being presented. She's a wiz at sauces, and makes delicious variations on standard things like ribs. Though Italian by extraction, she is more than capable to work in any genre of cuisine. She is also meticulously clean, and leaves the kitchen cleaner than when she found it. She is a talkative, sociable soul, and and understands that some high-volume supermarkets get fresher product cheaper than some specialty stores. Katie's food is great, and her work ethic is strong.