Chef as an Educator

Chef as an Educator

By: Amy Green

            What makes a chef a chef? Do chefs have the responsibilities of educating or can they be an educator? Chef Billie Kinsey seems to answer both of these questions. He is the kitchen manager and executive chef at Black Bear golf course in Parker, Colorado.  He was born into a military family which had him moving around a lot. He has lived in Kansas, Texas, New York and Guam and he says it has influenced his cooking styles a lot, “I can see very clearly how regional cuisines very so much based on so many things like the weather, the ethnic or religious majorities, and the physical location like being near water or not…. It’s fun to say you know how to make something authentic and it is because of actually leaning it from the source.”

          It is coming to the end of a very busy weekend and the start to a busy summer season.  Chef Billie is finishing his 7^th day in row of 12 hours straight.  The question of what he hates most about his job is that fact that he hates most about his job, “Hating being overwhelmed with administrative work when all you want to do is cook, and  consciously knowing how bad this industry is and that I willingly support it.” So what then keeps him working in restaurants, he says it’s just to pay the bills. He is a very passionate person with everything he does, and food is one thing he will never let go. He would love to eat his way through Europe and maybe after many more years of learning maybe start teaching.  

           Do chefs really have the responsibility of teaching and passing on knowledge? Well many may say no and would think it is a waste of time, Chef Billie believes the basic principle of knowledge is power.  He continues to learn as much as he can, and if he does not know something he will take the time to find out, He says, “No chef knows it all.” As a chef he tries to instill basic lessons for all of his employees to not only use in the restaurant but also to take into their personal lives. He wants all of his employees to walk out of his kitchen knowing basic skills like sanitation, being happy and paying attention to every detail, organization and planning, and lastly executing everything with a smile.

           While many chefs and cooks start with a passion for food at a young age, Chef Billie did not gain this respect until after he attended his local votech school for culinary arts. He more or less just fell into it because he wanted to be out of school so bad, this acted as an escape for him.  While sitting at his desk to finish up his paperwork for the day he recalls the one particular restaurant that opened his mind and heart to food.  At the young age of 18 he started working at an Italian restaurant in Rome, New York. He describes this restaurant as a real restaurant, much different than the short order settings he had worked in before.  He describes, “This is where I tasted really good cooking for the first time.” He stops for a second and continues, “It lit a fire inside me and my desire to know everything about the never ending story of cooking is what fed that fire.”

            What makes a chef a chef? While everyone who works in his kitchen calls him chef, what does he really think of himself as, I think to myself. Many chefs call themselves chefs but have no clue of the basic definition of simple cooking terms let alone how to make a basic dish so how can you tell the difference.   Is it a respect term or does it really hold a specific meaning? Chef Billie explains that still doesn’t want to be a chef, he wants to be an amazing cook, well seasoned and full of culinary knowledge to share with anyone who wants to learn. He continues to explain, “I have that sacred title on such a high pedestal that I sometimes wonder if I deserve it.”   He sees many self proclaimed chefs who call themselves chefs but are only people running a kitchen weather they know what they are doing or not.

Chef Billie may not consider himself a chef but many would disagree. An educator, a passion and a fire for learning is what a makes a good chef. While he maybe finishing his 7^th 12 hour shifts in a row he will still continue to learn and expand his knowledge in order to teach the little things to his staff whether it is a new dish or some life lesson.