When Chef Nicola Michieletto says he spent a little time in seminary, it’s easy to believe. His work in the kitchen and as an instructor is a vocation, a true calling. A career as a priest never happened — Michieletto is quick to emphasize he wasn’t in seminary long at all.

The Italian equivalent of a U.S. high school is oriented around careers, and he found himself looking at nursing and cooking as paths open to him. He chose cooking, then spent years working with medical professionals finding ways to blend good food and good health.