THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2002
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN - 13
Contributed photo
Lawrence resident Adam McLaughlin temporarily walked out on a journalism degree - one semester away from graduation - to learn what he deems a more "practical" skill as a line cook at Pachamama's, 2161 Quail Creek Drive.
Former student's unlikely career path leads to food
By Amy Kelly
Jayplay writer
The recipe for success doesn't always taste right the first time.
Just ask 22-year-old Adam McLaughlin, a former KU journalism student who stirred up his career goals by taking a road traveled not by Dan Rather, but rather the Iron Chef.
On the verge of completing his advertising major in the William Allen White School of Journalism, McLaughlin decided to take a hiatus from the daily grind of college and unfulfilling jobs to be a line cook and dishwasher at Pachamama's World Cuisine, 2161 Quail Creek Drive, near the corner of Clinton Parkway and Kasold. The inspiration? A grumbling stomach.
"After four years of being a very poor, nutritionally-deprived college student, I wanted to learn how to feed myself, ultimately." McLaughlin said. "You want to branch out, and you want to learn new things. The instructions on the Ramen package only go so far."
Blocks of noodles may have played a large role in McLaughlin's switch to Pachamama's, but a decreasing interest in his advertising major didn't help.
"After being in the J-School for two years and spending four years at KU, I became a little disenchanted with the whole idea of doing advertising." McLaughlin said. "I think advertising is fascinating in and of itself and what it says about people. But as far as the actual creation of that and deciding what message you personally want to send people, no."
After "eating and hanging out for a couple of years" at Pachamama's, which employed many of his friends, McLaughlin decided to apply. The decision was not an easy one either, considering his primary dining service experience came from delivering pizzas.
McLaughlin's gumption paid off, though. He earned himself a spot at the widely praised restaurant.
"I started as a dishwasher, which I'm still doing a few nights a week — paying those dues and earning those stripes," McLaughlin said. "I'm starting to shift over to the kitchen, where I do salads and desserts."
"The instructions on the Ramen
package only go so far.' Adam McLaughlin former journalism student
With little cooking background, he often has to swallow his pride in the presence of his coworkers.
"For me, a lot of what I'm doing is getting over the fact that I'm asking really stupid questions to people who know what they're doing," he said. "Being in the kitchen, a lot of it is just getting over the fact that I'm going to sound like a moron."
So, could he one day be referred to as Chef Adam?
"Culinary schools cost money, lots of money, which I really can't afford right now," he said. "I don't know what I want to do with it."
While his plans are uncertain, McLaughin said the practicality of cooking skills appealed to him, and he approached the ins and outs of the kitchen with an eagerness lacking in his academic education.
With its changing monthly menu, Pachamama's continues to offer something new both for the public and for McLaughlin. Pachamama's offers fare from rubbed skirt steak (the diaphragm of the cow) to wood-fired arctic chär (trout).
"I want to learn. In the J-School I wasn't investing myself well enough to learn."
McLaughlin has not reached entree status, but will continue to work as a line cook with the intent to move up to the pizza oven, grill and sauté stations. A return to KU looms on the horizon as well, with McLaughlin planning to attend in the spring to finish his degree.
"I'm not going to use my degree yet, but I'm not saying ever." McLaughlin said. "One nice thing about cooking is that it's very useful. You can go anywhere, you can do anything with it."
Pachamama's opens for dinner nightly at 6 p.m.To make reservations, call 841-0990.
Contact Kelly at akelly@kansan.com. This story was edited by Nicole Roché.