NTF: How did you get started in the restaurant business? DONNA: I am the youngest of six children so the only quality time I had to spend with my mother was in the kitchen. She would put me on a stool in the corner and we'd talk about my day while I watched her prepare dinner. This offered me loving memories of being in the kitchen so I took culinary arts classes when I went to vocational high school. I then took some courses at a local college and found that I learned more on the job. I set a lot of goals for myself and worked hard to achieve them, including teaching myself through books. I don't do much traveling, but I travel through reading. When I worked at another Cleveland restaurant, Pig Heaven, we emphasized Southern cuisine, so I read a lot about this type of cuisine. I also read about Asian influences because I love to use Asian ingredients. I like to study the way other great chefs look at food. NTF: What are some of the characteristics that differentiate turkey from other proteins, such as food cost, versatility and preparation tips? DONNA: Because turkey has so much flavor, I prefer to use it over chicken. Many people use chicken for everything, forgetting that turkey is a white meat option that offers much more flavor. It's also a low-cost item, so I try to use it when I can in order to pass these savings along to our customers. There are so many things you can do with turkey. You can roast it whole, use the breast or the legs, or use the carcass for stocks and grinding the meat for patés, sausages, or even as just ground meat. When cooking turkey, I always season it well first. You must remember that turkey doesn't have a lot of fat, which makes it good for you, but it dries out easily. Tips for keeping the moisture in include: roasting the turkey at 325° degree F.; cooking it covered before browning and adding a little water to the pan. Most importantly, always cook your turkey in a preheated oven, that way you can cook it a little longer and all the juices stay in tact. NTF: How do you currently menu turkey at your restaurant? DONNA: I've taken turkey and used it in Asian cooking with pickled ginger and fresh Mosabi to create our biggest selling item, an appetizer called Turkey Potstickers. I sell about 50 to 60 orders a week-that's a lot for a 60-seat restaurant. Many customers even order a double order of Potstickers as a dinner entree. People recommend that if you go to Jesó, you've got to have the Potstickers. I also have a Turkey Reuben on the lunch menu, which is very popular. I can honestly say that I always have one when I'm working lunch because it's so flavorful. On the next menu I create, I plan to use some ground turkey with a white chili. It's a hearty dish that would go great with cold Cleveland winters. I pride myself on using normal ingredients in a unique fashion and there's so many ways you can use turkey. I just try to be creative and different with it. NTF: Please describe your restaurant and how turkey fits into the scheme of your operation. DONNA: Jesó is what I consider casual, fine dining. Customers can come in a pair of jeans, a sports coat or whatever they're wearing and feel comfortable. I call our food global cuisine because I don't want to put a label on the food or have it all be from one specific region. I just use normal ingredients in an eclectic way. For example, the Potstickers are made with ground turkey and fresh vegetables, which are put in a wonton wrapper and boiled. Adding all the extra ingredients, such as soy, ginger, Mosabi and a peanut sauce, bring that turkey to a whole new ethnic level. The Turkey Reuben also uses a basic ingredient, turkey, and I enhance it by adding a slaw made of apples, pears, a little cider vinegar and honey. We then add another twist by topping it with Harvati cheese. I also use a subtle garlic flavor in many of my dishes. I take fresh garlic, peel it, put it in a pan with a little bit of oil, cover the pan and bake it in the oven until it becomes soft. I then puree it in a food processor and it makes a subtle flavor that's really different from fresh garlic. To add to the eclectic fashion, I use a lot of herb oils and vegetable juices as a garnish. I use carrot oil, beet oil, herb oil, etc. It's a different way to get your vegetables and it makes your plate absolutely beautiful.