KAITLYN ROBERTS, chef, founder and proprietor of Easy Entertaining, was recently selected as the March of Dimes 2018 Signature Chef. Roberts’ love for cooking started in her grandfather’s kitchen in upstate New York and led her to completing her culinary education at Apicius Culinary Institute in Florence, Italy, in 2006. That year, Roberts established Easy Entertaining, along with executive chef Ashley Scungio, which has since grown into a gourmet catering company. In 2012, Roberts opened The Café at Easy Entertaining on Providence’s West Side. Roberts will offer her culinary skills as the honorary chef at the 2018 Signature Chefs Auction, one of the state’s premier charity events that raises funds to help support prenatal wellness programs, research grants, local education and outreach programs, and advocacy efforts for moms and babies, on Sept. 27 at the Aldrich Mansion in Warwick.
What drew you to wanting to pursue a culinary career? It was better than being a lawyer, which is what I was in school for. More seriously, it is unifying. It is one of the last things in the world that I felt, and still feel, brings people together. We all have to eat, so we may as well enjoy it!
How was it learning culinary skills in Italy and are you still doing work in that country? Attending culinary school in Italy was a dream. It allows me to bring a true diversity to our menus here that I think Americans are craving. Fresh. Seasonal. Local and uncomplicated. I do still work in Italy. I lead culinary and wine tours back to Italy a few times a year to various regions with one of my business partners, Jessica Granatiero of The Savory Grape. We work to keep them small and luxurious, so our travelers are shown the authentic Italy.
What inspired you to get involved with charitable work and how much are you involved? I was always taught that if you are fortunate enough to have a job and a warm place to lay your head at night, you should be giving back. I champion causes that I have a personal tie to. And then, like anything else I choose to involve myself with, I come to win. By that I mean, I seek to be the best fundraiser, the best team leader, the best whatever. You could say I am quite involved.
How gratifying is it to give back to the community? I would say it is gratifying in the sense that I would only hope that others would help me should I need them. Some of the causes we champion, [such as] March of Dimes, has directly impacted myself or my colleagues and they always say, “You never know how important organizations [such as] March of Dimes are until you need them, desperately.”
What new initiatives do you hope to get involved with? I am a huge supporter of women in business. I don’t think there are enough of us out here and to be honest, I think we blow [men] away at it. We women are the ultimate multitaskers. The female approach to business tends to be anything but “cookie-cutter,” and for me that is always inspiring.
