Firefighter heats up cooking class

A local fireman fired up the grill and taught cooking and fire safety for A Southern Season’s cooking school.

Capt. Byron Greeson of the Chapel Hill Fire Department taught a cooking class last month for A Southern Season, and has plans to return in the winter.

About 25 students enjoyed a taste of Greeson’s specialties as they watched him cook, beginning with baby-back ribs and ending with apple crisp.

The opportunity to teach this class came unexpectedly during a friendly conversation between the cooking school’s manager Marilyn Markel and Lt. Gordon Shatley during a routine fire inspection.

“One of the workers in the studio where they do the cooking school had asked who was the best (chef),” Shatley said.

“Me and another fireman actually said ‘Byron’ at the same time.”

After an exchange of business cards and e-mails, Greeson’s class was scheduled.

“They were telling me what a great cook Capt. Greeson was and about the meals he makes at the firehouse,” Markel said. “I’m always open to a variety of topics, so they sent me his contact information. We discussed it and thought it would be an interesting class.”

Greeson said the kitchen at A Southern Season was a welcoming environment.

“(The class) is a pretty neat setup,” Greeson said. “The kitchen that they use is a huge kitchen and they have mirrors and cameras so people can see the countertop. There are tables and chairs so the people just eat and watch.”

After the meal, Greeson — who has been a certified fire instructor at community colleges and fire academies for years — fielded questions about the fire department and fire safety.

“I’ve always enjoyed cooking and I’ve been teaching for a while,” he said. “This is the first time I’ve taught cooking, though.”

Greeson said he received positive feedback from the students and has been invited back for another class in the winter, something he said he looks forward to.

“It was a really neat experience,” he said. “The people at A Southern Season were great to work with—they did most of the work. I just got to go and have fun.”

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.