The aromatic trinity of onion, celery, and bell peppers sautéed in garlic, herbs and Cajun spices intertwined with the scent of chicken, shrimp, and rice fills the kitchen with comfort and satisfaction. Barrington High School’s new executive chef, Eric Corradetti, never underestimates the power of a tasteful Cajun jambalaya dish, one of his favorites.

Just as individuals have physical and mental characteristics that allow them to be great marathon runners or pianists, others have what it takes to become superior cooks. These individuals are often described as possessing a ”sixth sense” or a ”magic touch,” something special that elevates any food they prepare into a sublime experience.

“A lot of people take jobs to survive, but the ones who are able to really do what they like to do is a gift. And if you search long enough, you will find it,” Corradetti said.

From a young age, Corradetti was exposed to food culture and restaurant life. His family owned an Italian restaurant where he spent much of his free time, and his relatives would often bring him into the kitchen and teach him how to cook. Corradetti has now been a professional chef since 2001 after he graduated from Eastern Illinois University, where he got a degree in finance, and shortly after, the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago.

“I started cooking when I was probably six or seven years old,” Corradetti said. “That was just something my family always did, and we still do.”

Corradetti has been involved in the restaurant business, worked for private clubs, moved to the resort business, catering businesses, and now works in student food services.

“Basically, I’ve been in [almost] every food venue. I’ve been fortunate to work with so many chefs at so many restaurants with many different cuisines, and I love most of them, honestly,” Coradetti said.

Often times, Corradetti has known people find cooking to be stressful, with shopping, meal planning, and prep work. However, he believes that stress is just the byproduct of not knowing the possible outcomes of experimenting with ingredients.

“For me, cooking has always been second nature,” Coradetti said. “I can get groups together of 20 or 2000, and for me, it really makes no difference. It’s all about planning. So, say you have 2000 people and you’re going to make mashed potatoes. I know each person will get around a four-ounce serving, so I divide 2000 by four ounces and it gives you the number of how many pounds of potatoes you’ll need to mash. There are certain calculations that come into play.”

Quest Food Management Services was founded in 1985 in Lombard, Illinois, with the goal of providing fresh food made from scratch with personal service. Corradetti expresses much joy in working for Quest, as they offer a wealth of expertise in nutrition, marketing, food safety and sanitation, staff management, and community building.

“When you work for companies like Quest – the larger food companies – they have what they call standardized recipes. So they standardize them across the board because they have so many accounts, they need all the recipes to be the same in case a person likes a tuna sandwich at one location only to go to a different one where it tastes different and they’re upset,” Corradetti said. “However, I’ve always been one to add or remove ingredients in my food according to how I’m feeling, and the cool thing about Quest is that they actually encourage that.”

Handling the majority of the setup and execution of the food, Corradetti also ensures that the staff has what they need, on top of cooking all day, which, luckily for him, is the most fun part.

“This is my first time working with students, and I enjoy it very much. I think the biggest thing for me was when we first came in, and getting to see the way it was before [in contrast to] the transformation to now. It’s great, especially to see how much you guys enjoy the food we provide,” Corradetti said. “A major plus is the staff here. They’re great people, and they love working with you guys. The people I’ve met during my time here have made a great impact on me and my liking [of]to this workspace.”