Take It from the Chef: 13 Ways to Start Living Out Your Dreams

“Because my Father lived his soul

love is the whole and more than all …

so strictly (over utmost him

so hugely) stood my father’s dream...”

My father’s dream was to live on in others’ hearts, minds and souls … through not just words but deeds – acts of faith against all obstacles. Unlike e.e. cummings, who penned the words above, my Dad was not a poet of words – but he was a poet of actions. He always seemed to not only do things right, but more importantly, do the right things. Even when conventional wisdom would dictate another course, my Dad wore his heart on his sleeve, “dropped his waterline” and believed in others, even when they didn’t believe in themselves.

I share this with you because it took me (and many others, for which I’m grateful) 642 days – just over a year and nine months – to realize this first essential piece of my father’s dream. As much as I’d love to have everyone buy this book, I would want them to do so not because I stand to gain anything (I don’t), but because the lessons on life, leadership, fun and adventure are too precious not to share.

Although the subtitle proclaims Ennio Riga as “chef to the stars” (the book lists 88, but there were literally hundreds more), perhaps a better description would be “epicure of the heavens,” referring more to the spiritual realm than the material one.

He was born in a 150-year-old country home purchased just before his birth for just 3,000 lire. His father lost almost all of his savings during the Great Depression. His mother nearly died having him. He tended to farm animals from an early age, and had his village overrun by Nazis when he was just five years old (when his father also escaped from a forced-labor camp). Ennio finished his education at age 10, putting in 14-hour workdays six days a week at two different jobs. He saved the life of a child at age 11, and another child’s life by age 13.

This all happens in the first 12 pages of the book. Now … aren’t you at least a little bit interested in what happens over the next 175 pages?

OK, so let me sweeten the deal for you. I also included 15 recipes, many cooked expressly for celebrities … plus five leadership lessons sprinkled with real-life examples.

Still need more? My Dad picked up the term (and practice) of offering a “lagniappe,” or “piccolo assaggio” (small taste) to patrons in his restaurants that hesitated to have faith, to believe in, the goodness that could be theirs, literally for a song (and maybe a dance as well). So savor this “baker’s dozen”:

1.    “If the world falls down on your shoulders, brush it off, don’t look back, and keep going on your way. Stay on course!” (book title)

2.    “If you’re not able to work with pain, you will never make it.”

3.    “As long as you try to be the best version of yourself, you will keep going forward.”

4.    “The only thing we take to the next world is our connection; all else stays behind.”

5.    “All the people I encountered and helped are my legacy.”

6.    “When you flavor your dreams with wonder, excitement, and possibility, you have the ability to take yourself to new heights.”

7.    “Somehow, all of my mistakes led me to create a beautiful life. All I had to do was remain true to myself, stay on course, and trust God.”

8.    “Self-correct for as many times as you fail.”

9.    “Allow something bigger than yourself to fill you with courage and purpose.”

10. “Make everyone feel important – from the dishwasher to the CEO.”

11. “If you can’t see it, you will never go as far as you desire. Dream, and create your course.”

12. “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” (Although this quote is attributed to golfer Gary Player, it bears repeating … after all, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”)

13. “Enjoy the small moments and relish the big ones. Our life is a series of moments that will one day translate into eternity.”

Life’s too short to just nibble around the edges, or settle for the crumbs that fall from the table. Why not indulge your appetite today with a healthy helping of success, pain, triumphs, love, and most of all, fun? Ennio’s legacy is only too happy to deliver.