California Educator

April/May 2023

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By his own description, Johnny Zegarra is intense in the kitchen. After preparing culinary masterpieces in some of Los Angeles' most popular restaurants as a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef, the transition to teach- ing wasn't easy. "If you've ever watched (the television show) 'Hell's Kitchen,' that's how it is," laughs Zegarra. "So, it was an adjustment." While cooking at Los Angeles main- stays like Bottega Louie and Napa Valley Grille, Zegarra decided to go back to school to get his teaching cre- dential. He started as an after-school culinary arts instructor in Downey one day a week at first. One class became two became three, and after two and a half years, he became a full-time teacher in 2014. Zegarra teaches and trains his students the skills they 'll need to work at a restaurant from his real- world experiences. Zegarra and his students work catering jobs, with Zegarra making sure every student gets paid $20 an hour when they work private events. " The kids are doing five-star meals out of a food truck to guests," Zegarra says. "A lot of my students get hired at local restaurants. Even if it 's not what they want to do in life, cooking will get them through college." Zegarra eats, sleeps and breathes the culinary arts — until five years ago, he would get off work as a teacher, change aprons and go work on the line cooking dinner at Fox Studios. He teaches students about safety, cooking techniques and process, knife work, certifications and why all of it is important to the final product of a good meal. "If I can give them confidence to cook for themselves, that means some- thing to me," Zegarra says. "At first I thought it was just a job. But, then a kid told me the best he ate all week was in my class, and I knew I had to teach all of them how to cook for them- selves so they 're not hungry." Zegarra truly appreciates the rights and protections afforded by his union contract, like defined hours, decent working conditions and holidays. " That doesn't exist at the restaurant," he says. "On Mother 's Day, you're cooking for everyone's mother but your own." Johnny Zegarra CU LI NAR Y I NSTRUC TOR Downey Education Association "If I can give them confidence to cook for themselves, that means something to me." 22 cta.org Feature

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