Best Teen Chef 2008 Local Finalists - Charlotte
Matt Buechele
Shawnee Mission Northwest HS
Shawnee, KS
For Matt Buechele, a love of the culinary arts is “all in the family.” Every weekend, about 15 relatives get together for a family event that always involves cooking. Matt became part of that ritual at age 10 in his grandmother’s kitchen. But while he learned basics from her, he says he probably learned the most from an uncle who taught him to bake breads. So it’s no wonder that his family and friends are “100 percent” behind his quest for a career in the culinary world.
Even before his May graduation from Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, the 18-year-old works part-time as a cook in the Drum Room at the historic Hilton President Hotel in Kansas City. His ambition, though, is to teach the culinary arts.
“It makes me feel good to see others learn and enjoy learning to cook,” Matt said. He also has thought about a culinary consulting career of some kind. Then, he said, “when I get older, I’d like to have a nice little diner with home-cooked food like I’ve grown up eating.”
His culinary interests and part-time job take up almost all of Matt’s time and attention. He plays a little golf, “but I’m not a great golfer,” and he was in the Boy Scouts for awhile. He also has volunteered at a home for the elderly. Matt enjoys science which, to him, fits in perfectly with his love of cooking. “I like to think about how things go together,” he said.
Matt’s favorite foods are Italian, and his favorite dish is Shrimp Scaloppini. Cooking, for Matt, is “an emotional thing. It makes me happy.”