People of The Institute       Instructor Profiles         Sabrina Jordan, Chef-Instructor   As a pre-med student at Johns Hopkins University, Sabrina Jordan found herself a less-than-inspired medical student, one who saw the work of a doctor as a good career but not as a personal passion. Jordan describes herself as coming "from a long line of good cooks" (her mother was actually a food editor and recipe tester), and she found herself getting more and more enjoyment from cooking for friends and entertaining. She followed graduation with stints waiting tables and doing prep work in Cambridge, a way of making sure that she enjoyed the restaurant industry in addition to just enjoying cooking In 1993, Sabrina returned to New York---her hometown---and enrolled at the Institute, where Director of Education Richard Simpson was one of her instructors. After graduation Jordan wound up with an externship at Chanterelle, and eventually accepted a job there in the garde-manger department. Jordan moved to Gramercy Tavern in 1996, working in the pastry department with Institute graduate Claudia Fleming, before going back to the culinary side and eventually being named the restaurant's Tavern Chef. Jordan began teaching evening career classes, and in 1999 she made the move to full-time teaching. The following year she was selected as a coach for the Institute's Food & Wine magazine "School Jam" team and helped the team capture "best overall team" honors and the $10,000 scholarship Jordan has high praise for the motivation and enthusiasm of her students at the Institute, and finds the classroom a continual opportunity for growth. "We're constantly dealing with students from so many backgrounds: those from the food industry, lawyers, firefighters, homemakers…. you need to think of new ways, try new methods to reach students with different goals and expectations. I'm constantly finding ways to connect with people." Jordan is getting married this October, and has found that a wedding is a subject of very specific concern in the culinary world. "Everybody asks, 'Who's making your cake?' 'Who's your caterer?' 'What are you serving?' I can't tell you how often I get those questions." The couple is planning a leisurely honeymoon in Italy.