Upon first encounter, you can sense Jean Sauveur’s smile and warmth through his mask. Radiating positivity, Jean is a key contributor to the welcoming atmosphere at Baker. “Developing recipes and preparing menus is a team effort,” Sauveur noted. “We refer to Baker House as ‘Family House’ because it’s all one big support system over here.” Before eventually transitioning to his current home at Baker, Jean’s time with Bon Appétit began as a Maseeh prep cook. His penchant for cooking and eagerness to grow in the kitchen earned him a promotion to general cook shortly after his start. It was only a matter of months before Jean was being entrusted with spearheading menus solo, collecting a steady stream of compliments for his consistent delivery of flavor. However, unlike many of the other chefs, Jean wasn’t toting a culinary education, but rather, pulling from past experiences.
Since his childhood, Jean’s parents always emphasized the importance of family, a mindset that he now applies alongside colleagues at Bon Appétit as well. With two brothers and sisters, kids, and conflicting travel plans between the U.S. and Haiti, communication was, and continues to be, their most effective method to maintain a tight-knit family dynamic. Jean is on the phone with his parents everyday, passing the device between his own children so they can update their grandparents on the newest happenings. More than the others, Jean’s mother takes interest in his work in the kitchen having been responsible for showing him the ropes back when he was just a boy growing up in Haiti.
Even though cooking was not a highly respected path for men in his hometown, Jean was enticed by the creative and communal components of preparing food. Even after a full day in the kitchen at MIT, Jean cooks almost every meal at home for his family. Fueled by positive affirmations and feedback, Jean’s love for food deepens every time a smile or appreciative remark stems from his cooking. At Baker House, his response is no different. Jean can fondly recall moments when students would wait until the end of service to guiltlessly take away larger portions of his dishes or approach him in the street inquiring about what he was cooking for dinner. From start to finish, Jean is adamant that everything he prepares must meet his personal standards and gain approval from his coworkers before making its way to the students’ plates. At this point, many Baker residents have learned to identify which dishes Jean has touched by style and quality alone.
In celebration of Haitian Flag Day, Jean will be leading the charge in creating a special menu that speaks to his upbringing. You can expect to see a range of dishes like pikliz, griot (citrus marinated fried pork) and twice-fried plantains along with the man of the hour, Jean himself. If you ask, he will gladly spill some of his secrets about the best way to impart extra flavor in black rice or the trick to the salty finish on a double-fried plantain.