An impressive number of hotel GMs reach the top via food & beverage. The complexity and variety of skills required to pull off F&B is an excellent training ground for the most demanding management positions. But former hotel GM, Kerry Dunnington, author of This Book Cooks, a Caterer's Secret Collection, found her calling in reverse.

Through a series of serendipitous events, she wound up as GM of Baltimore’s Tremont Hotel at the tender age of 25. At a time when Mayor Donald Schaffer was leading the city through a Renaissance and turning “Crabtown” into a destination, the Tremont was creating a market for visiting celebrities such as Whoopi Goldberg, Dustin Hoffmann, Carrie Fisher, Shirley MacLaine, Harrison Ford, and many others who stayed there.

Dunnington, who was in sales at the Tremont, demonstrated a natural ability to understand the real needs of celebrities, like getting the limo there on time, ensuring the dog walker showed—and providing a sense of normalcy in their lives. She was promoted to GM, a position she held for four years, until, she says, she realized her only pastime outside of work was sleep. She admits that the hotel restaurant was one of her biggest challenges. Before Dunnington took over as GM, a well-known French chef left and took along his huge following, and she had to pick up the pieces. But she decided to change careers the day she realized she hadn’t noticed that the cherry trees were in bloom.

While figuring out her next career move, she discovered a love for all things food and began creating recipes—some with the assistance of her caterer sister. From this came This Book Cooks, which covers appetizers to desserts and includes wine pairings—plus several crab recipes.

She describes her style as “universal . . . middle of the road, neither no-fat nor high-fat.” She believes in cooking with seasonal items because “it’s in harmony with our bodies.”

Dunnington runs a catering business and is writing a second book, which focuses heavily on organic items.

TO ORDER: Call 410-243-3508, go to www.thisbookcooks.com, or order from amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com