In this season of nonstop eating, it seems only appropriate to chat with a chef.
Who better than Derin Moore?
The Cumming resident is one of only 68 people to have earned the distinction of Certified Master Chef, the highest level of certification from the American Culinary Federation. Even so, the corporate chef and consultant with distributor Performance Food Service is pretty down-to-earth.
He volunteers as mentor and coach of the culinary program at South Forsyth High School, which took first place last year in the state and third place in the nation.
Moore shared some insights about life as a chef and South Forsyth’s chances in 2015. He will not, however, say what the students are cooking up, just in case the competition is paying attention.
Q: When did you know you wanted to be a chef?
A: I always knew. I grew up in Michigan but spent summers with my grandparents in Buffalo, New York. My grandpa, who was a big executive with the Ford Motor Company, loved to cook and I caught the bug from being around him. I think originally it was so I could catch the scraps. When I was in high school, my grandpa took me on a field trip to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, where I met a lot of master chefs. I was accepted into the school at the end of my 10th grade year.
Q: Do you do the cooking in your house?
A: I do. With kids — I have a son in college and two daughters in high school — it always boils down to macaroni and cheese and chicken fingers. Nothing fancy.
Q: How did you end up in Atlanta?
A: In this business, you really don’t get anywhere staying in one place and training under one chef. I first worked under a great chef in the Michigan area. Then I got on the American Culinary Federation team, which competes all over the world. I moved into fine dining restaurants and then transitioned into high-end country clubs, including the Dunwoody Country Club. I was recruited to The Ritz-Carlton’s flagship operation in Naples, Florida. After four years there, I was burned out. I had missed most of my kids’ lives. My wife and I agreed that Atlanta was our favorite of all the places we lived so we came back here.
Q: Do you like coaching high school kids?
A: I do. These kids don’t have any bad habits yet and it is neat to mold them. I don’t know that there are enough places where people who want to go into this industry can develop and train properly.
Q: Are the competitions tough?
A: Every state has a competition. Four students who are not all that seasoned are producing a three-course meal in one hour over two butane burners. That is very challenging. The judges will pick a kid from each team to butcher a chicken. I tell the kids not to look scared because the judges always pick the one who looks the most scared. The winning team competes against 54 other teams in nationals.
Q: How does your team look this year?
A: Two of the kids from last year are returning. We already have our dessert down, which is awesome. We can’t talk about it because there are 12 other teams in the state shooting for us.
Q: What advice do you give kids who want to go in your profession?
A: It is a hard balance. I tell them, and their parents when I have an opportunity, to get a business degree along with the culinary degree. When the time comes when you don’t want to stand on your feet 14 hours a day, miss every soccer practice, baseball game or recital, you can transition into some form of management that allows you some sort of balance in your life. You need a way out of the kitchen if you want.
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