NAME

Julia L6pez
. COOL JOB AGE

O,.!
The Smell i31J
ROOTS
Mexican

~
rJ)
of Success American
PROFESSION
Executive
O,.! THIS EXECUTIVE CHEF chef of AI6
-~
~
MAKES SURE IT'S A JOB WELL
restaurant
and
DONE EVERY TIME. corporate
CAREER chef for
La Duni
& MONEY How did you get started? restaurants
in Dallas
My first job was at Jack in the Box as a
SALARY
fry cook. Then I worked in hotel kitch- RANGE
ens while also attending community Average:
$50,000;
college, which is where I earned my Top:
degree in culinary arts. $125,000+

Inyour industry, would you recommend

that Latinas go to college first?
I really suggest that you find out if you
want to work in the kitchen first. Being
in the food industry is very hard. You
don't get to be with your family on the
holidays and there are long hours. A
lot of people see the celebrity chefs
and they think they can do that. But
it's hard work.

.
What's a typical day like for you?
I check that everybody is at work and
make sure all the food has arrived. I
u:nlna taste all the food to make sure it's good
.COIII and fresh. I talk to people in the din-
ing room to see ifl can do things bet-
ter. I also have to check food and labor
costs and inventories. Then I report on
everything to my boss. Of course, there's
cooking too. As an executive chef, I cook
all the time when I am developing new
recipes. But there are times when I'm
just doing paperwork.
Is being Latinaan advantage?
Even though you see a lot of women in
the kitchen, it's still difficultto gain the
same respect that men have. It seems
like it takes a little longer.ButI'm work-
ing for a group ofLatinos-husband and
wife restaurateurs Dunia and Espartaco
Borga-who want to make adifference.
We have all been through the same
thing, such as learning English. They
don't see my broken English as a limi-
tation. They respect me a lot for what
I've accomplished. -Shera Dalin
. THE DILEMMA
How do I asK
for a raise?
THE TOUGH economy makes
getting a raise even tougher, but
not impossible, says Anthony
Balderrama, a career adviser
for cbsalary.com. "Keep track of
how you have gone above and
beyond what is expected of you,"
he says. Then prepare to telr
your boss how you've benefited
the company. And if your request
is denied? Ask her what
you can do going forward-but
most important, watch your
tongue. "Don't say anything you
will regret," Balderrama says.

.MONEY-SAVING TIP OF THE MONTH

WHEN FILING YOUR taxes, remember those deductions that will keep more money in your pocket.
Did you finally donate that ugly Christmas sweater to Goodwill? Write it off! IfMami and Papi
are helping you pay off your loans, you can knock off up to $2,500 if they don't claim you as a
dependent. And remember credits such as the child-care, clean fuel, Hope and Lifetime Learning
credits. Just make sure to keep your receipts-in case Uncle Sam wants proof.

68 LATINA. COM . APRIL 2009 PHOTOGRAPH BY MATT NAGER