Stirring Success: Executive Chef John Casto

The awards are piling up for Chef John Casto, who recently received a presidential medallion from the American Culinary Federation and led his Colorado chapter to win national recognition. Casto, Chef Manager for the Good Eating Company, was also named the foundation's 2022 Chef of the Year and was accepted into the American Academy of Chefs. He was recently presented with a Dr. L.J. Minor Chef Professionalism Award by the American Culinary Federation.

What's His Recipe for Success?

Dedication to his community, he says. "That's something I feel strongly about; staying involved with the community as much as I can," says Casto. Locally, he's helped teach low-income families how to cook nutritious meals at home and supports the employee business resource group for military veterans. He feeds homeless vets to honor his father, a Marine Corps drill instructor in the 1970s. "I felt it was important to honor his contribution," Casto says.

Beyond that, he's also a post-secondary instructor at Pikes Peak State College in Colorado, where he teaches culinary fundamentals. He does it all while overseeing a chapter of the American Culinary Foundation, which started with local members in Colorado Springs but has since expanded to cover all of Colorado. He wants to bring back the chapter's Student of the Year and Educator of the Year awards as he finishes his last year as chapter president.

He has served employees at a client location for seven years. His menu combines global and comfort food, including beef picadillo empanadas, shrimp Mozambique and falafel crab cakes. He's also learned to be resourceful in the kitchen, repurposing unused ingredients to keep the menu fresh.