Talk About Useless Stuff.

It was all about perseverance,Strength, Discipline… Love. This woman displayed all of these. She was the best person I’ve ever met. She was more than a friend, she was an influence, an instructor to my career path, a co-worker who guided me to the best worker and spoiled me to knowledge of the culinary world. She’s Dana. A culinary extraordinaire and someone who you can depend on when the pie crust or recipe or taste of a dish goes wrong. It’s tore me apart when I found out that my influence passed away. Coming home from work and hearing it from my mom, who together with her, were a pair who could not be brought down, talked down to even if you quit your day to even try, told me the grave news.

Dana, I could not believe you are gone from this world. I could still remember those days I would see you on the third floor of Macy’s making your calls to bridal couples. Blah blah to them and finding time to talk to me about baking, food, and even proper women for me. You were a second mother to me, telling me that you’ll do great in the culinary world. The advice, recipes and even the magazines to cooks illustrated that shown me hidden things to methods too difficult to do on a cutting board or pastry bench.

I would always ask you which appliance were better or method or recipe or even knife was best. You would tell me kitchen aid, grilling, chiffon, and wustuf, spell check that for me… And I would whole heartedly accept all those answers and buy them. Because I trusted you and knew you would not let me down with the knowledge and advice. It was just up to me to execute properly and professionally. I always wanted to make my mom, pops and bro proud in what I do, and I did that. But I always wanted to make you proud of me too. And I hope I did. You and Jeff we’re proud of me… Of me. A kid. And you saw that I achieved a lot in my time in the culinary world. But all I wanted to do was to be you. To get the knowledge and love and extraordinary know-how of the baking and cooking world. And I hope now I’m there.

I still remember when I told my mom that I won a trip to study abroad to China and to study under Martin Yan. She told you and just the excitement came out of all of you, moms, pops, you and Jeff. I went on my trip and when I came back, I invited you and Jeff to a dinner with my parents and relatives to see, meet and eat with Martin. Gosh, what a time. Eat eat eat, talk talk talk, eat some more, talk some more. It was a junction to get excited about because we all talked about life and cooking with Martin. I was really happy you were there to witness a big part of my culinary experience. Then a couple years later, I invited you to my colleges annual food and wine event. You tag teaming with my mom, stuff yourselves to the brim of different vendors specialities. Heck that’s what you’re suppose to do, and you two did it well. My mom met my chefs that mold me to what I am today a couple semesters back, but you didn’t. So I was so happy that you met my culinary scholastic mentors at the event. I still remember tell chef Nader and chef Claire to meet my influence who guided me to be strong in the field and loved me through it all. Beside my mom of course, it was you Dana. You. I still have that Facebook pic of you and chef claire smiling and talking. I captioned it on the bottom, “…my two influences.” Because you two were. Both made me strong and gave countless knowledge of the craft. I thank chef Claire but I especially thank you more because of the love you gave to me in the beginning. Claire was a hard ass, so there was no love but I appreciate everything, EVERYTHING, that chef did to me, molded me and gave me the knowledge to be a strong chef and discipline one too. That pic tho, will always be my influences. Always.

I cried when I heard the sad news you passed. Heck, ask mom. The machismo in me shed some tears but not a lot. I know you wouldn't want me to cry, but to be strong. Mom, rosa to you haha, said when she does pass, she doesn’t want people to grieve for her but to be happy and joyous. That she lived a long, strong, happy and loved life. Death is just the beginning and such. A much happier event will start after death, so just be happy. It’s hard that you’re gone. It just doesn't seem possible.

I’ll miss you Dana. You always wanted to see if I were to open an restaurant or bakery. I’m so sorry that I wasn't able to establish one before your passing but I will promise you that I will open one. And name it “dana’s place”… I’m kidding, even you’d smack me in the head and tell me I’m a dummy to do that. I loved you for keeping it real with me too. You never held back. Hence a strong woman you are. I’m sorry that didn’t happen, I know you would have been proud of any establishment I made in the culinary field, you and Jeff. I’m sorry that I didn’t contact you and Jeff to say hi, how are you and how’s everything. I always wondered what you were doing when that time passed. I felt as if that made me a bad friend. And now that you’re gone, I regret not pick up the cell and calling to check up on you and Jeff to see how my friends were doing. Now I call. I hear no answer but the sound of a voicemail of your voice. God. Man. Leave you a message, more like I rather give you a hug and kiss and talk about new recipes. Shit. I can’t believe you’re gone.

Dana Creason. I regret not checking up on you and the hubby to see how you guys were doing and to just hang out and such. But I do remember that I always said “love you” and you would always say “ love you too sweetheart” and give me a big hug and kiss. I will say that that my last encounter with you at the end, was that. So I will always have that in mind. Forever and ever. I will always talk to you in spirit about my culinary adventures and happenings, my ups and downs and knowledge of everything new. You can count on that Dana. And I will always say “ love you” and I will forever be your “sweetheart”.

we'll bake up a storm together again. Soon enough. I will never forget you. Ever.

Your friend forever, and chef,