Issue date: 7/11/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Steve Berry During his career in culinary arts. First Cook Heinz Dziurowtiz has cooked meals for dignitaries and students alike.

Hundreds of students eat at the Center Court in the Morris University Center every day, grabbing a bite between classes or visiting with friends over lunch.

Truckloads of food from SIUE go out to approximately 900 children in Head Start programs around the area.

What those children and students probably don't know is that the food they eat was likely prepared by the same man who has prepared food for the president of Poland, the chancellor of SIUE and a high-ranking official of China, among others - First Cook Heinz Dziurowtiz.

Dziurowitz has been cooking at SIUE for almost six years and was one of the first cooks hired out of the system at SIUE.

"They were looking for someone with experience," Dziurowitz said.

After working as the head cook at the Moonlight restaurant in Alton for 22 years, as well as working as the store manager at Steak N Shake for several years, Dziurowitz has experience to spare.

"I've been interested in cooking since I was very young," Dziurowitz said.

Dziurowtiz's mother, a native of Yugoslavia, cooked a lot of European food when he was younger.

"I didn't realize that the way my mom cooked, that was kind of a gourmet thing," Dziurowtiz said. "If I had known I would be cooking when I grew up, I would have paid more attention to what she was cooking."

Second Cook Norman Muller has worked with Dziurowtiz for the past five to six years, and described him as friendly, joking and outgoing.

"Heinz knows a whole lot about cooking things from scratch," Muller said. "If we're ever in a bind, he's very ingenious about coming up with things on the fly."

Dziurowitz is sort of a jack-of-all-trades in dining services, helping out pretty much wherever he can: catering, the bakery, the Head Start programs and Center Court.

But his favorite is still his regular job, the night shift in the Center Court.

"They give me quite a bit of freedom to do things the way I like and the way I know they will work," Dziurowitz said. "I especially like working with the student workers. The night shift is like one big, happy family."

Once, Dziurowitz helped prepare the catering for an Arts and Issues event featuring Lech Walesa, a Polish politician and former trade union and human rights activist.

After he was done preparing the food, Dziurowitz went to listen to Walesa speak.

"I thought it was really interesting, since my dad is from Poland," Dziurowitz said. "I think that was my high point, listening to him."

Another high point for Dziurowitz was when he cooked for an official of China.

"It was on a military base and it was very high security," Dziurowitz said.

He has also cooked for a dinner party for the president of Poland, for the Lincoln Academy Governor's Ball and for the catering for Howard Dean, a famous American politician and former presidential contender.

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