Faces of 1440: Executive Chef Kenny Woods

As we prepare to open our doors at 1440 Multiversity, we'd like to introduce you to some of the amazing folks you'll meet during your stay on campus. First up? Kenny Woods—the man behind our fabulous farm-to-table cuisine. Kenny Woods
Age: 26
Hometown: Tucson, Arizona
Role at 1440: Executive Chef What was the best part of today?
Waking up, sitting on the back porch in my noise-canceling headphones and meditating, then getting to work. It was just a perfect way to start the day. What's the weirdest job you've ever had?
Dishwashing at 15 with a bunch of pretty inappropriate coworkers. If you could trade places with anybody in the world, who would you pick?
For one day, I would trade with some kind of three-star Michelin chef somewhere in the world. Only for a day, though, because I don't want to live in that kind of stressful environment. And then on the flip side, I would love to trade places with somebody who owns a very private, cool mountainside cabin somewhere in Alaska. That would be awesome—with a river that you can fish in—just to kind of know what it's like to live on the really simple end of things. What is your favorite word?
I don't have one straight-up favorite word, but I do love the three-word phrase—mise en place—and that's French for "everything in its place." It's just kind of a way to live your life—knowing what's going on, staying in the moment. When you translate that to a kitchen, it's success. What's one thing everyone can do today to make a real difference in the world?
Everybody living by treating people how you should be treated—we've all heard that before. Preparing fresh food at home. These days we have lost touch with the concept of "the home cooked meal." Processed foods have taken over our meals. Knowing where your food comes from and what its ingredients are is so crucial to making the world a better place. If we all spend a little more time cooking fresh food, we would have less worries about what we're fueling our bodies with. Get hands-on with your meals. Jazz, rap, or classical?
I can appreciate all of them, but if we're talking about listening to one genre for an extended amount of time, it's probably jazz. What would you love to have for dinner tonight?
I'm probably leaning towards green chicken curry because it's kind of a go-to (for me). Follow the Kitchen Table on Instagram.

Confit Tricolor Carrot

"I love the technique of confit. To be able to cook an ingredient in its own natural juice brings a different appreciation. This enhances the overall depth of simple ingredients. The carrots would be an amazing side dish for roasted seasonal fish, braised chicken, or grilled tofu." —Chef Kenny