Photo by Michael Donahue // Buy this photo
Thomas Stukenborg is the executive chef at Flight.
Title: Executive chef, Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar.
Age: 33.
Hometown: Memphis.
Who or what was your first cooking influence? My great-grandmother cooked all the time. But my dad got me my first chef's knife when I was 8. ... About the same time, we used to go to this Italian restaurant here on Saturday afternoons . ... All the kids would hang out in the kitchen and fold three-sided ravioli.
What was the first thing you ever cooked or baked? A cookbook. It was on top of the toaster oven. I was making breakfast for my mom and burned it up. It was Mother's Day morning.
What made you decide to become a chef, and when was that? When I got that first chef's knife, I was in love. ... Soon as I started cutting up onions, celery and carrots. ... I was like, "This is what I want to do." When I was 8 years old, I knew I was gonna do it for the rest of my life.
What was your first food-related job? First time I got a paycheck was with Ben Smith at Three Oaks Grill. I was a dishwasher there, and within six weeks I was on the line cooking.
What was something important that a fellow chef taught you? (Ben Smith, now executive chef/owner at Tsunami) Cluttered station, cluttered mind. He always pushed, "Keep your station clean; your mind will stay clear." And, "If you wouldn't eat it, don't serve it."
What is the Thomas Stukenborg style? I love just making homemade food. I cook "family meal" here every day for 40 people. ... Staff members. ... At 4:45 every day, family meal is down, whether I'm making nachos, lasagna -- every one here loves my chicken and dumplings -- or if we're having chili cheese dogs, it's ready at 4:45 every day for everybody to eat.
What do you cook or bake at home, if anything? I cook dinner every night for my girlfriend before I leave home. In my refrigerator right now is bean-less chili, roasted chicken breast. We had roasted turkey last night.
What's your favorite food? Torta Cubana. It's a sandwich. It's pounded out beef that's fried, refried beans, avocado, lettuce, tomato, Mexican chorizo, grilled chicken, cheese and mayonnaise and it's put on a ... roll and they smush it down.
What's your least favorite food? Common mixed greens.
Flight Restaurant and Wine Bar, 39 S. Main; (901) 521-8005
-- Michael Donahue: (901) 529-2797; donahue@commercialappeal.com
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