Dallas Cooking Teacher Counts On Education For Building A Career
Dealing with long commutes to teach and going to grad school at night didn't deter Tina Wasserman from becoming a two-time author, Judaic food historian, cooking instructor and public speaker. Her hands-on, step-by-step approach to cooking has helped those that can't boil water to become confident cooks in their kitchens. Her two cookbooks "Entrée to Judaism: A Culinary Exploration of the Jewish Diaspora" and "Entrée to Judaism for Families: Jewish Cooking and Kitchen Conversations with Children" are filled with tips on how to succeed in creating beautiful looking and wonderfully tasting dishes. Wasserman is a Dallas resident, but travels the world teaching culinary arts. Wasserman is also trained in nutrition and education.
She received a bachelor's degree from Syracuse University and a master's degree from New York University. Wasserman pursued a master's degree because "thirty credits were needed to qualify for a permanent teaching certification for NY State; 34 would also grant her a master's degree with more prestige, higher salary and more education."
Wasserman believes that one who is considering returning to school to get a master's degree should "do it if it will enhance your business or intellectual acumen."
Cooking can be fun, but it can also be challenging. Wasserman noted that going to school at night after commuting 60 miles a day wasn't easy, but she finished her master's degree in a year and a half.
Wasserman noted one of the biggest rewards for earning the master's degree: "My advisor and teacher was the most prestigious person in the country in my field. Her pride in my work boosted my confidence for my future endeavors."
Wasserman said that her degrees empowered her and brought her to realize "the many avenues I could take with what appeared to be a very straight forward degree. My merchandising background in graduate school enabled me to be hired as 'Chef Field' at Marshall Field's department store in Dallas where I was a consultant in the gourmet department and ran the cooking school. Every week, I was privileged to introduce prominent restaurant and hotel chefs to the local community."
Robin D. Everson is a native Chicagoan who resides in Dallas, Texas. Her appreciation for art, food, wine, people and places has helped her become a well-respected journalist. A life-long lover of education, Robin seeks to learn and enlighten others about culture. You can find her work at Examiner.com
