Jeff Hajny

    This past week, Seward High School students had a little spice put into their day.
     On Jan. 30, students in Linda Zimbelman's Ethnic Cooking class at SHS were treated to a demonstration from chef Kirk Wright.
     Wright grew up in Seward, graduating from Seward High School. In 2004, he graduated from the Art Institute in Phoenix, Ariz.
     "I've been working in restaurants since I was 16," Wright said. "I started as a chef at Valentino's in Seward and have been in the restaurant business ever since. I've always just enjoyed the hours and the hard work."
     Now living in Omaha, he works in Council Bluffs, Iowa, at the Horseshoe Casino as a sous chef, which is the second-in-command to the master chef.
     "When you are the sous chef, you have to run the kitchen, take care of paper work and handle business when the head chef cannot," he said.
     Jan. 30 was his first demonstration in a school.
     "I wanted to return to my high school and demonstrate because my sister is in the class," he said.
     As a chef, Wright has preferences for what he likes to cook.
     "When I'm home, I enjoy cooking simple stuff," he said. "My wife's favorite is sausage and pepper sandwiches, but I usually like cooking dishes like ribs and roasts."