Amy Kieran Winokur

I've been in the culinary field for 20 years now. I've always liked to cook at home, and after going to law school for a year and realizing I didn't really enjoy it as much as I thought I would, I left and went to culinary school. I started attending Newberry College in Brookline part-time while still working as a paralegal, and then eventually started applying for cooking jobs. Most of what I learned was actually on the job. Throughout my career, I've worked in hotels, other members clubs, and smaller bar-restaurant type places. About six and a half years ago, I got sober, and I didn't think I would be able to work in a kitchen again because I was nervous about that kind of lifestyle. But I eventually was able to re-enter the kitchen, and not only doing something similar to what I did before, but gaining a position that was higher than what I had before. Now I'm the executive sous chef at a members club in Boston, where I've been for about three and a half years. I'm in charge of the restaurant and the daily operations there, and I also write the menu for the restaurant, which changes every month.