“ It is almost never ending !” he said of the options presented to a skilled chef . “ I also enjoy classical preparations that have stood the test of time and are still being prepared . As a career it is exciting to try to prove yourself every night you are in a kitchen , I ’ ve always heard : ‘ A chef is only as good as his / her last dish ’ so we are constantly creating and working on improving our skills and gaining new knowledge .”
Nazario said that it was his cousin Chef Agnes who started teaching him knife skills and cooking techniques when he was in college studying Business . That lit a flame within Nazario , an Class of 1995 alum of Pulaski County High School , and he soon pivoted in the direction of the culinary arts , studying at Sullivan University in Louisville and graduating in 2005 .
“ That was before they had a campus in Lexington , so I used to drive up there ( for classes ) when we lived in Richmond ; my wife worked in Waco ,” he said .
Starting his career in food , Nazario worked at Portofino in Lexington — “ washing dishes and all that good stuff , and I kind of built up from there .” The same company that owned Portofino had a restaurant in Frankfort called Serafini , where Nazario became a sous-chef for a couple of years before returning to Lexington and helped open a new restaurant called Summit off of Tates Creek Road .
Eventually , Nazario decided to return home to Somerset and worked with Chuck and Allison Sobieck at the Doolin House Bed & Breakfast . But it was when he got the opportunity to pass on what he learned to future generations of culinary talents at Somerset Community College that Nazario ’ s career truly took the leap forward .
“ I never saw myself teaching in a school even though chefs are always training and teaching staff in kitchens ,” he said . “ The position opened at the college while I was transitioning jobs and I was hired .”
SCC offers Associate of Applied Science ( AAS ) degrees in Culinary Arts , as well as Food & Beverage Management and Catering and Personal Chef studies . Nazario teaches Introduction to Culinary Arts , which includes culinary history , knife skills , ingredient and equipment identification , and basic food production , where students learn cooking techniques and preparation of stocks , soups , vegetables , and fruits .
“ Probably my two favorite classes to teach are meats , seafood , and poultry , where we butcher meats and prepare them for cooking , and also international cuisine where we study cuisine and traditions of different countries ,” said Nazario . “ I ’ m lucky that I get to work on all that fundamental knowledge every year and I enjoy that ! It is very
December 2022 SEKY - Life in Southeast Kentucky • 11