Making food work for nonprofit Opportunity Village

Frederick Patterson is executive chef at Opportunity Village, where he leads the culinary training program and Kitchen Creations division. (The latter is a business division for clients who have gone through the organization’s training program and work with its Lunch Bunch, Cookie Crafters and catering.) Patterson, who joined Opportunity Village in January, has been a room chef and catering chef at Boulder Station, worked in the culinary department at Caesars Palace and for two years was sous chef at Springs Preserve. He attended Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts.

Review-Journal: Always in your fridge?

Chef Frederick Patterson: Since my fiancee moved in, a lot of fruit and salad and fresh juices.

R-J: Currently obsessed with?

Patterson: Lasagna

R-J: Newest Las Vegas discovery?

Patterson: Capo’s Speakeasy (5675 W. Sahara Ave.)

R-J: Favorite indulgence?

Patterson: Anything chocolate

R-J: I never eat …

Patterson: Liver

R-J: Favorite brunch at home?

Patterson: Either omelets or Eggs Benedict

R-J: Best tip for home cooks?

Patterson: Keep your knife sharp

R-J: What are you working on?

Patterson: Running the kitchen at Magical Forest, and holiday events. (Patterson said Magical Forest offers mostly carnival-style food, but he planned to introduce some street tacos.)

R-J: Let’s talk about all of the food-service things Opportunity Village does.

Patterson: Cookies, catering, box lunches for companies that want to have lunch for their offices. The Christmas cookies are shaped like Christmas trees and bells and decorated with colored sugar ($9.99 for a six-pack, $15.99 for a 12-pack or $19.99 for a 24-pack; chocolate chip, oatmeal-raisin, peanut butter, sugar and snickerdoodle cookies also are available at the same price; call 702-880-4030).

Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at Hrinella@reviewjournal.com. Find more of her stories at www.reviewjournal.com, and follow @HKRinella on Twitter.