Interview with Denisse Ollier
Skills, Ability and Knowledge
Chef, Entrepreneur, TV
Personality and Latin Community Leader
By Jessie Riley
(Note: Read through to the bottom for a special recipe from Chef Ollier)
Jessie: Hi Denisse, I know I’ve known you a
very long time from fundraiser events, and then we reconnected at ICE a few
years ago. How did you wind up at ICE,
for the culinary and management programs?
Denisse: I always loved good food. As a child, I would spend hours watching and
helping Grandma Juana as she created magic in her small, but wondrous kitchen
in San Juan, Puerto Rico. My mother,
however, pushed me away from the kitchen. She wanted me to be a career woman,
which I became.
As
luck would have it, I chose to be an international correspondent, traveling and
tasting foods from all over, which, once I got home, I had the urge to
recreate. One cookbook after another led
to a pile of recipes, and how to and a need to know more. In 2005, I enrolled in the Professional Culinary
Arts program at ICE… Life would never
be the same. I became hooked, obsessed with learning more. And I wanted to explore the possibility of
having my own restaurant---thus, I also took the Management course.
Denisse: I
did both courses at ICE while still a senior female anchor at Univision NY and
while doing an externship at Le Bernardin, and having a weekly morning segment called
Riquisimo con Denisse. It was brutal.
Really crazy!!!!
Leaving
my TV job was liberating, but at the same time I lost the routine, the
stability, the rhythm of a 9-5, well, in this case 2:30-11:30 pm job. I lost
the daily feedback of our audience and the working routine with my colleagues. Most of all, I missed covering breaking news.
In
turn, I gained my freedom… My creative
freedom, my freedom from living by a set of rules that tied me down with a lists
of do’s and mostly don’ts that extended to my off time. After more than 20 years of being in a business
that rewarded loyalty and discouraged self-expression and creativity, I was ready
to see what else was out there.
It
was not an easy transition---there were lots of adjustments to be made- but,
for the first time, I was able to run my life—to experiment- to see what works
and doesn’t work and where I can go with my skills, abilities and knowledge.
Jessie: I know
you issue periodic online newsletters, with beautiful food photography. How long have you had your marketing
newsletter? How do you find it helpful? Do you also do Facebook,
Twitter, etc. How do you think most of your fans keep up with you? And do
you have a publicist -- or are you your own?
Denisse: I have
had the monthly letter on and off since 2008. I stopped writing for a while
because of health issues. Now I send my monthly newsletter regularly,
plus I am very active on Facebook and Twitter. I do not have a publicist.
Jessie: I saw
online that you are also selling a line of cook wear. How did you develop your line of pans -- was
it your idea or Fagor's? How long did it take to develop and what was the
process? Are you planning to sell more kitchen ware type products?
Do you have to travel around and/or do promotions for them? Provide
recipes that people can use?
Denisse: Fagor is a worldwide leader in cookware. They
approached me almost two years ago to develop a line of cookware that was both
affordable and of excellent quality. We
even checked the Pantone color wheel to match the exact color that I wanted. It was a very creative process, stressful at
times, but ultimately satisfying. Yes, I do travel to promote my line and my
e-store is part of my official website so people have access to my
recipes. www.Denisseoller.com
Jessie: A while back we were talking about you
developing on a line of cookies, and looking for a producer, what happened to
that project?
Denisse: I
started Boca Dulce, my line of delicious cookies with Latin flavors, on
September 2008, a week before the financial collapse. It only goes to show that
timing is everything. I was able to hang in there and actually, sell my cookies
for the next six months. Thanks in part to promotional efforts of my own and to
my good chef friends. In the end, I didn’t have the infrastructure to fully
establish myself. I had to fold the business. I learned a lot, especially the
importance of planning every step.
Jessie: When
you do your TV demos, like your weekly Hispanic cooking and nutrition segment
for the AARP, who decides what you will cover? You and producers?
Any words of advice to another entrepreneur who might have a TV gig that
would be helpful to share, since this is your field???
Denisse: The
producer and I consult to see what would be a good fit. Sometimes it depends on
the air time available and others, on the time of the year (Christmas, spring
and Mother’s Day). It is a collaborative effort. My best advice to anyone who
wants to be on TV is to be yourself and to communicate in a friendly fashion.
Jessie: And
recently, you’ve taken on a position at Seton Hall University.
How is the transition to
an academic environment?
Denisse: When
I’m not cooking, I am the Executive Director of the Unanue Latino Institute at
Seton Hall University. In its essence,
this job is also about communicating, which is my calling in life. I thoroughly enjoy all aspects of this
position, from event planning to fundraisers to being in touch with our
students on a daily basis. As a matter
of fact, they enrich my life.
Jessie: What's
next for Denisse?
What else would you like to be doing?
Denisse: I
have a great food business at Denisseoller.com,
I am a top collaborator for AARP, and I work as executive director of the
Latino Institute at Seton Hall University, plus I am a spokesperson for several
entities whose message of health and fitness and empowerment I embrace. I make
a great living and I decide when to go on vacations and for how long!! What
more can I ask for?
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Sautéed Spicy
Chicken Breasts with Fresh Mango Salsa
Yields 4 servings
Ingredients
4 boneless
chicken breasts, lightly pounded
4 ounces
smoked bacon
1 garlic
clove, minced
8 ounces baby
spinach, washed and rinsed
4 ounces soft
goat cheese
1 tablespoon
olive oil
½ teaspoon
cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons
salt
Freshly
ground pepper
3 tablespoons
canola oil
Mango
Salsa
2 fresh
mangoes, finely chopped
1 red pepper,
small dice
½ medium red
onion, small dice
3 tablespoons
fresh cilantro, leaves only, finely chopped
1 tablespoon
sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon
lime juice
Salt and
pepper to taste
Preparation
Preheat oven
to 375ºF
1.
Mix all ingredients for the mango salsa in a bowl,
cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
2.
Place bacon in skillet and fry at medium heat until
crisp. Place on paper towels and proceed to chop in small bits. Set aside.
3.
Remove all but one tablespoon of fat from the
skillet and sauté the garlic and spinach. Set aside to cool.
4.
In a bowl, combine the spinach mix with the goat
cheese and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add bacon.
5.
Into the thickest part of each chicken breast cut a
3-inch pocket. Stuff with the spinach-cheese mixture. Close with a toothpick.
6.
Mix the cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Season each
breast with the mixture. You may cover and refrigerate for one hour or up to a
day ahead.
7.
Heat a large oven proof skillet at medium high, add
canola oil and once it is hot, place the chicken breasts and sauté 4-5 minutes
until golden brown. Turnover and cook 3-4 minutes.
8.
Transfer to oven and roast for 10-12 minutes or
until a meat thermometer registers 165ºF. Remove from oven and keep warm until
ready to serve.
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