"I guess you could say I was born with a ladle in my mouth," Michele explained over coffee. It's not quite Eloise at the Plaza, but close. Michele's father, "Captain Harry," was the captain of the Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel for 45 years, which afforded Michele unusual perks and pleasures.

Harry Gabay "was always finely dressed in a tuxedo and was charming and gracious," Michele said. Blessed with a father with such a discerning eye, Michele learned to "watch everything" when it came to food presentation. If she had a dinner party, "Dad would critique things," which is where Michele developed one of her major food philosophies. "Food is 80% visual," she said.

Although Michele is "passionate about food," she took a circuitous route to her current profession. "I was a corporate girl all my life," running her own recruiting firm, which involved a lot of wining and dining at all the "trendy and classy spots" in the city. But she and her husband Peter were tiring of the city grind and looked to Connecticut for greenery and a simpler life. They rented for a while in Wilton and bought a home three years ago in Weston.

"At first it was a culture shock," Michele admitted. But she began to love the "beautiful waterfalls and scenery" and was pleased to find culture alive and well in Fairfield County. Michele, who holds a master's degree from Columbia University, went back to the corporate world one more time, starting a "life-coaching" firm.

She was evaluating the competition at one point, checking out a "Creating a Life you Love" seminar in Westport, when she decided to participate in the program. Michele had her epiphany: Her dreams revolved around the world of food. Captain Harry, who just retired, would be proud, and probably not surprised. But Michele, having a insider's understanding of the business, knew that the profit margin in restaurants is tight, and she wished to focus on personal recipes and presentation, not being hidden away in the kitchen.

From her dad, Michele learned "classic recipes and visually creative plating," as well as "the joy of combining textures, flavors and different cooking techniques."

"I always loved food to be visually elegant and captivating, and I enjoy testing the limits of cuisine with the precision of classic technique. Food is like art in that you can allow your creative energy to flow freely."

Since moving to Weston, Chef Michele has worked as a private chef for a Westport CEO, preparing weekly dinners, executive lunches and cocktail and dinner parties. "You have to be able to connect with your clients on a personal level because it's a very intimate thing to cook in someone's home." (If hiring Michele Liguori for your personal and business culinary gatherings is of interest, she can be reached at (203) 221-7711 or info@vipchef.com.)

Here are Michele's favorite easy summer offerings:

Baby Spinach Salad with Strawberries & Brie, Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

1 package baby spinach, washed and dried

1 cup sliced strawberries

4 oz brie cut into small wedges

Arrange spinach on a platter tossed with the sliced strawberries and decorate top with small wedges of brie. Drizzle with poppy seed dressing

Raspberry Sorbet

2 cups water

1 cup sugar

1-1/3 cup orange juice

4 cups blackberries or raspberries (reserve 1/4 cup berries for garnish)

4 Tbsp. lime juice

fresh mint for garnish

Bring the water to a boil, stir in sugar, add orange juice, and simmer for 5 minutes. Cool the syrup and chill in the refrigerator. Meanwhile, combine berries and lime juice in a blender or food processor and puree. Important: Put the blackberry puree through a strainer to remove seeds before combining with syrup; makes for a smoother sorbet. Mix the puree and syrup together thoroughly and freeze for approximately 1 hour. Scoop into dessert glasses, top with berries and garnish with mint. Serves 6.

Published in the WESTON FORUM, 07/22/2003