John’s earliest recollection of eating shepherd’s pie (that classic Irish meal) was with his sisters.

“I would watch them make it, but I had a knack for it,” he said.

John’s cooking journey has always involved experimenting in the kitchen. His approach to the classic shepherd’s pie is no exception—he adds cumin, a secret ingredient that gives the original recipe an unexpected twist. 

“I also like to do it with hamburger,” he continued. “It’s been a while since I last made it, though.”

“I’m not a chef, I never was, but cooking is creative,” John told me.

His spice cabinet is well-stocked and diverse; among other things, he has Jamaican scotch bonnet, cloves, oregano, Himalayan salt, and more. 

“These things are healthy, you know,” he said. “At my age, you have to take care of yourself.”

Perhaps John’s appreciation for diversity comes from his rich, varied lived experiences.  

“I’ve moved more than fifty times within the state of Massachusetts,” he confided. “And I learned a lot from it. 

At Fireman, he’s found this to be true as well. 

“You get to meet a lot of people from a lot of different cultures, and they all have their foods,” he concluded.

“Anyway, I really believe that everybody—the world, really—is just one big family.”