Chef loves spreading the joy of cooking

By H.M. Cauley

For the AJC

Lynn Ware’s first memories of cooking go back to the days of her Easy Bake Oven toy. As she got older, she moved into a real New Orleans kitchen where her grandmothers, aunts and uncles were always whipping up Cajun cuisine.

“On Sundays, everyone including the pastor and the choir would show up at my grandmother’s house, where we’d serve stews and lots of vegetables,” recalled Ware, 48. “We grew our own fruits and vegetables, and I learned to eat seasonally, a trend I’m glad to see coming back.”

The Peachtree Corners resident left the comfort food world and managed a successful career in finance, the last 15 years of which were as an analyst for IBM. But the allure of the kitchen was hard to shake. Soon Ware was taking classes at Clayton State and the Culinary Institute of America, and when she lost her corporate job, she moved swiftly back to the stove.

“Corporate finance was so strenuous; there were always deadlines,” said Ware. “I decided if I was going to work so many hours, I wanted to do something I really enjoyed.”

Since 2008, she’s been a full-time personal chef, but her real passion has been sharing her love of food with others eager to learn. She’s regularly found at area senior centers and libraries, where she gives free demonstrations on food preparation and nutrition. She’s also a volunteer with Cooking Matters, a program that teaches low-income parents and kids how to eat healthy food on a budget.

On a recent Saturday, Ware set up a cooking area in the meeting room of the Sandy Springs library, where a group of teens gathered for alesson on how to make chili. But Ware doesn’t confine her classes just to food; she also covers knife skills and healthy eating in a range of cuisines. Before getting to the chili, Ware had everyone read nutrition and content labels. It was fascinating to Jade Muslar, a 14-year-old who was introduced to cooking by her grandmother.

“I liked to watch her and then try things on my own,” Jade said. “I was really bad at it at first, but I’m getting better, especially at breakfast and desserts. I’d love to have a bakery some day.”

Jade’s cousin, Destine Hardnett, 12, was also in the group. “I like to eat and like what tastes good,” she said. “And we both love watching TV shows like ‘Iron Chef.’ ”

Ware said many of the youngsters who show up for her free sessions are drawn to cooking from the shows they’ve seen on TV.

“It’s so sexy to be a chef these days,” she said. “I remember being at IBM and talking about switching careers to cook, and no one believed I wanted to do this. Now it seems everybody has a cooking show, even if it’s on You Tube.”

As much as she enjoys cooking, Ware said she also gets a kick out of teaching valuable lessons while having some fun.

“I really like working with the kids,” she said. “They’re so receptive to learning and trying new things. For instance, when I ask them about potatoes, the first thing they think of are french fries or baked. But then I get them to try sweet potato or turnip chips, things they never though of eating until we roasted them with a little salt and pepper. I love to see how their eyes light up when they try them.”

Who has inspired you?

Every other Wednesday, H.M. Cauley brings you positive stories from our community. To suggest a story idea, email hm_cauley@yahoo.com.