L. Wayne Alexander, a line cook at The Breeze Sports Bar and Grill in Rockford, Illinois, first learned to cook by watching his mother and grandmother. Since then, he’s had his own success in the kitchen, including catering a party and having everything go off without a hitch. He can now add to that his newest invention, Smoky Chili Burgers (featured in the June/July 2008 issue), which has rightly won great acclaim.

Besides being influenced by family example, L. Wayne’s cooking style has been inspired by chefs Bobby Flay and Gordon Ramsey. Not surprisingly, his favorite TV show is Ramsey’s popular “Hell’s Kitchen.”

L. Wayne hasn’t been on a real vacation in 25 years, but if he could travel anywhere in the world, he’d head to Oakland, California, to watch the Raiders play. For the moment, though, he likes to spend his occasional days off relaxing with a little outdoor cooking.

And if he could have any profession in the world? “I would be a professional chef,” he says, “because I love what I do.”