Willie Mays dreams of one day owning his own restaurant and cooking foods from various cultures from all over the world.
The 1995 Bruce graduate took a step toward that recently when he graduated from culinary school.
“I love to cook and be in the kitchen,” Mays said. “After years of factory work I decided to enroll at Le Cordon Bleu in Atlanta. It was the best decision I ever made.”
He described his experience in culinary school as “different, but exciting.”
“I learned different knife cuts, all about different sauces and cooked food from different countries,” Mays said. “I met some great people from New Jersey, Illinois, Florida, South Carolina and had great instructors such as Chef Kareen Linton and Chef Tim Anderson.”
As part of his training, he worked in various establishments around Atlanta to experience different forms of cooking.
“I did everything from Kroger to The Cheesecake Factory and Grub Burger and finished my externship for school at Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs,” he said. “I worked with great people from different nationalities. The mountains were incredible. My Executive Chef Carlos Addarich, Sous Chefs Jesse Amaro and Andrew Zeller gave me a chance. They stayed on me, ‘Come on Willie! Got to speed up! Let’s go!’”
Mays said the work in Colorado involved cooking for a lot of banquets.
“It was fun. There were lots of long days and sore feet, but I enjoyed the work. I worked the carving station and met people from all over the world. At some point, I would like to go back there.”
Mays’ grandparents are Freddie Lee “Fat” and Ruthie Jones. His mother is Tilda Jones.
He traces his love for cooking back to his grandmother.
“When everybody else was outside playing, I was in the kitchen with her cooking,” he said. “It just came natural.”
Soul food always dominated the family menu – fried chicken, greens, peas, cornbread.
“I was never really in to baking,” Mays said. “That was something I had to learn in school.”
While he loves cooking all kinds of food, anything Italian is his favorite.
“I love pastas, lasagna. I never get tired of that.”
Mays, 39, moved back to Bruce after completing school to be close to his five-year-old daughter Serenitee.
“I’ve been gone so much, it was important to get back and be here,” he said.
He’s now begun the process of finding the next career opportunity in the restaurant industry, hoping to find something close so he can be near his daughter.
“That would be my choice, but we’ll see what’s out there. I may have to go back to Atlanta or Colorado to find the kind of work I need.”
Regardless of where, he knows now what he wants to do with his life.
“I definitely want to cook,” he said. “School affirmed for me this is what I want to do with my life.”
Two of Willie’s favorite recipes are:
Cheesy Meatloaf Roll
Ground beef
Egg
Jar of chunky pace picante sauce
Panko bread crumbs
Various seasonings
Velveeta cheese slices
Combine all ingredients except cheese. Flatten out meat and add cheese slices.
Roll meat length wise (tightly) place in 400° preheated oven and cook until done (no pink).
While meat is cooking combine Ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until coats back of spoon. Spread over meat roll and serve.
Gambas Al Ajillo
(sizzling Garlic Shrimp)
25 Large shrimp
Salt
Olive oil
Garlic cloves, finley chopped
Red pepper flakes
Dry parsley
Hawaiian Bread
Pat dry shrimp and sprinkle with salt. Combine olive oil and garlic over med-low heat until garlic is very fragrant but not colored. Add red pepper flakes and stir. Add seasoned shrimp and cook for three minutes, stir in parsley and cook for 15 seconds. Serve with warm Hawaiian bread.