Sylvia Pastor dishes on culinary skills

It’s easy to fall in love with a delectable meal. Sometimes, the meal is even good enough to fall in love with the cook, as was the case with Sylvia and Irwin Pastor, a Longboat Key commissioner.

“My second date, I made him a basic tuna salad, and he said it’s the best one he’s ever had,” Sylvia Pastor said. “Six months later, we were married. Was it my cooking? Maybe.”

Pastor is known at Temple Beth Israel for her food and frequently bakes for temple events. She also hosts “In the Kitchen with Sylvia” once a year, during which she gives temple members tastes, cooking demonstrations and recipes for her food.

“A man came up to me and said, ‘I know that name. You’re the Longboat Key cook.’” Pastor said. “I took that as a compliment.”

Pastor learned to cook and bake from her mother and grandmother, who also loved to cook.

“I think I came out of the womb with a wooden spoon and said ‘Where’s the bowl?’” she said. “It’s in my genes.”

Pastor enjoys cooking an array of foods, from chicken and fish to soups and ethnic dishes.

“I just like to cook,” she said. “I like cooking, and I like entertaining, and I like making people happy, and they seem to be happy while they’re eating. I think everybody should cook and have fun doing it. It’s a happy time.”