Know Your Neighbor: Robert Rhymes, Kaskaskia College Culinary Director

Kaskaskia College Culinary Director Robert Rhymes took his passion for chemistry and directed it to the kitchen and has become a chef extraordinaire.

Born in the Deep South of Clarksdale, Mississippi. to Josephine and Robert. Sr. on Dec. 14, 1974, he was the little brother of sister, Tarra. Josephine was a French teacher for 35 years and his dad a band director for 40 years. Though he deeply admired his parents, of one thing he was certain, “I wasn’t ever going to be a teacher.”

“I was a chemistry geek,” recalls Robert. “I remember well asking my parents for a new and advanced chemistry set every year. The only restriction placed on my discovery projects was to perform experiments only when they were home.”

Being a typical curious boy, he forgot his parents’ admonition one day and ended up catching the bathroom floor on fire. After a well-deserved switching, Robert remembered their instructions in the future but this did not curb his curiosity or enthusiasm.

Robert’s parents actually encouraged him to follow his dreams and never be afraid to follow those aspirations. Robert said he contemplated becoming a doctor, newscaster or a rock star — virtually anything other than an instructor. He excelled in science and English literature and was an avid reader. He graduated from Clarksdale High School in 1995.

He then enrolled at Jackson State University majoring in chemistry. In his junior year he was elected vice president and then served as president during his senior year. He received a scholarship to the University of Massac and attended for one and one half years. Then his father passed away.

During this time in 2001, Robert began questioning his career direction, but then began studying to be a research scientist at the University of Atlanta. In May 2003, Robert became a chemist for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation analyzing drug evidence. He said he spent most of his time in the lab and testifying in courts.

“I really didn’t care for the court part,” said Robert.

He credits his sister, Tarra, with having admonished him to follow his passion, which, by then, he discovered was cooking. After a couple of jobs, he went from Atlanta to Chicago and earned a degree from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts and took his chemistry to the kitchen.

He then worked with troubled youth at Job Corp in a residential program and assisted students in search of a trade to practice. Robert later began working for the Ritz Carlton in Atlanta and then went full circle back to Mississippi Community College and initiated a culinary program and remained there five years.

Off to Kaskaskia College in Centralia

In 2013 he was invited to work at Kaskaskia College by then Dean George Evans.

“George and I began our journey at Kaskaskia about the same time,” recalls Robert. “It’s been a joy to work for George, who is now KC president; George actually bleeds KC Blue. Southern Illinois was a different culture than I had experienced before, but I’ve learned, we are all more alike than we are different.”

In reference to Robert, Evans said, “Chef is a very talented and culturally diverse instructor. He has the ability to take normal culinary experiences and adds the spice of life to them. He has traveled extensively throughout the world and has taken those experiences and shares them with his students one way or another. He connects with them very well.”

Robert said he believes he learns as much from his pupils as they do from him. He is adamant learning should be fun and enables students to retain more.

“I try to keep the learning curriculum light and the lines of communication open,” said Robert. “By doing this, they direct me how to teach them.”

Coronavirus challenges; about his culinary program

With the onset of COVID-19, Robert has been challenged to keep his students engaged. In order to accomplish this, he initiated a time for Zoom lectures. However, the time slot he chose was not compatible for all of his students, so he allowed them to choose the time and all have responded well. He has approximately 20 freshmen and 20 sophomore students, pretty much equally distributed between male and female.

Robert’s program consists of a two-year degree with traditional culinary arts and restaurant operations. For the fall semester, he and his class present the annual Breakfast at Tiffany’s, which includes Crab Cake Benedict with Hollandaise sauce and his specialty — five-cheese grits. The general public is invited for sampling.

Learning from his father; well-traveled chef; family info

When Robert was young, he said his dad was an exceptional cook and took delight in preparation of most of the family meals. Robert affectionately said his father taught him to worship at the Church of Grits.

“The most important component I try to teach these kids is to make all of your dishes with love,” stressed Robert. “And I encourage them to experiment and be creative. I love my kids and they inspire me to step up my game.”

Robert has traveled throughout the United States and 22 countries training food service workers and said he is thankful he was not afraid to change his mind and become a teacher, just like his parents.

His family includes his mother; sister, Tarra Slack; nephew, Tyler; and niece, Prada, his mother’s maiden name. Robert lives in Centralia.