By Briana Hernandez – Staff Reporter

Jonathan Law culinary teacher Mrs. Ryan does many things other than just teaching culinary and food service at Jonathan Law. Advocate Staff Reporter Briana Hernandez interviewed Ryan to see what makes her unique.

Briana Hernandez: What inspired you to cook?

Mrs. Ryan: In my previous career, I traveled to developing countries where the food awoke my taste buds.  In these countries, people could not afford expensive foods, so they doted on flavor and technique. When I returned home from trips, I wanted to replicate the foods I tried overseas.

BH: When did you start to make your own recipes? Why did you start to make them?

MR: When you first learn to cook, typically you follow a recipe.  Like anything in life, the more you practice, the easier an activity will become.  Cooking is no exception. There were many times when I liked the “bones” or the structure of the recipe but wanted to try substituting a flavor, a starch or protein.  This experimentation can lead you to create new dishes, and thus, new recipes. After a while it becomes second nature. I collected these recipes and offered them to my clients when I was a personal chef and cooking instructor for adults.  Later I was hired to write recipes for food retail outlets.

BH: Who do you look up to in regards to cooking?

MR: I like the writing style of Ina Garten and the bold flavors of Bobby Flay.

BH: What did you want to be before you wanted to be a chief?

MR: I did enjoy my career in international economic development.  In that capacity, I was able to work with small and medium sized business owners in countries like Egypt, Sri Lanka, and Peru.  The organization I worked for had employees like myself, as well as over 40,000 American retirees, who volunteered their time on projects in 125 countries around the world.  It was a wonderful experience, and I learned that something we all have in common is food and eating.

BH: What are your hobbies other than cooking?

MR: I do like to ski, I use to play the clarinet and saxophone, and I enjoy speaking Spanish.