Chef John Dill of Circus Circus assembles a cool dish for summer called Chilled Shrimp with Eggplant Salsa.

      It sounds like a great job if you can get it, being a chef on a cruise line sailing the Caribbean Sea.
      And while it was a lot of fun, and a lot of work, John Dill found himself losing touch with things that were important to him.
      "It was probably the best job I ever left," Dill says. "It was a daily challenge and very rewarding to see the customers' reaction to the gala buffets. But after five years I found I had lost touch with what friends and family were doing, who played in the Super Bowl. ... That's probably the only reason I left, to reacquaint myself with the real world."
      So after three years with Commodore Cruise Line and two years with American Hawaii Cruise Line, Dill, 44, came back to dry land with the intent of taking the summer off and doing some fishing, while sending out resumes for a new job.
      Before he knew it though, he had the executive chef's job at Circus Circus and didn't get any fishing in. He's been with Circus Circus, 2880 Las Vegas Blvd. South, for nearly two years.
      There, he oversees the coffee shops and the major restaurants, such as The Steak House and Stivali, as well as the buffet and the employee dining hall.
      "Circus is at a point where it's ready to break loose of the old mold and do some new and exciting things," Dill says. "I was anxious for some new challenges."
      Dill's career seems to be filled with new challenges.
      He started working in restaurants in his hometown of La Porte, Ind., while in high school and during college, washing dishes and working his way up to cook. He attended Purdue University, where he graduated in 1974 with a degree in business administration.
      After college, Dill managed several small restaurants before opening his own. Then followed a series of jobs in hotels and restaurants in Arizona and Colorado, before going to San Diego and working for the Embassy Suites chain.
      The cruise lines came next.
      "I didn't start out with formal education, I sort of pieced my education together as I went along," Dill says. "A lot of chefs do their schooling first and get their experience later. I didn't have that luxury and I don't know that I would do it differently if I had it to do over again. The more experience you gain, the more you can focus on where your areas of inexpertise are and go to school to fill in those blanks. It's worked out real good, for me anyway."
      Dill was certified as an executive chef by the American Culinary Federation 2 1/2 years ago, and next month he will take the certification exam for Food Service Management Professional through the educational foundation of the National Restaurant Association.
      His versatility in the kitchen is reflected in his Chilled Shrimp with Eggplant Salsa, which is served in Circus Circus' Stivali restaurant.
     
     CHILLED SHRIMP WITH
     EGGPLANT SALSA
     
      18 jumbo (U-10) green shrimp
      18 pieces wafer-sliced pancetta
      1 tablespoon olive oil
      For the salsa:
      1 cup eggplant, peeled and diced
      1 tablespoon salt
      1/4 cup virgin olive oil (divided use)
      1/2 cup each of diced red bell pepper, diced green bell pepper, diced yellow bell pepper, diced sweet red onion, diced zucchini
      10 cloves minced garlic
      1/2 cup diced fennel
      1/2 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
      1 teaspoon crushed chili pepper flakes
      1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
      1 tablespoon chopped basil
      1 tablespoon chopped oregano
      2 tablespoons chopped parsley
      Lemon juice to taste
      Peel and devein shrimp. Wrap with pancetta and rub lightly with oil. Place on hot broiler for approximately 2 minutes on each side to mark. Finish in 400-degree oven, about 3 to 5 minutes, and transfer to a plate and place in refrigerator to cool.
      For the salsa, place eggplant and salt in a bowl. Toss, cover and let rest for 1 hour. Squeeze juice from eggplant.
      In half of the olive oil, saute peppers, onions and zucchini. Remove from oil and drain.
      Saute the eggplant, garlic and fennel in the remainder of the oil. Add sun-dried tomatoes. Remove and drain.
      Combine the sauteed vegetables with the remaining herbs and ingredients. Season with lemon juice to taste. Mix well and chill.
      To serve, place approximately 1/4 cup of salsa in center of chilled plate. Surround with three grilled and chilled shrimp. Garnish and serve cold. Makes 6 servings.