Faces of Cedars-Sinai Teresa Cardona First Cook Cedars-Sinai Skip to content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Share Email Print CS-Blog Cedars-Sinai Blog Faces of Cedars-Sinai Teresa Cardona First Cook Nov 14, 2018 Cedars-Sinai Staff Share Tweet Post Teresa Cardona, first cook at Cedars-Sinai Food probably isn't the first thing to come to mind when you think of a hospital. But food is an important part of patient care. There are teams of people working hard to bring nutritious food to patients, staff, and visitors multiple times a day. We chatted with first cook Teresa Cardona, who has spent nearly 3 decades making food at Cedars-Sinai, about her job and her life outside of work. What do you do at Cedars-Sinai Teresa Cardona: My position is first cook, so I cook for the whole hospital. For 26 years, I worked in the kosher kitchen, but I recently moved to a different area. I wanted to switch things up, and now I have weekends off! Read: Why Does the Kosher Kitchen Need a Blowtorch at Passover? What inspired you to pursue this career TC: Growing up in El Salvador, I always wanted to go to school to be a chef. I moved to the United States in 1979 and worked a night shift at the airport. I was looking for a position with more regular hours so I could spend more time with my daughter, so that's how I ended up at Cedars-Sinai. How old is your daughter Any grandkids TC: My daughter is 32, and my grandkids are 9 and 4. We all live together and are very close. What s your favorite thing to do with your grandkids TC: Taking them to dance class—ballet—is my favorite thing. What is the best part of your job TC: I love getting good feedback about the food I make. Read: Faces of Cedars-Sinai: Neurosurgeon Keith Black What s your favorite food to make at Cedars-Sinai TC: Brisket—the whole process takes 3 days but it's worth it at the end. What do you like to do outside of work TC: I like to go to the gym and I take sewing classes. I also make piñatas! Where s your favorite place to go in LA TC: San Pedro and Hermosa Beach. Do you have any pets TC: Yes! We have a golden retriever named Cosmo. He's only 6 months old. Anything else you d like to share TC: I love working at Cedars-Sinai. I'm so happy here and I feel so grateful when I'm recognized for my hard work. Four years ago, I got the President's Award, the most prestigious award of recognition for Cedars-Sinai employees, and it made me so happy. Tags Faces of Cedars-Sinai Behind the Scenes at Cedars-Sinai Share Tweet Post Popular Categories Health + Wellness Science + Innovation Community Blog & Magazines catalyst Blog & Magazines Home CS-Blog Blog CS Magazine Cedars-Sinai Magazine discoveries magazine Discoveries Magazine Embracing our Community Embracing Our Community Blog & Magazines catalyst Blog & Magazines Home CS-Blog Blog Embracing our Community Embracing Our Community CS Magazine Cedars-Sinai Magazine discoveries magazine Discoveries Magazine Popular Topics In Our Community Faces of Cedars-Sinai Patient Stories Los Angeles Behind the Scenes Make an Appointment Find a Doctor Schedule a Callback Call us 24 hours a day 1-800-CEDARS-1 Support Cedars-Sinai Make a Gift Volunteer Share Email Print Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility