Kubee Kassaye earns top culinary prize; dreams of opening own Ethiopian/Italian restaurant

Bronx, New York – Kubee Kassaye loves to experiment in the kitchen. On any given day, the young chef will whip up American, Italian, Spanish, Chinese and her native Ethiopian cuisine in her Parkchester kitchen.

“I just love the different techniques and style of food. It’s like an artwork,” said Kassaye, 28.

Her dream is to one day open an Ethiopian/Italian restaurant. And now she’s one step closer.

Kassaye, who works as a chef at the five-star Peninsula Hotel in Manhattan, has won the 2012 Legacy Award for culinary achievement by the prestigious philanthropic society, Les Dames d’Escoffier International. She was one of six women to earn the coveted distinction.

As part of the award, Kassaye will travel to Vancouver next month to work side-by-side with award-winning executive chef and author Margaret Chisholm, of Culinary Capers. Read more