Flank steak with roasted shallot demi, anyone? Or how about a serving of pastitsio that’s better than the version served at many Greek restaurants?
Texas Health Plano’s Food and Nutrition Services Department and the Atrium Café serve some of the most delicious and diverse hospital food in North Texas. Who are the people creating, cooking and serving compassion with every meal? Here is a look behind the scenes at a few of the employees who make the magic happen.
Maria Sakka
If you ever dined at the Ferris Plaza Restaurant in the 1980s or ’90s, you got a taste of Maria Sakkas’ home-style cooking. Maria and her husband owned two busy restaurants in the center of downtown Dallas but decided to leave the restaurant business after more than 20 years.
Maria joined Texas Health Plano almost 10 years ago. Today she cooks mostly for patient room service requests, and occasionally the hot food line will feature one of her recipes, such as pastitsio, a “Greek lasagna” with pasta, ground meat and bechamel sauce.
Maria moved to the United States from Greece in 1974. Away from work, she enjoys spending time with her family (especially the grand-kids) and friends.
Her “family” in the Texas Health Plano kitchen is one of the reasons Maria enjoys what she does so much.
“One of my favorite things about working here is that everyone is friendly, and we get along well in the kitchen,” Maria said. “We work hard and we also get to learn from each other.”
Steve Williams
Steve Williams is the man behind the bread pudding. If you haven’t tasted it yet, it’s worth going off your diet just to enjoy the rich and creamy dessert.
Steve has worked at Texas Health Plano for almost 19 years.
“We moved here from Indiana about 20 years ago when my wife got a job offer in the Richardson Independent School District,” Steve said. “I was working as a chef at a country club before we moved, so I knew that a cooking position was something I would enjoy. I’ve been doing it ever since high school, and I love it.”
Away from work, Steve likes to golf, play cards, get together with friends, and take care of projects around his apartment.
At Texas Health Plano, Steve prepares meals for the Seay Behavioral Center and the Child Care Center. He also makes most of the desserts that get served in the café, but the bread pudding seems to be his biggest hit.
“Every once in a while, someone will walk through and say, ‘That’s who makes the bread pudding.’ That makes me feel good,” Steve said.
Ana Gonzalez
When Ana Gonzalez is in the kitchen preparing food for the day, she thinks about her family — her husband, 6-year-old son and 20-year-old daughter. She also remembers her mother’s cooking in Mexico, where she learned to use just the right seasonings to bring out the best flavors. When Ana’s cooking, she wants her food to be as close to perfect as it can be for employees, visitors and patients.
Ana came to the United States from Mexico 16 years ago. Her specialties include stuffed green peppers and steak with chimichurri sauce, but she enjoys her co-workers’ food as well. “Everything is good here,” she said. “I like it all.”
Ana enjoys what she does every day to help people feel better, even if it’s not in a direct patient care setting. She knows that food can be comforting and help bring people closer together.
“I always try to prepare the food like it’s for my kids or my husband,” Ana says. “I want the food to taste good and help people get through the day.”
A big fan of the benefits Texas Health provides employees, Ana says one of her favorite things about working at Texas Health Plano is “the PTO, which gives me time to see my kids.
Brenda Pippens
Brenda Pippens is the smiling face who takes your money in the Atrium Café. The 20-year employee’s duties include cleaning, stocking and handling the cash register.
“My favorite thing about my job is taking care of customers,” Brenda said.
Her favorite dish in the café is the pot roast.
“It’s just like Mom made it,” she said.
Brenda comes from a large family of 13 siblings. She lost her parents at an early age, so her older sisters helped raise her.
“I come from a very loving family,” she said. “They taught me to stay positive and help others. We always cooked big meals and welcomed everyone to our home.”
Today, Brenda has five grown children and says spending time with her family is most important to her. They play games, listen to music and enjoy family outings. Brenda loves her schedule, 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., because it gives her time to work out, run errands and finish household chores after work.
by Brand Experience Communications • Posted September 21, 2018
