Tobias Cooley

Background

About Tobias Cooley

Though it may seem odd to have a skill set that combines culinary arts with traffic control, they do have something in common: people. I am always in the people business, and currently, my business with people is safety. I am frequently requested by clients because I understand how to build solid relationships - with my team, with the client, with drivers and pedestrians, and with my employer. Work is always about people for me. Read on if you want to know more about me as a chef. I grew up in a family of 13 children, and breakfast for all of us was almost like a religion. My mother managed to ration portions for all of us to help us get a good start to the day. It became an important ritual for my life into adulthood. A morning without breakfast is a day that has already started with challenges. As a chef, I am still a loyal devotee to this first meal of the day. The breakfast experience is one of the first times of the day when you can check in with yourself and prepare for what lies ahead. A strong foundation for this ritual is consuming good, nutritious food as fuel. Those who can have even the smallest regular breakfast ritual have a good running start for the day. Physically and spiritually, they are eating to live. As a career chef with strong team-building skills, I'm dedicated to helping everyone in a kitchen find common ground for the cause of a positive food experience. I worked for more than 35 years in the following food enterprises: national chain restaurants, locally-owned restaurants, university dining, hotels, catering and personal chef services. Breakfast and Southern cuisines are specialty areas for me, though I have strong interests in Mediterranean flavor profiles. My approach to cooking is to find uses for every part of a food item before considering tossing them away, so nothing is wasted.