John Murphy ’74 Hometown: Bethpage, N.Y. Dorm food transformation: Sweet ramen with veggies Secrets to success: The basic ingredients are good and take little to no
work, but you can dress it up by adding fresh vegetables and fresh-grated ginger. Major: History with education Position: Fourteen years as culinary arts instructor at Barry Tech Career and Technical Education Center in Westbury, Long Island, teaching aspiring chefs knife skills, sanitation and basic and advanced cooking techniques. Formerly an executive chef at Asian fusion, Italian and other eateries. Guest cooks for friends’ and former students’ eateries. Claim to flavor fame: Mentored gold medalists in statewide culinary competitions and top finishers in national skills contests. Life before food: High school social studies teacher and football and wrestling coach in upstate New York. Flavor strategy: Keep it simple, with strong flavors. How I became a chef: A friend had a restaurant that was struggling. He asked me to cook. I was too naïve to think I couldn’t cook. I liked it enough to switch careers. I won a scholarship to attend the School for American Chefs. Best Geneseo memory: Hanging the Prometheus torch on the clock tower and not getting kicked out of school for it. Creative motto: You have to think outside the box and take risks or your food will be like everyone else’s. College snack staple: We had a pizza addiction. It’s a long walk from Nassau and Onondaga to pick up a pie in the middle of winter! Most underrated dorm food: You could exist on PBJ if you had to; with the addition of banana and chocolate you have all the food groups, though I don’t think that’s what Michelle Obama had in mind when she put together the new food plate idea.
PHOTO BY KRIS DREESSEN
PHOTO PROVIDED
Kim “Aunt Kimmy” Cutler ’80 Hometown: Roswell, Ga. Dorm food transformation: Toasted PBJ Secret to Success: Toasted, it’s a homerun! It
can be a meal or dessert, and the options are limitless. Add anything you like, from peanuts to raspberries, to make a new flavor. Major: Fine art Position: Owner and chef of Aunty Kimmy’s Creations (www.auntkimmyscreations.com), a “sweet boutique” offering custom cakes, cookies and other goodies. Prior experience: 27 years in pastry, including training at The Hotel de Paris-Monte Carlo in Europe. I later opened and ran Edible Expressions café and bakery for 11 years. I created and opened Aunt Kimmy’s Creations in 2007. Signature dish: Anything with sugar. Why the food siren sings: I can use my art talent and creativity. Best thing about being a chef: I can snack well all the time! About taking risks: I switched from a career in fine art to culinary for job security and discovered that I can utilize my artistic talents in pastry. I had always baked, even as a child, so I think it was destiny. Dorm food low point: Popcorn for lunch and dinner. Chef challenge confession: I actually loved ramen and mac ’n cheese.
Fall 2011
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